Talk:Konig des Menschen Chapter VI (Map Game)/@comment-31011021-20200616051105

Ahuric Empire

 * Government and Policy:
 * Monarch: King Aqeel Ahurid
 * Administrative Situation: The divisions between the two ideologies grows more stark. The factions, to go into more description, are ideological groups with people tending towards one side or the other. Reformist ideas are based upon the Advisor's Assembly of the past, an assembly partially compromised of an elected body, the others being nobility and tribal elders given the job by the monarch which advised the monarch, with no actual legislative power. Reformists, on the moderate side, would like a return to the Advisor's Assembly and on the more extreme, advocating a completely elected body. Conservative ideas intend to keep the situation at hand, the freedom of tribes to rule their own land with the absolute power of the monarch. They don't want a strong central government, yet don't want to pass any more power to the people, keeping the status quo. Tensions are flaring once more as the calm of the previous monarchs have been cast away with the recapture of Grane and the victory over the Qarshids. The nationalism has brought people's attention back to domestic and political affairs. The young king, Aqeel, holds lavish parties and has fallen aloof from domestic affairs, instead adopting a gung-ho personality, going on foreign wars and attempting to show off to the international community. This means that a number of viziers have largely delegated the domestic policy, with these viziers being conservative. This has led to an era called The Hidden Government. 
 * Population: 5,691,692
 * Policy: 
 * The Military Draft: With Malepdiva declining our very fair deal, it seems we are headed to war once more. There is the potential for foreign interference, and we have to take every measure to make sure it will be favourable. The Ahuric military is increased drastically, trained for a year, then integrated within the army and navy. King Aqeel's daredevilish nature means that these new recruits are trained with many resources at their disposal, speedily being turned from citizens to military men. This might be hard to do for many nations, especially in the west. To increase the military by so many men at once would almost be impossible in such a short period of time. However, the nations of the peninsula have historically had a very large temporary army, armies formed from men called upon by the monarch. While that culture has certainly decreased in spread, especially within tribes, the monarch still wields the power to call upon militias and recruits. Men are only one part of the equation. The ports of the Ahuric Empire, especially the Royal Port of Al-Khor, the site of the old Gerrhan royal port and an important and large port, have dedicated a lot of their attention to building new military ships, while some transport ships, designed for trade missions, are fitted with polybolos and cannons. On the ground forces side, weapons are produced at a faster rate. This is not going to cut it, however, and weapons are bought off in other nations' markets while our own weapons are being built. King Aqeel has also, with his ardent attitude to military affairs and growing frustrated at the old generals, completely restructured the military staff with younger, more experimental generals. The military leadership has completely changed the tactics used in battle by the military, which will be explained in the Military Operations section.
 * The Grand Docks of Masirah: Ships need to be built faster for a trade based nation such as ourselves. By decree of the King of Ahuras, a new installation in the island below Oman (Otl Masirah Island, Specifically in Sur Masirah) is to be built with state of the art equipment. A form of dockyard, one that has been rumoured about elsewhere, is to be built. Ships are built on dry land and pushed into sea. However, the pushing into sea is usually an arduous process involving a lot of time and effort. Hence we shall bring the sea to it. This special dock will take many years to complete, perhaps it should be done by 1442, but much earlier, a standard dockyard should be complete. This special dock is one where the line between dry land and sea are blurred. Large wood barriers, holding back the giant force of the ocean, are moved into place by large wheels (imagine a mechanical device comparable to an irrigation waterwheel). Initially the design would have asked for many oxen and camels to power the device. However, that would have taken too long to move the barrier to allow a ship into the dockyard. Hence a different path was taken, one that would store energy while the docks were not being used. Using a device like an archimedes screw, water is pumped up to a large enclosed water store, cooled with windtowers, while the barriers are not in use, powered by camels and oxen. When the barrier is to be moved, the water is led down a waterwheel, which in turn powers the wheels moving the barrier. This is a complicated and intricate design, hence why the project is bound to take many years, even with the funding by the King. By opening and closing the barrier, the ship can be let out of the dock and water can be enclosed within the dock, so it can be pumped out by another set of Archemides screws, these powered entirely by animals. This allows for ships to be entered for repairs without having to be beached, yet still in dry conditions where more extensive repairs are possible. The docks are a major project, one that should attract labourers from across the nation who are interested with the grandeur of such a project. To flood the docks, a series of stone channels are built, allowing water to be entered slowly. These should just work with gravity. Aside from the docks, many fortifications are built across the island and in the lands across it on the mainland. They are to be fitted with cannons, and manned continously. State of the art architecture incorporating metal are used as forts. Small ships are on constant patrol in the strait, with the messenger system of rest houses are incorporated to the forts along the strait on each side of the strait.
 * League of the Desert: The League of the Desert is certainly not a new concept. It has parallels to the leagues made during the Arzhamite offensives. We are the clear leader of this league and hence must take it upon ourselves to strengthen the league to be prepared for any situation that comes our way. We shall do this by understanding the strengths of our league members. The Qarsoon were historically strong naval invaders, hence why they were asked to settle in Tamreda. We shall monopolise on this. We invest in the naval infrustructure in Salala, intending to crank up their naval strength, hoping they develop their own fleet. The Zoroastrian extremists are sceptical and some outraged at us accepting the Qarsoon within our circle like this. These were foreign men, from foreign lands, with foreign beliefs. This is sidelined by most other people, as the Qarsoon married into the locals, and are now closer to Ahuric than what they started as (I've blanked, what were the vikings called again?), they have abandoned most if not all aspects of their previous belief and most do not even know of where the Qarsoon originally came from. The Hejazis are not well known for their navy by any measure. They have an ok navy, an ok army, and an ok economy, nothing that stands out in particular. However, having been where they were for so long, they must have fortified their border splendidly. We will invest in the army of Hejaz, making sure they are strong, even if they don't have the numbers we do. They are more an elite force, one that emphasizes quality over quantity. Their fortifications are to be equipped with cannons and their economy is to be kickstarted to produce weaponry. These are aspirational plans, ones that require cultivating and developing over decades upon decades, and so will continue as such. The League of the Desert must become larger to become capable of withstanding the larger players in the region. We announce that any nation that would like to join in a mutual alliance announce as such, and we lead a delegation to Yemen to attempt to woo them into the League. If Yemen does join, they would have a position akin to second in command. Incentives are provided, diplomats are moved in, a large push to integrate Yemen is in play. Alongside this, tribes that live between the two nations, that frequent either side, are approached and given gifts as a sign of goodwill. The real intention is for them to spread word of the benevolent Ahuric Empire, giving horses, a very important animal in the region, and other livestock and food as gifts to their own people. As they go into Yemen, the hope is they make people more attracted to us, more willing to befriend us. With this, the Yemenis should be pressured internally into joining the League. As well as the tribes, diplomats are given plenty of gifts to give out as they travel to Sanaa to the villages and towns on the path. Intentionally they go through Najran before going to Sanaa, making sure to gift a lot in Najran. This could be a futile attempt, but it has precendent of working, and as such we are hopeful. Ahuric Traders are our best diplomats, establishing shops in Najran and Sanaa with goods from across the globe, showing how powerful and wealthy the Ahurics are. It is an exercise in soft propoganda, one that does not offend or undermine the government, but attempts to serve our purposes.
 * Military:
 * Personnel: 79,000
 * 1st Sipah: 
 * Swordsmen: 6,000
 * Spearmen: 3,500
 * Bowmen: 3,500
 * Fire Lancers: 350
 * Crossbowmen: 1,500
 * Light Cavalry: 2,500
 * Heavy Cavalry: 500
 * Ranged Cavalry: 1,500
 * Cavalry Fire Lancers: 85
 * Cannons: 10
 * Trebuchets: 20
 * Polybolos: 25
 * Overall: 20,000 Troops
 * 2nd Sipah:
 * Swordsmen: 6,000
 * Spearmen: 3,500
 * Bowmen: 3,500
 * Fire Lancers: 393
 * Crossbowmen: 1,500
 * Light Cavalry: 2,500
 * Heavy Cavalry: 500
 * Ranged Cavalry: 1,500
 * Cannons: 10
 * Trebuchets: 20
 * Polybolos: 25
 * Overall: 20,001 Troops
 * 3rd Sipah: 
 * Swordsmen: 4,000
 * Bowmen: 2,000
 * Fire Lancers: 500
 * Light Cavalry: 1,000
 * Ranged Cavalry: 500
 * Cannons: 20
 * Polybolos: 10
 * Overall: 8,110 Troops
 * Ahuras Sipah:
 * Spearmen: 3,000
 * Swordsmen: 3,000
 * Bowmen: 1,000
 * Fire Lancers: 500
 * Light Cavalry: 1,000
 * Heavy Cavalry: 500
 * Ranged Cavalry: 750
 * Cannons: 20
 * Polybolos: 15
 * Overall: 10,375 Troops
 * Patrols:
 * Light Cavalry: 3,000
 * Ranged Cavalry: 3,000
 * Heavy Cavalry: 500
 * Overall: 6,500 Troops
 * Muscat Fleet:
 * Gharaq: 30
 * Harbis: 30
 * Archer Light Sail Ships: 20
 * Fire Ships: 30
 * Light Transport Ships: 20
 * Heavy Transport Ships: 2
 * Grane Fleet:
 * Archer Light Sail Ships: 20
 * Polybolos Light Ships: 10
 * Harbis: 40
 * Gharaqs: 30
 * Fire Ships: 30
 * Light Transport Ships: 40
 * Heavy Transport Ships: 10
 * Luluah Fleet:
 * Harbis: 25
 * Gharaqs: 40
 * Fire Ships: 20
 * Light Transport Ships: 30
 * Heavy Transport Ships: 20
 * Kashaf Fleet (Explorer Fleet):
 * Harbis: 2
 * Gharaqs: 6
 * Light Transport Ships: 10
 * Military Operations, Domestic Events and the such:
 * Units and Tactics:
 * The Harbi: Regarding our naval conondrum, we have developed a new type of ship. Previously, our cannon ships, which had cannons on their bow, were used initially against forts on the ground. However, they have been astounding against other ships when in the hands of a capable captain, which we don't have a shortage of. However, the issue with this ship is the delicate aiming require to shoot an enemy ship. The aiming, in comparison to archer ships, makes the cannon ships much more difficult to use in combat. The Harbi seeks to offset the issue of aiming by placing multiple cannons on the deck of the ship. These cannons can be swiveled, but take a long time to load, as with all cannons, and are not the most accurate, and hence are good against the large ships of larger nations, but not the small ships used by a few. Identifying this weakness is going to be instrumental to our naval structure. Now, harbis are to be placed behind other ships, or completely withdrawn, if the navy encountered use many small ships. They have 8 small cannons on deck, 4 on either side, and 2 large cannons on the bow, able to fill the same role as the older cannon ships, capable of knocking down fortifications, yet capable of shooting mutiple volleys at enemies, increasing the chance of hitting the enemy.
 * The Gharaq: Translation, the sinker. These ships are light ships, and are the evolution of our archer ships. While cannons are innacurate in long range, they are devestating in close range. The Gharaqs are ships with archers and fire lancers on board, intending to devestate enemies at short range. These ships also have 4 cannons, 2 on either side of the deck, used effectively as anti-personnel weapons, dealing devastation to the enemy at close range, especially to ships trying to board. They are known as the sinker for being able to sink many small ships in comparison to the larger ships who are mainly capable of dealing with a small number of large ships.
 * The Fire Ship: The fire ship has evolved over time, initially being a raft on fire, then evolving to a ship with incendiary liquids, and now, with gunpowder, becoming an explosive ship to deal damage to enemies at close range. 3 strategies are used with these ships: Some are used with a long fuse leading to barrels of gunpowder, effectively running on a timed fuse. These are useful for remote attacks, being safer than the other two strategies. Some are manned by a single sailor, who lights a short fuse when in range, and abandons the ship. This definetly causes more damage than the first option, but is more life-consuming. The third strategy is to shoot the ship with a flaming arrow once it is on track. This requires a ship to be close by and is only rarely used in open combat. It is, however, useful for ambushes near land, where a small ambush party on land prepares their shots as an empty ship sails towards an enemy fleet at a chokepoint. Then, the ship is set on fire, the heaping, burning mass first causes fire concerns for the enemy, then exploding as it approaches. These are cheap ships, able to cause a lot of damage. They are sail ships, like light sail ships, so as to be unassuming.
 * New Tactics: With new generals, the "honour" in war has been tossed away for victory. Ambushes are now trained to recruits. The idea of one decisive battle is lost more and more. The enemy needs to know that attacking us is a terrible idea. Their supplies need to be removed and their advances must hurt them so much that continuing would seem suicidal. We should be willing to give away territory temporarily rather than fight the enemy instantly. Supply lines now have a greater emphasis, and carriages are increasingly used in armies to supply them. Camels are being brought into the fold to supply the army even in the most remote of places. These aren't instantly embraced, and are slowly being adopted, hence the lack of restructuring in the 1st and 2nd Sipah. However, the 3rd Sipah is recruited based on these ideals, being a much more versatile army. The efectiveness of these tactics will only be told by time. The army also has passed out new equipment, such as the "Lancers Shield", a shield placed carried first by fire lancers that was placed on the ground to protect from enemy fire. These shields are still only given to Fire Lancers, as they operate with a lot of reload time. These shields are made of metal, capable of withstanding arrows and perhaps fire lances, but not even affecting cannon fire. Speaking of cannons, cannons are no longer only fort attacking weapons, but now are used to clear out enemies too. When a column of enemies attack, a cannon can easily cause a dent in the enemy force. Understanding this makes our own cannon use much more effective, as well as developing some counter-measure against enemies using the same technique. Troops are to be spaced further apart when in combat.
 * Trading Beyond the Horizon: 
 * Southern Fronier: With war being close, the Luluah fleet is pulled back to focuse on the war effort and be refitted. The Kashaf Fleet is set up, a small fleet, to search the southern lands, below those that we already know of. We already have vague descriptions and rumours about a land surrounded by animals and far from our costs, where gold is a commodity (Great Zimbabwe seems to have access to Arabic Goods from trading, so we would hear rumours about them, many probably untrue rumours). Hence, the lands to the south must be rich territories, a fine collection for the throne. We descend further, with a similar strategy as before; bringing in goods, scouting the markets for anything exotic or valuable, trading these goods back to Muscat.
 * The Schools of Zoroaster: As we discover new lands and increase trade ties, we bring the Zoroastrian people of the Ahuric Empire into lands that have no Zoroastrian native population. Hence, as we trade, many citizens wanting to spread our faith go to these lands and set up schools to teach the way of Zoroaster. These aren't under our directive, but under the Muta'alemin scheme, some of the cost of travel for a few people who intend to understand the culture of these foreign nations are covered by the state. The vast majority however are privately funded endeavours. A few people have expressed that they would fight to spread the message of Zoroaster in these lands. They are supressed when found, a fight is not what we want.
 * Maledvipa, our land: We, having prepared to attack earlier (in my turn I mentioned Id attack if they declined) we storm through with our plan. The Muscat and Grane Fleet surround the island of Al-Meenah as the year starts. Our hope is to capture the island before Vijayanagara responds (there was no response in the NPC Events, just that they look towards them for protection) and making it seem like a futile attempt to enter the war. The 3rd Sipah is to besiege the city of Al-Meenah, as the other islands which are far less settled are effectively brought under our control, with the 1st Sipah brought in if required. The population of Malepdiva should be very low, they are but an old colony, only able to survive based on the trade that was brought to them. If needed, the 1st Sipah will join the 3rd Sipah in the war. The 3rd Sipah, made up of new recruits, are trained according to the new tactics of war and are much more versatile, yet much smaller. They are to shell the city instantly, with help from Harbis, as Al-Meenah is a port city. Then, as soon there are multiple breaches in the city, the Sipah is to charge in and assault the city. A very conservative estimate of how long this should take is 2 months, and a very optimistic estimate suggests it should be done in 15 days. The shelling and blockade should take a great toll on the people of Al-Meenah, who are Zoroastrian and from our lands. We ask them to lay down their arms, we are willing to let Malepdiva be a vassal state, rather than a province. Our goals are not to take land for the fun of taking land, but to secure our trade routes and only intend to fortify our islands and let it be
 * Defence of the Realm:
 * The Perpetual War: Preperations continue on the defence of the realm. Grane is to become a fort city, with food stores to last months without outside supply. 
 * Yemen: As stated in the Policy Section, we try to woo Yemen into the League. However, we are prepared to defend the League's Border with Yemen if need be. The Ahuras Sipah is developed as a Sipah remaining within the Empire, able to rush to the aid of allies quickly before the bigger 1st and 2nd Sipah can.
 * Strength in Numbers: Our allies in the League are brought into the fold with their armies being supplied with our weapons. The dream of an effective League army are shelved for the time being, as our allies are being strengthened to be able to defend the Peninsula in times of need.
 * Economy:
 * The Trade continues on its meteoric rise. However, so is spending. With the new docks and League plans underway, the increase in trade with our southern partners is not only not strengthening the economy, but the economy has slightly weakened due to spending. This does mean that a few people are annoyed at the government for, even with these situations, decreasing the amount of money flowing to the people. This is a small annoyance however, as the economy is still booming.
 * New Research:
 * Easier Fire Lances: Continued Research. We hear rumours of fire lances that are fired at the press of a switch in the West. These rumours are ones we would like to investigate. A multitude of people are sent to the West in ships aiming to establish relations with these advanced Empires.
 * Cannons: Cannons are brilliant machines, capable of doing so much damage. However, they are innacurate. Thus our intellectuals get to work trying to test out cannons. They are to test larger cannons, smaller cannons, longer cannons, larger balls, different projectiles, different materials, to create the perfect cannon for our military.
 * Production and Development:
 * The Muta'alemin: The Muta'alemin project has set up in different nations and we hope to receive the blessings from it soon. However, the Muta'alemin mission to Constantinople is under jeopardy due to the Atouman moves. Thus, we send more people to Constantinople, hoping to take down the knowledge before it is sweeped away under the vicious Arzhamites. While increasing the number of scholars that are sent to Constantinople, many of our violently anti-arzhamite citizens have made the trip to Constantinople to aid the fight, regardless of their own religion. While the King could have ordered them to stop, he has turned the blind eye, hoping they can deal some damage to the enemy. These people have, through unknown means accessed some of our latest weaponry, such as the fire lances. They don't number many, with the largest estimate at 200, and the smallest at 20, but secret hopes are that they do some damage.
 * Diplomacy:
 * Hejaz, Qarsoon: See Policy - League of the Desert
 * Malepdiva: See Malepdiva Section
 * Isetium: We hope you extend that NAP to the Entire League as well
 * Indian Nations: Same as last turn, hopefully they respond
 * Castille or Albion?: (No response necessary, but you can respond) A delegation is sent to where the elusive "instant hand cannons" come from, having heard from them through our trade network. We hope to learn of these weapons, but our stated goal is to bring gifts to these nations, as a way of goodwill (However, our knowledge is not set in stone, we might end up at Valcanor by accident. Up to the Mods)
 * Yemen: See Policy - League of the Desert
 * Vijayanagara: We send gifts and hope you don't enter a small fight between nations of differing religions and cultures. We are willing to compromise if needed to stop a needless war between brotherly nations.
 * Mods: Important Bits would be Policy - Masirah and Trading - Southern Frontier and Schools of Zoroaster as well as Development - Muta'alemin