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World According to the Prussians circa 1360

Okay, I cannot squeeze this into an update the way I would like to, so you get this instead, sorry.

The World According to the Prussians, circa 1360:

WorldMap1359.png


Europe:
Europe is essentially divided between the Muslim West and the Christian East, which a few exceptions. The Caliphate and its many Taifa are outlined in green. The largest of the Taifa is the lands of the Zähringers. Closely behind them are the lands of the de Beauce family in northern France and the current Caliph, lord of Aragon. A few Christian nations remain in the West: England, Scotland, Ireland and Iceland. But these countries are not very united and would pose very little threat to the Caliph if attacked.

Pockets of Christianity still exist in the Caliphate: notably in Tuscany, Leon and throughout much of Germany. Germany is the only part of the Caliph that is still a majority Christian. A few Christian majority cities exist in Leon and Tuscany, but for the most part the Caliph is mostly Frandists lead by a combination of Sunnis and Frandists. Southern Italy is ruled by Shiite exiles from Egypt.

Eastern Europe is dominated by the Kingdom of Prussia, but the Roman Empire maintains a close second. Eastern Europe has the advantage in being more religiously harmonious, though Shiites exist in the Balkans were Bosnia used to rule. The Romans currently wage a war against the Muslim Kingdom of Armenia, though that war is beginning to take a toll. The biggest weakness facing the East is its lack of solidarity. Since the collapse of the Prussian Empire, many of the small Kingdoms fight amongst themselves, often at the expense of their ability to withstand invasion. Brandenburg is one of the major instigators of these problems, though Hungary looks to throw around their gained weight. Beyond Prussia is the land of the Mords, four Kingdoms exist where one used to be. Uusikaupunki rules the northern regions known as "New Mordvia", while more traditional states such as Narva and Merya rule the central regions. The last, Ovi, rules over the dwindling Russian population in Tver. All four are subject to raids from the steppe of Asia.

Near East:
The Seljuks are the major players in the Near East, but their reign is slipping away. The recently reconquered a Mediterranean port, and moved their capital away from Persia and into Syria. But the Empire is crumbling away despite the attempts to hold it together. Egypt continues to hold on as well. The Fatimid dynasty is long gone, replaced by a new Shiite hierarchy looking to expand in the region. Armenia and Shirvan are two new Muslim states, carved out of Christian and Pagan Kingdoms of old. Armenia especially looks to expand at the expense of the Christians and claim a new Kingdom of Rome. On the steppe, the Cumani and Sibiri tribes look to conquer new lands and resettle the lands around the Black Sea. Their campaigns have proved successful after capturing Astrakhan and they have begun to conduct raids anew.

(North) Africa:
The North African states have settled into a period of peace. The Kingdom of Carthage has ceased their expansion, and with Egypt looking at capturing Jerusalem, the Berber and Moorish Kingdoms enjoy a large amount of security. However, the looming schism between Sunni Islam and Franda Islam will force the Moors to the front lines once again. While Frandism has found a home in Carthage, it has met a great deal more resistance in the other African states.

Asia:
The Great Yuan Empire, is finding it more and more difficult to hold itself together. But it is leaving a lasting impression on those it had once conquered. Hinduism flourishes throughout Asia, though mainland China still resists these growths. In Southern India, once part of the mighty Empire, successor Kingdoms grow on the blue print of bureaucracy left by the Yuan. But more importantly, would-be conquers saw the rate at which the Empire expanded and the tactics it used to grow so large and wish to emulate these things. The Seljuks, once a Turkish Kingdom themselves, now face a similar threat from their Turkish neighbors. The irony is lost on few. Beyond the Yuan are Kingdoms and cultures out of grasp of the Europeans. The Japanese have struggled to unify, and so far their sacrifices seem to have a lasting effect. Beyond Indochina, in the many islands of the Indian Ocean, Hinduism has taken root and spreads quickly. City states constantly rise and fall from grace with tides of trade. Europe is only starting to taste the spices of the Orient, but will soon be looking for a quicker route to the Far East.

The World as a whole is on the verge of upheaval. Empires seem to fall every day, Kingdoms long though invincible brought to their knees by the constant weathering of time. But new Kingdoms rise to take their place. Push along by the same winds of change that will inevitably dash them on the rocks in the future. Prussia stands off to the side, stubbornly holding onto what it believes it is owed, and demanding much from those around it. But the tides of Islam might finally have reaches the edge of Prussia, a fight for existence is only just starting.
 
I do not why some genius decided to give Tver its name. :D
It sounds cool if you do not think what it means. Gateway to east and west along the old trade routes?

Splendid update as always!

Narva dynasty having their own realm?
 
An apology ? non-sense !

This is a great update, well-written and very informative. I really love and enjoy your writing skills.

After the way you made the last paragraph, i'm even more eager (if possible) to read the next updates !
 
No need to apologize - the update was very informative and very good. I always love a good map.
Glad you enjoyed it.

I do not why some genius decided to give Tver its name. :D
It sounds cool if you do not think what it means. Gateway to east and west along the old trade routes?

Splendid update as always!

Narva dynasty having their own realm?
When you posted the name "Ovi" with the short explanation, that is what I assumed. The "Narva" are really just a southern branch of the Merya using an old dynasty name for legitimacy.

An apology ? non-sense !

This is a great update, well-written and very informative. I really love and enjoy your writing skills.

After the way you made the last paragraph, i'm even more eager (if possible) to read the next updates !
Why thank you, and that was my plan with the last paragraph. ;)
 
i still want to see a caliphate civil war that drags everybody in at some point in bastions :D
 
Bastions
Chapter Forty: A More Glorious Dawn
Part 5


Prelude:
King Gunvald II was focused on his promises for autonomy, and one of the first groups to take him up on it was the horse lords of Azowia. Life in the Sich was hard. The lands were ruled by a semi-nomadic people whose only truly permanent cities were either fortresses to protect the nomadic interior or ports to trade with the outside world. Though many people had stopped living entirely in the saddle, a small percentage still "slept under the stars" as the old Azowian saying goes. But external pressure was working on changing their lifestyle. Ambassadors from foreign lands grew tired of hunting down the people they sought, forcing a permanent capital to become necessary. Their ruler, once the greatest horse rider of their entire nation, was forced to sacrifice his freedom and actually man the capital. Since the Sich was now semi-independent from Prussia, it could no longer count on Prussia's bread basket like it once could. Now farming was a necessary evil, forcing people to give up hunting and raiding and live a more docile life. But Azowia was still on the front lines between Christian Europe and the Muslim and Pagan hordes of Asia. To the south were the Georgians and Alans, vassals of the Armenians, but were prone to raiding and expansion. To the east were the Cumani hordes, Turkish steppe-men who once ruled over the lands of the Sich. All the while the Sich was still under the command of the Prussians.

June 16th, 1359

The halls of Hamburg, capital of the Taifa of Holstein, were full of noise and panicking people. Sweden, the jewel of the fief, was attempting to revolt in the middle of the war with Brandenburg. The only sane man seemed to be Duke Mohammad von Zähringer-Holstein, fresh from the front lines in Brandenburg. His force of personality emanated from every pore in his body. As he walked past, people seemed to calm down, gather themselves, and join the gaggle of people following him to his personal study. He alone seemed to hold the Zähringer lands together. In his study he found a few advisors standing around a large map of the Baltic Sea; they marked cities in revolt with small red flags and friendly cities with green. "What is this nonsense I've heard about? I am called from the gates of Berlin herself to deal with peasant rabble?" he said, anger penetrating the cacophony of voices.

Slowly everyone quieted down, looking to their Duke for guidance. It was no wonder he a candidate for Caliph. Tall and handsome, he was as much of a powerhouse in the throne room as he was on the battlefield. He sat down at the head of the table and then slowly folded his hands so he could rest his chin on them. With a slight nod he let the explanations begin. "My lord, Duke von Zähringer-Holstein, it is a religious revolt. Our Imams have been chased from the lands or worse, tortured and killed in the public squares. Brandenburg is presenting no challenge, my lord, we should focus on keeping Sweden under our grasp," one commander said, finishing his rehearsed lines with a grasping motion. Everyone in the room nodded. Sweden, they felt, was far more important than Brandenburg.

Mohammad nodded, "So that's it then? Call up more soldiers and crush this resistance to my rule! For all that is Holy, is that really so hard?" He slammed his fists on the table, causing everyone to jump back. He got up and walked up to the red flags and with a swoop of his arms knocked them all off and onto the floor. "Kill them all! Burn their churches! If they want my kindness, let them beg for mercy at our feet! If they want my ire, they have it and let them reap every kernel they sowed."

"What if Sweden or Norway intervenes?"

Mohammad stuck his knife into the map, cutting Stockholm in half, "Then we will finish what we have begun and we shall conquer all of Scandinavia! Stockholm shall be mine!" Everyone was silent. Their Duke was prone to these outbursts. No one wanted to be caught in any of it. The Duke looked back and forth, watching the fear in people's faces as his gaze moved over them. He enjoyed it, to a certain extent. "Well?" he asked, "Anyone else have some bad news to give? Anyone? You, certainly you have some bad news. No? What about you then?" he asked, moving around the room. "Then everyone get out of my study, and don't both me until those Swedes have been crushed. DO YOU HEAR ME?" The study emptied with the exception of a few commanders and high-ranking nobles.

"Sir, there might be a problem concerning the Caliphate. It seems that the Taifa of Rum is going to get promoted to Peer status. I don't think you can secure the title of Caliph given Rum's relationship with Aragon," one noble said.

"I doubt that. You've been listening to those petty brown nosers in Navarre. They have no idea the mistake they are making by siding with the Caliph and the Taifa of Aragon. Barcelona is a city of fools, the Caliphate will soon be centered on Hamburg," Mohammad said taking a seat. He flipped through his stack of maps and found the map of the Caliphate. He put it on top and looked it over. Rum was not a state that would easily be shaken. The state was famously resilient against attacks from both Christians in the north and Shiites in the south. Her leader was also a hard-headed military genius, and an old friend of the Caliph and his family. The Duke had to come with terms that he would never be crowned Caliph. The dreams of a German Caliphate were still far away, he thought. But times were changing, in time the Caliphate will come crawling to the Germans for leadership. His anger slowly died down under a blanket of self loathing. But in a second it flared again and he pounded his fists on the table. Everyone around him remained silent, watching a personal civil war wage in front of them.

"Sir, shall we focus on the tasks at hand? Conquering Brandenburg and resecuring Sweden are necessary if your descendents will have a hand at being elected Caliph. The Germans want to see the German people united again... and that means taking Brandenburg and its surrounding states," one man spoke up.

Mohammad nodded slowly, trying to recover any amount of his dignity. "And Austria. We will have to conquer Austria as well." Swelling with pride the Duke stood up, "It rests with Holstein and the Zähringers to ensure the Caliphate moves forward! It rests with Holstein and the Zähringers that Islam will expand to all four corners of this world!" The people around him began applauding. The Duke took a small bow and soaked it all in. He earnestly believed what he was saying. Most Frandists wanted to hear it: Islam would continue the push into Europe begun by the Andalusians. But he would have to work on increasing the Caliphate's view on Holstein as a political entity and candidate for Caliph. His goal to do this was conquest and consolidation. A stronger Holstein would mean that more of the Taifa would support him to gain protection and favor. And if they could grab the title of Caliph then the cycle can start: a cycle of conquest and favor: ensuring the Holstein would sit on the throne for many centuries to come.

End Chapter Forty
 
Oooooh, it's an exciting change to get more and more updates from the point of view of non-Prussian characters! Nice change from Homelands. Is this going to be kept up, the style of the updates?

There will definitely be more updates outside of Prussia now that I have fleshed out other states as well, and in doing so I can truly begin to flesh out Prussian culture and society (by looking from the outside in). However, the one of the major influences of the pacing is obvious if you have a 20-page stack of notes on your desk:

Book 1: 1066 - 1356: 290 years
Book 2: 1356 - 1559: 209 years
Book 3: 1559 - 1785: 226 years
Book 4: 1785 - 2012: 227 years

But since I have roughly the same amount of notes for every section, things more most fluffed in Book 2. Anyways. I am headed to bed early for a change. ^__^
 
That child shall raise an army that will shatter the world!

Also I'm glad I was told about the original AAR. This one is great too.
 
My name is Isaac Wolfe - and I approve this message.

Seriously, a very nice update. I always liked seeing the other countries in play. Makes it interesting.
Thanks, we get another view for the next update. ;)

That child shall raise an army that will shatter the world!

Also I'm glad I was told about the original AAR. This one is great too.
Thank you very much, and welcome aboard.

What if Finland intervenes and tries to prevent Muslim expansion by supporting Sweden? :p
Well, you'll just have to wait then, huh?
 
kinda forgot how shattered christianity is in here, its strange as hell compared to how Iberia developed in our time