Game 10

Ref last months Mercurious Politicus - all I can say is that I was as shocked as anyone that the actions of single French frigate knocked the excommunication of the King of France, the Duc of Savoy and the whole Spanish Regency council off the front page!

The only explanation I can come up with is that this paper is published in Newark & Southwell and its English staff like ships (and had a nice picture they were itching to put on the front page) and being a bunch of excummunicated heretics themselves they failed to see the importace of the Schism story.

Fans of Marshal Bombast write up may however like to know that "Les Jeux" nice paint work was not damaged. But sadly Claude de Forbin (not Trouin) mad moment attacking odds of ten to one did not scatter the Escorts of the fabled Genoan Spice Fleet and leave rich prizes returning from the Far East loaded with spices, jewels and costly fabrics for the lady friends of the Doge wide open to the attacks of Forbin really speedy allies. Because there was no sodding spice fleet not even a load of Italian wine or grain.

So yes......the Corsairs have just wasted a lot of expensive powder and shot and did not get a single coin out of it

Unless their King and other people in the same position are so happy at finding their excommuniction knocked from the front page to half way down Page 15 that they decide to lavish rich rewards?

Oddly the inspiration of Maria-Louise de Forbin seems to be working on French Infantry and her Uncle and his crew. But not on the French Horse, if things carry on like this Maria-Louise may need to go full Joan d'Arc to get the blighters to recall that when the foe runs its the job of the Cavalry to turn it into a disaster! Not sit on their horses looking pretty

Stuart Bailey wrote:Ref last months Mercurious Politicus - all I can say is that I was as shocked as anyone that the actions of single French frigate knocked the excommunication of the King of France, the Duc of Savoy and the whole Spanish Regency council off the front page!

The only explanation I can come up with is that this paper is published in Newark & Southwell and its English staff like ships (and had a nice picture they were itching to put on the front page) and being a bunch of excummunicated heretics themselves they failed to see the importace of the Schism story.

Fans of Marshal Bombast write up may however like to know that "Les Jeux" nice paint work was not damaged.  But sadly Claude de Forbin (not Trouin) mad moment attacking odds of ten to one did not scatter the Escorts of the fabled Genoan Spice Fleet and leave rich prizes returning from the Far East loaded with spices, jewels and costly fabrics for the lady friends of the Doge wide open to the attacks of Forbin really speedy allies.  Because there was no sodding spice fleet not even a load of Italian wine or grain.

So yes......the Corsairs have just wasted a lot of expensive powder and shot and did not get a single coin out of it      

Unless their King and other people in the same position are so happy at finding their excommuniction knocked from the front page to half way down Page 15 that they decide to lavish rich rewards?

Oddly the inspiration of Maria-Louise de Forbin seems to be working on French Infantry and her Uncle and his crew.  But not on the French Horse, if things carry on like this Maria-Louise may need to go full Joan d'Arc to get the blighters to recall that when the foe runs its the job of the Cavalry to turn it into a disaster!   Not sit on their horses looking pretty

Sorry it's been a long few weeks at work, but then I'm sure Trouin and Forbin are on the same side if not the same person - can't recall seeing them side by side

As for Spice fleet probably need to build the Suez Canal to get a chance for their appearance.

Also possible that excommunicating people is getting an every month occurrence hence less newsworthy. That for the flash paint job on Les Jeux added some colour to attract newspaper buyers.

I suspect Joan is just warming up.

The Corsair leadership in G10 are all historical figures, even if a couple should have drunk themselves to death by now. Work on basis that if William of Orange has not fallen of his horse yet I can have characters avoid an early grave as well.

In many ways the Chevalier Claude de Forbin, Comte de Forbin-Gardanne & Grand Admiral of Siam is one of the more interesting in that while most of the Corsair Captains came from a merchant background and some of the best like Bart and Trouin got Noble Titles as a reward. Forbin was already a well connected Noble by birth.

Too much of a difficult customer to ever be considered for the Govt or a really high command. He was trusted to take the Old Pretender to Scotland (and then brought him back again) and was also a guest at Louis XIV small and very select 2nd Wedding. Not sure if Forbin was invited by the bride or the groom but clearly he had friends at court.

His Niece would not have been Royal Enough to have been Queen of Spain but she would have been Noble enough to have been a Bourbon Mistress. A role not to be dispised since many French Kings etc seem to have paid more attention to their mistress than they did to ministers.

Have no clue at all about the paint jobs on historic corsair ships or even French Navy Ships of the period for that matter (anyone know?).......but clearly the go faster strips on "Les Jeux" worked. Wonder if I can paint "Le Belle Isle" Red and give her a pancing horse figurehead?

If also has to be admitted that the large French Frigates of the period favoured by the Corsairs (and we are talking about some of the newest French Warships built and crewed by the Crown but funded by private investors to save money Louis wanted to spend on his Army) are a bit of a sod for fitting into the rules system. They were clearly bigger and more heavily gunned than most Cruisers of the period but the rules suggest that Great Frigates and Heavy Frigates were are slow which was not the case with these ships.

Have been trying to develop some anti convoy tactics but the real problem is finding one convoy. Guess whta Corsairs captured last month ......Herring! Very historic but I am starting to suspect a actual wind up by some players who are determind to give the corsairs nothing of interest.

Ref Marshal Bombast post on the meta-physical philosophical problems of the Gallican Church (very French):

"3. Paris. The Gallican Church Synod started this month and debated points like ‘Does the Gallican Church exist?’ and ‘Is the Pope in God’s grace?’. We are left wondering as the Gallican Church Cardinals pray over whether to vote in one of two Flanders Cardinals in as the new Pope. All the while there appears to be another saviour for France in the form of Maria-Louise de Forbin, a modern day Jeanne de Arc. Will she save France where the King has so far failed?"

I was just wondering:

a) If the Gallican Church decides that it exists will it make Rene Descartes a Bishop or a Cardinal for his theory "That I can have a shouting match therefore I exist."

&

b) If Louis XIV has to go to the toilet or visit his mistress for a long lunch can the Cardinals get on and elect a new Pope or is the King still in his seat in a Philosophic sence?

The rise of the Gallican church would be a nice little twist to the game. Be interesting to see how it works out. Be even more interesting to see if other catholic nations wish to join it. How would Rome develop if other catholic nations joined the Gallican church?

would have to be some major failings in Rome for a Gallican church to succeed. Indeed the Gallican church could easily take over Rome numbers wise. If other catholic nations joined.

Interesting times.

jamesbond007 wrote:The rise of the Gallican church would be a nice little twist to the game. Be interesting to see how it works out. Be even more interesting to see if other catholic nations wish to join it. How would Rome develop if other catholic nations joined the Gallican church?

would have to be some major failings in Rome for a Gallican church to succeed. Indeed the Gallican church could easily take over Rome numbers wise. If other catholic nations joined.

Interesting times.

The Gallican Church is just the term for the Catholic Church in France (bit like the Church in Spain or the Church in Poland etc). It is not a unique Church like say the Anglican Communion or the Kirk in Scotland.

Think the interesting question will be if the picked upon Church in France ever sorts out is Philosophic problems, accepts the findings of the General Council and elects a new Pope...... who will support the true Pope and who will support the anti Pope (opinions may differ as to who is who).

This would also apply to non Catholic Nations when they are trying to figure out were the Embassy to the Vatican should be located.

In many ways this looks like a bit of a replay of the great schism in the 13/14 centuries were the Pope had so many problems with the Roman Nobility that he fled to Avignon. The Great Roman families who included a majority of Cardinals having abandonment issues then elected a new Pope and for over sixty years you had one Pope in Rome and another in Avignon.

Eventually parts of the Church got so fed up that they declared both Pope's deposed and elected a third (think at one stage it may have got to four).

Since the Rome/Avignon schism lead to virtual civil war in parts of the Holy Roman Empire and got mixed up in the whole 100 years war issue with the English and Portugal backing one Pope while the French and Castile you can sort of understand why other parts of the Church were rather keen to see both Popes replaced by a nice new shiny one who the whole Church could unite around. This did eventually happen but not before everyone who could remember what the original row was about was dec'd.

When I mentioned the rise of the Gallican church. I meant in rivalry to Rome. Usually in lgdr games there isn’t a Papal States player so this issue never usually arises. Certainly not in the form it has in game 10.

The Pope is more active in game 10 than I have ever known in lgdr. Will be interesting to see how the church battles play out.

Spanish orders are in and there is plenty of them. Thanks in part to naughty viceroys.

The girls in the office look good fun. But I bet they think their Doge is bonkers. Lol.

Oh, mine are same length as always.

Only takes a little to keen people busy, especially over optimistic Cardinals.

It’s a good outfit, and they are a sharp crew. They are mixed in views on how we play a month a turn, some see it as crazy, some see it as brilliant.

Sent mine from a French campsite ! Catching up on a few letters too.

It’s all about perspectives, and controlling the fight radius.
Genoa stands, Naples flies the flags and Eastern & Northern France are ‘under new management.’
I’m happy absorb a few light jabs, while the team lands the straights, hooks & uppercuts.
The trick is not to think too small. And to know what a real knockout looks like.
A little late for your time zone. Night shift or cannot sleep?

Kerensky wrote:It’s all about perspectives, and controlling the fight radius.
Genoa stands, Naples flies the flags and Eastern & Northern France are ‘under new management.’
I’m happy absorb a few light jabs, while the team lands the straights, hooks & uppercuts.
The trick is not to think too small. And to know what a real knockout looks like.
A little late for your time zone. Night shift or cannot sleep?

I work nights. Not working tonight but I work 6 nights a week. So on my night off I usually wake up early as usual. I play a lot of chess, so up playing a guy from Canada.

From my angle. Eastern and Northern France has a handful of renegades running through empty fields. They will soon be caught upto and dealt with. No new management there.

Not sure where the team are landing blows. The biggest Athlete Austria is sprinting around trying to get a ceasefire and end the war.
Be interesting to know what your idea of a real knockout is.? I cannot see you have a knockout punch.

Chess is a good game & a fair way to unwind the soul.

As above the, talk in forum of ‘all the bad things that will happen because of XYZ’ is so much noise.

My best knockout of someone was a left, straight, left hook. I was getting old and slow, but luckily he was slower & I distracted him at just the right moment.

In game terms, I guess a real knockout would be to lose control of your entire country and colonies to another player.
I have heard it has been done before, but yet to see it myself. I imagine that would stay with you for a long time.

I have to bounce back into work calls, so done for now.

Good Luck in your chess match against the Canadian!

Kerensky wrote:Chess is a good game & a fair way to unwind the soul.

As above the, talk in forum of ‘all the bad things that will happen because of XYZ’ is so much noise.

My best knockout of someone was a left, straight, left hook. I was getting old and slow, but luckily he was slower & I distracted him at just the right moment.

In game terms, I guess a real knockout would be to lose control of your entire country and colonies to another player.
I have heard it has been done before, but yet to see it myself. I imagine that would stay with you for a long time.

I have to bounce back into work calls, so done for now.

Good Luck in your chess match against the Canadian!

Lol. No a game is just a game. I am sure if anyone lost their country they would move on pretty quick. There are many different ways of winning. You could claim a win if a rival dropped out because his position was deemed hopeless. That could be claimed a knockout punch. I get the impression you love a good battle! I am sure you will get your fill.

I take it you like boxing. A left uppercut was my favourite. Lifts them off their feet. Knockout punch every time if landed. Never could see why youngsters would get involved in boxing. Taking all that damage to the brain for no real money. Only the top professionals ever earn real money from it. Do youngsters have anger issues to get involved? Come from broken homes.? Dream of being something they could never achieve, bit like the lottery, one in a few million make it big.? Or do they simply over fancy themselves.? Or do they feel the need to having to win at something. Attention seeking kind of thing. Need to feel the love. Never got enough from your parents.?   Who knows.?


The chess is going well. Thanks.  One game looks mine the other in the balance. Better get going myself. Nice to talk to you, best wishes.

I guess you are right, a surrender drop could count as a game knockout. I would class it as a TKO though. A true KO is losing the lot while you are still in the game.
For me, boxing was just a hobby when I was younger. Kept me fit & off the streets. The discipline I learned paid off though, helped me earn my way through university and land my life over here. It’s what you make of it that counts.
What combination did you lead with, before your left uppercut knockouts?
Yep, I am fine for a good toe to toe in game. I am looking forward to you using the game plays you have developed, while conquering NPC’s in G8.
As I always told my opponents, chin up!

Nice to hear you enjoying your life in a boiling hot foreign country. Never fancied it myself. Travelled to many countries but always preferred to live in Britain. I have friends who live in Thailand and married a local. You know, as You do. Not my scene though. Each to their own.

Sad to hear you needing boxing to keep you on the straight and narrow and off the streets. You must have had a tough upbringing. But I am sure your experiences made you the person you are today.

Did your boxing opponents listen to you and take your advice when you asked them to lift their chins up for you? Lol. Don’t think I would either.

Have a good day.

Sorry, I think you lost it there.

I am not accepting your puerile attempt to insult my wife’s race.

I can laugh through your attempts to insult me, but not that dude.

Sorry you misunderstand. I am not insulting anyone. As I said, each to their own. Meaning anyone can do what they wish. I have no wish to move or live abroad. So therefore I would not be in a position or in the situation probably for marrying a local woman.

I have been out with a different race woman in the past so no insult intended. Sorry if it came across that way.

As for insulting you. I am simply giving it back. You started the insults or attempts to ridicule in you first post tonight to me. You know what I mean. So let’s leave it there and not clog up this bb with rubbish. Have a good day.

Can anyone help out someone who started out playing a bunch of poor but honest French seamen who are loyal to their King and their loyal Gallican Church.

Then picked up a few bishops on my sheet which I thought was a little odd but I went with it to the best of my ability knowing sod all about the French Church and the seeming 500 year row between the French Crown and the Papacy over who appointed bishops in France apart from a bit about Avignon and that splits influence on the hundred years war which is an interest.

But my characters King has suddenly decided he is a C18 version of Constantine the Great and wants a international conference in my Characters Cathedral in July of current year to sort out the unity of the Church and unite Catholic's, Protestants, Orthodox, Copts, etc. etc in one big happy family of the Church probably by September or October at the latest!

How can my character inform his King that such a conference of the Church is going to take decades to set up, probably years just on the seating plan alone, and has a 0.000001% of not ending in a blazing row? Or does my character just keep his mouth shut and hope no one shows up to the whole faith conference. Bet the Kirk sends someone just to have the row.

This in my opinion is one of the worst examples of mistreatment of a junior position by a senior position since a new Sultan ordered my character to execute by own nephew and surrender a whole mass of territory. Then sent a fleet/army to occupy said territory which oddly went up in flames while the messenger head got nailed to the gates of Constantinople with a Rumelian War Lance.

I miss the good old days when you did not have to worry about seating plans!

Stuart Bailey wrote:Can anyone help out someone who started out playing a bunch of poor but honest French seamen who are loyal to their King and their loyal Gallican Church.

Then picked up a few bishops on my sheet which I thought was a little odd but I went with it to the best of my ability knowing sod all about the French Church and the seeming 500 year row between the French Crown and the Papacy over who appointed bishops in France apart from a bit about Avignon and that splits influence on the hundred years war which is an interest.

But my characters King has suddenly decided he is a C18 version of Constantine the Great and wants a international conference in my Characters Cathedral in July of current year to sort out the unity of the Church and unite Catholic's, Protestants, Orthodox, Copts, etc. etc in one big happy family of the Church probably by September or October at the latest!

How can my character inform his King that such a conference of the Church is going to take decades to set up, probably years just on the seating plan alone, and has a 0.000001% of not ending in a blazing row? Or  does my character just keep his mouth shut and hope no one shows up to the whole faith conference.  Bet the Kirk sends someone just to have the row.  

This in my opinion is one of the worst examples of mistreatment of a junior position by a senior position since a new Sultan ordered my  character to execute by own nephew and surrender a whole mass of territory.  Then sent a fleet/army to occupy said territory which oddly went up in flames while the messenger head got nailed to the gates of Constantinople with a Rumelian War Lance.

I miss the good old days when you did not have to worry about seating plans!

As a loyal Frenchman you can only support your King in whatever he wants to do. Best to stay out of religious questions on such a public stage until it is opened for debate in a conference.

Your Bishops on the other hand have a vested interest in the outcome so they would be inclined to discuss the types of issues you raise. While it might take a while to come to some sort of conclusion the initial conference could be organised quite quickly.

Given the short notice of timescale the planning must be underway and quite pressured with respect to a seating plan when you don't know who will be attending. I suspect your Bishops will need to be discussing the issues you are rightly concerned about at the same time as they are pacing out the layout in the Cathedral/Church. Who knows who would overhear the conversation and what they will print in the paper!

Your example could have been worse. To paraphrase a certain Scottish orderly, you could have lost the privies.

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:Can anyone help out someone who started out playing a bunch of poor but honest French seamen who are loyal to their King and their loyal Gallican Church.

Then picked up a few bishops on my sheet which I thought was a little odd but I went with it to the best of my ability knowing sod all about the French Church and the seeming 500 year row between the French Crown and the Papacy over who appointed bishops in France apart from a bit about Avignon and that splits influence on the hundred years war which is an interest.

But my characters King has suddenly decided he is a C18 version of Constantine the Great and wants a international conference in my Characters Cathedral in July of current year to sort out the unity of the Church and unite Catholic's, Protestants, Orthodox, Copts, etc. etc in one big happy family of the Church probably by September or October at the latest!

How can my character inform his King that such a conference of the Church is going to take decades to set up, probably years just on the seating plan alone, and has a 0.000001% of not ending in a blazing row? Or  does my character just keep his mouth shut and hope no one shows up to the whole faith conference.  Bet the Kirk sends someone just to have the row.  

This in my opinion is one of the worst examples of mistreatment of a junior position by a senior position since a new Sultan ordered my  character to execute by own nephew and surrender a whole mass of territory.  Then sent a fleet/army to occupy said territory which oddly went up in flames while the messenger head got nailed to the gates of Constantinople with a Rumelian War Lance.

I miss the good old days when you did not have to worry about seating plans!

As a loyal Frenchman you can only support your King in whatever he wants to do. Best to stay out of religious questions on such a public stage until it is opened for debate in a conference.

Your Bishops on the other hand have a vested interest in the outcome so they would be inclined to discuss the types of issues you raise.  While it might take a while to come to some sort of conclusion the initial conference could be organised quite quickly.  

Given the short notice of timescale the planning must be underway and quite pressured with respect to a seating plan when you don't know who will be attending.  I suspect your Bishops will need to be discussing the issues you are rightly concerned about at the same time as they are pacing out the layout in the Cathedral/Church.  Who knows who would overhear the conversation and what they will print in the paper!

Your example could have been worse. To paraphrase a certain Scottish orderly, you could have lost the privies.

OMG! So concerned about the seating plan that I totally forgot about the privies!

If Scots divines and Russian Orthodox clerics drink as much as their boss we will never have enough.

Six month delay while I get in the builders? Or plan B) They will just have to use the privies in Madam Marie-Clare house of very good repute. Some of the cleanest and nicest smelling previes in the whole of Paris or so I am told.

Sorry this is late as following Covid my wife has had some bad health related news.  Hope everyone is keeping safe at this time.

Game 10 arrived with more talk of honour, religion and war.

1. His Sacred Imperial Majesty jumped two places in the honour table to nip at the heels of Lord Melville in an eighteenth-century game of ‘King of the Castle’. 2 questions arise is the smear campaign against Emperor Leopold backfiring and can Lord Melville be a King?

2. Rome, the historic bulwark of the Catholic world, is facing its biggest challenge in recent years.  A regiment of the Papal Guard marched into Avignon, seizing the city and declaring for the ‘true Pope’ Leo XIII.  

Who is this mysterious Leo?  His Most Christian Majesty still won’t let the Gallican Church vote for a new Pope.  Instead King Louis declared himself to be the next Constantine the Great in championing Christianity. The stakes in the battle for the immortal soul have just been raised.

3. Perhaps inspired by the Pope in Rome the slaves of Arecibo rose up and the town now belongs to them and not their Spanish masters. Will Arecibo become a central bastion for slave freedom and spark further rebellions across the world? Perhaps as something similar happened in Las Palmas, but that was apparently for more immediate economic reasons.

4. Scotland and England held feasts where they debated around recent Papal statements and declared their peaceful intent to the world. Are the Protestant countries becoming the sanity stronghold in this increasingly chaotic world?

5. Otto Heinrich Von Friesen made a speech in the Reichstag defending the Elector of Saxony as the Head of the Corpus Evangelicorum.  He also spoke of how Saxony was the home of the reformation.  It will be interesting to see Prussia’s response to their concerns being brushed aside.

6. Moscow Law Academy introduced new laws to protect serfs from violent and unreasonable behaviour perpetrated by or on behalf of their landlord.  Autocratic Russia is truly becoming a modern redoubt for freedom from economic slavery!

7. Apologies, apparently we should have led with the arrival in Moscow of Tsar Peter’s betrothed, the Austrian Archduchess Maria Anna.  With a wedding between two imperial households next year we can only speculate what would happen if one person would inherit both empires. Perhaps a third Rome could provide the protective walls for a communion across all Christianity?

8. Spain saw the societal event of the month marred by resentment following the excommunication of prominent ministers, an appeal for colonies to pay taxes and an inquisitorial arrest warrant for the Head of the Regency Council.  The true meaning of seeking a safe port by accepting loans and donations may also be starting to hit home after the Austrian ambassador explained the obligations that follow such help.

9. Savoy rejected the Genoese suggested peace treaty as laughable.  Meanwhile forces were building up in the City of Genoa when the Buda Hussar regiment sent in reinforcements.  The biggest question now is should the regiment be renamed to the Budapest Hussar regiment following the unification of Buda and Pest into one city?

10. Tuscany showed her position as an enlightenment powerhouse with the opening of a new university.  Alongside this the Tuscan Diet expressed concern at the recent actions of the temporal head of the Papal States.

11. The head of the Papal States reiterated the international spiritual position of the Papacy while supporting the peace terms that Austria had sent to France as fair and comprehensive.  With the rhetoric Austria could be viewed as a rock supporting the Roman Church?

12. In society news Iyasus AdmaSion welcomed the arrival of newborn twins into his imperial household.  This joyful news was partially muted by some health concerns.

13. Kumasi saw the annual tribute ceremony, held in the Palace of the Golden Stool, which disclosed that the Asante Union has now increased in size by 3,000,000.  The month also saw Asante diplomatic contacts expanding to other nearby tribes and territories. Where will this relatively rapid expansion lead Africa, especially as more European powers are courting the great Otumfuo Nan Osei Tutu Opemsoo?

14. Expectant father Changamire Dombo II was pleased to hear that his income and treasure house was sufficient that the Rozwi had no need for foreign investment.  With an empire able to stand on her own the African emperor hinted at a foreign policy that started at home.

15. In Manila a new temple was opened with gifts of money and rice being offered to anyone on the island who converted to Shintoism. Nearer the Japanese homeland the Bakufu increased funding for hospitals and orphanages with the Samurai promoting a code of compassion for all living things.

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Your example could have been worse. To paraphrase a certain Scottish orderly, you could have lost the privies.

OMG! So concerned about the seating plan that I totally forgot about the privies!

If Scots divines and Russian Orthodox clerics drink as much as their boss we will never have enough.

Six month delay while I get in the builders?  Or plan B) They will just have to use the privies in Madam Marie-Clare house of very good repute.  Some of the cleanest and nicest smelling previes in the whole of Paris or so I am told.

Privies? Tell me what are these things you call privies are they a new invention like the wheelbarrow?

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Your example could have been worse. To paraphrase a certain Scottish orderly, you could have lost the privies.

OMG! So concerned about the seating plan that I totally forgot about the privies!

If Scots divines and Russian Orthodox clerics drink as much as their boss we will never have enough.

Six month delay while I get in the builders?  Or plan B) They will just have to use the privies in Madam Marie-Clare house of very good repute.  Some of the cleanest and nicest smelling previes in the whole of Paris or so I am told.

Privies? Tell me what are these things you call privies are they a new invention like the wheelbarrow?

First let me say that I hope Mrs Marshal Bombast is feeling better.

Ref privies as in a flushing water closets or flushing toilet's it is my home villages claim to fame that a resident - Sir John Harrington - invented the first modern one in the reign of good Queen Bess. Probably 1580's or 1590's.

But would 100-120 years have been enough for the invention to spread to French Public buildings? Not a clue.......think I read somewhere that one palace had 450 rooms and 2 toilets (might have been Russian and later than our period). Think most people were still using Chamber Pots and if rich enough a footman to carry it in a special carry case untill into the next century.

Marshal Bombast wrote:

13. Kumasi saw the annual tribute ceremony, held in the Palace of the Golden Stool, which disclosed that the Asante Union was now 3,000,000 strong.  The month also saw Asante diplomatic contacts expanding to other nearby tribes and territories. Where will this relatively rapid expansion lead Africa, especially as more European powers are courting the great Otumfuo Nan Osei Tutu Opemsoo?

Ahem - that was an Increase of 3,000,000 subjects...

And hoping that real-world new improves for you and yours...