A Storm from the West part IV: The Baktun of the Holy War. (a Sunset Invasion Megacampaign)

[Midnite Duke]

Thank you very much for entertaining us from the Eastern Med to Iberia to Mesoamerica to Iberia.

 

[Kazanov]

Thank you very much for entertaining us from the Eastern Med to Iberia to Mesoamerica to Iberia.

And now from Iberia to mesoamerica.

 

[NarcomancerPL]

Christianity Triumphant! Ave María!

Can't wait to see changes in Asia in EU IV ^^

I feel like from now on Megacampaign will gain more "speed" compared to CK 2 and CK 3 parts. So we'll be in Modern Times in notime

P.S.: Pls don't forget to post link to part V ^^

 

[Kazanov]

Epilogue: The end of an era. (1465)



The reforms of Emperor Muuk'naal VI.

Saint Iacobus of New Tikal, 1465, Neo-Mayan Empire.

Emperor Muuk'naal VI Q'uk'umatz​

A new Church was being built on top of the abandoned ruins of the old Great Pyramid of the Q'uk'umatz, dedicated to Saint Iacobus, it was designed to become the center of spiritual life in the Empire. Emperor Muuk'naal VI observed the construction workers from the balcony of his palace with pride. Strong men like these built his Empire.

The emperor then looked to the main port, the sun was beginning to disappear below the sea, providing a beautiful spectacle. The Imperial Fleet was docked there, these ships built by Neo-Mayan hands, secured his victory during the Ninth Crusade and soon would have to sail to make a dangerous trip to Cuba. Some nobles tried to suggest the construction of a second fleet in the Caribbean to protect the interests of the Empire in the west, because of the dangers of abandoning the coasts of the homeland. The voyage across the sea was long and dangerous. He knew about that; he had crossed the ocean two times during his youth after all.

Right after the victory in Pictland, that was why he decreed the creation of two new autonomous zones in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Kingdom of Kaabu and the territories of the Templar Knight in Yorubaland.

Kaabu became a vassal, and the southern bit of the Neo-Mayan Empire will be lands used by the Templar Knights in EU4.

Spoiler: Religion and Cultures in Subsaharan-Africa

The Kings of Kaabu were always loyal subjects of the Q'uk'umatz and they constituted the only remaining Kingdom in the Empire after the many revolts of the northern Kingdoms during the past centuries. Their Afro-Maya population was loyal to the Throne and devoutly Christian, Muuk'naal VI believed that these two characteristics were enough to give them some self-governance, Kaabu was granted the status of a Duchy, and partial autonomy in exchange for the protection of the realm and the payment of a tribute equivalent to 25% of their annual income.

South of Kaabu, the Templar Knights were also granted partial autonomy and were exempt from paying tributes, but in exchange, they had more military duties to the Empire. Muuk'naal VI knew that his legacy in Sub-Saharan Africa would be secure under the protection of his loyal subjects.

Then, in 1466, envoys from the Mayan Republic of Cuba arrived at Saint Iacobus of New Tikal asking for protection from Cemanahuac and the Caribs. They said that the authorities of the island were willing to be integrated into the Neo-Mayan Empire if that secured their survival from these two powerful enemies, who were planning an invasion of the island. Seeing this as an opportunity given to him by God, he accepted, but instead of absorbing the Republic into the Empire, he declared that they would be another autonomous vassal of the Empire but in exchange for protection, he wanted them to convert to the Fraticelli faith. The situation was so desperate for the Mayans that the envoys accepted, knowing that the conversion of the island would surely take generations, while an invasion by their enemies could take a few months.

---

The end of the Holy Wars.​

After the defeat of the Picts in 1465, many considered that the era of the Crusades was over. With no real threat to the supremacy of the Fraticelli faith, there was no need for the Pope to call for more Crusades, and with every single holy site under the control of the faith, there was no need for more Armed Pilgrimages. It was the end of the era of the Holy Wars.

Pope Gregorius proclaimed that it was time to expand the faith to the rest of the world, but the majority of the Christian realms were too busy distrusting each other to care about that. Most realms started to centralize their power structures while cities began to have more and more importance, in the past commerce was hampered by wars and pagan invasions, and the victory of the Fraticelli church during the Ninth Crusade paved the way for a revitalized inter-kingdom trade. This changed the political situation in the region.

But every realm had its reality and while realms like Raetia had centralized all their power under the authority of a King, the Neo-Mayan Empire decentralized its power by giving lands to its most powerful subjects, and the Kingdom of Pictland gave a lot of power to its Church, to convert its pagan population.

The chaotic fall of the Mongol Empire fractured the east and for decades the heathens fought against each other, that was until the Christian Despotate of Armenia and Malikate of Judea rose to dominate the eastern Mediterranean and started many wars of expansion. The Fraticelli faith was only opposed by the Muslims and Kemetic Pagans, but their realms were too weak to become a threat.

Kingdoms of the east

Spoiler: Religions and cultures of the east

In North-western Africa, Carthage and the Neo- Mayan Empire dominated with no opposition. Carthage has remained oblivious to the past century’s conflicts, which proved to be a good strategy because they now had the resources needed to obey the Papal mandate and declared to the world that they would convert to Africa.

The Neo-Mayan Empire had no interest to contest the African ambitions of the Carthaginians and instead proclaimed that they would expand the faith to the continent now known as Anahuac (OTL America), to reclaim the lands they considered belonged to them by heritage and to prevent a Third Sunset Invasion.

Kingdoms of the Western Mediterranean

Spoiler: Religion and culture in the Western Mediterranean

In Iberia, the Kingdoms of Galicia, Vasconia, and Catalonia fought countless wars to obtain supremacy over each other. None of them achieved anything of note.

East of the Iberian Peninsula, the Christian Slavic Kingdoms of Galliya and Raetia continued to be the strongest regional powers, the Fraticelli faith remained unchallenged, but inside their borders, there were small heretic groups like the Cathars, who faced constant persecution. The Frankish-Czech people of the Frankish Kingdom were one of the last survivors of the Germanic invasions that preceded the arrival of the Huns, alongside the Frisians and the Vandals, the last was only one Kingdom that lived in constant peace during the period of the Crusades.

In the remaining lands of the Etruscans, many Kingdoms were born after a civil war originated from the death of one of their Kings, with the Etruscan-Croatian Kingdom of Dalmatia being the most relevant of them all. The Etruscan Peninsula was still an important center of culture and arts but was engulfed in chaos.

In the cold north, the Celtic Kingdom of Armorica, the Polish Kingdom of Dania, and the recently "liberated" Kingdom of Pictland was still fighting against the Pagans, with the last remnant of the Mongol Empire, the Aarlud Khanate, in northern Scandinavia, was considered as the most powerful enemy of the faith. Dania sent envoys to the Vatican to ask for a Crusade against them but for now, their pleas for action were ignored.

Kingdoms of the cold north

Spoiler: Cultures and religions of the north

Spoiler: Court languages by 1465

The Neo-Mayan Empire has good relationships with most Kingdoms, as the Nahua Language remained the most widely spoken language of the courts.

This will continue in part V: Between two worlds.​