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سعديون
Bani Zaydan

The Maghrib was yet one of the battlefields in the 16th-century struggle for supremacy among the Spanish, the Portuguese, and the Ottomans. As Columbus sailed to the Americas, the last Muslim rulers were expelled from Granada, and the Christian powers of Hispania already occupied enclaves on the coast of the Maghrib and continued to take more coastal areas under their influence. Simultaneously, the Ottoman influence grew, first taking Egypt, and then switching their attention to Ifriqiyah – and the Maghrib.

The Wattasid Sultans of Morocco had clearly utterly failed in their promises to protect Maghrib from foreign incursions and the Portuguese increased their presence on the coasts. They had attempted to recapture Assilah and Tangiers in 1508, 1511 and 1515, but without success. Down the coast, the resistance to the Portuguese influence was led by the Sufi tariqa and the sharifians. The various shafirians drew their legitimacy from a claimed descent from Muhammad.

The Saadi from Tagmadert in the valley of the Draa River, claimed descent from Muhammad through the line of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Fatima Zahra, and various ancestors from the Yanbu' al Bahr. These men were war chiefs, allies of the tariqas in the struggle against the Portuguese. The first Saadi Emir Abu Abdallah al-Qaim was invited in 1510 by the Sufi tariqa of the Sous valley to lead their jihad against the Portuguese intruders, just after establishing Saadi rule in Tagmadert in 1509. At the invitation of the Haha Berbers of the western High Altas, in 1514, Emir al-Qaim moved to Afughal, the shrine of the late imam al-Jazuli and spiritual headquarters of the Shadhili tariqa.

Abu Abdallah died in 1517 but his sons continued the Saadi jihad against the European enclaves. Initially poorly armed, the Saadian sharifs' military organization and strength improved with time. In 1518, the Sharifians finally defeated and killed the formidable Portuguese client Yahya ibn Tafuft. Via the tariqa networks among coastal tribes, from the Sous to Rabat, the Sharifians organized permanent, though often loose, sieges around the Portuguese fortresses, cutting off their supplies and hampering their military operations. By the 1520s, the Portuguese had lost their sway over the outlying districts and were reduced to their fortresses.

The Saadi moved to Marrakesh at the invitation of the Hintata ruler Muhammad ibn Nasir, to better direct operations. The ambitious son of Abu Abdallah, Ahmad al-Araj seized the qasbah and killed the Hintata. Al-Araj made Marrakesh the new Saadian capital, assigning Taroudant and the Sous to his younger brother, Muhammad al-Sheikh. He also arranged for the transition of the remains of his father al-Qaim and the imam al-Jazuli from Afughal to Marrakesh.

1521
Qasbah of Marrakesh
1523
Bilad as-Sus

1524
Qasbah of Marrakesh
1525
Qasbah of Fes
Nul, south of Bilad al-Sus
1526
Jebel al-Atlas
 
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Archduke Ferdinand I of Austria

Born on the tenth of March in the year of our Lord 1503, Ferdinand is the second son of Duke Philip the Handsome of Burgandy and Queen Joanna of Castile. Ferdinand has appointed by his brother, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, as Archduke of Austria to oversee the Emperor's power in Germany. Ferdinand is well suited to the position considering his marriage to Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, as well as his close relationship with his sister Mary, wife of King Louis II of Bohemia and Hungary, both marriages resulting from the First Congress of Vienna. Though young, Ferdinand is keen minded and has the power of the Hapsburg name behind him, giving him great opportunities in central Europe. He also has a personal motto of Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
 
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Protector of the Realm


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The Kingdom of Sweden had long been a member of the Kalmar Union, and for the greater part of it, an unhappy and unwilling one. Karl Knutsson had declared himself King of Sweden in 1448, and he managed to fend off the Danish for nine years, and even then managed to reclaim his throne twice; even following his death in 1470, the Swedish Council refused to allow the Danes to regain control over their lands. It was only following the battle of Rotebro, the defeat of Sten Sture the Elder, and the ongoing war between the Swedes and the Muscovites that allowed Hans of Denmark to regain control of his wayward vassals. Following several military blunders by the Danish King, the Swedes once again rose in rebellion only a decade ago, first under the leadership of Sten Sture the Elder (who also reassumed the title of Regent of Sweden), and after his death in 1503, his kinsman Svante. It was his death in 1511 that allowed a temporary respite from the growing rebelliousness of Sweden, though Hans’ death two years later did little to resolve it. Then Svante’s son, Sten Sture the Younger emerged, who following the death of Hans quickly made peace with the Muscovite princes and began preparing for the inevitable war against the Danish oppressors; in 1517, Archbishop Gustav Trolle, leader of the pro-Danish faction in Sweden, fled to the fortress of Stäket to avoid trial, which was then torn asunder and Trolle was removed from all titles. This act could not go unpunished, and Christian II, the new King of Denmark, launched his invasion of Sweden. However, at Vedila, Sten and the Swedes rebuffed him, and repeated their victory at Brännkyrka; on the 19th of January, 1520, with the assistance of French, German, and Scottish mercenaries, the tide of the war began to turn when Sten the Younger, the relentless Regent of Sweden who had emerged as Christian II’s great rival, was mortally wounded at Bogesund. Without their charismatic and indomitable leader, the Swedish army, composed largely of peasants, fled to the fields, and the road to Stockholm laid open.

The Riksråd assembled in Uppsala that March and gave homage to Christian, whose position now seemed more secure than ever; in return for their homage, he pledged to wipe clean the past crimes against Denmark committed by Sweden, and that Sweden would continue to be governed by Swedish customs and laws; his position, at this very moment, had never been so secure. However, whilst Christian was being paid homage to by the Riksråd, Christina Gyllenstierna, the widow of Sten the Younger and great-granddaughter of Karl Knutsson, refused to yield Stockholm to Christian’s vanguard; the citizens of Stockholm, roused to battle by her patriotism and refusal to submit to Danish dominance, repelled the would-be occupiers; on Good Friday, at the Battle of Uppsala, Christian II triumphed over Lady Christina after a brutal battle, though even with this triumph, and the arrival of the Danish navy, she refused to yield Stockholm for four months, and only on the condition of absolute amnesty.

Two months later, Christian was officially acclaimed King of Sweden, though in defiance of Swedish tradition, he declared himself the hereditary monarch; four days later, Gustav Trolle was reappointed Archbishop. His victory seeming complete, the King and his retainers took to celebrating their victory, drinking and cavorting for three days. On the Eighth of November, shortly after dusk, Danish soldiers seized a number of Swedish nobleman who had been summoned to Djurgården the previous day for “private conferences.” Those not seized were placed under lock and key, whilst their compatriots were proscribed to death by Trolle for heresy; nearly all had been present when Trolle was removed from his office in 1517, and a great many had fought alongside or supplied Sten the Younger. Just after noon, on the 9th, the bishops of Skara and Strängnäs, known for the opposition to the Kalmar Union, were sent to the Great Square and beheaded; more executions followed the next day, and even Sten the Younger’s body was dug up and desecrated. 82 men were slain over those two bloody days, most notably Erik Johansson, a member of the affluent House of Vasa. His son Gustav, enraged by the brutality of the Danes, fled to Dalarna and began fomenting a new rebellion against the Danish Crown; the people rallied to his side. As he led his army south, he declared himself the Protector of the Realm … the War of Liberation had begun.
 
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Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Brandenburg


Joachim I Nestor, elector of Brandenburg, an opponent of the Habsburg
emperors, yet a devout Roman Catholic who prevented the spread of Protestantism in his land during his lifetime.

In the imperial election of 1519 Joachim supported Francis I of France at first and at one point hoped to get to the title himself. He eventually backed Charles I of Spain. As he had warm relationship with the Emperor, he remained in contact with enemies of the emperor. Despite backing Charles I of Spain he always remained a symphatizer for the French.



He reformed the legal code of Brandenburg and settled his warlike nobles by granting them lands and positions. He founded a university at Frankfurt and der Oder in 1506. Joachim remained a implacable enemy of the Reformation and even forced his sons, who sympathized with reformes, to pledge that Brandenburg would remain Catholic after his death. His own wife had fled to Saxony for her safety after she had became lutheran like his brother, King of Denmark.

 
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Kingdom of Portugal
th
King Manuel I

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King of Portugal and the Algarves​


Accomplishments

Manuel would prove a worthy successor to his cousin John II, supporting the Portuguese exploration of the Atlantic Ocean and the development of Portuguese commerce. During his reign, the following was achieved:
1498 — Discovery of a maritime route to India by Vasco da Gama
1500 — Discovery of Brazil by Pedro Álvares Cabral
1505 — Appointment of Francisco de Almeida as the first viceroy of India
1503–1515 — Establishment of monopolies on maritime trade routes to the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf by Afonso de Albuquerque, an admiral, for the benefit of Portugal

All these events made Portugal rich on foreign trade while it formally established a vast overseas empire. Manuel used the wealth to build a number of royal buildings (in the Manueline style) and to attract scientists and artists to his court. Commercial treaties and diplomatic alliances were forged with China and the Persian Empire. The Pope received a monumental embassy from Portugal during his reign designed to draw attention to Portugal's newly acquired riches to all of Europe.
 
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Bavaria at a glance with a lance


From 1180 onward, in consequence of Henry the Lion being placed under an imperial ban in 1180 AD, Emperor Frederick I awarded the duchy to Otto, a member of the old Bavarian family of Wittelsbach and a descendant of the counts of Scheyern. The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled Bavaria without interruption since then. The Wittelsbachs were the rulers of Bavaria as dukes and then later on as electors and kings. When Count Palatine Otto VI. of Wittelsbach became Otto I, Duke of Bavaria in 1180, the Wittelsbach treasury was low in funds so in the following years it was significantly augmented by purchase, marriage, and inheritance. As such newly acquired land was no longer given as a fief, but managed by servants. Also, powerful families, such as the counts of Andechs, died out during this period. Otto's son Ludwig I of Wittelsbach was enfeoffed in 1214 with the County of Palatine of the Rhine. Since there was no preference for succession of the firstborn in the Wittelsbach dynasty, in contrast to many governments of this time, there was in 1255 a division of the land into Upper Bavaria with the Palatinate and the Nordgau (headquartered in Munich) and lower Bavaria (with seats in Landshut and Burghausen).

Despite the renewed division so soon after reunification, Bavaria gained even more power with the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV who became the first Wittelsbach emperor in 1328. However, the newly gained areas of Brandenburg, Tyrol, the Dutch provinces Holland, Zeeland and Friesland and the Hainaut would steadily fall from their grasp under his successors over time. By 1369, Tyrol fell through the Treaty of Schärding to the Habsburgs. The Luxemburgish rider followed in 1373 and the Dutch counties fell to Burgundy in 1436. In the 1329 Treaty of Pavia, Emperor Louis divided ownership in a Palatine region, with the Rhine Palatinate, and a later so-called Upper Palatinate. Thus, the electoral dignity for the line onwards to the Palatinate was also lost. With the recognition of the limits of domination by the Bavarian Duke in the year 1275, Salzburg of Bavaria went into their final phase. When the Salzburg Archbishop issued its own country regulations in 1328, Salzburg become a largely independent state within the Holy Roman Empire.

By 1392 four Duchies would exist and it would be until Duke Albrecht IV of Bavaria-Munich united Bavaria in 1503 through primogeniture and war. Albert IV in 1504 became involved in the Landshut War of Succession which broke out for the possession of Bavaria-Landshut on the death of George the Rich. Albert's rival was George's son-in-law Rupert, formerly bishop of Freising and also successor of Philip as count palatine of the Rhine. The emperor Maximilian I, interested as archduke of Austria and count of Tirol, interfered in the dispute. Rupert died in 1504, and the following year an arrangement was made at the Diet of Cologne by which the emperor and Philip's grandson, Otto Henry, obtained certain outlying districts, while Albert by securing the bulk of George's possessions united Bavaria under his rule. In 1506 Albert decreed that the duchy should thenceforth pass according to the rules of primogeniture, and in other ways endeavored to consolidate Bavaria. He was partially successful in improving the condition of the country, and in 1500 Bavaria formed one of the six circles into which Germany was divided for the maintenance of peace. Albert died in March 1508, and was succeeded by his son, William IV, whose mother Kunigunde was a daughter of the emperor Frederick III. In spite of the decree of 1506, William IV was compelled to grant a share in the government in 1516 to his brother Louis X.


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William IV (left); Louis/Ludwig X (Right)​
 
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Royal Summons from Henry VIII, King of England, France and Lord of Ireland

To his Grace, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham

is to present himself in the Palace of Westminster with great haste.

So it has been decreed.
 
Shāh Ismāʿil​


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Born in Ardabil in Sout Azerbaijan. His father, Haydar, was the sheikh of the Safaviyya Sufi order and a direct descendant of its Kurdish founder, Safi-ad-din Ardabili (1252–1334). Ismail was a great-great grandson of Emperor Alexios IV of Trebizond and King Alexander I of Georgia. His mother Martha, better known as Halima Begum, was the daughter of Uzun Hasan by his Pontic Greek wife Theodora Megale Komnene, better known as Despina Khatun. Despina Khatun was the daughter of Emperor John IV of Trebizond. Ismail grew up bilingual, speaking Persian and Azerbaijani.

Isma'il started his campaign in Sout Azerbaijan in 1500 as the leader of the Safaviyya, a Twelver Shia militant religious order, and unified all of Iran by 1509. Ismail played a key role in the rise of Twelver Islam; he converted Iran from Sunni to Shi'a Islam, importing religious authorities from the Levant.

In 1510, Ismail I moved against the Uzbeks. In battle near the city of Merv, some 17,000 Qizilbash warriors ambushed and defeated a superior Uzbek force numbering 28,000. The Uzbek ruler, Muhammad Shaybani, was caught and killed trying to escape the battle and the shah had his skull made into a jewelled drinking goblet.

In 1514, Selim I, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, attacked Ismail's kingdom. Selim I eventually defeated Ismail at the battle of Chaldiran in 1514. Ismail's army was more mobile and their soldiers were better prepared but the Ottomans prevailed due in large part to their efficient modern army, and possession of artillery, black powder and muskets.

Selim I entered the Iranian capital of Tabriz in triumph on September 5, but did not linger. Despite his defeat at the Battle of Chaldiran, Ismail quickly recovered most of his kingdom, from east of the Lake Van to the shores of the Indian Ocean. After the Battle of Chaldiran, Ismail lost his supernatural air and the aura of invincibility, gradually falling into heavy drinking of alcohol.
 
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Royal Summons from Henry VIII, King of England, France and Lord of Ireland

To his Grace, Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham

is to present himself in the Palace of Westminster with great haste.

So it has been decreed.

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His Majesty, Henry VIII, King of England and France, and Lord of Ireland, et. al.,

I shall make my way to Westminster, as per your commmand; I expect to arrive there within the fortnight.

His Grace, Edward Stafford, Third Duke of Buckingham, KG
 
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Repubblica Fiorentina



One of the many Republics to dot the Italian Peninsula, the Republic was founded in 1115 after the death of Matilda of Tuscany. The House of Medici gained control in 1434 and maintained control until 1494 when a coup overthrew the family.

However in 1512, Giovanni de Medici (currently Pope Leo X) retook the city and restored the House of Medici to the position of Gonfaloniere. Currently the city is ruled by Alessandro de' Medici, the illegitimate son of Lorenzo II, however as Alessandro is a minor the situation is tense in the city and many are clamoring for the fall of the Medici and a return to true Republicanism.
 
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Upon arrival to Westminster, Edward Stafford, Third Duke of Buckingham is arrested, accused of treason against his king. He is brought to the Tower of London, while awaiting a trial. During this time much evidence is presented, regarding the plot of the Duke of Buckingham to usurp the Kingdom of England.
 
I'm afraid that I just don't have the time for this game, what with everything else going on right now. My apologies, but I will have to sit this one out. Hopefully it is not too late to find a replacement.
 
REINO DE ESPAÑA, EMPERADOR DEL SAGRADO IMPERIO ROMANO

In the light of the current religious events in Germany, the emperor has decided upon a Diet in Worms, in which Martin Luther is to attend.

-CARLOS I DE ESPAÑA, CARLOS V DE EL SAGRADO IMPERIO ROMANO
 
The Diet of Worms

To say that the religious firebrand, Martin Luther, had created quite the effect on the Christian world, and specifically the Holy Roman Empire, would assuredly be an understatement. Through such works as the Ninety-Five Theses, Luther directed attacks on what he perceived to be abuses and deficiencies with the Roman Catholic Church, even calling into question the legitimacy of the Pontiff's position as the Church's head. Such messages would at first find a slow response, with Pope Leo X initially sending out theologians to dispute Luther , but this served only to embolden his stance against the Papacy, with a famous controversy arriving when Luther stated his disbelief in Papal authority and likened the Papacy to biblical Antichrist. Obviously such rhetoric received the ire of the Church and the Emperor, for Luther represented a threat to stability in the realms of both offices. This conflict would culminate in Luther's excommunication through Leo X's encyclical Decet Romanum Pontificem on January 3rd, 1521.

It was clear that something had to be done to contain Luther from furthering his cause, and thus Emperor Charles V summoned the estates of the Holy Roman Empire and Martin Luther to an Imperial Diet in Worms at the Heylshof Garden on January 28th, 1521. To facilitate Luther's appearance, who rightfully feared persecution based on the previous burning of Jan Hus, Prince Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, obtained an agreement that guaranteed Luther safety to and from the proceedings. Luther arrived on April 16th and appeared before the questions of Johann von Eck, a theologian devoted to dispute Luther's heresies who possessed skill in debate. Eck asked Luther if he claimed ownership of the texts published under his name and if he was prepared to revoke his teachings. Luther requested a day to formulate his answer. Upon reconvening, Luther organized his works into three groups, but refused to denounce them lest he encourage further abuses of the Christian faith. Luther further stated that unless his errors could be shown in the Bible, he could not in good conscience change his ways.

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Private conferences were to discuss the fate of Luther over five days, though before an decision could be announced and handed down, news arose of an issue - Luther had fled. During his return to the safety of Wittenberg, Luther was seized by masked horsemen. This would prove the inability for reconciliation between the conflicting sides with Luther no longer appearing before the Empire, and now the Christian world looked to see what consequences would follow.

The reaction was to be decisive when on May 25th, Emperor Charles V issue the Edict of Worms, stating:

“For this reason we forbid anyone from this time forward to dare, either by words or by deeds, to receive, defend, sustain, or favour the said Martin Luther. On the contrary, we want him to be apprehended and punished as a notorious heretic, as he deserves, to be brought personally before us, or to be securely guarded until those who have captured him inform us, whereupon we will order the appropriate manner of proceeding against the said Luther. Those who will help in his capture will be rewarded generously for their good work.”

Simply, Luther and his teaching were declared heretical and were to be forbidden through the Empire. This was to be a strong stance, and surprisingly, Charles V seemed apt to faithfully pursue Luther's swift capture despite his busy lifestyle amid political and military concerns. Much to the Church's delight, as it seemed, Charles would actively act as a bulwark against further heresy in the Empire. Still, this did not change the fact that Luther was missing and beyond the Emperor's grasp, and the ramifications this were not yet known.
 
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"Helfen, Wehren, Heilen" ("Help, Defend, Heal")

Forgive us,

Forgive us for our sins. The price for our atrocities are too high, and we shall repent until the end of the days. The Knights of the Order cry for peace, to fight other catholics is disheartening, as christians around the world lose their lives to the infidels. As the heretics spread lies against his Holiness. We must give up our mortal possessions, we must forsee the light, and truly accept all that God has given us.

We invite the King of Poland, Sigismund I, to Danzig to discuss immediate terms of our peace. We must stop this reckless fighting, less the judgement from above come to smite us. With the heretic Luther escaping, and pressing issues in Hungary, the order must focus our forces elsewhere. Our mission in the Baltic has long been overdue, and we do not wish to overstep our stay. The Hochmeister simply requests an message from the King of Poland that releases us from our duties of him, and allow the knights to serve the Pope directly.

The crusading states are all but gone, and the papacy's shield is shattered and broken. We must reforge it from the fires! He faces threats from within and without, for this, The Knights of the Cross shall do anything to protect him, and invite our brothers, the Knights of the Sword, in the Livonian Confederation to join us in our noble cause. May Mary be with you.
 
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Treaty of Moscow

I. The Grand Principality of Moscow agrees to pay the Kingdom of Poland 900,000 gold pieces.

II. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania agrees to cede the city of Smolensk and all lands surrounding it to the Grand Principality of Moscow.

III. All signatories agree to an immediate cessation of hostilities and recognize the authority of each other as states.

[X]- Vasili III Rurikovich [X]- King Sigismund I [X]- King Sigismund I
 
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DynpeAv.png


"Helfen, Wehren, Heilen" ("Help, Defend, Heal")

Forgive us,

Forgive us for our sins. The price for our atrocities are too high, and we shall repent until the end of the days. The Knights of the Order cry for peace, to fight other catholics is disheartening, as christians around the world lose their lives to the infidels. As the heretics spread lies against his Holiness. We must give up our mortal possessions, we must forsee the light, and truly accept all that God has given us.

We invite the King of Poland, Sigismund I, to Danzig to discuss immediate terms of our peace. We must stop this reckless fighting, less the judgement from above come to smite us. With the heretic Luther escaping, and pressing issues in Hungary, the order must focus our forces elsewhere. Our mission in the Baltic has long been overdue, and we do not wish to overstep our stay. The Hochmeister simply requests an message from the King of Poland that releases us from our duties of him, and allow the knights to serve the Pope directly.

The crusading states are all but gone, and the papacy's shield is shattered and broken. We must reforge it from the fires! He faces threats from within and without, for this, The Knights of the Cross shall do anything to protect him, and invite our brothers, the Knights of the Sword, in the Livonian Confederation to join us in our noble cause. May Mary be with you.
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The Polish Crown seeks a simple cessation of hostilities, so both sides can negotiate terms without feeling like a sword is hanging over our heads. We are willing to attend a peace conference in Danzig, and we request that the Pope send a Legate to medeate all talks. Let this blood shed end.

His Majesty,
Sigmund I, King of Poland, and Grand Duke of Lithuania

((In regards to treaty with Moscow))

[X] King Sigmund I
 
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His Imperial and Sacred Majesty finds great offense in the treacherous and reprehensible actions of the so called "King of Hungary". Due to these actions, including but not limited to, the execution of a representative of the Sultan and Caliph and the refusal to pay the required tribute as agreed to by his predecessor His Imperial and Sacred Majesty demands an immediate apology from the King of Hungary as well as his presence in Constantinople where he will kneel before the Sultan as his vassal and recognize him as his rightful Lord and agree to follow him in all matters. Should he refuse he will face the full might of the Empire and will receive no mercy. All those who attempt to support the "King" of Hungary will also be considered enemies of His Imperial and Sacred Majesty and will face the consequences of their actions.

~His Imperial and Sacred Majesty, Suleiman I, Emperor, Sovereign of the House of Osman, Sultan of Sultans, Khan of Khans, Commander of the Faithful and Successor of the Prophet of the Lord of the Universe, Custodian of the Two Noble Sanctuaries and Caesar of the Roman Empire