The Dance of Death - Gameplay Thread (1215)

[DKrol]

A Decree By Genghis Khan
To Be Spread by Merchants, Travelers, Nomads, Priests, Monks, and Other Travellers

All lands ruled in my name will be open and tolerant to people of all faiths, as long as they are peaceable people. While it is my belief that there is but one God who created all and gives all, there are others who believe in many gods or no god at all. This does not make them bad or corrupt people. Any man who kills or harasses another because of his religion will be punished with death himself. Further, any follower of Daoism, Buddhism, Islam, or Christianity who swears his allegiance to the Mongol Empire will be exempt from all taxes for the first five years after his oath is heard. May they continue to pray for our well being and continued success and the failure of our enemies.

[free my dawg]

When are orders due?

[Garlan Gunter]

TREATY OF DOVER, 1200, negotiated by Cardinal Guala and agents of King John of England

I The King of England will admit Cardinal Archbishop Stephen Langton to Canterbury, make to him a full and clean confession, and do penance. He will restore the freedoms of the English Church according to the customs of his ancestor King Henry I.

II The King's excommunication and the realm's Inderdict shall be lifted.

III Cardinals Simon Langton, brother of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Robert of Curzon, are to be appointed to great sees, such as York, London, Durham or Winchester, when such sees become vacant.

IV The Church's stolen lands and incomes are to be restored in full. In addition, the King will pay a substantial feudal relief to the Papacy to confirm his renewed titles in England and in Ireland. This shall not be repeated unless some successor of the King's strays in the future, but let it be noted that in extremis the Crown of England may be disposed of and granted by the Holy See, as it was to Duke William in the days of the usurper Harold.

V King John will vow to emulate his lamented brother King Richard and proceed upon Crusade to the succour of the Holy Land as speedily as possible.

VI King John will at once release his niece, Eleanor Duchess of Brittany, and restore her to rule of her duchy. The Duchess will marry Count Paolo de' Conti di Segni, nephew to His Holiness the Pope, with all speed.

VII The Papacy will defend King John's rights in his kingdom, the Lordship of Ireland and his French possessions, and continue to endeavour to persuade the King's uncle, Otto of Welf, to be reconciled to Christendom.

x Cardinal Guala, for Pope Innocent III

[Devout Centrist]

I. Whereas the Tsar of Bulgaria and the Emperor of the Latin Empire wish to establish free and open trade
II. Therefore, neither Sovereign nor their bannermen shall levy tax, tariff nor restrict trade between the two peoples in any way
III. So say both Sovereigns in felicity and harmony

X Tsar Boril I Asen

[King Saul]

I. Whereas the Tsar of Bulgaria and the Emperor of the Latin Empire wish to establish free and open trade
II. Therefore, neither Sovereign nor their bannermen shall levy tax, tariff nor restrict trade between the two peoples in any way
III. So say both Sovereigns in felicity and harmony

X Tsar Boril I Asen

X Emperor Henry I Flanders of the Latin Empire.

[Garlan Gunter]

After a just intervention by the King of France, Pope Innocent remedies one omission of Cardinal Guala’s in the aforesaid Treaty of Dover. Duchess Eleanor and Count Paolo will rule Brittany as direct vassals of France. The other terms of the treaty remain identical.

[windjammer]

Greetings,
The Count of Toulouse has proven himself to be a traitor both to the Church and to the Kingdom of France. Siding against the King of France and against the Catholic Church is TREASON.

Thus, for all his crimes and fsiding with the heretics, Raymond of Toulouse is hereby stripped of all his lands and Simon of Montfort is hereby the new owner of these lands.

[Bacon King]

Greetings,
The Count of Toulouse has proven himself to be a traitor both to the Church and to the Kingdom of France. Siding against the King of France and against the Catholic Church is TREASON.

Thus, for all his crimes and fsiding with the heretics, Raymond of Toulouse is hereby stripped of all his lands and Simon of Montfort is hereby the new owner of these lands.

As a humble servant of God I am deeply honored by your confidence you have placed in not only me, but in the entirety of our most Holy Crusade. These new resources will be of tremendous benefit. I will not rest until every heretic in Occitania has either repented in the light of Christ, or else has been purged in flame.

I fight this glory not for myself but instead shall dedicate my victory to the Church, to Christ, and to the great man who continues to inspire me in my holy mission --- he is the Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Servant of the servants of God: his Holiness, Pope Innocent III.

Simon de Montfort, 5th Earl of Leicester and Count of Toulouse

[NyIndy]

Treaty of Nymphaion

I . Whereas a state of chronic conflict exists between the Roman Empire and the Seljuk Sultanate
II . Whereas both states now recognize the futility of continued bloodshed
III . The Roman Empire and Seljuk Sultanate agree to the following:
   A . The Roman Empire agrees for a period of 10 years to not directly or indirectly violate the borders of the Seljuk Sultanate and to recognize their present territorial holdings.
   B . The Seljuk Sultanate agrees for a period of 10 years to not directly or indirectly violate the borders of either the Roman Empire or the Roman state in Trebizond and to recognize their territorial holdings.
   C . Seljuk traders will be permitted to sell their wares and transport their goods freely in Smyrna, Nicaea, and Miletus.

xTheodore I Laskaris, in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans

Kaykaus I, Sultan of Rum

[Garlan Gunter]

On Raymond of Saint-Gilles, lately Count of Toulouse

The Papacy has not yet been convinced by any evidence that the House of Saint-Gilles, Counts of Toulouse, is itself tainted by heresy.

However, Count Raymond was clearly insufficiently vigilant in confronting the heretics in his dominions, and also guilty of compassing the murder of a Papal legate, Peter of Castelnau.

The Papacy does not question the right of the King of France to decide the stations of his own worldly vassals, but notes that Raymond of Saint-Gilles, latterly Count of Toulouse, is a close relative of the royal houses of England and Aragon, and also the princely houses of the Crusader States.

Pope Innocent recommends in the interests of justice and peace that the former Count be permitted to depart peacefully, with honour intact and joined by whatever part of his following chooses to accompany him, to begin anew as a Crusader in the Holy Land, that blessed and sacred shore which so dearly needs reinforcement.


On the new Count of Toulouse, Simon de Montfort

The Sire de Montfort and count of Leicester has long been a famous hero throughout Christendom.

When the last great Crusade was defiled by the outrage of Zara, Simon de Montfort was chief among the few who turned aside from this crime and succoured the Holy Land instead.

The Holy See has accordingly been much saddened to hear the complaints of pious Catholics that the sire de Montfort has more latterly turned his renowned sword against not just heretics but undoubted fellow Christians, including kinsmen and vassals of our dear son and vassal the King of Aragon. Accounts of the happenings at Beziers recalled Zara at its worst.

The Papacy is soon to dispatch new preachers and legates to convert the Albigenses by reason and the love of Christ. The Pope implores the sire de Montfort and new Count of Toulouse to guard these holy men with care, as Count Raymond so signally failed to guard Peter of Castelnau, our former legate, but to avoid further disheartening his new vassals in the lands of the Languedoc by wild assailment of the innocent along with the guilty.


- Innocent III, Holy Father, Vicar of Christ, Bishop of Rome, Pontifex Maximus

[windjammer]

Greetings,

I hold my subjects in the duchy of Flanders with high esteem. That's why I have decided to marry Joan, Countess of Flanders with my second son Prince Philip. Their children and the next successors will have royal blood and be a distinct cadet line of the royal family, I couldn't imagine a more prestigious husband than my own son for my loyal vassal.

The Pope's youngest nephew Giovanni of Counti will be married as well to Margareth of Flanders. They will remain at the french royal court, myself paying all their expenses.

Furthermore, I have decided to reconcile myself with the queen of France, all her queen privileges are reinstated and she will be on my side until death separates us.

[Garlan Gunter]

Greetings,

I hold my subjects in the duchy of Flanders with high esteem. That's why I have decided to marry Joan, Countess of Flanders with my second son Prince Philip. Their children and the next successors will have royal blood and be a distinct cadet line of the royal family, I couldn't imagine a more prestigious husband than my own son for my loyal vassal.

The Pope's youngest nephew Giovanni of Counti will be married as well to Margareth of Flanders. They will remain at the french royal court, myself paying all their expenses.

Furthermore, I have decided to reconcile myself with the queen of France, all her queen privileges are reinstated and she will be on my side until death separates us.

Deo Gratias! The Pope grants an absolute dispensation for Prince Philip and the Countess Jean to marry, grants them his blessing, and dispatches Cardinal Giovanni di San Paolo, Bishop of Sabina, to the court of France to officiate at the wedding, along with his beloved nephews, betrothed to the rightful Duchess of Brittany and the Lady Margaret of Flanders, whose weddings the Cardinal Bishop of Sabina will also conduct.

As Count Stefano de' Conti cannot at present be spared from Italian affairs, the Pope requests that the Emperor Henry send the Lady Elizabeth de Courtenay to Rome where the Pope will marry her to his eldest nephew in person.

- Innocent III, Holy Father etc

[Kingpoleon]

[c]To my neighbors, and to the Powers of Europe/c

I, Al-Adil, the Sultan of Egypt, Emir of Damascus, Protector of Mecca, the Sword of Islam, have been attacked before in these Crusades before as I am now. I am now attacked by a lord, hired by the favor of the so-called Pope Innocent. My crime? I possess land he wishes for himself.

I have not attacked, threatened, mistreated, or abused the Unholy Father. Despite this, he has unjustly decreed that I must be attacked. Yet what he lacks in justice and competence, he makes up for in pride and aggression. He declares a “holy war” against one who has not attacked his faith nor done anything but defend his own land.

To the Christians, I say this man dishonors your faith. Disavow this unholy man of unprovoked violence. We share not the same faith, but all men know it is wrong to follow a man of god who attacks without provocation, who desires the land of others for himself, and who does so under the thin disguise of a holy war. I call on you to withdraw and turn away from this Unholy Father.

To my Muslim allies, in Arabia, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Persia, I ask for your support. This man will want your land and your lives, as he will not stop at Jerusalem or at anywhere else. I call on you to send all the men you can. We are all threatened by this, and we must stand together to defend our lands and our religion and the holy city of Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, those who live in the holy city, Copt and Muslim, Jew and Arab, all are guaranteed that their city - the city we all recognize as holy - will be defended. Every mosque, synagogue, and church in my lands that will allow it will be safe havens for our citizens, and our soldiers shall not enter without permission for any reason, excluding religious observance and injury. We defy even the Unholy Father to attack the houses of prayer.

Against the Unholy Father, the Bishop of Wrath, the Supreme Pontiff of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Vicar of Pride, Successor of the Prince of Darkness

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Declaration of Emperor Otto IV von Welf, Co-Emperor to Emperor Frederick II von Hohenstaufen, for his own lands in the Northern Empire


Seal of Otto IV, Wikimedia Commons

His Imperial Majesty, Co-Emperor Otto IV von Welf of the Northern Holy Roman Empire, will introduce three new reforms pertaining to his own realm and not the realm of his co-emperor. First, the Co-Emperor will declare the creation of an Independent body made up of Nobles, Diplomats, Generals, and Admirals called the Beratung, Consultation, to advise the co-emperor on Administrative, Diplomatic, Military, and Naval Affairs within the empire.

Next, the co-Emperor will introduce judicial reforms, with the most important being the declaration of Unschuldig bis zum Beweis der Schuld, innocent until proven of guilt, Prävention von Selbst Kriminalisierung, Prevention of self-criminalization, and the Recht auf ein schnelles und faires Verfahren, Right to a fast and fair trial, allowing for all citizens to be treated equally under the law, no matter of rank.

Finally, the co-emperor will create the Unabhängiges Amt für Korruption Untersuchungen und Abberufung korrupter Beamter, which will investigate and remove any corrupt officials from the administration of the empire and it’s internal realms, allowing for the empire to continue forward, unimpeded by other nations looking to abuse our internal affairs.

As an after-note, the co-Emperor will go on a journey throughout his realm, meeting and discussing with the people, whether they be of the peasantry or nobility, in order to get an accurate feel of how life is within his realm and how he can improve it for his subjects. These trips will happen on a Bi-Annual basis, meaning a trip after every 2 years, until an co-emperor decides whether or not he should not make another trip.

All three reforms can only be repealed by the co-emperor himself unless enough of the nobility petition him to remove one of them, with the exception being the anti-corruption reform, which shall not be untouched in order to allow the empire to be cleaned of all those who abuse it.

[Garlan Gunter]

His Holiness in all charity and lovingkindness must cast doubt on Otto of Brunswick’s wisdom in undertaking such bold, wide reaching and autocratic reforms while his election is in doubt and he himself remains as yet outside the embrace of Holy Church.

[Lumine]

Mid-1212 Update

A New Crusade?
Children rise by the thousands to fight,
Rome and the Ayyubids facing diplomatic war,
controversy over Conti marriages

Following the unexpected turn of the Fourth Crusade and the eventual sack of Constantinople - the consequences still being felt to this day - many wondered whether it would be possible for a new Crusade to take place in the Near East, the Papacy's efforts seemingly directed towards Crusader efforts in Northern Europe, the Iberian peninsula, the old Byzantine Empire and, controversially, Occitania. This skepticism appears to be under siege by an escalation of rhetoric between Rome and the Ayyubid Sultanate, the first pressing King John and Raymond of Toulouse towards going to the Holy Land in a potential crusade, the second claiming an imminent crusade, denouncing Rome and attempting to rally other Muslim rulers to war.

Unexpectedly, the Pope's surprisingly aggressive marriage policy towards his family may both strengthen and undermine his case should he pursue a full crusade towards Egypt, marriage alliances seemingly building stronger ties towards Venice and the Latin Empire whilst becoming a major cause of alarm in Rome itself - particularly within the College of Cardinals -, and receiving a very skeptical and cold reception amongst the Breton and Flemish nobility (who may yet oppose the propose matches).

Although the Pope's apparent intentions are seen by some Christians with some weariness (owing to the large-scale crusader efforts already taking place in so many fronts) and the Sultan's warnings are seen with skepticism by some Muslim rulers (as an attack on Egypt appears to be anything but imminent), a consequence of this rhetoric has already manifested itself with surprising developments. In both France and Germany a series of charismatic, previously unknown figures have gained fame by rallying thousands of children and peasants through fanatical sermons, songs and - if rumour is to be believed - even miracles, claiming to be on a mission from God himself to liberate the Holy Land from the Saracens. Both large groups (believed to have at least 20,000 people each) are on the move, the French group starting to gather outside of Paris and the German one doing the same in Cologne.

Controversy in the Empire!
Electors reject co-emperorship plans,
Welf reforms create backlash, Hohenstaufen allies feel betrayed,
Otto and Frederick both losing support

One thing that can be said of the shock agreement reached between both claimants to the Imperial Crown was that it left no one indifferent across the Empire, and that it proved to be an enormous surprise to supporters of both sides. Having chosen the notion of a co-emperorship as the answer to the struggle for the Empire, both princes essentially divided the Holy Roman Empire through the territories they already held, invoking precedents from the Old Roman Empire to justify the notion whilst, in what also turned out to be a major source of controversy, also committing to attempt to reverse excommunication attempts by the Pope and including a clause which provided for compensation to Frederick over German territories.

Far from solving the matter, the backlash to the proposed agreement was almost immediate, and it led to an unexpected strengthening of Papal influence. Indeed, it was Pope Innocent who emerged as the apparent champion of the Imperial electors, who were outraged towards the agreement itself and the lack of consultation given, with the result of several pro-Welf or pro-Hohenstaufen princes or bishops rejecting the arrangement in separate gatherings and either withdrawing their support for the respective "co-emperors" or issuing warnings towards their lack of support for the dual imperium and for other clauses as well.

On Otto's side, his disregard for the princes and bishops, the sudden attempt to introduce significant reforms within the Empire (which were seen by many as intrusive or even puzzling) and an unpopular arrangement with Denmark have led to a significant hit on his popularity and his influence. On Frederick's side, the arrangement is costing him the support of many of the pro-Hohenstaufen princes in Germany, most of them feeling ignored in their risky decision to elect Frederick last year and expressing outrage at the compensation clause, noting they are in no way open to ceding territories. His apparent devation from his previously pro-Papal support has also led to much distrust from the bishops, leaving both imperial claimants in a weakened position.

Natural Disasters strike!
London fire damages London Bridge,
North Sea Floods wreaking havoc in Holland,
Hundreds dead and counting

Amidst key political and military developments both England and the north of the Holy Roman Empire were hit by two severe disasters, both of which have led to a significant level of deaths and damage. In London, an initially small fire amongst the many houses near London Bridge soon broke out of control, burning most of the bridge - only the main structure surviving as an unusable ruin - and leading to scenes of panic and terror as thousands of frightened citizens tried to make their way across the burning bridge to either extinguish the flame or escape it. Trapped by the fire and smoke or having to jump to the Thames, hundreds - possibly thousands - of Londoners perished in gruesome fashion.

And in the North Sea, a series of major storms led to enormous floods on the Rhine, Scheldt and Meuse rivers, rapidly flooding wide areas of Holland as thousands have drowned or lost their houses in the disaster. Efforts to contain the flood or the number of victims have proved fruitless thus far as the floods continue - and may last weeks or even months -, leading to a rising number of casualties and of economic harm to the region. The enormous loss of life has led to significant tensions and episodes of religious fervor, some interpreting the floods as divine punishment, others as the result of heresy.

[DKrol]

A Decree By Genghis Khan
To Be Spread by Merchants, Travelers, Nomads, Priests, Monks, and Other Travellers

My daughter, Kua Ujin Bekhi, will wed the noble Prince Liu Ke of the Khitan Tribe with all haste, cementing the alliance between our peoples and bringing them together as one great tribe.

[GoTfan]

A Decree issued by John, King of England

The crown shall immediately divert funds towards the reconstruction of London Bridge and any homes destroyed by the fire. Let it be known that the crown stands with its people. As a gesture of reconciliation, Stephen Langdon is recognised as Archbishop of Canterbury and we cordially invite him to discuss issuing a decree of rights for the people.

[Garlan Gunter]

The Papacy eagerly awaits confirmation from King John of the Dover terms agreed privately between England and the Holy See. Until they are countersigned the Kingdom’s Inderdict and King’s excommunication must stand, disasters which have, it would seem, most tragically brought down the wrath of the Almighty.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

We are distressed about negative reactions to Our pact with Emperor Otto, since it's clear there's been a failure to adequately communicate true intentions of the agreement. A failure We must reluctantly take responsibility for.

The idea of Emperor Otto and Us assuming the title of Co-Emperors was always intended to be a temporary solution, aimed at preserving fracturing unity of the Holy Roman Empire until a satysfying permanent solution could be found and implemented with participation and contest of the princes of the realm. It is unfortunate We were unable to present it as such in time, to prevent confusion.

[Donerail]

The Papal threat of a “Fifth Crusade” is but idle words. Should the foolish John and Raymond embark on this expedition, the Khwarazmian Empire shall retaliate with all necessary force to repel this pitiful attack on the ummah.

[YPestis25]

Treaty of Nicomedia:

I . Whereas the Roman Empire at Nicaea and the Latin Empire at Constantinople desire peace.
II . Both belligerents agree to the following:
    A . An immediate cessation of hostilities..
    B . The city of Nicomedia and the territories west of it will be recognized as Latin territory.
    C . The city of Abydos and its hinterland will be recognized as Latin territory.
    D . The city of Cyzicus, its hinterland, and its peninsula will be recognized as Latin territory.
    E . The remaining occupied territory in Anatolia will revert to Roman control.

xTheodore I Laskaris, in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans

[King Saul]

Treaty of Nicomedia:

I . Whereas the Roman Empire at Nicaea and the Latin Empire at Constantinople desire peace.
II . Both belligerents agree to the following:
    A . An immediate cessation of hostilities..
    B . The city of Nicomedia and the territories west of it will be recognized as Latin territory.
    C . The city of Abydos and its hinterland will be recognized as Latin territory.
    D . The city of Cyzicus, its hinterland, and its peninsula will be recognized as Latin territory.
    E . The remaining occupied territory in Anatolia will revert to Roman control.

xTheodore I Laskaris, in Christ, Emperor and Autocrat of the Romans

x Henry I Flandres,in Christ,Emperor of the Latin Empire.

[GoTfan]

After a just intervention by the King of France, Pope Innocent remedies one omission of Cardinal Guala’s in the aforesaid Treaty of Dover. Duchess Eleanor and Count Paolo will rule Brittany as direct vassals of France. The other terms of the treaty remain identical.

We agreed to all terms but this.

[Garlan Gunter]

The Holy See implores that King John see reason upon this. The lands of Brittany are in any case at present held by Duchess Alix and her stepfather Guy of Thouars as a fief of France. Pride and a dead letter are no reason to hinder the care of a kingdom’s souls.