- ARCHIVE - Ducal Court of Bremen

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Ducal Court of Bremen

Ducal Court of Bremen​

The court is open to all envoys who desire to speak with Duke of Bremen​

National Stats​

Nation: Bremen
Head of State: Johann III, Duke of Bremen
Player: Sapphire
Religion: Catholic
Culture: German
Stats: 2/2/4(5)/4/2 --> [2/2/5/4/2]
Provinces: 4
Ports: 4
Owned: Bremen, Prussia, Skåne, Calais
Annexation of Hannover +1 Technology​

 

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Head of State and living Ducal Family​

Duke Johann III. Born 1406.

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Children of Johann III

Johann-Kazimierz; Born in december 1428, the boy is the heir to the ducal throne of Bremen. Raised qithout much contact to his mother, and in the knowledge that he'll one day become duke of Bremen. Has received the best education, and is welltrained in diplomacy and commerce. Unfortunatele, the boy is pretty poor at languages, and when dealing with foreign diplomats, he is forced to rely on a translator.

Silke; Born july 1436. The girl has a very fragile health, and is almost constantly ill. She has moved with her mother to Lotharingia.

Erich Küster of the Greif; Born 1445. Rumours have it that Johann III is not the boys father, and said rumours are fuelled by the fact that the boys birth wasn't publicly celebrated. Johann III has never spent much time with the boy, and Erich moved with his mother to Lotharingia.


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Children and Wife of Johann-Kazimierz.

Rosa Maria de Trastamara-Aragon; Born 1426. Daughter of Queen Blanca of Aragon. Ever since Maria-Elisa left for Lotharingia, Rosa Maria has acted as de facto duchess of Bremens social life. Favour with her is essential for invitations to the various social activities of the court. Rosa Maria appears to have accepted her fate. She still longs back to Aragon, and finds the Germans somewhat uncivilised, but she is satisfied with her marriage to Johann-Kazimierz, even though it was politically arranged. After the coup in Aragon in late 1451, in which Rosa Marias family lost power in Aragon, the reasons for the marriage no longer exists, and Rosa Maria is forced to accept that her only future lies in Bremen.

Heinrich Trastamara von Küster-Greif; Born 1449, after only 4 months of marriage between Johann-Kazimierz and Rosa Maria. The boy was obviosly concieved out of marriage, but has been accepted as heir to Johann-Kazimierz, and thus to the ducal throne of Bremen. There is no speculations that Johann-Kazimierz is the boys father. Pointing out that Heinrich is technicaly a bastard is a sure way to ruin any chances you might have in the court of Bremen.

Julia Josephina von Küster-Greif de Trastamara-Aragon; Born in march 1453, the child is already promised to Vittorio di Savoia of Piemonte. This political union will further cement the allready strong ties between the two merchants duchies.

Source: BzAli in his court of Bermen

 

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Military​

Land Armies

Ducal Guard of Bermen; 20,000 men (2) Commanded by Dieter von Scwarzwald

Navies

Ducal Merchant Fleet of Berman; 200 warships (2) Commanded by Holger Dahlke

 

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Treaties​

Hansa Trade Union​

Central to both foreign and internal politics ever since its formation by "Hansa"-Johann II in 1424, the Hansa Trade Union has as its goals to increase the wealth of all members through trade between members, and through negotiation of favourable treaties with foreign powers.
The Union started as a non-political organization, with the sole purpose of increasing trade, but as time passed, it became clear that it is impossible to seperate commerce and politics, especially for an duchy whose major source of income is trade.
Membership in the Hanseatic Union brings many rewards, not only of a commercial nature, but also political, as Nantes discovered when a Norman invasion brought the full wrath of the Holy Roman Empire on England, and sometimes even military, as Sweden discovered, when the Hanseatic cities of Viborg, Helsingfors and Stockholm in 1432 was the compelling reason for the Greif-Schussel Allianz, by some considered the military arm of the Trade Union, declaration of war against a Denmark, a war which ended with Sweden having its own king and gaining freedom from the Danish overlordship.


Bremen is founder of the Hansa Trade Union.
The Hansa Trade Union consists of:
-Bremen, joined upon creation in march 1424
-Gelre, joined upon creation in march 1424
-Mecklemburg, joined in may 1424
-Holstein-Gottorp, joined in october 1425
-Hessen became an associate and close partner of the Union in march 1430, and joined the Union as full member in 1435.
-The Swedish Cities of Stockholm, Helsingfors and Viborg entered the Hansa in april 1431.
-Hannover is a member of the Union.
-The Breton capitol Nantes, free trade city, is a member.
-Cologne joined the Union in late 1438.

These nations have sent representatives to the Hanseatic Council, the governing body of the Union, which has to approve all members and all signed treaties. Currently, the council consists of:
Daniel van Straussenberg, representing Gelre.
Johann von Forz, talking for the duchy of Holstein-Gottorp.
Magnus von Stargard, sitting for Mecklemburg.
Lord Waldo von Dagoberto from Hessen.
Heinz von Hildeshiem, for Hannover.
Erik Oxenstierna, the only non-German in the council, representing the Swedish cities of Viborg, Helsingfors and Stockholm.
Klaus van der Wreesel, for Cologne.
Otto Kaufmann, head of the Bremer merchants guild and Bremens representative in the council,
and finally, as detailed in the Hanseatic charter, Johann III of Bremen, chairman of the council.

Charter for the Hansa Trade Union.​

The goal of the Hansa Trade Union

-The Hansa Trade Unions goal is to ease trade and increase profit earned by trade for all merchants from member nations on the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

-The Hansa Trade Union is not a military union. All members are allowed to join military unions without the approval of the Hansa Trade Union Council, should they so wish.

The Hansa Trade Union Council

-The Hansa Trade Union will have its seat in the city of Bremen. All members of the Trade Union will send one ambassador to the Hansa Trade Union Council.

-The Hansa Trade Union will not be lead by Bremen, but will in all matters follow the course chosen by the Hansa Trade Union Council. The Duke of Bremen will act as chairman at the Councils meetings.

-In the Hansa Trade Union Councils meetings, each member-nation will have one vote.

-The Hansa Trade Union Council will decide the outcome of any vote, except changing this charter, by simple majority of the given votes. In case of a tie, the Duke of Bremen determines the Hansa Trade Union Councils decision.

-This charter may only be changed by a vote in the Hansa Trade Union Council, in which all votes are cast for the change.

-The Duke of Bremen will be the only negotiator for the Hansa Trade Union, unless he appoints another.
No agrement or treaty is valid unless approved by the Hansa Trade Union Council by a vote, following the guidelines laid down in this document.

Membership of the Hansa Trade Union

-No member of the Trade Union may declare war upon another member.

-Should members of the Trade Union as a result of alliances end up in war, all warring members will be suspended from the Trade Unions meetings for the duration of the hostile actions.

-Should a member wish to leave the Trade Union, that member may do so withour fear, simply by declaring so to the Hansa Trade Union Council.

-The Hansa Trade Union Council may expel a nation from the Hansa Trade Union, providing all members of the Council excluding the one represanting the nation in question votes in favor of expelsion.

-To be accepted as a member of the Union, a nation must fullfill the following criteria:

* The nations must be invited to join by the duke of Bremen.
* The nations must be accepted as member by all current members of the Union.
* The nation must accept this charter.
* Any city with port to the North Sea or Baltic Sea, can for the purposes of membership of the Union, count as an independent nation.


Obligations and rights of Hansa Trade Union members

-Members must obey the following rules:

* No member of the Union may ever ban merchants from other members of the Hansa Trade Union from trading within their realms, nor may Hansa members place tolls or tariffs on merchants from another Hansa member.
* All merchants owing alligence to a ruler, whose nation is a member of the Hansa Trade Union, will agree not to lower their prices below minimum prices agreed on by the Hansa Trade Union. These minimum prices can only be regulated be the Hansa Trade Union Council.
* Should any nation place a trade embargo on a member of the Hansa Trade Union, all members of the Hansa Trade Union will in return place trade embargoes on that nation, lasting untill said nation lifts the trade embargo.
* Should any nation declare war upon a member of the Hansa Trade Union, all members of the Hansa Trade Union will in return place trade embargoes on that nation, lasting untill said nation ends the hostile actions against the Hansa member.
* Should any nation place tolls or tariffs on merchants from a member of the Hansa Trade Union, all members of the Hansa Trade Union will in return impose tolls and tariffs of equal magnitude upon merchants from said nation, untill said nation lifts its tolls and tariffs.
* Members are bound to follow any agreements and treaties signed by the Hansa Trade Union Council, even is a member nation was not part of the Hansa Trade Union when said treaty was signed or agreement made.
* Should any member of the Hansa Trade Union not follow the guidelines laid down in this document, said member would be excluded by the Council after having exactly one month to correct the issue, counted from the day the member was made aware of the breach of rules, and all members of the Union would ban said nations merchants from their territories for a full year, starting the exact day of the nation leaving the Hansa Trade Union.
After this period, the nation can rejoin the Hansa Trade Union, should it so wish, if said nation fullfills the criteria listed above, including full agrements of the member nations and invitation from the Duke of Bremen.



This amendment to the Hansa charter has become necessary by recent changes in internal Imperial politics.

Any member of the Hansa Trade Union Council can propose that the Union as a whole declares a trade embargo on all or certain goods against any non-Hansa or non-WHU state.
Should the Hansa Trade Union Council, after hearing arguments for such an embargo, vote in favor of the motion, following the guidelines in the original charter, all members of the Hansa Trade Union will declare the desired embargo.

This amendment should only be invoked if all diplomatic options have allready failed, and the resulting embargo can be declared illegal by the Reichskammergericht.

Source: BzAli in his court of Bermen

Current treaties and benefits of the Hanseatic Union


* Hansa has signed the Stettin act of Cooperation with the Wendische Handels Union.
* Hansa merchants are guarenteed low taxes in Luxembourg and Luxembourg controlled territories, and have written proof that no Trade Union will ever enjoy better treatment in those territories than the Hansa.
* Hansa merchants pay lower taxes then Saxon merchants in Saxony.
* Hansa merchants are treated as native Burgundians with respect to taxes in Burgundy
* Hansa has signed a treade agrement with Aragon
* Bremer and Gelrer merchants is sole importer of spices from Aragon to Northern Europe. 50 % of the spice is resold without profit to other Hanseatic merchants.
* Hanseatic merchants do not pay Sund due for passing through Øresund (the entrance to the Baltic).
* In an attempt to rebuild Burgundian economy after the devastating civil war, Hanseatic merchants have been granted freedom from taxes in Burgundy.

 

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Religious matters​

The current archbishop is Erasmus.

 

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Placeholder!!!!!!!!

 

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History

february 1423: Bremen leaves the NWGA, an alliance led by Gelre, and requests permission to join the Liga von Nurnberg.
march 1423 Bremen is accepted as member of the Liga von Nurnberg, at that time consisting of Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Colonge, Hannover, and Saxony.
march 1423 Duke Johann II starts working on creating a Trade Union along the North sea, but the work is stranding as both Gelre and Holstein, both members of the NWGA, expresses hostility about Bremen leaving that union.
Late march 1423 Karl von Friesenburg, Bremer ambassador in Gelre, breaks his oaths of loyalty to Bremen in disgust with the changes in Bremer foreign politics. This sparks a diplomatic crisis between Bremen and Gelre.
April 1423 Saxony leaves the Liga, but relations between Bremen and Saxony remains good.
june 1423 Burgundy joins the Liga.
august 1423 Luxembourg joins the Liga. Bremen loans Luxembourg 1 eco to aid in crushing a rebellion in Hungary.
Septeber 1423 The von Friesenburg family looses all noble privilegies and is expelled from Bremen as punishment for Karl von Friesenburgs treason in Gelre.
October 1423 With approval of Pope Joseph I, Bert Stahl, the commander of the Bremer army, is appointed leader of the Imperial forces fighting the rebel king Urseolo in Hnugary. Bremen joins the Imperial forces.
October 1423 Bremen and Gelre signs a non-agression pact, as a direct result Karl von Friesenburg is delivered, dead, to Bremen by Gelre.
november 1423 Karl von Friesenburgs body is put to public view, after being humiliated. This secures the cooperation of minor noble familes, who are afraid of the consequences if the don't support the duke.
January 1424 The Hansa Trade Union is founded, the first members are Gelre and Bremen.
January 1424 King Urseolos rebellion in Hungary ends. The Bremer army returns home.
April 1424 Prussia joins the Hansa Trade Union.
May 1424 Mecklemburg joins the Hansa Trade Union.
September 1424-march 1425 Bremer armies have fought the Hussite rebels in Bohemia. Bremen manages to stay neutral in the wars between the Northen Alliance and the Liga von Nurnberg. The Liga is dissolved as a result of the peace negotiations.
April 1425 As a result of the Liga-Northern Alliance war, a new Holy Roman Emperor is elected. Although not an elector-state, Bremen supports Victor von Blommenstein, why wins the election.
May 1425 Johann II and his family travels to Stettin in Pommern, there to negotiate a treaty between the Hansa and the Wendischer Handels Union.
July 1425 Holstein joins the Hansa Trade Union.
October 1425 Hansa and the WHU signs the Stettin Act of Cooperation. This marks the beginning of a close friendship between Pommern and Bremen
November 1425 Johann II, duke of Bremen, is killed by the black death. His daughter. Monika, dies as well.
April 1426 Forced to remain in Stettin due to the plague, Johann III is first crowned duke of Bremen now. At the coronation, Johann III announces his decision to marry Maria-Elisa, sister to the protector of Pommern.
Among the guests at the coronation were: Duke Willem van Egmont of Gelre; Joachim of the Greif, protector of Pommern; Erich von Wittelsbach, Count Palatine of the Rhine; Count Heinrich I of Wurtemburg; Count Friedrich of Wurzen, the heir to the ducal throne of Saxony; and Lord Erik Bendtsen, Count of Skane.
May 1426 Bremen and Pommern signs the Greif-Schussel Allianz.
July 1426 Gelre is associated with the Greif-Schussel Allianz in a mutual defense pact.
August 1426 Johann III leaves Bremen to attend Duke Friedrich IIs coronation in Saxony.
October1426 Meike of Bremen is engaged to Duke Friedrich II of Saxony.
July 1426-December 1426 In the struggle for Bohemias future, between Emperor Victor I and former emperor Albert of Austria, Bremen at first seems to support Victor I. However, in the end negotiations break down, and Bremen defies the Emperors will, and does not declare war on Austria.
December 1426 Burgundy is associated with the Greif-Schussel Allianz in a mutual defense pact.
December 1426 Cardinal Alvaro of the Holy Inquisition arrives in Bremen to investigate rumors of heretic activity by Johann III.
February 1427 Friedrich II of Saxony abducts Meike of Bremen. The saxon ambassador in Bremen is expelled, and the engagement between Meike and Friedrich II is broken by Johann III. Meike is returned to Bremen.
April 1427 Cardinal Alvaro of the Holy Inquisition leaves Bremen, after declaring that the town is found free from all heresy. However, he does instruct the duke to change some politics regarding treatment of jews within the city walls.
June 1427 Johann III marries Maria-Elisa of Pommern in Stettin.
July 1427 As a wedding gift, Johann III is given the county of Boulon by Queen Marie de Berri of Lotharingia. Maria-Elisa receives the neighbouring county of Rhuen.
August 1427 Bremen declares war upon the duchy of Saxony, a war provoked by countless insults from the Friedrich II of Saxony against Johann III.
March 1428 Bremer forces take Dresden.
April 1428 Sigismund is installed as duke of Saxony, and the Greif-Schussel Allianz and Saxony signs the treaty of Dresden, thus ending the war between the Allianz and Saxony.
April 1428 The victorious Bremer forces march on Sweden, to put down the rebellion against the danish king. Bremens entry in this war is forced by Pommern, who request assistance in accordance with the Greif-Schussel Allianz.
une 1428 The Baltic Conference in Copenhagen draws to an end, with Bremen agreeing to sign the Baltic League, a mutual deence pact among Bremen, Pommern, Holstein and Denmark-Norway.
June 1428 Duchess Maria-Elisa of Bremen is found to be pregnant. Skilled midwifes announces that birth can be expected around november this year.
September 1428 Heinrich Küster, the brother of duke Johann III, agrees to marry Anna, the niece to the duke of Holstein. The wedding will take place later this year.
October1428 Pommern declares on Prussia, the goal of which is to seize Danzig, which the Prussian overlords in Livonia gave to Pommern. Bremen, as member of the Greif-Schussel Allianz, joins the war on Pommern side.
December 1428 Johann III and the Aragonese ambassador negotiates the Commercial-military Pact between Bremen and Aragon, protecting trade even if one or the other should enter a war.
December 1428 In two eventfull weeks, Bremer, Saxon and Gelrer troops conquer the Prussian capital, thus bringing all Prussian land under control of the Allianz. And Pommern forces crush invading Polish and Moldavian forces in Danzig.
December 1428 Maria-Elisa, the duchess of Bremen, gives birth to a son. The boy is christianed Johann-Kazimierz, in honour of both Johann II, former duke of Bremen, and Kazimierz of Pommern, Maria-Elisas father.
March 1429 Following the victory of the Greif-Schussel Allianz in the war over Danzig, the province of Prussia is added to the Bremer possessions.
August 1429 Erich von Wittelsbach is elected Holy Roman Emperor.
September 1429 Friedrich the Spoiled, who was dethroned by Allianz forces in april 1428, assaults the counts castle in Boulon-Rhuen. Heinrich Küster and Meike Küster, the dukes brother and sister, along with Anna, the niece of Adolf of Holstein, Heinrichs wife, is killed.
November 1429 Johann III of Bremen is appointed Imperial High Treasurer, head of the newly formed Imperial Commerce Commission.
March 1430 Hessen becomes associate member of the Hansa Trade Union.
Jan 1431 After lengthy negotiations, the Mecklemburgian representative in the Hansa Trade Union Council vetoes the merging of the WHU and the Hansa. As a direct consequence of this, WHU announces that they will enforce the Stettin Act of Cooperation more strictly in the future.
April 1431 Stockholm, Helsingfors and Viborg joins the Hansa.
June 1431 Mecklemburg withdraws her veto against WHU-Hansa mergings. Negotiations start anew.
July 1431-September 1431 A conflict between Normandie and Brittany gets out of hand, as Norman troops besiege and later conquer Nantes, which was negotiating with the Hansa for membership. The Hansa embargoes Normandie, and in return Denmark and England embargoes the Hansa.
Johann of Bremen uses his position as Imperial High Treasurer to enforce an Imperial embargo upon England and Denmark, and for a while, the Danish-English alliance and the Holy Roman Emperor looks like they're heading for war. In the end, Papal intervention prevents this, but the Danish-Bremer relationsship is permanently damaged.
October- November 1431 Denmark cancels the Baltic Accord, meaning Hanseatic merchants once again pay the sound due.
Pirates funded by unknown sources starts plundering Danish shipping.
January-March 1432 Sparre of Sweden leads a rebellion against the Danish, that is however easily defeated. Johann of Bremen issues the guarentee of Swedish Sovereignty, threathening with war should King Christoffer of Denmark us the rebellion as excuse to annex Swedish land.
April 1432 As the Swedish rebels surrender, King Christoffer orders the Hanseatic cities of Sweden to leave the Hansa. Diplomatic chaos erupts as Bremen and her allies attempts to have Christoffer withdraw that order.
June 1432 Bremen, Pommern and Gelre declares war on Denmark and invades Jutland. Their armies are halted by Danish forces, in what is effectively a bloody stalemate.
August 1432 Austria, Venice and Lithuania declares war on the Hanseatic-WHU nations in support of Denmark. Bremen signs an agrement with Lithuania, recreating the duchy of Prussia, which end the Lithuanian involvment in the war.
July-September 1432 The battle of Jutland continues, as both sides pour reinforcements into the war. Late September, the Danish forces are all either defeated or deserted. King Christoffer of Denmark falls on the battlefield.
1433-1435 As the Greif-Schussel Allianz continue their war against Denmark, more and more Danish provinces are conquered. Bremer forces take Copenhagen, and later land in Skåne.
The Danish goverment refuses to surrender, leading the Bremer occupation forces to start discussing possible rebellion with local nobles.
late 1435. After having lost Copenhagen and much of Norway, the Danish goverment finally collapses. The Sund due is removed, Sweden released, and Skåne added to the Bremer lands.
July 1436 The duchess of Bremen gives birth to a girl with very fragile health. The girl is christened Silke, in memory of the dukes mother.
1437-1439 These years passes somewhat uneventfull. Bremen and the Hansa prospers in peace.
1439 In Italia, trouble grows. Doge Doria of Genoa disobeys an Imperial call to crusade, and before long, it is revealed that he is in fact a worshipper of Satan. The doge is burned for his heresy, but the ruling class of Genoa refuses to surrender. The city is plunged into civil war.
Bremen earns much honour by assiting military against the Genovese rebels, and gains Piemonte, an Italian citystate, as a loyal ally and friend in the process.
1440 Once again, the neighbouring state of Denmark creates trouble. King Frederik of Denmark has his advisors write up the socalled Liga Des Nordens, with the goal of creating peace and stability in the North. Oddly enough, this alliances first attempt at such is to break the Copenhagen protocols by taxing Hanseatic shipping through the Sund, and by demanding the return of Skåne to Denmark.
Denmark refuses to negotiate on these areas, and the giant of Scandinavia, together with her allies in Russia, Latvia, Hannover and Holstein declares war on Bremen.
Pommern, Gelre and the Italian Piemonte comes to Bremens aid, and the combined armies manage to defeat Hannover. Johann III of Bremen is appointed duke of Hannover by the Holy Roman Emperor.
1440-1441 Denmark finally surrenders, without any territorial concessions, and so does Holstein.
Russia and Latvia stubbornly fights on, and Bremen unexpectedly finds an ally in the orthodox Pskov. Pskov activates old claims on Russian territory, and enters the war on Bremens side.
1442 Latvia gives in to Bremer pressure, and enters the war on Bremer side. Despite Lithuanian political support, Russia surrenders and cedes the contested territories to Pskov.

Source: BzAli in his court of Bermen

 

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The court is open!​

All ambassadors in court are advocated to reintroduce themselves and present their credentials. Those that do so shall find that institutimg gracious political channels with Bremen becomes fairly a bit easier.​

 

[Longinus]

A letter arrives from Lowlands.

Onto Johann III, Duke of Bremen, Prussia and Braunschweig-Göttingen, Chairman of the Hansa Trade Union, Richter von Gross Germania, Imperial High Treasurer, Count of Boulon-Rhuen,

Dearest of our Friends and Allies,

We have been forced to write this massive as the recent news from Burgundy grows more and more alarming with each passing day. We have recently received the letters from Prince Henryk of the Greif from Italy, who was at that time marching towards Torino in Piedmonte and a preachment from Queen Anna Gryphon of Lothringia herself, retelling the events and occurrences in Dijon, which all happened in the winter last year.

It would appear that rebels, led by a certain imposter, certain Benjamin and Jew from Alsace, who is styling himself on Philippe du Berry, son of Marie du Berry, took Dijon and the Royal Court by treachery. The rebels killed the good king Louis with cold blood, showing no mercy. Fortunately Queen Anna, our sister and daughter, managed to escape and is now trying to stand against the odds in a secured place somewhere in Burgundy.

Perhaps Your Grace has heard of the Royalists finally raising their heads and defending the rightful Queen against the rebels? It is our belief that we must help Her Majesty and the Union of Starssburg with all our might and to put the rebellion down without mercy.

Taking into consideration the eternal bonds of alliance, friendship and blood between our Houses, we ask you to help us to counter the foulness of the regicides by all possible means. Through your political influences and even military might.

Enclosed, we send you a text of the proclamation we have prepared during our stay in Gelre. Sometimes, political pressure means more than the swords and lances. We kindly ask Your Grace to sign it for the sake of Queen Marie and her mother. (ooc: in the Nat stats)

As for Gelre, would you be so kind and join us there for the coronation of Duke Jan van Egmondt? We intend to renew the Greif-Schlussel Allianz between the Houses of Greif, Kuster, Hohenzollern and Egmondt.

In regard to military forces you might like to send us for help, we would appreciate everything. Most of the Imperial realms already expressed their support. Please send your men to the Free Imperial city of Strasburg in Alsace. We set this place as the meeting point of the Allied forces.

United we shall prevail.

Given in Zutphen,

Casmir of the Greif, King of Sweden, Duke of Pommerania, Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg, Grubenhagen and Wolfenbüttel, Duke of Poznan, Margrave of Danzig, Prince-Protector of Sweden, Overlord of Ingermanland, Kexholm, Memel and Gotland, Master of the Imperial Hunt,

Christine von der Greif-Wittelsabch, Dowager Queen of Sweden, Dowager Duchesse of Pommernia, Hannover and Poznan.​

Proclamation of Zutphen​

We, the undersigned proclaim the following.

That we greatly despise the regicides and rebels who rose against their most rightful King and Queen, acting against their will and the will of Almighty God who put the Royalty on the throne to take care of his sheep. Truly there is no excuse for those who act against the will of their God.

That we hold in highest disregard those who provoked this shameful act and will never let them into our lands, and should they tresspass our lands they shall be hunted down as the worst criminals and eventually find their death through humiliation and strangulation.

That we support the only and true Queen and Duchesse, that is Marie II du Berry, daughter of the late King Louis du Berry and Queen Anna du Griffon.

That we call upon all nobles, burghers and peasants of Lotharingia who foolishly followed the regicides or were fooled by them, to renounce any ties to them, if they have any, with the devilish imposter and murderer styling himself as Philippe du Berry. Should you not do so, not only hellfire awaits you in the miserable afterlife, but also your lands will be treated with fire and sword, until such time comes that the rightful Queen shall be restored to her throne. Those who hesitated before, raise your arms against the usurper and beg your rightful Queen for forgiveness. Those how will do so shall undoubtedly meet their rewards both in the mundane and after lives.

Signed on this 28th day of February in the Year of Our Lord MCDLIV in Zutphen, on the Saints Romanus and Lupicinus day, God Almighty be our witness.​

​

ss.[/i][/indent]

 

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A letter arrived from across the channel.

"John, Third of the Name, Duke of Bremen and Prussia;

I am writing to you as to remind you of the conditions of our earlier agreement. Your loan has been repayed, so the throne expects your end of the bargain to be upheld and the province of Calais to be returned to our custody.

Edmundus I
Dei Gratia Rex Angliæ et Franciæ et Dominus Scotiæ et Cambriæ et Dominus Protector Hibernæi et dux Normanniæ"

 

[Sterkarm]

A diplomat arrives from the Kingdom of Poland, carrying the seal of the House of Jagiello. Yet, this is no simple diplomat, it is the son of the King himself, Jan Wolfgang. He quickly arrives before the Duke, saying,

"Your most excellent Johann III Duke of Bremen, I am Jan Wolfgang, son of Stephan Malachi Jagiello, emissary of the Kingdom of Poland. I come with a most dire request. The Kingdom of Poland, having lost Gdansk (Danzig) and Poznan to the Duchy of Pommerania, has been left portless and landlocked.

This is a severe detriment to our kingdom and detracts from our ability to defend ourselves from the barbarous orthodoxes and moslems to the east. We are the Eastern frontier of Catholicism, the last bastion which before stood against the Mongol hordes and held them back from your beloved Holy Roman Empire. Without a port, we have little income and are left open to attack.

Once Poland breaks, the Russians and the Mongols have nothing stopping them from overrunning all of Christendom. Therefore, I appeal to you, great Duke, to ask of you if there is anything Poland can do in exchange for the port of Konigsberg (Prussia). This issue is of the greatest importance to our Kingdom, or I would not be here. For I have been left Poland during a troubling time for her people, as my father is being challenged for the throne, but this issue is more important than even my support at home. Realize this, I ask of you, great Duke, and come to Poland's aid. We do not ask this as a gift or charity, for we will offer you anything in exchange for the Duchy of Prussia and its port."