Avon Las Observes

[Bullfilter]

This has to be one of the greatest CK2 battlefield duels. Large realms, large armies, both realm leaders, relatives (first cousins, actually sons of twins), aging gentlemen (mid to late fifties

You gotta like it when they both wear their game faces to battle and decide to go mano-e-mano.

 

[Midnite Duke]

@Von Acturus: Mac, what I am supposed to do with the large buckets filled with coins and the arts and crafts supplies? Admiral @DensleyBlair said that the buckets were ballast.
@Macavity116: VA, do not tell the captain and the admirals, but you have the most important job on the mission. The coins go the children as a reward for cleaning the CK2 and providing security. Half of medieval/renaissance European art is either done by or influenced by the children that we meet. I have a clay bowl done by a 6yo that later made the sculpture of the Apostles that is in front of the Jerusalem Temple.

Basileus Vukasin: Captain @JSB217118, I see, that like my brother Lujdevit, you bear the mark of a temple protector. When we go to the Sinai, will you help me hide my diaries with the Progonovic family history and the work of the Byzantine Security Agency?
@JSB217118: It would be my honor to help you and I will leave Admiral @Bullfilter and a member of your family behind to meet with the Egyptians.
Vukasin: Thank you. I will bring my son, Count Dmitar.

12yo Antonija (Vukasin's half-sister) leads a contingent of children and their financier, @Von Acturus, to the local ice drink shop with the drone, that the children have named Dragonfly, flying reconnaissance. When 13yo Serapion (the four are Dmitar's youngest) complains to Mr. Slurp about the size of the ice chips for baby Karolina, @nuclearslurpee screams "Leon1, we have seven sizes of ice chips and none are as big as your thumb. This is for a wee babe." 8yo Jovanka tells her aunt that 5yo Vukasin wanted two squirts of blueberry and one of apple, but the ice-maker only gave him one and one. Nuclear bellows "Leon2, we have eleven flavors and we give every drink three squirts whether it be three of one flavor, two and one, or three different flavors. Leon3, wash these dishes thoroughly not hit and miss".
Antonija: Uncle Nuc, why do you call all of your workers Leon?
@nuclearslurpee: The workers come and go so often that I do not learn their names and some use fake names. With same name, I save on embroidered names on their tunics. (At one point during the next decade, there were factions to place three different Leons (a count, a duke and a king) on the Byzantine throne.)
A: I understand your problem as I have problems with family relations. Vukasin and Hypatia are supposed to be my brother and sister, but they act like parents. Dmitar's children are supposed to be my great nephews and nieces, but they are more like brothers and sisters to me.

Sinai Duchy is Egypt's only duchy in Asia. It borders Nile Delta and Sea of Palestine (both Mediterranean Sea), Kingdoms of Jerusalem and Arabia, Sea of Calm (Red Sea) and the Duchies of Cairo and Damietta. Its four counties are: desert Al-Farama bordering the Med and the Red; hilly El-Arish on the Med; mountainous Eilat and Sinai on the Red Sea. The populace of all four counties is Levantine Catholic. Al-Farama and Eilat have three holdings, while El-Arish and Sinai have only two. The entire duchy is under the rule of Sultan @El Pip of Egypt (31yo Egyptian Catholic (all rulers are Catholic) Abraam Terteroba with 135 holdings). Emir @Wraith11B of Sinai (42yo Egyptian Abdul-Salaam II Beglukid with 23 holdings) controls Sinai province and has Lord Mayor @HistoryDude of Al-Farama (49yo Levantine Fayiz Fayizid) and Shaykhah @KiratRawr of Eilat (45yo Egyptian Radiya Georgiosia both with 3 holdings) as vassals. Sheikh @Nikolai of Siwah (50yo English Snowid Bogorski with 4 holdings) rules El-Arish and is a vassal of Emir @TheButterflyComposer of Al-Bartoun (37yo English Richard Becket with 9 holdings). (I have no idea why there are English culture rulers in Egypt.)​

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Sultan @El Pip and Emir @Wraith11B welcome Basileus Vukasin, Admiral @Bullfilter, Captain @JSB217118 and Count Dmitar to Egypt. After the initial reception, the Basileus and the Captain leave on urgent business for the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Midway through the banquet, Emir @TheButterflyComposer and Sheikh @Nikolai arrive. Emir Wraith welcomes them and wishes that he had been at the gate to greet them. Emir TBC says that Cennet found their invitations on the floor and had personally delivered them while she was travelling to visit her family in Sicily and that TBC and Nik had not been able to RSVP. (Nik's father controlled Siwah and his mother controlled El-Arish. Nik's father died first thus on his mother's death El-Arish become part of TBC's duchy instead of Wraith's.) Sultan @El Pip invites @Bullfilter and Count Dmitar to Cairo for ostrich races as it rumored that an emu will arrive from the south.

De Jure Egypt has nine duchies and thirty-one counties. The Sultanate of Egypt rules the kingdom, eight duchies and twenty-five counties. The Kingdom of Denmark rules the Duchy of Cyrenaica and three counties. The Holy Roman Empire rules the County of Senoussi and the Kingdom of France rules the County of Farafra. The European nations have ruled the lands since before the Sunni Jihad for Egypt in the late 1220s. The Sheikdom of Al-Mimiya has been independent since the late 14th century.​

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Capt. @JSB217118 had to make two trips to early 20th century so that Henry Jones and René Belloq would only discover minimal information about the methods of the Byzantine Security Agency.
After dropping off artwork to the people at headquarters, @Von Acturus had a portfolio of artwork to remember his C2 trip. He even framed two pictures that Dragonfly would spend hours observing. One was a beautiful painting by 12yo Cassandra of her 3yo sister Zoe asleep under a tree with Dragonfly protectively hovering over Zoe. The other was a splash of red, blue and black that Zoe said was Dragonfly.


Shout Outs: Thousands are Sailing by @Von Acturus (Stellaris) Thank you for loaning me the Drone. (Does he like his name?)

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Year of Hell by @Macavity116 (Stellaris)​

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@nuclearslurpee Thank you for fixing drinks for the children and trying to keep the Leons straight.​

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Talking Turkey by @Bullfilter (HoI3) Thank you for loaning me Cennet.​

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The Butterfly Effect by @El Pip (HoI2)​

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Der Adler, der Wolf, und die Sonne by @Wraith11B (HoI3)​

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Suryavamsavali by @KiratRawr (CK2)​

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Tomorrow Belongs to Me by @TheButterflyComposer (HoI4)​

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@Nikolai has started Q1 2023 ACAs. Please Vote.​

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Next: Death of Basileus Vukasin and the Duchy of Ascalon in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Ascalon will have six landowners and I have four in mind. I would love to have two volunteers or someone you would like to honor (I will give your or their AARs a shout-out). But first, we need to meet 1425 #3 and #4 which are in a civil war (Byz, HRE or Raj?).

Thank you to everyone for reading, liking and commenting.

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[Midnite Duke]

You gotta like it when they both wear their game faces to battle and decide to go mano-e-mano.

Vukasin and Michael, probably had fights against each other as children, just now the stakes were a little higher.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Finally caught up again. Thank you for including me @Midnite Duke

Thank you for participating. I hope that you do not mind being a modern-day Knight Templar. Another member of the family will join Lujdevit in the Templars before the end. Lujdevit is the steward of the Knights thus he has one of Europe's largest purses.

 

[DensleyBlair]

Don’t worry, this Admiral heartily approves of artists being justly rewarded.

 

[Macavity116]

After dropping off artwork to the people at headquarters, @Von Acturus had a portfolio of artwork to remember his C2 trip. He even framed two pictures that Dragonfly would spend hours observing. One was a beautiful painting by 12yo Cassandra of her 3yo sister Zoe asleep under a tree with Dragonfly protectively hovering over Zoe. The other was a splash of red, blue and black that Zoe said was Dragonfly.

Aw, that just warms my heart.

 

[Von Acturus]

Emir @TheButterflyComposer of Al-Bartoun (37yo English Richard Becket with 9 holdings). (I have no idea why there are English culture rulers in Egypt.)

Presumably they listened about some place called India and decided they wanted to get closer. In any case that is a crazy and very european-ized holy land.

At one point during the next decade, there were factions to place three different Leons (a count, a duke and a king) on the Byzantine throne

At least that way those who wish to write a letter or make an offering to the Basileus know they can just write "to his Majesty, Basileus Leon of the glorious Byzantine Empire" and don't have to worry about exactly which Leon is in the throne.

He even framed two pictures that Dragonfly would spend hours observing. One was a beautiful painting by 12yo Cassandra of her 3yo sister Zoe asleep under a tree with Dragonfly protectively hovering over Zoe. The other was a splash of red, blue and black that Zoe said was Dragonfly.

Awwwww

Thank you for the shout outs and for involving the Drone in your work, it's always a delight to read our characters when written by other people, and I very much enjoyed your portrayal.

And don't worry, although the Drone would make quite a scene about being named after an organic being, he's a softie at heart. I bet he'd hang those pictures just above his Colossus' big red button.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Don’t worry, this Admiral heartily approves of artists being justly rewarded.

Aw, that just warms my heart.

Thank you for reading and commenting.

 

[HistoryDude]

I rule a city in the Sinai! It's such a shame that I must answer to someone else... for now.

 

[Midnite Duke]

I rule a city in the Sinai! It's such a shame that I must answer to someone else... for now.

Thank you for commenting. I think that you have the only municipal county in Egypt (two clergy iirc). While Emir @Wraith11B may allow you to leave, I do not think Sultan @El Pip (it even looks like a name for an Egyptian ruler) will grant you independence. Two of Sinai's four rulers do not live on the Peninsula. The Emir lives in the Nile Delta ruling Damietta Duchy as well as Sinai (principal title is Sinai but capital in nicer Delta county (five vs. two holdings). Sheikh @Nikolai lives to the west with both of his counties being poor two holding provinces. Emir @Wraith11B is not happy that Sheikh @Nikolai is a subject of Emir @TheButterflyComposer. Sultan @El Pip is salivating over adding Al-Mimiya back into the Sultanate. The French and HRE counties are worthless desert that border the Sahara. Al-Mimiya is in middle Egypt along the Nile and adjacent to Cairo.

Have you thought about building a big ditch and collecting tolls?

 

[Bullfilter]

PS:

At one point during the next decade, there were factions to place three different Leons (a count, a duke and a king) on the Byzantine throne.

Too many Leons lyin’ around! Bound to get up to mischief.

Emir TBC says that Cennet found their invitations on the floor and had personally delivered them while she was travelling to visit her family in Sicily

Just think twice before eating her homemade gnocchi!

invites @Bullfilter and Count Dmitar to Cairo for ostrich races as it rumored that an emu will arrive from the south

The emu will win. They can run fast - once (literally) saw one chase a CO’s dog and then the CO off their own (grass) parade ground. It was at an armoured regiment. Very funny.

Talking Turkey by @Bullfilter (HoI3) Thank you for loaning me Cennet.

Thanks for the shout out! Cennet enjoyed her visit - not sure if she made any bones while in Sicily!

 

[Midnite Duke]

PS:

Too many Leons lyin’ around! Bound to get up to mischief.

Just think twice before eating her homemade gnocchi!

The emu will win. They can run fast - once (literally) saw one chase a CO’s dog and then the CO off their own (grass) parade ground. It was at an armoured regiment. Very funny.

Thanks for the shout out! Cennet enjoyed her visit - not sure if she made any bones while in Sicily!

Thank you for replying. No matter how fast, I am not betting on the emu. The ostrich has home field and Sultan @El Pip setting the rules.

 

[JSB217118]

Darn Plantagenets! (I think and wonder about Jabberjock

Yeah even if he never continues the series I just hope he's ok.

Thank you for participating. I hope that you do not mind being a modern-day Knight Templar. Another member of the family will join Lujdevit in the Templars before the end. Lujdevit is the steward of the Knights thus he has one of Europe's largest purses.

Why would I ever object to being in the same order as Haythem Kenway?

 

[Midnite Duke]

Presumably they listened about some place called India and decided they wanted to get closer. In any case that is a crazy and very european-ized holy land.


At least that way those who wish to write a letter or make an offering to the Basileus know they can just write "to his Majesty, Basileus Leon of the glorious Byzantine Empire" and don't have to worry about exactly which Leon is in the throne.



Awwwww

Thank you for the shout outs and for involving the Drone in your work, it's always a delight to read our characters when written by other people, and I very much enjoyed your portrayal.

And don't worry, although the Drone would make quite a scene about being named after an organic being, he's a softie at heart. I bet he'd hang those pictures just above his Colossus' big red button.

Thank you for replying. I do not think that a 15th century English Catholic would want India.

A short Egyptian history lesson, in the 1190s the Pope called a crusade for Egypt. The Pope won and gave Egypt (all thirty-one counties) to a representative of the Polish royal house. In late 1220s, the Caliph called and won a jihad for Egypt. Egypt is returned to Sultan Saladin of Syria (grandson of former Egyptian Sultan Saladin (historic figure)), but only twenty-six counties as Denmark/HRE own Cyrenaica and France owns Farafra. The Polish King continues as King of Egypt with a county in northwest Black Sea area and is tied to Cumania. After the lengthy (over twenty years) second Egypt crusade, the Cuman King of Egypt returns to the Nile valley acquiring the twenty-six counties. The Egyptian kings acquired land in Poland and an area of Africa west of Cyrenaica descending into central Africa through the Sahara (CK map has area about one county wide between two parts of Sahara). The western coastal area (including al-Miniya) won their independence in late 14th century.
Sultan @El Pip's Terteroba dynasty is a reference to the Cumans even though they have adopted Egyptian culture. Emir @TheButterflyComposer's Becket dynasty is probably from England, but Sheikh @Nikolai's Bogorski dynasty is probably a remnant of the early Polish crusaders. @TheButterflyComposer's family probably fled the chaos that is England. England's largest landowners are the Victuals, former mercenaries that overthrew the English royals over non-payment of funds. England also has several independent counties and the Knight Templars own two counties in western England. In an ironic twist, the current Victual leader is Egyptian.

Beside Egypt, Denmark and the former Egyptians, other north Africa landlords include Pisa, Sicily and Maghreb. While Italian Pisa and Norman Sicily rule from Europe, Iberian (Castilian/Portuguese) Maghreb is ruled by European Catholics who have settled in northwest Africa. There are probably no Islamic rulers in Africa. Mali is ruled by Catholic Africans and Abyssinia by Mia/Monophysites Africans. There are a few rulers still practicing African tribal religions.

The very unusual Byzantine internal unity has ended. After the year of five Basileuses (1363), Byzantium had over six decades without a civil war and there was even a several decade period without a faction. Leon is probably Greek for where's Waldo.

Thank you and Dragonfly Drone.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Yeah even if he never continues the series I just hope he's ok.

Why would I ever object to being in the same order as Haythem Kenway?

I agree 100% about @JabberJock14. The entire name must be typed as it doesn't appear as an option when you partially type. I always think of him whenever I come across a Plantagenet just as I think of @Bullfilter when I encounter a Rurikid and you when the KoJ appears. The daughter of our second leader (Doux Gjin) married the Plantagenet King of England with Gjin's granddaughter becoming Queen of England. My Plantagenets usually have strange reigns while Rurikids are super strong. Even though I think about you and KoJ, when we explore Ascalon and Galilee, a different person will be the King of Jerusalem.

I had to look up Kenway. Maybe a fear of Friday the 13th. Did you catch Henry Jones and Balloq?

 

[Nikolai]

Hi there folks! The Duke himself has allowed me to post to ask you all to vote in the Q1 2023 ACAs, voting ongoing NOW! Please vote for the best AARs active Q1 2023, as per detail in the linked thread. AARland needs you!

 

[Midnite Duke]

#4 249 holdings Empire of Rajasthan. Rajasthan has two hundred fifty-seven fewer holdings than 1400, but if the rebel lands are added, then the Empire has thirty-two more than 1400.​

Lt. @RustyHunter consulted with the dragon riders to plan the journey from Baghdad to Sthanisvara. There would be a three-dragon flight with @Thaiga on Thunder, @streaker77 on Lightning and @SongOfHorrors57 on Hail. @Thaiga's head archer @lone_wolf7660 also attended though from @RustyHunter's reports, it is unclear whether @lone_wolf7660 was in charge of all dragon-archers or just positioned on Thunder's head. Emir @Tommy4ever of Samarra, the Caliphate's Grand Vizier, approached Capt. @JSB217118 about joining so that he could consult with his Rajasthan counterpart.

The Rajisthan Empire capital has moved from the City of Elephants (Hastinapura) to Sthanisvara, one province west as Hastinapura's lord joined the rebels. Hannibal and his team including Dumbo are likewise part of the rebel scum (different outlook will be available when we visit the freedom fighters). Rajasthan's military is currently the smallest of the big five with less than twenty thousand soldiers. They are involved in two defensive wars. A) Along with the Caliphate, they are assisting Sultan Hasan III of Anatolia's defense of the Charsianon Emirate (2 counties of 3) from the Kingdom of Bulgaria's Orthodox Holy War. B) In August 1418, Chief Bilge of Dashhowuz declared Samrat Indrapala a tyrant and took up arms in rebellion. Anne Howe is currently scoring the wars as Bulgaria plus 24 and Rebels plus 63.​

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Maharaja @Killcrazy13 of Punjab, the Rajasthan Grand Vizier, welcomes the Amazing Adventurous Readers to Sthanisvara and leads the Admirals, Captain @JSB217118 and Emir @Tommy4ever to an audience with Samrat Indrapala. @Killcrazy13 asks @JSB217118 whether @FondMemberofSociety had joined them as he was currently persona non grata in Rajasthan.

Between our 1400 visit and his 23April1414 death to severe stress at age 66, Samrat Mahipala accepted Christ and was baptized into the Orthodox faith. Samrat Mahipala ruled for almost thirty-two years and was succeeded by his 30yo Hindustani Orthodox son Mahipala Ghurid. Less than four months later on 9August1414, Rajasthan nobles forced 31yo Samrat Mahipala II to abdicate the throne in favor of his 37yo Hindustani Sunni cousin Indrapala Ghurid. 47yo Samrat Indrapala is a flamboyant schemer, quick, deceitful, arbitrary, kind and diligent (8-12-4-12-10). He personally rules the empire, a kingdom, two duchies and three counties. One king, nine dukes and four counts have remained loyal. He has two bad boy points.​

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While the leaders were meeting with Samrat Indrapala and Maharaja @Killcrazy13, the remaining AAReaders were being entertained by Captain @KiratRawr of the Gurkhas. He asked if they had any problems during the flight from Baghdad. Lt. @RustyHunter said that they had been fired upon with Lt. @Macavity116 being hit by a stray arrow. This happened somewhere in eastern Persia or western India and we do not know if it was loyalists or rebels. Capt. @KiratRawr says that @Macavity116 if you are injured that we have two excellent doctors. @Swompy Time 'the leach' has some exotic leeches from the far east. The old pirate sawbones, @Austregisel, has classical Greek training and guarantees that you will be healed before your next child is born or your money back. @RedMotorCycle says "son, you should see the docs". @Macavity116 replies "Pop, I keep telling you that SR91 has hurt me worst with a fork when we both reach for the last dinner roll. Now, we should let Mircea tell the tale."
Mircea's tale: Being younger, Hail was flying lower with @Macavity116 instructing the archers when he was hit. We landed and bandaged him. Everyone was mad and ready to explain to the archers about not recklessly shooting into the air. The dragons consumed a crate of ghost peppers and a case of hot sauce and dad dipped arrows in a special liquid. Everyone put on their armor even Lightning. The three dragons sent waves of fire onto the hillside with our archers firing so many arrows that a mosquito could not fly between them. @RedMotorCycle was like a man possessed. It took three people reloading to keep him supplied with fresh crossbows. I do not know the previous name but the pass is now known as Ashes Hill and is a memorial to anyone who is foolish enough to fire upon a dragon.
@KiratRawr asked Count (consort) Dmitar to show him how to make the substance that Count Dmitar used to coat the arrows.

Since this is our final visit to Rajasthan, two unusual occurences about this Rajasthan: 1) The leaders 'went native' and converted to Hindustani language and culture. Usually, Rajasthan's leaders maintain their Turkish or Persian heritage. 2) Lack of expansion in India. When the capital was moved to Hastinapura in mid 13th century, Hastinapura was in the southeast corner of the realm. Two centuries later, the realm has not expanded south or east beyond Hastinapura. Rajasthan's expansion has been westward into Persia with a vertical border with the Caliphate from the Strait of Hormuz northwards (Rajasthan also owns the Straits province on the Arabian Peninsula) and northwestwards into central Asia (Tibet is avoided) to border the Mongols. Usually, Rajasthan focuses on Indian subcontinent.​

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Shout Outs: Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons by @Thaiga. Game of Thrones CK2.

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The Dragons Realm by @streaker77. GoT CK2​

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Wolves of Summer by @SongOfHorrors57. GoT CK2 that had technical problems. He does have a new CK3​

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@lone_wolf7660. His knowledge of GoT mod and willingness to share almost makes him a co-author for GoT works. Hopefully, he will clarify the record as to whether he was in charge of all dragon-archers or just positioned on Thunder's head.​

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In the Shadow of the Ancients by @Tommy4ever. This is the Victoria 2 part of a mega-campaign. The Caliph needs to be very nice to Emir @Tommy4ever as Samarra is the strongest vassal in the game.​

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Pirates of Sartosa by @Austregisel. Pirate CK2 mod.​

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Gatekeepers of India by @Killcrazy13. CK3. The Kingdom of Punjab is one of two nations to drop from the top twenty-one, going from 113 to 78 holdings. I do not know if Maharaja @Killcrazy13 is facing an revolt like his liege.​

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Suryavamsavali by @KiratRawr. Interactive CK2. He is always accepting new characters and, unlike with me, you get to be part of the decision making process.​

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Tales of the Void Ring by @Swompy Time. CK2 in Japan.​

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Year of Hell by @Macavity116. Stellaris. Mac, do you want to be treated by the pirate sawbones or the far east leech? (I could not remember if your sister was SR91 or RS91 and I am sure while you were fighting that your grandmother got the roll.)​

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Q1 2023 ACAs by @Nikolai. Please go and vote, it will make @Nikolai. Do not be like me and wait for 14 May, but use Chicago rules: Vote early, vote often.​

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Next: #3 will be the Rajasthan rebel scum freedom fighters, #2 and #1 being Byz and HRE, but first #10-13 will be revealed.

Everyone, thank you for reading, liking and commenting. If you want a mention, just let me know by comment or pm. If you want to give a work or someone a shout-out, I accept requests.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Hi there folks! The Duke himself has allowed me to post to ask you all to vote in the Q1 2023 ACAs, voting ongoing NOW! Please vote for the best AARs active Q1 2023, as per detail in the linked thread. AARland needs you!

Thank you for the appearance, but please do not wait for a special invitation to visit.

 

[HistoryDude]

There are Orthodox in India now? That's new.

No clue why I didn't get an alert for this newest update...

 

[Bullfilter]

they had been fired upon with Lt. @Macavity116 being hit by a stray arrow

Let's hope they didn't get hit in the metacavity, the equivalent of an Achilles Heel for any airborne warrior!