Records: the Prussian Plantagenet

## **Stabilizing the Eastern Baltic**

The history of the Teutonic Knights was well-intentioned but checkered. That was par for the course when political action followed religious mandates and the result was no different here.

What might've dragged on centuries longer, through plague and a slow dawning of the Age of Reason... was upset by the quick onset of the *Incidence of Incidents*, the healing miracles of the Jesuits and the return of Merlin's magic.

### **The CMC-Teutonic Order Dialogue**

The Teutonic Order had some utility. In this case, providing a stabilizing factor at the edges of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which was in a constant and massive state of flux, just inside of the Rus and Keivan areas, and on the edge of the Blue (leaning Golden) Horde.

The methodology of the Order, however, was distinctly *unchristian*, and the Vatican's new leadership had revoked not only temporal Bishoprics, but also the charters of the military orders. "Military" and "Christian" were at odds and while the pope understood the affairs of state, nations would do what they did while Christians would do what they did.

The SA had reached out on behalf of the CMC and "persuaded" the Knights to withdraw from the State of the Teutonic Order (essentially extended Prussia up through Livonia).

### **Marching Order**

Some of the knights would remain local, eventually processed to be redeployed as local Arms, while most that were more focused on the Christian aspect over the local mercenary work were processed for a new objective in the Levant. In that respect, military orders were slowly, mysteriously dissolving from most Plantagenet areas – and that was noticed.

The Prague and Brandenburg Regiments, based the closest and there the quickest, were border patrol, meeting the friendly neighbors (the Grand Duchy of Lithuania). The Paris and Rome Regiments, there shortly after and fairly freshly minted themselves, were on integration duty, visiting town-to-town for administered oaths (which did have magical guarantees).

This was a faster expansion than Rick was prepared for, but given *other factors*, one that had to happen. The impact of *Regiments* operating to the east of Germany, to the north of Poland and Hungary, was politically significant.

## **A New Order**

The replacement for the State of the Teutonic Order didn't come together overnight. Nor was it organized into one massive kingdom, as most expected it would be once the NP started operations in the area.

Rather, the patchwork of areas under control of the NP were organized into Grand Duchies and Principalities, each considerably smaller than the massive "Grand Duchy of Lithuania". There was consideration of making some areas as self-contained kingdoms, like Estonia, but the NP faced same problem as everybody else: while there were natives to the area, it was neither a large population (based on agricultural potential), nor a pure population as there had been colonization (including military colonization) of all sorts.

Staking out a kingdom, then, would be contentious. It was one of the things the CMC could do very well – but even then, while that was the plan, they were going to ease into it rather than ride roughshod over the sensibilities of the locals.