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 Governor General Gomez  773x1000 Live from the Ship Weigh-In In the Blue Corner, Admiral Yi-Sun Shin! Yi-Sun Shin! posted:The Japanese fleet might scare me, if their ships were anything other than floating boxes. In a one on one fight, the superior seamanship and spirit of the sailors of Chosun will deal a stinging blow to the pride of the Japanese navy. After all, everyone knows that the Japanese don't know anything about naval affairs. And Yoshitaka! You want to know why the Japanese ships are so big? Yoshitaka gets seasick on a proper ship! The man is more at home in a luxurious castle on the land than out here, with the salty spray stinging his face. One salvo and he'll surrender, and the Japanese fleet will be mine! In the Red Corner, Admiral Kuki Yoshitaka! Kuki Yoshitaka posted:I find it hard to take seriously an Admiral without a fleet. Have you won a battle yet, oh great and feared Admiral of the Koreans? Your puny ship will be like a gnat against my majestic flagship, and then it's to the pigs with you! After all, why should the Koreans have more luck on the water than they have on land - a thoroughly unmartial people at every turn. Your defeat will signal the beginning of the end for your kingdom, your way of life, (and your people if Fukushima has his way). Praise the Emperor! Tickets still on sale, but going fast. Be there or despair! Quotes may not be 100% accurate  Support Japan's Naval Hero - Buy tickets for the Fray on the Bay! (Korean one to come.)
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Jan 28, 2013 14:40
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 After much thought and deliberation, I’m ending the sim here. It’s been great guys, and stay tuned for the epilogue post to come some time. Thanks for playing!Turn 7 - October 1592 -- Fall is in full swing. The leaves on the trees have burst into a myriad panoply of colors, and chill winds from the North are now common. The people of the northern reaches begin to count the days until the first snowfall blankets them. Winter is coming. Perhaps not next month (unless you're in the North), but soon. The Great O’Malley Rescue -- Governor General Gomez and the Chinese Yang have something of an agreement, though they differ on the site of the handover. Deciding on an isolated stretch of coast bordered by thick bamboo forests North of Jeju, the two parties warily approached each other. In a clearing within the forest, the Spanish team throws forward a thin bound package. Across from them, Yang releases O’Malley, though the man is still bound at the wrists. -- O’Malley trots to the other side as Yang and his associates take up the package. O’Malley’s restraints are cut, and the man is given a hefty rapier as the Spaniards begin running back towards their ship. -- Yang cuts open the binding over the treatise and opens it. But instead of being a description of Japanese logistics, every page has the same warning written on it in Mandarin: “Should any harm be done to Captain O’Malley, it will be considered an act of war between your masters and the King of Spain and Portugal.” The Chinese partisans have been had! -- But the Spaniards are not free just yet. The warning only mentions O’Malley. Yang and his compatriots follow the Spaniards through the bamboo forest, picking off the escorts one by one with arrows and throwing daggers, the Europeans straining their legs as much as they can to escape. -- But soon enough it is down to O’Malley himself. He turns on his pursuers, and sees Yang with a long dao out. O’Malley grins and raises his rapier. The two men begin to fight. -- Both men are skilled, and the wide strikes from Yang’s dao are countered by swift thrusts from O’Malley’s rapier. Metal crosses metal, 23 times, as the two men weave and dodge between the tall, thin bamboo shoots. As the swords ring out they cut through the shoots, and falling bamboo topples around and between the two men. But step by step O’Malley is pushed back, until he finds himself outside the forest. -- As O’Malley bursts from the thickets close to the shore, he sees the beautiful sight of a Spanish galleon offshore, and several armed men on the beach with a small rowboat. He is swiftly followed by Yang, who hesitates seeing the guns on the beach. -- Several shots ring out, but Yang disappears into the bamboo thicket, and before O’Malley can think the world grows quiet, and he hits the ground hard. One of the bullets accidentally struck him in the back, and he dies quickly. The sailors weep and cross themselves, begging forgiveness from God for their impetuousness. The Duel at Sea -- A challenge has been made by Admiral Yi Soo Sin, and Kuki Yoshitaka accepts. A small set of islands in the Yellow Sea is chosen as the sight for the confrontation. Li Yingshi grants Yi Soo Sin a geobukseon to take to the duel, and the Joseon admiral makes a great and rousing speech for his volunteer sailors. As they set sail, they are determined to fight to the last breath, for they are already dead. -- They are accompanied by a few Chinese ships, ostensibly civilian observers, and at the site is a Spanish galleon as well. -- But as Admiral Yi approaches the island, he sees not just the one ship he expects Yoshitaka to be in, but he sees several other large Japanese ships trying to hide. It’s a trap! -- Admiral Yi turns about to escape, but it looks like the Japanese will overtake him easily until some of the Chinese ships move to block the Japanese. Unwilling to fire on them and cause an international incident, only 3 Japanese ships manage to get close to Admiral Yi. Cannonballs and arrows fly between the ships, but Yi’s men are incredible, putting every ounce of strength they have into rowing, and every bit of discipline into aiming their guns right before firing. -- One Japanese bune is holed below the water line and begins to sink. As a second one begins to pull away to put out the fire spreading in its decks, Admiral Yi is hit! A cannonball takes his left leg off at the knee! It is only the dedication of his crew that forces the third ship to disengage, and only by a miracle he survives past the next few days at port in Dalian. Even at the end of the month Yi is holding on tenuously to life, but his example has inspired even fiercer devotion and loyalty among his fleet. -- 2 Japanese ships are sunk, but all of Yoshitaka’s sailors are grumbling about the trick. They’re meant to be the better, the more honorable, aren’t they? They’re frustrated that they didn’t get to show how good they were, and the deception reflects badly on Kuki’s honor. Kira Buta -- Kuki has more important things to worry about then fights with disgraced losers, though. On Kyushu, where he can get the legions of craftsmen needed for the task, and with the help of the Spanish shipwrights, work begins on the Kira Buta or “Killer Pig,” the first Japanese-made galleon. At the end of the month the galleon is about half-done, according to the Spaniards. -- But Yoshitaka has to pull workers from the construction of other designs to get a reasonable time frame. Only 4 extra ships are built and sail to Gunsan to join the fleet that month. Attacks in the North -- Pirates, Admiral Chen Lin’s fleet, and a few squadrons from Yoshitaka’s fleet all make attacks in the Yellow Sea this month. -- Caught between the marauding Japanese and the renewed efforts of the Chinese, many pirate ships are sunk, scattering to the four winds. Several Chinese and Japanese ships are sunk in the efforts, however. -- Kuki Yoshitaka’s ships make concerted attacks on the docks in the Northwest of the country. Sinuijiu, Anju, and Ongjin all suffer, but the defenders inflict heavy damage on the attackers as well. 22 ships are irreparable after the attacks. Songnim is spared attack by the presence of Sin Rip’s army. The Rock of Namsan  1612x2316 -- Below Namsan Fortress, the Japanese daimyou argue with each other over options. Shimazu Yoshihiro thinks some kind of attack should be made, but Katou Kiyomasa is ready to settle in for an extended siege. Without a clear focus, the two work on their own designs. -- Katou’s work to secure the countryside is foiled by agents from Yu Jong-Gae’s Righteous Army. Isolated patrols go missing, supplies stolen, requisition officers found dismembered, and all attempts by the honorable general to assure the people things are still normal fall on deaf ears and sullen hearts. -- The attacks on the supply train to Chungju means Shimazu’s strategy of random bombardments at all hours has a debilitating effect on the Joseon garrison, but it also exhausts his own men, as well as uses up far more ammunition than he is receiving.  686x987 -- During one bombardment, late at night, a small detachment climbs the formidable peak. With the thundering of cannon masking their noise, the men slowly make their way up with their dangerous cargo: enough gunpowder to blow a hole in one of the walls of Namsan. But the moon provides a little light, enough for the men to climb with only a few casualties from falling. -- As they get above the walls, they can see Kim Si-Mim’s men, on edge and weary. But one of the lookouts sees them, and cries out. The group alights from the cliff face onto the wall, and starts desperately to fight while one of them sets up the bomb. -- It is a stray arrow that knocks over a torch that spells doom for the enterprise. The flame hits a small trail of the powder, and before the bomb can be firmly in position to do its worst work, it explodes, along with anyone near it, in a fantastic blast. Bodies fly through the air, bits of stone strike those nearby with the force of bullets, and a deafening crack fills the air above the mountain.  -- The explosion is the signal for another assault on the mountain by Shimazu’s men, but the bomb only weakened a portion of the wall, and the attack is driven off with heavy losses: almost 1800 for only 400 Korean casualties. Shimazu’s men are heavily disappointed after this failure, and their morale sinks. -- To bolster his men's morale, Kim Si-Mim gives the speech of his lifetime. He calls his men to unfailing loyalty to King and country, to die rather than to slink back as cowards! "Namsan stands!" he cries, and even the people below can hear his men shout it. "Namsan stands!" The Demon of Korea and the South -- Fukushima Masanori, the Butcher of Jeolla, has had enough. Ever since he arrived in Korea the peasants have risen against him, sought to hinder his progress. They have murdered his men, and stalled the armies of Japan. It is time to end them. -- He marches on the Righteous Army, as he has so many times before. These ones do not fare any better.  -- After his victory on the field, Fukushima sets his headquarters up in Yeosu, and proclaims the province of Zenra, to be administered by himself. His army marches forth, and with so many men dead these past few months, there is little more will to resist. Jeolla is silent, for now. -- Kobayakawa Takakage, deciding discretion is the better part of valor, retreats back to Busan for the month, even with half his men released from their guard duties by the Marshal. Instead the daimyou spends his time writing more stories, of little interest to anyone but his sycophants. Emboldened by the Japanese retreat, the Righteous Army marches a little further, liberating a small area from Japanese control. The Aisin Goro -- Flush with rumors of easy gold and easier women, more hardy horsemen from the North pour into Northern Korea, eager to get their share. They may be necessary, as the angry Ula horsemen who left Yi Il’s service have made their way to the area held under the protection of the Aisin Goro, and ready themselves to fight. The Battle of Sariwon -- Encamped near Sariwon are almost 100,000 troops from both nations. At Songnim and Seoul additional armies begin to move towards the battle. Whatever happens, many will die.  -- The first day of the battle begins with the two Japanese divisions making a concerted attack on the Joseon lines. Outside the walls of Sariwon, thousands die in the first day, but the Joseon lines hold, their men brave beyond their station. Each charge is repulsed, each volley returned in flights of arrows.  -- At the end of the first day, the two armies are depleted, but unbroken. Marshal Agostinho is frustrated, knowing the Koreans have more incoming, but so does he. -- The second day is much like the first, but the armies, having gauged something of their opponents the day before, waste fewer lives in impossible charges. From the North is a shocking visitor: King Seonjo himself has come to aid in this battle as best he can. His presence galvanizes the Joseon forces to even greater efforts than before. -- On the third day the Joseon forces have a clear plan. All their efforts are directed at the troops of Mori Terumoto. Wherever the Mori sashimono flies, artillery, arrows, and spear follow. King Seonjo with his very hands cuts down three ashigaru who thought him some minor officer. Though Mori does his best to counter the attacks, they wear his forces down considerably, and when the day ends his men are greatly fatigued.  -- On the fourth day, the Joseon forces make their play: to break Mori’s forces, and roll up the rest of the Japanese forces. The arrival of Sin Rip’s army from the south, having marches around the battlefield from the West, further pushes the Japanese to the breaking point. Mori’s section of the main line buckles under the pressure, and the Marshal has to commit one of his reserves to prevent a breakthrough or worse, a rout. But this allows Kim Myeong-Won an opening, and he charges with thousands of men into the weakening flank of the Japanese. Both sides have committed all they can. Could this be the end?  -- Not if Kuroda Nagamasa can do anything. Arriving with his division at the battlefield, he is appraised of the situation by a runner. He nods his head, and speaks to his men. “My fellow warriors, we have come to the edge of a precipice, which we must leap beyond if we are to reach safety. To hesitate or to look down means not death, but worse, defeat! You have stood with me for many victories, now I ask you to stand with me here! Fight for honor, and when men speak of this day, they will speak of the glory of the men of Kuroda! For God! For the Emperor!”  -- With a great hue Kuroda’s division charges into the fray, thundering cannons drowned out by their war cries. Kuroda himself is in the forefront, and his steed runs down many Koreans too foolish to get out of his way. -- The mutual slaughter intensifies, with the Japanese forces revitalized by this turn of events. King Seonjo, fighting in the frontlines, finds himself cut off. He fights bravely, killing two samurai, but a naginata pierces his armor from behind. Seonjo cuts down three more men with his wound, but he is surrounded, and his guards have express orders from the King: if he is in danger of capture, they are to kill him. A shot rings out from the Korean lines and strikes the king, and he falls limp to the bloody dirt. Seonjo wonders how it all came to this. Was it fate? Or had he failed his people as their King somewhere along the line? Whatever the answer is, he will learn of it soon enough. Without fanfare, but with dignity, King Seonjo dies on the field with his soldiers, his rank unnoticed by the invaders. -- Kuroda Nagamasa finds himself in a similar situation. Unhorsed, he is beset on all sides by warriors eager for his death. In his desperation he takes up his short sword in his left hand, and begins striking and killing with both swords, each strike accompanied by “For Jesus!” and “For the Emperor!”. His Riders, desperately fighting to reach their Daimyou, see him in the distance and think of the monstrous strength of the oni, who can strike down 10 men with one blow. -- An arrow strikes Kuroda in his thigh. It doesn’t deter him, and he cuts down two more spearmen. Another arrow flies out and pierces his armor behind his left shoulder. Three more Koreans die at his blades. Two more arrows pierce his breast and stomach. -- But the division has caught up to its general, and seeing the resurging Japanese forces, Kim Myeong-Won signals a general retreat to Pyongyang. Though it would be the perfect time to run them down, the Japanese forces are too exhausted to follow.  -- Mori Terumoto finds Kuroda still on the battlefield, surrounded by his most loyal retainers. The dying daimyou sees his erstwhile rival and smiles, blood filling his mouth. “Maybe,” he coughs, “maybe they will call this city Kuroda-to?” Mori kneels, and grasps Kuroda’s hand tightly in his own. “Maybe we will,” Terumoto replies. Kuroda smiles, and gives up the ghost to his Savior. -- So many dead. Tens of thousands of them lay on the dirt, the first ones now beginning to swell up with noxious fumes. Mori’s force is near collapse, the Marshal’s is not much better, and Kuroda’s men mourn their valorous commander. -- In Pyongyang, it is a somber court that crowns Prince Gwanghae as King of Korea. But before all hope dissipates, a letter arrives from the ambassador to the Ming court. -- The Ming have declared war on the Japanese. Great Ming -- News of the battle of Sariwon, and King Seonjo’s last heartfelt appeal to the court has given strength to Sima Zhao’s faction, who have wrested control of court from Yuanzi. Thousands of soldiers are called up to serve in the force to chastise the Japanese, and hundreds of sailors join Admiral Chen’s fleet. -- Whatever happens next, there will surely be War under all of Heaven. Disposition of Forces, November 1, 1592 
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Jan 30, 2013 21:18
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Governor General Gomez My outrage at the result of The Fray on the Bay (no refunds) is eclipsed only by my shock and horror at the death of O'Malley at the hands of his captors. My warning was clear, and my decision firm. It is to be war. Let Korea pay for the death of O'Malley and the brave men sent to rescue him. Let those who would spit upon the crown of Spain be damned. (Great game, Arujei. Thanks for running it.)
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Jan 30, 2013 21:28
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 Yi Sun-Shin I may be ill, but I am dead no longer; my crew and I may not have gotten our promised duel, but we upheld our honour and followed the terms set forth for it to the letter; my crew and I may not have gotten the Japanese fleet, but we won the admiration of the Ming and thus the Corean fleet; our King may be is dead, but another rises; I may have lost my leg to barbarian cowardice and treachery, but I think I won back our lives; I am dead no longer.
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Jan 30, 2013 22:06
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Who the hell was Yang. I must say, you did broken English very well, though apparently extrapolations of "Kill a Spaniard, War" are beyond you!!!
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Jan 30, 2013 22:13
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   毛利 輝元 Mōri Terumoto, Commander of 7th Division So, this is the cost of victory? Dammit, Kuroda, this is too soon and too typical a death for a man like you. Once again, you come in as reinforcements to 'save the day', and once again you go and put yourself in these kind of crazy risks. You were so dedicated to your Samurai ideals that this kind of fate was inevitable. Still, it is something that I have to admire. Let none say that you were anything less than completely dedicated to the way of the Samurai. You lived like a warrior, and died like a warrior. Where I am prudent, you are bold. And it was not prudence that brought us victory in this last battle. Perhaps it would not be too much to rename this city 'Kuroda-to'. But even as we mourn, we must still prepare for the battle ahead. We must topple the Joseon remnants at Pyongyang, and then we must fight all the way to the Ming Court. It will not be an easy war, but this is what we signed up for. War in Korea, after all, was always just a prelude to war in China. If we are to find victory, we will need the combined efforts of all the armies and domains in Japan. Someone, send a letter back home and ask for all the reinforcements we can get.
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Jan 30, 2013 22:36
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  聖人 ダミアン Saint Damiăo Known in life as Kuroda Nagamasa Martyr and Patron of the Samurai I give my blessing to all of the virtuous warriors of Japan, so that you may know victory against the hordes of unbelievers. As i have ascended to heaven, so shall all those who stay true to God's word. In a vision to Mori Terumoto posted:Terumoto... my once friend and rival... i have have given my life to spread god's word. Now you must do the same... I urge you to accept Christ and continue my struggle. There is still time... to save your soul...
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Jan 31, 2013 02:12
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Letter from King Seonjo to the Ming Court posted:
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Jan 31, 2013 02:36
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 Alessandro Valignano Valignano discussed the plan with his three assistants. "This is Rome," he indicated, pointing to a map. "Perhaps the most friendly soil you will see for the rest of your time on earth. We travel from there, to Venice, to Vienna, where we will split up. I will give you a week's head start, I think. From there, you will travel north, to Poznan, and from there to Danzig, where you shall sail from to Stockholm, to complete your mission." "I will travel to Krakow, to meet with the Polish court. When they hear of the death of poor King John and Charles of Södermanland, the Commonwealth will be forced to intervene in our plight..." He contemplated what he would say to Sigismund. Japan was... strategically useful? Had locals willing to rebel? Perhaps emphasize the benefits of a colonial empire. But most of all, it was preoccupied and undefended. He imagined not one, but several Catholic Empires spanning the globe. The gem: a Polish-Lithuanian-Swedish-Japanese Commonwealth. The Protestants would not be able to compete. Maybe they could add in Russia, while they were at it; that was in-between, wasn't it?
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Jan 31, 2013 02:39
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