Chapter 39: The Birth of The Empire...
The last official act of The Grand Purple(ish) Milanese Republic was to make a policy change. In an effort to shore up the nations defenses against potential problems, the move was made to take a more defensive posture.
Concentrating the Military's efforts on defending the realm would be of service whether the enemy came from within or without...
Not that they expected much trouble from within. In fact, so far the hardest and most complicated part of this whole affair had been getting his stationary changed. It was bad enough they had to do it when they instituted the articles of the Administrative Republic, but now they would have to do it again.
Marcello Birago stared out the window after the meetings. It had been a long, long day. One in a series of long days as officials and senators and church leaders and God knows who else weighed in the proposed changes.
In the end it didn't matter.
There were those than ran things and made decisions and there were those that didn't. Though he was elected by the people and ratified by the senate, he wasn't the one in charge.
He was merely the salesmen...
And so it came to that last official act as the last official leader of the Milan he had grown up and grown old in. It wasn't a hard choice. If anything it had been an easy sell. What could make more sense than protecting oneself against the unknown...?
As he signed the official document, he knew full well that the only ones who would disapprove would be those that thought themselves too good for their own good, let alone anyone else's...
Idiots indeed. Their was no glory in dying foolishly. Though there was a certain appropriateness to getting yourself killed in such a useless way when you weren't really needed to begin with...
Birago continued through the annual reports, noting the headway he and his diplomacy core had made in repairing Milan's status in the world around her. Though she was still wearing a tarnished crown, She wasn't on anyone's most hated nations list anywhere...
At least not yet.
Marcello felt a half hearted laugh leave his chest. More like a harrumph than a laugh, really. If only they knew what was coming. He knew. He was glad he'd be retired from the salesman's game by then.
Or dead.
For whatever reason, men who held his job weren't long for this world when the time came to end the tour.
He checked over the official budget reports to make sure all was in order and everything would transfer easily. Everything was pretty quiet recently. After some major breakthroughs, it seemed only the Naval people had anything of merit to be working on. At least somebody was doing something with all the ducats that had been allocated to scientific endeavor.
With all that done, it was with a simple pen stroke that the Empire was born.
After months of debate, weeks of planning and day after day of wrangling out the final details, his simple signature began a new time in the history of his birthplace.
"From this day forward..." the proclamation began. From there it meandered through a short list of rights and treaties until finally dwindling into the tiniest details of things no one would ever know, let alone use. This was the legacy of the Republic, as every senator sought to add his own unique mark to document. What was a simple process would have been done weeks ago if it weren't for men seeking to have their own petty idea or thought or agenda emblazoned on the document for all the world to see. Like anyone would care who they were. In time ahead they'd be footnotes in the back of a history book.
It was supposed to be a single sheet of parchment. Just the official proclamation. Now it was five parchments of tedious tit for tat and ruthless explanation to satisfy the greed of recognition and fame among those who had a chance at neither. These men acted like they wrote the thing... Like they actually had something to do with any of it. Fools...
Careful reading of the whole document, not available to public and stored in the vaults of the palace, revealed most of the nonsense contradicted itself. They'd also note most of the drivel added was rendered inert by the standing clauses of power, which allowed the Stadtholder to sell whatever bill of goods he thought necessary. He needed only a majority from the senators... And that was easy enough to attain.
As he signed the proclamation and pushed his official seal into the wax, he called for a runner to take it down to clerks offices, where it would be duplicated for posting throughout the realm as per the charter. Even if it wasn't the actual binding document, the proclamation itself was enough, and the busy work by the senate only made look even more official. It was enough to let anyone who cared to look that Milan wasn't just Milan anymore.
And so it was, on the first of the year in 1541 that it became official.
The place he now stood was within the jurisdiction of The Milanese Empire...
One of the first acts of the "new" government was to enable the standing laws within a new provincial court system. Instituted in key provinces throughout The Empire they stood as a first line of defense against any developing domestic issues that the changes may incur. With change comes trouble, and it's never foolish to give people a way to settle things peacefully. The foundation for this had been laid years in advance, and now that The Empire was officially established, it could officially enforce it's law.
Another thing The Empire needed to do was to establish it's official political territories and relationships. Most of this was mere formality, simply satisfying the need to reassert the same stances and relationships that Milan had had before.
There were a few new items on the agenda... We decided it would be prudent to GTY Granada, Castille, Navarra and Aragon, as well as re-certify the GTY on Guyenne.
Upon hearing of our great changes, the Mamluks went bankrupt and Yeman collapsed. Apparently they thought wrong when the figured our new Empire would be "nicer" to them than it had in the past...
Once the days started rolling by, people realized that life had changed very little. The roads were a little better, the ground was a different color, the name was easier to say.
And we did have that really cool new flag flying overhead...
But really, nothing had changed. Or so we thought...:
It appears the "Bavarian Creme" didn't rise to the top after all. Even knowing this day would be upon us at some point, it still saddens us all a little to see it finally happen. In the positive, it is a sign of growth within the Empire that these things happen.
I apologize for the "Danzition"...
But I really wish I had rethought the use of the games Pirates. I really don't like them. I can at least understand Rebels, even though I find that to be a mere micromanage nuisance that adds little to the game other than to have something to do. But I will not in any way ever miss the pirate spawns of IN.
In fact, things like this...
...actually completely changed my strategy for this area. The AI were simply incapable of handling these things, and the amount of pop-ups was getting downright silly.
But more on that later.
I'm going to leave out the Rebels alot this time around also. A quick note or something if they really had something to add to the game, but for the most part they were just there. And there. And over there... And I killed them all. Alot. They were really dead when I was done with them, and I never lost a battle with them...
We got a signal for direction pretty early on from the game engine...:
Welp... That's one less thing to worry about. Save me a touch of the BB and some STAB penalties...
So a few Rebs down the road and we hit Naval 17. We jump to Land to gain our advantage as quickly as we can. The Tech is four years ahead, but we'll finish in two. We pop a courthouse in Medina and the Mams celebrate by going bankrupt. I begin having serious de ja vu issues...
We continue with converting select provinces also. PROtestant and Orthodox namely. PRO conversions keep us out of the religious turmoil event, and Orthodox is prevalent in our Greek counterparts, whom I still hold vain hope of getting accepted, especially now that Bavarian isn't.
Al-Djazair becomes the latest to endorse the Catholic craze. This one converted due to exorbitantly high monetary penalties and RR reasons...
I also continue a downright massive infrastructure building campaign. All provinces get Fort 2's, Temples, Workshops, Courthouses and Constables... Though not necessarily in that order. Keeping RR down is a priority, and constables need the courthouse to offset the RR factor. This is very true in all Middle Eastern territories...
The Mam lands are the current wave of builds...
Plans are under way to separate Cairo from it's Mammy... It's the last of the money in Mamluk land, and it fits with Sinai in completing the northern Red Sea overland connection. Eventually I'll be able to run men from the Capitol over to Delta, pop across to the Red and have them in India in a matter of months, if not sooner. This will be vital to any invasion effort until I can get a core in India...
I got a nice road event for Ceuta... Took the +1 base tax. I like that event. I discover that Castille is hitting South America pretty hard as the spread of discoveries start in earnest.
Back home, Fort 2's are being completed across the Italian areas. Not only are they a plus for defense, they give a small boost to religious conversions too...
As December comes to a close in the first year, I take a quick look at the monetary situation...:
I can afford to comfortably mint a little to keep the building projects going while running negative inflation by a few ticks. Currently I'm around 0.8 inflation total...
After the Constables completed on January 1, that 812.03 became an 862.34...
Hard to argue with this being one of my favorite buildings next to the almighty workshop...
The Mams celebrate by playing Sweden...
Our planned religious change gets a bit easier as Beirut joins in the REFormation.
We then get another boundary dispute...:
While I'd hoped for it to be the other way around So I could eave Burgas as the Ottoman Capitol and not deal with them anymore, this still works. Having a province on the coast will facilitate a better defense against Poland should I end up having to deal with them. You could also make the case that we're dealing with a Med coast province, and as such has to be taken eventually anyways. In that scenario I'm now two cores ahead of the game...
Another hallmark of this run is the plethora of absolutely useless advisors coming my way. My guys are getting up there in years... The thought of a board full of one star Dudly Do Nothings has got my hackles up a bit. I've resorted to checking the board every once in awhile just for giggles. The hiring fair is OK, but I save it for when I really really need someone. I am thinking I may actually have to need someone.
A few one stars and a two star spymaster parade for me as I smash a rebellion in Angora, sending a 1/6/0 Patriot squad to an instant death. I also find out about Cape Verde among other places. The nation of Great Britain calls it her very own, along with a good chunk of the African shoreline...
I pop another Border Dispute, for Fez. I decide against accepting. One, I have three cores out already, which is eating away at my prestige. Two, it's a decent province, but with heavy RR and a 50% inhospitable marker it makes less than half it's potential. And three, I'm not ready for Portugal yet. Especially given her allies. There's better way to go about this.
I find out about the Grain and Gold coasts, and the Mams throw a bankruptcy party, this time collapsing for good measure. Maybe I won't see them lose all the 3 ducats again. Things would be so different if they just had Sweden's goat...
More parts of Africa present themselves... With it opening up may hap I can jump the gun and get an earlier core down that way... The hamster starts running on the old walnut wheel. As I find out about the Ivory coast, 99 and 3/4% pure, I also find out Castille owns Sierra Leone and the Grain coast. It looks like I'm not the only one working my way around Africa.
There's not a whole lot to settle down in around this way, and anything that can be colonized has thousands of 9.0 aggressive natives. Those are trouble unless you have men on the ground, so I'm forced to hold off a while.
A two star navigator sails by. I wave.
The REFormation spreads into Gabes, giving me a REFormed province on every continent I occupy now. I can realistically change at any time now, but won't until I've had some fun around the old homestead...
As the spread of discoveries becomes clearer, I decide I'll make a small move in Africa:
I'm going to DoW Benin and establish a way point for any ships traveling around the horn. I don't plan on taking alot of ground down this way, but a layover point, or a place to hide should war with another colonizer break out is always a handy thing.
The year ends before I can get there, and no less than 13 constables finish building on the first. I build these from highest tax base to lowest, and the ones finishing now are all in the double digit tax bracket. There will be a nice jump in income come next year...
The first also sees Land Tech 21 achieved. It marks the arrival of the Chambered Demi Cannon, which will begin to see service in limited numbers for sieges.
Also, as Revolt Risk is always an issue in expansion, I take "The Judiciary Act" which lowers RR a full point across the board. Although it costs me 3% of my tax income, I think it's worth it. Money can't buy you anything if all you're doing is quashing Rebels and losing your cash to RR.
My current EOY tax is now 961.69... 150d a year up so far, and many more buildings to go.
Land Tech 22 is 7 years ahead at a huge(ish) 35,655 ducats. With Gov and Land sitting at 21, I opt to kick the others up a notch or two before continuing. I start with Production, as I currently pull almost twice as much money (91.2d) out of PE as I do TE (48.7), and that with a PE of 57% and a TE of 71%... The age of the Production (PE) Economy is here, with Mercantile Trade being merely an addon. CoTs from here on out are more a means to get tax boosts and extra colonists more so than to get trade money.
As I mentioned, the Caribbean Islands have become known through the spread of discoveries... To say I am disappointed to see Great Britain settling St. Martin is a classic from the understatement world. This, combined with the Pirates I keep having to see and deal with, without being able to actually deal with them down in the Red Sea is another impetus to change the program...
After some Rebels and a slide show on all the neat things the English have on their new Island, I finally arrive ready for action in Benin. The DoW is painless, as is the war. I basically walked in, sent the native army running and *spoof*, instant takeover. The Benin "army" even killed some of the unfriendly natives in the province next door before being thrown out into the next one...
I popped the question July 31st, and the next day it was official:
Benin: New home of The Milanese Empire's first truck stop to India. Well Ship stop. Port of Call if you will. In any event, we made a move. We got something done, by cracky.
We also found out Portugal stole the canaries, and Brittany still survives on Madera...!
Now with all of this Island stuff going on, it was with great sadness that I saw it was still quite a ways off for The Azores to core. It wouldn't happen until the 5th of July in 1561... Some 18 years away...! I can't wait for 18 hours, let alone 18 years.
And I spoke too soon. The Mams belatedly celebrate our Benin victory by going broke again...
It isn't long before our friends the Irates with a P at the front make an appearance in Benin's front water.
Turns out to be the last significant event of 1543.
On the first, a whole slew of things happen. Way too many for one screen to hold or to show.
I'll try to summarize:
A bunch of constables got built.
We discovered a new seazone.
Girona, Dauphine, Roussillon, Provence and Languedoc all cored, minus their French core counterparts...
All of it is good news except the discovery of Bab el Mandeb. Translated it loosely it means "place where Pirates spawn... ALOT"
Ooh... A one star Treasurer. Too bad the only treasure there is that fake plastic money you buy a child in the grocery store.
At the tone, the Bad Boy will be... Seven... Twenty... One. *ding*
Oh, we're still at war with Mutapa. Even though we can't get there from here. And neither can they. But it's cool we're all at war and stuff.
So I've had enough of Pirate Mania by now to have the desire to do something else. I search around for awhile, as I want to find a way to get at the Otts without having to deal with Persia. The problem is, Persia is involved with everybody it seems.
But... After alot of intensive searching, I was able to come up with this:
Now that's what I'm talking about. I'll miss this part alot when I transition to HT³. I noticed with the new CB system there's a little bit less of a need to go through this kind of thing. You have specific DoWs that pretty much tell you where you'll end up, and you really can't deviate from them too much else you end up with horrific Infamy.
I find it's alot more fun and challenging to get all of this together in this way, where you can make it work on so many fronts like this, all without putting yourself in too dangerous a situation. I'd rather take the BB and have the fun then follow a script... At least I can say this game has really served up some good ones.
With this, we should be able to isolate the Ottomans by taking Burgas. We can also isolate Cairo for the Mams and solidify our holdings around Mocha. We'll also set up the Hedjaz market to take control of Mecca. I'll purposely take the provinces needed to allow the capitol to be moved. We'll romp a little on Oman, and we'll take Dulkadir's last province too, just to clean that up and be done with it. While we're up around Oman's way, we'll venture into another small Mam stronghold and see what we can do to eliminate it from being.
All told, this should be more like a mop up operation than a war. There isn't a single nation in the box that has an army to speak of...
My lone dance partner Cleves joins in on the fun against Najd and the Otts. They have no idea where the other guys are... And apparently I'm not allowed to tell them. Or they just don't want to leave the continent.
Mutapa asked for 325 ducats to make peace. I told them to go out back and chop firewood. They'll be out there for a good 5 years before they make that kind of money...
Just in case you missed it... We are currently at war with:
The Otts, Yeman, Oman, Najd, Hedjaz, Dulkadir, Iraq, Syria, The Mams, Ethiopia, Mutapa and Adal...
So anyways... Here's the war...:
Seriously. That's it. A couple skirmishes with everyone else as they sent their 2K and 3K armies to oblivion in the name of defense. Actually, they all mostly launched them into the nearest purple province and found it wasn't where they wanted to be after all. I mean if you're going to die with such certainty, shouldn't you die at home...?
It went pretty much like this across the board...:
Nation launch small army into attack of my province...
Nation watch small army vanish in the blink of an eye minutes later...
Pretty standard stuff.
The first province to fall was the Sinai on the two month anniversary of the beginning of hostilities.
It was then I got this event...
"Vittorio Serbolloni"
Apparently what he was saying wasn't all baloney at all...
I could chose from a prestige boost or plus two stability.
Hmmm I thought. This would work quite well actually.
It would allow me to address the Pirate issue in the Red Sea.
It would allow me to colonize a few Islands before GB and Portugal and Castille got them all.
I could make it around Africa and open the way for ships to port in the Red Sea.
I could head East and find out where and what was awaiting us Eastward.
So many things could be handled for the low, low price of just ONE STAB.
Had to do it.
Tell me you wouldn't do the same. Be silly not too...
Momma always said never look a gift horse in the mouth, and I wasn't going to start now.
I swapped Press Gangs for QTFNW.
Yeah, I know. Navy and all that. Far more important to get this stuff done and handled so I can go back to focusing on tech and building ships.
The STAB would be back in September, a mere 6 months away. Hardly an exorbitant price to pay to take care of so many things.
Later that month Burgas fell, then Asyut, and then all the rest.
With QFTNW I was in range...
Just in range, to start colonizing a few Islands. With my 1.5 colonists a year, I could more than match the others in speed and development. I let loose and sent colonists to Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Antigua. The only other spots in range were Puerto Rico and Trinidad, the latter with natives of the high aggression variety. It would have to wait, as I had no ships or men to spare at the moment. Martinique was out of range by 11, and the other Islands were still TI. Still, if all went well, we'd at least have a boost to trade, and might even pull out another coastal CoT...
Back home, Serbia declared independence from Bulgaria. The amount of OPM's to come out of this region is staggering for a single game.
Being warred on and having half it's provinces taken didn't help the Mams bankruptcy situation any... Shortly afterward they lost Hawran too.
By August the Otts were done...:
They ceded Burgas and set themselves up for annexation. Being surrounded, no one would have them but me...
Marcello Birago proved to be prophetic... He was assassinated the day before elections. We took the Diplomatic candidate and ended up with 8/6/4 Giovanni Maria d'Este. Alot of Maria's around these parts. For guys anyways...
I accepted a white peace from Iraq, as I have no desire for their land. I may never have a desire for it. I can go north through Persian Land and avoid this particularly sad area of the map.
We got Najd right after we got Pirates... Then we got Bonny and Calabar, or news about where they were. Then we got stable again. And a one star "treasure" crossed the lawn. I asked him to throw me the paper... Then I beat him with it until he ran away. And Iraq collapsed after being let go. That will teach 'em to offer peace when they obviously needed the war taxes...
So provinces were falling... A few rebs popped and went.
A one star Natural Scientist and a similar Artist stopped by. They had collaborated on a model of the solar system. It was a paddle ball with 4 balls on it, one painted yellow. I hate to think of what would happen if their assumptions had been even remotely correct.
Though it would explain my fall out of my truck the other day...
A two star Naval Organizer stopped by. He was a tad anal retentive. During his interview he took me down to the dock. He got very flustered when the ships moved as he tried to line them all up.
I tried to explain that the sea has these things called "waves"...
But it was no use...
As the new year came and went, it was war as usual. Mostly just sieges that took forever because they were in the crappiest of places. Or because it took a year to get enough troops down there to even attempt to start them.
Nice became a core in February. Nice...
A week later, Adana fell and was annexed. Goodbye Dulkadir. See you when the rebels get out of hand in somewhere else. The move takes our BB to 8.81.
Persia, not to be outdone annexes Georgia.
The mams celebrate by going broke again.
We celebrate by converting Konstanz back from PRO.
And then we add Croatia converting to REFormed.
Yeah. Celebrate...
So I get another colonist and "make" an explorer. I'll get him set up on a fleet of 6 Barques... Just to make sure he lives.
I get excited for a second... A boundary dispute.
But it's for Tuat. A low rent sand pit in the name of Portugal again. Ugh. Keep it.
Our defensive position gives us a free fort in Dalmatia...
Things are winding down nicely...:
Only a few provinces left to go and our Exploration team is all set to cast off for it's journey around the great white expanse.
Bithynia throws a bit of a monkey wrench in the works by going PRO. I jump on them and scream no no no. Then I make them take the missionary training course to help them remember what they should be. For now.
In November it's another boat load of constables and courthouses and stuff. Some 16 or so. And I won the siege of Asir.
I decided I'd battle Ethiopia all the way just to see what's behind the white. Any intel is worth the goofing around with their "armies"...
Six more level 2 forts finish up the 1st of December, as well as Production Level 18. I also get the natives encountering our colonies event. I opt to spiff the fifty ducats and gain a tax base +1.
The last action of the year is winning the siege of Snan'a. That leaves only Oman still to take down.
It's another round of constables and a workshop in March. It's pretty quiet all things considered. Nothing happens until July, when my tired band of Explorers arrives in Mocha. They get hammered by Hedjaz, who sends a fleet of galleys out to greet them. With my ships so low on morale when they arrive, I lose one and one gets captured.
But... The rest make it to port, and my explorer lives on...
On August 1st, I learn about Moron.
I don't have the heart to tell them I've known about them for decades now.
Some good news in September as Judea, Aleppo, Beirut and Gaza all core. Yeman and Oman both accept peace from Poland. Say what...? Poland...? Where did that come from...?
Our colonizing efforts prove to be successful. And it's only a matter of 24 days before our Pirate friends pop in to say "Hi..! Still a pain in the..."
By December of 1546 I've completed most of Ethiopia and Adal. I'll be very happy when this is all done. Come the first it's another round of buildings.
A one star Lord Proprietor pops by. I'd have better luck watering my colonies to make them grow...
The game is playing alot like this update. A whole lot happening, but nothing really important. (or interesting...) It was dragging a bit, I must say. There's only so much excitement in sieging sand pits.
I did get the Death of a Merchant event. I had no use for the advisors, but the 1124.34 ducats I had plenty of use for.
Trade Tech 18 popped in May, along with some new found sea province and news the Mams were still broke. That was quickly followed by a one star Army Organizer. Be still my heart, these show stopper advisors are breaking the bank for sure...
Another free fort in Roma... Makes the temporary tradition loss well worth it.
One of my last remaining PROvinces goes back to Cathy when Krain rejoins the fold. Shortly after Savoie and Avignon core. I can't believe it's been that long since that first war with the French... We celebrate with another building finished parade, followed the next month by another. A free thousand plus ducats will do that for you. most are fort upgrades and courthouses.
In April 1548 I begin the peace proceedings. First up is Adal. They give me 100d and I force them to give up all claims they have anywhere else. That'll make them quietly go away when I'm not looking... Next up is Syria. I don't want their land either, but waiting a bit nets me 33 ducats. It's all they have to offer.
Ethiopia has nothing. Unless I want backwater provinces in absolutely horrid land. So instead I go after Mutapa. I haven't done a thing to them, but the Ethiopian provinces I have give me 51% WS. I nab 1500 ducats on 60%... Works for me. The Mams cry in their soup and complain of bankruptcy as I finalize the transaction...
Barbados will make Sugar. That's a sort of Spice. That's good.
And then I died again.
Day before the elections.
Stupid.
The new guy is Paolo Barzagli.
Sounds like a used car salesman.
Or a mouth wash consultant.
He's got decent stats though, 7/6/8...
To celebrate I fight Pirates. 8 bigs against 2 galleys. I have to chase them awhile before they die. As if Pirates weren't already a big enough pain in the...
Oman is next up on the peace train...
The two provinces are Spice... Again a good fit. I am unable to isolate the capitol though...
I have to stop and deal with more Pirates, then rebels before I can continue. By the time I'm done the new year rolls around, and the annual roll call of new buildings pops. Level 2 forts and courthouses. I currently have some 30 buildings completing. Most are constables with some fort 2's thrown in.
France tries to bribe the Curia... But fails. I decide to repay the favor by warning her. The Pirates hear about it and get mad by the new provinces in Oman. A one star artist gets all excited and stops by to see if I want him to paint a picture of it for me... I say no, thank you anyways. Cyprus is so happy to hear I turned him down they core.
Then the Merchant Fractures happen. It's not a matter for the crown. My prestige is greatly enhanced by this admission for some reason. How I can be rewarded for passing the buck is beyond me...
So I've been watching.
And I've been waiting.
And watching.
And waiting...
And it pays off...:
It had been hovering from 393 and change to 398 and change for years... I figure they finally got a few colonies built up enough to start sending some wealth. Either way, another tax boost and another 0.1 colonists...
And check it... More good news...:
Bet you never thought you'd see that. I know I didn't. But I like it. It gives me hope. I'll probably lose it eventually. But all the work paid off, and that's all that counts.
And don't think the date is lost on me either. I'm telling you. weird things happen on April Fools Day.
Brittany is no more. Castille annexed her not 2 days after my little happy time. I congratulate her by sending a warning.
Another batch of constables finishes May 1st, and I'm able to expand my colonial holdings a touch. St. Lucia and Puerto Rico join the family of Islands, with St. Thomas on the way too. Martinique is one, yes ONE too far to grab, and Portugal jumps it.
With all of the colony stuff and the Pirates and the Rebels I finally get back to "piecing" out the conquests. Yemen is on the block next and loses Aden. They also give up the claim on Mocha, so no more unsponsored nationalist worries there.
I'm still routing ships to the Red Sea side of the world to establish patrols. The Pirates here are simply painful, as the AI does nothing until it's too late. There are pockets of ships hiding too. It's not uncommon to go into the TI and have 12 or more ships waiting. These are small fleets too. I can't wait to get around into the south pacific where uncharted waters can house some rather large fleets...
Hedjaz is next on deck. I take Asir and Tabouk, leaving them with three unconnected provinces. Next time I'm down this way, they'll be moving the capitol as Mecca becomes mine.
Last up is the Mams themselves...:
As promised, I isolate Cairo. I have to take some junk to do it, but the province is worth it. I also take the two provinces she was hiding on the Oman side of the sea. No sense leaving her with anything of value.
A rather dull, long and painful "war" is finally in the books. And to think I get to go at it at least once more...
That about wraps up this update...
I have a date with a European and another round of sandbox yet to go...
Till then...!
T
