1380

1379 had gone out on a quiet note, peaceful through much of Europe – which was a massive change against what most of the year had been. France had fallen decisively to England. Aquitaine had captured Burgundy/Arles and helped the unified Kingdom of Italy declare independence from the Holy Roman Empire. John, the Plantagenet of Gaunt, had assumed the Crown in Castile.

The Empire itself dropped the pretense of both the "Roman" and the "Empire," becoming the "Kingdom of Germany." That helped soothe certain ecclesiastical and temporal issues, but didn't solve everything.

Some things couldn't be solved at all, like the silvery "fairy spheres" of York, or the deeply disturbing news that the Angels had either gone crazy or gone to war with each other with the *Burning Frogs of Cairo*. The RANP had [re]discovered the "New World," following in the Norwegian's footsteps, but found the land to be a monstrous hazard that was likely to be another example of the *Incidence of Incidents*.

Even in the far East, where the Plantagenet's magical influence was minimal, nothing was immune to the effects of the Incidents or spillover from elsewhere (especially rumors from Merlin's England). There were still battles waged by the invading Ottomans against the Balkan people, the Russians and Estonians weren't getting along, and the stories of plague out of China were horrific.

The center of magic, however, was taking a breath. From Christmas to the Ephiphany, the greatest miracle may have been the outbreak of peace...

## **World Events**

* **February:** Olaf II of Denmark (b. 1370) also becomes Olaf IV of Norway, with his mother Margrete (Margaret) as regent. Iceland and the Faroe Islands, as parts of Norway, pass under the Danish crown. She regularly had ambassadors in the courts of England and France, and now that they were united, was looking to recruit them against Sweden.
* **February:** the one-year mark after the beginning of the *Burning Frogs of Cairo*. Cairo itself is still mostly empty and about a third ruined after the fires. The sprawling Mamluk reach had partially splintered, as had the stewardship of Islam out of the Hejaz. The story was mentioned in the Quran as well (sura 7, verse 133), though the sequence was reversed. Not that it mattered as none of the other plagues manifest, but the possibility that they might, nor any credible explanation now, had resulted in a massive crisis of confidence.
* **March (*War of the Blood Crowns*):** the English-led RANP/OM mapping expedition meets the Aztec and Mayan cultures. Both have been hit hard by the *Incidence of Incidents*, from the undying to the monstrously overgrown fauna. The English furnish steel swords, but the warrior way of the cultures (more the Aztecs), leads to [escalated] civil war, then war between the Aztec and Mayan city-states.
* **April:** two years after his death, Sir William Walworth, a member of the Fishmongers Guild and former Lord Mayor of London is memorialized for his bravery during the London Apocalypse.
* **May:** Shortly after the *Peace of Prague*, Grand Duke of Lithuania Jogaila signs the secret Treaty of Dovydiškės, with the Teutonic Knights. This sparks a civil war with his uncle Kęstutis.
* **July:** the Hongwu Emperor reinforces the powers of the chancellor of China, which has had a string of appointees, most of whom have died from airborne-vector plague. The six ministries of the Ming Empire's central government are on the verge of collapse.
* **September:** The Battle of Kulikovo, where Russian forces under Grand Prince Dmitry Donskoy of Moscow resist a large invasion by the Blue Horde, Lithuania and Ryazan, stopping their advance.
* **October:** Capitalizing on the failure of the Blue Horde at Kulikovo, Khan Tokhtamysh of the White Horde dethrones Khan Mamai. The two hordes unite to form the Golden Horde.

### **Date Unknown**

* Karim Al-Makhdum arrives in Jolo. His original plan was to build a mosque but instead is paralyzed by metaphysical doubts after hearing of the *Burning Frogs of Cairo* earlier in the journey. He and his crew retired in Jolo, converting to the Hinduism of the locals.
* The last islands of Polynesia are discovered and inhabited.
* The Companhia das Naus is founded by King Ferdinand I of Portugal.

## **The Sphere of Magic**

### **January**

* **The Caledonian Crucible:** After the December recognition of the Treaty of Berwick, the Audit and Rectification of Scotland began in January. Reinforcing the power structure, Scottish nobility travel to London to plead their case to retain titles and properties (and the trio of new English Regiments were politely touring the Scottish countryside). Included in the transition was a transaction: England purchased the Orkney Island from Norway.
* ***Astronomy replaces Astrology:*** Astrology was a respected art and science of studying the sky, and from that, divining celestial influences on earthly affairs. A sort of loose intelligence gathering, it had an influence on pretty much everything in 1380. The study of the stars *through a lens* had been going fast and furious for three years now, with early rumors of the discover of *planets* making it to courts across Europe. Only minimized by the bigger headline of magic itself, it signaled a quickly-changing world.
* **The Grand Wedding:** 15-year old Crown Prince Edward of England weds 18-year old Caterina Visconti. The dowry included 300,000 florins and the *provincia di Varese*, the border county of Northwestern Lombardie (Milan). That was not, however, why Prince Edward was happy about this marriage. Rather, she was three and a half years older than him and an Italian fireball. Present at the wedding is Richard and Anne, Joanna of Naples, Charles (former Dauphin of France), John (lately of Castile), Rupert of Germany, and a massive contingent from the Milan area.

### **February**

* **Western Hemisphere Mapping:** the RANP, this time carried by the Aquitaine RN (the HMS Chercheur and Vaguer), begins detailed waterway and inland mapping of the northern Western Hemisphere. Confirming earlier coastal finds of a continent overrun by monsters, both the flora and fauna are super-sized, while the humans are few and far between, with little political structure left to the tribes. Once the language barrier is broken, there is confirmation that oddities started about 15 years prior, while massive growth started about a decade prior.
* **Irish seek English audience:** Relations had been improving since the repeal of the Statues of Kilkenny, though the arcane magic and divine miracles were significant influences on Irish opinions. As Scotland now endured its own A&R, a mirror of what King Edward had done to England itself almost four years ago, there was a feeling that Ireland was next and they wanted to control the narrative before magically-enhanced armies practicing artillery upon them. The Clans of Ireland made coordinated contact with England's Lord Lieutenant and started a new dialogue toward unification with each other – *and with England*.
* **The Betrothal:** a month after the Grand Wedding in London, Rick is engaged to Anne. There is no shortage of both heartwarming stories and salacious rumors regarding the young couple. Word quickly makes it back to Prague, causing Bohemian nobles to practically pave an expressway to Bordeuax. Likewise, the Queen technically holds territory in the nascent Kingdom of Germany – and nobles are crashing into each other on the way to Bordeaux.

### **March**

* **A Plantagenet Scotland:** The Audit and Rectification of Scotland had taken a little over a month, and the efficiency of the SA was quietly thorough. Robert II was removed and allowed to live out his days in obscurity. Most Scots nobles squeaked through the A&R, some failed and were removed, a few failed at capital levels and faced King Edward in personal combat. The recently-married Crown PrinceEdward of Angoulême, who'd essentially given his Principality of Wales, nowacceded as King of Scotland.
* **The Irish Royal Consolidation:** the Irish dialogue had gone beyond the Lordship of Ireland to every last corner of the Emerald Isle. If the Irish could get past their own rivalries to elect a unified king, they could present that leader to King Edward before he did it himself in the wake of four Royal Army Regiments. Behind the scenes, there was a semi-stealth Audit and Rectification, without which, there was no chance of consensus (as the loudest voices against unification generally had the most to hide).
* **The Ghosts that Weren't:** in Winchelsea, East Sussex, residents report witnessing a battle between ghostly figures that appear French – and ghostly echoes of themselves. If they saw themselves, and their ghost-selves took damage, they felt it. This had happened a great deal in 1365 and progressively less since then, the phenomena was known as the "mights" as in "What Might Have Been."

### **April**

* **The Kingdom of Ireland:** the Hiberno-Norman Lords and Gaelic Chieftans come together to unite as one land: the Kingdom of Ireland. What seemed a shocking uprising to some, it was actually the recommended course by Plantagenet's own Lord Lieutenant. With grand speeches and gestures of goodwill, the new Irish candidate for king reaches out to take this to the next level.
* **The Magna Carta of Aquitaine:** King Rickard sets the bar sky high as he defines "Duty" over "Right." With that as his guiding principle, Aquitaine unveils its own Magna Carta. The great charter itself represents the will and interests of the people. It is the font of Authority and the royal family is its chief defender. The people of Aquitaine will have representation as citizens of the charter, not subjects of someone's will. They were free men – and the King would defend that right to the end of time.
* **French Magna Carta?** The Estates General have a positive reaction to Aquitaine's application of their new Magna Carta. As Regent, Rickard incentivizes France to adopt a version of the charter and join the Commonwealth.

### **May**

* **The *New* British Magna Carta:** King Edward presents the re-written Magna Carta to combined English-Welsh Parliament. It is reviewed and after three days of deliberation, in particular about the revenue and budgeting details, the charter passed. The newly-selected candidate for the King of Ireland is there to read the new Magna Carta, the guarantees and responsibilities, and deems this charter as a document crafted with divine inspiration.
* **The Peace of Prague:** the arrival of the *Magus* in Bohemia marks the establishment of Queen Anne as suo jure sovereign of the kingdom. There were many that were hesitant to bow a knee to a woman (*any* woman), much less a young woman, but the new presence standing right behind her ensured a level of gravitas that literally hummed with magical power. Establishing the rule in Prague, Jobst fell in battle soon after, with Poland and Hungary now keenly aware of who was at their Western Frontier.
* **The Principality of Crimea:** after the near-overnight silent conquest of the Genoese Gazaria, the Aquitaine Sergeants-at-Arms took a breath to stabilize the coast, then went on the offensive. They guided a quietly magically-enhanced campaign, leading the local Slavs to claim the entirety of the Crimean peninsula. This 10-month campaign included both the proto-Khanate of Crimea and the Principality of Theodoro . This Slav-run Principality was, in turn, a vassal of Aquitaine.

### **June**

* **United Britannia (UB):** England, Scotland, Wales and Cornwall came together to form a new polity: *United Britannia*. For commitment of resources, England would maintain a leadership position, but all components had a voice. Further, while each retained their own capitals, Cavalon, south of the Isle of Man, was designated the neutral capitol of UB.
* **The Venetian Rivalry:** In another timeline, late June would've brought the Battle of Chioggia, with the Venetian fleet decisively defeating the Genoese. As it were, there wasn't even a rivalry anymore as Genoa was under new management and their far-flung colonies had been assumed by the Noble Plantagenet. There were, however, issues as Venetian traders were still heavy in the slave trade, but simply avoided passing any of those slaves through Italy. As evidence was passed to the Crown of Italy, the Venetian conduct was found to be unbecoming.
* **The Scottish Magna Carta:** A month and change after England adopted the overhauled charter of government, Scotland followed suit. There is a sense of peace and freedom through the land never truly experienced before.
* **The Magna Carta of Arelat:** Rickard had been bouncing back and forth between Arles and Prague, working to bring the Burgundian nobility aboard with this new charter of government. What the aristocracy discovered was a new form of actual, codified legislative power for themselves as a parliament rather than advisors in a diet. The rest of Europe saw this as a possible future for themselves, and they were watching closely.

### **July**

* **Ireland joins United Britannia:** After the peaceful pacification of Wales, and the bloodless assumption of Scotland... after fighting demons and undead, showing wisdom and fairness in governance... and wielding both the literal Excalibur and the figurative (in the Regiments), Ireland was honored to volunteer as the completing piece of United Britannia.
* **The Peace of Sicily:** Henry Bolingbroke had been moved down to Castile with his father, and was hard at work in the kingdom. A contemporary of Eddie and Rick, they'd been childhood friends. As part of that circle, Henry had since himself "grown up a bit faster" as well, and now brokered a peace between the newly-Plantagenet *Kingdom of Italy* and the recently-lost-to-Aragon *Kingdom of Sicily*.
* **Noble Plantagenet assumes Achaea:** with Sicily now in the fold of *Italy* (rather than just Naples), and a growing Plantagenet-level Royal Arms contingent out of Rome, Queen Joanna was feeling not simply secure, but powerful. Her holding in Achaea was profoundly *not secure*. She knew a way to streamline that headache out of her life, keep her prestige high – and provide enough coin to fund a project that would secure her legacy: she sold Achaea to the Noble House of Plantagenet.

### **August**

* **The Castilan Magna Carta:** John of Castile *had learned*. He and son Henry were working the diplomatic angle, bringing a special mix of Royal Authority, chivalrous code of honor and populist appeal to get approval from the hispanic version of the Tres Estatos for a localized Magna Carta. This meant the buy-in of the regional Cortes (parliaments, essentially) and demobilizing the "benevolent vigilantes" of the Hermandad that risen up to keep the peace. Rick's continued support in creating gold and even more, magical training, was the key to a successful adoption.
* **The Papal Outreach in Germany:** Rome transfers its German Bishoprics to trusted successors. The majority, by number, went to locals, but three biggest – the Prince-Bishoprics – went to the *Noble Plantagenet*. Immediately settling in to the recast former Holy Roman Empire, this gave the NP the largest bloc vote in the Kingdom of Germany. It also brought *German Regiments*, beyond what was already there in Brandenburg, adding an element of stability to the region.

### **September**

* **The End of a French Era:** former king, now Duke Charles V of the Île-de-France, passed peacefully at the grave of his late wife Joanna. He was succeeded by his twelve-year-old son, young philosopher, artist and survivor of the Dominus Exorcus, Charles VI.
* **The Papal Outreach Around the World:** Buoyed by their success in notoriously fractious Germany, the Holy See saw what next on the horizon: fixing the House of Christendom and loving their neighbors. This would be a particular challenge, especially given the karma and cycles of revenge sparked by centuries of war. The divine magic was a key to reset the momentum, and powerful Jesuit envoys were sent out for religious dialogues to the *Eastern Orthodox churches*, the diaspora of *Judea* everywhere, and the Imams of Islam – who were already on high alert both after the rise of arcane magic and the *Burning Frogs of Cairo*.

### **October**

* **The Citadel of Kaskasia:** the trio of RANP/OM/SA establish the first *permanent* outpost in the Western Hemisphere. Up the Mississippi river, and between its first major fork, it's a predicted central location to the upper continent. Incorporating the local tribe, at this point mostly refugees from the monster invasion, Kaskaskia becomes the first human outpost capable of enduring the outsized beasts (now discovered to include giant eagles and hawks).
* **Atlanta founds the Forest Islands:** Just west of the Strait of Gibraltar, a team from Atlanta officially settled the 286 miles of uninhabited island. A CCC team scouted out a defensible compromise against land and sea assault, built an elegant fortress plus the foundations of a support town within and around it. The discovery and settlement was kept secret*.*

### **November**

* **The *Commonwealth of the Magna Carta* *(CMC):*** the Noble Plantagenet coordinates a resource sharing group that aims to do for Aquitaine, Arelat and Castile what United Britannia has done for the islands. To a degree, this is a version of the Noble Plantagenet at a larger scale. The dues are bigger, a percentage of national treasury rather than crown wardrobe, but so are the benefits of inclusion. Headquartered in Saumur, Anjou, this is, in effect, an empire – but they shy away from the terminology.

### **December**

* **The Aztec-Mayan Intervention:** Recontacting both the Aztecs and Mayans, some 9 months after their first HMS Discovery contact, the cultures were found to be at war with each other *using the swords the English had given them as defense the megafauna*. The RANP/OM, with the help of the SA, went into emergency nation-building mode. In a soft coup, the kingdoms were rebooted into sustainable polities.
* **The Eastern Mediterranean Push:** The Noble Plantagenet in Achaea, led by *Prince* Edmund of Langley, Earl of Cambridge, had been busy since their late-July arrival. The SA had quietly, even peacefully reunited the Achaea with the Despotate of Morea. The Principality of Peloponnese was undoubtedly a sign of things to come in the region.