PerfNES I: Ultima Ratio Regum

[Karalysia]

Tokhta Horde

[Lord of Elves]

Ardabilid Empire here.

[CivGeneral]

After much deliberation, I chose Duchy of Saxony

(Just go easy on me. Its going to be a learning experience for me)

[ZeletDude]

Sweden is here

[das]

Delhi confirmed.

[ParkCungHee]

Hubaekje standing by.

[taillesskangaru]

The Chobanids are here.

[Thlayli]

No sense standing on ceremony, let's get right to it.

From: Aimeric II, Prince of Sicily, Sovereign Custodian of the Catholic Church
To: Our Dearest Egyptian Cousin

We greet you with unending affection. We believe it meet to reaffirm our longstanding amity, and our impassioned, eternal commitment to the protection of our brotherhood of faith.

We are troubled, however, by the lack of coordination between our respective churches. Naturally we agree that the Papal authority is in abeyance for as long as the temporal power in Rome corrupts that noble edifice, but nonetheless, the immemorial hierarchy of our Catholic Church must be respected. An assurance from your Council of State that the religious decrees and the hierarchical position of the Archbishop of Palermo are premier to those of the Egyptian church, and that the Archbishop of Alexandria, as first among equals within the Egyptian church, is subordinate to the Archbishop of Palermo, will ease our conscience.

The costs of compliance with the dictates of a lawful hierarch are naturally in excess of those levied upon the unbound heretic, and in recognition of this duty we are more than willing to grant an appropriate allowance to the relevant bureaux for the purpose of ensuring ecclesiastical unity.

[~Darkening~]

Second Pandyan Empire.

[ChiefDesigner]

永正筆禦之寶 (In the Imperial Hand of Emperor Yongzheng of Jin)

[The Farow]

I am going to claim Georgia if that is alright.

[Perfectionist]

Glad to have you, Farow

Originally Posted by Karalysia, in the preview thread

What is that status of Sarari?

Sarai, you mean? Well, it wasn't the same Sarai, but the old Horde capital declined precipitously after the Horde broke apart. It's nothing special nowadays.

Originally Posted by Karalysia

How effectively is the Europeanish territories of the Horde administered when the capital is in Samarkqand?

The beglerbeglik has a fair bit of autonomy, at least when the Khan is in Samarkand, and Crimea has even more. The government, so far at least, hasn't really tried to force much on the Tatars beyond getting them to pay taxes, protect trade routes, stop fighting each other, and provide troops. The state's done a good job of aggregating the tribal interests, and it's all working fairly well so far.

Originally Posted by Karalysia

Also what is the primary or predominant ethnic groups?

Various Tatar groups on the steppe; the Kimek Tatars are the most prominent, probably. Kalmyk Mongols and Kirgiz Turks are the dominant groups in Transoxiana.

Originally Posted by Karalysia

What of the filthy Uzbeks?

Never underwent ethnogenesis.

Originally Posted by Karalysia

Gunpowder weapons and cannons? Central Asia was a famous source of gunners and cannon making.

Not so much in this TL. You've got some, but not that many and they're not a focus, what with all the cavalry and wide open steppe.

Originally Posted by Toteone, in the preview thread

Is this view correct Perfectionist, or does the Order not care about which Lithuania is more Christian and just want to profit from the civil war, religion and Denmark be damned?

The Order leadership doesn't really believe you're properly converted, and, yes, would like to profit from Lithuania's division while they can. There are elements within the Order that oppose such a course of action, because of your nominal Christianization, and the broader Monastic Church would be unhappy with the Order if they did move.

Originally Posted by Toteone

I'm also assuming my relationship with Denmark is good, and that despite the tension the Order's relationship with Denmark is good too?

Good, but yours is not as good as it used to be. Zygimantas has turned out to not be as obliging as the Danes expected, and has been less forceful in suppressing paganism than they'd like.

Originally Posted by Toteone

Also, how do they afford keeping up 80 companies on their relatively small budget (especially with most of them being well-armed and trained and 'comparatively few' being crappy levies?

They're mostly monks. And besides, their pay is overwhelmingly in-kind, and arranged by their local districts; it never reaches the central treasury in Lyndanisse.

[Karalysia]

Is there a bureaucracy, and if so what is it's nature and how widespread and effective is it? Is there a Kurltai of the tribes/ethnic group? What is going on in Afghanistan? And what is the status of the Khante of Samara and Kazan at this point?

[Lord_Iggy]

The Principality of Frisia/Frysk Forstentum is here!

[North King]

Hungary here.

[Masada]

Leaguer here.

[Toteone]

Ah, the local pay for the monks was what I couldn't figure out.
Thanks for answers!

Grand Duke's Lithuania present~

[spryllino]

Leofric III, son of Offa, heir of Charlemagne, Emperor of England and King of Brittany, is present.

To Frisia
From England

We wish to reaffirm our firmest of alliances. May nothing hinder it, and may it ever take precedence over all our other continental obligations.

To Lotharingia
From England

We wish nothing but friendship to your dynasty and hope that we may yet find a basis for lasting alliance.

[Agent 89]

Gascony here.

[Communisto]

Bohemia up in dis.