1286-1287

The following is the turn report covering the years of 1286 and 1287, which took place from 27 April to 6 May 2017.
Principal events in this turn included the outbreak of the Thieves' Movement, the beginning of emperor Theodoric I's military campaigns in Italy against a league of Italian city-states, the inauguration of the principle of dual monarchy in the Holy Roman Empire, and the consolidation of the Melissenid dynasty in the Byzantine Empire.
== Britain: the Years of Rot ==
In the British Isles the last years of the rule of king William dragged on and with them the general rot of the civilisational frames of British society. As no central legal code and authority was enforced in the Anglo-Norman realm, conflicts went crazy and more and more conflict started to brew as people felt the winds of change rising.
The most central expression of this time of rot was the war in Ireland and the effects it had on England. Edward "Rufus" Pale, who in early 1286 found himself besieged in Dublin would soon flee the island as kind Aedh kept up his siege of Dublin. When Prince Edward arrived in London he was soon named Lord High Chancellor by his son-in-law only to find a rotting state. Bills went unpaid, corruption had grown throughout the monarchy and nobility, what provisions and system of democracy had been established by the provisions of Oxford had become just another way for nobles to attain paid offices. Edward kept on trying to revert these trends, but soon found that he could not fight these menace while at the same time raising funds for the Irish campaign and thus focused on the latter task. His work was furthered hindered as the greater and greater seclusion of king William III by now dubbed "The Lazy Lion", who spent most of his days in the royal chambers, as walking stairs had become a pain for him. This further alienated many former capable royal servants, such as the king's cousin William Bigod, who departed for his homelands.
Edward did manage to spent much time with his grandson Richard during these days though, inspiring in the young man, much confidence that there was another way of ruling a kingdom.
In 1287 finally they set out at the head of a great army of English bred soldiers. Aedh in his arrogance had made barebones preparations for the defense of his army and thus found his forces smashed near Dublin, retreating rapidly into Connacht castle which was put under siege. Yet, some claim through wicked wizardry, other through poison, other through knifes and arrows in the dark, others through mere sickness, Edward "Rufus" was slain in his fifty-first year as the siege was continuing. This made many of the Irish kings, who had fallen from Aedh waver. Maybe there was still a chance to throw off the English yoke after all. Richard II meanwhile found himself in command of the army of England in Ireland as his uncle Arthur dashed eastwards back to England. News had come that some nobles were complaining of the quite successful reforms that Edward had pushed during his brief reign in London. Many feared that the ghost of Henry III's exile was reemerging. Thus he has made unfortunately also only small advances in his plans of combating the Scots.
Still the English found themselves in quite a promising position as the year 1288 dawned as they had if fractured, control of most of Ireland south of Ulster, though with many of the Irish kings remaining merely neutral, ot allied to them and Aedh still under siege in his castle.​
In Scotland meanwhile trouble was also brewing as the king's frequent absences to Holland were felt back home as royal authority eroded more and more, not aided by the passing of count Floris of Artois, uncle, regent and closest confident of the king at the age of fifty-nine. Floris son and heir William has departed with his family back to France seeking to advance his position as Count of Artois over Scottish endeavours. Thus many now look towards young William (b.1270, a.18), to lead the realm as the year 1288 dawns and a new era in Scottish history begins.
In England meanwhile small explosions are heard, though queer and unsettling nothing to take much note of as a frustrated scientist crumbles up another piece of parchment.
== France ==
In France the work on the renovation of the cathedral of Provence has been continued, but being a cathedral it will likely still take many years to finish it.
Meanwhile extension of the crown in Burgundy have taken place, slowly introducing the same royal officials in the royal demesne that the French have back in France.
The crown Prince Henri meanwhile is growing into quite a timid and unsure boy, being the heir in an unbroken line of six good kings and son of two great personalities are seemingly slowly crushing the young boy under them.
The French capital also suffers from the effects of the "Thief's Movement" (see below).
== Holy Roman Empire ==
Peace still holds in the Empire at large and indeed nowhere apart from Limburg can one speak of the outbreak of fighting, yet the honeymoon period of Emperor Dietrich is clearly over. The day to day workings of the Empire are starting to show as conflicts small and large flare up inside the Empire, none of them clearly violent or indeed destructive or threatening, but all small bugs in the lumbering juggernaut that is imperial power and posing clear, yet complicated questions to the families that have to face them.
=== Austria ===
In the lands of the Premyslids the rule of the Apostolic continued as well as it had for the past decades as Ottokar and Wenceslaus toured both Hungary and Croatia seeking approval of their succession to those lands and friendly relations between the vassals and their supporters. This is met with overwhelming approval as Croatian nobles, Austrian old time vassals and the men of the Babenberg lands in Hungary happily acclaim young Wenceslaus as their future ruler. Yet in the lands of Pannonia men are less enthusiastic of this and by the end of 1287 news of the Premyslid attempt to steal his son Nicholas of the promised reunion of the lands has sent king Henry Köszegi into a rage.
=== Brandenburg ===
While Margrave John is ruling well and capabily, many of his vassals are growing distrustful of the greater and greater influence "Bohemian barbarians" have at his court, many fearing he will set aside his nephew for his daughter. John has been quick to dash those rumours, while however also forbidden ill speaking of his brides family.
=== Habsburgs ===
Be it luck, be it the right responses at the right time, the Habsburg, through the sheer luck that they recently lowered their taxes in Switzerland escaped the storms of the Thiefs movement as the peasants saw little reason to be dissatisfied with things as they were as they had complained, had been heard and policies had been enacted to aid them.
In Heidelberg meanwhile construction of the city continued, though some are wondering if the Count is not overzealous in his spending on the city. Dispensation for a university unfortunately could not be given due to the passing of the latest pontiff.
The castle of Habsburg meanwhile continues to grow, having some effects on the Thief's movements outer tendrils (see below).
=== Luxembourg ===
Henri is growing ever more proud, though he has learned to clench his teeth and pretend as he holds respect to people of certain standing. He grows also ever stronger with each day.
=== The War of Limburg Succession ===
The War for Limburg advanced well meanwhile as the County of Chiny was knocked out from the war. However in the north the County of Guelders took control of the east Rhinish lands of her opponents and in the south the city of Cologne joined the war against the Archbishop of Cologne. Meanwhile the Archbishop of Cologne passed, being succeeded by Henri de Luxembourg, elder brother of Waleran, Count of Luxembourg.
== Thieves' Movement ==
The Thieves' movement has ever since medieval time attracted special attention when compared to other similar peasant movements of her times. As opposed to rebellions during the 1320s and 1330s they were not linked to economic destruction, but rather on a moral crisis of Medieval Europe. Even contemporary chroniclers note that the people who started to publicly whip themselves in penance were often former wealth land owners as well as learned pious members of the lower clergy. Later historians would see in this a form of class rebellion, though such is maybe over emphasizing the strength and cohesion of the movement. In current times it has been noted as a form of social rebellion within the accepted societal norms, akin to a peaceful demonstration. But to truly understand this movement one must first see its narrative:
In late 1287 Pope Innocent V died. As it was winter it took until spring 1288 for the cardinals to convene and while the electoral gridlock was solved within a year leading to the election of 1289, of which is written enough in Italian studies, many Christians across the Latin world found themselves without a spiritual leader in a time of faith crisis. News of the defeat of the Crusaders against the heretics had spread. Yet also the shepherds crusade of the past had been an abysmal failure. The lands was wealthy, yes, but nothing had changed truly in the world. Where there were church authorities to clench these needs, they were resolved, but in some critical regions of the Christian world, these outlets did not carry.
The center of it all was the Limburg war. While there was no greater hardship than usual in such affairs, the refugees who ran off to the untouched villages still lost many of their worldly possessions, while no priest could reach them to comfort their souls in this time of need. Soon arose a need for resolve of other ways as a small cult spread centred around "St.Peter the Thief", which was the name they attributed to the Thief who had been crucified with Jesus and reached the heavenly realm. They preached, that through physical penance, taking part in Jesus pain they would pay in this world for their sins to reach the heaven. The movement soon spread as these processions of floggers were peaceful pilgrims, respecting law and nobles, paying taxes. They however also spread societal problems as in Paris the cult reached fertile soil as the Parisians were distraught over the death (and possible murder) of the beloved Bishop Frollo. Soon Louis X, who had feared the mob ever since riot had broken out when he was a small boy, found the mob standing before his gates, not to riot against him, but to salute and cheer him, yet asking for divine retribution against the murders of Frollo "The Wise".
The northern tendrils of the Thieves' movement over the fall of 1287 reached most of Cologne and by the spring of 1288 had reached the lands of the Welfs. Soon nobles complained that the commoners were less willing to pay taxes and working laxly ever since the cult had entered the lands. There have also been occasional attacks on the Jews which the Duke only recently introduced the the Duchy. So far however the effects on the Duchy have been limited on part because of the great promotion of clerical thought at their court.
In the west the movement moved down the Rhine, but apart from some minorities in Flanders and Artois, not much soil is found for this kind of expression of religion.​
The southern tendrils of the movement meanwhile ran down the Rhine, enveloping some of the Habsburg lands in Argau and parts of Lorraine, but weakening in Switzerland. There have been a few noted instances in Kyburg in the early months of 1288 as the hardships of war are being felt by the population.
== King Dietrich's War ==
"Have we won? Have we lost? The Doge seems to be faced with a year of victory and defeat and all of this cannot be good for my investments. My dear, I would at times think that it would be more prudent to invest in Polo shares than in the war."—Mattheo Maseolo, a fringe politician in Venice, but keen observer of the times​
King Dietrich' war, in many ways, was no remarkable conflict. Yes, it was convoluted in the loyalties and actions the various actors in it took, but the overall essence of it had not changed much since the Lombard wars of Barbarossa or the wars Dietrich's father and grandfather had fought in Italy. Yet each of these wars still had their own character as each had their own players their own leaders and their own outcomes.
The war effectively started in 1286 when Emperor Dietrich declared the city of Florence outside the law and rebellious...only to march towards Genoa seeking to march to the Alps to link up with his Imperial allies. This naturally made many question the Emperor's strength in Italy right now, especially as he split his forces, sending one army southwards to Rome.
Such rumours were for a short time crushed, when he conquered the city of Lucca on his march. Boniface III of Egypt soon send message that he would allow him free passage, keeping to his neutrality.
He made no further moves to support him, though, especially as king Henry of Sicily declared himself allied to Dietrich, only to raise his armies and stay in Sicily, effectively acting neutral. Thus Boniface of Egypt saw no reason to join this retreating Emperor. Dietrich meanwhile crossed over the Po and marched into Milan, which at this point saw her very ability to negotiate with the Emperor over the Visconti question threatened and thus declared herself officially in feud with the Emperor, raising her army. Dietrich found himself now in a precarious situation. Many of the Italian states to the east had declared their support of him, but they could not send him enough coin and food to keep supporting his army and to the south supply routes were long and went through the recently conquered Lucca and neutral Egypt. This was further worsened by the fact that the Venetians and Sardinians in the face of Sicilian inaction took control of most the Mediterranean. Therefore Dietrich needed a breakthrough to advance into the Alps and link up with the Imperial reinforcements. He sought the battle and lost, due to the Milanese defensive position, freshness, better equipment and supply situation. Dietrich retreated to Genoa, only to find that Lucca had been retaken by a massive Venetian mercenary and militia force along with Sardinian naval support and Florentine forces. Thus Dietrich was in the east cut off from his supporters in Tuscany and worse, the Venetians were marching on him through neutral Egypt, wisely deciding the leave the Sardinians to raiding Pisa. Dietrich sought the battle near the shores of the Po river, desperate to defend himself as he heard of the advancements the Thuringian army made in the north.
It was a slaughter. The imperial army, disgruntled, unsure, unfed, moderately paid, turned coat in large parts or melted away as the battle went on. Dietrich was able to flee the battlefield, but had to flee using a road into Savoy incognito, arriving there in spring 1288.
The Venicians meanwhile were faced with problems of their own. The Imperial reinforcements had arrived lead first by Hermann of Thuringia, who defeated the weakened Milanese forces in battle before laying siege to the city itself. Eventually the archbishop Visconti rebelled inside the city walls taking control of the keep leading to a double siege. While Hermann passed during the siege, he was followed by his son Henry as Duke and commander, who kept the stranglehold on Milan, his many mercenary soldiers hungry for Milanese gold.
The Venicians now were faced with the decision wether to march northwards to relieve the siege or to advance elsewhere. One thing was certain: They could not stay any longer as the kingdom of Egypt had denounced both Dietrich and the Venicians for breaking his neutrality and ordering both out of their realms (though on more informal channels he kept relations open with both as letters have shown to later historians).
The Venicians were also faced with the fact that they had lost in 1286 Istria and in 1287 big parts of Venetia to the Austrians, with Prince Wenceslaus even leading a short, if unsuccesful raid on Verona, putting pressure on the Republic at home. In Florence meanwhile the situation remained unsure as big parts of Tuscany, including Pisa were eager to see Florentine power decreased in exchange for Imperial overlordship.
In all this came the papal election of 1288 (see next report)
== The Sicilian Peace? ==
In the kingdom of Sicily meanwhile factual neutrality has brought more splendid gains as the great constructions throughout the realm continued of baths and other things, while the continuing trade with the Venetian "enemy" brought in even more coin to spent. Yet under the facade cracks are beginning to appear. The unsuccessful crusades, invasions, plagues and papal wars of the past years have created a gigantic economic underbelly of debt spreading from the common peasant up through soldiers to the crown itself. Independently from the Thieves' movement of Germany during this time spread the movement of "Consciousness" around southern Italy, though notably not the island of Sicily, that preached self reliance and thriftiness, creating a bit of trouble for royal tax collectors.
== Iberia ==
King Martin II of Galicia and Leon has died at the bottom of a wine keg, leaving his throne to his daughter Queen Eleanor I and her husband King Ferdinand III, King of Galicia and Leon, crown Prince of Portugal.
The nobles of the kingdom for now are optimistic of this new dynasty as they bring the rich trade of Lisboa and the growing Seville with them as well as a strong army, promising further possible gains in the future.​
== The North ==
In the far North meanwhile not much happened or if it did, most details were lost to the chroniclers. In Sweden the expansion of eastwards migration continued slowly as some lands now were properly enough populated to be considered part of Sweden in truth.
In Denmark meanwhile trade and craftsmanship buzzed especially due to ongoing buildings of reinforcements along the Sund that came to completion in early 1288.
The main event of those years was however the Novgorodian invasion in which the Prince of Nogorod with aid from the Swedes and Danes slaughtered most of the local leadership of the Templar order, causing outrage across the Latin world. Denmark and Sweden have been excommunicated by the pope with "His Imperial grace, Emperor Dietrich's most loyal servants the Duke of Lüneburg and the Margrave of Brandenburg, as well as the king of Poland are hereby freed from any oaths and alliances they have with Sweden and Denmark that may prevent them from making war on them".
In France meanwhile clamour is loud for royal aid for the retaking of Lithuania, seeing as the Templars are in great parts French and thus many a man has lost someone he knew. Plus the Templars have like a lot of money and debt they can use to influence people.
== The East ==
In the East few things of note occurred in those days.
The Teutonic Order managed to conquer great parts of Bulgaria, while the Wallachians took most of the east. Though both of their holds on their lands remained fragile as German attempts at conversion are still not having the desired effect and king Henry of Hungary is anxious to return back to Hungary to speak to Ottokar.
In Outremer king Bohemond united Syria and Jerusalem into the singular kingdom of Jerusalem, also called the kingdom of Outremer by historians to distinguish it from the earlier kingdom. The capital was moved to Acre to better unify the lands now under united rule also slowly sense was made of what the crown owed to whom and how best to pay for it. Unfortunately many plans for expansion of any kind had to be cut, but slowly a path to the paying of the debts seemed to be cleared. Then however Baybars returned from the east and war returned to the kingdom (see below).
In Rome Emperor Romanos V made great strides to continue making his mark as his reorganizations of Antioch, Albania and the Bulgarian border proved great successes, but the land bubble in Asia Minor continued to brew as the resettling of Bulgarians continued. Pressure has started to built and soon it seems that young Alans, Turks and others are now fleeing the smaller and smaller lands their fathers are owning due to the rampant land speculation to join the army of Osman who is currently embroiled in a rebellion by the various Turkic chieftains he recently gained overlordship over.
Further to the east Muhammad Barakah Qun is making more and more of a mark as his rebuilding of Mesopotamia gain him great confidence from his father's new vassals. His brother Badr al-Din Solamish meanwhile has become more and more radical, causing in late 1287 a diplomatic incident when he calls for the slaughter of all Mongols to free all the Muslims under their yoke.
Baybars meanwhile moved the greater part of his army westwards as Basra would fall rather sooner than later. In two great columns they dashed into the Kingdom of Jerusalem in early 1288 taking most territories of the realm south of Tripoli, where Prince Leo had retreated to following his defeated by the Mamluks.
In the south meanwhile Baybars war forced to divide his armies into several besieging forces as the cities of Beirut, Sidon, Tyre and the capital Acre with king Bohemond in it held out against the Mamluks. Further his forces had been forced by the Roman garrison in Caesarea to leave a demilitarized zone around the neutral city.
In all this Baybars died of old age leaving the war uncertain, as while it was nearly won, Muhammad was far away and the Mamluks still split all along the coast.
Problems are brewing in Cairo as Muhammad's absence is felt.
In Constantinople Zayn ad-Din Bashir has grown resentful of his Roman life and the father who sent him off there.
== Other Events ==
=== Reactions to the Dictate of Florence ===
The Republic of Florence has expulsed the imperial forces from their city, barring the gates of great Florence and have torn up a copy of the Diktat signed inside their city walls. They have denounced Dietrich for his overreach of Imperial authority and the aid of nobility. The Emperor has taken refuge with his army at Sienna, which together with Arezzo Voleterra and Grossetto supports the imperial policy as they see themselves as lying outside the Duchy of Tuscany and are eager to see a weakened Florence.
The Duke of Milan meanwhile has send a letter professing his loyalty to the Emperor, yet protesting the increased power of his rivals, the Viscontis.
The Prince of Sardinia meanwhile has announced that the armies of Sardinia are once more for sale, as did the Count of Monaco.
With the encouragement of Milan protesting the verdict, the Republics of Mantua, Reggio and Modena have announced their rejection of the terms as put down by Emperor Dietrich. The cities of Cremona and Brescia meanwhile have declared their neutrality. The Premyslids of Bergano have meanwhile raised their troops already determined to aid their Emperor.
The Kingdom of Egypt, the Marquisate of Saluzzo and the Marquisate of Canavese have meanwhile announced their full support for the Emperor's measures.​
== References ==
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/before-the-fall.36591/page-46#post-8450490
Category:Turns