A Bishop by the Sea: A Rigan AAR.

[overthetop_G]

Playing with Beyond the Cape mod

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Riga is an Archbishopric that has, since early times, been regarded highly. It remains independent of the militant livonian and teutonic orders, and has remained thus independent for as long as I can remember. Rigans, remember my name. I am but for the moment a mere deacon, under the feet of the rigan establishment. Perhaps someday I will become a bishop, perhaps the bishop of this place, and maybe someday a cardinal. But for now I am yet another Deacon under the authority of the 69-year old Archbishop Henning Scharffenberg (I don’t know how to say it either). He is inept at all military and administrative matters, and knows this, and what is worse is an industrious embezzler- in other words, he is very good at being corrupt. The burghers and the clergy alike wish to be rid of him. He called a diet today, 11 November, Year of Our Lord 1444 to discuss the livonian threat, and to seize land from the estates, which did not please them. As I passed ‘round the walls of Riga, and saw the market and the river and the burghers and the clergy and the people- the sinners and the virtuous, the lustful and the chaste, the greedy and the generous, I thought of the hardness of the life of the clergyman, to minister to the many and the wicked. It is a hard life, but a worthy one.

-A priest of Riga

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Hello, readers! This is my first attempt at an EUIV AAR. I did try to run a CK3 AAR, but my mods were all broken by a game update, so that was the end of that. I decided on playing as the Archdiocese of Riga(I am using Diocese instead of Bishopric because it is easier to write). As I said at the top, I am playing with the Beyond the Cape mod. I am using a CK3 approach to this, so the AAR will be very character-based. Of course, I am not going to expand much in this AAR, so I need something to write about! I will be referencing church hierarchy and traditions in this AAR using a reputable source, of course(wikipedia). Who knows, maybe it will be educational? Happy holidays to all whom have read this, and I will hopefully update this soon.

 

[overthetop_G]

CHAPTER TWO

I have written a few theological tracts. I did not think that they would cause much effect, but they have resulted in my election as the heir to the Archbishop. When I was told, I was shocked.

One thing that is weighing heavily on everyone’s minds is the Gotlander pirates, who have begun to terrorize the Baltic. I myself am angered by this, and have begun to talk of it in my sermons. Alas, there are ‘christian’ pirates everywhere- in Gotland, in Rugen, in Cornwall- even our ‘crusaders’ in the Aegean have resorted to piracy. They are little worse than the Maghreb pirates.

The Arch-Bishop called a council today. The council was again about defense. Having rivaled the Livonians, we must find new allies. We are a part of the Hanseatic league, but we also seek to join the Holy Roman Empire, and have thus sent an envoy to Vienna. In addition, our army is to be increased from 9,000 to 10,000 men, for purposes of defense. Our deficit is quite bad, and one wonders if the Arch-bishop is embezzling.

18 October, 1445.
The bishop has finally begun to cut down on military spending, by mothballing the fort and by decreasing military funding. While the nobility was angered, I know that this is the right choice. Other things that are happening include the recent attempts to join the Empire, and the Gutish question. Gotland is considered to be a prime prize for us, considering its trade, and the Archbishop is considering invading it, vassalizing it, and using Gotland as a base of operations. There is much dispute over this planned course of action and how it may be justified. There is talk of Ex-communicating every pirate on that isle and invading it to cleanse the island of evil and sin- but these are on-going disputes. They will take time, and the Gutish navy is superior to ours.

November 30th, 1445.
Privileges have been granted to the Clergy and the Burghers to placate them. They were costly, but they should boost our revenue.

December 10th, 1445.
We are now members of the Roman Empire. For today we joined the Holy Roman Empire. The consequences of this will shake us for years to come. While the Arch-bishop is still a bishop in the church, in secular life his status will be downgraded- a sad fact, and one that makes me sad. But today signals a new beginning! We are Romans, body and Soul. God smiles down at us, for we have joined the Roman Empire.

"We stand today looking out on the dawn of the springtime of the birth of beginning- we will not die today, nor tomorrow. We are romans. Guarded are we by the Pope and the Emperor. No longer may mere Poles, Lithuanians, Teutons, or Livonians attack us, and no longer will our cries for relief be unheard. We are members of the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire. Brothers, we will spread our faith far." - Speech by the Priest Johann Kerpen.

 

[Nikolai]

Good to see you back with another AAR! Good luck!

 

[overthetop_G]

Good to see you back with another AAR! Good luck!

A little late to wish that, considering what will happen in the next update. Thanks, though This has been a very fun AAR so far.

 

[overthetop_G]

From a letter of our friend Johannes Kemper to a fellow priest in Rome:

I suppose I should tell you how we got into this mess. It began in 1446, with the challenging of the rule of our good Archbishop Henning Scharffenberg by unknown dissidents. These were not the times that I enjoyed, for many considered me to be complicit in the dealings of the corrupt Archbishop.

Much anger was over the alliance between ourselves and the Gotlanders, whom had joined the Hansa.

In order to solve our debts, the Archbishop also disbanded a quarter of our military, placing 3,000 or so out of work young men on the streets, in addition to the noble officers whom had been discharged. Anger flew through the streets, especially at the burghers, whom were profiting by our Archbishop's expansion of the navy.

And while these measures decreased the national deficit...

The corrupt Archbishop's habits had spread into the marketplace, causing much corruption amongst the people of the city.

And while some proposed to withhold the tithes due to the church in order to increase the national income, the good Archbishop disapproved, preferring that the clergy be happy and loyal instead, and to please the Pope in Rome.

And the Archbishop had by this time achieved many scholarly traits, which would help the researchers of Riga.

Yet he tried to seize land from the estates. And whilst the nobility were hurt least by it, it was they who attacked.

And the entire army of Riga- 9,000 men of low morale- was slaughtered by a mere 2,000 men and 1,000 horse, made up of discharged military men, disgruntled nobility, and many corrupted lowlifes.

But we were able to get trade associations with Lubeck in this time, so all was not bad.

but then the nobles won the siege, and rampaged through the town. Indeed, such carnage and destruction was not seen since the fall of Constantinople in 1204. The nobles and their men killed all whom they saw, seized the lands of the church, burned the commercial districts, violated nuns, and acted without fear for their souls. I survived because I was in Lubeck at the time, and I had heard of this from an old man whose house and worldly possessions had been destroyed.

The nobles then seized more land in a peace treaty.

Our bishop was so good as to call a meeting of the estates, where the Nobles complained of the non-existent army- only to be told that it was their fault that there was no army. And all of Riga weeps now, for we are on our last legs.

 

[overthetop_G]

To my Friends in the Hansa:

Much joy has befallen myself and my nation. I was installed as Archbishop of Riga, and I hope that I will serve my country well.

The very first thing that caught my attention was the need for an heir. Now, a Bishop should be of the culture of those he minister's to, and he should be one who has joined the clergy of his own free will. For this reason, I selected a local preacher.

His name is Thomas, and he shall serve us well in manners of administration.

Alas, he talks to much- and so our spies will suffer when he comes to power.

Speaking of spies, not long after a few shady characters attempted to gain my trust- I refused, for the Rigans are honorable people.

I also began to steed the state towards business, for we are blessed with a good harbor, market, and river mouth.

I have been protecting the clergy from harm and from evils, and they are happy under my rule.

I have also solved the issue of the crown land, which has dogged us since the start of our existence, and which reached its height under my predecessor. While the estates are now safe from the seizure of crown land, I will wait till I can get their lands, and revoke this privilege.

The clergy have also convinced me to prevent the creation of a general hospital.

As a result, vile rumors spread about me, which I found hard to stop.

And the empire had difficulties with the Italians.

But we had strengthened our hold on the Baltic's trade.

And we embraced the Renaissance like never before, now holding the values of the Italians highly.

Yet more vile rumors spread.

Perhaps it is due to my reforms- having gained the consent of the Pope, he made me a Cardinal and let my Diocese sell indulgences. A new era has opened up for us- let us trade like the Hansa, pray like the Pope, and be as happy as those in the kingdom of god.

 

[overthetop_G]

Dearest Heinrich-
I have heard of your wish to move to Riga, and am happy to hear it. You are not the only Balten German who has attempted to move here following the utter destruction of the Teutonic and Livonian Orders at the hands of the Poles and the Muscovites. We are now the last Balten stronghold- unless, of course, you count the rampaged lands of the Livonians! Nonetheless, as you have wished to see the lands of Riga, I will now describe them to you.

The province of Riga is very prosperous, having a high development number of twenty-eight. By contrast, Rome has a mere Twenty-Five development. In some ways, then, we are the Rome of the north! Our people are Catholic Balten Germans- Pious, hardworking people, and the favored people of our good Cardinal-Archbishop Johannes Kerpen. Riga produces primarily Naval supplies, which fetch middling prices in other markets. Riga also has a small port and a river estuary, greatly increasing the wealth of the province. To protect it, there is a fort in the city, which was so sadly penetrated by the noble revolt so many years ago. Claims have been made on our province by the Livonians, the Poles, and the Muscovites, but we are proud that we have resisted them. The province is so rich that it generates 2 Ducats of taxation wealth per month. We have been having a normal winter (for us, at least!). Were an enemy to sack the town, they would find twenty-eight Ducats of wealth and goods. The fort garrison is 3000 men.

Now, we Rigans have a small army of a mere 2000 men, and a navy of 15 or so ships. Discipline is high in the army thanks to the Cardinal-Archbishop. The estates are fairly happy, and enjoy their privileges. There is little unrest, and the nation is stable. The Cardinal-Archbishop has 56 year of age, and his heir has 48. A long life to them both! We are not a very prestigious nation, but we are a happy one. We do not tolerate heathens or heretics here, so I would advise you to not criticize the Pope in the city. We have very much papal influence, and attendance at church services has never been higher. The economy is good, as we gain 1.60 Ducats a month, but we are at 4.70% inflation and have a national debt of ten Ducats which the Cardinal-Archbishop is about to repay. Truly, we have never had it so good. Corruption is non-existent, and what is more, the people have full faith in our leader and his government.

Hoping to see you soon,
Wilhelm.

 

[Nikolai]

Riga is very small. Let’s hope no one gets any ideas…

 

[overthetop_G]

Riga is very small. Let’s hope no one gets any ideas…

Everyone is kind of focused elsewhere.

 

[HistoryDude]

The nerve of those nobles! That's some seriously bad luck to start out, though.

Let's hope that the HRE will protect Riga from their foes.

I imagine the next bishop (who is, after all, a preacher) will be much less businesslike and more genuine in his faith than this one, but that might prove optimistic.

 

[overthetop_G]

The nerve of those nobles! That's some seriously bad luck to start out, though.

Let's hope that the HRE will protect Riga from their foes.

I imagine the next bishop (who is, after all, a preacher) will be much less businesslike and more genuine in his faith than this one, but that might prove optimistic.

I'd like to think that the current bishop's faith is genuine, but as history will only look at his accomplishments, he will most likely go down as a business-like bishop. Nonetheless, I am doing pretty well around now- and Riga is an island of stability. There are two areas in the baltic that are at 100% devastation, that is, the Estonian Islands and Memel.

 

[overthetop_G]

It's been a while, hasn't it?

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Riga's power was great, and we felt restrained by the Hansa. And so we made the decision to part from them, to instead create our own leagues.

By this time, much had changed. Burgundy had conquered Normandy while losing Burgundy Proper, and had its capital in Calais.

Measures were made against the rich, and Johannes Kerpen was happy.

He looked over the walls of Riga and saw Novgorod, which was Weak, tiny, and an easy target. So the holy wars began.

In this time, Johann Kerpen became an Architectural Visionary.

And he found ways to fast travels, which he shared with the other members of the league of Riga:

And he won the war, vassaling Novgorod.

and he decreed that all forts should have the arms of Riga in stained glass, along with other religious scenes, to increase the prestige of Riga.

But all good things must end, and so Johann Kerpen died, and Thomas von Osnabruck, the preacher, was now the Cardinal-Archbishop of Riga, member of the Holy-Roman-Empire, and Leader of the League of Riga. In order to reflect this, he created a new list of titles. The style of the Arch-bishops of Riga now read thus:

"The Most Reverend Cardinal-Prince-Archbishop of Riga Thomas I von Osnabruck, leader of the Rigan League and Overlord of the Republic of Novgorod"

He decreed that he be educated in manners of military arts, as he was not adept at these.

And for his heir he chose a man named Johann.

He revoked the privilege of the Clergy that prevented the seizure of land.

And his heir turned out to be an adept navigator.

Thus we leave Riga prosperous and content, rising in power, and looking the demons of Muscovy and Poland-Lithuania in the eye, without fear.

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Riga Rises.

 

[Nikolai]

Rich is good. Rich means you can buy yourself victories through mercs.

 

[HistoryDude]

Will the clergy complain about losing their land to the Pope? How will they react to this assault on their privileges?

Congrats on defeating Novgorod! Do you plan to attack any other Russian states?

What's happening in France? Who owns Burgundy proper?

 

[overthetop_G]

Will the clergy complain about losing their land to the Pope? How will they react to this assault on their privileges?

Congrats on defeating Novgorod! Do you plan to attack any other Russian states?

What's happening in France? Who owns Burgundy proper?

France owns burgundy proper. The hundred years war never happened, so burgundy warred with England and got normandy. Then the Burgundian inheritance happened. Burgundy was then warred on by everyone, I made a killing selling them indulgences, and they joined the HRE. Now the Holy Roman Empire extends west to the Channel Islands and east to Riga.

 

[overthetop_G]

By order of the Cardinal Archbishop, January 1st, 1480,
A new coat of arms for the Cardinal-Archbishopric of Riga.
As the old arms of Riga are sorely out-dated and do not reflect the status of the Rigans, we have drafted a new minor coat of arms for Riga.

 

[overthetop_G]

Behold, the Holy Roman Empire of 1480! Look at it, Strong and Well, holding in its grasp lands from Brest in Brittany to Riga. Slavs, Celts, some Italians and Germans all march under the banner of the Austrian Emperor, and the nation of Cilli owns more lands not part of the empire- the reach of the power of the Romans is great.

Yet all is not well in Riga! For the opponents of our good Archbishop have incited a scandal that threatened to bring down our realm! The vilest rumors say that the Bishop has had a child, whom nobles wish to marry. That would imply that he had broken his vows- which he did not.

At the same time, our noble Archbishop has been hard at work quashing those burghers.

...While benefiting his own estate.

And now there were saints in Riga, whom had cured people through faith.

Yet all was not good for in Mainz there were printers.

And so the Archbishop ordered for all those whom had a bible translation to be burned.

 

[HistoryDude]

Riga looks like it will remain loyal to Catholicism, but perhaps future archbishops will have different opinions?

How many people know about the Archbishop having a daughter, given how many people want to marry her? Why does anyone think that such a plan would work? Are other realms expecting a secularization of the area soon?

 

[overthetop_G]

Riga looks like it will remain loyal to Catholicism, but perhaps future archbishops will have different opinions?

How many people know about the Archbishop having a daughter, given how many people want to marry her? Why does anyone think that such a plan would work? Are other realms expecting a secularization of the area soon?

The existence of such a daughter may or may not be real. For now, all we have are rumors. By declining the request for marriage, the Arch-bishop neither confirmed nor denied those rumors.

 

[overthetop_G]

INDULGENCES! Buy your indulgences! Buy them now!

We Rigans like indulgences. In fact, we have a trade in them: We sell indulgences, and then buy papal indulgences with the indulgence money, which allows us to spend on even more indulgences, and so on.

So we're doing well. But our league is arguing. Naturally, ordering them to shut up and grow up did not work.

We then faced an aristocratic rebellion. We had already been through one of these, so we really did not care.

Following the loss of the battle of Riga, what we call the 'long siege' began.

To make things worse, a comet was sighted, a sign of our imminent doom.

And our bishop died, and a new one came to power. And so followed the usual heir choosing, etc.

Ooops, the heir is an embezzler. That can't be good.


Next, we broke the Hansa, thus proving the superiority of the league of Riga.

A period of trade-league expansion then followed.

wolgast left, however, doing to them getting back their lands.

Then our leader's father was proclaimed a saint!

Yet the saint would not save us, and the nobles won, after a 361 day siege. We were down to 20% crown lands.

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