It is now December 1636, and our adventurers are making their way south along the coast of the Caspian Sea, in what is still one of the most dangerous places on earth.

We ended the last episode with a brief history of the major conquests of the region. As I write this episode, the most recent military conflict has ended in the old way: a prolonged siege with all the suffering that entails, followed by conquest, the expulsion of civilians, and celebration by the victors.

This particular chapter of the ancient story started with the fall of the Soviet Union, when Azerbaijan and Armenia both claimed the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabach, some 150 miles from Nisavay where our ambassadors are currently located.

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