Albania
George Kastrioti was an Albanian hostage in the Ottoman Empire. After fighting with distinction in the Ottoman Army, Kastrioti received the nickname “Lord Alexander, the Albanian” which was shortened to Skanderbeg (in Albanian the nickname was Skenderbeu Shqiptari). Skanderbeg saw the opportunity to rebel during the anti-Ottoman crusade. Renouncing Islam, Skanderbeg went to Albania, where he rebelled with the help of the crusader army under Vitelleschi. The Peace of Sofia saw an independent Albania set up under the influence of the Intermarrium Empire. Post war politics saw Skanderbeg gradually move away from the Intermarrium towards a closer association with the Romans. Skanderbeg himself, however, remains fiercely anti-Ottoman and is likely to support any war against them.
Ruler: George Kastrioti Skanderbeg b. 1405 (Marina Donika Arianiti)
Living Siblings: three brothers, one sister
Living Children: None
Aragon
Alfonso V of Aragon had been King of Aragon since 1416. Under his leadership, Aragon turned its attention away from Iberia and towards Italy. In 1421, Queen Joanna II of Naples adopted Alfonso and named his as heir to the Kingdom of Naples. As a result, Alfonso went to Naples, leaving his brother John II to rule his Iberian possessions while he was gone. However, Louis II of Anjou, who had previously been denied the throne to the Kingdom of Aragon, disputed Alfonso’s claim to Naples. A falling out between Queen Joanna and Alfonso led to Joanna repudiating Alfonso and recognizing Louis’ claim to the throne in 1423. A brief war between Aragon and Castile forced Alfonso to leave Naples in 1424.
However, Alfonso returned to Naples in 1435 when both Joanna and Louis died. This left Rene of Anjou, Louis’ little brother as the titular heir. However, Rene was at that point in a Burgundian jail trying to raise a ransom to be released. Alfonso took this opportunity to attack Naples. A released Rene in 1436 vainly tried to stop Alfonso, but failed, and Alfonso was crowned King of Naples in Christmas of 1436, Rene fleeing the country. Aragon’s Italian possessions were rounded out by the conquest of Sardinia in 1445, as their owners, Genoa, was distracted by the great Italian Wars that currently raged to the north.
All in all, by 1450, the Italian possessions of Aragon were of much more importance to Alfonso than his Spanish ones. Because of this, Alfonso spent all of his time at the court in Naples, turning Naples into a magnificent city as a result of his patronage to the detriment of his other territories. This has caused a rift within the nobility of the realm, with a pro-Iberian party, led by John II expressing extreme dissatisfaction with the direction of the realm.
Ruler: Alfonso V b. 1396 (Maria of Castile b. 1401)
Living Siblings: John II b. 1398 (Juana Enríquez)
Living Children: Ferdinand b. 1423 illegitimate (heir to Naples)
Austria
Frederick V (Frederick IV of Germany, soon to be Frederick III of Holy Roman Empire) is technically not the Duke of Austria. However, he keeps the rightful Duke, the ten year old Ladislaus, imprisoned in the Castle Orth, and thus reigns in Austria as its duke in practice.
Ruler: Frederick V b. 1415 (Anna of Brunswick); by right, Ladislaus
Living Siblings:
Living Children: Sigismund b. 1427
Bohemia
Bohemia’s title belongs to Ladislaus, who is imprisoned by Frederick V. In his absence, the country is divided into two main parties, the Austro-Catholic supporters, led by Ulrich von Rosenberg, and the nationalistic, Hussite leaning party, led by George of Podebrady.
Ruler: Ladislaus b. 1440, in his absence George of Podebrady b. 1420 and Ulrich von Rosenberg b. 1403
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: None
Bosnia
Sandwiched between the more powerful kingdoms of Hungary and Serbia, Bosnia is a relatively peaceful country that has, as a result of the king’s marriage to the daughter of the most powerful nobleman in Bosnia, gotten even more stable.
Ruler: Stjepan Tomaš Kotromanić b. 1401 (Katarina Kosaca b. 1425)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Stjepan Tomašević b. 1430 [from first wife]; Katarina b. 1447
Burgundy
Under Philip, Burgundy gradually extricated itself from the war being fought between France and England. In 1435, Philip reversed his previous alliance with England by attacking English held Calais and recognized Charles VII as King of France. Since then, however, Philip has continued to withdraw himself, being more concerned with expansion elsewhere. This policy seems to be successful as he has added Namur, Hainault, Holland, Frisia, Brabant, Limburg, Antwerp, and Luxembourg to his territories.
Under his leadership, Burgundy has become known as the most extravagant court of Europe. Fancying himself a second King Arthur, he created the Order of the Golden Fleece for his knights, who tour the countryside participating in tournaments. His vast expenditure ensured that Burgundy became the accepted leader of taste and fashion for nobility everywhere, and became the leading supplier of luxury products. Philip also is the most generous patron in Europe, commissioning artists, authors, goldsmiths, jewelers, and musicians, all of which make Burgundy the center of the cultural world in Europe.
Ruler: Philip, b. 1396 (Isabel of Portugal)
Living Siblings: Marie b. 1393 (widow); Agnes b. 1407 (Charles I, Duke of Bourbon)
Living Children: Charles b. 1433 (widower)
Castile
The long reigning John II is of a feeble will, being amiable, weak, and dependent on those around him. He himself is only a governmental figurehead, only caring about ornaments, verse-making, hunting, and tournaments. Castile was run under the King’s favorite, Alvaro de Luna, however, a power struggle broke out between Alvaro and the King’s second wife, Isabella of Portugal, resulting in Isabella’s victory. With the victory, Isabella is the undisputed master of Castile, though the King has suffered from depression since the disgrace of Alvaro and has become sickly. It is unknown how much longer the King will live and whether the Queen’s influence can last past his death.
On the international stage, Castile has been concerned with Granada, having, over the past years, slowly chipped away at its territories, and aiding various pretenders to the throne in order to ensure that it remains in a constant state of turmoil.
Ruler: John II b. 1405 (Isabel of Portugal)
Living Siblings: Maria b. 1401 (Alfonso V of Aragon)
Living Children: Henry IV [by first wife, Maria of Aragon] b. 1425 (Blanca of Navarre, marriage unconsummated)
Cyprus
Currently the King of Cyprus lays claim to the crown of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as well as the crown of Armenia. Prior to the reign of King John II, the kingdom had been weakened through its fights with the Genoese and Mamluks, which cumulated in the Mamluk’s military victory over Cyprus and the reduction of Cyprus to being a vassal of the Mamluks. Under King John II, however, Cyprus has gotten increasingly stronger, primarily through the decrease of the Cypriot’s enemies, the Genoese, as well as the increasing ties with a resurgent Roman Empire, as evidenced by the marriage of John II to Helena Palaeologus, the daughter of the heir to the Roman throne, Thomas Palaeologus.
Ruler: John II b. 1418 (Helena Palaeologus b. 1428)
Living Siblings: Anne de Lusignan b.1419 (Ludovico I b. 1402)
Living Children: James II b. 1440 (bastard), Charlotte b. 1443
Denmark
Under King Christopher, Denmark had dominated the Kalmar Union between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. With his death, however, the Kalmar Union dissolved, Sweden electing Charles II king while Denmark elected Christian I king. Norway became wracked with intrigue and violence as the country split into pro-Sweden and pro-Denmark parties, with each party crowning their champion king of Norway. With both Sweden and Denmark wishing to see the reunification of the Kalmar Union dominated by themselves, war seems likely.
Ruler: Christian I b. 1426 (Dorothea of Brandenburg b. 1430)
Living Siblings: Moritz V b. 1428; Gerhard VI b. 1430; Adelheid b. 1431
Living Children: None
England
The young Henry VI was crowned both King of England, in 1429, and King of France, in 1431. However, he did not take the reigns of the government until 1437, when his mother died. Both before that point, and afterwards, Henry VI allowed himself to be dominated by a few powerful personages at court, the Duke of Bedford, who died in 1435, and later a pro-peace faction, led by the Duke of Suffolk and Cardinal Beaufort. This caused the pro-war faction, headed by Duke of York, the assumed heir to the throne, and the Duke of Gloucester to be alienated.
In 1445, the peace efforts gained a coup when Henry VI agreed to marry Charles VII of France’s niece, Margaret of Anjou, giving up Maine and Anjou to France. The ceding of territories, however, proved unpopular in England, causing a large public backlash to occur against Henry. In an attempt to lessen this backlash, Henry banished the Duke of York to Ireland and had the Duke of Gloucester arrested on charges of treason, but pressure continued to build. Corruption, worsening finances, and continued loss in territories led to a breakdown of law and order. Trying to appease the masses, Henry sent the Duke of Suffolk, the main object of the commoner’s wrath, into exile, but he was murdered before he could leave. This move, however, did little to appease the English and Henry may have to take some drastic steps soon or risk facing a rebellion.
Ruler: Henry VI, b. 1421 (Margaret of Ajnjou)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: None (unacknowledged heir is Duke of York)
Ferrara
A pawn in the power games of the Italian War, Ferrara was briefly ruled by the Pope Urban controlled Ercole who had killed the previous Duke, Leonello. After the war, Borso d’Este was made Duke. Ferrara is unaligned at this time, believing that the safest option is an inoffensive neutrality. There are some succession questions, however. Borso has never married and thus has no children. He does have nine half-siblings, none of which has been named an official heir.
Ruler: Borso d’Este b. 1413
Living Siblings: No full siblings, nine half-siblings
Living Children: None
Florence
Though originally the junior partner in the Florence-Venice alliance, several events have served to propel Florence to the status of one of the greatest powers in Italy. Though he never served public office, Cosimo de’ Medici was able to use his great wealth and political acumen to establish de facto power over the republic. This power, however, was opposed by an anti-Medici party which led to Cosimo’s exile in 1433. However, the loss of capital from Florence was so great as a result of the exile, that Florence was forced to ask him to return in 1434. This event, however, convinced Cosimo that he would have to destroy the factionalism that resulted in his exile. To accomplish this, Cosimo’s instigated a series of constitutional changes which led to the securing of his power.
In a move that would later prove a decisive turning point for Florence, Cosimo correctly read the political climate and abandoned his traditional support for the papacy, securing for his city the right to host the Ecumenical Council that had previously been meeting in Basel in 1437. The arrival of prelates from across Europe, as well as the arrival of the Roman Emperor John Palaiologos, created a boom of culture and arts in the city.
Backing the Council of Italy in its wars against the Pope, Florence emerged with even greater prestige. While not gaining any territorial concessions from the war, Florence has won renown as a leading voice in the Church and has secured for itself the honor of hosting both the Council of Italy, which meets every year, as well as the Ecumenical Council which is scheduled to meet every ten years. Because of this, Florence is starting to become as important as Rome in the Church, and many relics have found their way into the city. Such fame and prosperity, however, are starting to strain relations with Florence’s traditional ally, Venice, who is increasingly becoming jealous of Florence’s power. As a result, despite the fact that Florence is committed to the concept of a balance of power in Italy, Cosimo has begun to send out feelers for allies in case of a war with Venice.
Ruler: Cosimo de’ Medici b. 1389 (Contessina de’ Bardi)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Piero b. 1416 (Lucrezia Tornabuoni); Giovanni b. 1421
France:
For as long as anyone could remember, France and England had been fighting their war. About the time the Council of Basil was first meeting, France received a blow as their hero, Joan of Arc, was executed by the English. This setback, along with the negotiations that followed, stalled what had been a vigorous French counter-attack. During the lull in the fighting, however, King Charles VII worked to consolidate his own position, reorganizing the army and government, and centralizing the French state.
Thus, when, in a diplomatic coup, France made peace with Burgundy and received Paris again, France was again poised to retake the offense against the English. However, they were stymied in this effort by the brilliant English commander, John Talbot, who routed the French in two separate battles in 1436 and 1439. After these disasters, the French turned to pursuing a battle avoidance strategy that concentrated on sieges, refusing to meet the English in battle. This strategy has paid off for France, as now England is left with only a couple small footholds in France.
There are, however, some dark clouds menacing the prosperity of France as the heir to the throne, Louis, and Charles have had several violent quarrels, leading to Louis’ banishment to the Dauphiny in 1446. Since then, Louis and Charles have not communicated, leading some to speculate whether Charles would dare name his youngest son as heir instead of Louis.
Ruler: Charles VII, b. 1403 (Marie of Anjou)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Louis XI, b. 1423 (widower); Yolande, b. 1434; Joan, b.1435; Magdalena, b. 1443; Charles b. 1446
Genoa
Genoa has been in steady decline since its defeat at the hands of Venice in 1380. Conquered in 1421 by Milan, it regained its independence in 1435, though that did little to help its recovery. Genoa’s decline in recent years has spread considerably as a result of supporting the losing side in two wars. During the recent anti-Ottoman crusade, they supported the Ottomans, and though did not suffer direct harm because of it, the Venetians, who supported the winning side benefited greatly to the detriment of Genoa. Just as worse was its entry into the Italian Wars on the side of Milan. Genoa actually did little on that war as they were concentrated on protecting their territories in the Eastern Mediterranean against the Romans, Venetians, and Cypriots, all of whom took the opportunity to expand at Genoa’s expense. By the end, Genoa had completely lost her eastern Mediterranean possessions. To add injury to injury, she also lost Sardinia and Corsica to Aragon in an unrelated war at the same time. Things are only worse as internally the three noble houses of Adorno, Campofregoso, and Fregoso engage in power struggles. Reduced to its mainland possessions, Genoa is only still alive because a war by any of their neighbors would shatter the delicate balance of power in Italy, perhaps sparking a wider war.
Ruler: Luigi Campofregoso (Married)
Living Siblings:
Living Children: Peter II b. 1420 (Married)
Granada Emirate
Granada is all that remains of the glory that was once Islamic Spain. Wracked by internal disputes, the only thing that is keeping it from being conquered by Castile is its mountainous terrain and excellent forts, which make Castile believe that it would be too expensive to conquer in one campaign. Instead, Castile has been successfully employing a strategy of encouraging local civil wars in Granada and conquering one fort or city at a time.
Muhammad IX was able to defeat the young Muhammad VIII in 1419. Muhammad IX himself, however, fell prey to the restored Muhammad VIII in 1427. 1429 saw the restoration of Muhammad IX, while 1432 saw Yusuf IV come to power. At Yusuf’s death in 1432, Muhammad IX again was restored, though he lost power again in 1445 to Muhammad X. Yusuf V entered the fray by gaining power in 1445, only to have Muhammad X regain power in 1446. Muhammad IX has once again gained power in 1448, though considering the history of Granada, no one knows how long this reign will last.
Ruler: Muhammad IX b. 1415 (Married)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Muhammad b. 1436
Holy Roman Empire
Frederick IV (Frederick V of Austria) was elected German King in 1440. However, the title of Holy Roman Empire remains technically vacant, as the electors have proven to be reluctant to name him king. As King of the Germans, however, Frederick has the de facto of the Holy Roman Emperor and it appears only a matter of time before he is officially crowned.
Ruler: Frederick III b. 1415 (Anna of Brunswick)
Living Siblings:
Living Children: Sigismund b. 1427
Intermarrium Empire (Poland-Lithuania-Hungary)
Though ascending to the throne at the age of ten in 1434, Władysław faced several early difficulties. Even before his ascension, he faced a conspiracy against him as some Polish nobles wished to see Władysław’s sister Jadwiga take the throne. This conspiracy was defeated in 1431 through the poisoning of Jadwiga. After Władysław’s crowning, real power rested in Zbigniew Olesnicki, Bishop of Krakow.
In 1440, Władysław was offered the crown of Hungary, which he accepted. He faced, however, a Hungarian rebellion led by Elisabeth, the widow of the previous king. With the support of the powerful Hunyadi and the Ecumenical Council, Władysław managed to defeat the rebellion by 1442. In exchange for the support he received from Hunyadi and the Council, Władysław agreed to embark upon a crusade against the Ottomans, which he started in 1442. This crusade was concluded successfully in 1444 with the Peace of Sofia, by which Władysław received Wallachia as well as influence over Serbia and Albania.
While Władysław was crusading, the situation in Poland deteriorated. This prompted Władysław to return to Poland in the winter of 1443, where he put down a anti-Hungary conspiracy among some of the nobles. This had the affect of strengthening the pro-Hungary, pro-crusade Olesnicki’s position in Poland even more, as Władysław gave him even more powers to act in his absence.
Meanwhile, in 1444, another anti-Polish uprising was being formed by Elisabeth on behalf of her four year old son, Ladislaus. This erupted into open warfare by 1445. Elisabeth’s interests were championed by the powerful Hungarian nobleman Ulrich II. Into this alliance stepped the Serbian despot Đurađ Branković, who also had significant territories in Hungary and was the father-in-law of Ulrich. Opposing this alliance was Władysław as well as Hunyadi, who had a personal vendetta against both Ulrich and Branković. With his core army of Hunyadi’s loyal crusaders, Władysław managed to defeat Ulrich, forcing him to flee Hungary while Đurađ Branković was forced back into his Serbian territories. Ulrich’s Hungarian territories were distributed among the loyal Hungarian nobles while Branković’s lands were given as a reward to Hunyadi. This, of course, made the already powerful Hunyadi even more powerful and Władysław felt it necessary to make an engagement with Hunyadi’s daughter Ilona in order to ensure Hunyadi’s continued loyalty.
In Lithuania, Władysław’s interests are overseen by his younger brother, Casimir, the Grand Duke of Lithuania. The real power, however, is held by Jonas Goštautas and the Council of Lords. Under their influence, Lithuania has slowly distanced itself from Poland, and it is unclear whether the personal union with Poland will survive Władysław.
Ruler: Władysław III b. 1424 (engaged to Ilona b. 1435)
Living Siblings: Casimir Jagiellon b. 1427
Living Children: None
Livonian Brothers of the Sword
The Livonian Brothers of the Sword are an autonomous branch technically under command of the Teutonic Order. Though the order has declined, it has avoided the drastic decline of the Teutonic Order. In fact, it has politically prospered by the Teutonic’s decline, becoming even more independent from the Teutons.
Ruler: Vinke von Overbergen
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: None
Milan
Milan has been one of the major players in Italy for much of recent history, usually arrayed against Florence and Venice. An inconclusive war in 1433 only served to lead to another inconclusive war in 1442. The Italian War of 1444 proved decisive, in that it diplomatically isolated Milan, bringing a period of peace to northern Italy under the principle of “balance of power.” When Visconti died in 1447, under suspicious circumstances, he was succeeded by his son-in-law, the brilliant Sforza, who had previously been named his heir as a result of the treaty that ended the Italian War.
Now, Milan appears to be in a position as good as, if not better, than it was under Visconti. Sforza and his wife Bianca are looking to be an admirable political match, Sforza being one of the greatest military men in Italy and Bianca proving herself as one of the ablest politicians and governors as she runs much of the day-to-day operations of the city. Diplomatically, Milan is beginning to emerge from the enforced isolation the end of the Italian Wars brought. Since that war, the Venice-Florence rivalry has begun to eclipse the previous Milan-Venice and Milan-Florence rivalry. As such, both Venice and Florence are willing to view their recent foe in a more friendly light, leaving open the possibility of alliance with one or the other if Sforza chooses to try and expand through war.
Ruler: Fransesco Sforza b. 1401 (Bianca Maria b. 1425)
Living Siblings: Alessandro b. 1409 (Costanza da Varano)
Living Children: Galeazzo b. 1444; Ascanio b. 1445; Ippolita b. 1446; Flippo Maria b. 1448; Sforza Maria b. 1449
Moscow
In 1425, when Vasily was only ten, his father died. Vasily’s uncle, Yuri of Zvenigorod, seized the opportunity to advance his own claim to the throne. Vasily had, as protection, his maternal grandfather Vytautas, King of Lithuania, and so held on to the throne until Vytautas’ death in 1430. At that point, Yuri went to the Golden Horde and returned with their recognition of him as king. This led to a general rebellion where Yuri defeated Vasily, exiling him to Kolomna. This, however, did not prove to be far enough away, and Vasily immediately started plotting against Yuri. This led to Yuri losing heart in face of a possible rebellion and flee Moscow for his own northern territory. Vasily returned to Moscow and reclaimed the throne, sending agents to Yuri’s home where they blinded him, making him ineligible to be king.
This did not end the civil war, however, as Yuri’s claim was continued by his two sons, Vasily the Cross-Eyed and Dmitry Shemyaka. Together, these two managed to defeat Vasily, who fled to seek refuge in the Golden Horde. In 1434, Vasily the Cross-Eyed declared himself Grand Duke of Moscow, which caused him to have a quarrel with his brother Dmitry, who wanted the throne for himself. This caused Dmitry to ally with Vasily II, and together they defeated Vasily the Cross-Eyed, blinding him.
Strangely enough, Dmitry and Vasily II managed to co-exist for the next five years, until Vasily was defeated and captured by one of the Golden Horde’s splinter Khanates. During the time Vasily was held prisoner, Dmitry gained power. Deciding he liked that power, when Vasily was released, Dmitry had him blinded and exiled. Vasily, however, despite being blind, and thus technically ineligible to the throne, still had a multitude of supporters. As a result, he raised a rebellion, regaining the throne and poisoning Dmitry. Now, with his throne finally secured, Vasily has begun to seek influence among the surrounding territories.
Ruler: Vasily II b. 1415 (Maria of Borovsk)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Ivan b. 1440
Navarre
John II became King Consort of Navarre by marriage to Queen Blanche I of Navarre. After her death in 1441, John took over as King. However, the people and nobility of Navarre preferred Charles, the son of John and Blanche over the “foreigner” John. This led to John becoming jealous of his son. This jealousy has only grown with the marriage of John to his second wife, the ambitious Juana Enriquez who wants to see John’s children from his previous marriage marginalized for the benefit of any future children she may have.
Ruler: John II b. 1398 (Juana Enríquez)
Living Siblings: Alfonso V b. 1396 (Maria of Castile b. 1401)
Living Children: All by First Wife, Blanche I of Navarre: Charles b. 1421 (widower); Blanca b. 1420 (Henry IV b. 1425, marriage not consummated); Eleanor b. 1425 (Gaston IV of Foix b. 1422)
Novgorod
Novgorod has had a long history of conflict with Moscow. With the recent end to Moscow’s civil war, it appears that the conflict will once again heat up.
Ruler: Isak Boretsky b. 1405 (Marfa b. 1408)
Living Siblings: None
Living Children: Dmitrii b. 1427 (Married); Fedor b. 1430
Portugal
When King Edward of Portugal died in 1438, Afonso V was only six years old. Because of this, the country was ruled by the regency of Afonso’s mother, Eleanor of Aragon. However, this proved to be unpopular in Portugal, as Eleanor was both a woman and a foreigner. Despite allying with the powerful Count of Barcelos, the queen was forced to give up her regency in 1439 to Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, the oldest uncle of the king. The new regent focused on curbing the power of the nobles and centralizing power in the power of the king, which caused unrest among the nobles. This led to a power struggle with the Count of Barcelos, who the king made Duke of Braganza in 1442, making him one of the most powerful and richest men in Portugal. To secure his position against the rising Braganza, Coimbra married his daughter, Isabel, to Afonso in 1445.
Issues came to a head in 1448 when the king came of age. This led to the Duke of Braganza winning the power struggle, as the King nullified all laws and edicts approved by Coimbra. This led to a destabilization of Portugal, cumulating in a rebellion led by Coimbra. The rebellion was defeated in 1449, cementing Braganza as the de facto ruler of Portugal. Now will Afonso embark on another power struggle, this time against Braganza, or will he acquiesce to the status quo? If Portugal can remain stable, it has plenty of expansion opportunities, especially in Africa, where Portugal is increasingly turning towards, thanks to the leadership and funding of the King’s uncle, Prince Henry.
Ruler: Afonso V b. 1432 (Isabel of Coimbra)
Living Siblings: Fernando b. 1433 (Beatrice of Portugal); Leonor b. 1434; Catarina b. 1436; Joana b 1439; half-brother: Joao Manuel b. 1416 (vow of chastity)
Living Children: None
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was in dire straights when Emperor John VIII went west to appeal for aid against the Ottomans. At Florence, the East agreed to end the schism between themselves and the West in exchange for military aid. This military aid took the form of the anti-Ottoman Crusade of 1442, which ended in the Ottoman defeat. From this victory, the Romans enlarged their Despot of Morea.
After the end of the Ottoman Crusade, the Romans continued their revival. Entering into the Italian Wars on the side of the Council, the Romans helped overrun Genoese territories in the eastern Mediterranean. In exchange, the Venetians helped them take over the islands of the Duchy of Naxos. At the end of the Italian Wars, the Romans received an unexpected gift, when, in 1446, Pope Callixtus ceded the Papal States to the Roman Empire, creating the Despot of Rome under Graitzas Palaiologos, a relative of the Emperor. Emperor John VIII died in 1448 with Constantine XI, his recognized heir, taking over as Emperor.
Ruler: Constantine XI b. 1405 (widower)
Living Siblings: Demetrios b. 1407 [in exile] (Theodora Asanina); Thomas b. 1409 (Catherine Zaccaria)
Living Children: None
As for the rest of the rules and the detail/speed problem, that is of course a debate that is one of those central to the very concept of NESing. You can see where I am as a Simulationist, but by the same token the best update in the world doesn't matter if you never post it. Hopefully I'll be able to strike a balance. I really can't give any specifics yet.(be happy to lend a hand... I just happen to have a few academic works on Industrialisation sitting on my table).
