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We have reached part V of this AAR started in 2018. Hopefully, I will get to the end of it before Victoria 3 is released, but if I fail to do that, I trust the converter team and their amazing work, always creating ways to continue our mega campaigns -
A small summary of what have happened in the last...2024 years:
Part I: Rise and fall of the Kingdom of Ishfania (559 BCE-205 BCE) (Played in EU4, using the Imperium Universalis mod) covered the rise and fall of the Kingdom of Ishfania, after being conquered by the Turdetani, many refugees fled to the West and made a perilous crossing to new, undiscovered lands.
Part II The Exiles (200 BCE-250 ) (Played in CK2, using a small mod made by myself), the Phoenician refugees founded New Gadir, a small city on an island on the coast of Cuba, over time they started to expand into the Ma’ya’b (OTL Yucatan), interacting with the Olmecs, the Mayans, and other groups, they finally conquered Tikal and founded the First Mayan Empire ( 6-250 ). After a generation, they adopted the Mayan culture and founded the Q’uk’umatz dynasty. After the fall of their Empire, the Mayans decided to invade Europe and recover the lands that once belonged to the Kingdom of Ishfania.
Parallel to this, the Etruscans built the biggest Empire in Europe, covering most of the continent.
Part III Sunset Invasion( 250-772) (Played in CK2, using the WTWSMS mod), The Mayans started the first Sunset Invasion, conquering Iberia and North Africa, creating the Second Mayan Empire ( 335-559). The Etruscan Empire fell thanks to a combination of civil wars and Germanic invasions, in the last years of the Empire they converted to a new faith and created the Fraticelli Church. After their conversion to the Fraticelli faith and in response to the Hunnic invasions, the Mayans created the Mediterranean Confederation (559-772) and alongside many other Christian realms fought two Great Hunnic wars to expel them from western Europe. After the dissolution of the Confederation, Fraticelli Papacy retained most authority as co-ruler of the late Emperors. During this part, western Europe was invaded by the Mayans, the Germanic Tribes (390- 425), the Huns (360-505), and the Slavs (330-550).
Part IV The Baktun of the Holy War (772-1465) (Played in CK3, using a small mod made by myself), a Pagan-Maya/Christian Heresy tried to survive, led by a secondary branch of House of Q’uk’umatz in the Island of the Blessed (OTL Madeira), only to be violently purged by the Fraticelli Mayans. To survive, the remaining heretics started a slow conquest of lands in Kaabu, sub-Saharan Africa. With the arrival of the second Sunset Invasion, this time led by the Nahua Empire of Cemanahuac (913) -who created a colony they called Tonalquizayan-, the heretics lost ground to the Christians. A civil war amongst the main branches of the Q’uk’umatz house, made easier the rise of the Kingdom of Kaabu in North Africa, ruled by the secondary branch of said house. Eventually, the Nahua oppressors became weak and the Q’uk’umatz conquered the and converted it into a Christian Empire while remaining as a nominal vassal of Cemanahuac. Many Crusades later, the Fraticelli faith dominated the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, in Anahuac (OTL America), a Continental war amongst the most powerful Empires on that side of the world (Cemanahuac and Inca) devastated the region, changing the equilibrium of power, and creating many new Kingdoms. As a result of this war, the Third Mayan Empire was created in Europe and Africa in 1442, replacing Tonalquizayan.
After the Ninth Crusade, which ended in 1465 with the victory of the Crusaders, the era of the holy wars was finally over.
I will be using the converted save of the CK3 part of this AAR, with the following mods:
- A small mod made by me, adding flags, localizations, tags, etc..
-Responsible Blobbing
-Responsible Warfare
Chapters of A Storm of the West V:Between two worlds:
I am curious if you plan on doing a version of Protestantism and/or 30 Years War, given earlier you said that each part of the mega-campaign had a theme and that Part IV was about religious conflict.
The advance of non-Mayan nations into the West and the resulting Anahuac Wars should be a delight to read about, too.
I am curious if you plan on doing a version of Protestantism and/or 30 Years War, given earlier you said that each part of the mega-campaign had a theme and that Part IV was about religious conflict.
The advance of non-Mayan nations into the West and the resulting Anahuac Wars should be a delight to read about, too.
There is a big chance of protestantism spawning and causing a lot of trouble. And the "Native American" Empires are far too powerful in most converted games, so, there will be a lot of wars (and pain!)
Fragments of the intelligence reports given to Emperor Muuk'naal VI, by Lalail Yayhya, Advisor of the Crown, 1465
"Ten years passed since the victory of the Crusaders after the Ninth Crusade, and the world has started to change too fast a few years ago we believed that Europe was the center of the world and that our range of actions was limited to this continent, our foreign policy is currently focused on three continents after the proclamation made by Pope Gregorius in 1465, our adventures on Africa would extend to the whole continent, and we are currently sending missionaries to Cuba, and maybe in the future, try to convert the entire continent of Anahuac to the faith […]
To have a better understanding of the world that surrounds us, we have obtained information from our spy networks and merchants […] and have identified eight Great Powers of the world, considered the most prestigious and powerful nations of our times, they are the following:"
#1 Cemanahuac
Aztecs on steroids
"After the fall of Teotihuacan at the height of the Continental War, the Mexica elite from Tenochtitlan came into power and their great city became the new capital of the Empire, built over many artificial islands, is safe from external aggression thanks to their control of the Texcoco lake. Our agents there talk about it being the greatest city in the entire world.
Axayacatl Acamapichtli became Huehuetatloani in 1472, and despite being considered an incompetent ruler that increased corruption in the realm to intolerable levels, he was still capable of maintaining the internal peace of the Empire. We know that the true rulers of Cemanahuac are the generals of their army and that they are planning to expand the borders to the ones before the Continental War. This worries our agents in Cuba, as the Mayan Republic is still weak and our presence there is no match to the military might of the old Empire.
Cemanahuac has established a strange alliance with the Muisca Confederation, with it being their unique alliance, and considers the Inca as its only possible enemy and rival. Their power in northern Anahuac remains absolute, for now."
(The use the Aztec Ideas of the CK2 converter with Sunset Invasion, and as such are part of the High American Tech group)
#2 Inca
Yes, i will continue to use this map projection when showing the glorious Tawantinsuyu.
"A severe drought in the Andean region from the 900s to the start of the XIII century ended with the prominence of the Wari and Tiwanaku Empires, what followed is remembered as "The Great Catastrophe", as many minor powers unsuccessfully tried to achieve supremacy in the region while the Empires fought for their survival in a scenario where natural resources were scarce and famines were followed by violent civil wars. Two decades later the balance of power of the region shifted towards two groups; the Quechua in Cuzco under the rule of the Sapa Inca Manco Capac and the Aymara Confederation, a very decentralized confederation of Andean towns created to protect themselves from the chaos of the period.
Manco Capac became the legendary founder of the Inca Empire after restoring peace right at the end of the harshest drought the region ever faced, it was claimed that he was the son of Inti, the Sun God of his people, and a religious cult quickly grew around him. He ruled not by the power of his soldiers nor violence or terror, but thanks to his incredible charisma. He convinced some of the Aymara to join his new Empire by marrying the daughters of their chieftains, annexing a great amount of territory using diplomacy instead of the force of arms. The new Andean Empire was called the Tawantinsuyu and was ruled by the successors of Manco Capac from the sacred city of Cuzco, high in the mountains of the central Andes.
By the time the Empire of Cemanahuac started the Continental War, Tawantinsuyu was ruled by the mighty Pacha Kutik Inka Yupanqui. A few years after he became the leader of his people, he took the task of reforming his armies to expand into the lands of the unconquerable Mapuche of the south, the brave Cañari in the north, and the Aymara strongholds in the Eastern Andes. The Inca intended to bring civilization to the chaotic lands that surrounded their glorious Empire and free all these people from the oppression of their barbarian leaders. Some even claimed that Pacha Kutik tried to create a paradise on earth by expanding his benevolent rule to the rest of humankind.
At the end of the Continental War, the Mapuche and Aymara of the south rebelled against the power of the Inca and obtained their independence. Regardless of that, the Andean Empire continues to be the most powerful entity in southern Anahuac, and it’s rumored that they are preparing their armies to retake the lands currently held by the southern rebels.
Ruled by the genius Sapa Inka Pachacuti Inca Hanan, the Inca have found an interesting ally in the Muisca Confederation, continuing the foreign policy established during the Continental War. This alliance has secured peace in the continent as both Great Powers of Anahuac are allied with the Muisca.
The Inca sees us as dangerous interlopers, and we are aware of their superior military might thanks to our agents, war with them is to be avoided at all costs. One of the difficulties that our agents have faced is that they don’t use a writing system as everyone else does in the civilized world, instead, they use a complex system of strings and knots to keep records, and they change their meaning depending on meaning and context."
(The use the Inca Ideas of the CK2 converter with Sunset Invasion, and as such are part of the High American Tech group)
#3 Armenia
How? i dont know, but they became relevant after centuries of fighting for their survival.
"The old Princedom of Armenia has existed for more than two thousand years, surviving their Babylonian, Lydian, Assyrian, and Mongol enemies. Occupying the Caucasus, Anatolia, and Thrace, they dominate the east with an iron fist in the name of Christianity. It's one of the two oldest Kingdoms in the world. And since we established relations with them during the times of the Mediterranean Confederation, one of our traditional allies.
Ruled by the Greek Pothos dynasty, they have a talented ruler on Prince Timotheos II. Under his rule, the Armenians have stopped seeing us as their traditional allies, but as rivals. The sudden change of situation is caused by them seeing us as a threat to our old claim to Thrace and our possession of the island of Rhodes.
They also have allied with Carthage, our biggest rival in the Mediterranean. A war against Armenia is unlikely shortly as we do not have real interests in the east. But their change of diplomatic stance towards us can be a real danger if we are unprepared for a war against them."
#4 Neo-Mayan Empire
Islands in the periphery of the Empire: 1- Rhodes, 2-Malta, 3-Cape Verde, 4-Menorca
"Since its foundation in 1445, the Neo-Mayan Empire has been proclaimed to be the continuation of Tonalquizayan, the First and Second Mayan Empires. Because of that, we have the claims to lands that range from Thrace and Carthage to the east, and the Mayab (OTL Yucatan) to the west. This fact has made old allies envious of our position in the world, and conflict will surely erupt once we take control of lands that were controlled by our ancestors.
Our people arrived in Africa and Europe during the first Sunset Invasion, our Neo-Mayan culture (a mix of Iberian-Maya, Berber, and Nahua cultures) came into relevance after the end of the second Sunset Invasion. Our position as allies of the Papacy put us in a good position, a war against Europeans is almost impossible at this point. Our historical ties to Africa and Anahuac make our expansion over these regions something expected and natural, as a result of our history, we have three vassal states, each one with its own culture and challenges.
The Kingdom of Kaabu was founded by the ruling Q’uk’umatz dynasty in the late tenth century. Most of their population are Afro Mayans, the descendant of the Mayans that came to conquer this region at the start of the Period of the Holy Wars. Now that they have become an autonomous Duchy, will continue with their loyalty to our Emperors. The mission of Kaabu is to develop these lands and make them the breadbasket of the Empire."
Duchy of Kaabu and the Templar Knights
"South, in the old Altepetl of Yorubaland, are the Templar Knights, as a pact made by Emperor Muuk’naal VI and the Grandmasters of the Holy Order during the “African Crusade” that preceded the Crusade for Pictland, they gained control of the lands conquered and are now a March, a military vassal. Their objective is to protect the southern lands and to provide military assistance to the Imperial Army.
In the West, and threatened by all sides, it’s the Mayan Republic, accepted to convert to Christianity in exchange for military protection. We are sending resources to make them able to defend themselves from their enemies and to ease their conversion to the faith. The Empire is trying to secure our position in the Caribbean before Cemanahuac strikes, the Republic is in a dangerous position."
Mayan Republic and the Island of Jamaica, special territory of the Neo Mayan Empire in Anahuac
(I decided that the Neo-Mayan Empire would use the Moroccan Ideas and missions, and replaced the ability to raid coasts with a +2 relations because the Nahua Language was the predominant courtly language in CK3. The vassals have their default ideas.)
#5 Cathay
CHINESE BATTLE ROYALE
"Cathay, was the greatest Empire in the east, after the Mongol Conquest and subsequent fall of said Empire, these lands were engulfed in conflict, over time a Kingdom called Ming emerged victorious, everything we know about them its thanks to the merchants to travel there. They are, according to the reports, fighting a bitter civil war to decide who will rule over the entirely of Cathay. the Pope believe that there is a Christian Kingdom on an island called Hainan, from aside from that, nothing else is known."
#6 Raetia
Raetia has so much potential...
"In the lands once known as Northern Etruria which was historically an important part of the old Etruscan Empires, the Kingdom Raetia was born after the Slavic migrations of the sixth century. The Czech people of Raetia have been defenders of the Fraticelli faith for most of their history, but the brilliant King Jirí z Podebrad have deviated from that tradition by following the Hussite heresy, which has caused them to gain many enemies, like the Franks, Carpathia, Dania and even the pagans of White Rus'.
Will the Hussite heresy triumph? Or Raetia will return to their traditions and have a proper Fraticelli King like God intended?
Truth is that they remain a Fraticelli Kingdom even with the inconsistent heresy of their rulers."
(Raetia has the Bohemian ideas and missions)
#7 Dania
This region has a lot of potential.
"The Polish people invaded Scandinavia during the Slavic migrations of the Sixth Century, and over a long period formed a great Empire that controlled most of northeastern Europe, the Empire of Poland fell to the Mongol and Pictish invasions.
After the fall of the Mongol Empire in 1344, three Kingdoms arose from the ashes, the Polish Kingdom in the south, Pommerania on the Baltic coast, and Dania in Scandinavia. As the last survivor of the three converted to Christianity after their defeat in the Eighth Crusade (1418) and became a regional power.
Ruled by the well-connected King Stanislawa Dessau-Trelleborg, belonging to the minoritarian Jüterborger Polish-German culture, the Polish Kingdom has tried to unite the Northern Christians to remove the last remnant of the Mongol Empire; the Aarlud Khanate. Without success.
They are allied with the Franks, the Kingdom of Pictland, and Sorbia. Their rivals are Raetia, Carpathia and... Carthage."
(Dania uses the Ideas and Missions of Poland.)
#8 Carthage
Survived against all odds.
"Older than time itself, Carthage has survived the Mayan, Vandal, and Hunnic invasions to become stronger than ever before, dominating at least half of Western Africa.
This greatness has been achieved at a high cost, and now their economy suffers a great deal of inflation. Many of their older allies are now their enemies and their allies are the distant Princedom of Armenia and the Subsaharan Tribal Kingdom of Akan. Following their policy of controlling the African interior, they have been sending missionaries to many Kingdoms, and when that fails to make their rulers convert to the faith, they just invade them.
Aside from their African policy, they also have been trying to recover their influence on the Mediterranean, and after our wars against them to take Malta and Menorca, they see us as rivals.
Ruled by King Eugoras Chelbesid, they have been trying to expand into the rest of Africa, maybe their ambitions will end creating a conflict between our people and we will end up marching into the city of Carthage, like in the years of the Second Mayan Empire."
(Carthage has the ideas and missions of Portugal, I want to see them becoming a seafaring nation over time.)
Religion
"The most widely spread religion is the Christian Fraticelli faith, present in 802 provinces and 60 countries, followed by Totemist (323 provinces and 32 countries), Animist (294 provinces and 36 countries), Hindu (259 provinces and 27 countries), Old Tengri (240 provinces and 85 countries) and Sunni (232 provinces and 61 countries)."
The Continents
Europe
"Europe remains as powerful as it was during the era of the Holy Wars, hosting three Great Powers and many interesting nations, it entered the Renaissance period, a cultural movement that started in the province of Birent of the Kingdom of Bari in the Etruscan Peninsula. Art, philosophy, and science have taken a central place in European culture in recent years.
Notable nations in this continent are:
Pictland, in the cold islands of the north, ruled by Akyaabil Q'uk'umatz, has started a slow process of conversion to the Fraticelli faith. After the Ninth Crusade sent their old pagan rulers exiled to Ireland and Iceland, they have been preparing for the return of the pagans.
Carpathia: in lands that once belonged to the many old Empires, Khanates, and Kingdoms of the Huns, they have expanded in a few years under the rule of King Blahoslav Draka. The predominant culture of the realm is the Slovieno-Scordiscian culture. They have been fighting the last Hunnic remnants of the east and the Slavic Pagan Kingdoms for centuries without being noticed by the rest of the Christian world.
Bari: After the fall of the Etruscan Kingdom, the Kingdom of Bari has achieved supremacy in the Peninsula. Starting the Renaissance movement and trying to unify the region to restore the glory of Etruria."
Africa
"Hosting two Great Powers, Africa is an interesting continent, it has many ties with Europe and at the same time, still retains many of its old cultures and religions. Renaissance is mostly present in North Africa.
Notable nations in this continent are:
Kemetic Egyptians are a relic of the past, but they have managed to survive to this point
Tigrè: the direct successor of the old Egyptian Kingdoms, the Kingdom of Tigrè still follow the ancestral Kemetic faith, even after fighting two times against the Crusader armies and losing more than half of their land. Ruled by Pharaoh Dioskoros Zosimusid, they fight to protect their ancient traditions and way of life.
In this timeline, Islam has been cursed with too many foreign invasions, the Tamils on part III and the Mongols on part IV destroyed any hope of an Muslim Empire in Arabia
Yemen: the oldest of the Muslim nations and the most powerful of them all, it’s still trying to survive the onslaught of the Christians of Israel, who have conquered most of the Arabic Peninsula."
Asia
"Once united by the Mongol Empire, the biggest Empire that has existed in human history now hosts the highest quantity of nations on the planet. Hosting two Great Powers is the biggest continent on earth.
Notable nations on this continent are:
The Bedouin-Hebrew culture is one of CK3 greatest miracles
Israel: Christianized during the Second Crusade, now is ruled by Queen Martha Jacobson. Beduin-Hebrew is their primary culture and follows the Fraticelli faith. They have been constantly expanding into the Arabian Peninsula since the fall of the Mongols.
The Mysterious Kingdom of Hainan: In 526, Pope Gregorious the Black made a long missionary voyage to the east to establish new Christian communities in the far east, most of them disappeared from history, but one remained. In Cathay, the Fraticelli church gained some support amongst the peasant class who accepted the exotic faith, and the descendants of the priests who remained in the east established a hereditary caste of priests who were faithful enough to not divert from the Christian doctrine.
In 765, after a failure of a rebellion against the ruling dynasty, the surviving Christians and the troublesome Fraticelli priests were exiled to Hainan. There, they created their Kingdom after converting the locals to their faith.
For centuries they paid tribute to the different dynasties of Cathay and lived in relative peace, but with the Mongol invasion of China, they took a more active role in the local politics. Nothing else is known about them."
Anahuac
(OTL America)
"Isolated from the rest of the world until the Phoenicians arrived, their people quickly adopted iron and horse-riding from them after surviving devastating plagues brought by the easterners. After the fall of the First Mayan Empire in 250, centralized governments became the norm all across the continent. Hosting two Great Powers, they have invaded Europe on two occasions.
Interesting nations on this continent are:
Lets see if they survive this crazy world.
Vinland: Displaced by the Slavic Migrations, and defeated by the Picts, the Norse Vikings ended up relocating to a new continent and found a new home in the Kingdom of Vinland. A proud people, the Norse still follow their ancient religion and have reformed it.
Wallmapu and Aymara Confederation are in the High American group, they are unlikely to survive, but... who knows.
Wallmapu: divided, they were almost completely conquered by the Inca, united, they achieved independence. The proud Mapuche learned an important lesson from the Continental War, setting aside their ancestral differences to fight against the invaders from the north."
Lovely seeing Poland Dania doing well
But seeing my favourite ancient civilization, in Carthage, and "kinda" my motherland country at odds with each other is a little bit heartbreaking
Hope all the best for Dania and hope for some restoration of "Polish Empire", but it can happen in Vic 3 through nationalism as well I can wait
That being said I don't know if it was purposeful, but our leader is female yet you named her King, which IS historically accurate as "King" (pol. "Król") was the ruler of Poland regardless of gender
Chinese Christians are exciting. Hope they won't dissapear in the void of history as an interesting footnote similar to "Taipei Rebellion"
And last question: How did you convert pagan faiths? Slavs in White Ruthenia, Celts in Ireland and Iceland and Kemets in Tigré?
Lovely seeing Poland Dania doing well
But seeing my favourite ancient civilization, in Carthage, and "kinda" my motherland country at odds with each other is a little bit heartbreaking
Hope all the best for Dania and hope for some restoration of "Polish Empire", but it can happen in Vic 3 through nationalism as well I can wait
That being said I don't know if it was purposeful, but our leader is female yet you named her King, which IS historically accurate as "King" (pol. "Król") was the ruler of Poland regardless of gender
Chinese Christians are exciting. Hope they won't dissapear in the void of history as an interesting footnote similar to "Taipei Rebellion"
And last question: How did you convert pagan faiths? Slavs in White Ruthenia, Celts in Ireland and Iceland and Kemets in Tigré?
The rivalry between Dania and Carthage made no sense, so i looked and was caused by Armenia having a small province in Scandinavia. Armenia and Carthage are close allies.
I forgot that Stanislawa is a female name. But we learn a new thing every day.
There is a big war going on in China, the Chinese Christians can survive, but there are many possible outcomes. And i dont think i can do much to save them, as they are on the other side of the world.
To create the world of CK3 i used files from a save from Imperator . The converter has many cultures and religions that can be transfered from Imperator to HOI4, but you have to use their files if you want an easier conversion.
To create the world of CK3 i used files from a save from Imperator . The converter has many cultures and religions that can be transfered from Imperator to HOI4, but you have to use their files if you want an easier conversion.
Chapter 5.1 Wars on three continents and the Rise of the Burghers. (1465-1497)
Emperor Muuk'naal VI in 1465
During the past decade, Emperor Muuk'naal VI Q'uk'umatz was busy reforming every single institution of his Empire aided by the most brilliant men of his generation. After giving autonomy to his three most important vassals, he centralized power on the mainland. Ordered the creation of new tax codes to increase revenue and improved the economy of the Empire by favoring foreign trade over the traditional agrarian economy. Reformed the military system, effectively eliminating the traditional local levies provided by his subjects in favor of a standing Imperial Army that only answered to his authority. Ordered the creation of new law codes, eliminating many attributions that the Church and the nobility had over the peasantry for centuries. His reforms radically changed life for the majority of the population of the Neo-Mayan Empire, but after solving most issues that plagued the country for centuries, they also created new problems for it. And there was a lot of tension among the Emperor, the nobility, the clergy, and the burghers.
If CK2 and CK3 were about nobility and clergy being the co-protagonists, in EU4 Burghers will take their place.
Thanks to the reforms, the nobility lost most of the power they held for centuries, without their local armies, and with the shift from an agrarian economy to a mercantile one, they were replaced by the Merchant guilds as the most important group in the Empire. Gold was now more important than blood ties, and even the Clergy felt threatened by the rise of the burgers. In the eyes of those who dominated the lives of most of the subjects of the Empire for more than one thousand years, these mercantilists were a threat, and it was obvious that Emperor Muuk'naal VI favored these upstart merchants, but they were unable to revolt against the new order. Under the new situation, a revolt could be easily suppressed by the Imperial Army, and the Q'uk'umatz were known for being extremely violent when came to suppressing revolts, even against their kin.
The problems of the Empire on the mainland inspired Emperor Muu’knaal VI to create the Mayan Legion to protect the Imperial interests in Anahuac. The army was formed by loyal Mayan Fraticelli subjects from Jamaica and other islands of the Caribbean, the Legion would have autonomy from the Empire and would be led by a General chosen by the Emperor himself.
Its pointless to transport troops across the sea every time the pagans or some random particularist group start a rebellion.
Another of the reforms created by Emperor Muuk’naal VI was the creation of the Exploration Fleet in 1770. During the celebrations of the victory of the Ninth Crusade, Pope Urbanus IV told the Emperor about a mythical land in the far east, the Fraticelli Kingdom of Hainan, in lands far away, in the east. The idea of searching for the fabled Kingdom was absurd for most leaders of the period, but the Neo-Mayans were already the masters of the sea, and the prospect of finding their distant brothers in the faith became an obsession for Neo-Mayan explorers.
Europe: The Iberian war (1471-1480)
There was a bitter rivalry between Carthage and the rulers of the Neo-Mayan Empire since 1171 when Tonalquizayan took the islands of Menorca and Malta in the wars to unify house Q’uk’umatz. But with the rise of the merchant class and the attempt of the two Empires to dominate the Western Mediterranean and Sub-Saharan Africa, war was seen as inevitable by the two Great Powers.
The Neo-Mayan Empire created the Iberian Coalition in 1466 with the Kingdoms of Vasconia and Catalonia, the objective was to isolate Galicia and stop any pretense of Carthaginian ambition in the region. Tensions between the Coalition and the alliance between Galicia, Galliya, and Carthage led to a war between them in 1471 when the Neo-Mayan Imperial army started hostilities against Galicia to stop them from threatening its merchants in northern Iberia. A petty excuse intended to weaken Carthage before it became too powerful to contain.
Better now than tomorrow.
At the start of the conflict, Emperor Muuk'naal VI ordered the creation of the African Legion, recruited in North Africa, to fight against the Carthaginians in that region and keep them from advancing into the capital. North Africa, as one of the richest and most strategic regions of the Empire, was an easy target for the Phoenicians because the Imperial Army was busy fighting against Galicia, in the north. The Carthaginian army was fighting in Sub-Saharan Africa against the combined armies of the Knight Templars and the Duchy of Kaabu and led by Carthaginian General Eshbaal Nunes Barreto, being one of the most brilliant generals of the period, obtained an easy victory against the subjects of the Empire. It was only a matter of time before the Phoenicians advanced over North Africa. The Imperial Fleet was ready to block their crossing into Europe and the African Legion was already creating distractions and evading any confrontation with the main Carthaginian Army.
A Carthaginian 3-star general, against the mediocre and divided military forces of the Neo Mayan Empire. He has a Portuguese sounding name because of Carthage using the Portuguese tag.
Seeing this, and after the Kingdom of Galliya fell into a Personal Union under Carthage, Emperor Muuk'naal VI ordered the invasion of Galliya by the Imperial Army, if Carthage had the best military commanders of the war, the correct course of action was, of course, to deal with the weakest foe first. The Duchy of Kaabu and Templar Knights were ordered to keep raiding Carthaginian lands in Sub-Saharan Africa to keep them busy.
By this point i took Exploration ideas, i lost the screenshot, but that. Also, the Galliya were surprisingly weak.
In 1479 the African Legion carried out a risky siege of Qart Hadasht, the legendary capital of Carthage, General Petrus Oncan was certain that his army would be unable to take it, but the action scared the enemy leadership into sending most of their army away from Neo Mayan lands to come to the rescue of their capital. The African Legion was crushed by the experienced enemy General, but the damage to Carthaginian morale was already done, the Neo-Mayan Imperial Fleet was capable of disembarking troops at any point of their lands with ease and blockading their most important ports with impunity.
These poor African Legionaries stood no chance.
The sacrifice of the African Legion was enough to make Carthage realize that they had a big chance to lose more than what they could win in this conflict and with all their ports being blockaded by the Imperial Fleet, they signed a peace deal with the Neo Mayan Empire, ceding Mallorca, Ibiza and paying a war reparation of 119 Ducats to their enemies. This victory marked the end of Carthaginian influence in Iberia.
Centuries of influence ended with a single war.
At the same time, Catalonia signed a nonsensical white peace with Galicia. Thus, giving Vasconia the rights for the lands to be won in this conflict. Galicia lost almost half of their lands when in 1480 a treaty of peace was signed, the victory of the Iberian Alliance solidified the standing of the Neo-Mayan Empire in Europe and weakened Carthaginian ambitions on the Western Mediterranean for the coming decades.
The AI of Catalonia made a poor choice with their White Peace against an enemy that was completely destroyed, at least Vasconia won a lot of lands.
Anahuac: The Caribbean War. (1482-1486)
In 1482 the Imperial Court sent envoys to Anahuac commanding General Petrus Oncan to lead the Mayan Legion against the Caribbean Confederation with the aid of the Imperial Fleet. The objective was to recover the lands occupied by the Mayan Republic before the Continental War, to fulfill an old promise done to the Mayans, and of course, to secure their loyalty after the Emperor forced them to adopt the Fraticelli faith and stationed an army on their lands.
But the true motive behind this war, was, of course, money. But the Mayan Republic was also losing loyalty because they were forcing into adopting the Fraticelli faith.
In an event that according to the most superstitious subjects of the Empire was caused by the ambitious nature of the Emperor and as a punishment of God for his pride, Prince Paulus Q'uk'umatz, heir to the throne, died because of tropical fever in January of 1482. He was replaced as heir by Princess Maria, his only daughter, who was born the same day as the death of the prince.
Lost an amazing heir to a random event. 6/5/6.
The troops of the Caribbean Confederation got trapped in Boriken by the Imperial Fleet, who quickly obtained supremacy. Some nobles argued that it was the perfect opportunity to crush their forces, but General Petrus Oncan planned to take control of most of their islands without exposing their men to a suicidal amphibious attack or a risky siege like in Carthage, the victory of the Imperial the Caribbean Sea made the war easier than expected, there was no need for more sacrifices.
With the Carib troops trapped in Boriken, the Mayan Legion controlled all of the other lands of the Caribbean Confederation, which had to admit its defeat in May of 1486 and sign a humiliating peace treaty, the Mayan Republic obtained all the lands inhabited by Mayans since the times of the First Mayan Empire, and the Neo Mayan Empire obtained Barbados and Aruba, two strategic islands in the Caribbean Sea. The victory improved the relations between the Neo-Mayan Empire and the Mayan Republic, which now controlled most of the economic activity of the region.
Lost the screenshot were they got trapped in Puerto Rico/Boriken. It was hilarious, they got there to defend the island and the superior Neo Mayan fleet kept them pinned there while the transport ships got troops to all their other lands, an easy win. It seems that AI cannot handle this type of warfare.
Africa: The rule of the Burghers (1484-1493)
A legendary Emperor. He will be never forgotten.
Emperor Muuk'naal VI Q'uk'umatz died in October of 1484 when he was 67 years old. Founder of the Neo-Mayan Empire, a great military leader, reformer, and Christian leader. He would not live to see the Exploration Fleet reach the Kingdom of Hainan, but he created the foundations for the success of the Empire.
He was succeeded by Empress Maria Q'uk'umatz, his two years old Grandaughter, who would rule under the regency of Itzmitzin Balam, the Egyptian wife of the late Emperor now Empress-Consort Regent, but she had problems reigning over the many factions disputing supremacy on the Imperial Court, that’s why she chose to give power to a Council of Regency mostly composed by Burghers.
The Regency council had a great interest in expanding their power at the expense of the other estates and groups in the Empire, and they saw the perfect opportunity in Guinea. After the end of the Caribbean war, it was clear that the profits coming from Anahuac were vital for the finances of the Empire, and the political situation in that part of the world stopped the Burghers from starting wars that they could not win across the sea. Because of this, they authorized General Pacal Coatl of the African Legion to declare war on all enemies of the Empire on the coast of Guinea, it did not matter if they were Christian or Pagans, with the aid of the Templar Knights the Legion had the duty of securing the African coastline and block Carthage into expanding into the Atlantic Ocean.
A mix of sending Colonists to that region and some minor conquests. Carthage was expanding to get into the Atlantic and now, well, they cannot.
The wars of Guinea ended in 1493, with the Empire controlling the entire western African coast and creating many settlements on the coast, there was a discussion about creating a trading company in Guinea to obtain maximum profits from the region, but the Council decided that the best course of action would be to convert the local population to the Fraticelli faith before giving the administration of the region to the newly created Neo-Maya Guinea Company.
The Neo-Mayan Empire had successfully expanded over three continents, and now, thanks to the Exploration Fleet, knew a lot more about the world outside Europe. At the end of the XV century the nobility and clergy had lost a lot of their influence and the Burghers, still in the Regency Council, were studying the maps created by Explorers and Cartographers to plan for new opportunities to enrich themselves and their Empire.
The Exploration Fleet did all the work behind the scenes.
I think Hainan will end being a hard challenge, not only they need to find it before its annexed by other Chinese Empires, they will have to protect it if they find the mythical realm.
Finally made it to the latest update after binge reading your absolute unit of a Megacampaign, I gotta admit, I stumbled across your AAR back during the CK2 portion but never bothered to go through it, my mistake because you created yourself one hell of an alternate history. I'll be looking forward to see what's next during this portion, especially on reaching this mythical realm of Hainan. Me thinks it might be a certain land of the Rising Sun, assuming of course that island was also affected by the massive butterfly effect that occurred.
Finally made it to the latest update after binge reading your absolute unit of a Megacampaign, I gotta admit, I stumbled across your AAR back during the CK2 portion but never bothered to go through it, my mistake because you created yourself one hell of an alternate history. I'll be looking forward to see what's next during this portion, especially on reaching this mythical realm of Hainan. Me thinks it might be a certain land of the Rising Sun, assuming of course that island was also affected by the massive butterfly effect that occurred.
Hainan isn't that mythical. In otl it's a Chinese island just north of Vietnam, so we have probably better idea where that could be in comparison to the whereabouts of "land of the Prester John" (Ethiopia/Abissynia) which is this legend/rumour probably based on and also Chinese evangelization mission by Pope some solid hundreds years in past.
Hainan isn't that mythical. In otl it's a Chinese island just north of Vietnam, so we have probably better idea where that could be in comparison to the whereabouts of "land of the Prester John" (Ethiopia/Abissynia) which is this legend/rumour probably based on and also Chinese evangelization mission by Pope some solid hundreds years in past.
But was mythical for the Neo-Mayans and other Europeans. A Christian Chinese Empire has a lot of potential but there is a big chance of a Northern Chinese Empire trying to take over.
Finally made it to the latest update after binge reading your absolute unit of a Megacampaign, I gotta admit, I stumbled across your AAR back during the CK2 portion but never bothered to go through it, my mistake because you created yourself one hell of an alternate history. I'll be looking forward to see what's next during this portion, especially on reaching this mythical realm of Hainan. Me thinks it might be a certain land of the Rising Sun, assuming of course that island was also affected by the massive butterfly effect that occurred.
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