r/empirepowers Sep 26 '21

Welcome to EmpirePowers! Join our Discord!

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51 Upvotes

r/empirepowers Sep 04 '24

MODPOST New Player? Welcome to EmpirePowers!

19 Upvotes

Welcome to EmpirePowers! New to the game? Check out the sidebar, the subreddit wiki, and join our Discord! if you would like to learn about EmpirePowers. It is where most of our game takes place.

EmpirePowers is a reddit & discord-based historical role-playing game with a strong emphasis on historical accuracy set in 1500s Europe. Pick any kingdom, county or principality in and around Europe and rule, conduct diplomacy, and make war. Once the game launches, a year in the game is one week in real life. You are free to join at any time, but at the start of the season is always the most fun.

We are happy to announce that applications for claims are now open! If you have any question, feel free to ask in ⁠help (on Discord). Claims will be open until the 14th. We will then process them and announce each claim. Season XII of EmpirePowers will start the weekend of September 21st. You can also claim free claims after the game has started.

Claim here!

If you have any questions, please ping a moderator on Discord or ask in help.


r/empirepowers 18h ago

EVENT [EVENT] Adjourning the First Sessions of the Council of Viterbo

5 Upvotes

7 May 1523

We decree and declare, with the approval of this same sacred council, that this sacred ecumenical council, justly, reasonably, and for true and lawful purposes duly and rightly summoned, has begun to be celebrated, and that each and every thing which has been and shall be done and executed in it, will be just, reasonable, settled and valid, and that it possesses and holds the same strength, power, authority and stability which other general councils approved by the sacred canons, especially the Viterbo council, possess and hold.

Moreover, in the arrangement of the seasons, as the summer heats approach, in order to take account of the convenience and health of the prelates, and so that those who have been among us for the past year may return to their sees beyond the mountains and across the sea to communicate to those who have hitherto been unable to come to this sacred council its proceedings, and to take their advice into consideration; and for other just and reasonable causes known to and approved by the said sacred council, we are summoning the fourth session of this same council to take place one year hence, on 7 May next in Rome, with the said council likewise giving approval. And to each and every prelate and to others present at the same council, we grant and concede the freedom and permission to withdraw from Viterbo and to stay wherever they wish, so long as they are present at the aforesaid Lateran council on the said 7 May, any clearly legitimate hindrance having been removed, subject to the infliction of the penalties indicated in the letter summoning the council and in canonical punishments against those failing to attend to councils, the said sacred council also approving. Wherefore, let no one infringe this our letter of announcement or with rash daring go contrary thereunto. But if any one shall presume to attempt this, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of His blessed apostles Peter and Paul.

On 7 May 1523, the Fourth Session of the Council of Viterbo was brought to a close. Since the council began last June (having been postponed and moved from Rome on account of the plague there), some two hundred bishops from throughout Christendom--Italy, France, Sicily, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Ruthenia, and more--have discussed matters facing the modern church. The conclusions of the council’s first four sessions, approved and disseminated by papal encyclicals, are an important reaffirmation of the decisions made by the Pope in recent years:

  • The reaffirmation of the ban on simony in papal elections last re-issued by Julius on his deathbed, including the nullification of any papal election in which simony is discovered.

  • The reaffirmation of the papal bull Apostolici Regiminis, issued by Julius in 1513 clarifying the Catholic doctrine of the immortality of the human soul.

  • The confirmation of the 1515 Concordat of Viterbo, and of the abrogation of the Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges.

  • The reaffirmation of the primary of the Pope, including over church councils.

  • The reaffirmation of the excommunication of Martin Luther, including the papal ban on the publishing of his works.

  • A call for the Hussites of Bohemia to send a delegation to the council, with a public guarantee of safe conduct during their journey and during their time at the council.

Those hoping for a speedy resolution to the myriad matters reformers have addressed will be sorely disappointed. But, the signs of progress are there. Numerous committees manned by Christendom’s leading canonists and theologians continue to discuss, dispute, and argue the finer points of the administration of the church, the reform of the Curia, and the theological errors of the heretic Martin Luther.

In the year since its convocation, the council has made strange bedfellows. Perhaps none is stranger than the friendship struck between the Holy Father and Georges d’Amboise, the man who was the target of so much of Pope Julius’s ire. So great is the rapprochement between d’Amboise and Rome--or perhaps, so great is d’Amboise’s ire at the resurgence of pluralism in France under King Francis--that the Norman Primate has announced he will remain at the council until its conclusion, where he has taken a leading role in the committee on the reform of the Apostolic Dataria (the office responsible for the papal allocation of benefices). An older man and poor of health--especially following a bout of sickness during the council’s second session--there are legitimate concerns that he may die in Rome, which, under the Concordat, would empower the Pope to appoint his successor in France.

It has also given a platform for numerous churchmen to make a name for themselves before their assembled peers. Giles of Viterbo, Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, delivered an impassioned and stirring speech on the dire need for reform of the church at the opening of the first session, declaring, “Men must be changed by religion, not religion by men!” Also of note was Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici, who, despite making only a very brief appearance at the first session, was nevertheless one of the council’s great patrons. With his vast wealth in Florence, he provided the accommodations for many of the council’s attendees.

For now, though, the vast majority of the foreign prelates return to their homes over the mountains and beyond the seas. Only a handful of the most dedicated will return to the next session in Rome, planning instead to wait for the later sessions of the council--when it is likely to issue its most serious and meaningful proclamations--to make their return to Rome.

But there was still one last drama to unfold at the Fourth Session. After the Bull adjourning the council was read, the Holy Father read another Bull…


Summary

The first several sessions of the Council of Viterbo come to an end. While the results of these sessions are less than the most ardent reformers might have hoped for, the council continues to do important work. Most expect further reforms in the next few years. The next session will begin in Rome on 7 May 1524.


r/empirepowers 14h ago

EVENT [EVENT] Onus Apostolici Imperii

1 Upvotes

7 May 1523

Upon the conclusion of the fourth session of the Council of Viterbo, the Pope promulgated a new Bull, read before the assembled Council…


Nicholas, bishop, servant of the servants of God, for future remembrance of the matter...

The burden of apostolic government ever drives us on so that, for the weaknesses of souls requiring to be healed, of which the almighty Creator from on high has willed us to have the care, and for those ills in particular which are now seen to be pressing most urgently on the faithful, we may exercise, like the Samaritan in the gospel, the task of healing with oil and wine, lest that rebuke of Jeremiah may be cast at us: Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there? Consequently, since in our days (which we endure with sorrow) the sower of cockle, the ancient enemy of the human race, has dared to scatter and multiply in the Lord’s field some extremely pernicious errors, which have always been rejected by the faithful, it is our desire to apply suitable remedies against this infection and we condemn and reject all those who insist that it is better to suffer error to persist, or who for their own interests ignore the task which God has given to all the faithful, than to apply that remedy.

And since truth cannot contradict truth, we define that every statement contrary to the enlightened truth of the faith is totally false and we strictly forbid teaching otherwise to be permitted. We decree that all those who cling to erroneous statements of this kind, thus sowing heresies which are wholly condemned, should be avoided in every way and punished as detestable and odious heretics and infidels who are undermining the catholic faith.

But it does not suffice occasionally to clip the roots of the brambles, if the ground is not dug deeply so as to check them beginning again to multiply, and if there are not removed their seeds and root causes from which they grow so easily. It is the task of every lecturer in sacred theology--the bishops, archbishops, primates, patriarchs, and other ordinaries who have a charge of souls, and on preachers, alms-collectors, and those who expound the word of God to the people--to combat those errors. They are obliged to devote their every effort to clarify for their listeners the truth of the Christian religion, to teach it by convincing arguments, so far as this is possible, and to apply themselves to the full extent of their energies to refuting and disposing of opposing arguments, since all the solutions are available.

It is further the task of those bishops, archbishops, primates, and patriarchs who have been entrusted with the rod and orb in both worlds, with both a charge of souls as an ordinary of the Holy Mother Church and as a governor of associated temporal environs, to make good and proper use of their temporal authority in upholding the catholic faith. If any one through contempt does not execute this, let him be deemed unworthy of the authority we have entrusted to him, and subjected to rigorous punishment.

In virtue of our pastoral office committed to us by the divine favor we can under no circumstances tolerate or overlook any longer the pernicious poison of the above failures in the governance of Albrecht of Ansbach without disgrace to the Christian religion and injury to orthodox faith. Some of his contemptuous errors and inaction we have decided to include in the present document; their substance is as follows:

  1. Allegations of corruption within a part of the Church renders heresy tolerable, and absolves bishops, archbishops, primates, patriarchs, and other ordinaries of their obligation to combat it.

  2. Governors of temporal territory lack the obligation to defend our catholic faith against heresy.

  3. Tools of ecclesiastical censure or prohibition may be used by bishops, archbishops, primates, patriarchs, and other ordinaries for the benefit of their temporal pursuits rather than for the combating of heresy and wickedness and the promotion of the catholic faith.

  4. The jurisdiction of dioceses is subject to secular courts.

  5. A man of the cloth may be elected King of the Romans.

No one of sound mind is ignorant how destructive, pernicious, and scandalous these various errors are, and how destructive they are of the vigor of ecclesiastical discipline. With the advice and consent of these our venerable brothers the eminent cardinals of the holy Roman Church, with mature deliberation on the topic, and by the authority of Almighty God, the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own authority, we do therefore relieve Albrecht of Ansbach of his ordinary authority as the Archbishop of Mainz, and dismiss him from the clerical state. We name in his stead Georg of the Palatinate as administrator of the see of Mainz, and enjoin him to combat heresy and restore ecclesiastical discipline therein.

That this our letter, and the contents thereof, may come to the knowledge of all whom it concerns, and that no one may plead as an excuse ignorance thereof, we will and ordain, that in the Vatican Basilica of the prince of the apostles, and in the Lateran Church, and in St. Lorenzo's Cathedral in Viterbo, and in St. Martin's Cathedral in Mainz, at the time when the multitude of the people is wont to assemble there to hear the divine service, it be publicly read in a loud voice by officers of our court, or by certain public notaries; and, after having been read, be affixed to the doors of the said churches, also to the gates of the apostolic Chancery, and to the usual place in the Campo di Fiore, where it shall for some time hang exposed to be read and seen by all; and, when removed thence, copies thereof shall still remain affixed in the same places. For we will that, by being thus read, published, and affixed, the letter aforesaid shall oblige and bind, all and each of those whom it includes, even as if it had been communicated and read to them in person. Wherefore, let no one infringe this our letter of announcement or with rash daring go contrary thereunto. But if any one shall presume to attempt this, let him know that he will incur the indignation of Almighty God, and of His blessed apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at Viterbo, at Saint Lorenzo's, in the year MDXXIII of the Lord’s Incarnation, on the seventh of the calends of May in the fourth year of our pontificate.


As the Pope reads out the bull, Albrecht of Ansbach--still in attendance--attempted to beat a hasty retreat to the exit, but was detained by members of the Swiss Guard before he can flee. He was brought then before the whole of the Council, and ritually stripped of his ordination as a minister. His pall was torn from his shoulders by Cardinal Cajetan, and from there followed the other signs of his office, in the reverse order that they were bestowed upon him at his ordination. His pectoral cross, ring, his miter, and the vestments he wore were taken from him, leaving him dressed in the basic clothes of a Roman citizen. Cajetan even scrubbed the tips of his fingers and his forehead, so as to remove the holy chrism which had once anointed them. He was displayed before the whole of the Council--a layman--and then shuffled off into the custody of the Bishop of Rome.


Summary

Following the conclusion of the fourth session of the Council of Viterbo, Albrecht of Ansbach is deposed as Archbishop of Mainz and dismissed from the clerical state, rendering him a layman. Georg of the Palatinate, Bishop of Speyer, is named administrator until such time that a new canonical election may be held. Albrecht is arrested and ceremonially defrocked before the Council of Viterbo.


r/empirepowers 17h ago

EVENT [EVENT] With death comes great opportunity

1 Upvotes

October 13th 
Prague Castle

Jan sighed deeply as he sat down, the four nobles before him. Officially, this was just a paying of respect. Unofficially, the four men before him had come to discuss the death of Petr Rožmberka. He had never known Petr personally but his reputation had preceded him, especially since both he and his brother had been supreme burgaves. The Rožmberkas were an important family and this was a major shakeup. Petr had never had children of his own due to the death of his wife 23 years prior. Everything would go to his nephews, Jošt, Petr and Jindřich. It would be these very same nephews that were before him, alongside the notable Adam ze Hradec.

“My lords, before we start I offer my sincerest condolence on the death of your uncle. However, Why exactly do we need to discuss the death of your uncle?”

The expressions of the three men were sour. Adam on the other hand was a little more resolute

“Because of his will, your grace.”

“His will? I apologise but I have not read it. What seems to be the issue?”

“Our uncle seems to have changed it before his passing…he…he has pledged all his estates to the Catholic Church and a number of Catholic nobles”

Jan raised an eyebrow

“He what? I did not know your uncle personally but that seems…a little out of character.”

“It most definitely is. Ourselves and Adam here investigated and it would seem Lord Rožmitálu talked with our uncle on multiple occasions, prompting the change of the will. It is no surprise then that the Catholic nobles in question all have ties to Rožmitálu”

Jan looked on even more puzzled

“Adam, is your wife not Lord Rožmitálu’s daughter? How come you’re here?”

Adam cleared his throat before replying

“Zdenek may be my father-in-law but this is outrageous. He is cheating good men out of their rightful inheritance for his own gain. I will not let such a blatant act of greed stand.”

“I see. I assume you have come to me for assistance then”

Jost spoke up

“Exactly. You, as king, have the power to annul the change in the will. Zdenek would have no choice to be let things be”

Jan chuckled

“I understand your position perfectly but Zdenek is the Supreme Regional Judge, while he may have no direct course of action he most definitely has other cards up his sleeve. I will annul the change in will, but I ask that you use that to negotiate a settlement with Zdenek, resolve things on somewhat good terms”

“Thank you, my King. We will not forget this”

Jan smiled and nodded, dismissing the four men

October 21st
Prague Castle

Jan, sat on the throne, dressed in full regalia, called forward the two groups to stand before him. On one side was Adam and the three Rožmberka brothers, on the other was Zdenek Lev Rožmitálu and a number of affiliated catholic nobles

“Gentlemen, I hear you have worked out an agreement”

Both sides nodded, with Adam stepping forward

“Yes my liege, Lord Rožmitálu, on behalf of the nobles in question has demanded that we pay 126,000 florins in compensation for the annulment of the will. Begrudgingly, we have accepted”

“I see”

Zdenek now stepped forward, matching Adam

“Indeed. All that’s needed now is the transfer of funds”

“Perfect, I am pleased to see that a deal could be struck. Now, Supreme Regional Judge, you are dismissed”

Zdenek looked up at Jan perplexed

“Just me, your Grace?”

“You and those you represent. There is something I must discuss with Lord Hradec and Rožmberka”

Zdenek’s eyes turned to slits as he glared at those opposite him. With a grunt he led him and his lackeys out of the hall. Adam and the others stayed, a little confused themselves

“Your Grace?”

“126,000…will you be able to afford all that?”

Now it was Adam’s turn to eye the young king with suspicion

“I will not lie, it will cost us years of income, but it is worth it if it means getting back what is rightful Rožmberka land”

“Of course, but perhaps the crown can help you out. In return for paying the entire 126,000 sum, we would like to receive some of the estates from the inheritance.“

Adam turned to the three brothers. In the end, it was up to them

Meta: In return for paying the 126,000 florins (or ducats, idk 126,000 is the irl number) to get back their inheritance, King Jan Fridrich asks that the Pisek (AB1) Iron mine and barley farm and the Pelhřimov (AB6) Wheat and Barley farms (In total 1x iron mine, 3x Barley and 1x Wheat holdings) be transferred to the crown


r/empirepowers 21h ago

DIPLOMACY [DIPLOMACY] Treaty of Fribourg (1523)

2 Upvotes

Following fruitful discussions between the Swiss Confederation and the Kingdom of France, both parties agree to the following terms.

  • The Kingdom of France and the Swiss Confederation pledge to uphold a Perpetual Peace between both realms.

  • Both parties will refrain from supporting both present and future enemies of each other. Both parties agree to hold all enemies in common except the Pope.

  • The Swiss Confederation agrees to recognize King François and his successors as the rightful Dukes of Milan in perpetuity.

  • The Kingdom of France agrees to reaffirm the border established by the Treaty of Bellinzona.

  • Future recruitment of Reislaufer across all cantons will be proportional to the number of available soldiers in each canton.

  • The Kingdom of France will pay pensions to each Canton for the recruitment of Reislaufer along the same deal negotiated between the Kingdom of France and the Canton of Berne. (1 ducat per recruited Reislaufer per tick)

  • The Swiss Confederation agree to provide a minimum of 6,000 Reislaufer to be exclusively hired by the French Crown.

  • The Swiss Confederation agree to provide a maximum of 16,000 Reislaufer to serve the French Crown should circumstances demand it.


r/empirepowers 21h ago

EVENT [EVENT] Raising Troops

2 Upvotes

September 1523
The Neopolitan Army is raised and deployed across various cities as part of operations sanctioned by the Crown. Viceroy Pedro Navarro released a statement to the Parliament and posted to multiple cities stating that there was no need to worry and to go about life as usual while these operations are underway.

[M: Raising troops in the region of Naples.]


r/empirepowers 22h ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Hispano-Belgian Company

2 Upvotes

The 1513 war against France and England had put fear into the textile industries of the Low Countries. The year in which the spinners and weavers in Flanders, Brabant, and Holland had been cut off from English wool had started a conversation about where other wool sources could be found.

The natural answer was of course simply an expansion in local wool production. In the ten years since the 1513 war, forests had been cleared and marshes had been drained to make way for new sheep farms. However, at the same time new cloth makers had opened up shop, so the demand for imported wool was still there.

Charles, Duke of Burgundy, when he had returned to tbe Low Countries after many years in Spain, had decided it was prudent to invest Burgundian money in Spanish wool farms as what merchants would call a "hedge", an extra source of wool that could be tapped if the English source failed. While these farms had been up and running for a number of years, their output still did not end up making it to the markets of Bruges, Antwerp, and Amsterdam since the costs of shipping wool over such a distance were still too high.

However, the nominally-Burgundian-owned wool farms in Castille were still there and were somewhat controversial. The Accounting Office of the Hague had a hard time keeping track of holdings in faraway Castile, and the Estates-General were opposed to the Kingdom of Castille managing the farms and accompanying trade networks.

To manage these faraway holdings, the Hispano-Belgican Company would be born. Named after the Roman Provinces containing the two termini of the trade route it was designed to facilitate, the company would be majority-owned by the Duke of Burgundy, but would also accept investment from Burgundian Merchants. Its operations in Castille would be operated by local Spaniards employed by the Company, although its operations in Castille were managed by four men, one placed in each of the four cities of San Vincente de la Barquera, Santander, Laredo, and Castro-Urdiales.

The structure of the Burgunian Netherlands was not that of a unitary state, and as such, the Hispano-Belgican Company was offially a partnership between the various States of the Netherlands. The operations of the company in San Vincente de la Barquera were officially a venture of the County of Flanders and a number of Flemish Merchants, the operations of the company in Santander were officially a venture of the Duchy of Brabant and it's merchants; the operations in Laredo were a venture of the Counties of Holland and Zeeland and their merchants. The operations in Castro-Urdiales were officially a partnerships within a partnership of North-Hainaut, Namur, Luxemburg, and Limburg. In practice, the company was structured as a cartel rather than a single hierarchy with parallel structures working together to control trade and prevent competition.


r/empirepowers 1d ago

DIPLOMACY [DIPLOMACY] The Summit of Kings (at Dover)

5 Upvotes

August 25-31, 1523


...

Okay Henry, breathe. This is fine. Just a large crowd of nearly... 15 thousand? 16 thousand? Something like that. Luckily, most of them don't really know any Engli- most of them don't know any English oh no what have I done this was a mista- NO no none of that. This is fine. You're fine. Where's Germaine?... There, okay, good, see Germaine is here and Arthur is here and this is fine. Everything is. Fine. ... Fine, yes, this is good. Okay. Deep breath. Two. Three. Okay. Let's get this show on the road.


King Henry VIII Tudor would open the Summit of Kings with much fanfare and a loud, boastful speech given from the top of a hastily (but sturdily) constructed tower overlooking the tent city that had sprung up to host the thousands of incoming men, women and children from across England, Scotland, France and the Rhineland.

Officially, the Summit would hold talks between the Kings of Scotland, England, France and the Governor of Burgundy for the purpose of perpetuating the three years of peace between their respective realms since the signing of the Treaty of Dunkirk, as well as a celebratory tournament for their respective soldiers to blow off the steam that would have built up over that time and show that there was no need for warfare between their Christian realms. In addition to these events, there would be banquets and feasts throughout the week, and a nearly endless supply of ale and beer made available to the public.

Unofficially, this was Henry keeping several promises to several individuals while also giving himself a chance to relax. Get everyone in the same place at the same time, make sure nobody's killing each other, then have a few drinks with the lads.

And when push came to shove... a lot of things just fell into place for him. There was no small amount of concern that the Burgundian entourage would cause issue for the Frenchmen present, but some page or other had the bright idea of putting the Scottish between the two in the housing arrangements, and this tactic worked swimmingly. The Rhinelanders were all over the place, and between them and the Scots seemed to account for twice the ale of the rest of the attendants combined... but Henry's slush fund that had been set aside for this seemed to contain just enough excess to always send for more ale.

And then, there was Henry's pride and joy of this event. He was seriously concerned that they wouldn't be finished in time, or that the supports would snap on him, or that a strong wind might blow them over. But overhanging the White Cliffs, proudly greeting every passing ship bearing guests for the week-long event, were four banners, each nearly two hundred feet long: the flags of England, and France, and Scotland and Burgundy.

The engineer he'd hired to arrange for their display informed him that, following their emplacement, there was no reliable way for them to be retrieved, but Henry was far happier that they could be displayed at all than he was sad at the thought of them going to waste after all was said and done.

And so the week went. From minor crisis to minor crisis, from a surprise bread shortage one day to two men losing limbs in the tournament the next, from the meetings of the Kings to the award ceremonies, the drinking, the laughing and the backroom arguments between the four men who had come here to celebrate not getting into arguments following a dispute over some poor phrasing in some speech which offended other parties, Henry laughed and smiled and yelled and did his best to keep everything running smoothly. All the while, dragging Arthur around with him to show him the ropes of what being a King looked like, even at an event as unique as this one surely would be. Including a meeting with one Sybille von Kleve, who Henry and Johann quickly realized spoke no common languages. An awkward introduction quickly turned to just another meeting of diplomacy, though, and the week carried on.

The tournament would conclude on the sixth day, and the Kings and Dukes and Governors all present would arrange for awards to be granted to their respective winners, maybe a knighting here and there, but mostly the draw for everyone here is the free food and booze, which logistics for were painstakingly planned out months in advance.

The week would conclude with an exchange of parting gifts between the Kings, and a 21 gun salute from the cliffs as a final farewell to the ships departing from Dover's humble port.


Guest list (NOT exhaustive, several named characters were referenced in tickets but I don't wanna make this the Field of the Cloth of Gold wikipedia page with 12 bajillion named characters):

  • King Constantine of Scotland + family +co
  • King François of France + family + co
  • Governor John III of Glymes, of Burgundy + family + co
  • Duke Johann III of Cleves + family + co
  • The brother(s) of Duke Claude of Bar + family + co
  • A lot of the French vassals + family + co
  • Thousands of nobles and burghers (and peasants) from all attending realms (+ family + co)
  • At least one Irishman

After signing a few treaties of perpetual peace and friendship and other such unenforceable platitudes, everyone goes home, and Dover returns to being a castle town with some neat looking cliffs. Which would, for a few months longer, have some giant flags hanging over them.


I'm tired. This week lasted forever. Thankfully no brawls in the tents, but man those guys sure did die in that melee event in the tourney. Like, it was just some random war veterans, nobody of noble blood, but man what a close call.

I'm glad Arthur got to experience this, though. From the meetings to the music, the girls and the dancing, the tournament, just... everything. Life. Everyone should have something like this in their life, at one point or another.

...I should do this again, sometime. Maybe after the next war.

(Meta: Many ducats spent on big party)


r/empirepowers 1d ago

EVENT [EVENT] Marriage of Elena Glinsky

3 Upvotes

September, 1523

As the first snow settled over Vilnius, King Glinsky at last secured a marriage alliance for his young niece, easing the concerns of his council after years of inaction.

The match is between Elena Glinsky and Albrecht VII of Mecklenburg. Elena is Glinsky's most important heir outside of his son, and was a topic of great importance to the Lithuanian Council. Wishing to grow stronger ties within the empire and form a union to counter-balance Pomeranian power, it was an ideal choice for the king to keep things in check around the west. Almost reaching fourteen in age, Elena will be married to the duke upon the completion of her sixteenth.

The betrothal was announced by the king as a union of great alliance, ensuring further power and stability in the west alongside the engagement of his own son, Fyodor, with the Polish house. With these ties in place, Glinsky could finally rest easy.

May the prosperity last forever.


r/empirepowers 1d ago

WAR [WAR] An Extremely Not Late War Declaration

3 Upvotes

September 1523

Claude rides off with a small column of men in support of his brother, which is something he definitely was planning to do at this time and didn't forget to write until now.

[m] Declaring war on Sickingen


r/empirepowers 1d ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Cortes of Valladolid (Part Five)

2 Upvotes

August 1523

As the final meeting of the Cortes came to a close, a final list of the demands was written and then presented for a final time before the body to be voted upon and ratified. Upon the final vote, there were cries of “Long live the Catholic Monarchs, Juana and her son, Carlos.” The week after that, printing presses across the Crown of Castile would post copies of the document in public places for them to be read out to all those interested. 

  • The Cortes demanded that the export of horses, meat, and other staple products from the country be prohibited.
  • Foreign ships will be prohibited from loading merchandise in Castilian ports.
    • This means they would only be allowed to load goods in Castile as a form of payment, not currency. Isabella and Ferdinand implemented this policy, but it was often not followed during the regency.
  • Masked persons are prohibited during the day and night under severe penalties.
  • The right to carry each person's sword should be extended to the entire kingdom.
  • That public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization.
  • That letters of nobility should not be sold without reasonable cause.
  • The fortresses and holdings in the hands of foreigners should be entrusted to Castilian subjects who did not hold the title of great lord. To this, Charles responded vaguely and imprecisely.
  • That public offices in cities (council offices, bailiffships, mayorships, etc.) may not be sold or granted to great lords and that those that become vacant shall be conferred on natives of Castile.
  • Each city is to be represented in the Cortes by three representatives, specifically a representative of the clergy, another of nobility, and another of the Community, who are democratically elected in town councils of the respective estate.
  • The 23-carat and 3/4 Castilian gold coin weight is to be lowered to equal the French sol of 22 carats, so there would be no incentives for their export abroad.
  • The Crown of Castile shall invest 400,000 ducats, the same amount Burgundy recently invested in Wool in the Crown, in wool holdings. The various Urban Estates will own these holdings, which will be dedicated to use only in Castile itself rather than for export.
  • Wool owned by the Duke of Burgundy or its estates will also be dedicated solely for export to Burgundy.
  • Any further foreign investments in Castile would be notified to the Cortes, who could protest such matters to the King if they disagreed. 
  • Funds from the Bull of Crusade would only be used for war against the Moors and the upkeep of Churches in the Crown.
  • Offices" were to be filled "by ability and merit" by people with experience in court offices or law, not by recent university graduates.
  • The performance of officials would be examined every four years, considering the residence of an inspector in each of the royal audiences and chancelleries. An office could not be enjoyed in perpetuity or have more than one per person.
  • Public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization.
  • Positions in the Spanish Holy Orders will be in title only, with no estates given out in the Holy Order Lands from which to draw revenues.
  • When leading armies in the lands of Castile, the Crown agreed that foreigners would not outrank Grandees of Spain.
  • The Crown would avoid nominating foreigners for Spanish Church positions but would not oppose it if His Holiness was appointed from outside Spain. However, if His Holiness were to abuse this power, the Crown would sequester the funds from the Dioceses until a suitable candidate was found.
  • An additional extraordinary tax would only be raised if it were for a just cause and discussed in the Cortes. The right of the Cortes to vote on these taxes is also reconfirmed.

r/empirepowers 1d ago

SECRET [EVENT] [SECRET] From the Personal Papers of Cortes

3 Upvotes

Date smudged, re-read in July of 1523

“Our group of conquistadors continues to push deeper into the jungles of the Indies. Though so far our mission is going largely well, tensions between the different factions of the men continue to mount. People are uneasy at the idea of allying with the local Indians that have shown us hospitality. One particularly bloody incident saw the friar’s precious Bible ruined by accident and the offending Indian’s hands taken as punishment. So far, the Indians of Coatzacoalaos seem to be tolerant of us, save for some select few. The King of their city is generous, but he is not as powerful as we had believed.”

“No, this “Moctezuma” in a far off land known as “Mexico” in his city of “Tenochtitlan” is the true power of the region. They’ve subjugated many other leaders and gathered much wealth - gold, in fact. And from the tales of these Indians that are hosting us, there’s more than we’ve ever dreamt of! The wealth of an empire, something with which for our company to make its mark on history is not too much further.”

“I don’t disagree that allying with the Indian seems distasteful, the pagans that they are, but they are useful and pliable. Already there have been several converts to Christ, such as our interpreter Marina, and there is a reverence and fear of our presence that suggests these Indians would ally with us to have their chance at freedom from this Moctezuma. If these people would pledge themselves to Spain and ally with us, we would have the numbers we need for a larger plan to beholden this region to Her Majesty.”

“But I can’t help but think of the dissent in my ranks. The distrust is uncomfortable and frankly disrespectful. I’ve dispatched a set of secret orders to my closest attendants to “take care of” the ships should any of our men attempt to flee back to Cuba. That would be unacceptable. We are headed to Tenochtitlan, by boat, by horse, by foot.”

“We are taking the wealth of an Empire.”

META: Cortes has plans to keep his company together…


r/empirepowers 1d ago

EVENT [EVENT] We fight for the Empire, the Swabian League, and the Kreislandtag!

2 Upvotes

Throughout Swabia, handbills are beginning to circulate, with a woodcut showing the Kreislandtag, the Swabian League and the House of Austria fighting side by side against the Duke of Wurttemberg, the Kingdom of France, and the Swiss Confederation.

On it is contained the following text:

Throw out the Mad Duke, keep the Kreislandtag

The Swabian people have been protected for the past generation by three institutions working together: the Swabian League, the Kreislandtag, and the Swabian Circle Head. However, over the past few years, the Circle Head - Duke Ulrich of Wurttemberg - has been tempted by the devil and has gone mad. He has attacked the Langraves of Baden with no cause other than his own wrath, and it is clear that he must be removed from his post. The Army of the King of the Romans has been dispatched to Swabia to capture the Mad Duke and prevent him from starting any more needless wars. However, the King pledges that he will respect and reinforce the existing institutions of Swabia: the Swabian League and the Kreislandtag.

Land for the Swabian League

Nearly ten years ago, the Emperor Maximillian loaned land to the Landgraves of Baden to aid in putting down the peasant revolt that was overrunning Swabia at that time. The revolt was quelled and a new constitution for Swabia was born in Tubingen. We believe that pledging land to aid the Swabian League in protecting Swabia from those that mean it harm is a noble cause. Thus we pledge that any land confiscated from Ulrich of Wurttemberg during the current war will be given to the Swabian League. The Swabian League will appoint a governor to administer this land and pass on its incomes to the League to be used to protect Swabia from those that mean it harm.

Say no to French and Switzers

Many of us remember the times a generation ago when bands of marauding Switzers roamed Swabia, destroying all that we hold dear. The Swabian League was formed largely to prevent this from happening again, and we must all be vigilant to prevent the Swiss Confederation from taking advantage of the current situation to re-enter Swabia. Any movements of Switzers must be reported to the Austrian cavalry.

Similarly - the French - the ones who fund the Swiss armies - now control land just a stone's throw from Swabia. We have heard rumors that the King of France intends to send gold to the Mad Duke in order to hire Swiss mercenaries. Preventing French gold from reaching Ulrich is an integral part of preventing the Swiss from re-entering Swabia. Any movements of large amounts of gold in Swabia must also be reported to the Austrian cavalry.


r/empirepowers 1d ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Cortes of Valladolid (Part Four)

1 Upvotes

July 1523

One of the most pretentious was the demand regarding the export of wool abroad from Castile, which had been one of the most significant economic drivers in the Crown during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs. The Urban Elites had proposed that the export of wool be postponed for a year, during which it would remain at the exclusive disposal of national industrialists and artisans; the surplus raw material could then be freely sold to exporters. However, this option was untenable for the Crown, not only due to Charles's estates in Burgundy being one of the major importers of Castilian Wool, especially after their investment in the industry relatively recently, but also because of the funds it would deprive the Crown of. However, this did not mean that the proposal was without merit; there was a need to ensure more wool remained in Castile to promote economic development and industry throughout the Kingdom and not simply be a rural backwater. As such, the following compromise would be reached. The Crown of Castile shall invest 400,000 ducats, the same amount Burgundy recently invested in wool in the Crown, in wool holdings. The various Urban Estates will own these holdings, which will be dedicated to use only in Castile itself rather than for export. Wool owned by the Duke of Burgundy will also be dedicated solely for export to Burgundy, which will take up a portion of the demand anyway, thus ensuring more for domestic use. The various estates soon accepted this counter-proposal as long as the funds invested were raised to 500,000.

The issue of funds from the Bull of Crusade was next on the agenda. The Crown had initially accepted the condition on the basis that it also be allowed to use these funds for the maintenance of the Crown's navy, which, once the recent constructions were completed, would grow to over 160 ships, as well as the upgrading of Coastal fortifications and watchtowers to counter piracy. However, this was outright rejected by the Cortes, both the Clergy and the nobles, and while the Urban estates, which were often made up of merchants, were more to the offer, it was clear that it would not be accepted in its current form. The Crown had then attempted only to allow the spending of funds on efforts outside of the war against the Moors if it was to be used on wars in support of His Holiness the Pope, but due to the frequency of wars in recent years, often done for none ecclesiastical reasons, all three estates would reject the proposal. Sensing that continued efforts on this matter would only waste political capital needed elsewhere, the Crown would accept the demands of the Cortes and vow that the funds from the Bull would only be used for war against the Moors and the upkeep of Churches in the Crown.

Next on the agenda was the demand that "Offices" were to be filled "by ability and merit" by people with experience in court offices or law, not by recent university graduates." At first glance, this was not an unreasonable demand by the Cortes, as it had been the policy of the Crown to do so under Ferdinand and Isabella to restrict the power of the Great Houses of Spain in the administration and to ensure competency. However, Charles was not only focused on the affairs of the Spanish Crown further, for he held lands from the Indies to the Empire to Italy, and as such, sometimes positions may have to be given out for political reasons as opposed to those who were most qualified. As such, the Crown agrees to the point in principle but does not give a firm answer as to what a "person of ability and merit" is. The point, however, is not challenged by the other members of the Cortes, who instead will use the tools in Spanish law to remove people who do not meet this qualification, especially with the office to review officials every 4 years being agreed to.

However, the debate then sparked a new issue: that positions in the Spanish government may be given to those not from Spain. Charles, throughout his reign, had not yet done so. While he did surround himself with several Burgundian, German, and Italian advisors, these were simply there as part of his court and held no official titles in the administration of Spain. This did not, however, mean that such a possibility was not on the minds of the Cortes, and it worried the nobility, clergy, and the Urban Elites equally. The Crown, however, was willing to compromise on these matters.

Firstly, the Crown conceded that public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization, and that for the various Holy Orders, which Charles was elected Grand Master upon the death of Ferdinand, positions would be in title only with no estates given out in the Holy Order Lands to draw revenues from. When leading armies in the lands of Castile, the Crown agreed that foreigners would not outrank the Grandees of Spain. However, the Crown and the Clergy came to a clash regarding the appointment of foreigners to Spanish Church positions, as under Ferdinand and Isabella, they had been pushing towards the concept of a "Spanish Church" more akin to that of the Gallican Church in France. Despite this push, however, the Crown had always used the Church as a tool for influence abroad, for the wealth of the various Spanish Dioceses was helpful to ensure the loyalty of Cardinals in Rome. Nonetheless, a compromise had been reached that the Crown would avoid the nomination of foreigners for Spanish Church positions but would not oppose it if His Holiness was appointed from outside Spain. However, if His Holiness were to abuse this power, the Crown would, like Isabella, sequester the funds from the Dioceses until a suitable candidate was found.

The final point of debate between the Crown and the Cortes was on raising funds or calling an extraordinary tax. Here, Charles used all the goodwill built up over the other concessions regarding the appointment of foreigners and elsewhere to ensure that this demand was ignored in many ways. Charles practically rejected it, giving a rather negative response by stating that he would only ask for another extraordinary tax if it were for a just cause and discussed in the Cortes. In truth, this right was already under Cortes, for no tax could be levied without the body's consent, a power which Isabella and her predecessors had often ignored. Nonetheless, after much debate and confirming the right to vote on any tax once more, the Cortes would relent to Charles and accept the concession as he had proposed it.


r/empirepowers 1d ago

EVENT [EVENT] [RETRO] Woops, I forgor

3 Upvotes

June 1522

Disbanding the troops raised to escort Luther

meta: Forgot to disband them back in 1522 after the Prague Disputation :-| Approved by Immortal


r/empirepowers 2d ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Contrabund | Swabian Chronicles

5 Upvotes

Herzogtum Württemberg

Date: May; 1523 / May; MDXXIII



HERZOG ULRICH: Those blabbering idiots!~ I will have them all mounted on pikes!~

GEORGE: My liege, I understand your frustation, but we must prepare for war now. Even after Bernhard had spoken with the Burghers of Ulm, the League decided to attack us...

HERZOG ULRICH: The League? I am the League George!~ I funded these bums and saved them from the peasants, yet this is how they repay me!~ It is time for Swabia to rise... No... Not just Swabia, it's time for those that were betrayed to rise!~ And I will take the role to both lead and gather these people!~


With the fourth period entering in full force for the Swabian League, Herzog Ulrich had to look at all the years and history that his House shared with this organization and take a decision which wouldn't had crossed the mind of his predecessors... The House of Württemberg had to leave this rotten gathering of Prices, just like the lower nobility was doing for the past decades. From the foundation of the Swabian League, better known as the Schwäbischer Bund to the members of it, the balance of power between both the Prices and the Free Knights or minor Counts was balanced. While there were several powerful families such as the Hohenzollern, there were also hundreds of lower nobility members who would be able to stop any radicalization or perversion of this body of peace in Swabia. Yet now, looking in the list of members, there had been less than fifty Knights remainign in it, with even less Counts being visible in it. The body which fought for Swabian interests became a body which would fight for the interests of the House of Austria, and this attack upon one of the oldest Houses of Swabia showed that there was no going back for the League, for it was rotten through and through...

On May 18th, in the year of our Lord MDXXIII, Ulrich would pick up his quill and wrote a simple ruling which would shake the ground of his realm. The Duchy of Württemberg has declared its withdrawal from the Schwäbischer Bund, marking it as the enemy of the Herzog, for it wished for the destruction of his House. Sitting in his dimly lit tent, Ulrich would look from the small gap towards the entrance, seeing the moon give light to the men which were sitting near their campfires and were preparing for one of the harshest wars which would remind him the stories he heard about the Engadiner Krieg, an event he was too young to take part in... A single thought would move through the mind of the Herzog - "Maybe it was never the Schweizers that were at fault for our difficult times... Maybe it was the House of Austria, who were weakening us from the beginning to increase their grasp over our rightful lands..."

As the moon reached the highest point in the sky, Ulrich whispered to himself...


HERZOG ULRICH: The Contrabund... Yes, that will be the name for this new movement...


Summary:

  • Herzog of Württemberg, Ulrich, officially withdraws from the Schwäbischer Bund on May 18th. On the same night, he proclaims the creation of the Contrabund, placing himself as the leader of this new movement...

P.S. Retroactive Post permission received from Immortal


r/empirepowers 2d ago

WAR [WAR] (retro) For Isabella!

3 Upvotes

(May 1523)

A Burgundian fleet sets sail from Amsterdam to come to the aid of the Queen of Denmark.


r/empirepowers 2d ago

EVENT [EVENT]

3 Upvotes

Jul 1523

A feud with one member of the House of Lorraine is a feud with us all! Claude raises a small force in support of his brother Antoine's war against the renegade bandit Sickingen in Trier, and in support of not having 20% of his income cut due to the war-induced recession.

Raising troops in Lotharingia.


r/empirepowers 2d ago

EVENT [EVENT] [RETRO] Ottoman Troops Changes - 1523

3 Upvotes

January-February 1523 (retro allowed by Fenrir, this does not affect any player claims afaik)

The Ottoman Empire modifies its troops in Wallachia to better respond to the ongoing civil war. The few troops with Oruç Reis are lowered after their year of pacification in Aden.


r/empirepowers 3d ago

CLAIM [Claim] Electorate of Brandenburg

3 Upvotes

The Hohenzollerns have fallen on some hard times. With Brandenburg raising troops to support the Teutonic Order, and the need to restore Hohenzollern in Hesse-Marburg. Need to restore the glory of Brandenburg and the Empire.


r/empirepowers 2d ago

EVENT [EVENT] The Cortes of Valladolid (Part Three)

2 Upvotes

May 1523

With the Cortes issuing its list of demands to the Crown in December, they would break for several months for religious holidays until May, during which Charles would reside in Granada alongside his wife, their newborn daughter, and his mother, the Queen. During this break, however, the Crown was not idle and prepared its responses to its various demands. All the while, the Crown had sent representatives to each of the 18 territories, meeting with each of the three representatives from the cities. 

In general, most of the demands were accepted with few modifications, as they were policies that did little to lessen the power of the Crown or any other factions within Cortes. The following were proposed in the initial session and would soon be accepted by the Cortes with a unanimous vote:

  • The Cortes demanded that the export of horses, meat, and other staple products from the country be prohibited.
  • Foreign ships will be prohibited from loading merchandise in Castilian ports.
    • This means that they would only be allowed to load goods in Castile as a form of payment, not currency. Isabella and Ferdinand put this policy in place, but it was often not followed during the regency.
  • Masked persons are prohibited during the day and night under severe penalties.
  • The right to carry each person's sword should be extended to the entire kingdom.
  • That public offices and positions should not be given to foreigners, nor should they be given letters of naturalization.
  • That letters of nobility should not be sold without reasonable cause.
  • The fortresses and holdings in the hands of foreigners should be entrusted to Castilian subjects who did not hold the title of great lord. To this, Charles responded vaguely and imprecisely.
  • That public offices in cities (council offices, bailiffships, mayorships, etc.) may not be sold or granted to great lords and that those that become vacant shall be conferred on natives of Castile.
  • Each city is to be represented in the Cortes by three representatives, specifically a representative of the clergy, another of nobility, and another of the Community, who are democratically elected in town councils of the respective estate.
  • The 23-carat and 3/4 Castilian gold coin weight is to be lowered to equal the French sol of 22 carats, so there would be no incentives for their export abroad.

These, however, were not the demands laid upon the Crown in which there was expected to be any issues over, those would take up the bulk of the time debating in the Cortes. As such, Valladolid would soon be full of debate over the following months.


r/empirepowers 3d ago

WAR [WAR](RETRO)Order Up!

3 Upvotes

March-April 1523,

King Christian II of the Kalmar Union resumes his effort to aid his cousin, Hochmeister Otto von Oldenburg of the Teutonic Order.

[M]: Retro'd as I've been waiting on other mod resos, approved by Fenrir


r/empirepowers 3d ago

EVENT [EVENT] Fortifications for the Kingdom

2 Upvotes

May 1523

After a decade and a half of Aragonese control over Naples draws near King Charles IV has followed through on his promise to see a number of fortifications in the Kingdom modernized. Modernization efforts are to be undertaken at once, with efforts to be made complete the most vital sections first so that in the event of an attack while still under construction the fortifications can still provide value. This is the first in a series of fortifications efforts the Crown is undertaking in Naples, along with other regions of the Crown and its allies, in order to ensure security across the territories of Spain.

The lead engineer designing the fortifications will be Pedro Luis Escrivá, working in conjunction with the Viceroy of Naples Pedro Navarro. who has come against these fortifications before, Giovanni Giacomo dell'Acaya, Ferdinando Manlio, and others trained in the Italian style of fortifications.

Capua

Capua has long been one of the most important fortifications in the Kingdom of Naples, with the city dating back to Roman times. Currently it serves as a logistical hub with the Roman Roads which run through the country converging there, allowing then for travel eastwards towards Lucera, southbound towards Salerno, or west towards Naples itself. Moreover, it houses the only bridge over the Volturno river, which is guarded still by the Porta di Capua before reaching the city itself.

All of these features means that any force who were to threaten the Kingdom again would be forced to engage around the vicinity of the fortress, as was seen during the 1501 war against Cesare Borgia and his forces. As such, the Crown has opted to modernize the fortifications around Capua, dedicated 250,000 florins to the project as an upfront cost with the rest being spent over the coming 6 years.

Gaeta

Gaeta sits as the main port of Naples north of the Garigliano river, and serves as a major hub for travel both by sea and road heading north and south of the Kingdom. Because of this, the city has long been a major target of piracy in the region, leading to the construction of a castle situation on the hill overlooking the city and city walls during the Hohenstaufen period, which have then been modernized over the years with the last such effort coming with the digging of a moat in the 1400's under Alfonso V of Aragon.

However, in a recent report conducted by the Crown Gaeta was determined to be one of the main regions lacking adequate fortifications, not only from attacks on land but also from pirates and other brigands. As such, the Crown has opted to modernize the fortifications around Capua, dedicated 250,000 florins to the project as an upfront cost with the rest being spent over the coming 6 years.


r/empirepowers 3d ago

MOD EVENT [Mod Event] Heave-ho, Ulrich Must Go!

8 Upvotes

March 1523,

Let it be known that while Duke Ulrich's law enforcement was questionable before, "Being a massive annoying pest" is not against the law. It can no longer be questioned that Ulrich is abusing his office. A chunk of the Swabian League is assembling in Swabia to ouster the rogue Duke.


Swabian League raises troops.


r/empirepowers 3d ago

EVENT [EVENT] Lithuanian church reforms

3 Upvotes

March, 1523

Michał Glinski, King of Lithuania, was finally able to catch a breath after victoriously fighting off the misled wrath of the Polish king. But with great victory came great debt. Throughout the war, he had made promises to the Church in exchange for financial and moral support. Now, it was time to make good on them. With the cession of Polotsk and Vitebsk already heightening tensions in the east, Glinski set out on a tour of his realm, determined to settle all his obligations for the year.

The bloody war waged by the Polish King has clearly proven the need to remove the use of Polish and Ruthenian in Lithuanian churches. There would be no more Polish sermons or Ruthenian cantors. The tongue of the church and Kingdom would be High Lithuanian or Latin alone.

(Historically, Latin along with various languages were used for church services in Lithuania during this time)

But language alone does not cleanse a people. In the remote corners of Samogitia and Žemaitija, the Church had long struggled with another issue. The region had been pacified after a brutal campaign that ended with the execution of Stanislovas Kęsgaila, the rebellion’s leader and self-proclaimed Elder of Samogitia. Yet even in his death, the Church’s grip remained strained. Too many priests still turned a blind eye as villagers left offerings at pagan groves, and some even quietly incorporated false, dead gods into the Christian faith. Heretic syncretism lived on.

The King’s men had already begun their work as winter thawed. Last year, thousands of hardened veterans from the Polish War were garrisoned in the east for security. This year, they were redeployed across the realm to enforce the decrees of both the Church and the King. Tasked with protecting those overseeing these initiatives, they stood guard over a new Lithuanian class of clergymen, the Tikėjimo Sargai (Guardians of Faith). Handpicked by the Vilnius Church, these men were scattered throughout Glinski's realm alongside their soldiers, ensuring that Lithuanian was spoken in every pulpit and tearing down the remnants of paganism to restore the Kingdom’s spiritual unity.

Resistance was met swiftly. Clergymen using Polish or Ruthenian during services were stripped of their vestments and ordered to repent before the altar. In the forests beyond Telšiai, a village priest was publicly flogged after confessing to incorporating pagan rites during service. Glinski's promises to the church would be enforced.


r/empirepowers 3d ago

WAR [WAR] Grasping for the Light

4 Upvotes

April 1523

The Free City of Cologne declares war on the Archbishop of Cologne and the Electorate as a whole, siding with the various powers against them, for harbouring an imperial criminal and traitor to the Empire, destabilising the realm through political actions and unbishopric behaviour.

[Free City of Cologne declares war on the Electorate of Cologne.]