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Dear Lord! Austria's future looks grim with Emich around. 
'Ernst' seems much nastier in death than he was in life.
Who will save Austria and the Empire from Emich? Leopold had better get scheming quickly...
'Ernst' seems much nastier in death than he was in life.
Who will save Austria and the Empire from Emich? Leopold had better get scheming quickly...
Emich is insane, but as of now, he hasn't actually been caught killing any of his family members.
Dear Lord! Austria's future looks grim with Emich around.
'Ernst' seems much nastier in death than he was in life.
Who will save Austria and the Empire from Emich? Leopold had better get scheming quickly...
Well, Emich didn't know his grandfather all that well, so he had to fill in some parts, and it probably didn't help that Adalbert didn't care too much about him.
Two voices in his head? Normal life starts to be a little more difficult for now on.
(Nothing much happened in Austria or the HRE from 1081 to 1090, so I thought I'd show you what was going on in the rest of the world.)
The World at a Glance: 1090: Part One
The Great Iberian Crusade
The situation in Iberia circa 1090 AD.
In 1081, Pope Gregory VII called for a holy war against the Berber Muslims of Iberia. Up until 1083, this call went mostly unanswered, as the various Catholic rulers of Europe fought amongst themselves. Finally, towards the end of 1083, the Scots and the Irish, who had been fighting a war with England, finally organized themselves and started off for Iberia. Fueled by gold from both the Pontiff and the Holy Roman Emperor, they were able to make quick gains against the Caliph, reaching all the way to Seville's capitol, Toledo. A stiff defense and fierce fighting eventually forced the crusaders back, but fresh recruits from back home have allowed them to continue fighting.
A castle built by Croatian crusaders.
Perhaps the most particular kingdom to join in on the Iberian crusade is Croatia. In 1085 Croatia crowned its first "Priest-King," King Dmitar I. Immediately, Dmitar joined the crusade and sent his armies to seize the strategically placed Balearic Islands from the Hammadid king. Once he had established a stronghold on the islands, Dmitar declared war on the Emir of Cordoba. The first recorded Croatian landing happened in 1087, lead by Dmitar himself. Since then, the Croatian armies have pushed the emir hard and refused to give any ground.
King Robert I de Hauteville, the first king of Sicily.
Finally, the late comer to the game is the newly crowned King of Sicily, the Norman Roger de Hauteville. Crowned king of Sicily in 1088, so far, Roger's contributions to the crusade have been small, but significant. A little after a year of being crowned King of Sicily, Roger declared war on the Hammadids, the strongest Muslim power in the area. So far, they have only been able to land a few thousand troops in Hammadid owned Iberia, but their navy has been able to successfully stop all supply ships going to the other Iberian Muslims, greatly weakening them.
The World at a Glance: 1090: Part One
The Great Iberian Crusade
The situation in Iberia circa 1090 AD.
In 1081, Pope Gregory VII called for a holy war against the Berber Muslims of Iberia. Up until 1083, this call went mostly unanswered, as the various Catholic rulers of Europe fought amongst themselves. Finally, towards the end of 1083, the Scots and the Irish, who had been fighting a war with England, finally organized themselves and started off for Iberia. Fueled by gold from both the Pontiff and the Holy Roman Emperor, they were able to make quick gains against the Caliph, reaching all the way to Seville's capitol, Toledo. A stiff defense and fierce fighting eventually forced the crusaders back, but fresh recruits from back home have allowed them to continue fighting.
A castle built by Croatian crusaders.
Perhaps the most particular kingdom to join in on the Iberian crusade is Croatia. In 1085 Croatia crowned its first "Priest-King," King Dmitar I. Immediately, Dmitar joined the crusade and sent his armies to seize the strategically placed Balearic Islands from the Hammadid king. Once he had established a stronghold on the islands, Dmitar declared war on the Emir of Cordoba. The first recorded Croatian landing happened in 1087, lead by Dmitar himself. Since then, the Croatian armies have pushed the emir hard and refused to give any ground.
King Robert I de Hauteville, the first king of Sicily.
Finally, the late comer to the game is the newly crowned King of Sicily, the Norman Roger de Hauteville. Crowned king of Sicily in 1088, so far, Roger's contributions to the crusade have been small, but significant. A little after a year of being crowned King of Sicily, Roger declared war on the Hammadids, the strongest Muslim power in the area. So far, they have only been able to land a few thousand troops in Hammadid owned Iberia, but their navy has been able to successfully stop all supply ships going to the other Iberian Muslims, greatly weakening them.
An interesting crusade, to say the least. Irish crusaders? Who'd have thought?
By now I had a stupid amount of gold sitting around, so I decided to give it to the Scots and the various Irish lords to see what would happen. I would later come to regret my foolish decision.
I've had games where the Croatians are taken over by the Egyptians, and I've had others were they've become masters of the Med. What happens to them in this game had nothing to do with me.
They are wannabes
They are much more than wannabes in my game, good sir. But, I don't want to spoil too much of the future for my readers.
The World at a Glance: 1090: Part Two
The following passage is taken from The Rise of the Western Empire by Johann Dillingham:
The Dutch War: Causes and Effects
On February 14, 1077, Duke Leopold I of Austria marched an army to Trent and proceeded to demand the Bishop of Trent swear allegiance to him and the Holy Roman Empire and hand over his brother, Adalbert von Babenberg, whom the Bishop was sheltering. When the Bishop refused, the Austrian army attacked, killing the Bishop and eventually Adalbert, who would later become a saint. The whole affair became known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and is considered one of Austria's darkest moments.
When word of the atrocities reached Emperor Berthold I, many expected him to be outraged. In fact, the complete opposite happened: he praised Leopold for his efforts in returning the wayward bishopric to the Empire. In Storia dell'Impero, author Dante Alighieri quotes Berthold I as saying, "I wish I had a thousand [dukes] like him!"
Word of the the Massacre and the Emperor's support of it quickly spread through out the Holy Roman Empire, causing only minor revolts and bad feelings that were easily bribed away. But when the stories of Leopold's actions and the Emperor's praise (which by now were greatly exaggerated; some even claimed Emich von Babenberg had personally beheaded the Bishop of Trent), the already independent-minded Dutch dukes succeeded from the Empire.
They quickly turned to King Phillipe I of France for support. The king was only too happy to help; he could weaken the Empire and possibly gain exclusive access to the rich Dutch ports and Rhenish lands. In May of 1077, the Imperial capitol of Mainz was sacked by Franco-Dutch forces and the Emperor was forced to flee to Vienna. The Dutch War was officially "on."
Fast forward to the Council of Rome in 1081. By now the Dutch War had been dragging on for nearly four years and both sides were currently locked in a stalemate. While at the Council of Rome, sources tell us that Emich von Babenberg, nephew of Duke Leopold, nearly bankrupted the French by tricking them into donating a ridiculous amount of money to the First Crusade as well as making a deal to give Imperial money to the Scots to harass the sometimes French ally, England.
All signs indicate that Emich's plots worked. The French kingdom was bankrupt and the English pirates they had hired to harass Imperial merchants were called back home to fight in the Second Northumbrian War. But it still wasn't enough to break the Franco-Dutch alliance. So, in December of 1081, Emich sent envoys to the Dukes of Aquitaine and Toulouse to discuss Imperial support in a revolt against the French king. Using his own money, Emich was able to, in 1083, convince the dukes to declare themselves independent. The Occitan Uprising would greatly weaken the French monarchy that from then until it's demise, it would no longer threaten the Empire.
France and surrounding areas, 1090. The Occitan Uprising is still going strong.
The Dutch suddenly found themselves without any allies to speak of, so when Berthold I sent an offer to discuss peace, the dukes were quick to accept. In 1084, the two parties met in the old Imperial capitol of Mainz to discuss and finalize a peace treaty.
The Dutch argued hard for their independence, despite the fact that the Empire still out manned them nearly five to one. Perhaps the most surprising supporter for Dutch independence was Duke Leopold himself. Historians now agree that Leopold hoped to greatly weaken the Emperor's power and exert greater control over the young man. Talks dragged on for weeks: the Emperor would not have peace unless the Dutch re-swore loyalty to him and the Empire; the Dutch would not give up their independence. Just as it looked as if the talks would break down, Emich von Babenberg came up with a compromise: the Dutch would be granted the status "autonomous regions," wherein they swore nominal loyalty to the Empire and paid a small of amount of taxes; in return, the Emperor agreed to allow them to vote in the Reichstag and protect them in times of war, but could not force them to raise troops unless they agreed beforehand on wages. Both sides agreed to Emich's plan and the Treaty of Mainz was signed a few days later on December 25, 1084. The signing date has caused its more famous name: the Christmas Treaty.
The Lowlands after the Christmas Treaty.
Emich's plan would only last for twenty seven years, when Dirk II van Holland, Duke of Holland, crowned himself King Dirk I of Lotharingia, its first and only king, by which time the Empire was more than ready to finish what it had started in the Dutch War.
The following passage is taken from The Rise of the Western Empire by Johann Dillingham:
The Dutch War: Causes and Effects
On February 14, 1077, Duke Leopold I of Austria marched an army to Trent and proceeded to demand the Bishop of Trent swear allegiance to him and the Holy Roman Empire and hand over his brother, Adalbert von Babenberg, whom the Bishop was sheltering. When the Bishop refused, the Austrian army attacked, killing the Bishop and eventually Adalbert, who would later become a saint. The whole affair became known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre, and is considered one of Austria's darkest moments.
When word of the atrocities reached Emperor Berthold I, many expected him to be outraged. In fact, the complete opposite happened: he praised Leopold for his efforts in returning the wayward bishopric to the Empire. In Storia dell'Impero, author Dante Alighieri quotes Berthold I as saying, "I wish I had a thousand [dukes] like him!"
Word of the the Massacre and the Emperor's support of it quickly spread through out the Holy Roman Empire, causing only minor revolts and bad feelings that were easily bribed away. But when the stories of Leopold's actions and the Emperor's praise (which by now were greatly exaggerated; some even claimed Emich von Babenberg had personally beheaded the Bishop of Trent), the already independent-minded Dutch dukes succeeded from the Empire.
They quickly turned to King Phillipe I of France for support. The king was only too happy to help; he could weaken the Empire and possibly gain exclusive access to the rich Dutch ports and Rhenish lands. In May of 1077, the Imperial capitol of Mainz was sacked by Franco-Dutch forces and the Emperor was forced to flee to Vienna. The Dutch War was officially "on."
Fast forward to the Council of Rome in 1081. By now the Dutch War had been dragging on for nearly four years and both sides were currently locked in a stalemate. While at the Council of Rome, sources tell us that Emich von Babenberg, nephew of Duke Leopold, nearly bankrupted the French by tricking them into donating a ridiculous amount of money to the First Crusade as well as making a deal to give Imperial money to the Scots to harass the sometimes French ally, England.
All signs indicate that Emich's plots worked. The French kingdom was bankrupt and the English pirates they had hired to harass Imperial merchants were called back home to fight in the Second Northumbrian War. But it still wasn't enough to break the Franco-Dutch alliance. So, in December of 1081, Emich sent envoys to the Dukes of Aquitaine and Toulouse to discuss Imperial support in a revolt against the French king. Using his own money, Emich was able to, in 1083, convince the dukes to declare themselves independent. The Occitan Uprising would greatly weaken the French monarchy that from then until it's demise, it would no longer threaten the Empire.
France and surrounding areas, 1090. The Occitan Uprising is still going strong.
The Dutch suddenly found themselves without any allies to speak of, so when Berthold I sent an offer to discuss peace, the dukes were quick to accept. In 1084, the two parties met in the old Imperial capitol of Mainz to discuss and finalize a peace treaty.
The Dutch argued hard for their independence, despite the fact that the Empire still out manned them nearly five to one. Perhaps the most surprising supporter for Dutch independence was Duke Leopold himself. Historians now agree that Leopold hoped to greatly weaken the Emperor's power and exert greater control over the young man. Talks dragged on for weeks: the Emperor would not have peace unless the Dutch re-swore loyalty to him and the Empire; the Dutch would not give up their independence. Just as it looked as if the talks would break down, Emich von Babenberg came up with a compromise: the Dutch would be granted the status "autonomous regions," wherein they swore nominal loyalty to the Empire and paid a small of amount of taxes; in return, the Emperor agreed to allow them to vote in the Reichstag and protect them in times of war, but could not force them to raise troops unless they agreed beforehand on wages. Both sides agreed to Emich's plan and the Treaty of Mainz was signed a few days later on December 25, 1084. The signing date has caused its more famous name: the Christmas Treaty.
The Lowlands after the Christmas Treaty.
Emich's plan would only last for twenty seven years, when Dirk II van Holland, Duke of Holland, crowned himself King Dirk I of Lotharingia, its first and only king, by which time the Empire was more than ready to finish what it had started in the Dutch War.
The World at a Glance: 1090: Part Three
The Empires of the East
By 1090, the east was divided between three great empires: the Eastern Roman Empire, the Sultanate of Rum, and the Turk Sultanate.
In 1088, the Turkish armies had almost reached the Queen of Cities, Constantinople. It looked like the bastion of Christendom in the East would fall beneath the heel of the heathen, when the reigning Turkish sultan died of old age. Immediately, this three sons gathered their forces and marched to Baghdad to claim what they saw as their birth right, leaving their generals to decide who their loyalties lied with. Bickering and infighting amongst them allowed Alexios Komnenos, the leader of the Roman armies, to save Constantinople and beat back the Turkish invaders.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, Süleyman, the eldest brother, had arrived and been named sultan. The remaining two sons, the twins Kiliç Arslan and Davud, met outside of Baghdad and came to an agreement: the two would work together to dethrone their brother and sort out the inheritance later. The immediately laid siege to the capitol.
After a month Davud, who had always been impatient and who hoped to be declared sultan before his twin, stormed Baghdad's walls. He was killed in the process. Kiliç Arslan immediately took control of Davud's army and called off the assault; instead he would be content to wait. His patience paid off; Süleyman and his army were slowly being starved to death, to the point where Süleyman was forced to abandon Baghdad and flee to the newly conquered Antioch. Shortly after his arrival in Antioch, he declared himself the Sultan of Rûm and the legitimate Sultan of the Turks. As of 1090, the two sultanates are still at war, allowing the Eastern Empire to continue their push to take back Anatolia.
The Empires of the East
By 1090, the east was divided between three great empires: the Eastern Roman Empire, the Sultanate of Rum, and the Turk Sultanate.
In 1088, the Turkish armies had almost reached the Queen of Cities, Constantinople. It looked like the bastion of Christendom in the East would fall beneath the heel of the heathen, when the reigning Turkish sultan died of old age. Immediately, this three sons gathered their forces and marched to Baghdad to claim what they saw as their birth right, leaving their generals to decide who their loyalties lied with. Bickering and infighting amongst them allowed Alexios Komnenos, the leader of the Roman armies, to save Constantinople and beat back the Turkish invaders.
Meanwhile, in Baghdad, Süleyman, the eldest brother, had arrived and been named sultan. The remaining two sons, the twins Kiliç Arslan and Davud, met outside of Baghdad and came to an agreement: the two would work together to dethrone their brother and sort out the inheritance later. The immediately laid siege to the capitol.
After a month Davud, who had always been impatient and who hoped to be declared sultan before his twin, stormed Baghdad's walls. He was killed in the process. Kiliç Arslan immediately took control of Davud's army and called off the assault; instead he would be content to wait. His patience paid off; Süleyman and his army were slowly being starved to death, to the point where Süleyman was forced to abandon Baghdad and flee to the newly conquered Antioch. Shortly after his arrival in Antioch, he declared himself the Sultan of Rûm and the legitimate Sultan of the Turks. As of 1090, the two sultanates are still at war, allowing the Eastern Empire to continue their push to take back Anatolia.
Chapter Thirty Six: The Man Who Would Be Emperor
September 16, 1090
Wilhelm von Zähringen hurried through the halls of Castle Babenberg. Ever since the Emperor had fled from Mainz, Vienna had become the de jure capitol of the Empire. Even now, despite Mainz being rebuilt and the Emperor officially residing there, the Empire's administrators had remained behind in Vienna. All this meant that Leopold and his nephew had near complete control of the Empire and its finances.
For Wilhelm, the brother of Reinhard von Zähringen, duke of Carinthia, this was very grim indeed. Wilhelm had great ambitions for his younger brother; he was convinced that with a little work, Reinhard could soon be sitting on the Imperial throne. The only problem that he had encountered so far had come in the form of Emich von Babenberg. It was hard to believe that he was even remotely related to Leopold; where Leopold was loud and obnoxious, Emich was soft spoken and intelligent. In a few short years, Emich had replaced nearly everyone in the Imperial bureaucracy with his agents; he'd even gotten the Emperor to appoint his wife as the Imperial Treasurer. The whole Imperial government was eating out of his hand.
Wilhelm made a left, heading deeper into the bowels of the castle. Just a few days ago, he had received a note from someone claiming to be close to Emich and with damning information that would surely get him branded as a traitor. It was too good a chance to pass up.
He finally reached the place that the letter had mentioned. "Hello?"
"Don't turn around," said a voice behind him. Wilhelm felt a knife in his side. "Don't move. Don't say anything. It will be best for both of us if you don't know who I am. Rest assured that I wish to see Emich fall out of the Emperor's grace and his supporters purged from the Imperial government."
Wilhelm nodded his head slightly. "We share the same goal, then."
The voice chuckled. "Not for the same reason. You wish to see your brother sit on the Imperial throne in Mainz."
Wilhelm inhaled sharply at the mention of his plans. "How did you know?"
"Emich isn't the only one with spies," said the voice smugly. "I haven't told anyone of your plans...yet. But I will, if I must. So listen carefully; Emich and his wife have been embezzling Imperial money and using it to fund his elaborate spy system..."
As the man talked, Wilhelm started to smile. If half the things the mysterious man said were true, then Emich wouldn't just be exiled, he'd be killed.
When the man was done talking, Wilhelm asked the most important question: "Do you have proof?"
The informant scoffed. "Of course. Emich's little network runs on paperwork. It allows Emich to have access to any information he wants, when ever he wants. It also allows others to have access to that information, if they know how to get it..."
Wilhelm left a few hours later, with the promise that he would soon own the evidence he needed to bring Emich to his knees. The thought made Wilhelm smile. He was so happy, he completely missed the man lurking in the shadows.
--------
Emich read the latest report on Wilhelm's movements. He's up to something, he thought.
Kill him! said Ernst It hasn't failed before!
No, no, no! screeched Adolf You must be patient! You must wait until you know his whole plan! Fools charge in!
Fool! You know nothing of how the world works! Ernst yelled, causing Emich to wince.
You're just a big brute! Adolf replied Kill this, rape that! What are you a barbarian?
No, by God, I'm a man! Not some prissy little-
"Quiet! I can't hear myself think!" yelled Emich, banging his fist on the table where he was working.
"Emich, what's wrong?" said Katherina, concerned. "The headaches?"
"Erm, yes," said Emich lamely. Adolf and Ernst had gone silent. Emich ran his hand through his quickly thinning hair. "These reports don't help. Wilhelm is up to something, but I don't know what!"
"Maybe you just need to take your mind off of it for a bit," said Katherina. "Why don't you put down the papers and come to bed?"
"No just-" Emich caught Katherina's gaze. Go to her, you dimwit! said Ernst Go and make me a heir worthy of carrying my family's name!
September 16, 1090
Wilhelm von Zähringen hurried through the halls of Castle Babenberg. Ever since the Emperor had fled from Mainz, Vienna had become the de jure capitol of the Empire. Even now, despite Mainz being rebuilt and the Emperor officially residing there, the Empire's administrators had remained behind in Vienna. All this meant that Leopold and his nephew had near complete control of the Empire and its finances.
For Wilhelm, the brother of Reinhard von Zähringen, duke of Carinthia, this was very grim indeed. Wilhelm had great ambitions for his younger brother; he was convinced that with a little work, Reinhard could soon be sitting on the Imperial throne. The only problem that he had encountered so far had come in the form of Emich von Babenberg. It was hard to believe that he was even remotely related to Leopold; where Leopold was loud and obnoxious, Emich was soft spoken and intelligent. In a few short years, Emich had replaced nearly everyone in the Imperial bureaucracy with his agents; he'd even gotten the Emperor to appoint his wife as the Imperial Treasurer. The whole Imperial government was eating out of his hand.
Wilhelm made a left, heading deeper into the bowels of the castle. Just a few days ago, he had received a note from someone claiming to be close to Emich and with damning information that would surely get him branded as a traitor. It was too good a chance to pass up.
He finally reached the place that the letter had mentioned. "Hello?"
"Don't turn around," said a voice behind him. Wilhelm felt a knife in his side. "Don't move. Don't say anything. It will be best for both of us if you don't know who I am. Rest assured that I wish to see Emich fall out of the Emperor's grace and his supporters purged from the Imperial government."
Wilhelm nodded his head slightly. "We share the same goal, then."
The voice chuckled. "Not for the same reason. You wish to see your brother sit on the Imperial throne in Mainz."
Wilhelm inhaled sharply at the mention of his plans. "How did you know?"
"Emich isn't the only one with spies," said the voice smugly. "I haven't told anyone of your plans...yet. But I will, if I must. So listen carefully; Emich and his wife have been embezzling Imperial money and using it to fund his elaborate spy system..."
As the man talked, Wilhelm started to smile. If half the things the mysterious man said were true, then Emich wouldn't just be exiled, he'd be killed.
When the man was done talking, Wilhelm asked the most important question: "Do you have proof?"
The informant scoffed. "Of course. Emich's little network runs on paperwork. It allows Emich to have access to any information he wants, when ever he wants. It also allows others to have access to that information, if they know how to get it..."
Wilhelm left a few hours later, with the promise that he would soon own the evidence he needed to bring Emich to his knees. The thought made Wilhelm smile. He was so happy, he completely missed the man lurking in the shadows.
--------
Emich read the latest report on Wilhelm's movements. He's up to something, he thought.
Kill him! said Ernst It hasn't failed before!
No, no, no! screeched Adolf You must be patient! You must wait until you know his whole plan! Fools charge in!
Fool! You know nothing of how the world works! Ernst yelled, causing Emich to wince.
You're just a big brute! Adolf replied Kill this, rape that! What are you a barbarian?
No, by God, I'm a man! Not some prissy little-
"Quiet! I can't hear myself think!" yelled Emich, banging his fist on the table where he was working.
"Emich, what's wrong?" said Katherina, concerned. "The headaches?"
"Erm, yes," said Emich lamely. Adolf and Ernst had gone silent. Emich ran his hand through his quickly thinning hair. "These reports don't help. Wilhelm is up to something, but I don't know what!"
"Maybe you just need to take your mind off of it for a bit," said Katherina. "Why don't you put down the papers and come to bed?"
"No just-" Emich caught Katherina's gaze. Go to her, you dimwit! said Ernst Go and make me a heir worthy of carrying my family's name!
Well I know that this AAR probably isn't coming back (although stranger things have happened) but I just wanted to say that I've read through it all today and found it immensely entertaining. Ernst, Leopold, and Emich are all great characters and you have a great story of intrigue and ambition going here. I hope you come back to this and continue the story to its (inevitably bloody) end