NationStates Jolt Archive

The sun rose high into the sky as the morning dawned over the Forbidden City. Trumphets sounded as it rose over the horizon, welcoming the light coming bathing onto the great land of the Son of Heaven. The Captain of the Gate and his troops in charge of the main gate (http://www.bexcel.com/bexcel-eng/knowledge/img/chinese-castle.jpg) of the Citadel of the Foridden City marched out into formation and awaited the morning's duty orders.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/Upum/hero-03.jpg

Emperor Shui Han Di rose from his large bed of silks. He felt very well and invigorated. Today he would be meeting with his generals and he needed his energy. He crawled 10 feet over the edge of the bed and came to stand on the floor. Servants immediately came bowing forward and set him in a golden silk robe and golden slippers. His hair was combed back and put into a tie.

He walked past them and into another large room. The walls were decorated with red-gold imperial colors and a great mural of a dragon. A great room divider was up in the middle facing the doors. A great porcealin bath was sitting behind the divider. Servants were already waiting, water inside it steaming with heat. Shui Han Di walked over and had himself undressed by the servants. He stood as servants soaped his body with scented lotions and oils. He then stepped into the bath and immersed himself into its warmth. He felt the soaps and oils slide off him, cleaning his skin. He stayed inside the bath for several minutes and then rose up. Servants rubbed him down gently with towels and dried him off.

More servants approached and he stepped into another silk robe and slippers. He marched off, ignoring the servants around him which bowed as he passed, to his closet room. It was several hundred meters long and wide and was lined with his robes, shoes, hats, and other personal items. He chose the set he wanted and servants brought it down and helped him get into it. He then walked off to his Hall to eat his morning breakfast.


It was at the Hour of the Rat that his Generals assembled in the War Council Room. It was a great hall with a large table at its center. The table had an accurate model-map of the world. A small red castle sat in what was Shui Han Di's capital and citadel of the Forbidden City. Around it were dozens of dozens of smaller cities. Small figures holding a minature royal banner stood for the armies of the Emperor. A small yellow-red line showed the border of the Empire.

Emperor Shui Han Di walked into the room. All the generals, old and young men but all talented warriors and leaders of men, bowed low as he came forward and sat in a chair that stood over the table.

He smiled at them. "My dear generals. I hope to find you in health for I have a new campaign for you." Shui Han Di took a thin pole and brought it around to the table. He moved several of the small figures. Two went outside the yellow line to the edge of the coast, where Imperial Law did not extend, even though to the North and South of the area the line did touch the sea. It was a small pocket of land that had yet to join the Empire.

He then moved three other figures through three seperate passes through the World Mountains (Himalayas) and into the land to the South. Here only brave merchants had travelled through the lands to the far West where they had other great nations. The Silk Road, they called it.

"I am going to extend my Empire in these places. I leave to you Shou Di, Loa Shang, Lan Hi, Pao Kong, and Pei Han Di to conquer these places at your own discretion. I leave it to happen by this time next year," said Emperor Shui Han Di.

The generals he had named stepped forward and began looking at the areas they would be invading. The all turned and bowed as one to the Emperor.

"We will do as you command," they said. With the Mandate of Heaven the armies of Han would march forth and conquer.

(OOC: I hope you're RP'ing PT sometime after 1420, because before that, the Forbidden City as we know it was not even finished. I only say this because the troops pictured are wearing armor suits from the wrong time period for that.

NOTE: I'm definitely not an expert in everything that I RP, and practically no one is, but I just like to point things out when I can say with some certainty that I'm correct. Just wanted to get that out in the open.)

(OOC: I hope you're RP'ing PT sometime after 1420, because before that, the Forbidden City as we know it was not even finished. I only say this because the troops pictured are wearing armor suits from the wrong time period for that.

NOTE: I'm definitely not an expert in everything that I RP, and practically no one is, but I just like to point things out when I can say with some certainty that I'm correct. Just wanted to get that out in the open.)

OOC: This is based from the 'PT Planning RP Thread' that Aust made. I don't really care if the armor is wrong, I was just meaing to display a pic. And for me the Forbidden City was finished. (It was historically, but it was destroyed later by a great fire caused by lightning)

EDIT: Link to that planning thread- http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=462780&page=12

OOC: This is based from the 'PT Planning RP Thread' that Aust made. I don't really care if the armor is wrong, I was just meaing to display a pic. And for me the Forbidden City was finished. (It was historically, but it was destroyed later by a great fire caused by lightning)

(OOC: I had a feeling you didn't care, but like I said, just wanted to get it out in the open. I meant no offense. Sorry anyway though.)

We are very much a PT nation, perhaps you would like to become an ally to us.

We are very much a PT nation, perhaps you would like to become an ally to us.

ooc: follow this link: http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=462780

In the North the army of General Shou Di prepared to march into the Ko-tung Peninsula (Korea). The empire had several border forts along the river that divided the Emperor’s land from the barbarians, but it was easy enough for Shou Di to have his 250,000 men build a large bridge over the river, after priests had sanctified it and prayed to the Guardian of the River for safe passage.

Companies of cavalry scouted ahead of the army. Thus far only two small hut villages had been found, small and made of mud and thatch they had presented little expectation for the General’s staff.

Shou Di sat on his horse on top of a hill overlooking the marching column of troops. Companies of archers and spearmen were marching past in perfect formation. Shou Di felt pride as he watched the Imperial Banners wave by. Suddenly a scout rode up on top of the hill. The rider jumped down from his horse and bowed on one knee in proper military fashion.

“My Lord General, we’ve found a walled city!” he said hastily.

Shou Di suddenly paid more attention. “Where?”

“It is about 30 miles south-east as the bird flies. It lies in a valley not far. It would take our army three days to reach it.”

“What of its defenses? Men? Weapons?” asked the General urgently.

The scout looked up slightly. “My Lord the walls are some 30 feet high, and from our vantage we saw that it was thick, a chariot could pass atop it. As for troops, there are hundreds, if not thousands within it. One of our cavalry parties ran into some earlier. The skirmish lasted for an hour, and we lost 23 men. Their weapons consist mostly of long spears, strait thin iron swords, and short bows.”

Shou Di took all this information in. The first civilized or partly civilized city yet to be found in this peninsula, and perhaps if they took it they could control the rest of the peninsula.

Shou Di looked down at the scout. “Return there. Order Captain Li Huang to take all cavalry units to form a ring around the entrance to the valley, and keep all enemy troops within it, the army will march double quick. We will arrive there and take the city.”

“Yes my Lord!” said the scout. He bowed again and then returned to his horse. He jumped atop it and then rode hard away south to where Li Huang, Shou Di’s cavalry commander, would be. Shou Di himself looked back down at the marching columns of the army. Soon we will have a real battle he thought.

the Imperial Kirisuban Navy ship "Honshu" crossed the sea heading towards the Han kingdom of Cathay.

the Ambassador, Lord General Muira Takeshi and his daughter the Lady Kaede who was interpreting for him both knew the importance of this mission. If it failed Kirisuban traders would still be unable to access mainland ports directly and have to depend on 3rd parties to get tea and silk.

He could see the port of Canton ahead and sent a message ashore while they remained on board.

the twenty samurai on board maintained their vigil in case things didn't go to plan.

the message written in mandarin reads as follows:

"I bring greetings from his Majesty, the Emperor Taisho,Sun of Heaven and the Shogun Miromuta Katsushiro.

My government wishes to re-open full trading links between our kingdoms and ask for a meeting with Emperor Shui Han Di, Son of Heaven"

A lone Samurai accompanied by Lady Kaede presents the request to the man in charge of Canton. Kaede explains what they wish to re-establish relations so trade can flow freely.

the Imperial Kirisuban Navy ship "Honshu" crossed the sea heading towards the Han kingdom of Cathay.

the Ambassador, Lord General Muira Takeshi and his daughter the Lady Kaede who was interpreting for him both knew the importance of this mission. If it failed Kirisuban traders would still be unable to access mainland ports directly and have to depend on 3rd parties to get tea and silk.

He could see the port of Canton ahead and sent a message ashore while they remained on board.

the twenty samurai on board maintained their vigil in case things didn't go to plan.

the message written in mandarin reads as follows:

"I bring greetings from his Majesty, the Emperor Taisho,Sun of Heaven and the Shogun Miromuta Katsushiro.

My government wishes to re-open full trading links between our kingdoms and ask for a meeting with Emperor Shui Han Di, Son of Heaven"

A lone Samurai accompanied by Lady Kaede presents the request to the man in charge of Canton. Kaede explains what they wish to re-establish relations so trade can flow freely.


The Imperial Govenor of Canton read the scroll several times before thinking. A Kirisubans had not been within the Middle Kingdom for over a hundred years. That had been in the last dynasty though. This was a decision above his level of authority.

The governor turned to an aide. "Send a messenger to Nanjing and alert the Emperor to this happening. He is the one who will decide this matter." The aide bowed and left.

He turned to the man who had delivered the message. "Inform these new arrivals tha they are to remain aboard their ship. New supplies will be given to them should they need it. Their ship will be guarded and watched. None are allowed to leave the ship upon pain of death."

The man bowed and left, carrying the message to the Kirisubian ship.

The fortified city before the army of the Han Empire was large. On two sides it was defended by mountains and on a third side by a mighty river. Only one way was open to plains. A 600 meters stretch of stone wall, 30ft high, defended by six towers and one squat gate sitting between two towers.

The walls were packed with soldiers. Their armor was more simple and less thick than the armor of the Han troops, but Shou Di did not think that mattered at this moment. He had to consider his options.

He was facing a long siege and possibly a fight soon from the rear. He recieved reports from his cavalry that a party of horsemen from the castle had broken through their lines at the early dawn riding hard south to what was obviously the direction of more help.

The Han Imperial army had drawn up across the large plain expanse and spilled out of the valley as well, the host was so big. They stood 200 paces from the walls, out of their enemy's arrow range. A short rush of troops at the wall had proven that. Shou Di was glad of this, his own archers could outrange their own by 50 paces.

A group of Shou Di's captains came forward. They all bowed and one stepepd forward, Do-Yung Pei, commander of Shou Di's spearmen.

"My Lord General, our scouts have followed south as you asked, and Li Huang has taken 2,000 cavalry south to hold the only mountain pass that leads from the south. We are not sure if there are other passes, and our scouts are searching. But should an enemy army come they can be held in the pass for some time while we are here," Do-Yung said.

Shou Di nodded. In front of him was a table set with a map of the peninsula. According to their scouts and the locals they had intercepted, this castle was called Pyongyang, and there was an even larger one to the South in the center, the capitol of the peninsula barbarians, called Seoul, and if the locals were to be believed, was even bigger and more powerful than the castle sitting infront of Shou Di.


"Have our siege engines been put in place yet?" Shou Di asked. A man stepped forward and bowed, his name was Joo-Jin Hung. He was the head of the engineers. The Han Empire had the best siege equipment and engines in the world, and Joo-Jin was the top student to graduate from the Imperial Engineers School in the Forbidden City.

"My Lord General, we have assembled some 42 catapults, and over 20 crossbows."

Shou Di looked at the sun. It was half hidden behind the mountains. "When the sun falls behind the mountains, begin a bombardment, and do not stop until I command."

The man bowed. "Yes my Lord." He bowed again and ran down away from the group. Shou Di turned to his other commanders and tapped his finger on the map.

"Now we need to plan for when we attack tommorow."



The sun dipped behind the mountain and the wall was lit with torches as more guards came on top of the wall to hold the watch. They suddenly noticed 42 flaming balls sitting near the ground in the invaders camp. What was it? they asked. Suddenly a hissing sound, reminicent of arrows, flew through the air. A large spear-like arrow sudden speared four men as it fell among them. A shout went up among the guards. More large arrows fell among the men, some men were struck and carried backwards into more men and then fell over the edge of the wall.

Suddenly their worst nightmares came to being. The 42 balls of flame suddenly rose and with a loud audible thud flew through the air. Straight at them. Cries rose and men jumped behind the parapet, squated behind shields, off the wall. The balls of flame smashed into the wall, exlpoding rock and flame in all directions. Entire sections of the wall was clensed of men. Great chunks of rock were knocked out of the wall.

The bombardment carried on through the night with a continuous flow of large arrows and flaming balls.

The sun rose after a very long night. Not a single part of the walls of Pyongyang was left untouched. Several parts of the wall had large chucks ripped out of it's front. One tower was entirely obliterated, it was a smoking ruin upon the wall. And the bombardment had not ended. The night being over, the engineers had switched to using plain rock or iron balls to throw.

Shou Di stood next to his tent, a modest 200 square meter thing, and watched from the entrance to it. Iron and stone balls were smashing into the walls. The barbarian soldiers had withdrawn from the wall and left only a few brave souls to man them. It was time for another plan.

Shou Di marched through the camp, soldiers bowing as he passed, cooks and servants rushing around to their tasks, the basic hub-bub of camp passing around the general as he marched up to the Tent of Engineers. His bodyguards stopped outside at his behest and he walked through the flap. Joo-Jin Hung looked up from a table of pens, inks, and papers. He stood and bowed.

"My Lord General, good morning."

"Good morning my head engineer. What is the extent of damage that we have done to their walls?"

Joo-Jin walked over to a wall. It was a large accurate drawing of the wall in black ink. Red ink was put on at points.

"As you can see here, these red spots are where the wall no longer exists or where we have damaged it heavily. We've destroyed a tower, damaged this section next to the gatehouse heavily, and this part of the wall would fall in hours if we concentrated all fire power upon it."

Shou Di nodded. "Very well, I want you to concentrate you fire there (he pointed at the section next to the gatehouse) and there (he pointed to the section that the engineer mentioned being about to fall). And I want it done until the wall is no more."

The head engineer bowed his head. "As you command."



The Catapults suddenly stopped firing and several were shifted from position. A few more brave or adventerous soldiers of the castle came to the walls to see if it was over.

A short time later the catapults continued. Half was concentrated on one spot, and the other half on another. The hail of stone and iron did not stop for hours. It was not until mid afternoon when the section by the gatehouse crumbled to the ground.

Behind this large 20 meter gap stood the defenders in a mass. Shou Di, standing on his horse near his lines, smiled. He turned to where his army had assembled. "Archers are to fire into the gap."

With many shouted commands, 80,000 men using various bows, crossbows, and large foot-pulled longbows stretched their bowstrings and readied arrows.

"Fire."

Like a cloud of death the arrows flew. Some fell mid-flight, so many arrows were packed into the small space that many fell from hitting one another. But a great many went into the gap. Some men were burried beneath their points, mutilated beyond all recall.

"Fire."

Another volley of arrows followed and did again more damage. Nearly all defenders directly behind the gap were dead, buried beneath a sea of black fletched arrows. Those nearer to the edges were wounded or managed to escape.

"Light arrows."

Torch bearers went along the lines of archers, lighting the pitch-soaked tips of arrows. 80,000 burning tips waited.

"Fire."

Instead of firing into the gap, the archers had fired above the wall and into the city. The building around burst into flame almost immediately, so many flaming arrows falling on them. Men and animals were set alight as some arrows fell among them.

"Fire."

Another volley of fire arrows flew again to similar effect. Men came screaming through the gap, pierced by arrows, and going through unpretty death throws.

Shou Di watched for a moment as he saw the effect of his archers. He smiled. He raised his hand. All archers marched to the side, putting away their bows. Spearmen and Falchion-pikemen marched forward in dozens of companies. Shou Di drew his sword and pointed it at the gap.

"Forward!"

With a great roar 120,000 soldiers rushed the small distance of 200 paces and entered the city. A few archers upon the walls, having braved the Han arrows, fired into them. But the sea of men and death flowed on and through the gap.


By nightfall the city had fallen.

General Loa Shang and Han Li sat next to each other atop their horses. The stood by the World Mountain pass that their combined armies was passing through. They had marched south from the Forbidden City and made good time along the paved Imperial Roads and the governor Ling Hu of the province they had just left had offered quick assistence to the Imperial army.

They were now in barbarian lands. (what is modern thailand, Laos, and eastern india)

Their 560,000 man army had made slow time coming through the pass. Cavalry had scouted several miles out from pass and had run into small villages. They had taken only a short time to learn the local dialect, which was not unfamilar to their own language. They learned that the nearest city that held power over the area was called Lampang. The locals said that the king of the city had a large army at his command and that his city was larger than the fields around them.

The scouts had reported all this to Lao Shang and Han Li. They both agreed that in order to conquer the area they had to take that city. Once done, Imperial magistrates and other coutiers would come, as well as teachers, builders and peasents, and civilize these people for their own good and turn the area into a province of the Han Empire.

However a second city had been named by the local peasents. The city was called Bangkok. It was far to the south, more south than the Generals in the Forbidden City had orginally planned to invade and conquer.

"Should we divide the army?" asked Lao Shang again.

Han Li thought about it. " Sun Tzu would not have liked it if his two pupils found themselves at this indecision."

"True...then let us first conquer this city of Lampang, then move south. We should send a messenger to the Emperor as well concerning this," said Lao Shang.

"Indeed," said Han Li. They nodded to each other and watched as hundreds of companies marched forth from the pass into the open plain of the south.

bump for Kirisubo...

TAG-I don't knoiw if I've said this already but-heck TG's.

The Frozopian ship was under the command of David, and he was not in a good mood. He was bitter about being excluded about being rejected from the invasion party into Aust: Apparently this diplomatic mission was far more important. It was time to expand our interests in the local region, or at least that was what King Clauro said. Although Frozopians had raided this coastline countless times, apparently more could be gained through trade than war. David would see.

"Land ahoy!" Someone roared.
Squinting, David could vaguely see what looked like an outline of an coast.......

The Frozopian ship was under the command of David, and he was not in a good mood. He was bitter about being excluded about being rejected from the invasion party into Aust: Apparently this diplomatic mission was far more important. It was time to expand our interests in the local region, or at least that was what King Clauro said. Although Frozopians had raided this coastline countless times, apparently more could be gained through trade than war. David would see.

"Land ahoy!" Someone roared.
Squinting, David could vaguely see what looked like an outline of an coast.......


A dozen Imperial Coastal Junks, armed with small rockets and catapults shot off from the main land. A look-out tower on the coast had observed the ship coming closer and had identified it as not a ship familar to the Han Empire using a 'telescope', the newest invention from the Imperial School.

They formed a semi-cirlce facing the ship. They stopped not far from it and began calling out for it to halt. One captain had a man stand and wave a large red banner in the way that Kirisuban sailors used signals.

Recognising the familiar Kiriusban method of calling a halt, immediatly the captain commanded the ship to stop.

Waving a white flag, David hoped the ships would recognise the peaceful indication. Patiently David awaited their response.....

The Imperial Govenor of Canton read the scroll several times before thinking. A Kirisubans had not been within the Middle Kingdom for over a hundred years. That had been in the last dynasty though. This was a decision above his level of authority.

The governor turned to an aide. "Send a messenger to Nanjing and alert the Emperor to this happening. He is the one who will decide this matter." The aide bowed and left.

He turned to the man who had delivered the message. "Inform these new arrivals tha they are to remain aboard their ship. New supplies will be given to them should they need it. Their ship will be guarded and watched. None are allowed to leave the ship upon pain of death."

The man bowed and left, carrying the message to the Kirisubian ship.

"I understand fully" the Lady Kaede says in reply "you'll have no trouble from us as long as we aren't attacked "

She leaves with her samurai and returns to the ship telling her father the news.

"now we wait" he says.

Recognising the familiar Kiriusban method of calling a halt, immediatly the captain commanded the ship to stop.

Waving a white flag, David hoped the ships would recognise the peaceful indication. Patiently David awaited their response.....

The captain on one of the lead junks came forward, signaling to his fellows that he would inspect the foreign ship. Signalling a white banner at the foreign ship and a red one, the ship came forward.

The foreign ship was slightly longer than the coastal junk, by about 20 paces, but it was more open-aired and had a single large sail. Armed men sat around the deck and the captain had his 40 archers with strings stretched waiting should they attack. The Captain, Ling Hau, yelled out in badly accented Kirisubian, since he couldn't think of any other language.

"Ahoy! Take down your sails and lower your weapons! You are in the Imperial waters of the Son of Heavean, Emperor Shui Han Di, of the Han Empire. You will be inspected and then taken ashore for further inspection, and you and all your men will be kept in captivity until such as you prove to be other than pirates."

The captain repeated what he had said in Kirisubian in Hanese, just by the chance that one of these tall white-skinned barbarians might know the language of the Middle Kingdom.

"I understand fully" the Lady Kaede says in reply "you'll have no trouble from us as long as we aren't attacked "

She leaves with her samurai and returns to the ship telling her father the news.

"now we wait" he says.

By the fastest messengers and best chosen paths a quick message was sent to the Forbidden City. Because it bore the Imperial Seal, the message was not halted or taxed at points on the road; and when the rider entered the Royal Citadel he was ushered into a ante-chamber to speak with the Head of the Imperial Household, a magistrate who helped to manage Imperial affairs.

The man entered and the messenger bowed. He quickly explained to the chamberlin all that his master, the Governor of Canton, had said or described of the ship and who it held. The man's eyes widened and said that the messenger was good to have arrived so quickly. He dismissed the messenger and entered the Imperial Throne Room.

It was a great long hall, lined with silk tapestries, columns, guards, and courtiers. The chamberlin shuffled forward and bowed 30 paces away and said he had an urgent message from Canton. Emperor Shui Han Di motioned him forward, and took the message from the bent-over bowing man.

He quickly read it and his eyes widened with surprise. This was certainly a new development. He turned to his court. "I will retire to my chambers to consider this news from Canton. No one is to disturb me."

A short journey South and Gritsnak's Rading Party stopped, they came across a town which they were infamiliar with, these lands had once been Nomadic and even recorded as such on Toopish documents, this Town they had found was orderly, it had walls and a gate, suggesting an advanced culture, Gritsnak attempted to work out who the Town could belong to, first was the Frozopians, the town didn't match Frozopian architechture nor did it the Ostians, lastly was the Kirisubans, it matched in Gritsnaks mind and so he called out in Kirisuban.

"We are merchants of the Toopish realms come to trade in items!"

A short journey South and Gritsnak's Rading Party stopped, they came across a town which they were infamiliar with, these lands had once been Nomadic and even recorded as such on Toopish documents, this Town they had found was orderly, it had walls and a gate, suggesting an advanced culture, Gritsnak attempted to work out who the Town could belong to, first was the Frozopians, the town didn't match Frozopian architechture nor did it the Ostians, lastly was the Kirisubans, it matched in Gritsnaks mind and so he called out in Kirisuban.

"We are merchants of the Toopish realms come to trade in items!"

OOC: I'm guessing your riding in from the West?

Turning to the Kiriusban translator they had brought with them, David told him to translate that the Frozopians accepted. He also asked the translator to say if it would be easier if we only transported 20 men to Han Empire including David himself. The remaining men could stay offshore. It was going to be a long day, but David had orders to do what it takes.

OOC: I'm guessing your riding in from the West?

(OOC: North, going Southwards)

A short journey South and Gritsnak's Rading Party stopped, they came across a town which they were infamiliar with, these lands had once been Nomadic and even recorded as such on Toopish documents, this Town they had found was orderly, it had walls and a gate, suggesting an advanced culture, Gritsnak attempted to work out who the Town could belong to, first was the Frozopians, the town didn't match Frozopian architechture nor did it the Ostians, lastly was the Kirisubans, it matched in Gritsnaks mind and so he called out in Kirisuban.

"We are merchants of the Toopish realms come to trade in items!"

A Captain of the Imperial Wall Guard looked over the parapet. Fog smouldered around the wall on either side, giving the Great Wall a look of a small walled city.

He looked down at the party of mounted foreigners. He turned to a sentry and nodded. The man blew on a great horn. The call went up and sounded among the mountain. It was answered by neighboring barracks-towers along the wall.

The sentry turned to the captain. "Sir, I was in the Imperial School for a small time. That man was speaking in Kirisubian. I think he said something aobut trade." The captain ignored the comment as dozens of men rushed to the walls.

In a matter of moments 60 men with bows had their arrows trained on the mounted men. The captain stood up and leaned over the wall. He cried out in the language of the Tatars, the nomads who lived north of the wall, since these men had come from the north, they must be Tatars.

"You are not to move. You are coming to northern border of the Han Empire. If you wish entrance, you must dismount and lay down all your weapons."

The captain leaned back then spoke to his troops in Hanese. "Fire only when I order."

(OOC: oooh, this could get interesting, also my troops don't ride, they don't see the need in doing so)

"Whats did they say?"

Gritsnaks young apprentice asked as he stared up at the wall, Gritsnak remembered the language as being that of some nomadic tribes they had raided, he knew a little of the language but not a lot, from what he could understand these men wanted the Toops to lay down their weapons, with 60 bows aimed at them the Goblins wern't about to disobey, slowly they dropped their hatchets and axes, Gritsnak threw off his pistol, a gift from King Goredash, he spoke back in Tatar;

"We have complied, now let us trade."

The Emperor sat in his chambers speaking with the chamberlin. For the third time he had the man recount the tale that the messenger had brought. The man told how a woman, a daughter of some important Kirisubian official, had brought a message in well written Hanese saying that the Empire of Kirisubo wished to re-connect direct trade with the Han Empire.

The Emperor paced up and down, smoothing his fingers over his beard and mustache.

"To think! They would be so indecently rude!" he yelled aloud.

The small advisor nodded. "Indeed my Emperor. Not only did they not send it with an honorary official, but with a woman!"

The Emperor stormed over it pacing back and forth. "And they did not send any sort of gift to my person! No gift! These people have no manners!"

The man nodded, manuevering his Emperor's anger. "An insult to the Dragon Throne of Han."

Emperor Shui Han Di went to his far wall, a map of the world was there. He looked at the small gap of water between Kirisubo and Han. Han was much larger than Kirisubo and was not an isolated island.

He turned to the advisor. "How has General Shou Di's campaign in the peninsula (Korea) gone thus far? What new messages have we recieved?"

The advisor bowed and smiled. "My Lord General Shou Di has last reported four days ago. Thus far his army has conquered the full northern half of the peninsula, and is marching south as we speak to destroy the last efforts of resistance from a walled and well fortified city in the center of the peninsula. His report said that if the battle goes as it had at the city of Pyongyang, then he will have full control of the peninsula by this winter, four months from now."

The Emperor thought on that. He had given his generals, some of them, the task of expanding his Empire. Thus far on three fronts. That would occupy some 750,000 of his Imperial Army.

"What is the status on the Provincial Armies?" asked Shui Han Di.

"Each governor is charged with supplying and recruiting 100,000 soldiers to police and guard their respective provinces. There are 18 provinces. They are not as well equipted or trained as the Imperial Army, made up mostly of bowmen and pikemen," answered the advisor.

Shui Han Di went back to the map. If he could get the peninsula organized into a province quickly, it would free up General Shou Di's army. And a portion of the provincial army of the nearest province could police the area until further notice.

He turned to the advisor. "I will pen a reply to this Kirisubian messenger. I will invite them here to the Forbidden City. When this official and his escort leave Canton, have the Governor of Canton destroy the ship. Ships often sink in the sea."

The advisor smiled. "And the Kirisubo ambassador?"

"I will meet with them...or at least my soldiers will," said Shui Han Di.

(OOC: oooh, this could get interesting, also my troops don't ride, they don't see the need in doing so)

"Whats did they say?"

Gritsnaks young apprentice asked as he stared up at the wall, Gritsnak remembered the language as being that of some nomadic tribes they had raided, he knew a little of the language but not a lot, from what he could understand these men wanted the Toops to lay down their weapons, with 60 bows aimed at them the Goblins wern't about to disobey, slowly they dropped their hatchets and axes, Gritsnak threw off his pistol, a gift from King Goredash, he spoke back in Tatar;

"We have complied, now let us trade."

"Open the gate!" yelled the captain. Down in the forecourt of the small tower-fort that guarded the gate house a company of spearmen and swordsmen stood ready.

Four men went to the gate and hammered for some time at the four great wooden posts that kept the gate locked. They had not been moved for decades and took some time to remove. Then the iron portucullus was raised and the gate creaked open.

The archers kept their arrows aimed and swordsmen and others rushed out of the gate and formed a circle around the party. The captain on the wall called out in Tatar.

"Step away from your weapons, and leave your packs."

These people drove a hard bargain, in all the first contact situations that Gritsnak had been present none had been as paranoid as this, how he wished for a detachment of Noomians right now, he sighed and motioned for the troops to move back and ordered the Grobbles to drop thier packs full of weapons, he also nodded towards his apprentice who got ready with his knife, the motto amongst Raiders was "Urlways karree yur Knife!" If anything went wrong a Knife could always be useful.

These people drove a hard bargain, in all the first contact situations that Gritsnak had been present none had been as paranoid as this, how he wished for a detachment of Noomians right now, he sighed and motioned for the troops to move back and ordered the Grobbles to drop thier packs full of weapons, he also nodded towards his apprentice who got ready with his knife, the motto amongst Raiders was "Urlways karree yur Knife!" If anything went wrong a Knife could always be useful.

The captain nodded with approval as his order was carried out by the foreignors. He called out to the Lieutenant below in Hanese. "Move them to the side and have your men watch them carefully, then search them. Also search their packs and collect their weapons."

He then called out in Tatar. "You're being moved to that place there. You will be searched. If you fail to comply then you will be killed. If anyone of you has a hidden weapon they will be killed. Your packs will be searched and for the time being your weapons confiscated. These are our laws. It is not meant as an insult."

Dozens of spearmen herded the group away from their packs and weapons. Men went those and began searching through them, others went among the piles and picked up axes and other odd foreign weapons.

A few men stepped out of the ring of spears toward the foreignors. They began searching a man carefully.

Turning to the Kiriusban translator they had brought with them, David told him to translate that the Frozopians accepted. He also asked the translator to say if it would be easier if we only transported 20 men to Han Empire including David himself. The remaining men could stay offshore. It was going to be a long day, but David had orders to do what it takes.

The captain yelled back a negative. "You will all be taken ashore for inspection! No exceptions. This is the law of our land." Several small wooden bridges were cast over the side and dozens of Han soldiers walked aboard the foreign ship. They kept their weapons in their shealthes.

The captian called out. "My men will be escorting you to the mainland."

Several of the other ships came about and took positions around the ship. Archers on other ships had their bows out and ready. These men had faced pirates and outlaws before and were wary of anything new.

Hiding his annoyance, David decided to let the men aboard. Turning to the Kiriusban translator, he made it clear to the Han soldiers that they had several gifts below deck to be handed to the Emperor.

He also indicated to his men to keep their weapons down, and to drop them when ordered.

Gritsnak snarled as he saw weapons get tossed aside, some of the items were fragile and expensive, but he had no time to worry about the loot's safety, he had been told that hidden weapons would not be tolerated, this scene could begin to get messy, he turned to look at one of the little Grobble's, he pointed at the apprentices knife and the Grobble quickly did it's task in leaping up and grabbing the Knife, the loss of a Grobble was little compared to the loss of a hardy warrior.

Gritsnak snarled as he saw weapons get tossed aside, some of the items were fragile and expensive, but he had no time to worry about the loot's safety, he had been told that hidden weapons would not be tolerated, this scene could begin to get messy, he turned to look at one of the little Grobble's, he pointed at the apprentices knife and the Grobble quickly did it's task in leaping up and grabbing the Knife, the loss of a Grobble was little compared to the loss of a hardy warrior.

Two guards found a knife on one of the foreigners. "He has a knife!" one yelled. Three men with quick motions drew their swords and in a single stroke from each cut the man to pieces.

Other Han soldiers held their spears and swords in guard position, more wary now. The captain frowned. He yelled down to the Lieutenant. "Have your men withdraw back inside. Take their weapons, but leave their packs."

The order was carried out. The confiscated weapons went first through the gate, then the Han soldiers backed out, weapons facing the strangers. They went through and the gates closed.

The captain called out in Tatar. "You have shown yourselves to hold weapons when given a simple order. You are barred from entering the Han Empire, whether wishing for trade or no. If you do not leave back from where you can you will be killed. Take your things and leave."

Gritsnak was shocked as he saw his pistol vanish beyond the wall, he needed that weapon back from these petty thieves, they had dis-honoured the Raiders code and bought shame upon the Raider group by stealing weaponary, the Grobbles went off collecting the packs of weapons and silks as Gritsnak ordered his men back, the Toop Moon will return.

Hiding his annoyance, David decided to let the men aboard. Turning to the Kiriusban translator, he made it clear to the Han soldiers that they had several gifts below deck to be handed to the Emperor.

He also indicated to his men to keep their weapons down, and to drop them when ordered.


It took little time to bring the ship into the harbor of the port city of Nanjing. The large fortified city sat on a outcrop of hard rock into the city. Two great towers with walls connecting to the city curtain wall guarded the entrance to the harbor. A red rocket was fired into the air by one of the captains to signal that it was safe and that the guard ships were returning.

Several larger Junks, some 400ft long and many paces wide sat nearby, thier sides crowded with sailors who were curious to see the new foreign ship.

The ship was guided to a long wharf. It docked next to the captain's ship that had stood by as Han guards from the land transfered to the ship. A guard who spoke Kirisubian spoke to the captain of the foreign ship.

"Sir, your men are to leave this ship and go ashore. You are to leave all weapons behind and bring none that are hidden. Your ship will be searched, but nothing will be destroyed or stolen. This is simply our law."

One the wharf several hundred soldiers in the livery of the local governor and with the Imperial seal waited to guard the foreigners as they came off the ship.

Gritsnak was shocked as he saw his pistol vanish beyond the wall, he needed that weapon back from these petty thieves, they had dis-honoured the Raiders code and bought shame upon the Raider group by stealing weaponary, the Grobbles went off collecting the packs of weapons and silks as Gritsnak ordered his men back, the Toop Moon will return.

The captain watched as the group of foreigners dispeared over the horizon to the North. He nodded and walked down to the courtyard. He stopped by the lieutenant. "Double the watch for the next three weeks." The man nodded and started up the steps that the captain had come down. Several other soldiers followed him.

The captain went to the pile of weapons sitting in the courtyard. He looked through them. They were a collection of iron swords, crudely made, barelly more useful than plow shears. A few axes where there, unique items that might be worthy of study. He then found the pistol. He noticed that it was a much more mobile version of the cannons that he employed form the Imperial Arms Depot. He ordered a messenger to be readied. He had a man go out of the gate to the now dead corpse. He cut the head from it and stuffed it into a bag.

The captain handed the messenger the head, the pistol, and a written report of the event. He ordered the man to report to the provincial governor and then to the Forbidden City.

David told the man once again about the gifts, and then ordered his men to leave their weapons onboard the ship. No secret weapons was something he made clear. Hiding his distaste at being treated so disgustingly, he also asked If he could meet someone to discuss future ties between Frozopia and the Han Empire....

David told the man once again about the gifts, and then ordered his men to leave their weapons onboard the ship. No secret weapons was something he made clear. Hiding his distaste at being treated so disgustingly, he also asked If he could meet someone to discuss future ties between Frozopia and the Han Empire....

Harbor Magistrate Shou Fu Hei walked forward to the group of foreigners. He walked up to the man was obviously the captain. The aged man was wearing his official robes and glided over to the man.

He bowed and spoke in fluent Kirisubian. "Welcome to the Empire of Han, land of the Son of Heaven, Emperor Shui Han Di. I apoligize for your handling, however it is our law to search any ships that are strange to us. It is how we protect ourselves from outside influences such as pirates or smugglers."

Behind them the Han soldiers were filing off the ship. The captain of the guard reported to another and handed him a scroll with a list of all contents aboard ship. The man brought the scroll over to the magistrate who read it.

He looked up at the foreign captain. "Your ship seems to be carrying nothing of danger, and you to be who you say you are." He bowed again, as did all the men along the wharf. They rose again.

"Welcome again. Your men are free to go back aboard your ship. If you wish to discuss a possible trade or other things, I will escort you to the citadel." he motioned to the large citadel behind them.

OOC: David is a lord. The captain runs the ship. Different people

IC:
"Yes. Trade is one of the reasons we are here, but there are others. I have been sent here by my king Clauro of Frozopia, a land to the north of here."

OOC: David is a lord. The captain runs the ship. Different people

IC:
"Yes. Trade is one of the reasons we are here, but there are others. I have been sent here by my king Clauro of Frozopia, a land to the north of here."

Shou Fu Hei nodded. The man spoke through a translator, which somtimes was needed, but Fu Hei always found it tiring.

"I am not a man to discuss such things, they are not of my station. All you need do is let me bring you to the Governor of Nanjing, Ling Han Di, a distant relation to our Emperor. With him can you discuss such things. Your men can wait aboard ship now, and I will lead you to my Lord," said Shou Fu Hei. He bowed and turned leaving a hand to his side showing that the man known as Lord Day-vid, a strange name, was allowed to walk on.

David followed, waving goodbye to his men. His Kiriusban translator followed. An interesting people.....

back in Canton harbour the Kirisubans were making the best off it. Not being able to get ashore they relaxed on the deck on their ship. They could wait for a few weeks without risking a typhoon on the return trip.

the Kirisuban flag of the red sun on a black field fluttered proudly from the tallest mast. a kirisuban vessel hadn't been in Han port in a century but there would be more if all worked out.

If it didn't the Kirisuban Empire could be patient. Emperors changed and another chance would present itself later.

ooc: the Honshu is a Lorca, a Kirisuban hull with western rigging and two masts.

the way the initial invitation was presented is the way Kirisubans work, with an initial contact before a formal meeting with all the trappings. you should also be aware that the General, his daughter and his 20 guards are all samurai and they cannot surrender their wapons or leave them on the ship. To be disarmed is a severe dishonour for the warrior class. They also follow the code of bushido.

back in Canton harbour the Kirisubans were making the best off it. Not being able to get ashore they relaxed on the deck on their ship. They could wait for a few weeks without risking a typhoon on the return trip.

the Kirisuban flag of the red sun on a black field fluttered proudly from the tallest mast. a kirisuban vessel hadn't been in Han port in a century but there would be more if all worked out.

If it didn't the Kirisuban Empire could be patient. Emperors changed and another chance would present itself later.

ooc: the Honshu is a Lorca, a Kirisuban hull with western rigging and two masts.

the way the initial invitation was presented is the way Kirisubans work, with an initial contact before a formal meeting with all the trappings. you should also be aware that the General, his daughter and his 20 guards are all samurai and they cannot surrender their wapons or leave them on the ship. To be disarmed is a severe dishonour for the warrior class. They also follow the code of bushido.


OOC: What is my name!? I know all that. And well, the way Kirisubans work is different from the way in which Hanese work. :)

IC:

The Governor of Canton sent a messenger to the wharf where the Kirisuban vessel lay at anchor. He formally invited the Kirisuban Lord General, his daughter, and his escort to come and dine at his hall.

A small red-silk robed court official delivered the message bowing humbly to the samurai guard who took the message.

The Kirisuban General listened to his samurai and tells him "we'll accept"

He goes to the messenger, bows and says "I would be honoured to accept the governors invitation. When do we dine?"

General Loa Shang and Han Li sat next to each other atop their horses. The stood by the World Mountain pass that their combined armies was passing through. They had marched south from the Forbidden City and made good time along the paved Imperial Roads and the governor Ling Hu of the province they had just left had offered quick assistence to the Imperial army.

They were now in barbarian lands. (what is modern thailand, Laos, and eastern india)

Their 560,000 man army had made slow time coming through the pass. Cavalry had scouted several miles out from pass and had run into small villages. They had taken only a short time to learn the local dialect, which was not unfamilar to their own language. They learned that the nearest city that held power over the area was called Lampang. The locals said that the king of the city had a large army at his command and that his city was larger than the fields around them.

The scouts had reported all this to Lao Shang and Han Li. They both agreed that in order to conquer the area they had to take that city. Once done, Imperial magistrates and other coutiers would come, as well as teachers, builders and peasents, and civilize these people for their own good and turn the area into a province of the Han Empire.

However a second city had been named by the local peasents. The city was called Bangkok. It was far to the south, more south than the Generals in the Forbidden City had orginally planned to invade and conquer.

"Should we divide the army?" asked Lao Shang again.

Han Li thought about it. " Sun Tzu would not have liked it if his two pupils found themselves at this indecision."

"True...then let us first conquer this city of Lampang, then move south. We should send a messenger to the Emperor as well concerning this," said Lao Shang.

"Indeed," said Han Li. They nodded to each other and watched as hundreds of companies marched forth from the pass into the open plain of the south.


The walled city of Lampang was a smouldering ruin upon the open plain of the land. The once proud gate that had been so bravely defended was surrounded by dead Han soldiers and soldiers of Lampang. The city had stood up to the siege for two weeks before the massive bombardment of missiles had taken it's toll on the city and the massive charges of Han soldiers managed to take the walls.

General Han Li and Lao Shang stood by their command tent watching as the Han Imperial banner was lifted above the keep of the city citadel.

"It has cost us at least 3,000 men to take this city," said Lao Shang conversationally.

Han Li lifted an eyebrow at the general and nodded. "These were a good and strong people. We are honored by their bravery."

"Indeed, they were very brave. Has Captain Qui Di reported in yet?" asked Lao Shang. The captain had been given command of a large force to establish a defensive position on the river that would mark the new northern border of the province and land they were conquering.

Han Li looked down at a scroll in his hand. "Yes, he says that he has reached the river and it one by one taking all the small villages and towns along it. But he says that the 10,000 troops we gave him may not be sufficient."

Lao Shang smiled. "Very ambitious man, Captain Qui is."

"But he gets the job down. Now, let us go. I have recieved scout reports on the route we must take down to the city of Bangkok. Once we take that city, this land will be ours," said Han Li. Both generals looked once more at the burning city and then retired into their tents.

The sack of the city continued for some time into the next few days.

The Kirisuban General listened to his samurai and tells him "we'll accept"

He goes to the messenger, bows and says "I would be honoured to accept the governors invitation. When do we dine?"

"An escort will arrive at the evening to bring you to the palace," said the messenger. He bowed again and then turned and walked away down the wharf.

ooc: unlikely i'm going to get in on this one, obviously, but this is the easyest way to keep track of events. interest tag goes here.

"How has General Shou Di's campaign in the peninsula (Korea) gone thus far? What new messages have we recieved?"

The advisor bowed and smiled. "My Lord General Shou Di has last reported four days ago. Thus far his army has conquered the full northern half of the peninsula, and is marching south as we speak to destroy the last efforts of resistance from a walled and well fortified city in the center of the peninsula. His report said that if the battle goes as it had at the city of Pyongyang, then he will have full control of the peninsula by this winter, four months from now."


Cold mountain air blew south through the passes behind the Imperial Army. It had been two weeks since the destruction of Pyongyang. After it Shou Di had left a thousand men to garrison the city and rebuild it. After that he turned his large force south to the mountain passes.

Scouts had discovered a second pass, other than the one his cavalry commander had found when they had chased messenger running from Pyongyang, further to the south-west. Splitting his army in two Shou Di had ordered it to form together on the other side.

That had been two weeks prior to where they were now. Shou Di had gone with the larger force through the first pass and it took them 7 days to traverse its winding passage before they finally came to the end of it and were able to come out onto a grassy plain. Evidence of the coming winter had caused a cold sickness to spread among the army for a time, and large portions of the men were still suffering from the evident cough and runny nose.

The Second army had arrived two days previously, and late. They had encountered a force of several thousand enemy soldiers defending the exit to the pass. Shou Di's commander had forced his way through, pushing the defenders from the mouth and further south. But since most of the cavalry was with Shou Di they were not able to persue the enemy which retreated south.

Now the army sat in a wide grassy plain. A nearby river provided the army, as did the large forest to the north east. Engineers were busy felling hundreds of trees, making more ballistas and catapults for the coming siege of Seoule.

Seoule, Shou Di's scouts found, was even more heavelly defended than Shou Di had expected. The castle stood with a river winding around it on three sides, and hilly terrain to the north of it, where his army had to pass, not to mention crossing a first river to get to the city. Shou Di's supply train was keeping the army fed with things taken off the land and from the trickle of pack animals that came down from the north, but Shou Di did not want to thik of what would happen should an enemy force cut his supply lines.

To guard against such a thing, Shou Di had set 3,000 men to guard each mountain pass north to Pyongyang. He had sent a message to the Emperor with his details, but had yet to recieve any more orders, so he kept on going with his original orders.

Shou Di rubbed his eyes and forehead as he sat at his desk inside his command tent. They would be crossing the river the next day and then marching to the city. The last defense of the misreable peninsula. He put aside his worry and weariness and went back to work. He issued more orders, and had the cavalry make fordings across the river to establish themselves so the enemy did not defend against them. He didn't want a massacre of his men while crossing.

Lord General Muira Takeshi and Lady Akechi Kaede got bathed and changed for the governors dinner and waited with a samurai guard on the deck.

the young Kaede, still only 17 years old watched the comings and going in the port dressed in a pale blue silk kimomo and a dark blue obi tied at the back.

the general wore a dark blue silk kimono with black hakama and his two swords. he wore his hair as a top knot and looked older than his 40 years, some signs of grey in his hair.

the samurai was wearing light bamboo armour and was wearing his daisho as well, his kimono a dark bown colour and wearing matching hakama.

they may not have been able to leave the ship but Kaede had talked to a portugese silk merchant and he told her rumours of an invasion of Chosen (Korea) by Han troops.

the general knew he would have to be even more carefull now if the Han Kingdom was at war. This might derail his mission but he still had to try even if it cost him his life and the lives of his crew. Even his young daughters life.

Kaede was one off the most talented translators working in the bakafu apart from Akechi Mariko. There was some rivalry between them since Mariko knew more languages but Kaede still knew Latin, Hanese and Portugese which were hard tongues to master.

She sat on the deck and meditated while he waited knowing this was going to be more than just a meal..

Lord General Muira Takeshi and Lady Akechi Kaede got bathed and changed for the governors dinner and waited with a samurai guard on the deck.

the young Kaede, still only 17 years old watched the comings and going in the port dressed in a pale blue silk kimomo and a dark blue obi tied at the back.

the general wore a dark blue silk kimono with black hakama and his two swords. he wore his hair as a top knot and looked older than his 40 years, some signs of grey in his hair.

the samurai was wearing light bamboo armour and was wearing his daisho as well, his kimono a dark bown colour and wearing matching hakama.

they may not have been able to leave the ship but Kaede had talked to a portugese silk merchant and he told her rumours of an invasion of Chosen (Korea) by Han troops.

the general knew he would have to be even more carefull now if the Han Kingdom was at war. This might derail his mission but he still had to try even if it cost him his life and the lives of his crew. Even his young daughters life.

Kaede was one off the most talented translators working in the bakafu apart from Akechi Mariko. There was some rivalry between them since Mariko knew more languages but Kaede still knew Latin, Hanese and Portugese which were hard tongues to master.

She sat on the deck and meditated while he waited knowing this was going to be more than just a meal..
At the designated hour another silk robed official and 40 armed guards appeared on the wharf. The official bowed to the Lady Kaede.

''If you will follow me, I will now take you to the Governor's palace,'' said the small man.

updated and replied

Kaede bows and replies influent hanese "we'll follow"

She follows behind her father and the lone samurai walks beside her. Hanese guards are all around them.

Trusting the official to lead the way they continue to follow through the streets off the port.

The official led his party to a small square in the rode. There several sedan chairs were waiting. The official bowed the Kirisubans into them. Their carriers hefted them and the party started once more forward.

They went through the queiting streets of the city, the days market trading already over. After dozens of minutes they came to the gate of the ccity citadel. The tall 15ft iron gate was standing open. Four guards stood next to it. When the party arrived the guards searched it and then allowed them to pass through. They turned right and went through several different twists, turns, and smaller gates until they finally came to the main castle courtyard. There they came to a large stone staircase that led up to the doors of the keep.

The sedan chairs stopped and their carriers held open the sides as their occupants stepped out. The court official and his charges started up the steps and came to the doors. The samurai guards followed along with a small group of Hanese soldiers.

Once inside they found themselves in a large ante-chamber like place. It had a dozen fire places, doors leading off in dozens of directions, and several clerks desks sitting at the edges.

The official stopped and turned to the General. He bowed. "Sir, I would ask if perhaps you would allow for your escort to follow some of our soldiers to their own eating hall. There they can stay until you summon them for returning to your ship."

General Muira waited for his daughters translation and through her agreed.

He called over the lone samurai who had went with them and sent him on the the Han soldiers.

the warrior bows before leaving, both his katana and wakizashi clearly visible to his fellow warriors.

The official waited until the samurai guard had left with three other Hanese soldiers into a side door to their right. He bowed to the General and then waved them on. Another man similarly dressed walked forward from large red doors and bowed.

"Greetings to Lord General Muira Takeshi, and his daughter Lady Akechi, on behalf of Governor Zi Hou Dang, overlord and ruler of the city of Canton. If you will follow me..."

He bowed again and turned. The General and his daughter bowed in return, less as low, and followed him. Two soldiers opened the great red doors and they entered.

They came into a great long hall. It was high roofed, taller than the walls of the city. Eight great pillars, each decorated with carved flowers and animals of Han, stood in two rows of four on the left and right. Between them, and sunk several levels of stairs was a great long table. At it's head sat a small man, shorter in stature than those around him, but had great wide shoulders and was compact. He had a trident beard and short cropped hair under a cap of silver silk. He wore a silver robe as well and a great golden chair with a red Dragon ruby on it.

He stood, as did several other seated men, and waited as the General and his daughter came forward. He bowed to each of them in turn.

"Welcome to my hall General Muira Takeshi, I hope you are fit to dine with me."

Both kirisuban nobles bow in return and the General replies in kirisuban with Kaede translating.

"thank you Governor Zi Hou Dang" he replies "our journey was long and we had a run in with a typhoon on the way as well. We are fit and hope that the gods will also grant you good health as well.

I bring greetings from my people as well as news off a gift for the Son of Heaven. In our hold are valuable items I'm sure he'll find useful"

Both kirisuban nobles bow in return and the General replies in kirisuban with Kaede translating.

"thank you Governor Zi Hou Dang" he replies "our journey was long and we had a run in with a typhoon on the way as well. We are fit and hope that the gods will also grant you good health as well.

I bring greetings from my people as well as news off a gift for the Son of Heaven. In our hold are valuable items I'm sure he'll find useful"

The governor nodded. "All in good time my dear General," said Zi Hou Dang in accented Kirisuban. He smiled when he saw the man'd surprise. He had been trained with a merchant from the far West who had known many languages and traded with different lands.

He motioned them to take seats. Once they had he clapped his hands. Doors from either side opened and servants entered carrying trays of food and bottles of wine.

The brought them forward and set them down. Hou Dang took a glass of wine and toasted his guests. "Health and long life."

The servants revealed a great feast of golden capron (a type of delicate chicken), bowls of steaming white rice, great dishes of vegetables, fresh fruits from the south.

Hau Dang had his guests served and then they began eating.

The Kirisubans echo the toast, decline the chicken and settle for the rice and a bowl of vegetables each. they also take a small bowl of sliced fruit as well.

Reverting to Kirisuban General Muira says "I thought you may appreciate a little touch of Kirisubo"

Kaede takes two small clay flasks out off her obi and gives them to the governor bowing.

"since you know my language I'm also sure you would like some sake to help the dinner along"

Keade also presents him with a fan made from red silk, the spines of the fan made from gold.

"This is to thank you for passing our request onto the Son of Heaven. i'm sure as Daimyo of this region you have a lot of people to deal with"

A squadron of four Valgardian battleships approached a Chinese harbor after a very long journey which had begun all the way back in the city of Valgard, Norway. The ships after the long track across the Pacific had not been able to restock their supplies sufficiently or been able to repair the small amounts of damage done to their ship by a few small storms. Yet despite this the crew and ship were still strong and willing to continue their journey as the first ships to circle across the world.

As the ships came closer to the harbor they lowered their flags to half mast as a sign they came in peace and that they wanted to enter the harbor. The squadron then lowered their iron anchors to await response from the local authorities that they either were not welcome of that it was okay to enter the harbor.

A squadron of four Valgardian battleships approached a Chinese harbor after a very long journey which had begun all the way back in the city of Valgard, Norway. The ships after the long track across the Pacific had not been able to restock their supplies sufficiently or been able to repair the small amounts of damage done to their ship by a few small storms. Yet despite this the crew and ship were still strong and willing to continue their journey as the first ships to circle across the world.

As the ships came closer to the harbor they lowered their flags to half mast as a sign they came in peace and that they wanted to enter the harbor. The squadron then lowered their iron anchors to await response from the local authorities that they either were not welcome of that it was okay to enter the harbor.

From the great harbor of Nanjing sailed three large Emperor-class battleships, each 400ft long and 40ft high and wide. Around them came dozens of smaller coastal vessels. The formed a cirlce around four large foreign vessels and held ready rockets and fiery arrows from archers.

The captain of one of the lead ships saw the foreign ships flags and banners a half-mast. He was unsure of what this meant. "Send a signal to all other ships. Halt at present location and do not move forward."

He waited until his order was followed then he turned to his signal men. "Wave a series of messages with a white banner. See if they respond in like-wise manner."

The four Valgardian ships that were each 360 feet long, 65 feet high to the deck, and 80 feet wide responded by closing their gun ways. As well they replied to the flag signals by waving a white flag is the same. Yet all soldiers were ordered to go on deck and into formation as a sign of respect to there foreigners.

The admiral of the fleet yelled on his flag ship, characterized by its bronze ram, to his sailors,” Clean this ship so that if we have visitors this ship looks dignified and proper. As you all also know that we tale pride in our peoples cleanliness.”

After the sailors on his ship and all the others got about to dealing with any rubbish and to cleaning the deck with mops and water. As the sailors were doing this the soldiers kept in perfect military formation wearing their Valgardian forged armor, while standing perfectly still without so much as a sneeze or cough.

Interest tag. My diplomacy should occur in Aust (I hope).

The four Valgardian ships that were each 360 feet long, 65 feet high to the deck, and 80 feet wide responded by closing their gun ways. As well they replied to the flag signals by waving a white flag is the same. Yet all soldiers were ordered to go on deck and into formation as a sign of respect to there foreigners.

The admiral of the fleet yelled on his flag ship, characterized by its bronze ram, to his sailors,” Clean this ship so that if we have visitors this ship looks dignified and proper. As you all also know that we tale pride in our peoples cleanliness.”

After the sailors on his ship and all the others got about to dealing with any rubbish and to cleaning the deck with mops and water. As the sailors were doing this the soldiers kept in perfect military formation wearing their Valgardian forged armor, while standing perfectly still without so much as a sneeze or cough.


A small Sloop vessel came forward, its mast bearing a great white banner. It sailed up to one of the lead barbarian ships. On that ship were three of the best Imperial translators that could be found post-haste.

The ship came close up to the large pig of a vessel, the captain of the sloop thinking about how she must wallow in storms and unkind seas, much like their own Emperor-class ships did.

One translator stepped up on the quater deck and shouted out in several different languages. "Ahoy! We wish to come aboard to inspect you! You are to drop or leave below all arms! Do not resist, these are the laws of our land!"

The Kirisubans echo the toast, decline the chicken and settle for the rice and a bowl of vegetables each. they also take a small bowl of sliced fruit as well.

Reverting to Kirisuban General Muira says "I thought you may appreciate a little touch of Kirisubo"

Kaede takes two small clay flasks out off her obi and gives them to the governor bowing.

"since you know my language I'm also sure you would like some sake to help the dinner along"

Keade also presents him with a fan made from red silk, the spines of the fan made from gold.

"This is to thank you for passing our request onto the Son of Heaven. i'm sure as Daimyo of this region you have a lot of people to deal with"

Governor Hau Dang took the two bottles and smiled. His aide next to him poured two glasses, each from a different bottle and immediately drank them.

There they sat for 15 minutes until the aide was satisfied that they were not poisoned. Then he poured one for the governor and his guests.

Hau Dang bowed slightly. "I apoligize for such rudness, but such attempts on my life have happened in the past and I am always careful with my health.

"I am curious as to the events now taking place in Kirisubo. I had heard that your lands were in the midst of civil war last I heard, from a merchant some 30 years ago."


Outside the palace

With night taking its hold over the sky the wharf was slowly being lighted with candles and lanterns. The Han guards of the Kirisuban ship were watchful and did not converse with the samurai who were equally watchful, simply staring at the different parties.

Unoticed by either were the three blackened figures swimming from the harbor in the shadows silently.

The came to the boat and were next to it. As one then went under, long bamboo poles sticking up for air. They carried large screws with which they began drilling a hole in the keel of the ship. The wood was thick and would take them about 20 minutes.

"I accept your apology. Assasination attempts are part of the risk of wielding power" General Muira replies.

"The civil war is over and Katsushiro sama of the clan Miromuta is now the Shogun. We have a new ruling council and we are able to open up to other nations and explore again.

Hence why I represent my nation here. Normalisation of trade is only a beginning since old quarrels and mistrusts still remain between our Empires.

We have so much in common and the region is changing fast. unless we can adapt the foreigners will gain more and more footholds and maybe eventually take over parts of our nations. Already the Ostians have come from the west and the Frozopians from the frozen north.

My Shogun approved an alliance with both these nations for mutual defence and trade purposes."

Kaede eats some vegetables and rice quietly now she knows she's not needed to translate the governors words.

###

down below in the hull a pair of Kirisuban crewmen are trying to find the rats behind the chewing of the sacks of rice.

armed with broad faced shovels they carefully move sacks and chests and whack a large rat when they find it.

the flattened rodent is left until the rest can be found but one of them says to his collleague "you hear that sound. rats don't sound like that"

"I accept your apology. Assasination attempts are part of the risk of wielding power" General Muira replies.

"The civil war is over and Katsushiro sama of the clan Miromuta is now the Shogun. We have a new ruling council and we are able to open up to other nations and explore again.

Hence why I represent my nation here. Normalisation of trade is only a beginning since old quarrels and mistrusts still remain between our Empires.

We have so much in common and the region is changing fast. unless we can adapt the foreigners will gain more and more footholds and maybe eventually take over parts of our nations. Already the Ostians have come from the west and the Frozopians from the frozen north.

My Shogun approved an alliance with both these nations for mutual defence and trade purposes."

Kaede eats some vegetables and rice quietly now she knows she's not needed to translate the governors words.

###

down below in the hull a pair of Kirisuban crewmen are trying to find the rats behind the chewing of the sacks of rice.

armed with broad faced shovels they carefully move sacks and chests and whack a large rat when they find it.

the flattened rodent is left until the rest can be found but one of them says to his collleague "you hear that sound. rats don't sound like that"


"Indeed, such civil society that evoles after a dreadful civil war is usually very precious. As was our own after our great nation unified some 200 years ago."

They continued eating and the Governor continued to entertain his guests.

----

At the appointed time several dozen Han Guards, disguised in rags and unmarked uniforms, appeared on the wharf. The uniformed Han Guards yelled for them to back away. They charged and killed the six or seven guards and attempted the board the samurai vessel.

the 19 remaining samurai on board reached for bows and drew swords ready to repel what they though were bandits. (10 of them have bows and the rest their swords. they have light bamboo armour on).

"Keep one bandit alive" their Captain orders as the samurai on the upper deck of the ship fire two volleys of arrows at their attackers. the other samurai hang back ready to defend their ship. the remaining 20 crew scramble to retrieve their various melee weapons and wait on the their Captains orders.

ooc: given thats its close range and well lit quite a few attackers might fall before they get aboard. the gang plank can only take one man at a time.


###

dinner continues with General Muira and the Governor enjoying the meal, some good company and the sake. Lady Kaede says very little knowing her place and how it would look bad for her father if she expressed any ideas of her own over dinner.

A small Sloop vessel came forward, its mast bearing a great white banner. It sailed up to one of the lead barbarian ships. On that ship were three of the best Imperial translators that could be found post-haste.

The ship came close up to the large pig of a vessel, the captain of the sloop thinking about how she must wallow in storms and unkind seas, much like their own Emperor-class ships did.

One translator stepped up on the quater deck and shouted out in several different languages. "Ahoy! We wish to come aboard to inspect you! You are to drop or leave below all arms! Do not resist, these are the laws of our land!"When the Han translator began to speak Latin one of the Valgardian lieutenants was able to understand him. The captain noticing that lieutenant understood him brought him on deck and had him say in Latin,” We are willing to let you come aboard and examine our ship. Yet as for my soldiers they will be sent below still armed, but they will be kept below and only unarmed individuals, except, the captain will remain above deck.”

Upon giving hand gesture all the soldiers and armed sailors were sent below deck. Then a gangway was lowered in order so that the sloop would be able to send people aboard. Yet the captain did not like the sight of them being surrounded by these short lived people.

the 19 remaining samurai on board reached for bows and drew swords ready to repel what they though were bandits. (10 of them have bows and the rest their swords. they have light bamboo armour on).

"Keep one bandit alive" their Captain orders as the samurai on the upper deck of the ship fire two volleys of arrows at their attackers. the other samurai hang back ready to defend their ship. the remaining 20 crew scramble to retrieve their various melee weapons and wait on the their Captains orders.

ooc: given thats its close range and well lit quite a few attackers might fall before they get aboard. the gang plank can only take one man at a time.


###

dinner continues with General Muira and the Governor enjoying the meal, some good company and the sake. Lady Kaede says very little knowing her place and how it would look bad for her father if she expressed any ideas of her own over dinner.


"...and then the Mongol said: 'So thats how you use it.' Ahahaha!" They all laughed at the Governor's joke. The sake had a small affect on him, but he drank sparingly, wanting to keep his wits sharp about him.

------

Arrows scythed through the attackers, momentarily halting their advance. A few lunged javelins into the ship, planting them among the crew and samurai.

Suddenly more Han soldiers came from the wharf. A company at least, the front rows had bows. In ordered parade ground action they lined up, drew, and loosed their arrows.

The last of the attackers fell with arrows in their backs.


The three darkened men came up next to the boat, their job finished, and then dove under water again and swam away.

OOC: yea, just now your ship has a really big hole in its keel below the water line, meaning I think, that your ship will stay afloat for a short time.

the samurai captain wishes the Lady Kaede was here so he could make himself understood to the the Han soldiers.

he walks down the gang plank and examines one of the fallen enemy. no uniforms and there was too many of them to be bandits. something else was going on. He called down a samurai and approached the officer in charge of the new arrivals.

"thank you for turning up when you did" he says in Kirisuban "I've never heard off bandits attacking a ship in a harbour before but your assistance was welcome"

the ships doctor and treat the Kirisuban wounded and the rat catchers get back to their job.

their feet feel slightly wet when they reach the hold and the one with the lantern eventually locates the hole after moving more sacks and chests.

"we're sinking" one tells the ships captain "i'll show you".

the Captain follows and orders the chests brought to the upper deck and the ships carpenter to get busy on repairing the hole. He could see the drill holes and curses. a dry dock would be needed to repair this and he doubted the Han would give them one.

Never the less he takes spare pieces off planking and nails them down over sacking as a temporary repair which would keep the ship afloat for a while. He then makes his report to the captain whose looking more worried. He would have to ask the Han for help and hoped the Lord General and his daughter would return before too long to sort this out.

buckets are passed up and down so they can bail out the sea water and the supplies are moved up to the top deck as well.

OOC: a method used for running repairs in Napoleonic times was to position a bit of canvas _outside_ the hole and let water pressure coming in press it across the hole. Won't stop the water, but will slow it a lot. If you want to research it, I think the term is 'fothering', but I may be mistaken.
HTH

The Han guards stepped up the ships boarding ramp, one of the captains called out in Kirisuban. "We need to inspect your ship! This is to make sure there are no more bandits. We ask if you samurai and crew will come onto the wharf!"

The Samurai, Captain Yoshinaka is wary of letting Han troops on the Imperial Navy Ship but has no choice. the ships Captain thinks the same.

"Honourable Captain" he replies "there are no bandits on this ship. they're on the wharf either dead or dying. If you do want to check don't disturb the chests. They're the gifts for your emperor."

The Ships Captain adds "Our hull was breached when holes were drilled into it. We need a dry dock to repair the hull before the ship sinks"

Captain Yoshinaka leads his crew and samurai off the ship, the injured men being carried by their colleagues.

The Han captain led the crew and samurai down the wharf to a small courtyard. "You can wait here until we've finished with our search. You'll be safe here, and I will send for doctors for your wounded."

While the Kirisubans had been led away a group of soldiers armed with axes and hachets went aboard. They walked into the ships of the ship and began hacking at the side, putting large holes into the sides. As they came up out of the ship they brought the chests and gear the samurai had left.


Without pretext the gate to the courtyard was closed and locked, its 10ft high spiked gate shutting the samurai and the ships crew in there. Archers appeared on the walls around the courtyard and starting firing into the mass of samurai.

some samurai got off a few arrows in reply but these were ineffective. the warriors were soon dead.

The crew realising that they also about to die knelt and commended their souls to the Kami and the Buddah. they knew they would be avenged in their next reincarnation or a future one.

the Chiang Lung was listing already and doomed to sink.

###

Back at the governors palace General Muira and his daughter were totally unaware of the events in the harbour.

The meal completed the General says "Honourable Governor, we should be getting back to our ship. Captain Yoshinaka worries a lot about us"


ooc: would there have been any witnesses from other ships in the dock? I'm wondering how this will be explained..

some samurai got off a few arrows in reply but these were ineffective. the warriors were soon dead.

The crew realising that they also about to die knelt and commended their souls to the Kami and the Buddah. they knew they would be avenged in their next reincarnation or a future one.

the Chiang Lung was listing already and doomed to sink.

###

Back at the governors palace General Muira and his daughter were totally unaware of the events in the harbour.

The meal completed the General says "Honourable Governor, we should be getting back to our ship. Captain Yoshinaka worries a lot about us"


ooc: would there have been any witnesses from other ships in the dock? I'm wondering how this will be explained..

ooc: Theres no witnesses. And this is ancient times, not all journeys by sea always make it to their destination. You yourself mentioned a taifun that your ship sailed through. Its quite easy to guess your ship went down in it in your journey form the mainland Kirisubo. Especially if there is no record of you being in Han.

IC:

A Han captain opened up the gate and dozens of spearmen came in around him. Methodically they went among the bodies and stabbed each in the chest, testing to see if all were dead.

The captain watched as the archers were sent back to their regular posts. A junior officer came up to him.

"Sir, the ship is half-way sunk, and we have all their precious holdings as well."

"Good, have some men with oil and torches light the ship on fire."

"What? But-"

"Do it. Our orders are to leave no evidence. One you've done that get a peasant to cart all these bodies out of the city to the old mine shaft. Have the bodies and everything burned, then thrown into the earth."

"Yes sir."

The officer ran away to carry out his orders.

----

Governor Hau Dang nodded. A servant came forward and bent to wisper in his ear. He nodded and stood up, holding forth his goblet. "To new beginnings and new friends!" They echoed what the governor said and drank.


Hau Dang turned and walked up the steps away from his guests, then turned. "Oh, before I forget, I have a gift for you." The governor clapped his hands. A servant bearing a black box with gold ribbon came forward and place it in front of the general. The box was about a foot by a foot in size.

The general bowed in thanks and opened it. His face turned gastly, and the Lady Kaede who had glimpse the contents shrieked and turned away. Inside was the head of their samurai guard that had entered the palace with them.

On cue dozens of Han guards with bows and spears appeared from behind the massive clumns in the hall.

"What is the meaning of this!?" yelled the general.

"Our divine Emperor does not like taking offence to those who would be so presumptious as to think that sending a single envoy, with no Imperial gift, and that person being a woman," he glanced at Kaede, " could suffice to reconnect trade. Our Emperor had seen fit to order your death and that of your party."

Another Han officer entered the hall and bowed to the Governor. "It is done."

The governor smiled. "And your ship and all its crew and guards are already dead."

Lord General Muira, like all samurai was not afraid to die.

He calmly rises from his chair and looks at the Governor.

"my initial misjudgement may have been costly but the Emperors gifts were on my ship. i told you that and your soldiers will find them.

Govenor, I promise you that these deeds will not remain unpunished. Karma has a way of coming back at you no matter how long it takes and my men will be avenged someday in a future reincarnation. Let your Emperor know my words.

If you have any sense of honour let myself and my daughter die with the honour you denied my Samurai warriors and crew. We wish to commit Seppuku"

his right hand rests by his wakizashi while Kaede has recovered her composure. Unarmed she knows she can't go through with it unless she borrows a blade.

She promises to herself that she will help her father before she goes onward herself but a doubt nags away at her. With being declared dead just maybe she could start over under a different name and achieve what she couldn't do in Kirisubo. Climb the ladder of power and even avenge her father in her lifetime....

"Your lands may be ours before long dear General. Remember that while you journey to the after life," said the governor. "You may commit your ritual suicide."

The wide valley shone with a light of its own as the sun hit it in the early morning. A small boy, his skin browned by the sun and marking him of his people played among the rocks of a small culvert in a hillside. He laughed and jumped from stone to stone. He piled stone into pyramids and then knocked them down.

He piled them up again laughing when he suddenly noticed a great outcry of birds. He looked up and saw hundreds of birds flying overhead, flying south. He looked down as he suddenly realized that dozens of animals were passing him by. Mammals of all types, running, in fear of something.

The ground rumbled. The stone pyramid that the boy had made shook then fell apart just as if the boy himself had knocked it over with a strong kick. The rumbled became a storm of stomping.

The boy ran around the culvert and up onto the hillside. He could see his village below him and beyond it, at the mouth of the valley was a great cloud of dust. In the cloud of dust he could see shining men. Thousands of them.

The boy had never seen so many men. Suddenly a few men appeared on top of the hill. They were armed with bows and wore strange armor. A man however, of the boy’s people, was with them. He was pointing out something to one of the men. One of the strangely dressed men noticed the boy.

“Get thee gone boy!” he called. The boy shrieked in fright and ran down the hill into his village.

The southern armies of Han had come to the last land of the South. The land that the locals called Inda. They numbered 700,000 in number. Three of the generals rode among them leading them on to the last major conquest of the year.

General Muira locates a nearby room and whispers to his daughter "you need to do what it takes to survive so news can get home but first you need to assist me"

he draws his Katana and hands it to Kaede. He kneels, draws his wakizashi and pulls back his outer and inner kimonos.

Now ready he dedicates his soul to the Buddah and says his death poem.

He pauses and plunges the wakizashi into this belly and cuts twice before Kaede swings the katana hard decapitating him.

As her fathers head rolls away she knows she has to carry out his last command. She places the Katana by his body and returning to the Governor she says in Hanese "my father has gone onward but he wanted me to live. Governor Hau Dang the choice is yours if you want more blood on your hands"

she stands confidently in front of him and his soldiers totally fearless.

When the Han translator began to speak Latin one of the Valgardian lieutenants was able to understand him. The captain noticing that lieutenant understood him brought him on deck and had him say in Latin,” We are willing to let you come aboard and examine our ship. Yet as for my soldiers they will be sent below still armed, but they will be kept below and only unarmed individuals, except, the captain will remain above deck.”

Upon giving hand gesture all the soldiers and armed sailors were sent below deck. Then a gangway was lowered in order so that the sloop would be able to send people aboard. Yet the captain did not like the sight of them being surrounded by these short lived people.please respond to my rp

When the Han translator began to speak Latin one of the Valgardian lieutenants was able to understand him. The captain noticing that lieutenant understood him brought him on deck and had him say in Latin,” We are willing to let you come aboard and examine our ship. Yet as for my soldiers they will be sent below still armed, but they will be kept below and only unarmed individuals, except, the captain will remain above deck.”

Upon giving hand gesture all the soldiers and armed sailors were sent below deck. Then a gangway was lowered in order so that the sloop would be able to send people aboard. Yet the captain did not like the sight of them being surrounded by these short lived people.

ooc: Sry Scand, I've been busy. :P

IC:

The translator smiled when he realized that these new barbarians understood them. He told his captain what was happening and the captain nodded when a gangplank was lowered. A dozen Han soldiers went aboard, the translator going along with them.

He went up to the captain of the vessel and said in Latin. "Thou are in strange lands, what had brought you here?"

The soldiers were methodically checking the deck looking for anything out of place, like weapons or other details of interest of which there were many from these strange people.

returning to the Governor she says in Hanese "my father has gone onward but he wanted me to live. Governor Hau Dang the choice is yours if you want more blood on your hands"

she stands confidently in front of him and his soldiers totally fearless.

The Governor nodded. "Very well."

With speed belying him the governor sprung forward and unsheathed his own side sword. Before the lady could react or come out of her pridefilled stance, Hau Dang struck.

Kaede's head rolled several paces before coming to rest at the foot of the steps. The body dropped uselessly to the ground and only started spurting blood upon impact, so fast had the blade cut.

Hau Dang stood erect and sheathed his sword. "Blood is the color of the Imperial House. I would bathe in it if I must."

IC:

The translator smiled when he realized that these new barbarians understood them. He told his captain what was happening and the captain nodded when a gangplank was lowered. A dozen Han soldiers went aboard, the translator going along with them.

He went up to the captain of the vessel and said in Latin. "Thou are in strange lands, what had brought you here?"

The soldiers were methodically checking the deck looking for anything out of place, like weapons or other details of interest of which there were many from these strange people.As the Han soldiers and translator approached the Valgardians they noticed that whole of the crew towered far above the average person of their nation’s many different peoples. As well the deck only had steel cannons, elaborate art work, and a few silver runes near the cabins.

The captain replied in Latin,” We have come here on a journey from a far away land that is many years sailing away from your own. The emperor of the whole of the Valgardian Empire sent us so that our nation might establish good relations with the empire of the Han. As well I come bringing gifts from my liege as gifts to your emperor.”

Saying this he clapped his hands and a number of servants brought a few iron chests from below deck and opened the chest using two keys on each. Each of the chests were full of gold bars, silver bars, cut precious stones, and a number of weapons encrusted with precious stones and gold.

The translator nodded and bowed, as did every Han soldier on board. They rose. The translator smiled. "Then you are most welcome here. I give you permission to land in our harbor. This is the city of Keiwu Fei under Governor Qui Dou Li."

The translator motioned to an officer who nodded and walked over to the side of the ship. With slow movements so as not to disturb the newcomers he pulled out a small 2ft tube object with a string. He held it out and aimed in the air and pulled the string. With a flash and a small bang a red flare launched up into the air for several hundred feet before decending slowly.

"That was the single that your ship was friendly and not a pirate ship of some kind, or an enemy ship. You see, you are currently coming to our city at a time when an enemy army is marching south along the coast from the north.

But fear not. The Governor will have you sent south under escort to the Forbidden City where you may make contact perhaps with the Emperor or his magistrates."


The ships guided the foreign vessels into the harbor.

Off the Southern Coast of the Han Empire, Near Present Day Bangledesh

Three ships beat through the swelling ocean. They had just cleared a rather nasty squall. All three flew the flag of the Kilani Empire: Red hawk on a black field. These ships were an expedition sent across the nrothern ocean by the Emperor Vespasian in order to see what, if anythin, lay on the other side. They were rather primitive caravels, but they were oceanworthy.

For the past month the superstitious sailors had been terrified, asthey claimed they would sail off the edge ofthe world. However, the commander of the expedition, Julian Cassius, had ordered them to go on. They still had supplies for another few months. As well as the sailors, there was a company of Imperial soldiers, who had spent most of their time sea-sick. The holds were filled with silver, timber, weapons, and some of the rarer materials in Kilani: several horses and a chest of gold.

"Land ho!" shouted the look-out, "Land-ho!"

Several sailors dropped to their knees, giving thanks to the Gods for their safe voyage. Julian strode out on deck, his weathered face adn white hair showing his age. He scanned the distand line of land, "Set a course. And be on the look out for any other ships."

"Aye, m'lord."

The Captain bowed his head in thanks for letting them begin going into the harbor. Then the Captain signaled to one of the servants and the servant handed him a small, ornate box which the Captain put in one of his pockets. After this the Captain said to the translator,” I thank you greatly on the behalf of my people and emperor for your hospitality. As for meeting with your governor I wish to bring an escort of two people who are chroniclers so that we can keep track of the things that we see while we are in your great empire.”

Following the Han ships sailing into the harbor the four Valgardian battleships raised their anchors and began sailing towards harbor of the of Keiwu Fei.

Off the Southern Coast of the Han Empire, Near Present Day Bangledesh

Three ships beat through the swelling ocean. They had just cleared a rather nasty squall. All three flew the flag of the Kilani Empire: Red hawk on a black field. These ships were an expedition sent across the nrothern ocean by the Emperor Vespasian in order to see what, if anythin, lay on the other side. They were rather primitive caravels, but they were oceanworthy.

For the past month the superstitious sailors had been terrified, asthey claimed they would sail off the edge ofthe world. However, the commander of the expedition, Julian Cassius, had ordered them to go on. They still had supplies for another few months. As well as the sailors, there was a company of Imperial soldiers, who had spent most of their time sea-sick. The holds were filled with silver, timber, weapons, and some of the rarer materials in Kilani: several horses and a chest of gold.

"Land ho!" shouted the look-out, "Land-ho!"

Several sailors dropped to their knees, giving thanks to the Gods for their safe voyage. Julian strode out on deck, his weathered face adn white hair showing his age. He scanned the distand line of land, "Set a course. And be on the look out for any other ships."

"Aye, m'lord."

The small Imperial Army outpost on the coast, defending one of the Imperial shipyards went onto full alert as strange ships were spotted off the coast. Companies of archers, swordsmen, and pikemen formed in their practised drill formations and prepared for action.

Dozens of smaller coastal defending junks, one with a translator aboard, filled with troops and mariners and swept out of the natural harbor and started toward these strange ships.

The Captain bowed his head in thanks for letting them begin going into the harbor. Then the Captain signaled to one of the servants and the servant handed him a small, ornate box which the Captain put in one of his pockets. After this the Captain said to the translator,” I thank you greatly on the behalf of my people and emperor for your hospitality. As for meeting with your governor I wish to bring an escort of two people who are chroniclers so that we can keep track of the things that we see while we are in your great empire.”

Following the Han ships sailing into the harbor the four Valgardian battleships raised their anchors and began sailing towards harbor of the of Keiwu Fei.

"Of course, you are welcome to bring scribes."

The four large foreign ships and their dozen Han junks guard came into the large fortified harbor of the great Northern Citadel of Keiwu Fei. The largest citadel on Han's northern border, it controlled the countryside for hundreds of miles. The Keep was set on a large hill of pure rock, making it the tallest point all around. The Citadel had three curtain walls, the first and largest being a part of the Great Wall.

The city itself was busy with activity. The citadel normally kept a garrison of 40,000 Imperial Army troops. But with the coming attack from the nation of Toops and its sub-human army, the Governor Qui Dou Li had xalled togethor his provincial army of 100,000. Large tents of black and red silk and fire places where spread out around the second wall behind the Great Wall. Soldiers in companies and cavalry in their troops drilled or went to and fro.

The harbor itself was filled with 10 Emperor-class large junks along with several dozen smaller coastal defense craft. The governor was taking no chances.

"Welcome to Keiwu Fei," said the translator.

Upon entering the harbor of Keiwu Fei the four Valgardian battleships had approached the main docks looking for a place to dock their large ships. Also many of the crew were gazing at the exotic architecture of the city. The admiral of the squadron took note that the buildings of the city were of different materials and that the tenets were made of silk. Yet the city made many of them remember the great city of Valdra and its great marble buildings that they had left behind.

The captain looked at the harbor for a minute then turned back towards the translator and said,” The city is certainly far more different then the great city of my homeland. Yet is does bear some similarities as well, but I wish to ask why are there so many troops mustered here?”

Upon entering the harbor of Keiwu Fei the four Valgardian battleships had approached the main docks looking for a place to dock their large ships. Also many of the crew were gazing at the exotic architecture of the city. The admiral of the squadron took note that the buildings of the city were of different materials and that the tenets were made of silk. Yet the city made many of them remember the great city of Valdra and its great marble buildings that they had left behind.

The captain looked at the harbor for a minute then turned back towards the translator and said,” The city is certainly far more different then the great city of my homeland. Yet is does bear some similarities as well, but I wish to ask why are there so many troops mustered here?”

The translator became very somber and withdrawn. "To answer the latter, we are in the middle of what is a possible invasion. Our Great Wall which protects our northern border is being assailed by an enemy of unknown origin. They are strange creatures. An army of them is headed this way, towards this very citadel. The Governor of this province had called up his provincial army to be here. That is why there are so many.

"Usually there is only the small garrison, only 40,000 men, but the provincial army being called up has brought it up an extra 100,000 men. We are the better part of the fleet here to help bring in supplies from other parts of the country," said the translator.

"However you need not worry for your safety. Once you have docked and spoken with the City Governor, he will see to it that you are escorted to a safer port and from there given a military escort to take you to the Forbidden City."

Canton, eastern coast of Han Empire

"March! Keep moving the line!" shouted a young officer. His plumed helmet swirled about as the wind blew. "Come on! The Chiang Company needs to be within the city by nightfall."

Canton, the greatest of Han port cities was playing host to an Imperial army. Army divisions from all accross the Empire were being sent here. General Chiang Wu Fei was riding from the Forbidden City with the Emperor's mandate. He had riden hard for three weeks to reach Canton where his assignment awaited. The past months of campaigning in southern Inda had been trying and Wu Fei had suffered a arrow wound to the arm; but he was invigorated by this new mission his Emperor had given him.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b184/Upum/Han%20Empire/316a.jpg

Naval ships from all along the ports and outposts of the Empire were being drawn here as well. The massive treasure ships, able to carry hundreds of soldiers at a time, the smaller junks and even sloops: all gathered at Canton. Its massive wharf and harbour nearly being full of ships.

Supplies were being designated by the Commissariat from three neighboring provinces, so the strain of feeding this large force was not felt in one single place, but rather spread out so as the amount from one area would not affect the coming harvest.

350,000 soldiers of the Imperial Army, ready and willing to carry out the Emperor's will.

The Austian naval vessal had faced many dangers in reaching the Han Empires capital, it had breave storms, enermy ships and giant waves. Yet it had survived and now sailed into Canton (?) harbour bearing it's precious cargo-an ambassidor of Aust.

The Austian naval vessal had faced many dangers in reaching the Han Empires capital, it had breave storms, enermy ships and giant waves. Yet it had survived and now sailed into Canton (?) harbour bearing it's precious cargo-an ambassidor of Aust.

ooc: yea, Canton is fine.

IC: Several dozen sloops came out of the harbour, waving warning flags at the approaching vessel. The lead captain spotted the flag on the vessel and nodded; it fit in with the reports that General Sung had given him.

"Wave that ship down! And see if any of them speak Latin," the captain said. A diplomat nodded nearby. The captain hated the frilly courtiers, but they had their uses.

The Asutian ship drew in sial and repsonded to the flags with Austian ones, denoting peace and freindship. On board the translators tired to work out what tounge the men on board the Han vessels spoke, finally discovering it was LAtin. one, who was killed in Latin responded, telling the sloops that they wherre diplomats from the Empire of Aust.

Nodding the captain waved to his men to signal the ship. "We'll have them dock for the time being. Governor Chiang can then speak with them."

The Han translator yelled out to the ship. "Welcome! Follow us into the harbour, where you can dock!"

The ambassidor nodded and the Austian ship followed the sloop into the harbour, docking swiftly with practiced ease. As the gangplank slid down Ambassidor iHa was the first down, accomphyed by 5 aides and a pair of guards. They where all dressed in the finest Austian finary, the guards goldern breastplates gleaming, and the siken finary of the Ambassidor standing out against the morning sun.

The ambassidor nodded and the Austian ship followed the sloop into the harbour, docking swiftly with practiced ease. As the gangplank slid down Ambassidor iHa was the first down, accomphyed by 5 aides and a pair of guards. They where all dressed in the finest Austian finary, the guards goldern breastplates gleaming, and the siken finary of the Ambassidor standing out against the morning sun.

A man dressed in regal red-black silks came forward along the wharf, he was followed by four men dressed in thier formal armour bearing four flags with the golden and black dragons of the Emperor on them. The five men bowed to the Austian embassador. He stood erect and began speaking in Latin.

"Greetings to our shores sir. I must say you are strangers, but we greet you with warmth." He bowed again. "May you please state the country from which you come and in what direction is lies? We also must have a small party of port officials search your ship. It is standard procedure and we cannot break protocol, even for a foreign vessel," said the man. He smiled then suddenly shook his head in remembrance.

"Oh, and my name is Li Pao Chu, a courtier and servant to the Governor of Canton." He bowed again.

A man dressed in regal red-black silks came forward along the wharf, he was followed by four men dressed in thier formal armour bearing four flags with the golden and black dragons of the Emperor on them. The five men bowed to the Austian embassador. He stood erect and began speaking in Latin.

"Greetings to our shores sir. I must say you are strangers, but we greet you with warmth." He bowed again. "May you please state the country from which you come and in what direction is lies? We also must have a small party of port officials search your ship. It is standard procedure and we cannot break protocol, even for a foreign vessel," said the man. He smiled then suddenly shook his head in remembrance.

"Oh, and my name is Li Pao Chu, a courtier and servant to the Governor of Canton." He bowed again.
Ambassidor hTi nodded and returned the bow, "I am Ambassidor hTi of Aust, far to the south of here. We come bearing tidings and offering of allince, you may search our ships but you won't find anything but gifts for your Emproer."

Forbidden City | Imperial School

Master Shoa-tzu looked carefully at the strange item before him. It had been three months since it had been sent from the North, from the Great Wall. Having been taken from the strange creatures known as Toopians, it had sparked an extreme interest among the rocket and ordnance engineer masters.

According to what information gathered from merchants and other soldiers who had been stationed in Canton said, the item was a 'gun'. A item that could, with a small amount of black-powder, could launch a small rounded-off metal ball at high speeds over a distance.

The tests run thus far by Master Shoa-tzu himself had shown that it did not have the range of a long bow, hardly the same range as a crossbow; however it had amazing abilities of penetration, shown when Shoa-tzu had lined up five armored breast plates. When fired the small metal ball had ripped a large hole through all five, and had then gone into the hard wood of the wall. The hole itself was several finger widths wide. A powerful weapon.

In front of Master Shoa-tzu sat the head ordnance engineer, Master Zu-hong. He was looking at the small gun carefully.

"Why is it so short?" asked Zu-hong.

"I'm am unsure, for a bow to get a further range, it often must be long; I imagine that were you to lengthen this barrel, then you would get a longer range," replied Shoa-tzu.

Zu-hong nodded in agreement. He pulled back the wheel lock and hammer, then with careful hands, pulled on the trigger device. The hammer quickly spun forward and hit into a small metal pan.

Shoa-tzu looked carefully at Zu-hong. "This weapon could be of use to the Emperor and his future plans. I am told by merchants, that the Incognitians already have versions of it; and in great supply."

Zu-hong looked back with equal care. "Indeed...it would be fairly easy to copy this design. I already see several small improvements that can be made as well."

"Then Master Ordance Engineer, I as Head Master of the Rocket Engineers, think we should spur our efforts to that objective. To create these new 'guns' and make them better."

"I agree."