1300-1309 (Merveilles du Monde Map Game)

1300
'''The dawn of a new century is marked by Pope Boniface VIII declaring a jubilee year. This marks the first Christian jubilee, and is aimed at promoting unity among Christendom and the forgiveness of sins to pilgrims who visit the Holy City of Rome.'''

'''With Naples' victory in Potenza, Frederick III marches his army back to the south of Italy. He is emboldened by Pope Boniface VIII's abrogation of the Treaty of Anagni and recognition of Frederick as rightful King of Sicily. His forces continue to occupy much of southern Italy.'''

'''In northern Italy, the war between Venice and Genoa continues to rage. This has opened an opportunity for the Milanese to serve as bankers to much of Europe. However, the number of loans being issued by the bank houses of Milan are quickly growing to be vast. In nearby Siena, the Gran Tavola bank fails which leads to a chain reaction and a speculative crisis. Many creditors fear that the costly wars in northern Europe and southern Europe will prove too costly. (Currency debasement penalty for Milan, Genoa, Denmark, Bohemia, Papal States, and Sweden).'''

'''With Bohemia experiencing economic troubles and a lack of credit, the election of a king of Poland is a much closer-run contest. Władysław the Elbow-high, who nominally supported Wenceslaus of Bohemia, comes only a few votes shy of Wenceslaus. The nation remains under split occupation, however, with the Golden Horde still possessing parts of the country.'''

'''The Golden Horde has its own challenges, however. Toqta Khan begins to make serious progress against the overstretched Horde, with his forces riding toward Sarai Batu, the capital of the Khanate. As he has gone unchallenged this past year, he has gained greater momentum as well with his troops now numbering 35,000.'''

'''Like its fellow Horde to the north, the Ilkhanate is also experiencing severe challenges. In the Sultanate of Rûm, the arrival of Muslims from Cyprus along with the Armenian Christian missionaries leads to a boiling over of tensions. With Kayqubad III's reliance on Mongol traditions, rather than Turko-Persian culture, he sees his realm fall into a civil war - led by Osman Gazi.'''

'''Elsewhere in the Ilkhanate, the unchecked revolt in Baghdad has led to the formation of a temporary theocratic Muslim government based out of that city. The Abbasid Caliph, a puppet of the Mamluks, calls upon all righteous Muslims to engage in subversion and internal war against the Christianizing Ilkhanate. The call is taken up by Öljaitü, brother of Ghazan.'''

The Indian subcontinent sees a small change in the balance of power, as Delhi annexes Gujarat.

'''The scene after the Battle of Sønderborg is one of absolute horror. According to a priest in the castle, the battlefield is strewn with frozen corpses huddled around burned-out fires, putrid fields of bones from human and animal alike, and objects of any kind with bite marks or teeth left from where some soul grew desperate and hungry enough to eat anything for nourishment. If rumors are to be believed, murders of crows circle the devastated castle. Dante Aligheri would write later on this event, depicting Erik VI as an Antichrist. Sønderborg remains in a dire situation, with Swedes and Danish nobles regrouping to finish the job off.'''

'''As soon as John I of Holland had died, the vast majority of nobles in Holland and Zeeland recognized the Duke of Brabant as the successor. However, John of Hainaut, the regent of Holland, refused to accept this change of dynasty, and mounted 800 retainers in Den Hague. He also began to raise considerable defenses in Hainaut in case of having to fight Brabant on two fronts.'''


 * Kingdom of Sweden: Having decided that the army cannot maintain the siege of Sønderborg Castle for another brutal winter, the allied Dano-Swedish force of 36,000 men decides to relocate north temporarily to regroup and resupply. Before they move north, however, the army makes sure to send raiding parties to every village, town, farm and market south of the Tonder River. These raiding parties seize any supplies Eric could use from the local peasantry and burn whatever they cannot carry, including crops and animals. The raiding parties thoroughly strip the land bare, effectively preventing Eric from resupplying his forces. With no supplies, Eric's forces in Sønderborg stay in the miserable condition they emerged after the battle. The allied army will then be able to effectively finish off Eric and his starved, battered forces. Laden with supplies plundered from the lands south of the Tonder, the army moves north and camps at Aabenraa. Before leaving, Christopher and Birger also leave dozens of sentries, spies, and riders around Sønderborg Castle to monitor Eric’s actions and also report if Eric’s army leaves the castle. Once at Aabenraa the army again sends parties of raiders but to destroy all bridges over the Tonder and sends men to guard the few fords over the river. The army also fortifies Aabenraa, building makeshift fortifications around the town and digging trenches as well as placing stakes around Aabenraa. Additionally, scouts are regularly deployed to patrol the lands south of the Tonder River to continue informing King Birger and Christopher of Eric’s forces’ movements. The Dano-Swedish army plans to effectively trap Eric beneath the Tonder River, where, without supplies or funds, his men will starve. Additionally, by blocking the river the Dano-Swedish Army prevents Eric from communicating with the rest of Denmark and prevents him from raising any more men. Meanwhile, the Danish and Swedish allied commanders learn from their mistakes at the First Siege of Sønderborg and begin amassing a huge amount of supplies at Aabenraa, aiming to have a supply train with enough to last them three years. Additionally, the army takes this time to rest and train. The army also begins cutting down trees to begin constructing siege engines, specifically trebuchets, battering rams, and siege ladders, with the army planning to return to Sønderborg Castle and besiege it in 1301. While the army regroups and resupplies, King Christopher holds Court in Aabenraa, where he hears petitions from peasants, disputes between different towns, and does his best to resolve the situation, under the supervision and counsel of the Danish nobles. King Christopher’s actions in running the Kingdom solidifies his appearance as the King of Denmark, whilst Eric, trapped and starving at Sønderborg Castle, seems only a rebel. The Swedish fleet is also concentrated near the coast near Sønderborg Castle, preventing any resupply efforts from the sea. News of the Pope’s blessings reaches the armies, and the morale of the army is raised as King Christopher receives a Dannebrog personally blessed by the Pope himself. A letter with the Dannebrog reads: “As God sent you the first Dannebrog in the Year of Our Lord 1219 to defeat the heathens at the Battle of Lyndanisse, so to do I now send you this Dannebrog to carry into battle against Eric the Anti-Christ and his anti-Christian forces.” The Dannebrog is proudly displayed, and the receipt of the Pope’s gift and blessings raises the army’s morale incredibly high, with many Danish and Swedish nobles and soldiers resolving to fight to the end to dethrone Eric the Heathen. Additionally, news reaches the men of Milan’s refusal to send funds to Eric, further bolstering morale and confirming King Christopher as the rightful King of Denmark. Priests are again sent throughout Denmark to spread news of the Pope’s blessings and gift to King Christopher and further weaken Eric’s support from the peasantry. Now viewed as the anti-Christ and now known by nobles and peasant alike as “Eric the Anti-Christ”, the peasants of Denmark pledge their loyalty to Christopher, who is seen as heroically attempting to fulfill the Pope’s desire to dethrone Eric.


 * Georgia: The 14th-century in Georgia begins with a general sense of optimism and renewed confidence in its future. Having successfully reunified Georgia, as well as securing lost territories in Armenia and Shirvani, David VIII is bestowed with the title of "The Great" by the Georgian Catholicos-Patriarch. To portray him as a merciful and morally just leader, David VIII frees Constantine I and his court – restoring them their property and wealth while granting them control over khevis (second-level administrative units that are under duchies). This move nevertheless garners much awe and respect; even from Western nobles originally resisting reunification. As per tradition, David VIII continues the patronage of the Gelati and Ikalto monasteries – especially the former, where Queen Tamar the Great's remains are purportedly held. The Georgian army is reduced to regulars; the Monaspa (Royal Guard) and Naqivchaqari amount to 10,000 men each. The forces that constitute the Georgian expedition to the Ilkhanate is replenished and remains stable at ~5,000. The settlements of Batumi and Tskhumi (or Sokhumi) are to be heavily fortified. Meanwhile, two fortresses are built in Sumqayit and Gagra, respectively. The rich mineral wealth of the Kartli (copper) and Imereti (silver) regions begin to be more heavily exploited, which together with the incorporation of new taxable subjects have resulted in a recovering Treasury. As a result, the veterans of the War of Reunification are relatively well-paid – though some are also paid in land grants, particularly in the region of Shirvani. A ban is placed on the outflow of bullion (though there are some exceptions) to facilitate the recovery of the Georgian economy. To further expand the tax base, commerce – in particular, external trade – is encouraged. Merchant and craftsmen guilds in the capital of Tbilisi and the port of Batumi proliferate. The main trading goods continue to be wool, felt, wine, and enamels. However, cotton cultivation is encouraged and workshops begin to manufacture silks (using raw silk from the East) due to the vacuum left by the receding Italian merchant republics.
 * Kingdom of Denmark: Having emerged heroically victorious over the Swedish and their auxiliaries, King Eric and the rest of his troops regroup with the Danish navy on the coast nearby and leave Sønderborg for their other fortress of Aalholm Castle in southern Lolland by ship as a large Danish naval attack is launched on the Swedish fleet to keep them occupied. The court reestablishes itself at Aalholm, as word of the devastation caused by the Swedes and the remaining nobles supporting Christopher reaches the other parts of Denmark, causing further hatred and fear of the Swedish invader for the deliberate destruction of the land and causing unnecessary harm to the people. Despite the dispute with the Pope much of the clergy likewise continues to remain loyal to the King, including Martin of Dacia (as in OTL), understanding that the Pope has been deceived by the devil-worshiping nobles and the corrupted Swedish king, and that Eric is in fact doing God's work. Despite all of their empty festivities and celebrating, Christopher and the nobles remain thoroughly unpopular and King Eric is received by the people as the rightful king when he arrives on Lolland with his troops, setting up his court at Aalholm Castle. Eric's preachers and supporters that are traveling throughout Denmark and spread word of the victory at Sønderborg, that in spite of being vastly outnumbered, Eric and his Danish army heroically stood firm and defeated the Swedes, and how can anyone be defeated despite having the advantage and claim to be truly on the side of God? The Swedish foreign invader and the traitor Christopher is only viewed with ever more disgust among the peasantry as the magnates' rebellion has only brought destruction to the land. King Eric and his forces, arriving at Aalholm Castle, recuperate from the losses and begin preparing Aalholm and the rest of Lolland for the inevitable Swedish attack.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: The sentries and spies left around Sønderborg Castle notice the increased activity within the castle and discover Eric the Anti-Christ's army moving out of the castle. The sentries quickly send riders to notify King Christopher and King Birger, who rapidly concentrate their forces, break camp and march south to confront Eric's army in the open. Out of the 36,000 men, 3,000 are sent to secure Sønderborg Castle, abandoned my Eric, to cut off his escape and retreat. The 33,000 men of the allied Dano-Swedish army then ambush Eric's unsuspecting, weakened and tired forces after they leave the castle. Caught out in the open, Eric's diminished forces must now face the allied army in an open battle with no castle to hide behind. Additionally, the blockade by the Swedish fleet means that Eric cannot escape by sailing away, as he has done so cowardly in the past. There is no escape from God's wrath. The Dano-Swedish Army, rested and resupplied and with their morale raised by the Pope's blessing, prepare for battle with Eric the Anti-Christ.
 * Yuan China: The siege of Samarakand continues, with Temür Khan ordering his men to continue entrenching themselves around the city and killing any messengers and spies that attempt to escape. The offer of support from Nogai Khan is accepted by Temür Khan, who believes that the support from his fellow khan was directed by Christ himself. Though a hard fought battle, the outcome in favor of his army has convinced Temür Khan that the crucifix handed to him by the Nestorian monks was indeed imbued with the holy power of God and the Virgin Mary. With such divine intervention on his behalf from the Lord Jesus, Temür Khan resolves to completely accept Christ into his life and become a warrior of God in Asia. He instructs the Christian clerics captured during the campaign into Chagatai to baptize both him and his men in the nearby Zeravshan River, and orders his men to join him in the baptism as well, proclaiming that Jesus Christ has given their enemy into their hands, and that with Christ, the rest of Asia shall follow. Thus, high off of their recent victory, the Mongol and Chinese warriors with the emperor shout in favor of the proclamation, and jump into the river as well, likewise believing that the battle was given to their emperor by Christ, and that the defeat of the Chagatai Mongols was the result of their being forsaken by Tengri. To commemorate the result, the emperor instructs that a small Christian shrine be constructed on the battlefield, and hands it over to the Christian leaders who baptized him in the river. Temür Khan rationalizes that the Heavenly Father Tengri and the Earth Mother Eje must surely have been Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary all along, with several of his generals stating that they likely withdraw their blessings from the Chagatai Mongols for failing to acknowledge this truth, and thus sent the Yuan armies to destroy them for their impertinence. This belief is encouraged by the Christian monks present within the Yuan forces, who see this rationalization as an effective means by which to introduce the Christian faith into Mongol ranks and spread it among the Chinese. Temür Khan sends a letter back to the imperial court and his fellow Christian sympathizers within its ranks regarding the victory at Samarkand and his public conversion and baptism into the faith. While he notes that the soldiers with him have fully embraced the faith, but warns the court that there may be those within the ranks of the commoners who do not respect his position as emperor well enough to properly remember their place within the hierarchy of Yuan-dominated China. As such, Chinese soldiers who had been fond of the Christian faith after it was reintroduced into the empire by the Mongols fifty years ago, have been reorganized into wholly Christian units, and rotated into the imperial army and reserve forces surrounding Beijing in preparation for the emperor's return. Back in China proper, the development of the continues as usual, with new towns and infrastructure being developed to accommodate the new lands in the north under the provincial administrations there. The Liaoyang province continues to encourage the development of settled communities in Manchuria, with new roads and inns being built to help accommodate the influx of trade from the south, as well as the movement of nomadic settlers from the north. These individuals are attracted to the possibility of earning a decent income from the new urban expansion programs in Acheng and the surrounding environs, as well as the rural development to help sustain the towns going up within the central basin region. In the Lingbei province, several thousand households have settled down within the walls of Karakorum and Uliastai, where trade into the region has prompted a large amount of wealth to be spread into the province for the people to attain for themselves. This has attracted many Chinese subjects to migrate into the region as with Manchuria to take advantage of the new opportunities available to them in the area. Naval expansion continues as usual, with a seven wei of vessels and crewmen added to the fleets of China. Another 200,000 Chinese soldiers have been drilled in the new system of military doctrine in use within the Yuan army, and are assigned to their various posts throughout the country by the Ministry of War. Several of the units consist of mixed ethnic groups speaking the common Han Chinese language, and are assigned to the two northern provinces where they will begin garrisoning the new towns under expansion there. In particular, one of the 10,000-man strong wàn assigned to the Lingbei Province has been composed of a nearly equal mix of Mongols, Han Chinese, Koreans, Yue, Miao and Uyghurs, all speaking Mandarin Chinese as per the direction of the Ministry of War. It is hoped that this system will become more widespread throughout China, serving as an example of the empire Temür Khan wishes to build. Within Korea, the integration of that protectorate into China proper continues, with Korean bureaucrats being sent to other parts of the empire to staff offices in distance provinces, while more and more Koreans are sent to Beijing to partake in the imperial examinations and administer Korea using the Chinese system of governance. Marriages are officiated according to Chinese rites and laws, and more and more of the Chinese jiaochao currency is being pumped into Korea as the only permitted form of financial transaction between Korean and Chinese merchants, helping to further economically integrate Korea into the empire. 50,000 Chinese soldiers are assigned to Korea for the protection of the peninsula against Japanese piracy, and are sent there along with their families and belongings. Several Korean families are given financial incentives to move into China proper, and adopt Chinese language and clothing as a means of qualifying for land grants from the government.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: the sultanate of Morocco send among 10,000 cavalry and a group called 'The Almoradivs' are gonna conquered South Iberia and unified become 'Realm of Almoradivs' the Marinids to south conquer north of Algeria with his troop most of Moorish beating the Spanish on north border most of are defeating is basically what is call 'The Reconquestia' in Morocco the scientific Moorish establish an university called 'university of Rabat' for philosophy. Meanwhile, they arrive to Egypt for helping the allies and come to ceremony
 * Delhi Sultanate: With the Chagatai forces busy fighting China and having repulsed numerous Chagatai invasions, Alaudding Khilji sends a force of 40,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry led by Almas Beg to invade the Chagatai and besiege Kabul. Another force of 150,000 (50,000 infantry and 100,000 cavalry) led by Nusrat Khan Jalesari is sent westward to invade the Ilkhanate in support of the Mamluk Sultanate and to answer the call by the Abbasid Caliphate for a jihad. Another force of 50,000 troops remains in the Delhi Sultanate area under direct control of the Sultan. The force under Nusrat Khan marches into the Ilkhanate virtually unopposed because most of the Ilkhanate's forces are involved in the West. The forces of the Delhi Sultanate are seen as liberators in the Muslim majority territories and start recruiting soldiers from the territory of the Ilkhanate on the pretext of the jihad that was declared by the Abbasid Caliphate. Nusrat Khan's forces swell by an additional 12,000 irregular troops. Nusrat Khan's forces besiege and raid Balkh, Herat, Zarani and move toward Nishapur. (No need to give me a strike, I know the algos haven't been completed but this would be the likely outcome because the Delhi Sultanate used tactics similar to the Mongols and were able to brutally crush all the Chagatai invasions during Alauddin Khiljis time. I will change my post according to what the mods tell me). The non-Muslims in the Ilkhanate area (that has been conquered) are killed or captured, their valuables confiscated by the army and their property distributed among the local Muslim population. The local Muslim population helps the force led by Nusrat Khan by providing much needed grains and other food items. These wars are successfully funded by the loot gained during the invasion of Gujarat and Devagiri along with some contribution from the treasury. Meanwhile, diplomats are sent to the Mamluk Sultanate to strike an alliance with them (MOD RESPONSE). Another group of diplomats are sent to the court of the Sultan of Bengal, requesting an alliance and to ask him to contribute forces to help in the Jihad against the Ilkhanate(MOD RESPONSE).
 * The Mamluks accept the alliance, as does the Sultan of Bengal. The Bengal Sultan, however, declines to send troops halfway across the known world. -Rexmod.
 * Republic of Venice: The economic crisis in the other Italian city states make action by the Doge and the Council are necessary. The formerly Genoan dominated aspects of the Mediterranean trade like the selling of wax, fur, fish and oil are now seek to be taken over by Venice as well, with massive increase in wax, olive oil and grain production in Candia and the Aegean possessions of Venice, while fishing and textile production are increased in the Venetian homeland. The offer from the Achaean principality is seen as a necessary and comparatively small sacrifice in order to win the upper hand in the conflict against Genoa with Achaean aid. The ships that were hired by Naples arrive this year to support their war against Sicily, and with this the treasuries of the Venetians filled in the process. A monetary reform is implemented as well, where paper money notes becomes an official part of the currency. A 50 and 100 Ducate note is implemented. The notes are all printed with a special silk with a stamp and a serial number on it, to avoid fakes being handed in. The notes can be handed to the bank, where the officials check the serial number and then return the note into gold ducats. The expansion of the Arsenal begins and the production begins to be streamlined, not only for ships but also for arms. Planned is a large secondary Arsenal more inland, away from the harbor, where many weapon manufacturers and blacksmiths would produce arms, nails and tools according to state-regulated norms, so that a high quality and fitting measurements can be assured. The piracy campaign against Genoa continues, with Corsican and French Pirates being hired to harass Genoan ships in their home territory and receiving a small payment for every returned Genoan captain or ship (MOD RESPONSE ON THE SUCCESS). SECRET Vague plans are drawn for the conquest of Rhodes, which would include a siege and then, with Achaean aid, storming the smaller possessions of Genoa and the Byzantines in the region SECRET END
 * Mali Empire: Sakoura arrived to Egypt in great ceremony, and visited in Cairo to meet personally with the Abbasid Caliph. He made his circumlocutions around the great Kaaba in Mecca, and threw the sacred stones at the Rock of Shaitan. Unfortunately, his stay in Egypt was somewhat rushed by the political unrest taking place at the time, as the entire Middle East was erupting in chaos over the invasions of the declining Ilkhanate. In fact, many contemporary historians don't even mention the arrival of Sakoura at all, overshadowed with these other events. In spring the next year, Sakoura returned toward Mali across the valleys of Fezzan and Kanem, but unfortunately never returned to the realms of Mali. As he was passing through the Bornu Empire, his servants rushed a him with knives and stabbed him to death. Much speculation continues over this unexpected event, and most of our information comes from a speech made by Mansa Musa after he came to power. Reportedly, this began the ongoing rivalry between the House of Sefawa and the House of Keita, as the Kanem emperor bribed the servants of Sakoura to have him assassinated. As soon as the caravan arrived back in Mali proper, a revolt erupted with the purpose of putting the Keita family back in power. Somaoro, the son of Sakoura, fled from the city of Niani unharmed, and disappears from the historical record for some time. With Musa in exile, the Keita family installed the eldest son of Kolokan into power, and crowned Mansa Gao in July that year. Mansa Gao was generally regarded as a very weak and quiet ruler, allowing the princes of Mali to continue their decentralized power they largely enjoyed in the past. Mali honors her alliance with the Egypt, as well as the call to arms by the Caliph. 3,000 infantry and 500 cavalry is sent by caravan to aid Egypt's jihad. Individual princes continue to expand their domains east, into OTL Niger.
 * The Kingdom of Portugal: The King promotes ship development and tries to improve his ships. He makes the development try to by more long distance then Merchant.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: We begin building a central longhouse in the middle of the capital to serve as a community gathering and town hall, Next besides there is a request board for the civilians to request stuff. Meanwhile, we begin building a port and some ships to make sure we have ships ready for any situation.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa"Some of the Nobility in Holland has chosen to betray the cause of John II of Brabant, While the county of Zeeland supports John II of Brabant as to prevent the County of Flanders and the English navy to destroy the islands they Hold. Duke John II who had readied his nobility since the death the of the Hollandic count, and shortly after the pikemen, archers, men-at-arms and the Gastraphets. Their numbers are far greater then that of the nobility but they do not have the same quality of weaponry and defense as their noble brothers, but their quality has slightly increased due to what many call arms fonds. Army Fonds being where ten percent of someone's pay is kept for the unit so it can provide for any new item like pike and chest plate, although quality may be slightly lower then original. The Army of the Realm totalling 3,500 men marches from Den herzogenbosche to Dordreghte and then farther to Rotterdam. Rotterdam being the economic hub of the county without which Holland cannot survive while at the same time being only 15 Miles from the Capital of Des Hages (the Hague). While we call on John of Malinnes to aid Brabant in the defences of Brabant, defending the inner area's of Brabant. The city guards in the south of Brabant are ordered to prepare all their defence and recruit as many people as they can. Some 500 troops going to the area to defend. Due to this conflict, the building of the Mansion in Heyst Ten Berge is stopped for the while being as the funds are needed for the war in action for food and new armour of the duke. The city of Antwerp - even though also in the war - begins to have even more profits as the Schelde River is now even more open and less worried about Flemish and Zeelandic wars, Antwerp slowly growing in Power, prosperity and population. The colours of Red white Red are flown all across the English channel as Antwerp is trade that will never end - not a naval fleet but merchant ships are the Lotharingian manner of greatness.
 * Ilkhanate: With Georgia successfully reunified, the one-tenth of the army that was there is recalled back to Tabriz. The one-tenth accompanying the Sultan of Rum is also recalled, so now four-tenths of the army is in the Ilkhanate proper (henceforth referred to as the defensive army) and six-tenths is in the Mamluk Sultanate. The defensive army is commanded in Baydu's absence by his eldest son Qipchaq (OOC: it appears not to have been historically recorded when he was born so I don't know what his OTL age is, but I estimate he's around 20 years old in 1300). Qipchaq commands the entire defensive army to attack the Theocracy/Caliphate in Baghdad. The army besiege the city and attempt to raze it. The defensive army then fortifies a line from Tabriz south to Ahvaz while Qipchaq sends envoys to several foreign leaders. Specifically, he sends naval envoys to Milan, Venice, Naples, Achaea and the Byzantine Empire (through the Cilician port of Tarsus), describing how the Christian Khan Baydu's land is being assaulted by a jihad of Muslim infidels from India and asks for their military support to help defend Christianity from these heretical attackers in a new Crusade. (Milan response) (Venice response) (Naples response) (Achaea response) (Mod response for Byzantine Empire) Qipchaq also sends an envoy to Yuan China through Toqta Khan, in which he congratulates Temür Khan on his conversion to Christianity, proposes an alliance between the Christian khans of Baydu and Temür and asks for military support against the Muslim jihadists from the Delhi Sultanate. (Yuan China response) Meanwhile, in the Mamluk Sultanate, Baydu's attacking army has been besieging Damascus through 1299 and building siege equipment. When Baydu hears the Papal and Cypriot militaries have landed at Gaza and Georgian support troops arrive at Damascus, he launches a final full-on assault of Damascus, attempting to raze the city before marching south toward Jerusalem.
 * Armenian Cilicia: Hethum II arrives back in Sis from his journeying on the diplomatic mission of the Ilkhanate and is appalled to find Sempad has murdered their brother Thoros III and taken the throne for himself. A lot of the military that remains in Cilicia quickly turns to support Hethum II instead of Sempad. The final nail in Sempad's coffin comes when Constantine betrays him to Hethum II in exchange for clemency for his part in Sempad's coup. Sempad is imprisoned and executed, while Constantine is indeed granted clemency but exiled from the court in Sis. Hethum II becomes King again, though he says he intends to abdicate once he finds a suitable heir. He allows the use of the port of Tarsus for Qipchaq's various diplomatic envoys.
 * Sultanate of Rum: Sultan Kayqubad III pulls back the remaining troops from the Trebizond area so five-sixths of the army is under his command (with the other one-sixth accompanying Baydu's army in the Levant). He fortifies the cities of Konya and Sivas and shifts his centre of government from Konya to the eastern city of Sivas. As a final attempt to avoid all-out war with Osman Gazi, he attempts to convince one (or several) of the Muslim nobles he'd bribed before to assassinate Osman Gazi, in exchange for which the nobleman will receive a fief comprising most of western Rum around Konya. (Mod response)
 * The Byzantines lend 2,000 troops to aid in the Crusade for Jerusalem
 * With the Kingdom of Naples busy with the Sicilian Revolt, King Charles II states that Naples won't be able to provide aid to the Ilkhanate for some time.
 * The attempt to assassinate Osman fails.
 * Achaea declines to aid the Mongol Ilkhanate in their "crusade," citing Ilkhan Baydu's heretical Christology.
 * Yuan China Response: The Emperor of China agrees to the alliance proposal from the Ilkhanate.
 * Kingdom of Hungary: With the repulsion of the Mongols from Poland and Hungary, many of the troops are returned to Hungary. Along with a civil war breaking out in the lands of the heathen Mongols who try to deceive faithful Christians with honeyed words, that are empty as their moral fiber. Many lords and others along the border take the opening presented by the current distraction of the Mongols, they begin to rebuild and fortify their lands blocking off passes along the Carpathians and creating watchtowers to alert them of any Mongol presence. Many of the people who fled the countryside during the Mongol invasions return to the plains and the abandoned villages they left behind. During the Mongol and Wallachian Invasion the Kán géns was hit especially with the Lord and his heirs all passing away leaving his lands to the appointment of the King. Due to the majority of troops who died being from the lords along the border dying these lords are exceptionally weakened and with the King losing very few of his personal retinue the last of the holdouts of magnates are brought into the fold. Matthew III Csák is cautious in advising the King to bid his time and be careful around the lords. Word is sent to the most holy father in Rome requesting most humbly for an official coronation and installment of Andrew III to the throne of Hungary. He offers the most holy, a gift of gold as a token of appreciation sending them it to fuel their most holy mission. Papal Response Needed.
 * Papal States: We humbly accept the gold and thank the Hungarian domain for this donation.
 * Lordship of Milan: Following the crash of the Bank in sienna, Milanese bankers immediately react by travelling to Bohemia and working with the Bohemians on taking advantage of the Bohemian Mineral wealth to create a much stronger currency. The Milanese banks also begin to discuss recalling all loans that don’t have direct advantage to Milan. This results in demands for repay in Collateral from Genoa, Sweden, Venice and a re-discussion of the current standing with the Papacy, (Discussions can be done on Discord then respond with answers here.) There is a second large issue occurring this year in Milan as the debate as to where Milanese loyalties lie between the Pope and HRE. With Matteo and company deciding to support the HRE and specifically the Bohemians with publicly announcing their support for the HRE and the Bohemians. Della Torre loyalists become majorly upset with a potential war on the horizon between the two forces.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: Upon hearing of the Milanese demanding repayment, the Swedish Kingdom quickly offers up its large reserve of iron. The Swedish Queen Martha offers to repay the loan's in iron along with five percent interest rates.
 * Republic of Genoa: Due the Republic is subject to pay the claims established by the Milanese bankers, the Genoese bankers, together with the city of Genoa and its colonies, are willing to pay 60 galleys full of silver coins to pay the debts accumulated since 1296.
 * Milan: Knowing how much this would hurt the Genoese Republic the Milanese state that they will rather take it in the form of silks and goods from around the world over time with no interest rate during this period as long as it is paid in a ten-year time.
 * Kingdom of Naples: With the Neapolitan Victory at Potenza, Charles II now with 50,000 men and a small Flotilla of over 50 Galleys launches a counterattack against the Sicilians through a two-pronged assault with a small force of 15,000 men under Prince Phillip being sent to march against the positions of Fredrick III while the remaining force of 35,000 men under Charles II himself supported by his Flotilla of 50 ships land between Taranto and Montescaglioso behind enemy lines in order to trap the forces of Fredrick III in Southern Italy and force their surrender. Meanwhile, Prince Robert moves forward in recruiting another force of 10,000 men as a reserve force while heading to Achaea to request the support of 10,000 troops from all of the Frankish Greek States (Achaean Response Needed). Meanwhile, with the Genoans establishing an alliance with the Byzantines, the Kingdom of Naples proposes an alliance with the Venetians in order to counter the Genoa-Byzantine Alliance and as a means to achieve Charles II’s goal of restoring the Latin Roman Empire or Empire of Romania in which Charles I’s failed to do so. However, shortly after leaving for Achaea, Prince Robert’s wife, Yolanda of Aragon unfortunately passed away resulting in Charles II deciding to arrange a marriage between his son (Robert) and the Titular Latin Roman Empress, Catherine of Courtnay (Mod Response for if Catherine accepts) as a means of legitimizing the Neapolitan claim to the Throne of Constantinople.
 * Empress Catherine Courtnay agrees to this very tactical marriage.
 * Achaea, having served its liege for the required period for ten years time, declines to send further troops to the Italian peninsula.
 * Republic of Genoa: It has arrived in 14th century and debts are accumulating in the Republic. To respond to the demands of the Milanese banks, the Duke together with the local bankers have managed, with much sacrifice, to fill 60 galleys of silver coins to pay the Milanese debt with interest that he dragged since 1295 (Milan response). Taking care about the international relationships, the tumultuous wars that have devastated the Genoese population and economy must end once and for all. With the aim of ending the devastating struggles that occur in the Aegean Sea because of the war with Venice, the Duke has proposed a non-aggression pact for an indefinite period for which the act that can action that could cause a long conflict is prohibited term either for economic purposes (assault merchant galleys, besiege cities, allocate rewards for sunken galleys), strategic purposes (usurp islands), and military purposes (support with troops to allies with the aim of attacking Venetian or Genoese cities or ports) between Genoa, Venice and the respective allies of the newly appointed (Venice response). Turning to internal issues, the site of Monaco has been lifted at the end of this year, it has been recognized sovereignty by Genoa. Francisco Grimaldi, together with the Duke of Genoa and the main leaders of the Spinola and Doria families along with some members of the Ghibelline and Guelph families have signed an act where the Rock of Monaco and its surroundings will be recognized as an independent state, denominating as Principality of Monaco and will not depend economically and militarily on Genoa, leaving Monaco exposed to a possible invasion of neighboring states. While negotiations flow between Genoese, the island of Corsica (under Genoese rule) was isolated from the commerce of the Western Mediterranean and even from the metropolis itself because of Sinucello della Roca. Lamba Doria, under the orders of the Duke and Spinola family, commanded a fleet of 20 galleys with the aim of overthrowing the tyranny of Sinucello. Upon arriving on the island, Lamba Doria encountered little resistance from the faithful of the tyrant and managed to arrest him without any major inconvenience. Sinucello della Roca was put in prison in Genoa where he spent the rest of his days.
 * Bohemia-Poland: Wenceslaus II implements a monetary reform introducing the Groschen, while the construction of the Prague and Krakow Mints are completed. The Kutna Hora Mines are steadily expanded thanks to an end of hostilities with Nogai and Wenceslaus' edict forming a crown monopoly on the mines goes into effect. The new currency weighs approximately 3.5 to 3.7 grams of silver proving much thicker then the Italian denaris. Circulation and distribution of the new currency is strictly controlled as to avoid a devaluation of the new currency and to bring confidence to the new currency. Negotiations with the Milanese over debt re-negotiations continue with Wenceslaus offering the Milanese installment payments in silver based on a new rate pegged to the stronger Groschen without interest, and to allow for the Milanese currency and banking system be backed by Bohemia's silver and gold reserves through the creation of a Bohemian Bank under royal charter. Construction of the University of Praga, and the university of Krakow begin. Still feeling responsible for the senseless loss of life at Lublin, and after many nights without sleep in the still being rebuilt St Mary Basilica Wenceslaus II decides to take up the cross to Jerusalem, he calls upon polish, Bohemian, and German who wish to save their soul to join him in the journey to Jerusalem. He sends an envoy to Rome stating his intent to join the new crusade. He founds the Chivalric Order of Saint Wenceslaus after his ancestor Wenceslaus I of Bohemia. Wenceslaus II sets out from Krakow with 5,000 men marching overland from Hungary Wladyslaw Elbow-High is proclaimed regent in his absence and his son Wenceslaus begins his training to become king someday under the tutelage of Wladyslaw. Construction of Wawel Castle (fortress) continues, as does the construction of new fortifications at Gneizo and Gdansk. An offer is made to expand trade with the Hanseatic league in an effort to expand trade with the Baltic Sea. Gdansk's customs are greatly expanded and Germans are encouraged to settle the still heavily depopulated areas of of Bohemia and Poland from the previous incursions by Mongols. Overland trade routes are improved. The betrothal of Wenceslaus the younger and Catherine di Visconti is approved, along with the betrothal of Agnes the twin sister Wenceslaus to Rudolf von Hapsburg. To further improve his standing with the Polish and Silesian nobility he also proposes a marriage between the minor Duke Henry VI of Wroclaw to his daughter Anne, and to betroth one of his daughters to Stefan the son of Wladyslaw (mod response).
 * Duke Boleslaw the Strict, the regent of Henry, agrees to the marriage of Henry to Anne
 * Wladyslaw the Elbow-High agrees to betroth his son Stefan to Princess Magaret of Bohemia
 * Crown of Aragon: To some shock, the proposal to establish peace through a Treaty of Zaragoza is ignored prompting James to be placed in a corner. The decision is decided and preparations are made. Following the confirmation of Frederick III’s legitimacy to the crown, James II request the blessings of the papacy to pursue a campaign in support of Frederick III (Papacy Response). For time to come, our men totaling 30,000 strong with 10,500 being that of Cavalry are sent off to Sicily in which there, they would be supplied at the position of Taranto. Ensuring supplies remain at large for the journey ahead, 45 ships are stationed around the Neapolitan coast off the coast of Naples and Salerno preventing supplies of goods to reach Naples from the main ports of entry. This fleet is left in the hands of and is entrusted to Roger de Lauria. These ships of course would target Neapolitan Naval Vessels as well during this lengthy campaign at sea. Due to the recent financial dilemma in Europe accompanied by a newly risen war effort, The Expansive Road Network Project sees delays to ease the costs over time. Beyond that The Family of De La Rosa continues to contribute to the construction of the University of Zaragoza. The Crown’s Army accompanied by the Sicilian Allies lay siege to Benevento after a march northward. The army is divided into two portions in which the northern side, 12,500 men are sent to lay siege on the Northern end with the remaining army laying siege to the southern end. Seeing that there is a river that runs through the city, it is hinted that this may become problematic if forces engage on one end resulting in the plan that if the Siege results in the army’s being able to break through, the opposite end’s forces would allow for the city and the enemy’s men to fall.
 * Papal States: We agree to give the Aragonese their blessings and wish them the best of luck with supporting Frederick III.
 * Naples: With the arrival of Aragonese troops, the Neapolitan Forces cancel their plans to land south and quickly move to Benevento to engage the Sicilian-Aragonese Force with 50,000 Neapolitan troops under Charles II moving in to lift the seige while the Neapolitan Fleet engages with the Aragonese Fleet with the objective of eliminating the Aragonese Fleet and trapping the Aragonese Forces in Southern Italy.
 * Nogai Khan :Nogai Khan engages the forces of Toqta Khan at Sorai Batu with a force of four tumen (40,000). The defense of the Polish lands gained in the Coalition War (Mazovia and the lands east of the Vistula) is granted to Lev I. One tumen of Russians rise as the Orthodox Legion, serving as Nogai's reserve in case anything goes wrong in Sorai Batu, leading to closer cultural ties between the Russians and Nogai's Horde, fostering cultural exchange between tribute and liege.
 * Kingdom of England: With the war in France heating up, Edward puts up more pressure for the coastal towns and counties provide more ships for the English Navy, as more conflict with France brews. In light of this, new men are chosen by Edward as the Guardians of Scotland, pending the coronation of a new king, with the current favourite being John Hastings. Internally, the English people prepare for more years of war in order to defend their trade interests and their rights in France. Messengers are sent all around Europe looking for allies against the French in their war of aggression. In Scotland, however, the lords enjoy a short reprieve. Edward does not wish to push his luck by demanding armies for his War just yet, at least not until Scotland has a crowned king. As is being spoken, the Lords and commons in the Scottish parliament are busy writing their own version of Magna Carta, which would hopefully regularize the position of the King of England, King of Scotland, and the overlordship that the English King has. The King moves to Scotland to deal with the Scottish Parliament and leaves the war in France, for the moment, to his Lieutenant of Aquitaine, John St John. More men are raised in England and are transported to Calais to reinforce the English Positions. The English forces,knowing how expensive it is to transport horses across seas, elect to transport infantry and longbowmen into Calais and into Aquitaine as priorities. This leads to a total force count of 10,000 local Aquitaine forces raised last year, 5,000 raised this year, 5,000 reinforcements from England (20,000 in Aquitaine total sent, with 4,000 in losses mean 16,000 men), with 10,000 men in Calais total, the 5,000 sent last year plus the 5,000 this year. of this 26,000 men, a full 6,000 are longbowmen, with 2,500 in Aquitaine. Despite the recent losses, the English decide that keeping the fort of Rouen is too costly, and the majority of English forces retreat onto their ships and leave a force of 4,000 to garrison the city, knowing there is not enough supplies to feed everyone. Nonetheless, the English regroup with their new reinforcements, making their forces number 12,000 plus 4,000 garrison. the 12,000 men, including the new reinforcements, set out to attack French-held forts in an effort to lure the French into dividing their forces and breaking the siege of Bourg. Specifically, they sail down and lay siege to Bordeaux. Regardless the 10,000 men stationed in Calais are divided in two forces, a smaller force of 4,000 and a larger force of 6,000. The Smaller force is sent to ask the Count of Calais for his allegiance while the Larger force is sent to Rouen to siege the fort. The Goal is to retake parts of Normandy for a possible second purpose to reclaim lost lands and titles.
 * Kingdom of Scotland: Parliament convenes for the first time in Glasgow, opening on the Monday after Easter. The summoned parliament meets and first acknowledges Edward as their Suzerain overlord. They then begin a few debates: the first is on the succession to the Kingdom. Some support crowning John Hastings, but opposition does exist to the idea. Everyone knows that even if an alternative King is found, then it would still, in essence, require the consent of Edward. Remembering what happened with Robert the Bruce, no Scottish lords wish to try for independence again. As such, they settle on perhaps establishing a Magna Carta for Scotland, to curb the powers of Edward to simply demand taxes and armies, as well as have more control over their new King. Edward first pushes back on the idea, but then realizes that it could be the way to increase his power in Scotland, especially by playing the rival lords off one another. This works for a few months as each of the Lords wishes special privileges not afforded to the others. Parliament reaches an impasse in August and the King Dissolves Parliament, promising to reconvene once the war in France is finished. It is hinted that the King might actually agree to a Scottish Magna Carta should the Lords continue to support him with troops in the war with France. Nothing concrete yet though.
 * Principality of Achaea: The jubilee year, declared by the His Holiness, the Pope, is met with great celebration among the Achaean nobility. A large delegation, including both Prince Florent and marshal Nicholas III of Saint Omer, alongside many other nobles, barons, and knights, travel to Rome on a pilgrimage to celebrate and receive absolution for their transgressions. At home, Archbishop John of Patras uses the opportunity to strengthen his efforts to proselytize among the Orthodox population. Many converts from the Orthodox church become members of the local system of Roman Catholic churches, encouraged not only by the Archbishop but also by Princess Isabella of Villehardouin - who has now learned the Greek language after a few years of covert study. Her ability to converse with the local population has endeared her to many of them. After Prince Florent of Hainaut has returned from Rome, he receives word from Nicholas of Saint Omer that the cities of Modon and Coron have been ceded by Venice to the Principality. The Prince immediately travels to these new additions to his realm - for now, they are to be held as a direct barony of the Prince and Princess. In exchange for the new cities, Florent and Isabella sign a mutually-beneficial agreement with Venice, regarding the common foes of Genoa and Byzantium.
 * Lordship of Ireland: Following the successful capture of half of the Kingdom of Thormond and their swearing of fealty the half of the Kingdom taken by force is given to others while the remaining part of Thormond is allowed to live under Brehon law. We send the 4,000 English troops we had with us to France alongside 4,000 troops drawn from Ireland to France mostly consisting of infantry to support the English campaign in France.
 * Kingdom of Cyprus: With defensive fortification production going well, the naval forces aiding the conflict is increased by five. Although losing the territorial legitimacy over the Henry II's claim as the King of Jerusalem, the recent conflict in the 10th crusade have allowed for his legitimacy to be seen effectively, especially with the support from the eastern power that is the Ilkhan and the western support from the Pope himself. Known Muslims in the Kingdom are exiled to the Sultanate of Rum as the Kingdom becomes transitioning into a theocratically-based monarchy. The defensive fortification productions slows down slightly due to the concurrent crusade, but are still expected to be completed by 1330. The push toward Jerusalem after besieging Gaza continues. Diplomatic missions to find supporters and/or additional forces from Europe is done, with the kingdoms of Castile and Portugal being asked to provide armies to help aid in the liberation of the Holy Land (Castile and Portugal Response Needed).
 * Papal States: We celebrate the year of our lord 1300 by having a Golden Jubilee. We hope that this event unites Christendom and ensures that the pilgrim's sins are forgiven. In the political world, two Papal ships are docked at the port of Acre. The total of troops on both ships equals to 5,500 men. We send our blessings to the belligerents of Sicily and Aragon. We request to Charles II to put their foot down and sign an armistice. We are grateful to receive the gold donation from Hungary, as we believe this can help us recover from the collapse of the banks. In the religious world, we condemn the Waldesians for splitting for the Church and forming their own denomination.
 * Neapolitan Diplomacy: Charles II agrees to stand down and will recognize Fredrick III as the King of Sicily and the rule of the House of Barcelona over the island.

1301
'''Aragon's involvement in the War of the Sicilian Vespers is seen by many in the circles of the Pope as being illegitimate and a violation of the limited mandate to secure Sicily for Frederick III. How the Pope reacts remains to be seen.'''

'''Andrew III of Hungary dies and his son Gezá is proclaimed king - but has yet to be formally crowned by the Archbishop of Esztergom with the Holy Crown of Hungary in Székesfehérvár Basilica. Whether or not a challenger will rise up remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: the Angevins of Naples are in no position to make a bid for the throne.'''

'''The French have defeated the English in northern Gascony in two battles at Bourg. Meanwhile, the English have begun to amass a moderate-sized force in northern France. This war, which is only just beginning, is looking like it will be quite costly to both nations.'''

'''The economic situation has been somewhat resolved in northern Italy, as Milan has called in many of its loans. However, what's good for the banker isn't good for those who had previously sought loans. The lack of credit - a way of life that had just begun to emerge in the past five years or so - hurts many nations. (Milan escapes currency debasement, as does Bohemia which issued a new pure currency). Meanwhile, Venice and Genoa heat up their naval rivalry, with Venetian piracy efforts drawing the ire of many nations, but being effective against Genoese shipping.'''

'''The civil war in Rûm continues to heat up, as the overstretched Ilkhanate has failed to make any major changes to the situation. Indeed, the foiled assassination attempt against Osman Gazi leads many to believe the Ilkhan's puppet government is unable to govern this Muslim nation. Ultimately, Kayqubad III ends up being killed in a skirmish outside Konya.'''

'''In a bloody battle outside of Samarkand, the siege has been broken and the Chagatai Khanate lives to fight another day. Meanwhile, in the south, Kabul falls to the Delhi Sultanate with token resistance: the bulk of the Chagatai forces had been busy fighting the Yuan Chinese.'''

There is general unrest (although no revolts) in both Scotland, where some Scottish veterans such as William Wallace support the young Edward Balliol's claim to the throne, and in Yunnan, China.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: Having emerged victorious over the forces of Eric the Anti-Christ, the Dano-Swedish Army wastes no time in chasing down his remaining forces. With Sønderborg Castle captured by Swedish troops and the coastline blocked off by the concentrated Swedish navy, Eric the Anti-Christ has nowhere to run and is soon chased down by Birger’s and Christopher’s forces for a final confrontation [MOD ALGO, PLEASE]. Meanwhile, an offer is made to Eric’s remaining 5,000 men giving them the option to not die fighting for a losing cause. If they hand over Eric the Anti-Christ, dead or alive, they shall receive royal pardons and be allowed to go home to their farms and families. They shall also receive a Papal blessing absolving them of any sins or blame for fighting for the Anti-Christ. Eric’s soldiers are also reminded that they are outnumbered more than seven to one, including 8,000 heavy cavalry [MOD RESPONSE ON OFFER] In domestic affairs, Queen Martha’s management of the nation whilst the King is waging war leads to highly efficient bureaucracy as the Queen fills position based on merit, not on noble birth. The Queen also continues encouraging immigration to Finland, promising lands to any who decides to immigrate. This solves the problem of Sweden’s landless poor, as many immigrate to Finland to receive farms and land. The policy of immigration to Finland also helps to integrate Finland into the Swedish domain and helps to Christianize Finland.
 * The last troops of Eric mutiny against who they perceive to be a tyrannical king, and hand him over to Christopher in Sønderborg for judgement, ending the Danish civil war
 * Mali Empire: The general lack of historical references to Mansa Gao's reign would suggest that he enjoyed a relative peace for quite some time, after the more brutal years of internal conflict wrought by Sakoura and his family. The sheer prestige of the Keita dynasty from the progeny of Kolokan helped to ensure the Empire feel more unified, although in reality it was more decentralized between local princes than the previous ruler. Gao was known at least to have begun many projects that weren't finished until the reign of Abu Bakr II. Since a large section of Atlantic coast was annexed from Walo since the reign of Sundiata, Gao began the steady creation and construction of a large navy along ports at this location. Of course, ships along the oceanic coast was minuscule at this time compared to the fleet of ships meant to navigate waters within the Niger and Senegal Rivers. Prior to any close and continuing contact with Iberia, archaeologists suggest that Mali's early navy were similar in construction to Polynesian ships, taking what was essentially river barges and adapting them to bluer waters. Domestically, Mansa Gao began the reform of Mali's agriculture, and greatly expanded both the root and sorghum fields across Mali proper near Niani. At this early stage, of course, this restructure of agriculture was primarily only seen in Mali proper. Finally, Mansa Gao instituted the construction of the greatest and most principle work of Sahelian style architecture, the Grand Mosque of Djeane. This mosque would slowly be built on and added to over the next ten years.
 * Kingdom of Naples: With the decline of the Neapolitan Forces and the war getting costly, King Charles II sues for peace and states that he is willing to acknowledge Sicilian Independence unwilling to fight the war any longer (Aragonese and Papal Response needed). With support for the war faltering and the Capital on the brink of revolt, Charles II sends Prince Phillip to Milan in order to recruit some Milanese Mercenaries as a means of helping Charles II’s maintain order in Naples and as a last ditch effort to maintain his position as King of Naples (Milanese Response needed). With the Kingdom of Naples unable to secure the Hungarian Throne and less options for Charles II’s the King makes preparations to flee if necessary as the situation seems hopeless. In his castle in Naples, Charles II sends a letter to the King of France begging for the support of the Kingdom of France given that Naples has exhausted its manpower and is no longer able to continue fighting (French Response needed). With this Prince Robert, Charles II eldest son and his heir to the throne is sent to France with his wife the Titular Latin Roman Empress, Catherine I as a means for Charles II’s successor to maintain his claim on the Throne of Naples if he ever gets ousted. Meanwhile, once Phillip is to finish with his affairs in Milan, he is to head to Achaea as part of a secret mission which will only be revealed later.
 * Milan Response: We laugh at the request to recruit mercenaries for simple duties such as maintaining order and state that should they want Mercenaries for a real cause they can notify us.
 * Papal States: The Pope is glad that we are on the same page on ending this bloody war.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: The troops had a strategy to reforming al-Andalus with their Berber army so we could stop them we send among 10,000 troops in Canaan for helping Egypt and help our brother states ally.
 * Lordship of Milan: The tensions between farmers on the border of Piacenza and Milan reaches a breaking point with Milanese farmers demanding action from Matteo, with the 3,000 Long Lances as well as the Milanese standing force of 1,000 and 1,000 additional Italian mercenaries from around Northern Italy being hired. Of the 1,000 standing force 500 stay at home to make sure there are no back-door maneuvers, then the other 4,500 move into Piacenza with Matteo’s eldest son, Galleazzo leading the forces. Having been a veteran of war in Poland the Long Lances are no stranger to fighting. (Mod responses needed for algos and idea of Piacenza forces). The new motto of Milan and House Visconti has become Hic Stunt Serpentes, (Here be Serpents) Due to the Long Lances base in Milan they have adopted there own version of this with Hic Stunt Dracones (Here Be dragons) The long lances banner has a similar image to that of House Visconti except it’s a three-headed Dragon eating a human. Whilst Galleazzo is away Matteo begins to make minor recoveries from his sickness. In Milan itself the Bankers reorganize themselves into three banks so as to have the best regulation systems possible. The Largest bank, The Nationalibus Ripa. The National Bank which focuses on the handling of contracts for Milan and given by the Milanese government as well as currency regulation, and standardization. The smallest bank, The Mercenarius Ripa. The Mercenary Bank which focuses on the handling of hiring Mercenaries as well as being the official bank of the Long Lances. And the bank in the middle, The Internationalibus Ripa. (The International bank) which handles all affairs with Bohemia as well as the rest of the HRE and other non-government sponsored dealings.
 * Swedish Diplomacy: Sweden asks that a team of merchant-bankers be sent to Sweden to help Queen Martha in creating a Swedish National Bank
 * Milan Diplomacy: We happily send members of The Internationalibus Ripa to assist in the creating of this new Swedish National Bank
 * Republic of Venice: With the success of the piracy policies against Genoa, the trade with Achaea, Spain, France and the Greek and Anatolian states, many of whom were trading with Genoa, the Venetian merchants hijack their markets and flood their domain with cheaper and better goods. Especially linen, textiles, salt, grain and spices are sold for low prices. Furthermore, a large scale boycott against Genoa is requested to the allies of Venice, in return for discounts on Venetian goods like salt, textiles and spices (NAPLES, MILAN, ACHAEA RESPONSE NEEDED). Piracy campaigns continue, and Genoan ships are looted if they enter the Venetian parts of the Mediterranean. In the Italian peninsula, the flourishing but very small city of Padua is reached out to, giving them the opportunity for Venetian protection. Under this protection, Padua would still have its own Signore as the de facto ruler. However, the city would benefit from the Venetian wealth, protection and law (MOD RESPONSE NEEDED). The request from the Ilkhanate is met with mixed feelings, though 10,000 men could be hired if needed (ILKHANATE RESPONSE, PLEASE). The expansion of the Arsenal continues, and the second Arsenal starts to be built. Additionally, a university is planned in Venice, to increase the prestige and the importance of the city. Paper money continues to be slowly adapted by the merchants.
 * Padua accepts protection from Venice if they will aid their conflict against Verona.
 * Milan Diplomacy: We accept this deal.
 * Ilkhanate Diplomacy: We accept this deal.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa"Duke John II the Hollandic Hainaut forces are scattered near The Hague, After which, Duke John II visits The city and its streets. While at the streets the army is ordered to open the population with open arms without violence, to come as a form of economic and military occupation of the Hainaut dynasty. Duke John II promises that for one year the tax will be reduced by ten percent and all taxes on goods within the realm will be done away with. The Duke also promises amnesty to all nobles administrators and nobility who surrender. John, when coming to the city hall of the Hague, holds a party just his father John I did after the battle of Woeringen, with food and drinks for anyone who attends. This is done while he's crowned Count of Holland and now not only de jure Count of Holland but also de facto. Even though most of Holland accepts John II of Brabant as Count John II of Holland and Zeeland, his full title now being "Duke of Lotharingia, Brabant and Limbourg, Count of Holland, Zeeland, and Dalhem and Co-lord of Maastricht and Lord of Hertogenrade and Myerebeke" but the war has not yet ended the House of Hainaut still has wants to fight,The Duke offers the County of Hainaut a truce to make a peace treaty ending this war (Mod response). Even if The nobility and John II want peace they know it isn't yet there so force of 2,000 march south back to Brabant and Hainaut, While 1,000 troops stay in Holland to make sure the order is accepted and administration continued. Although John II does not yet call Lotharingia returned he does openly state that the reunification is an event that has already begun and cannot be stopped. With these wars the Many in the Brabantine court do begin to notice that John II is in general getting bolder then ever before fear is not anymore in his name, he's even bold with culture he write and make people write minnelied a form of music that is formal yet jolly. The works on the Heyst Mansion are resumed once more with speed and material being halved for the moment being as some is needed for the war. Law is written everywhere in the realm and the Duke decided that everywhere in the realm Brabantine dietsch should be used, although not standardised the duke does give examples on how to write certain things and he has an administration of linguists to help with inventing new words and helping to translate books from Latin, French, etc. As information is seen as one of the goals of the Brabantine realm.
 * Count John of Hainaut agrees to draw a truce with Brabant, although not fully accepting defeat
 * Jarldom of Greenland: With the new port being finished, more and more people begin working as fishermen which brings in a much needed food supply. This leads to a minor population boom with the population rising from 2500 to 2604. Meanwhile, plans to build a road between the eastern and northern settlements begins to be laid out.
 * Teutonic Knights: The year starts out with a new town called Lobenicht being founded which becomes a hub for fishing. The grand-master Gottfried von Hohenlohe starts ordering the recruitment of people from the country side and starts training them to become knights to expand the military. The grand-master has also ordered the construction of a port in Balga. The Grand-master offers for a trade Alliance with Livonian Order and Riga (Mod Responds Needed).
 * The Livonian order and the Archbishopric of Riga agree to a trade alliance, which goes in competition with the Hanseatic League and Novgorod for trade in the Baltic Sea
 * Kingdom of Hungary: The death of King Andrew III is greatly mourned within the Kingdom, with the ascension of his young son Géza who is only five years of age, leaves some instability within the realm. With all of his nearest adult relatives dead, Csák III Matthew takes up the title of regent utilizing his prerogative as Palatinate of Hungary to do so. The request is sent to his most Holiness to authorize the investiture of Géza III as King of Hungary and Croatia, either by permitting the archbishop of Esztergom to crown Géza as King. [Papal Response Needed] Many of the fortifications along the borders in the Carpathians are built up under the guidance of the Monarch and with his funding, putting them directly under the control of the crown holdings. In attempt to increase the economy Csák III Matthew seeks out a trade deal with Bulgaria and Serbia in order to bring more revenue into the coffers and the nation. [Mod Response needed for Serbia and Bulgaria] Roads are constructed along the areas along the Danube to the plains in attempt to connect the food being transported into the major cities. On the outskirts of Esztergom an abbey known as the Abbey of Saint Elizabeth begins to focus on studying academic studies in pursuit of good, seeking to provide education to others, and opening a path to better understanding good. While small they attract the attention of several noblemen and magnates who provide them with patronage. They begin to grow in numbers although it remains meager.
 * Papal States: Of course!
 * Chimu: The economical situation in Chimu is starting to stabilize. Tributes, are made more often by the orders of Roxhivi Chao. The Chimuenese, expand five miles to the south.
 * Bohemia-Poland: Wenceslaus in a letter to the Knight's Templar implores them to assist in reaching the Holy Land to partake in the crusade against the Mamluks. Having secured Templar help in getting to the Holy Land Wenceslaus Ii and his 5,000 troops embark on Templar ships boarding for Holy Land to assist in the fight against the infidels. Wenceslaus II begins writing about redemption and about the struggles of mortal man to understand the will of god. Furthermore he touches on Human suffering drawing from his own experience witnessing the carnage at Lublin, and Krakow and how some of his subjects deserted him due to growing despair during the campaign. In Bohemia and Poland Wladyslaw Piast's regency in the absence of Wenceslaus II runs relatively smoothly with the new currency and Sejm helping provide a strong economic boost, and confidence amongst the nobility and cities. construction of the Castles at Gdansk, Gniezo continue while the construction of Wawel Castle (Krakow) remains the priority of the Regency. The military education of Wenceslaus the Younger begins with the boy being trained on horse back, and in the art of swordmanship and in the military arts. His education is also expanded to include theology, geography, an understanding of the crown and its duties, along with the languages of Polish, German, Italian, and Latin aside from his native Czech. A strong bond forms between the heir and Wladyslaw, with Wenceslaus the younger adopting many of the mannerism of the Polish noble and trying to emulate his strong sense of honour and chivalry. The regency continues to promote trade with the Hansa, as well as with the Teutonic order, and envoys are sent to the distant Lithuanians in an effort to open them to trade and to open up diplomatic ties with them. influence over the Silesian region is increased through the engagement between Henry and Anne. The university of Praga is completed making it the first university in central Europe. production from the silver mines in Kutna Hora continue to grow in output of production while the minting and distribution of the groschen remains strictly controlled leading to a steady rise in the reserves of the Bohemian-Polish crown. Generous donations are given to the church, however, for the construction of new churches, monasteries and convents. Money is also given to the cause of converting the Pomeranians in the duchy of Pomerania a fief of the Polish crown, and to the settlement of Germans, Poles, and Bohemians into the region. Bohemian metal smithies and artisans begin to gain prominence due to the increased demand for their employment either in the production of weapons or for goods such as glass and jewelry. Agricultural growth also begins as the scars of war continue to fade. Trade continues to grow. The Bank of Praga is founded under a crown monopoly, the new bakn approaches Venice and Milan to help the implement reforms similar to theirs to start implementing bank notes as a way of fomenting internal business. Jews are also welcomed to settle in Bohemia, Poland.
 * The Knights Templar will send 8,000 knights to help take the Holy Land..
 * Kingdom of Cyprus: Defensive fortification production goes well. Seeing a short loss in the Siege of Jerusalem, diplomacy is sent to Bohemia, the Teutonic Order, Portugal, and the Holy Emperor in asking for support armies in the crusades (Bohemian, Teutonic Order, and Mod Response Needed). With the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller building their armies last year, a second Battle of Jerusalem is conducted with a total Cypriot, Templar, and Hospitaller sending an additional 7,000 to aid in crusades. The Knights Templar agree to help in assisting Bohemia-Poland reach the Holy Land, sending the Knights Templar navy to help move the soldiers, and shortly afterward, landing all combined forces in Gaza and starting a second Battle of Jerusalem.
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: We agree to send 3,000 Knights to help take the Holy Land.
 * Republic of Genoa: Attempts to negotiate peace with the Republic of Venice have failed. Shipwrecks and looting toward Genoese galleys continue (but on smaller scale) and the important Genoese merchants fear losing Acre and Gaza. In response, the Duke has ordered Admiral Lamba Doria to nominally establish a fleet of 20 war galleys near the Strait of Gibraltar to loot and sink any Venetian merchant ship that approaches it with the aim of cutting trade between Venice and the ports of the Atlantic Ocean. On the other hand, due to the saturation of troops and warships in Genoa, the Republic has opened a service of mercenary galleys with the aim of stopping maintaining an army that generated significant losses to the metropolis. The Kingdom of France has offered to buy a fleet of 100 Genoese galleys to which they sailed to Perpignan where French soldiers along with Genoese embarked toward Bourg where they hope to anchor the English fleet stationed there. Meanwhile, Genoa's economy begins to flourish, silk production workshops receive small incentives thanks to the huge amount of demand in the metropolis and abroad, the "industry" construction begins to take on more and more prestige and the tensions between the pro-Ghibelline and pro-Guelph families are being reduced to give way to a period of peace and harmony within Genoa (due of the recent division between the Guelphs). Slowly, The Republic of Genoa is expanding its purchasing power, along with naval power in the Western Mediterranean and commercial in it.
 * Kingdom of England: Reinforcements arrive from Ireland and England, with 8,000 more troops arriving in Northern France. 4,000 remain in the foothold England has while 4,000 join the forces sieging Rouen, now totaling 10,000 men. Meanwhile, to try to alleviate Tensions in Scotland, Edward personally reminds everyone that Edward Balliol renounced the throne last year in exchange for a pardon. However, talk of a Scottish coronation led Edward to conclude that it is better to deal with this general unrest now rather than later. Edward sends a letter to the Scottish Lords "I would love to crown a King now, but I cannot in good conscience do so without the approval of a Great Charter for Scotland securing the rights of both the people, the Lords and the King" (essentially providing his support for a Scottish Magna Carta and making the argument that a King should not be crowned before it is finalized). John Hastings is granted the title of "Chief Guardian of Scotland" in preparation for his coronation after the signature of a Magma Carta, granting him most powers of a King without the official title yet. Edward reminds the Scottish lords in his letters of his intentions to call another Scottish Parliament in order to proclaim a Magna Carta for Scotland once the war for France is over and reminds them of the failure last year's attempts were. "We need to do this right", he ends the letter. Attempts are made to secure Edward Balliol to more publicly and once again renounce the throne with the English garrisons in Scotland. Meanwhile, English forces succesfully capture Bordeaux and begin to fortify the city expecting the French that is coming, preparing many defences and getting ready to use the city for the battle under bordeaux with the French force. The men in Bordeaux know for an absolute fact that they are fighting for their lives. Should the French forces not be stopped in open battle, this will be the end of English gascony, their gascony, to whom they owed loyalty, the end of the lucrative trade with England. No, the English make their stand under the Walls of Bordeaux. "Only with a victory here do we stand a chance of preserving our Liberties, our Rights, our King, and saving all of Gascony from the Tyranny of Philiop! Only if we Win Here!". Do or Die, they make their stand. As they must protect their people and their Duke. in North Gascony and Bourg. 4,000 men remain holed up within the walls of the city defending Bourg as they hole up within the walls of the city. With dominance of the seas, the English essentially ensure a steady supply chain to the men within the city. The Sieges continue from last year (Rouen and Amiens, now with 10,000 and 4,000 sieging respectively after this year's reinforcements). An assize of Arms is passed in England. Meanwhile, messengers are sent to various French lords, including, most especially, the Counts of Flanders, with whom England enjoys much wool trade profiting both nations and especially a letter is sent to Brittany, where Duke John II of Brittany, who also holds an English Peerage as the Earl of Richmond and Robert III, Duke of Nevers, are asked to join up forces against Philip and his tyranny. Edward makes the case that England is a better liege and if they begin a rebellion against the House of Capet, especially over the dreaded salt tax that Frenchmen despise, then more unhappy vassals may follow. (Mod response neded). (Historically Guy of Flanders was not pleased with Philip of France and joined in alliance with England, while Duke John of Brittany was also an English Peer. Edward I is also his uncle andRobert III of Nevers broke all feudal ties with France in 1297 due to disputes). In the case of a win during the English last stand at Bordeaux, the Lieutenat of Aquitaine, Joh St John, devises a plan. If the French forces attacking him route, he will not pursue thenm, only pretend to, Instead, he will circle back and ambush the French Armies laying siege to bourg, and attempt to lift the siege one last time by coming around and surprising the Rrench siege camps from the rear. to keep advancing, and run all the way from Bordeaux to Bourg. This plan is prepared in the case of a victory against the French. A similar letter is sent to the Count of Anjou to try to gain his allegiance in this rebellion against France. Edward promises to be a more just Liege Lord than Philip as he attempts to re-assert the old rights of the Angevin Empire and his rights over those lands. Edward Promises to include the French Lords that pledge to him a seat in his Parliament and a right to have a say in the taxes that are levied on them and their lands, the right to not have taxation without represenation. This is especially sent to Charles II of Anjou. (mod Response Please). Hopefully, the promise of having a voice over taxation turns some Lords. Edward hopes that if victories in Guyenne come to fruition and the French Armies are routed, then the Lords may think he has a chance in this rebellion(Mod response, Please)
 * Kingdom of Scotland: The Scottish Lords look at the words of Edward with a grain of salt. While he wasn't outright hostile, he did come off as very confident. Nobody knows what William Wallace's reaction was, as he retains the title of Guardian of Scotland, but makes no mention of Edward's letter. Looking at the prospect of a Scottish Magna Carta, the Nobility begin to form factions so as to try to increase their bargaining power and avoid another failed parliament. The delay until the next parliament also gives them time to formalize their proposals, although major disagreements between the five emerging factions each asking for their rights at the expense of others. The Church faction is led by the church, which sees the Scottish Charter as an opportunity to increase its secular power, the Burguess faction led by the men of the city of Glasgow, and four other factions each led by [noble families asking for different rights], alongside an influential Loyalist/Royalist faction favouring the powers of the king of Scotland. This divides the loyalty of the Scottish Lords, with the disagreements sometimes fanned by English envoys. Regardless, many people are interested in what happens when a parliament is finally called.
 * Nogai Khan: Having defeated Toqta Khan in the field of battle, Nogai now reunifies the Golden Horde under one banner, his banner, proclaiming himself as the rightful Khan of all of the Golden Horde, and with no opponents left to challenge him, he secures this right by right of conquest, by right of victory, and there are more victories to be won for Nogai's friend and ally Lev I is dead. With his death, the need to protect Lev's former lands is paramount, as such, a small contingent of Nogai's forces, (two tumen) go to Ruthenia to defend from any potential opportunistic invasions, mainly focusing on the Polish lands East of Vistula. Rebuilding of the nation commences, with the most physical rebuilding taking place in Sarai Batu, as reconstruction efforts are implemented, focused on making the capital a shining city of religion, culture, science, trade, and power. As such grand temples and mosques are established throughout the city, with these religious institutions also serving as places of learning. Cultural exchange between the Mongols and the Russians continue to thrive as Russians begin to settle down in Sarai Batu, working alongside Mongols in reconstructing the capital, mainly members of the Orthodox Legion who fought alongside Nogai against the traitorous Toqta. Orthodox priests crown Nogai Khan of all the Golden Horde and baptize him, completing the three full submersions at his coronation in Sarai Batu, the sight of his victory. The ever ambitious Nogai, however, needs even more wealth to make Sarai Batu and his Golden Horde Heaven upon Earth, so he sets out with an army of eight tumens strong to the besieged city of Samarkand, seeking to sack it and plunder it of its vast wealth, taking the exhausted Chagatai forces completely by surprise, demanding immediate surrender to Nogai, lest Samarkand burn. Back at home, siege equipment is once again constructed.
 * Kingdom of France: Seeing this war over Gascony escalate into an all-out conflict, King Philip instructs the leaders of Normandie and Picardy, as well as minor lords in the Loire, to raise 20,000 troops, with 10,000 from Normandie, and 5,000 each from Loire and Picardie. These armies are to have a large portion of light cavalry. Philip asks the lords in Burgundy, Champagne, and Occitania to provide whatever troops they can in the fight against England [Mod Response SVP]. In addition, 28,000 troops are sent into Aquitaine in order to reinforce the already existing 10,500, bringing the total troops in Aquitaine to 38,000, 15,000 of which is put to the task of laying siege to Bourg. With the arrival of 100 ships from Genoa, the English troops are unable to leave the town, and a wall is constructed from collected stone to prevent the escape of any English soldiers, or longbow fire. The other 23,500 is sent to crush the English armies sieging Bordeaux. Near Rouen, the strategy is different. A 5,000-man garrison of infantry as well as a token force of heavy cavalry is placed in both Amiens and Le Havre, blocking supply routes to the army at Rouen, and the 10,000 army remaining is tasked with harassing English supply lines with the large amount of light cavalry, but specifically told not to engage in pitched battles with an English army of more than half its size. The army would be well informed of the enemy army's size due to extensive scouting by the light cavalry.
 * Champagne and Occitania gives their full support to France and sends a total of 12,000 troops, including support from Queen Joan of Navarre. Duke Robert II of Burgundy, however, is less inclined and only sends 3,000 troops
 * Principality of Achaea: Having travelled to Rome last year and witnessing the crusader zeal that is permeating throughout Europe, Prince Florent of Hainaut consults with Archbishop John of Patras. Convinced that Baydu Khan is a heretic, Florent is unwilling to engage in that crusade effort but wants to prove his own crusader qualifications. After much discussion, Florent convinces Archbishop John to sanction a holy war against Mentese, the Anatolian Turksih beylik across the Aegean Sea. Florent raises the forces of his vassal barons and calls upon the Count Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos (who recently re-swore vassalage to the Princiaplity), the Duchy of Naxos (who remains a vassal), and the Duke of Athens, Guy II de la Roche - Florent's son-in-law-to-be - to join the holy war against Mentese. Any reluctant nobles are personally visited by marshal Nicholas III of Saint Omer, who has become quite the diplomat among the Achaeans (Mod responses). From the Achaean lands directly, Florent raises 3,000 well-trained knights from the various baronies. He then uses the collective navies of the Frankish crusader states at his disposal to sail across the Aegean to land near Halicarnassus (OTL Bodrum). The Frankish Greek crusaders then meet the army of Mentese (numbering around 2,000) on a Turkish plain. Two thirds of the heavy cavalry would lead a charge into the Turks' right flank while traditional men-at-arms hold the bulk of their forces at bay. Pikemen would also be present among the crusaders' forces, to prevent enemy cavalry charges. The remaining one-third of cavalry would guard the right flank of the attackers' side. Additionally, the coastlines are blockaded to prevent an escape of the Turks by sea, but to enable the potential evacuation of crusaders should the battle turn against us. Back in Achaea, 8-year old Matilda, the principality's presumptive heiress, continues to be educated in Greek, largely under the tutelage of her mother, Isabella. Isabella relies on her personal popularity among the native Greek population as well as their mutual hatred for the Turks to keep the peace domestically.
 * Guy II of Athens agrees to contribute as much military as necessary for fighting the Turks.
 * Lordship of Ireland: An Assize of Arms is passed requiring the practice of the longbow once a week by all freemen over the age of 12 and appoints the Constables to be responsible for ensuring it occurs. Taxes are raised to support the war.
 * Ilkhanate: After Qipchaq's forces are repulsed from Baghdad, they recuperate in Tabriz, though a small envoy remains behind at Baghdad with a proposal of a treaty of non-aggression in which Öljaitü would be given sovereignty over most of Iraq in exchange for ceasing hostilities. (Mod response) From a combination of gathering together the local forces defending several smaller cities, more Mongols and anti-jihadist Persian peasants, he is able to expand his defensive army from 25,000 to 60,000 troops. (OOC: Viva explained to me that given its population the Ilkhanate should have about 160,000 total troops rather than the 80,000 to 100,000 I had previously been assuming.) 5,000 troops arrive from Georgia, increasing the number to 65,000. Qipchaq's defensive arvy marches east and attacks the Delhi Sultanate's advancing troops in Nishapur while allied troops from Yuan China cross the Himalayas and attack the Sultanate's homeland. (Yuan China response/confirmation) Qipchaq on behalf of his father also sends an envoy to Nogai Khan, congratulating him on his victory against Toqta Khan and proposing an alliance between the two Christian Khans against the Muslim invaders from the Delhi and Mamluk Sultanates and asks for military aid against Delhi. (Nogai Khan response) Meanwhile, Baydu's army of 30,000 leaves Damascus for the time being and marches south, joining the 18,000 troops from Cyprus and the Papal States, the 10,000 troops from Venice, the 2,000 troops from the Byzantine Empire, the 8,000 Knights Templar and Hospitalier and the 3,000 Teutonic Knights (71,000 total) in launching a second attack on Jerusalem. The 15,000 soldiers garrisoning Aleppo remain in place for the time being and focus on recruiting new soldiers, expanding to 20,000. All of the Ilkhan's family members other than Baydu and Qipchaq (i.e., his consorts, his sons Ali and Muhammad and his daughters Yol Qutlugh and Elathin) are evacuated from Tabriz to Sis in Cilicia, with a ship prepared to evacuate them farther to Cyprus if it becomes necessary.
 * Armenian Cilicia: King Hethum II sends 5,000 troops north to aid the Sultanate of Rum and accepts the Ilkhan's family members into his palace in Sis. The rest of Cilicia's military focuses on fortifying the cities of Sis and Tarsus. Hethum II selects Thoros III's 12-year-old son Leo as his future heir.
 * Sultanate of Rum: With Kayqubad III dead, Baydu appoints Mesud II to serve as Sultan of Rum again. Realising war is unavoidable, Mesud II gathers a force comprising 10,000 soldiers from Rum, 5,000 troops from Armenian Cilicia, 5,000 from Georgia and 5,000 from Bohemia (25,000 total) to attack Osman Gazi's base of operations, the town Söğüt. If successful, they will raze Söğüt to the ground.
 * Yuan Chinese Response: In light of the new alliance with the Ilkhanate, the Chinese move to open a new front against the Dehli Sultanate in India. Rather than directly attacking them from the Chinese heartlands, Temür Khan orders the head of the Bureau of Buddhist and Tibetan Affairs to mobilize his provincial forces and local irregulars, and move against the Indians from his location to the north in Tibet. 50,000 provincial troops garrisoned in Tibet are moved to the border with Dehli, while an additional 20,000 Tibetan irregular warriors are conscripted into service to support the invasion. In Chagatai, the 20,000 provincial soldiers stationed in Turpan are sent to reinforce the main imperial army near Samarkand, and continue to prosecute the war against the Chagatai forces in the region, this time with the aid of the Ilkhanate allied armies nearby. Operating in concert with the Ilkhanate armies, 70,000 Yuan soldiers enter into India using the Dungri La passes in southern Tibet to strike at the Delhi forces rear positions and raid the valley region.
 * Georgia: With a civil war seemingly brewing in Rum, and the renewed threat of Turkish incursions, King David stations about 3,000 horse–archers and 2,000 heavy cavalry in the fortified city of Batumi. He also orders the fortification of Yerevan. David begins to discuss the possibility of occupying the Trapezuntine Empire through vassalization or outright conquest. He sends 5,000 feudal levies to aid the Ilkhans in Anatolia, and another ~5,000 to aid in the Delhi Front. Queen Oljath begins to exert greater influence in Georgian politics (specifically, political affairs in the capital of Tbilisi), with David pre-occupied with military and administerial reform. Oljath is observed by many to be a just and moderate individual, with many admiring her faith in spite of her pagan heritage. Aware of her general popularity, David encourages her to be involved in religious affairs such as the patronage of monasteries and the renovation of prominent religious sites; fortifying the relationship between the state and the church. To secure the safety of his heir apparent, David stipulates that the five-year-old Anastasius will be confined to Tbilisi. Meanwhile, his uncle, the 15-year-old George, is withdrawn from Mesopotamia and sent again to live with his maternal grandfather Beka Jaqeli and his mother Natela. Due to the early death of his father, and his older brother's preoccupation with running the country, he has become very attached to Beka, whom he admires and views as a paternal figure. Under the latter's tutelage, George has become well-versed in military doctrine and particularly excels in equestrian sport. To further expand the tax base, commerce – in particular, external trade – is encouraged. Merchant and craftsmen guilds in the capital of Tbilisi and the port of Batumi proliferate. The main trading goods continue to be wool, felt, wine, and enamels. However, cotton cultivation grows and workshops begin manufacturing silks – the latter aided by protectionist laws.
 * Yuan China: Following the escape of the Chagatai forces from Samarkand, Temür Khan calls in 20,000 troops from the garrison at Turpan to reinforce his armies in the region, allowing him to continue prosecuting the war against the Chagatai Mongols. With 120,000 troops in the west, Temür Khan renews his siege of Samarkand, this time moving to cut off reinforcements to the city by creating a series of walls blocking the defenders off from relief. A second wall is built for his own forces, to protect them from any relief force sent to lift the siege. In the south, an army of 70,000 troops comprised of Tibetans and Chinese provincial forces in Tibet are sent to invade the Delhi Sultanate through Dungri La as part of the new alliance with the Ilkhanate. The goal of this force is to help relieve some of the burden on the Ilkhanate by the Indians, and prevent them from pushing deeper into Afghanistan and threatening their Mongol allies in Persia. Back home, the development of the Lingbei and Liaoyang provinces continues, this time witnessing a massive upswing in migration as the monetary reforms in the Chinese heartlands have allowed many families to earn enough money to move north to find their fortunes in the new communities of Mongolia and Manchuria. Acheng's population has grown rapidly in the few years since its use as the central node of Manchuria's urbanization scheme by the imperial government in Beijing, with some 100,000 inhabitants now residing within the city walls. The agricultural development in the region has been fueled by the influx of wheat as the primary crop of the land, with cattle and swine herding providing the supplies of meat for the new population. Several other towns and villages are also being constructed throughout Manchuria, with the governor of Liaoyang informing the imperial court that at least fifty towns with populations in excess of 20,000 each, have been founded under the land grant system instituted by Temür Khan prior to his departure to Chagatai. With the new road network into the north developing in parallel with the new program, northern migration of Chinese citizens has been bountiful for local magistrates looking to expand their offices and sources of tax revenue. In Mongolia, the expansion of Karakorum continues, though it has now grown into the largest city in the steppes region, with more than 150,000 residents located within its walls. Most of these are Mongols who were already present within the immediate area, but now permanently settled within Karakorum's walls following its expansion into a proper city along Chinese lines and administration. In the south, the governor of Yunnan has been given authorization by the imperial court to use his 50,000 provincial forces to suppress the rebels in his region. To aid his in this task, 20,000 provincial soldiers from the neighboring Huguang province and 40,000 Han and Zhuang irregular soldiers from the Yunnan province, have been raised and deployed to Yunnan to bolster the local government forces and crush any rebel forces within the region. Back along the southern coastline, the expansion of the navy continues, with an additional two wei added to the navy, thus bringing the total size of the navy to seventeen wei of 850 ships, 85,000 sailors, and 25,500 marines divided into three operational zones. In Korea, the integration of that region into China continues without let-up, with most of the bureaucracy on the peninsula consisting of a mixture of Han, Mongol, Yue, and Korean bureaucrats and their families, while the provincial army consists of 50,000 soldiers of varying backgrounds and their families, helping to acclimate the local Koreans to a variety of cultures and breaking up the power of the local ruling elites. These elites are likewise ordered to relocate to different parts of China to serve as administrators and judges, while new families from China are brought in to replace them. Some 10,000 Chinese families are ordered to relocate to Pyongyang and the surrounding environs and take up residence there on a permanent basis, while the same number of Korean families are relocated to different parts of China. Within the imperial court, the power grip of the new Nestorian rulers continues to expand under the aegis of the Christian Imperial Guard, and the implicit grace of Temür Khan. Wisely, the monks brought into the imperial court introduce Christian doctrines into Chinese philosophy with the backing of several newly converted Chinese gentlemen-scholars, who slowly feed Christian teachings into the edicts and teachings of the bureaucracy, while carefully indoctrinating newly-minted members of the government in the ways of the Nestorian faith. This ensures that an organic spread of the faith, while not being overtly hostile and aggressive in the manner of converting new members into the faith. Seeking to introduce more of the population to Christianity, a missive from Temür Khan authorizes the imperial court to proclaim the duality of the Virgin Mary to the Chinese goddess of mercy, Guanyin, arguably the most popular of the folk deities of China. Dual icons with the image of Guanyin are made with that of a Chinese interpretation of the Virgin Mary, with the new priests of faith preaching that in the same way the bodhisattva Guanyin always aided the poor and the weak, the Virgin Mary has been incarnated as the continuation of her works, though with time operating on an worldly scale as foretold in the Gospels through the death of her son, Jesus Christ. While slow, many Chinese subjects have taken a liking to the new teaching and the organized manner in which blessings can be received directly from her through her "servants" on the earth, via the few churches constructed in the major cities.
 * Delhi Sultanate: The Sultan raises 50,000 feudal levies (15,000 cavalry and 35,000 infantry) and with the 50,000 troops (40,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry) already in the Delhi area, the Sultan leads his forces to meet the invading Yuan force in the fields of Tarain. The Sultan personally leads the force to fight in the fields of Panipat. The force under Ulugh Khan holds Kabul and captures the surrounding areas. The force under Nusrat Khan that is 150,000 troops strong supplemented by another 12,000 Muslim Ilkhanate volunteers engage the Ilkhanate forces in Nishapur. Having repelled the Ilkhanate forces, the Delhi Sultanate forces hold the area and capture the surrounding areas. A throng of Muslim volunteers from across India (numbering around 4,000) come and join the Sultan in the 3rd battle of Tarain. The Delhi Sultanate requests the Bengal Sultanate to come to its aid as the Yuan invasion threatens Muslim rule in India. (MOD RESPONSE). The Delhi Sultanate also proposes an alliance to the Chagatai in which Delhi is allowed to keep the area conquered in exchange for helping the Chagatai fight the Yuan. (MOD RESPONSE)
 * Crown of Aragon: With the war well underway within Napoli, reinforcements and another 15,000 men are sent off to Napoli supplied from Sicily and protected Aragonese ships in addition from supplies in already allied occupied territory. With Benevento’s siege seeming to lean in the allied forces favor and the city already surrounded by cutting off supplies, trebuchets and catapults are put into good use with flammable projectile also being added for the purpose of breaking defenses with other tactics used for tearing down defenses being applied through methods of digging and placing flammable material under defenses as methods of weakening the structures further. 64 ships in total are put into use for the purpose of harassing and cutting off supplies in Napoli as Frederick and Aragonese forces for the purpose of solidifying dominance at sea. With the University of Zaragoza’s construction continuing onward, the construction of the road network continues as well despite it being done slower due to financial resources being used and expended in Napoli. A plan for a massive cathedral in Barcelona begins
 * Papal States: We begin to think more and more about excommunicating the Aragonese king due to his actions of occupying Benevento, a personal property of the Pope. However, we decide that it is too risky because our vassal is currently losing the war.

1302
The decaying authority of the French King leads some of its vassals to lose faith in the ability of the King to retain the kingdom.

Count Guy of Flanders has rejected French authority and is allied to Edward, backed by the other Flemish nobles.

'''The Sultanate of Rum utterly collapses with its defeat at the hands of the Ottomans. No longer able to restore order, it shatters into Beyeliks vying for power. The Ottomans launch an invasion of Byzantine Bithynia. The largest battle – the battle of Bapheus, ends in a crushing Ottoman victory, effectively capturing the region for the Ottomans.'''

'''The other states are Karasi on the coast near Lesbos, Saruhan near Smyrna, Aydin to the south, and Mentese inland from Halicarnassus. Tekke is on the southern coast near Rhodes, with Beryshir, Hamid, and Germiyan farther inland sandwiched between the remains of Rum, Osma, and Tekke.'''

'''The wars in the Middle East result in a fair amount of Muslim migration into India and Africa. The population of inland African settlements such as Timbuktu begins to swell as a new center of Islamic learning begins to take shape.'''

'''General unrest and discontent continues across parts of southern China (Yunnan and Guangzhou), primarily as religious Confucianist leaders are displeased by the introduction of foreign religions and philosophies. That being said, most Confucianists consider his behavior typical of their barbarian overlords. The ongoing wars of Temur Khan strains the finances of the empire, since the armies used by Kublai Khan have not been dismissed.'''
 * Kingdom of Sweden: Early one morning, King Birger and King Christopher are awakened in their camp outside Sønderborg Castle. They leave their tents to find Eric the Anti-Christ, bound and gagged, at their feet, betrayed by his exhausted and demoralized army of peasants. Honoring his promise, King Christopher pardons all 5,000 former rebels, and in a mass confession and communion Archbishop Allesson forgives and blesses them as well. The former rebels are fed and cared for and are provided safe passage back to their homes. Eric the Anti-Christ is put under heavy guard and transferred back to Copenhagen. There he is put in a cage and hung above a city gate, for all to see. For two days he is subjected to this humiliation, with peasants mocking and throwing food at him. On the second day he is brought down, cleaned, and put on a Swedish fleet of ten ships which set sail for Rome, intending to deliver the Anti-Christ to the Papacy for the Holy Father to deal with personally. With the Danish Civil War now over, King Christopher formally returns to Copenhagen with King Birger and his forces. There they sign the Treaty of Alliance and Friendship, which formalizes an alliance between Denmark and Sweden, names King Birger’s son Magnus as the heir to the Danish throne, and seals a marriage pact between King Christopher and Birger’s daughter Katarina Birgersdotter. With Eric removed, King Christopher enthroned with noble support and Denmark finally at peace, Birger declares that he and his army have fulfilled their mission and their duty to God and the Pope. The Swedish Army returns home, and Birger is given a triumphant welcome to Stockholm, where he is greeted by his wife Queen Martha. With the war over, the nobles are released back to their lands and their men are disbanded. Out of the 15,000 men, 8,000 are disbanded as a result. The remaining 7,000 men form the King’s personal guard and are retained to form the nucleus of a Swedish standing army. The Milanese Bankers also arrive, and they are greeted by both the King and Queen. The royals outline their plan to form a national bank to end their currency debasement and tie the nobles financially to the well-being of the Kingdom. The Milanese Bankers are given access to the Kingdom’s funds and tax records in order to work out how exactly to establish the national bank.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: The Almoradivs are launching an invasion in Valencia, and occupied major of troop are 10,000 and restoring al-Andalus first of all they taking the island spanish o Balearic islands and then the almoradivs are ready for the invasion. Meanwhile, in Morocco, the sultanate conquer most of Mauritania and the island canary. Meanwhile, they're annexing Valence the south territorial of their border which is was an ancient territorial of al-Andalus plus among those soldiers most are cavalry and warrior warframe next they're coming to the Strait of Gibraltar.
 * Kingdom of Naples: With the fall of Beneveto and the capital now vulnerable, along with the Frankish Greek State abandoning their suzerain and the French being unable to provide support to the Kingdom of Naples, Charles II positions himself in the capital recruiting peasants into the army but only managing to increase his forces to 20,000 men with the Neapolitan Army nearing collapse. With Prince Robert and his wife Catherine I arriving to France soon giving birth to her first son in which she and Robert call John. (Secret) Meanwhile, as Robert’s first child is born, Prince Philip decides to stay in Northern Italy in order to recruit Mercenaries from Milan, Venice and Florence in order to build up his own personal army for a Contingency Plan drawn out by his father stating that these Mercenaries will embark of campaign against those who betrayed Charles II and that they would be paid handsomely in the riches taken from the conquered lands. (Milanese, Venetian and Florentine Response Needed) Meanwhile, elements of the Neapolitan Navy secretly change course with a Fleet of 45 Galleys (25 Venetian and 20 Neapolitan) sailing toward the Port of Venice as part of the Angevin Contingency. In Achaea, some agents of Prince Phillip have arrived in Andravida seeking some Frankish Nobles who might still be loyal to their suzerain (Mod Response) (End of Secret). Meanwhile, in France, Prince Robert and his wife arrive in Paris pledge their loyalty to King Phillip IV of France and in return Prince Robert requests control over the County of Anjou in which once belonged to his father (French Response Needed).
 * Florence does not want to get involved in this conflict.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: We reiterate that we have not abandoned King Charles II of Naples, but - having completed our feudal obligations for the decade, based upon customary feudal law of the Latin Empire - are now free to engage in our own exploits and defense.
 * Mali Empire: Mansa Gao continues his earlier domestic policies for improving the lives and finances of Mali. The growth of agricultural works expands greatly in Mali proper, and primarily flourishes in the cities of Ouagadougou and Ghana. The navy of Mali also steadily grows, creating larger ships and other vessels on the Atlantic coast, as well as within the Niger and Senegal Rivers. This year, some boats are also built along the Gambia River as well. The Great Mosque of Djeane also continues to be built, and mosques of similar style are built in Niani as well, where religious works are severely lacking. The steady caravan trade exporting salt and gold continues to expand Mali's finances tremendously, although it starts to plateau this year due to ongoing wars in both Morocco and Egypt. In spite of this conflict, Mansa Gao begins his own great Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, traveling along the Kanem and Fezzan plains all the way to Cairo and Hejaz. He takes the royal family of the Sons of Kolokan with him, particularly his children with his son Muhammad. Mali continues to support the war in Egypt, with this caravan of the Mansa's pilgrimage bringing more supplies to keep Egypt stable.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa "Although a truce with Hainaut exists their leaders do not accept their defeat. John II who defeated John of Hainaut in the Hague with all his troops. They do not want peace. So 3,000 troops who were already marching south back again begin their march for Capital of Mons. Troops joining along the way as they are called upon by Duke John II, Duke of Lotharingia who asks for all soldiers in the realm to join the cause against Hainaut and for the dynasty for the house of Brabant-Lotharingia, as even if this war is not great it has to be over quickly as this war is quite useless. A war between brotherly nations Hainaut and Brabant should fight together not against each other. Lowlands are divided but united by their will to not drown. A land that has for its whole history been attacked from all sides by all nations, but it is know that when it is united that is the most stable that it can be. The Celts, the Romans, the Germanic tribes and the Vikings all attacked but under Lothair II the land was stable and great, a nation that was able to challenge the powers of Europe. Lotharingia will exist is it not now then in 100 years but the nation will exist once more, unlike Rome the culture, language, and politics have not changed. Old franconian is still spoken in these lands and the motto still stands "Were Di" as indeed the Duke can defend his realm, the power of trust, and good administration. Duke John II beginning to write down his ideas for his successor and how to orgnaise the realm better. Duke John wanting to simplify the variants of government with a basic version of laws where on extra laws duties and rights on additional charters. John II believing this could simplify the realm and possibly unite it more centrally. While in Heyst ten Berge, the mansion is being built on fully one more, the building getting a garden and a little chapel to make it able to be used for prayer. The duke also sends a letter to Lious of Loon for a meeting between the realms, as he the heir to the throne of loon seems to be infertille which could cause troubles for his realm. At the same time John wants to support Lious in the struggle if need be with Guelders, Duke John II of Lotharingia, Brabant and Limbourg, Count of Holland, Zeeland, and Dalhem and Co-lord of Maastricht and Lord of Hertogenrade and Myerebeke wanting an alliance with Loon and better co-operation as Loon is in between Brabant and its holdings over the Muese(mod response).
 * Loon accepts an alliance.
 * Yuan China: Concerned with the complaints over the financial burden of his wars, Temür Khan orders his men in India and Transoxiana to plunder the rich cities of the land and bring their wealth back to China for introduction into the state coffers. The raiding parties of the khan in India quickly fan out to rob the surrounding regions of their gold, silver, and precious gems, and having their rear guard units escort the plunder back to Beijing for stockpiling. Temür Khan's quick response to the unrest on the financial front has restored a measure of confidence in his government, and bought him a few more years of campaigning in the west. The 70,000 Yuan soldiers pouring through the Dungri La pass move to seize several Delhi cities, taking advantage of the sultanate's weakness in their rear territories. Capitalizing upon the defenselessness of the territories, the Yuan lay siege to several cities near the pass, these being Sialkot, Kangra, Julluhur, and Sirhind, establishin a 10,000-strong garrison army in these cities, blocking off the pass from being seized by the Delhi forces. Another 40,000 troops from the Gansu province near northern Tibet are sent into the Indian plains as reinforcements per the requests of the Bureau of Tibetan and Buddhist Affairs, to help bolster Chinese forces operating within Delhi territory. They are directed to the frontlines near the city of Delhi, with the goal of increasing the forces there to 100,000 troops. This army of the Yuan dynasty moves to meet the Delhi army near Tarain, where they seek to deal a fatal blow to the Indian rulers in the field of battle. In Yunnan, imperial guard units are dispatched to track down and apprehend the rebel leaders in the hilly regions of the province. The more violent leaders of the rebels in the region are hunted down and publicly executed for their defiance against the rule of the Yuan dynasty, while the more pragmatic leaders are given the opportunity to recant and submit to the rule of the government once more. To help sooth any feelings of concern, the state ministers work to enlighten those captured rebels of their pure intentions, working to prove that Christianity and Confucianism are not just compatible, but integral to one another as ideologies matching the same overall purpose in life and spirituality. With the support of the Nestorian clergy in Beijing, the imperial court works out how to best incorporate Confucianism into Christianity. According to the monks, due to Confucianism's role as an ethical system rather than a religious ideology, they agree that it is compatible with Christian rites and dogma. Some of the monks even state that the "civil rituals" of Confucianism can easily be co-oped into the Christian faith and work alongside the religion's spiritual rituals. Acknowledging the issue of Chinese ancestral worship, the imperial court's theologians develop a scheme where the ancestors of the people are professed to be angels responsible for serving the Lord in heaven where they work to guide and protect their people on the earth while still in mortal form. The greatest of these ancestors are paired with the role of the seraphim and cherubim, where the stand before God as his most righteous servants. Christian iconography depicting these changes are incorporated into more and more of Chinese public life, with halos and saints being placed alongside those icons of Chinese origin, with the goal of making both interchangeable over time. While some of the rebel leaders remain unconvinced, others are successfully converted into willing members of the growing Christian congregation in China, if only for the fact that there still remain several tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers in the province ready and willing to put them to the sword if they attempt to resist the emperor's will. In Huguang, the 20,000 marines are garrisoned along the coastal cities while the 60,000 provincial forces are redeployed to deal with the rebels in the interior, with a similar plan of operation as in the province of Yunnan. Temür Khan orders a census to be conducted for the following year, with special emphasis on the provinces of Liaoyang and Lingbei in the north, to assess the progress of the north's development into productive components of the empire. In the south, the navy continues to be expanded following its destruction more than three decades ago at the hands of the Vietnamese, with focus on the navy's growth into a co-equal branch of the Yuan military. Another wei of ships and personnel have been added to the navy's forces, increasing the ability of China to protect its shores once again. As a part of the navy's redevelopment, the admirals of the various Yuan fleets have been commissioned by the imperial court to draft a series of naval doctrines and policies for the coming years with respect to Japan and the eastern isles beyond the Chinese mainland.
 * Republic of Venice: The absence of 100 Genoan ships and even more ships locked in the Western Mediterranean give an easy choice to raid the already weakened routes to the Genoan colonies in the Aegean and Black Sea. Ships that are engaged are ordered to be looted and then sunken, so that the Genoese can't rescue and repair them, all with the goal to drain their treasuries. Open battles are avoided, to keep the loss of material and men at a bare minimum. Meanwhile, the 10,000 Crusaders that were hired by the Ilkhanate need their paying, which would cost a lump sum of around 8,000 Venetian Gold Ducats (ILKHANATE RESPONSE). The price can be sold after the war is concluded, with a small increase of five percent of the total fee. Due to the protection (and de facto rule) over Padua, their conflict with Verona becomes a Venetian matter as well. 2,000 heavy infantrymen, 1,000 light infantrymen, 600 archers and 400 cavalrymen. For the battles, notable fortifications are erected at the border regions and Paduan troops are extensively drilled by Venetian officers. However, the battles themselves are led by a Paduan (more to be added later, maybe)
 * Ilkhanate Response: With the war still ongoing, the Ilkhanate asks to pay after the war is concluded, accepting the five percent increase.
 * Naples: Prince Phillip, having failed to recruit any Milanese and Venetian mercenaries, offers to to pay the equivalent 10,000 Venetian Gold Ducats for a force of 5,000 mercenaries.
 * Ventian Dip to Naples: Venice agrees.
 * Venetian Dip to the Ilkhanate: Venice agrees.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: We begin expanding the fishing workplace even further bringing in even more food. In addition to this, the proud Greenlandic militia of 50 soldiers is raised.
 * Teutonic Knights: A new cathedral is built in the town of Altstadt. Also, the port in Balga is finished and open this year. A new town is founded called Lignowy which becomes a center of farming and raising horses. The town of Mohrungen is founded which becomes a center for livestock. a fortress is constructed in Elblag. the recruitment of soldiers in the county side continues with the Grand-master aiming for 20,000 knights in 15 years. Grand-master Gottfreid von Hohenlohe makes a pilgrimage to Rome to meet the Pope and establish good relations with the Vatican.
 * Swedish Diplomacy: The Kingdom of Sweden is very interested in the Teutonic Knight's trade policies, specifically that they challenge Hanseatic dominance of the Baltic. Chaffing under the Hanseatic League's taxes and tariffs, King Birger offers to form a new trade league with the monastic orders in the area, including the Teutonic Knights. The King of Sweden would also use his influence over the Danish King Christopher to induce Denmark to also join the league.
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: We accept the offer.
 * Lordship of Milan: Following the great victory in Piacenza the Milanese Military returns home and is greeted as heroes. The victory in Piacenza opens up an interesting opportunity for Milan. Piacenza is made a part of Milan and following Piacenza ex-nobility discussing with Bankers the Bankers push for a new idea. To make Milan a republic similar to the others in northern Italy. With as much pressure on him Matteo sends messages to both the Emperor and the Pope for permission for this to occur. (Mod response for Emperor) (Papal response) With the increase in economical power and continued drama between the Della Torre and Visconti a proposal is made to the Della Torre by the Visconti as well as to one of the most influential bankers in Milan currently, Basilio Geovani. His current wife is an extremely well respected woman by the people of Milan. He is also a really well respected man and there becomes minor discussions in both the Della Torre and Visconti that Geovani may actually win the first election surprisingly. The election begins with all land-owning men being allowed to vote, the vast majority of whom are Bankers. The vote takes a total of three weeks with the eventual winner being Basilio Geovani. Basilio upon taking power states that the Mercenaries of Milan should only be allowed to serve countries in Northern Italy or members of the HRE. Visconti agrees with this. However, Della Torre does not but with minimal backing Della Torre concedes it and the new rule passes. His second action is the expansion of all three banks with more jobs opening up and less people needing to work in the field as more money is brought in. The mercenary companies ask for a clause that allows them to work with groups outside of that separate of Milanese activities. The council agrees to this understanding that they are Mercenaries and not a standing army.
 * After much deliberation, Albert Habsburg agrees to extinguish the title of Lord of Milan, and allow the merchants to elect their own government.
 * Papal States: We also agree to let the merchants elect their own republic.
 * Papal States: In the year of our Lord 1302, the former Danish king is put on trial. The decision to burn him at the stake is unanimous. His Holiness has published Unum Sanctum, which describes the tyrannical rule of James II of Aragon and describes his excommunication. In the political world, we hope the Aragon's excommunication serves as a reminder as to not to attack the Holy Father. We hereby recognize Geza III of Hungary as the holder of the Kingdom of Hungary and Croatia. While Benevento is under de facto Aragonese occupation, Abruzzo is made a fief of the Papacy.
 * Georgia: David sends a letter to his maternal relative Alexios – offering to provide 5,000 troops for the defense of the Trapezuntine Empire against the Turks (MOD RESPONSE). While such a move would bring it back under Georgia's sphere of influence, it would remain a fully independent state. David also appeals to the Ilkhanate to restore Georgian suzerainty over the region of Samstkhe (which mainly encompasses Lazica and parts of the Armenian Highlands) (ILKHANATE RESPONSE. He cites the fact that its split from Georgia was very recent – happening only in 1268. Also, its ruling Prince, Beka Jaqeli has been active in the Georgian court as its de jure Msakhurtukhutsesi (Majordomo). He also holds the position of Atabeg (Vizier), despite having raised George – the younger brother of David, instead of Anastasius – the actual heir apparent. Knowing that David would continue to assure his full autonomy due to their familial ties and his prestige, Beka has agreed to the deal – though with several reservations. Firstly, Samtskhe would have to be incorporated in a single duchy rather than split into several. Secondly, George – to whom he has taken quite a liking – will be guaranteed a high position in court, and given a duchy of his own. The court remains cautious of directly aiding the Crusade, given such a move would arouse dissent among Georgia's Muslim subjects. A significant number of landless lower nobles (~5,000) join – though under their volition. It is iterated that they will not receive state sponsorship. David approves the deployment of 10,000 feudal levies to Anatolia to serve under Mongol ranks. To further expand the tax base, commerce – in particular, external trade – is encouraged. Merchant and craftsmen guilds in the capital of Tbilisi and the port of Batumi proliferate. The main trading goods continue to be wool, felt, wine, and enamels. However, cotton cultivation grows and workshops begin manufacturing silks – the latter aided by protectionist laws.
 * Emperor Alexios II of Trabizond is grateful for the loaning of troops, although their own military is capable enough of defeating the Turks as well.
 * Ilkhanate response: Baydu grants Georgia suzerainty over Samstkhe.
 * Kingdom of Cyprus: Defensive fortification production continues. Another Battle of Jerusalem occurs, with more siege equipment being deployed to help bring down Arab fortifications while encirclement tactics prove efficient. Written records for all events are made.
 * Republic of Genoa: A thriving Genoa rise after a tumultuous crisis that devastated the metropolis and its colonies since 1295. After more than seven long years, representatives of the main families (pro-Ghibellines) that govern the Genoese territories come together again in the metropolis to discuss internal and external affairs together with the duke. In this annual assembly and in the future ones the House of Doria, the Spinola, the Zaccaria family, the Boccanegra family and the House of Cybo will meet and the issues taken to resolve had to do with the siege and looting of merchant ships that affects in a small but considerable proportion to the economy of the Republic, the possibility of expanding the influence in the Western Mediterranean and the Atlantic, and finally the distribution of the different areas of influence that each family must possess with respect to the total possessions that the Republic of Genoa houses. Due to the previous negotiations failed to reestablish the peace with Venice, the amount of looting and shipwrecks in the Eastern Mediterranean has not diminished since the War of Curzola began. As it is not possible to cease the systematic loot, a law was implemented which, in case an assailant appears to loot and sink the ships, the rule of “if I do not have it, nobody has it” will apply. In other words, merchants and other crew members who are on board at that time will be obliged to throw all their pertenences or valuables with a significant value on the ship so that the looters cannot loot anything of minimal importance, if a crew member die, the family will be compensated with a total amount of 5,000 silver coins and 1,000 authentic gold coins. On the other hand, to attract mainly buyers in need of mercenaries, a Genoese pact system called “Genoves commercia foedus” has been implemented to ensure its dominant trade and power. This is governed by three benefits that will be implemented to the nation and/or city that signs the pact: 1. Accessibility to a greater variety of products brought from distant lands without any impediment or retention, being cheaper products compared to rivals. 2. 20 percent discount when buying and/or renting Genoese mercenaries. 3. Possibility of requesting more flexible loans with an interest of two percent without annual increase. However, the pact is also governed by a couple of rules that the client nation or city must follow. 1. Do not exercise violent and/or hostile actions to the republic (do not invaded territories, do not assault galleys, etc.). 2. Do not finance enemies of the republic. To test this commercial pact system, the Kingdom of Mallorca and the Kingdom of Aragon (Aragon response) (Mod response as Kingdom of Mallorca) have been offered a request to be able to enjoy certain privileges offered by the international trade that lies in the Mediterranean thanks to the Republic despite the war with Venice. With regard to the defense of the territories, the possibility of an invasion by Venice must not be forgotten, the possessions of Crimea, Corsica and part of Sardinia have been ordered to build a fleet of ten galleys per zone (the metropolis will provide them with resources and capital if necessary). Meanwhile, the hostile actions against Venetian merchants in the Strait of Gibraltar continues.
 * Mallorca agrees to the offer.
 * Ilkhanate: Qipchaq's army is reduced to 60,000 and repulsed from Nishapur. Qipchaq decides the ruined city of Nishapur is not working fighting for and sends his army south, curving around the forward Delhi army at Nishapur. The 20,000 troops in Aleppo return to action, with 17,000 of them leaving Aleppo and joining Qipchaq's army on the Persian plains, expanding its size to 77,000. The 3,000 soldiers remaining in Aleppo continue to garrison the city and continue recruiting, expanding their number to 5,000. Qipchaq's army heads east, avoiding cities but instead heading for the plains of Tarain, from where news has come of troops from Yuan China battling the Delhi Sultanate's army. Qipchaq's troops aid the 100,000 Yuan troops, creating a coalition army of 177,000 and outflanking the Delhi army. In the south, the crusader coalition led by Baydu is reduced to 53,000 but continues sieging Jerusalem, and they are replenished by 2,000 troops from Genoa, increasing their number to 55,000. In the meantime, the sieging troops have been building siege equipment and Baydu has been working on integrating the various subgroups in the diverse army to aid the battlefield coordination. Baydu also sends out a few diplomatic envoys, asking the Papal States if they would be able to supply any more troops and also asking the newly independent Sicily and Genoa for aid in the crusade to retake Jerusalem. (Papal States response) (Genoa response) (Mod response for Sicily) Privately, Baydu decides that if the army is unable to take Jerusalem in 1302 he will have them abandon the siege and head east to aid Qipchaq's army.
 * Armenian Cilicia: Observing the fall of Rum and the Ottomans' attack on Bithynia, King Hethum II is worried at the potential for the Ottomans to become another aggressive Jihadist state and sends envoys to Achaea and the Byzantine Empire, proposing an alliance between the Christian nations against the aggressive Islamic Ottomans. (Achaea response) (Mod response for Byzantium) With the goal of making Cilicia's borders more secure, Hethum II sends out an army of 10,000 Cilician soldiers, 5,000 Georgians and 5,000 Bohemians (20,000 total) to take over the city of Sivas, which had been fortified by Rum and due to its easterly location should not have been reached by many Ottoman troops yet. While heading from Sis to Sivas, Hethum II's troops also aid peasants in the war-torn region of eastern Anatolia with rebuilding their farms, improving their economy.
 * Republic of Genoa: The republic, happily to be part of a crusade, send a legion of the best 2,000 men that can be found in northern Italy to help Ilkhanate with the siege of Jerusalem and future mission against infield in exchange for naval trade without restriction with the city of Acre (if it's released from the Mamluks).
 * Ilkhanate response: The Ilkhanate agrees to Genoa's request.
 * Sicily is too busy right now.
 * Byzantium accepts the alliance.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: Due to our ongoing hostilities with the Byzantine Empire, we are hesitant to align ourselves with Cilicia following the alliance between Byzantium and Cilicia.
 * Mamluke Sultanate: Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad announces his support for Osman I of the Ottoman Empire, although he refrains from sending any troops to help him at the moment. Öljaitü, brother of Mahmud Ghazan, an infidel, is offered refuge within Mamluke borders if he finds himself being pushed back, where the Mamluke armies will give him their support in becoming the leader of the Ilkhanate. (Mod Response for Öljaitü) Mahmud Ghazan’s infidelity will be used against him.  Again, al-Hakim will announce that the war against the Ilkhanate and the traitors of Islam is just, and call upon the soldiers of the Ilkhanate as well as the people residing in its cities to revolt. Those in his court are told to assassinate him when given the oppurtunity.  Seeing as how the Papal States has not endorsed the crusades, use this to show how Mahmud Ghazan war is not even endorsed by the spiritual leader of Roman Catholicism, and even try to propaganda by stating Mahmud Ghazan is viewed as heretical even by Christians.  From the Mamluke forces, numbering 70,000, with 30,000 more being conscripted,which should be easier to maintain since it is at our own home territory, they are to march to Jerusalem, starting by retaking all of the territories that were taken along the march to it, seeing as no army in those areas will be able to withstand my forces, escalades, cannons will be used to breach walls, or other tricky ways of getting into sieged towns.  The armies will be led by all of the top generals of the Mamluke Sultanate. Upon reaching Jerusalem, the Crusader forces will be cornered, in which case attacks will be made from all sides, which is to thin out their armies and end this foolish crusade. Furthermore, we remind Mahmud Ghazan that he does not control Aleppo at the moment (this is more for ooc purposes, I’m only reminding him that I control it, as well as Damascus). Furthermore, seeing as the 10,000 Venetian mercenaries are only being paid by a mere sum of 8,000 ducats, the Mamlukes laugh and mock the doge of Venice. He insults the mercenaries and claims that they will die for no reason, with only 8,000 being paid, and even with that, only one ducat each. Furthermore, the Mamlukes mock the Yuan’s invasion of Delhi, from the Himalayas no less, where supplies will easily become thin due to the difficulty of transportation and many men will definitely die, making their defeat to Delhi inevitable.
 * Mahmud Ghazan died in 1295, Baydu is the Ilkhan. Aleppo was taken over by the Ilkhanate in 1298 and has been garrisoned by them since. Finally, the Pope did actually endorse the crusade and supplied troops to it. 77topaz (talk) 04:44, October 17, 2019 (UTC)
 * It was Baydu that died in 1295, not Mahmud Ghazan. Also, Aleppo wasn't retaken by the Ilkhanate in 1298, they tried earlier to retake it but failed. The remainder doesn't affect me much if it actually did happen.
 * Nogai Khan (Ilkhanate): Nogai Khan, Khan of the Ilkhanate and the Golden Horde, seeks to make peace with the Mamluk Sultanate in order to put an end to both the Crusade and the Jihad. The forces of the displaced Baydu Khan still stand at the gates of Jerusalem, but he no longer rules the Ilkhanate, so the state of war between our two states is now over.
 * Re: Mamluk player, I think you may be missing the fact that 1295 to 1300 were also turns in this game, they are on an archive page. In this game, Baydu lived instead of Ghazan and Aleppo was conquered by the Ilkhanate in 1298. 77topaz (talk) 06:06, October 17, 2019 (UTC)
 * The Mamluks agree to peace out with Nogai Khan, Khan of the Ilkhanate and the Golden Horde. We will destroy the remaining forces at Jerusalem, the ones under Baydu Khan.
 * The Delhi Sultanate agrees to make peace with Nogai Khan. However, they make it clear that they will be annexing the conquered territory up to Zaranj, Quetta, Farah and Herat (Modern-day Afghanistan)
 * Kingdom of England: In order to boost troop numbers and pad his armies, Edward sends missives to the various north Italian States. Especially Milan, Provence, Savoy and Pisa in order to obtain condotierri (mercenaries) in his fight agaisnt France. (mod response needed for Provence, Savoy and Pisa). Edward offers them all 10,000 pounds for contingents of 3,000 soldiers each to fight at some point in the near future, alongside any plunder they might acquire along the way. Whether they accept or not they only come into play if Edward chooses to bring them to bear. With reinforcements from Guy, the Flemish soldiers alongside the 4,000 English holding defensive positions are set to start ravaging the countryside with sword and fire - but also taking as much plunder as they could. The English know that the infantry is mostly holed up in castles. They are to keep close contact with the soldiers besieging Amiens. They want to lure the French 10,000 men that are harassing supply lines into attacking them, despite orders not to engage forces more than double their size. The Flemish forces also are ordered to adopt a certain special strategy while goading the French forces into battle. Since the French roaming the countryside harassing English supplies are all cavalry, they are to goad the French into battle but carry with them a large number of spikes. These spikes are to be hidden in trenches and raised once the cavalry has advanced sufficiently on the battlefield to try to impale the horses on the spikes. In any case, the total troop count in Normandy should be 20,000 to 25,000 at this point depending on how many troops Flanders gives me. [more to come depending on last years' algo results.]
 * Kingdom of Scotland: With Most of the Unrest quelled for now, It is now up to John Hastings to begin the transition to his personal rule. Plans for bringing the coronation stone back to Scone and having the Scottish coronation occur there are finalized by John hastings and Edward. John Hastings reaches out to a few of the Highland Clans for their help in administration and to present a front against Wallace if he decides to contest the coronation. Hastings orders ships built to create a trade fleet that shall sell Scottish products to europe and develop trade relations with England and the Lordship of Ireland.
 * Republic of Venice: The Venetians propose to fund them in their war against Genoa, as they are supportive of the French and aid them with mercenaries.
 * Lordship of Ireland: As the war continues to rage draining the Lordship of Ireland of revenue and men little occurs in the Lordship of Ireland. The beginning of longbow training by all freemen occurs but since it's the beginning there is still much improvement to be had.


 * Bohemia-Poland: In Bohemia and Poland Władysław Piast's regency in the absence of Wenceslaus II runs relatively smoothly with the new currency and Sejm helping provide a strong economic boost, and confidence amongst the nobility and cities. construction of the Castles at Gdansk, Gniezo continue while the construction of Wawel Castle (Krakow) remains the priority of the Regency. The military education of Wenceslaus the Younger begins with the boy being trained on horse back, and in the art of swordsmanship and in the military arts. His education is also expanded to include theology, geography, an understanding of the crown and its duties, along with the languages of Polish, German, Italian, and Latin aside from his native Czech. A strong bond forms between the heir and Władysław, with Wenceslaus the younger adopting many of the mannerism of the Polish noble and trying to emulate his strong sense of honor and chivalry. The regency continues to promote trade with the Hansa, as well as with the Teutonic order, and envoys are sent to the distant Lithuanians in an effort to open them to trade and to open up diplomatic ties with them. influence over the Silesian region is increased through the engagement between Henry and Anne. The university of Praga is completed making it the first university in central Europe. production from the silver mines in Kutna Hora continue to grow in output of production while the minting and distribution of the groschen remains strictly controlled leading to a steady rise in the reserves of the Bohemian-Polish crown. Generous donations are given to the church, however, for the construction of new churches, monasteries and convents. Money is also given to the cause of converting the Pomeranians in the duchy of Pomerania a fief of the Polish crown, and to the settlement of Germans, Poles, and Bohemians into the region. Bohemian metal smithies and artisans begin to gain prominence due to the increased demand for their employment either in the production of weapons or for goods such as glass and jewelry. Agricultural growth also begins as the scars of war continue to fade. Trade continues to grow. The Bank of Praga is founded under a crown monopoly, the new bank approaches Venice and Milan to help the implement reforms similar to theirs to start implementing bank notes as a way of fomenting internal business. Jews are also welcomed to settle in Bohemia, Poland. Wenceslaus II after seeing the futility of the new crusade and realizing the insincierty of the Mongol conversion decides to withdraw his troops from the campaign instead taking his men and his pilgrimage to Bethlehem before withdrawing to the coast where he contracts ships to take him back to Europe. He continues his writings expressing his great joy and sadness of seeing the Holy Land, and being unable to enter the city of Jerusalem. He also focuses a lot on how greed and pride are also there in the hearts of man, and reign supreme in the hearts of rulers. He decides to travel to Rome and Italy before returning to his own domains going to Roma with only a fraction of his forces so as not to worry the pope, and requests permission to enter the eternal city and share some time with the pope before returning home from his pilgrimage. (Papal response needed.)


 * Bohemian Diplo: the regency sends an envoy to Lubeck to offer the hansa a commercial agreement to secure greater access for Bohemian and Polish goods into the Baltic Sea, as well as to attract Hansa merchants and artisans. (mod response)
 * Kingdom of Hungary: With the recognition of Géza as King by His Most Holiness in Rome the lands have been stabilized and potential claimants have been defanged. It provides an undisputed authority of Géza to the two kingdoms, with the formerly rebellious Voivode of Transylvania who know lacks a substantial army to enforces his independence being forced to come to Esztergom and pay homage to Géza. Matthew III Csák continues his rule as palatinate and regent of Hungary focusing on juggling the needs of the nobility, focusing on rebuilding the fortifications and the easternmost plains affected by the Mongol invasion and hoping to reunify the divided kingdoms. The Bán of Croatia issues a new charter granting rights to the city of Split in an attempt to make it more prosperous of a port and increase its revenue. The fortifications along the border with the mongols are nearing completion with the areas now being ready to defend from any future incursions. Meanwhile, the Abbey of Saint Elizabeth continues to gain fame and recognition with many nobles and merchants being attracted to its halls to study. Perhaps controversially, the nunnery of the abbey located south in Buda begins to accept female students although the education they receive is very limited and it is eclipsed by the main chapter in its fame.
 * Principality of Achaea: With the complete and utter decimation of the Mentese Bey's troops outside of Halicarnassus, Prince Florent marches his troops into Milas, the capital of the former Beylik. With the city now under Achaean crusader occupation, many Turks leave the nation to find refuge elsewhere in the Anatolian peninsula. Meanwhile, Florent renames the territory the County of Caria, after the traditional Latin name for the region. While still in Anatolia, Prince Florent proceeds to divide the county into baronies and smaller fiefs. The Achaean prince focuses particularly on assigning fiefdoms to people who are either extremely loyal to him personally or to those who have recently migrated to the region and have close familial ties elsewhere in Europe. That way, they are encouraged to bring their extended families from the continent down to Caria. While Prince Florent spends the majority of the year in Caria, administering the newly-won lands, in Achaea proper, many nobles return to their lands. Princess Isabella and her daughter, Matilda, continue to expand their popularity among the Greek citizen, and Isabella in particular has taken to personally interacting with dynatoi families that still retain a great deal of influence among the natives. Internationally, Achaea agrees to Venice's offer, whereby they issue an embargo of Genoese goods in order to receive cheaper Venetian products. This has some short-term disruption of existing trade routes, but it is designed to bring Venice closer to Achaea. The existing Genoese in Achaea are allowed to remain in the principality, but cannot trade with their motherland, and so many traders of that nationality leave.
 * Delhi Sultanate: The force under Nusrat Khan (130,000) falls back to Farah and mans the Farah Citadel to prevent the Ilkhanate forces from crossing. The force under Ulugh Khan (50,000) at Kabul moves to attack the Yuan forces (40,000) pouring into Kashmir and encircles them inside the valley, controlling the heights of the Pir Panjal Range, preventing them from moving farther inland. Launching short raids into their camps and severing their supply lines. The force under Nusrat Khan, having captured Zaranj in 1300, facing token resistance, is ready to attack if the Ilkhanate forces try to flank using that route. However, those chances are low as trying to cross the barren mountains of Baluchistan by a war weary Ilkhanate army would be nothing short of madness. Having secured the Afghanistan region, General Nusrat Khan continues to send raiding forces into Ilkhanate territory harassing their supply lines, attacking enemy camps and wreaking havoc in the region. The small Ilkhanate volunteer army of 12,000 Ilkhanate Muslim volunteers has swollen by another 7,000 troops. These 19,000 irregulars continue to guard the area around Nishapur. The force under the Sultan numbering 100,000 (50,000 regulars and 50,000 feudal levies) troops fights the 70,000 Tibetan irregulars at the Third Battle of Tarain. 
 * Nogai Khan: The defeat at Samarkand reminds Nogai that he and his army are not invincible, and some battles simply cannot be won, not even the great Yuan Dynasty. As Nogai's forces retreat back into the territory of the Golden Horde his forces regroup, retrain, and rearm, now numbering ten tumen strong, managing to muster up new recruits, inspired by Nogai's great wisdom, implementing in detail what he learned in Samarkand. Nogai Khan answers the call to Baydu Khan's request of alliance and aid by sending ten tumen led by him personally to the Ilkhanate capital of Tabriz (while his son Chaka is left to oversee Sarai Batu), where he hears the news of the Ilkhanate untenable position, calling Baydu Khan a fool for allowing multiple invasions to descend upon his realm from various corners of the world while conducting a failed invasion of his own, allowing Baghdad to fall in open revolt, and bringing chaos to all the world. As such, Nogai Khan demands to rule the Ilkhanate alongside Baydu Khan, and if he fails to comply, death shall be upon him just as he sent countless others to their deaths, and with his death shall be the end of death conducted in this massive war that engulfs the world. To Nogai's surprise, he finds that Baydu Khan is nowhere in sight, in fact beseiging Jerusalem. Thus, Nogai declares himself Khan of the Ilkhanate and of the Golden Horde. The armies of Tabriz pledge allegiance to Nogai, where he seeks to make peace with Delhi first and foremost. Delhi shall cease trying to kill all non-Muslims in the region while Baghdad's status as an Islamic theocracy shall be respected as a city within the Ilkhanate, essentially acting as a state within a state. (Delhi Response Please) Any invasions that are conducted by the resurgent Abassid Caliphate are defended against and repelled while peace is attempted. (Mod Response Please)
 * Crown of Aragon: The final battle begins. With the fall of Benevento, the battle for Naples commences with our navy engaging off the coast maintain dominance and cut the city off completely from supplies with the army closing in to surround and isolate Naples with the support of trebuchets and other anti-defensive measures being applied to secure the city. Shock! All that can be said to describe the Crown's reaction to news of the Moors assault on Valencia. Excess naval vessels and another 26 ships are dispatched to defend the shore while 36,000 men are dispatched to the region. Aragon remains strong with all of its infrastructure development projects in place. The foundations for a new cathedral are completed in Barcelona.

1303
'''In Alexandria, the ground buckles as a mighty earthquake tears the ancient city apart. The massive Lighthouse of Alexandria, which has served as a beacon and landmark in Egypt since the 3rd century BC, suffers catastrophic damage. The crumbling facade falls to the ground and bay below in a violent collapse. Though the base remains, the world is down a wonder.'''

'''Pope Boniface VIII passes away this year. A Papal Conclave ensues. Players for France, England, Genoa, Naples and Castile can vote'''

'''The Yuan forces in Delhi lose significant numbers to attrition this year. Not only have they crossed a massive mountain range to attempt an invasion, they cannot reliably create a supply line to support the amount of troops they're carrying. The number of troops drops to 60,000 Yuan troops and 40,000 Ilkhan troops.'''

'''The recent troubles in the crusades leads to increased belief that the age of crusades are passed. Suspicion that organizations such as the Knights Templar are simply not needed, if not a drain on Europe entirely, sweeps through Europe.'''

'''The recapture of Bordeaux rallies its allies and vassals. Though the King still has lost the Count of Flanders, he is no longer in danger of complete pandemonium.'''

'''NOTE: All algos should be up to date now. Let any of the mods know otherwise. All results of algos are on the Talk Page of this article'''
 * Delhi Sultanate: With the end of hostilities and the end of the Jihad and the fact that Qipchaq's forces are wandering inside the Sultanate, the force under Nusrat Khan (142,000 strong with 12,000 volunteers) now comes back toward Delhi, replenishing itself on its way, Nusrat Khan hands over the command to the Sultan. Meanwhile, the Sultan's forces had replenished themselves and stood 40,000 strong. The Sultan raises 50,000 fedual levies as well. So now this force of 232,000 strong under the Sultan meets the supply-starved Tibetan and Qipchaq's forces at the Fourth Battle of Tarain (1303) in Tarain, north of Delhi. The force brutally massacres the two invading forces, many soldiers are captured and sold into slavery across India. Another 50,000 troops continue to remain in the Kabul region and guard the Khyber Pass.
 * Both Yuan China and Qipchaq retreated, so there will be no battle at Tarain in 1303. 77topaz (talk) 23:31, October 17, 2019 (UTC)


 * Mali Empire: Mansa Gao returns to Mali with all his family, fully unharmed and in good health. He continues to progress his previous domestic policies for the growth and development of the empire. Agriculture for roots and sorghum continue to expand across various sub kingdoms outside of Mali, although the fields in Niani and Wagadougu remain the strongest. The navy continues expanding, taking full control of the Niger and Senegal Rivers, with significant presence in Gambia and the Atlantic coast. Meanwhile, by this point Musa in exile has grown to a full adult in the kingdom of Gobir. The king of Gobir died, and his successor was far more cruel and displeased with the royal guests in his home. Musa was very crafty, and challenged the King of Gobir to a game of questions. The King said that if he wins (and he always wins) he will take Musa's life. Musa took a sword off the wall, admiring its glint gently, and said that all he would ask if he wins is to take the sword. So the game began. First they had a series of subtle riddles and games of critical thinking, then moved on to questions about physics and astrology, followed by broader questions of philosophy and theology, always at a complete stalemate. Finally, the King of Gobir asked his final question: what did he have for dinner yesterday. To the amazement of all, Musa laughed and was easily able to answer this question, at last proving his strength of wits above the king of Gobir. As he explained, when Musa studied the glint of the sword, he saw the people gathering trash outside through its reflection, and from that he was able to deduce what was previously served for dinner. As all the people rose up, they immediately saw Musa as a far more wise and capable ruler than that of Gobir, and immediately deposed the ruler in favor of making Musa their king. And so Musa obtained his first political office after having been exiled from Mali.


 * Yuan China: Having completed their goal of opening a new front against Delhi and drawing their forces away from the Ilkhanate, Yuan troops withdraw from India with their loot, captured wives, and valuable relics, leaving the Tibetan forces behind to perform a rearguard action against the Indians. Due to the rationing system of the Mongols, the foot soldiers of the Yuan army are largely decimated (since foraging somehow doesn't exist in this universe), leaving only the more valuable mounted units of the army. Taking advantage of their superior mobility, the Yuan forces retreat toward the mountains to return to the Ilkhanate via the undefended passage ways left by the armies of Delhi attempting to protect their major cities, leaving by way of Quetta and moving on to the Ilkhanate city of Kandahar. In their retreat from the region, the Mongols deliberately kill Muslim civilians and spare the Hindu ones, telling the Hindus that they were sent by God to inspire them to action against their Islamic oppressors. Hundreds of mosques are leveled in the process, and thousands of Muslim clerics put to the sword in the name of the Christ, as the Mongols plant the seeds of discord throughout the population as they withdraw back to the Ilkhanate. The passage way through the Himalayas have been fortified by the Yuan, who garrison the passage with 15,000 Tibetan troops and another 10,000 Chinese soldiers for the purpose securing Tibet's borders. Following the loss of life to the Ilkhanate's military forces, the Yuan government moves to ensure their ally's security, offering a one-time payment in stolen Indian gold to any Mongol and Jurchen warriors willing to permanently relocate from their steppe homelands to the Ilkhanate. Some 50,000 agree to the proposal, and move with their families to the Ilkhanate under an arrangement with the allied rulers of that country. Back in China proper, the expansion of the Christian faith continues, with many of the higher-ranking members of society converting to Christianity to find favor in the eyes imperial court, and maintain their stations of privilege. Several temples and shrines in Beijing are converted into churches as the grip of the Nestorian priesthood continues to tighten across China. Members of the imperial guard convert to the faith as a sign of their continued loyalty to the emperor, and instruct their families to convert as well. The syncretism of Confucianism and Christianity continues, with the official backing of the state and the implicit support of the army. In Yunnan, the rebels begin to dwindle in number as fewer and fewer members of their ranks see much reason to resist the state based on religious grounds, as more of them begin to reason that Confucianism was never incompatible with Christianity, and that most of them were fighting for the Confucian scholars rather than any of the peasants who failed to see what the problem was. As their supports begin to filter back into their farms and towns, the Confucian scholars are left with no armies to resist the emperor with, and find themselves relegated to the status of self-righteous zealots clinging to a philosophy that still remains a prominent part of Chinese society even with Christianity's introduction and fusion with the concept. Korean integration continues, with economic integration now taking the lead following the political realignment of the Korean elite and its dissolution as a viable threat to the emperor in Beijing. Chinese education is made the law of the land in Korea, with several members of the Censorate arriving in Pyongyang to ensure that the local bureaucrats follow through with their obligations to the state, and enforce the Chinese-aligned education within the province. Naval expansion continues as with the previous years, with growth of the fleets moving forward at a steady pace, though now with a focus on primarily constructing larger ships capable of independent operations at sea. These vessels are somewhat larger than the standard war junks of the navy, and are designed for long-term operations at sea, as the new naval policies from the fleet admirals begin to filter back into the imperial court. In the meantime, the construction of transport vessels has begun, as the Khan wishes to have the ability to project power within the eastern seas, but at the same time not making the same mistakes as his predecessors in using the wrong ships for the task. In a separate mission, multiple scholars are commissioned by the navy to look up all references of typhoons in the region over the past century, and develop a chart that will be used by the fleets for planning their operations and preventing another disasters such as that failed invasion of Japan more than fifty years ago. Expansion of the economy continues with a focus on the development of sea-bound trading with the states of the Indonesian islands. Chinese merchants returning from the south have spoken of the financial success of the native peoples there, and advocate for expanded trade with them on behalf of Yuan China's continued prosperity. Ambassadors from Beijing are sent to the people of Srivijava, Melayu, and Kediri, where they plan to prepare the way for additional Chinese merchants to being settling among the people and opening shops and ports for trade with China.
 * Kingdom of Naples: With the Siege of Naples going on, Prince Phillip sends a message to his brother in France with a detailed plan aimed to defeat the Aragonese Forces in Southern Italy. Using the Angevin Territories in the County of Provence and the Kingdom of Albania, Prince Philip immediately leaves for Albania where he mobilizes a force of 20,000 men and a small fleet of 15 ships while Prince Robert heads to the County of Province where he raises a force of 10,000 men and a fleet of ten ships while one of Prince Phillips brothers Prince John raises another force of 10,000 men in Epirus. Adding that up to the current Neapolitan Fleet (50 Neapolitan ships and 30 Venetian ships) Prince Philip (Now in command of the Angevin Relief Force) finds himself at the head of an important force of 105 ships and 40,000 men launches an ambitious operation in which may turn the tide of the war. The New Neapolitan Fleet (Minus the ships from the County of Provence set sail for Toulon where they intend to meet up with the other elements of the Fleet. Taking the long route, the Neapolitan Armada avoids Sicily as they head straight for the Libyan Coastline and then follow the North African Coast until they arrive at the point between Sardinia and the Balearic Islands turning north and between the two islands until the French the French coastline where they head for Toulon and meet up with the ten Neapolitan ships there. From there the Fleet then moves south toward Naples before coming to a halt near Rome. The 15,000 troops from Province then move ahead with a small escort of 20 Neapolitan ships and silently land in Gaeta North of Naples where they march North to the City of Pescara where the Albanian troops under Prince Phillip himself arrive with this new force of 40,000 men marching toward Naples coming at a halt at Capua. Then in October after months of preparation, Prince Phillip decides to go on the Offensive. The Offensive Starts with the Neapolitan Armada launching an attack against the Aragonese Fleet at night with a single Neapolitan Galley with an Aragonese Flag sailing straight into the middle of the Aragonese Fleet and being set on fire before colliding with an Aragonese ship setting it on fire and causing chaos amidst the Aragonese Fleet, with the Aragonese distracted by the fire slowly consuming their ships, the Neapolitan Armada then launched their attack against the Aragonese encircling the Fleet and then launching their attack and closing in on the Aragonese ships and giving them little space. As the Naval Battle off the coast of Naples began, the Main Force of 40,000 men launched their own strike attacking the Aragonese and Sicilian Forces at night by attacking their encampments as part of the relief operation to force the lifting of the Siege of Naples with 5,000 men from Naples garrison joining them in the fight. With this Charles II hopes that his sons are successful in the operation as this will prove to be the last opportunity to end the War of the Sicilian Vespers with Charles II keeping his throne.


 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa" The Brabantine nobilty was not able to win the battle over the hainaut capital of Mons, this is a disapointment for the duke. John II does not back down though he continues, the army is ordered to take place and make camp in the small hamlet of Mignault. Which is a small hamlet of only a honderd or so people which is not important of itself, but this causes the haunait army to have to attack lightly fortified possitions. The Brabantine army is also helped by the proximity to the city of Brussels and Wavre which are just able to send reinforcements and material, a total of 1,000 extra troops coming from north. This totals the army size to 4,000 loyal followers of the House of Brabant-lothair, Brabant trying to defends it honour and the dynastic titles it hold. The defences consisting of ditches alongside with on purpose breaking of irrigation channels toward the enemy, while at the same time smaller groops of knights and pikemen are trying to disturb the trade that goes into and from Hainaut. The Brabantine troops being with the least on the middle 1,500 each side and 1,000 pikemen and Gastrapheteson, with the job of the middle being so that that the enemy troops are surrounded after they got trapped. This made retreat possible but costly with mercy being given to all who asked for it, this strategy - while risky - was worth it as the flanks were far more mobile then the other troops. While at the same time we offer to lower tariffs on the county of Loon if they would enter the war against hainaut (mod response). In Heyst ten Berge the building of the mansion is continued with most of the walls being useable but not yet finished, as they still need to have wall carpets and more to make it more liveable for the duke and the servants that will serve in it. Small houses and cottages being build around the area to acommodate the servant and the local population, although these buildings are fully part of Malinnes with only Brabantine law counting in the mansion itself and only it. While Duke John II invites Representatives from the lands to Antwerp to attend a special meeting related to the Realm (Mod Response). This include representatives for cities and town, nobilty, Merchants, Clerics and peasants who can afford it. This is meant to begin the proces of more representation and centralisation which although not popular seems important for the Lotharingian Realm.
 * Representatives of Antwerp attend the meeting.
 * Kingdom of Hungary: Reconstruction of the eastern realms of Hungary continues, with them being organized under the Palatine of Hungary, and Bán of Croatia. Trade begins to slowly flow through the city of Split and revenue is added to the coffers of the realm. Interestingly enough the Abbey of Saint Elizabeth in Buda gains more notoriety within the realm, and many more nobles begin to send their sons to study there. Matthew III Csák hearing of their academic excellence and fame offers one of the main brothers who study and run the Abbey to come to court and tutor the young king Géza III. He begins to tutor Géza in various activities such as philosophy, theology, and history. Fortifications along the border with the Mongols, venomous adders they are, are finally completed this year with them being designed to maximize efficiency against the Mongol devil hordes. Within the Kingdom of Hungary, however, economic troubles begin to plague the nation, with money being drained from the treasury to finance fortifications. In order to gain opinion and consensus from the majority of the lords, Matthew III Csák calls a Diet to be held within the city of Buda, in order to discuss the problems of tax. Within the diet many discussions for new taxes are brought up in order to ease the burden on the various lords and the economy. Eventually they agree to a tax plan that appeases a vast majority will resolving the issue of the treasury.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: The people of Greenland begin more and more wishing for indepednece from Norway. We ask Sweden for support.(SWEDISH RESPONSE NEEDED).
 * Ilkhanate/Armenian Cilicia/Rum: With the siege of Jerusalem continuing to prove unfruitful and the military situation in the rest of the Ilkhanate growing increasingly dire, Baydu decides to retreat. He leaves Jerusalem with 10,000 of his most loyal troops and the remaining soldiers are left under the command of Nogai Khan and/or the King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. (Nogai Khan and Cyprus may now command the remaining soldiers in Jerusalem) Meanwhile, the Cilician army is able to establish control over the fortified city of Sivas and what remains of Rum's military is absorbed into that of Cilicia, officially merging the Sultanate of Rum into the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia. Baydu's retreating force reaches Aleppo, where about half of his soldiers stay behind, increasing the troop count in the garrison to 10,000. Baydu and the remaining 5,000 soldiers reach the Cilician capital of Sis. After negotiations between Baydu and King Hethum II, the two rulers agree that they will now govern Cilicia as a duumvirate, and Baydu's 5,000 soldiers are absorbed into Cilicia's military. This duumvirate now controls all of the territory of Armenian Cilicia as well as the garrisons of Sivas and Aleppo and the territory between them. The Duumvirate of Cilicia will also continue Baydu's alliance with Nogai Khan. In order to be able to defend against the Ottomans and Mamluks if needed, the Cilician government further fortifies the cities of Sis, Sivas and Aleppo and replenishes the joint military. Meanwhile, soldiers also help peasants in the war-torn region between these three cities with rebuilding their farms, improving the economy and increasing the civilians' morale. Meanwhile, Qipchaq's army in the east is not yet aware of the formation of the Duumvirate of Cilicia. When Yuan China's army retreats back to the north, Qipchaq's army also retreats from Delhi, although they reaffirm that they will continue the alliance with Yuan China and the 50,000 warriors supplied by Temür Khan are absirbed into Qipchaq's forces. They create a defensive line of fortifications between the cities of Mashhad in northeast Persia and Zahedan in southeast Persia.
 * Japanese Empire (warring states period): The Sengoku Jidai period enters its 4th brutal and agonizing year. The first few years saw skirmishes and little of note as the major powers that be of the Kamakura, Emperor, and Dewa all suffered horrendous casualties following the first battles. While the three primary actors have been rebuilding and nursing their wounds the minor Daimyo have unleashed hell upon earth with battles said to be "sundering the heavens." Allies turned on each other, and even minor clans have gone for delusions of grandeur. As the war has developed even cities have begun to throw in with the Daimyo and interestingly enough the Emperor has secured a moderately powerful base of power. However, with little support from any notable Daimyo, the Emperor Go-Uda approaches the dynamically risen Niryū clan which has championed cooperation with the Emperor and has spent the last four years attempting to carve a pathway to Kyoto either through friendly relations or wholesale conflict. As the Dewa and Minamoto clans wage war just south of Kyoto the Niryū and the Emperor manage to secure a slight corridor of control linking the two areas of control together and bringing their leader Saito to Kyoto. The meeting is notable as the Daimyo prostrates himself before the Emperor in a form that is far from ceremonial. Saito believes in the restoration of the Emperor to power seeing the great works and development the great Chinese empires have wrought under their powerful emperors and their well developed bereaucratic systems. Emperor Go-Uda raises this feudal lord from his submissive place and agrees with him but notifies him heavily the position of "Shogun" shall never plague the empire ever again. This position must be made subservient to the Emperor once more. However, with the relative revolt of the Fujiwara clan, a usually appointed position of Kampaku is left wide open. Duly separating the Kampaku and Sessho positions enshrines within Imperial decree, Go-Uda transfers this position to Lord Saito of the Niryū which brings the position into solidly an imperial controlled and appointed position with a clear ability for the Emperor to revoke it at will. The Sengoku period has left the development of the Japanese daimyo into proper armies with conflict happening so often, that new systems are put into place to squeeze out more and more manpower from territories. With dozens of Daimyo the average army size stretches anywhere from 6,000 to as high as 20,000 with numbers increasing every year. It is unfounded and populations in Japan are forced to relocated as the various lords abuse and relocate populations at will to suit their needs. The Emperor and Niryū clan are not exempt from this. However, the authority of an emperor attracts many from surrounding settlements and lands with even a few cities throwing in with the Emperor. Kyoto, the Nagoya region recently being overtaken by the Niryū clan as well as Osaka and Kobe have given the Emperor quite the territory to work with. As this year begins to close out, the Emperor secures multiple allies in multiple newer rising clans of the Kiyama and Uchida clans which bring their modest forces in support of the Emperor. As the Minamoto and Dewa clans make their plays to fight over the position of Shogun and the Emperor consistently being seen as a non-threat only the Ashikaga make moves against the Emperor. The Ashikaga invade the Niryū lands and put their capital fortress to seige prompting the Emperor to assemble his army. The Emperor Go-Uda has established quickly a military force of note. With a lack of local lords to challenge him and multiple feudal lords supporting him the Emperor with his new Kampaku Saito agree that the Feudal system in Japan as it exists is untenable. Every little lord with his own castle and own manpower pool is directly challenging to the Emperor. With a secured and unmolested trade route via Osaka and only the Ashikagas small invasion to the northeast Go-Uda begins abolishing and reorganizing the society within his controlled territory. With necessity to win paramount local nobles are increasingly pressured to turn over more tax revenue and manpower to the developing imperial army. Saito having achieved an extremely powerful position within this government is able to secure guarentees of higher tier noble titles for very few nobles leaving the rest just a few options. Submit to the Emperors new government, or be jailed. A small revolt breaks out in response to this which is brutally and thoroughly crushed as it turns out the Emperor had raised an army of nearly 25,000 from the cities of Ashigaru infantry, and light cavalry with Saitos Samurai acting as heavy shock cavalry and heavy infantry all paid directly out of the Imperial treasury effectively neutering the issue of some compensation. Lands were to be promised to high performing soldiers and the Samurai and daimyo on very simply conditions. The building of new castles were forbidden. If a castle was to be built ... it would be solely under the control of the Imperial army. As the local lords were crushed solidifying this position and their lands redistributed and the small forts occupied solely by Imperial troops paid directly out of the imperial treasury, Go-Uda turns his attention to the Ashikaga invasion. With 3,000 Samurai having seized a series of towns and countryside and having erected a fort near Nagoya, Saito and Go-Uda march this army to the region. The new Ashikaha daimyo Hiruzen refusing to believe in such a power comming from the Emperor. Hiruzens army arrays itself arrogantly and in a trick only the Daimyo and Samurai forces of the Emperor are put against them. With 4,000 Samurai to the Ashikaga's 3,000 the fight commences with Saito personally wiping out the greatest fighter in the Ashikaga army the Ashikaga upstarts are quietly and quickly defeated with about 2,000 casualties between both sides. As Hiruzen submits the Saito and hence the Emperor, Go-Uda arrives triumphantly with his 25,000 strong army of conscript Ashigaru. The number raised from just this region of Japan, albeit well populated, is shocking and showcases the stunning might of the Emperors reforms over the last four years. Word of these reforms begin spreading to other powerful daimyo. Notable the Minamoto and Hojo clans adopt some of these reforms forming some of their own armies within the style of the Emperor but with their main power base accruing from the Daimyo very powerful and specific reforms which have reinforced the power of the emperor are not something that can be done by these daumyo without outright upsetting the entire core of these daimyo armies. Go-Uda and Saito begin planning their own powerful moves on the weaker daimyo within their reach seeking to expand the power of the Emperor and bring unity to the Empire of the Rising Sun.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: After a formal meeting between leaders of the Swedish Kingdom and the Teutonic Order, the two nations agree to formalize a trade alliance, creating the Gotland League, a trade league similar to the Hanseatic league including the various monastic orders in the area, Sweden, and Denmark. Sweden seeks to win over more of the Hanseatic Leagues’ members by promising all members of the Gotland League vastly lowered fees from the Danish Sound Tolls [MOD RESPONSE ON SUCCESS]. The headquarters of the league is based in Visby, Gotland, which slowly emerges into one of the preeminent trade centers in the Baltic, quickly rivaling Lubeck and Novgorod. Sweden also begins encouraging immigration into the northern areas of Sweden, attempting to establish villages along the road built by Queen Martha to connect Finland and Sweden in order to solidify Sweden’s control of the area. Additionally, to both provide timber for trade and building merchant ships and to clear forests for farmland, the Swedish government begins clearing huge swaths of forests in the north. This reclaimed land is mainly claimed by the Crown. However, the Crown also begins awarding the lands to nobles and nearby towns in order to encourage cultivation and farming. The lumber from these forests are used to construct a large merchant fleet to begin trading with the Teutonic Order, Livonian Order, Denmark, and the rest of the Baltic. The Crown also continues to encourage immigration to Finland and continues sending priests to Finland to Christianize the area. With help from the Milanese bankers, the Swedish government also formally establishes the first iron working Guild in order to standardize and oversee the iron workers and armories in Sweden. The Crown hopes that by uniting the various armories, blacksmiths and iron workers into a single guild the Swedish capacity to create weapons, armor, and iron tools will increase along with the quality of the work.
 * Republic of Genoa: The new trade pact seems to have paid off. Although the expectations placed on it were exaggerated, a commercial deal could not be made with the Kingdom of Aragon. Despite this, the annual assembly of Genoa has agreed to focus on nations and/or cities where war is not recurring, a good example is the city of Lisbon. Diplomats, merchants and bankers headed toward the capital of Portugal to launch the Genoves commercia foedus on it (Portuguese response)or(Mod response as Portugal). This pact mainly proposes (as already mentioned in 1302), to provide an exclusive range of products imported from the Far East (spices, jewels, ivory, silk, flavorings and even slaves if required) without any remuneration in exchange except for no aggression toward the merchant galleys of the Republic of Genoa. On the other hand, the defeats suffered by the Byzantines by the Ottoman Turks in West Anatolia are of concern to certain families who swore allegiance to Constantinople. Consequently, representatives of the most important families such as the house of the Imperiali, house of Gattilusio and, although to a lesser extent, the Doria and Spínola families together with the house of Delle Piane ordered to build a fleet of 60 galleys of which the half will be built in this year while the other half will be built the following year. The fleet will be constituted with 5500 sailors, soldiers and some merchants that will depart to Constantinople around 1305 with the aim of defending and ONLY defending Constantinople and its surroundings in case of a massive Ottoman Turkish attack. Meanwhile, the blockade located in the Strait of Gibraltar against Venetian merchant galleys continues, thanks to it, it has been possible to desecrate Venetian flags and banners that may serve to camouflage Genoese merchant ships from the continuous attacks of Muslim privateers hired by Venice. The standard has been implemented in case any merchant galley desires or is obliged by necessity or orders of superiors to cross through the Eastern Mediterranean to carry flags for masts representing the Republic of Venice and hoist them at the moment in which the ship corresponding has entered the Eastern Mediterranean. Together with this rule and the law "if I don't have it, nobody has it", it is expected to reduce the amount of shipwrecks in enemy waters.
 * Portugal accepts the offer.
 * Bohemia-Poland: Economic growth continues. Construction of Wawel castle continues. Wenceslaus II returns to his domains resting in Praga. The crown continues to promote german settlement into Bohemia and Poland along with allowing Jews to settle and work. The Kutna Hora mines continue to expand with extraction of silver rising to ten tonnes a year (OTL 20 tonnes a year so on my way to that number) though circulation of the silver remains tightly controlled by the Crown through the Mint and the Bank of Praga. Bohemian Artisans and metal smithies continue to gain prominance with many being employed by the crown and by a growing number of polish and bohemian nobles. Economic ties with Milan and the Hansa continue to grow. The education of Wenceslaus the younger continues in Krakow under the tutelage of Wladyslaw who steps down as Regent upon the return of Wenceslaus II. Wenceslaus the Younger becomes increasingly profficient in horsemenship and swordsminship, while also becoming increasingly fluent in Polish, Italian, and German, while his latin remains rudimentary. He takes a great interest in history, philosophy and in the arts. Polish economic recovery from the mongol invasions continues with the iunflux of trade, settlers, and with the continued subsedies from Bohemia. Gdansk is fortified with a permanent garrison as priest continue to convert the local pomeranians and as the port of Gdansk grows in importance for Poland and for Bohemia providing a direct outlet to the Baltic trade. Wenceslaus II strengthens the crown's direct control over Silesia by placing the minor Duke Henry who is betrothed to his daughter Anne under his mentorship bringing him to court and placing the duchy of Wroclaw directly under his authority (OTL event). Bohemia requests to join the Gotland League.
 * Swedish Dip: Sweden accepts Bohemia's request to join the league.


 * Teutonic Knights: Anti-crusade attitude has swept throughout the country and with overwhelming pressure by the Grobgebietigers, the Grand-master is forced to resign. The new Grand-master is Siegfreid von Feuchtwangen. The first thing that the Grand-master did was pull out the 3,000 Knights in the Holy Land due to the Crusades failing. With the great amount of wealth being produced from trade in the Baltic's the Grand-master has ordered the building of roads and bridges improving infrastructure. A census is conducted which shows the countries population being roughly 320,000 people.
 * Principality of Achaea: With many nobles recruited and assigned to govern in the County of Caria, Prince Florent of Hainaut returns back across the Aegean Sea to Achaea. The Carian nobles send messages back to their extended families in Europe, seeking to recruit new Latin settlers to the lands formerly occupied by the Greeks and Turks. The Archbishop of Patras, dedicated as always to the cause of the salvation of heathen souls, ordains a local priest to serve the faithful community in Caria. With the Archbishop's support, Prince Florent orders the conversion (to Roman Catholicism) or explusion of all Muslims remaining in Caria. The goal is twofold: to beign the process of Latinizing the population, and to create even more land and wealth for the conquering forces. While Florent no longer remains in Caria, a large contingency of his vassals' troops remain (those troops who are on their third of fourt years of service to the Principality). Within the Peloponnese lands, the appeasement and gradual assimilation of the Greek natives continues and is met with continued success due to the presence of Princess Isabella - who is fluent in Greek and is well-viewed in their communities. Economic production includes olives, grapes, and (now with the addition of Caria) figs. These are sold to Mediterranean traders for a small profit. Particularly important, the recent acquisition of Modon and Coron have opened up major trade opportunitites for enterprising Achaeans.
 * Nogai Khan: The end of the Crusade and the subsequent Jihad, both ends orchestrated by Nogai Khan, has brought peace throughout the Ilkhanate, no more blood is being spilled upon Ilkhanate soil and theus the people have no reason to live in fear for their lives shall be spared for the fires of war. This peace fills the people with joy, hailing the warlord Nogai Khan as "Peace Bringer", making him immensely popular in the Ilkhanate and recognized as the true Ilkhan by the vast majority of people. With this, and the support of the Ilkhan Army, Nogai Khan secures control of the Ilkhanate and begins its rebuilding, especially in the east where the majority of the Jihad was prosecuted. To help with this national reconstruction, Nogai appoints Öljaitü as the Sword of Baghdad, putting him in charge of Baghdad's defense, protection, and rebuilding. With control of both the Golden Horde and the Ilkhanate, Nogai Khan merges the two Khanates into one larger Khanate, the Nogai Khanate, keeping the capital in Tabriz, and builds it further in his own image. The second capital, where Nogai son Chaka rules, is still in Sorai Batu, where many recognize him as the de facto ruler. Although Khan is taken from him by his father, the Russians hail him as Tsar Chaka, and he is known by that name due to the increased Russification of the area as the Mongols increasingly go into Tabriz. In Tabriz, however, the most loyal Russian Orthodox followers of Nogai, numbering one tumen still swear allegiance to Nogai and a small Russian presence is established in Tabriz. The era of war, however, has not ended, and Nogai "The Peace Bringer" Khan brings war upon the Ottomans, both as defense of Cicilia and the Byzantine Empire, personally leading with his ten tumen strong army into Anatolia, invading them from behind as they face the Byzantines, suddenly, swiftly, and without mercy, the Ottomans must be exterminated before they exterminate the Byzantines and conquer all of Anatolia.
 * Öljaitü refuses to be a vassal of Nogai unless he is Muslim
 * Crown of Aragon: Reinforcements are brought to Naples to continue to besiege the city with the city being cut off. Flammable materials and more trebuchets to tear down defenses are put to use while a heavy focus on cutting off supplies continue in our efforts to push the city to fall. Following victory in defending Valencia, Aragon plots to launch a naval assault on Morocco for opening up a counter invasion.

1304
'''You can still post in 1303 for the next hour. All algo results are on the talk page. Please inform any mods of new wars/algos you make this turn. Everything should run smooth now, we thank you for your patience (unless of course you weren't patient, in which case you can go jump in a lake).'''

'''Habemus Papam! the Roman Cardinal Giovanni Boccamazza is elected to succeed Boniface VIII. He has chosen the name Pope Callixtus III.'''

'''Frederick III is Crowned the King of Naples, and honors his treaty with the Papal States by ceding Benevento to the new Pope. This causes great fear among the states in Italy for the threat of Spanish influence on the peninsula, akin to the Norman invasions of centuries prior.'''

'''William Wallace and Edward Balliol renew their revolt in Scotland against English tyranny, taking advantage of the situation in France. They immediately hit much resistance in their attempts at revolt, however.'''

'''A revolt takes place in the Korean Peninsula, as Confucianists support the independence of King Chungnyeol of Goryeo from the Mongol Empire. 30,000 Koreans call to arms to defend the highlands of the peninsula.'''

'''The Byzantine Empire continues to fall to the encroaching Beyliks of the former Sultanate of Rum. Ephesus and Smyrna are both seized by the Beylik of Aydin. Moreover,  Chios is ceded from Byzantium as a colony of Genoa.'''

'''Count John II of Hainut dies, and his son William does not assume the title of Count of Holland. Meanwhile, Amsterdam is just established, as well as the Ypres Cloth Hall.'''

Hundreds of new city-states begin to appear across the Mexican Valley and Chicimec regions of Mesoamerica, adapting to the new "Aztec" culture championed by the Atzcapotzalco Empire.

'''The Middle East erupts into chaos over the recent events of the Ilkhanate. With their military largely depleted over the war against Mamluks, they suffer from potential invasions from neighboring nations on all sides, as well as the continual collapse of Rum. As they ceded the most significant territory of Tabriz and Fars to the Nogai Khan, the remainder of the Middle East and eastern Iran begin to lose all hope in central authority, and fall into general chaos. The Imamate of Baghdad over southern Mesopotamia claims the most authority over Muslim Arabs in the Middle East proper, while the Kingdom of Khoresan also breaks off, refusing to acknowledge Nogai as the new Shah.'''

''' As interest in the Tenth Crusade starts to wane, the Kingdom of Cyprus considers negotiating a treaty with the Mamluks to leave Jerusalem if they are allowed to annex Acre and surrounding region on the Palestinian coastline. '''


 * Yuan China: The imperial government swiftly reacts to the uprising in Korea by mobilizing the army in the surrounding region to punish the rebels for their intransigence. Returning from his successful campaign in the west, Temür Khan orders his 50,000 imperial army troops outside of Beijing to meet up with the 50,000 imperial army soldiers outside of the city of Liaoyang, along with 20,000 provincial troops recently arrived from Taining to march into Korea to meet up with the existing 50,000 provincial troops stationed outside of Pyongyang, and crush the rebellion. An additional 10,000 marines from Ninghai cross the Yellow Sea and land north of Pyongyang. The governor of Korea, Temür Khan's son Ertan Khan, assumes command of these 190,000 troops and begins his campaign of wiping out the rebel forces in his province. Before engaging the rebels, Ertan Khan wades into the Chongchon River with several of members of his command and several priests sent by his father to watch over him and his campaign. Ertan orders the priests to baptize him in the river, so that he may gain the same blessings his father received during his war against Chagatai, and then instructs his men to join him to obtain victory over the Koreans with the backing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thousands of Yuan soldiers rush over one another to jump into the river, and receive their baptisms by the overwhelmed Nestorian priests accompanying the army, and with a white hot fury in their chests and nothing by hatred for the now heathen Koreans they move against as Christians. The Yuan fall upon the Koreans and slaughter hundreds of thousands of people, rebels and otherwise, burning down towns and Confucian temples, as well as taking any rebels they capture putting them to the torch as an example of the emperor's lack of patience with those who resist his will. Compared to Yunann which had wisely acknowledged Temür Khan's dominion over the land and was reincorporated back into the empire peacefully, Korea is broken over the knee of the Mongolian side of the empire, crippling its leadership as its defiant elites are buried alive, locked inside of their homes and set on fire, or thrown to wild animals to be eaten alive. The goal of all of this is to contrast consequence of rebellion under the new laws of the empire, and to offer those considering the idea a choice to be spared the horrors the Koreans invited upon themselves. Back in the less tumultuous parts of China, the newly conquered lands of Chagatai are incorporated into the Chinese bureaucracy as the newly-minted province of Xiyu, with the capital located in the city of Ili, the former capital of the Chagatai Khanate, now renamed Yining. Provincial forces garrisoned in the city of Shangdu in the central Zhongshu province home to Beijing, are rotated out with the imperial army units, as the provincial troops are transferred to Yining to enforce Yuan rule over the new province. These forces consist of some 50,000 troops, with 20,000 thousand sent to the city of Samarkand as the second site of imperial forces in the region. Work on rebuilding the city begins, with thousands of Chinese families relocated into the region to help replenish the local population, and to introduce Chinese culture and social norms into Xiyu. The Chinese settlers from the years before have been well-integrated into the land, and help these newcomers adjust to the change in scenery and pave the way for their swift resettlement into the western territories. In the south, a major fortress is constructed along the Dungri Pass, ensuring that the Tibetan Plateau is secured, and that trade with India is policed well enough to ensure a stable peace with the Delhi Sultanate and neighboring buffer states. The 50,000 Yuan troops from the Ilkhanate return to China, and are deployed to new postings in the country, with 30,000 stationed in Turpan to build up that force to 50,000 troops, and the other 20,000 sent to Liaoyang to serve as border guards along the Yalu River and prevent Korean rebels from crossing the river into China proper. Elsewhere, trade with the Southeast Asian countries blossoms as Chinese merchants seeking a new source of revenue relocate to the southern kingdoms to find their fortunes in the region and to help establish Chinese trading influence there ahead of planned financial endeavors. These individuals set up posts with the rest of the Indonesian polities, and return reports of their progress back to China through the Yuan embassies established ahead of their arrival, informing the emperor of their develops and plans for the region. Seeking to secure the trade routes with the south, and deal with the threat of piracy from Okinawa and southern Japan, the Yuan navy begins long-range patrols into the South China Sea during the first half of the year, and returning during the latter half to avoid damage to the ships during the typhoon season, with this information gleaned from the scholars commissioned on compiling a list of recorded typhoons and their approximate dates. Back at home, the Christianization of the Yuan dynasty continues, with the merging of Nestorian and Confucian doctrines into a uniquely Chinese form Christianity. See to have a proper ceremony denoting his public conversion to Christianity along the banks of the Zeravshan River near Samarkand, Temür Khan holds a massive baptismal event in which he and his family, along with all of the Christian members of his court in Beijing, and several thousand members of the imperial guard and provincial forces, publicly and formally renounce their old pagan beliefs, and adopt Christianity for all to see. With more than 300,000 imperial subjects, most of whom are recently converted Christians, watch as Temür Khan is baptized for the second time in the Yangtze River outside of the city of Nanjing. Upon emerging from the waters, Temür Khan is given the Christian name of Maxiu, or Matthew, from Saint Matthew the Apostle, who along with Mark, Luke, and John, formed the Four Evangelists who wrote the Holy Gospels of the Bible. Invoking the power of the Mandate of Heaven, now in conjunction with the will of the Lord Jesus and king over all creation, the newly named Emperor Maxiu proclaims his goal to follow in the footsteps of his namesake, and spread the faith of Christianity throughout all of China by word or by blade, to save his people from divine destruction and eternal damnation of their immortal souls. With this act of conversion, tens of thousands of Chinese subjects, witnessing the boons of Yunnan's submission to the emperor and Korea's punishment for defiance, follow in the emperor's footsteps as his preaches of the values of combining the traditions of Confucianism with the spiritual edicts of Christianity. While the emperor does not force his people to convert to the new faith immediately, he does make clear what faith awaits those who defy his will. As more and more information and regulations of the new established state faith continue to be compiled for government archives, many of the Chinese priests have come to call their particular denomination of Nestorianism Huangdi Christianity, or Huangdism, after the color yellow which is associated with the Emperor of China, who played a vital role in the faith's reintroduction and resurgence within Chinese society. As part of his new policies, Emperor Maxiu expands the number of granaries within the capital from 58 to 72, each of which is capable of holding 145,000 shih of rice and grain (one shih = 133 lbs). Each granary is capable of feeding up to 30,000 people for a year, and five of these new granaries are devoted solely to charitable pursuits by the emperor. The five new granaries are to be used for feeding the province's impoverished families, who are welcomed to the city walls to receive their stipends of food as a sing of the charitable spirit promoted by Christianity. Every day, more than 150,000 of China's poor living in the region surrounding the capital city of Beijing come to receive their food, and have their spirits uplifted by members of the Christian clergy serving the cooked food as part of their sermons. Many of these impoverished individuals are inspired by the priests and the charity of their emperor, leading to many converting to the faith as a sign of appreciation for his actions. Other charitable works are performed by the members of the Chinese government, with a focus on dealing with the internal struggles of the state, mainly those faced by the peasants of China on a daily basis. Using the stolen wealth from India and brought in from the new trade routes with Southeast Asia, the emperor funds many public works devoted to the expansion of basis services and infrastructure, such as inns and wells for travelers and merchants, public houses and latrines with basic sanitation requirements, expanded irrigation canals for farmers, and hospitals in the major cities to help ease the suffering of those afflicted with illnesses.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: The troops are capturing those Aragonese soldiers on the island and once they're established, the Emirate of Balearic with support of our Berber army, the sultanate allows the Orthodox for the Christianity of Morocco and adopting the Arianism the sultan announces that the Christians were welcomed in, the realm of Almoradivs and the Emirate of Balearic the thing that the problem is may cause an civil war or rather not maybe just a peaceful conversion of Christianity between Islam and the Christendom we plan a fight the Aragonese for not invading us so we can try among sending 1,000 soldiers.
 * Angevin Realm: With the fall of Naples, Charles II fles to Albania where he eventually gives up all of the Angevin Properties to his son Robert who is then crowned King of Albania and bestowed the title of Count of Provence along with the title of Despot of Epirus(Previously held by Prince Phillip) while Prince Phillip would take the position of Commander of the Angevin Armies as the remnants of the Angevin Military (30,000 men and 90 ships) fled to Durazzo, capital of Albania and of the Angevin Realm. With Fredrick III being crowned King of Naples, Prince Robert decides to acknowledge him as King of Naples and Sicily as long as he is able to maintain his throne in Albania and position in Provence and Epirus (Mod Response Needed). With his position still vulnerable, Robert I sees that in order to ensure the return of Angevin rule in Naples he would need to make new allies and willing to do so he sends one of his brothers John of Anjou on a diplomatic mission to ensure that the Frankish Greek States are loyal to Robert I as he holds the position of Titular Latin Emperor(Achaean and Mod Response) as well to establish an alliance with Venice, improve relations with the Pope as well as manage to convince the King to give the ownership of the County of Anjou to Robert I (Venetian, Papal and French Response Needed). Meanwhile, Robert I decides to unite the Kingdom of Albania and the Desposate of Epirus into a single Angevin Kingdom of Epirus with Robert I as the King of Epirus as a means to strengthen his position in Greece while moving his capital to Arta. With this Robert I prepares to strengthen the position of the Angevins once more as a means to reclaim Constantinople.
 * Frederick III agrees to allow Charles to keep his other titles if he gives up Naples.
 * Duke Guy II of Athens defers to Achaea's response.
 * Count John of Anjou accepts alliance.
 * Papal Response: We agree to improve relations with Charles II.
 * Mali Empire: Mansa Gao enjoys a relative peace along the caravan trade from Mali to the Muslim world. Although Morocco and Egypt continue to have minor conflicts with the Ahl Al-Kitab, the vast exports of salt, gold and copper continue to make the finances of the empire more than prosperous. The navy gets considerable funding from this, with the three main rivers of the empire under full control already, larger ships are built along the Atlantic coast. Larger farming areas continue to be adapted to many larger cities, even as far as Timbuktu, which is now rapidly growing as a significant trading hub. Meanwhile, Musa continued to grow rapidly in strength in the regions he controlled in Nigeria. After leaving the kingdom of Gobir, Musa arrived to the Kingdom of Daura. The King of Daura was very old, having been blinded since a battle where he lost his only son. As soon as Musa arrived at the gates of the city, the King threw open his arms and wept over him, and ordered him to be put in a place of honor. The King of Daura later called a private audience with Musa, and explained that he had a vision from God in a dream, telling him that his long lost son would arrive to Daura this very day. Musa was definitely not one to argue against the generosity of the king, and so ascended to become his adopted son. The King of Daura explained that he had betrothed his son to the charming princess Aisha of Kano. However, in order to prove that Musa is in the same spirit as his son, he must prove a test of strengh and skill. Musa took up a bow and arrow, in the presence of all the court of Daura, and demonstrated shooting a fly straight in the heart. Greatly pleased by this act of skill, the King gladly accepted Musa as his son, and sent him off to Kano to accept the hand of marriage of Aisha. 3,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry staying in Morocco rush to the aid of the Marinids at the battle of Melilla.
 * Delhi Sultanate: Having massacred Qipchaq's army the Sultan returns triumphant to the capital. He has captured Afghanistan from the Chagatai and the Ilkhanate. The Sultan sends emissaries to Khorasan with the offer of an alliance and being guaranteed by the Delhi Sultanate (MOD RESPONSE). The Sultan appoints Ulugh Khan as the governor of Kabul and nearby territories. Ulugh Khan remains in-charge of handling the Mongol invasions. For this Ulugh Khan has at his disposal 40,000 cavalrymen and 20,000 infantrymen which garrison the forts of Farah, Herat, Kabul and guard the Khyber Pass, the Gateway to India. A second army is maintained for the Indian campaigns standing at 30,000 cavalrymen and 10,000 infantrymen strong stationed near Delhi. The Sultan commissions the construction of the Siri Fort, a massive fort in Delhi. With unrest in the territories raided by the Yuan forces, dissent brews, However, Alauddin Khilji doesn't react to this in the manner that he used to. Having learned from the policies of the Ilkhanate and the desire to create a stable state, on the advice of many of his ministers and to the dismay of some, Alauddin Khilji adopts a new policy of tolerance mainly toward Hindus and Buddhists. To this effect, Alauddin Khilji personally meets the leaders of the cities of the affected areas and initiates procedures for a quick recovery of these areas. However, the Sultan still does not allow non-Muslims to occupy the high ranks in his administration. However, the first Indian Muslim had been promoted to the rank of a noble by the end of this year. A number of Buddhists had fled to India when the war started. A larger number of Muslims are now flowing into the Sultanate every day as the Middle East falls into chaos. These Muslims are easily accommodated into the vast forested areas of the Ganges Doab and the Punjab region. Trees are felled to make way for their settlement and as a result agricultural production is given a boost in these regions. The Sultan knows that to create a stable realm he will have to introduce many administrative and economic reforms. He brainstorms and consults his advisors. The first thing he does is that he revives the Chalisa, a council of 40 nobles that administer the Delhi Sultanate under the Sultan of Delhi. The first Indian Muslim is made a member of the Chalisa in this year. The Chalisa consists of advisors, courtiers and governors of the Delhi Sultanate. A force of 40,000 cavalrymen is raised and put under the command of Ghazi Malik, this force is stationed at the forts of Herat, Farah and Zaranj. Ghazi Malik's forces are also ordered to carry out raids deep into Eastern Iran. (The total strength of Delhi's armies currently stands at 140,000 troops which can be easily maintained by the treasury)
 * The King of Khoreson allies with Delhi
 * Archbishopric of Trier: With the end of the conclave, Archbishop Diether von Nassau writes a letter congratulating the Holy Father for his election. A great admirer of the Domenican order, the archbishop asks the pope if he approves the creation of a new Domenican monastery in Koblenz. With the letter, he also sends a golden jeweled cross as a gift showing his obedience to the pontiff. [Papal response needed]. Come to attention of Diether that some buildings are falling apart, the archbishop start to repair these structures. The Aula Palatina (Basilica of Constantine) is repaired and a fortified palace will be built next to it to be used as the archiepiscopal residence. The Roman bridge over the River Moselle and the Porta Nigra are also repaired. When not working in the Archbishopric administration, Diether is writing his commentaries on the New Testament, all written in German.
 * Japanese Empire (warring states): The Sengoku period continues in earnest with the Minamoto and Dewa clans clashing along the coast of the Sea of Japan. More territory is consolidated or confederated between the two clans as they vye for clear and outright dominance over the home islands. The Battle of Kanazawa sees nearly 30,000 Dewa troops push against 21,000 strong Shogunate amry now using Ashigaru in large amounts to make up for the loss of life in the Samurai over the last few years. In a shocking display of strategy using terrain and feinged retreat the Shogun is able to defeat the Dewa army. The Dewa clan begins to collapse into feuding lords at the loss with the alliance starting to break apart. However, as the Minamoto clan of the Shogunate attempts to exploit the situation, the Tetsuko clan with 3,000 horseman is able to inflict a humiliating defeat on the Minamoto. The Tetsuko clans leadership is known to have welcomed a few mongol warfare advisors to organize their cavalry. Led outright by Akira Tetsuko with his right hand man being known only as Temujin the clan quickly absorbs or conquers multiple Daimyo formerly allied with the Dewa clan focusing heavily on its cavalry with infantry playing clearly a support role. As the Tetsuko clan rampages across central and northern Japan the Emperor Go-Uda conducts a series of small offensives to secure more territory and solidify the hold of the Emperor within the Kyoto and allied areas. The Emperor runs into the Miura and Edo clans having allied and attempting to consolidate their own allied hold over this region of Japan. The Imperial army now numbering 35,000 sends nearly 20,000 men north under Kampaku Saito who is unable to dislodge the two clans after two weeks of battle on and around Mt Fuji. This sees a setback of the Emperor who is forced now to play on the defensive as forces from the Tetsuko and Minamoto clans seize territory forcing a series of battles between both leading to the recapture of territory but no advances beyond this. While the battles on the home islands have been brutal and notable, the Hosokawa and Amago clans have erupted into a massive naval war with the Dewa forcing both to put their armies to use fighting the Dewa. The naval forces engage in a series of small clashes culminating in the battle of Tsushima in which members of the Soo clan watch in awe as two fleets of 70 ships a piece fight to the death off the coast leading to an inconclusive battle which sees both fleets limp back to port. The Emperor is forced to enact a new tax on many of the Shinto and Buddhist shrines in order to help finance his army as pushes heavily to begin a campaign to cut Japan in two leaving the Emperor in decisive control of Japans central regions.
 * Lordship of Milan: The new republican government enters its second year with Milan prospering greatly because of it. Due to the Genoese, Venetian conflicts continuation, Milan begins to discuss which side they will be forced to take ultimately. Diplomats are sent to Savoy and Provence to discuss current issues in Northern Italy and requests for trade and alliances are sent to both factions citing the fear of France or Spaniards entering Italy. A message is also sent to the Holy Roman Emperor to request to have a few Milanese bankers work with the HRE to become the major guild in the HRE. (Mod response). Some minor new things come about among the people of Milan with some changes in the way people think, as more research is done into Roman and Greek habits. More thought is put forward especially by major bankers as they look to the Greeks for bettering their income. A Milanese philosopher studies Aristotelian ideas as well as Aquinas and begins to share them with important banking figures. Following the envoys sent to Savoy and Provence. With minor bouts occurring between Milanese bankers and citizens and citizens of Pavia as well as major banking rivalry with the florentines beginning to erupt. The drama with Pavia leads to Mercenaries beginning to get antsy anticipating a bout with Pavia. Eventually the war erupts with the Mercenaries starting it within ten minutes of an official declaration occurring. 6,000 troops end up entering and attacking Pavia - 5,000 being Milanese based, as well as another 1,000 being an additional hired mercenary company from northern Italy.
 * Emperor Albert agrees to incorporate banks of Milan in Imperial land.
 * Crown of Aragon: A time for jubilee in Naples. James II attends a massive banquet after the fall of Naples celebrating the victory and coronation of Frederick III now King of Naples. The Aragonese accept peace and following the war effort, our men are escorted back to Aragonese Territory. James after his return finds it valued to plot a counter invasion of the Moors. The Aragonese Fleet begin a large naval campaign of blockading Morocco in hopes of cutting trade to the region. A request for military access is sent to Castile in hopes of being able to transport our men with more ease in comparison to a long drawn out voyage (Player Response). If accepted, 25,000 men would be sent through Castile and be sent off and divided between Ceuta and Melilla accompanied by our Castilian comrades in hopes of opening the door for an invasion of Morocco's northern coast. This would be made up of various forces of archers, cavalry and other forces capable of inflicting a solid offensive. Siege Weapons and other various supplies to assist in tearing down defenses would be sent by ship as well with the navy put to use in order to ensure possible view from the sea and also assisting with blocking the area off itself to give the best chance to our men in order to secure a solid victory. In the defense of the Balearic Islands, 7,865 men are set to protect the islands supported by archers and ships off the shore to cut off the Moors from escaping with 23 vessels put to use. Flammable materials and various usage of weaponry from projectiles used in the form of arrows and catapults for defense are made sure to be used to ensure the highest amount of security is used. The islands will not be allowed to be put back into the hands of the Moors. James will not see lightly to the treatment of these invaders. The captured men will be used as leverage and converted to Christianity as it to be seen in God's will to lead these men to allow god and Christ Jesus to be their lead. Nonetheless, there is hope in James mind that this war may pave the way for Christianity to spread within the lands of the Moors. The massive Cathedral project continues in Barcelona. Seeing the success done with further interconnectivity of The Crown as a result of increased road infrastructure development aiding the war effort in the defense of Valencia, the end of the war in Napoli marks the return of funding toward the project. Fifteen Galleys in design sharing similarities to those of the Byzantines hoping to increase the speed and standard of our galleys as a result. Repairs are made to Valencia following the defense of the city. It is decided as a priority to ensure that the Moors may be starved into our hand of peace beyond simply opening the door to Aragonese invasion.
 * Republic of Venice: The honored and trusted allies in Naples are welcomed to the new alliance. The expansions of the Arsenali are finished this year, weaponry and shipbuilding can be streamlined and ships can be mass produced, peaking at a galley every month. This leads to a vast increase of the naval capacities, along with the new law that would make it mandatory to plant two trees to replace the loss of resources. This way it is hoped to reduce the costs of imported wood. With the increase in ships, the spending of piracy is reduced and the naval presence in the east is increased. A force of 50 ships is sent to the Genoan helt island of Rhodes, and the siege begins. A quota is set up for captains, to sink or loot at least three Genoan ships. For every additional ship attacked or harmed, an award is given out to the captain and the crew, usually in form of a promotion or smaller monetary prizes. Furthermore, a force of 5,000 men is sent to Verona to aid the Paduans against their conflict against the Veronan army. The force consists of 2,500 infantry, 500 archers and 2,000 cavalry. The armies meet near the city of Verona, in the Valpolicella region (ALGO NEEDED). Due to the mountainous terrain of the region, the number of archers is used way more carefully to destroy or disrupt enemy positions with flaming arrows. The infantry would be used to secure roads and start ambushes in the regions. Battles are usually fought in safe positions rather than in the mountainous feels.
 * Republic of Genoa: Trade flow begins to grow exponentially over the Western Mediterranean, looting toward merchant galleys begins to decrease considerably in Venetian waters and bank deposits are overflowing with coins due to the huge amount of capital that enters due to the collection of taxes. Despite this, piracy in the surroundings of Sardinia and Corsica is still present regardless of the important advances that have been made to date, such as building fortifications along the island of Corsica, to patrol a group of war galleys extracted from the Strait of Gibraltar throughout the island of Sardinia. The commercial pact with Portugal has succeeded and the republic can enjoy the free movement of ships that it offers, therefore, Genoese merchants and merchants have aimed to market and offer products to cities with ports of great relevance such as that of London, Southampton, Bordeaux and Antwerp. The representatives of the wealthy families were not far behind and the possibility of a Genoves commercia foedus toward the newly named cities (England response) (French response) or (Mod response for both) was discussed at the annual assembly, the commercial agreement would follow their respective rules with the adhesion that a greater discount will be offered for the recruitment of mercenaries from the republic. Apart from that, the commercial privileges that Genoa's rivals cannot offer will not be altered by it (the free trade of products imported from the Far East and other customers of which Genoa owns). In military matters, due to the continuous attacks on the Byzantine Empire, the number of galleys to be built for the following year was increased to be set at 45 galleys plus the 30 built this year. That includes an incorporation of 800 troops that will join the defense of Constantinople and its strait. Thanks to the fact that the Byzantine Empire ceded the island of Chios to Genoa, it will send an expedition of four galleys under the command of Benedetto I Zaccaria to claim the right to impose Genoese autonomy on the island. Unfortunately, the duke and noble families have not received any news about the success of Benedetto. A reconnaissance messenger has set sail for the island to bring information on the events that have occurred and is expected to return next year.
 * England accepts the trade offer.
 * France accepts the trade offer.
 * Kingdom of France: The remnant of the English army is hunted down, with the commander being certain that victory will be achieved, due to the undersupplied nature of the English army. A force of 5,000 is also sent to capture Bayonne, which would completely secure Gascony for the French crown. The 12,000 newly raised is sent to Normandie, where it hunts down the English army there. A garrison of 2,000 is left in Rouen. An offer is sent to England, for the king to revoke the title "Duke of Aquitaine", as well as any titles within the kingdom of France, in exchange for peace everlasting and friendship between the two crowns [English response needed].
 * England refuses to cede its continental territories, but returns the French couriers to bear a message of willingness to negotiate for the future of the two nations. -Rexmod.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa" With the Death of the Count of Hainaut, our Duke John of Brabant offers Hainaut a treaty. This treaty being known as the Treaty of Mons after the city John II failed to take(Mod Response)John II offers this as he seeks to look more outward, while at the same time being able to look into improving diplomacy and culture in Brabant. Culture John II and John of Malinnes bring with the final stages of Heyst ten Berghe Mansion, Which is now called Hill Mansion due to the very obvious hill that it is on a Hill, one of the higher points in Brabant even. As Brabant is quite a flat and marshy land, which causes problems in the Realm of Duke John II repairs and poldering being a big issue in the realm. Poldering referring to the diking of an area where after they are moved by mills using the Archimedean screw. This slowly after a couple of months creates dry land which they gets first grasses and then other green plants to eventually harvest crops for Human Consumption. These crops mostly being forms of Grain, As grain makes everything in this society From bread to cakes, to even depending on the kind Beer the Drink of Royals. Beer being a staple of Brabantine life, there being hundreds of kinds with most either being brewed locally for self consumption or By the clergy to earn extra money for their abbeys and churches and for giving to the poor, homeless and sick. while at the same time Duke John I was known to give and drink beer with his soldiers to celebrate and that could not be clearer at the Battle of Woeringen, and was again shown after the Battle of the Hague the beer giving becoming a unwritten rule in the army. The army getting better and better trained and gaining new traditions and tricks to keep dicipline high. In Antwerp with the gathering of representatives of the realm it has been decided that a simplified version of the flag and coat of arms of Lotharingia will be used to represent the realm.
 * Duumvirate of Cilicia: In Sis, Baydu and his four younger children are baptised and officially convert to Christianity. Ali and Muhammad, disgusted at the actions of the jihadists in Persia renounce their Islamic names and take the new names Albert and Martin, respectively. Yol Qutlugh and Elathin, whose names are Mongol rather than Islamic, do not change their names. As the soldiers formerly from Rum and the Ilkhanate are integrated into Cilicia's military, 5,000 more soldiers are sent to the garrison at Sivas, expanding its size to 10,000. The garrison at Aleppo also grows from 10,000 to 12,000 due to recruiting and some soldiers sent from Cilicia. The government continues to work on rebuilding and improving farms in eastern Anatolia and integrating the Turkic peasants there with Persian refugees who fled the jihadists. Nogai Khan's soldiers who pass through Cilicia to attack the Ottomans are replenished with food and supplies by the locals. King Hethum II of Armenia also formally abdicates in favour of Thoros III's now 15-year-old son Leo, who becomes King Leo III, though Hethum II remains as regent for Leo III in the Duumvirate until Leo III reaches the age of majority.
 * Qipchaq Khanate: Qipchaq receives news of his father Baydu abandoning the title of Ilkhan and fleeing to Cilicia. He does not agree with this and declares himself Khan of the Qipchaq Khanate in eastern Persia. He selects the region's largest city Mashhad as his capital and his army works on fortifying the city, expanding farms around it and maintaining the defensive line down to Zahedan.
 * Jarldom of Greenland On the 12 of May we official declare independence from Norway and elects the current jarl as the first Jarl of Greenland.As a independent nation we begin the construction of the town council hall where citizens will bring their problems to the king for solutions. The Greenlandic militia and navy are promoted to the Greenlandic royal army and Navy respectively.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: With steady Swedish immigration to Finland continuing, Sweden's hold over the area is slowly consolidated. New towns are built, Chapels are consecrated, and the road network is developed similar to the road network in Sweden. The Crown's policy of developing Finland into a prosperous Swedish territory seems to be working. The Swedish Guild of Iron continues developing its policies, aiming to standardize a high quality of work throughout Sweden and to develop a nationwide system of recruitment and training. Iron from the mines flows into Swedish smithies and forges to produce a wide range of weapons, armor and equipment. These military and civil equipment is traded throughout the Baltic. To help facilitate trade between the league and to increase communication and trust, the Kingdom of Sweden proposes a Merchant Council be created to monitor and run the Gotland League, consisting of high ranking merchants from the Teutonic Order, Bohemia, Sweden, and Denmark [BOHEMIAN RESPONSE NEEDED] [TEUTONIC RESPONSE NEEDED]. The King of Sweden also uses the increased funds from the Gotland League, iron mines and armor sales to increase the Royal Household Guard to 10,000 men, aiming to form the nucleus of a larger professional standing army. The Kingdom begins sending priests north to Karelia, attempting to Christianize Karelia. King Birger also sends priests to every major Karelian tribe and demands that they convert to Christianity and submit to the Birger's rule. In exchange he offers to confirm their lands by making them official nobles within the Swedish nobility and offers to provide them modern arms and armor. A gift of the latest Swedish weapons and armor is gifted to the Karelians to induce them to submit without a fight [MOD RESPONSE NEEDED]. King Birger also begins amassing a huge amount of supplies in Vyborg Castle, ordering all lands south of the castle be stripped bare, with the riders burning anything they cannot carry.
 * Conversions of Karelians are largely successful near the border, but it also causes a lot of strife from both Pagan and Eastern Orthodox tribes who refuse to submit under any circumstances
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: We agree to the proposal
 * Crown of Castile: TLDR; Castile offers an alliance to Aragon, Granada (a tributary of Castile) is told to grant military access to Castile and Aragon or face consequences, 15,000 men are readied to enter Granada into Morocco with Aragonese troops. More to come if time.
 * Crown of Aragon Response: the alliance offer is accepted and with the help of her allies now, the 15,000 men accompanied by the Aragonese Army enter Ceuta with 10,000 men. The rest of the Aragonese Army marches into Melilla in hopes of stretching Morocco's armies while starting them through blocking of the coast.
 * Principality of Achaea: The Prince, ever looking to increase the Frankish population of Achaea - and notably in Caria - issues an offer to many urban Neapolitans amid the fall of the city to Aragonese-led forces: relocate to the Frankokratia. The advantages include new land and a similar culture, and an increase in social standing (SICILY RESPONSE). Meanwhile, Prince Florent and marshal Nicholas III of Saint Omer travel to Epirus. There, Florent and Nicholas (a skilled diplomat) work to negotiate a mutual-defense agreement with Eprius (MOD RESPONSE FOR EPIRUS). Toward the end of the year, preparations are made for the royal wedding between Matilda of Hainaut, heiress of Achaea, and Duke Guy II de la Roche of Athens. This much-anticipated event is slated to take place early in 1305. Latinization of the Peloponnese continues, and the conversions from Islam in Caria also continue (although significantly greater force is applied in Anatolia than in Greece). Finally, with Naples having fallen and the Angevins relocating to nearby Albania, Prince Florent and Princess Isabella decide to not annul their agreements with the Angevins - citing the passing of the crown down a generation and therefore refusing to endorse Robert I of Anjou as suzerain of Achaea. Instead, continuing to seek patronage from abroad, the Prince and Princess send a delegation to Aragon to negotiate.
 * Epirus agrees to a defense pact with Achaea against Italian influence
 * Teutonic Knights: The construction of Large Castles begin in Balga and Malbork and are expected to be complete in two years. A monastery is founded in Balga. also to trade with Sweden more effectively we are cutting large amounts of Lumber to make a sizable trade fleet.To facilitate trade we are beginning to build a medium sized port in Memel. Also, the recruitment of knights end with are army consisting of 10,000 knights.
 * Nogai Khan: In the interest of peace and in light of the Muslim victory at Jerusalem Nogai reconverts to Islam, answering Öljaitü's condition for vassalage, who is then granted the task of restoring order to the chaotic region of Eastern Iran whose chaos threatens Baghdad at its border, leading an army of 40,000 to restore ordere while Nogai continues to war with the Ottomans
 * Papal States: Callixstus III looks forward to continuing the works and legacy of Boniface VIII. We plan on enforcing the Unum Sanctum on Aragon. Catholic kings must know their places and must answer to the Pope. (SECRET) We call on Castile to support our cause and help us subjugate Aragon. (END SECRET) 

1305
'''Ten years into the game, keep up the good work! We couldn't do it without you :)'''

In Italy, the adoption of a new item of cutlery begins to spread which is called the fork, this is due to the increasing amouth of Pasta that the people in the Italian peninsula are eating.

'''The Karelian tribes in general are too disorganized to resist Swedish demands. However, the most powerful Karelian clans call on their alliance of Novgorod for protection, who have had a long-standing rivalry with Sweden. Novgorod begins amasing a naval force for attacking Swedish Finland.'''

After miraculously sustaining invasions in Ceuta and Melilla from Spanish attack, the Sultan Abu Yaqub of Morocco is dubbed the title "Sword of Islam".

Queen Joan of Navarre dies, and Navarre passes to Louis the Quarreler, the Dauphin of France.

William Wallace dies at the Second Battle of Stirling Castle, thus bringing another temporary peace in the War of Scottish Independence.

Wenceslas II of Bohemia dies, and his son Wenceslas III is elected the new King of Poland.

Due to the declining interest in the Crusade, the Mamluk Sultanate concludes a peace treaty with the King of Cyprus, allowing the Crusaders to retain control over the cities of Acre, Askelon, Jaffa, and the lands in between.

''' After a crushing defeat at the hands of the Nogai Horde and Cilicia, the Ottoman Sultanate starts to fall into chaos between the sons Orhan and Aladdin. This blow against the Muslim Beyliks proves the most decisive for the Byzantine Empire under Andronicus II, who manages to seize much former Rum territory in Anatolia from Aydin, Saruhan and Osman, pushing them farther east. '''

''' The Catalan Company, which proved instrumental in the Spanish conquest of Naples, rises in popularity as a prominent mercenary group. They are mostly hired by groups in the Aegean fighting against the Muslims of Anatolia at the time being. '''

'''Öljaitü establishes the Sultanate of Mosul spanning across OTL Syria and Iraq, filling out the rest of the Middle East proper outside of the Imamate of Baghdad. He allies with the Mamluk Sultanate and places a claim on the city of Aleppo. The Kingdom of Khoreson, now allied with Delhi, expands westward through Iran, creating vassalized Emirates in Hyrcania and Yazd. Both Öljaitü and the Imam of Baghdad offer to be vassals of Nogai and will help him fight against Khoreson and Delhi, on the condition their territory and ruling houses are not interfered with.'''


 * Nogai Khan: Nogai happily accepts the conditions laid out by Öljaitü and the Imam of Baghdad, neither their territory or their ruling houses shall be interfered with. Upon the crushing defeat inflicted upon the Ottomans by Nogai, the Byzantines are now saved and Nogai is proclaimed "Savior of Constantinople". In victory Nogai Khan goes to Baghdad to meet with the fellow Great General Öljaitü, where the two break bread and discuss strategy extensively before venturing to Khoreson to reclaim and restore order to the lost territories. Nogai goes north to reconquer Hyrcania with six tumen while Ölijatü goes south to reconquer Yazd with four tumen. Simaltenously Nogai's son Chaka raises six tumen from the Golden Horde, invading Bulgaria to assert his claim as the rightful Tsar as the Bulgarians are distracted with Byzantium


 * See me in my office
 * Chaka I had a legitimate claim to the Bulgarian throne via marrying Tsar George Terter's daughter Elena, even becoming Tsar of Bulgaria from 1299-1300 OTL. The six tumen raised are from the Golden Horde itself, not migrating from Anatolia. The Golden Horde is also under Nogai Khan's control after conquering it from Toqta Khan after defeating him at the Battle of Sorai Batu. Chaka pressing his claim while Bulgaria is heavily distracted should be an allowed move.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: When many of the Karelian tribes on or near the border convert, Birger is more than happy to confirm their tribal chieftains as nobles in the Swedish Kingdom, granting their lands and incomes to them and incorporating them into the system of Swedish feudalism. While Birger is pleased to hear of the conversion of many of the Karelian border tribes, he is unhappy to hear of the refusal of the most powerful Karelian tribes and their alliance with the Novgorod Republic, an old and powerful rival of the Swedish Kingdom. Hearing rumors of Novgorod amassing a large naval force, Birger again calls his banners and summons the army. The 10,000 man Royal Guard is supplemented by 8,000 noble retainers for an army of 18,000 men. This army of 18,000 men is quickly dispatched to Vyborg Castle, where King Birger establishes his headquarters and encamps his army outside. Additionally, Birger calls upon his allies to aid him in defending Catholic Christendom from the heretical Eastern Orthodox church and the Karelian pagans [BOHEMIAN RESPONSE] [TEUTONIC RESPONSE] [MOD RESPONSE FOR DENMARK]. All allied forces are requested to meet at Vyborg. Birger also calls upon the newly converted Karelian nobles to raise their own forces and meet him at Vyborg, promising to award them the lands of the enemy Karelian chieftains [MOD RESPONSE NEEDED]. Additionally, dozens of scouts are sent into Novgorod territory, specifically around the Gulf of Finland. The scouts are sent to discover exactly where the Novgorod military forces are amassing. [MOD RESPONSE NEEDED] The Swedish Navy, in preparation for war, is concentrated on Gotland. Birger begins amassing a huge amount of supplies in Vyborg, sending raiding parties to plunder and pillage all lands south of Vyborg Castle, with the raiders burning and killing whatever they can't carry. Additionally, Birger orders the construction of numerous catapults, which are placed on the ramparts of Vyborg Castle for added defense.
 * Denmark agrees to help fight Novgorod
 * An army of Novgorod is marching on Vyborg Castle, while the navy is amasing in the Gulf of Finland on their way to attack Kuusisto Castle.
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: We Will send 5,000 Knights to help fight Novgorod.
 * About 2,000 soldiers from the Catholic Karelians comes to the aid of Sweden
 * Having their faith called heretical, 5,000 Orthodox Russians rise to help fight Novgorod from the Russian principalities
 * Delhi Sultanate: The Sultan and the Chalisa decide that it is not wise to interfere further with the affairs of the Middle East and Central Asia. The Sultanate refuses to help Khorasan with its conquests. Emissaries are sent to Mosul, Baghdad and Tabriz making it clear that the Delhi Sultanate does not wish to interfere in their affairs and extends an offer of alliance to the three states, the Delhi Sultanate already has an alliance with the Mamluks (MOD AND PLAYER RESPONSES). To this effect, the force under Ghazi Malik that was carrying out raids in Eastern Iran is recalled and is stationed at Herat (one tumen), Farah (one tumen) and Zaranj (one tumen). The force stationed in the Kabul region is reduced to four tumen and is charged with guarding the Khyber pass, the Gateway to India. The six-tumen strong army for the Indian campaigns is stationed near Delhi. The construction of the Siri Fort continues. A larger number of Muslims are now flowing into the Sultanate every day as the Middle East falls into chaos. These Muslims are easily accommodated into the vast forested areas of the Ganges Doab and the Punjab region. Trees are felled to make way for their settlement and as a result agricultural production is given a boost in these regions. Having achieved a certain level of stability, Alauddin Khilji launches an attack to capture Ranthambore and defeat the Chahmanas. He sends the six-tumen strong army under Nusrat Khan for this purpose. Meanwhile, Alauddin Khilji in consultation with the Chalisa starts introducing administrative and economic reforms. He decides to centre his realm on the major urban centres and extend his central authority from there. These cities are Kara for Awadh, Multan for Punjab, Delhi for the central region, Kabul for Afghanistan, Dholka for Gujarat, Peshawar for Khyber-Pakhtunwa and Zaranj for Eastern Afghanistan. The Chalisa comprises of nobles extremely loyal to the Sultan. The Sultan appoints the Governors for these cities from the Chalisa. (MORE TO COME)
 * Nogai Khanate Dip: Ölijaitü happily accepts Delhi's alliance offer, having fought together in the Jihad. Nogai Khan is more reluctant, but accepts in the interest of peace.
 * Crown of Aragon: the dilemma faced in last year's partial success with the war against Morocco only leads James into mild frustration but despite this, there is still hope. With the landings in Ceuta at the beach heads and in Melilla, 15,000 more men are sent to join the forces in Melilla containing a mixture of mercenaries and more of the Aragonese Army. Another 10,000 are sent off to Ceuta as well with a request sent to Naples for Naval and military support in our battle against Morocco seeing that James brother would be willing to honor their relationship following the War of The Vespers (Mod Response). 18 more galleys are ordered to be constructed seeing the need to make up for the losses from the year prior. A strong blockade of Morocco continues to ensure that Morocco may at least weaken to raise the chances of a victory. In the battle for Ceuta and Melilla, a heightened level of flammable materials and boulders are used to break defenses via large catapults and trebuchets constructed with heightened flow of supplies. with archers also using flame to set ablaze as much of our enemies defenses and men. In addition, due to the ships off the coast assisting in our visible efforts in seeing the assaults within Ceuta and Melilla, it is decided that when the Moors push down to the beach head that three bands form. One core which will be the main clashing band with two other groups after the clash commences within the main group or move close enough, they will wrap around from both sides entrapping our enemies within. This way, it is more likely that a path for victory would be achieved. Cavalry will also be used to charge through as well in aims of not only knocking off plenty of men but also for the very purpose of heightened speed and effectiveness in battle. The Crown of Aragon hires the mercenaries of the Catalan Company to also support our effort against the Moors. Commanders and men hardened by the battles and veterans of the War of The Vespers are sent over as well with the latest band of reinforcements to increase the effectiveness of the troops. The people of Aragon look toward the south and pray the Our Lord Almighty may lead us into victory. James II even for a time lands in Morocco at Melilla where a stalemate remains praying for our victory as his newly proposed strategy is made. To prevent the catastrophic misfortune of last year's campaign, more care is used with the transport ships. More support is requested from Castile with more men that may join the battle in Melilla and Ceuta. The Holy War for vengeance and Christ our Lord continues.
 * Frederick III aids Aragon to attack Morocco.
 * Archbishopric of Trier: Archbishop Diether is enraged with the disregard of the Crown of Aragon with the pope. How a king can calls himself catholic if he not respect the vicar of Christ on Earth? It's something that Diether will never understood. The restoration of the buildings continues, with the Roman Bridge the first to be done. With the repairs in the Aula Palatina also ending, Diether asks the pope for a relic of Saint Helen to be sent from Rome to be placed in the basilica. He again asks Callixtus III for approval of the creation of the Dominican monastery [Papal response needed, please]. After learning that the Emperor Albert allowed the Milanese banks to operate in the Empire, the archbishop asks Milan if a bank can be created on Trier to manage the finances of the Archbishopric [Milan response needed, please]. The construction of the Archiepiscopal Palace continues, with fortified walls being build and a chapel in honour of Saint Dominic being planed. The commentaries on the New Testament is almost finished, with Diether now writing about the Book of Revelation.
 * Milan: We agree to send Milanese bankers to assist in Trier, with a few members of the International bank based out of Austria are dispatched to assist in Trier.
 * Mali Empire: Mansa Gao died at a ripe hold age, an enigmatic reign where even his reputation is not entirely clear. He was succeeded by his only surviving legitimate son, Mansa Muhammad. Not much is known of Muhammad's reign either, except some anecdotes describing him as incredibly indulgent and gluttonous. After only reigning a brief tenure of six months, Mansa Muhammad eventually became ill and died of gangrene. He had no children, but at this stage the office of the Mali empire still rested in the hands of the Sons of Kolokan, and so he was succeeded by his first cousin, Abu Bakr. Mansa Abu Bakr is known from many later historians and anecdotes, largely in the context of being the legitimate predecessor to Mansa Musa. He is known as a wise and capable ruler, able to keep the empire fully stable and developing without any compromise to his piety. Meanwhile, Musa arrived in the court of Kano to present himself as the bridegroom of the charming princess Aisha. Musa immediatley fell madly in love with Aisha's perfect face and form, which is described in detail by the biogrpahy of Ibn Battuta. However, Aisha remembered her previous fiance from Daura, who she still loved in her heart, and refused all of Musa's advances. Musa tried to use his incredible strength and skill to impress Aisha, performing certain herculaean feats, but all of this was to no avail. For every task he did, she insisted that her former fiance could do the same. One day, when Musa had all but given up, Aisha accidentally dropped her earring down a mountain gorge, which disappeared into the darkness. Immediately, without saying a word Musa dived down off the side of the mountain, and battled against multiple legendary monsters before returning to the surface with her earring in tact. Aisha was incredibly impressed by this, and explained that her former fiance would do all he could to show off his own ego, but never humbled himself to do something for her. And so Musa was married in Kano to Aisha, the only surviving child of the ruler of that city. Our military supports Morocco as well
 * Byzantine Empire: The declining state of the Byzantine Empire has been halted by the reconquest of Western Turkey. With control reestablished over the city of Nicomedia, a new tax has been created to merchants traveling through the Mediterranean to the Black Sea. The tax intends to help with the Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars, as Bulgarian troops were nearing the city of Adrianopole, the second-most important city in the empire. Byzantine troops were positioned near the city, to prepare for the siege. Bulgarian troops neared the city, and began their attack. However, God had protected his chosen empire on earth, and protected us from the Bulgarians. The outstanding victory against the Bulgarians led to more than 10,000 Bulgarians being slaughtered, while less than 1,000 Byzantines being crushed. A lavish and excellent celebration at the Hagia Sophia will celebrate God's mercy to us, the soldiers who fought bravely, and will mourn the soldiers who died. The 2,000 Bulgarians who have been captured by us were executed. As Byzantine troops prepare to turn this war from a defensive war to an offensive one, Byzantium looks forward to the future and will prosper under God's hand.
 * Did your algo here on the talk page. In the future, don't just claim victory for battles, you have to declare the war and let mods determine the result.
 * Achaea Diplomacy: We issue an ultimatum to Byzantium: return the seized lands in the Morea, or we will resume hostilities. (See my turn for more details).
 * Kingdom of Georgia: David enters the tenth year of his reign. With the Ilkhanate effectively dissolved, David renounces his fidelity to Baidu – effectively reestablishing Georgian suzerainty over itself. However, he maintains amicable relations with Cilicia, which Baidu oversees as co-monarch. To solidify Georgian ties with the Mongol world, David requests a Mongol princess to be wed to his now 19-year-old brother George, who is to be granted the office of Amirspasalar (Lord High Constable) when he comes of age. With the Turkish threat seemingly pacified, all irregular armies (i.e., feudal levies and mercenaries) are disbanded; regulars are stationed along the southern border due to the volatile situation unfolding in the former Ilkhanate. The expansion of the Royal Treasury (no doubt aided due to Imeretian silver reserves, and Kartlian copper reserves – as well as the cessation of tribute) allows the central government to reinforce fortifications and pay regulars in coinage rather than grain or land. To further expand the tax base, the annual head tax is expanded to include all free (i.e., non-serf) subjects of Georgia and is also imposed on newly-reacquired territories. A real property tax – based on the produce it yields – is also promulgated. Commerce expands, under the encouragement of the Crown. Merchant and artisan guilds thrive in Tbilisi and Batumi. Wool, felt, wine, and enamelware is traded. However, imposed protectionist policies and regional instability – both in the Greek and Persian World – have prompted an increase in domestic silk manufacturing (with raw silk acquired from the East via trade). Cotton also reemerges as a major crop, as the Azeri artisans (particularly those from Ganja) begin to spread the knowledge of cotton-weaving and as demand increases due to their usage in undergarments and summer clothing.
 * Nogai Khan Dip: Nogai Khan informs King David that the Ilkhanate has not collapsed, but has merely changed hands, with Nogai as Ilkhan now, thus Nogai Ilkhan shall be Suzerain over Georgia. Upon recognition of this fact King David's brother shall marry a Mongol Princess.
 * Angevin Kingdom of Albania: With Achaea refusing to acknowledge Robert I as their suzerain and their influence over the Greek States growing with the support of Athens and Epirus while the Byzantines begin their expansion. Though this is clearly treason, Robert I prefers ignoring this despite his brother's objections as Robert decides to strengthen his position in Albania first and soon invites to leaders of Epirus, Achaea and Athens to meet with him in Durazzo in order to talk about loyalty to their Titular Emperor (Mod and Achaean Response). (Secret) Robert I sends a delegation to Constantinople proposing an alliance with the Byzantine Empire against Epirus, Achaea and Athens promising the Ottomans control over portions of these traitorous states shall they help the Angevins dispose of them (Byzantine Response Needed). However, Philip decides to find a more radical solution decides to meet with John I Orsini who wishes to rule over Epirus promising a plan in which he would help John I Orsini take over Epirus at the condition that he allied himself to Robert I and accepted him as his suzerain (Mod Response Needed) while also sending agents to Milan to once more recruit Milanese Mercenaries as part of his plan as well as a contingent of the Catalan Company (Milanese and Mod Response Needed) (End of Secret)
 * John Orsini accepts the alliance against Epirus  Orsini is ruled by Achaea
 * The Catalan company is willing to fight for enough money
 * Milanese Condottierri decline stating that it's a war they have minimal interest in for the odds against them.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: Prince Florent refuses to travel to Durazzo, and urges his Epirote and Athenian counterparts to do the same. He counter-proposes a meeting in Clermont, Achaea (See my turn for more details).
 * Kingdom of Hungary: Rebuilding of the economy and fortifications continue under the direction of the Palatinate and Regent of Hungary. Meanwhile, within the Kingdom of Croatia and Dalmatia, they slowly begin to build up the navy under the direction of the Bán of Croatia, this process is very slow and clearly not an attempt to challenge the hegemony of the Venetians within the Adriatic Sea. Meanwhile, the regency council of Géza III offers the hand of his sister Elizabeth to the son of Frederick III for a betrothal and secretly as a contingency against further Angevin aggression within the region Mod Response Needed. While the Angevins defeat by the Aragonese has brought relief and seemingly secured the throne for the line of Andrew III, still preparations are made for any future incursions by them into the Kingdom of Hungary and Croatia-Dalmatia. Meanwhile, a young man from a merchant family located within the port city of Split going by the name Aleksandar Bašić, leaves the city for a journey to the lands south of Africa which are rumoured to be filled with great riches beyond the imagination along with a group of around 200 merchants. They soon set out across the Mediterranean Sea and head south toward the land of Egypt arriving at the city of Alexandria which they stay only briefly setting out southward traveling across the ancient Nubian lands were they surprisingly hold true to the word of the lord unlike their heathen neighbors. They eventually stop to resupply at the city of Soba within the realm of Alodia, gathering supplies and supping with some of the nobility with Aleksander Bašić recording his experiences as they travel westward and arrive within the city of Njimi within Kanem Bornu recording the elements of the strange and foreign culture found within the city, the people seem to hold their ruler, the Mai as a divine like figure something truly foreign toward the travellers. Eventually they depart and arrive at the lands of the Hausa before the end of the year where the men are ruled by the women, they eventually choose to rest there for a year before they continue their journey westward.
 * Frederick III of Sicily agrees to marry Elizabeth of Hungary.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: The Moroccans use 15,000 cavalry from Mali with the help of support to capture all of Aragonese occupation forces in Ceuta and Mellila the sultanate told 'that the battle is not over ... we gonna beat you out of it.'
 * Yuan China: In Korea, the Yuan army continues to push the rebels into the peninsula, executing any they capture and burning their homes and shrines to the ground. 70,000 troops are left in Pyongyang to flush out any rebel forces which managed to survive the initial battle, while the remaining 120,000 troops move farther south to pursue the fleeing Korean rebels to the coastline where they will be destroyed. In the wake of the mass destruction within the protectorate, tens of thousands of Chinese families are permitted to move into the peninsula to settle down over the remains of the Korean towns and cities, while any loyal Korean subjects are spared punishment for the rebellion, and allowed to stay on their land and remain free from any harm meted out to their disloyal neighbors.  With the uprising on its way to being crushed by the Yuan, the northern half of Korea is reorganized into a province of Yuan China, and renamed Hanguo. Emperor Maxiu appoints his son as the governor of Hanguo, and renames him Prince Dawei (or David), in light of his recent conversion to Christianity . Emperor Maxiu continues his public works throughout China, with focus being on the good the state can do for its people, with new granaries being constructed in the major cities to better prepare for good harvests, and for the excess grain stored within the charity granaries to be distributed to the poor and needy during times of lean. The emperor reorganizes the taxation system in China, removing the role of the tax collector and structuring payments so that peasants can pay their taxes directly to officials of the government, removing the corrupt office of tax collector from the empire, and freeing funds for other programs. The postal system originally reserved for the needs of the imperial government, is expanded to the general public, with a nominal fee paid to the state allowing merchants and craftsmen to utilize the system for their own needs. This brings in additional funding for the state, as well as help expand the network of messengers throughout China as demand for its usage increases. New roads and canals are built to accommodate the foot traffic, while a series of inns and watering holes are built to provide refuge for travelers on the road. In the north, the lands of Liaoyang and Lingbei continue to be developed into productive provinces of the empire. Karakorum's population has grown to some 200,000, as trade into the north continues to grow as the demand for finished goods by the Mongolians settled in and around the city expands to fulfill their needs. These settled members of the population begin to produce goods in the region themselves, and trade them with other communities developing in the steppes. The town of Uliastai grows to a population of 30,000, with most of the inhabitants still being those Mongolians who have taking up permanent residence within the city walls as a consequence of its location along a vital northern trade route, as well as the security provided by the local garrison of Yuan troops in the region. A young Chinese girl recently baptized in Beijing takes on the name of Sala (or Sarah), and takes on the personal take of proselytizing the Huangdist faith throughout the rest of China. Having listened to the sermons of the priests in the Beijing for most of her youth, Sala believed that it was her duty to bring the light of Christianity to the rest of her people, and arms herself for the task. Crafting a large cross from the wood of an old Confucian shrine in her village, and requisitioning a Bible from a merchant after selling all of her other personal belongings for it, Sala travels from village to village preaching the word of Jesus Christ throughout the countryside. After news of Sala's preaching work reaches the ears of the emperor, approving of her work, Emperor Maxiu provides the young girl with a paiza, a Mongolian passport that signifies the individual's status and authority, and to shield her from harm while on the road by herself, as anyone who attempts to kill her shall be considered an enemy of the state and executed as such. Sala's fiery sermons in the countryside in the name of the emperor and the Christ inspire many to get baptized, and tear down the shrines to Confucius and burn his books and effigies. Tens of thousands of Chinese continue to be baptized in the name of the Lord as the efforts of the emperor continue as a part of his mission to bring salvation to his people. As part of the navy's plans to secure the local region against piracy, 20,000 marines based in Guangzhou and Hangzhou are landed on the island of Taiwan, where they establish camps and landing sites for further settlement of the island. Numerous Chinese fishermen have already been present on the island for centuries, but perform most of their trade with mainland China already, and welcome the move as a means of protecting their trade and preventing pirates from attacking them from Japan and Okinawa. Farther south, the Chinese continue trading with the nations of the Malay, Thai, and Khmer, with a focus on obtaining precious metals such as gold, silver, and iron, while exchanging food, silks, and finished goods with the latter. Additional trading posts are established within the major cities of the southern powers, allowing the Chinese access to a wider variety of goods and services as their merchants grow in number within these regions. In the west, as the Chagatai have been subdued, trade along the Silk Road flows freely once more, with Chinese merchants traveling out west to sell their goods in the Ilkhanate and Golden Horde cities and towns.
 * Please wait for an algo to be done before you start posting about the results of said algo. In this case, you lost. I struck out the inaccurate parts of your turn. -Rexmod.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa"Victory and peace over Hainaut at last, the treaty of Mons has brought us ten percent of Hainaut's nation income. This new prosperity that is gained makes it able for Brabant and its realm to afford to get better equipped and better defenses for the cities. Included with better equipment is the ability to afford more horses, and foremost better food and armour for the lowest of soldiers,the Pikemen and Gastraphetes. Gastraphetes in Brabant being a simpler variant, compared to the Greek Roman variant of the Gastraphetes, as the Brabantine variant is made less detailed but with still the same mechanisms. Gastraphetes in Brabant just like in the Roman empire were used as a form of long range fire to supress an enemy that come. While they perform about the same duty as an archer, the Gastraphetes are stronger at their recommended distance then the average Brabantine archer. This is why Duke John II is and his nobles are now passing a new law that any Brabander male over the age of 15 must own a bow with a draw-weight of minimum 60 Pounds(30 kilo) and 15 arrows and practice at least once a week. Even if this law might seem crazy this is hoped that the regular men now can be called on for his service when in time of need. Since Duke John II never knows when a foreign horde invades, even if he hopes rather later then sooner but still. The Mansion in Heyst ten Berge "Berghe Huische" it is one of the most beautiful mansions for its size, as it is a rather small country resort. Where music can be heard where the duke can see for miles into his Brabant land, where hunting is a possibility and summer is warm. Nobility of Duke John II is looking outward to gain better relations with the world it knows. A contingent the House of Aerschot make the journey to Greece, settling under the Achaean Principality's realm. One in particular, Godfrey of Brabant, has organized this expedition and begins to build relations with the Achaean rulers, and the House of Avesnes. As only recently peace had come between William of Avesnes and John II, and Floris of Achea being the uncle of the current Hainaut leader. This journey and settling being done to fully lay down arms and work better together.
 * Duumvirate of Cilicia: Hearing of Öljaitü's Sultanate of Mosul's claim on Aleppo, the Cilician government sends more soldiers from Sis to Aleppo in anticipation of a future attack, increasing the size of the garrison to 15,000. The military also focuses on building extensive defensive fortifications around the city such as tower, curtain walls and series of moats. The government also works on expanding the nation's navy, based in Tarsus. With Nogai Khan's victory over the Ottomans and their subsequent disarray, fears of attacks by the Ottomans are lessened, but the fortifications at Sivas and on the western border of Cilicia are maintained to prevent opportunistic attacks by lesser beyliks and to generally prevent the chaos of western Anatolia from seeping into Cilicia. In light of the alliance with the Byzantine Empire, Cilicia sends 2,000 troops to support Byzantium in the Western Anatolian and Bulgarian conflicts.
 * Qipchaq Khanate: Because of the incursions of Khoreson into Persia, Qipchaq withdraws troops from outlying cities to the area immediately around Mashhad to guard against a potential attack from Khoreson. There are now 60,000 troops fortifying Mashhad, comprising 40,000 former Ilkhanate soldiers and 20,000 of the settlers supplied by Yuan China. The remaining 30,000 settlers from Yuan China work alongside Persians to improve the farms and general food supply around Mashhad, but could be called into the military if needed.
 * Lordship of Ireland: Continued support for the English war against the French.
 * Papal States: The Pontiff's worries about France increase and starts to become paranoid. We approve the construction of the monastery in Koblenz, and accept the cruxification cross, but deny the offer to give a relic of Saint Helen, the reason being that they are one of the most valued relics of the Vatican. We appoint John, Archbishop of Patras, and the Archbishop of Krakow to the Cardinal status.
 * Republic of Genoa: The trade pact with France and England managed to establish a commercial monopoly in the Atlantic due to the blockade toward the Venetian merchant galleys in Gibraltar. Products from these regions (wine, flax, copper, lead, wool, tin) have served to satisfy the needs of the main cities that are included in the network of Genoese trade routes such as southern Crimea or the metropolis itself. Due to the decline of the pontificate power, the cruzader states were reflected in military and political power. Therefore, in case of a Mamluk invasion toward the Levant <>, diplomats and important merchants went to the city of Alexandria to establish the Genoves commercia foedus. The Islamists have always been quite closed about engaging in trade with nations that exercise different religions. To end this, Genoese merchants have enabled Muslim imams and merchants to travel to cities like Genoa to be able to trade products of French, German and English origin and exercise their religion without problems (if they can endure discrimination). In exchange for not attacking or invading Genoese possessions (Mamluk Sultanate response)or(Mod response as Mamluk Sultanate). Meanwhile, in the Aegean Sea, the island of Rhodes is attacked by Venetian war galleys preventing the occupation of the Hospittaller Knights. The Republic has not turned a blind eye and has given the Crusaders the opportunity to take the island of Chios (currently in “Genoese possession” thanks to Benedetto I Zaccaria) in exchange for being able to engage in the Genoves commercia foedus and have the support of Knights in case Génova have to fight a battle against the emirates of the Middle East and Anatolia (Mod response as Knights Hospitallers). As a final measure of the year, to reduce completely the Venetian trade in the Western Mediterranean, the fleet of 25 galleys that were blocking the Strait of Gibraltar has sailed along with 15 other galleys from the metropolis to the surroundings of the Strait of Messina with the objective of establishing a new commercial blockade preventing the crossing of Venetian and ONLY Venetian merchant galleys toward the Western Mediterranean and Syracuse.
 * The Mamluks and Knights Hospitaller accepts this deal
 * Principality of Achaea: Prince Florent and Princess Isabella, along with their daughter, Matilda, travel to Athens for the royal wedding of Matilda to Duke Guy II de la Roche. The celebration marks the official start of a period of great dynastic union between Athens and Achaea, and with Matilda still the heiress to the Achaean crown (and Isabella presumably too old to have any more children), the prospects of a personal union are well-known around the respective courts. The wedding is officiated by recently-created Cardinal John of Patras, who has become a close colleague of Prince Florent and a steady adviser to Princess Isabella. With their daughter now living in Athens, the Prince and Princess of Achaea continue their focus on converting influential Greek dynatoi to the Roman Catholic faith. In doing so, they hope that lower classes will also eventually adopt the faith over Eastern Orthodoxy. With the Byzantines facing a war in Anatolia and a war in Bulgaria, we issue an ultimatum: return the Morea to Achaea or risk fighting on three fronts (Byzantine Response). Meanwhile, with the Angevin Albanians summoning Achaea (along with Epirus and Athens) to Durazzo, we decline but counter-offer that their ruler or his envoy is welcome to meet in Clermont at any time (Angevin Response). We urge Athens and Epirus to likewise refuse a meeting in Durazzo, as that might be seen as a sign of fealty and subjugation. Meanwhile, Prince Florent formally announces that his new suzerain is Aragon and the House of Barcelona more generally. This is in keeping with his previous pledge of support to the King of Naples, which is now held by Frederick III, who is greatly influenced by Aragon. Finally, we sent Nicholas III of Saint Omer to Bulgaria by way of Serbia in order to begin to negotiate a mutual pact against Byzantium.
 * Republic of Milan: Following the victory in the first battle in Pavia, soldiers move into the city and prepare to siege and eventually capture Pavia for the Republic. Otherwise Matteo Visconti passes away this year. His eldest son is set to take over the family following his return. Otherwise a simple and easy year in Milan.
 * Japanese Empire (Sengoku period): The Sengoku jidai enters its 6th year with clans continually at eachothers throats. This year sees the solidification of the Tetsuko and and Miura clans with the Miura having betrayed and quickly wiped out the leadership of the Edo clan securing another city for their base support and taking control of the entire Edo clans holdings in the region. This is quickly tested as the marauding Tetsuko clan pushes deep into Miura territory but suffers a blockage as the Miura deploy for the first time in a major japan, Fire-lances, a device based off of a Chinese technology but never known as viable in warfare seeing as it had been phased out of the Chinese army. This is quickly proven to be untrue as the Miura armies deploy two small regiments of 500 a piece using Fire lances which are known to disrupt formations and cause almost guarenteed death if an individual is hit by one. The Tetsuko effectively go into full retreat not expecting this development and the Miura seize multiple town and castles from the Tetsuko before being pressed from the north by the Uesugi clan which has finished its conquest of whats left of the Dewa clan in northern Japan. The Takeda clan having suffered a series of defeats and the death of their patriatch leaving his son Hikaru in charge, throws its lot in with the Emperor conceding to Imperial decree and demand and integrating his forces with the Emperors army. The Minamoto clan having recovered from its disasters against the Tetsuko clan consolidated its hold on the southern islands of Japan. With control over all Kyushu and Shikoku as well as up to the city of Yamaguchi the previous areas occupied by the Minamoto relocating their capital to Fukuoka and fending off the resurgent Hosokawa and Amago clans which now have rallied daimyo to their banners and begun fighting over the main island and its territories. As smaller clans begin forming alliances or declaring allegiances to the larger ones the territories of the Daimyo begin to more notably consolidate as they are forced to combat the progressive policies of the Emperor which have left them with a disadvantage of manpower. The powerful Tachibana clan having been outed by the forces of the Minamoto clan push north in what is known as the "Long march of the Tachibana" which sees nearly 15,000 troops followed by twice as many civilians having been pushed out of their homes in the south. They push on north securing a friendly relationship with the Uesugi after managing to evade any major battles. The Shiba close to collapse and with their people and soldiers starting to scatter toward another daimyo see this approaching army and offer a deal.. an alliance for safe passage. The Tachibana will be allowed to pass the Shiba territories and colonize Hokkaido to the north and when needed their forces will be used to defend the remaining territories Shiba still has in the north. This is agreed to and the continent of Tachibana settlers settle in Southern Hokkaido ousting the Local Ainu peoples with superior technology and tactics in a short campaign. The Emperors armies meet the resurgent Hosokawa in open battle outside of Osaka with a newly raised force of 10,000 incorporating the Takeda Samurai face off against the Hosokawa force of 12,000. The battle ends in a draw but with disastrous casualties for both sides with 8,000 dead on the Emperors side and 7,000 dead on the Hosokawas side. The Push against the Miura is also met with difficulty as the good usage of fire lances by the Miura which rip through ranks of imperial troops and stall advances and even force the concession of territory leaving the newly integrated Takeda lands in serious danger of falling. Emperor Go-Uda is forced to expand his policies on conscription enacting the 50/50 laws which designate or use current organizational structure to group farms together administratively and levy 50 percent of their manpower and forcing the remainder to tend to the crops. With government assistance scheduled to help unless the situation is dire enough. This is able to bring a whole host of new manpower into the pool and the Emperor begins looking into acquiring fire lances and gunpowder from abroad with intent to mirror the Miura and use their own strategy against them

1306
''' King Wenceslas III of Poland and Bohemia is attacked unexpectedly by assailants of unknown origin, but survives. Discontent becomes apparent among much of Poland who desire to restore the Piast dynasty. '''

''' Speaking of mysterious circumstances, Pope Callixtus III is assaulted by French-speaking mercenaries and badly wounded. He dies of infection a few months later, necessitating a rapid Papal Conclave. (Papal States, Castile, Florence, Naples/Aragon, Albania, Genoa, France, Siena, Bohemia, Achaea). '''

''' Speaking of French, France suffers an economic crisis within their military spending. Rumors point largely to the Templar Knights, who leads much of French military finances at this time. '''

''' Running out of the steam of previous Mongol generations, the Yuan dynasty fails in their recent East Asian conquests. The military sent to Taiwan is mostly lost in the process of its campaign, returning with only 300. '''

''' In Korea, the newly-independent Kingdom of Joseon becomes a safe haven for Confucianist and Buddhist populations that have suffered years of persecution under the Yuan at this point. '''

''' Nogai Khan dies while besieging Yazd, leaving his massive achievement of territory to fall into other hands. His son Tügä  Khan is crowned the new ruler in Tabriz over the fragmented Persian Empire. His other son Toraï Khan takes over the Golden Horde, but shortly after ward Bayan Khan of the White Horde seizes the opportunity to invade from Kazakhstan to unite the two hordes under his rule. His last son Chaka proceeds to invade the Bulgarian Empire on his own with varying degrees of success.'''

King Birgir of Sweden is captured by a coup by Duke Eric Magnusson and imprisoned in Nyköping Castle, placing strain on their ongoing wars with Novgorod.

The Byzantines begin losing ground in the Aegean after they pulled out their forces to fight Bulgaria, allowing the Ottomans to take back some of Bythnia under the leadership of Sultan Orhan.

From their base in Chios donated by Genoa, the Hospitaller Knights begin attacking Byzantine holdings in Kos and Rhodes.

'''English Parliament forbids heating with coal while Parliament is in session. This fails to be enforced.'''

Raja Ramadeva of Devagiri, ruler of the Yadava Dynasty of Deccan, invades north and captures the city of Malwa.


 * Free City of Lübeck: The north German free city has been the heart of Baltic trade for nearly 50 years. As the hub of trade from Germany to the Baltics and back, Lübeck is hailed as the Venice in the North. Its current Burgermeister, Albrecht Von Bardewik, is a legal genius, responsible for codifying shipping laws in the Baltic. His regulation of prices has allowed Lübeck to stand tall against inland trade magnates like Hamburg or Scandinavian trade giants like Copenhagen. Much as Copenhagen attempts to steal trade from Lübeck, it cannot hope to persuade the Baltic states to cease trading with Lübeck. Furthermore, after a 1288 rebellion in Visby, a heavy-handed Magnus III of Sweden brought ruin to the city, heavily reducing its importance. Lübeck's primary maritime trade partners are Pomerania, the Teutonic Knights, and Sweden, though it thrives on trade with Poland-Bohemia and the Rus. However, the recent actions of Sweden and the Teutonic Order have been something of a concern to Lübeck. Both are endangering Baltic Trade and their own economies. The Teutonic Order receives most of its German trade through Lübeck, as does Denmark and Sweden. Both are given the chance to save their economies by disbanding their trade alliances with Riga and with each other. In doing so, Lübeck ensures mutually beneficial trade agreements, protection of merchant ships, cargo insurance, and aid in wars. In the meantime, Lübeck works closely with the Archbishopric of Bremen, which relies heavily on Baltic trade. Albrecht Von Bardewik uses this leverage on Bremen to attempt to convince the Archbishop to denounce the scandalous trade alliances in the Baltic while promoting Hanseatic trade practices. Riga and the Livonian Order are both offered the chance to return to their previous arrangements with Lübeck, with the addendum of discounted salt and hemp for five years. Mod response This offer is extended to the Teutonic Order, with the added bonus of discounted ships and an extension of the offer to ten years. Teutonic Diplomacy needed. Trade with Hamburg and Lüneburg flourishes this year. Bypassing the royalist tariffs along the Danish straits, this trade route allows an easy land-based trade route to extend from Russia all the way to Flanders. Exclusive deals to England, Holland, and Flanders are made in regards to ships. 15 new ships are offered for lease to these countries for the price of ten in exchange for discounted trade to Lübeck. (Mod response needed.) Trade with Poland-Bohemia brings a large number of goods from Hungary and beyond, connecting Baltic trade with trans-Carpathian trade. The establishment of these trade routes over the years seems to be the fastest-growing sector of Hanseatic trade, with the Baltic reaping the rewards as well. The city of Lübeck itself seems its shipyards expanded to hold more ships this year.
 * Bremen and Flanders accepts the deal - as does England.
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: we will disband the Alliance and will trade with Lubeck.
 * Swedish Diplomacy: Since the alliance was disbanded (without consulting us) we accept the Hansa's offer.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: After hearing of the kidnapping of his father-in-law the Danish Army of 14,000 men, led by King Christopher, sailing to Vyborg Castle is diverted to Nykoping Castle, where they besiege the castle in the name of King Birger, demanding the King's release. After disembarking the Danish army the Danish navy sails to Kuusisto Castle, where the Swedish navy is repairing and resupplying following the victory at Kuusisto. The two navies rendezvous. Queen Martha in Stockholm, hearing of her husband's kidnapping, raises an additional 5,000 men as feudal levies and personally leads them to Nykoping to meet up with the her nephew and son-in-law Christopher leading the Danish army besieging the castle, raising the army sent to rescue Birger to 19,000 men. Christopher and Martha offer to spare the brothers if they release the King and to let them keep their titles and lands [MOD RESPONSE]. The Archbishop of Uppsala denounces and condemns the brothers for launching a coup in the midst of defending Sweden against heretics in the East and states any soldiers fighting for the brothers risk damning their immortal souls. With victory secured over the Novgorod forces Torgil Knutsson, appointed the army's leader since the kidnapping of the King, chases the Novgorod army on its retreat north to Lipovka, leaving 3,000 men to garrison the castle. The Swedish Army camps to the south of the Novgorod army, severing it supply lines, its lines of communication and its line of retreat back to Novgorod. Before attacking, Knutsson sends diplomats to Novgorod seeking peace. Sweden offers to respect Novgorod's trade rights and territorial integrity and also to not force the conversion of any Orthodox Karelian tribes. Sweden does demand, however, that Novgorod make peace, stop aiding the Karelian tribes and recognize Swedish hegemony over the Karelian people and Northern Finland [MOD RESPONSE]. To apply pressure to Novgorod to accept the peace the allied Swedish-Danish navy sails east from Kuusisto and begins raiding the Novgorod coast, burning and pillaging settlements and markets in the old Viking manner. Hearing news of the "fork" from Italy, the Scandinavian iron workers begin mass producing various takes on the "fork" and shipping them to Italy, providing a strangely lucrative market to the Swedish Kingdom.
 * The King is peacefully released, but Valdemar flees south to pillage much of Skane using German mercenaries
 * Swedish Response: King Christopher is released from his obligation to fight in Finland to pursue and defeat Valdemar. King Christopher takes 10,000 men south and raises 2,500 men in Holstein. The two forces rendezvous at Skandeborg Castle and King Christopher hunts down and brings Valdemar to battle [ALGO]
 * Novgorod would accept peace except allowing hegemony over Karelia, so as not to abandon their alliances
 * Swedish Dip: Recognizing Swedish hegemony over Finland is a requirement for peace. If Novgorod refuses, the war continues and the Swedish army attacks the remnants of the cut-off and isolated Novgorod army at Lipovka [ALGO]
 * Byzantine Empire: What was thought to be a beginning of a rebirth of a new era has resulted in our precious lands being taken by Ottomans and Crusaders. Luckily, our war with the Bulgarians has come to a close, leaving only two fronts. The Byzantine-Bulgarian War ended with the Siege of Plovdiv, when Byzantine forces climbed up into the walls and sprayed Greek fire into the city. Most of the city was destroyed, but luckily we will reconstruct the city into a new and marvelous Byzantine city. After the Siege of Plovdiv, an unorganized attempt to regain men for the army by the Bulgarians resulted in a near-collapse of the Bulgarian nation, which was a perfect attempt for a peace treaty. In the Peace of Adrianopole, the city where we almost fell, we took Eastern Rumelia from the Bulgarians . However, the glory against the Bulgarians quickly subsided after the barbaric Knights took Rhodes from us. The fall of Rhodes marked a beginning for countless and vicious raids that will cost us immensely. As we prepare for the Knights to make a landfall against us, a sense of uncertainty lingers about the Byzantine future.
 * If you want to fight a war you have to properly request an algo by describing the forces you use to invade Bulgaria, strategy/tactics, etc.
 * Archbishopric of Trier: The bankers of Milan are welcomed by Archbishop Diether in the city of Trier. A building is given to them to operate the Bank of Trier. The repairs of the Porta Nigra and of the Aula Palatina finally come to an end. The Porta Nigra is renamed and consecrated as the Church of Saint Symeon of Trier and by orders of the archbishop, a fragment of bone is take from the saint body (which is buried in a tomb inside of the Porta Nigra) and placed in a golden reliquary to be venerated. On May 1, the day of Saint Symeon, the reliquary is transported in a procession from the Cathedral of Trier to the Church of Saint Symeon, where it is placed by Diether during a solemn mass in a niche near a statue of Saint Symeon. The archbishop proclaims that every year this procession will be repeated and invites Albert of Habsburg to participate in the next year [MOD response needed, please]. With finally the papal approval, a Dominican monastery is built on Koblenz, with the monks arriving in July. A library is planned to be built there. The papal refusal to give the relic of Saint Helen sadden the archbishop deeply, but he understood. When he hears about the French attack to the pontiff and his death shock Diether deeply. A mass in memory of Callixtus III is celebrated in Cathedral of Trier. Diether's Commentaries on the New Testament are finaly finished and the Archiepiscopal Palace continues to be constructed. Seeing the need of the economy of the Archbishopric be improved, Diether starts to incentive the agriculture and handicraft. Cattle are bred for meat, leather and wool and fruits are cultivated, with grapes being the most produced. Handicrafts are produced using leather and clothes are produced using wool. Products made of ceramics such as tiles and painted vases are made. The grapes are used to make wine. The wine made of the grapes cultivated by the Huber family becomes popular and two barrels are sent to Albert of Habsburg as a gift [MOD response needed, please], Diether hopes that he likes because the archbishop tasted and approved. Seeing how much war is happening in the rest of Europe, an Episcopal Army is created with the intention of protect the Archbishopric of Trier in case of attack. Diether writes to Republic of Metz, County of Luxemburg and County of Verdun asking for the creation of a pact of mutual defense in case of an invasion and also asks them if they are interested in a trade agreement [MOD response needed, please]. Trade agreements are also made to the Duchy of Brabant [Brabant response needed, please] and to the Free City of Lübeck [Lübeck response needed, please], to see if they are interested in commercialize our products. In late November, the cathedral chapter notice that archbishop Diether started to act strange, being easily irritated and talking nonsenses about relics. These episodes are short, with him soon returning to the normal. However, the cathedral chapter fears that the archbishop is losing his mind.
 * Albert Habsburg accepts the gift and will attend the procession.
 * The Rhine states agree to a trade agreement but does not feel a necessity for a defense pact at this time.
 * Lübeck Diplomacy: Burgermeister Albrecht Von Bardewik agrees to this trade. Lübeck offers a formal entry into the growing Hanseatic League. Entry will ensure trade protection, discounted wares, and the right to dock in Hanseatic ports anywhere. Lübeck offers a 1,000 mercenary contract for protection in any defensive wars in exchange for 1,000 mercenaries from Trier should the League require their services.
 * Trier Diplomacy: Archbishop Diether accepts the offer of the Burgermeister. Due to the geographic position of the Archbishopric, Diether proposes to the League the creation of a Hanseatic merchant post in the city of Koblenz. This way a trade route can be created conecting the Archbishopric and Lübeck by land. From the post, Hanseatic products can be marketed by land to other German states. The post can also use the rivers Rhine and Moselle in Koblenz as waterways to the dispersal of the Hanseatic products.
 * Mali Empire: Mansa Abu Bakr II continues the policies of his predecessor to build up the nation's infrastructure. The prosperous trade from the Saharan Caravans exports Mali's vast resources to the outside world, as well as expanding the domestic agricultural base at home. The Mosque of Djeane is completed this year, being an outstanding work of Sahelian architecture, before the African Renaissance. Abu Bakr had a particular love for the sea, and fascination with the lands across the ocean, and so invested heavily in the navy started by his predecessor. However, more access to the Atlantic was also needed, and so it was at this time that the Mali Empire made its final push to annex the Kingdom of Waalo. Abu Bakr sends 25,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry and 30 river ships down along the Senegal River to annex Waalo. The forces will strike down against Waalo's military in the field, and press the advantage to push them back to the capital of Ndiangué (modern day Richard Toll) where a siege begins. The river ships are instrumental in carrying supplies and ensuring no reinforcements are left out [algo]. However, as Abu Bakr observes this war, he is approached by a venerable Sufi mystic that warns that he should not ever go to Waalo himself, or else he would face his ultimate doom. Fearing this prophesy, albeit being skepitcal, Abu Bakr sends local generals of their vassals in Trarza to fight the battle, instead of going himself. Meanwhile, Musa is fighting a war of his own. Having heroically and honorably acquired the three kingdoms of Daura, Kano, and Gobir, Musa centralized their authority under his rule as a single fighting force, together with Aisha by his side. Having combined these militaries together, Musa proceeds inward to subjugate the Kingdom of Katsina, and add it as a vassal under his domains.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: During the death of the sultan, his brother came in the northwest of Tetouan demanding of citizens that the Aragonese killed it but his brother took his throne. Meanwhile, his army came to tell him 'we should beat those invader European neighboor for being killed..' the brother had a plan strategy for beating out of spanish control so they came in Ceuta and Melilla kill among of those occupations his army come to annexing the island of canary and zwara. The brother established emirate of Djerba with help of his army. Meanwhile, they continue to cross the Sahara and they push the Spanish in the north but they're taking a break we just gonna had a better strategy to finish this war we gonna keep most of troop.
 * Meanwhile, the sultanist and the brother dynasty are having an civil war because of the ruler.
 * Ölijaitü: Nogai Khan dies alongside Ölijaitü while beseiging Yazd together, where Ölijaitü buries Nogai where he died, in the sands of Yazd. Nogai is buried by Öljaitü under the Islamic tradition, having recently reconverted, which Ölijaitü feels very personally responsible for (having demanded Nogai's reconversion in exchange for vassalage and being instrumental in the Muslim victories in both the Crusade and Jihad). Ölijaitü has deep respect for Nogai, fighting until his very last breathe. Ölijaitü takes command of Nogai's men in Yazd, continuing the siege of Yazd that Nogai died in. To the city of Yazd, a message is sent from Ölijaitü, "I do not wish to bring destruction to this glorious city, surrender to me and your city will be spared." Further, Ölijaitü requests to the Kingdom of Khoreson to be the King of Khoreson, to put an end to the state of chaos and unite with Delhi against the true enemy of the east, Qipchaq, who's wandering horde brings nothing but death and destruction.
 * Khoreson does not agree to give up its title to Ölijaitü
 * With Khoreson refusing Ölijaitü, Ölijaitü's offer to Yazd is sent once again, demanding the surrender of the besieged city in exchange for it being spared from destruction
 * Republic of Venice: New aggression from the Genoese force the Venetians to keep the war going. As the Arsenale has improved its production schedules equip and build one galley per week. This can be achieved due to the central organization of the Arsenale and the strict norms of measurements and quality alike. This leads to a new fleet of 200 ships being built since 1304. A fleet of 150 is sent to break and annihilate the Genoan fleet in the strait of Messina. After victory is achieved in southern Italy, every other Genoan war ship that attempts to flee will be sunken or looted, prisoners will not be taken. SECRET Attempts are made to reach out to the Sicilians, as they would profit from very low prices on Venetian goods like textiles or spices, if they are willing to help to blockade the entrance to the Eastern Mediterranean (MOD RESPONSE NEEDED) The Achaeans are offered ten large ships to increase their navy, including all needed equipment for the crew, for a price of around 15,000 instead of 20,000 Venetian gold ducats. In return for the lowered price, they are asked to participate in the blockade of the Aegean routes to the Black Sea against Genoa (ACHAEA RESPONSE NEEDED) SECRET END To reinforce the blockade to the Aegean Sea, and so a blockade to the Genoese colonies, 30 ships are sent over to ensure this. Furthermore, a small arsenal is planned in Chania on the island of Candia. However, this would mean rising taxes. To avoid large scale revolt, taxes are lowered for those who produce desired good such as wax, textiles or grain. Taxes on imports, however, are increased, especially things like metal, so that the treasuries can be filled, and the modernization process of the island can be finished earlier. The blockade of Rhodes continues, and orders are given to starve the entire island out (MOD RESPONSE ON THE SUCCESS, PLEASE). The fork is now fully adapted in most parts of the Venetian society, as it becomes a sign of good manners and wealth to eat things like meat, cooked vegetables and pasta with a fork instead of the hands. The Hanseatic cities of Bremen, Hamburg, Lübeck and also the city of Rungholt are asked to allow Venetian traders to set up trading posts in their cities (HANSEATIC RESPONSE NEEDED)
 * Lübeck Diplomacy: Venetian ships are welcome in any port aligned with our growing league in exchange for our ships being welcome in Venetian ports and a mutually-defended trade route. Hansa sends a large cog to Venice as a gift. Christened Der Stoltz Von Dandolo or The Pride of Dandolo, this massive ship can hold immense amounts of cargo while sacrificing minimal speed.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: We are willing to accept the terms laid out by the Venetians for ten ships, but request the price to be further lowered to 12,500 - or 1,250 gold ducats per ship.
 * Angevin Kingdom of Albania: With Robert I secretly gaining the support of John I Orsini, he decides to send Prince Phillip to Clermont while mobilizing a force of 20,000 men along with elements of the Catalan Company (approximately 5,000 men) and his Fleet of approximately 60 ships in which half of it is composed of Venetian ships while the other half is composed of ships from Provence, Albania and elements of the Neapolitan Fleet loyal to their true ruler Robert I. Robert I sends a request to Venice offering his support in eradicating Genoan presence in Greece and the Black Sea and in return he asks for Venice to support him in his quest to restore the Latin Empire as it will also result in the dismantlement of another of Venice’s rivals (Venetian Response Needed). (Secret) Meanwhile, Prince Philip’s agents are sent to Epirus in order to poison the Despot of Epirus and spark a pro-Latin Revolt and install John I Orsini in power (Mod Response on the progress of this Needed) while he also secretly offers the Duke of the Archipelago control of the Duchy of Athens if he secretly supports him against the Principality of Achaea and Athens (Mod Response Needed) (End of Secret). With these advances Robert I continue forward with his plan to restore the Latin Empire under Angevin rule.
 * Thomas I of Epirus dies of poison. His mother Anna Palaiologina seizes de-facto power, and severs all relations with Albania even amidst a revolt of the Latins.
 * Albanian Military Action: With the sudden Latin Revolt and the death of Thomas, Robert I sends his brother Prince Philip to Epirus in command of an army of 7,500 troops with the objective of reaching the Epirote Capital of Arta in order to depose Anna Palaiologina and place John I Orsini in power as an Albanian Vassal while also seizing portions of Northern Epirus.
 * Duke William of Naxos is interested in the offer, but will not commit himself at this time.
 * Delhi Sultanate: Having annexed Ranthambore, the Sultan now turns his attention toward Malwa which is being invaded by the Yadavs, a state that the Sultan had invaded in 1296 and they had stopped tribute payments a few years after the raid of Devagiri. The Sultan prepares a force of ten tumen (mostly cavalry) and sends it to invade Malwa and rout the Yadava armies, the force is led by Malik Kafur, an able slave general. Malik Kafur is aided by Alp Khan, Alauddin's Gujarat governor. The other cities of Malwa are quickly captured with the fall of the Paramara dynasty, the forces of Malik Kafur and the Yadavas meets in a battlefield near Dhar (capital of Malwa), in the Battle of Dhar. At home, the Sultan continues with his reforms, instituting a secret service to keep tabs on his nobles and prevent them from hatching conspiracies. Having suffered rebellions in the early part of his reign, Alauddin Khilji also institutes a law preventing marriages between nobles and limiting the interactions between nobles. The Sultan also starts standardizing his bureaucracy, now taking a written test (different from OTL), as he learnt from his advisers that this method was used by the Chinese kings to administer their vast empires, to recruit his officers. The officers are also supposed to know Persian (the official court language) and the local language of the area they want to work in. These tests are conducted in the major urban centres which have governors appointed by the Sultan. The tests are open to the general public, however, the higher ranks are reserved for Muslims. Alauddin's army administration has started maintaining a descriptive roll of every soldier, and occasionally conducts strict reviews of the army to examine the horses and arms of the soldiers. To ensure that no horse could be presented twice or replaced by a poor-quality horse during the review, Alauddin has established a system of branding the horses. The Sultan also keeps transferring his city/regional governors every few years (a milder version of what he did OTL). In the market reforms, his administration forces the grain transporters to settle in villages at specific distances around the cities to ensure rapid grain transport to the cities (OTL measure extended for cities other than Delhi). Even though Alauddin adopted a policy of tolerance, non-Muslims still have to pay the jizya tax, however, the tax has been reduced and the Muslim subjects are obligated to contrbute zakat. He has also levied taxes on residences (ghari) and grazing (charai), however, these are substantially lower than that levied OTL. The government has begun establishing marketplaces (bazaars), which are regulated by the government, traders indulging in malpractices are punished. The government has begun implementing these reforms while many of these have been implemented from the time he ascended the throne (most of these are OTL reforms unless stated otherwise). The Sultan sends emissaries to Khorasan, to pressurise them into accepting Ölijaitü as their King. (MOD RESPONSE)
 * Khoresan has already rejected offers to crown Ölijaitü, and continues to do so. -Rexmod.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa"The population of Heyst ten Berge begins to grow, due to people wanting to able to sell their goods to Duke John II and his nobilty.Since the mansions makes it a important but small meeting place some four Brabantine mile (20 miles) from the Capital city of Brussels, which now with John II needing to also go to Holland and Zeeland is a bit to southly laying in his Realm. While at the same time the reforms related to archery in Brabant begint to slowly show their effect, as some men begin to slowly take up their archery skills and begin to hit the outer layers of their targets. Even with this most people do ignore this law or only follow it laxly, with men attending but using it more as way to gather around the pub and bars. While His majesty John II begins to demobilise the nobility and giving them the option to go back to their estates. John II wanting to now look into improving his nations and setting the foundation of one Lotharingian dynasty and Realm.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: This year sees the Capital meeting place finishing construction. At the first meeting there, it is decided to transform the meeting hall into the official parliament (Inatsisartut) which will have one member for each 100 people totaling 25 seats in the parliament. The jarl will have the capacity to dissolve it without their concern, but will listen to the parliament's advice.
 * Republic of Genoa: The defeat suffered in Syracuse has left the republic poorly positioned, despite this, the number of Venetian shipwrecks exceeds the amount compared to Genoese navy in Sicily. Therefore, if Genoa continues to archieve more “defeats” like those of Syracuse, it will eventually win the war. To strengthen commercial security in the Western Mediterranean, a fleet of 30 galleys headed back to the Strait of Gibraltar in order to block trade with the Atlantic again. The war with Venice has reached its culminating moment and all, Genoa customers have been asked if they can sell 2,000 (1,000 for Mallorca and Knights Hospitallers) of their best mercenaries along with 20 galleys (ten for Mallorca and Knights Hospitallers) to meet in the metropolis of the Republic, this will pay them with five gold coins for each soldier they contribute and ten of them for each galley. Because Benedetto I Zaccaria has been sentenced to death and the Zaccaria house has been extinguished (accused to expropiate Chios), he has left the Genoese annual assembly in the hands of the Spínola, Doria and other important families together with the Duke generating slight internal conflicts between families for the wealth enjoyed by the Zaccaria. Meanwhile, to get more commercial clients, diplomats and merchants went to the city of Murcia to sign the Genoves commercia foedus with the crown of Castile (Mod response as Kingdom of Castille). Regardless of the fact that Genoa has almost absolute control over trade in the Western Mediterranean, the main objective of this trade agreement was to obtain clients and mercenaries from reliable nations to deal with Venetian naval power. On the other hand and radically changing the subject, the city of Acre and the colonies located in southern Crimea have been informed to invest all available resources in the construction of 40 galleys in total (35 in the Black Sea and five in Acre) in case of an invasion of enemies (Venice, Albania, Turks or Guelphs like Holy See, Florence, Pisa, Monaco). Althrow, around around 15 galleys from Genoa had been configured to have Trebuchet replacing the space assigned to marines and troops, and a iron chain have been implemented in most of the war galleys to connect each other making a large blockade with easy.
 * Castile agrees to the trade deal.
 * Lordship of Ireland: The war continues.
 * Principality of Achaea: With the arrival of Angevin Prince Phillip in Clermont, Prince Florent and Princess Isabella are hospitable and honorable hosts. They summon their barons and vassals to Clermont to negotiate with Prince Philip. With Richard I Orsini present, Florent learns that Richard of Anjou has been seeking to undermine the stability of Achaea. The Duke of Naxos, Guglielmo Sanudo, also reveals that Albania has been undermining the influence of the Prince and Princess. Enraged, Florent sends Philip away with a demand for his brother: relinquish the title of Latin Emperor, or face war. By the time Florent sends Philip away, news has arrived that Epirus is under revolt after the Achaean ally, Thomas I, was poisoned by the Angevins. This is the last straw for Florent, who moves his army into Epirus, aimed at quelling the revolt. To this end, Nicholas III of Saint Omer - who had earlier in the year attempted to negotiate an alliance with Bulgaria against Byzantium (Mod Response), is sent to Epirus where he seeks a population exchange with Anna Palaiologina (Mod Response), in exchange for helping assuage the rebels. As the Albanian forces retreat from Epirus into Albania, the 5,000 Aragonese troops cut off the immediate route back to Durazzo, landing at the mouth of the Seman River. With Albania cut-off from its capital by the surprise Aragonese arrivals, they have no choice but to engage in pitched combat. The combined Achaean/Athenian/Epirote forces, numbering 11,000, which had been closely following the Angevin contingency finally make their move and attack as the Albanians are seeking to cross the Seman River. With Aragon's position secure on the northern side of the river and the joint forces rushing them across to their waiting doom, many enemy knights are caught in the fording of the river. They are then to be defeated as they emerge on the other riverbank or as they are chased by the Achaean-aligned troops. To the sea, the combined Achaean-Aragonese naval blockades the coast, preventing escape by sea. To command these forces is Prince Florent himself. Elsewhere, John, Archbishop of Patras, casts his vote in the Papal Conclave and then he passes away. A godly man, his loss is much mourned by Isabella of Villehardouin.
 * Bulgaria accepts a temporary alliance with Achaea against Byzantium.
 * Prince Philip decides to withdraw from Epirus and establish defensive positions in Albania in preparation for an Epirus-Achaean Invasion.
 * Teutonic Knights: The year starts out when the Grand-Master decided that Joining The Hansetic League was the better way to help the economy.with this the Grand-master Left the Gotland League because it was not making enough money.The castles in Malbouk and Balga are complete and 300 troops are put in each castle. The Grand-master asks Riga and the Livonian Order to join the Hanseatic League and leave the Gotland League (Mod Response). We will send a envoy to Bremen to Improve relations. The Grand-master is ordering to put higher taxes in Courland. With the war in Novgorod ending we being back the 5,000 Knights sent to Sweden back to the country.
 * Riga and Livonia do so only insomuch as they trust the Teutonic knights
 * Duumvirate of Cilicia: Baydu dies from a disease and the now 22-year-old (OOC: again, estimate as exact date of birth was not recorded) Albert inherits his place in the Duumvirate alongside Hethum II acting as regent for King Leo III of Armenia. The military continues fortifying Aleppo, with the size of the garrison expanding to 17,000 through extensive recruiting in eastern Anatolia. The government works on increasing the integration between Turkic and Persian inhabitants of the nation by having people from both ethnicities work on the same farms between Sis and Sivas, thereby also expanding the farms and improving the economy. A new Nestorian church is built in Sivas to further integrate the region with Cilicia proper. The government is uncertain about the strategies used by the Byzantine Empire in Bulgaria and so decides not to send any new troops there for now, though the 2,000 soldiers already in Byzantium are kept there.
 * Qipchaq Khanate: The military focuses on improving the fortifications of Mashhad by building new walls, moats and outlying watchtowers, in order to repel potential attacks from Khoreson or Öljaitü. The Persian and Yuan farmers continue to work on expanding the agriculture and food supply in the area around the city. Qipchaq hopes to establish a connection from Mashhad to the Caspian Sea in order to further improve the agriculture, but the area between Mashhad and the sea is controlled by the Khoreson-allied Emirate of Hyrcania. Hence, Qipchaq sends scouts to infiltrate Hyrcania and investigate the nation's defences and potential locations to attack in order to extend Mashhad's area of control to the Caspian Sea.
 * Bohemia-Poland: Wenceslaus III marries his betrothed Catherine di Visconti in a lavish ceremony in Krakow inviting members of the princes of the HRE and the various nobles of Poland and Bohemia in an effort to shore up support at home and in the hre. He also commits to liberating eastern Poland from, Ruthenian control taking advantage of the divided attention of the Golden Horde. He calls on the levies and nobles across Bohemia and Poland Mobolizing in Krakow. He begins hiring mercenaries and calls on his ally Hungary for support. Seige weapons are also built. Jan Muskata votes for the Roman candidate. Wenceslaus III seeing the economic potential of the Hansa's inland expansion offers to help Hansa traders push farther inland.
 * Papal States (Sede vacante): The citizens of Lazio and the rest of the Papal legations mourn and grieve His Holiness' unsuspected death. Cardinal Giovanni Minio da Morrovalle promises to subjugate the French bastard and to let the French know their place. da Morrovalle also promises bars of gold to the Senese council of Siena and the Signoria of Florence for their votes for him to hold the Papal office (MOD RESPONSE PLEASE).
 * Florence accepts, Siena refuses
 * Kingdom of Hungary: With the mobilization of our Bohemian-Polish allies, the regency council votes to support them in attacking the Golden Horde in order to secure the border and protect against potential incursions by them. Forces under the king and the magnates begin mobilizing to attack the Golden Horde and liberate the Christians living there from the heathen yoke. The army is placed under the leadership of Matthew III Csák, he places his responsibilities under the viceroyalty of Ivan Koszegi, while he is absent from the capital. The troops amass at the Carpathians in the border preparing to launch a strike into the lands of Ruthenia. In response to this, the title of Géza's Great Grandfather Andrew II is claimed, with Géza claiming the title King of Ruthenia.
 * Crown of Aragon: Following the fall of Ceuta, the path to move south is opened as the allied forces with reinforcements and lines of established supply move inland. 5,000 men allied to the House of Barcelona and stationed in Napoli are sent off to support Achaea in defense against Albania alongside with portions of our relieved fleet off the coast of Morocco following the fall of Ceuta with 20 ships in total being dispatched while the remainder of non-supply ships block off regions of yet to be captured shoreline. Men in Melilla receive supply after capturing defenses and continue to use siege weapons in the city which have already been supplied prior to capture it in hopes of our allied forces being able to join in Fes for further support. Forces in the battle for Fes see supply as crucial with Cavalry being taken full advantage of. Contact with coast secured, supplies such as food and water are able to be delivered to our men by horseback. The city is cut off to ensure that a supply shortage may ensue even outside of conflict with the arrival of catapults and trebuchets being used to launch massive chunks of hazardous debris into the city with archers launching arrows at men and over defenses alike to ignite defenses and take out enemies. Digging through the surface, flammable material is also used to chip away at defenses and create significant weaknesses. Meanwhile, similar attacks are applied to secure Melilla in order to secure the city through siege tactics and weapons that are applied in Fes. King James II to boost morale and as the flag-bearer of the Papacy, lead his men in the battle for Fes.
 * Japanese Empire (Sengoku): The Sengoku Jidai continues in earnest with the Emperor this year marshalling his forces for a massive push on central Japan. A force of 15,000 a force of 20,000 and a force of 25,000 are sent Southwest, North and Northeast respectively under the commands of Hiruzen, Saito, and the Emperor himself Go-Uda march on the Hosokawa, Tetsuko, and Miura clans. This endeaver almost breaks the bank for the Emperor who uses some outside funding from allied or loyal daimyo's personal fortunes promising riches beyond belief following the reunification of Japan. The first battles to be joined are the battle with the Hosokawa clan about 50 miles north of the city of Wakayama taking advantage of the majority of the Hosokawa armies focused east on the Amago and Minamoto clans. Hiruzen looking to prove himself to the emperor and to anger his parent Minamoto clan with his escape to the emperor manages to secure a series of stunning victories against the Hosokawa garrison forces wiping out or recruiting many of them following their defeat. Wakayama falls by the beginning of winter and the Hosokawa are pushed out of all the territory to the south of the capital effectively suring most of this section of the island. The Hosokawa daimyo in an attempt to retake the region land once down the coast from the city only to be met with Hiruzen deploying fire lances on the landing ships setting many of them on fire and absolutely slaughtering the vast majority of the rest with the few who surrendered committing Seppuku as honor demands. The war to the north brings the Emperors forces under Saito into conflict with the re-organized Tetsuko forces who secure a few early victories only to be drawn full well into Saitos trap in the valley between Horai mountain and Minako mountain. The Tetsuko force suffers a serious defeat which leads to their defense of the Obama and Takashima fortresses leading to two back to back decisive defeats for the Tetsuko. Reeling from this, the Tetsuko see some losses against the Miura as well who are unaware of the Imperial army marching on Edo. As the Tetsuko fall back from various forward positions, Saitos army turns southwest starting the siege of Maizuru looking to evict a recently made Amago stronghold. The march on Edo puts the largest of the Emperors armies led by Go-Usa himself against a 30,000 strong Miura army. The battle before its initiation sees flipping of nearly 2,000 Samurai and 3,000 of his Ashigaru forces to the Miura forcing a deperate stand for the Emperor. His forces are caught on the backfoot fighting ferociously against the traitors as the Mirua army closes with his own. Having been studying up on strategy the last few years, Go-Uda takes falls back quickly in an attempt to reconstitute his army. The Miura forces force the Emperors army all the way back to Nagoya putting the city to siege trapping him. One fateful day however, Go-Uda plots taking his forces he waits for nightfall following the days battles having barely staved off the assaults into the city with purely the city garrison. His army strikes late into the night comming up quickly on the Miura encampment. Fire-arrows, Firelances, and two trebuchets complete with flaming munitions fly into the Miura camp. Tents and fortifications barely manned are set aflame as Imperial troops stream into the camp wiping out or capturing most of the forward troops. The Miura forces having lost nearly half their number to this surprise begin a shameful retreat harassed by the Emperors forces. His act having invigorated his troops and with deeds of this turnaround spreading to the entire empire and other daimyo, he reveals his trump card. A mercenary force preparing to intervene and break the siege of Nagoya are redirected and a fleet sails up the Tokyo bay seizing Yokohama and managing to batter Edo into a very disadvantageous siege. The Miura forces now sandwhiched between the two armies are forced to evacuate leaving much of their core territory and try to march over the Chiba in order to re-establish a secure base of power. With great successes this year the Emperor has clearly used this year to become one of the dominant forces on the islands as the remaining Daimyo are forced to re-organize following the disastrous first years of the Sengoku period.
 * Republic of Milan: Following the defeat in the city of Pavia Milanese forces reorganize and prepare for a second assault with battering rams as well as more ladders. Half of the large cavalry force of the Milanese mercenaries dismount in order to better assault the walls upon the breaking of the gates the remainder of the Cavalry will charge in hoping to use the foot soldiers to push enemy forces off of the gate and give our Cavalry a larger field to work with inside of the castle. From here, Our forces will be able to rout the enemy due to our large force of powerful medium and heavy cavalry being able to cycle charge. This tactic has been further refined in recent battles as the long lances begin to incorporate more major foot soldiers in there company. A diplomat is sent to Lubeck to discuss current economic matters and future plans for the HRE economically.

1307
''' Habemus Papam! Cardinal Giovanni Minio da Morrovalle is elected the new Pope, and has taken the name Pope John XXI. The Liber Pontifica then alters the name of the previous Pope John XXI to be retroactively referred to as "Pope John XX". '''

''' Or ... maybe not? News travels from Siena that the Cardinal bribed other members of the conclave to vote for him. This scandal raises legitimate concern of the election being invalid. Riccardo Petroni leads a collective of four Cardinals (from Siena, France, Aragon and Castile) to relocate to hold a new conclave outside of Italy, either in Avignon or Barcelona. The Knights Templar and other Holy Orders generally adheres to Pope John XXI for the time being, which further aggravates the military finances of France. '''

''' Almost as an act of God, the Lateran Palace in Rome burns down. '''

''' After the mysterious assassination of Sultan Abu Thabit Amir while beseiging Ceuta, Morocco falls into a civil war between his two rival sons: Abu Al-Rabi Sulayman and Othman ibn Idris. Othman is by far and away smaller in power, holding only Tétouan, Tangiers and lands in between. However, he makes an offer to Aragon to grant them free trade in Morocco if he is supported as Sultan. '''

''' Chaka Khan briefly seizes the capital of Bulgaria and is proclaimed the new Tsar, but is eventually deposed after seven months by the previous Tsar, who has him murdered. '''

''' Bayan Khan begins sweeping through the Golden Horde, having taken the capital of Sarai and advancing on Bolghar. Rumors spread of his ambitions of following up a renewed invasion of eastern Europe. '''

''' The Republic of Novgorod agrees to Sweden's original peace deal. '''

''' King Edward I of England dies, and is succeeded by Edward II. '''

''' Hospitaller invasions in the Aegean continues, as does various wars in the former states of Rum. '''

''' William Tell manages to shoot an apple off his son's head, sparking a revolution in Switzerland against the Duchy of Austria. '''
 * Kingdom of Sweden: With victory achieved over the Novgorod forces and a peace being signed, the Swedish army moves into northern Finland and Karelia. Here the army begins pacifying the Karelians who refused to submit, burning their villages, plundering their lands and slaughtering the people, with the disloyal Chieftains who started the war and their families being crucified. The disorganized Karelians are too weak to resist the Swedish onslaught. The border Karelians who were loyal and submitted to Sweden are given portions of the remainer of Karelia, which is divided up and awarded to different Catholic chieftains, who are made nobles of Finland. Other portions of Karelia are awarded to Swedish nobles. In order to thoroughly Christianize the region, the Swedish monarchy and Church work together to build a Church in every major Karelian settlement and assign a priest to each Church. Additionally, the Swedish government begins building two castles in Karelia to solidify Swedish dominance. After being defeated in Skane by King Christopher, Valdemar returns to Stockholm to beg for mercy before his brother. Though urged by Queen Martha and several advisors to execute him, Birger cannot forget how Valdemar released him peacefully from Nyopking and did not harm him or threaten to harm him. Instead of executing Valdemar, he is sent with a single ship and 15 men to the distant Jarldom of Greenland to live a permanent exile in the unknown world out there. [JARLDOM OF GREENLAND RESPONSE] Birger’s other brother is allowed to keep his lands and titles. However, he is confined to his castle, stripped of his private bodyguard and instead is guarded by Royal Guards loyal to Birger. The brother is also forbidden from receiving noble visitors in order to prevent conspiracy. With Denmark secured, Karelia conquered and the war in Novgorod seemingly wrapping up, the government turns to its domestic affairs. With the Gotland League disbanded, Sweden begins adjusting to the regulations and restrictions of the Hanseatic League. With the Gotland League disbanded, the Sound Tolls are raised to their normal levels again for all non-Scandinavian traders in the Baltic. To handle Swedish economic affairs within the Hanseatic League the Milanese bankers advise Birger to establish a merchants guild within Sweden, allowing merchants to form mutual protection contracts and making it easier to cooperate. It also allows easier communication between the iron workers, the main producers of Swedish goods, and the merchants, who trade the goods.
 * Free City of Lübeck: The head state of the Hanseatic League sees an exponential influx of trade. With the League's hiccup now ended, Lübeck intends to ensure membership in the league is indeed mutually beneficial. Some states saw Hanseatic trade as punitive; Bürgermeister Albrecht Von Bardewik intends to empower each member state through cultural and commercial means. He organizes a Yuletide celebration of Hanseatic member states. For twelve days, a festival prior to Christmas Day is held in the corresponding city square. This festival is called Weihnachtsstadt. This celebration will rotate each year, celebrating a different location. To honor Sweden for her contribution to Hanseatic law in the past, the first Weihnachtsstadt celebrates Visby. Games, folktales of bygone ages, and decorations line the streets as Swedish vendors in Lübeck see increased attention. In the meantime, attempts to expand the docks of Lübeck continue. The hulls of 40 ships are laid down this year. Though some are sold, 20 are pressed into the Lübeck navy. 15 new ships are sent to protect Hanseatic trade in the Baltics while the other five act as protection for a merchant fleet into the Mediterranean, where they escort merchant ships into the Italian city. A dedicated land route from Lübeck to Meissen is proposed. The city will act as an intermediary between Lübeck and Milanese trade. Hungary is offered a similar deal. Meanwhile, Lübeck asserts nominal control over Hamburg and Bremen. A mercenary group out of Bremerhaven is contracted in case of war or unrest. Lübeck begins a campaign to get the Archbishop of Bremen named Cardinal. In the meantime, Lübeck establishes offices along the Frisian coast, hoping to capitalize on the fairly unadulterated trade in the region. Following the Swedish war with Novgorod, trade with Russia has been somewhat disrupted. Intending to resume trade as soon as possible to deliver Russian products throughout the Baltic, Lübeck offers to aid Novgorod in establishing a new settlement along the banks of the Ea River at the location of OTL St. Petersburg. This settlement, which will be owned by Novgorod, will be established with the help of a number of Hanseatic guilds, which will maximize profit throughout the Baltic. Mod response needed.
 * Delhi Sultanate: Having besieged Dhar and cornered the Yadava force, the Sultan's 52,000 strong army detaches three tumen to besiege Dhar, the rest 22,000 troops are reinforced with two tumen from Afghanistan and are sent to Devagiri (totalling 42,000 troops). They besiege Devagiri and move into the city to the fight the remnants out. The troops raiding Devagiri benefit from its weakened defenses due to the fact that it was raided back in 1296. The Delhi armies use Mongol tactics, being a Turkman dynasty, using a cavalry based approach while attacking the opposing force. Catapults are used to besiege Dhar. With the siege of Dhar complete and the Yadava forces being routed, the Paramara territory is annexed and a Governor is appointed for Dhar from the Chalisa. Meanwhile, the Sultan continues his reforms, the urban centres continue to grow. As the Middle East falls into further chaos, more Muslims migrate to India and are easily accommodated, many of them settle in Gujarat as traders and merchants. Trade begins to flourish as direct sea trade is established with many states. The Siri fort continues to be constructed. The government keeps implementing the reforms as the bureaucracy expands steadily. Alauddin introduces a major reform in agriculture, reducing kharaj (agricultural tax) from 50 percent to 40 percnt. The administration also begins collecting revenue directly from the cultivators (peasants and village chiefs) and eliminates the intermediaries, this is only done in the area around Delhi and in Awadh and Punjab.  The Government works on consolidating control over the newly acquired territories.
 * Kingdom of Georgia: Beka Jaqeli dies at the age of ~57. His death is mourned by many, including both King David and Prince George, both of whom are his grandsons. With George now recognized as a "man" – having been recently wed to the Mongol princess Altansarnai – he is given the position of Lord High Constable in the Georgian court. With the Heir Apparent, Crown Prince Anastasius, now aged twelve years, Oljath begins to mentor him in the affairs of state and matters such as theology, music, and literature. The youth begins to take interest in archery in-conjunction with horseback riding – both activities he has observed from his maternal relatives. With both Persia and the Golden Horde seemingly in chaos, David places all regular troops (which total ~20,000) on high alert. He nevertheless continues to send tribute to Tügä Khan. Afraid of reversing Georgia's recent territorial gains, David strengthens the fortifications in Sumqayit and Tskhumi to the north; recognizing the low elevation of the Arran valley makes it relatively prone to a foreign attack, he strengthens the walls of the strategically-important cities of Ganja and Baku. The Naqivchaqari, which are comprised of highly mobile and ranged horse–archers (which fight using Turko–Mongol tactics), would prove to be highly-instrumental in repelling any potential behaviors; meanwhile, the Monaspa begin to specialize further in inflicting shock and routing enemy troops – using weapons such as lances and thrusting swords. Silver from Imereti and copper from Kartli are used to mint coinage – underpinning the economy. Under the encouragement of the Crown, commerce expands. Merchant and artisan guilds thrive in Tbilisi and Ganja, as well as the port of Batumi. Wine, wool (as felt), and enamels are traded. However, cotton cloth becomes an increasingly important commodity.
 * Angevin Kingdom of Albania: Acknowledging that there is no way to turn back and that he is trapped, King Robert I sends a message to the Byzantine Emperor requesting an alliance with the Byzantine Empire against the Achaeans while also requesting some minor support from the Venetians (Byzantine and Venitian Response Needed). Meanwhile, Prince Philip falls back to the Shkumbin River where he quickly establishes small fortifications in preparation for the Achaean League’s advance with 6,000 men left while sending a Fleet of approximately 60 ships to break the enemy blockade. In order to try to halt the enemy advance, King Robert I mobilizes a force of 3,000 troops from Provence and sends these troops to Albania with the Albanian Fleet set to attack the Achaean-Aragonese Fleet once these troops arrive in front of the blockade as a means to give them an opening and allow them to quickly land in Durres, the Albanian Capital. (Secret) Enraged by the treason of some Greek Nobles and with Prince Florent present in the Battlefield, Prince Philip sends Agents to meet with Margaret of Villehardouin offering to support her in claiming the Principality of Achaea as well as trying to gain the support of Hugh V, the Duke of Burgundy, who is also the Titular King of Thessalonica offering the Duke control of parts of the Principality of Achaea and the Duchy of Athens as a means to give him a base of operations to retake Thessalonica with his support while also seeking the support of Thessaly against the Achaeans (Mod Response Needed) (End of Secret). With this Prince Philip prepares the met with the forces of Prince Florence still willing to crush him and defeat him personally for his treason against the Latin Emperor.
 * You have 4,000 left.
 * Byzantine Empire: We are interested in your offer and we accept. We need as much possible support we can get against our enemies.
 * Archbishopric of Trier: With the decline of the mental health of Archbishop Diether, much of the political decisions in the Archbishopric are made by the cathedral chapter. With the end of the conclave, the chapter writes a letter in the name of the archbishop to pope John XXI and sends to him a barrel of wine produced by the Huber family as gift to be used as Sacramental wine in the pontifical mass. The chapter and Diether denounce the dissident cardinals as schismatics and support the election of John XXi as legal [Papal response needed, please]. The Huber family has been gaining prominence due to the excellent wine produced. The cathedral chapter also writes to the Burgermeister reinterating the aceptance of his offer to participate in the Hanseatic League and asks if a Hanseatic merchant post can be built on Koblenz, to use the rivers Moselle and Rhine as waterways to transport Hanseatic products. In the name of the Bank of Trier, the chapter asks the Free City of Lübeck if they would be interested in using its services to manage the finances of the League. A invitation for participate in the festivities of the Day of Saint Symeon next year are send to the Archbishop of Bremen and to the Burgermeister [Lübeck response needed, please]. The chapter sends congratulations to Wenceslaus III for his marriage last year and asks for a trade agreement between the Archbishopric and Bohemia-Poland. A golden cross is sent to Wenceslaus and a jewelry necklace is sent to Catherine di Visconti as gifts [Bohemia-Poland response needed, please]. In Koblenz, the monastery and its library are finished and the first prior general is Berthold von Fischer. Diether donate his Commentaries to the monastery’s library and the Church of Saint Castor is given to the Order to be used as their main church in the city. The Archiepiscopal Palace is almost complete. Seeking to the train the Episcopal Army, the cathedral chapter acting in the name of the archbishop asks the Catalan Company if they can help. Their experience in wars and their efficiency are famous, also the Company will be very well paid for their services [MOD response needed, please]. One week before the day of Saint Symeon of Trier, his reliquary is moved to the Cathedral of Trier to be venerated until the procession. By day it’s exposed to the faithful and by night it’s kept safe in a vault. During these seven days, many pilgrims arrive, seeking for graces and miracles. They visit the tomb of Saint Symeon at his Church and pray before the reliquary at the Cathedral. A small fair is formed, with people selling food and handicrafts. Ceramic tiles and vases painted with saints icons become popular products at this fair, with many being bought. Finally, at May 1st, the procession leaves the Cathedral of Trier carrying the reliquary. This year there are many more people than in the previous one. Accompanying the procession is Albert of Habsburg. Prior Fischer and the Dominican monks are also following it. The procession ends at the Church of Saint Symeon of Trier, with Diether and the auxiliary bishop of Trier co-celebrating the solemn mass and depositing the reliquary in its niche. The madness episodes of Archbishop Diether become more frequent and are lasting long. By September he is only talking nonsenses about relics. In October after a crises, Diether fall from the stairs of his house and is badly injured. He dies in late November due to the injuries and his body is buried in the Aula Palatina after a mass for his memory was celebrated. The Cathedral Chapter elects Baldwin von Luxemburg as the new Archbishop of Trier.
 * The Catalan Company are crusading in Morocco, but send a few officers to help train the Episcopal army of Trier
 * Hanseatic Diplomacy: The Hansa prefers to keep its finances in the hands of her own merchant guilds and circles. However, such an offer does entice a Ratsherr (A member of Lübeck's city council) named Balthasar Lüneburg to pursue banking practices modeled after those of Trier and Milan.
 * Papal Response: We thank the Archbishopric of Trier for recognizing us as the one and only papacy.
 * Bohemian Dip: Wenceslaus III and Catherine accept the lovely gifts and agree to trade with the prince bishopric.
 * Mali Empire: After a smashing victory against Waalo, Mansa Abu Bakr invested more heavily into the Atlantic naval expansion, a particular interest of his. In a meeting of the Gbara at Niani, the Mansa pitched his idea to finance a concerted effort of exploration of the Atlantic Ocean, for the primary reason of finding ways to export their gold and salt without relying so heavily on the Sahelian Caravans. So in spring of that year, an expedition of three ships and eight smaller vessels were commissioned to the Malian admiral Sanbao, for exploring the great unknown. The voyagaes of Sanbao are often the subject of historical debate, as they are often filled with various fantastic stories or imagery, but also are a very key source of information for the Mali Empirea this time period. In his first voyage, Sanbao traveled north along the coast of Africa starting in Waalo, and first arrived at the town called Nwadibu. This was a very small fishing village, where he claimed to meet many women collecting old jars and lamps that washed ashore. When he asked what they do with the jars, they explained that these held various Jinn that were imprisoned by King Solomon thousands of years ago, and so whenever they find a jar they immediately open it and let the Jinn run free. He asked if they feared the Jinn harming them at all, and they assured him that the vast majority of these Jinn were fairly weak and could do no harm to a man or woman of Islam. He continued north to the town of Eddaxla, which was a major hub of trade for Arabic people. The ruler of these tribes described himself as being a direct descendant of Abi Waqqas, and knew of no Caliph since the succession of Al-M'amun. Continuing farther north, he eventually arrived at the island of Majorero, ruled by the mighty kingdom of Maxorata. He described the inhabitents of this island in detail, saying that their religion had a male God worshipped only by men, and also a goddess worshipped only by women. Finally, he turned east from this island and arrived at the great city of Guelmim (ⴳⵯⴻⵍⵎⵉⵎ), well-known to any travelers of Morocco and the Sahel. From here he was able to seek an audience with the Sultan of Morocco, and obtained several notable gifts that he brought back home to the court of Niani. Meanwhile, Mansa Abu Bakr did some traveling of his own, as he journeyed with his family across the Sahara desert eastward to make pilgrimage to Mecca in the Mamluk Sultanate. Musa continues his successful conquests in exile by invading the Kingdom of Zamfara. The Saharan Caravan trade continues to prosper.
 * Crown of Aragon: Following the events of the conclave, the Cardinals are invited to Barcelona to elect a new pope.(PLAYER RESPONSES) 20 more ships, six of which support vessels and the other 14 galleys are constructed and are ordered to aid in the support of the Atlantic Coastal Blockade of Morocco as the northern coast has been secured. With the nation in a state of civil war, The Crown takes full advantage of this situation by agreeing to support Othman as Sultan believing that it would perhaps open the door for greater Aragonese Operations and ease within the war efforts as it would collectivise more forces to finish off the war. With the victory in Melilla and the men of Aragon and her allies now arriving in Fes, the siege continues with siege tactics continuing on with the blocking of the city from outside connections, flaming arrows being launched inward to take out men and ignite defenses and structures within the city, and boulders launched by catapults being used to destroy defenses while diggers continue to damage defenses using flammable materials and tunnels. These weak points also become targets for catapults as well seeing as it could be used to break through and secure the city in a what would be very important victory for Aragon, her allies, and the Moors who have aligned with her. Rabat experiences a large concentration of ships to block trade off ensuring the city would only have what it can sustainably rely on its own domestically. A second group are sent to destroy the ports and burn them to the ground. This is replicated throughout portions where the blockade extend. Outside of Rabat, this is done most notably in Anfa/Casablanca, Safi, Agadir, and Essaouira. Back where the conclave is being organised, a notable Bishop who has been seen in good faith by The Crown and those who have surrounded themselves around him is Bishop Martín López de Azlor of Huesca. This man sees the support of the Aragonese within the conclave.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: Following the civil war Abu joined the dynasty movement, he reported some Saharouis rebel got against of both movement in a way Abu come in Aragon to come to fix this situation hostile afterwhile Abu come in the Western Sahara for hiding behind that civil war and he come to his birthplace suddenly, the army dynasty searched him so Abu is safe he come in Sahara to conquer so Othman to defeating most of dynasty movement and removing this civil war.
 * Byzantine Empire: The Byzantine Empire is in a rather desperate situation, having enemies on all sides. Bulgarian, Achaean and Knight forces all plan against us, while we only have 12,000 men. Our border with Bulgaria will hold 6,000 men, with 4,000 infantry, 1,500 cavalry and 500 elite Varagrian guards. Meanwhile, our Achaean border to the south will hold 5,000 men, with 3,500 infantry, 1,000 cavalry and 500 elite Varagrian guards. Our Bulgarian army is led by the king himself Andronikos II, while our Achaean army is led by Ioannes the Nicaean, a soldier from Nicaea who has rose himself to become high-quality soldier and general, although he does not compare to our king. Finally, our 1,000 extra men are placed in major cities, such as Thessalonica (200 men), Adrianopole (300 men) and Constantinople (500 men). We also hold an extra 8,000 men in reserves, who hold basic military education. Our navy holds a total of 24 ships, with six galleys, eight cogs, and ten transport ships that will hold a total of 4,000 men. Meanwhile, on the home front, an advisor close to the king who held a fair share of power has been accused of heresy and converting to Catholicism. The advisor was tried but proved innocent in the imperial court, and the accuser was found guilty of lying. He has had been blinded so he will not be able to corrupt his vision to declare false and dangerous lies. Meanwhile, in Thessalonica, a small plague killed 5,000 residents. The Byzantine Emperor on Easter Day had blessed the victims and a memorial was held at the Hagia Sophia. Meanwhile, the Byzantine diplomacy has attracted the attention of King Robert, ruler of Albania, to form an alliance with us, adding an extra 6,000 men to the table. The Byzantine future can be blessed and prosperous, but a long and risky fight will have to be won to get there.
 * Bohemia-Poland: The rapid advance of Bayan Khaninto the Golden Horde raises alarms amongst the court of Wenceslaus III both Polish and Bohemians still remember the devastation inflicted upon the European nations over the course of the previous century. Wenceslaus III chooses to change the goals of his planned invasion of Ruthenia from one of reconquest to one of consolidating a strong opposition to the new Mongol threat. Envoys are sent to the various Russian princes and to the renmants of the Golden Horde to build a coalition against Bayan (mod response). Having gained the interest of the Southern Rus Wenceslaus III commits to providing 30,000 troops to the coming war against the Mongols and also begins sending arms and and masons to help the Ruthenians fortify themselves against the coming Mongols. Wenceslaus III's council design plans to work in close cooperation with the Hungarians in a drawn scorched earth camapign in the Carpathians while Krakow and the Fortifications in Lesser Poland will fall back should the fighting draw out to long. In domestic affairs despite some tensions amongst the crown and the polish nobility the continuation of fair rule and consulting the nobles along with the growing prosperity of Poland thanks to the growing trade with the Hansa and in the Transcarathian region leads to some calming of the unrest along with the looming threat of another mongol invasion. Promotion of the settlement of germans continues mainly in Krakow, Bohemia, and in Gdansk, and Silesia. Direct control over Silesia continues to grow while the young Duke Henry VI remains under the tutelage of his future brother-in-law Wenceslaus III. Hungary is called upon to amass troops to aid in the coalition. more to be added later.
 * Concerned about the potential of a rising Mongol power, many of the southern Russian states - Ruthenia, Chernigov, and Muron all declare their interest in the coalition. Some of the northern states, however, believe that the true threat to Russians remain Catholics, not Mongols.
 * Trier Diplomacy: To show the support of the Archbishopric to king Wenceslaus III in his war with the pagans, a chest of gold is offered to help with the war effort.
 * Duchy of Brabant: "Harba Lorifa"Our duke's father-in-law Edward I of England dies, Duke John II sends his condolences to the New English King Edward II. John II even requesting that His Majesty Edward II recognises Uncle-in-law's status and title of Duke of Lotharingia (Mod Response). While this is happening John II finally has the chance to begin to teach his son John basic chivalry and writing and reading, even tough Little John does have issues being to concentrate being a little kid who wants to play. Little John now also getting dressed more properly like a noble and the heir of the throne would, with fancy colours and nicely decorated and made buttons and belts on. John also now going on parades and meetings together with his big Father, these meeting having a big impression on the boy Little John looking around and admiring the beautiful clothing and manner of talking. Our duke and father of Little John, John II considers sending his son and heir to the Throne of to a foreign country so he can be cultured in their customs and language. While also getting benefits of information that is available there and not in Brabant-Lotharingia, as not all books and traditions are translateable into other languages. This fact, combined with Duke John II's wish to restore relations with the House of Avesnes makes him request to Prince Florent of Hainaut, that John heir to the Lotharingian throne can study in Achaea (Achaean response). The heir to the Throne also being possible to find men to in the future to train Brabantine Gatraphetes who are compared to the Greeks undertrained. The archery trainings which any men over 15 is obligated to go, on the other hand, is having great but slow results. The skills of the common peasant slowly but steadly improving, as they now do realy have to train to shoot their bows. While the nobility after only one year have to ready themselves up again, As John II officially sends a request to the county of Flanders to return Flemish Zeeland and Land of Aalst(Mod Response). This is done while at the same time readying an army of around 5,500 men on their border, with Duke John II asking Zeeland (Mod response) to provide for extra troops for the fight.
 * Flanders refuses to bow to these demands and prepares for war.
 * Zeeland supports Brabant in the conflict.
 * King Edward II unofficially recognizes John II of Brabant as Duke of Lothraingia.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: We accept the duty and responsibility of raising heir to Lotharingia, John.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: We accept the Swedish proposal but tells him that we won't finance his stay and instead he will have to find a work on Greenland.works on raising cattle and goats begins.on the 12 December, the jarl returns from a snowstorm in which he catches a nasty cold which he dies of on the 29th December. He is succede by his younger brother, Anders.
 * Lordship of Ireland: With no longer active fighting the troops are recalled to Ireland and sent back to their homes. The population of able bodied men is allowed to slowly rise again while debts incurred are paid down by way of taxation on land and movable property while low spending elsewhere. An enclosure act is passed consolidating some small holdings and removing public land principally for sheep farmers. Trade is promoted with England, Scotland and France while sheep farmers harvesting wool are taxed less.
 * Kingdom of Navarre: The 18-year-old Louis I, King of Navarre and next in line the French throne, decides to renounce his heirship of the French throne but retain the Navarrese throne after discussions with his father King Philip IV of France and his siblings in Paris; his brother Philip the Tall now becomes the French crown prince. Thus, the personal union between France and Navarre ends, though Louis agrees to maintain an alliance with his father's kingdom. Upon returning to the Navarrese capital of Iruñea/Pamplona, Louis I and his wife Margaret of Burgundy are met with great acclaim and praised as heroes by the Navarrese people, who are glad to have a local king again instead of being ruled from Paris. In Navarre, Louis I orders the improvement and expansion of the nation's main seaport at Donostia/San Sebastián in order to increase opportunities for maritime trade and fishing. Meanwhile, Louis I keeps a close eye on the papal dispute between Rome and Aragon, hoping to see a Navarrese cardinal appointed.
 * Papal States: We laugh at the fact that the inferior Catholic nations are making their own conclave. They should remember that I am the one who they ultimately answer to. Because of the previous pope's death, we excommunicate Philip of France on the lines of intended murder. In the culinary world, pasta forks are required at restaurants and taverns in Lazio, Benevento, and the rest of the Papal legations. The Pontiff publishes a papal bull in support of fighting the Mongols with Orthodox cooperation.
 * Teutonic Knights: With the crisis that is happening with the Vatican we announce we will be Joining the Conclave against the Pope. The Grand-master has ordered 500 priests to be sent to the northern and western parts of the country to convert them the Christianity and we will be sending 1,000 knights there to maintain order while that is happening.also do to wealth being generated by us joining the Hanseatic League we will lower taxes in all county's. Also, due to the war going to happen between Bohemia and the Mongols we send 5,000 troops to Bohemia to help them as we do consider them allies.(Secret)We send a diplomat to Zaragoza to discuss plans with Aragon on what should be done with the conclave to defeat the illegitimate Pope (End of Secret). Meanwhile, the medium sized port that was under construction for four years is finally opened in Memel.
 * Japanese Empire (Sengoku): The sengoku jidai continues! The Various failures and successes the previous year of many of the powerful clans of Daimyo has led to the the establishment of more serious alliances and in a shock to all the declaration of the new Minamoto Shogun Hideyoshi as the true emperor of Japan claiming to be "Son of Heaven" using past marriages with the Imperial family to justify their claim as descendants of Amaterasu. Quickly adopting similar reforms to the Emperor in Kyoto the "Usurper emperor" draws the Ire of all Japan with the Emperor demanding Truce with all the other clans. This shocking development brings all the powerful clans of Japan together in Kyoto under the banner of truce and honor, the latter of which is absolutely sacred in Japan. With wide recognition that the Minamoto are usurpers to the throne the Emperor unifies the warring clans together in the "Coalition to depose the Minamoto." A massive army, the largest Japan has ever seen numbering 150,000 marches south to meet the advancing Minamoto with an army of 60,000. While vastly outnumbered the Minamoto have much clearer unity and their armies not broken up by clan. The Coalition army, however, is not organized in a serious fashion with the army broken up into seperate forces by clan and not traveling together in order to prevent infighting. This leads to serious cohesion issues within the Army and the Coalition army is smashed piecemeal. After nearly six consecutive battles over the course of three weeks the Coalition suffers immense defeat. The only two armies to hold their own are the Imperial army and the Tetsuko army, both of which are able to prevent outright defeat. The collapse of the coalition forces leaves a lot of land up for grabs as the Hosokawa, and Amago clans absolutely collapse with the Minamoto forces securing the vast majority of southern Japan now with the Minamoto bordering the Tetsuko and Imperial territories. The Tetsuko have been successful in securing the rest of northern Japan while the Emperor secures much of Japan's Pacific coast running from Kobe to Ibaraki abandoning recently seized territory in the north to secure strategic defensive positions only holding on to the city of Takashima in order to maintain some semblance of imperial presence to the north. With the defeat of the coalition and the end of the smaller clans fighting across Japan all that stand are the Tetsuko, the Minamoto, and the Empire. Not wishing to be left behind in terms of legitimacy the Tetsuko lord claims the title of Emperor as well. This once again shocks the Minamoto and the Imperial family both of which condemn the declaration. Exhausted from almost nearly a decade of war the three sides begin to fortify and consolidate refusing any more engagement for the year. The only remaining free clan the Tachibana having settled in Southern Hokkaido and with the collapse of the Shiba before the Tachibana could mobilize, their presence on Hokkaido is seen as a non-issue to the Tetsuko emperor to the south of them. However, being relatively weak and non-confrontational, the Tachibana allow refugees from all over Japan to begin settling in Hokkaido. Their emergency actions allow for the setting up of multiple villages outside of the constructed fortress. With nearly 60,000 people and still having 10,000 troops the Tachibana begin securing more territory accross southern Hokkaido and begin subjugating the Ainu tribes and bringing the people to their own settlements to aid in the building up of the new port at Hakodate. Being unable to effectively compete with the localized strength the local Ainu tribes either begin to migrate farther north, willingly join the settlers, or fight their new presumed overlords. The difference in tactics in technology is clear and the Ainu are unable to effectively resist the Tachibana which now begin to see a rise in recruitable manpower as more refugees arrive to escape the war farther south. The Tachibana, however, do send an envoy to the emperor Go-Uda claiming submission but refusing to join the war for obvious reasons. They offer to submit as long as the Emperor wins the war and send a small amount of tribute.
 * Republic of Genoa: The time had come when the republic would bet all its hopes on ending the war with Venice. In Genoa there were 158 Genoese and non-Genoese galleys ready to leave into the battle, while in the Strait of Gibraltar, a fleet of 30 war galleys continues to block the sea routes that conduce to the Atlantic. In order to increase the number of troops and warships, representatives of the Spínola family and local bankers went to Castilla and hired a fleet of 20 galleys along with 2,000 mercenaries with a price of five gold coins for each soldier and ten coins for each galley. As soon as the mercenary fleet was going to join the main army, it went to Corsica to join another fleet of ten Genoese galleys parked waiting for the raid. The army of 56 Genoese galleys with 15 Trebuchets and 5,000 soldiers and marines, along with 20 French, 20 English, 20 Portuguese, 20 Mamluks, ten from Mallorca and ten hospitals galleys with 2,000 mercenaries (1,000 of Mallorca and 800 from Knights) commanded by Admiral Lamba Doria and his son Andrea Doria headed to Tunisia where they would be grouped with the Corsica's fleet composed of 20 Hispanic with 2,000 mercenaries and ten Genoese galleys (built in 1302) with 380 soldiers and the Genoese Sardinia fleet of ten galleys with 800 soldiers (also built in 1302) around October 21 of 1307. For the next day, the main army set sail Heading to Bari where he will meet the fleet of 45 galleys with 4,100 soldiers from the Black Sea (ten in 1302 and 35 in 1306) along with other five with 200 from Acre who had arrived in time for midnight because they left Crimea and Acre two days ago. The fleet that had originally departed Genoa with 156 war galleys with 14,800 troops, became an army of 246 galleys with 17,610 from different parts of Europe ready to besiege the capital of the most important city of its greatest rival; Venice. Commanded by Lamba Doria and her son Andrea Doria, the navy sailed as soon as dawn appeared on the horizon toward the city of Venice. While they were in the immediate vicinity of the city, the navy met the main Venetian naval force, in the moment they entered into eye contact, both sides established their respective battle positions. Despite being surrounded by enemy ships, the Genoese established a galleys defense system in the form of a circumference; The 15 galleys carrying Trebuchets were placed in the center of the circumference escorted by three galleys each while the rest formed a circumference linked by chains in order to protect the galleys established in the center from enemy incursions. [ALGO NEEDED, PLEASE: The battle of Venice: Genoa vs Venice].
 * Republic of Milan: Following the victory in Pavia, The Second Republican election occurs with Galleazzo Visconti being elected by a landslide. The Long lances having just returned from Pavia prepare to go to Bohemia to help against the Mongols. (Bohemian response needed.) Further reforms are put into place in order to better organize the government system of Milan. All men have the right to vote for the house which they feel like is gonna represent them the best. For each of these men they’re vote value is proportionate to their cited and confirmed income. Higher incomes mean higher vote values, higher income also means higher taxes. As such the lower income men such as working on farms are paid by the bank, which is given currency and power through the government. With the increase in population this had to be rethought. It was eventually settled that voters would be divided into three categories. Banker, Worker, Mercenary. Bankers are as can be explained high income voters who pay higher taxes usually these people are bankers they give one vote for their candidate. Workers are farm men with consistent income but lower income. They give one vote for their candidate. Mercenary’s based out of Milan give 1.5 votes per person, this is due to the increased income these men receive and how invaluable they are to Milan. However, this group is rather small in comparison to the others with their numbers currently swelling above 7,500 as the population of Milan grows. Current population numbers are estimated at between one and 1.25 million people in the owned territory with the majority being in Milan itself. This new system is based at least in part upon some of the recently further explored Greek and Roman republican systems of old. More heavily upon the Greek. The Milanese once again look to expand their territory. Upon hearing of this new alliance in the Northern HRE, Milan immediately sends envoys and people bearing permissions to set up loan/banking deals with this new alliance. (Lubeck response needed.).
 * Wenceslaus III agrees to contract the long lances.
 * Öljaitü: With victory in Yazd Nogai is avenged, the city's wealth being plundered. Yazd's wealth will return though, and it will rebuild from its destruction, for Öljaitü and his forces fear retribution from Khoreson and build up fortifications to defend the recently captured city, reconstructing Yazd and readying the army to defend it from a counterattack. Out of respect for the deceased Nogai and his living son, Öljaitü makes the same offer to Tügä that he made to his father, Öljaitü shall acknowledge Tüga Khan as the Ilkhan so long as he does not fight Öljaitü, and Öljaitü shall fight on behalf of Tüga Khan as his vassal. (Mod Response, please).
 * Tüga Khan acknowledges this, and maintains his deal.
 * Principality of Achaea: Having won control over the southern third of Albania, Prince Florent quickly leads his troops forward to face the Albanian troops. Having reduced the enemy forces by half in 1306, Florent chases the Angevin troops to the southern bank of the Shkumbin River. Achaean-aligned forces (numbering around 14,000) pin the Angevins against the coast and the river - once again. They attack before the Albanians have time to establish fortifications, with a strong flanking effort from the east - pushing the Albanians toward the sea. Nicholas III of Saint Omer, the loyal marshal of Achaea, travels to the outlying regions and baronies of Achaea, including John Orsini of the County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, and Duke William of Naxos. Nicholas III, the adept diplomat, works to promote unity of the Achaean realm. Meanwhile, in Athens, at the end of the year, Duchess Matilda (herself the heiress to Achaea) is pregnant with the heir to the duchy. With the death of Archbishop John of Patras, Pope John XXI appoints the bishop of Andravida, Thomas, to the Archbishopric. Thomas remains loyal to the Pope amid talks of an anti-papacy. The same cannot be said of John of Spoleto, the Archbishop of Corinth, who is greatly disappointed in the simony of John XXI.

1308
''' Habemus Papam! (for real this time). The Bishop Martín López de Azlor is elected as the next Pope, taking on the Papal name of Callixtus IV. Now with two Popes in play, the Catholic nations of the world must decide which election to uphold: the commission of Simony (John XXI) or the non-Roman (Callixtus IV). So far the Teutonic Knights in the north support Callixtus, while the Knights Templar in France support John. The excommunication of King Philip is not acknowledged by supporters of Callixtus, who also removes the existing excommunication from King James II of Aragon. '''

''' England and France agree to a treaty of status quo antebellum. (You were warned). As a sign of peace, Edward II is married to Isabella of France. '''

''' Othman ibn Idris is crowned the Sultan of Morocco, but his power is mainly supported on behalf of his alliance to Aragon, effectively placing Morocco in Aragon's sphere of influence. '''

''' Albert Habsburg dies, and the Prince electors vote Henry the Duke of Luxembourg as King Henry VII of Germany, thus placing German politics under the power of the House of Luxembourg. He seeks to be crowned Emperor, with a grand vision of restoring the power of the Holy Roman Empire that was lost in the previous interregnum, both as King of Germany and King of Italy. However, the question remains which Pope will ultimately give him that authority. '''

 The great poet Dante Alighieri begins traveling across Europe, gathering ideas for his work of epic poetry known as The Divine Comedy. 

''' Bayan Khan successfully conquers the Golden Horde and unites it completely with the White Horde, although a few Slavic Vassals are in rebellion at the call of the King of Poland. '''


 * See of Barcelona: With his election as Pope, Callixtus IV immediately begins by establishing formal diplomatic relationships with the nations of the Cardinals that elected him, Aragon, Castille, France, and Siena, as well as the Teutonic Order which has also pledged their support to the rightful Pope. The Antipope John XXI is excommunicated and declared a heretic and a schismatic, his election being held illegitimate due to the commission of simony. Due to their support of the antipope, Callixtus IV also excommunicates Grand Master Jacques de Molay of the Knights Templar, as well as declaring the formal dissolution of the organization, revoking the mandate given to them by previous popes. King Philip IV of France is encouraged by Pope Callixtus IV to deal with the schismatics as he sees fit, with the full support of the Pope being behind him. Instead of immediately taking action in regards to the recently elected King Henry VII and his seeking to be crowned Emperor, the Pope decides to be patient, hoping to potentially increase his power over the ambitious king by having him come to Callixtus rather than vice versa. In the clerical world, Pope Callixtus IV sends messengers throughout all of Christendom requesting a declaration of loyalty from clergymen who would not reveal themselves to be schismatics and heretics in the eyes of the world.
 * Mali Empire: Having been greatly pleased by Sanbao's success in his fist voyage, Mansa Abu Bakr commissioned him on a second voyage, consisting of a half dozen ships and a few hundred crew. The purpose of this expedition was to claim the Gorgades Islands (OTL Cape Verde) as direct control of the Mali Empire, and set up a stable colony there. Sanbao set out from Waalo directly west into the Atlantic Ocean, and eventually came to the Island of Raee Jad (OTL Boa Vista). This island was infested with Gorgons, and eventually every single member of the initial scoutig expedition was turned to stone. As each of his crew members disappeared on the island one-by-one, this gradually struck terror into Sanbao's heart, fighting against an enemy that no mortal can directly see. Eventually, Sanbao was able to trick the Gorgons into chasing him through the trees, at a far enough distance he didn't see them. Having emerged from the forest at a high place, Sanbao lit the trees on fire, causing the Gorgons to all perish in the flames. Thus this legend supposes how the Gorgons were wiped out from the Gorgades Islands. It is on this island that Sanbao established the first Malian colony, and served as the capital of the archipeligo. From here he ventured farther west, and came to the island of Mar Yaqub (OTL Santiago). This island was inhabited by Carthaginians, who still continued to worship the gods of Baal and Asherah. They had not encountered any other civilization since the days of Hanno the Navigator, and was convinced that Rome fell to Carthage long ago. Sanbao led an army of 85 Mali warriors to defeat the Carthaginians, whose leader was named Amaurot. Sanbao had them destroy their ancient idols and convert to Islam, and pledge to be vassals of the Mali Empire. From here, Sanbao traveled north, and arrived at the island of Shaitan (OTL Sao Nicolau). This island was haunted with a variety of friendly spirits, being the ghosts of departed great heroes from the days of Hector of Troy all the way down to the days of Berossus. From here Sanbao continued farther north and arrived at the island of Jadid Mina (OTL Santo Antao). This island was inhabited entirely by women, who had lived in eternal peace without any man to lead them into war, and went around the island naked due to a lack of shame. All these islands of the Gorgades were subjugated by Sanbao, who established them as a colony directly administrated by the Mali Empire. Meanwhile, Mansa Abu Bakr arrived safely back at the court in Niani, having succeeded at his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Madina. Meanwhile, Musa continued his successful campaigns in exile, using his armies to conquer the Kingdom of Biram.
 * Archbishopric of Trier: Archbishop Baldwin is outraged by the cardinals electing a false pope. During the homily of the Easter mass celebrated in the Cathedral of Trier, Baldwin proclaims at the pulpit that Satan have sent his servants to corrupt and divide the Church. He calls the antipope that now sits on Barcelona as the Beast of Apocalypse and his servants, which call themselves as cardinals, the archbishop calls them of devils. Baldwin says that the Beast of Barcelona vomits blasphemies and with his sweet voice, like that of sirens in the pagan stories, seduced the kings of Aragon and France and will drag their souls and that of their subjects to eternal damnation. Archbishop Baldwin call to all the Christian kings, lords and knights of Militant Orders of Europe to save Aragon of the influence of the Beast by subduing this satanic creature and throwing it back into the abyss from where it should never have left. He says that this way, as Our Lord Jesus Christ triumphed over the Death when He resurrected, the Christendom shall triumph when the Beast gets crushed by the power of the true Church. This homily inspires Prior Fischer to write a book named “The Importance of the Papacy of Rome and against the Beast of Barcelona”. A copy of the homily is written in the book and others are distributed across the Archbishopric to be read by priests and prelates to the people. The name Beast of Barcelona becomes a popular name used by the people of the Archbishopric to refer to the antipope. In other matters, the Archiepiscopal Palace is finally finished and the officers of the Catalan Company are welcomed by Baldwin and they help train the Episcopal Army. As a trial by fire and to help with the war against the pagans of the East, the archbishop send 100 men to Bohemia, to help in the war [Bohemia-Poland response needed, please]. Agriculture and handicraft continues to be incentive. Baldwin gives ecclesiastic lands to people cultivate fruits and breed cattle, as payment they only will need to pay a tax of 30 percent of the value of the product sold. The Huber family expands their farming lands. A merchant post starts to be constructed in Koblenz and small ships are constructed to be used in the rivers Rhine and Moselle. The plan is to use them as waterways to transport products. With France falling in the influence of the Beast of Barcelona, Baldwin asks the Knights Templar, true servants of Christ to move to Trier. The Church of Our Lady and near buildings are offered to them as headquarters [MOD response needed, please]. Once more the day of Saint Symeon arrives. This year the fair is large than in the past one, with many handicraft products. The ceramics with painted icons of saints grow in popularity. The procession of the reliquary and solemn mass count with the presence of a large number of pilgrims, there are so many people that some stay outside the Church of Saint Symeon of Trier. In December, a couple of twin siblings named Matthias and Catharina von Schwanthaler arrive at the monastery of Koblenz seeking Prior Fischer. The two speak to the Prior that they started to have visions of Christ and that He asked them to help save his Church from the Schism and to spread his Word and Divine Mercy to all people. At first, Fischer is skeptical, but after listening these two 18 years old talking so seriously and with such a passion about Christ he decides to bring their case to the Archbishop.
 * Many knights move to Trier as they are persecuted in France.
 * Angevin Kingdom of Albania: With the Army of Philip losing men quick, King Robert I is evacuated to Venice via a galley as the Albanian Fleet provides him with cover in order to give him an opening to reach Venice along with ten ships currently commandeered by Veneitian Sailors while his family is moved to Provence as his departure for Venice would distract the Achaeans. With the Army of Philip being trapped by the troops of Prince Florence, Prince Philip sends a message to the Byzantines asking for their aid in defeating Achaea and requests he launches a quick invasion in Achaea and Athens as a means to force Prince Florence to turn back to defend Achaea from Byzantine attack (Byzantine Response Needed). With Venice and Genoa still engaged in their war, Robert I seeks asking for help from the Kingdom of France requesting that the French send a force of 10,000 men to support the Angevins while also trying to recruit some Milanese Mercenaries as a means to maintain his throne in Albania (French and Milanese Response Needed). With the Achaeans closing in against the Army of Philip, Philip arranges a risky evacuation with the Albanian Fleet launched an attack against the enemy blockade as a means to provide an opening for Philips Forces in which manage to escape though 1,000 men as a result of the Achaean Counterattack. Philip eventually arrives at Durazzo with his remaining 3,000 men where they are met with the Army of Provence composed of 3,000 men. However, instead of charging the enemy, Philip orders the men to prepare for a seige and begins expanding the fortifications while awaiting the arrival of any Byzantine Reinforcements. As for the recent Schism, the Albanian Cardinal decides to side with Callixtus IV after the revelation of the simony of John XXI in which astonished and angered him as he had voted for John XXI.
 * Byzantine Empire: Our forces will cross the border to help your invasion of Achaea. May our gracious God serve us well in our invasion.
 * Yuan China: Rather than immediately return to conquer Korea, Emperor Maxiu orders that a blockade of the peninsula be organized, and that 100,000 troops be stationed along the border with the Koreans and keep them sealed off from the rest of the world. All provincial troops are given a year-long leave of absence to spend time with their families and tend to their personal affairs, while the imperial army and reserves are informed by the emperor that they shall have a guarantee that there will be no campaigning for at least three years. The troops stationed at the border are informed of this, putting many of them at ease, and letting them know their posting is only a sentry one. The generals of the emperor are gathered to discuss military matters and reform, as well as new recruiting and training plans to replace the many losses of the army's personnel. With the upcoming census in 1310 planned, the military's leadership begins laying the foundation for a new round of recruitment and construction of garrison facilities and dockyards for the navy. Wit the pacification and incorporation of Chagatai into Yuan China, as well as the development and settlement of Mongolia and Manchuria as new nodes for habitation on par with the south, the emperor expects to see millions of new bodies added to the state registry and tax rolls. Within the interior of China, Sala continues her missionary work throughout the countryside, bringing the news of the Christ and his salvation for all mankind to the villages of the poor and humble. She baptizes many men, women, and children, and helps to found many new congregations of Huangdist Christians throughout the region. Her work is not without persecution however, as many Confucianist followers harass her as she preaches, and many have attempted to do her harm while on the road by herself. In one instance, Sala is seriously wounded by a woman who throws boiling water at the young girl, scolding one of her arms. Sala refuses to bow to this opposition, and continues with her work knowing that she may not live to see it born to fruition. Her perseverance inspires many other individuals to give up their worldly possessions and follow in her footsteps, with some vowing to protect the teenager in her efforts to preach the Christian word to her people. Many of these individuals have taken to calling her the Blessed Lady of Tongzhou, after the town of her birth outside of Beijing. Upon hearing of these developments, Emperor Maxiu ordains Sala as a member of the Huangdist clergy based in Beijing, and designates her a preacher of the faith with a state salary and official standing the imperial court. In the north, the population continues to grow with the influx of new arrivals from the southern Chinese provinces, as well as the increased birth rate as agriculture and industry continue to bloom under the direction of the imperial government's expansion of towns and cities in Mongolia. Karakorum's population peaks at 250,000 permanent inhabitants, with another 100,000 in the countryside surrounding the city's immediate region. Most of these residents are Mongols who migrated to the city to set up homes within the city walls, as well as partake in the growing industrial corridors established for the other communities being built along the new road networks in the province. Uliastai's population reaches 50,000 inhabitants, and has grown into the largest city in the northwest of the Lingbei province of Yuan China. Trade through the northern routes into China have increased in proportion with the increase in population and security in the region, as more and more people migrate into the land to take part in the expansion of urban settlements sponsored by the emperor. Other construction projects such as the expansion of Acheng within the Liaoyang province have continued under the direction of the local provincial governments. Acheng's population has reached 175,000 inhabitants, and has helped to contribute to the construction of new cities throughout the region of Manchuria. Several new cities have been built within the region, some of these being Jiamusi, Qiqihar, Jilin, Bei'an, and Baicheng, all of which have several thousand permanent residents, many of which are members of the Jurchen population which have settled down to participant in the trade and industries of these new communities. The population of the Liaoyang province has increased dramatically, and has grown into a significant source of tax revenue for the state. Back in the capital region, several of the young Chinese men sent to Mongolia to learn proper horsemanship from the Mongols have returned home as superb riders and cavalrymen. They have been deposited in various locations throughout China to help train additional generations of cavalrymen, and increase the quality of Chinese riders to a level comparable with that of their Mongol teachers. In addition, some of the settled Mongol warriors within China proper have taken up positions as teachers in the major military bases of the empire, to help increase the quality of the cavalry in the army as well. For their role, they have been granted state salaries and pensions, and many have taken Chinese wives for themselves as a means of better integrating themselves in the local culture and customs of their students. About a dozen members of the Huangdist clergy in Beijing are dispatched by Emperor Maxiu on a diplomatic mission to Rome, to seek an audience with the Pope and recognition of the church in China as a sui juris, or self-governing church in union with wider Catholicism. At the head of this delegation will be the young Sala of Tongzhou, as a living representation of the conversions taking place in China. A full force of a thousand imperial guardsmen, members fo the bureaucracy, and servants with gifts of gold, silk, and animals, are dispatched along with the clergymen, with the goal of helping obtain recognition of the Huangdist faith in the eyes of God's vicar on the earth. They go with several paizu indicating their status as being protected by the Emperor of China, and allowing them access to all of the facilities located along the Silk Road.
 * Delhi Sultanate: The 56,000 strong force splits into two forces. Four tumen fight the remaining 8,000 soldiers in Devagiri and the rest 16,000 troops conquer the rest of the Yadava territory. The armies are able to do this by June. Malik Kafur is made the Governor of Devagiri in reward for leading the successful campaign against the Yadavas. The Yadava territory is annexed. The construction of the massive Siri fort continues. Impressed by the last stand of the Yadava troops, Malik Kafur asks the remaining few hundred troops to convert to Islam and become an elite force of the Sultan's armies (MOD RESPONSE). Having conquered the Yadavas and having established their dominance over the Deccan, the Sultan orders the remaining troops of the Yadava expedition (five tumaen) to be stationed in the Deccan. The Sultan continues his reforms. The administration continues to expand steadily. The Sultan commissions a revamp of the major roadways in the Sultanate. The Chalisa and the Sultan lay down plans to inaugurate a proper navy. Orders are sent for the construction of the ships. Some of the confiscated ships of the Gujarati states and the Yadavas are renovated for the purpose.
 * The Maharastra warriors nominally accepts this request and becomes mercenary soldiers.
 * Chimu: Even with Roxhibi Chao's efforts on forcing tributes to the villages, the situation of Chimu, is still severe. Riots in villages, start because of the high demand of tributes. Roxhivi Chao, notices the situation, and deploys military units on nearby villages, to calm down the situation.
 * Republic of Venice: As a consequence of the very predictable tactics of Genoa, the Venetian admirals begin to use a similar strategy: since the most Genoan ships are locked in the matters of trying to prevent the Venetians to get to the western mediterranean, The Venetians do the exact same thing and prevent the Genoans to get to their colonies. With the sudden attack of the Genoans, which was only a matter of time but is still coming earlier than expected, the arsenals work day and night to pump out weapons, trebuchets and ships out as quick as possible. The harbors of Venice are heavily fortified with catapults and trebuchets and flammable ammunition for these. A fleet of 340 ships is sent out, most of what Venice has produced in the last three years, including smaller vessels like trading ships. The movement of the Genoan ships, however, gives a new opportunity to the Greek fleets of Venice, to block the entrance of the Adriatic Sea with the Greek fleet, to prevent supplies getting through. Due to this dire situation, the request from the Albanians has to be declined. SECRET A surprise attack is launched with the around 6,000 men from Candia, previously raiding the trade routes to Genoan Rhodes (ALGO FOR THE RHODES INVASION, PLEASE). Additionally, Aid is requested from the Venetian trusted allies in Achaea and Milan. To Milan, an extension of their sphere of influence is promised to them, as genoa has sent many of its professional soldiers to the Adriatic (MILAN RESPONSE NEEDED) The Achaeans are called to take up arms, as this is a case were the mutual defense act, and Venice would support Achaea in future ambitions on the Balkan Peninsula in return. Furthermore the Venetian diplomats send an offer to the Aragonese, in which they are promised to set up their own dynasties or client states in Sardinia (ARAGON RESPONSE NEEDED). SECRET END The navy is called to block any possible entrance of the Adriatic Sea, or access to the Genoese colonies (most importantly by blockading and raiding the Aegean Sea and the Cypriot ports held by Genoa. The trade runs fairly normal despite the war, especially due to the relationships with the Hanseatic League and Lübeck in particular. Trade with the Hanse can be still done via the land way, with a few complications due to the time consuming transportation. On behalf of the Greek allies, and to secure the stability of the markets in Greece, the Albanian King is captured in Venice. In exchange for is safety in the most serene city, he is convinced to negotiate a solution for the situation in Epirus.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: Recognizing the capture of King Robert I of Albania in Venice, Prince Florent sends Nicholas III of Saint Omer to Venice, where he negotiates the Treaty of Venice.
 * Milan Diplomacy: We send the Venetians the outlines of a deal in which upon the capturing of Genoa, a merger will hopefully take place between the Genoese and Milanese merchant republics in which the three wealthiest non-ruling Genoese merchant families will join the Milanese Merchant families in being a part of the election process. We will cede all Genoese controlled territories east of Sicily to the Venetians in exchange for the lasting peace.
 * Albanian Response: Despite the Capture of the King, Robert I imprisoned states that he can not hand over the position as Latin Emperor as that duty falls to his wife as his departure to Venice was only a distraction to allow his wife and children to reach Provence. Immediately upon her arrival in Provence, Catherine requests the protection from the King of France as a means to help her protect her title with Catherine notifying him of her oath of loyalty to the King. Meanwhile, Prince Philip sends his agents to sabotage the talks and liberate King Robert I and smuggle him to Provence. (French and Mod Response Needed)
 * Republic of Milan: Following the Genoese movement to Venice the Long lances are never sent to Bohemia and instead an additional force of 4,000 Italian mercenaries are financed and prepared should we need them as well as the core 9,000 in Milan led by Galleazzo into Genoa and expecting a fight they dig in for the first year of Siege. The same tactics that seemed so successful at the second battle of the Siege of Pavia are used in which the gates will attempt to be captured or broken then our cavalry force will fight the remaining army and hope to force them into the open field. There is a large debate as to where Galleazzo will take command as he is the current Grand Doge of Milan. Galleazzo believes that it would only be right for him to lead the Cavalry charge from the front, however, his advisors fear for his life. Galleazzo Visconti is quickly becoming one of the most recognized names among Northern Italian mercenaries and Galleazzo believes it to be only right that he leads from the front of the cavalry. Eventually it is agreed that the three head officers other than Galleazzo will form the tip of the spearhead that is so often used and Galleazzo will be in the second row. At home in Milan, major moments are at hand with the current drama in the Papacy causing lots of discussion. Upon hearing of the Elector counts support for John XXI Milan quickly supports him as well. However, there are still some minor elements who question his legitimacy and power.
 * Duchy of Brabant-Lotharingia: "Harba Lorifa" The County of Flanders refuses to give the lands who are claimed by Brabant and Zeeland, So Duke John II comes to aid of His realm and The Kingdom of France. The Duchy of Brabant and the County of Zeeland Declare war on The County of Flanders and the count Robert III of Flanders, So that Brabant can aid Zeeland in its conquest of Zeeuws Vlaanderen and to create the semi-indepent county of Aalst. Duke John II of Brabant calling on the Nobility of Aalst to defect over and regain some of their independence that was lost (Mod Response). While at the same time John asks the nobility in Holland, Limbourg and even Maastricht to help the fight against the Flemish rebels, John doing this while at the same time asking for Loon to join the war as per treaty of Alliance of 1302 (Mod response). The army that is already is split in two main groops the Zeelandic army who comes from the northern flanks to the City of Sint Niklaas which numbers around 1,500 troops and 3,500 coming from the Antwerp area. The duke Ordering his soldiers to allow those who defect to join the Brabantine Aalst army and giving them a chance to become nobles. The navy of the Brabantine Realm being asked to blockade city such as Bruge to prevent income for Flanders and make it easier to keep earnings from the habour of Antwerp, Rotterdam and the Hague. As Brabant is dependent on its trade to keep its textile industry alive, as English sheep produce the best wool in the world the English refering to the sheep as Welsh. Or more properly, Wealh which means Foreigner, in this case non-Anglo-Saxons. Duke John II even asking merchants to aid in with their ships for so long as the war continues. While this is happening due to the great succes of the Dynasty John II officialy renamed the Dynasty name to the house of Brabant-Lotharingia to show the clear decendense from the house of Lotharingia while still proud of Brabant and Duke John I legacy and the Battle of Woeringen "Were di" will always be the motto because Brabant will repel the enemy. Any enemy if needed new Romans, the pope, the Emperor anyone who oppose attacks Brabant as Mare Lotharii will exist. Trade is what makes a Lotharingian prosperous and for that the North Sea needs to be Controlled by Lotharingia with friendship this sea can be made to serve Brabant and her Allies. The "Berghe Huische" begins to be used more and more even with this war as a place where many nobles come to be send where they have to go. While this is happening, we request again from Achaea that the heir to the throne John can be given his education in their Realm (Achaea response). John II also congratulates the new Holy Roman Emperor and his brother-in-law Henry VII to his election as Holy Roman Emperor.
 * Achaean Diplomacy: We repeat our response from 1307, stating that John, the heir to the Brabantine throne, will be treated as a member of the prince's own household.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: The dynasty won! Othman is the new leader of Morocco, and take the throne the civil war is over after one year ago Othman enjoy building some mosques in the northern territory and the central. Meanwhile, he and his men come to conquer Western Sahara but a few rebels against him the Sahrawi peoples come to kill most of his troop and chasing him so the Western Sahara declare war with Morocco invade Western Sahara and the Sahrawi are chasing in the north territorial of the border the force troop send 2,000 troops by the sahrawi people the leader come to annexing Smara the morrocan border othman retreat the army and return to tetuan.
 * Kingdom of Navarre: Federico Goikoetxea, Bishop of Pamplona, denounces John XXI as an illegitimate Pope due to the corruption of his election and announces his support for Callixtus IV as the true Pope. King Louis I sends an envoy to the See of Barcelona, suggesting to Callixtus IV that he should appoint the Bishop of Pamplona as a cardinal to increase the size and thereby legitimacy of his conclave. (See of Barcelona Response) The government works on improving and expanding farms in the south of the nation in order to improve the food supply and the economy. Fishing boats also start departing from Donostia/San Sebastián to fish in the Bay of Biscay, creating a new industry and source of trading goods for the nation. Work on the improvement of the harbour of Donostia/San Sebastián continues.
 * Barcelonan Diplomacy: Pope Callixtus IV sees the wisdom in the request of King Louis I, and appoints Bishop Federico of Pamplona to the official College of Cardinals with due haste, glad to have the support of the truly pious members of Christendom.
 * Lordship of Ireland: With peace restored and a budget surplus as a result debts continue to fall. Longbows continue to be practised by all freemen. Gaelic language and customs are used in court and Norman nobles when at court make something of an effort to use them. There is an uptake in sheep farming due to the enclosure act of 1307 and the modest tax breaks. The Duke of Eiru considers expanding Dublin castle and draws up provisional plans for it.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: Word reaches Scandinavia of the schism between the Aragonese Pope and the Roman Pontiff. While at first the King and the nobility are outraged at the audacity of the Aragonese Bishop in electing himself Pope, rumors begin to emerge that the Roman Pontiff has himself been elected through corrupt and ungodly methods. To resolve the conflicting stories, the King calls for an ecumenical council, which shall be known as the Council of Stockholm. The Council will be a meeting of both clergy and diplomats from the various nations of Christendom to hopefully resolve the issue of the rival Popes. [PLAYER RESPONSES] The Council will be presided over by the Archbishop of Uppsala and the King, to hear debate and arguments from both sides to explain their stance. In other news, with Karelia pacified, the Swedish government begins constructing roads through northern Finland to enable Swedish and Karelian merchants to access markets and towns. Additionally, diplomats are sent to the King of Norway, who so far has remained isolationist, asking for an alliance and a royal marriage between Birger’s son, Eric Birgersson, and the Norwegian Princess Ingeborg of Norway [MOD RESPONSE]. The Swedish Iron Worker’s guild continue working with the Merchant’s Guild to sell Swedish goods throughout the Baltic. Additionally, Swedish merchants continue to attempt to break into the Italian fork market, selling Swedish-made forks throughout the Mediterranean. The head of the Iron Worker’s guild and the head of the Merchant guild asks the Hanseatic League for assistance in trying to break into the Mediterranean fork market [HANSA RESPONSE]. The Milanese bankers already in Sweden also attempt to end the barter system in Sweden by establishing a national currency. This will hopefully modernize the Swedish economy. To create this national currency the Swedish merchants establish a national mint, backed by Swedish iron sales and Swedish trade revenue. Additionally, at every major port an agent appointed by the Crown oversees all trade revenue and all income. The Swedish government also sells crown lands claimed in the newly-conquered Karelia to various nobles for supplemental income to back the mint.
 * Navarre response: King Louis I of Navarre will send an envoy to the ecumenical council in Sweden to represent the supporters of the See of Barcelona.
 * Teutonic Diplomacy: We will send our Grand-master to the council to represent supporters of the See of Barcelona.
 * Norway accepts.
 * Trier response: After hearing about the ecumenical council, archbishop Baldwin decides to send a member of the Cathedral Chapter, Prior Fischer and Dominican monks to represent the supporters of the Roman Pontiff.
 * Papal Response: We agree to send an envoy to Stockholm for the council.
 * Castilian Response: Castile will send an envoy to represent the See of Barcelona.


 * Republic of Genoa: The attack on Venice continue, leaving the metropoly and the colonies vulnerable to any attack. [waiting for Algo]
 * Jarldom of Greenland: Jarl Anders the first ascends to the throne this year. His coronation takes place on January 1st and is attended by approximately 1,700 people with the rest working.
 * Byzantine Empire: The Byzantine Empire amasses 6,000 more men in support of our invasion of Achaea and Athens. The men will entirely be put into our Achaean front, bringing the total manpower in the front to 11,000 men. The other 2,000 extra men in our manpower pool are sent to Bulgaria, bringing the total to 8,000 men. Our men cross the border, as the invasion of Achaea ensues. The core Byzantine province could make or break us. Meanwhile, the trade tax between the Bosphorus Strait is lighted, but still remains higher than its creation in 1305. The tax has helped us raise the additional men for our armies, which has consumed most of our budget, but the rest is stored in the National Treasury, which it will remain until needed, possibly for additional men or for infrastructure projects. Meanwhile, a small earthquake hit Constantinople and surrounding areas, causing slight damage to some buildings. Luckily, the Hagia Sophia and Grand Palace are unharmed, as well as there being no casualties. The king, Andronikos II, is back to normal after suffering a case of influenza, which has secured the stability of the kingdom.
 * Crown of Aragon: Meanwhile, with cooperation with Pope Calixtus in Barcelona, a massive religious campaign begins. Envoys are sent to Britany, Provence, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Hungary, The German Kingdoms, and states and other Catholic Kingdoms with the massive distribution effort of pamphlets given to the populace elaborating on the issues with the church and the illegitimacy of the Antipope John and his illegal actions that should be considered by all men and women of God to be worthy of shame and that he should forfeit his illegitimate title as a result (Mod and Player Responses). 24 ships are built in the new model of galleys in Valencia. Missionaries are sent to Morocco to issue an age if Christianity in the region and allegiance to the pope. Knowledge of Mali after merchants seeking dealing in occupied Moroccan Territory sparks interest within the trade industry hoping that perhaps they may capitalize a worthy partner if the rumors of riches proves to be true. Works on a treaty to officially secede territory to the Aragonese Crown are made. The conference will be signed in Ceuta. 6,000 Neapolitan Soldiers are sent to Achaea to support their campaign.
 * Papal States: We finally agree to crown the King of Germany the Holy Roman Emperor, effectively ending the long interregnum that has lasted since the extinction of the Hohenstaufen dynasty in 1268. We appoint the Archbishops of Esztergom and Patras as cardinals respectively. The Pope agrees to step down but only on one condition, which is for de Azlor to also step down as well. The Pope decides to reside in the Basilica di Santa Maria, because of the Lateran Palace fire. We ask the Archbishop of Trier if he can send at least 100 men to work on the Palace (TRIER RESPONSE).
 * Teutonic Order: We send our diplomat to Lubeck to tell them that this schism will not effect trade between our nations.converting natives continue with it being semi successful with half of the native population converting to Christianity.We attend at the council at Stockholm. With all the money we are gaining with trade we invest in building farms and castles in Courland. Our Marshal oversees the training of 1,000 new archers and will be fully trained by next year. We move our capital from Malbouk to Marienberg.
 * Crown of Castile: Pope Callixtus IV is recognized as the legitimate pope, as the antipope John XXI forfeited his position as Pope when he bribed Cardinals to vote for him. Roads from the southern reaches of the country, especially from ports, are made larger inland to reach the capital and make room for traders. The same is done for the east, between Castile and the border of Aragon. Eleanor of Castile is born in the royal palace to Constance of Portugal and Ferdinand IV of Castile, securing a heir to the Castilian throne if Ferdinand IV were to die.
 * Öljaitü: With the blessing of Temür Khan Öljaitü sets out with his army to reconquer the lost land of Khoreson back into the Ilkhanate, invading the "Kingdom" with four tumen of soldiers, leaving one tumen behind in Yazd to defend the city and rebuild it. Öljaitü's invasion of Khoreson commences with meeting the enemy at Kerman.
 * Principality of Achaea: Having defeated the Angevin forces at Shkumbin River and preparing to march on Durazzo, Prince Florent of Achaea receives word that Robert of Anjou had fled to Venice, an Achaean ally. Immediately dispatching Nicholas III of Saint Omer to Venice, the Treaty of Venice is negotiated and signed, ending the War of Epirote Succession. In the treaty, Epirus is to remain under Anna Palaiologina, who will declare Florent's line as her heir. Albania is ceded to Epirus in its entirety, except for Durazzo, which is given the Venice in exchange for their assistance capturing Robert of Anjou. Additionally, Florent receives the title of Latin Emperor. He begins to make plans for his coronation when news arrives that Byzantium is launching an invasion through the Morea into Achaea proper. The army moves rapidly from Albania down to the Peloponnese, but in the process the 53-year old Prince Florent falls off his horse, breaking a leg. Florent is returned to the castle of Clermont, where he reunites with his wife, Isabella of Villehardouin, for the first time after an extended period of warfare. Florent, eager to see himself crowned Emperor, sends envoys to reach the Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, Nicholas of Thebes​​​, to request him to take up a presence in Achaea. The military of Achaea, numbering 13,000 veterans from the fight in Albania and 6,000 new Neapolitan troops, prepares to establish defensive positions in central Achaea, preparing for the inevitable Byzantine onslaught. The commander of the combined forces is Michael Kurkuas, an Epirote noble who has shown his skill in combat by leading many of the successful cavalry charges against the Angevins. In Athens, Duchess Matilda gives birth to twins, a son named William and a daughter name Elizabeth. Tragedy strikes, however, as Duke Guy II de la Roche dies at the young age of 28. Prince Florent, who retains an outsized role in Athenian politics due to his daughter being the Duchess, asks Nicholas III of Saint Omer to serve as bailli and regent over Athens until Matilda is of an age to govern effectively (she is currently only 15 years old). In Epirus, Anna Palaiologina continues her regency, now solidified as a reign by the Treaty of Venice. She is convinced to allow Latin clergy to enter her nation, and they begin the slow process of introducing Latin rite services in certain areas, particularly up in newly-acquired Albania.


 * Kingdom of Georgia: Recent turmoil has turned Georgia into an isolated Christian enclave surrounded by hostile, and pagan Turko–Mongol neighbors. This revives fears within the country of a foreign invasion, which would disrupt or even reverse Georgia's recovery. Under the influence of Oljath, David decides to uphold Persian suzerainty – though as the Persians continue to deteriorate, it becomes increasingly apparent that Georgia's subservience to the latter is nominal. Nevertheless, despite the elite's insistence on the supposed Hellenic roots of Georgian culture, many aspects of Persian culture – such as its rich literary traditions, continue to permeate Georgian culture. David announces a campaign against the White Horde – ostensibly to protect the region's Christians and Muslims, but in actuality, to establish a more defensible border. As David will be leading these armies, Oljath and George are bequeathed the position of co-regents. Their general popularity keeps any unrest at bay, while their shrewd political skills allow them to administer the country effectively amidst his absence. A total of 30,000 troops are mobilized, with half headed to Jaqeti (seated in Nikopsia), and the other to Shirvani (seated in Kabala). The monaspa and naqivchaqari both number at ~3,000 each, and serve as elite troops, while the remainder is comprised of armed retainers (i.e., feudal levies); overall, there are 18,000 heavy cavalry/lancers, and 12,000 horse–archers (though of varying degrees of skill). Upon approaching an enemy army, the Georgian forces split into three armies – thus creating the illusion of a larger army. The highly mobile horse-archers are used in reconnaissance and initial skirmishes. During battles, the horse–archers fire their arrows in salvos – thus maximizing their impact on enemy troops (which would be concentrated, and therefore prone to projectile fire). This initial attack would whittle down the enemy troops and weaken their formations. Afterward, to rout the enemy, the lancers would then charge in a knee-to-knee formation (as to maximize shock) and would diverge into three groups corresponding to the vanguard and each flank. The lancers are also armed with sabers as a secondary weapon. However, depending on the situation, other maneuvers are executed. When the vanguard is deemed too strong, even after the initial salvo, Georgian forces would then out-flank the enemy troops – the horse–archers would then concentrate their firepower on one flank, while the lancers will attack the vulnerable rear. If the lancers cannot enforce a rout, they would retreat (though the horse–archers will also employ the Parthian shot tactic to prevent the retreat to be pursued) and regroup, preferably in higher ground. After this, the cavalry will execute the encirclement of the enemy – though one side would be deliberately weaker than the others. As the enemy push through this weak spot, an "opening" will be created, through which the enemy forces will attempt to flee; contingents of lancers and ranged cavalry will then attack them from concealed locations. Upon defeating the field armies and reaching the city, siege engines are used, such as trebuchets, assault towers, and battering rams; incendiary arrows are also used to damage infrastructure.

1309
''' In reaction to the delegations appearing at the informal council in Stockholm, the nations of Portugal, England, Norway, Denmark, Florence, and Cyprus give their support to the Pope in Aragon, while the nations of Bavaria, Brandenburg, Saxony, Mainz, and Cologne support the Pope in Rome. This is also largely swayed by the coronation of Henry VII of Luxembourg as Emperor of the Romans. However, as the council of Stockholm is entirely run by secular authorities with no ecumenical backing, it doesn't make any official change. Many people who support the Pope in Aragon call for restoring his power in Rome and deposing the Antipope. '''

''' The Knights Templar are largely hunted down and exterminated by King Philip of France. Some surviving members hide out for local support in Trier, Switzerland and Rome. The Templar fleet goes missing, as does the vast majority of the Templar personal treasury and relics. '''

''' The language of "Old Franconian" by this point has evolved into a new language which is later called Middle Dutch. '''

''' The Mamluk Sultanate attacks Cilicia for their control of Aleppo, and Tabriz gives them support. '''

''' The Kingdom of Cusco rises to prominence under Mayta Capac, who conquers much of the region around Lake Titicaca. '''


 * Yuan China: The monetary reforms of Emperor Maxiu nearly two decades ago have finally born fruit, with the majority of the population largely confident in the stability of the jiaobiao paper currency of the empire. Under the new currency laws of the emperor, 75 percent of all silver produced within China is automatically earmarked for minting and storage in the imperial treasury, to serve as a guarantee on the paper cash of the Chinese people. The other 25 percent is released into the general economy for trading, allowing the merchants and traders to make use of the hard currency during their transactions with foreigners such as those from Southeast Asia, where the majority of Chinese silver is currently heading. The soldiers of the Yuan military have their pay re-evaluated and set to a universal level where all soldiers regardless of their location within China, receive the same pay for their ranks. Compared to the average Chinese peasant, a soldier makes nearly twice that of a farmer, giving them enough pay to send home to their families while out on campaign. Further reforms to the economy and the manner in which the government spends the money have empowered the Censorate with the authority to ensure that at least a quarter of all tax revenues are stored int he imperial treasure for the sake of financial security and ensuring a source of currency in the event of an emergency. Though practiced on and off by the imperial court over the last decade, the emperor has ensured that this reform has been codified for future emperors to abide by. The development of Xiyu, formerly known as the Chagatai Khanate, continues with the construction of new roads and forts built to accommodate future settlement throughout the region by Chinese subjects. Many urban centers in the region have been heavily Sinified by the Chinese settlers sent into the region more then fifteen years ago, with many of those very same families now in positions of authority or high respect in the growing communities of the west. The garrison in Samarkand has successfully finished repairing the damage to the city, and have added several new additions to the city's defenses, such as a newly-built garrison district walled off from the rest of the city, where the soldiers and their families will be housed from now on. In light of the city's recently developments as a productive center of trade and commerce once again, the city is renamed to Shicheng (or "stone city") by imperial decree, a final victory for the emperor personally responsible for its capture. Development of the agricultural lands surrounding the city is prioritized, while around the city of Tashkent, now renamed Luojibao (or "rocky fort"), a road leading into the west as an addition to the Silk Road is completed. Along the coast in southern, several of the ports are expanded to accommodate trade with the southern kingdoms, as ships laden with goods have difficulty in properly docking as a consequence of their increased mass, now heavily laden with goods that were never intended to be imported from abroad. Seeing this as a sign of good things to come via trade, the emperor authorizes that three of the largest ports in China's southern provinces, located in Guangzhou, Fuzhou, and Hangzhou, be expanded extensively both for commercial use and as naval facilities. With regards to the navy, the fleets of China continue to be expanded, with two wei of ships being added to the navy annually now. The scholars assigned with the task of documenting the typhoons of the region have returned to Beijing with a list of all the tropical storms recorded by the Chinese over the last two years, giving the navy a relatively reliable guide on the most stable periods at which to send large fleets out to sea without worrying too much about sailing right into a typhoon. Likewise, this gives the navy a good idea of which pirates will likely attempt to raid the coast, permitting them to optimize their anti-piracy operations at sea. Approximately 250,000 soldiers have been recruited into the army over the last three years across China, and trained in accordance with the new military doctrines of the empire's military scholars and recent experiences over the last couple of years. Taking advantage of the relative calm in the region, the Chinese military has focused on releasing older soldiers from service and bringing in new blood to revitalize the army, and deal with the effects of fatigue and old age for some fighting men. This period of campaigning and releasing older soldiers from the army, along with measured recruitment of new personnel, have also allowed the army to downside its strength from 900,000 men to approximately 650,000 men, of which 200,000 will be actively deployed as a campaigning force during wartime. The navy for its part now consists of 1,100 ships with a goal to increase this to 1,250 by the end of the following year, and 125,000 sailors plus 45,000 marines, officially reaching the peacetime military build-up scheme of the emperor. In the rest of the country, proselytization continues under the auspices of the various Huangdist Christian priests throughout China, with the primary focal point centered around the imperial capital of Beijing. As part of the expansion of the faith in the region, the imperial court releases a list of Christian names altered for the Chinese language, allowing newly-baptized Christians in China to adopt a new name representative of their new faith. Likewise, in a radical cultural shift, the emperor decrees that all family names shall be placed after the given name of the bearer. Though this change is to be implemented gradually, it has been made clear that all subjects of the empire are to follow through with this practice if they are Christians, while Buddhists and Confucnianists are exempt from the new policy. In the far west, the delegation from China finally arrive in eastern Europe, with their first stop being new the Sea of Azoz, where they rest after their long journey under the protection of the White Horde in Crimea. Sala takes her time to visit many of the churches in the region, to learn from the most experienced clergymen of the land how they practice their various forms of Christianity. Though somewhat awed by the status of the young girl and her role as a preacher back in her homeland, some of these local ministers are delighted to share their knowledge, while others are not bemused enough to teach a woman the ways of the Lord per their local customs. The head of the Chinese delegation has decided that rather than make a direct trip to Rome, the delegation would benefit from learning about these Europeans while they are afforded the opportunity to do so, and decide to visit several of the major cities in Europe and document their findings for the return home to China.
 * Mali Empire: Estimates on the early population of colonial Gorgades is a matter of speculation by certain scholars. Early sources claim the population of the islands to be as much as 50-60,000 by the time of Mansa Musa in 1315. However, a concerted archaeological project in the 1990s have suggested the earliest settlements of the Gorgades to be around 200-400 people, which might have been the total nunmber of settlers on Sanbao's Second Expeditioni in 1308. In 1309, Sanbao was dispatched from Waalo on his third and most significant historical voyage into the Atlantic Ocean. On his third voyage, Sanbao resupplied at the early colonies that existed on the Gorgades Islands, and from there journeyed north. He first arrived to the Island of Bimbache (OTL Hierro), and described the people there as worshipping Iblis the Devil. They explained they only worship Allah in times of plenty, but worship Iblis in times of drought. He traveled further north and arrived at the island of Benahoare (OTL La Palma), where the people there were extremely hostile and fed on human flesh. He then moved far out into the Atlantic Ocean north, and discovered the island of Alfaar (Mediera). This island was devoid of all humans, but was ruled over by an organized kingdom of mice. The mouse king was pleased to hear of the outside world, and tried to imprison Sanbao to extract more information from him, but he managed to escape and continue his voyage. Finally, Sanbao arrived at the city of Lisbon, being the first Malian to step foot in Europe. He then traveled along the coast to the city of Huelva, and then journeyed inland into Europe until he arrived at Seville. Sanbao sought to establish trade relations with King Denis of Portugal and Ferdinand IV of Castile, showing them large chests of gold and salt from Mali that he would be willing to sell, thus establishing a permenant sea trade from the Mali Empire to Europe [Portugal/Mod and Castile response]. Meanwhile, Mansa Abu Bakr received word in Niani that Waalo has almost been completely subjugated, and most of the cities and highways are now free and safe for travel. Being greatly pleased of this news, Abu Bakr began to severely doubt the words of the Sufi mystic he heard at the beginning of his reign "if you go to Waalo yourself, you will meet your doom". So he decided to tempt fate and go to Waalo himself, early next year. Meanwhile, Musa's large Nigerian army continue to campaign in exile, now subjugating the Kingdom of Zaria.
 * Archbishopric of Trier: Archbishop Baldwin and the Cathedral Chapter defend the proposition made by the envoys of Trier and Milan: both popes need to resign and a new one must be elected in a conclave realized in a neutral ground with all the Cardinals. While this does not happen, Baldwin will continue to support John XXI and will not swear obedience to the Chaplain of the King of Aragon. The pamphlets made by the Crown of Aragon for the support of the See of Barcelona cause outrage in the countryside population of the Archbishopric. They interpret that as Aragonese attempt to influence the Church. In a village, a wooden effigy of Callixtus IV is made and dressed with fabrics imitating the papal garments. Then the effigy is set on fire, while the populace thrown the pamphlets in the fire. While the effigy burns, the people shout phrases like: “Death to the Beast of Barcelona!” and “Death to the Devil of Huesca!”. The crowd is dispersed by the arrival of soldiers of the Episcopal Army, but anti-Aragon sentiment grows in some rural areas. Baldwin writes to his brother Henry VII congratulating him for his coronation as Emperor. He sends a golden cross as gift and asks him to visit the Archbishopric during the festivities of the day of Saint Symeon next year [MOD response needed, please]. The Knights Templars that escaped from France are welcomed in Trier with great pomp. People come to the streets to celebrate their arrival and the archbishop calls them as defenders of the true faith and martyrs. To then is given a building adjacent to the Church of Our Lady to be the headquarters of the Order. The Church of Our Lady is also given to them to be used as their main church. They start to reorganize themselves and they chose Louis Berger as their master in Trier. Letters are send to others surviving Templars on Switzerland and Rome asking for a reunion to select a new Grand Master [MOD response needed, please]. In response to the request of John XXI, 100 men are sent to Rome to help with the Palace [Papal States response needed, please]. The construction of the trading post ends and the products of the Archbishopric are transported in small ships through the Rhine and Moselle. Wool clothes, ceramics and wine are exported this way. Guilds of artisans appear in Koblenz and the Huber family continues to produce excellent wine. The day of Saint Symeon arrives again. This year the fair is large and many people arrived. The procession this year counts with the participation of the Templars. The siblings Matthias and Catharina von Schwanthaler finally have their audience with Baldwin. The two are middle children of Maximilian and Corinna von Schwanthaler. The family is rich, owning farms where cattle are breed. The two tell the archbishop that since small they have been visited by angels in the first day of each month. The angels tell them to help the poor, pray for the conversion of the sinners and to tell no one about these visions. When asked why they are revealing this now, the siblings reveal that since July 1st of the last year who appeared to them was not an angel but Jesus Christ Himself. Christ, they said, was wearing a simple white tunic. They tell that Christ said that the angels prepared them for this moment and started to teach them about His Divine mercy and love towards all people, especially for sinners. They say that on December 1st Christ appeared and revealed that this will be His last visit. He seemed to be very sad and when Catharina asked why, He said that is because His Church is divided. He ordered them to reveal to the archbishop everything that they saw and to pray for the reunification of His Church. He also said that he ordered both to create a new religious order, to spread His Word and Divine Mercy. Then, His clothes changed from a simple tunic to that of a king, with a shining crown over His head and right hand in position of blessing. The left hand was positioned in His chest, showing His merciful heart that shone wonderfully. Then Christ disappeared. After listening to them, Baldwin send the siblings to seek a monk in Koblenz and to ask him to write down all that was revealed to them. When they leaved, the archbishop seated in a chair and began to reflect about everything that had been told to him.
 * Papal Response: We thank the Archbishop for the 100 men and send our blessings to the Archbishop.
 * Kingdom of Navarre: Margaret of Burgundy, Queen of Navarre, visits her family in the Duchy of Burgundy. While there, she tries to convince her mother Agnes of France, who is acting as regent for Margaret's fifteen year-old brother Hugh V the Duke of Burgundy, of the illegitimacy of John XXI and to support Callixtus IV as the true Pope. (Mod response) Federico Goikoetxea, Bishop of Pamplona joins the College of Cardinals in Barcelona and Navarre's second Bishop, the Bishop of Tudela, announces his support for Callixtus IV as well. Meanwhile, King Louis I is satisfied by the development of the harbour of Donostia/San Sebastián for the time being, but the government works on expanding the nation's military through recruiting peasants and employing some mercenaries, and new fortifications are built around the city of Iruñea/Pamplona. Louis I discusses with his court the possibility of making Basque an offical language of Navarre alongside Navarro-Aragonese
 * Hugh V of Burgundy agrees to support Callixtus IV.
 * Duchy of Brabant-Lotharingia: "Harba Lorifa": Little John, now in Achaea, begins his great studies to become a great duke and Possibly king of Lotharingia. Little John even learning how to speak his first words of Greek, and learning how to dress in the Greek manner. This little boy only getting educated in Greek which causes him to force himself to understand Greek, as it is best for him to know the language of the land he is in, instead of using a translator. While this is happening, John II of Brabant calls on Malines and his Bastard brother John of Malines, to join the war on the side of Brabant (mod response). Brabant even if not being able to beat the troops around Sint-Niklaas believe that with reinforcements and their heavier casualties, that an attack could be repeated. This time there are more soldiers and The duke even commands soldiers to make two trebuchets to attack the city and the enemy forces. these Trebuchets taking some months to be fully made but when they are the Army of Brabant attacks from both the North and the East. Gastraphetes and the newly recruited and training archers joining in as well, this eventually after heavy fighting leads to John II and His Lotharingian army Winning the battle of Sint-Niklaas. John II Goes beyond seeing the City of Ghent now fairly undefendent he attacks the city, with trebuchets and high moral. Ghent being one of the bigger cities and the heart of Eastern parts of Flanders, But this does not stop the army as they want to fight. From the north and this time the south east, a pincer movement. the famous Brabantine Lion first one claw then a big bite, as Brabant loves the pincer with a small army from the north and the a bigger one from the south. Meanwhile, in Maastricht, Duke John II tries to make more bridges and request to the Liege autority that Middle franconian (Dutch) is used as the language of afairs(Mod response). Duke John II also offering to Liege to offer Maastricht and a year worth of their taxes if they would recognise Malines independence, and vassalage to Brabant (Mod response) and even Brabantine promise to not intervene in liege politics and sovreignity. To end the rivalry and to recognise Liege as the Clerical power in Lotharingia, and promising to follow the pope they recognise. Diplomacy needing to be improved Duke John II sends delegates to Denmark,Teutons, and the White Horde.(Danish Response) (Teuton Response) (Mod response): This is not all. For the most far lands Brabant has an idea to send delegates to Aj Ran(Mod response), the Mamluks and Georgia (Mod response) (Georgia Response).
 * Liege agrees to use Middle Franconian as the language of their diplomacy
 * Malines agrees to be Brabant's vassal in this deal
 * Sweden Response: Denmark and Sweden accept Brabantine diplomats.
 * See of Barcelona: With an impasse reached at the impromptu council held in Stockholm, as neither the rightful Pope Callixtus IV nor the schismatic John XXI are willing to step down, both considering themselves the true head of the Holy See. With most of Christendom beyond the bounds of the Holy Roman Empire supporting Callixtus, more emissaries are sent out to establish formal diplomatic relations between these pious nations and the See of Barcelona. With his crowning by the antipope in Rome, Emperor Henry VII is excommunicated by Pope Callixtus IV, his coronation considered illegitimate. Archbishop James of Corinth is offered cardinalship in the College loyal to Callixtus, who wishes to expand his range of support as well as his legitimacy. (Achaea reponse) With no immediate end to the schism being in sight, Pope Callixtus begins to establish himself more formally in his new home of Barcelona, desiring to make it a place worthy of the true Papacy until a return to Rome is possible.
 * Lordship of Ireland: Budget surplus due to almost no military spending and a modest rise in the wool trade as a result of tax breaks and enclosures. A growing number of trained long bowmen and experiments are made with the old Roman sudis stakes being used as a Czech hedgehog. Plans for the expansion of Dublin castle are considered with a new wall with towers enfilading and a multi storey keep being contemplated.
 * Jarldom of Greenland: Princess Brunhilda gives birth to a daugther but refuses to reveal who the father is. Many people believe the Swedish Prince Valdemar is the father. When the jarl hears this he demands Valdemar to reveal if it is his child or be sent to the wildmark. He later admits that it is his child and legitizimies her. She is currently second in succesion.
 * Kingdom of Hungary: Géza has reached the age of 13, as such his regency council deems that he should marry. As an ally and friend to the House of Árpád, we ask the Crown of Bohemia for the hand of Princess Elizabeth in marriage to the King Géza III. [Bohemian Response] Meanwhile, powers are surrendered to Géza in order to prepare him for the kingship slowly but surely. With the rise of the white horde rampaging across Europe, the borders along the Carpathians are heavily fortified with regular scouts being sent out to watch out for invading armies to prepare them for the rampaging devils who seek to destroy what we have made. Meanwhile, the traveller Alexander Bašić, continues his journey through the sahel arriving in the city of Timbuktu, where he is treated to many great sights including the wonderous intellectual and cultural scene along with the great riches to be beheld by him. This leaves quite a mark on him, shaking him as evidenced by his writings describing it as "a land without pain, suffering, poverty, or ignorance". Many of those with him on his journey leave the great city heading back to the lands to return with riches but he and a small sum of them continue eastwards, to the city of niani, where they finally arrived in the capital city of the land called Niani.
 * Maraninds of Sultanate: Othman enjoy a tea time with his gourvenor of tetuan, he demanda that there was a new world called 'America' promote everywhere in europe and across in our land othman found that interesting,the armada Morrocans are builting by him and Perpah to accros the atlantic coast of their ocean territorial.


 * No.
 * Bohemia-Poland: The economy continues to grow. silver continues to be extracted from Kutna Hora which under the crown monopoly has allowed for an extreme increase in the overall lifestyle of the royal court in Krakow and in general in artisanship with fine silver pieces being prodcued in Bohemia, along with a growth in iron working as well due to the large demand for weapons, and armor. In Kutna Hora a cathedral is comissioned by Wenceslaus III with the inside.The market places in Praga, Kutna Hora, Krakow, and Gdansk and expanded. As is the market place in Wroclaw. The crown extends an offer to the Hansa to build up a port in Gdansk and requests to purchse ships to improve the traffic along the Vistula to better increase the trade network into the transcaprpathian region. Preparations for a possible mongol invasion continue while weapons and arms are stockpiled a large focus on bolts, cross bows, and large semi portable shields to be used in case in camps outside of fortifications.  Wenceslaus III agrees to send a delegation to the Stolkholm council. The University of Krakow is completed, while the University of Praga nears completion.  The Chinese delegation is welcomed to the court of Wenceslaus III who is intrigued by the stories of the eastern christians. Wenceslaus III and his wife Catherine have their first child princess Margaret.
 * Yuan Delegation: The Chinese delegation arrives in Prague at the welcome of the King of Bohemia-Poland, and sets up camp outside of the city before exploring the surrounding lands. They trade with the locals and inquire of the authorities the customs and traditions of their people, before moving on to engage with the rulership of the kingdom. The heads of the delegation present Wenceslaus III with many gifts and trinkets from the east, and work to document as many of the interactions held with the noble on the state of affairs in Europe as a whole to better prepare for the rest of their journey in the west.
 * Republic of Milan: Following the continuation of the Schism and neither side accepting reason. Milanese people realise that neither side is truly in the right in this situation, Simony was proven by the cardinal of Sienna and the current Aragonese Pope is nothing more than an opportunity for Aragon to try and gain power on the world stage. As such Milanese bankers begin to secretly discuss other options. Meanwhile, in Genoa, the siege continues with Galleazzo continuing to lead the siege and the rams and siege engines being taken to the walls and the majority of cavalry being dismounted before invading with the remaining force planning to take it step by step, block by block. With the most experienced ground forces leading the way alongside Galleazzo 2,000 cavalry are still left mounted in order to make sure to still be able to win cav engagements in the open field.
 * County of Provence: Angered by the betrayal of the Venetians, Robert I leaves Venice after signing the Treaty of Venice and returns to Provence with his brother Philip who is also angered that the Achaeans had dared to betray their own suzerain and their own Latin Emperor. Despite having handed over his position as Latin Emperor, Robert I declares that he and his descendants would continue claiming the title of Latin Emperor with Robert I making plans to take his rightful place as Latin Emperor and rule over the treacherous people of Greece. In Provence Robert I makes efforts to consolidate his power while also building up the Provencian Army raising a total force of 4,000 men. Meanwhile, as a means to establish a base of operations for a future expedition in Greece, Robert decides to move forward in an ambitious plan to unite the break-away states of the former Kingdom of Arles into a new Kingdom. Relocating his capital to Arles, Robert I prepares his campaign as sends his brother Philip to recruit French mercenaries and elements of the Catalan Company (Mod Response Needed).
 * Principality of Achaea: Following the victory over the Byzantine invasion at Kalamata and still fresh off its successes in the War of Epirote Succession, Achaea is doing quite well militarily. With Michael Kurkuas leading the joint Achaean-Neapolitan forces (numbering around 17,000), Prince Florent is busy administering the state from the capital city of Andravida. The Latin Patriarch of Constantinople, Nicholas of Thebes, arrives in Andravida at the beginning of this year. Prince Florent, eager to solidify and solemnize the Treaty of Venice, then undergoes an ornate coronation ceremony where he is crowned as the Latin Emperor of Romania. For Florent, this is not a simple titular possession but rather an effective transformation of the realm of Achaea and its affiliated nations into the revitalized Latin Empire. While the major baronies remain in place, they are now considered to be subordinate to their respective realm: whether it be the Principality of Achaea, the County Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos, the County of Caria, the Duchy of the Archipelago, the Duchy of Athens, or the Despotate of Epirus. These six components form the basis of the Empire and are closely brought in alignment with the Emperor's control (with Acahea and Caria directly under Florent and Isabella, Florent being the heir to Epirus, and Florent's heiress ruling in Athens). Administrative reforms are made to the Empire, with a balancing between the the Latin bishops and local barons being negotiated, and Isabella of Villehardouin, the empress, focuses on making a role for the Greek population of the nation, particularly those who have adopted the Catholic faith. The role of Latin clergy continues to be important for efforts to convert Greeks from Orthodoxy to Catholicism. With the schism seeming to go on for at least another year, the Archbishop of Corinth is loyal to the Aragonese Pope while the Archbishop of Patras is loyal to the Roman Pope. Nicholas of Thebes has attempted to maintain a complete neutrality in the matter, and indeed he conducts masses in both archdioceses. Returning now to the military exploits of the Latin Empire, the 17,000-strong force under Kurkuas pushes the outnumbered Byzantines back to their lands, across the Pentadaktylos (OTL Taygetus) range. Pursuing the Byzantines through a mountain pass between Kalamata and Mystras, the Latin forces encircle the smaller Greek force in the rural areas outside Mystras.
 * Öljaitü Sultan of Mosul: Öljaitü demonstrates his pure military prowess at the Battle of Kerman, forcing Koreson to be victorious in battle at the cost of the entire war, completely turning the course of the war in the favor of Öljaitü, who now beseiges Kerman, the most important city in southeastern Persia, proving to be Öljaitü's greatest test yet, having to incorporate everything he has learned and exert everything in his will and his mind to achieve victory in the Siege of Kerman, even executing strategies and tacticts never been seen before on this Earth. While Sultan Öljaitü is campaiging in the East, the Sultanate of Mosul is lead by beaucrats and adminstrators, implementing a civil examanation system, inspired by China, where officials are selected by merit. Even before the restoration of order under adminstrators, the Age of Chaos has brought many communities to rely on themselves, to make their own food, provide their own defense, run their own trade, legislate their own laws, practice their own religion, and partake in their own culture, making the Age of Chaos both one of great fear and great freedom. The communities in the heart of the Mosul Sultanate have unified, forming a greater community around Islam, following Islam religiously, culturally, and legally, with much legal and religious power being deffered to the Imam of Baghdad, who effectively becomes the de facto leader of the Sultanate of Mosul during Öljaitü's reconquests. An Islamic revival movement centers around the Imam of Baghdad and the holy city, starting last year in 1308, which marked the 50th anniversary of the destruction of Baghdad by the Mongols, which inspired many to reignite the Islamic Golden Age that was ended by Hulagu Khan, including the Imam of Baghdad, who ordered the construction of new libraries, mosques, universities, hospitals, and palaces, some being rebuilt atop of ruins, and others being built elsewhere, this grand reconstruction of Baghdad continues, with the attempt of making Baghdad the center of art, philosophy, and science once again, reigniting the fire of the Islamic world, and Mosul quickly follows suit as a natural sibling to Baghdad. With de facto leadership defered to the Imam of Baghdad, the Imamanate of Baghdad and the Sultanate of Mosul effectively form a union with each other, with trade and the frequent of travel of peoples between the two states, many forgetting the de jure vassalage to Tabriz, but there are those who are still well aware of Tabriz and the Mongol rule over the Ilkhanate, for it is prophecized by Islamic religious leaders that lightning shall strike Tabriz from Heaven, igniting it, and as the city burns, the Ilkhanate too shall be engulfed in Tabriz's flame. Many of the Islamic faithful pray for this prophecy to come true, with a few even praying for the return of power of the Abassid Caliphate in Baghdad, the members of this movement being called "Abassidites". As Öljaitü beseiges Kerman, he recieves word of the Mamluks invading Aleppo, which the Sultanate of Mosul has claimed via the Sultan of Mosul himself, Öljaitü. In response to this invasion, Öljaitü requests to the Mamluks to respect his claim to the city in some way, asking for Aleppo to be his city of refuge in case his realm collapses, vowing to defend the city if it's attacked with his remnant soldiers, population, and wealth once it is under Mamluk hands. Aleppo shall also serve as a base of operations to reconquer any lost territory should the future turn bleak for Öljaitü. Öljaitü sends his written support to the Mamluks, wishing he could be there at this time, to retake the land stolen by the traitorous Baydu, who has brought needless destruction to the Ilkhanate and the Mamluk Sultanate. (MOD RESPONSE PLEASE)
 * Japanese Empire (Decade of three emperors): The last two years have been a slugfest for the three warring Emperors. The Tetsuko and Minamoto have all gone back and forth with the Emperor and eachother for the last 2 years with developments and new edicts permeating the social and political landscape of the country. Only two major battles occur this year as it becomes clear the three emperors must each embark on serious fundraising campaigns for their countries. Focused on Trade the Minamoto are able to secure decent trade routes to the south while also increasing prosperity in their home territories. The Tetsuko have been focused on trying to develop their lands more using some of the higher population centers to really produce to handle much of the increased burden on taxes. The Emperors territory being somewhere more towards the middle is forced to do a bit of both, however the influx of capital from influential benefactors aiming for the stability and prosperity an all powerful true emperor can bring puts the Imperial situation into something more splendid. The careful allocation of the funds and development of a navy and downsizing too a much more well trained and heavily armed forced puts the Emperor within spitting distance of the other two. In Hokkaido the Tachibana continue their expansion into the Ainu hinterlands taking multiple hillforts and small villages and putting them under their direct control. The arrival of more settlers and another 1000 samurai disenfrancized from the war helps aid in this conquest of the Hokkaido frontiers. A series of mapping missions are sent out to catalogue the shape and size of the islands with plans for the Tachibana forces to hopefully seize, occupy, and begin development of Hokkaido within a few years. Some expectations of an Ainu revolt are planned for however being a series of disorganized and disunfied villages this isnt hopefully to be seen for some time still. The development of the Imperial navy and its attempts of securing its trade routes put patrols within spitting distance of China opening yet another much more direct trade route to the middle kingdom. Attempts to reach out to local authorities allow for some semblance of limited trade but without further authorization of the Imperial government itself there seems to be no way to push past this barrier. Other routes such as one in Korea allow for the Japanese to contact the independent settlements in Southern Korea for Trade and even possibly mercenaries and assistance as the Imperial armies first foray as a much heavier hitting force comes to play. The Minamoto and Tetsuko forces are for one of the first times entirely disadvantaged to the Imperial army which has specialized their infantry and brought about a semblance of organzation never before seen to the other two "Emperors." Go-Uda with the seizing of the north and the crushing of both the Tetsuko and Minamoto forces in the area is able to remove legitimacy from the other two as Emperors effectively showcasing Go-Uda is the only "Son of Heaven." His personal leading of troops on the battlefield is put as a rallying cry and as territory is liberated and brought under imperial control peace and prosperity returns as well besides territories on the direct front of the war.
 * Kingdom of Sweden: After hearing of the Archbishop’s final verdict at the Council of Stockholm, Sweden joins the growing list of nations calling for both Popes to resign and for a new election in Rome to take place. Diplomats are sent to Denmark, Norway and the Teutonic Order asking the nations to stop supporting Pope Callixtus IV and to support the call for a new election. [MOD RESPONSE] [TEUTONIC RESPONSE]: Domestically Sweden’s two guilds continue to cooperate and grow. As a result Swedish iron works achieve a high level of quality and are widely sold around the Baltic. Swedish trade posts are seeded throughout Karelia to encourage trade with the local Karelians, who provide fur, timber and raw materials in exchange for iron tools and weapons. The Crown of Sweden, upon the advice of the Milanese bankers, also repeals the law which had previously prevented nobles and towns from conducting their own mining operations. While this does mean the crown will lose its monopoly on iron production, it also creates a new lucrative market to be taxed. Nobles and towns throughout Sweden soon begin to finance their own mines, which drastically increases the output of Swedish iron without burdening the crown financially. Visby on Gotland, having lost its importance as a trade center, is instead fortified by the Swedish crown. A castle is built next to Visby and its port facilities are upgraded, with Birger intending for Visby to be the source of Swedish naval might in the Baltic. The Swedish crown also issues an edict which forbids non-Swedish merchant and fishing ships from accessing the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland. Additionally, with Norway's agreement to join an alliance and royal marriage between the Princess Ingeborg and the Swedish Prince Eric, the city of Stockholm prepares for a lavish celebration. The Norwegian King Haakon V and the Danish King Christopher are both invited to attend the royal wedding. At the Royal Wedding and the formalization of the alliance the city of Stockholm celebrates for three days, with widespread festivities and free food and drink provided on behalf of the crown. In a symbol of unity, the three Kings of Scandinavia, Christopher, Haakon and Birger, drink from the same chalice, which is made from Swedish iron, Danish gold, and Norwegian pearls. Rumors of a strange delegation of Eastern Christians reaches the ears of King Birger's Court. Intrigued by rumors of these Christians "from the other side of the world" King Birger sends a delegation of priests and diplomats to Prague to meet the people known as the "Chinese" and invite them to Stockholm. [YUAN RESPONSE]
 * Yuan Diplomacy: A small delegation is sent to the northern city of Stockholm from the main body located in Prague at the request of the messengers sent to treat with them. Translators from the Nestorian priesthood familiar with the European culture and traditions are tasked with working with the Chinese delegation to help them document Swedish culture and traditions, as well as inquire of the history and political environment of the region in the north. It is hoped that the exchange of cultural ideas will benefit the delegation in Prague upon their eventual return to China.
 * Papal States: The volunteers from Trier enter our dear Roma. Signore Giotto himself traveled all the way from Firenze, as a guest of His Holiness himself. The famous man hands these volunteers the supplies they need. It is estimated that it will take up to 1311-1312 to restore His Holiness' residence. The Church has decided that indulgences must be used less now. The Pope must authorize these indulgences for them to be valid. Once again, John XXI claims the Papal throne with no changing of his mind anytime soon. He appoints the bishop of Munich and Freising, Emicho of Wittelsbach to the cardinal status.
 * Free City of Lübeck: The expansion of the Lübeck shipyards under the supervision of the Bardewik family brings a substantial amount of revenue to the city, especially through shipbuilding contracts Lübeck has with other nations. The markets of Lübeck swell with coin as the city-state increases its naval sales drastically. Whole ships only make up a part of their sales: masts, sails, hull parts, and hull wax are sold in large quantities to the Baltic States. Especially after Sweden's invasion of the Russian states, tar has been hard to come by. Tar acts as a water repellent for ships, making it a vital-yet-underrated component for any captain. With the invasion of Novgorod, which produced most of the tar used in the Baltic and Northern Germany, the trade of tar was disrupted. Lübeck controls most of the tar in the Baltic at this point. The Hanseatic Guilds effectively have a monopoly on tar. To ensure this monopoly continues, the guild of Bardewik offers to establish an outpost in Novgorod to allow for greater trade of tar throughout Lübeck's trade zone and to aid Novgorod in their recovery from the war with Sweden. This outpost will be established at the OTL location of St. Petersburg. In the meantime, relations with Pskov are improved by a brief discount on German goods, an offer that is also proposed to Novgorod. The situation in Europe continues to grow increasingly dire by the second. The Conclave in Sweden seems to prove that the Holy Roman Empire is deeply divided about the issue of the Pope. As always, Lübeck looks to make a profit from this. Expecting war in the near-future, shipbuilders double-time their attempts to build usable naval materials. However, the true change this brings is the strengthening of herring and cloth merchant banks under a number of Jewish families. Though this is somewhat of a newer concept in Northern Germany, it takes Lübeck by storm. Fortunes are made as food is stockpiled in anticipation of trouble. Ashkenazi Jews in Lübeck become a staple in the cities Platz, where they offer to store food for holdings through the winter. To protect against possible naval incursions, Lübeck offers a large sum of money, docking rights, supply lines in case of war, an extra 2,000 mercenary contract for 25 years, and free ship passage to Denmark for the possession of Travemünde, a dilapidated fortress falling to pieces to the north. (DANISH RESPONSE NEEDED. Though Ashkenazi Jews are earning quite a bit of money for the Hanseatic League, they sometimes clash with the more religious in the city. They begin to settle down in poorer regions of the town. However, these clashes become more intense as members of the Knights Templar, passing through Lübeck to relocate to the Teutonic Order, stop in the Hansa to trade, buy items, or even flee the ensuing chaos. Friedrich von Alvensleben of the Knights Templar, a wealthy and established Knight, establishes a new home in Lübeck. Though loyal to the Bishop of Ratzeborg, he becomes interested in its financial potential. He requests the presence of Grandmaster Jacques de Molay in his house, hoping to entice the French Templar to not only flee the chaos in Europe, but to consider making a Templar presence in Northern Germany to aid the Teutonic Order. (MOD RESPONSE NEEDED.) As the year goes on, whispers and murmurs across Germany are listened to by Lübeck. The people of the Holy Roman Empire see their new Emperor as a puppet of the failing Pope in Rome. The Conclave of Sweden confirmed what Germany already knew: the establishment of an Emperor may calm the more aristocratic German nobles, but deep down the Holy Roman Empire knows it deserves a strong head, especially after such a long interregnum...
 * Denmark agrees to this deal, allowing them to build up their personal military in their demesne
 * Surviving leaders of the Templars finds haven in Lubeck


 * Kingdom of Georgia: With Jaqeti reconquered and Shirvani reunified, the status of David VIII as a "great" is further solidified – with many drawing favorable comparisons to his distant forebearer David the Builder, who similarly reunified Georgia and worked hard to resist the Seljuk Turks. With the Kingdom of Georgia largely restored to the territories it held before the Mongol invasions (except Trebizond, parts of the North Caucasus, Western Anatolia, and Tabriz), historians begin to refer to the period spanning 1296 to 1308 as the "Second Georgian Reconquista". Due to Oljath's disapproval, David reiterates his earlier position on Persia – despite some pressure from his court, including his brother George. Silver from Imereti and copper from Kartli are used to mint coinage – underpinning the economy. Under the encouragement of the Crown, commerce expands. Merchant and artisan guilds thrive in Tbilisi and Ganja, as well as the port of Batumi. Wine, wool (as felt), and enamels are traded. However, cotton cloth becomes an increasingly important commodity.