- ARCHIVE - Royal Court of Ragusa

[von Streusser]

A letter arrives from Moldavia.

"Noble Duke Stefan Cronjevic, it would appear that information HAS in fact been lost in transit, as you have apparently not heard that Moldavia was one of the very first nations to send money to the Constantinoplians. As well, Wallachia did not call on her allies through the Union of St. Andrew to join in the war, declaring that they "don't need help" from us. In fact, they were quite insulting and arrogant on the whole matter, an attitude which, I should note, will not garner Moldavia as an ally.

I hope you are not accusing us of abandoning our friends and neighbors in their time of need. Though we have not declared war, and see the escalation of such a war as being extrememly dangerous indeed, we not only have sent money and aid, but in fact sent money and aid even before your realm did. I am certain that this mistake was a simple oversight, perhaps an advisor failed to inform you of this.

Constantinople has our full support, and they know it. Our loan to them prevents us from handing out any more money at this time, and the plague our people are suffering prevents our soldiers from joining any war effort. Perhaps once the suffering has ended at home we will consider entering the war should the situation warrant. But I am certain your mighty coalition of forces can beat the Ottomans back again.

Stefan II
[in a different handwriting from the rest of the letter] Ilias I"

 

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A letter arrives from Pisa.

"Noble Duke,
We do wish to mantain good relations with our friends across the Adriatic. You may mantain permanent representation in our court. We have heard of an Italian Trade Federation based from Genoa. We hope to consult with them for trade matters. "

Signed,
Nicolò III d'Este
Duke of Modena

 

[unmerged(3236)]

A messanger arrives from the Al-Agta Khanate

You say that there is no reason for the Cyclades to be owned by the honourable Ottomans?
The Ottomans have a reason to own those islands which are as good as trees having roots!

Also you say that the Al-Agta Khanate have no reason to join the war, you even have the boldness to say that we should be glad that the Ottomans are about to be beaten.

Perhaps I will speak of things new to the Christian world now, but supporting your friends can actually be advantageous. In fact, it is very common that helping your friends is the best thing to do.

The Al-Agta Khanate have no desires to wage war with Ragusa specific, but rest assured that as long as you claim Ottoman lands we will be foes. As long as we are foes the Duke can rest assured that his army will not win a single battle.

 

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A letter arrives from Cairo.

"Duke of Ragusa,

Peace is a wonderfull thing and your written proposal is close to achieve this goal. How ever, as my master, the Sultan of Egypt takes written, and by him signed, documents very seriusly I had to rewrite some parts of your peace proposal. I am referring to the parts which tied the Mamelukes Foreign Policy for ten years into a specific direction. Ten years is a very long time and powerchanges can happen quikly in Egypt...

Please feel free to look upon this counter offer. If to satisfaction, peace is achieved.

signed by

Ahmed Abu Mazar, Grand Vizier of Egypt"

In the letter the rewrritten peace proposal is included.

"Ragusan-Mameluke Peace Treaty

I. Ragusa agrees to make an official apology for the mistaken Declaration of War, and will publicly rescind their bid of DoW.

II. The Mameluke nation will also immediately rescind their Declaration of War, and publicly accept the apology.

III. Ragusa agrees to not interfere with Mameluke or Omani claims in Cyprus and the Island of Rhodes.

IV. Ragusa agrees not to use its vast loan power to aid the People of either island mentioned in Section IV.

V. Ragusa agrees to retreat all troops and naval ships that it has sent out in an effort to stop the Mamelukes at once, and will not send any further aid.

[X] Yusuf al Zahiri, Sultan of the Mamelukes"

 

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A letter arrives fform The Golden Horde....

Duke,

You are right to sue for peace, as The Golden Horde can be a most potent foe. Your plea is excepted. I wish for no more quarrels with the insignificant lands of The Balkans. We are now at peace.

Baraq Khan

 

[unmerged(3236)]

A messenger from the Al-Agta Khanate enters the court and hand over a message from the Aghakhan.

Your words inspire neither fear nor respect nor passion in my blood, the only reaction I can come to is laughter. Laughter due to the fact that a state as puny as Ragusa dare to deal serious threats the gigantic and righteous state of Al-Agta.
It is fun that the duke or whatever you title is, in fact, I care not, tries to speak to a high Aghakhan as if he would be an equal. Rest assured that none of your level of pathetic will ever be taken seriously by a Mongol unless you come crawling on your knees.
Also it is a interesting fact that you cannot promise that my peasants will be safe if I enter this war, should you, you pathetic Christian care about your own peasants first, all ten of them.
The Mongols have meddled with your kind before and we have learnt from it, we know that your words are like a poisonous flower, they might seam like good an honest words, but in depth there is only hollowness and death.
As Aghakhan and superior master of the eastern Mongols I can assure that the safety of your peasants will be nonexistent, for ragusas sake I hope you arm them all, as when I come riding I will consider them all to be enemies. There will not be one farm left in Ragusa after I have left, you should actually be happy if I don't decide to lower Ragusa into the mediterian ocean!

 

[Bagricula]

The Response from Mystra

"Stefan Crnojevic, Dux Ragusae,

Your words of friendship fall like droplets of honey in the bitter vinegar of Balkan history. Without reservation in our wisdom, would we welcome your envoys, emissaries, and legates in our basilica or before the Senate, where the terms of alliance, as you speak of, might be decided.

As is fitting under God, we wish you providence in your battle against the Turkomen. Our hand is raised in blessing for all your troops, and the prayers of the Roman Empire ascended to the Emyprean for the restoration of Christendom in Asia.

Theodoros Palaeologos
Basileus Basileon Basileuon Basileonton
King of Kings, Ruler of Those Who Rule"

 

[unmerged(8915)]

Event

Children of Ragusa​

The cries of babies is heard in the Ducal palace of Ragusa. Firstly a male child of Stefan Crnojevic and Anna van Egmond of Gelre - Stefan II. Secondly the daughter of Djuradj Djurasevic and his Bulgarian wife Snejanka - Maria will be the name! Such rejoicing in the Ragusan palace has not been seen, as two members of the family come into the world. They are given the most excessive care that the city of Dubrovnik has to offer. But hygiene and medicine are crude in the 15th century since Our Lord has walked on the dusty road of Palestine. Will the babies survive?

1. Stefan II. dies, and the Duchy falls into mourning (-1 morale for 1 year to Ragusa).

2. Maria dies (no effect).

3. Stefan becomes ill (no effect).

4. The birth giving duchess falls ill (no effect).

5. Both children and mothers live (no effect).

6. Both children and mothers live, the nation rejoices! (+1 morale for 1 year to Ragusa).



Roll:3; Stefan becomes ill (no effect).

 

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Duke,

The Great Khan of The East does not need to tell you anything. Tell me of your plans during and after this war and might consider such a course of action.

Baraq Khan

 

[unmerged(7849)]

A letter arives from Moscow carried by a man,

"Duke of Ragusa,

Do not worry, Russia will stay nuetral in any balkan war and we will not aid in the destruction of any Orthodox nations in the region. As for a permanent diplomatic contact between us, you are welcome to send a representative to Moscow, and I have already sent one to your realm, he is the man who delivered this message.

written by his own hand in Moscow,
Vasily II, Czar of Russia"

 

[unmerged(9945)]

Duke,

Very well, I will stay nuetral for now. Consider yourself most fortunate.

Baraq Khan, Great Khan of The East

 

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A Letter Arrives bearing the mark of the King of the Serbs

A rider meets the ambassador from Serbia and hands him a letter.

The ambassador reads the accompanying letter and quickly makes his way to the Duke and presents him with the letter from the King of the Serbs.

 

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A tall man dressed entirely in fine red silks obtained from the rich lands of china enters the court of Ragusa. He looks around at the scarcely decorated court and he can feel nothing but disrespect for the vile Christians, no feel whatsoever for what is pleasing to the eye and what makes you wish to throw yourself on the floor and try to tear out your eyes to save them from seeing these obscene colours.

He walks up to the Duke of Ragusa and begins to speak without bowing, without even asking for permission, the Messenger act in this way since he have been instructed that this Duke is a much lower cast then the messenger (who is a peasant)

Pathetic and weak Duke of Hell, you should throw yourself to the ground, kiss my shoes and offer your crown to the Aghakhan just so that he could decline it. Know that the honourable Aghakhan would now accept the rule over Ragusa if so he was paid to do so since the very earth have been tainted with the dukes foul existence.

When the noble armies of the Al-Agta Khanate comes riding into Ragusa they will firstly pillage the city on its scarce gold treasury then the soldiers will be ordered to put the city to fire and hopefully the gigantic torch which it will be turned into will be enough to cleanse the nearby lands of the wicked ways of the Christians.

Know that you no longer faces and enemy who will spare the lives of the innocents and among them several enemy murders, rapists, thieves and soldiers. You now face a Mongol enemy, a force which is not hindered by your pathetic Christian honour. The only true honour is to mercilessly kill your foes, to invade their land and cities.

We do not wear large glimmering armours who needs gigantic horses to carry their riders. Such an armour have but one use; sounding good in stories. We do not wear swords which are designed for their look instead of their use. The Mongols wear armours which are the best swords which can be found for a real free fight. We use swords built to kill, not to prey to. We use bows more lethal then a whole army of Christian longbow men.

The meek forces of the pathetic Ragusan Dukedom have for the last time threatened the lands of the most noble Ottoman Turks. For this point Aghakhan Hytshtej will fight for the empire Osman created so long ago. The city of mens desire will no longer be a city desired by the Mongols since we know to share with our beloved brothers.

For this point on, the Mighty Al-Agta khanate is engulfed in war with the weak Ragusan Dukedom, and this war can, as we both know, only end in victory for the honoured forces of Allah.

Sallah al din once made Aleppo the base for his empire, Hytshtej will follow that example. Sallah al din once drew out any and all Christians who threatened the Moslems, Hytshtej Khan will follow that example.

 

[CCR_of_the_Code]

Mazi, a Kurd in the emplymont of the Emir of Karama, Taj ud-Din Ibrahim I, carries a letter.
"Most noble Duke of Ragusa, the fairest of the Slavonic lands, I bring this message to you as an act of friendship on behalf of the Emir of Karaman. It would appear that the contents are even more important at this very moment than it was when the Emire wrote them himself."

 

[CCR_of_the_Code]

I, Taj ud-Din Ibrahim formally introduce myself to the Duke of Ragusa, a Duchy who's wealth, splendor and resilliant spirit is known from the farthest court of the Timured Empire.
It has recently come to my attention that you have rather unpleasent relations with these barbarian spawn of the bandit known to you as "Osman". I hereby swear that if you have need of my men, they shall be at your side in your worthy fight against this most terrible of foes.

 

[unmerged(17500)]

Before the ignorent messenger from the Timuids can even possibly finish, the Duke almost infuriated with the stupidity of such a meager lunatic, calls for the gaurds to take the messenger to be held in the confines of a Ragusan jail.

While the mesenger continues to speak, he is hit over the head, knocking him unconscious.

The Duek then speaks while the messenger is being carrierd away.

"God will not spare this fool, and I shall not have the blood of the devil's worshiper spilled on the marbel of my court. Muhammadan you will be the first Timurid I kill in a long line of fool's to perish at the Ragusan sword.

Guards make sure he is tortured and then taken to Pattonovic, he will be....most....effective, in the dealing with this religious bastard."

 

[von Streusser]

A man strode into the court of Ragusa wearing great finery.

"Duke Stefan Crnojevic, I am Ilias I, Voivode of Moldavia. I have heard that the arrogant Mongols sent a blithering idiot to carry on in your court about something-or-other, but in the end declared war upon your realm. This is something that we will not stand for. Moldavia stands ready to fight beside you and our Christian brethren, with any others who would take up the sword. Tell me what you require of me and my people and you shall have it."

 

[Chris8b]

A letter arrives from al-Jaza'ir

Written in Latin with a practiced hand and sealed with the mark of the crescent, a letter is delivered by a man dressed in the robes of a typical Turkish courier.

To Stefan Crnojevic, Duke of Ragusa,

Your interference in Muslim lands grows worrisome to true men of faith. Withdraw back to Illyrium before all of Islam is forced to respond. If you do so, the existence of your city-state within the Fatwa of Tolerance will remain permissible for now.

Praise God.

Abu'l Abbas Ahmad
Sultan of the Zayyanid Caliphate (Algiers)




[edit: typo]

 

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The Duke honored by the presence of such regal stature rises and goes to personally welcome the Voivode

"Well my good friend Ilias, Ragusa will be a most honored and happy place for you during your stay.

[After a slight pause, they walk together through the halls]

I would be most honored if you would join us in battle. The Balkans have been known for the fearcest warriors in history, and we shall continue our ruthless ways in Turkey. I have gone to great lengths to gaurantee the safety of the women, and children of this land, and will do whatever it takes to do so. I hope your court will eco my call for order in the Balkans and thusly will call for this war that the Ottomans have brought to the Balkans now be brought to Turkey."

 

[unmerged(17500)]

The Duke continues his talk with Ilias when they enter an office with exquiset carvings.

"Here my friend look at this letter

[Stefan shows Ilias the letter from Algiers]

The heathens begin to merge, to organize against our people. They grow strong and willing while our nations, due to years of fighting and powerlust have only now seen the positive affects of joining together. You know of my great ties with the Gelre, and within a few years of our alliance we have both grown in power and influence. I take this as the exmple to unite now as the Muslims have and crush these fools. My brother Djuradj is currently in Italy drawing up the documents for the next Balkan alliance that will completely eclipse the St. Andrews Aggreement and take in all of us. No outside will in anyway touch the Balkins for fear of us all. Not the Hungarians, Venetians, Genovese, Ottomans, Mamelukes, Russians, no one. My brother will use the power of the HRE as an example, and how easily he wields the force of so many states. In the same way our alliance when awoken will be an unstoppable alliance that will role over the powers that threaten us. What are your thoughts."