BirdNES 3: When Worlds Collide

[Birdjaguar]

The Election of the Emperor January 1521

The Electors seven gathered round the table
Wearing furs of the finest sable;
Three Archbishops, and then the Kings
Drinking wine and flashing signet rings;
On folded parchment they make their mark
To set the course they shall embark,
Then one by one the words are read
For the Princely name on whose head
The Emperor’s crown will soon adorn
Much like our Lord’s one of thorn.

(More to be added as the evening progresses)

 

[Birdjaguar]

The vote:

The Archbishop of Mainz votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Archbishop of Trier votes for

Spoiler :

Duke of Saxony

The Archbishop of Cologne votes for

Spoiler :

Christian of Denmark

The King of Bohemia votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Margrave of Brandenburg votes for

Spoiler :

Christian of Denmark

The Count Palatine of the Rhine votes for

Spoiler :

Duke of Saxony

The Duke of Saxony votes for

Spoiler :

Duke of Saxony

Gold to be deducted from these nation’s stats:
Venice: 1000
Spain: 2000
England: 1800
Austria: 2500
France: 2500
Kalmar Union: 4000

Not all gold offered was spent and any loans will have to be worked out between the parties. Include such exchanges in your orders please.

 

[Birdjaguar]

The failure of the first round of voting to select an Emperor meant that a second round would take place after the fish course.

The Second Vote:
The Archbishop of Mainz votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Archbishop of Trier votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Archbishop of Cologne votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The King of Bohemia votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Margrave of Brandenburg votes for

Spoiler :

Duke of Saxony

The Count Palatine of the Rhine votes for

Spoiler :

Phillip of Austria

The Duke of Saxony votes for

Spoiler :

Duke of Saxony

Spoiler :

All Hail Emperor Phillip of Austria!

Election Notes

Spoiler :

Because the first round of voting did not look to be certain in any one direction, I devised a second round based on the Electors preferences, first round payments offered and a probability scale across the top candidates. Percentile dice determined the vote of each Elector.
For those interested, a total of 41,300 gold were invested in this election by players. If yor candiate lost, you can probably blame it on the German wine.

Thanks to all for your avid participation.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Results are in. ^^^^

 

[Luckymoose]

I feel cheated by this system completely.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Well you shouldn't. The first round of votes were all based on the various offers made and that was inconclusive. I used that information to create ranges for each Elector and how they might vote. For example, Mainz was 1-75 for Denmark and 76-100 for Austria. His roll was 96. I see the probablility aspect of this as the post vote conversation this group might have had and their attempts to persuade one another about the best choice.


BTW, why do you feel cheated? You hardly spent any money and weren't even a candidate.

 

[Luckymoose]

2000 gold and political calls is more than most. Now I've lost it all because the people I paid ended up changing their vote anyway as if it never mattered.

 

[Birdjaguar]

But it would have matterd if The Duke of Saxony had not been given a ton of money. His appearance surprised me completely and undid the plans of several Electors. Had he not been in the race it would have beenn decided in round 1.

 

[Abaddon]

40,000 gold!? Has that simply swapped hands in various "sweeteners" or has it been spent?

 

[Prinny]

To: The Emperor of The Holy Roman Empire, Philip of Austria, Head of the Habsburg Dynasty
From: Grandmaster Johann von Tiefen of the Teutonic Order

We desire a guarantee against further Polish aggression against our territories (as well as possible reperations in the form of the return of Koenigsberg) and the establishment of a long-term peace with the Polish peoples with Austria as guarantor. In return we are willing to pledge a permanent oath of allegiance to the Habsburg dynasty


To: Russia and Scandinavia
From: The Teutonic Order

We desire an alliance against the vile and wretched Poles.

 

[Milarqui]

To: King Philip of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor
From: King João II of Portugal

We congratulate you in your being chosen as Holy Roman Emperor by the electors of the Empire. We hope that your reign is as uneventful as possible, and that Christianism really shines through your realms.

However, we have to disturb you for one matter. We would like for you to ask His Holiness the Pope Gregorius XIII to mediate in the matter concerning England, Portugal, Scotland and Spain regarding the ownership of the New World, which was given to Portugal and Spain by the Pope himself nearly twenty years ago but now being contested by England and Scotland.

Yours faithfully,
King João II of Portugal.

To: His Holiness Gregorius XIII, Bishop of Rome and Representative of Jesus Our Lord on Earth
From: King João II of Portugal
CC: King Juan I of Spain, King Henry VIII of England, King James V of Scotland

Your Holiness, this message is being written to you in hopes of finding you in good health, as well as hoping nothing has prevented you from keeping on continuing taking the reins of the Holy See's government.

However, this is not only a message written in order to exchange pleasantries. As you may know, recently both England and Scotland, in direct violation of the treaty of Olivença you yourself placed upon us in order to mediate in our (as in Portugal and Spain) discussion over the ownership of the New World, developed colonies in there despite knowing that You, in Your intelligence, had given ownership of that part of the world to Spain.

The world stands on the brink of war, something that we do not wish, but yet we feel we have to do in order to prevent England and Scotland from trampling on Your will. We have been awaiting Your opinion and council in this most important matter, but, despite our sending not only one but more than one message pointing at the urgency of this matter being solved, you have yet to make yourself known.

With this last message, which is also being sent to all the other kings of the nations involved in this matter, in order to make them know that efforts are being made so that diplomacy takes the place of war, and also to ask them to add their words to this message, in order to implore you that you finally send word of what you think of this matter, whether Portugal and Spain are right and ownership of the New World is jointly given to both Portugal and Spain forever, or whether England and Scotland also have rights to these lands and their colonies may stay there.

Please, answer with all the swiftness you can, for the fate of Europe and the New World rests in your hands.

Your servant in the eyes of Our Lord,
King João II of Portugal.

OOC: Honestly, LB, you've had days to decide the answer, we really need to know it!

EDIT: I have a question, Birdjaguar: how come Scotland has more Prestige than Portugal, when Portugal has beaten Morocco and Algiers, discovered the New World, the route around Africa, and has more colonies than everybody else, while Scotland only has one colony and hasn't done much?

 

[Agent 89]

Interesting election Bird. I was surprised by the large backing for the Duke of Saxony.

To: King Philip of Austria, Holy Roman Emperor
From: King João II of Portugal

We congratulate you in your being chosen as Holy Roman Emperor by the electors of the Empire. We hope that your reign is as uneventful as possible, and that Christianism really shines through your realms.

However, we have to disturb you for one matter. We would like for you to ask His Holiness the Pope Gregorius XIII to mediate in the matter concerning England, Portugal, Scotland and Spain regarding the ownership of the New World, which was given to Portugal and Spain by the Pope himself nearly twenty years ago but now being contested by England and Scotland.

Yours faithfully,
King João II of Portugal.

To: King João II of Portugal, Pope Gregorius XIII
From: Philip I, Holy Roman Empire, King of Germany, King of the Romans, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Princely Count of Hapsburg, Margrave of Moravia, Regent of Bohemia

While the lands of this New World are across the seas from the Empire and the land of the Hapsburgs, and thus are of little importance to myself, I too wish to see the Pope come forth and announce his intentions in this matter, so that war may be avoided. However, I am sure that the Pope will make these proclamations at the time of his choosing, and even urgings from myself will do nothing to bring about this moment any earlier.

On other note, while I may have no direct interests in these far-away lands, I believe that it would be wisest for the Pope to review his earlier decision, as he has promised to do, and to edit it to allow colonization of the New World to be open to all. From the stories I have heard, the New World is truly a vast continent, or series of continents, and even the mighty Spanish and Portuguese nations have only been able to settle a small fraction of this land, and have managed to convert even less of the indigenous population. Surely, to further the spread of Christianity, and to avoid war, it would be prudent to allow all nations that have the ability to transverse the Atlantic and establish colonies, as well as efficiently convert the natives to Christianity, to do so.

 

[spryllino]

To Philip, Holy Roman Emperor
From Agostino Adorno, Doge of Venice

On behalf of all the people and the Signoria of the Most Serene Republic, I heartily congratulate you for your election to the Holy Roman Empire and hope that the Turk will be crushed into the earth with the greatest alacrity that God allows to be imparted by His grace to mortal armies.

To His Holiness Gregorius XIII Vicarius Christi, and also more Generally to all the notables of Christendom, and Particularly to the Clergy of the Most Serene Republic
From the Signoria of the Most Serene Republic of Venice

We do solemnly announce that it has been decided to hold a General Synod of the Venetian Church in autumn of the year of our Lord 1525. Therefore, it pleases the Signoria of Venice to invite observers from all lands, and we shall be considering the matter of Church reform along with other concerns that it behooves our Church to contemplate, whether we see fit to receive new concepts with acceptance or with disgust. Therefore, we see fit to invite to address the Synod or to send statements to the Synod: the Patriarchs of Venice and Aquileia, the Archbishops of Ravenna, Zara, Milan, Spalato, Ragusa, and Antivari, also Erasmus, Luther, and Zwingli. All bishops with dioceses partly or wholly within Venetian territory are invited to attend and discuss the issues with the Prelates and with the Signoria. Any noble or clergyman from Christendom is welcome to attend, subject to the availability of seating; some places will be reserved for men of greater notability who wish to attend. Of course, we desire with all our heart that the Pope should attend and participate in person as he sees fit or send a Legate if His Holiness is preoccupied.

In addition, the Signoria wishes the Synod to discuss the issue of the establishment of a new Archdiocese at Tunis that the true faith may prosper and be spread even unto the places where the heathen hitherto prospered, and we desire and beseech the blessing of the Pope in this endeavour that the Signoria may establish an Archbishopric and nominate a suitable Archbishop to take up office.

OOC: Bird, can I have attending and speaking/sending written statement/not attending from each of the people invited to speak?

Also, out of curiosity, were my lengthy letters to the electors useful or was the bribery much more the point?

I can probably send orders when diplo is received from the Pope in reply to this.


I've put the Synod in Autumn 1525 (over the end of the turn) so I can see what the clergy think and then put any proposals into action at the beginning of 1526 before the Synod disperses.

 

[Agent 89]

From Alfonso II, Most Serene King of Naples and Jerusalem
To Maximillian Sforza

I thank you for putting this matter to rest. Gian Sforza was indeed the rightful heir to the throne of Milan before he was murdered by Philip of Austria. Thus his son, Francesco Sforza shall be crowned Duke of Milan shortly.

To: Alfonso, King of Naples
From: Philip I, Holy Roman Emperor, forever August, King of the Romans, King of Germany, Archduke of Austria, Duke of Burgundy, Princely Count of Habsburg, Margrave of Moravia, Regent of Bohemia, etc.
CC: France, Milan, Genoa

I take great insult at your slanderous lies against me, a pious Christian prince. To suggest that I was responsible for the death of Gian Sforza, and thus have gone against the word of God, is completely unfounded, and an affront to my person. It is clear from your statements that you have no wish for peace of any kind, but only wish to slaughter the Italian people through continued warfare. I am deeply saddened that the calls for peace made by myself and my brother Maximilian have been ignored by the "King" of Naples.

You so desperately persist that Francesco is the rightful Duke of Milan, when any fool can see that this is not the case. I will not deny that Gian Sforza was the heir to the Duchy of Milan, but by betraying his nation and waging war against his people, in the process killing thousands of his loyal subjects, he forfeited any God-given right he might have had. Therefore, the inheritance of Milan fell to the eldest child of Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Bianca Maria Sforza, the wife of my late father. However, both my father and step-mother saw that it was within the best interests of all for Ludovico Sforza to continue his rule as Duke of Milan, considering the great wealth and culture he had brought to the city. Thus, both he, and his son Maximilian, rule Milan in their own right, with the approval of myself and my father.

Despite the legality of Maximilian's reign, I have offered you a generous compromise, which would have seen Francesco as Duke of Pavia. However, in your greed and blood lust, you have rejected this compromise, making it clear that you desire nothing but war, in order to weaken the north of Italy, so that you may exercise greater influence over the various states there.

I have no wish for war. However, I will support Maximilian in defending his domain against those who attempt to dispose him from his throne. I am sure that he, like I, has no wish for a large-scale war, and will only endeavor to protect his rightful territories against those who might attack him.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Therefore, we see fit to invite to address the Synod or to send statements to the Synod: the Patriarchs of Venice and Aquileia, the Archbishops of Ravenna, Zara, Milan, Spalato, Ragusa, and Antivari, also Erasmus, Luther, and Zwingli. All bishops with dioceses partly or wholly within Venetian territory are invited to attend and discuss the issues with the Prelates and with the Signoria. Any noble or clergyman from Christendom is welcome to attend, subject to the availability of seating; some places will be reserved for men of greater notability who wish to attend. Of course, we desire with all our heart that the Pope should attend and participate in person as he sees fit or send a Legate if His Holiness is preoccupied.

OOC: Bird, can I have attending and speaking/sending written statement/not attending from each of the people invited to speak?

Also, out of curiosity, were my lengthy letters to the electors useful or was the bribery much more the point?

I would find it daunting to write content for all those people for the synod. I am slow enough with updates that such a task would certainly not help. I suggest that for the named persons (Erasmus, Luther, and Zwingli) that others (you?) select bits of their actual writings and use those. At this point the ideas of the reformers do not differ from thoe of OTL 1520. As for all the other church folks, I'm not sure how to handle them. Ideas welcome on this.

It appears (and correct me if I am wrong) that you are trying to ascertain the degree to which the reformation is impacting northern Italy. If this is the case, I might suggest an alternative. Let me work out on my own how and where the reformist movemment is spreading, based on my "plan" and player orders (some may wish to supress and others encourage). Then i will include a section in the update on what's happening where. That write up might provide nough guidance for the next turns orders. What do you think?

If players though want to conduct a synod, I will use its outcome as part of the update.

BTW, IIRC the New world agreement was devised by a different player (Banana Lee) and a different Pope.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Regarding orders. i do not go back to diplo posted here on in pms when I do the update, so please include a refereence to public and privare diplo in your orders if it is relevant to your orders and what you are trying to do. If you have an agreement with a nation, both should reference it in orders. If nation A says that it and Nation B will do X and B does not include it in their orders, B doesn't get involved from my pespective.

Generally, if it is not in the orders, it doesn't happen.

Don't forget to give me ages of your rulers in 1525 (or give me year of birth and I will calcualte it.)

 

[LittleBoots]

TO: Henry, the Eighth of that Name, by the Grace of God King of England, and to James, the Fifth of that Name, by the Grace of God King of Scotland, Most Catholic Kings
FROM: Gregory, Servant of the Servants of God

In the year of our Lord fifteen hundred and two, a treaty was created concerning the governance of the New World; namely, in what manner its colonization, civilization, and above all its evangelization would best be achieved for the glory of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This treaty, while crafted by human hands, was mediated by Our Person in the hope that it would effect an atmosphere of brotherly love and cooperation, that the rivalries and intrigues which have plagued mankind since the Fall may be set aside that the work of Christ's Kingdom might be done. In this spirit it was decided that those kingdoms which were currently present in the New World would be separated into distinct spheres of action so as to prevent the possibility of covetousness erupting into war. These spheres of action, as the noble and most pious kings of England and Scotland have in their great wisdom pointed out, are in no way eternal or exclusive (indeed, we said as much when we stated that we were in no position to make a "complete and binding judgment"), but are founded upon the duty to bring Christ's Church to the heathens, indeed to be His Light in the Darkness.

Despite this defined mutability, and with the explicit assertion that the New World is not closed to further colonization by all Christian kings, indeed and especially including the your graces of England and Scotland, the settlement of English and Scottish colonies in the New World without diplomatic entreaties to ourselves or to your brothers in Christ's work creates precisely the situation which the aforementioned treaty was created to avoid; namely, an atmosphere of competition, rather than cooperation, of suspicion, rather than trust, and finally of the likelihood of war, rather than the expectation of peace. Had they been brought before the Body of Christ in an open statement of intention, it is certain that a place could have been found for them in the work of Christ's Kingdom in the New World; indeed, even now the grace of God abounds and if wise England and mighty Scotland should desire to come before the Body of Christ in such a way, such an outcome is not outside the power of the Church.

Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that we must enumerate what we expect of the Christian kings of Europe. First, of Spain and Portugal, that they relent from threatening war with their Christian brothers; for truly, when a younger sibling displays an eagerness to join the elder brother at work, is it right for the elder brother to beat his sibling, or to teach his heart to virtue, assisting him according to his station? And of England and Scotland, that their fervor for evangelism not visit harm upon their wisdom; for when an elder brother sees that a younger sibling errs in his work, is it right for him to rush in and perform the task perfectly, or to teach his brother in humility and patience? Finally, for all the kings of Europe, to remember first and foremost, thy duty is to God and to his Body, the Church, before all others. Let not a spirit of division and rancor come among you, but strive together in holiness and love.

Amen.

 

[Milarqui]

To: His Holiness Pope Gregorius XIII, Bishop of Rome
From: King João II of Portugal

The only reason we threatened with war against England and Scotland was because of what we perceived to be an intrusion in our lands, much like a robber entering our house. Had they approached us before their settling down, we would have at least considered to allow them to join, but they did it without paying attention to the fact that you had conceded us those lands.

We shall abide by your ruling and allow the English and Scottish colonies to remain in there, undisturbed.

Yours faithfully,
King João II

 

[Immaculate]

To the Gracious Kings of Portugal and Spain,


Inspired by Gregory, Servant of God, who voices the will of Christ, we, King Henry the Eighth, Protector of England, known amongst his subjects as the Iron-Crown, do wish to reaffirm the will of his Grace, Pope Gregory, the Pious, that the “New World be not closed to further colonization by all Christian Kings, indeed and especially including the graces of England and Scotland”.


Having reiterated the wisdom of the Holy See, we wish to make our intentions open to the graces of Portugal and Spain and to the Christian Kingdoms, so that we can, as the wise and benevolent pope has said, “effect an atmosphere of brotherly love and cooperation, that the rivalries and intrigues which have plagued mankind since the Fall may be set aside that the work of Christ's Kingdom might be done.”

And so we will declare upon your graces, the open intentions of the King of England in regards to the New World so that you may be aware of his intentions and you yourself seek colonies elsewhere so that we not compete but indeed, as Pope Gregory says, cooperate in brotherly love. England intends to develop colonies throughout the isles between the two great continents, leaving, for the immediate future, the colonization and the mission of Christ amongst the greater continents of the New World, to Spain, Portugal, Scotland and any other power who wishes to develop Christian values and society therein. Having said so, we expect that there will be no trespass by your powers upon our declared and open intentions in the same way that there would be no trespass by our own powers to colonize those lands of the major continents.


Furthermore, let us walk together into the coming years, again as the gracious Gregory of the Papalcy has said, in brother love and cooperation, with forgiveness in our hearts for the words and recriminations of one another.


Let there be peace,
King Henry VIII


OOC: I am so happy we could find a peaceful and amicable end to this debacle. Fun though!

 

[Milarqui]

To the Gracious Kings of Portugal and Spain,


Inspired by Gregory, Servant of the Servants of God, who voices the will of Christ, we, King Henry the Eighth, Protector of England, known amongst his subjects as the Iron-Crown, do wish to reaffirm the will of his Grace, Pope Gregory, the Pious, that the “New World be not closed to further colonization by all Christian Kings, indeed and especially including the graces of England and Scotland”.


Having reiterated the wisdom of the Holy See, we wish to make our intentions open to the graces of Portugal and Spain and to the Christian Kingdoms, so that we can, as the wise and benevolent pope has said, “effect an atmosphere of brotherly love and cooperation, that the rivalries and intrigues which have plagued mankind since the Fall may be set aside that the work of Christ's Kingdom might be done.”

And so we will declare upon your graces, the open intentions of the King of England in regards to the New World so that you may be aware of his intentions and you yourself seek colonies elsewhere so that we not compete but indeed, as Pope Gregory says, cooperate in brotherly love. England intends to develop colonies throughout the isles between the two great continents, leaving, for the immediate future, the colonization and the mission of Christ amongst the greater continents of the New World, to Spain, Portugal, Scotland and any other power who wishes to develop Christian values and society therein. Having said so, we expect that there will be no trespass by your powers upon our declared and open intentions in the same way that there would be no trespass by our own powers to colonize those lands of the major continents.

Furthermore, let us walk together into the coming years, again as the gracious Gregory of the Papalcy has said, in brother love and cooperation, with forgiveness in our hearts for the words and recriminations of one another.

Let there be peace,
King Henry VIII


OOC: I am so happy we could find a peaceful and amicable end to this debacle. Fun though!

To: King Henry VIII of England and Wales
From: King João of Portugal, Açores, Madeira, Cape Verde, Diascia, Gambia and Joania

We are glad to see that you are willing to follow both His Holiness' and our words regarding the future of the New World and the role our nations play in the expansion of Christianity through the whole world.

We hope that this collaboration may expand to other matters regarding the common good of all of our people, and for the good of Christianity.

Let there be peace,
King João II

OOC: Birdjaguar, you may implement the orders that are marked with No war. If you prefer it, I can resend the orders without the things related to war.