Intermission - 1371: Three Quarters
POLITICS
-Western Europe-
To the north, Britannia stands as a single, united entity covering all 4 kingdoms of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, as well as the 3 former Norwegian islands to the north. Politically, the de Gaels have held the position of Emperor since the creation of the Empire. Emperor Loup III is the 7th de Gael Emperor. For nearly the entirety of de Gael rule, stability in the Kingdom of England, and now Empire of Britannia, has been smooth, with only one major civil war. The vassals, while unhappy at the long line of de Gael rulers, are content due to the economy-fueling stability.
Across the Channel, Francia is divided between 3 kingdoms. Brittany still holds the peninsula of Brittany (duh). However, the major change is the annexation Kernev, a former part of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It started when Jerusalem lost all of its territory in the Holy Land, leaving it only the small chunk in Brittany. Then, Queen Anderquina of Castille (1286 - 1347), a granddaughter of a long dead Jerusalem King, conquered the Kingdom, giving Castille a piece of Brittany. Eventually, Brittany, with the backing of Emperor Loup II of Britannia (only financial aid), reconquered the county.
Meanwhile, France continues to shrink as the ever more powerful Aquitaine chips away at it. Politically, France has been unstable for the last half century, experiencing civil wars regularly, with the occasional installation of a claimant. The Capets still remain in power, though, and the situation seems to have calmed down somewhat.
To the south of France, Aquitaine becomes a real threat to the Muslims of Iberia. In 1335, King Guichard 'the Lion' of Aquitaine, led his troops in holy war against the Zaiaid Dynasty for Galicia. With little help, Galicia was taken.
-Iberia-
In the 13th century, the kingdoms of Castille and Leon were nearly nonexistent. In the 70 years that passed since the start of the 14th, Castille and Leon have managed to conquer back much of their lost territory. The Muslims, once so close to total control over the peninsula, have been dealt a major blow. Along with Castille and Leon's rise back to power, the last Crusade for Andalusia put nearly all of Western Iberia under the control of the Holy Order called the Teutonic Order. Thus far, they have managed to hold the land they have. The remaining Muslims make up nearly all of Portugal, and much of the central part of the peninsula.
-Holy Roman Empire-
The union between Western Rome and Eastern Rome continues to this day, but feudal strife has pulled and torn away nearly all the stability the Empires have been used to for so long. Nearly constant civil wars have meant the succession of the Kingdom of Bulgaria. Despite this, an Empress continues to rule the joint Empires, although she is of different dynasty than her predecessors (House Aba instead of von Rheinfelden).
-Scandinavia-
Norge continues to be an Elective Monarchy, as it has been for centuries, but civil wars have pushed the Kingdom to the breaking point. Although it has managed to defend its land (save the small islands taken by Britannia), expansion has been slow due to the many civil wars.
Sweden has shrunk in recent years, losing several counties to Norge and Danmark, but it has, in general, kept itself in one piece. It has even managed to obtain a chunk of Europe through inheritance and conquest. Like nearly all other realms in Scandinavia, it is suffering from civil and feudal strife.
Danmark, once a powerful Kingdom, is currently losing two wars, one against the petty King of Skane (which broke off during a civil war some 50 years previous), and one against a claimant in Fyn. It seems likely that Danmark will not be able to rebuild its Kingdom by the end of the 14th century.
Finland remains as it always has, controlled by tribal Suomenusko peoples.
-Eastern Europe-
Much of the politics of Eastern Europe remain the same, except for the sudden expansion of the Mongol Empire. In the early 1300's the Mongols, who had not expanded aggressively for some years, launched a campaign against the Slavic peoples, taking several duchies and connecting their Asian lands to their European, which had for so long been separated.
Mainland Hungary retains the borders it has had, although it did reincorporate several counties previously owned by Croatia. The main change is its acquisition of Sicily during the Crusade in the early 1300's.
-Middle East-
The Middle East has changed drastically in recent years. After the Seljuk Dynasty lost power in Persia, they were replaced by the Bugrid, who were eventually displaced by a former vassal of the Afsin Dynasty in 1344. With the political turmoil, several realms managed to break free, including the Sultanate of Mesopotamia (Abbasids).
Cyprus broke away from Sicily, which had much land throughout Anatolia, and became an independent entity in the 1260s.
The other dominating powerful, the Zaiaid Dynasty, which displaced the Fatimids in 1325, continue to rule the lands from Egypt to Iberia, and they even managed to reconquer the counties that broke free during the period of civil unrest.
RELIGION
-Christianity-
Christianity outside of Africa is nearly exclusive to Catholicism. Since the union between the HRE and the Byzantine Empire, the Greeks have more and more though of themselves as Catholics and Orthodoxy has more or less vanished from the region. It is also due to this union of the West and East that the Moral Authority of the Catholic Church has remained so high and that there have been so few heresies seen. The few areas that still follow and endorse Orthodox Christianity are the Kingdom of Rus, and Pomerania.
There also remains a Christian Khanate to the far east called Kara Khoja.
-Islam-
The major Muslim nations are split between Shia and Sunni Islam. The Zaiaids follow Shia Islam and the Afsins and Abbasids follow Sunni, putting a large rift in the Middle East and Iberia Muslims.
Most of Anatolia is Muslim, although they are somewhat hindered by the appearance of the Miaphysite Kingdom of Armenia.
To the north east, Asian expansion of Islam is also hindered, but this time by the Christian Khanate of Kara Khoja, which has held out as a Christian bastion for years.
-Hinduism-
Although the Mongol Empire had at one point converted to Hinduism, they have since then taken Sunni Islam, leaving Hindustan as the only Hindu land (though pockets of Eastern Europe and Asia still follow it).
Extra
THE COUNCIL
Upon taking the throne, Emperor Loup III calls together his Council of Britannia. He knows of his father's failures and he wishes to avoid them. He tells the Council that Britannia, as always, as two choices of conquest: North or South. To the north, the island of Iceland, ruled by Norge, would make a fine addition to the Empire and would make an excellent base for future expansion. To the south lies a political madhouse. Although Brittany has managed to reunite itself, the rest of Europe does not seem in any position to challenge Britannic expansion into the area. Aquitaine, a historical ally of Britannia, would likely lend assistance if called in a war against Brittany. The downside would be Britannia's involvement in mainland Europe's politics, which it has nearly always been able to avoid.
Vote (please comment either A or B):
Seek expansion opportunities to...
(A) the North
(B) the South
This vote will end Wednesday 8:00 AM EST
NOTE:
-This is the final intermission in CK2! 70 more years to go!
-I tried to cover as much as possible, but if you want to see anything else, let me know and I will add it to the extras.
-Remember, conquering Brittany will be mixing ourselves with the politics of the mainland, so think wisely before voting B, try and see the pros and cons of each!
