Cathay and the Orient

Members of the Honourable East India Company, and others, made journeys almost every turn to the Far East and Cathay in particular. There follows a relatively complete account of the events in those distant lands.

• Turnsheet 0 and 1 - In which the first clues to the origin of gunpowder are found and the first journey to the Spice Islands is made.
• Turnsheet 2 - In which Cathay is explored, an ambassador is acquired, and plague affects business.
• Turnsheet 3 - In which the Cathay becomes chaotic, the gunpowder factory is sighted, and trade with the Spice Islands is established.
• Turnsheet 4 - The revolt reaches Beijing. The East India Company evacuates many useful scholars from the chaos, and finally learns the secret of gunpowder.
• Turnsheet 5 - The Cathayan Ambassador is murdered. The East India Company begins stockpiling gunpowder, which is fortunate since the world's only factory explodes. Tsung acquires sorcerous tokens in Beijing and begins to search for the heir to the Ming Dynasty amongst the refugees in Oxford. Philip Silva causes the invasion of Cathay and Prince Lang hunts for dragons.
• Turnsheet 6 - Tsung Chang-Mai meets in Oxford with Princess Chang-Ping, heir to the Ming Dynasty. Prince Lang captures the islands of Formosa (Taiwan) for his family and maybe even the Ming. Philip Silva, needing a Cathayan Theurgist, decides the dead ambassador will do. Volcanoes erupt in central Cathay and Naples; these have nothing to do with the East India Company or “messages to Heaven”!
• Turnsheet 7 - Tsung Chang-Mai takes the Princess into her care, and helps prepare the East India Company's new gunpowder manufactory. Prince Lang visits Siam and acquires a fiancée. Gunpowder grows short in supply and the disaster at Naples threatens the future of the EIC.
• Turnsheet 8 - Tsung Chang-Mai summons the dragon that will power the EIC gunpowder manufactory, and with allies from that company begins to rally the remaining supporters of the Ming dynasty.
• Turnsheet 9 - Princess Chang-Ping is upgraded, the East India Company goes to war to return her to the throne, EIC-employed assassins are unleashed against a Jesuit in Beijing.
• Turnsheet 10 - The war in Cathay continues and the Ming appear to be winning. Nippon (Japan) is annihilated shortly after Prince Lang visits.
• Turnsheet 11 - Princess Chang-Ping's army reaches the gates of Beijing.
• Turnsheet 12 - After a great battle, with much support from those of Albion, Empress Chang-Ping sits upon the Dragon Throne. Thoughts turn to the requirement for an heir.
• Turnsheet 13 - In a surprise move, Prince Lang captures the Philippines from the Spanish!