1282-1283

The following is the turn report covering the years of 1282 and 1283, which took place from 2 April to 17 April 2017.
== The British Isles ==
The years following the end of the First Dance of Lions were ones of slow reconstruction as all realms of Britain turned inwards to gather their strengths.
In England young Richard continued his education. The boy has particularly intensified his studies when his father in a few short months gained stones of weight. The young Prince can now be found studying the early campaigns of his grandfather Henry III and the rebellion of Prince John of Ireland against his brother Richard I.
Meanwhile his father turned into a coin squeezer as he started to make an assessment of his treasury, only to find that raising taxes was without alternative. He thus took a large loan from the jews, to invest in his own lands' reparation as he laid the grounds for raising the tax issue with his nobles the next year. While William III is far from a great ruler, he has apparently gained enough restraint in his political life to follow measured steps to accomplish his goals.
The appointments of various officers went over smoothly. (Save the Montforts, they are all exiled). Meanwhile Prince Arthur has started deeper study of his past defeats, only to grow more and more agitated in his hatred for the "treacherous Scots".
In Scotland meanwhile the next generation also grew up as young Prince William became more and more enarmoured with lancing. Through the guidance of Floris he also grew more and more into his role as royal heir. Especially through his father's frequent absence he became a recognized and respected young man as he presided over the court.
This however also came with a flip side as Alexander's pledge to frequent visits to Holland meant that with his coming and going trips and his travel of the lands of Scotland, that no clear centre of power could form and many nobles of Scotland felt that they got no royal visits and attention.
In Ireland meanwhile battle was brewing.​
The lord of Connacht came forward to harass the Irish border, raiding and retreating as he wished often luring his enemies into an ambush. As the Irish massed an army, the Celts managed their greatest coup when they plundered a big street building camp Edward Longshanks had built, making of with lots of valuable raw resources as well as much silver. Edward's army raced to intercept them, but in their haste, their archers had no chance to properly prepare for the battle, leading to a harsh defeat. The Celts however lacked the numbers to press their advantage as for the next two years a game of cat and mouse developed as the Connachts rode through Norman Ireland as the English army chased after them. Soon others felt the weakness of Longshanks and pirate activity in the Irish sea started to grow and contacts of the Irish among the Celtic kings seemed to indicate that the Connachtians were gaining support.
== France ==
In France the peace of king Louis X continued as good harvests were had and prosperity spread.
The same happened in Burgundy, as Alphonse wife through him proved as competent as her brother in running a country. This has however created some resentment among the nobles of Burgundy that they are ruled by "two women".
The great survey of France and Burgundy did not show up any particular problems that needed addressing apart from the usual bandits and pirates, but it did serve to create the core of a royal administration in Burgundy at Aix-En-Provence the new capital were construction of a vast castle complex has started.
== Holy Roman Empire ==
The Peace of King Dietrich continues as prosperity and good harvests reign. All around the Holy Roman Empire it was a time as young powers and rulers, the new guard, came into their own in good as in bad. The a new era in the game of thrones was upon the Empire.
In Bohemia the courier system is now as developed as it can get with its current funding, stretching most castles and counties apart from very remote mountainous knighthoods. In Austria meanwhile the system is also nearing completion, though much of the more mountainous lands stay uncovered.
A slight mining boom also started as Germans settled into the lands of Bohemia, though it was somewhat mooted by the reopening of the Wettin mines. There is somehow, despite mooted attempts of controlling currency so far, been a greater trend towards taxes not being paid in kind, but in coin, which has had positive effects on the royal government.
Prince Wenceslaus meanwhile made a grand royal procession through the lands, proving himself a moderately capable judge, though in the process because of some brash ways of expressing himself and youthful carefulness, despite the merit of his judgement caused some resention to him personally.
Meanwhile, his cousin-in-law Rapoto was met with a more mixed reception as his trip to Hungary made him the legitimate heir of his pro Roman vassals in Hungary, but also with his appearance as a fat spoiled, fancy German noble boy in the eyes of the Hungarians, the anti-Roman party soon drifted towards a more royal faction. Overtures towards the Kozegi family has been met with mixed reception, as all princes expressed interest in an Alliance, but only one that would see the Premyslid lands in Hungary extended, but the crown of the kingdom remaining with them.
In the Guelph Dukedom meanwhile great construction works were undertaken as Duke Otto has started a project to extend the city of Hannover and the big cathedral therein, gaining him the friendship of the Archbishop of Magdeburg, as well as the local populace. His hopes for the younger Otto however were met with mixed reception as he was proven a bit bored of his current tasks.
In Thuringia meanwhile the times of riches were put into the support of local smith, creating a golden age for armour smithing, which the Dukes exploited to arm their personal guard to the teeth and drilling them against also well armed local peasants. The education of young Heinrich's daughters has made young Cattelya into quite a knowledgeable young lady, though her elder is quite bored with her lessons, learning them, but without great talent or enthusiasm.
Duke Hermann meanwhile spent his days writing a great book, which he filled with his knowledge of war. It's later chapters are noted by historians to have an even more cynical than usual outlook than usual as those parents were written at the time that his wife Adelaide, Princess of Scotland, came down with a sickness, which would take her life in early 1284. The book survives to this day as an historical document and insight into the mind of a medieval tactician and the motivations behind the dynastic wars of the 13th century.
Rudolf II of Habsburg spent his years traveling Swabia, rubbing shoulders with the local nobles. While no great loyalty or alliance was formed, most of them were with a favourable opinion of you Rudolf. His construction work in Heidelberg and Habsburg itself are meanwhile nearing completion.
== Iberia ==
The universal peace for now still spreads to Iberia, but tensions between Castille and Portugal are rising more and more, this culminated when in late 1283 the eleven year old crown Prince Martin was killed in a riding accident. King Martin, paranoid of his nobles, demanded several of them present themselves at his court for conspiracy of murdering his son. The nobles in turn rose in rebellion, sending missives to Castille, offering the marriage of crown Princess Eleanor to the Castillian Prince Henry as long as Leonese independence was guaranteed.
In Portugal, this sent alarm bells ringing. Crown Prince Ferdinand, who had spent the last few years drilling, set forth from the harbour of Lisboa to safeguard the route to Santiago de Compostela.
Meanwhile the king himself rose from so far fruitless plans to expand mining and used the by now vast road network of his kingdom to send calls up and down the coast road to call on his men to raise their banners. For now the Queen and King of Castille have not entered the Leonese rebellion, but if they choose to do so, the Iberian balance of power could massively shift, not only between Castille and Portugal, but also France and England.
== Scandinavia ==
In Scandinavia the global peace also held as Sweden and Denmark turned inwards.
In Sweden bonds between the Estonian nobility and the Swedish nobles of Finland have started to form as well as between Estonian and Germans in Sweden, as all these people see each other as fellow "new men" in this society. This however has contributed to king Eric's government being seen as one of a foreigner.
Meanwhile trade in Finland boomed as the Russian civil war had created a small gap in the market to sell lumber and pelts. This short boom may however come to an end as the Russian peace now brings in new cheaper Russian goods.
A slow ardious work to cut a way to the White Sea has started, but soon the nobles learn that there will be many hurdles to cross before they shall reach that distant point, though many rewards would likely come from it.​
== The Slavic Lands ==
The Teutonic Order has changed it's strategy against the Bulgarians now going for full on annexation of the territory. Many Bulgarians change their religion in fear of slaughter, but many resist, especially due to ill fated attempts of the Teutonics to present themselves as the good guys in this struggle. Thus any road projects to link Teutonic Bulgaria back to Hungary have not advanced very far.
In Russia meanwhile Prince Andrey has started to go about settling in his rule. He has started to travel around the realm to make himself, popular, but so far the response is mixed. His military reforms are advancing slowly and his popularity is mooted. His attempts to introduce bureaucracy are especially abhorred and some common people start to whisper that Prince Andrey is a foreign puppet tyrant that killed his brother for the throne.
== The East ==
As Christendom were enveloped by peace, in the east Empires clashed and futures were made for families, peoples and religions.
The first great clash was the Roman-Syrian war.
Bohemond of Poitiers had accepted an imperial crown from papal hands a fact which the Romans saw as a declaration of war. Soon young Skantarios following the tragic death of his brother gathered the forces of the realm to face his foes. He was as his father had once been: A young prince just recovering from internal battles now trying to reunite Rome against a common foe. Against him stood a giant of the age, Bohemond II, King of Syria, Armenia and Jerusalem. They were equals in many ways and their battles would for a long time be seen as the passing of one era to the other, from fathers to sons.
The First year of the conflict saw Skantarios rapidly advancing into Armenia as several nobles in the north and west of the country rose to join him, eager to throw off Bohemond's rule. Skantarios thus managed to take Kalonoros and Selinos in short succession, before Bohemond's army had the ability to mobilize as the Roman standing army outraced the feudal levies. Bohemond halted his forces at Seleuca Trachea waiting for his Turkic and Mongol allies to arrive as Skantarios advanced further, taking Antiochia Mikra, quipping that "soon it shall be the Majora". In late summer finally Tekudar Khan and his soldier arrived and Bohemond set out to repel the Romans. What followed was the battle of Anamur in which Bohemond dealt Skantarios a harsh, but far from decisive defeat. Skantarios retreated in order back into the Meander valley. As the year 1282 came to an end Bohemond felt the pressure mount on him as the news from Acre reached him and the nobles in northern Armenia remained in rebellion.
Thus in 1283 he resolved to march into the Meander valley, to put pressure on Skantarios to negotiate. He would however find, that the valley was far to heavily fortified to penetrate as Theodore II had spent decades strengthening it's defenses. Soon Bohemond had to retreat as Skantarios gave chase, defeating him in the battle of Lake Koralis. Following Bohemond's crippling in battle the allied Outremer army retreated behind the river Saleph. While Bohemond was now unable to lead his army anymore, not all was grim, as the Romans could not penetrate beyond the Saleph, which Bohemond in his wisdom had fortified. In fall 1283 Prince Leo arrived on the front, bringing news of his defeat of the Armenian rebels in the north and what had further transpired in Acre.
The war in Acre happened in parallel to the war in Armenia. In mid 1282 the Armenian fleet turned against itself, with a small minority siding with the rebels, this weakened the Armenian fleet, making them unable to decisively beat the Cypriot fleet when king Hugh started an invasion of Jerusalem. They did however manage to break apart his forces, leading to only a splinter of his forces reaching Acre. Without a large army to overawe them the city refused to declare for Hugh who settled in for a siege. By the end of the year then arrived the detachment of French and Egyptian allies of Bohemond, but by then the Mediterranean was infested with Roman ships who had swarmed out to suppress any other fleet movement. The Latin expedition force thus also splintered into several smaller forces, one of which created a second siege ring around the besieging Cypriot army at Acre.
The next year the battles intensified, leading eventually to the Outremer forces emerged victorious on land, repelling Hugh back to Cyprus, but losing control of the sea. The Egyptian and French army by fall of 1283 had reached Antioch and prepared to join the Syrians by spring the next year.
Among the nobles of Syria, Jerusalem and Armenia slowly a spirit of community is forming in face of the common military purpose they serve.
The second Great clash was that of the Mamluk Sultan and the Ilkhanate, which saw the Mamluks ally with Taghachar the Christian. By early 1283 the Mamluks controlled Mosul, but could not start an advance on Baghdad, until the battle of Teheran, in which Taghachar dealt his opponents a great defeat, paving the way for further Mamluk advances in the next year.
== Other Events ==
==== A Clash in the Mountains ====
Rapoto was not a men to concern himself. With when to get up. When to stop drinking. Or eating. Or singing. Or talking.
Or to catch up with the main army. He was riding in a small carriage about a quarter day behind Ottokar's army. It wasn't like they were still on campaign, so as long as the Carinthian guard stayed with him, all was well.
Or so it seemed before a horde of knights burst from a small wood at the edge of the forest. Soon Rapoto and his men found themselves embroiled in a small skirmish, that ended, when the Carinthians repelled the attackers. While non were caught alive, on the dead men there were found a dagger with the markings Lx, as well as a purse with French coin. This has seen Ottokar fly into a rage, as it is quite similar to what happened at the steel wedding many years ago. However, he soon calms and notes to himself, that some of the men who defended Rapoto noted that their enemies seemed to speak Italian, not French.​
==== Duchy of Meissen ====
King Dietrich of the Romans has formally succeeded his uncle Otto VII as Margrave of Meissen. In a ceremony that involved the giving of many lavish gifts and the praises of his new vassals he joined the lands of meissen with the formally seperate lands of the Ostermark, to create the "Duchy of Meissen". Meanwhile his cousin is in absentia named Margravine of Lausitz.
==== The Will of Joan of Toulouse ====
The will splits her holdings thus:
* The County of Toulouse passes to her cousin Count Peter Bermond D'Anduze.
* The Marquisate of Provence passes to the Lord of Orange for his services and that of his House to the Houses of Provence and Toulouse over the centuries.
* The Duke of Milan will be compensated with a special tax to be raised over all of her lands upon her death in the height of a tenth of the worth of all her lands, to be paid over the course of ten years.
Further an enclave around the city of Avignon will be created that will be held by the Holy Father himself.
=== The Ilkhan civil war ===
Khan Abaqa of the Ilkhanate is dead. After fighting off and on in the Chagatai Khanate, he has been struck by an arrow in battle and has passed. Soon after his eldest son Arghun dies from too much drinking. Thus the Mongolian commanders gathered around Abaqa's younger son Gaykhatu (b.1261). However, the great commander (and Christian) Taghachar, saw in Gaykhatu someone who would threaten him and his position, thus he promoted Gaykhatu's cousin Baydu (b.1268), grandson of Hulegu as Khan. As civil war brews in the Purple horde the Muslim contender Tekuder (b.1245) is preparing to make his move.​
== References ==
https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/threads/before-the-fall.36591/page-31#post-8309663Category:Turns