Expedition into the Northeast

Forces from the Sovereignties were sent Northeast from Rheinheim in order to eradicate the barbarian camp that had laid waste to a previous expeditionary force. The force, upon reaching the site of the previous battle, discovered that reports of a barbarian encampment had been embellished. The alleged barbarian encampment was, in reality, a small Kobold cities. Despite having a reputation as a race opposed to civilization at its very core, these Northeast Kobolds did not immediately attack Sovereignties forces, though they greeted the approaching force with much brandishing of spears and bows. It is assumed that the city-which featured architecture much more crude than that of the sovereignties-was treated as a particularly powerful barbarian encampment by the previous expeditionary force, rather than as a city state. Leaving the city state alone, the expeditionary force further explored the region, eventually cleaning out an encampment of violent northmen to the north of the Kobold city.

Unanticipated Dealings with Kobolds

Learning of the existence of a city of relatively civilized Kobolds, Sovereign Orator Ciado dispensed diplomats to open negotiations, cautioning them to not allow preconceptions of the kobolds to damage possible relations. Upon arriving, the kobolds were relatively friendly with the diplomats. It turned out that the Northmen encampment cleared by Sovereignties forces had been performing raids on the Kobold settlement, and removing it had put the Sovereignties in good favor with the kobolds. In negotiations, diplomats offered the kobolds military protection, if they would join the Sovereignties. The small settlement agreed to abide by the laws of the Sovereignty, possibly convinced by offers of protection, infrastructure, and the right to maintain governance. The settlement Iejir-Kosjarux, translated as "Blood Gulch" by the natives, has been established as the Sovereign capital of the Iejir-Petisse (Blood Kobold) Sovereignty. Vermilion Flower State has mostly accepted the new Sovereignty, but Rheinheim has expressed severe disapproval with the Sovereign Orator's actions.

Military Advancements in the Sovereignties

With a recent series of military failures weighing on the people and politicians of the Sovereignties, there is a strong incentive to forward the military abilities of the Sovereignties. With the recent acquisition of Hematite near Joara, smiths in the Sovereignties have pioneered Smelting, and with it new increasingly durable swords and axes that far outpaced the beaten copper blades of historical Greif Schwertkämpfers.

Following this development, Tei vokrai in the eastern hills of the Vermilion Flower Sovereignty have advanced horse riding from hobby to a military asset, with the simple invention of the Stirrup, a leather loop that allows a rider to remain mounted even when turning at a full gallop. Already, Tei vokrai spearmen and Neetooh archers have taken to horseback to hone their craft, should mounted warfare emerge as the wave of the future.

Lastly thinkers within the Sovereignties, including multiple commanders and scounts that survived the brutal military losses of the Sovereignties' past few years, have forwarded new ways of commanding men on the field of battle. These new musings on Tactics are expected to ensure the success of the Sovereignties in future military encounters.

Government Funded Construction Projects

Per the promises of infrastructure made by diplomats to Iejir-Kosjarux, the small city was connected to the Sovereignties road network, as well as receiving the construction of two government buildings. Further, a temple was constructed within the city of Commonfountains, and a barracks was constructed in Vermilion Flower State to forward training of troops in the new combat styles pioneered in recent years.

Civ=Sovereignties
trans:
    name=Exploration
    army=-1000
    note=Cleared 10 tiles
trans:
    name=Purchased Troops
    gold=-65
    army=650
trans:
    tech=Smelting
    beakers=-18
trans:
    tech=Stirrups
    beakers=-12
trans:
    tech=Tactics
    beakers=-18
trans:
    name=Built 2 roads
    gold=-30
trans:
    name=Built Granary
    gold=-50
    note=Iejir-Kosjarux
trans:
    name=Built Temples
    gold=-150
    note=Commonfountains, Iejir-Kosjarux
trans:
    name=Built Barracks
    gold=-75
    note=Vermilion Flower State
trans:
    name=Purchased 1 tiles
    culture=-2
trans:
    name=Claimed 5 tiles
    culture=0
trans:
    name=Founded Iejir-Kosjarux

Link (all map changes): http://i.imgur.com/dtVOtbg.jpg

Proof of Rolls: Pushing East