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Brisingr

Unofficial Forum AARcheologist (he/him)
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Dec 25, 2016
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Antwerpen, July 8, 1438

In the back of a cathedral, behind ranks and files of pews, a young man sat at a table across from an armored man-at-arms whose shield bore a coat of arms consisting of two red St. George's crosses on white and two red lions rampant on yellow. Although the man tried to appear friendly, the lad, who had only seen fifteen summers still squirmed under his gaze.

"What is your name, lad?" the man-at-arms asked the boy.

"Andreas, son of Dannel, sir," he replied, his voice shaking from fear.

"And why are you here, Andreas, son of Dannel?"

Andreas remembered and rehearsed the reply his mother had taught him. "To renounce my heritage and become a good, law-abiding son of Utrecht, sir."

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.50 PM.png


The soldier nodded. "If that is so," he said, "then recount to me the history of the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht, from the War for Gelre to the present."

Andreas stiffened. This was going to be tricky. He recalled the history lessons his mother had given to him, in the days before the Utrechtian armies had come to Antwerpen and liberated it from the Burgundian oppressors. Satisfied that he had what he needed, he forged onward.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.02 PM.png


"Prince-Bishop Frederick III declared war on Gelre to liberate its people and to restore the word of God to the realm, but he died in battle fighting the Gelrian allied forces before he could complete his God-given task. His mantle was taken by His Grace Rudolf I.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.08 PM.png


"Prince-Bishop Rudolf, known as Rudolf the Warrior, finished the reconquest of Gelre, forcing their monarch to swear allegiance to Utrecht as a vassal. When the people of Holland began to chafe under the rule of the Burgundian monarch and longed for reunification with the Dutch, they formed a separate country of Holland, but Utrecht invaded their tiny realm, seizing the city of Amsterdam and the lands around it, and forcing the monarch of Holland-in-Zeeland to swear allegiance to the Utrechtian realm. Brabant, who had come to the defense of Holland, saw its puny army overwhelmed and its entire realm annexed to Utrecht, despite the backlash from the citizens of the provinces of Brabant and Limburg. Upon his death, the title of Prince-Bishop was taken by His Grace Johan VI.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.15 PM.png


"When the foolish ruler of Gelre refused to pay his monthly tribute to Utrecht, Prince-Bishop Johan VI oversaw the forceful incorporation of Gelre into the Utrechtian realm. His Grace Arnold III succeeded him after his death.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.24 PM.png


"Prince-Bishop Rudolf II, known as Rudolf the Schismatic, sought to extend his influence in the Holy Roman Empire by subjugating Cologne. This venture was successful, as not only did Cologne become an Utrechtian vassal, but Aachen and Liège began to pay tribute to Utrecht as well. Rudolf then attempted to improve relations with the Pope, but the five delegates sent to Rome fell on deaf ears, and so Rudolf declared the Statute in Restraint of Appeals, giving the Prince-Bishop of Utrecht full authority to spread the Word of God in the Utrechtian realm. Upon his death, His Grace Frederick IV took the title of Prince-Bishop of Utrecht.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.02.29 PM.png


"Prince-Bishop Frederick IV is our savior. After passing the Dissolution of the Monasteries Act, which banned any monasteries from holding assets which amounted to greater than a certain sum, he led the Utrechtian army against the oppressive Duchy of Burgundy, to liberate us Antwerpeners, who were crying out for relief from the oppression of the foreign Franks. He succeeded not only in wresting Antwerpen from Burgundy, but also in convincing Burgundy to renounce long-held claims to the province of Gelre. It is thanks to his actions that we are here today." Andreas finished his speech, smiling slightly at his accomplishment.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.01.44 PM.png

Utrecht and surrounding areas after the war with Burgundy. Cologne, Aachen, and Liège are Utrecht's vassals (I like to call them my Vassal Passel) and Lorraine is a Burgundian vassal. Note English North Germany.

The man-at-arms visibly relaxed. "Good work, son of Dannel, but you forgot one thing. What of the Breda Experiment?"

Andreas blanched. He had completely forgotten about it! He racked his brain, trying to remember what it was...Ah! It was a venture by one of the prince-bishops to create a major center of trade in the city of 's-Hertogenbosch...it had failed drastically...but which man was the culprit?

He suddenly remembered a phrase his mother had once used about the Experiment, and almost laughed.

"Of that travesty we shall never speak."

The man-at-arms smiled. "Excellent. You are free to go, Andreas of Utrecht."

Smiling broadly at the recognition of his new sobriquet, Andreas rose from his chair and walked back down the aisle of the cathedral, passing the queue of eager Antwerpeners ready for their reacculturation. Once outside in the streets of Antwerpen, he broke into a run, and sprinted back to the small house he shared with his parents. He opened the door to find his mother standing there, waiting for him.

"Mother! I've done it! I am a proud Utrechtian now!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, son! I am so proud of you!" she cried back, embracing her son, who stood almost a foot taller than her.

Andreas smiled and allowed his mother to reach a hand up and tousle his hair.
 
Hello and welcome to my second AAR. I am playing as Utrecht, at the 1399 start, with my normal house rules (no declaring wars without CB, no fabricating claims with spies, no breaking truces). As for the settings...I'm not quite sure. :/ I didn't do anything to them, and I'm not sure what the defaults are. If you're confused about a lot of the roleplaying I did in that short history, a gameplay explanation can be found here in the post second from the bottom. The style is going to be history-book; that narrative was a one-off. Narratives aren't really my thing.

Anyway, please subscribe and comment to motivate me, and watch this space for more updates!
 
The Reign of Frederick IV (1438-1442)

Upon his return to Antwerpen, Frederick IV was hailed as a savior by the Flemish population, who had been agitating for liberation from Burgundy for quite some time.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.04.03 PM.png


He immediately started an initiative to expand Utrecht's army to protect against a future Burgundian invasion, for, as he said:
"The Burgundian Duchy is still a force to be reckoned with. We may have defeated them in this war, but they may return. Their claims to Antwerpen are flimsy, but the Franks have military force with which to back them up. Who knows? Maybe, upon their return, the Reichstag will have appointed them Emperor of the Romans."

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.04.10 PM.png


On January 7, 1439, the Licensing of the Press Act was passed. Hereafter, all information about the goings-on in Utrecht would be distributed or reviewed by the government. Soon after, on March 7, Frederick's warnings bore fruit, as Philippe V of Burgundy was elected Emperor. On August 25, the long-standing Peasants' War in Scotland ended, restoring stability to the Scottish realm.

In October of 1439, Prince-Bishop Frederick IV had a number of large maps commissioned, in order to show the state of the world at that time.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.10.03 PM.png

The entire world, according to Utrecht

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.10.13 PM.png

A close-up of Central Europe

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Southern Europe

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.11.18 PM.png

Spain and North Africa

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.11.30 PM.png

Eastern Europe

In December, Utrecht's army reinforcement program was finished, and a new program was started to build up the navy, with the goal being for Utrecht to have a stronger navy than England.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.22.48 PM.png


In March of 1440, an initiative was started in Brabant province with the intent of further integrating them into the Utrechtian realm, similar to the one that had happened in Antwerpen after its conquest by Utrecht. In June, a devout priest performed a miraculous act, strengthening the people's belief in God. Prince-Bishop Frederick took advantage of this newfound devotion to enact complete religious law in Utrecht, on par with the laws of the Papal State.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.25.33 PM.png

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.25.48 PM.png


In November, another change in government policy was initiated, with more control being centralized--relegated to the Prince-Bishop instead of local bishops--and the country was slightly destabilized as a result. In January of 1441, another assimilation program, like the one conducted in Brabant, was started in Limburg province. In February, the enlargement of the navy began to bear fruit, a cavalry enlistment program was started in Antwerpen, and Frederick IV moved Utrecht's national focus to Gelre province, in order to initiate more effective diplomacy with Friesland and English Münster.

In April, Utrecht's income increased to the point where all minting of currency was shut down. In September, a church-building program began, and in March, more cavalry were enlisted into the Utrechtian army. THis proved to be the last major action Frederick IV would take, for two days later, on March 12, 1442, Frederick IV died in his bed. He had continued the somewhat schismatic policies of his predecessor, had liberated Antwerpen from the Duchy of Burgundy, and had strengthened the nation of Utrecht from within. He would come to be known as Frederick the Wise. He was succeeded by Frederick V, and it remained to be seen if he would be as great a ruler of Utrecht as his namesake.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.35.09 PM.png


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Well, there's the next update. I will probably do at least one more this weekend. What do you think so far?

Also, if I may reiterate: please comment. It helps me write this AAR. Whether it be a compliment, just a simple "subbed", or constructive criticism (ESPECIALLY constructive criticism), any comments are welcome to encourage and motivate me. Thanks!
 
This is quite a clear AAR. Utrecht has clearly become quite the local power, to entertain a naval race with England.
 
Someone replied to one of my AAR threads while it's still in progress?! That never happens! :p

In all seriousness, though, thanks so much for the reply, stnylan! Utrecht is becoming quite powerful indeed. When I started this game, I had no idea that it would get this big, and now I might be able to form the Netherlands! Although, I've played around 40 years ahead of where the game is, and it hasn't happened yet. But, if you want to see Utrecht (and über-Mazovia) get bigger, you're in for a treat...
 
Someone replied to one of my AAR threads while it's still in progress?! That never happens! :p

In all seriousness, though, thanks so much for the reply, stnylan! Utrecht is becoming quite powerful indeed. When I started this game, I had no idea that it would get this big, and now I might be able to form the Netherlands! Although, I've played around 40 years ahead of where the game is, and it hasn't happened yet. But, if you want to see Utrecht (and über-Mazovia) get bigger, you're in for a treat...
über-Mazovia? You have me intrigued.
 
über-Mazovia? You have me intrigued.

You can see it: look in the above update at the maps of Central and Eastern Europe. :)

At this point in the game, they have won a war against Poland, netting them 3 provinces and their name on the map.
 
OOC: Here's the next update. I will try to skip over a lot of the stuff that I detailed in Frederick IV's reign (random events, court changes, slider moves, etc.), to avoid dragging the AAR down. Hopefully this'll make the updates more enjoyable to read. I would appreciate feedback as to which style you like better.

Now, without further ado, I give you:

The Reign of Frederick V (1442-1452)

Frederick V's reign began with an uprising of Flemish nationalists in the province of Brabant, who were quickly defeated and forced into Burgundian lands. In June of 1443, news reached Utrecht that England had been emasculated in a recent war with Scotland, who had taken territories all the way to the English Channel, dividing the English realm into seven non-contiguous parts, including the Isle of Man.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.42.14 PM.png


In December, a cultural assimilation program was started in Holland province.

In January of 1444, something very interesting was discovered by Utrechtian ambassadors to the Papal States: Even though the pope (thanks to the Statute in Restraint of Appeals) had no religious authority in Utrecht, since Utrecht still claimed to be a good Catholic nation, and since Utrecht was a theocracy which was ruled by religion as much as the Papal States, Utrechtian influence in the Papal Curia was slowly growing.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.45.01 PM.png


In December 1444, news reached Utrecht that the Flemish separatists who had retreated from Utrecht into Burgundy had succeeded in their mission of liberation, and had formed an independent state of Flanders in the provinces of Vlaanderen and Ghent, forming a buffer between Utrecht proper and Burgundy (although Liège, one of Utrecht's vassals, still bordered Burgundy).

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.49.35 PM.png


June of 1446 was an eventful month for Utrecht. A comet was sighted, causing panic among the peasants:

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 7.55.56 PM.png


And the king of Naples was excommunicated by the Pope. Even though Utrecht did not recognize the religious authority of the Pope, they still claimed to be good Catholics, and so considered themselves justified in waging war against Naples.
First though, the army was put to use dispatching rebels infesting Utrecht's vassals. The army, led by Frederick himself as was Utrechtian tradition, first destroyed a group of rebels in the Liège-owned province of Namur, and then a group of Colognian pretender rebels who had taken control of the province of Westfalen.

On October 6th, 1447, a momentous event took place in Utrecht city:

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 8.02.23 PM.png


Although Frederick was not eligible to become Emperor, being a Prince-Bishop instead of a proper monarch, he took great pride in the event.

Soon after, in January 1448, a curious situation arose regarding the province of Münster, which was ruled by England.
The inhabitants of Münster had chafed under English rule for quite a while, and had begun to agitate for an independent state. Some advocated for the restoration of the Münsterian realm. However, a large Dutch diaspora had settled in the area, and they had a different solution to the problem: they advocated for a unification of Münster with Utrecht, Utrecht being the strongest state in the area, the only one who could compete with England militarily, and the state to which many of the Münster Dutch could trace their ancestry. The Münster nationalists and the Dutch managed to agree on the Utrecht solution, though it was a bitter pill to swallow for the nationalists, and brought their case to Frederick.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 8.03.25 PM.png


Upon hearing of this, Frederick sent a group of covert operatives to equip a small army of the Munster nationalists, with the hope that they would take over the province and defect to Utrecht.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 8.04.19 PM.png


However, it would later be revealed that the spies made Frederick's motives unclear. Instead of planning to defect to Utrecht, their plan was to defect to one of the Hannoverian nations in the area. Frederick watched with dismay as the rebels ravaged English Münster, yet they did not defect...yet.

In June 1451, the nobles were given complete freedom to make up Frederick's advisory council, shutting out the burghers and minor nobles.

Screen Shot 2018-07-13 at 8.15.52 PM.png


In outrage, the burghers of the province of Antwerpen formed a small army and rose up against Frederick. They were quickly defeated. Later, in January 1442, a victory was won against a group of "revolutionaries" that were occupying the city of Cologne, and the province was returned to the Utrechtian vassal.

It was then that one of the Utrechtian diplomats to England arrived at Frederick's court. He had overheard startling news from the English generals: England, emasculated in its war against Scotland, could bring to bear an army of only 3000 soldiers, while Utrecht could muster over 20000!

Upon hearing this, Frederick immediately decided to declare war on England to seize Münster for Utrecht. He had struck at the perfect time: the only nations that came to the aid of the beleaguered English were Cleves, which could easily be subjugated, and Switzerland, which had no way of reaching Utrecht. The Utrechtian army alone was larger than that of the entire English allied force combined.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.53.45 PM.png


The Utrechtian army set in for a siege of Münster, Aachen and Liège directed armies to destroy the misguided rebels controlling Osnabrück, and Cologne marched to subjugate Cleves. Utrecht seemed to hold all the cards.

Then, tragedy struck. Frederick V died while sieging the castle at Münster. He had led Utrecht through the tumultuous, rebel-wracked 1440s and struck at just the right time to seize more territory for his nation. He would be known as Frederick the Shrewd. His death caused great instability in the nation as his successor, Johan VII, was forced to take control of the nation in the middle of a war. Would he be able to lead Utrecht to glory?

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.54.34 PM.png
 
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Well he has a nice military stat - perhaps that will herald the ability to do well in matters martial. :D
 
stnylan: Indeed, as you will soon see.

The Reign of Johan VII (1452-1464)

Johan VII's reign was fraught with instability from the start, as a group of covert operatives, whose allegiance was never revealed, managed to incite a revolt of heretics following the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi in the province of Breda.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.55.13 PM.png


Johan elected to stay in Münster and hope that it would fall before 's-Hertogenbosch did.

In 1452, a miraculous story appeared from 's-Hertogenbosch. A group of townspeople were being held hostage by a contingent of Fraticelli soldiers (as the heretics called themselves) and were about to be slaughtered when one of the city's priests jumped in front of their blades and shouted "To kill is an un-Christian act! But if you are to kill anyone on the basis of your false creed, you might as well kill me!" In the time it took for the soldiers to cut down the helpless old man, a group of Utrechtian militia had arrived on the scene and repulsed the Fraticelli. The nameless priest, who soon became known as "the Angel of 's-Hertogenbosch", became a martyr, and his story spread throughout the Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.55.40 PM.png


In July, the soldiers of Cologne conquered Cleves for Utrecht, and the tiny kingdom was forced to become an Utrechtian vassal. Later that year, Oldenburg was conquered by the troops of Utrecht's vassals. In January 1453, the Fraticelli seized control of 's-Hertogenbosch, inciting riots throughout the province.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.57.59 PM.png


In February, the army of Utrecht finally broke through the walls of Münster. It was at that time that Johan took full command of the army as a general, fulfilling the time-honored Utrechtian tradition. He was found to be quite adept at leading an army.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 6.58.35 PM.png


He promptly returned to Utrecht, defeated the heretics in two grand battles, and set in to retake 's-Hertogenbosch. While Utrecht's army was occupied, Cologne had successfully managed to take Osnabrück. In October, Johan marched into 's-Hertogenbosch at the head of his army and retook it from the Fraticelli. Afterwards, he sent a cunning peace proposal to the English king.

Many among the Utrechtian nobility had wanted Johan to simply ask for the cession of Münster province, but Johan had a more cunning plan in mind. He instead requested the release of the kingdom of Münster as an independent nation. When the English king accepted this proposal, the nobility were displeased that Utrecht had not gained any land.

Then, in December, Johan initiated the next phase of his plan.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.04.07 PM.png


The war was a methodical one. In July of 1454, the realm of Münster was no more. Münster province was directly annexed to the Utrechtian realm, and Osnabrück was gifted to Cologne, due to the presence of a sizable Colognian minority in the area. To celebrate the occasion, Johan ordered the making of a large map of Central Europe, to showcase Utrecht's place in the world.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.07.12 PM.png


In November, another sect of heretics rose up in the province of Limburg and were defeated in January of 1455. The following years were relatively quiet until May 1458. In that month, it was discovered that the provinces of Brabant and Limburg had experienced a large migration of native Utrechtians. This, combined with the fact that they had been part of the realm for half a century, meant that they were now considered a full part of the realm.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.20.22 PM.png


In June, interesting news arrived at Johan's court, along with a papal legate. His Holiness had apparently decided to canonize Prince-Bishop Rudolf (not Rudolf II "the Schismatic", of course, but Rudolf I "the Warrior"). The legate was quoted as saying that the reason for Rudolf's canonization was that "he was the best Catholic in this whole realm--which, admittedly, is not saying much".

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.20.58 PM.png


In September, it was discovered that Flanders was engaging in a very strange war:

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.22.01 PM.png


Unfortunately, this war would not produce any Flemish possessions in the East to form a bulwark against the schismatics.

In June of 1460, propaganda began to circulate in the court about Johan, saying that he was a ruthless powermonger. He executed one of his advisors for this, causing a loss of stability in the realm as some of the populace lost faith in Johan. However, the nation became stable again relatively quickly.

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In January 1462, Utrecht was slightly destabilized yet again as Johan elected to grant yet more power to the Prince-BIshop and take it away from local nobles.

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In June, a noble from a high-ranking family was assassinated by an operative sent by another family. This caused a series of minor skirmishes, but Johan elected not to take a side, causing yet another blow to the nation's stability.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.35.08 PM.png


On July 8, 1464, old Prince-Bishop Johan VII died in his sleep. He had defeated the English, claimed Münster for the English crown, defeated several sects of heretics, and led Utrecht through a series of domestic crises. He would become known as Johan the Strong. It would be difficult for any future Prince-Bishops to live up to his legacy, especially since his successor, Rudolf III, was...not the best statesman Utrecht had produced.

Screen Shot 2018-07-14 at 7.37.16 PM.png
 
Well that was a merry run of stab-hits just before he died.
 
stnylan: Yeah, those were a bit of a pain in the butt.

To all (stnylan or anyone else that might be lurking and find time to de-lurk): starting today, I will be away from my screenshot computer for two weeks. Apologies for not finding time to post an update beforehand, and apologies for not being able to update for two weeks afterward. In the meantime, I will fix some typos in the update above, and give you a teaser for the upcoming update: Rudolf III's nickname will be "the Colonizer". ;)
 
No worries