At least their defeat changed their policy from expansionist to open, so they will probably not try something like this again for at least one generation.
Zoroastrian Sakas - an Iranian AAR
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At least their defeat changed their policy from expansionist to open, so they will probably not try something like this again for at least one generation.
Part 20 - Danse Macabre
Within two months the effects of this virulent plague had begun to be felt in Sús as the administration of the northeastern territories collapsed as the governors began to die like flies. From having once been the primary source of wealth in the empire, with the wealth of the far east traveling through it to reach the west, it quickly became the most unenviable of places to rule over. Trade had stopped as cities dared not take in any merchants, or if they did the population quickly succumbed to the plague. Still not fully recovered from having suffered first some of the largest peasant revolts in the empire and then the Mongol invasions many of the once prosperous Silk Road cities now died completely, as food shortages quickly grew and entire cities could be wiped out by this new disease. But not to worry, soon the region will be back to having the same quality of living as the rest of the empire...
... One way or another. Even as quarantines were prepared in advance and Kamran II made sure that none may enter the castle itself it was of no use, city after city succumbed to this most horrifying of disease, the very skin of its people pulsating by the curse that had been cast upon the empire. When it reached Sús none of the precautions seemed enough to stop the people from falling down dead, and while the court itself had remained unscathed so far it was unknown for how long it would last, as the gluttons, not realising the direness of the situation, feasted and stole more than their share, and people (including the crown prince himself) tried sneaking out of the castle to rescue their loved ones down in the city. It seemed a matter of time until plague or starvation would do its toll on it. Those who had once feasted on fine lambs now had to make do with the rats of the castle.
Even as the gluttonous thieves were thrown out of the castle, to die with the people of the city down below, starvation seemed dangerously close. As the capital of the world's largest empire stayed closed and isolated it would seem that Ahriman had finally achieved his goal. While the chosen of Ohmazd could not been brought down by weapons alone against this new threat there was no defense. Sús, home of the world's best doctors, the jewel of Iran, a city that had stood strong even as the rest of the empire succumbed to chaos and revolts, was dying. The streets, once home of goods from across the world, were now littered with bodies. The houses, stretching as far as the eye can see, were now desolate abodes, their owners having died as enitre quarters of the grand city had become ghost towns. The once proud inhabitants shuffled from house to house in search for food, desperately trying to avoid contact with anyone else. In the high castle even the Shahanshah ate like the poorest of men, having lived a long and ardous life he had now lost his final spark, trying to eat as little as possible so that his children may live through it. But the old body could not maintain him on the lack of nutrition and finally he succumbed. He may have saved Iran from two crisises, but the third did him in. And it would take a while before the empire was even aware of the fact that they had a new ruler on the throne.
Shirvamdai II had always been quick to speak of his mind, and quick of action. When the plague were soon to hit the city he took his lover up to the castle, much to his father's displeasure. He was not one much for the concept of rationing, and had been placed in house arrest for trying to eat the food of the castle when not allowed. With himself in charge he quickly gathered in more food for the castle. An action that would surely save the people within it, even if he did start to feel unwell...
At soon became appparant that he had catched the plague, and even as people began worrying that they would loose the new Shahanshah almost immideatly after the death of the old one, and some even whispering that they should throw out their own ruler to the city to save themselves, as desperation followed no law, the court physician set upon himself to try and save his liege. He had, at the risk of his own life, studied the plague victims intensely and hoped that by doing this he may find the cure that could save Shirvamdai's life. As he began using plagued skin as part of his cure many wondered if he had gone mad, but miraculously it worked and the Shahanshah had already begun to feel better.
Just as well, for soon thereafter the old physician died. Even so, the invigoration of the succes boldened Shirvamdai further and through the useage of birds he begun gathering information about the world. It was just as bad as people had imagined it. Across the empire people, both high and low, succumbed and the very social structure seemed close to unraveling. Persia proper had fallen completely and while curiously it had countinued to abstain from spreading east to India, China or Tibet, even places as far west as Rome had succumbed. Truly this must be the End of Times.
Even so the doors to the castle remained closed, and the food had begun to run out again. The years of confinement had begun to take their toll on the man who had never set his foot outside of Sús since he became Shahanshah and even as he tried to feast on what little remained he dared not open the doors again, even as the people outside shouted their angry cries at him to do so. As the empire succumbed and entire regions began to dwindle in people until there were only but a few left it countinued to spread across the world, with plague ships having helped spread it as far away as Brittania.
However, good news, if one could call them that, had come. In Khotan the plague had begun to loose its grip on the land, as the plague bearers had died at this point, and the few remaining survivors were either immune to it or able to keep away from any victims of the plague. It would take a while until it was completely gone from there but the fact that in a few years there would be nothing left of it there, if only by the virtue of there beign none left to infect, was as close to good news as one could reasonably hope for, giving the circumstances. This did not stop the plague from countinuing to spread as far north as Denmark but that did not really concern his imperial majesty too much, the important thing was that it may in a few years have abandoned his empire. Closer to home he had come to spend as much of his remaining wealth (it is difficult to gather taxes from the dead) on trying to find a cure to the plague, the rising population of cats in the city being key to this he thought. While others had gotten the idea that cats were responsible for the plague he had decided that their presence may be helping to limit its influence, even if they did provide competition when it came to eating rats. He even got one for himself and soon cats came to be an accepted presence in Sús, making it known for many years to come as "The City of Cats", as they had come to outnumber the human population.
However, while the plague may not be spreading as much as it once did it is still there, still causing the population to plummet as the once important cities of Tunis or Alexandria layed silent and still, no ships entering or exiting their harbours. Furthermore, as if the current situation was not apocalyptic enough a new threat had arisen. Mongol tribesmen, dissatisfied with the "soft" and "weak" rulership of the Han, who had been beaten by a weaker foe and were now focused more on maintaining their Chinese wealth than anything, had united under one leader, who promised that they would sweep across the steppes and unite them under their banner, to then take down the civilized world and create the largest empire known to mankind. One Khan by the name of Temujin.
Normally this would be of no concern to Iran, after all they had beaten China when it was at the height of its power, and ruled over by these very Mongols who now seek to take it over. Surely these nomadic tribesmen could not stand against the might of the Sharasids. But a feeling of apocalypse was upon the empire, and people claimed that Angra Maynu whispered in this man's ear. Even those less superstitious were pessimistic in their assesment of the empire's capabilities to fight this new foe, who was sweeping through the lands of the Saka Rauka, the great nomadic confederation founded by Sharasa himself, and governed by the Hinazas ever since he left them, like a firebrand. Many were thinking both of the ancient Turkic conquests of the steppes and of the Sakas themselves, who had united under Sharasa and conquered the steppes for themselves, as well as lands as far away as Mesopotamia. Even as the plague was claiming its due, leaving many of the cities of the empire after having killed everyone within them, thoughts about fortifying the northern border from the new threat had come up, and soldiers, mainly from India, were sent to guard it for now.
But as the doors to the Castle in Sús finally opened, and the now skitterish Shahanshah went out to his domain it truly was The City of Cats, for little but them remained. As he breathed in the air he took it upon himself to do the things that he had neglected when he had been locked in. First he gave his father the traditional burial, which everyone can agree was highly necessary considering how much he had begun sitnking up the castle, and great celebrations were to be held, with the remaining lords across the empire to gather there with him. This was the first time he met many of them and as the great fires were lit there was one thing that he prayed to Ahura Mazda for: strength in battle. For it was clear that the Mongols were winning the war and would soon turn upon him.
And as they were winning, this Temujin, this scourge of Ahura Mazda as he had begun to be called, showed that his ambition truly was to encompass the world, diverting many of his troops to depose the weak emperors of the Han dynasty and make himself the emperor of China. The calls for mobilization had become even greater, for if he would succeed in defeating both the Sakas and the Chinese, then it was only a matter of time before he would turn on the Persians. But the empire could not be mobilized, at least not for now. The harvests had been neglected and the available population to recruit greatly diminished. None could be spared as they tried to rebuild what was lost and for now the Sakas would have to do on their own. It was lucky that India seemed to have been spared, for the great subcontinent, whose Aryan part was under the control of Iran, now had to use its massive population to help fill out the army, and many Indians were made to immigrate to the lands devastated by the plague, forever altering the ethnic composition of the empire.
Immigrants also came form China, once again putting the silk road to use. The Mongol infighting had made many Chinese flee the realm and now joined one of the clearest alternatives, nobles and peasants, soldiers and merchants gathered to use their expertise to rebuild the empire, and help preparing for its defense against future invasions. In the north the Sakas were loosing badly, and their tactics had mostly evolved into hitting the Mongols where they weren't present, turning the whole thing into a large cat and mouse game. The plague had also begun to spread to the steppes from Eastern Europe and even as the Hinazas were desperatly defending against the superior foe they and their people had fallen to the disease, a final chapter on the history of the Hinazas perhaps.
The plague had been receding for a while now, and at this point had few places left to expand to, even as the horsemen of the west began to suffer form it other places had emerged from its shadow, albeit much diminished. As Northern and Eastern Europe began to feel its full effects in the West it was loosing ground. the plague may have killed much of the world in only a few years but that may have been its own undoing, as it removed much of its staying power. Poor concilation to those who had watched their entire village die before their eyes but at least there was an end to this.
What did not look like it would end soon however was the presence of this Temujin, who had finally driven back the Sakas to the west as he consolidated his forces to bring a final end to the Han dynasty. It may very well be that the world has only lost one horror in exchange for another.
... One way or another. Even as quarantines were prepared in advance and Kamran II made sure that none may enter the castle itself it was of no use, city after city succumbed to this most horrifying of disease, the very skin of its people pulsating by the curse that had been cast upon the empire. When it reached Sús none of the precautions seemed enough to stop the people from falling down dead, and while the court itself had remained unscathed so far it was unknown for how long it would last, as the gluttons, not realising the direness of the situation, feasted and stole more than their share, and people (including the crown prince himself) tried sneaking out of the castle to rescue their loved ones down in the city. It seemed a matter of time until plague or starvation would do its toll on it. Those who had once feasted on fine lambs now had to make do with the rats of the castle.
Even as the gluttonous thieves were thrown out of the castle, to die with the people of the city down below, starvation seemed dangerously close. As the capital of the world's largest empire stayed closed and isolated it would seem that Ahriman had finally achieved his goal. While the chosen of Ohmazd could not been brought down by weapons alone against this new threat there was no defense. Sús, home of the world's best doctors, the jewel of Iran, a city that had stood strong even as the rest of the empire succumbed to chaos and revolts, was dying. The streets, once home of goods from across the world, were now littered with bodies. The houses, stretching as far as the eye can see, were now desolate abodes, their owners having died as enitre quarters of the grand city had become ghost towns. The once proud inhabitants shuffled from house to house in search for food, desperately trying to avoid contact with anyone else. In the high castle even the Shahanshah ate like the poorest of men, having lived a long and ardous life he had now lost his final spark, trying to eat as little as possible so that his children may live through it. But the old body could not maintain him on the lack of nutrition and finally he succumbed. He may have saved Iran from two crisises, but the third did him in. And it would take a while before the empire was even aware of the fact that they had a new ruler on the throne.
Shirvamdai II had always been quick to speak of his mind, and quick of action. When the plague were soon to hit the city he took his lover up to the castle, much to his father's displeasure. He was not one much for the concept of rationing, and had been placed in house arrest for trying to eat the food of the castle when not allowed. With himself in charge he quickly gathered in more food for the castle. An action that would surely save the people within it, even if he did start to feel unwell...
At soon became appparant that he had catched the plague, and even as people began worrying that they would loose the new Shahanshah almost immideatly after the death of the old one, and some even whispering that they should throw out their own ruler to the city to save themselves, as desperation followed no law, the court physician set upon himself to try and save his liege. He had, at the risk of his own life, studied the plague victims intensely and hoped that by doing this he may find the cure that could save Shirvamdai's life. As he began using plagued skin as part of his cure many wondered if he had gone mad, but miraculously it worked and the Shahanshah had already begun to feel better.
Just as well, for soon thereafter the old physician died. Even so, the invigoration of the succes boldened Shirvamdai further and through the useage of birds he begun gathering information about the world. It was just as bad as people had imagined it. Across the empire people, both high and low, succumbed and the very social structure seemed close to unraveling. Persia proper had fallen completely and while curiously it had countinued to abstain from spreading east to India, China or Tibet, even places as far west as Rome had succumbed. Truly this must be the End of Times.
Even so the doors to the castle remained closed, and the food had begun to run out again. The years of confinement had begun to take their toll on the man who had never set his foot outside of Sús since he became Shahanshah and even as he tried to feast on what little remained he dared not open the doors again, even as the people outside shouted their angry cries at him to do so. As the empire succumbed and entire regions began to dwindle in people until there were only but a few left it countinued to spread across the world, with plague ships having helped spread it as far away as Brittania.
However, good news, if one could call them that, had come. In Khotan the plague had begun to loose its grip on the land, as the plague bearers had died at this point, and the few remaining survivors were either immune to it or able to keep away from any victims of the plague. It would take a while until it was completely gone from there but the fact that in a few years there would be nothing left of it there, if only by the virtue of there beign none left to infect, was as close to good news as one could reasonably hope for, giving the circumstances. This did not stop the plague from countinuing to spread as far north as Denmark but that did not really concern his imperial majesty too much, the important thing was that it may in a few years have abandoned his empire. Closer to home he had come to spend as much of his remaining wealth (it is difficult to gather taxes from the dead) on trying to find a cure to the plague, the rising population of cats in the city being key to this he thought. While others had gotten the idea that cats were responsible for the plague he had decided that their presence may be helping to limit its influence, even if they did provide competition when it came to eating rats. He even got one for himself and soon cats came to be an accepted presence in Sús, making it known for many years to come as "The City of Cats", as they had come to outnumber the human population.
However, while the plague may not be spreading as much as it once did it is still there, still causing the population to plummet as the once important cities of Tunis or Alexandria layed silent and still, no ships entering or exiting their harbours. Furthermore, as if the current situation was not apocalyptic enough a new threat had arisen. Mongol tribesmen, dissatisfied with the "soft" and "weak" rulership of the Han, who had been beaten by a weaker foe and were now focused more on maintaining their Chinese wealth than anything, had united under one leader, who promised that they would sweep across the steppes and unite them under their banner, to then take down the civilized world and create the largest empire known to mankind. One Khan by the name of Temujin.
Normally this would be of no concern to Iran, after all they had beaten China when it was at the height of its power, and ruled over by these very Mongols who now seek to take it over. Surely these nomadic tribesmen could not stand against the might of the Sharasids. But a feeling of apocalypse was upon the empire, and people claimed that Angra Maynu whispered in this man's ear. Even those less superstitious were pessimistic in their assesment of the empire's capabilities to fight this new foe, who was sweeping through the lands of the Saka Rauka, the great nomadic confederation founded by Sharasa himself, and governed by the Hinazas ever since he left them, like a firebrand. Many were thinking both of the ancient Turkic conquests of the steppes and of the Sakas themselves, who had united under Sharasa and conquered the steppes for themselves, as well as lands as far away as Mesopotamia. Even as the plague was claiming its due, leaving many of the cities of the empire after having killed everyone within them, thoughts about fortifying the northern border from the new threat had come up, and soldiers, mainly from India, were sent to guard it for now.
But as the doors to the Castle in Sús finally opened, and the now skitterish Shahanshah went out to his domain it truly was The City of Cats, for little but them remained. As he breathed in the air he took it upon himself to do the things that he had neglected when he had been locked in. First he gave his father the traditional burial, which everyone can agree was highly necessary considering how much he had begun sitnking up the castle, and great celebrations were to be held, with the remaining lords across the empire to gather there with him. This was the first time he met many of them and as the great fires were lit there was one thing that he prayed to Ahura Mazda for: strength in battle. For it was clear that the Mongols were winning the war and would soon turn upon him.
And as they were winning, this Temujin, this scourge of Ahura Mazda as he had begun to be called, showed that his ambition truly was to encompass the world, diverting many of his troops to depose the weak emperors of the Han dynasty and make himself the emperor of China. The calls for mobilization had become even greater, for if he would succeed in defeating both the Sakas and the Chinese, then it was only a matter of time before he would turn on the Persians. But the empire could not be mobilized, at least not for now. The harvests had been neglected and the available population to recruit greatly diminished. None could be spared as they tried to rebuild what was lost and for now the Sakas would have to do on their own. It was lucky that India seemed to have been spared, for the great subcontinent, whose Aryan part was under the control of Iran, now had to use its massive population to help fill out the army, and many Indians were made to immigrate to the lands devastated by the plague, forever altering the ethnic composition of the empire.
Immigrants also came form China, once again putting the silk road to use. The Mongol infighting had made many Chinese flee the realm and now joined one of the clearest alternatives, nobles and peasants, soldiers and merchants gathered to use their expertise to rebuild the empire, and help preparing for its defense against future invasions. In the north the Sakas were loosing badly, and their tactics had mostly evolved into hitting the Mongols where they weren't present, turning the whole thing into a large cat and mouse game. The plague had also begun to spread to the steppes from Eastern Europe and even as the Hinazas were desperatly defending against the superior foe they and their people had fallen to the disease, a final chapter on the history of the Hinazas perhaps.
The plague had been receding for a while now, and at this point had few places left to expand to, even as the horsemen of the west began to suffer form it other places had emerged from its shadow, albeit much diminished. As Northern and Eastern Europe began to feel its full effects in the West it was loosing ground. the plague may have killed much of the world in only a few years but that may have been its own undoing, as it removed much of its staying power. Poor concilation to those who had watched their entire village die before their eyes but at least there was an end to this.
What did not look like it would end soon however was the presence of this Temujin, who had finally driven back the Sakas to the west as he consolidated his forces to bring a final end to the Han dynasty. It may very well be that the world has only lost one horror in exchange for another.
Part 21 - Mongol Invasion
As the Black Death made its last sweep across the world, at this point having few places left to go to, the Shahanshah could look over his realm to actually see what had gone on the world while he had been locked into his own castle. The news weren't particularly good. The world has experienced a dramatic loss in life, greater than had ever been known before, which had destroyed much of the social hiarchy of the world. The Roman Empire, once the greatest enemy that Iran had fought, was now all but gone, destroyed by sectarian violence, Germanic invasions and pressure from the Zoroastrian world. Its successor states now fought amongst themselves to see who could reclaim the glory that was Rome. The answer is none. Further west the Franks had made a comeback, united under the powerful De Royan dynasty they had retaken much of what once belonged to the Carolingan dynasty. But even as they stood as the last great bulwark of western Christendom fractures showed, the realm was deeply divided betweeen different beliefs and it looks unlikely that they will survive for long when civil wars between the French lords had already happened in the short-lived realm. In the Sharasid Empire itself many smaller communities had all but been destroyed, the cosmopolitan cities having been the hardest hit of all the places that the plague had swept through. Islam was all but gone from the land, its last communities having either converted, died from the plague or been expelled from the region. Few mourned them as Islam was seen as a tool of Ahriman, and Muslims as responsible for bringing in the dark age of chaos that had only ended with the arrival of the Sharasids.
In the north Temujin had further conquered the steppes, subjugating more of the different clans in the steppes. Within only a few years he had completely overturned the old steppe hiarchy as old clans were destroyed without being able to put up any real resistance to him. Further to the east however his luck was not as good. The Han dynasty would not be brought down by his rampaging horde, for while they had expended some of their resources trying to expand west they were still very much at the height of their power, capable of fielding enormous armies to withstand his attacks. Ultimately the scourge of Ahura Mazda withdrew, and while he had done great damage to the Chinese Empire, bringing an end to their golden age, he had not crushed them as he had hoped. He concluded that he would have to grow more powerful to be able to bring down the second greatest empire on the Earth.
The event text is lying, Temujin is still very much alive.
The defeat of the one who would rule the world did however bring hope to many who were worried that he truly was the bringer of the apocalypse while at the same time his victories brought a sense of urgency, few in the empire found the idea of having a Mongol warlord thirsty for conquest on their northern border, as opposed to the relatively amicable Saka. While relations with China returned to normal, the latest invasion on their lands having well and truly sated their first for conquest and while the supposed "Mongol Empire" threatened them both they had a common enemy, plans were made to conduct a first strike against Temujin, before he grew even more in power. Even as the brute took more of the ancestral lands of the Saka hosts were raised, horns were sounded. The Moabad-Moabad had called for a holy war against the Mongols, to retake the rightful lands of the Zoroastrian people. A war to crush the uppstarts and restore order in the region, a Mongol invasion.
Now there were a few benefits and drawbacks from this strategy, for one thing the northern lands of the empire were still recovering from the dreaded plague and would surely have fallen swiftly to the ruthless onslaught of the Mongol armies. However the steppe terrain was ill suited to many of the soldiers of the empire, while the horsemen following Temujin were well versed in fighting in it. As the brave people who had joined in this attack marched northwards, often with more zeal than sense, they would suffer terrible casualties, and not only from arrows of the enemy. Logistics quickly proved a nightmare in these harsh lands and the enemy, under the command of their great leader, were as skilled as they were numerous. While the combined might of the empire outnumbered the enemy it was hardly by the amount that one would expect and while many of the soldiers fought under their own lords and banners most of the enemy answered directly to Temujin. And while the own soldiers were zealous and assured that they fought for the highest of causes zeal alone could not beat the tactics of the enemy, for the Mongols did not charge directly but harassed the men from afar, as is their tradition. With these advantages the Mongols gave as good as they got, and many battles, even when the numbers were roughly equal, would end with bitter defeat.
In the end though they were slowly but steadily driven back by Iranians, who even as they sustained terrible losses countinued to push their enemies back. At home the zealous attitude of the people had begun to affect the empire, as infidels were burned for somehow conspiring with the enemy, the Shahanshah himself had to take action so that the high commander of the northern forces, a Chinese man by the name of Xiangxian, did not suffer the same fate. A far worse thing than that had happened though, one rivaling the war itself, Mr Whiskers had died. Furthermore the Shahbanu had been imprisoned for infedelity as well as apostasy and the Shahanshah had, not at all hypocritically, begun laying with their sister. His son and heir, Shirvamdai III, had also grown up and become known as quite the philosopher, spending most of his time more concerned with discovering the nature of the universe than anything practical. Utter nonsense of course, next thing one knows he will try to replicate the achievments of his great great granfather Kamran I.
After a long and arduos struggle the Mongols were being driven back, their lands secured for the faith. it had cost an enormous amount in terms of bothmoney and manpower but victory was theirs, the Khagan of the Mongols seemingly having his ambitions finally crushed. For while the Iranians had sufffered greatly so had the Mongols, and now it looked like much of his previous achievments would be overturned. The Empire had been saved from yet another crisis, though many doubted that it would be the last.
And so a sense of normality had settled, for while a hundred thousand men had died to beat back the Mongols it had been done. the enemy was crushed, the plague fully gone from the world, and while there were a few contentious nobles surely they must realise that the sacrifices they made were for a good cause? That by helping the empire they staved of a far greater threat?
Will fix it so that the land goes to the Saka instead before the next update.
In the north Temujin had further conquered the steppes, subjugating more of the different clans in the steppes. Within only a few years he had completely overturned the old steppe hiarchy as old clans were destroyed without being able to put up any real resistance to him. Further to the east however his luck was not as good. The Han dynasty would not be brought down by his rampaging horde, for while they had expended some of their resources trying to expand west they were still very much at the height of their power, capable of fielding enormous armies to withstand his attacks. Ultimately the scourge of Ahura Mazda withdrew, and while he had done great damage to the Chinese Empire, bringing an end to their golden age, he had not crushed them as he had hoped. He concluded that he would have to grow more powerful to be able to bring down the second greatest empire on the Earth.
The event text is lying, Temujin is still very much alive.
The defeat of the one who would rule the world did however bring hope to many who were worried that he truly was the bringer of the apocalypse while at the same time his victories brought a sense of urgency, few in the empire found the idea of having a Mongol warlord thirsty for conquest on their northern border, as opposed to the relatively amicable Saka. While relations with China returned to normal, the latest invasion on their lands having well and truly sated their first for conquest and while the supposed "Mongol Empire" threatened them both they had a common enemy, plans were made to conduct a first strike against Temujin, before he grew even more in power. Even as the brute took more of the ancestral lands of the Saka hosts were raised, horns were sounded. The Moabad-Moabad had called for a holy war against the Mongols, to retake the rightful lands of the Zoroastrian people. A war to crush the uppstarts and restore order in the region, a Mongol invasion.
Now there were a few benefits and drawbacks from this strategy, for one thing the northern lands of the empire were still recovering from the dreaded plague and would surely have fallen swiftly to the ruthless onslaught of the Mongol armies. However the steppe terrain was ill suited to many of the soldiers of the empire, while the horsemen following Temujin were well versed in fighting in it. As the brave people who had joined in this attack marched northwards, often with more zeal than sense, they would suffer terrible casualties, and not only from arrows of the enemy. Logistics quickly proved a nightmare in these harsh lands and the enemy, under the command of their great leader, were as skilled as they were numerous. While the combined might of the empire outnumbered the enemy it was hardly by the amount that one would expect and while many of the soldiers fought under their own lords and banners most of the enemy answered directly to Temujin. And while the own soldiers were zealous and assured that they fought for the highest of causes zeal alone could not beat the tactics of the enemy, for the Mongols did not charge directly but harassed the men from afar, as is their tradition. With these advantages the Mongols gave as good as they got, and many battles, even when the numbers were roughly equal, would end with bitter defeat.
In the end though they were slowly but steadily driven back by Iranians, who even as they sustained terrible losses countinued to push their enemies back. At home the zealous attitude of the people had begun to affect the empire, as infidels were burned for somehow conspiring with the enemy, the Shahanshah himself had to take action so that the high commander of the northern forces, a Chinese man by the name of Xiangxian, did not suffer the same fate. A far worse thing than that had happened though, one rivaling the war itself, Mr Whiskers had died. Furthermore the Shahbanu had been imprisoned for infedelity as well as apostasy and the Shahanshah had, not at all hypocritically, begun laying with their sister. His son and heir, Shirvamdai III, had also grown up and become known as quite the philosopher, spending most of his time more concerned with discovering the nature of the universe than anything practical. Utter nonsense of course, next thing one knows he will try to replicate the achievments of his great great granfather Kamran I.
After a long and arduos struggle the Mongols were being driven back, their lands secured for the faith. it had cost an enormous amount in terms of bothmoney and manpower but victory was theirs, the Khagan of the Mongols seemingly having his ambitions finally crushed. For while the Iranians had sufffered greatly so had the Mongols, and now it looked like much of his previous achievments would be overturned. The Empire had been saved from yet another crisis, though many doubted that it would be the last.
And so a sense of normality had settled, for while a hundred thousand men had died to beat back the Mongols it had been done. the enemy was crushed, the plague fully gone from the world, and while there were a few contentious nobles surely they must realise that the sacrifices they made were for a good cause? That by helping the empire they staved of a far greater threat?
Will fix it so that the land goes to the Saka instead before the next update.
Almost surprised there are any young men left in the Empire following the war with China, the Death, and now the Mongols
Right now I have about 30 000 men left, which for an empire of this size isn't exactly aweinspiring.
Part 22 - War Eternal
After this hard-won victory against the Mongols one would like to settle down, get some actual peace and quiet while the realm rebuilds from the latest threat to its security, for while the issues of things like plagues or Mongols had required greater attention than the realm's internal issues said issues have not simply gone away for that, but countinued to shimmer under the surface. And that Shirvamdai II did, for a while. However the threat to the north had not yet fully ceased, and now in an act of desperation it struck. Temujin had lost China, he had lost the western steppes, now he was cornered and thus acted like a cornered animal. He had promised his warriors plenty of lands to conquer, he had yet to fullfill his promise. Now he had only one avenue left: south, to the Tarim and beyond. This decision would be suprising, after all while Iran lost many men from the war the Mongols lost just as many, and with a lower ability to replace them. But it was the suprise that Temujin hoped to exploit in his last ditch attempt fullfill his destiny.
As the soldiers of the realm were once again mustered to march north and deal with this invasion China countinued to reestablish its dominance in the east, rebuilding itself from its own invasion by the Mongols and once again exerting its influence over the neighboring states. The hope to avoid having any of the fighting occur on Iranian soil was overturned but the Sharasid armies quickly outnumbered the Mongols and forced them to retreat after bloody battles, sparing most of Sogdiana from the gruesome fate that awaited all who opposed the Great Khan.
And while there were mor from which they came this quick response to their incursion forced them to take it more slowly and carefully, and not try sweep through the land to reach the heart of the empire and thus secure victory as they had hoped to. Soon the border had become well guarded, and difficult to penetrate, and after they learned this the hard way the Mongols kept themselves from trying anything dangerous, and soon thereafter admitted defeat and withdrew. Their army was now a tenth of what it once was and their coffers had been depleted, all the while the Sharasid Empire had once again shown itself capable of handling a crisis.
After this perhaps focus could finally be put to appeasing the many nobles who had grown disillusioned with the empire as it demanded and enormous amound of resources to maintain while lately having brought little but death and sufferng to its inhabitants. Discontentment was high but now there did not seem to be any challenger who could stop the Shahanshah from seeing to that, China was busy and after the latest defeat Temujin must have learned of the hopelessness of his cause and of how he could not possibly stand against the greatest empire in the world. Peace may finally be at hand.
... Or not. In an act reeking of insanity as much as desperation the Mongols once again tried to attack the empire, only two years after their last attempt. At this point nothing more than the core imperial army would be needed to defeat them as Temujin must surely have lost all grip on reality, for unless he has the ability to conjure about evil spirits to fight for him (a possibility that can not be discounted, everything considered) he was hopelessly outmatched in this. As his armies marched down to take Turkestan they were roundly beaten by the defenders, and suddenly Temujin was forced on the defensive, as when peace was signed Khotan took the opportunity to expand their northern territories and stop the raids on the silk road. the Mongol Empire looks like it will disappear as quickly as it came.
While the Mongols assaulted Iran the world was changing elsewhere as well, the Saka, united under one banner by the wars with the Mongols fragmented once again as their leader died and a non-Hinaza tried to claim the throne of the Saka Rauka. In China meanwhile the efforts to rebuild the country were cut short as the worst thing possible could happen to it (apart from plague, civil war, invasion by Mongols or Invasion by Jurchen) did: a famine. Labor shortages from the war and subsequent attempts at reestablishing control over the borders, coupled with a flood at the Yangtze River, had resulted in vast shortages of food, at this point the golden age of the Han dynasty, so recent, was but a forgotten memory.
But what was most important was of course Iran, the latest wars had brought a lot more tension, as many had openly begun to question the necessity of being ruled by Sús when it always required them to send their men to fight in distant wars to conquer or defend lands that they had never been to. Perhaps it would be better if they ruled themselves, perhaps they don't need the Sharasids, perhaps they are strong enough to take them on...
And with that the Third Sharasid Civil War had begun, and it looked remarkably similar to the second one. For many of the lands and families who had once suffered losses from the Sharasids were now out for vengeance, with the dissolution of the Empire as their goal. But even as they gathered to bring forth their independence the loyalists in turn marched to meet them, they were outnumbered, yes, but better organized than the rebel groups, who were by their very nature as people wanting indpendence from everyone else prone to disunity with each kingdom going its own way to achieve its goals and Syria only nominally leading them. That disunity can be used against them and the strategy of the loyalists would be to conduct surgical strikes on the individual rebel states, with each hurrying home to defend themselves where they can be defeated by the Shahanshah's forces with their greater discipline and local superiority.
These tactics of only meeting the enemy where they were weak and the empire strong quickly gained a multitude of victorious as the decisive nature of the strikes gave them the upper hand, with the sacking of Damascus and destruction of the relieving forces morale dropped drastically amongst the traitors and as their forces suffered defeat after defeat and more of their strongholds were taken they quickly surrendered. The war had only lasted a year and yet the cowards had alread begun begging for ceasefire.
With this victory the Shahanshah's hold over the empire had been further strengthend, the swift victory had silenced most of the remaining opposition to his rule and the lands of the traitors had been given to loyalists instead, clans such as the Bavanids and Taffannoutids lost most of their remaining power and influence while the Sharasid dynasty got an even stronger excuse to start interfering in everything the nobles did, lifting them up and casting them down depending on how they saw fit. The Sharasid Empire truly had become an absolute state as never seen before in the area, one where the fickle favor of one man determined the fate of untold millions of people.
As the soldiers of the realm were once again mustered to march north and deal with this invasion China countinued to reestablish its dominance in the east, rebuilding itself from its own invasion by the Mongols and once again exerting its influence over the neighboring states. The hope to avoid having any of the fighting occur on Iranian soil was overturned but the Sharasid armies quickly outnumbered the Mongols and forced them to retreat after bloody battles, sparing most of Sogdiana from the gruesome fate that awaited all who opposed the Great Khan.
And while there were mor from which they came this quick response to their incursion forced them to take it more slowly and carefully, and not try sweep through the land to reach the heart of the empire and thus secure victory as they had hoped to. Soon the border had become well guarded, and difficult to penetrate, and after they learned this the hard way the Mongols kept themselves from trying anything dangerous, and soon thereafter admitted defeat and withdrew. Their army was now a tenth of what it once was and their coffers had been depleted, all the while the Sharasid Empire had once again shown itself capable of handling a crisis.
After this perhaps focus could finally be put to appeasing the many nobles who had grown disillusioned with the empire as it demanded and enormous amound of resources to maintain while lately having brought little but death and sufferng to its inhabitants. Discontentment was high but now there did not seem to be any challenger who could stop the Shahanshah from seeing to that, China was busy and after the latest defeat Temujin must have learned of the hopelessness of his cause and of how he could not possibly stand against the greatest empire in the world. Peace may finally be at hand.
... Or not. In an act reeking of insanity as much as desperation the Mongols once again tried to attack the empire, only two years after their last attempt. At this point nothing more than the core imperial army would be needed to defeat them as Temujin must surely have lost all grip on reality, for unless he has the ability to conjure about evil spirits to fight for him (a possibility that can not be discounted, everything considered) he was hopelessly outmatched in this. As his armies marched down to take Turkestan they were roundly beaten by the defenders, and suddenly Temujin was forced on the defensive, as when peace was signed Khotan took the opportunity to expand their northern territories and stop the raids on the silk road. the Mongol Empire looks like it will disappear as quickly as it came.
While the Mongols assaulted Iran the world was changing elsewhere as well, the Saka, united under one banner by the wars with the Mongols fragmented once again as their leader died and a non-Hinaza tried to claim the throne of the Saka Rauka. In China meanwhile the efforts to rebuild the country were cut short as the worst thing possible could happen to it (apart from plague, civil war, invasion by Mongols or Invasion by Jurchen) did: a famine. Labor shortages from the war and subsequent attempts at reestablishing control over the borders, coupled with a flood at the Yangtze River, had resulted in vast shortages of food, at this point the golden age of the Han dynasty, so recent, was but a forgotten memory.
But what was most important was of course Iran, the latest wars had brought a lot more tension, as many had openly begun to question the necessity of being ruled by Sús when it always required them to send their men to fight in distant wars to conquer or defend lands that they had never been to. Perhaps it would be better if they ruled themselves, perhaps they don't need the Sharasids, perhaps they are strong enough to take them on...
And with that the Third Sharasid Civil War had begun, and it looked remarkably similar to the second one. For many of the lands and families who had once suffered losses from the Sharasids were now out for vengeance, with the dissolution of the Empire as their goal. But even as they gathered to bring forth their independence the loyalists in turn marched to meet them, they were outnumbered, yes, but better organized than the rebel groups, who were by their very nature as people wanting indpendence from everyone else prone to disunity with each kingdom going its own way to achieve its goals and Syria only nominally leading them. That disunity can be used against them and the strategy of the loyalists would be to conduct surgical strikes on the individual rebel states, with each hurrying home to defend themselves where they can be defeated by the Shahanshah's forces with their greater discipline and local superiority.
These tactics of only meeting the enemy where they were weak and the empire strong quickly gained a multitude of victorious as the decisive nature of the strikes gave them the upper hand, with the sacking of Damascus and destruction of the relieving forces morale dropped drastically amongst the traitors and as their forces suffered defeat after defeat and more of their strongholds were taken they quickly surrendered. The war had only lasted a year and yet the cowards had alread begun begging for ceasefire.
With this victory the Shahanshah's hold over the empire had been further strengthend, the swift victory had silenced most of the remaining opposition to his rule and the lands of the traitors had been given to loyalists instead, clans such as the Bavanids and Taffannoutids lost most of their remaining power and influence while the Sharasid dynasty got an even stronger excuse to start interfering in everything the nobles did, lifting them up and casting them down depending on how they saw fit. The Sharasid Empire truly had become an absolute state as never seen before in the area, one where the fickle favor of one man determined the fate of untold millions of people.
Most of their scary armies were sent chasing down absolutely nothing while the rest were beaten down and having the capital and everything sieged down. With that, and the early surrender it almost felt like they weren't really trying to mount an effective resistance.
The First Civil War succeeded in overthrowing the Shahanshah, the Second marked the beginning of a very long era of decline, not to mention how it itself destroyed much of the empire and let many regions become independent, the Third was beaten down handily with only one minor loss down in Yemen and one year of fighting, it is rather pathetic to be honest.
Part 23 - Takht-e Rum
With the civil war dealt with Shirvamdai could start properly building up the realm, as soon as the Indians stopped challenging his authority, naturally. The fools though to use the weakness of the empire to gain lands for themselves, instead they got only death. As soon as the imperial army arrived on the scene the rebels were crushed, the upstart realms were driven back, the adventurers were executed for their troubles and order was restored. Peace came to the empire, a peace that brought with it the opportunity to rebuild and prepare for the next war that would surely come sooner or later. At the same time the old emperor of China, the one who had launched an invasion on Iran, died and was succeeded by Liezong. The latter seemed to have abandoned his predecessors dislike of wealth and as the relations between the two empires repaired itself trade over the Silk Road once again begun to take form, which did help combat the problems that both empires had been facing.
As things finally began looking up for the realm, with an expanding population and flourishing economy, Europe looked like it would once again be thrown into chaos, the Irish had countinued to expand into the lands of the Roman Empire and the Pope, whose city was currently in Irish hands thus called a Crusade against the Pagans, it ended about as well as the other crusades that had been called before. In the west France had reached the height of its power, expanding deep into Dutch lands among others but the internal pressure on it had finally become too much and the southern regions of Aquitaine had begun to break free, threatening to destroy the last bastion of the Christian world, in Italy a Christian kingdom had been declared to drive back the heathens and heretics, but from its very conception it had begun to show signs of instability, and it may not last for long.
As China emerged out of its famine the would be Great Khan drew his last breath, he had managed to conquer a bit more of the Saka lands but never achieved the great empire that he had dreamt of. His son, Tolui, took over the reigns of his empire, reportedly being as horrible as his father but a follower of Buddha, rather than one of Tengri, he had also not managed to gain his father's fearsome reputation and was often mocked behind his back for being a big eater. It remains to be seen if he can restore the glory of the Mongol Empire but in most people's eyes the threat it once posed is a thing of the past. But while the Christians failed in their war against Ireland Iran also began preparing, preparing for one great push to finally drive the Greeks and Irish off Asia Minor, the latter in particular having been a great annoyance as they had often attempted to raid the shores of Iran. Now finally with everything else out of the way attacks were launched against the states of the region, with the Satrapies of Anatolia and Arabia taking the lead in squashing the final parts of Rome and its successor state on the Peninsula, to pave the way for the real war, the war on Ireland.
The Irish had many allies back from their homelands but it helped them not, the marching footsteps of the Immortals were coming for them and against them the enemy had no hope for victory. At the Battle of Prusa the Irish forces and their Germanic friends were attacked by the Imperial Army and thuroughly routed, with that and the threat of Persian troops marching all over Greece the enemy quickly sued for peace, but they only offered Nikomedia and the east side of the Bosporous, a paltry price to be given to the Shahanshah, the most pwoerful ruler on the Earth. Oh he would take Nicomedia but upon hearing the terrible news of his defeat in Anatolia the old king of Eire would most tragically die of schock, and the treaty only lasted for as long as they did. Nicomedia was merely a stepping stone there was a much grander price that our esteemed Shahanshah was looking for: the Throne of the Romans, the City of the World's Desire, Constantinople.
The City may no longer be controlled by the Romans themselves but its strategic and symbolic value can not be understated, it will be the great symbolic overthrowal of the ancient enemy, taking their old capital for oneself and securing the area from future threats. The strength of the Irish will be broken, and with the death of the old king Sicily and Ireland itself were divided between different members of the royal family. Certainly from this unrelenting threat many more of the Pagan infidels joined the war but even so they stood no chance to truly stop the advancing forces, any attempt at diverting forces to the Maghreb was doomed as local forces alone could keep the Saxons at bay, while the elite of the empire smashed through all opposition, defeating the enemy armies and taking the city and surrounding areas. With that true peace actually came, one in which all of Thrace had been put under Shrasid rule, as it properly should be, harkening back to the time of the Achaemenid Empire
The Irish seemed to have gotten the last laugh though, when the Shahanshah announced that his son, the would-be Shirvamdai III would govern the city in his name, as would the heirs of the empire from then onwards, the latter was exalted to be granted this great honour, but before he had even reached the city stone dead, his brother Humayun would have to rule instead while the Shahanshah seemed to himself have fallen ill with tumours growing over his body.
While the latter survived it he did so at a great price, with parts of his body having to be cut away to save the rest. To the east China once again reasserted itself in politics, and while Kham grew stronger and Tibet looked like it would finally collapse fully Zhangzhung was divided in two and the western part attacked by the Mongol armies, soon thereafter defeated. South of Tibet the Indians once again tried for war with Iran, and once again were crushed completely. Now it was time for revenge, to bring down the Rashtakutra dynasty and teach the Hindus, the Jains and the Buddhists once and for all that they do not mess with Iran, for if they do Iran will crush them, completely and utterly.
As things finally began looking up for the realm, with an expanding population and flourishing economy, Europe looked like it would once again be thrown into chaos, the Irish had countinued to expand into the lands of the Roman Empire and the Pope, whose city was currently in Irish hands thus called a Crusade against the Pagans, it ended about as well as the other crusades that had been called before. In the west France had reached the height of its power, expanding deep into Dutch lands among others but the internal pressure on it had finally become too much and the southern regions of Aquitaine had begun to break free, threatening to destroy the last bastion of the Christian world, in Italy a Christian kingdom had been declared to drive back the heathens and heretics, but from its very conception it had begun to show signs of instability, and it may not last for long.
As China emerged out of its famine the would be Great Khan drew his last breath, he had managed to conquer a bit more of the Saka lands but never achieved the great empire that he had dreamt of. His son, Tolui, took over the reigns of his empire, reportedly being as horrible as his father but a follower of Buddha, rather than one of Tengri, he had also not managed to gain his father's fearsome reputation and was often mocked behind his back for being a big eater. It remains to be seen if he can restore the glory of the Mongol Empire but in most people's eyes the threat it once posed is a thing of the past. But while the Christians failed in their war against Ireland Iran also began preparing, preparing for one great push to finally drive the Greeks and Irish off Asia Minor, the latter in particular having been a great annoyance as they had often attempted to raid the shores of Iran. Now finally with everything else out of the way attacks were launched against the states of the region, with the Satrapies of Anatolia and Arabia taking the lead in squashing the final parts of Rome and its successor state on the Peninsula, to pave the way for the real war, the war on Ireland.
The Irish had many allies back from their homelands but it helped them not, the marching footsteps of the Immortals were coming for them and against them the enemy had no hope for victory. At the Battle of Prusa the Irish forces and their Germanic friends were attacked by the Imperial Army and thuroughly routed, with that and the threat of Persian troops marching all over Greece the enemy quickly sued for peace, but they only offered Nikomedia and the east side of the Bosporous, a paltry price to be given to the Shahanshah, the most pwoerful ruler on the Earth. Oh he would take Nicomedia but upon hearing the terrible news of his defeat in Anatolia the old king of Eire would most tragically die of schock, and the treaty only lasted for as long as they did. Nicomedia was merely a stepping stone there was a much grander price that our esteemed Shahanshah was looking for: the Throne of the Romans, the City of the World's Desire, Constantinople.
The City may no longer be controlled by the Romans themselves but its strategic and symbolic value can not be understated, it will be the great symbolic overthrowal of the ancient enemy, taking their old capital for oneself and securing the area from future threats. The strength of the Irish will be broken, and with the death of the old king Sicily and Ireland itself were divided between different members of the royal family. Certainly from this unrelenting threat many more of the Pagan infidels joined the war but even so they stood no chance to truly stop the advancing forces, any attempt at diverting forces to the Maghreb was doomed as local forces alone could keep the Saxons at bay, while the elite of the empire smashed through all opposition, defeating the enemy armies and taking the city and surrounding areas. With that true peace actually came, one in which all of Thrace had been put under Shrasid rule, as it properly should be, harkening back to the time of the Achaemenid Empire
The Irish seemed to have gotten the last laugh though, when the Shahanshah announced that his son, the would-be Shirvamdai III would govern the city in his name, as would the heirs of the empire from then onwards, the latter was exalted to be granted this great honour, but before he had even reached the city stone dead, his brother Humayun would have to rule instead while the Shahanshah seemed to himself have fallen ill with tumours growing over his body.
While the latter survived it he did so at a great price, with parts of his body having to be cut away to save the rest. To the east China once again reasserted itself in politics, and while Kham grew stronger and Tibet looked like it would finally collapse fully Zhangzhung was divided in two and the western part attacked by the Mongol armies, soon thereafter defeated. South of Tibet the Indians once again tried for war with Iran, and once again were crushed completely. Now it was time for revenge, to bring down the Rashtakutra dynasty and teach the Hindus, the Jains and the Buddhists once and for all that they do not mess with Iran, for if they do Iran will crush them, completely and utterly.
Part 24 - War and Peace
The war against the Rashtrakuta went very well, once more the armies of Iran met their enemies on the field of battle and once more the battle ended with a victory so crushing that the enemy could not muster any more forces to fight the invasion. Their cities would soon be taken and and the Rashtrakuta would sue for peace, crippling their kingdom forever more and making sure that the Maratha too can experience the benefit of living under the benevolent rule of Shirvamdai II. Truly it is great to be the ruler of so many people who must all surely love your benevolent grace. Truly
In Europe France was in a full on collapse just as predicted, and it looked like the Jomsvikings, elite mercenaries from the far north, would emerge victorious from the chaos that inevitably ensued, Rome was under immense pressure as usual and Italy was in a state of civil war between Orthodox and Germanic Italians, with the Orthodox looking to emerge victorious, Sweden too was in a state of civil war and the Mordvin had united under on powerful king, while Zoroastrians in Ugra fought for their independence. The Saxons countinue their raids and conquests across Europe, even as their own lands are under Pommeranian occupation, the Slavic and Germanic faiths still maintain their strengths while the Christians and Soumunesko dvindle apart from in a few realms.
At home Shirvamdai drew his last breath, and his son, Humayun ascended to the throne of the Persian Empire, a new era of peace and stability was promised as the new Shahanshah installed himself in the City of the Cats, with him quickly mastering the politics of the realms, placating those that he needed and isolating those that opposed him. Strength and unity came to the empire as new construction prjects were begun and wealth began accumulating. The Shahanshah had already proven himself something of a reclusive figure but that did not stop him from doing what needed to be done to secure the strength of the Sharasid Empire.
Meanwhile in Tibet the supposed empire of the region had become relegated to the state of Bhutan, with the venerable Purgyal dynasty having finally lost their last bit of control to the upstart Palrins, a cadet branch that had siezed control of the empire. But the Palrins could do little to save themselves from the inevitable downfall of their empire and after multiple assaults, battles, losses and victories Yemeni troops finally siezed control over the small kingdom, ending the once great empire once and for all. To their north the Poyul, another cadet dynasty of the Purgyals with Sharasid blood in their veins and a much older history, had taken control over most of eastern Tibet. However due to complications regarding the legality of a woman inheriting their grand kingdom of Kham the realm was divided between Kham and Amdo, with the latter quickly collapsing in a civil war over who was the rightful heir to the throne. In China emperor Liezong was dead to be succeeded by emperor Xuanzong, and while the Chinese were quick to step in and offer the boy-king of Amdo their "protection" in the face of this civil war it quickly became apparant that they were in no position to portect anyone, Chinese peasants from all across the empire had risen up in revolt, with the fate of the Han dynasty seemingly in balance.
At home the Shahanshah had started writing a book regarding personal relationships, while a potential civil war was dealt with quickly and easily by seeing to the grievances of the nobles and giving authority over half of them to the other half, thus dividing them against each other. Faith and reason seemed to coexist rather well in the empire, as empty cities got repopulated and the land once again began to truly flourish after all the death and destruction that had happened to it, strife may exist elsewhere in the world but not in Iran, for now it was quite at peace.
In Europe France was in a full on collapse just as predicted, and it looked like the Jomsvikings, elite mercenaries from the far north, would emerge victorious from the chaos that inevitably ensued, Rome was under immense pressure as usual and Italy was in a state of civil war between Orthodox and Germanic Italians, with the Orthodox looking to emerge victorious, Sweden too was in a state of civil war and the Mordvin had united under on powerful king, while Zoroastrians in Ugra fought for their independence. The Saxons countinue their raids and conquests across Europe, even as their own lands are under Pommeranian occupation, the Slavic and Germanic faiths still maintain their strengths while the Christians and Soumunesko dvindle apart from in a few realms.
At home Shirvamdai drew his last breath, and his son, Humayun ascended to the throne of the Persian Empire, a new era of peace and stability was promised as the new Shahanshah installed himself in the City of the Cats, with him quickly mastering the politics of the realms, placating those that he needed and isolating those that opposed him. Strength and unity came to the empire as new construction prjects were begun and wealth began accumulating. The Shahanshah had already proven himself something of a reclusive figure but that did not stop him from doing what needed to be done to secure the strength of the Sharasid Empire.
Meanwhile in Tibet the supposed empire of the region had become relegated to the state of Bhutan, with the venerable Purgyal dynasty having finally lost their last bit of control to the upstart Palrins, a cadet branch that had siezed control of the empire. But the Palrins could do little to save themselves from the inevitable downfall of their empire and after multiple assaults, battles, losses and victories Yemeni troops finally siezed control over the small kingdom, ending the once great empire once and for all. To their north the Poyul, another cadet dynasty of the Purgyals with Sharasid blood in their veins and a much older history, had taken control over most of eastern Tibet. However due to complications regarding the legality of a woman inheriting their grand kingdom of Kham the realm was divided between Kham and Amdo, with the latter quickly collapsing in a civil war over who was the rightful heir to the throne. In China emperor Liezong was dead to be succeeded by emperor Xuanzong, and while the Chinese were quick to step in and offer the boy-king of Amdo their "protection" in the face of this civil war it quickly became apparant that they were in no position to portect anyone, Chinese peasants from all across the empire had risen up in revolt, with the fate of the Han dynasty seemingly in balance.
At home the Shahanshah had started writing a book regarding personal relationships, while a potential civil war was dealt with quickly and easily by seeing to the grievances of the nobles and giving authority over half of them to the other half, thus dividing them against each other. Faith and reason seemed to coexist rather well in the empire, as empty cities got repopulated and the land once again began to truly flourish after all the death and destruction that had happened to it, strife may exist elsewhere in the world but not in Iran, for now it was quite at peace.
As you can see with the last picture they have just divided themselves once again, but we will see how long that will last, they also used a civil war between the Mongols to take a bit of land for themselves. The ancient Hinaza dynasty however sadly does not control any of the Saka lands any longer, but have gone into exile and joined the Immortals, so we will have to see for how long the dynasty lasts.
Part 25 - Zoroastrian Triumphs
With this era of peace settling across the empire other parts of the world could be looked at, in the north the Borigin descendants of Temujin had lost power to another warlord, who seemed to have had enough with the failures of his predecessors and now strove to keep the Mongol tribes united under his banner. It has not gone well as he has been under immense pressure from Khotanese forces who have often attacked his lands in search of their own space, though what use they would have of these northern lands one may dispute. The Saka themselves have fractured and are led by different clans each with the hope of one day leading the united Saka Rauka.
At home the writing countinued at a slow but steady right, but more important was the great demographic changes within it. Across the empire Zoroastranism had countinued to expand, having become the major religion in most places in it, Islam meanwhile had fully passed away, with even the final holdouts in Africa having converted to the true faith, scattered peoples may still follow Allah but by and large there were none left of their kind in the world, after having seen to the creation of one of the world's largest empires and crushed the Sassanids of old Islam was no more. Whilst orthodox Zoroastranism was kept in Iran in Europe the Pope launched yet another failed crusade to displace the Saxons who had invaded France with the complete collapse of the local kingdom and the Christian people, even as they should unite against the Germanic forces assailing them constantly fractured as different interpretations of the faith arose. The work of Ahriman was clear and in the lands not touched by the light of Ohmazd he reigned supreme, destroying people with his chaotic influence. Order and stability could clearly only be offered by the teachings of Zoroaster.
But some would not accept that, some would fight away against the order of things. The empire had become an old one and with that its beurocracy had become byzantine, nobles could be lords over bastly different lands making a right mess of the whole system, and while his predecessors had done a lot to try and fight this Shahanshah Humayun took further steps to make sure that his empire would be easier to rule, establishing satrapies over larger regions whereas quite a few of the previous Shahanshahs had preferred to separate the different regions so as to keep any single ruler from getting too much power. At this point however he needed clear lords that he could trust who might deal with the lesser ones for him. He also countinued to combat the centralization of power within the hands of a few families passing it down and turned his gaze towards India in this regard. This did not go over too well everywhere and one boy chose to rise up in revolt as the clear separation between the borders of Punjab and Rajastan would divide his lands in half. Despite the many mercenaries he gathered however he alone stood no match against the armies that his liege could call upon and once battle commenced he was at a clear disadvantage.
He would soon be defeated and most of his lands would be confiscated to be handed out to more loyal satraps, thereupon settling the borders with Punjab in the west and Rajastan in the east. Some minor revolts would rise up in the subcontinent over this percieved heavy handed treatment but mostly it went over well, especially with those that benefited from this rearrangement in the empire. And as the pagan ontide rose up in Europe and revolts countinued in China in Iran things were going well, contruction was ongoign, prosperity increased and in most of the empire there was peace.
At home the writing countinued at a slow but steady right, but more important was the great demographic changes within it. Across the empire Zoroastranism had countinued to expand, having become the major religion in most places in it, Islam meanwhile had fully passed away, with even the final holdouts in Africa having converted to the true faith, scattered peoples may still follow Allah but by and large there were none left of their kind in the world, after having seen to the creation of one of the world's largest empires and crushed the Sassanids of old Islam was no more. Whilst orthodox Zoroastranism was kept in Iran in Europe the Pope launched yet another failed crusade to displace the Saxons who had invaded France with the complete collapse of the local kingdom and the Christian people, even as they should unite against the Germanic forces assailing them constantly fractured as different interpretations of the faith arose. The work of Ahriman was clear and in the lands not touched by the light of Ohmazd he reigned supreme, destroying people with his chaotic influence. Order and stability could clearly only be offered by the teachings of Zoroaster.
But some would not accept that, some would fight away against the order of things. The empire had become an old one and with that its beurocracy had become byzantine, nobles could be lords over bastly different lands making a right mess of the whole system, and while his predecessors had done a lot to try and fight this Shahanshah Humayun took further steps to make sure that his empire would be easier to rule, establishing satrapies over larger regions whereas quite a few of the previous Shahanshahs had preferred to separate the different regions so as to keep any single ruler from getting too much power. At this point however he needed clear lords that he could trust who might deal with the lesser ones for him. He also countinued to combat the centralization of power within the hands of a few families passing it down and turned his gaze towards India in this regard. This did not go over too well everywhere and one boy chose to rise up in revolt as the clear separation between the borders of Punjab and Rajastan would divide his lands in half. Despite the many mercenaries he gathered however he alone stood no match against the armies that his liege could call upon and once battle commenced he was at a clear disadvantage.
He would soon be defeated and most of his lands would be confiscated to be handed out to more loyal satraps, thereupon settling the borders with Punjab in the west and Rajastan in the east. Some minor revolts would rise up in the subcontinent over this percieved heavy handed treatment but mostly it went over well, especially with those that benefited from this rearrangement in the empire. And as the pagan ontide rose up in Europe and revolts countinued in China in Iran things were going well, contruction was ongoign, prosperity increased and in most of the empire there was peace.
Part 26 - The Machinations of the Kind
With his supreme dominance of all aspects of Iranian politics Shahanshah Humayun I set to his goal of securing a stable and united empire with even greater zeal. As he sat high in the towers of his forefathers, dictating the course of millions, he countinued to write and study. Even as he seldomly met with anyone but selected courtiers tasked with seeing his will done none dared to question his judgement, for it was said that when he spoke the voice of Ohmazd spoke through him and by all acounts the Shahanshah was one of the most virtuos men in the realm, dedicated only to his work and without any need for any of the frivolous or mundane, knowledgable in the Avestas to a degree that few even amongst the Mobads could say to be. He governed through equal amounts of respect and fear for few questioned the wisdom of his judgement, and even fewer did so openly as those that broke the laws governing the realm often ended up with very short lives, for one reason or another. The hereditary Shahs saw themselves loosing more and more of their power as the new internal borders were drawn and new Satraps, often from lowly families, took their place.
In the north the Mongol Empire was in disarray as pressure from Khotan as well as local rebels had left a deep mark on it. The steppes were once again in full turmoil as states rose and fell sooner than many could count and wars plagued the vast region as it had done since time immemorial. In the west things were no different and as the Christian Order fell far short on the strength required to hold back the insatiable tide of the forces of the pagan gods there was no buffer to hold them back from making attacks on the Imperial State of Iran. Raids had always been a fact of life on the borders of the empire, one of the reasons why they had always expanded them so that what had once been at risk of being attacked was now safe behind a buffer zone, which in turn would be integrated and in need of more land to protect it, but the intensity had never been like this. Across the Mediterranean viking ships sailed and piracy was a fact of life for anyone living on the coast, not to mention the warbands that every now and then would cross the border from the Balkans in search of riches. With rumors of human sacrifices and the worship of evil spirits these heathens had become the enemy of all that was good in a way that none had since the time when Arab tribes were first united. Yet despite that the Christians would once again unite under a new French king who may lead them to victory against the heathen onslaught, and once again they would see at the very least a temporary victory, though doubts can be cast on the longevity of this new iteration of the Frankish realm.
But even as the surrounding kingdoms expanded and contracted, rose and fell, life in Iran went onwards. The scholar Shahanshah completed his life's work: Keeping Feudal Court, formalising many of the informal rules of conduct that had been established in the empire and thus leaving his mark on the world. Yet that was not enough, for while the Shahanshah wrote and dictated from atop his tower the people demanded war, war to end the threats to the faith, war to show the infidels never to attack the empire, war to further expand the glory of Iran. War to once and for all bring Tibet under their rule.
And war they would have, because while the faithful had layed much of the Himalayas under their rule there were still large holdouts who resisted and would keep to their own faith and fight those who belonged to the true one. Now they too would have to accept the light of Ohmazd, or perish. A great host was called to bring down the kingdoms of Amdo and Kham but the Tibetans had forces of their own and they knew how to handle the high mountains better than most of the Iranian forces. Initially they would have their own success in attacking those that were weak and starved yet they would soon be overwhelmed and defeat was imminent for the Poyul. Realising that the last heirs of the old Tibetan Empire agreed to convert to the true faith if they could retain their lands and so peace was signed, a peace that will hopefully guarantee that Tibet will forever be part of the Zoroastrian world.
Naturally not everyone in the dual kingdoms liked it and soon thereafter war would break out in Amdo between the royalists and the Buddhists, this may have been a great victory for the Zoroastrian faith but the war for the souls of Tibet was not over yet. More battles would have to be fought and more people converted before such a thing can be said. For now though there was one fewer enemy in the east and the gaze of Iran can once again turn west, to the last vestige of the Roman Empire...
In the north the Mongol Empire was in disarray as pressure from Khotan as well as local rebels had left a deep mark on it. The steppes were once again in full turmoil as states rose and fell sooner than many could count and wars plagued the vast region as it had done since time immemorial. In the west things were no different and as the Christian Order fell far short on the strength required to hold back the insatiable tide of the forces of the pagan gods there was no buffer to hold them back from making attacks on the Imperial State of Iran. Raids had always been a fact of life on the borders of the empire, one of the reasons why they had always expanded them so that what had once been at risk of being attacked was now safe behind a buffer zone, which in turn would be integrated and in need of more land to protect it, but the intensity had never been like this. Across the Mediterranean viking ships sailed and piracy was a fact of life for anyone living on the coast, not to mention the warbands that every now and then would cross the border from the Balkans in search of riches. With rumors of human sacrifices and the worship of evil spirits these heathens had become the enemy of all that was good in a way that none had since the time when Arab tribes were first united. Yet despite that the Christians would once again unite under a new French king who may lead them to victory against the heathen onslaught, and once again they would see at the very least a temporary victory, though doubts can be cast on the longevity of this new iteration of the Frankish realm.
But even as the surrounding kingdoms expanded and contracted, rose and fell, life in Iran went onwards. The scholar Shahanshah completed his life's work: Keeping Feudal Court, formalising many of the informal rules of conduct that had been established in the empire and thus leaving his mark on the world. Yet that was not enough, for while the Shahanshah wrote and dictated from atop his tower the people demanded war, war to end the threats to the faith, war to show the infidels never to attack the empire, war to further expand the glory of Iran. War to once and for all bring Tibet under their rule.
And war they would have, because while the faithful had layed much of the Himalayas under their rule there were still large holdouts who resisted and would keep to their own faith and fight those who belonged to the true one. Now they too would have to accept the light of Ohmazd, or perish. A great host was called to bring down the kingdoms of Amdo and Kham but the Tibetans had forces of their own and they knew how to handle the high mountains better than most of the Iranian forces. Initially they would have their own success in attacking those that were weak and starved yet they would soon be overwhelmed and defeat was imminent for the Poyul. Realising that the last heirs of the old Tibetan Empire agreed to convert to the true faith if they could retain their lands and so peace was signed, a peace that will hopefully guarantee that Tibet will forever be part of the Zoroastrian world.
Naturally not everyone in the dual kingdoms liked it and soon thereafter war would break out in Amdo between the royalists and the Buddhists, this may have been a great victory for the Zoroastrian faith but the war for the souls of Tibet was not over yet. More battles would have to be fought and more people converted before such a thing can be said. For now though there was one fewer enemy in the east and the gaze of Iran can once again turn west, to the last vestige of the Roman Empire...