The Agah Asimad set out with his armies again in the year 153 to yet again subdue another people for the glory of the Light.  His army set out for Nargaq, with the intent to crush the city of Nargaq and destroy any further will of the clansmen to resist.  



The Agah already began planning a new attack, but was called away by two serious rebellions.  One was in Pinur, whose collaborationist king had been overthrown; the other was by the Agah's own cousin and heir, who ruled Dauraban.  The Agah first dealt with his heir, who had levied many native peoples into an impressively large force, but lacked many chariots and good bronze weaponry to equip them.  At a pitched battle just east of Isedun, the Agah's cousin was defeated and executed.

The Agah then went south, laying siege to Pinur in the year 173.  As of the winter of the year 175, that siege continues, with little hope for the defenders.

An impressive coalition was assembled by the Dragonlord Aristo III to bring war to the shores of Otahvy for the second time in the history of his state.  The collapse of the Auri attempts to take Inveran, apparently, made Aristo feel free enough to resume the old quarrel between his dynasty and the lords of Mandra.  The fleet assembled by the Invernessi and the League Captains was truly impressive '“ the most advanced fleet ever seen, and far larger than any fleet ever assembled before.  The Celenite-League invasion force that brought down Beitar was dwarfed by comparison.  The combined attackers outnumbered the Otahvy fleet 8 to 1.



The consequences for Inveran were devastating; only two ships returned from the great fleet, telling of the total loss of Inveran's ships and its great leader, along with nearly all of its professional soldiers.  Hundreds of volunteers had boarded the fleet, as per the Dragonlord's urging, thinking they would find easy plunder, and hardly any had returned.  Fully two thirds of Inveran's men of military age were wiped out in a single disastrous day.  Despair spread quickly through Inveran, and it was anticipated that an invasion would soon follow now that the isles were defenseless.  The blow, however, never fell.

The sudden attack on Mandra had dismayed the Mandrian portion of Inveran's population.  Though they considered themselves loyal to Inveran, they resented what they saw as a pointless and gratuitous attack on their ancestral homeland.  The defeat and death of the Dragonlord gave Mavda, the head of the Mandrian-dominated bureaucracy and the deceased ruler's Most High Councillor, the chance to do what he had plotted since he had heard of the Dragonlord's departure.  Declaring publicly that the defeat had proven the failure of the Aristocracy and their clear disfavor in the eyes of the gods, Mavda and his armed followers stormed the Dragon's Palace.  The Dragonlord's heir, however, was in Ilneress, and retained power there '“ without a fleet, the Most High Councillor could not assert his power farther abroad.

The remainder of this period was spent frantically consolidating local power; the remnants of the state were in too much disarray to properly govern, and the population too depleted to raise more than a trivial army.  Inveran's sudden enemies seemingly had no desire to end the state's existence entirely, though the outlook for Inveran in the long run looks grim '“ the Machta-In, once the backward, provincial neighbor, now stands triumphant and in control of the waves, and a Mandrian ruler sits on the Dragonlord's throne.

Player: Stargate525
Government: Aristocratic Monarchy
Popularity: 4 [-2]
Dread: 0 [-2]
State Religion: Cult of the Dragon Saints
Popular Religion: 98% Dragon Saints, 2% Mandrian Polytheism
Fervor: 5 [+1]
Population: 4,500 [-7500]
Cities: Ilneress (C)
Prosperity: 4
Trade: 3 [-2]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2
Espionage: 1 [-1]
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 1 (1) [-2]
Army: 1 Spr
Navy: None

The victory of the Machta at the Battle of Four Fleets was a tremendous gain in strategic terms, but somewhat of a wash at home.  Though as usual, people hailed the victory of their leader, the outright betrayal of the Dragonlord (who, despite any of his faults, was still an Invernessi) soured the victory for many.  The power of the Machta was undisputed, but his honor had been called into question.

The Order of the Hand, which had come into some serious political influence, defied the Machta and generally denounced the ruler's actions.  They reasoned that knowledge and truth were really the only things worthy of sacrificing one's life, and wanted no part of a war waged (in their view) for ambition alone.  Relations were strained for some time, but eventually the Order and the Machta were reconciled; the Machta argued that a united Inverness would encourage the spread of ideas, and gave lavish funding to the Order and cultural institutions throughout the realm.

The flourishing of the Order and the victory of the Machta lend themselves to something of an Invernessi golden age '“ at least, for the southern Invernessi.  New granaries were built to hold the fruits of Invernessi agriculture, and a great mud-brick wall constructed around the capital city that dwarfed the previous one.  The granaries were valuable in particular, as the collapse of the Free State of Inveran led to critical food shortages in the northern Inverness, and Machta-In merchants were able to sell excess grain at impressive prices.

The growing power of merchants and philosophers at times threatened the Machta, who was unused to any kind of contestation of his power from such quarters of society.  The new ideas and new profits of these new classes often chafed at the reigns of the Machta and the dedicated clergy.  An alliance between thinkers and traders, however, never materialized '“ they were divided by the Machta's radical new course of militarization, which was generally opposed by the Order (which generally saw knowledge, not land or ambition, as worth dying for) but supported by the merchants that stood to gain from the Machta-In's expansion.  The island off the coast of Ruthern, uninhabited save for a few religious hermits, was settled during this time.  The Akh-Machta-Sha-Ran-Di-In, formed to advance the Machta's might, were formed but remained largely ceremonial, as there are simply no enemies on land to fight '“ Kuregn has not bothered with the isles in a century, and the Machta's great battles have so far been fought at sea.  For their part, the students of the academies seem far more interested in abstruse metaphysical meanderings than something as mundane as designing new armor.  Such a task hardly seems suited for lofty minds.

Experience in battle with Otahvy and against Inveran, as well as trade links with both, has given the Machta-In a new technology (Sli).

Player: Wensleydale
Government: Decentralized Monarchy
Popularity: 6 [-1]
Dread: 3 [+3]
State Religion: Sadatism
Popular Religion: 93% Tumiiri Sadatism, 6% Zakhism, 1% Runethainism
Fervor: 7 [-1]
Population: 15,000 [+2,000]
Cities: Danhula (C)
Prosperity: 6
Trade: 3 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 4
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 4 (4) [+1]
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Bld
Navy: 2 Gal

In the face of an Auri siege, the clans had survived.  Again the Nargaq had staved off total defeat, but again at a great cost.  Western Nargaq lay in ruins and the capital was a smoldering heap.  Casualties among the Auri were heavy, but most were Suthol's tribal allies, not actual Auri soldiers.  Many Nargaq abandoned their war-torn lands in the west and took their families deeper into the highlands, where it was assumed the Auri would not be able to reach easily.  Though in the absence of the Agah, considerable lands were retaken by the clans, these lands had been largely depopulated in the last 50 years of war.  Few wished to return to them only to be displaced again when the Auri returned.

The leadership of the clans was secure, as a sort of 'siege mentality' existed; only united leadership kept the clans from succumbing as the Six Tribes did.  It is doubtful, however, if this will be enough in the future.  Though Nargaq's copper supplies were safe in the highlands, the fall of Inveran and the return of piracy to the seas constricted the flow of tin to almost nothing, and many Nargaq warriors were forced to replace broken or worn weapons and armor with inferior copper.  The Nargaq are a strong and determined people, but decades of warfare has worn them down.  The only bright spot in this low point is perhaps that the Nargaq have benefited from many of the weapons that the Auri abandoned on the field.

The Nargaq have learned a new military technology (CAr).

Player: Atlantis
Government: Council of elders from the five ruling clans; Raven, Wolf, Fox, Bass, Otter. The Raven elder makes the final decision if there is a tie in votes.
Popularity: 5 [+1]
Dread: 3
State Religion: Animism/ Ancestor worship
Popular Religion: 90% Animism/ Ancestor worship, 5% Runethainism, 1% Dragon Saints
Fervor: 5 [+1]
Population: 16,000
Cities: Nargaq (C)
Prosperity: 3 [-1]
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2 [-1]
Espionage: 1
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, CAr, Sli, Swd, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 1 Swd, 1 Sli
Navy: 1 Gal

Otahvy was miraculously spared from the grim specter of defeat and destruction at the Battle of Four Fleets, and came out of the war better for it.  Its modern navy had fought and won a major engagement for the first time.  The prospect of invasion had only served to further crystallize support for the Dual Monarchy; though in reality the battle had been won only because of the treachery of Inveran's 'allies,' most Mandrians credited their own rulers with the feat, saying variously that King Puul's reputation, King Rodonso's persuasion, or simply divine will manifested through the Kings had defeated the Invernessi.  The Battle of Four Fleets, in the minds of many Mandrians, ended a chapter that had begun with the first invasion of Inveran '“ and began a new glorious chapter of their own history.  The yearly parade for King Puul was, needless to say, much larger that year.

The expansion of the Kingdom was thus rapid during these years, though the mountain tribes still refused their advances.  Trade with other powers increased as well, partially because of Inveran's fall.  For most Mandrians, however, life did not change in these years.  New overlords brought little in the way of new ideas or projects; a new sense of unity was palpable, but for the most part villagers lived as they always had.  Before, this was not a problem '“ Mandrians knew no other way.  The increase of trade, however, exposed coastal Mandrians to new goods and luxuries that they had never seen before and could not get for themselves.  They heard stories of the richness of the Inverness and the wealth of the Captains, and looked upon the relative poverty of their own land with some shame.

Unable to barter for these things, many Mandrians turned to that other way to procure things you desire '“ piracy.  The destruction of Inveran's fleet created a vacuum that was readily exploited by Mandrian sailors eager for foreign goods at reasonable prices (that is to say, free).  The fleet of the Machta-In was too concerned with local expansion and the fleet of the League too far-flung to effectively stop them, and so the grand tradition of Mandrian piracy took off again.  Initially focused on commerce raiding, the pirates turned eventually to armed raids against coastal settlements, especially in Ruthern and Kuregn where no significant navies existed to stop them.  As welcome allies in the battle against Inveran, League and Machta-In merchants and villages were marginally safer, but this did not protect them entirely from the greedier pirates.

The state itself did derive a few benefits from this '“ corsairs settled new islands and discovered others.  In the year 174, a sudden and powerful storm (not actually very uncommon for northern Mandra) blew a corsair flotilla off course and far to the north, where a new land was sighted.  Thinking the pirates to be important dignitaries from a foreign land, the people of 'Baktash' showered them with gifts.  Camels came bearing incense in marble bowls, strange foods never tasted before, fine bronze swords '“ and pile upon pile of shining gold.  A rarity almost unheard of in the known world, and never even seen before by most Mandrians, this bright metal was possessed by the Baktashi in great quantities.  The corsairs returned with tales of a rich land and enough wealth to quit piracy forever.  The tales of a 'golden paradise,' however, may yet inspire a new wave of piracy '“ northwards.  Only the great difficulties of successfully navigating the coast of Mandra stand in the way of a figurative and literal 'golden age' of piracy.

Player: Jharviss
Government: Complete diarchy ruled by King Rodonso and King Puul
Popularity: 9 [+2]
Dread: 3
State Religion: Mandrian Ditheism
Popular Religion: 66% Mandrian Ditheism, 26% Mandrian Polytheism, 7% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 1% Runethainism
Fervor: 3 [+1]
Population: 12,000 [+1000]
Cities: Nilburg (C)
Prosperity: 2
Trade: 3 [+2]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 0
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (3)
Army: 1 Bld, 1 Spr
Navy: 1 Gal

The inhabitants of the north again concentrated their efforts inward in these years, as the Ryvalnya, the academies of the Ryvan-Holme, and the Vrenas themselves experimented with new weapons and techniques.  These developments were not revolutionary, but certainly helpful.  Skirmishes between the various houses of Andos and the men of the Hartlas, as well as the northern tribal peoples, were common in these years, and any edge was treasured.  While the southerners struggled far away in large, set piece battles with hundreds or thousands of men, the Andosen developed a new kind of warfare '“ small warrior bands carrying spears and bows, often using hardened leather as a new kind of light armor, and utilizing ambush techniques.  Such tactics might have been out of place against the large armies of the south, but in the high wilderness of the Hartlas the soldiers of Andos took the fight to the highland raiders very effectively.  The success of the clans forced brigand leaders like the Hart-lord to move northward, establishing ties of necessity with the northern tribespeople who felt threatened by the Ryvalnya.  A new alliance called the 'Vyssur' (in the dialect of the northerners, 'brotherhood') formed from several northern tribes, bandits, and Andosen exiles.  It thwarted attempts by the Ryvalnya to overrun the northern domains for a time, partially because the Ryvan-Holme are understandably reluctant to share their developments with the masters of Stavram.

The concentration of foreign trade in Stavram, however, strengthened the hand of the Ryvalnya quite a bit.  Foreign merchants, though still not terribly common, were happy to trade bronze weapons knowing that the Andosen would pay dearly for them.  Most of these weapons went into the hands of the Ryvalnya, who by the year 170 had an impressive cache of armament.  A series of renewed attacks against the Vyssur deprived them of half their territory.  Bronze axes, swords, and spear-heads were simply not something the beleaguered northerners could easily deal with.  Though obvious, it bears mention that the northerners were not the only ones concerned over the growing dominance of the Ryvalnya in bronze weaponry.

The opening of the highlands to settlement has strengthened and empowered many clan-masters, many of whom desire to live and rule more independently there, while exercising influence in the lowlands through trade rather than status '“ highland timber has come into much demand, through the flurry of construction and boat-building encouraged by Andosen potentates.

The Ryvan-Holme's attempts to build better ships through centralized study have been less than fully successful; save for some attempts to further waterproof vessels with leather that have shown a bit of promise, little has been achieved.  The Andosen are practiced sailors and boatbuilders, but their boats have already been under continuous development over hundreds of years, and the styles of foreign galleys are not easily re-invented, considering the lack of mathematical and engineering knowledge in Andos.

Andosen navigators explored the seas in their sturdy canoes, but few other people were found '“ only scattered tribes roaming the shores.  In the year 172, land was sighted to the west, and a most peculiar discovery was made.  A city of considerable size lay in tumbled ruins by the shore, its mud-brick buildings little more than grassy hillocks, and its stone-paved roads nearly obscured by tall grasses.  All around, a hilly plain stretches into the distance, with a dark, looming mountain range on the horizon.  Of the original inhabitants, there were no traces, and the Andosen navigators quickly left (considering the place a bad omen in itself).

Player: amikaligula
Government: Matriarchal Timocracy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 3
State Religion: Cult of Svyorn
Popular Religion: 22% Cult of Svyorn, 11% Other Cults, 67% Animism
Fervor: 3
Population: 9,000 [+1000]
Cities: Andos (C), Stavram
Prosperity: 3 [+1]
Trade: 3 [+1]
Advancement: Chalcolithic
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 3
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, OCa
Forces: 2 (3) [+1]
Army: 1 Bld
Navy: 1 OCa

From the east came the people of Arannia in these years.  Where did they come from?  Perhaps they are refugees from the west, another people displaced by the likes of the Auri, perhaps even the tribe that forced the Auri themselves to flee westward.  Such things are only truly known by the Arannians themselves.  In the year 157, this band of a few thousand whose fathers had come over the mountains to the east built a city '“ as, if they were fleeing some enemy, it was clear at the water's edge that they could flee no farther.

The people of Andos in particular noticed the strange customs of these new people.  They worked bronze like southerners, but spoke an entirely different language.  They seemed ambivalent at best about the spirits, unlike the southerners with their pantheon of gods.  They had what the Andosen fishermen described as a curious interest in natural philosophy, as they had men they called 'alchemists' among them who mixed unguents and philters together for a wide variety of supposed cures and powers (such as, usefully, a rather recent paste that proved helpful against the rash-causing plants of the highlands).  The fishermen gained little from this, but did notice the rather more impressive stone buildings made by these newcomers, and informed their compatriots back home of these shapes while their own homeland was busy with new works of stone itself.

Scouts from Arannia looked up and down their coastline nestled close to the mountains; they found the coastal plain to be a rugged but fair place, where the land rapidly undulated between broad, grassy plains studded with low trees and deep river gorges filled with greenery that flew fitfully from the mountains' sides to the sea beyond.  Much farther north, opposite the Andosen stronghold of Stavram, was a thick highland forest that seemed as if untouched by human hand.

These years were uneventful for the Arannians; the Auri showed no concern for them, assuming they were even aware of their northern neighbors.  Traders from other lands occasionally encountered them on the way north to Stavram, but these routes were by no means common ones, and foreign ships '“ save Andosen fishing boats '“ remained an uncommon sight.  One wonders how this relatively small community will fare in a expansive and dangerous land.

Player: Towel_Ninja
Government: Tetrarchy
Popularity: 5
Dread: 0
State Religion: None
Popular Religion: 16% Animism
Fervor: 0
Population: 4,500
Cities: Arannia (C)
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 1
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 0
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa
Forces: 2 (2)
Army: 1 Spr, 1 Arc
Navy: None

In a generation, two great defeats were handed to the Atur, by Kuregn and by Kashtu [see below].  Some Auri tribes moved southwest, and a few went 'beyond the great gap,' the bleak desert pass that crosses into unknown territory in the far west.  There, beyond the grasp of their enemies, they await the return of the Ammar and their return to glory.  Others, seeking the protection of foreigners, have made themselves mercenaries of Celend or Jemna.

Kuregn's great general-despot Kotalar, who brought Kuregn to new heights, made his last campaign against Yaffa.  He stormed into their lands from the west, backed by Atur mercenaries and his own crack troops, only to be murdered by an unknown assassin in his tent.  His army retreated back to Kuregn and Yaffa was spared.

It was thought that Kotalar's death would plunge Kuregn into chaos, but this has not happened yet.  His army, loyal to him past the grave, has proclaimed his infant daughter and only child, Koura, as 'Despotissa.'  Never before has a female been Despot, let alone a female child, but as Kotalar's only issue she is the favorite of the army.  With the iron hand of military rule, the 'Infant's legions' have kept a strong grip on Kotalar's empire.  Kotalar always sought to create a cult of personality around himself, and since his death it has become a powerful faith of its own; his soldiers worship him as a god, and see his death as his ascension to true godhood.  Men motivated by such faith are difficult foes and questionable friends.

Jemna remains in its own petty turmoils, and no serious effort was made to reclaim the lands of Beitar.  Perhaps the gods have finally ended the story of this ancient kingdom.

The onerous label of 'betrayer' affected the Captains little, compared to the Machta '“the Freemen had little love for Inveran in the first place, and the fall of an important naval power only aided them.  Unlike the Machta, the Captains had never truly enjoyed cordial relations with Inveran, and in fact had come very close to being their enemies during the abortive Auri attempt to invade the Inverness.  The Captains had acted opportunistically against a potential rival when the moment presented itself, and the world has come to expect nothing else of them.

The destruction of Inveran's fleet and the collapse of its mercantile dominions was good for League merchants, and the next few years were excellent '“ until Mandrian piracy, rejuvenated by Inveran's loss, began to claim ship after ship.  Most Mandrians appreciated the efforts of the League in defeating Inveran, and Maducreon remained inviolate, but corsairs are not typically so honorable.  The loss of nearly a third of the world's warships (that is to say, most of Inveran's share) also made piracy a great deal easier.

In the south, where Mandrian influence was minimal, League merchants did well.  The papyrus of Beitar was still bitterly contested by League and Yaffan traders, but the League also possessed its own reserve in the marshes south of Tescha, which the Yaffans had no access to.  Trade with Etropahan increased dramatically, and a new crop '“ rice '“ was introduced from the east; it has proven especially suited to those same wetlands south of Tescha.  From Etropahan also came colored glass beads, and a method of glazing pottery with glass to create exquisite works of art.

As for whales, they continued to be useful for their meat, tallow, and 'grey amber,' which was prized by many (save the Etropahai, who clearly knew of the substance already, though they did not come across it as often).  A large portion of this went to satisfying the demands of the Auri, whose presence in Norpost was useful to traders but taxing on the Captains' grey amber supply.  The whales proved difficult to catch, however, and while techniques improved gradually the huge beasts remained a trying quarry for even the best ships.  Several fishing boats every year were destroyed by whales, either inadvertently or purposefully.  Whale-hunters have become widely known as daring risk-takers, perhaps with more bravado than sense.  The Captains' idea of training whales to do their bidding, however, remains a flight of fancy; nobody knows how a whale might be captured alive, let alone trained, and sightings of whale young are superbly rare.  Galleys are simply not fit for the long-term voyages required to seek the beasts where they live, out in the deep waters.

Experience in battle with Otahvy and against Inveran, as well as trade links with both, has given the League a new technology (Sli).

The presence of the Auri in Norpost has given the Free Captains access to Horses, but without chariots this is something of an empty acquisition.

Player: AllWillFall2Me
Government: Confederated Republic
Popularity: 5
Dread: 3 [+1]
State Religion: Mother Earth/ Father Sea
Popular Religion: 62% Mother Earth/ Father Sea, 8% Runethainism, 14% Mandrian Polytheism, 16% Beitaran Polytheism
Fervor: 3 [-1]
Population: 16,000 [+1000]
Cities: Hartport (C)
Prosperity: 4
Trade: 7 [+1]
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 1
Espionage: 5
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Sli, Boa, Gal
Forces: 3 (4) [+1]
Army: None
Navy: 3 Gal

It was plain to see in the year 151 that the primary duty of the Grand Warden was to head off the flagrant transgressions into Kashtu land by displaced Atur tribes.  To this end, the Wardens trained a corps of archers for defending their walls and fortifications, and began training and arming the common citizens to act as a militia.  Certainly these men could not stand up to the warriors of the sands, to whom fighting was as natural as breathing, but perhaps they would prove themselves useful in support.

More importantly, an alliance with the Tarkad Atur was formed, who had also felt threatened by the roaming Atur tribes from the west.  For four years, the struggle for the eastern Ma'a went poorly for the Tarkad Atur and their civilized allies.  Kashtu and the Tarkad were continually on the defensive against a flood of small raids.  Kashtu's perimeters were so continually overwhelmed as to be useless, and trade ground to a halt.  The Tarkad were forced into Kashtu territory simply to find grazing land.

The situation seemed ripe for the loose alliance that had formed between the Uktar, Shuppak, and Ulkush tribes, once residents of the central Ma'a.  They coveted the Kashtu oases and had no particular love for the Tarkad.  Deciding that the time was right to topple Kashtu once and for all, the tribes combined their warriors and rode with a mighty host up the caravan routes.



The losses among the Kashtu and their allies were heavy, and at first the mood of the Grand Warden as dour '“ Shipan was mortally wounded, a Warden was slain, and many Kashtu warriors were dead on the field.  So many had died that the battle was more commonly known as the 'Battle of Red Sand.'  The break of morning, however, revealed that the battle had totally annihilated three entire Atur tribes; two Atur chieftains had been slain and the third, Nezuch'har, was captured.  The tribes were utterly devastated, with each having lost the lion's share of their warriors; they almost immediately ceased to exist as independent entities.

The battle at Ashu'un changed the balance of power in the eastern Ma'a enormously.  The Kashtu, long snubbed as soft weaklings by the Atur, finally received some respect; only the Despot of Kuregn had ever managed to deal such a crushing blow to the Atur.  Though border skirmishes continued, no other organized threat to Kashtu emerged in the rest of this period.  Celend, too, took notice, and immediately withdrew its troops after the battle; though in the minds of the Archons Kashtu had triumphed over 'only' a horde of savages, a state capable of such violence was certainly one to be wary of.  The Grand Archon continued to receive the gifts of the Wardens and call them his loyal vassals, but the building of new fortifications between the Celenite heartlands and the near Ma'a did not escape the notice of the Grand Warden.

The victory was also an important victory for the Kashtu faith, which found many converts among the Tarkad and elsewhere; surely, went the reasoning, the gods of the victors must be strong indeed.  The Wardens took advantage of this by making their priests ambassadors, and their ambassadors priests; the seeds of faith were sown wherever diplomacy could be opened.

The Tarkad, denuded of much of their leadership, became progressively less autonomous and more of a semi-nomadic subsection of the Kashtu people.  Though uninterested in city life, Tarkad clans '“ whom were now largely co-religionists with the Kashtu '“ remained in Kashtu lands, increasingly trading, communicating, and intermarrying with the locals.  Though they retain a chieftain and still refer to their ties to Kashtu as those of 'alliance,' it is generally understood that the Grand Warden is the superior of the Tarkad chief, not his equal.

Progress on canals and infrastructure continued to be slow; despite a substantial increase in the labor force (most of the Atur non-combatants and camp followers were enslaved after the battle), expertise continued to be lacking.  Improvements have been made, but they are at this point rudimentary; the capital's immediate environs are well-watered, but not much beyond that has been affected by the Grand Warden's grand designs.  The slow progress is doubly unfortunate given that Kashtu's population has gotten to the point where its water supplies are sorely strained '“ only so many people can live around any given source of water.

Player: snakefing
Government: Religious Monarchy
Popularity: 6 [+1]
Dread: 4 [+2]
State Religion: Kashtu Polytheism
Popular Religion: 79% Kashtu Polytheism, 20% Animism, 1% Celenite Polytheism
Fervor: 6
Population: 9,500 [+2500]
Cities: Kashtu (C)
Prosperity: 3
Trade: 3
Advancement: Early Bronze Age
Infrastructure: 2
Espionage: 2
Military Technology: Spr, Bld, Arc, Cam, Boa
Forces: 2 (3) [+1]
Army: 1 Cam, 1 Arc
Navy: None

It was reported that the Teschans have defeated a nomadic steppe people, and from them have begun using their own chariots.  The Teschan royal line has enjoyed a series of good rulers who have expanded this remote kingdom while keeping its isolationist tendencies strong.