Dawn of Colonization

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Plague Strikes the Byzantine Empire. Athens, Byzantine Empire. An epidemic has struck the kingdom this year. So far, the epidemic has been minored but has killed nearly a hundred people and sparked fears of a new Red Death. These fears, so far, have been unfounded but that hasn't stopped a panic in Athens as rumors of King Burb II's disease-fueled death circulated for only a short time before thousands attempted to flee the city to the countryside. (-1 Pop, -1 Stability)

First Portable Watch Created. Machynlleth, Celtic Empire of Wales. An ingenious craftsman in the Celtic Empire created the first portable watch. The rather expensive instrument is popular among very wealthy craftsmen who own productive shops with workers, intrigued noble lords, and others in need or interested in timekeeping, sparking a boom in the industry and others. (+.02 Industry)

Tales of Wealth, and the Evidence, Arrives in Toulouse. Toulouse, Duchy of Toulouse. A privately-funded, small expedition overseas by merchants seeking the Northwest Passage has resulted in the merchants returning, not finding the passage but with furs. Amazing furs. Furs that people want. These merchants also told stories of the natives in a world across the sea who traded furs and turquoise for the goods the merchants brought with them. Lost underneath the story are the reports of death, malnourishment, and a lost ship during the passage. (+5% Trade Modifier)

Schism in Catharism Rocks Southern France, Holy Land.. Jerusalem, Kingdom of Jerusalem. King Baldwin I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem declared that the Toulouse Cathars have gone too far in their anti-Catholic drive and that teachings of the original Roman Catholic Church must be brought back to Europe. A moderate number of Cathars in Jerusalem have switched their allegiance from Toulouse to the Orthodox Catholic Church of Jerusalem. Grand Duke Bonaventura Gualtiero III Visconti of the Grand Duchy of Milan, a neighbor of Toulouse has also embraced this schismatic church and have converted a larger share of their population to it than even King Baldwin. Toulouse so far has managed to contain the heresy within their own borders. (-1 Stability for Kingdom of Jerusalem, +1 Stability for Grand Duchy of Milan)

Meanwhile, a schism in an African nation has gone relatively unnoticed.

Schisms in the Celto-Catholic Church Raises Doubts: Dublin, High Kingdom of Mide. The Church is calling for action regarding spreading the faith and strengthening it in light of divides arising between the Dublin and Celto-Catholics in Russia, France, the Balkans, and the Far East. Church leaders have taken it upon themselves to reintegrated those within Mide that have fallen astray and Bogomil and the Russian Orthodoxy are now only rumors within the kingdom though French merchants bring their heretic faith with them from France. (Oriental Catholicism and Orthodox Christianity no longer notable in the High Kingdom of Mide)

Milanese Merchants Renowned Across the Mediterranean. Genoa, Grand Duchy of Milan. A century after the Red Death, the Italians are showing off their shipping skills once more. Milanese ports such as Genoa often become points of interest and centers of trade for traders as far as Ireland to the Holy Land and Crimea. This prosperity has resulted in a number of immigrants from the Duchy of Toulouse (mostly Orthodox with a splattering of Toulouse Cathars) to find greener pastures in Milanese cities (+10% Trade Modifier, -6 pops for Toulouse, +6 pops for Milan)

Bogomil Supplants Celto-Catholicism in Bosnia. Bobovac, Kingdom of Bosnia. King Nedim I Kotromanić's split from the Celto-Catholic Church started a wave of reformation across the church which resulted in Oriental Catholicism to rise in China (and strangely, France), and the Russian Orthodox Church to become unchallenged in their small part of the world. The King's handling of the schism is also the best, as the other schisms have resulted in unrest in the regions where they spawned, especially in France where a sizable number of the population still identifies with the CCC.. (Celto-Catholicism in Bosnia downgraded to notable, -1 Stability for Russia and China. -2 Stability for France)

Peaceful Immigration from the Barbary States Raises Fears in Catalonia. Barcelona, Principality of Catalonia. Immigrants from unclaimed Iberia and the Barbary States is strengthening the economy of Catalonia as labor demands start being met. However, there are a number of outspoken Catharist clergymen who have spoken out against the rise of followers of Islam within the country. (+10 pops for Catalonia, -5 pops for Barbary States)

Minor Baby Boom in the Crimea Attributed to the Monolith. Dzhankoi, Republic of Crimea. Higher than usual births in the Republic of the Crimea have been attributed to the mythical Monolith that is central to Monolith Worship in that region of the world. Some scholars in the Crimea say that this sudden burst in growth can be thanked more to the stability of the region than "some rock". This has created a fierce public debate on city streets across the republic. (+.05 population growth in Crimea this turn)

Celto-Catholic Immigration to Sweden, Crime Rates on the Rise. Stockholm, Sweden. As numbers of Celto-Catholics from Mide and Wales migrate to Sweden, crime rates in the Scandinavian country are on the rise. This has resulted in a backlash against Celto-Catholic immigrants as well as disputes between poor Celto-Catholic and Orthodox Christians. These disputes often turn violent. (+15 pops to Sweden, -7 for Mide, -8 for Wales, -1 Stability in Sweden)

Federalism in Antwerpen Decreases Tensions. Antwerpen, Union of Flanders. The federal system in the Union of Flanders, despite claims in its inefficiency compared to monarchies across Europe, is working to decrease the tension between the nation's two major, and opposed, religions, Celto-Catholicism and Oriental Catholicism.

French Craftsmen Envy of the West. Paris, Kingdom of France. Despite growing religious tensions in the country, the craftsmen of all denominations in the country have managed to refine their technique and to create a system of transferring this knowledge to the next generation of craftsmen effectively. The rise of craftsmen guilds in France are seen as a positive step forward for the kingdom. (+.02 Industry Growth)

Orthodox Christian Numbers on the Rise. Moscow, Tsardom of Russia. A number of immigrants from the surrounding regions have flooded into Russia this year and converted to the state religion, Orthodox Christianity. This has put the Celto-Catholics in the region in a bind as their influence is threatened. (+15 pops in Russia)

Baby Boom Amid Economic Prosperity. Tripoli, Barbary States. There is a notable number of young ones on the streets of not just Tripoli, but streets throughout villages and cities in the Barbary States. The republic has entered a period of great economic growth and the people are celebrating the best way they know how. (+.05% population growth and industrial growth in Barbary States)

Constantinople Once Again Center of Culture and Wealth in the World. Constantinople, Dardanelles. The capital city of Dardanelles is once again drawing admiring looks from both east and west as patronage of the arts, commerce, and science result in wide-ranging benefits for the kingdom. However, this concentration is resulting in fears among its people that outside invaders may one day take everything they have worked towards. This has resulted in fear and a technological drive to security but it is up to the monarchy to truly sate their fears. (Fort Tech Level 2 unlocked, +5% Trade Modifier, +2% Population Growth, +4% Industrial Growth)

Crisis Averted in Night's Dream. Dodoma, Empire of Night's Dream. Followers of Forn Sior and Toulouse Catharism nearly clashed this year over disagreements over the rituals performed by Forn Sior, which Catharists consider to take away from Christ. This underlies the polythesitic differences between the schismatic religion and Toulouse Church. In Forn Sior, Jesus is part of a overarching pantheon. Despite violence being avoided, tensions remain high. (-1 Stability)

Orthodox Catholic Blamed for Serial Murders in Egypt. Cairo, Kingdom of Egypt. Muslims in the city are in an uproar over the capture of the dreaded Cairo Stalker who, over the course of a month, stalked and killed several women a largely upscale, Islamic part of the city. Rumors of the serial killer's Orthodox Catholic roots circled before, finally, an angry mob attacked a Catholic neighborhood. Several were killed on both sides and dozens have been injured and shops have been destroyed. (-1 Stability, -.01 Industry)

Mass Conversions in Zimbabwe. Harare, Zimbabwe. A religious minority in Zimbabwe has progressed in their efforts in converting members of a heretical religion. Forn Sior has successfully converted a large number of Catharists within Zimbabwe to their own faith. (Forn Sior now a Major Religion, Catharism no longer notable)

Earthquakes Rock the Holy Land Jerusalem, Kingdom of Jerusalem. A moderate earthquake rocked the Middle East this year resulting in nearly a thousand injuries and property loss. Thousands more are injured and rumors of violence among refugees are already circulating the Mediterranean. (-9 pops, -.02 Industry, -1 Stability)

Confucians and Oriental Catholics Demand Recognition. Tokyo, Eternal Empire of Japan. The two notable religions in Japan demand that Emperor Hirohata adopt one of them as the state religion of Japan. Shogun Tokugawa of the country, along with many others, argue that Japan should maintain its stance and not fall whim to two mere minor religions.

Peace Brings Prosperity in Tibet. Lhasa, Kingdom of Tibet. Gendun Gyatso Palzangpo's peaceful rule is resulting in many Tibetans feeling safe in their economic daily lives. For many, the warlike teachings of Shadow Buddhism are looking more and more archaic and dangerous to their newfound levels of wealth. (Buddhism reduced to Notable Religion, +.03 Industrial Growth)

Confucius Says to Trade More! Kolkata, Kolkatan Empire. After years of isolation, the people of Kolkata are once more willing and ready to trade with the rest of the world and just in time as demands for Indian goods are on the rise in the west. (+7% Trade Modifier)

...Buddha Says To Attack?. Karakorum, Mongol Empire. Europe is hesitant to trade with Mongolians after the Red Death and earlier Bubonic Plague swept through Europe following Mongolian Invasion. Many politicians and European men-of-faith blame the Mongolians for the biblical death toll and trade is suffering. With some Europeans hesitant to trade with their Mongolian counterparts, militarism is on the rise in Mongolia. (-.05 Trade Modifier, $20 into Army Tech 2)

The Merchants Are Also Rich.. Kangxi, Pearl River Kingdom. Kangxi is renowned worldwide for being the "Genoa of the Far East". Thanks to the rising wealth of many of Kangxi's neighborhoods and the port, the government has a lot to look forward to this tax season. (+.06 Trade Modifier, +.03 Industry Growth)

Oriental Catholics Begin Mass Emigration and Conversion out of the Qi Dynasty. Beijing, Qi Dynasty. Oriental Catholics in the Qi Dynasty are migrating to China in massive numbers. The emigration is resulting in deaths on the way there as the bands are often targeted by bandits and raiders. By the time some arrive to China, they are violent and the massive influx of immigration has resulted in a negative shift in stability in China. (-10 pops in Qi, +6 pops in China, -1 Stability in China)

Islam Undivided Sparks Support in Malacca. Kuala Lumpur, Sultanate of Malacca. With Islam being undivided from the Barbary States to Malacca, there are calls from much of the religious establishment for the Sultanate of Malacca to help spread Islam to her neighbors as well. A large expedition of private missionaries took it upon themselves to sail the eastern coast to spread the religion in the name of Allah. (Islam notable in Japan, Qi, Pearl River, and China.)

Major Baby Boom in China. Shanghai, Empire of the Dragon. China is noticing massive population growth this year. Why? No one knows for sure. (+.1% population growth this turn)