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Once again the Stadtrat assembled in the Lübeck's town hall. This time the members of the Stadtrat discussed about the situation going on in the Western Europe. The Duke of Burgundy had just died, and the King of Castile had inherited all of the Burgundian land, expect the French parts, which the King of France took.
The main topic was, which great power should Lübeck support, as there was surely going to happen many conflicts. The discussion quickly heated up, aldermen telling their own opinions on the matter. Not every alderman had the same opinion, not at all.
The first alderman to give a longer speech was the Chancellor of Lübeck, Heinrich Harnischer. He was sure that Lübeck should support Castile in any conflicts. He also suggested that Lübeck should try to get an exclusive trading rights in the Low countries from the King of Castile.
Soon the other aldermen replied to Heinrich's proposal. Almost nobody agreed with him. Most of the aldermen suggested a neutral path, not supporting any of the Great Powers. In their opinion Lübeck shouldn't meddle with the European Great Powers.
In the end, no clear decision was made, especially because of many influential men not telling their own opinion, like Friedrich Haas or Johannes Fischer.
The ultimate decision is made by the Statthalter Xaver von Warendorf. Will he listen his Chancellor, and try to get in good relations with Castille? Or will he do like the most of the aldermen proposed? Staying neutral.
Anna Haas
Friedrich's daughter, Anna, was walking around the forest. She was only 11-year-old, but she already knew what she wanted to do when she was older. She wanted to travel around the world. She wanted to study the nature. She loved everything about it. The trees, the sun, the singing birds... She even spend nights outside, with only basic survival stuff with her.
After she spent couple of hours in the forest, she went home. She greeted the gatekeeper, and walked inside of the mansion. It was always so gorgeous looking, no matter how many times you had seen it. She asked a servant named Otto to find her the book she had been reading yesterday. The book was about the nature of the Scandinavia. She was really intrigued of the subject. The servant brought her the book, and she went to read it in the sitting room. She spend an hour just reading and imagining about the Scandinavian nature. Then she knew it, what she wants to do when she is older. She wants to travel around Scandinavia, Finland and Lapland...
She summoned her servant again "Otto!" and ordered him to help her "I need to find a book about Scandinavian, Finnish and Sami cultures. Please help me find it." The young man helped her to find the book. He found it rather quickly. "Here it is my lady. Can I help you more?" Anna said "Thanks, this is enough" and dismissed Otto. After he had left the room, she went back lying on the sofa. She opened the book, and started reading it. Another hour went without even noticing, and she was even more intrigued of the topic than before. She couldn't wait until she is an adult...
Maximilian's life had been quiet for the past few years since that fateful dinner. He returned duly, if with a lack of enthusiasm, to his work in the counting office. Whereas before there were never any errors to be found in the mans work, slowly but surely more errors slipped into the margins. Not quite enough to be noticed, at least by that fool Albricht, but Maximilian knew they were there, he just couldn't be bothered to correct such trivial mistakes that happened, a nice microcosm of his life he oft philosophically mused.
Before there used to be a sparkle in the youthful face of the young bastard, but the deal turned sour indeed turned Maximilian sour. After work he would oft turn to one of the drinking houses that were near his house of residence, for you see he had saved enough to have a respectable dwelling now. After a night of drinking, he would slump slowly into his bed, to live the cycle all over again, wondering if he could claw his way out of this hole he was in.
I want to thank you for accepting me as a guard, and for providing me with the money necessary to buy my father's freedom. I will never forget this deed.
- Twan van Buren
***
Twan quickly informed his family about what had happened, and everyone was happy. They had lost everything, but atleast not their father or husband. Twan quickly walked towards the court, taking the mere duckats he needed to pay for his father with him. Finally, after many... hours, he could save his father from what the heathen Al-Andalusi had done to his family. He hoped that Cadorna was able to rid the world of that heathen, once and for all. Walking to the court, he walked past his old home. He would regain it. He would regain the honour, prestige and power of his family. The house of van Buren would rise like a phoenix from the ashes of bankruptcy. It would become what it used to be; the most important non-patrician house in Lübeck, and possibly even greater.
He then passed the Office of the Master of Coin. To him, it resembled everything his father had done for the city. From this building, he had made Lübeck prosperous. But it also resembled the final insanity of his father; it was where his father worked so much that he couldn't have sane thoughts about his own finances again. Then he saw it: the dominating structure that was the court. He entered the building, and looked for the place where he had to deliver the money. After a couple of minutes of searching, he found it.
Twan: "Is this where I can bail out debtors?"
Employee: "Aye. What is your name?"
Twan: "Twan van Buren."
Employee: "Who do you want to bail out?"
Twan: "Hendrik van Buren."
Employee: "Do you have the money needed?"
Twan: "Yes."
Twan hands over a couple of duckats. ((Twan hands over 0,5EP to the man.))
Employee: "That is not a lot of money, are you sure that this is enough to bail him out?"
Twan: "Yes, my father was bankrupted after being sued over merely that much by a Muslim."
Employee: "Ah, it was that man. I will get the documents ready."
The employee disappears for 10 minutes, getting everything done. The employee came back with some papers and a pen.
Employee: "Sign your signature here and here."
Twan van Buren signs the document in the places where he had to put it. The employee went back and finished the process.
Employee: "If you deliver this at the prison they will free Hendrik van Buren."
***
Hendrik was sitting in the cell. He was getting more and more annoyed by his fellow debtors' each one he met more idiotic than the rest. But then, a guard called his name. He guard told him that he was free: that his debt he had been bailed out by someone. He followed the guard to the room where the one who had bailed him out was waiting. The door was opened, and then he saw him; His son Twan. He and his son walked outside, and chatted about a lot while walking back to Giovanni Cadorna's villa...
The stadtrat’s session on the events known as the Burgundian Inheritance was not hectic and there was not a consensus on what to to. The Patricians Haas and Fischer were absent or at least they did not speak but the debate was still tense, especially Master of Coin Torsten von Warendorf and Chancellor Harnischer were in disagreement and then there were those attacks of Mr. Baasch.
After the debate was over, the statthalter made a judgment call and decided that funding a diplomatic mission in Castile was not worth the expenses. He thereby sided with his nephew and master of coin and not with his chancellor. Part of this was also that nobody else had publicly supported the chancellor's proposal. After all, the Trastamaras had just secured themselves one of the richest regions in Europe. So why would they give up trading rights to the Hansa?
Only a few weeks after Castile inherited the Low Countries, the war of the roses came to an end with House York triumphing after their armies had retaken the capital. Maybe now that England was more stable it could be swayed into an alliance? But first Steelyard had to be repaired - The Hanseatic kontor in London was still in ruins after it had been demolished by the Lancaster rebels. It was estimated that the repairs would be completed in one and a half years.
Meanwhile good news arrived from Hamburg in November 1453. The first salt shipment of the deal which the Hansa had negotiated with the Archbishopric of Salzburg had arrived! Salt was expensive and the purchased quantity was not sufficient to completely satisfy the needs of the Hamburgers but it was enough to ease the situation. The Austrian archbishopric profited tremendously from the deal - it was no secret that the Hansa had overpaid and that Bishop Gregor von Celle had taken advantage of the situation. Despite that, the statthalter and more importantly the people of Hamburg were content. Of course, the embargo on goods from Lüneburg was still in place. The question was for how long? Either a diplomatic solution was found or it had to be ended through war.
Castile made use of its new power in the Low Countries by seizing control of the trade. They enacted a law which stated that all goods passing through the their ports had to go be unloaded, weighed and reloaded. The law was very similar to the one which had been used in Riga since 1346. The idea behind this law was that merchants would be encouraged to sell their lasts in the Low Countries rather than bothering to reload them. This way more gold would remain in the region instead of leaving it.
The free market economy in the region suffered but Castile's own trade power increased tremendously. This was not an ideal situation for the the Hansa and its merchants, especially for those who traded with cloth.
For now, there was nothing Lübeck could do about it and the law affected all merchants, not just those of the Hansa. For the time being, Lübeck's main interest was to solve the situation with House Welf of Lüneburg. In an attempt to reach a diplomatic solution, the esteemed Patrician Fischer traveled to Lüneburg to negotiate with Otto von Welf. The Welfs demands were outrageous though and Fischer could not agree to them. It seemed that this conflict had to be settled on the battlefield.
Xaver was aware that Lüneburg would call upon its ally Pomerania in case of a declaration of war. Neither Bremen nor Hamburg though were ready for an armed conflict. So Lübeck would have to fight them alone. The military worked out a sophisticated plan which to defeat both armies, despite their superior size. The idea was to defeat the army of House Welf before reinforcements from Pomerania would arrive. Should the two armies merge then Lübeck was destined to lose. It was a gamble but one that Xaver was willing to take. In April 1454, he sent his Commander of the Forces and the Lübeckian army to Lauenburg where they awaited further orders.
Meanwhile in the town hall, the administration was confronted with a new threat of privateers. To better deal with them, the fleet was expanded by two squadrons of barques. After all, the fleet wasn't very large and so expanding it was approved by the master of coin.
News from Italy confirmed that the Pope excommunicated another ruler in his close vicinity. This time it was the Gonfanoliere of Florence. Xaver was relieved that Lübeck was quite far away from Rome and so he felt save from the Pope's wrath.
Preparations for the war with Lüneburg and Pomerania were completed by August 1454. The time to strike had come after Johannes Fischer had returned safely to Lübeck and so Xaver gave the orders to attack. General Cadorna marched with his army from Lauenburg to Lüneburg. A few thousand mercenaries were also hired as backup. The walls of Lübeck were manned as well. Captain Albrecht Holzmann stayed behind to lead the guards in case of a surprise attack by Pomerania.
On 8 August the battle commenced and soon it became clear that the pike formation was very effective. Cadorna defeated the army of the Welfs which retreated to Wismar, a province in the Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. There the decide battle was fought in which the remaining forces of Lüneburg were annihilated! All in all, less than 1.500 Lübeckians had fallen on the fields of battle.
For now, it seemed like Xaver's plan was working. With the Lüneburger army gone, the odds were certainly in favor of Lübeck. General Cadorna returned from Wismar to Lüneburg where he laid siege at the castle's walls.
Meanwhile the Pomeranians caught the Lübeckian navy by surprise and attacked it just outside its home port. Ships were lost on both sides but Lübeck was able to push them back. The victory did not feel like one because a good portion of the fleet was lost, including all three squadrons of galleys. It was not that bad though because the finances of the republic permitted it to rebuild the navy. The lost merchant ships were rebuilt on the orders of the Master of Coin whereas the docks awaited the orders of General Cadorna before rebuilding the galleys and cogs.
Lübeck was not the only merchant republic which increased its influence by means of war. On 4 January 1455, the Most Serene Republic of Venice declared war on Milan and thereby invaded the Holy Roman Empire. Their ambition seemed to be to expand its influence in Northern Italy. Grain and cloth were produced in large quantities in towns such as Cremona and Padua. Savoy joined forces with the Venetians. Would the young and inexperienced Emperor Ludwig II call his own allies for help as well? He did! Two months later, Bohemia, Mainz, Cleves and Trier honored their alliance. As a consequence, Doge Veniero hired eight thousand Bosnian condottieri. The odds still favored the Venetians though.
General Cadorna sent a report in March 1455 that the walls of Lüneburg had been breached. It was only a question of weeks now until the garrison would surrender. The food and water shortages were heavy on the population. He was confident of victory - too confident. The difficult weather conditions slowed down the siege a bit but the overall campaign was not in danger. Instead of weeks it would most likely take a couple of months until the siege was won. And so it came: On 29 May 1455, the garrison surrendered and the castle of the Welfs was occupied. Otto von Welf had, however, escaped Lüneburg and was presumed to hide in Pomerania. Nobody knew how long it would take for the Welfs to surrender. Months? Years? The Pomeranian army never attacked Lübeck and so Albrecht Holzmann and his garrison had little to do.
To put pressure on Pomerania without having to engage its army, the Lübeckian navy was dispatched and sent to the Southern Baltic Sea where it blockaded every single Pomeranian port.
The Papacy was under attack by Provence which declared war for Avignon. France had previously dissolved its alliance with the Holy Father and so the Pope had to rely on his own army and on that of Siena.
House York sent word in December 1455 that Lollards had occupied strips of land in England. After the bloody war of the roses, England found itself in yet another armed conflict.
Meanwhile the war between the Ottomans and Cyprus ended without any change of lands. The Mamluk navy was too powerful and prevented the Ottomans from invading the island. To end the blockade of its ports, the Ottomans agreed to pay 10% of their monthly income as war reparations to the former crusaders bastion.
With the Lübeckian blockade still in place, the war seemed stalled. Xaver did not want to risk more lives which is why the Pomeranian army was not being attacked. After all, the impacts of the war on Lübeck these days were limited. There was even enough gold to support Renaissance art.
Isaac Dreyfus completed his assignment in Danzig and was sent on a new mission to Riga to improve relations. The chancellor had set in his diplomatic agenda the goal to improve relations with multiple member states of the Hansa. This was important seeing as not all members played fair. Bremen for instance was caught building a spy network. Once Lübeck found out that the Bremer ambassador was a spy, he got arrested. Bremen was humiliated. The arrest of the ambassador served as a warning to others.
Provence won the siege Avignon which was a major setback for the Papacy. There was little hope that the Papal forces would liberate it from Provençal occupation.
Lübeck underwent a series of technological advancements. Seeing as the war would not come to an end, General Cadorna marched off to Pomerania and by September 1456, his forces had occupied Stralsund and Greifswald. This was enough to force Pomerania out of the war. Otto von Welf was finally defeated and the time to make peace had come. Now the question was whether Lüneburg should be directly incorporated into the republic or be administrated as a vassal. The mercenaries were disbanded as they were of no further use.
Emperor Ludwig II sent word to the princes that the defense of the empire was going well. The Venetian intruders were pushed back and a good portion of Savoy's and Venice's territory was already under Imperial occupation. The defenders boasted about 20.000 troops more than the attackers and so Venice's defeat seemed certain.
((Open Positions
Judge (up to 3)
The Stadtrat will meet to debate and vote on the peace treaty and decide what idea group we shall take. If a character wants to propose a law then please let me know ASAP.
Over the weekend, @Janha will be hosting an IC-event. More details will follow before the legislative voting phase has ended.
Johannes Fischer's mission to Lüneburg had previously been rolled and we will most likely see a more detailed version of what happened during the negotiating from Istar.
The plan right now is to have the stadtrat debate start soon and last until Friday morning. Then we vote from Friday until Saturday. Exact times will be announced soon.))
Xaver von Warendorf walked into the hall in which the aldermen of Lübeck convened. He had full-filled his promise to make the salt between Lüneburg and the Hansa flow again with his risky plan. Xaver was a gambler and he won. He was good at winning, one had to admit that. Last time he annexed a country, he got called out for it by his opponents during the election. This time he wanted to let the Stadtrat decide. He walked towards the speakers desk and gave the opening speech.
"Aldermen of Lübeck, I speak here before you to inform you of the success of our troops over Lüneburg. Last month, I authorised the signing a peace treaty between Pomerania and our republic so that today we can focus on ending Hansa's embargo on Lüneburg. The way I see it, there are two options: We could annex the province and incorporate it into the republic. This would however upset the emperor. Ludwig II is fighting a war though so military intervention is unlikely.
The second option is to install a governorship in Lüneburg and have the ruling dynasty replaced. Lüneburg then rejoined the Hanseatic League as a subject of our republic. This option would likely not upset the Emperor but it will cause more bureaucracy for us. I am convinced though that my administration would be able to handle that. "
Xaver cleared his throat with some water before he continued. "Now, there is also a second topic I want to discuss today with all of you. It is time to decide on the priorities of our republic and on the area which require additional funding. Each of the three ministers will present an option to you. I am looking forward to a good debate." Xaver sat down again, awaiting the other speakers.
((Debate ends Friday at 11:00 CEST. Voting starts Friday at 11:00 CEST and ends Saturday at 22:00 CEST. @themoomaster please present a military idea group to the assembly before the debate period is over. @BelisariustheGreat please make a speech about which of the diplomatic idea groups you propose. Torsten von Warendorf will present an administrative idea group. The posts must be in IC. At the end of the post please state in OOC which in-game idea group you are referring too, just to be sure.
Because Belisarius is currently on vacation, I am not sure if he will be able to pick an idea group and write a post about it. In case he can't, either Janha or I will pick a diplomatic idea group and present it in IC.))
Having only shortly returned from the battlefield, Cadorna stood ready to make his speech.
Gentlemen, you may be aware of the harsh siege that winter brought upon us in Luneburg, as such, I feel with the wealth of the republic growing, better equipment, specifically winter gear, be issued to the troops, so that they fight better should the weather turn on us. In addition, winter drills will be provided for any soldiers who have completed basic training. ((Military idea group:Quality))
There is one other, matter we are to discuss. Surely many of you are aware of the tricks a certain non-believer has pulled on our good friend van Buren. As such, I recommend the complete expulsion of all Muslim people from the city. ((Proposal: Ban Muslims from Lubeck))
Torsten had carefully listened to the Cadorna's speech and was shocked about his proposal to ban all Muslims from the republic. Torsten was concerned that it could hurt the reputation of Lübeck as a tolerant trading hub. Cadorna's reasoning did not convince him because he wasn’t too upset that van Buren had lost his position, after all this was the very reason of his own promotion. Nevertheless, Torsten was not looking forward to a confrontation with the man who led the Lübeckian forces loyally for more than a decade. Instead of looking for a conflict he endorsed him, at least publicly.
“Esteemed Gentlemen, for too long has Lübeck been plagued by muslims who have brought usury, disharmony and betrayal to our society. I stand with Giovanni Cadorna, whom I wish to thank for his bravery on the fields of battle.
I also want to highlight the key points of my new vision for Lübeck for which I require additional funding. As a small but important country, we can do best if we are on top of technology. By inviting the brightest minds to settle down in Lübeck we will ensure that our republic will become a great center of learning. This is why I strongly call for spending more coin on bettering the conditions for researchers and scientists. After all, our republican values stand not only for free trade but also for free thinking. Lübeck is already one of the favorite destinations for merchants in Northern Germany. If merchants and scientists mingle right here then our living conditions will improve further and our rivals will look upon us with envy. Furthermore, Painters, sculptors and musicians would want to live in such a society and thereby by spending more ducats on making Lübeck a center of technological advancement, the republic would also become a patronage to artists.” ((Idea Group: Innovatine Ideas))
He set down again, hoping he had convinced at least a few of the aldermen.
Johannes Fischer - Lüneburg 1454 - The Dukes Castle
((Fischers diplomatic mission in Lüneburg during the update))
((Result rolled by @delpiero1234))
The convoy entered through the gates of the city of Lüneburg, a carriage, escorted by 20 armed men on horseback. Johannes Fischer, the emissary of the Hanseatic League, tried not only to impress the townsfolk and the Duke of Lüneburg with the men who accompanied him, but also wanted to demonstrate the League'S military strength. He looked out of the window while they were travelling through the city up to the castle. The people in the streets looked normal, not more poor or tattered then normal cityfolks. But the marketplace was close to empty, only some local farmers sold their goods, no exotic wares from far away places or even fish from the baltic or german sea.
When the convoy entered the yard of the Dukes Castle, Fischer, together with another armed guard, stepped out of the carriage. The soldier wore a fine metal chest plate, engraved with the eagle of Lübeck, his high helmet glared in the sunlight. Awaiting for his welcome, Fischer stood before the carriage. As he realised that no one came he sighed - when the reception was this inpolite already, how could the negotiations go well? He looked over his guard, saying: "I guess we have to go inside by ourselves. Follow me, Eckhardt." He went into the palas and was finally met by the castles steward, a small man, who looked surprised by his arrival.
"Greetings, my Lord, you are here to speak the Duke, I wager?" the steward asked.
Johannes was getting annoyed, he had send a courier to announce his arrival, the Duke was obviously trying to show his unhappiness about a League emissary at his home. "Yes I am," he said, trying to keep all the negative emotions out of his voice, "Your Lord should've been notified. My name is Johannes Fischer, I am Patrician of Lübeck and an emissary of the Hanseatic League in the name of Statthalter Xaver von Warendorf. I wish to speak to the Duke."
"Yes, yes," the steward replied, "you might wait here, I'll call you, when his excellency is ready to receive you."
Two hours later, the steward came again, calling Johannes Fischer and his guard to follow him upstairs into the audience room of the castle, where the Duke was waiting. When Fischer entered, he saw his negotiation partner for the first time. The Duke was over 50 years old, but you could still see that he had been a tall warrior in his youth. Johannes came closer, bowed his head slightly and started to speak: "I greet you, Duke Otto von Welf, Duke Lüneburg. I am Johannes Fischer, emissary of the Hanseatic League and Patrician ..."
The Duke waved his hand to stop Fischer in the middle of his sentence. "I know who you are, Mr. Fischer. And I know why you are here. I hope you don't come to bore me with useless proposals!"
A good start..., Fisher thought, of course the Duke knew that an envoy of the League would only come to discuss the Lüneburger rivalry against it's second most important member, Hamurg. This rivalry, made the Duke leave the League and in course of it the League embargoed Lüneburger goods. "I am sure, the proposal the Hanse is able to make, won't bore you, Sir. We are ready to reintegrate Lüneburg into the League and lift the embargo of your goods. Your merchants will be able to buy and sell in the Hanseatic cities again, Lüneburg will flourish again."
"Yes, and what am I to do for you in return?" the Duke asked vigorously, again interrupting Fischer.
Fischer: "We ask you to end your rivalry with Hamburg, this feud is futile. It hurts the trade of your city and in turn your people. It doesn't bring you any good. And you have to pay a reentry fee, the Statthalter won't give you your status back for free."
The Duke, sitting on his chair, thought for a while about the proposal made by Fischer. Then he answered: "A Lüneburger reentry into the League might be possible, but not as long as Hamburg is a part of it. I won't be standing side by side with those pesky Hamburgians. They'll stab you in the back if you're not careful. When Hamburg leaves, Lüneburg joins."
Johannes stood there, before the Duke, trying his hardest not to roll his eyes. "Duke Otto, you know that I can not agree to this suggestion of yours. Hamburg is a vital part of the League, and to be quite honest, Lüneburg is not." Fischers tone got harsher now, "I am here to present you a peaceful solution, Duke, but remember, the Hanseatic League fields over fifty thousand men. If our little talk here doesn't come to a favourable solution for us... let me say it this way: Statthalter Xaver von Warendorf is a man who isn't as opposed to using force as I am."
The Duke looked at the patrician with anger in his eyes, "You dare to threaten me in my own halls?" he exclaimed.
Johannes raised one eyebrow and answered calmly, "Threaten you? No, Duke, I am not threatening you, I just try to warn you. It is my goal to find a peaceful solution here, but if you're not willing and only clutch to your pride then it's not possible." Fischer made a step towards the Duke and pointed at him, "It is your decision, Otto, will your people see peace and prosperity or do you lead them into certain disaster? Isn't it better to forget old enemies to make new friends?"
The Duke, prideful as he was, shook his head, "I see you don't understand, Mr. Fischer. The Hamburgers aren't just enemies but worse. For decades they've undermined our success. I will never sit peacefully in a room with one of theirs, nor will I ever pay to defend their sovereignty. I won't.."
This time it was Fischer who stopped the Duke, "Then it's not necessary for us to talk anymore, Duke. I think the next time you'll hear from the League will be in an ultimatum. You made the wrong choice. Thank you for your time." And with these words he turned around, signaled his guard, and went with him downstairs without waiting for a response from the Duke.
While he was sitting back in his carriage, riding home to Lübeck he thought about the negotiations, if you could call them so. The Duke hasn't only be prideful but stubborn as well. He couldn't put the good of his people before his own mind. That's why Lübeck was superior in every way, someone as selfcentered as Duke Otto I. von Welf would never be elected Statthalter. Fischer had to deliver bad news to von Warendorf, but there hasn't been much hope for a peaceful solution anyway.
Johannes Fischer - Lübeck 1456 - The Stadtrat Meeting
After he had heard the speech of General Cadorna, Johannes was horrified. A ban on all muslims? How many of those came even this far north? This italian mercenary was clearly a fool. He didn't understand anything about trade, if you ban one religion from coming to your port then others would stay away as well. And the muslims were those who, if they came, often brought the most expensive and exotic goods to Lübeck. He had to say something, even more so now, as Thorsten von Warendorf had added his voice to the Generals opinion.
Johannes stood up and started to talk: "Esteemed councilmen of Lübeck, even if I respect General Cadornas military expertise," he looked over to the old man and bowed his head, "who has just won us another struggle with the enemies of the League, I can not agree with his proposal on banning all muslims from the city. As experienced as he is in leading troops to victory, as unacquainted is he with our most important business - trade. If we are to ban every muslim to come within our walls, then we lose them as potential trading partners. Coffee and Spices from the east, white sugar, cotton, silk cloth as thin as air, all this will become more expensive for us to aquire, if even possible."
Johannes cleared his throat and watched into the circle of the aldermen.
"To bring the misfortune of Hendrik van Buren as an example is clearly ill chosen. Remember, gentlemen, he was the man who proposed us to rebuild our cathedral without thinking about the costs and effort included. Someone as shortsighted as him is prone to bankruptcy. No tricks are involved here, just failure of van Buren.
"We need the muslims to keep our connections to the east, to aquire goods we are otherwise not able to get.' Johannes looked again over to Cadorna, "Even your good friend van Buren knew this when he hired this muslim to work for him.
After a sip from his cup, Johannes continued, this time the important issue of the peacetreaty with Lüneburg was at hand.
"Let us get back from this folly, to an actually important topic. After our success over Duke Otto I of Lüneburg we should discuss how we think of adminstrating this province. I say we appoint a governor who rules the duchy. This way we won't upset Emperor Ludwig II and make it easier for the inhabitants to grow accustomed to be ruled by us. Don't throw them in the river, if you want them to learn swimming, lead them in gently."
He took back his seat, General Cadorna clearly was a fool. Johannes hoped that his short speech gave back sense to the Stadtrat and the aldermen saw that it was more important for Lübeck to let muslims and there goods come into the city instead of banning them.
Eric Ackermann was sitting on the chair of the Chancellor, Heinrich Harnischer. Harnischer had way too much work and important meetings to attend this Stadtrat meeting. So instead coming himself, he sent Eric, one of his most loyal employees.
After hearing the two other minister's proposals, he drank a little bit of water and stood up. He was little nervous as it was his first time in Stadtrat meeting.
"Good Aldermen of the Stadtrat. I, Eric Ackermann, have been sent here by our Chancellor, Heinrich Harnischer, as his representative." He took a little break, drank more water, and continued:
"Lübeck is, and shall always be, a merchant republic. What have made us rich, influential, and special compared to the other Northern German nations? That is right, trade. Lübeck should focus more on it. Spend more resources to expand our trading empire, get more Northern German nations to join our League, et cetera.
Always remember: trade is the most important thing for our glorious republic!"
Eric sat back down. He said everything he was ordered to say, and that was enough.
((Idea Groud: Trade Ideas
I posted the last idea group instead of Belisarius))
After hearing what slanderous, false claims this Fischer was making, Hendrik stood up and spoke to the Stadtrat.
"Herr Fischer is right. I had failed. Failed to see the danger that the heathen called Al-Andalusi formed. He is not simply a merchant: he was a former mercenary, like Cadorna, and fought at Varna...
...for the Turks. This man has killed true believers in the defence of an people who conquered the last bastion of Roma. When I met with him in Hamburg to pay him for the grave mistake that was our deal: He thay he had raided 2 ships, and said that I would have to pay for them. This heathen took his sword with him, and put his hand on it while we met. He was threatening me. He made me pay for the ships, and with his sword hand on his sword, in a position where he could take it out and behead me within a mere second, he threatened me into signing that treaty. I had paid him in full; which was the last of the money I had saved up and then this man demanded that I pay him more. This last demand, that little bit of money, bankrupted me. So yes, I was tricked by that Muslim "merchant". I want to apologise to Cadorna for not listening to what he said about that heathen: he clearly was correct. I support his proposal to make sure to noone else suffers the same faith I did."
Hendrik sat down again, hoping that this totally not dramatised story would silence the claims Fischer made.
Johannes Fischer - Lübeck 1456 - The Stadtrat Meeting
The senseless story of van Buren need to be replied to. Johannes cleared his throat to make himself heard by the others. "'What are you talking about, Mr. van Buren? Why do you make up stories here in front of this council? What do you talk about a people who has conquered the last bastion of Roma? Stop spreading your vile lies! Byzantium is still standing, it's tall walls will never be penetrated. If you tell us such blatant lies, how should we trust the rest of your accusations? Stop talking, it would be the best for you!
Such a crazy person. Fischer had no idea how this man had ever made it to be Master of Coin.
Friedrich Haas was surprised of Hendrik van Buren's speech. Was he really telling the truth? Friedrich stood up, looked at van Buren and asked him:
"Van Buren, are you really telling us the truth? How could a situation like that even happen? Surely every visitor you have must give all their weapons away. And if you did not meet in private, surely you would have had couple of guards with you?"
"Citizens of Lübeck, I believe we should not debate over the words of Mr. van Buren for too long as there are more important matters at hand like the war with Lüneburg and the proposals from our three ministers. These are the very reason for why we are meeting here. If you want to discuss Mr. van Buren's stories then do so in a tavern, not in the great hall of our republic. From the esteemed Patricians Fischer and Haas I would have expected to hear something with more substance. This is truly a shame." Xaver was disappointed that the Lübeckians were only talking about these unimportant words and not about the important topics at hand.
Meißen 1455 - The Prince-Electors Palace
((joint IC between me and @delpiero1234))
As envoy of the Hanseatic League, Markus Fischer had gotten himself a nice small office inside of the palace of the Prince-Elector of Saxony. He had gotten news that Albrecht von Warendorf, the brother of the Statthalter would come to inspect the work he had done to further the trading connections between the League and Saxony. He was awaiting him nervously, his room all cleaned, all the papers stacked orderly. Eventually, Albrecht knocked at the door of his office.
“Please enter, Sir,” Markus called, standing up from his chair to greet the visitor.
“Good afternoon. Thank you for making the time for this meeting.” Albrecht stepped into Markus’ office.
“For emissaries of Lübeck I’ll always find time. Please, Sir, have a seat, do you care for some refreshments?” Markus tried to impress his superior, he liked this new job, similar to supervising the Fischer Kontor, but with more travelling.
“Yes, some water please and also some wine if you have and possibly a small appetizer. The carriage ride was quite exhausting.” He sat down at a comfortable chair on the opposite site of Markus.
“I’ll send someone to get all this, it will take a minute.” Markus stepped out of his office and called for one of the servants, he instructed them to bring the all of requested and to hurry. “So, while we wait, how do I have the honor of your visit?”
Albrecht: “The Master of Coin, my son, has sent me to Saxony to inspect the progress you have made here in Meißen. I had the pleasure of meeting your predecessor here in Saxony as well.”
“I see, well, I have something to show I think.” Markus started to search in his papers. “Here, this is a list of men who I have started contacts and business relations with. All these are important distributors of different goods all over Saxony. We have Mr. Rainer Schulz, who sells bleached cloth in Chemnitz, and maybe most importantly, Mr. Heinrich Hoffmann from Erfurt, who trades in the expensive indigo dyes. All these men are selling most of their goods to Lübeck, where we can sell them again for a good profit.” It knocked at the door, a servant girl brought a tablet with water, wine and some bread.
“Let me take look at those papers please." Markus talked so fast that Albrecht had lost track of what he was saying. After overlooking the papers briefly he was content. “These look solid. May I take them with me to Lübeck or do you need them here in Saxony, it’s not a problem if you do.”
Markus: “It would be helpful for me to keep them right now, I can however make some copies and sent them to Lübeck with the next ship.”
“That would be excellent, Mr. Fischer. Most kind of you.” Albrecht looked at the food and beverages which had been brought in earlier wondering if they were part of the local decoration.
“My pleasure, Mr. von Warendorf. Look at this, in my haste I didn’t notice the food arrived, please, be my guest. Can I offer you something?” Markus stood up to prepare some drinks for himself and his visitor.
“As I was saying earlier, I’d like some water and wine please.” Was he difficult to understand or did Markus not have the best of memories? “So how is life under the Prince-elector here in Saxony? Anything worth noting?”
Markus filled in the both the cups with water and wine, presented the cup and the tablet of bread to Albrecht before he set down again. “It is a peaceful life, I like it. The Prince-elector is a kind man and I can live here quite well. Nothing really interesting to tell, but that’s how I like it to be honest. In these times trade goes best.”
“I see. Well, keep up the good work here in Meißen. I think you made the right decision in working here instead of managing your family’s business or was it your brother who made the decision for you?” He drank some wine and water, switching from one glass to the other constantly.
Markus: “To be fully honest with you, my brother made the decision. He is the head of the family, maybe you know how these things work. But I like it here more than working at home as well.”
Albrecht: “Yes, I understand where you are coming from. If there is something I can do for you then do not hesitate to write me. I am most of the time in Lübeck or Hamburg so you can find me there.”
Markus: “I’ll remember it, thank you, Sir.”
Albrecht: “I believe our meeting has run its course. I’ve seen what I needed to see and you promised to send me copies of those documents. I imagine it must take some time to have all these sheets copied?”
Markus: “Yes, it will take a few days, maybe even a week. But I’ll send it upstream as soon as they’re finished.”
“Thanks again. It was good to meet you.” Albrecht stood up and left the merchant’s office. He was tired from the long trip but felt that the meeting went well. It seemed that Markus Fischer was a much better merchant than this Ivar Lovdal who was such a great disappointment. Albrecht visited a local tavern but did not stay too long as he was tired and old. The next morning he made his way back to Lübeck.
Dear Giovanni,
I take it after all these yours you never went on that mission to track down al-Andalusi? Have you forgotten about this assignment? Now that the war with Lüneburg is over I'd like to remind you of it.
~ Xaver von Warendorf, Statthalter of Lübeck
((If you go on the assignment it needs to be rolled by RNG))
((Today I want to announce: A couple of new systems!
Also, I want to thank you guys for the good ideas. New systems will be added overtime.
Projects:
Projects are construction undertakings which can be started by any character by proposing the project to the Stadtrat. The aldermen will vote on the matter and decide if the project is started or not. Characters may also start projects on their own, but doing so will increase the building cost. By starting a project on your own, a character can decide who may invest in said project. The government will not automatically invest in not-council started projects.
Projects are done by investing EP in them. The amount of EP that a project costs is determined by the co-host @Janha. If a project is approved by the Stadtrat, the project will receive 5 EP per round, no matter how much is invested by character.
If a character invests in a project, he can receive prestige and honour. Depending on the project, it may also affect the city in-game wise. For example a new church might increase the local Religious Tolerance.
Bonuses and Penalties:
Characters can get bonuses and penalties to their EP income which are acquired by IC actions, for example bankruptcy. New bonuses and penalties will be added over time, when necessary.
Bonuses:
Penalties:
Bankruptcy: -1EP for 3 Chapters per every 1EP in debt.
Bankruptcy:
If a character used more EP than he has, he is bankrupt. If the bankrupted character owes money to any other character this character may sue the bankrupted character. There is also a chance that a NPC will file a lawsuit. A bankrupted character will also receive “Bankruptcy” penalty, to represent their lost trust, and decreased amount of trade partners.
))
Dear Mr. von Warendorf,
Worry not, before leaving Lubeck I had commissioned some of the teutonic knights in the city to set for Hamburg. I await there report.
~Giovanni Cadorna
((Requestiong rolls on the succesful capture of Ali Al-andalus and bringing him to the Lubeck Cathedral))
