Game 10

Looks like a few mixed results there then. Thanks for the replies

Maybe my expectations when taking on the UDP were too high, Falsely believing it to be "Trading Nation!" Just felt that financially the game felt a bit tighter.

May have to cut down on the Gin consumption to cut governmental running costs in Game.

Paul, what you have achieved in Japan is quite amazing. With luck you will make enough to build the Japanese Navy you are dreaming of. You will automatically be accepted into the "We Sink Ships!" Club as an honorary member.
Having strong positions out side the spotlight of Europe, certainly adds a certain new dimension to the game.

Like the Idea of a spreadsheet to keep track, I suppose in principle not a bad idea. Do however wonder if the various Agema variables make any accurate predictions & forecasts a lot harder to accurately achieve.
Grain as a currency in Russia! Darn, why didn't I think of that, I just use it to make Vodka in G7, which may explain a lot about the Russian Naval performance. If it works in G10 then maybe the Dutch can research a similar method as well & Set up the "Cheese Standard"

The Corsairs are probably dependant on the type of Goods people decide to invest in, if there are no named goods when players make their investment, then the default cargo is probably General goods. Which may not bring in the highest price at market. Have you thought of a side venture of Highway robbery? Or does France have a Customs & Excise Office already doing this?

I do realise now after writing it that I said my prospector parties died of unnatural causes, obviously I was wrong with that.
For those that were sent onto the Savanna of South Africa , I guess getting killed & eaten by Lions is not an unnatural cause of death. Rather a perfectly normal one.

J Flower wrote: Paul, what you have achieved in Japan is quite amazing. With luck you will make enough to build the Japanese Navy you are dreaming of. You will automatically be accepted into the "We Sink Ships!" Club as an honorary member.
Having strong positions out side the spotlight of Europe, certainly adds a certain new dimension to the game.

Agreed, and a warm welcome to the club is waiting for you.

J Flower wrote:Like the Idea of a spreadsheet to keep track, I suppose in principle not a bad idea. Do however wonder if  the various Agema variables make any accurate predictions & forecasts a lot harder to accurately achieve.

The spreadsheet is more about tracking current expenditure and seeing which investments are not doing well rather than trying to predict accurately, for Russia I think I can get to +/- £500,000 but not worried if I'm wrong.

Dutch moaning about lack of cash in G10 and worrying that they may need to gut the gin budget. Call that a crisis???!!!

If you want a real life or death financial crisis and really getting into a panic over the ledgers think you need to look at a Roman psition in Rome is Burning:

If/when Nero becomes a God in absence of any players who actually want the job as Emperor I am currently wondering if we can save "bonus payments" by just pretending that nothing has actually changed the position of "Imperitor" is not actually that of a hereditary Emperor but that of a Republican Dictator (for life). And this position in the Republic is only appointed in a Crisis. Crisis? What Crisis? Ok so a large part of the Capital is in ruins, we have a war in the East and the Barbarians have crossed the Rhine. But from the view point of Iberia this is not exactly a crisis just a job for the frontier commanders and the Senate planning committee.

This way if we flog off the marble and melt down the gold taps from Nero Golden House the Roman faction in RIB may just be able to avoid a being killed in a riot and pay the troops the bonus they expect from Nero will.

But can we pay a second bonus for a new Imperitor??????!!!!!!!! Think North Africa, Iberia, Italy and the East can probably cover both the will and a second bonus for a new Emperor from local funds and so avoid getting battered to death by annoyed Legions. But can the players in Britannia and on the Rhine cover the costs? Bit of a several million denarii question.

Players in contol of Danube frontier seem to have a particular problem. Since Nero has decided they owe him 6m Denerii (now 5,980,000) from the Macadonian Gold Mines. Do they now pay the Emperor or keep the gold to pay the expected bonus payments? I suspect they can do one or the other but probably not both leading to screams of "How much" and Balkan type thoughts about "How much do the Roman Guild of Assassins charge?".

With players in RIB basically living in terror of being declared Emperor by their troops and likely needing to be dragged onto the throne sreaming "I dont want to die" RIB would seem very,very different from G7 where the House of Hapsburg is throwing money at the Imperial Election and Coronation like a drunk sailor on shore. Even spending more on diamonds to freshen up the Imperial Crowns than the combined drinks bill of UDP, Scotland and England in G10 for a year perhaps even two.

J Flower wrote:Maybe my expectations when taking on the UDP were too high, Falsely believing it to be "Trading Nation!" Just felt that financially the game felt a bit tighter.

Just wondering whether The Wealth of Nations research opportunities that came out in Court Circular supplement has had an effect on trade in the background (Supply and Demand Theory) and trade in a product type not doing as well as general goods until 'Specialisation Theory' is researched and then might overtake?

Income round? What Income?

Time to Drag the Emergency Gin Fund Sock out from under the bed

J Flower wrote:Income round? What Income?

Time to Drag  the Emergency Gin Fund Sock out from under the bed

Before anyone busts into tears about the thought of Poor Dutch Burghers having to raid the emergency gin fund just to make ends meet it should be noted that:

- The VOIC paid out 12.5% dividend to shareholders, about the only shareholders in Agema who get a larger dividend are those of the HEIC in scabble for Empire. In contrast the poor Royal Bank of the America shareholders in G7 have faced rights issue after rights issue and hardly anything in the way of dividends. Though total dividend payments across all G7 Spanish stock exchanges are probably greater than payments on the Hague market.

- Dutch recruiting parties with chests of cash seem to be getting thrown in jails across the G10 world for breaking local laws. Some goals now have more than one!

- The UDP has just introduced universial education in 1704! Fairly early in game most positions just dream of having that type of money going spare.

Beware Dutch Burghers pleading poverty while trying to unload a shipload of spices on you and buy recruits/colony etc for dirt cheap price. I think they protest too much!

Bugger the plans out.


Universal Education yes, population 1,7 million( after various famines) So yes it cost a bit, may well be a complete waste of time money & effort, but done is done. First time I have played a position with a small enough population to be able to afford to do it to be perfectly honest. Will it actually have a long term effect? I honestly don’t know. It may well also explain why UDP is now skint!

VOIC share dividend pay out, yes..... 12,5% yes.... total shares issues 200,000 so ( Fingers time, may need to take shoes & socks off this is high level maths. )
I think a £25,000 total dividend pay out. Isn’t all that much.

Who said there was any coin in those recruiting officers chests! Shiny glass beads is our method seem to work on most of the natives. Getting them drunk & slipping the Kings shilling in the bottom of their tankard is another favourite trick. Unlike some countries that get 400,000 recruits a year some of the smaller positions have to send out recruiting parties just so they can think about raising two teams for a five a side football tournament.

There is a major crisis in Amsterdam at the moment an acute shortage of Lemon slices & Tonic water to accompany the Gin. The trials & tribulations of being a Dutch Burgher know no end.

The lucky Corsairs & their cargos of "Generals Goods" have a much easier time of it Stealing from those high ranking officers. Gold Braid, & all & I bet there is alcohol involved somewhere.

It is getting to the point that the Stadtholder is already planning his next speech;

" Anyone want to buy a Horse , one careful owner 0-10 mph with a whip in under 3 minutes, Nose bag & saddle optional extras, Price negotiable. "

The turn arrived earlier this week with a shock to the honour table as His Sacred Majesty dropped 4 positions, despite peace with Savoy and the return of Karl to Vienna following recent his comfortable captivity in a Savoyard gaol.

1. Paris saw His Most Christian Majesty bolstering the morale of the French army and the expulsion of the Austrian Ambassador. France’s tax receipts must have arrived because the Austrian’s money was thrown into the Seine, though some tax is reportedly being collected by Austrian troops. Other notable people in the Capital showed how they were thinking of others and providing help and succour to the general populace.

2. The Paris militia let the Austro-Swedish forces leave Paris, as they were busy being plied with food, drink and clothing, but not the weapons they were promised. This Christmas generosity may have been an attempt to distract attention while national broadsheets stated that 400,000 French patriots should rise up and fight to the death for King and Country.

3. Despite earlier fears of famine, Saxony appears to have brought stability to Besancon, especially with the finding of grain surpluses and the lack of sack and pillage by occupying troops.

4. In Nieuport, Rear Admiral Trouin, The Sieur de Gue, paroled Swedish merchant sailors to Scotland as his gift to them, while concurrently pointing out the inadequacies he saw in the Austrian peace treaty terms which don’t include the Swedish prisoners’ release.

5. London saw the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Christmas message lay down a challenge to Rome to change their ways before meeting their maker. Across Europe further Christmas speeches were made, thanks given and gifts exchanged between allies.

6. The coronation date of Frederick III of Prussia Brandenburg as King in Prussia has been set for 1st June 1705. This was swiftly followed by the formal announcement of the engagement of Crown Prince Frederick William to Sophia Dorothea of Hanover.

7. In Warsaw Stanislaw Leszczynski of Poland seems to be upset by something the Tsar did or didn’t say and has closed the Polish embassy in Moscow. Meanwhile in Moscow laws giving more rights and protection to serfs were entered onto the statute books.

8. Spain has determined that it’s illegal to export Merino sheep, while the regional Cortez assemblies determined they did not need Town Criers and sacked most of them just before Christmas. Assembly members then went home to enjoy Christmas with their families.

9. In Toulon the French Privateers seem to have got their legal act together at last with hastily summoned Prize Courts agreeing that Papal Merchants were legitimate prizes. Where are the Scottish Lawyers when you need them? Surely, they work over Christmas given they celebrate New Year instead?

10. Savoy closed her borders to foreign armies and said they considered themselves to be at peace with Sweden. Time will tell whether the Swede’s agree.

11. On a tropical beach in the West Indies a man who appeared to be on holiday was promising his men a pay rise in 1705. This probably means he was not the person behind the Scottish representative to New Caledonia’s ship going missing.

12. The Spanish appointed governor and treasurer arrived safely in his new charge of Cartagena de Indias only to find its loyalty lay with Flanders. The Ladrones Islands did not appear to want Spanish rule either, as this month they claimed independence from Madrid.

13. Accra saw Osei Yaw Akoto, son of the Asanthene visit the Dutch army camp and tell the newly formed musket carrying battalions of his pride that they were going to be at the forefront of their army. Each man was given the title of Gunner in recognition to their loyalty to the Golden Stool.

14. Duc Louis de Albret, Grand Duke of Pondicherry has laid out his terms for Pondicherry to return to the French fold, which newspaper reports lead us to believe will be accepted.

15. The Dutch reportedly have more recruiting party legality issues than Stuart and Jason have mentioned earlier in this thread, with another being arrested.

16. Sho Jun, King of the Ryuku Islands has received Shuri Castle into his control as previously promised in the agreed peace. He will now be known in Japanese Imperial lands as the 1st Great Lord of Ryuku.

17. In Edo the Shogun instilled patience in harbour workers when they were unable to continue building capacity in the harbour, before then travelling to Kyoto for an audience with the Emperor.

18. Tokugawa Yoshimune’s arrived safely from his journey to the shrine of his ancestors. After questioning whether his life was going in the right direction, he saw a rare portent and continued in his search for the Kiyohime named Misako.

Should be pointed out that Ladrones is not in fact Spanish. It was sold a couple of years ago to Japan. It was in the newspaper at the time, so it’s ok to mention here.

Trying to figure out why his most sacred majesty suffered a 4 place fall in the honour table and came up with:

1) The treaty with the "excommunicated" Duke of Savoy is totally against the excommunication order that no Catholic speaks too or has dealings with the Duke of Savoy. No doubt the Catholic faithfull in Vienna are scared that if the Pope in Rome follows this normal legal position his most sacred majesty will end up being excommunicated too.

2) The terms put forward in public to end the war with France including the acceptance by the French of Charles von Hapsburg being King of Spain and the Duchy of Milan going too his most sacred majesty would seem to be in total violation of the Austrian Treaty with King Rodrigo of Spain. The facts of if the treaty with Spain has actually been broken by the unsigned treaty with France may not be 100% material to the public in Vienna who are just shocked that the Emperor has expressed a willingness to break his treaty with Spain.

They may also be upset that if the logic of the proposed treaty if followed it means another war - this time against King Rodrigo in order to replace him as Duke of Milan and as King of Spain with the Austrain Hapsburg candidate. A war which due to King Rodrigo treaties with England etc would no doubt bring in maritime powers keen to protect the balance of power and unemployed corsairs.

3) Austrian troops in France acting as highway men this month and robbing civilian travellers on the highways and byeways. Possibly some carry over from the month's before when Austrian troops tortured Priests to death and used terror to seize supplies in the town of Charolois and drive out the population to die of hunger and cold in the woods. This type of action may be normal for Hussars and the like from the Austrian eastern frontier with the Ottomans but its still a shock for some to see such tactics employed against fellow Catholics.

Plus there may be a feeling that such tactics are counter productive and just driving more and more Frenchmen to join men like the the Comte de Forbin who want to go full Joan of Arc/100 years war and basically fight to the death to defend France and its Church from being dismembered. A endless war to the death in a outraged France was not exactly what Austrian troops were being promised a couple of months ago.

The retreat from Paris may not be the retreat from Moscow but it is a sign that the French Army has got some of its balance back and next campaign season in France it will be spearheaded by the victors over Genoa returned from Italy.

4) Charolois is not even a part of the Kingdom of France, its actually held by the Duke of Conde (a great French noble) as a creditor of the King of Spain. So in a very technical and legal viewpoint the Austrians attacked subjects of the King of Spain, so depending on your viewpoint either slaughtered subjects of Charles von Hapsburg or King Rodrigo.

If its King Rodrigo subjects its either a violation of treaty or its a sign of how the Austrians indeed to treat backers of Rodrigo in Spain.


Basically his most Sacred Majesty has lost four places because he has finally shown that he has no real respect for the Pope in Rome other than has a handy stick to batter his rivals with. He is a underhand and shifty diplomat willing to say one thing to Madrid but with his fingers crossed behind his back and ready to do the exact opposite as soon as a non aggression treaty runs out and that he is a brutal and savage campaigner who's military style is more Ottoman or Russian than civilized European.

However, while such tactics have got Austrian and allied forces to the gates of Paris I suspect that many are now concerned that the way things are going the Austrian Army and allies could end up fighting France & Spain plus the English when they try and break the Emperors favoured Papal stick over his head. The cunning of the Emperor and the savage fighting ability of his heretic mercenary ally the King of Sweden may win this war.
But perhaps some educated Vienna can count?

If his Majesty King Rodrigo can keep the French fighting and his English allies supportive and anti Papal. Two things which are probably not that hard. Then the Austrian Hapsburg claim to Spain and hopes of domination in Italy would seem to be: "doomed I say doomed" (please read with Scots accent)

Stuart Bailey wrote:Trying to figure out why his most sacred majesty suffered a 4 place fall in the honour table  

Doesn't mean the Emperor's honour dropped.  Russia had one of its largest increases this month and still got overtaken by Prussia.  Prussian court probably got excited by the Coronation date being announced or something not even reported in the paper.

Stuart Bailey wrote:Basically his most Sacred Majesty has lost four places because he has finally shown that he has no real respect for the Pope in Rome other than has a handy stick to batter his rivals with.  He is a underhand and shifty diplomat willing to say one thing to Madrid but with his fingers crossed behind his back and ready to do the exact opposite as soon as a non aggression treaty runs out and that he is a brutal and savage campaigner who's military style is more Ottoman or Russian than civilized European.

 

Who says Russia isn't civilised?  The paper reported on Stanislav in Warsaw who made a special mention of the Tsar's velvet gloves.

The Emperor doomed, I'm more optimistic! Must be due to the sunny half term weather in Cornwall this week.

G10 is out and taking the advise of Hapsburg headed away from the cold looking for blue sky, sunshine and prizes loaded with Ivory, Gold, Slaves, spices and the booty of Africa and Eastern trades making their way home round Africa.

Nine prizes - little bit of controband but mostly more general goods. What is it with G10 and really ordinary cargo ?! At this rate I an never going to get own chapter in Mr Dafoe latest rip roaring account of daring-do on the high sea's.

The turn arrived yesterday, with no change to honour table rankings.

1. Reims saw a build up of the Austro-Swedish forces that recently left Paris, joined soon after by an unidentified column. Reims was one of 3 further towns to come under Austrian civil rule.

2. London saw Lord Godolphin celebrate England’s establishment of top notch roads and canals. He acknowledged receipt of peace treaty terms from France to end this war, which I assume are the same as were published further in the paper. These had an optional offer for Sweden to join in the peace treaty if King Charles so desired.

3. The Asante delegation led by Osei Yaw Akoto, son of the Asanthene peacefully arrived in London to the great interest of Londoners. Is this the first time foreign troops have been seen on the streets in London this century?

4. The Netherlands saw the introduction of standardised weights and measures, quickly followed by the arrival of more claymore wielding battalions. Elsewhere Sweden has introduced codified criminal law.

5. Hanover enquiried without luck about a marriage alliance with Brunswick. We’ll see if this causes a diplomatic incident as the approach could well have upset the Duke of Brunswick’s wife.

6. Saxony has been renovating many buildings for the cultural enrichment of the capital. Interest was expressed in Zurich for acquiring Swiss recruits to protect the Elector’s palace.

7. Love and marriage is in the air with a scented gift sent to Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia from his betrothed. While Moscow saw the month of the Tsar’s wedding agreed by the Archduchess.

8. Barcelona saw the Bishop of Segovia stripped by Pope Leo of his position over the Portocarrero affair. We’ll have to see what Pope Clement makes of it all, including the Spanish threat of ‘action’ to take the (ex?) Bishop from Rome. His Holiness’ Chancellor was however quite clear that Papal shipping must be released by the French.

9. England may not be as impartial as Lord Godolphin would have us believe in his speech as in a drunken party hosted by one of the Forbin clan a toast was made to the combined navies of France, Spain and England taking on a shared foe. Whether they meant Rome, Austria or Sweden is not clear, or perhaps another name was lost in the revelries’ noise.

10. Naples saw paroled Austrian forces instructed by French representatives to leave Southern Italy as they are in a war zone between France and Austria. The overwhelming majority of the Sedici Council voted to crown Archduke Karl as King of Naples and Sicily.

11. Parts of the Spanish Empire seem discontent and are not obeying orders. The Spanish Governor ordered Sardinian people to leave their home for Sicily, which they refused to do. Meanwhile many vagrants ran away when told they would be expected to sign up as dragoons. Asuncion and Las Palmas saw the sword used to enforce Spanish rule.

12. The Asanthene presided over the collection of taxes and used part of the income to increased the weight of his golden insignia of office. Later his mother described his destiny as ruler over all the nations of the Akan tongue.

13. Maharj-Prince Shrimant Rajaram of the Maharatas declared that he had no intention of losing his only port under his control. Further he has decided to auction off the prisoners that he holds.

14. Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi was granted an audience with the Emperor, where he detailed the successful expansion of the Emperor’s lands. He has been given the privilege of an annual audience unless troubles require any urgent discussions or Imperial action.

Have just had a look at income from privateering v Church profits across a couple of positions in Glori.

And privateering is a mugs game in Glori........Catholic Church Tithes & other profits is were you want to be !!

Ok so my Catholic Cardinal in G7 has spent £78m of Crown money on mostly Church schools, reduced tax on the Church from 10% to 2% and is spending a fortune on poor relief inc free school dinners which seem to cost more than the whole Spanish Navy. But the principal for any starting for God, King and Country character has got to be that Titus Oates is clearly a better option than say Israel Hands or even Long Ben Avery.

Stuart Bailey wrote:But the principal for any starting for God, King and Country character has got to be that Titus Oates is clearly a better option than say Israel Hands or even Long Ben Avery.

So just about anyone with a vested interest in the status quo.

Does universal education reduce a country's birth rate in LGDR, as is suggested in recent reports IRL?

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:But the principal for any starting for God, King and Country character has got to be that Titus Oates is clearly a better option than say Israel Hands or even Long Ben Avery.

So just about anyone with a vested interest in the status quo.

Does universal education reduce a country's birth rate in LGDR, as is suggested in recent reports IRL?

The way I always understood it was. The biggest benefit of universal education is loyalty. It improves the loyalty of the populace in the town where schools and teachers are. I have never read or heard universal education has an effect on birth rate.

jamesbond007 wrote:

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:But the principal for any starting for God, King and Country character has got to be that Titus Oates is clearly a better option than say Israel Hands or even Long Ben Avery.

So just about anyone with a vested interest in the status quo.

Does universal education reduce a country's birth rate in LGDR, as is suggested in recent reports IRL?

The way I always understood it was. The biggest benefit of universal education is loyalty. It improves the loyalty of the populace in the town where schools and teachers are. I have never read or heard universal education has an effect on birth rate.

Cheers for letting me know. Is universal education the same as improved education? I can't find universal education in the supplements only improved education.

Marshal Bombast wrote:

jamesbond007 wrote:

Marshal Bombast wrote:

Stuart Bailey wrote:But the principal for any starting for God, King and Country character has got to be that Titus Oates is clearly a better option than say Israel Hands or even Long Ben Avery.

So just about anyone with a vested interest in the status quo.

Does universal education reduce a country's birth rate in LGDR, as is suggested in recent reports IRL?

The way I always understood it was. The biggest benefit of universal education is loyalty. It improves the loyalty of the populace in the town where schools and teachers are. I have never read or heard universal education has an effect on birth rate.

Cheers for letting me know.  Is universal education the same as improved education?  I can't find universal education in the supplements only improved education.

No. Improved education is a research breakthrough. Universal education has to be introduced first. For improved education you have to state if you are supporting the church or your monarchy or republic depending on your style of government. Hence the real value of education in game is loyalty. The cost is an additional £2 million per 1million population. The loyalty gain is substantial.

Universal education costs £3m per one million people so when you add that to the £2m per million people for improved education its not exactly a cheap way to gain the love!

On top of the capital costs upkeep is £30,000 per 1,000 schools (needed for million people). Or if you are G7 Spain and decide to use some of your surplus grain as a way to provide free school meals another £13m per year on the poor relief bill! Not sure what is a bigger money pit banks or schools?

Since they are mostly good catholic schools and people are getting their kids educated and in part feed by the Crown plus do not have to pay tax if they have 4 legitimate kids in school G7 Spain will be most upset if the effect of this is to reduce the birth rate rather than increase it! Esp since the master plan is to replace the 100m people lost to smallpox in the America's over two hundred years prior to 1700 and build a Catholic Utopia anyway from the French, Heresy and Turks.

Education of women leading to a lover birth rate seems to be very modern and well outside our period were the major block on population increase was a very high death rate and food insecurity. Wonder is improvements to farming and medical improvements esp Smallpox will lead to an increase in population growth as well as lower chance of your existing population dieing?

Hi all

Plenty of time to read the turn as I am holiday with the family! Luckily we crossed into France yesterday and on a campsite in the Jura. Drove around Reims and Dijon. Have a visit planned for Besancon fortress before moving on.

Cheers
Tudor

My apologies for missing the turn. Typed orders and letters and it appears that I minimized it when I was interrupted and never got the email off. I will be back in force next month.

I hope that the Assante remain in London for one more month. There were plenty of things in the orders that remained on the laptop that had to do with the delegation.

Visited Besancon yesterday, fantastic citadel 

Sorry, this write up is later than I’d have liked.

1. Naples saw a large French fleet appear, which proceeded to bombard the town and sink most of the navy therein. Not sure why the fortress artillery didn’t start shooting until most of their guns were down. Perhaps the officers were enjoying the local wine and partying as Karl Hapsburg was crowned King of Naples following a vote by the Sedici Council. If the French had sent in any marines, they may have been able to invite some other prominent royals to be guests on their ships.

2. The Sardinian Vespers took over the town of Sassari, making it independent while the Spanish dragoons popped out for some exercise and weren’t allowed back in by those, they believed were allies, unperturbed the dragoons started building a camp with barracks for themselves to ward off the winter chill. The Vespers said they want Sardinia to be independent, especially from Spain and the Papacy, when the Governor of Sassari disagreed, the Vespers showed him the extent of their commitment one final time.

3. Austrian forces captured Angers and ravaged the provinces of Anjou and Berry. A consignment of Scots whisky was also captured so no doubt a strongly worded letter will be on its way. Meanwhile France expanded its Church militia, and moved army columns out of Paris, the units of which are sure they’ll be victorious over the Hapsburg invader.

4. The Stadtholder offered to host a peace conference at the Hague, requesting 3 other nations send impartial observers. Not sure how impartial they’d all be given one of them had a lot to say over proposed French peace terms which included them in the proposals.

5. France appears to have run out of gaol space and are resorting to tipping crews from captured ships over the side. The Corsairs might be trying to remedy this matter by opening another gaol but need to work more on their plan to make it cost neutral. Perhaps they could start distilling whisky to replace that lost in Austrian raids, careful marketing may be needed to avoid legal costs though!

6. The Asante delegation toured some of London’s prominent sights. Later that day the Asante Horsemen of the Palace were able to put on a display of martial prowess in front of St Paul’s Cathedral. The Metropolitan Police did not intervene, which may partly be because they didn’t look Jacobite, or partly due to not knowing what laws were being broken given it was a foreign military force operating on English soil without war being declared. It was probably better to leave that headache with the Foreign Office than fill out all the paperwork.

7. Imperial forces in Western Europe made various movements in a probable attempt to find winter rest. Meanwhile French Flander’s envoys were attempting to rally support for the rival Pope in Avignon.

8. Regensburg saw the lifting of the Imperial ban on Victor Amadeus, formerly known as the Duke of Savoy. No mention was made regarding excommunication.

9. In Warsaw Stanislaw Leszczynski announced fresh elections to the kingship of Poland in April. So far Leszczynski is the only candidate and therefore he thinks the result’s a foregone conclusion.

10. Madrid saw tax reductions for all Spaniards but not foreigners, and also the reinstatement of tithes being paid to Rome as opposed to keeping them locally. This caused consternation in Bishop’s who had not been appointed or confirmed in their positions by Rome. I wonder where the loyalties of the new Papal Guard in Toulon will lie given the use of Papal States recruits.

11. Abankeseso saw the finalisation of a political alliance as Korankyewa, the Asthene’s niece, became the wife of The Denkyirahene, Boado Ahafo Berempon. Meanwhile The Otumfuo-King Akonno Panyin of Akwamu told his esteemed visitor The Asantehemaa, Lady Manu that he would only form an alliance of equals with the Asthene.

12. Peking saw an unusual faux pas on behalf of Lord Fong, as his emissary delivered a pledge of Lord Fong’s loyalty but appears to have given His Celestial Majesty a repeat gift. At least it’s a matching pair of statues for either side of the throne, or could have a 2 tier effect. Meanwhile in Kowloon Lord Fong was ensuring festivities for the incoming Year of the Chicken would be remembered by all.

13. Japan saw reports of the continuation of a samurai’s quest to find the demon Misako. Surprised by the tenacity and ability of this warrior Misako decided to inform her Lord and acquire further instruction as she had no reason to get involved at this stage.