Unfortunately this save got corrupted
But I already started new playthrough and I'm going to make AAR this time, so if you want to read it, you will be able to read it there See you in an AAR section
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A Storm from the West: a Sunset Invasion AAR
- Thread starter Kazanov
- Start date
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But I already started new playthrough and I'm going to make AAR this time, so if you want to read it, you will be able to read it there See you in an AAR section
That affair went sour for all concerned with unusual rapidity and intensity, even for CK2
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I was preparing K'awil to be a great leader, but he died on the first 2 years of his reign, thats why i love CK2
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Chapter 3.16 Scenes of the Migration Era II (400 CE)
Chapter 3.16 Scenes of the Migration Era II (400 CE)
Two men were reunited together to decide the destiny of the Mayan Empire for the decades to come on a secret room inside one of the many temples of New Tikal. One of the men was way younger that the other but both had an imposing presence proper of the most powerful men of their era.
For days the older man gave a very detailed explications about all the secret matters the next High Priest of the Mayan Empire had to know to rule in the name of the Q'uk'umatz dynasty, the family secrets that could be used to blackmail the head of any of the three major Mayan houses, the rivalries between the major Berber tribes that could be exploited to weaken them in case of rebellion, the smugglers that were allowed to operate inside the borders of the Empire and the spy networks that were created and expanded all over the Mediterranean sea by the Priesthood.
Today, Kalan had prepared a great map on the big table of the room with a lot of notes and wooden figurines representing armies, people of interest and changes that had happened in recent times.
- High Priest, today you will inform me about the current regional situation? I think i know the sufficient about the decadence of the Etruscan Empire, the defeat of the Huns and the menace represented by the Egyptians, i would like to use our time to settle the situation of the two sons of K'awil Q'uk'umatz...-.said the younger man feeling that knowing about the other Kingdoms and Empires was not necessary at all...
Kalan, with the patience of an old teacher that had educated generations of priests and had seen the rise and fall of many men ignored with courtesy the ignorance of a man that had spent his entire life locked up in temples by day surrounded by scrolls and by night recording the movements of the stars. and began the lesson that he had prepared for this day:
- "After the death of the Great Pharaoh ambitious Egyptian nobles organized a palace coup to oust the legitimate successor to the throne and former powerful Ruweis dinasty ended and was succeeded by one of the many cults of their faith, Egypt it’s now being ruled by a seven years old God-King called Tutmose, the change on leadership caused widespread revolts all over their lands and have weakened them beyond repair, that’s a good thing for us because they cannot afford to invade us for a long time, but a bad thing for them because they made a lot of enemies on the past decades."
- "The Babylonian Empire ended when the Emperor Shammu "the evil" tried to get the old Assyrian faith back into prominence on their Empire and started, in true ancient Assyrian fashion, to persecute all the other faith that he considered a threat to the new order, we have to remember that even with the usual "Assyrian way of things" most of these faiths more or less peacefully coexisted until then. This was considered by the new Emperor an act of refoundation of the old Assyrian Empire and the oppression caused small revolts all over their lands, and after a bloody war some of their former subjects regained independence...But not everything was oppression on that side of the world because the Christian Kingdom of Armenia sought the protection of the Assyrians from the nomadic invaders and general chaos of the era and thanks to the military aid given by their new protectors they are living a golden age."
I edited the save to add a rule to have strong revolts, its a lot of fun seeing the Empires break apart.
- "What remained from the Lydian Empire fell into obscurity and now their former area of dominance is a total chaos with Kingdoms that rise and fall on a regular basis -our mapmakers are tired of redrawing these borders- the Khazar Kingdom of Pontus its the dominant power in the region but we don’t know much about them because of the distance, they are too far from our areas of interest."
Total chaos
-"Under the rule of Rugila Zabergan the Hunnic Empire returned to prominence to the disgrace of the people conquered by them, the nomads have recently settled into the Carpathian basin and stopped their continuous raiding and invasion of the Etruscan lands...we don’t know if this means the end of the chaotic era or if its only a temporary truce anyways, we sent an embassy to their capital and if they are successful we will establish diplomatic relations with them. Their best ally are a confederation of Germanic tribes known by the Etruscans as the Ostrogoths, they have entered in our area of influence and the Phoenicians in Carthage are worried about them..."
Im worried about them
- "The crisis caused by the constant invasions of the Huns, the Germanic tribes and other nomadic groups, the unrest caused by the conversion of the Empire to Christianity and the political ambitions of some generals caused a great war among the Etruscans that ended the once Great European Empire as the Hellenes used to call it, now there are successor states trying to claim the lost imperial glory, two of them being the most important."
A lot of fun there, the Empire desintegrated and now there is a lot of chaos between the Christians and the pagans.
- "The Kingdom of Etruria is, according to our informants its the true successor Kingdom of what was the once great Etruscan Empire and as before, they are actively trying to expand their borders and convert more people to their faith...our spies have informed me about a movement to centralize the religious authority of the "fraticelli" monks and to leave their humble ways to fully embrace the Etruscan way of life, we are yet to see if these rumors are true or not. Their armies have repelled the Germanic tribes that later have tried to invade Iberia with different degrees of success. The other Kingdom it’s called Northern Etruria and have remained as followers of the Hellenic faith, after a few years of existence they faced invasions from all sides -they are surrounded by Germanic tribes after all- and when they were about to collapse they were made a tributary of the Christian Etruscans."
-"In Iberia there are new actors, the Germanic Kingdoms of Bracarensis and Tolosa were created after they conquered the local populations and these tribes migrated into the Peninsula, we have yet to see if they want to live in peace or we will have war against them, their leaders have made clear that they have come here to live in peace but we truly cannot trust these people under any reason. Lusitania have been warring for the past years with the Vascones and the Germanic tribes that have been trying to settle in Ispania that even we have fought, the main Iberian tribe have been are weakened right now and maybe we will witness the collapse of their Kingdom...that means that we will have to take some of their lands even if we don’t need them only to prevent other local powers from becoming a threat in the future."
-"We have heard rumors about a great famine and war that had happened in Albion, our merchants told stories about how the Kingdom fell and that for now they are not traveling there because the sea is full of pirates. They are outside of our area of interest so i have not researched more about these misty islands."
Well, that's a mess.
Two men were reunited together to decide the destiny of the Mayan Empire for the decades to come on a secret room inside one of the many temples of New Tikal. One of the men was way younger that the other but both had an imposing presence proper of the most powerful men of their era.
For days the older man gave a very detailed explications about all the secret matters the next High Priest of the Mayan Empire had to know to rule in the name of the Q'uk'umatz dynasty, the family secrets that could be used to blackmail the head of any of the three major Mayan houses, the rivalries between the major Berber tribes that could be exploited to weaken them in case of rebellion, the smugglers that were allowed to operate inside the borders of the Empire and the spy networks that were created and expanded all over the Mediterranean sea by the Priesthood.
Today, Kalan had prepared a great map on the big table of the room with a lot of notes and wooden figurines representing armies, people of interest and changes that had happened in recent times.
- High Priest, today you will inform me about the current regional situation? I think i know the sufficient about the decadence of the Etruscan Empire, the defeat of the Huns and the menace represented by the Egyptians, i would like to use our time to settle the situation of the two sons of K'awil Q'uk'umatz...-.said the younger man feeling that knowing about the other Kingdoms and Empires was not necessary at all...
Kalan, with the patience of an old teacher that had educated generations of priests and had seen the rise and fall of many men ignored with courtesy the ignorance of a man that had spent his entire life locked up in temples by day surrounded by scrolls and by night recording the movements of the stars. and began the lesson that he had prepared for this day:
- "After the death of the Great Pharaoh ambitious Egyptian nobles organized a palace coup to oust the legitimate successor to the throne and former powerful Ruweis dinasty ended and was succeeded by one of the many cults of their faith, Egypt it’s now being ruled by a seven years old God-King called Tutmose, the change on leadership caused widespread revolts all over their lands and have weakened them beyond repair, that’s a good thing for us because they cannot afford to invade us for a long time, but a bad thing for them because they made a lot of enemies on the past decades."
- "The Babylonian Empire ended when the Emperor Shammu "the evil" tried to get the old Assyrian faith back into prominence on their Empire and started, in true ancient Assyrian fashion, to persecute all the other faith that he considered a threat to the new order, we have to remember that even with the usual "Assyrian way of things" most of these faiths more or less peacefully coexisted until then. This was considered by the new Emperor an act of refoundation of the old Assyrian Empire and the oppression caused small revolts all over their lands, and after a bloody war some of their former subjects regained independence...But not everything was oppression on that side of the world because the Christian Kingdom of Armenia sought the protection of the Assyrians from the nomadic invaders and general chaos of the era and thanks to the military aid given by their new protectors they are living a golden age."
I edited the save to add a rule to have strong revolts, its a lot of fun seeing the Empires break apart.
- "What remained from the Lydian Empire fell into obscurity and now their former area of dominance is a total chaos with Kingdoms that rise and fall on a regular basis -our mapmakers are tired of redrawing these borders- the Khazar Kingdom of Pontus its the dominant power in the region but we don’t know much about them because of the distance, they are too far from our areas of interest."
Total chaos
-"Under the rule of Rugila Zabergan the Hunnic Empire returned to prominence to the disgrace of the people conquered by them, the nomads have recently settled into the Carpathian basin and stopped their continuous raiding and invasion of the Etruscan lands...we don’t know if this means the end of the chaotic era or if its only a temporary truce anyways, we sent an embassy to their capital and if they are successful we will establish diplomatic relations with them. Their best ally are a confederation of Germanic tribes known by the Etruscans as the Ostrogoths, they have entered in our area of influence and the Phoenicians in Carthage are worried about them..."
Im worried about them
- "The crisis caused by the constant invasions of the Huns, the Germanic tribes and other nomadic groups, the unrest caused by the conversion of the Empire to Christianity and the political ambitions of some generals caused a great war among the Etruscans that ended the once Great European Empire as the Hellenes used to call it, now there are successor states trying to claim the lost imperial glory, two of them being the most important."
A lot of fun there, the Empire desintegrated and now there is a lot of chaos between the Christians and the pagans.
- "The Kingdom of Etruria is, according to our informants its the true successor Kingdom of what was the once great Etruscan Empire and as before, they are actively trying to expand their borders and convert more people to their faith...our spies have informed me about a movement to centralize the religious authority of the "fraticelli" monks and to leave their humble ways to fully embrace the Etruscan way of life, we are yet to see if these rumors are true or not. Their armies have repelled the Germanic tribes that later have tried to invade Iberia with different degrees of success. The other Kingdom it’s called Northern Etruria and have remained as followers of the Hellenic faith, after a few years of existence they faced invasions from all sides -they are surrounded by Germanic tribes after all- and when they were about to collapse they were made a tributary of the Christian Etruscans."
-"In Iberia there are new actors, the Germanic Kingdoms of Bracarensis and Tolosa were created after they conquered the local populations and these tribes migrated into the Peninsula, we have yet to see if they want to live in peace or we will have war against them, their leaders have made clear that they have come here to live in peace but we truly cannot trust these people under any reason. Lusitania have been warring for the past years with the Vascones and the Germanic tribes that have been trying to settle in Ispania that even we have fought, the main Iberian tribe have been are weakened right now and maybe we will witness the collapse of their Kingdom...that means that we will have to take some of their lands even if we don’t need them only to prevent other local powers from becoming a threat in the future."
-"We have heard rumors about a great famine and war that had happened in Albion, our merchants told stories about how the Kingdom fell and that for now they are not traveling there because the sea is full of pirates. They are outside of our area of interest so i have not researched more about these misty islands."
Well, that's a mess.
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Chapter 3.17 The Second Rise of Carthage and the First Kuhul Ahau (393-416 CE)
Chapter 3.17 The Second Rise of Carthage and the First Kuhul Ahau (393-413 CE)
After the death of K’awil Q’uk’umatz in 392 CE the council ruled the Empire with wisdom and without opposition, the two sons of the late Ahau were educated by the priests as one more of them, trying to tie the ideals of the High Priest with the ones the two boys were developing over time. Kalan passed away in 402 and was replaced by Yaax, who as the new High Priest tried his best to be the father the two boys didn’t had, he was the one who named them as the legendary Twin Heroes of the Mayan tradition in an effort to link their lives with the divine and the cycle of the stars.
For more than then years since the death of the last Ahau the Empire lived in peace and prosperity, however many diseases plagued the Maya lands, killing many people, including the mothers of the two sons of the late Ahau; Hunahpu (the bastard that K'awil fathered with KnaabKnaab) and Ixbalanqué, the heir to the throne, the plagues finally started to cease in 405 CE.
During the same year a great German invasion invaded the northern Lusitanian kingdom which fell and was replaced by the Visigoth Kingdom of Tolosa, this generated great concerns in the regency council of the Mayan Empire because they worried about being next in the line for an invasion, but in reality nothing could be done against the powerful German armies more than trying to have good relations with their leaders in order to maintain the peace, which, after all, had allowed the growth of the Empire in the last decades…the Mayans could not afford a war after the decade of plagues and the Visigoths would need trade partners and allies in case they faced a widespread revolt from the locals, peace was something both peoples wanted after all.
With the Visigothics in Iberia we will see an early Conquista?, or will the Mayans be able to stop them in this timeline?, they are too powerful to take on for now...
After coming of age and being crowned by the High Priest, Ixbalanqué Q’uk’umatz, the new Ahau of the Mayan Empire declared war in 408 CE against the remnants of the Lusitanian Kingdom in an effort to make a name for himself and to end any threat they could become in the future even if they were the weakest Kingdom in all the Iberian Peninsula, the war lasted a month and after the Battle of Ossonoba the Lusitanian Kingdom…the last Celtiberian remnant of the glorious days of the Turdetanii was finished for good.
Winning the war was not enough, and claiming that he wanted to unite the two peoples once and for all he took the wife of the last King of Lusitania as his concubine after capturing her at the end of the war. This was seen by some Mayan nobles as a sign of Ixbalanqué taking the worst traits of his late father, but he claimed that he wanted to ensure the loyalty of his new subjects and that his sons by this woman could claim the lands taken by the Visigoths of Tolosa in the future, something that exceeded the poor short-term vision of the mediocre nobles.
Only Aj-koo of the House Oncan of Mauria (his maternal relative) and the High Priest Yaax of Ispal sided with him, but that was enough to silence any opposition as both were the most powerful men in the Empire, the young Ahau felt confident enough to continue with his ambitions of creating a new order in the region after decades of peace, and according to his view, of stagnation.
For years the Christian population of north Africa had grown expanding into the very lands held by the Maya inside the Empire. Mayan, Berber and Phoenician Christians despised the “satanic” ways of the Maya religion and even more the idea of an Emperor who claimed descent from a serpentine pagan god who sacrificed the hearts of his enemies to even darker gods, that, added to the desire for independence caused widespread Nestorian and Peasant revolts between 409-413 CE among the Berber and Phoenician peoples…all of these were suppressed with ease and the leaders sacrificed to the gods as usual and the rest, in true Phoenician fashion were crucified.
Ixbalanqué gained the nickname the Holy for a reason
After suppressing these revolts Ixbalanqué visited the great city of Carthage for a week, he wished to know more about the fabled city that once was ruled by one of his ancestors, so he staid among the nobles of the city, the Carthaginians were at the time ruled by a kid but the ones that wielded the true power were the merchants that in the past were sympathetic to the cause of his father, after all, K’awil Q’uk’umatz was the one who saved the white city from being completely destroyed as was the wish of the High Priest Kalan when the Mayans conquered the fallen Kingdom decades ago.
The Ahau and his council evaluated the situation, without the Egyptians being a threat in the region the occupation of Phoenician lands by the Maya would be a headache for the next decades as the Christian population of the region would always be at the brink of revolt, either for religious reasons or to regain the independence of their people. He would never try to exterminate them as Kalan intended because the very idea of persecuting his distant kin for their new belief seemed like an horrible thing to do.
After a special meeting with the Miat of the 104 sufetes of Carthage it was decided: the two Carthaginian entities inside the Mayan Empire would regain their independence only having to pay a special tribute in exchange for military protection provided by the Maya, the Phoenicians accepted the new treaty with a great celebration, after 27 years Carthage rose again from the ashes… and with the backing of the Maya they would surely never fall again.
Two Carthages, one people...the recipe for a future conflict.
Weeks later
Yaax, the High Priest who had educated Ixbalanqué in the temples of New Tikal died in 411 from a complication related to gout, the Ahau learned about that when he was pursuing the Nestorian rebels in North Africa and for five years he was away from home and because of that, was incapable of saying goodbye to the man that was literally his father.
When he returned to New Tikal after defeating the Christians and transforming the Phoenician Kingdoms into tributary states he was welcomed by his bastard brother Hunahpu… he had ruled over the Capital when the Ahau was away and for a long time kept the ambitious priests away from the throne, old Yaax had educated both on them to become the next religious authorities of the Empire to prevent the rise of another Kalan and the weakening of the sacred Q’uk’umatz line.
After being informed by his brother about the affairs that happened in the sacred city during his absence, Ixbalanqué called the nobles to a meeting, there he proclaimed that from that moment the Imperial Ahau would become known as the "Kuhul Ahau" ( Divine King) and that from that moment he would be the maximum religious authority of the Empire, the High Priest from that moment would become just one another member of the council and will not have the same power that Kalan and Yaax enjoyed years ago.
I modified the Localization files for the new title, was a necessary change because most rulers are Ahau, the Emperor needed a different title. IRL Mayans never had Emperors but important rulers used the title of K'uhul Ahau.
From this moment on, the Kuhul Ahau would be the one who would rule the Empire's destinies, not the council or a High Priest, and with the religious power on their side, the line of Q'uk'umatz would last for the centuries to come and with them, the Mayan Empire.
After the death of K’awil Q’uk’umatz in 392 CE the council ruled the Empire with wisdom and without opposition, the two sons of the late Ahau were educated by the priests as one more of them, trying to tie the ideals of the High Priest with the ones the two boys were developing over time. Kalan passed away in 402 and was replaced by Yaax, who as the new High Priest tried his best to be the father the two boys didn’t had, he was the one who named them as the legendary Twin Heroes of the Mayan tradition in an effort to link their lives with the divine and the cycle of the stars.
For more than then years since the death of the last Ahau the Empire lived in peace and prosperity, however many diseases plagued the Maya lands, killing many people, including the mothers of the two sons of the late Ahau; Hunahpu (the bastard that K'awil fathered with KnaabKnaab) and Ixbalanqué, the heir to the throne, the plagues finally started to cease in 405 CE.
During the same year a great German invasion invaded the northern Lusitanian kingdom which fell and was replaced by the Visigoth Kingdom of Tolosa, this generated great concerns in the regency council of the Mayan Empire because they worried about being next in the line for an invasion, but in reality nothing could be done against the powerful German armies more than trying to have good relations with their leaders in order to maintain the peace, which, after all, had allowed the growth of the Empire in the last decades…the Mayans could not afford a war after the decade of plagues and the Visigoths would need trade partners and allies in case they faced a widespread revolt from the locals, peace was something both peoples wanted after all.
With the Visigothics in Iberia we will see an early Conquista?, or will the Mayans be able to stop them in this timeline?, they are too powerful to take on for now...
After coming of age and being crowned by the High Priest, Ixbalanqué Q’uk’umatz, the new Ahau of the Mayan Empire declared war in 408 CE against the remnants of the Lusitanian Kingdom in an effort to make a name for himself and to end any threat they could become in the future even if they were the weakest Kingdom in all the Iberian Peninsula, the war lasted a month and after the Battle of Ossonoba the Lusitanian Kingdom…the last Celtiberian remnant of the glorious days of the Turdetanii was finished for good.
Winning the war was not enough, and claiming that he wanted to unite the two peoples once and for all he took the wife of the last King of Lusitania as his concubine after capturing her at the end of the war. This was seen by some Mayan nobles as a sign of Ixbalanqué taking the worst traits of his late father, but he claimed that he wanted to ensure the loyalty of his new subjects and that his sons by this woman could claim the lands taken by the Visigoths of Tolosa in the future, something that exceeded the poor short-term vision of the mediocre nobles.
Only Aj-koo of the House Oncan of Mauria (his maternal relative) and the High Priest Yaax of Ispal sided with him, but that was enough to silence any opposition as both were the most powerful men in the Empire, the young Ahau felt confident enough to continue with his ambitions of creating a new order in the region after decades of peace, and according to his view, of stagnation.
For years the Christian population of north Africa had grown expanding into the very lands held by the Maya inside the Empire. Mayan, Berber and Phoenician Christians despised the “satanic” ways of the Maya religion and even more the idea of an Emperor who claimed descent from a serpentine pagan god who sacrificed the hearts of his enemies to even darker gods, that, added to the desire for independence caused widespread Nestorian and Peasant revolts between 409-413 CE among the Berber and Phoenician peoples…all of these were suppressed with ease and the leaders sacrificed to the gods as usual and the rest, in true Phoenician fashion were crucified.
Ixbalanqué gained the nickname the Holy for a reason
After suppressing these revolts Ixbalanqué visited the great city of Carthage for a week, he wished to know more about the fabled city that once was ruled by one of his ancestors, so he staid among the nobles of the city, the Carthaginians were at the time ruled by a kid but the ones that wielded the true power were the merchants that in the past were sympathetic to the cause of his father, after all, K’awil Q’uk’umatz was the one who saved the white city from being completely destroyed as was the wish of the High Priest Kalan when the Mayans conquered the fallen Kingdom decades ago.
The Ahau and his council evaluated the situation, without the Egyptians being a threat in the region the occupation of Phoenician lands by the Maya would be a headache for the next decades as the Christian population of the region would always be at the brink of revolt, either for religious reasons or to regain the independence of their people. He would never try to exterminate them as Kalan intended because the very idea of persecuting his distant kin for their new belief seemed like an horrible thing to do.
After a special meeting with the Miat of the 104 sufetes of Carthage it was decided: the two Carthaginian entities inside the Mayan Empire would regain their independence only having to pay a special tribute in exchange for military protection provided by the Maya, the Phoenicians accepted the new treaty with a great celebration, after 27 years Carthage rose again from the ashes… and with the backing of the Maya they would surely never fall again.
Two Carthages, one people...the recipe for a future conflict.
Weeks later
Yaax, the High Priest who had educated Ixbalanqué in the temples of New Tikal died in 411 from a complication related to gout, the Ahau learned about that when he was pursuing the Nestorian rebels in North Africa and for five years he was away from home and because of that, was incapable of saying goodbye to the man that was literally his father.
When he returned to New Tikal after defeating the Christians and transforming the Phoenician Kingdoms into tributary states he was welcomed by his bastard brother Hunahpu… he had ruled over the Capital when the Ahau was away and for a long time kept the ambitious priests away from the throne, old Yaax had educated both on them to become the next religious authorities of the Empire to prevent the rise of another Kalan and the weakening of the sacred Q’uk’umatz line.
After being informed by his brother about the affairs that happened in the sacred city during his absence, Ixbalanqué called the nobles to a meeting, there he proclaimed that from that moment the Imperial Ahau would become known as the "Kuhul Ahau" ( Divine King) and that from that moment he would be the maximum religious authority of the Empire, the High Priest from that moment would become just one another member of the council and will not have the same power that Kalan and Yaax enjoyed years ago.
I modified the Localization files for the new title, was a necessary change because most rulers are Ahau, the Emperor needed a different title. IRL Mayans never had Emperors but important rulers used the title of K'uhul Ahau.
From this moment on, the Kuhul Ahau would be the one who would rule the Empire's destinies, not the council or a High Priest, and with the religious power on their side, the line of Q'uk'umatz would last for the centuries to come and with them, the Mayan Empire.
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Most of them were neccesary, the Phoenician Christians were revolting too much and having them as tributaries will be an important source of income for the years to come
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I hope we dont get into an early Conquista, so far they are militarily superior and we have the Vandals running around and looking at North Africa with greedy eyes
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Chapter 3.18 The Battle of Grabangri 417-421 CE
Chapter 3.18 The Battle of Grabangri 417-421 CE
Playing a pagan faith did not had the threat of heresy when they get low moral authority, i created this heresy of the Mayan faith to make things more difficult to me.
Chak-Tok-Ich'aak, cousin of Ixbalanqué Q'uk'umatz had converted recently to this new religion and tried to legitimize it at court to the horror of the Kuhul Ahau, who ordered his murder before the heresy could expand like a disease all over the Empire.
But maybe was too late for that.
In 419 CE another matter distracted the Kuhul Ahau from persecuting the heretics... the new "Carthages" sent diplomatic envoys to the court in New Tikal because they had trade conflicts in their respective areas of interest and that escalated into full hostilities, both sides claimed to be the victim of aggression and called the Kuhul Ahau into fulfilling his part of the treaty and send the Imperial armies to settle the dispute.
Ixbalanqué didn’t wanted to lose any of the two Tributaries by taking sides in a petty dispute and declared the neutrality of the Empire in a conflict between tributaries as was the custom when two Mayan vassals warred between each other... but when the Iberian Carthage went to the Visigoths of Tolosa for support and became their tributary in exchange for military aid his hand was forced to help the African Carthaginians to stop the Germanics gaining influence in the Mediterranean, a new war started and the two Carthage were using the most powerful local armies to solve their dispute.
That happened quick,when i rejected the Iberian Carthaginian's call to arms they got free, and Tolosa declared war on them fast enough that i didnt realized that my former tributary became theirs... that was ..fun?
The battle plan proposed by the council was simple, after hiring mercenaries to increase the number of soldiers under the Mayan banner, they would send the combined Imperial armies under their best general -his uncle Chac- to invade the Kingdom of Tolosa, and if possible, sack their capital in a quick and brutal movement causing them to retreat from the war before it escalated into a bigger conflict, he never expected that the Visigoths had spies -probably Christians- between his troops and that his entire army would be intercepted at the border.
The forces were evenly matched according to the reports of the scouting party sent to spy on the Germanic army that was coming at them, and Chac Q’uk’umatz positioned his forces to take any advantage possible of the terrain, soon both forces collided and a great battle (maybe the greatest battle on Mayan history) began.
Mayan heavy infantry proved to be decisive in the first stages of the battle of Grabangri as they were breaking the Visigoth lines mainly composed by light infantry, and at that moment seemed like the battle was about to be won after all, everything so far was favorable to the Mayans… but suddenly the Mayan force was surrounded by the superior mobility of the Germanic Cavalry and Chac had to call for a strategic retreat, he could not risk having his entire army wiped out at the start of this war, that could doom the Empire forever.
I need Cavalry...
This defeat caused great turmoil in the court of New Tikal, the nobles were educated in times of peace and grow up with fairytales about easy victories against the enemies of their people, the General Chac tried to cleanse his honor talking about how the two armies had more and less the same losses and that the retreat was only a tactical one, not a total victory of the enemy. The war was just starting after all…
Some blamed the loss on the Kuhul Ahau, after all, that man had created a bigger conflict by inaction and by taking the place of the High Priest angered the gods, the main supporter of this group was Chac Oncan, maternal cousin of Ixbalanqué the new leader of the Oncan house of Mauria and his most powerful vassal. The Kuhul Ahau dismissed his opponents calling them heretics for questioning his position as supreme temporal and spiritual leader of the Mayans just because their armies lost a battle and made them remember that the very existence of this Empire was thanks to the effort made by his family line across generations. The fact that they were paying taxes and sending men to fight a foreign war added to all the political and religious changes that the new "kuhul ahau" had made during his government after decades of stability only made his vassals unite under the banner of the Oncan and after a few months of preparations launched a revolt demanding the independence of their territories, Mayans and Berbers were united under Chac Oncan who opened a second warfront in the already precarious military situation of the Empire.
House Oncan: From the most loyal house to a bunch of traitors in one chapter.
Heresy!
New Tikal, Mayan Empire, September 417 CE
Since the foundation of the Kingdom of Ispania the Phoenician Christians that were accepted as brothers by the ruling dynasty and they had tried to convert the Mayans into their faith with some degree of success, more than a century later a new faith was born in North Africa that mixed the Mayan religious practices with the Christian values, a syncretic heresy that wasn’t truly Mayan nor Christian and that was particularly popular between the lower classes and the oppressed groups of the Empire.New Tikal, Mayan Empire, September 417 CE
Playing a pagan faith did not had the threat of heresy when they get low moral authority, i created this heresy of the Mayan faith to make things more difficult to me.
Chak-Tok-Ich'aak, cousin of Ixbalanqué Q'uk'umatz had converted recently to this new religion and tried to legitimize it at court to the horror of the Kuhul Ahau, who ordered his murder before the heresy could expand like a disease all over the Empire.
But maybe was too late for that.
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The War of Carthaginian Unification
Mayan Empire- 419
The War of Carthaginian Unification
Mayan Empire- 419
In 419 CE another matter distracted the Kuhul Ahau from persecuting the heretics... the new "Carthages" sent diplomatic envoys to the court in New Tikal because they had trade conflicts in their respective areas of interest and that escalated into full hostilities, both sides claimed to be the victim of aggression and called the Kuhul Ahau into fulfilling his part of the treaty and send the Imperial armies to settle the dispute.
Ixbalanqué didn’t wanted to lose any of the two Tributaries by taking sides in a petty dispute and declared the neutrality of the Empire in a conflict between tributaries as was the custom when two Mayan vassals warred between each other... but when the Iberian Carthage went to the Visigoths of Tolosa for support and became their tributary in exchange for military aid his hand was forced to help the African Carthaginians to stop the Germanics gaining influence in the Mediterranean, a new war started and the two Carthage were using the most powerful local armies to solve their dispute.
That happened quick,when i rejected the Iberian Carthaginian's call to arms they got free, and Tolosa declared war on them fast enough that i didnt realized that my former tributary became theirs... that was ..fun?
The battle plan proposed by the council was simple, after hiring mercenaries to increase the number of soldiers under the Mayan banner, they would send the combined Imperial armies under their best general -his uncle Chac- to invade the Kingdom of Tolosa, and if possible, sack their capital in a quick and brutal movement causing them to retreat from the war before it escalated into a bigger conflict, he never expected that the Visigoths had spies -probably Christians- between his troops and that his entire army would be intercepted at the border.
The forces were evenly matched according to the reports of the scouting party sent to spy on the Germanic army that was coming at them, and Chac Q’uk’umatz positioned his forces to take any advantage possible of the terrain, soon both forces collided and a great battle (maybe the greatest battle on Mayan history) began.
Mayan heavy infantry proved to be decisive in the first stages of the battle of Grabangri as they were breaking the Visigoth lines mainly composed by light infantry, and at that moment seemed like the battle was about to be won after all, everything so far was favorable to the Mayans… but suddenly the Mayan force was surrounded by the superior mobility of the Germanic Cavalry and Chac had to call for a strategic retreat, he could not risk having his entire army wiped out at the start of this war, that could doom the Empire forever.
I need Cavalry...
This defeat caused great turmoil in the court of New Tikal, the nobles were educated in times of peace and grow up with fairytales about easy victories against the enemies of their people, the General Chac tried to cleanse his honor talking about how the two armies had more and less the same losses and that the retreat was only a tactical one, not a total victory of the enemy. The war was just starting after all…
Some blamed the loss on the Kuhul Ahau, after all, that man had created a bigger conflict by inaction and by taking the place of the High Priest angered the gods, the main supporter of this group was Chac Oncan, maternal cousin of Ixbalanqué the new leader of the Oncan house of Mauria and his most powerful vassal. The Kuhul Ahau dismissed his opponents calling them heretics for questioning his position as supreme temporal and spiritual leader of the Mayans just because their armies lost a battle and made them remember that the very existence of this Empire was thanks to the effort made by his family line across generations. The fact that they were paying taxes and sending men to fight a foreign war added to all the political and religious changes that the new "kuhul ahau" had made during his government after decades of stability only made his vassals unite under the banner of the Oncan and after a few months of preparations launched a revolt demanding the independence of their territories, Mayans and Berbers were united under Chac Oncan who opened a second warfront in the already precarious military situation of the Empire.
House Oncan: From the most loyal house to a bunch of traitors in one chapter.
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Maybe it's time for Maya-Christian to rule Iberia. I think you could make them intermarriagable to Christians, they are kind of Christians after all.
If the Maya-Christian take control it could be great opportunity for new culture to be created (kind of like English in vanila CK2) and it would be perfect way to show the evolution of ethnicity (after centuries of marrying Mayans to Iberians and Pheonicians, they should be more mixed now).
But that's just an idea
If the Maya-Christian take control it could be great opportunity for new culture to be created (kind of like English in vanila CK2) and it would be perfect way to show the evolution of ethnicity (after centuries of marrying Mayans to Iberians and Pheonicians, they should be more mixed now).
But that's just an idea
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Maybe it's time for Maya-Christian to rule Iberia. I think you could make them intermarriagable to Christians, they are kind of Christians after all.
If the Maya-Christian take control it could be great opportunity for new culture to be created (kind of like English in vanila CK2) and it would be perfect way to show the evolution of ethnicity (after centuries of marrying Mayans to Iberians and Pheonicians, they should be more mixed now).
But that's just an idea
I already made them intermarriagable and had an idea about a slow religious evolution, but taking your idea, maybe i could make a cultural melting pot...
We have centuries to see what could happen in this crazy world
And of course Islam will be a thing in 200 years more...everything could happen.
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Well sometimes defeats are more transformative than victories - and this may yet be so.
I have nominated this epic saga for this week’s WritAAR of the Week award. The vast scope and detail of the alternate history and cultures you have created, @Kazanov, as the stage for your story are amazing.
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Chapter 3.19 Traitors and Loyalists 421-423 CE
After a long hiatus because i was working too much, perhaps until exhaustion i return with my AAR, this time i will try to not take too much time between chapters,
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Chapter 3.19 Traitors and Loyalists 421-423 CE
Denia, Mayan Empire, 421
The revolt was growing in strength in the south while the Imperial troops were preparing a second offensive against the Visigoths and Ixbalanqué was preparing the defenses of New Tikal in case the traitors were insolent enough to launch an attack on the sacred city when a small fleet of ships arrived at the port of the capital with troops that claimed to be loyal to the cause of the Kuhul Ahau, they were sent by the Berber Chief Luga of Souk, who was murdered two days later by some traitors in his court that were sympathizers of the independentist cause. The rebels on the south were advancing unopposed and the two leading houses (Oncan and of Calakmul) were overconfident on their victory.
The Berber troops were deployed at the fortifications of the Pillar of Melqart, the strategic strait that separated the two halves of the Empire, even if they were few, no enemy could afford a risky crossing.
As if the Gods themselves were in the favor of the Kuhul Ahau, news about the death of the leader of the Visigoths arrived at his camp when Mayan troops were advancing towards the Northern (Iberian) Carthaginians, the successor of the dead Germanic King, his son Ranosind II faced a Celtic revolt almost immediately and that ended the Alliance between the Phoenicians and the Kingdom of Tolosa. The news gave a great morale boost to the Mayan troops who quickly marched east and started to take enemy territory with an unusual speed.
Soon they encountered the Northern Carthaginians in the Battle of Denia, where the Shaman Aj-Na’at of the Temple-Complex of Tikal took the enemy leader as prisoner of war, and he surrendered to not be sacrificed to the cruel Mayan Gods. Now with Carthage unified and the war over the Imperial armies marched south with Chac Q’uk’umatz leading them to end the revolt and pacify the realm before any foreign leader decided that the Mayans were weak enough to be invaded.
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Menshke, Mayan Empire, March 423
The cornfields extended along the valley that the troops commanded by Chac Q'uk'umatz observed from the distance, the slopes of the desert hills had been irrigated plantations could be seen on the terraces, potatoes, pumpkins, Tomatoes, the old world vegetables grew together with those brought from the Mayab following the ancient agricultural technique of the Milpa, the three sisters (corn, squash and beans) were now accompanied by garlic, onions and other products from the conquered territories...
The three sisters technique is something that have existed for millenia in the Maya world, even to this day in urban Guatemala/Mexico there are some people who use this to maximize the production of vegetables in tiny spaces-
In a colorful tent with the Imperial and Q'uk'umatz family symbols the commanders of the Imperial troops rested as they prepared to continue their march into the desert.
- We are what we eat uncle, just as these plants live together and in harmony is how our people and the conquered peoples will live in the future with the support of our gods, that is the vision of our Kuhul Ahau - said Hunahpú Q'uk ' umatz, bastard brother of Ixbalanque, priest attached to the troops and nephew of the general.
-I still do not understand why the change of direction Hunahpu, the previous Ahaus - Chac used the title as if he was not yet accustomed to the current Ahau being considered sacred and the highest spiritual authority in the Empire- allowed each people to live on their own world without disturbing others, the religious freedom promised to our subjects and segregation is what allowed us to expand and prosper ...
- Times change, Uncle Chac, and the stars show us the way, our people is just the upper layer of cream on the milk jug that is our Empire - the young Hunahpu said as he raised his jug slightly- we are the best in our Empire and still our subjects outnumber us ... that is the perfect recipe for disaster and is what caused the dissolution of the Etruscan Empire. The Mayan Empire will be a single people ... or it will not be. That's what my brother says..
Hunahpu was the closest man to the Kuhul Ahau, being the son of K'awil with Knaab Knaab he had inherited some of the lands that would have belonged to Kin Kawilid if it had not been for his treason but his status as a bastard prevented him from claiming the throne or take possession of Ispal...for Chac was he a dear young man ... a brilliant priest but perhaps too loyal to the Kuhul Ahau to trust him, perhaps this whole conversation was a trap that his other nephew had set for him ...
- Well nephew, the will of the Ahau is the will of the gods, and they are not mistaken - Chac said while he drank from a mug full of Lusitanian beer.
- That's right uncle, the designs of the Kuhul Ahau are the designs of the gods ... - said a thoughtful Hunahpu as he looked at the jug he was holding with both hands.
-But im worried, as we have traveled across the southern land with our armies, it looks like the traitors have been consorting maybe too much with the local Berber tribes, they don’t dress or act like true Mayans, and I have heard rumors about them even worshiping their gods…that’s not something that have happened north of the strait… if the Kuhul Ahau wants to unite us he must stop this from happening or all his plans for the Empire will fail. - said the General
-I have noticed the same pattern, uncle, and in the lands of the Calakmul family the Maya-Christians have expanded their influence so much that our priest struggle to control these heretics, our Empire is becoming more and more diverse as time passes on, even if our cultural hegemony on the northern lands is stronger we have adquired a lot of Lusitanian subjects… I can imagine a future were we become more and more influenced by the Iberians. It can easily become a dangerous situation.
-We should talk to our Kuhul Ahau after we win the war Hunahpú, for the greater good of our Empire – Said Chac Q’uk’umatz
-Indeed uncle, indeed… - replied Hunahpú Q’ukúmatz making a signal so one of the officers could enter their tent.
- My lords – said the officer bowing with respect to both men- we have spotted the enemy near our position.
The next day the Imperial troops marched towards the rebels, Chac was proudly leading his men to a battle that could define the future of the Empire for decades to come.
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Chapter 3.19 Traitors and Loyalists 421-423 CE
“The Empire will be united under one culture, one faith and one throne or it will not be”
- Kuhul Ahau Ixbalanqué Q’uk’umatz of the Mayan Empire, 421.
- Kuhul Ahau Ixbalanqué Q’uk’umatz of the Mayan Empire, 421.
Denia, Mayan Empire, 421
The revolt was growing in strength in the south while the Imperial troops were preparing a second offensive against the Visigoths and Ixbalanqué was preparing the defenses of New Tikal in case the traitors were insolent enough to launch an attack on the sacred city when a small fleet of ships arrived at the port of the capital with troops that claimed to be loyal to the cause of the Kuhul Ahau, they were sent by the Berber Chief Luga of Souk, who was murdered two days later by some traitors in his court that were sympathizers of the independentist cause. The rebels on the south were advancing unopposed and the two leading houses (Oncan and of Calakmul) were overconfident on their victory.
The Berber troops were deployed at the fortifications of the Pillar of Melqart, the strategic strait that separated the two halves of the Empire, even if they were few, no enemy could afford a risky crossing.
As if the Gods themselves were in the favor of the Kuhul Ahau, news about the death of the leader of the Visigoths arrived at his camp when Mayan troops were advancing towards the Northern (Iberian) Carthaginians, the successor of the dead Germanic King, his son Ranosind II faced a Celtic revolt almost immediately and that ended the Alliance between the Phoenicians and the Kingdom of Tolosa. The news gave a great morale boost to the Mayan troops who quickly marched east and started to take enemy territory with an unusual speed.
Soon they encountered the Northern Carthaginians in the Battle of Denia, where the Shaman Aj-Na’at of the Temple-Complex of Tikal took the enemy leader as prisoner of war, and he surrendered to not be sacrificed to the cruel Mayan Gods. Now with Carthage unified and the war over the Imperial armies marched south with Chac Q’uk’umatz leading them to end the revolt and pacify the realm before any foreign leader decided that the Mayans were weak enough to be invaded.
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Menshke, Mayan Empire, March 423
The cornfields extended along the valley that the troops commanded by Chac Q'uk'umatz observed from the distance, the slopes of the desert hills had been irrigated plantations could be seen on the terraces, potatoes, pumpkins, Tomatoes, the old world vegetables grew together with those brought from the Mayab following the ancient agricultural technique of the Milpa, the three sisters (corn, squash and beans) were now accompanied by garlic, onions and other products from the conquered territories...
The three sisters technique is something that have existed for millenia in the Maya world, even to this day in urban Guatemala/Mexico there are some people who use this to maximize the production of vegetables in tiny spaces-
In a colorful tent with the Imperial and Q'uk'umatz family symbols the commanders of the Imperial troops rested as they prepared to continue their march into the desert.
- We are what we eat uncle, just as these plants live together and in harmony is how our people and the conquered peoples will live in the future with the support of our gods, that is the vision of our Kuhul Ahau - said Hunahpú Q'uk ' umatz, bastard brother of Ixbalanque, priest attached to the troops and nephew of the general.
-I still do not understand why the change of direction Hunahpu, the previous Ahaus - Chac used the title as if he was not yet accustomed to the current Ahau being considered sacred and the highest spiritual authority in the Empire- allowed each people to live on their own world without disturbing others, the religious freedom promised to our subjects and segregation is what allowed us to expand and prosper ...
- Times change, Uncle Chac, and the stars show us the way, our people is just the upper layer of cream on the milk jug that is our Empire - the young Hunahpu said as he raised his jug slightly- we are the best in our Empire and still our subjects outnumber us ... that is the perfect recipe for disaster and is what caused the dissolution of the Etruscan Empire. The Mayan Empire will be a single people ... or it will not be. That's what my brother says..
Hunahpu was the closest man to the Kuhul Ahau, being the son of K'awil with Knaab Knaab he had inherited some of the lands that would have belonged to Kin Kawilid if it had not been for his treason but his status as a bastard prevented him from claiming the throne or take possession of Ispal...for Chac was he a dear young man ... a brilliant priest but perhaps too loyal to the Kuhul Ahau to trust him, perhaps this whole conversation was a trap that his other nephew had set for him ...
- Well nephew, the will of the Ahau is the will of the gods, and they are not mistaken - Chac said while he drank from a mug full of Lusitanian beer.
- That's right uncle, the designs of the Kuhul Ahau are the designs of the gods ... - said a thoughtful Hunahpu as he looked at the jug he was holding with both hands.
-But im worried, as we have traveled across the southern land with our armies, it looks like the traitors have been consorting maybe too much with the local Berber tribes, they don’t dress or act like true Mayans, and I have heard rumors about them even worshiping their gods…that’s not something that have happened north of the strait… if the Kuhul Ahau wants to unite us he must stop this from happening or all his plans for the Empire will fail. - said the General
-I have noticed the same pattern, uncle, and in the lands of the Calakmul family the Maya-Christians have expanded their influence so much that our priest struggle to control these heretics, our Empire is becoming more and more diverse as time passes on, even if our cultural hegemony on the northern lands is stronger we have adquired a lot of Lusitanian subjects… I can imagine a future were we become more and more influenced by the Iberians. It can easily become a dangerous situation.
-We should talk to our Kuhul Ahau after we win the war Hunahpú, for the greater good of our Empire – Said Chac Q’uk’umatz
-Indeed uncle, indeed… - replied Hunahpú Q’ukúmatz making a signal so one of the officers could enter their tent.
- My lords – said the officer bowing with respect to both men- we have spotted the enemy near our position.
The next day the Imperial troops marched towards the rebels, Chac was proudly leading his men to a battle that could define the future of the Empire for decades to come.
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