When we last left the Swiss Confederacy, they were at war with the nefarious Kingdom of Castile, whose unsuccessful attempt to capture Bern had been soundly thwarted. The Castillian front is fairly quiet as this chapter opens, mostly due to both sides trying to get reinforcements in as fast as they can.....
AD 904: Hptmn. Arexander's Archer company wipes out the Veleti camp NE of Basel, and proceeds onward to reinforce said city after securing 25 Gold worth of loot. The elite Warriors exploring the Western Marches wipe out an unknown raiding party directly West of the Danish village of Jelling.
Later in the year, a Veleti raiding party, ticked off that we wiped out their base camp, attacks Arexander's Archers and is killed for their troubles.
In a somewhat more disturbing develepment, the Aragonese found the town of Valencia Northeast of Bern.... Looks like we're running out of space fast!
AD 906:
Doktor Frankenstein arrives with some welcome news: His wise men and monks have discovered the secret of effective Fortification and will soon start on the quest of understanding how to run a Feudal system, which, needless to say, will be a definite step up from our current Autocracy....
AD 910: The last of the reinforcements arrive in Bern, and all troops slotted for our strike force (2 companies of Archers and 1 Spearman company) will depart on the morrow!
On top of THAT good news, Bern has completed construction of a nice new Manor house for Graf Marius Schatten von Bern and begins organizing a Settler expedition (note: Manors, in addition to boosting tax revenue by 50% also produce culture).
AD 914: Zürich finally finishes training its company of Spearmen and also starts organizing a Settler expedition... We've got some ground to catch up here!
AD 918: The Berner Angriefsgruppe (Bern Strike Group) finally arrives at their objective and sets up camp on the volcano Northwest of Toledo... Soon the Castillians will pay for their folly!
AD 920: The Battle of Toledo begins with our Veteran Archer company unleashing a storm of arrows, along with the regular Archers... The veterans acquit themselves well, mowing down a company of Spearmen under their withering barrage, and earn a promotion to elite status in the process.
The regular Archers, on the other hand, set up a bit too close to the town and get flanked by some ballsy Castillian Spearmen and slaughtered to the last man. The Spearmen paid a hefty butcher bill for their success, and the elite Swiss Spearmen who accompanied the two Archer companies pushes them back into the town, initiating a bitter, house-to-house struggle.
It is not known exactly what caused the initial spark that started the blaze, whether it was hot coals from a blacksmith's shop scattered on some straw by scuffling soldiers, or a crock of lamp oil getting knocked into a cooking fire by a wildly-swung spear, but within minutes the entire town was ablaze. Soon, the few remaining enemy Spearmen left alive, along with whatever civilians could escape the inferno came forward bearing a white flag.
Toledo was burned to the ground, but we were able to recover 78 Gold worth of plunder and most of the civilian population from the devastation. The destruction of such an important city to the under-strength Swiss Army also finally convinced Queen Isabella to make peace with the Confederacy, and Freiherr Beinbrech was even gracious enough not to demand any reparations from the Castillians in light of their losses.
One deal that is hammered out in addition to the peace treaty, however is the exchange of our knowledge of Fortification for their skills in State Religion (I can finally build Temples!)
The highway from Schwyz to Zürich and Zürich's Dyes is also completed this year, giving the Swiss people even more reason to celebrate.
AD 922: Thanks to the addition of Toledo's refugees, Bern is able to send out its Settler expedition. The Settlers (especially the former citizens of Castile) are warned to build the new city a safe distance from either volcano in the area!
AD 928: Bern's territorial influence expands, much to the delight of Graf Marius Schatten von Bern.
AD 932: The expedition from Bern builds the city of Geneva (from the Latin word for Juniper, signifying re-birth and renewal) on the shores of an enormous freshwater lake that, depending on who you ask, is either known as Lago Geneva, Lago Zaragosa or Der Genfersee, with Iron, Horses and Fish nearby.
AD 934: Zürich finishes organizing its Settler expedition, which travels due West to claim a spot near the Danish town of Jelling (and hopefully will help press our claims to the Gold deposits in the area!). As soon as the Settlers have set out, the city begins setting up a Dye Trader to collect, transport and sell the valuable Dyes found near Zürich....
AD 936: Our Workers complete a road to the Iron deposits outside Schwyz, giving us our first STRATEGIC resource.
AD 038: Dr. Frankenstein reports that his people have figured out how to run a Feudal government and that they are now started on writing Literature suitable for properly recounting the (hopefully) glorious exploits of the Swiss people.
Schwyz also finishes organizing a Settler expedition and starts setting up a Wool Trader to drum up sales for all its Sheep products...
AD 940: Lucerne is founded immediately Southeast of Jelling and begins building a Temple.
Freiherr Beinbrech also trades Feudalism to Castile for Seafaring this year.
AD 942: Freiherr Beinbrech assembles the leaders of the various cantons, including Markgraf Arexander von Basel, Graf Bucky Rea von Zürich and Comte Sima Qian de Geneva, to Schwyz for an important meeting. "Gentlemen," he says, "I'm sure you all know that our current system of government sucks big time, and that we've also recently acquired the knowledge to implement a better system... Well, folks, due to the completion of several key construction projects and troop training programs, I feel the time is right to initiate those changes! Do any of you have any objections?"
When he looks at the faces of the various counts and barons gathered in his council chamber and sees no objections, he says, "Good! Let's be about it, then!"
Thus it was that the Swiss Cinfederacy began a rough period of transition from its heavy-handed Autocracy to a Feudal system.
AD 944: The town of Sankt Gallen is founded due West of Bern (and due North of Jelling), and it also starts construction on a Temple (which won't amount to much of anything until the current instability comes to an end....)
AD 946: The Kingdom of Denmark, obviously not liking the pressure Lucerne and St. Gallen are putting on Jelling, or our continual assertion of rightful ownership of the Gold deposits between Jelling and Schwyz decide to do something "proactive" about it: They declare war!
The Archer company defending St. Gallen, despite having no warning whatsoever of the impending Danish attack, somehow manages to wipe out their Warrior company and is promoted to elite status for their bravery by the Freiherr himself!
AD 948: The same elite Archer company, having the advantage of forewarning this time, ambushes and kills another Danish Warrior party outside Jelling.
Later in the year, we get word that Castile has started setting up the Holy Roman Empire (GW that gives two tech advances to whoever builds it first) in OVIEDO (rinky-dink 1 pop city with almost NO shield-bearing tiles) of all places!
AD 950: The elite Archers from St. Gallen, continuing their roll, wipe out the Spearmen defending Jelling, and unfortunately, in the process accidentally put an arrow through a pot of lamp oil, which runs into an open fire pit, sparking a blaze that ends up burning the town to ashes.
Two groups of citizens are captured fleeing the inferno and press-ganged into working parties, and the Archers manage to recover 7 Gold from the ruins.
Elsewhere, Freiherr Beinbrech orders the materials that have been allocated for building a Wool Trader be reassigned to setting up the Holy Roman Empire in Schwyz... Holy Roman Emperor is a GERMAN title, dammit, not Spanish!
AD 954: The period of virtual Anarchy ends and the Swiss Confederacy emerges as a powerful Feudal state! Now that the option is available, Herzog (Duke) Benjamin Beinbrech von Schwyz (as his new title under the new government is styled) allocates grants from the Royal Treasury to hurry construction of Temples in Geneva and Basel.
The Elite Archers of St. Gallen, continuing their brilliant record of kicking Danish ass, kills a Danish Spear company and captures the Settler expedition, netting us two more "volunteer" worker parties.
AD 956: Herzog Beinbrech finally hammers out a peace treaty with King Canute of Denmark, bringing this particular war to a swift end.
In other news, our workers finish building a road to the Amber deposits outside Bern, netting another coveted luxury for our citizens!
964 AD The influence of Basel and Geneva expand, bringing more territory under our solid control.
AD 966: Dr. Frankenstein reports that his poets, philosophers and wise men have created a Literature worthy of telling the tale of our people's great exploits, and that his priests and philosophers are even now working on a code of Diplomacy, so that unfortunate wars, like the recent ones with Castile and Denmark, will be less likely to happen in the future!
Just to prove we aren't bitter or holding any grudges, Herzog Beinbrech trades Literature and 50 Gold to Denmark for their techniques of using the Stirrup to enhance the effectiveness of their mounted troops... We can now train Horsemen (once we get roads to our herds of Horses, that is).
AD 972: Bern completes the first of our great economic projects by establishing an Amber Trader in the city. (Amber Trader, like all the other Luxury resource traders, is a SW that produces Shipments (flags) every so many turns).
AD 974: Herzog Beinbrech is awoken early one morning by a lout commotion in the streets, accompanied by an equally loud Oom-pah Band. He shakes the sleep out of his head and calls for James "Mac" MacGuiness, his majordomo. When the majordomo arrives, he asks, "What in tarnation is that RACKET out there all about? It's WAY too early for Oktoberfest!"
"Sir," Mac replied, "The citizens of our fine city are extremely pleased with the job you've been doing lately and have decided to hold a feast in your honor..." The majordomo arched an eyebrow and continued in a rather dry tone, "You are, of course, expected to attend, sir, otherwise the whole thing would be pointless."
"Damn, Mac," the Herzog grumbles, "The LEAST they could have done was give me SOME kind of warning! I mean...." His nose twitched as his tirade trails off and he says, "Are those fresh-baked pretzels and Bratwurst I smell, Mac?"
"I believe they are, sir," MacGuiness replies mildly, "Shall I assume you want your best outfit ready when you're done with your bath?"
"You assume correctly! There's some Bratwurst and Pretzels with my name on them out there and possibly a stein of Old Tillman's beer as well!"
The Herzog joined the "We Love the Freiherr Day" festivities that lasted well into the night....
AD 976: A Settler expedition sets out from Basel to claim a hilly spot of land Southwest of St. Gallen, which is almost completely surrounded by Swamps and Desert, but also happens to have access to Tar (strat resource), Wild Game (bonus) and Spices (Lux)... Unfortunately the dismal swamps and barren desert extend to the coast, so the city will have to be inland, meaning that Zürich will remain our sole port for the foreseeable future... (In this mod, Deserts, Mountains, Swamps, Tundra and Volcanoes are unsuitable for building cities on, and on top of that, regular settlers cannot travel THROUGH Swamps or Mountains unless there is a road through them).
Later in the year, word reaches us that the Kingdom of Aragon has begun efforts to establish the Holy Roman Empire in Zaragosa (their capitol)! As if that news wasn't disturbing enough, several Castillian Archer companies are spotted loitering around Basel and Geneva... Thankfully both towns are fairly well defended!
AD 978: Herzog Beinbrech, aware of Castile's proclivity for sneak attacks, allocates gold to rush training of Spear companies in Basel and Geneva (which costs 95 gold each, but better safe than sorry!)
The move is proven unnecessary as the Castillian troops move out of our territory later in the year.
AD 980: Dr. Frankenstein reports that we have now established a set of Diplomatic Protocols to help smooth future relations with other nations, and his crack research teams have started looking into Bridge Building techniques.... Which will be VERY helpful with rapid troop movements throughout the Confederacy, due to all the rivers flowing through our territory.
Now that the option is available, Herzog Beinbrech establishes an embassy in the Aragonese city of Zaragosa, mainly as a means of checking their progress on establishing the Holy Roman Empire.... According to our
spy's ambassador's report, it will take them ten times as long to complete it as us... Another embassy is established in the Castillian city of Burgos, and our
spy ambassador with Castile reports that Oviedo will require double the time it will take us to complete the Holy Roman Empire, so we've basically got that one in the bag!
AD 984: St. Gallen and Lucerne are finally linked to our trade network... As soon as we get the Gold hooked up, we'll be able to start upgrading our Spearmen to Mercenary Guards (thus, hopefully, establishing the reputation of Swiss Mercenaries early on in this timeline
)
Some traveling Mummers stop by the Herzog's palace and inform him that the Kingdom of Denmark is trying to establish the Holy Roman Empire in Roskilde!
AD 986: Schwyz's influence expands a second time, giving the Swiss Confederacy a nice, solid core territory.
AD 988: Dr. Frankenstein reports that we now know how to build bridges across all our rivers, so he's going to research growing things on Plantations (Plantation uncovers two bonus and at least two luxury resources... The bonus resources are Cotton and Dates, while the lux resources are Olive Oil and Wine).
Coincidentally, the "We Love the Freiherr" celebration in Schwyz comes to an end at the same time....
AD 990: The Gold deposits outside St. Gallen are FINALLY connected into our trade network, meaning we can finally begin upgrading our Spear companies to Mercenary Guard companies. All Spearmen begin rotating into Schwyz for said upgrade.
As if that wasn't enough good news, a Dye Trader is established in Zürich, giving the Confederacy a much-needed boost to its potential income!
Additionally, Bern sends out a Settler expedition, which heads for the last free spot along Lake Geneva outside Zaragosa's extended borders.
AD 992: Thun is founded in the hills SW of St. Gallen and Geneva is finally connected to our trade network.
AD 996: Dr. Frankenstein reports that his research into Plantation management is complete and his alchemists are now looking into Horse Breeding.
Dates are discovered near Thun, Lucerne and Bern, granting much needed boosts in food and productivity to all three cities. Cotton is discovered near Basel. A source of Wines are found JUST outside St. Gallen's borders....
Later that year, word arrives that Sicily is trying to establish the Holy Roman Empire in Catania.... Good luck, guys!
AD 1000: According to our analysts, Switzerland is now the largest nation in the known world, both in terms of land area and population.
And so this chapter in the history of the Swiss Confederacy comes to an end.
The latest map of the Swiss Confederacy and surrounding area:
)
My German is so bad that I couldn't make any orders. 
(no offence to the swiss among us 
