I am sorry that my being held by the tight grip of real life issues has delayed any updates recently. And as things do not seem to get better for me anytime soon, I therefore post the notes I took when I played through my reign, so that nalivayko will be able to post his tale. I hopefully fill in my parts some time, but as what I had planned would be too large,I might incorporate them into another work some time, or rather: when I find the time.
As of now, I halt all my AAR works, till I have more time again, which does not mean, however, that I will not be lurking on the board and post occasionally.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
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Rain. Oh, how I hated the rain. Many years had passed since I was taken as a hand by Hans the Shepherd. From him I had learned the trade of shepherding. How they were kept. Cared for. Sheared. Bred. Slaughtered. Bartered. I was far from the gambling tables, and had no money for myself, but this quiet life was all I longed for. My mind was at ease. Except that being with the flock in rain, cowering under a hood under a tree in pouring rain, which, unfortunately, was rather frequent in Oldenburg, was among the worst experiences if endured for weeks on end. Nevertheless, I was content with this life as the years passed, until Hans died.
The story of his death was rather... well, how should I... alright, as you pry it from my lips, I will tell you. It was the year 1468. Eleven years had passed since King Christian's Edict of German Friendship. The king had wisely seen that his country was causing great unease among the countries of Europe as his predecessors had been eager to expand their realm with the sword. And therefore he granted Hanover, which he had recently conquered, Holstein, and Pommern independence, handing the reins of the countries to trusted nobles who pledged allegiance to him. Nevertheless, the rest of Europe still viewed Denmark with a blend of fear and anger and in the meantime several coalitions had tried to wrest parts of the previous exploits from the Danish rule. Aragonians landed in Oldenburg. Fortunately, the battles took place far from us, and we were spared by the perils of combat. Eventually, in september 1468, the war was over, and the Danish King received 10,000 kroner for the coffers from his former adversaries on the fields of battle.
In october that year, Hans went to the nearby town, as he occasionally did. I knew he went there to drink and spend some of his hard earned in a bathing house on one of the women that "served" the male patronage there. However, he came home angry. I had already told you that Hans was a rather hideous sight for the unprepared eye, but he was a vey sympathetic man. One of the female employees had cried in terror when she beheld him and the others threw him out with the aid of a few male guards. I was already in my bed when I heard him shout and throw things around. I went to see after him, hoping to calm him. The light of my faithful brass lantern caught him in the sheep's stall where he took from one of the flock what the woman had denied him. He froze when he beheld me and then rushed out past me as quick as he could in his drunken state. I attempted to follow him, but didn't find him until the next morning. His carcass layed crushed on cliffs at the coast from which he had jumped. I buried him as became a christian, but the priest of the nearest church, aware of the conduct of Hans in town, denied him the last rites.
Now I was the shepherd. I continued the life of a shepherd alone. The years passed. A large war wasted the lands, and indeed I was fortunate to elude the perils once again. Burgundy made the Danish pay dearly. Hanover was annexed by Burgundy. Lübeck, the former Queen of the Hansa fell to Burgundy, but the peace treaty signed in april 1472 granted them but 900 kroner. It was in the very same month that I was sitting under a tree in the pouring rain, huddled in a cloak, the sheep seeking what cover they find.
Jan 1474 - Holstein eludes annexion, breaks vassalization
Mar 1474 - Pers. gift to Holstein
Oct 1474 - gift to state
Jun 1475 - war: Burgundy, Palatinate, Baden, Kleves Cologne, Helvetia vs Saxony, Austria, Venice, Papal States, Hessen
Jan 1476 - Sweden DoW's TO, Lithuania, Castile, Siena. We, Norway, Holstein join.
Dec 1476 - Sweden captures Pskov from Novgorod
Nov 1477 - nobles demand old rights - accepted
May 1478 - order to improve fortifications of Lübeck
Aug 1479 - Denmark sieges Stralsund in Vorpommern
Apr 1480 - good government policies
Jan 1481 - Stralsund falls
May 1481 - the end
