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  CREDITS 
  SPECIAL THANKS 
  Mark “Benedictine” ReinOHagen, for coming home with 
  Aaron “Fonzie” Voss, for being the slick one among us. 
  Sam “Testosterone” Chupp, for being that minoxidil guy. 
  Richard “Come and Knock on Our Door” Thomas, for 
  Chris “EGG on the Face” McDonough, for bringing a 
  Rob “Chuckles” Hatch, for adding a spritely air to the 
  Stewart “Lefty” Wieck, for being ‘Chuppasized’. 
  Andrew “Les is More” Greenberg, for bringing Cthulhu 
  Josh “Evisceration” Timbrook, for gore, gore, and a little 
  bit of gore. 
  Wes “Survey Man” Harris, for learning what makes the 
  cat-bruised tick. 
  Rent “Cotton Candy” Lilly, for wearing what most people 
  eat at the circus. 
  Travis “You Can’t Take the Boy Out of the Jungle” 
  Williams, for being one of the Efxikkan 10%. 
  Ken “Canada-bound Cliffe, for doin’ the do before vaca- 
  tion time. 
  William “The Mad Celt” Hale, for holding up production 
  with his special thanks. 
  Bob “Save the Day” Giadrosich, for helping out at the last 
  minute with art on Deadly Legacy. 
  Dedicated to my parents Blair and Janine Robertson, who 
  put up with my Medievalisms Affectations. 
  Thanks to Hilary Ayer, who got me into this, Chris Beiting, 
  who actually returned comments, and the Ars Magica Internet 
  group. - 
  Roderick Robertson 
  Writing: Roderick Robertson and Curtis Scott 
  Development: Ken Cliffe 
  Editing: Ken Cliffe 
  Layout: Sam Chupp, William Hale 
  Production: Chris McDonough and Richard Thomas 
  Cover Art: Ken Widing 
  Logo: Richard Thomas 
  Art Director: Richard Thomas 
  Interior Art: Eric Hotz and William OConnor 
  Cartography: Eric Hotz 
  that special ‘do. 
  having too much time on his hands. 
  celebrity to the party. 
  White Wolf ofice. 
  h@=Was OrigimllY CreatedbYJOnathan Tweet and 
  Mark ReinOHagen 
  down upon Georgia. 
  L 
  This book is dedicated to the memory of Curtis Scott, 
  without whom Mythic Europe would not be as glorious as it is. 
  This supplement is designed for use with Ars Magicam 
  Third Edition, but can be used with the second edition with 
  some adaptation. 
  0 1992 by White Wolf. All rights reserved. Reproduction 
  without written permission of the publisher is expressly de- 
  nied, except for the purpose of reviews. Ars Magica, Mistridge, 
  Covenants, Mythic Europe, Mythic Places, Deadly Legacy and 
  the Holy Potato-Masher of Antioch are all trademarks and 
  copyrights of White Wolf. 
  Disclaimer: The characters and events described in this 
  book are fictional, any resemblance between the characters and 
  any person; living or dead, is purely coincidental. 
  Mythic Europe
  Digital Edition Version 1.0
  Copyright © 2006 Trident, Inc. d/b/a Atlas Game
  All rights reserved.
  82017
  
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  Early History of Mythic Europe Chapter One ......... 9 
  Society Chapter Two ............................................... 
  15 
  The Church Chapter Three ..................................... 
  27 
  Chapter Four: The Crusades ................................... 
  47 
  Iberian Peninsula Chapter Five ...... I. ...................... 
  55 
  British Isles Chapter Six ......................................... 
  67 
  France Chapter Seven ............................................. 
  79 
  Northern Mythic Europe Chapter Eight ................. 91 
  Eastern Mythic Europe Chapter Nine ..................... 
  107 
  Italy Chapter Ten .................................................... 
  117 
  Eastern Empires Chapter Eleven ............................ 
  133 
  Islam Chapter Twelve ............................................. 
  147 
  Appendix A ............................................................. 
  157 
  Appendix B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . m . . . . . 
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  Y
  INTRODUCTI 
  sourceontheofficialMyhcEuropesettingofthegame. hdeed, this 
  book is an encycloped~c depiction of Myhc Europe from the late 
  Twelfth throughout the Thirteenth Century, with an historic 
  perspectiveI.angingbacktobeforeChrist. Afterall,A.D. 1197isthe 
  "official" AIS Magica Saga starting date, so this book concenmtes 
  on events at and around that year. Geopphidy the book spans 
  fromas firwestasthewildIrishcoast toas far eastas thevastRussian 
  expanse, and from as fir north as the bitter Viking lands to as far 
  south as the scorching plains of Africa. 
  Mythlc Europe is designed for use by both players and 
  Storyguides alike. The information presented in this source 
  explains what your game world is like. That information is for 
  the understanding and imagination of all involved in the game, 
  for all players of Ars Magica have an involvement and say in 
  world conditions and events, even if only through a single 
  character. Thus, this is a book your whole Troupe will find 
  invaluable. 
  If you're a player of Ars Magica any restriction a Storyguide 
  may impose upon your reading of this book depends upon your 
  role in the Troupe. If you are not a Storyguide yourself, or your 
  character knows little of the world beyond the Covenant, the 
  acting Storyguide may ask that you avoid reading about parts 
  of Mythic Europe other than your own. That way, you may be 
  little more initiated in the world than your character; the 
  wonders your character encounters in the world are just as 
  wondrous to you, for those encounters are new to both of you. 
  Those who, from their studies of history, already know the 
  politics, geography, religion, and events of our medieval Eu- 
  rope may already know much of what is in this book. It's true 
  that Mythic Europe is based on the Europe of seven centuries 
  ago. However, considerable little-known or obscure informa- 
  tion is also provided here that you may not already be aware of, 
  and much legend-inspired history is made fact here as well. 
  Thus, even if you know medieval history like the back of your 
  hand, this book still has much to offer, and makes for an official 
  world for the game. 
  This subject of history and its relativity is an integral theme 
  of Mythic Europe, based on the medieval paradigm around 
  which Ars Magica is designed. That is, much of what is 
  presented here derives from the world as medieval folk believed 
  it, in their fanciful minds, as opposed to the way we perceive it, 
  in our empirical minds. Remember this idea if information 
  enclosed seems skewed or unusual to you; it might not seem so 
  to a person living in Thirteenth Century Europe. 
  Authors' 
  Titroductron 
  This book is meant to be a springboard for your imagina- 
  tion, not a htory text. Anyone foolish enough to quote from 
  it to teachers or patrons deserves the grade or criticism re- 
  ceived. We have mixed history, legend, and a healthy dose of 
  imagination in this work, hoping for a interesting mix of "real 
  1 
  history" (whatever that means) and fantasy. The stories, 
  ' 
  rumors, and legends included in this source are here to spur 
  your imagination, and should be used, modified, or ignored by 
  you, a players, as you see fit. 
  a 
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  If you do personal research into the medieval European 
  world, the inventions and biases of this book become readily 
  apparent. We do not apologize for differences between the 
  history of real Europe and Mythic Europe, and you are wel- 
  come to use the results of your own research over the history 
  provided here. After all, it’s your game. Or, rather than 
  implement “real” history over that provided here, you may 
  contribute to this book‘s fantasy. That is, you may decide the 
  fall of Jerusalem, for example, does not occur, and that no 
  crusades take place; or that the Pope and Emperor of the Holy 
  Roman Empire never have any differences. The history of 
  Mythic Europe is for you to decide, either accurately or 
  fancifully. Even if you’re inclined toward fantasy, which this 
  book can be, your players may not know the difference between 
  fantasy and fact until they pursue historical fact for themselves. 
  PERSONAL RESEARCH 
  History is a fundamental element of this book, and Mythic 
  Europe would not exist without a historical context upon 
  which to base it. As stated above, you are welcome to research 
  the medieval world and apply your findings to what is pre- 
  sented here. Certainly this sourcebook is thoroughly re- 
  searched, and that research can be of assistance to you. To that 
  end, an outline of books referenced is provided here. However, 
  a strict bibliography is not provided. Rather, the books 
  researched are explained for your edification. 
  First, conventional histories of Europe are a must. They 
  offer detailed accounts of the politics of the time - 
  who did 
  what to whom, and when. Most basic histories name kings and 
  emperors, as well as major nobles involved in various events 
  and wars. As evidence of what can be learned from these basic 
  historical accounts, lists of the kings, emperors, and popes of 
  the period detailed by this book (the Twelfth and Thirteenth 
  Centuries) are provided near its appendices. Furthermore, the 
  history sections of this book‘s Chapters are examples of the 
  rudimentary information you can glean from a conventional 
  history text. These references are full of battles and kings, 
  covering an area and period in broad strokes. 
  Second, check books on the history of the area(s) you are 
  basing your Saga in (for you may base your Saga anywhere in 
  Mythic Europe thanks to the information this book and genu- 
  ine historical books provide). Books concentrating on one area 
  offer a greater volume of information, with more precise detail, 
  than can a book of general history. Indeed, a reference devoted 
  to a specific area can go so far as to provide the names of minor 
  nobles, and the extent of their lands. Specific area histories can 
  also give you a strong feel for a land and its people. For instance, 
  though serfs were common throughout Europe, serfs from 
  different regions had different traditions, festivals, and ways of 
  life from their foreign brethren. A general htory book cannot 
  provide such minute detail. Keep in mind that it’s the small 
  details that bring your Saga to life. If you have a wealth of 
  knowledge on the peculiarities of a region, your Saga is made 
  all the richer. 
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  INTRODUCTION 
  As you can see, there are many resources available to help 
  Third, where there are history books devoted to specific 
  regions, there are also history books devoted to events and 
  organizations. The Crusades, the Church, and specific battles 
  and orders all provide insight into Europe, and provide charac- 
  ter for your Saga. Maybe most important among these topic- 
  specific books are those on folk lore. Such historical books 
  establish the mind-set of specific Europeans, indicating how 
  they perceive the world, and that mind-set may well determine 
  how players’ characters think and perceive. And, of course, let’s 
  .not forget that books on folk lore can offer plenty of local color 
  andstory ideas. Many ofthisbook‘scity-basedstoryideas came 
  from historical folk tales. 
  Though studies into medieval history tell much about that 
  world, we can’t forget about geography. Medieval geography 
  can be derived from many sources, both modem and contem- 
  porary. Modem travel books can provide you with the physical 
  layout of prominent geographical features, like mountain 
  ranges and other places like cities. However, you have to be 
  careful about what information you use, as a lot has changed 
  since the Middle Ages. Still, modem books devoted to travel 
  often indicate where original medieval features and boundaries 
  existed, to give the reader a sense of history and grandeur. This 
  book‘s Chapter headings for geographical areas are in part 
  derived from modem travel guides and maps. 
  Obviously historical atlases provide authentic and accu- 
  rate physical descriptions of the medieval world. However, 
  they can go much further than this. They sometimes depict the 
  movement of medieval armies or illustrate how terrain influ-- 
  enced human thought at the time. Both types of information 
  allow you to make reasonable guesses at what impact geogra- 
  phy might have on your Saga, from the movements of the 
  Crusades to the spread of monasticism. Keep in mind, though, 
  that historical atlases and maps sometimes have to be used in 
  conjunction with histories, as not all atlases explain the reason- 
  ing behind what they portray. 
  you understand the medieval world, and hence your Saga. How 
  involved in research you want to get is up to you and your 
  Troupe. If you plan to have little to do with the world outside 
  the Covenant, intensive research is probably a waste of time. 
  Alternatively, a Troupe focusing on interaction between Cov- 
  enant and society may want to research the area around the 
  Covenant, and medleval Europe, in some detail. 
  If you plan to do much research into medieval Europe, it’s 
  suggested that you use several sources at the same time. These 
  sources can be checked against each other, covering a single 
  book‘s weak spots, but also assuring historical accuracy. (It’s 
  unfortunately true that historians are human so prone to biases 
  in their accounts of the past.) Also make sure you’ve got 
  different cultures’ points of view on the past. An extreme 
  example of how various cultures can depict the past differently 
  is in regard to southern Italy. The region was settled by the 
  Greeks and conquered by the Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, 
  Arabs, Byzantines, Normans, Germans and French. This 
  mixture of races and thoughts produced a unique culture, one 
  which a single book is not likely to fully capture. 
  RELIGIOUS 
  DISCUSSION 
  This work contains a number of articles about or related to 
  religion, most of which are based on the medieval Catholic 
  Church. These articles are meant to explain the outward 
  aspects of religion in Mythic Europe, which is a fantasy world 
  closely related to but not the same as our own historical reality. 
  While material on these religions has been written in an 
  attempt to be nonjudgemental, this book is still based on 
  history. It’s well known that history is not fair to the religious 
  or their convictions. Indeed, religions of the past sometimes 
  proved corrupt, or were prejudiced against by others. In 
  depicting the past, this book must sometimes depict these 
  corruptions and prejudices to remain true to its subject matter. 
  No offense is intended with this material, nor is this material a 
  reflection of the attitudes or beliefs of the authors or publisher. 
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  .. . 
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  i- 
  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE e
  -
   
  the Roman senate. In the power vacuum that followed Caesar, 
  Rome was wracked by civil war, from which Octavian emerged 
  the victor, taking the name Caesar Augustus after his grand 
  uncle. By Augustus’s time the Empire stretched from Spain to 
  the eastern shores of the Black Sea, and from the north coasts 
  of France to the Sahara Desert. To manage these vast lands, the 
  Empire was divided into provinces, protected by the mighty 
  Roman legions, whom few dared face. 
  Marking his power, Augustus and his fellow senators of 
  Republican Rome dressed according to their position. To set 
  them apart from the rabble they were adorned with togas, laced 
  withpurplestripesinthehemtodesignaterank. Purplewas the 
  color reserved for the togas of the senate because of the cost of 
  its dyes, and therefore rarity. Soon after Augustus adopted the 
  symbolic robe of his position, “The Purple” became a synonym 
  for the rank of Emperor. 
  ROMAN RELIGION 
  The policy of Rome toward religion was one of tolerance. 
  The early Romans worshipped a pantheon of gods headed by 
  Jupiter, God of the Sky. As the Romans spread their influence 
  they adopted the gods of the peoples they conquered, adding 
  those gods to their pantheon, and allowing the temples of 
  foreign gods to be built in Roman cities. 
  Indeed, the Cult of Mercury was adopted from the Greeks, 
  who called their god Hemes. The Mercurians, followers of 
  Hemes, were magicians who invested much time and energy 
  in great rituals, aiding the Romans in their conquests and 
  administration. And, from the Mercurians came one of the 
  magic systems used by the current Order of Hemes. 
  In the province of Palestine, the birth and life of Jesus 
  Christ initiated events which led first to the suppression of His 
  followers, then to their acceptance. Ultimately, in the Fourth 
  Century the religion of Christianity was made the sole religion 
  of the Empire. Members of the Order of Hemes attribute the 
  rise of Christianity with the decline of the Cult of Mercury, and 
  with the eventual fall of the western Empire to Germanic 
  barbarians. 
  However, before foreign invasion, the Empire knew peace 
  for a time. The central provinces were free from attack, while 
  the borders were patrolled by the legions. Roads linked all the 
  provinces, and the Mediterranean was patrolled by Roman 
  warships, allowing traders to sail without fear of pirates. The 
  Empire also had one set of laws - 
  Roman - 
  and one official 
  language-Latin. Order was so complete, in fact, that citizens 
  could send messages across the Empire, knowing the letters 
  would be received and understood at the far end. This calm 
  periodofRomanhistorybecameknownasthePuxRomana, 
  the 
  Peace of Rome. 
  THE DECLINE 
  Though maintained for a time, peace could not be pre- 
  served in a vast empire full of intrigue. As it was with Caesar, 
  successive lines of emperors ended in bloodshed. New dynas- 
  ties assassinated their predecessors, ruled for a time, and 
  succumbed to assassination in their turn. Eventually the 
  Praetorian Guard, the elite palace troops and bodyguard of the 
  Emperor, even began to choose the Emperor, andno man could 
  ascend to the Purple, nor stay on the throne, without the 
  backing of the Guard. 
  The death of Emperor Severus Alexander in A.D. 235 
  initiated the fall of the Empire, as the amy elected Maximinus 
  to the Purple, while the Senate elected an alternate series of 
  emperors. The civil wars which ensued drew the legions away 
  from the borders, allowing Germanic barbarians to invade the 
  Empire. In fact, emperors soon took to paying the barbarians 
  bribes to keep them from invading. 
  Ironically, these bribes only contributed to Rome’s de- 
  cline. The Empire came near to collapse from tax and currency 
  manipulation, by which Emperors attempted to pay the stag- 
  gering costs of the Empire. Poverty and unrest became such a 
  problem that urban poor became dependent on daily doles of 
  food, and were distracted from their problems by spectacles in 
  the circus, free entertainments provided by rich patrons fearing 
  riots. In the circus gladiators, slaves, and freemen fought to the 
  death against each other and wild animals. Chariot races were 
  staged. Captured barbarians were often pitted against gladia- 
  tors. And, Christians and slaves were thrown to the lions. 
  These bloody sportsdwerted the masses from rising against the 
  government. 
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  I
   
  CHAFTERONE 
  Though Rome was on the decline, attempts were made to 
  restore it, particularly by those seeking to restore the old ways. 
  In the vacuum of power left by Theodosius, barbarians 
  again poured over the Roman frontier, left open by the with- 
  The Senate’s Emperor Diocletian rose to the Purple in 284, and 
  divided the Empire into provinces and dioceses, sharing the 
  title of Augustus with the Praetorian Guard’s Maximian, each 
  Emperor appointing his own successors. Diocletian attempted 
  to reestablish the pagan Roman religion, closing Christian 
  churches and forcing Christians to sacrifice to Roman gods. 
  With Diocletian and Maximian’s resignations in 305, the 
  Empire was again plunged into civil war, and Constantine 
  emerged as sole Emperor in 324. 
  Though efforts to restore the old ways were made, change 
  continuedwith the passage of time. Constantine was visited by 
  a Divine vision on the way to the Battle of Milvian Bridge, and 
  restored the rights of Christians to practice their faith. Further- 
  more, in 325 he summoned all the bishops of Christendom to 
  the city of Nicaea to resolve the then Arian heresy, which 
  threatened to divide the Christian Church. The bishops issued 
  the Nicene Creed, which declared the holiness of Christ and the 
  triple unity of God. The bishops also established the form the 
  Church would take. And, Constantine moved the capital of the 
  Empire away from pagan Rome to the new Christian city of 
  Constantinople. The Rome of old could never be restored. 
  Before he died in 337, Constantine divided the Empire 
  among his sons, but civil war raged again. In the two years of 
  Julian’s reign, 361 to 363, Constantine’s son attempted to 
  squash the Christian influence his father had established in 
  government, influence which had earned Constantine the 
  name “the Apostate.” Indeed, to undo his father‘s work Julian 
  reopened pagan temples which Constantine had closed, tried 
  . to establish a pagan hierarchy of bishops to balance the Chris- 
  tian Church’s, and attempted to formalize the pagan Roman 
  religion. 
  Julian’s religious effortsultimatelywent unfinished, though. 
  He instead decided to face the threat of the Persian Empire, a 
  traditional enemy of Rome. He even marched his troops to the 
  capital of Persia, but the summer heat made a siege impossible. 
  And, on the way back to Constantinople, Julian was struck 
  down by an arrow, his killer unseen and unpunished. 
  After the death ofJulian, foreign relations only plunged the 
  Roman Empire further into hardship. In 375 the Huns attacked 
  the barbarian Goths, who fled to the west and south from their 
  enemies, putting the Goths in contact with the Romans. 
  Emperor Valentinian refused to shelter the Goths, and died 
  shortly thereafter. His brother Valens overturned the decision, 
  and invited the Goths to settle in Thrace, but eventually 
  changed his mind and pushed the Goths back to the frontier. 
  In outrage the Goths marched on Constantinople, and at the 
  Battle of Adrianople in 378 defeated the amy of the Empire. 
  The Goths then raided Thessaly and Thrace, while in the west 
  the barbarian Alemanni crossed the Rhine and raided Gaul. 
  Thus, the Empire fell into chaos as three men claimed the 
  Imperial throne: in the west Valentinian I1 and Maximus, and 
  in the east Theodosius. Theodosius finally emerged as sole 
  Emperor in 394, but died a year later. 
  drawal of legions to fight over the throne, 
  The lands of 
  Britannia and Gaul were therefore laid waste by invaders. 
  Furthermore, Imperial officers and administrators fled from 
  the barbarians, leaving the government in ruins. Thus, the 
  Christian Church, led by the Bishop of Rome, assumed the 
  reigns of power. (Theodosius had declared Christianity the 
  official state religion, outlawing all other religions.) 
  Now in charge of the Empire, the Church was just as 
  incapable of restoring order as were the emperors who pre- 
  ceded it. Continued barbarian invasions were the source of 
  Rome’s troubles. The west was overrun in 406 by the Vandals 
  and Suevi, who crossed the Rhine in the middle of winter, 
  laying waste to all of Gaul, and conquering Iberia. The Vandals 
  continued on to north Africa, while the Suevi stayed in Iberia. 
  Alaric the Visigoth, who had been plundering Thessaly and 
  Thrace, marched on Rome, sacking it in 410. Alaric then 
  conquered all of Italy and Sicily, but died suddenly 410 and was 
  buriedin the bed of theBusento river, which was diverted while 
  the grave was dug. The Visigoths then tried to claim the throne 
  ofthewest, butwereonlyable tosettleinAquitaineasFuederuti, 
  or allied tribes. In 426 Gaeseric, King of the Vandals, seized the 
  Roman fleet in Spain, and sailed to Carthage, which he took in 
  439. 
  The eastern Empire fell to barbarian invasions just as the 
  west had. In the Danubian plains of Hungary, the Huns settled, *- 
  raiding in all directions. The eastern Empire promised a yearly 
  indemnity of money and cattle, but fell into arrears. Indeed, the 
  invasion of Attila the Hun, who had crossed the Danube 
  sacking towns and cities along the way, was only brought to an 
  end when the Emperor met with him and promised a vast 
  indemnity and pasturage rights to the Empire. 
  However, in 451 Attila led his horsemen west, crossing the 
  Rhine and driving terrified Germans before him. Metz, Troyes 
  and Orleans fell to the Hun, while a young woman named 
  Genevieve prayed for the Hun to pass by the gates of Paris. 
  Aetius, a noble who had visited the court of Attila and under- 
  stood the Hunnish methods of warfare, hurried to Gaul where 
  he rallied Burgundi, Franks, and Visigoths to defeat the Huns 
  in a pitched battle, changing the course of the invaders’ 
  rampage. 
  In the following year Attila raided Italy, forcing the citizens 
  of Aquilaeia to take refuge on the islands of the Rialto lagoon, 
  which would become Venice. The Huns continued south, and 
  Pope Leo I met Attila to negotiate the sparing of Rome. Attila 
  died suddenly during the negotiations, and the Huns disap- 
  peared, journeying east beyond the Black Sea. 
  Back in the west, after rallying the Germanic tribes to 
  defeat the invading Huns, Aetius made a bid for power of his 
  own. Indeed, the German tribes even invaded England and 
  Aetius was in a position to consolidate the west. However, the 
  Roman Emperor Valentinian I11 recalled Aetius, and killed him 
  with his own hands to preserve what Imperial power was left. 
  Unfortunately, Rome had no remaining power, and without 
  l
  1 
  I 
  Aetrius to lead the German tribes, the fate of the west was 
  82026
  
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  A 
  Italy, no force could stand up to hm. He plundered Rome in 
  455, returning to Carthage with his booty. The eastern Empire 
  dispatched a fleet in a vain effort to recapture Carthage, but the 
  fleet was sunk by the Goths. The west was now lost to the 
  Roman Empire, and the German tribes were given free reign of 
  it. 
  The Church had not given up on the west, however, and 
  missionaries preached to the Germanic tribes, gradually con- 
  verting the Franks, Goths, Suevi and other tribes to Christian- 
  ity. However, many of the missionaries were of the Arian or 
  Adoptionist heresies, and the tribes they converted only be- 
  came a threat to Orthodox Christians. Still, a common religion 
  in the west was the factor required to quell fighting between the 
  barbarians and remaining western Empire. Though the Ger- 
  mans had little use for Christian and Roman writings, the 
  barbarians gradually became civilized under the influence of 
  the Church. 
  Maybe out of anger for the past or intrinsic differences of 
  Christian faith, theByzantines never acknowledged the changed 
  Germans, referring to the west as a land of savages and 
  barbarians. In fact, the Byzantines continue to frown upon the 
  west even in the present day, in the Thirteenth Century. 
  AFTER 
  THE FALL 
  After the defeat of the western Roman Empire by Ger- 
  manic tribes, the invaders were completely converted to Chris- 
  tianity and assumed the reigns of power where Rome once held 
  them. When the Arabs invaded the west in the Seventh and 
  Eighth Centuries, the formally pagan Germans took up the 
  defense of the lost Empire. Indeed, their defense of the west 
  assumed the aspects of a holy war, so complete was the German 
  conversion. 
  The Arabs, united by their new religion of Islam, flowed 
  across the north African coast. They became the invaders of an 
  Empire that had already been invaded and conquered. The 
  Arabs sacked the Vandal kingdom in the 690s, and invaded 
  Spain in the 720s. But, the northward flow of Islam in the west 
  was eventually halted by the Franks, led by Charles Martel, at 
  the Battle of Poitiers in 732. The recovery of Muslim-held lands 
  continues to this day. Indeed, the Roman Empire is still under 
  siege, and is now the home of your Saga. 
  Where the Roman Empire laid the basic foundation for 
  society and civilization in Mythic Europe, Charlemagne built 
  onto that foundation. His conquests, social reforms, and social 
  institutions established that which is society in the Thirteenth 
  Century. Charlemagne is primarily credited with initiating the 
  feudal system of vassal and liege, which provided order in an 
  otherwise hostile, feuding world. Understanding Charlemagne’s 
  accomplishment allows for an understanding of how Mythic 
  Europe functions. 
  MILITARY 
  SUCCESSES 
  Born of the Germanic tribes in A.D. 742, Charles, to be 
  known as “The Great,” was the son of Pepin the Short, and 
  grandson of Charles Martel, who defeated Moorish raiders at 
  the battle of Poitiers in 732. Charles was declared King of the 
  Franks, by his father, with his brother Carloman in 768. 
  Carloman died three years later in 771, and Charles was named 
  sole King in 773. 
  As King of his people, Charles was successful and prosper- 
  ous, and expanded the borders of Frankish lands. In 773 he 
  answered an appeal from Pope Hadrian 11, who was being 
  attacked by the Lombards in northern Italy. On the Pope’s 
  behalf Charles attacked and took Pavia, and a grateful Hadrian 
  gave him the title of “Protector of the Church.” In 778 Charles 
  continued his conquestsby leading an army across the Pyrenees 
  into Spain, taking Pamplonaandbesieging Saragossa. Saragossa 
  held out against Charles, however, aided by Muslim sorcerers 
  and their djinn, who were able to counter every move of 
  Frankish Magi, sent by Flambeau to aid Charlemagne. Charles 
  also orchestrated other militarycampai~,warswagedagainst 
  the Saxons, Bavarians and Avars in Hungary. 
  SOCIAL REFORM 
  To insure the strength of his armies, Charles made military 
  service a condition to the ownership of land. According to this 
  system each man was required to appear in equipment appro- 
  priate to his lands, at the call of his local count (from the Latin 
  comtes, meaning companion). Small holdings required that 
  one man be equipped in armor, with horse and weapons. 
  Charlemagne’s Loss 
  The greatest and most fearsome of Charlemagne’s 
  champions were his twelve Peers, or Paladins. The greatest 
  of these knights was Roland. The Peers were Charlemagne’s 
  pride, and most feared the warriors, but pride and treachery 
  combined to destroy them. 
  Ganelon, one of the Peers, was jealous of the fame and 
  fortune of Roland. Ganelon therefore contrived an ambush 
  with the aid of the Moors, Charlemagne’s enemies, to kill 
  Roland. Roland and the other Peers, in the rearguard of the 
  army, were trapped by Ganleon and the Moors in the pass 
  of Roncevalles, north of Pamplona. Though they fought 
  valiantly the entire rearguard was killed to a man. Though 
  he could summon aid to his cause, Roland’s pride would not 
  let him blow his great horn, and when he did he summoned 
  his King too late. 
  Charlemagne answered Roland’s call and slew all the 
  Moors on the field. He then went on to destroy the army and 
  the Moors who staged the ambush. Ganelon was captured, 
  and as punishment for his crimes, was tied to four spirited 
  horses and pulled limb from limb. 
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  Greater holdings required many men, armedand horsed. From 
  these laws came the practice of granting Knight’s Fees, the land 
  required to support one fully armored knight. 
  Tobetterfacilitateitsorganizationandcollectionofknights, 
  Charlemagne’s kingdom was divided into counties, each ad- 
  ministered by a count, and either a bishop or an archbishop. 
  Counties on the borders of the kingdom were known as 
  marches, and counts there were given greater power than 
  others, expected to deal with the threat of invasion. 
  Counts and bishops under Charlemagne were not autono- 
  mous, though, regardless of their county locations. Counts and 
  bishops were subject to inspection by Missi Dominici (“Emis- 
  saries of the Master”), who had the power to bring a count or 
  bishop before the King on charges of corruption, incompe- 
  tence, and other like crimes. 
  The Church also oversaw much of the counties’s adminis- 
  tration, as few commoners were literate. To resolve this 
  problem Charles called on all bishops and abbots to found 
  schools to teach reading and writing to children, with no 
  distinction made between the children of serfs and those of 
  freemen. Charles also invited scholars to form schools of 
  higher education, attracting learned people from Italy and 
  England to his domain. 
  Y - i  
  CHAmR ONE 
  Emperor, in return for recognition of Byzantine control o 
  THE HOLY 
  ROMAN 
  EMPIRE 
  On Christmas Day, A.D. 800, while attendmg mass in 
  Rome, Charles was crowned Emperor of the RoGns by Pope 
  Leo 111, making him the first Emperor in the west since the fall 
  of the Roman Empire. As Emperor, Charles sent numerous 
  messages to the Byzantine Emperor, attempting to heal the 
  breach between the two Empires, eastern and western. In 812 
  the eastern Emperor Michael I recognized Charles as co- 
  Venice and southern Italy. Unfortunately, further goodwill did 
  not prevail, and the two Empires eventually drifted apart again. 
  AFTER 
  CHARLEMAGNE 
  To preserve order and to protect his rule, Charles divided 
  hisEmpireamonghisthree1egitimatesonsinA.D. 
  806,making 
  each a king of separate parts of the Empire. By 813, two of the 
  three sons had died, leaving Louis as sole heir. Charles had 
  Louis crowned Emperor in 813, and himself died in 814. 
  Centuries later, in 1165, the Church elevated Charles to the 
  state of the blessed, a step on the way to sainthood. 
  Louis the Pious, as he became known, succeeded 
  Charlemagne to the Imperial throne in 814. Like his father, he 
  divided his realm among his three sons - 
  Pepin, Lothair and 
  Louis - 
  to be ruled as subservient kingdoms. However, civil 
  war broke out between the Emperor and his sons when he gave 
  his fourth son, Charles the Bald, a kingdom. 
  Pepin died in 838, and the Treaty of Verdun, signed in 843, 
  gave Charles the Bald all of what is now France. King Louis the 
  German received the eastern parts of the Empire, from Bavaria 
  to Denmark. And, King Lothar was given a thin strip of land 
  from Frisia to Italy, known as the “Bowling Alley,” including 
  the Imperial cities of Aix-la-Chappel and Rome. 
  Further wars followed the deaths of Louis’s reigning sons. 
  The treaties of Mersen, in 870, and the treaty of Ribemont, in 
  880, resolved these conflicts, defining the borders between a 
  western kingdom (France) and an eastern kingdom (Ger- 
  many). Burgundy was split, and became two autonomous 
  kingdoms, later rejoined as a duchy. The treaty of Ribemont 
  acknowledged the separation of France, Italy, and Germany, 
  and though surviving kings and emperors fought over the 
  realms’ borders, the split was final. These borders are still in 
  contention today, in the Thirteenth Century, when your Saga 
  takes place. 
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  T
  -
  I 
  he society of Mythlc Europe is based on only a 
  few, simple institutions utilized in an effort to 
  maintainsocialorderandpeace. Feudalismisone 
  of the mainsocial ordm, though only has limited 
  application, affecting those of d 
  existence. Though much of 
  MyhcEuropeisdevotedtohandfield, therealsoarises theaty, 
  where none of the old ways apply, and social power is available to 
  thepersonwhocanseizeit,notsimplytotheperronwhoholdsland. 
  Thus, the society of Myhc Europe is in part devoted to age-old 
  mdition, and in part is in ttmsition. A balance between the two is 
  what maintains social order. 
  Feudallsrn 
  Originating in the reign of Charlemagne, feudalism forms 
  the basis of Mythic Europe's society. It largely determines the 
  three classes of folk - noble, clergy, and peasant - 
  and 
  preserves order where there would otherwise be chaos. With- 
  out the debt of service owed by a knight to the lord on whose 
  land he lives, knights would fight among themselves for land, 
  rather than cooperate to manage it. This social order estab- 
  lished by feudalism also allows Mythic Europeans the oppor- 
  tunity to live their lives in moderate peace, devoting time to 
  work, courtly grace, and prayer. Make no mistake, though. 
  Wars are still fought, but more often between whole kingdoms 
  than baronies or duchies. 
  VASSALS 
  AND HOMAGE 
  All nobles, from the youngest h g h t  to lung and emperor, 
  are socially intertwined by mutual vows of support. All nobles, 
  save kings or emperors who are the highest of knights, are 
  subordinate to their lords, who in turn grant their lessers land 
  in return for pledges of loyalty. The subordinate noble is 
  known as the vassal, and the master the liege. Ideally a knight 
  has only one liege, as the need to serve two lords is demanding 
  at the best of times and treasonous at the worst. However, a 
  knight can swear simple homage to two or more lords, manag- 
  inglands fromdifferent barons or counts, but one is the knight's 
  liege lord, to whom the vassal swears full homage and ditary 
  support. 
  In the vassal-lord relationship the vassal pays homage to 
  the liege, pledging to be the lord's servant. The vassal swears 
  oaths of aid and council (military aid and advice), and promises 
  loyalty. In return the liege gives the vassal a fief, usually a grant 
  of land, but sometimes the revenue of a toll bridge or mine. The 
  liege also swears to protect the vassal, both militarily and in 
  court, and to be loyal in turn. 
  Furthermore, an oath of fealty is sworn by the vassal to the 
  lord, of which a common clause requires that the vassal never 
  attacks the liege. The oath of fealty may by required by the liege 
  at any time, usually to reafirm the vassal's legal obligations to 
  the lord. A vassal may defy his lord (i.e., renounce his fealty) 
  if the lord fails to support the vassal, or otherwise breaks the 
  82030
  
  82031
  4 
  oath to the vassal. In this situation, if a genuine breach of trust 
  can be proven, the vassal keeps the fief of land granted by the 
  former lord. By the same token, a liege can revoke a vassal’s land 
  if the vassal breaks their social contract. 
  KNIGHTLY 
  HIERARC
  In most countries there are two orders of nobles: the lower 
  order, composed of knights who have no subordinates, and the 
  higher order of titled nobles, including barons and other great 
  land owners. All members of noble rank, even knights, have the 
  benefits and protection of low justice, for themselves and their 
  lands. Low justice is concerned with non-capital crimes (those 
  not involving the death penalty; those not involving the murder 
  of a noble, rape of a noble woman, treason, or heresy). Wielders 
  of low justice may assign punishments up to the maiming of 
  criminals-cutting off hands and ears, or blinding. Those who 
  hold the right of low justice may not try other nobles, though, 
  nor may they try any member of the clergy (who are protected 
  by canon law). Most knights and lords wield low justice. 
  High justice is reserved for h g s  and emperors, though in 
  some cases great nobles, such as dukes, have the privilege. High 
  justice deals with capital crimes, and the right to try the crimes 
  The knight is the lowest member of the nobility, and is 
  granted by a lord a knight‘s fee (fief), which is enough land to 
  support the knight and family. A usual knight’s fee is a manor, 
  consisting of a fortified house and lands farmed by peasants, 
  serfs, or slaves. The early Frankish custom of dividing a 
  knight’s lands amongst all heirs is passed for the most part. 
  Now lands normally go to an eldest son or other male relative 
  (though sometimes they go to wives and eldest daughters). If 
  a knight dies without heirs, lands are returned to the liege, who 
  may give them to anyone else. 
  Aside from lowly knights who form the majority of the 
  feudal contract, there are also household or bachelor (from “bus 
  chevalier,” or low knight) knights, who live at the court of their 
  liege, and form the lord’s immediate retinue. 
  A baron is the next step up the ladder of nobility, and the 
  first rank which truly has a say in the government of the realm. 
  It is the barons of England who force King John to sign the 
  Magna Carta, guaranteeing their rights under the law. A baron 
  normally subinfeudates his holdings, granting knights’ fees to 
  his followers. Most barons have a primary castle which they use 
  as their residence. Barons are the vassals of counts, dukes and 
  kings, and comprise the lowest class of the titled nobility. 
  Counts receive their lands directly from the king or 
  emperor, as do dukes. Of the two titles, a dukedom is more 
  prestigious, even though a count may occasionally hold more 
  lands. Many dukes hold the rights of high and low justice, and 
  in France and Germany dukes can wield as much power as the 
  king or emperor, as appropriate. 
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  -
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  s
  i
   
  A - 
  - old Roman provinces of Gaul and Britannia, many Roman cities 
  RESISTANCE 
  TO 
  FEUDALISM 
  Though feudalism creates social hierarchy among nobles, 
  and thereby establishes some social order, not everyone ben- 
  efits from the system, so there exist opponents to it. The 
  peasants of Mythic Europe are at the bottom of the feudal social 
  hierarchy, being owned, used and abused by the nobles of the 
  land. Peasants, serfs, and slaves are therefore victims of society, 
  able to eke out a meagre living, but having nothing to show for 
  their hardship, especially in comparison to the wealth and 
  comfort of many nobles and clergy. 
  It comes as no surprise, then, that there are those subver- 
  sive activists in Mythic Europe who work to subvert the social 
  order, seeking to achieve rights and freedoms for rural peas- 
  ants. These activists are often declared outlaws by the nobility, 
  and are hunted, but are not necessarily criminals. Indeed, their 
  intentions may be entirely benevolent, and they may sympa- 
  thize and cooperate with others who exist outside the feudal 
  order, like the Magi of the Order of Hermes. Working with the 
  Order, social activists can coerce peasants to leave their lands 
  to find freedom in the Order’s Covenants, and the activists 
  themselves can find personal freedom acting as Magi’s aids and 
  assistants. 
  Such fraternization of social outsiders means danger for all 
  concerned, however, particularly so for the Order of Hermes. 
  For a Covenant to harbor a rebel against feudalism means to 
  raise the ire of landlords who find themselves short of laborers. 
  Cities and cowns 
  Cities and towns are somethmg of an aberration in the 
  social world of Mythic Europe. They largely exist outside the 
  rural order of feudalism and therefore offer rights and freedoms 
  to their inhabitants that are unheard of elsewhere. Most lords 
  and landholders therefore resent towns and cities; serfs can 
  escape to urban centers and achieve independence there, and 
  urban centers generate their own wealth, putting them beyond 
  knightly influence. Rising from the feudal order, and acting as 
  a wrench in the works of that order, towns and cities represent 
  social change, and hint at a future in which the old ways are 
  made obsolete. 
  THE HISTORY 
  OF THE 
  CITY 
  Mythic Europe’s towns and cities have their roots in the 
  cities of Greece and Rome. However, outside the Mediterra- 
  nean Basin the hundreds of years that have passed since the fall 
  of Rome have blurred foreign countries’ perspective on their 
  urban heritage. In Italy and Greece, and Spain and the 
  Byzantine Empire, are cities which can trace their history to 
  before the birth of Christ. North of the Alps, however, in the 
  were abandoned or shrank to mere villages, and forgot their 
  origins. A few others, like London and Tours, prospered and 
  became the nuclei for kingdoms, but achieved their own 
  identity as independent centers, not descendents of Rome. 
  CITY TRAITS 
  I 
  All towns have some common elements, though certainly 
  not all can be discussed here. Generally speaking Myhc 
  Europe’s towns are too large to be self-supporting, so must 
  trade with the countryside for enough food to feed the masses. 
  A merchant class is therefore necessary to provide goods and 
  services, not only to the citizens of the city, but also to the 
  countryside. 
  Cities also have certain inherent rights, particularly related 
  to the freedom of citizens and trade. Indeed, while all cities and 
  towns enjoy the same rights and guarantees, many share the 
  same laws and customs as well. A few cities, such %Venice, are 
  true city-states, free from the power of the nobility, whde others 
  are the personal fief of a noble lord. However, even if the fief 
  of a lord, cities offer greater freedom and independence than 
  offered on farm and field. 
  Although often divested from the feudal nobility, most 
  cities and towns assume some of the trappings of the nobility, 
  often to declare their position in society. These towns appoint 
  themselves coats of arms, and strike seals with which to legalize 
  documents. Town guilds are also given to ostentatious  IS- 
  plays, competing with each other as nobles might in tourna- 
  ments, but through parades, feasts and civic ceremonies. 
  The social status of all cities and many towns .is also 
  affirmed by being the seat of a bishopric or archbishopric. In 
  large cities the Church often builds splendid cathedrals, not 
  only to give glory to God, but to attract the devout (who spend 
  their money in the city while visiting the cathedral). By finding 
  a flock to preach to and earn money from in cities, the Church 
  lends credibility to those cities, further protecting urban cen- 
  ters from the pressures and influence of the nobility. 
  Walls and gates are common to all cities, and are more than 
  defensive. Walls and gates regulate the flow of traffic into and 
  out of the city, allowing tolls to be easily collected. And, near 
  city gates can be found inns and other amenities for travelers. 
  Roads also lead from gates to squares, which represent the type 
  of businesses that can be found in those parts of the city. One 
  square may contain cloth and clothing stores, while another 
  may be more of an urban administrative center. 
  Finally, people in all cities tend to live in areas appropriate 
  to their lifestyles. Most live within walking distance of their 
  workplace, if not actually inside their place of employment. 
  And, a city always has a section devoted to foreigners, since the 
  very existence of the city depends on trade. Some cities, 
  especially oneswithuniversitiesorchurchschools, or ones that 
  are great trading centers, may have sizable foreign populations. 
  Offering freedom and independence to their inhabitants, 
  and being centers for international relations, cities in Myhc 
  Europe are more receptive to feudal outsiders than are rural. 
  82032
  
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  a city for a year and a day are declared free. Furthermore, cities 
  are places where the unusual is more readily accepted than it is 
  in the countryside. Magi of the Order of Hemes can therefore 
  anticipate a more hospitable response from city-goers than they 
  can from country folk. However, Magi must keep in mind that 
  even city folk are close-minded to some degree. Caution is 
  always suggested no matter where a wizard travels. 
  Commune 
  Communes are towns or cities which have become self- 
  governing, whether by peaceful charter or by military force. 
  Communes are prevalent where the power of noble families is 
  weak, especially in Flanders and northern Italy. A number of 
  attributes are common to all communes, including the freedom 
  of the citizen, the authority to levy tolls and regulate trade, and 
  the assumption of all judicial functions. 
  Guilds 
  A guild is an association of free folk formed for a specific 
  purpose, be it to control the production and selling of crafts, or 
  merely to act as a social club for its members. All guilds share 
  a number of features, including the swearing of oaths, rituals 
  and feasts. The earliest guilds consisted of Germanic sacrificial 
  feasts, which the Church found easier to modi@ to Christian 
  precepts than abolish. At religious festivals, especially ones 
  devoted to a guild’s patron saint, guilds try to out-do each other 
  with the magnificence of their displays. When displays are 
  being prepared and presented there are even bouts of intra- 
  guild intrigue and violence. 
  Typical Mythic European guilds provide most townsfolk 
  with the only social activity they choose to participate in. Most 
  members of a guild are likely to work at the same sort ofjob, live 
  in the same area, and attend the same church as other guild 
  members. The oaths a guild member swears and the rituals 
  performed help strengthen the bond shared between fellow 
  guild members. 
  Being closed and often secretive societies, guilds superfi- 
  cially seem akin to Covenants of the Order of Hemes. Both 
  guilds and Covenants have secret meetings, require vows of 
  their members, require members to work with and support 
  each other, and pursue rivalries. To the uninitiated a Covenant 
  might be mistaken for a guild, or a guild for a Covenant. After 
  all, who knows what goes on behind closed guild doors. Some 
  whisper of infemal activities. . . 
  Grain must be ground before it is .fit to eat, Hand mills 
  called quem may be used by peasants, but for the most part 
  grain is milled in large water, wind, or beast-driven mills. A mill 
  is sure sign of a manor, as large mills are owned almost 
  exclusively by local lords. 
  All mills, from the hand held quem to the largest wind mill, 
  have two parts in common. The first is the platform or stone, 
  a flat surface upon which grain is placed. The other part is the 
  millstone, a heavy round stone which rotates above the plat- 
  form. In a quem, the millstone is lifted from a bowl, grain is 
  poured in, and the millstone is turned by hand. In larger mills, 
  grain is automatically fed through the millstone. 
  Quem are small (about a foot across), and require a 
  tremendous amount of time and energy. Querns are mostly 
  used for day-to-day milling, to make one loaf of bread, for 
  instance. In most areas quem are illegal because they take 
  work away from the local mill. The forecourt of the Bishop of 
  Lincoln’s palace is paved with querns confiscated from the 
  Bishop’s tenants. (Some of the Order of Hemes say the Baron’s 
  bitterness has even infused the querns with Perdo vis). 
  Animal driven mills are the simplest large-scale mills to 
  build and operate (most gearing in wind and water mills is 
  required to change the angle of force, rather than grind grain). 
  Animal mills usually have one, two, or four animals in harness. 
  The animals walk in a circle around the mill. The animals are 
  usually entitled to spillage from the mill, which explains the 
  folksaying, “Donotbindthemouthoftheoxthatgrinds thegrain.” 
  Water mills come in two varieties, overshot and under- 
  shot. The similar names refer to the area of the water wheel 
  which is hit by rushing water. Overshot wheels are water-fed 
  from the top. Undershot wheels sit in the stream. Complex 
  gearing changes the direction of spin, and allows the miller to 
  stop the mill. 
  Wind mills were invented in the deserts of Egypt and 
  Arabia, where water is scarce. They operate under the force of 
  the wind, and thus require mechanisms to shift the sails to best 
  catch the wind. The benefit of wind mills is obvious: they may 
  be used if water is sparse, or if a local stream is not strong 
  enough to work a water mill. 
  Water and wind power are also harnessed for other pur- 
  poses, especially the fulling of cloth and the cracking of stones 
  to get at the metal within. In the latter case, a series of hammers 
  is activated by a revolving beam, with shims in place to lift the 
  ends of the hammers. In the civ of Graz, watermilk power 
  hammers which pound iron stock, producing sheets of iron for 
  use in armor (though the odd murder is suspected to have 
  occurred under the mechanical hammers). 
  The Count du Coucy has recently granted a monopoly on 
  milling in his county to the operators of a mill on the banks of 
  the Seine. The people of Coucy, who had often done their own 
  milling with querns or animal-dnven mills, are being forced to 
  give up their millstones. This has caused increased unrest in the 
  area. Even Cathar Believers have joined the side of the peasants, 
  preaching rejection of the Count’s decree. Unrest in the County 
  may soon attract the attention of the Inquisition, which has 
  been seeking an excuse to declare the area heretical. Conflict 
  between locals and Inquisition forces may draw in locale Magi, 
  as peasants ask local Covenants to intervene on their behalf. Of 
  course, involvement in mundane affairs is strictly against the 
  Code of Hemes. 
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  The primary source of education in Mythlc Europe is the 
  Church, whichmaintains a tradition of literacy andknowledge. 
  However, independent universities also provide an education 
  to those who can afford to pay for it. Given to the time and 
  money involved, only the nobility and wealthy merchants can 
  afford a university education. 
  The basic educational curriculum comprises the seven 
  liberal arts, divided into the basic Trivium (grammar, rhetoric, 
  and dialectic), and the more advanced Quadrivium (arith- 
  metic, geometry, astronomy, and music). However, teachers 
  have great leeway in the subjects they may emphasize or ignore. 
  Higher education is available from universities and the 
  Church, and is comprised of the studies of law, medicine and 
  theology. W l e  it is not impossible to become a master of more 
  than one subject, it is extremely rare. 
  Learned in the world and its higher arts, students, profes- 
  sors, and even scholastic clergy can be more receptive to the 
  unorthodox than can the common Mythic European. Magi of 
  the Order of Hermes may therefore seek aid and information 
  among the educated, and those sought may require esoteric 
  learning in return for their services. In fact, the open mind of 
  a young student can make payment possible by indoctrination 
  into the wizardly ways. 
  Arranging loans was once the exclusive domain of Jewish 
  moneylenders. Christians are forbidden by the Church from 
  charging interest on loans (charging interest on a loan is called 
  usury, a sin in the eyes of the Church), and the nobility finds 
  it beneath their dignity to haggle over rates of exchange and 
  payment. 
  However, the growth of international trade creates the 
  need to move large amounts of money from city to city without 
  risking capture by brigands and robbers. In addition, rates of 
  exchange in coin benefit only the coin-changer, who takes from 
  one twentieth to one tenth of the value of the coins changed. 
  Thus, banks, even Christian ones, have arisen. 
  A number of Italian families, already rich from trade, now 
  provide the means whereby money can safely be transported 
  long distances. They do so by establishng banks. A family 
  sends a number of its members to a distant city with enough 
  currency to open a branch of the family bank. When a 
  merchant wishes to travel to that city, he gives a sum of money 
  to the banking house in his home city. The bank then gives him 
  a letter of credit, good for that same sum (minus fees for 
  handling) when presented at the office of the bank in the 
  foreign city. In this way, the traveler need not personally cany 
  money. 
  Forging letters of credit is difficult, as banking houses each 
  use codes to validate their letters. However, each house keeps 
  spies in the offices of other houses. A clever and lucky house 
  can bankrupt the competition with a few well placed forgeries. 
  The Florentine Del Tor0 family was destroyed in just this 
  way. The Del Tor0 was a prosperous house, with banks in 
  Champagne, Flanders, and England. However, the family’s 
  rival, the De Marco family, managed to place a spy in the Del 
  Tor0 home branch (the spy married a Del Tor0 cousin, and was 
  offered a business position). 
  The spy was eventually given charge of delivering the Del 
  Tor0 family codes to the outlying branches of the bank. He 
  somehow copied the codes out of the sealed book in which they 
  were recorded, and the De Marcos, in a carefully timed strike, 
  managed to bankrupt each Del Tor0 branch within a single 
  week. They sent out several agents with forged letters of credit 
  to exchange. 
  When the magnitude of the disaster became apparent the 
  head of the Del Toros, Enrico, committed suicide by leaping 
  from the top of his family tower. After the fall of the family, 
  other banking houses have tightened their security, hiring 
  guards and even Magi to safeguard their codebooks. Though 
  little known, an unlucky De Marco agent once opened a spell- 
  protected codebook, and was blinded by the spell contained in 
  the volume. Evidence of the spell could mean trouble for the 
  Magus who cast it, for sign of a Sigil might trace back to the 
  wizard and incriminate her in mundane affairs. 
  82034
  
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  them. 
  The silver penny, or denarius, is the standard coin of all 
  The Teutonic order is a rival to the League, and several 
  Myhc European countries, by whatever name it is known. smaller leagues have formed idand to block the spread of the 
  The value of the coin is contained in its metal. Thus, coins of 
  League south. The League has no formal membership, with 
  a debased metal are worth less than those of pure silver. Coins cities and towns joining and leaving more or less at will. 
  are mnufactured at about 240 to the pound. Some countries 
  produce coins worth half or quarter pennies, but normal However, the League is constantly encouraging cities to join, as 
  the greater an area trading through the League, the greater the 
  practice is to literally cut a penny in halves or quarters. 
  potential profits available to member cities. Though no offers 
  devoted to coins’ *OUgh 
  that have yet been made, members of the League have heard of the 
  silver is often debased by the addition of other metals. Some Order 
  and plan to offer its Magi a place in the League. 
  gold coins are minted for special occasions, or in countries 
  familiar with the gold coinage of the Saracens. Indeed, many 
  cities in Italy have begun minting gold currency since German 
  Emperor Frederick I1 started minting the Augustale in Sicily. 
  But, gold coins are still rare north of the Alps. 
  silver is the common 
  Markets and Fairs 
  Markets and fairs are the mercantile gatherings of Mythic 
  Europe. Throughout the land, farmers and traders gather at 
  is a lucrative business because Of the markets and fairs, buying and selling produce, farm goods, and 
  The minting Of 
  for fIXId. BY combining a lesser 
  as the oc ~i ona l  city-made item. Along with traveling mer- 
  Or gold$ more coins are Produced for the chants, markets and fairs attract performing troupes, Pardon- 
  with 
  same weight of silver. Such corrupt coins are said to be made ers, thieves, and Magi. 
  of ‘%2lon.”TheEnglishSterlingpennyis thestrongest andleast 
  devalued coin, due to royal control of English mints. Because 
  of its value, the Sterling is used widely in Flanders, Germany, 
  Scandinavia, and France. Mints are often given as fiefs to nobles 
  or towns, with a share of the profits going to the king or a local 
  noble. 
  Few know it, but Magi of Hermes pose the greatest threat 
  to Myhc Europe’s coinage system since Magi can use their 
  magic to fabricate coins. In fact, their coins need not even exist 
  perinanently, disappearing into nothingness a short while after 
  being passed. Abuse of magic in this way would cause terrible 
  troubles for the Order, though, as not all Magi can resist torture 
  and a Magus caught passing bad coins might implicate the 
  entire Order. To get revenge against the Order for =me 
  punishment, a bitter Magus might also fabricate coins and set 
  the Order up for cheating “God-fearing” folk. 
  Recently, coins of values greater than one penny, known 
  as the Groat or ‘greater’ coin, have been struck. The value of the 
  Groat depends on the devaluation of the penny, so that the 
  Venetian Grossi is worth 24 denari, and the French Gros 
  Tournai is worth only 12 denari. However, the French Denari 
  is worth two of the Venetian. The Groat is usually minted at 
  about 60 to the pound. 
  Hanseatic LeaSue 
  Markets are generally local, lasting no more than a few 
  days. Towns are granted the right to host markets by their lord, 
  who takes a percentage of all moneys exchanged. Because a 
  license is required, most areas have only a few market towns. 
  Markets are usually held in the fall, after the harvest. 
  FairsoriginatedasgatheringsoflocalmerchantsonChurch 
  holidays, when merchants were assured the populace was in 
  town for services. From these gatherings grew the great fairs, 
  which attract merchants from all over Mythic Europe. While 
  fairs of all sizes can be found, the largest are in the County of 
  Champagne, where the local Count encourages their growth 
  (for his own profit). 
  As a rule, the duration of a fair is determined by its size, 
  with large fairs lasting longer and thereby attracting more 
  business (and taxes). A small village fair may last one or two 
  days, while the Champagne Fairs each last seven weeks. Some 
  fairs attract a specific type of commodity - 
  leather, wine, or 
  horses, for example - 
  while others offer wares of all kinds. 
  Many merchants are attracted to the largest fairs while only 
  tinkers or minor merchants might show up for a local fair. 
  Merchants from Italy, Spain, England, and Germany gather at 
  the Champagne Fairs. 
  Fairs attract many people aside from merchants. Food and 
  drink vendors circulate amongst the crowd, or hawk their 
  wares from booths. Traveling players and minstrels entertain 
  crowds with passion plays, juggling, stilt-walking, fire-eating, 
  and other shows. Cutpurses, whores, and other members of the 
  criminal class mix with the crowd, looking for easy money. 
  Pardoners offer remission for sins and sell “holy” relics (most 
  of which are nothing but junk acquired on the road). The local 
  lord and his family might also visit, and there may even be a 
  tournament of honor. The bulk of this exotic throng, however, 
  are peasants who clutch their purses, buy pretty ribbons, or 
  simply admire the view. On occasion a Magus visits mundane 
  fairs, in search of an esoteric item important to some strange 
  The Hanseatic League is a group of cities in northern 
  Germany which regulate trade on the shores of the Baltic. The 
  League trades the goods of the north, particularly furs, amber, 
  wood, and fish, for fabric and manufactured goods from 
  England, Flanders, and the west. Cologne and Lubeck are the 
  leaders of the Hanse, and most coastal cities on the shore of the 
  Baltic are members. Inland, Magdeburg and Cologne pass trade 
  south and west. The members of the League band together and 
  82035
  
  82036
  experiment or elixir. These unusual attendants are overlooked 
  if in disguise, but attract much gossip and suspicion if recog- 
  nized. 
  Yhe fairs in Champagne are the largest marketplaces in 
  Mythlc Europe. Started in the Twelfth Century by the Count 
  of Champagne, the fairs attract wool merchants from England, 
  cloth merchants from Flanders, traders in fur and wood from 
  the Hanseatic League, Italian traders with goods and spices 
  from the Orient, and Spanish merchants with finely crafted 
  leather. It is said that anythng is available at the fairs in 
  Champagne, though some items may be more dear than others, 
  and some only of value to particular customers. 
  Six fairs are held each year, two each at Provins and Troyes, 
  and one each at Lagny and Bar-sur-Aube. Each fair lasts seven 
  weeks, with the first devoted to arrivals and receiving of 
  merchandise, and the last to the settling of accounts. Italian 
  merchant houses have made carrying large sums of money for 
  fairs unnecessary, with banking houses in each city able to 
  dispense funds to merchants with accounts. 
  The authority and prominence of the Champagne Fairs is 
  such that travelers robbed on their way to a fair may appeal to 
  the hosting city, which may not only recompense losses, but 
  also pressure the province where travelers were robbed to 
  improve patrols. The fairs’ chief means of enforcing their 
  demands is to deny trading rights to merchants from offending 
  provinces. 
  Beside the mercantile business of the fairs, other, less open 
  negotiations take place. Freelance spies and solders discreetly 
  offer their services to the highest bidder, and many secret 
  assignations are kept here. All the royal houses of Mythlc 
  Europe have their spies, disguised as honest merchants, travel- 
  ing from fair to fair, sending messages back to their patrons. On 
  occasion these spies attempt to eliminate their opposite num- 
  ber, arranging ‘accidents’ and ‘bardits’ on the road or in the 
  numerous inns. 
  The real merchants of the Champagne Fairs long ago 
  figured out who these spies are, and even know a new spy when 
  an old one is replaced, or no longer attends the fairs. The antics 
  of spies are watched by merchants with amusement, and 
  merchants usually manage to make a good profit from spies, 
  either on betting who will be killed, or by buying the goods a 
  false merchant carries as his disguise. 
  Spies know enough not to attempt any overt acts, as they 
  know not to unduly disrupt the peace of the Champagne Fairs. 
  If a spy makes a commotion or mockery of a fair, the Count of 
  Champagne denies the spy’s country the right to trade at fairs 
  in the future. 
  82036
  
  82037
  4 
  spies, while the D’Angelo of Pisa are ready to hire soldiers 
  and go to war, such is the trade damage being caused by the 
  Urballo wool. Several Magi who have bought Urballo wool 
  have experienced severe magical shocks, enough to send one 
  into Twilight 
  Roads and Bndses 
  The Romans in ancient times built roads to bind together 
  their Empire, but with the fall of the Roman Empire the roads 
  fell into neglect. In some countries, notably Italy and southern 
  France, roads are maintained, but in others, like Germany, 
  where the Romans never conquered, roads fade into the 
  countryside. 
  With the revival of trade, new roads and bridges have been 
  built, and trade passes along and over them in a never-ending 
  stream. Roads and bridges are now the projects of local lords, 
  who build them as a means to insure the collection of tolls, both 
  to maintain the roads and to fill the lords’ coffers. 
  While Roman roads were crafted and engineered with care 
  and covered in stonework, modem roads are often simple 
  tracks through the land, with brush cleared away from their 
  sides. In England, the brush is cleared over the length of a 
  bowshot from the road, so that brigands and thieves cannot 
  easily waylay travelers. In other countries, where the King’s 
  writ does not run as strong, roads are much more dangerous. 
  When roads met rivers, the Romans built bridges to cross. 
  Most lords no longer bother with such care, simply routing a 
  road to a ford, which might or might not be marked with stakes 
  to indicate deep water. Most bridges built since the fall of the 
  Roman Empire are of wood, and rot after a few years, requiring 
  frequent upkeep. Bridges are normally fortified, as they are 
  often the only crossing on a river for miles in either direction. 
  Some bridges even have small castles on either bank, and most 
  have towers built on the bridge itself, with gates which can be 
  closed. 
  Bridges are also a source of income; the toll from bridges 
  can be given as a fief to knights and lords. One bridge can often 
  serve as a knight’s fee, equipping the knight for duty. In 
  wartime, the knight is expected to stop an invadinganny, either 
  by force or by burning the bridge, keeping the enemy from 
  crossing the river. However, most knights refuse to so endan- 
  ger their livelihood, and often lose their rights to a bridge when 
  a lord learns of such dereliction of duty. 
  Special A&ssengrs 
  The need to send messages from city to city extends 
  through the upper levels of society, from kings, popes, town 
  councils, universities and merchant houses. Special messen- 
  gers are employed for this purpose, with great authority to act 
  in the name of their principal. 
  Messengen are usually mounted, but except for the deliv- 
  ery of urgent messages, travel no faster than a walk, to conserve 
  their horses. Messengers wear their employer’s livery, and 
  82037
  
  82038
  The lone country inn can form the seed of a town, 
  carry a strong leather pouch or satchel embossed or embroi- 
  dered with their employer’s arms. If a messenger’s patron is 
  powerful enough, markings on a pouch can deter would-be 
  thieves, or attract their attention. 
  Messengers are often put in charge of delivering money or 
  persons to a destination. To thisend they may hire guards, 
  wagons, horses, pavilions, and anydung else they require for 
  the trip. A king or other employer may give a messenger money 
  for the purposes of protection, or may repay a messenger for 
  expenses. In either case, the messenger often carries large sums 
  of money at the beginning of a trip. Robbers have been known 
  to waylay messengers, but can expect the employer’s troops to 
  hunt them down. Robbing, waylaying, or even delaying a royal 
  messenger can be viewed as treasonous. 
  The special privileges of messengers are dependent upon 
  their employer. Royal messengers have the right to requisition 
  horses to continue theirjourney in case of accident (though this 
  right can be revoked if abused). Messengers of less exalted 
  patrons must make do with what their purse can purchase. The 
  Pope keeps a stable especially for his messengers, and Papal 
  messengers receive free lodging (and nursing, if injured) in 
  ecclesiastical buildings. 
  Royal messengers often have extraordinary rights in a 
  king’s name. The messenger eats in the king’s hall when not on 
  a mission, and is given one or more suits of clothing (with pairs 
  of shoes or boots) each year. While on the road, a royal 
  messenger is given a stipend for food and lodging. Horses may 
  also be provided by the king, but more often the messenger 
  owns a horse and is reimbursed for its death or injury. Old 
  messengers may become horse buyers for a king, may assume 
  the maintenance of a royal castle, or may oversee the lodging 
  and ransom of noble prisoners. In any case, retired messengers 
  who were valuable and loyal early in life are rewarded later in 
  life. Some are even sent as ambassadors to wizards’ Covenants. 
  7nns 
  Travelers on the roads of Mythic Europe need places to 
  stay when overtaken by darkness or weariness. For noble 
  travelers, accommodation can often be had at castles and 
  manors, especially ifa traveler is related to the local lord or lady. 
  Vassals have an obligation to provide hospitality for their lord. 
  The Church provides temporary lodging for travelers, but quite 
  often the traveler is awakened at midnight for Matins (the 
  beginning of the day). 
  For those who do not have noble influence, or do not wish 
  to stay at a monastery, the need for shelter may be met by the 
  many inns which dot roads. Inns are usually located in towns 
  or cities, or at an easy day’s journey from the last stop. Inns 
  provide rooms for the well-to-do, with a bed big enough for four 
  or five people, or offer accommodation in the common room. 
  Prices vary dependmg on how far it is to other accommoda- 
  tions; the farther away from the city, the higher the price. All 
  sorts of people may be found at an inn, from honest merchants 
  and working men, to cutpurses, Pardoners, and outlaws. 
  attracting other busin&ses related to travel, such as a black- 
  smith or stables. A tavern is often attached to the typical inn, 
  providmg food and drink. Merchants may also set up booths 
  in the vicinity of such a stopover. Indeed, a church may even 
  be built nearby, attracting more settlers. Within a decade or 
  two, a new town may grow up. 
  “The Templar’s Feast,” an inn on the road from Dijon to 
  Toul, is run by Jean-Jacques, a hardworkmg man. He, his wife, 
  and three children have made a good living feeding and 
  housing travelers, often rich merchants on their way from 
  France to Flanders. Recently, the inn has become the head- 
  quarters of Eduard le Savage, an outlawed Norman knight. Le 
  Savage has gathered many vicious soldiers to his side, preying 
  on travelers within two days travel up and down the road. The 
  Baron d’Auton recently lost two men in one of Eduard’s raids, 
  and has sworn vengeance on the knight and his men. The 
  Count of Champagne has warned d’Auton that no harm must 
  come to the inn or its owners, as the inn is an important stop 
  for Italian merchants on their way to the fairs of Champagne. 
  DAuton is waiting for the opportunity to catch Eduard on the 
  road, where the inn cannot hamper the Baron’s actions. 
  Given the troubles and time involved with travel overland, 
  ships provide a secure and more timely method of travel. Many 
  types of ships exist, mainly distinguished by whether they sail 
  rivers or seas, and by which seas they frequent. River craft tend 
  to be of shallow draft, and maneuvered by sa&, oars, or poles. 
  Smaller rivers carry proportionately smaller boats. Many river 
  craft are simply log rafts which are poled down river and broken 
  up upon destination. 
  On the Atlantic and Baltic coasts, ships based on Scandina- 
  vian craft dominate, being built for heavy seas. To help facilitate 
  rough travel oceangoing ships also have a high freeboard to 
  prevent swamping. The Norse are the best boat builders in 
  Mythic Europe, capable of building craft supposedly able to sail 
  across the Atlantic. 
  Mediterranean craft have a lower freeboard, and are gen- 
  erally built lighter than Atlantic vessels. Small Mediterranean 
  ships tend to be of one or two masts, rigged with a lateen sail. 
  Galleys also continue to be built here, based on models and 
  theories handed down from the ancient Greeks and Romans. 
  These ships are powered by slave oarsmen. Because of their low 
  freeboard and construction, galleys cannot stand up to the 
  waves of the Atlantic. 
  Ships depend on the skill of their navigators to make 
  landfall. Navigators use a variety of instruments, as well as their 
  own skill and experience to guide their way. The Vikings used 
  a lodestone and sunstone to determine their location on the 
  ocean, but now there exists the compass, which always points 
  north. Astrology has also lent its wisdom and the astrolabe to 
  the mariner, allowing a navigator to determine latitude. There 
  is no way, however, to determine distances east or west when 
  beyond sight of land. Even the poorest navigator knows dozens 
  82038
  
  82039
  1 . 
  to a watery grave. Normal custom is to sail within sight of land 
  for as much of a journey as possible, to insure the ship stays on 
  course. During storms, however, prudent mariners sail out to 
  sea rather than risk being caught between storm and shore. 
  Due to the uncertain nature of weather, no mariner can 
  accurately tell how long a trip may last, but a reasonably 
  accurate guess can be made based on the season. For instance, 
  the simple journey from Dover to Calais, a mere 19 miles, might 
  take a few hours with a good wind, or might involve a wait of 
  several weeks for a wind change. However, an experienced 
  mariner can tell the best time to make the crossing, as winds 
  tend to come from a certain direction in specific parts of the 
  Year. 
  In battle, ships become veritable arsenals, particularly 
  warships. Raised platforms called castles are built onto the bow 
  and stem of some ships to provide positions from which 
  archers may fire. Even trading vessels sometimes have these 
  castles,aspiracyisalwaysathreat. Normalnavaltacticscallfor 
  ships to approach each other, crews firing bows, until other 
  crewmen can grapple the other ship and board, sweeping the 
  opposing deck of the enemy. 
  In their sea battles the Byzantines use a magical mixture 
  called Greek Fire, which when lit cannot be extinguished by 
  water. They place pumps on the decks of their galleys, and 
  pump the Greek Fire onto the water. They then retreat and fire 
  the mixture, to torch, redirect, or trap their opponents. The 
  formula for Greek Fire is known only by a select few craftsmen 
  in Constantinople, and they are forbidden to leave the city for 
  any reason. The cities of Italy, especially Venice and Genoa, 
  offer to make a prince of the person who gives them the secret 
  of Greek Fire. 
  _ _ _ _ ~  
  The keeping of time, both during the day and during the 
  year, is of great importance to the Church, which must calcu- 
  late when prayers are said, devotions made, and festivals staged. 
  The historians and clerks of Mythlc Europe’s kings and emper- 
  ors must also record when battles, marriages, and decrees 
  occur. And, the farmer needs to know when to plant and reap. 
  All involve keeping some record of time. 
  Mattins 
  Lauds 
  Prime 
  Terce 
  Sixte 
  Nones 
  Vespers 
  Comdine 
  An Ecclesiastical Day 
  Midnight 
  Sunrise or Daybreak 
  Midday 
  sunset 
  Ecclesiastical Calendar 
  Day 
  Epiphany 
  Candlemas 
  Lady Day 
  Easter 
  Pentecost 
  Assumption day 
  Holy Cross day 
  Michaelmas 
  All Saints day 
  Christmas 
  Lammas day 
  Date 
  January 6 
  February 2 
  March 25 
  Between March 22 and April 25 
  Seven weeks after Easter 
  August 1 
  August 15 
  September 14 
  September 29 
  November 1 .  
  December 25 
  YEARS 
  Annual time is kept by means of calendars. The system 
  largely in use in the west is that which Julius Caesar invented. 
  It divides the year into twelve months, and each month into a 
  varying number of days (though some months lost days due to 
  political machinations of the Roman senate). Caesar’s calendar 
  was altered by Constantine who divided the months into seven- 
  day weeks (an inheritance from the Jewish Sabbath, allowing 
  rest on the seventh day). 
  Major events on the calendar (e.g., saints’ days, Easter, and 
  Christmas) act as reference points for the year, just as a king’s 
  reign is often used as a reference when referring to a year. The 
  most famous king is, of course, Jesus Christ, and the Church 
  dates years from the birth of Christ, Anno Domini (meaning 
  “Year of our Lord). However, clerks and chroniclers use the 
  years of more mundane kings’ reigns to mark dates (e.g., “In the 
  seventh year of the reign of Richard, King of England, Duke of 
  Normandy, Count of Anjou.”) 
  Magi of the Order of Hermes need to keep track of the 
  passing year, and must mark days during it, to forecast special 
  events and phases. If vis only appears on a single night of the 
  year on a faerie mound, Magi need to know of the night’s 
  approach to harvest the vis. Passage of annual time also allows 
  Magi to recognize potentially dangerous days, when Faerie, 
  Infernal, or Divine power is particularly powerful. 
  The year starts on January 1, though the names of the 
  months inherited from the Romans indicate that the year used 
  to start in March. The change occurred in the Sixth Century 
  and is the result of starting the year of Grace, year one, at 
  Christmas. However, there are many other ways to calculate 
  the start of the year, including Lady Day (March 25), or Easter 
  (calculated from the time of the Vernal Equinox). Civil 
  authorities also have their own methods of determining the 
  beginning and duration of the year (for tax collection pur- 
  poses). For example, the year of the English Exchequer runs 
  from Michaelmas to Michaelmas (September 29). 
  82039
  
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  DAYS 
  The counting of hours is of primary importance to monks 
  in particular and churchmen in general, who must attend 
  prayer at specified times during the day. The day, from sunrise 
  to sunset, is divided into twelve hours, regardless of season, so 
  that an hour in the winter is shorter than one in the summer. 
  Indeed, prayers and offices change their hour depending on the 
  season. 
  The day starts at Mattins (midnight), followed by Lauds 
  (soon after Mattins), and then by Prime at daybreak in winter, 
  or sunrise in summer. After Prime the day is divided into three 
  hour units, with prayers at Terce, Sext (mid-day), Nones, 
  Vespers, and Compline (sunset). At each interval, masses, 
  lessons, or prayers are held. The seasonal hours change at Holy 
  Cross day (September 14) and Easter. 
  The need to calculate time has led enterprising monks to 
  invent ways to signal hours, from waterclocks to mechanical 
  clocks which ring chimes to awaken the brothers. For travel- 
  ing, portable sunbls can be carried, with holes for the various 
  months, into which the traveler inserts a peg and then orients 
  to the north. However, these time pieces are diffcult to use 
  accurately as true north must be known. 
  The counting of hours in a day is also important to Magi, 
  especially those involved in laboratory experimentation. If an 
  experiment reaches a crucial phase at a particular time, a Magus 
  needs to be able to measure the arrival of that time for the 
  experiment to be a success. Otherwise, important time, effort, 
  and, worst of all, vis could be lost. 
  Like enterprising monks, Magi also create clever devices 
  for the telling of time. However, where monks’ devices are 
  based on mechanical parts, those of Mad can range into the 
  supernatural. Woe to any Magus who’s magic is interfered with 
  by powers beyond his control. Prankish faeries and demons are 
  particularly fond of interfering with the supernatural mechan- 
  ics of Magi’s time pieces. 
  Though no two countries ostensibly use the same system 
  for weight, length, or volume, most measurements are based on 
  natural things, whether body parts or grains, and are therefore 
  of similar determination. 
  The inch is based on the width of the human thumb, and 
  so we find lengths of similar size called the thumb in England, 
  or the tomme in Scotland. The foot is twelve inches long. The 
  ell, a measure of cloth, is two feet. The yard is measured as three 
  feet, but according to legend, was introduced by King Henry I 
  of England and is the length from his nose to his outstretched 
  hand. The fathom is six feet or two yards, the length of a man’s 
  arms outstretched. The perch, named for the wooden pole with 
  which it is measured, is about 16 1R feet long, and is used for 
  measuring land. The furlong, or furrow‘s length, is 400 
  perches. The mile is 8 furlongs; the word itself comes to from 
  the Latin Miles Pasuum, or 1000 paces. The league is the length 
  a man can walk without resting, and measures 3 miles. 
  Large areas are measured according to the amount a man 
  can plow in a morning (so are named the German morgen and 
  English acre), or by how much land a specified amount of seed 
  can cover (so is named the French setier). Because most fields 
  are irregularly shaped, the amount of land covered by these 
  measures is highly variable, being larger in clear land, and 
  smaller in forests or rough terrain. 
  Weights are relatively easy to ascertain, as a balance is such 
  a simple instrument of measurement. Grains of wheat or barley 
  are often the smallest unit of weight, though the ancients used 
  the carat, which is now set to be 3 barleycorns or 4 wheat grains. 
  The ounce dates back to the Romans, and weighs about fifteen 
  carats, though the English use the Troy ounce of about 16 
  carats. The mark originated in Germany, and weighs 8 ounces. 
  The pound is often measured at 16 ounces, or a doublemark. 
  Larger measures are most often specific for the material being 
  weighed, but the hundredweight, or 100 pounds, is a common 
  unit. Fractions or multiples of the hundredweight are com- 
  mon. 
  Volume is most often measured from weight. The pint is 
  the basic unit, and a pint of water weighs a pound. Multiples 
  of the pint are the quart (2 pints), gallon (8 pints), peck (2 
  gallons), and bushel (8 gallons). The peck and bushel are 
  normally used for grain and other dry measure. Greater liquid 
  measures include the hogshead (63 Gallons), the pipe (126 
  gallons), and the tun (252 gallons). The tun is used as a 
  standard measure for the capacity of ships; each ship is said to 
  be able to carry so many tuns, also known as the ship’s tonnage. 
  Most countries have laws forbidding millers, grocers, or 
  other merchants from giving short measure, so quite often a 
  merchant e m  on the side of the greater amount. From this 
  custom comes the “Baker‘s Dozen,” or thirteen of an item. 
  Measurement of grain and flour often causes the greatest 
  dispute, as they can be given in “heaped” or “straked measure, 
  either of which can vary weight by as much as a sixth of the 
  whole. 
  On occasion a Magus’s experiments rely on the purchase 
  of ingredients from mundane merchants. Such Magi are 
  advised to be careful about the weight of ingredients sold to 
  them. When taken at a dealer’s word, a weight which is false 
  can lead to disaster for a Magus’s experiment, and maybe 
  Covenant if the experiment involves other dangerous ele- 
  ments. 
  82040
  
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  82041
  
  82042
  r - i  
  CHAPTER 
  THREE 
  he Church, that of Christianity, is one of the 
  very foundations of Mythic Europe. Though 
  internally divested and divided into individual 
  parts with varying perspectives on God and 
  the Scriptures, the Church is the u w n g  force of most Mythlc 
  European people and kingdoms. Indeed, the influence of the 
  Church exceeds every political boundary and language barrier, 
  making everyone from king to serf answerable to God, or his 
  representative in the mortal realm, the Pope. 
  Of course, the Church is not the only religious institution 
  of Mythic Europe. Different cultures have their own faiths, 
  includmg those of the Jews, Muslims, and the few descendants 
  of the ancient barbarians who still hold onto their pagan 
  heritage. However, these faiths are barely tolerated or are 
  treated with outright hostility- branded heretical- by many 
  followers of the Church. Only the more enlightened followers 
  of the Church understand that different faiths have different 
  truths to teach. Many such minds can be found in the Order of 
  Hemes. 
  Chrrstranrty 
  Christianity, the principal faith of Mythic Europe, relies on 
  the belief that the one God exists in three beings: the Father, the 
  Son, and the Holy Spirit. The faith also claims that the 
  redemption of the world is brought about by the incarnation, 
  passion, and resurrection of Christ, the Son. 
  The Roman Empire first ignored, then persecuted, then 
  accepted the faith of Christ. Emperor Constantine accepted the 
  Christian faith and issued the Edict of Toleration in A.D. 
  312, 
  and the Emperor Theodosius outlawed all other religions in 
  395. After Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire, 
  missionaries carried the teachings of Christ to people outside 
  the Empire. 
  The Muslims overran Christian lands during the Seventh 
  and Eighth Centuries, capturing three of the original five 
  patriarchal cities. The two remaining cities, Rome and 
  Constantinople, split over the leadership of the Church, with 
  two major schisms, one 837 and one in 1054. The Christian 
  Church healed from the schism of 837, but in 1054 the Pope 
  and the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each 
  other, and the two have been separate ever since. 
  Orthodoxy of faith in the Chnstian Church is assured with 
  the requirement that bishops be ordained in the presence of at 
  least three other bishops of proven orthodoxy. Bishops may 
  also ordain priests, who maintain the faith of the laity. 
  The Christian Church even has its own law, which covers 
  cases of sin (as opposed to crime, cases of which are tried by 
  mundane courts), and all cases concerning churches and 
  clergy. Marriage, inheritance, and legitimacy are covered 
  under Christian law, as are special protections for widows, 
  orphans, and refugees. Canon law is binding on all baptized 
  persons, from the lowliest serf to king and emperor. 
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  MYTHIC 
  CATHOLIC 
  CHURCH 
  The Catholic Church is the great religious organization of 
  western Mythlc Europe, holding sway from Ireland to Hungary 
  and from Denmark to the southern tip of Italy. The Catholic 
  Church and the eastern, or Orthodox, Church irrevocably 
  parted in A.D. 1054, when the Pope and the Patriarch excom- 
  I municated each other. 
  ’ 
  The head of the Catholic Church is the Bishop of Rome, 
  known as the Pope. Under the Pope the Catholic Church 
  divides its lands into provinces, overseen by archbishops, and 
  further into dioceses, ruled by bishops. Bishops and archbish- 
  ops rule from cathedrals (from the Latin “cathedru,” meaning 
  seat), which are generally found in cities. 
  Beneath bishops are individual parishes, each with its own 
  church. The parish is managed by a rector. If the rector is not 
  a resident of the parish, as is quite common, a local vicar is put 
  in charge of the local by the bishop. Rectors and vicars hold 
  their offices until death, retirement, or promotion, and though 
  they can be removed for misconduct, they rarely are. 
  “Regular” clergy are members of orders, such as the 
  Dominicans or Knights Templar, who live under rules imposed 
  by the heads of their orders. The head of an order is only 
  beholden to the Pope, and does not answer to the lesser 
  authority of archbishop or king. Most regular clergy may hold 
  1 
  or use communal property, but individually are sworn to vows 
  of poverty. Members of an order may become bishops, but 
  cannot become parish priests. 
  The “secular” clergy, those who tend the common folk, do 
  not belong to orders, but have the task of the saving of the souls 
  of the populace. They are appointed as parish priests under a 
  rector, and may advance to any position in the Catholic Church 
  hierarchy. 
  Just as the secular world is divided into nobility and 
  peasants, so too is the Catholic Church. The bulk of clergy 
  occupy low positions in the Church, and are genuinely con- 
  cerned with the spiritual health of their parish or community. 
  However, the higher offices of the Catholic Church are prizes 
  normally given only to favorites of a bishop or the Pope. Some 
  bishoprics have large incomes associated with them, and it is 
  common for a priest to be given the proceeds of a parish or 
  diocese without having to travel to it. The heads of religious 
  orders also have many opportunities for embezzlement and 
  corruption, as they control lands and moneys donated to the 
  orders by penitent nobles. 
  Members of the clergy are not subject to the authority of 
  temporal rulers, only to church law. A member of the clergy 
  accused of crimes must be brought before superiors in the 
  Church, who decide guilt or innocence according to canon law. 
  All members of the clergy are sworn to celibacy, but this 
  stricture is not always observed. 
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  The Cathedral of St. John Lateran is the seat of the Pope, 
  ORTHODOX 
  CHURCH 
  The Orthodox Church is the eastern branch of the Chris- 
  tian Church. After the death of Christ and the preaching of his 
  disciples, five cities became “Apostolic” sees, because their 
  churches were founded directly by one of the apostles. These 
  sees were Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome. 
  Constantinople was added to the list after the Roman capital 
  moved there. These five cities constituted the leadership of the 
  Christian Church, but the Bishop of Rome, claiming primacy 
  because of the succession from St. Peter, rejected the authority 
  of the other four cities. The fall of Jerusalem, Antioch, and 
  Alexandria to the Muslim invaders left Constantinople and 
  Rome as the last two Apostolic sees. The final break between 
  east and west came in A.D. 1054, when the Pope and the 
  Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated each other. 
  The head of the Orthodox Church is the Byzantine Em- 
  peror, who represents the whole of the Church. The Emperor 
  appoints the Patriarch to oversee the business of the Orthodox 
  Church. All high-ranked clergy are drawn from monasteries, 
  and must be celibate (though rarely are). Local priests are 
  chosen by their congregations, and are required to marry. 
  Priests are presented to the local bishop for ordination. 
  The Orthodox Church is responsible for the conversion of 
  the Serbians, Bulgarians, and Russians to the Christian faith. 
  The faith imparted to these peoples, and that maintained by the 
  Orthodox Church, involves images, called icons (though a 
  failed attempt was made to abolish their use in the Ninth 
  Century). Among these icons is the Blessed Virgin, the special 
  patroness of the Orthodox faith, andof the aty of Constantinople. 
  When Simon acknowledged Jesus as God’s son, Jesus 
  named him Peter, which means Rock, and said to him, “On this 
  rock I shall build my church. ”Jesus also granted Peter the “keys 
  to theKingdom oJHeaven,”and said, “whateveryou shall bind on 
  Earth will be considered bound in Heaven; whatever you loose on 
  Earth will be considered loosed in Heuven. After the crucifixion 
  of Christ, Peter became the head of the Christian Church, and 
  traveled among the Gentiles preaching the faith. He settled in 
  Rome, and became its first Bishop. He was crucified by the 
  Roman Emperor Nero, and buried under what is now the 
  Cathedral of St. Peter. The Pope, as the Apostolic successor of 
  St. Peter, holds the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, as head of 
  the Catholic Church. 
  The Pope selects the cardinals, who are his chief advisors. 
  In turn, upon the Pope’s death, the cardinals choose his 
  successor from among their number. The choice of Pope is 
  often difficult and contentious, as cardinals have their own 
  agendas and nationalistic sentiments. A poor choice for Pope 
  is often made as a compromise, particularly when two or more 
  factions cannot accept each other’s candidate. The Roman mob 
  and the German Emperor are often additional factions whose 
  wishes cardinals must satisfy in their selection of Pope. 
  as the Bishop of Rome. Indeed, the Pope resides in the Lateran 
  Palace, adjacent to the Cathedral. The office of Pope com- 
  mands a huge staff, including the College of Cardinals, clergy 
  for the maintenance of the Cathedral, and clerks to transcribe 
  letters and Papal Bulls. Noble visitors and even legates from the 
  eastern Empire can be found waiting for an audience with the 
  Pope. The Lateran is the center of a maelstrom of politics, 
  where schemes and intrigue are facts of life. From the choice 
  of leader for the next Crusade against the Saracens, to the 
  annulment of a royal marriage, to the ordination of a new 
  bishop or cardinal, someone on the Pope’s staff has an axe to 
  grind, or a favorite to offer for advancement. Double- and 
  triple-crosses are common, as staff members try to surpass one 
  another in the Lateran hierarchy. 
  The Pope’s decrees are called Bulls, from the ribbon which 
  binds them. Bulls of excommunication or interdict are sealed 
  with hempen twine, while other Bulls are sealed with silk I 
  ribbon. 
  TRIALS 
  OF THE PAPACY 
  Throughout its history the Papacy has faced problems 
  concerning its leadership of the Christian Church. These trials 
  have, in one way or another, made the Church and the Papacy 
  what it is in the Thiieenth Century. 
  The first trial the Papacy faced was the breakup of the 
  Christian world into two separate churches, the Catholic and 
  the Orthodox or eastern Church. The position of the Papacy 
  has always been that the primacy of the Church rests with the 
  Successors of Peter, rather than in a council of five Apostolic 
  sees. The other sees - 
  Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria 
  andJerwalem-alllay inwhatwas the easternRomanEmpire. 
  And, the idea of Apostolic succession, the inheritance of the 
  sees from the apostles, which forms thevery basis of the Papacy, 
  was contrary to eastern Church thought. Thus, the two camps 
  had very different perspectives on the structure of the Church 
  and its faith, leading to their break in A.D. 1054, when Pope Leo 
  IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius excommunicated each 
  other. 
  The superiority of state over Church has also posed 811 age- 
  old threat to the Papacy. The subordination of Church to state 
  was well advanced by the time of Charlemagne, who merely 
  treated the Pope as the principalBishop of the Empire. Further- 
  more, bishops of the Carolingian Empire collected taxes, acted 
  as judges, and performed diplomatic missions for the state, 
  becoming its agents. 
  Later on Mythlc European nobles even appointed bishops 
  and appropriated Church money for their own use, making the 
  Church a tool of the laity. This abuse lasted until the election 
  of Pope Gregory VI1 in 1073. Gregory claimed subordination 
  of Church to state was wrong, and that state should serve 
  Church. He presented a document called the Donation of 
  Constantine, which was a grant of Imperial rights designed to 
  transfer sole control of Italy from Holy Roman Emperor 1 
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  Constantine to Pope Sylvester I. Pope Gregory also presented 
  a list of claims about the Papacy, called the Dictatus Papae, 
  which included the following: 
  That the Roman church wasfounded by God alone. That the 
  Roman pontiflalone can with right be called Universal. fiat he 
  alone can depose or reinstate bishops. That, in a council, his legate, 
  even ija lower grade, is above all bishops, and can pass sentence 
  ofdeposition against them. That, among other things, weought not 
  to remain in the same house with those excommunicated by him. 
  Thatfor him alone is it lawful, according to the needs of the time, 
  to make new laws, to assemble tqgether new congregations, to 
  makeanabbeyofacanonry;and, ontheotherhand, todividearich 
  bishopric and unite the poor ones. That it may be permitted to him 
  to depose emperors. That he may be permitted to transfer bishops 
  if need be. That he has power to ordain a clerk of any church he 
  may wish. That no synod shall be called ageneral one without his 
  order. That no chapter and no book shall be considered canonical 
  without his authority. That a sentence passed by him may be 
  retracted by no one; and that he himselj alone of all, may retract 
  it. That he himselfmay bejudgedby no one. That no oneshall dare 
  to condemn one whoappeals to theapostolic chair. That theRoman 
  church has never erred; nor will it err to all eternily, the Scripture 
  bearing witness. That the Roman pontifi i j  he have been canoni- 
  cally ordained, is undoubtedly made a saint by the merits of St. 
  Peter; St. Ennodius, bishop of Pavia, bearing witness, and many 
  holyfathers agreeing with him. As is contained in the decrees ofst. 
  Symmachus the pope. That he may depose and reinstate bishops 
  without assembling a synod. That he who is not at peace with the 
  Roman church shall not be considered catholic. That he may 
  absolve subjectsfrom theirfealty to wicked men. 
  These claims, and others, lay at the heart of the investiture 
  controversy, and were opposed by most kings, especially by 
  German Emperor Henry IV. Gregory excommunicated Henry, 
  who retaliated by electing Pope Clement I11 and declaring 
  Gregory deposed. The people and nobles of the Holy Roman 
  Empire voted in favor of Gregory, so Henry, to save his throne, 
  begged Gregory to lift the ban. Gregory kept Henry waiting in 
  the snow for three days at the castle of Canossa before relenting 
  and lifting the excommunication. 
  The power of the Papacy has also been endangered by 
  mundane interference in the appointment of the Catholic 
  Church's higher clergy. The question of kings and emperors 
  electing bishops was discussed at length at the Council of 
  Worms in 1122. It was there decided that kings may give a 
  bishop temporal power, but only the Pope can grant spiritual 
  power. The dispute over the appointment of bishops was 
  important for it determined who would have say in the deploy- 
  ment of power in western Mythic Europe. After all, bishops 
  were both churchmen and feudal landholders, owing service to 
  both the Pope and their kings. By claiming authority in the 
  appointment of bishops, the Pope seized control over much of 
  Mythic Europe and the loyalty of those governing Mythic 
  Europe. 
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  A final threat to the Papacy was posed from within the 
  Catholic Church itself. The conciliar movement, begun by 
  Church scholars opposed to the claim that the Pope may be 
  judged by no man, contended that the general council of 
  churchmen had power over the Pope. That is, only the general 
  Church was without error; its leader could be found at fault. 
  This important movement continues even now, generating 
  many letters, decrees, and Bulls to challenge the Pope's au- 
  tonomy. 
  5acrarnents 
  Thesacramentsarethesevenritesofthe ChristianChurch. 
  They are paths to holiness, and must be performed by a priest 
  or higher oficial in the Church. 
  Baptism introduces a child to the Church, and cleanses the 
  soul of original sin. In most communities, a child is christened 
  within a year of birth. Until baptism, the soul is stained by 
  original sin, and may not go to Heaven upon death. Water is 
  usually used as an outward sign of the cleansing of the spirit 
  during baptism - 
  the stain of sin is washed away. 
  Confirmation brings a person fully into the Church, and is 
  performed after a child has been taught about the Church and 
  Christ. The child professes faith, and promises to renounce 
  evil. 
  The eucharist is the point in the Mass which commemo- 
  rates the Last Supper of Christ. During the eucharist a priest 
  approaches the altar, raises Cup, filled with wine, and Wafer. 
  They become the Flesh and Blood of the Lord. Only the priest 
  may drink of the wine, but the wafer is given to the congrega- 
  tion. The eucharist is the common bond of all Christians, and 
  is the sacrament of their redemption by the death and resurrec- 
  tion of Christ. 
  Matrimony binds a man and woman in holy wedlock, 
  which may not be dissolved save by special dispensation from 
  the Pope. .Marriage is for life. Marriage also symbolizes the 
  union of Christ and his people. 
  Orilmation may only be performed by a bishop or higher 
  priest. It admits a person as a member of the clergy, allowing 
  another to perform all the sacraments of their rank. 
  Absolution is the cleansing of the soul, and is granted by 
  clergy after a person's sincere confession. A priest may assign 
  tasks for a sinner to perform, based on the degree and amount 
  of sin. Absolution only clears the soul of those sins confessed. 
  Confession and absolution are usually performed before battle, 
  so that a knight may go to God if lulled. Absolution is also 
  known as shriving. 
  The last of the sacraments, unction, also known as the last 
  rites, cleanses the soul of a dying person so that his or her soul 
  may enter Heaven after final judgment. Last rites are given after 
  the final confession of a dying person. If there is no priest 
  available the final unction may be given by a layman. For a 
  priest to refuse to give last rites is to damn the would-be 
  recipient's soul to Hell. 
  5ainthood 
  5arnts and 
  Saints are particularly holy men and women accepted into 
  Heaven upon death (most people must spend time in Purgatory 
  before entering Heaven). Because saints have entered Heaven, 
  they are able to intercede for living people with God, so that 
  God may forgive humanivs sins. This forgiveness is the basic 
  theory behind indulgences and the transference of grace. 
  Saints may also be prayed to as individuals, and many are 
  recognized for specfic actions. For instance, St. Anthony, 
  canonized in A.D. 1231, is the patron saint of travelers. Cities, 
  countries, and guilds often have patron saints, some have more 
  than one. The authenticity of some is even questioned, and 
  secret orders operating in cities sometimes present demonic 
  allies as saints, to undermine Christian faith. 
  Saints date from theearliest days of the Christian Church. 
  All the apostles are saints, as are many missionaries and 
  martyrs. Early saints were acclaimed by cults, which formed 
  during the saints' lives or after their deaths. But , since 1 1 7 1 only 
  the Pope may officially canonize a saint. Not all saints (i.e.2 
  those of a local area) are recognized by the Church, so commu- 
  nities send representatives to the Lateran to offer proof of 
  miracles and justification for the canonization of their local 
  hero. Unfortunately, simple locals can be duped into believing 
  a malicious Magus or demon is a divine servant, and petition for 
  the being's canonization. 
  The lives of many early saints are not known, but parts 
  played by more recently canonized saints in the progress of the 
  Church iswellknown. Many recent saints (St. Francis ofkisi, 
  St. Dominic, St. Clare of Assisi) have founded religious orders, 
  while others, such as St. Anthony, are known for their teach- 
  ings. 
  To canonize a saint, the Church must gather evidence of 
  miracles performed during the person's lifetime or after death. 
  One priest, the Devil's Advocate, tries to explain the miracles as 
  part of the natural process, or the intervention of another saint. 
  If the evidence given on behalf of the candidate outweighs the 
  arguments of the Devil's Advocate, the Pope, in a special 
  ceremony in the Lateran Church, declares the person a saint. 
  The Church has recently begun an investigation into the 
  life of Alice de Montrevault, a supposed miracle-worker and 
  holy woman in the city of Montrevault, France. During her life, 
  Alice performed many witnessed miracles of healing and 
  vision, including fainting upon the death of Pope Innocent 111, 
  days before word of his death had reached the town. 
  To properly understand Alice's role and her miracles, the 
  Church needs investigators who can study her life and her 
  miracles. There are rumors that Alice was in fact a servant of 
  the Devil, or a Hermetic Magus in disguise. The Devil's 
  Advocate on the case, Father Andre of the Dominicans, is 
  seeking Magi who are willing to explain how miracles such as 
  Alice's could be performed through the use of the "natural" 
  process of magic. Such cooperation could be the first step 
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  world, or it could merely be a trick to cause members of the 
  Order to expose themselves to Inquisitional examination. 
  SAINT MARY 
  St. Mary is the Madonna, the Blessed Virgin, the mother of 
  Jesus. In the Orthodox Church she is known as Theotokos, the 
  Mother of God. Canonized in A.D. 431 by the Council of 
  Ephesus, Mary has always been venerated above all other 
  saints. Her unique position as the Mother of Christ lends her 
  a warmth and humanity other saints lack. At the Day of 
  Judgment she is expected to intercede for sinners, and prayers 
  to her are supposed to have great strength. The ideals of 
  chivalry are in great part focused on the Madonna. Her 
  following is greatest in southern France, and the court of 
  Eleanor of Aquitainewas modeled on her virtues. The Aquitaine 
  court still touts Mythlc Europe’s strongest veneration for the 
  Blessed Virgin. 
  A group of knights in Bordeaux has recently begun a 
  movement to form a new military order, the Knights of the 
  Madonna. Supporters of the movement believe there are 
  pagan, Muslim, and wizardly enemies in France, so petition the 
  Pope to create a new Crusade against this “foe,” a foe which is 
  close to home. 
  Thus far the Pope has not formally recogniied the Knights 
  of the Madonna, nor has he taken action on their request for a 
  crusade against Hermetic Magi. However, some Magi within 
  the Order (particularly in the Normandy Tribunal) are pushing 
  their brethren to take action before a crusade is declared. The 
  leaders of the Normandy Tribunal feel the Knights of the 
  Madonna must be stopped, but realize that no trace of their 
  elimination may lead to the Order (such a mistake would only 
  trigger the crusade the Magi are trying to prevent). Other 
  Tribunals, with less reason to fear the Knights of the Madonna, 
  warn Normandy Tribunal it will be held responsible for any 
  violation of the Code that results from involvement in mun- 
  dane affairs. 
  5even Deadly 5rns 
  The Christian world view identifies seven sins as particu- 
  larly evil, given their terribly corrupting effect on the soul. 
  The sin of Pride causes a person to place himself or herself 
  above others, and can lead to a sense of superiority over God. 
  Lust blinds a person to devotion to God, leading the weak to 
  seek pleasure and gratification. Envy makes a person resent 
  what is had, desiring what another has instead of concentrating 
  on personal piety. Anger leads one to commit atrocities, and to 
  stray from Christ’s teachings. Covetousness is the desire for 
  another’s possessions, leading a person away from the soul. 
  (The contrast between Envy and Covetousness is that the 
  covetous person does not resent what is had, but simply wants 
  others’ goods.) The Glutton seeks pleasure from food and 
  drink, to the detriment of the soul. (Gluttony and Lust are 
  usually bound. ) Sloth makes one delinquent in prayer and 
  attendance at Church. 
  Many demons are the personification of a Cardinal Sin, 
  such as Lilith, the Demon of Lust. The Church keeps lists of 
  demons encountered, along with their attributes and sins, in an 
  effort to aid exorcists in their task of casting out Infernal 
  influences from the faithful. Books of these demonic lists are 
  sent to bishops and archbishops, who store them in the most 
  secure vaults of the Church. Diabolists also keep such lists, to 
  better summon and control known demons. 
  excommunrcatron and 
  7n te r dr c t 
  When a sinner transgresses the laws of God and remains 
  impenitent, the only recourse the Church has is to cast the 
  sinner from the community of Christians. This act is known as 
  excommunication (from the Latin “to put out of the commu- 
  The excommunicate is not allowed the sacraments until he 
  repents of his deeds and begs to return to the fellowship of 
  Christians. No priest will perform the marriage of an excom- 
  municate, and if a person dies excommunicate, he may not be 
  buried in sanctified ground. However, his children can still be 
  baptized, as the excommunicate’s sin does not exclude descen- 
  dents from Christian fellowship. However, those who give aid 
  or succor to an excommunicate are themselves cast out. And, 
  subjects of a ruler who becomes excommunicate are no longer 
  bound by oaths sworn to that ruler. 
  Interdiction is a much more powerful form of excommu- 
  nication, for it places an entire city or country under ban. 
  Baptism is still performed, but the other sacraments are with- 
  held from area’s people. As interdiction places the soul of every 
  man, woman and child in an area in peril, it usually invokes 
  wholesale desertion from the offending cause which inspired 
  the interdiction. The threat posed to the collective soul puts 
  intense pressure on the ruler of the area to heal the breach with 
  the Church. 
  Both excommunication and interdiction can and have 
  been used as means to force the Church‘s political views on a 
  person or country. Just the threat of excommunication is often 
  sufficient to reform an offender. 
  Excommunication and interdict can also be subtly used by 
  temporal rulers. King John of England quarreled with the 
  Papacy over the selection of the Archbishop of York, causing 
  the Pope to place all of England under interdict. Later, John’s 
  capitulation and his oaths of homage to the Pope saved his 
  throne. As King Philip Augustus of France was simultaneously 
  preparing an invasion of England, the Pope was quick to 
  threaten Philip with interdiction if the invasion continued; 
  England was now a fief of the Papacy. 
  nity”). 
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  Excommunication and interdiction are not often threats to 
  the Order of Hermes as Magi and Covenants in the Order are 
  usually outside the social order of Mythic Europe, so have their 
  lives changed little by Christian ostracism. However, Cov- 
  enants that operate under a socially acceptable facade, and 
  suffer excommunication or interdlction because of some action 
  or event, can ruin their station in society and endanger their 
  existence as a Covenant. Such an ostracized Covenant becomes 
  open to Inquisition. 
  ~nqulsltlon 
  The detection and abolition of heresy has long plagued the 
  Christian Church. In A.D. 1231, Pope Gregory IX issues the 
  Bull Excommunicamus, which establishes an Inquisition to 
  locate and try heretics. Gregory IX assigns the task to the 
  mendicant orders, particularly the Dominicans. In 1252, Pope 
  Innocent IV legalizes the use of torture to gain a confession. 
  Inquisitional tribunals are established under two judges, 
  appointed by the Pope. Evidence must be given by at least two 
  witnesses, who remain anonymous. The suspect must give his 
  evidence on oath. If a confession of heresy is made, the person 
  may recant his heresy and be given a canonical pardon. If no 
  confession is given, the heretic is given to the secular authori- 
  ties for execution (normally by burning at the stake). 
  Since the founding of the Inquisition, some tribunals.have 
  developed a reputation for persecuting the innocent at the 
  behest of the wealthy and powerful. Such tribunals accept only 
  one result - 
  execution - 
  and naturally are feared by those 
  subject to their decrees. The Inquisition has no power over 
  cases of witchcraft, paganism or diabolism, unless heresy can 
  be cited as an attendant condition. 
  In Agde, the Inquisitional tribunal has tortured hundreds 
  of laymen accused of the heresies of Albigenses and Waldenses. 
  The tribunal is led by the Benedictine monk Jean de Moissac. 
  The Benedictine Abbey of St. Giles has also recently received 
  many large bequests from the local nobility. Rumors in 
  Narbonne have that the Inquisitional tribunal is pursuing the 
  personal enemies of those who give them gfts, regardless of the 
  accused's innocence or guilt. 
  The Bishop of Narbonne has formed a small party from the 
  military orders to observe the activities of the tribunal to 
  determine whether Jean de Moissac is acting within the restric- 
  tions of the Papal-Bull and, more specifically, whether his 
  tribunal should be terminated. 
  . 
  An indulgence grants a member of the Church remittance 
  for sins through the grace of Christ and the saints. In theory, 
  indulgences are given by the Church for exceptional service to 
  the cause of Christianity. Such service includes going on 
  Crusade, aiding the building of churches and cathedrals, and 
  aiding the poor or elderly. In reality, grants of land or money 
  to the Church also gain a sinner an indulgence, which leads to 
  the wholesale buying of grace. 
  Pardoners are special agents of the Church, tasked with 
  distributing indulgences. They are normally traveling priests, 
  dispensing indulgences for a fee to sinners in the towns they 
  visit. Pardoners are despised by town clergy, since pardoners 
  take money which would otherwise go to the town church. 
  More enterprising Pardoners some times go to areas known 
  for their heresy, hoping to make a fortune from those who 
  realize their sin. A Pardoner visiting a German Hermetic 
  Covenant is said to have made twelve sales of salvation in one 
  night, the night of Allhallows Eve, 1198. 
  pilgrimage 
  The idea of pilgrimage, to travel to the site of holy relics or 
  places, stems from two ancient Christian ideas. The first is that 
  all of life is a journey toward God. The second is that certain 
  places or relics are foci for the Holy Spirit. Thus, to visit the 
  shrine of a saint or a holy place is to move closer to God. A 
  journey to the earthly city of Jerusalem is in essence a journey 
  to the heavenly city of God. 
  Pilgrims are given privileges to aid them on their way. 
  They may spend the night at religious establishments, are 
  exempt from tolls or fees for the use of roads and bridges, and 
  are protected by Church law from attack by other Christians. 
  Any lord or knight foolish enough to attack a party of pilgrims 
  risks excommunication by the Church. Even pilgrims to the 
  Holy Landaresometimes protectedfrom theattackofsaracens, 
  though such protections are bought or are part of peace treaties r 
  I 
  P
  I 
  I 
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  I- 
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  . 
  Hospitallers originated as guards for the pilgrimage routes 
  through the Holy Land, and the Knights of Santiago, in Spain, 
  were formed for the same purpose. 
  The donations brought by pilgrims, and the money they 
  pay for accommodations, greatly enriches churches and cities 
  visited on the pilgrimage trail. The three greatest shrines -
  places journeyed to on the trail - are the Holy City of 
  Jerusalem, the city of Rome, and the Cathedral of St. James of 
  Campostela in Santiago, Spain. Other less important shrines 
  are Canterbury, site of the murder of St. Thomas a Becket; cities 
  and towns in the Holy Land associated with the life of Christ; 
  Mont St. Michel on the coast of Brittany; and many local 
  shrines. Many cities and towns along the pilgrim trails have 
  shrines to local saints as well. 
  Someenterprising Churchleadersorganize toursofshrines. 
  So, for instance, a group of pilgrims from England on their way 
  to Rome might visit shrines in St. Albans, outside of London; 
  Canterbury; Mont St. Michel; Chartres; Tours; Le h y ;  Arles; 
  Marseille; Turin; and Rome. On their way back they might visit 
  Naples, sail to Barcelona, walk across Spain to Santiago, and 
  then finally return to England. Such a trip takes the better part 
  of a year to complete. Pilgrimages to the Holy Land often take 
  three or four years. 
  Monasticism 
  MonasticismhasitsrootsintheearlyyearsoftheChristian 
  Church, when clergy felt the need to retreat from the world to 
  contemplate the wonder of God. Two traditions of this isolated 
  life were initiated, one of the solitary hermit, who retreats from 
  contact with all others, the other of clergy who form commu- 
  nities, living by strict rules and observances. The word “monk 
  means alone, but is now used to designate a member of a 
  monastic order. 
  Most orders base their rule (the set of requirements and 
  actions allowed to a monk) on the Rule of St. Benedict, the most 
  famous of the rules of the monastic orders. The Rule of Saint 
  Benedict is based on the idea that a monk’s day is to be 
  encompassed by manual labor in the monastery garden, spiri- 
  tual reading, and prayer. The monk also swears a number of 
  vows, including some or all of obedience, stability, poverty, 
  chastity, and humility. 
  The precedents set by the Benedictines eventually lost 
  favor, though, when monks following the rules clearly abused 
  them. For instance, where abbeys were supposed to be 
  impoverished, many were extremely wealthy. Indeed, the 
  Myhc European custom of leaving one’s possessions to a 
  monastery quickly made the monasteries rich, as that wealth 
  was not often dispensed to the poor and needy. Rather, abbeys 
  held huge tracts of land, with all the appropriate obligations and 
  benefits. And, of coume, this wealth encouraged sin, especially 
  greed, gluttony, and improper conduct. 
  Dissatisfaction with the wealth and corruption of the 
  Benedictines encouraged many monks to create their own 
  rules. The greatest of these new orders is the Cistercian, named 
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  after the monastery of Citeaux. Though many new orders arise 
  in the Thirteenth Century, their proliferation is eventually 
  halted by the Fourth Lateran Council, in A.D. 1215, which 
  stipulates that founders of new orders must choose and follow 
  one of the existing rules. 
  TYPES 
  OF ORDERS 
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  ever, the insular nature of each small society makes internal 
  Most orders are of two types: contemplative (or monastic), 
  and active (or mendicant). Contemplative orders attempt to 
  reach an inner peace by retiring from the world, while active 
  orders work among the populace for the good of the world. 
  Members of contemplative orders are called monks and nuns, 
  while those in mendicant orders are called friars and sisters. 
  Regardless of type, monasteries are often centers of learn- 
  ing, since monks value literacy among their skills. In fact, the 
  Benedictine Rule (which is still one ordersmay follow) requires 
  that part of the day be spent in reading, and a further part in 
  copying, illuminating, or binding books. 
  Many of the mendicant orders adopt the custom of the 
  third order, which allows a layman to benefit from association 
  with an order without having to become a friar or sister. The 
  third order is popular, as its members are regarded as clergy and 
  can only be tried by canon law, makmg them exempt from 
  secular authority. However, the order forbids the use of 
  weapons except by special dispensation from the head of the 
  order, making the third order less popular with the knightly 
  class (though older knights sometimes join after retiring from 
  military life). 
  Lesser sons of noble houses (or even unwanted heirs) are 
  often consigned to monasteries by their parents, and nobles of 
  pious demeanor often join willingly. While the vows of 
  monastic orders are for life, the orders are known to make 
  exceptions in the case of a noble house where the only living 
  heir is a monk. However, the orders often refuse to release the 
  monk, so that they may inherit the land. In this way many of 
  the orders have grown very wealthy. 
  HERMETIC 
  RELATIONS 
  Relations between monasteries and Magi of the Order of 
  Hemes vary. Some orders (like the Dominicans and Beguines) 
  view Magi as outside the Church, and therefore not worthy of 
  trust. Others (such as the Conventual Franciscans and the 
  Cistercian Order) have had more exposure to Magi, so view 
  them more lepiendy. However, such generabations cannot 
  cover the varied reactions which Magi inspire from monks of 
  all orders. 
  Regardless of relations between monasteries and Cov- 
  enants, the two are essentially the same. Both are filled with 
  people devoted to callings, be it to God or the Gift, and who 
  isolate themselves from the world to pursue their devotion. 
  Accordingly, good relations based on common philosophy 
  might be expected between monasteries and Covenants. How- 
  corruption and incestuousness rife, and each society recog- 
  nizes such evil in the other but not in itself. 
  AUGUSTINIAN 
  CANONS 
  Augustinian canons live under the rule of St. Augustine 
  and staff many cathedrals. The canons are a special case among 
  monks as they are secular clergy living under the rule of the 
  order. The Augustinian order is the equivalent of a guild for the 
  staff of cathedrals, rather than a monastery or begging order. 
  The canons maintain their cathedrals, leading senrices, hearing 
  confession, and taking care of day-today operations. They also 
  assist the local bishop by performingpriestly functions for him, 
  allowing him to administer to the diocese. 
  Augustinian canons are most influential in Rome, south- 
  em Germany, and Lorraine. In addition to staffing cathedrals, 
  Augustinian houses tend to the sick and to pilgrims. Most 
  Augustinian houses that are not cathedral chapters are small, 
  numbering no more than a dozen canons and a prior. 
  AUSTIN FRIARS 
  Pope Alexander IV creates the Austin order in A.D. 1256 
  from a combination of several Italian orders, including the 
  Orthodox Waldensians. The mendicant friars of this order live 
  the Apostolic life in towns, doing good works. They are likely 
  to be found caring for the sick and poor, or giving children the 
  rudiments of education. Austin Friars are very active in the 
  universities of Italy and Sicily, and at least one or two can be 
  found at universities elsewhere in Myhc Europe. Austins 
  often take teaching positio nsat universities, tending toward the 
  subject of theology. 
  BEGUINES 
  The Beguines are a mendicant order of urban women, 
  often wealthy, who minister to the poor and ill. They take no 
  vows, but normally remain celibate. The Beguines are most 
  prominent in the cities of Brabant, Flanders, and in the 
  Rhineland, though a few Beguines can be found elsewhere, 
  especially in the communes of Lombardy. 
  Local rulers, both secular and ecclesiastic, tend to look 
  with disfavor on mendicant women, and many bishops have 
  petitioned the Pope to force them into convents. However, the 
  Beguines have not been formally recognized by the Pope, and 
  are often associated with the Albigensians, though no charges 
  of heresy have yet been leveled against them. The Beguines are 
  perched on the fine line dividing heresy and acceptance, and 
  individual bishops or inquisitors can rule for or against them. 
  There is a male counterpart to the Beguines, known as the 
  Beghards. 
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  4 BENEDICTINES 
  CARMELITES 
  The Rule of St. Benedict is the most famous of the rules of 
  the monastic orders. It is based on the ideal that a monk’s day 
  is to be encompassed by manual labor, sometimes in the 
  monastery garden, but more often in copying manuscripts; 
  spiritual reading; and prayer. Benedictine monks swear obedi- 
  ence (their chief vow), stability (staying with the monastery), 
  and conversion of morals. They also espouse poverty, chastity 
  and humility, but rarely follow the first and only follow the 
  other two as suits their needs. Finally, the Benedictine Rule 
  assumes the majority of monks will not be ordained into 
  priests, so few priests are resident at monasteries to perform the 
  sacraments. 
  Each Benedictine monastery is self-contained and distinct 
  from other monasteries. They are often located in untraveled 
  areas, or in areas which are not heavily populated. However, 
  the Rule of Saint Benedict provides a way for families to present 
  children to a monastery to be raised as monks, so the monastery 
  acts as a home for orphans and unwanted children, but also has 
  brethren for the future. 
  Formed in the Sixth Century, the Benedictine order be- 
  came very wealthy given land grants from secular rulers who 
  wished to guarantee their way to Heaven. Most Benedictine 
  abbeys now own vast tracts of land, and the monks and abbots 
  live a grand life, acting much like temporal nobles, hunting and 
  feasting. More recent orders are, for the most part, rejections 
  of the Benedictine order, which stress a return to Apostolic 
  poverty. 
  While many in the Church consider the Benedictines too 
  worldly, their power has not been diminished by their conup- 
  tion. They are a very wealthy order, and hold land in fief in most 
  of Mythic Europe’s kingdoms. However, the order’s obedience 
  to feudal overlords is much less than that of secular lords. 
  Accordingly, more than one king has pressed the Lateran to 
  force the Benedictines to give up their lands or be forced to 
  accept the responsibilities which come with a fief. Thus far 
  such efforts to pressure the Benedictines have come to naught. 
  In the farming district west of Munich lies the Benedictine 
  monastery of Albrecht. The Prior of the monastery, Father 
  Gunter, and his monks have been developing a reputation for 
  hedonistic practices, a reputation far worse than any garnered 
  by a Benedictine house. The monks are taking large donations 
  of grain, coin, and service from the community. In return, they 
  offer only recriminations and calls for increased piety. 
  In truth the monastery is plagued by the demon Fenzeral, 
  who has taken the form of a young monk, Brother Anton. He 
  has drawn the monks away from the sacraments, perverting 
  their masses into diabolic services. The once-pious monks 
  have one by one fallen either to temptation or to the claws of 
  Fenzeral. Now, they are unredeemably proud and gluttonous, 
  considering themselves deserving of the best the land has to 
  offer, all in return for their lives of “piety” and %ervice to the 
  Church.” 
  The Carmelites are a mendicant monastic order, but one 
  started from separate groups of hermits on the slopes of Mt. 
  Camel, in the Holy Land. The order flees the Muslims in A.D. 
  1238, and develops chapters throughout Mythic Europe. The 
  majority of chapters may be found in Spain, England, Sicily, 
  and Italy. 
  The Carmelites pattern themselves after the Dominicans 
  in their aims and goals. They practice abstinence, silence, and 
  fasting, living as hermits with a common church. Carmelite 
  monasteries are likely to be found in the wilderness, or se- 
  cluded behind town walls. The Carmelites do not encourage 
  gifts of land or money, preferring to be given just enough land 
  for them to farm for their own needs. In this way they hope to 
  avoid the problems which plague the Benedictines and other 
  wealthy orders. 
  CARTHUSIANS 
  The Carthusians embrace the life of the hermit. Each 
  monk has a personal cell, wherein eating, sleeping, and prayer 
  occur. But, all house members meet for holy offices in the 
  monastery church. Lay brothers till the soil and provide labor 
  needed to run the monastery. Unlike the Carmelites, the 
  Carthusians actively seek land, which they often rent to sur- 
  rounding communities in return for money or goods. 
  CISTERCIAN 
  ORDER 
  The Cistercian order is a contemplative monastic order 
  founded by Robert, abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Molesme, 
  who grew weary of the laxity of the Benedictines. His order, 
  namedafter the first house in Citeaux, France, returned to strict 
  observance of the Benedictine Rule. 
  The Cistercian order was expanded by St. Bernard, abbot 
  of Clairveaux. St. Bernard rejected the customary donations of 
  wealth which other orders supported themselves on. Instead, 
  he turned to the charity of the many to support the Cistercians, 
  avoiding the temptations of wealth which had marred the 
  reputation of the Benedictines. 
  The Cistercian order provides for two kinds of monks: 
  choir monks, many of whom are ordained priests who spend 
  their time writing and illuminating books or performing other 
  sedentary labor, and lay brothers, who till the fields and do 
  manual labor in the monastery. The suborder of lay brothers 
  invites non-nobles to lead the monastic life, which most other 
  orders do not. 
  The Cistercians build their houses in secluded and solitary 
  places to better resist worldly temptation. Unlike the 
  Benedictines, the Cistercians do not rent theirland to the local 
  community, but farm their lands themselves. 
  Each Cistercian abbot is expected to journey to Citeaux 
  once a year, to take part in the general chapter of the order. 
  Some abbots are excused from this journey if their houses are 
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  too far from Citeaux. In addition, each abbot must visit all the 
  houses which his house has founded. In this way, the order 
  regulates itself. Such is the wisdom of this plan that the Fourth 
  Lateran Council, in A.D. 1215, requires all Christian orders to 
  hold regular chapter meetings. 
  ORDER OF CLUNY 
  The Order of Cluny is a contemplative order which grew 
  out of the Benedictine. The order places much more emphasis 
  on learning and prayer than do the Benedictines, with lay 
  brothers fanning fields. While the intention of the founders 
  was to escape the worldliness of the Benedictines, by A.D. 1150 
  the order had nearly equaled its parent in the accumulation of 
  material goods. 
  Brethren of the Order of Cluny spend most of the day in 
  offices (church ceremony), taking only enough time for meals 
  and a few hours of sleep a night. Lay brothers farm the lands 
  of the order, allowing the monks to spend their time at services. 
  DOMINICANS 
  Approved by Pope Honorius I11 in A.D. 1216, the Domini- 
  cans are a mendicant monastic order formed specifically to 
  bring the Albige@ans back to the Church by logic, teaching, 
  and example. Scholasticism is important to the order, and 
  many Dominicans may be found at universities, especially at 
  Paris, Bologna, and Oxford. Even after the defeat of the 
  Albigensians in the Crusade against them, the Dominicans 
  continue to preach against heresy. In fact, many Dominican 
  friars can be found in Serbia, the Rhineland, and Lombardy, 
  hotbeds of continued heresy. 
  A Dominican friar at the University of Bologna has begun 
  investigating reports of Magi in that city. While he has not yet 
  gathered any firm evidence or witnesses, he is perilously close 
  to exposing a Covenant there. Since the decree of the Papal 
  Bull, which allows torture in Inquisitional interrogations, the 
  discovery of a secret Covenant could collapse the entire Roman 
  Tribunal in a wave of persecution. (No one expects a Magus to 
  hold the identities of fellow Magi secret under torture, regard- 
  less of the Code.) 
  Amberitus, the leader of the Covenant, has thus far refused 
  to leave the university, but other Covenants in the Roman 
  Tribunal demand that the Covenant either be dissolved or the 
  Dominican friar silenced. 
  ORDER OF FONTREVAULT 
  ' 
  A contemplative monastic order based in France, the I 
  Order of Fontrevault is a double order, accepting both men and 
  women, and housing them in double monasteries of monks 
  and nuns, under the authority of a prioress. The order inspired 
  the English order of Sempringham. The abbey of Fontrevault 
  itself contains the tombs of Henry 11, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and 
  Richard the Lionheart. 
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  FRANCISCANS 
  Francis of Assisi is an exuberant young man who lives a life 
  of pleasure, but a vision of Christ changes his life. He gives away 
  his money and fine clothes, and gives up the material life, 
  spending his time taking care of the poor and sick, and 
  repairing churches. His father disinherits him, claiming he is 
  a madman, which affects Francis not at all. 
  As a layman Francis joins the Fifth Crusade in A.D. 1217, 
  and performs his first miracle when he enters Damietta during 
  the siege. Francis offers to walk through flames to prove the 
  power of Christ, on the condition that the Sultan of Egypt leads 
  his troops for the Christian cause if he emerges unscathed. The 
  sultan refuses to allow the test, and has Francis escorted back 
  to the Christian camp. 
  Francis is horrified by the following sack of Damietta in 
  1218, and renounces the life of worldly knights, preaching and 
  practicing apostolic poverty instead. The Sultan of Damascus, 
  sensing Francis’s sanctity, gives him leave to travel freely 
  throughout the Holy Land, and Francis’s followers are given 
  the right to tend Christian shrines now in Saracen hands. 
  Francis’s observance of true apostolic poverty draws many 
  followers to his cause, even though his religious views are 
  somewhat variant to those of the Church. Pope Innocent 111 
  gives his approval to the contemplative Franciscan order and 
  the Rule of Saint Francis in 1210. An important difference 
  between Francis’s movement, on the one hand, and that of the 
  Albigensians and other Cathar heresies, on the other, is that 
  Francis does not demand that the Church practice poverty, 
  only that his followers do. 
  Before Francis’s death, he also attempts to preach Chris- 
  tianity to Magi. While his intentions are good, and he does 
  convince some Magi to become more devout in the faith of 
  Christ, Francis is not generally welcomed. (Francis himself is 
  so infused with faith that his mere presence acts as a Dominion 
  Aura of 3. For a time, some Magi suspect Francis of being a 
  renegade Magus with a strange Perdo Vim spell in place, a spell 
  which diminishes the magical power of others.) In truth, most 13 
  Magi do not convert, but relations between Francis and the 
  Order of Hermes are always cordial. 
  The Rule of Saint Francis is very strict, and forbids any 
  Franciscan monk from owning property. After Francis’s death 
  in 1226 some Franciscans try to ease the Rule of St. Francis. The 
  result is a split between the Conventuals, who own property 
  against the express wish of Saint Francis, and the Spirituals, 
  who observe the Rule more literally. 
  Since Francis’s death, the Conventual Franciscans have 
  maintained good relations with the Covenants of Magi near 
  their monasteries. The Spiritual Franciscans, on the other 
  hand,view this tolerance as yet another sign that the Conventuals 
  have drifted from the “true path” as laid out by Saint Francis. 
  HUMILIATI 
  The Humiliati are a mendicant monastic order drawn from 
  the nobility of Italy and Lombardy. The Humiliati live the 
  Apostolic life, administering to the poor and diseased. They 
  liveindoublemonasteriesofmonksandnuns,oraslaymenand 
  women. The Humiliati were forbidden to preach by the Third 
  Lateran Council, in A.D. 1179, and were actually excommuni- 
  cated by Lucius 111. Innocent I11 re-organized the Humiliati into 
  a triple order: celibate laity, married laity, and canons and 
  sisters in double monasteries. The laity have the right to 
  preach, as long as they only exhort the Christian life and do not 
  speak on matters of theology. 
  The Humiliati have also developed a method of weaving 
  extremely fine woolen cloth, nearly as thin as silk. Many Italian 
  cities claim the Humiliati have demonic aid in their enterprise, 
  and have begun a campaign to have the order declared a heresy. 
  PooR CLAW 
  I 
  The Poor Clares is a sister order to the Franciscans, 
  founded by Clare of Assisi. She joins Francis of Assisi at the age 
  of eighteen, much against the wishes of her family. Her sister 
  Agnes joins her soon afterward. Their father sends twelve 
  armed men to bring Agnes back, but Clare’s prayers make her 
  so heavy that the men are unable to budge her. 
  The Poor Clares follow a strict rule, enjoining absolute 
  poverty, mortification of the flesh, and austerity. Pope IMO- 
  cent I11 guarantees their absolute poverty, but Pope Gregory IX 
  tries to make the order accept the ownership of property, and 
  income from rent. However, Clare speaks with the Pope, and 
  such is her conviction that Gregory also grants the right of 
  absolute poverty to the order. However, a few houses of the 
  order accept property, mirroring the split of the Franciscans. 
  Those Poor Clares who accept the ownership of property are 
  known as Urbanists. 
  PREMOSTRATENSIAN 
  ORDER 
  ~ 
  A mendicant monastic order of reformed Augustinians, 
  the Premonstratensians are greatly influenced by the Cistercian 
  order. They stress preaching and pastoral work. The order 
  started as a double order of monks and nuns, living in double 
  monasteries of men and women. However, the presence of 
  both sexes under one roof had predictable results, and separate 
  monasteries and nunneries were established in the 1140s and 
  1150s. In A.D. 1198 the order dissolved the nunneries, and 
  admits no more women, henceforth being composed solely of 
  monks. 
  Each morning the brothers leave the monastery to beg and 
  preach among the villages and towns which surround them. 
  They also tend to the sick and poor, and often help farmers at 
  their chores. In return, the surrounding populace gives the 
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  monastery part of the fruit of the field, in addition to food given 
  to individual members of the order during the day. The order 
  keeps a small portion of food for its own use, and distributes the 
  rest at almshouses built into the outer wall of the monastery. 
  MiLitary Orders 
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  CHAPTER THREE 
  Hospitallers pulled out of the country, incapable of supporting 
  The military orders of the Catholic Church combine the 
  monastic life with the life of a soldier. Members of the military 
  orders are the soldiers of the Church, and are found where the 
  Christian world borders the lands of Muslims or pagans. 
  Members of these orders swear the normal monastic vows of 
  poverty, humility, and obedience, but must also be proficient 
  with weapons. These orders also stress military discipline. For 
  example, no knight may charge on his own, but only at the 
  order of his superior officer. All the military orders recruit their 
  members from the aristocracy, though non-nobles also have 
  their place in orders, as sergeants or footmen. 
  The three greatest of the Church's military orders are the 
  Templars and Hospitallers in the Holy land, and the Teutonic 
  order in the Baltic region. The Templars and Hospitallers 
  recruit mainly in France, Italy, and England, while the Teu- 
  tonic order recruits solely in Germany. 
  ,. 
  All the military orders are rich from gdts of land and 
  money, and use this wealth to support their castles and gam- 
  sons on the frontier. In Spain the Reconquista (the requisition 
  of Spain from the Muslims) is supported by numerous small 
  orders, which fill the void left when the Templars and 
  garrisons in two widely separated areas of the world. The 
  Spanish orders recruit wherever they can, but the great major- 
  ity of their members come from the Spanish kingdoms (and the 
  Order of Henna). 
  TEMPLARS 
  Founded in A.D. 1115 by Hugh de Payans and eight 
  companions as a guard for pilgrims in the Holy Land, the 
  Templars were the first of the Christian military orders. They 
  modified the Rule of the Cistercian order, andare affiliatedwith 
  the Cistercians. Their sole allegiance, however, is to the Pope. 
  The war in the Holy Land is a Holy War for the Templars. 
  TheTemplanswearvowsofpersonalpovertyandchastity. 
  For 
  religious reasons they also bathe very infrequently, a remark- 
  able condition in the Holy Land, where Latins largely adopt the 
  Muslim custom of bathing at least once a week. Templars also 
  view the hardships of war, especially in the harsh climate of the 
  Holy Land, as a spiritual exercise much like fasting or the 
  wearing of a hair shirt. And, the knights are so devoted to their 
  cause that they refuse to retreat, even against overwhelming 
  odds. 
  King Baldwin I1 of Jerusalem gave the Templars a portion 
  of the Temple of Solomon for their headquarters, from which 
  they take their name. They also have lands in Mythlc Europe, 
  given to them by secular nobles, and retain the lands of their 
  members, who are recruited from the noble class. This does not 
  mean to say that all members of the order are nobility. The 
  order accepts people from more humble backgrounds, who are 
  ranked sergeants. The order even recruits chaplains, priests 
  who accompany soldiers in the field, and who are given military 
  training if they do not already have it. 
  The Templars do not act solely as religious warriors. They 
  also act as bankers, holding money for crusaders and pilgrims. 
  In fact, the wealth of the Templars has generatedmuchjealousy 
  among secular kings and princes, who lose both land and men 
  to the order. Unfortunately, the order's wealth seems to have 
  corrupted it. Rumors of demonic rites, Black Masses, and 
  defilement of holy objects have started to circulate. The Pope 
  has so far ignored these rumors, and a number of bishops and 
  lords who have questioned the order's piety have mysteriously 
  disappeared. 
  The Templars wear a white mantle with a red cross. 
  HOSPITALLERS 
  The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (better known as the 
  Hospitallers) originated as a Benedictine hospital for pilgrims, 
  located near the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The Hospitallers 
  grew quickly, and soon had a number of caravansaries and 
  hospitals throughout the Holy Land. Because of the need to 
  defend its holdings, and having received the gdt of a number of 
  castles, the order became a military order under the sole 
  jurisdiction of the Pope, soon rivaling the Temph. 
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  The Hospitallers, with their Templar rivals, defended the 
  Holy Land against the Saracens, losing most of the order in A.D. 
  1187 at the battle of Hattin. The Saracen leader Saladin lulled 
  all knights.of the Hospitallers and Templars that he captured, 
  for fear of their military strength and unreasoning hatred of 
  Islam. Still, the Hospitallers held onto their castles, and 
  recruited more knights from their lands in France, England, 
  and Germany. 
  Even after becoming a military order of the Church, the 
  Hospitallers never gave up their hospital work, and members 
  of the order often act as chirurgeons in the field, taking care of 
  the wounded after battles. 
  Until 1259, the Hospitallers wear a black cloak or surcoat, 
  withawhitecross. In 1259 theyadoptaredsurcoatwithawhite 
  cross on the left breast. 
  TEUTONIC 
  ORDER 
  The Teutonic order began as a hospital founded by the 
  Cistercian order, but in A.D. 1198 they became a military order 
  based around Tripoli and Antioch. Because of the strong 
  presence of the Templars and Hospitallers in Syria and the Holy 
  Land, the Teutonic order deals with heresies elsewhere, par- 
  ticularly northern Mythlc Europe, where it recruits its mem- 
  bers from the German noble class. 
  In 1228 prince Conrad of Poland comes to an agreement 
  with Herman of Salza, the order’s Grand Master. The Polish 
  prince gives land along the Baltic coast to the order, which uses 
  it as a base for crusades against the pagans. In twenty years, the 
  order conquers all of Prussia, which had resisted the Poles for 
  hundreds of years. The order thus expands up the Baltic coast, 
  and attempts to move inland toward Russia. 
  Moving into Russia, the Teutonic knights find new en- 
  emies to fight. In 1241 the Grand Master of the order, along 
  with many knights, is killed fighting the Mongols at the battle 
  of Leignitz. A year later the order suffers another major defeat 
  at the hands of Alexander Nevsky, Prince of Novgorod, at the 
  battle of Lake Peipus. 
  A military order associated with the Teutonic knights is 
  that of the Brethren of the Sword, founded by the Bishop of Riga 
  in 1204 to fight the pagans of Finland. By 1237 the Brothers are 
  decimated, losing more than half their number in battles with 
  the pagans. They eventually merge with the Teutonic order, 
  but retain their own leadership under the Hochmeister of the 
  Teutonic order. 
  The Teutonic knights are identified by a white cloak or 
  surcoat with a black cross, while the Brethren wear a white 
  cloak or surcoat with a red cross and sword. 
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  ADOPTIONIST 
  HERESY 
  T
  1
   
  SPANISH MILITARY 
  ORDERS 
  The Christian reconquest of Spain from the Saracens 
  demanded the same type of military order the Crusades had 
  used in the Holy Land. However, neither the Templars nor the 
  Hospitallers were willing to make great commitments in Spain. 
  In their stead, a number of Spanish military orders were 
  formed. 
  Thegreatest of theseare the Knights of Calatrava. In 1157, 
  the Templars abandoned the castle of Calatrava and a group of 
  Navarrese knights and Cistercian monks took it over. The 
  monks soon returned to their abbey, and the knights were 
  recognized as a military order. The Knights of Calatrava wear 
  a white surcoat with no insignia. Their armor is painted black. 
  Numerous other small Spanish and Portuguese orders 
  exist, including the Knights of Santiago (and the Knights of San 
  Thiago, their Portuguese branch); the knights of Alcantara, 
  who operate in Portugal and Castile; the Brethren of Santa 
  Maria, a Portuguese order which changes its name to the 
  Knights of Aviz after capturing that town; the Knights of St. 
  Julian, who operate mostly on the borders of Castile and Leon; 
  and the Knights of Our Lady of Montjoie, who merge with the 
  Knights of Calatrava in 1221. 
  Heresy 
  Heresy is what the Church considers an affront to the 
  Churchanditprecepts,andthesuperiority 
  ofGod. Hereticsare 
  tisually people or movements branded as offenders of the 
  Church, and are thus declared enemies of the Church. To be 
  branded a heretic means to have almost all devout Christians 
  in Mythic Europe opposed to you and your beliefs. And, to be 
  branded a heretic often means having Christian authorities, 
  like Inquisitors and military orders, directed against you. 
  Furthermore, Fundamental Christianity follows the te- 
  nets of the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon, and the decrees 
  of the Popes, but heretics question these antecedents. People 
  branded heretics by the Church are typically critical of the 
  wealth and pride of the Church, and like only a few of the 
  Christian religious orders, usually demand poverty and humil- 
  ity of their number. In response to heresy the Church created 
  the Holy OEce of the Inquisition, and gives great power to 
  Inquisitors, even allowing them to use torture in their search for 
  opposition to the Church. 
  There are a number of heretical sects in the Catholic 
  Church which espouse beliefs the Pope has declared heresy. 
  The sects include the Adoptionists, the Brethren of the Free 
  Spirit, the False Apostles, the Waldensians,and the Manicheans, 
  who include the Cathars, Bogomils, and Albigensians 
  I 
  The Adoptionist Heresy maintains that Jesus was not the 
  true Son of God, but was made so by adoption through the 
  medmm of baptism. The concept of adoptionism was most 
  prevalent in the Eighth Century in Spain, but the topic is still 
  one under theological discussion today. 
  ALBIGENSIAN 
  HERESY 
  ARI ANISM 
  See Manicheanism 
  Preached by Anus of Alexandria during the reign of 
  Constantine the Great, the Arian heresy declared that the 
  earthly body of Jesus Christ was merely the dwelling of the 
  Word of God, rather than the Word incarnate. The heresy was 
  suppressed in the Roman Empire, but spread widely among the 
  Germanic tribes in outlying regions. The Goths were the first 
  tribe to become Arian Christians, and they in turn sent mission- 
  aries to other tribes, so that new kingdoms built on the ruins of 
  the Empire were ruled by Arian Christians. The heresy 
  flourished during the years between the fall of the Empire and 
  the rise of the Franks, during the capture of the north African 
  coast by the Byzantines, and during the missionary work of 
  Catholic priests in Spain. 
  BOGOMIL 
  HERESY 
  See Manicheanism 
  BRETHREN 
  OF THE FREE 
  SPIRIT 
  In an attempt to reconcile the writings of Aristotle and 
  Christian thinking, the Brethren of the Free Spirit believe in the 
  superiority of the human will above all else, even God. The 
  brethren are most prevalent in Swabia and the Rhineland. 
  They are declared heretics and excommunicate in A.D. 
  1235, but neither the nobles of the area, nor the Inquisition are 
  able to eradicate them. The Brethren are welcome in many 
  cities, though they must keep their presence a secret, as their 
  hosts would share their excommunication. 
  The popes do not call a crusade on the Brethren, being 
  involved in other crusades, and, later in the Thirteenth Cen- 
  tury, fearing the damage another crusade like the Albigensian 
  Crusade might cause. The German emperors of Mythic Europe 
  have also proven reticent to move against the sect, as cities are 
  likely to rise against any military effort to eradicate the heresy. 
  J 
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  CATHAR HERESY 
  See Manicheanism 
  DONATIST 
  HERESY 
  Preached by Bishop Donatus of Carthage in the early 
  Fourth Century, the Donatist heresy proposed that sacraments 
  performed by sinful priests were invalid. The Church, unwill- 
  ing to undermine its rites based on the morals of its priests, 
  declared Donatism a heresy rather than accept it as Church 
  doctrine. 
  However, the poor were seduced by the idea - 
  with the 
  sacraments considered false, the Church lost its influence over 
  people’s morality - 
  and the heresy flourished in north Africa. 
  The emperors and the Church of the time both took measures 
  to suppress the heresy, but the followers of Donatus still 
  prowled the countryside, freeing slaves, robbing the rich, and 
  sometimes murdering their victims. The Donati~ts were on 
  their last legs when the Vandals invaded northern Africa. The 
  Donati~ts rejoiced as the Orthodox priests were ejected from 
  their churches by the Arians, and the heresy was renewed for 
  a time. However, the heresy may finally have died out when the 
  Arabs conquered north Africa in the 670s. Certainly no word 
  has been heard from the Donatists since. . 
  FALSE APOSTLES 
  AhereticalgroupwhichlivesaradicalformoftheFranciscan 
  Apostolic life, the False Apostles are formed by Gerard Segerelli, 
  a native of Parma who sells all his possessions in A.D. 1260 to 
  travel and preach. His message includes penance and the 
  Apostolic life for both his followers and the Church. His 
  followers are condemned by Popes Honorius IV and Nicholas 
  IV. Gerard himself is subject to the Inquisition, and burned at 
  the stake in 1300. 
  M 
  ANICHEANIST 
  HERESY 
  Manicheanism was an early heresy which tried to tie the 
  Word of Christ to ancient Persian beliefs on the dualism of 
  nature. Manicheanism is the predecessor of Catharism. In its 
  most extreme form, the movement called for extreme austerity 
  in diet, forbidding the eating of foods which were begotten 
  sexually (only vegetables were allowed), and denying sex 
  except for procreation. According to the movement’s precepts 
  extreme poverty was the only way to gain salvation, as worldly 
  goods only tied one to the mundane world, keeping people 
  fromattaining spiritual enlightenment. Manicheanism spawned 
  many heresies, including those of the Cathars, Bogomils and 
  Albigensians. 
  Cathars 
  The Cathars are descendents of the Manicheaists, dualists 
  who believe in the essential evil of the material world, which 
  they say was created by the Devil. Cathars deny the role of God 
  in creation, and also deny the humanity of Christ. Rejection of 
  the material world includes abstinence from sex, especially for 
  the procreation of children who would have to live in the 
  material world. Apostolic poverty is part of the Cathars’ creed, 
  and they encourage all believers to rid themselves of material 
  possessions. 
  Cathars refuse to pay homage to secular leaders and refuse 
  to swear oaths. The Cathars first came to Myhc Europi 
  through Bulgaria, where they influenced the Bogomils, and 
  spread to Provence, where they are known as Albigensians. 
  Bogomils 
  The Bogomikare the first Mythic European Cathars, based 
  in Bulgaria and Serbia, but soon spread to Asia Minor and 
  Provence, where they influence the Albigensians. The Bulgar- 
  ian Bogomils are crushed in A.D. 1211 by King Ivan I1 of 
  Bulgaria, but many still live in Serbia. 
  Albigensians 
  The Albigensians are a sect of the Cathar heresy, and take 
  their name from the town of Albi in southern France. They call 
  themselves Believers, and their traveling teachers are known as 
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  WALDENSIANS 
  T
  -
  i
   
  CHAPTER THREE 
  Perfecti. The Perfecti live by begging and preaching. The 
  Albigensians preach Apostolic poverty, instructing Believers to 
  give away land and money, living a life of poverty. They believe 
  the accumulation of goods and land only focuses the owner on 
  the material world, and only by divesting of worldly goods may 
  a person achieve salvation. The Church, especially its rich 
  Benedictine monasteries, is a natural target of Perfecti, who 
  argue that priests need not live in luxury. 
  The Church tries to suppress the Albigensian heresy by 
  preaching Catholicism, reminding the people of their original 
  faith. However, the murder of Peter of Castlenau, a Papal 
  Legate, prompts the Pope to declare a crusade against the 
  hereticsinA.D. 1208. Many knights fromnorthemFrancejoin 
  the crusade, as the lands of heretical nobles are transferred to 
  the crusaders. The leader of the Crusade is Simon de Montfort, 
  a Norman nobleman. 
  Many atrocities are committed by the crusaders, and the 
  Crusade continues until the massacre of Montsegur in 1244. 
  The Pope also creates the Holy Office of the Inquisition, which 
  has the power to investigate and denounce heretics, killing 
  many and torturing more for information. 
  MONOPHYSITE 
  HERESY 
  This heresy was proposed by the Abbot Eutachyes in the 
  440s and stated that Jesus took no part of the human condition, 
  but rather was completely divine. Numerous Church councils 
  took place to decide the issue, and the Sees of Constantinople 
  and Alexandria were the heads of the two opposing factions, for 
  and against the proposition. 
  Though a heresy from fundamental Christianity, 
  Monophysitism became the religion of Egypt and Syria, and 
  suffered oppression by Constantinople. In response the 
  Monophysites aided Islamic Arabs during their conquests of 
  Egypt and Syria, welcoming them as liberators from the tyr- 
  anny of Constantinople. 
  Rumors persist of Monophysite abbeys and churches deep 
  in Egypt and Arabia, where heretics practice their religion safe 
  from the authority of the Byzantine Patriarch or Emperor. 
  NESTORIAN 
  HERESY 
  Nestor, Patriarch of Constantinople in A.D. 428, preached 
  that Mary, mother of Jesus, was only the mother of the earthly 
  body of the Savior, and thus was not worthy of worship. 
  Nestor's opponents had him removed from the See of 
  Constantinople, and finally exiled to the Libyan desert after 
  years of see-saw battles within the Church. 
  Nestor's followers retreated to Syria, where they acquainted 
  the Persians and later the Arabs with the works of Greek 
  philosophers and scientists. Nestorians still flourish in the east, 
  beyond &e Holy Land. 
  The Waldensians were formed in A.D. 1172 by Waldo, a 
  merchant of Lyon, who gave up his wealth and position to 
  preach the Apostolic life. The Waldensians were examined by 
  the Church's Third Lateran Council in 1179, and their lifestyle 
  was approved, but they were forbidden to preach without 
  pemission from the Bishop of Lyon. The Bishop refused his 
  pennission, and ultimately was forced to excommunicate the 
  Waldensians, expelling them from Lyon when they continued 
  to preach in spite of the Church's ruling. 
  The Waldensians had many successes against the Cathar 
  heresy, illustrating the faults of the Cathars and their beliefs, 
  and r e a h i n g  Catholic doctrine. However, the Waldensians' 
  Scriptural teachings, in the language of the people, and their 
  belief that Apostolic poverty and the acceptance of Christ were 
  all that was necessary for salvation alarmed Church authorities. 
  Accordingly, the Waldensian movement was declared a heresy 
  by Papal Bull in 1184. 
  The persecution that follows the Church's decree, in the 
  Thirteenth Century, does not daunt the Waldensians. They 
  continue to teach and spread their doctrine to Lombardy, 
  Spain, and Austria. The primary congregation of the 
  Waldensians is drawn from those who work the land, as 
  opposed to the Albigensians, who are largely supported by 
  nobles. 
  7sLarn 
  Islam is not a heretical offshoot of the Christian faith, but 
  is a faith in its own right, largely followed by natives of the 
  Middle East and Africa. Being a unique religion, Islam is seen 
  as pagan by the Christian Church. 
  ISLAMIC 
  ORIGINS 
  Islam is arelatively new religion. Mohammed, its prophet, 
  lived and preached in the Seventh Century, after Christ. The 
  word Islam means surrender, and a Muslim is one who surren- 
  ders his soul to Allah, the one God. Islam has the same roots 
  as Christianity and Judaism, but proposes that Mohammed is 
  the last and most perfect prophet, revealing the word of Allah 
  in the Koran, the sacred book of Islam. Muslims accept Christ 
  as a prophet of God, butreject his holy nature, and find the 
  Christian idea of a tripartite God as an unholy aberration which 
  leads men astray from the path of righteousness. 
  Mohammed began his preaching in Mecca in the 610s. He 
  fled to Medina in A.D. 622, from which event the Muslims 
  reckon their calendar. In Medina Mohammed's movement 
  grew, and he led expeditions against the idol-worshipping 
  tribes of Arabia. Mohammed reentered Mecca in 630, and died 
  in 632 in Jerusalem, where he is said to have ascended to 
  Heaven from the hill where Abraham nearly sacrificed Isaac. 
  Mohammed's footprints at the time of his ascension are said to 
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  4 
  Rock over the site of Mohammed's death, a site which has 
  become the third greatest holy place of Islam. 
  andlargelyhaveunenlightenedperspectivesonthefaith. Many 
  Christians view Islam as a form of paganism, convinced that it 
  BeforehisdeathMohammedunited the Arabianpeninsula 
  both politically and religiously, and Arabic became the lan- 
  guage of Islam. The unification of the Arabic tribesallowed the 
  caliphs, the successors of Mohammed, to wage war against the 
  Byzantine and PersK empires. Indeed, between 632 and 656 
  theMuslimsoverranDamascusJerusalem, Syria, Mesopotamia, 
  Egypt, and Persia. By 720, Islam had crossed the sands of the 
  Sahara Desert, spread into northern Spain and southernFrance, 
  and extended to Sind in the east. 
  The Muslims still occupy many of those lands in the 
  Thirteenth Century. 
  RELIGIOUS 
  INTERACTION 
  Muslims pray five time a day, kneeling and facing Mecca. 
  They fast during the holy month of Rammadan, are expected to 
  give alms to the poor, observe the Sabbath on Friday, and 
  pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca at least once in their life. 
  The Muslims are tolerant of non-believers, allowing them 
  to continue their worship. Indeed, in Spain, the Archbishop of 
  Toledo was allowed to remain the primate of Spain, even 
  though Toledo was in Muslim hands from the early Eighth 
  Century until its recapture by forces of Castile in 1085. It's true 
  that under the Muslims non-believers must pay special taxes, 
  but have few other restrictions. 
  calls for the worship of three false Gods: Mahomet, Apollyon, 
  and Termagant. Christians also believe Saracens carry images 
  of these gods before them into battle, and if defeated, curse and 
  spit on the images. According to Christian understanding, the 
  law of Mohomet and Termagant is inscribed in a book kept in 
  Mecca, where the Muslims go every year to worship before a 
  great black stone. And, Christians believe Muslim sorcerers 
  summon demons, known as djinn or genies, which they 
  command to do magical tasks. These false assumptions about 
  Islam are in part what perpetuates wars against the Muslims. 
  Judaism 
  ~ 
  From the Christian viewpoint, Judaism is a special cat- 
  egory of religion, somewhere between a heresy and paganism, 
  but certainly different from Christianity. 
  JEWISH RESPONSE 
  While the Church acknowledges the influence that Juda- 
  ism has had on Christianity, the Church must condemn the 
  self-named chosen people of God, who do not follow Jesus. 
  To the average Christian in Myduc Europe, Jews are the 
  people who crucified God, a people who practice a strange 
  religion, hidden from public view. Stories of the religious 
  practices of the Jews include the sacrifice of infants and the 
  & 
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  drinking of blood. To Mythic Europe’s merchants, Jews are a 
  source of loans and credit, but apply usury (interest) to loans, 
  something forbidden to Christians. 
  As a result of their exclusiveness and extortionate business 
  practices, Jews tend to be natural scapegoats, blamed for 
  everything from missing children to droughts to famines. Riots 
  in many cities are directed at the Jews, both to vent fiustration 
  and to nullify debts. Indeed, at one point the Jews of York, 
  England, are besieged in the local castle by a crowd led by 
  barons, barons heavily in debt. The Jews kill themselves rather 
  than face the tortures and cruelties planned for them by the 
  mob. 
  The Church’s Lateran Council of A.D. 1179 forbade the 
  charging of interest by Christian moneylenders, but allowed 
  Jews to do so; Jews are not expected to go to Heaven by the 
  Catholic Church. However, the Council did decreed that Jews 
  may not have Christianservants,normay Christianslodgewith 
  Jews. The Council of 1215 frees Christian debtors, especially 
  crusaders, from interest on loans from Jews; excludes Jews 
  from positions of authority; and stipulates that Jews need wear 
  a badge of identification, either a yellow or scarlet cloth patch 
  on their clothes. 
  Christian monarchs in Mythic Europe both support and 
  abuse Jews. Kings protect and exploit God‘s chosen people, 
  making them servants or wards of the crown, but also charging 
  them heavy taxes. In 1290 King Edward I of England solves the 
  ‘‘Jewish problem” by expelling them from his domains. Many 
  flee to Germany, Hungary, and Poland. 
  The Jews are accepted by Muslims, just as Christians are 
  accepted my Muslims, and the Jewish culture flourishes under 
  the rule of Islam. Though required to pay special taxes because 
  of their faith, Jews were allowed greater freedom under Islam 
  than under Christianity, and many Jews become advisors to 
  caliphs and other Muslim rulers. 
  JEWISH PRECEPTS 
  The Jewish tradition is one of learning and intellectual 
  development, and Jews have always been connected to univer- 
  sities and schools in Muslim lands. Jews, free of the restraints 
  placed on Christians about the dissection of the human body, 
  have made medicine a special study. Universities in Spain and 
  Sicily have in turn passed this knowledge to Christians. The 
  Jews also keep Classic Greek and Roman texts alive, preserving 
  knowledge otherwise lost in western Mythic Europe. This 
  knowledge helps form the basis of the Rational Aura, a belief in 
  facts rather than faith. 
  By fault (or virtue, depending on perspective) of being 
  different from Christianity, other religions are declared pagan 
  by the leaders of the Christian Church. Being pagan, other 
  religions are therefore the enemies of the Church, though 
  tenuous relations can be established with some pagan faiths, 
  like that of Judaism. 
  Before the death and resurrection of the Christian Lord, 
  people believed in numerous gods (declared false by the 
  Church), whether those gods were of the Greeks and Romans, 
  or of the Vikings. However, the spread of the word of the true 
  Lord has converted many of those once-pagan peoples, except 
  for a few on the fringes of the Christian world, like the 
  Prussians, and those who reject Christianity, like the Muslims. 
  Those pagans continue to practice their ways today. 
  Though Christianity has ovelwhelmed the majority of 
  pagan religions in Mythic Europe, many pagan festivals and 
  locations persist within Church domain. In fact, many people 
  continue to perform pagan ceremonies at the change of the 
  seasons, or at harvest time. They do so out of superstition, for 
  fear that the old gods might still exist beyond the veneer of 
  Christianity. And, if those gods should still exist, the common 
  person fears angering the gods, making existence all the more 
  unbearable. 
  Some churchmen recognize the shadow of paganism in the 
  various heresies which spring up in the countryside, and try to 
  suppress pagan ceremonies and holidays. Other priests do not 
  see peasant ceremonies as a threat to the Catholic Church. 
  Rather, they use these ceremonies and holidays as times to 
  preach on the universal nature of the Church. Some pagan 
  traditions, from the old gods, have even been indoctrinated into 
  the Christian faith, simply given new names. Indeed, the 
  crucifix itself is an icon of faiths reachng back beyond Chris- 
  tianity. The adoption of these old traditions smooths the 
  transition to Christianity, and appeases followers of old faiths 
  who would otherwise resist the new “official” religion. 
  n 
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  he dea of a Holy War against the enemies of the 
  Church is relatively new to Christians. The 
  concept grew out of the reconquest of Spain and 
  Sicily from pganinvaden, andwasinspiredby St. 
  Augustine’s concept of divinely inspired violence. 
  A crusade may only be called by the Pope. Many crusades 
  are called primarily against Muslims, in the Holy Land and 
  Spain, but also against the pagans in Poland and Prussia, against 
  the Albigensian Heresy, the Holy Roman Emperor, and the 
  Anti-Pope Anacletus. All of these crusades are duly authorized, 
  and the soldiers involved, while possibly overzealous, are for 
  the most part devout. 
  The Crusades attract supporters from all levels of society, 
  from lungs and princes to journeymen and serfs. Many 
  participants, especially in expeditions to the Holy Land, take 
  pilgrimage vows, and are protected by the same laws as 
  pilgnms. For their sacrifices crusaders are also given indul- 
  gences, a free remission of punishment due from sin. 
  Many crusaders also benefit materially from going on 
  crusade, gaining lands and titles in conquered territories. 
  However, material benefits are far outweighed by the spiritual 
  benefits of serving Christ and the Church. A popular sentiment 
  holds that it is miserly to refrain from crusading, as you should 
  give your all to recover the propeq of Christ. 
  First Crusade 
  In A.D. 1071, the Seljuk Turks defeated the army of 
  Byzantium at a small town named Manzikert, in Asia Minor. 
  The Turks swept on to conquer most of the Empire in Asia 
  Minor, and to wrest the Holy Land from the Saracens of Egypt. 
  Christians on pilgrimage to Jerusalem had long been 
  protectedfromattack, dealshavingbeenmadewith theSaracens, 
  but the Seljuks refused to honor the guarantees made by their 
  predecessors, and raided and robbed many pilgrim caravans. 
  Pope Gregory VI1 resolved, in 1074, to lead a united army of 
  western princes to the Holy Land to retake the city of Christ, but 
  was unable to bring his plans to fruitiion. 
  However,in 1095 PopeUrbanI1,at thesynodof Clermont, 
  preached to the leaders of western Mythic Europe of a crusade 
  to retake Jerusalem. It was agreed that an army would be sent 
  to the Holy Land to retake Jerusalem and insure the safety of 
  pilgrims. A white cross was the 
  Before the nobles could embark on their crusade, though, 
  another force was sent in advance of them, but failed to affect 
  the pagans in the Holy Land. A band of peasants, tens of 
  thousands strong, marched from France to Byzantium, led by 
  Peter the Hermit. This army of peasants supported itself by 
  plundering the countryside on its way, but the Bulgars deci- 
  mated the army before it even reached Byzantium. However, 
  the Emperor hastily shipped the remaining peasants across to 
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  Asia Minor to fight in the coming Holy War. Unfortunately, the 
  peasants were wiped out by the Saracens before they even 
  reached Jerusalem. 
  The nobles’ armies, on the other hand, sailed and marched 
  from Normandy, Flanders, southern France, and Sicily, led by 
  their dukes and counts, and by the Bishop of Le Puy as the Papal 
  Legate. The armies gathered before the gates of Nicaea, which 
  they took by siege, then engaged the Turks at Dorylaeum, and 
  decisively beat the pagans. 
  Numerous other cities and towns surrendered or were 
  besieged as well, until the crusaders arrived before Jerusalem in 
  1099. There they settled in for a siege, which lasted several 
  months. The crusaders used the Holy Lance, which they had 
  found at Antioch, as their standard, paracling around the city 
  with it at the head of their army. Ultimately the walls of 
  Jerusalem were stormed, and many inhabitants slaughtered. 
  Saracens were killed by being shot or pushed off the walk, and 
  a large number ofJews were herded into a synagogue which was 
  then set afire. Indeed, the Tomb of the Holy Sepulcher ran thigh 
  deep in blood. 
  After the First Crusade a number of Latin states were 
  created in the Holy Land. The Kingdom of Jerusalem, the most 
  important state, was held by Godfrey of Bouillon, the leader of 
  the army of Flanders. Other states included the County of 
  Ed-, 
  the County of Tripoli, and the Principality of Antioch. 
  The suMval of these new lands was greatly aided by fighting 
  between the Seljuk Turks and the Fatimid Empire of Egypt. 
  Many knights stayed behind to protect their new lands, and 
  various Christian military orders were organized at this time. 
  second Crusade 
  The fall of the Latin kingdom of Edessa, founded after the 
  First Crusade, to the forces of Islam in A.D. 1144 spread fear 
  and dismay among the lords and princes of the other Holy Land 
  kingdoms. The lords appealed to Pope Eugenius I11 for aid in 
  the fight to preserve their lands. The Pope appointed Bernard 
  of Clairveaux, a charismatic preacher, later to become St. 
  Bernard, to preach the Crusade among the lords of Mytluc 
  Europe. 
  Bernard went to Louis VI1 of France, and enjoined him to 
  lead the Crusade. In 1146, at Vezelay, with the French King by 
  his side, Bernard preached the Crusade to assembled nobles, 
  who joined en masse. 
  Bernard then proceeded to Germany, where he enlisted 
  the Emperor Conrad 111, and a multitude of German knights. 
  Even before the German crusaders left their lands, though, they 
  set upon Jews at the instigation of Peter, Abbot of Cluny, and 
  Rodolphe, a French monk in Germany. For his part Louis 
  levied heavy taxes on the Jews of France, but refrained from 
  attacking them. The Germans, however, attacked the Jewish 
  quarters of many cities, committing atrocities against all Jews. 
  At Speyer, a Jewess was tortured on the rack to make her 
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  YRiii-" 
  9
  4
  convert to Christianity. At Maim the crusaders chased a group 
  of Jews into the house of the Bishop, and killed the Jews before 
  theBishop's eyes. Suchviolence was only a taste of that to come. 
  The Germans started their march to the Holy Land on 
  Easter day, 1147. The French set out on Pentecost. The young 
  Eleanor of Aquitaine even traveled with her husband Louis, 
  accompanied by a number of noble-born ladies in waiting. 
  Eleanor and her ladies formed a company of their own, and 
  rode as Amazon warriors, with their breasts uncovered. The 
  sight of these ladies amused the Byzantines, but the armored 
  knights in the crusading army made more than one town's 
  menfolk turn their gaze. 
  The French and Germans continued their assault and 
  sacked many t o m  in Byzantium. Some nobles went so far as 
  to urge their kings to take Constantinople. The kings did not, 
  but see& were sown which would lead to the sack of 
  Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. 
  Though they began the Crusade separately, the Germans 
  and French faced the same fate in the Holy War. The Germans 
  insisted on following the trail of the First Crusade, but waterless 
  wastes and Muslim raids slowed their advance. At Dorylaeum, 
  where the army of the First Crusade won a magnificent victory, 
  the Saracens fell upon the Germans and wreaked such havoc 
  that scarcely one knight in ten remained. 
  The French, spurred on by false reports of a German 
  victory, rushed towards Dorylaeum, but were stopped by the 
  wastes and Saracens. The crusading armies retreated to the 
  coast, where they attempted to book passage to Antioch. The 
  sailing masters demanded heavy fees, though, so only kings, a 
  few lords with their retainers, and ladies were able to escape to 
  Antioch. The remainder of the armies were overtaken by the 
  Saracens and slain to a man. 
  In the meantime, the monarchs and their few followers 
  continued to Jerusalem, where King Baldwin 111 joined his men 
  with the arrivals and marched against Damascus. Divided 
  command, and dissension between kings as to who should rule 
  a fallen Damascus robbed the siege of its purpose. When word 
  arrived that a Muslim army was approaching to lift the siege, the 
  Christian army virtually disintegrated, fleeing back to Jerusa- 
  lem, Antioch, and Acre. Emperor Conradreturned to Germany 
  a broken man. King Louis traveled the Holy Land for a year, 
  making pilgrimage to the holy shrines. King Baldwin retired to 
  Jerusalem and saw to his defenses. The Second Crusade had 
  won nothing. 
  Third Crusade 
  In the forty years between the Second and Third Crusades, 
  the Latins living in the Holy Land took on many aspects of the 
  Muslims, especially in dress and manner. The two cultures 
  mingled, much as Sicily and Spain had mingled, producing an 
  atmosphere of mutual tolerance. Truces and pacts were made 
  between the Saracens and Christians, but a few Christians, 
  especially the orders of Templars and Hospitallers and the 
  Prince of Antioch, repeatedly broke the peace. 
  Finally Reginald de Chatillon, Prince of Antioch, captured 
  a caravan containing the sister of Saladin, Emir of Egypt and 
  Syria. Saladin then led his troops in a Jihad (Arabic, "Holy 
  War") against the Latin kingdoms. He defeated the Latin army 
  at the battle of Hattin in A.D. 1187 and killed Reginald with his 
  own hands. Furthermore, he captured Acre, and besieged 
  Jerusalem, capturing it in twelve days. However, as evidence of 
  his leniency, Saladin released soldiers captured at Hattin, but 
  required of them an oath never again to bear arms against him. 
  The soldiers were later absolved of their oaths by the Church. 
  In the meantime, William, Archbishop of Tyre, traveled to 
  Italy, France, and Germany, telling of the fall of Jerusalem. 
  Frederick Barbarossa, Emperor of the Germans; Richard 
  Lionheart, King of England and Philip Augustus, King of 
  France journeyed to the Holy Lands by separate routes. 
  Frederick, lauded as the new Moses who would show the way 
  to the Promised Land, drowned in a river in the Kingdom of 
  Little Minor in 1190. The Germans elected to continue on, to 
  besiege Acre, leaderless and but a small part of the army which 
  had left Germany the year before. 
  Richard and Philip rendezvoused in Sicily, where King 
  Tancred offended Richard. In turn Richard seized Messina and 
  sold it back for 40,000 ounces of gold. Richard could then 
  afford passage for his men to the Holy land. Unfortunately a 
  number of Richard's ships were wrecked on the coast of 
  Cyprus, and his men were abused by the islanders. To rectlfy 
  matters Richard mad a quick conquest of the island in 1191, 
  and gave it to Guy of Lusignan, the now homeless King of 
  Jerusalem. 
  The French King Philip had preceded Richard, and had 
  joined the Germans in their siege of Acre. The city surrendered 
  a few weeks after Richard also arrived, with his men. It was then 
  that Philip became ill with fever, and went home to France, 
  leaving Richard as sole leader of the Crusade. 
  The campaign between Richard and Saladin was an un- 
  usual one. Where they might exchange blows one week, they 
  exchanged courtesies the next. Numerous treaties and bar- 
  gains were arranged between the two leaders, but most were 
  broken, often by the Christians. Finally, Richard, ill and tired 
  of the unending war, left for home. 
  As a consequence of his respect for the enemy, and the 
  treacherousness of the Christians, Saladin, though a Saracen, 
  came to be seen as the personification of Christian virtues. The 
  Third Crusade attributed him with being gentle to the weak, 
  merciful to the vanquished, generous to the poor, and faithful 
  to his word. Ironic that a war initiated to eliminate pagans 
  actually venerated them. 
  Fourth Crusade 
  The Third Crusade had saved Acre and Antioch, but left , 
  Jerusalem in Muslim hands. Pope Innocent 111 demanded 
  another crusade, but the kings he preached to were less than 
  eager. Philip of France had had enough of crusades and 1 
  Emperor Frederick I1 was a boy of four. Richard of England 
  replied: "You advise me to dismiss my three daughters: pride, 
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  . 
  T a v a r i c e  a d  incontinence. I bequeath them to the most deserving, 
  The Venetians, who had been trading in Constantinople 
  my pride to the Ternplars, my avarice to the monks of Citeam, and 
  my incontinence to the prelates. ” 
  Innocent persisted, however, and put forward a plan to 
  attack Egypt, which would enable Italian fleets to sail the 
  eastern Mediterranean unhindered by Saracens. Venice agreed 
  to ship an army for 85,000 marks of silver and one-half the 
  spoils of the campaign. But, Enrico Dandalo, Doge of Venice, 
  had no intention of attacking Egypt, to which Venice imported 
  timber, iron, and weapons in return for slaves, which were sold 
  in Constantinople and other north African cities. 
  Now in the Thirteenth Century, while the crusaders 
  haggle for passage to Egypt, the Doge enters into a secret 
  agreement with the Egyptians to divert the Crusade. In 1202 
  the armies gather in Venice, led by Marquis Boniface of 
  Montferrat, Count Baldwin of Flanders, Count Louis of Blois, 
  and Simon de Montfort, who will lead the Albigensian Crusade. 
  The crusaders are able to raise 5 1,000 marks, short of the 
  agreed price. Enrico Dandalo proposis to forgive the oversight 
  ’ 
  if the crusaders capture the town of Zara, Hungary’s port on the 
  Adriatic. Pope Innocent threatens to excommunicate anyone 
  ~ 
  who takespartintheattack,butisignored. ThearmytakesZara 
  in five days, dividing the spoils. The Pope carries out his threat, 
  excommunicating the crusaders and the Venetians. The cru- 
  saders beg mercy of the Pope for their transgression. He grants 
  it,butdemandsthattheyreturnthebootytakenfromZara. 
  The 
  crusaders obey, but the Venetians ignore the Pope. 
  The Crusade then suffers another deviation from its in- 
  tended course. Isaac I1 Angelus, Emperor of Byzantium, had 
  been deposed, blinded, and imprisoned in 1195 by his brother, 
  .Alexius 111. Isaac’s son, also named Alexius, fled to Germany 
  and then to Venice, where he became the guest of the Venetian 
  Dandalo. In 1202 the younger Alexius approaches the crusad- 
  ers, pledging to raise money and men to aid the crusaders, and 
  to make the eastern Church subservient to Rome if the crusad- 
  ers help restore his father to the throne. The Pope again 
  threatens excommunication, this time against anyone who 
  attacks Byzantium, but again his threats have little effect. 
  In 1202 the crusading army sets sails, in 480 Venetian 
  ships, ready to plunder the richest city in the east. They land 
  before Constantinople in 1203, after various delays en route. 
  The invaders capture the city in the face of feeble opposition, 
  and place Isaac back on the throne, crowning his son Alexius 
  IV, after making sure Isaac abides by the agreements his son had 
  made. 
  However, the people of the city, led by its priests, rebel 
  against the conquerors. In the fighting that follows a fire is lit 
  that ravages the city for eight days, burning a considerable 
  portion of Constantinople to the ground. Furthermore, a 
  prince of blood kills Alexius IV, reimprisons Isaac, and takes 
  the throne as Alexius V Dum. The crusaders retaliate by 
  besieging the city, and when it surrenders after a month, loot 
  it thoroughly, even stripping the churches of their plate and 
  relics, which are later sold in the west. 
  ! 
  for centuries, take the finest goods, including four horses they 
  once placed over the Piazza de San Marcos. After the looting 
  and pillaging is over, the Latins chose Baldwin of Flanders to 
  head the Empire of Romania, and the Byzantine territories are 
  divided up among other western leaders. Venice also takes part 
  of Constantinople, many of the Ionian islands, and a number of 
  harbors in Greece. The Pope even accepts the return of the 
  Orthodox branch of the Church to the Catholic fold, so lasting 
  does the reunification of east and west seem to be. 
  Not all Byzantine nobles are defeated by the crusaders, 
  though. A number of princes flee to the countryside, founding 
  rival empires to match their lost one. The Empire of Trebizond 
  flourishes along the coast of the Black Sea, under the rule of 
  Alexius Comnenus. Michael Angelus founds the Despotate of 
  Epirus. And, Theodore Lascaris founds the Empire of Nicaea, 
  which eventually retakes Constantinople in 1261. 
  It must also be said that though most crusaders are lured 
  by wealth and plunder from their original destination, a few 
  actually continue on to the Holy Land. But, they are unable to 
  accomplish much against the Saracens. 
  Children’s Crusade 
  In A.D. 1212 two children, Nicholas, a Gennan appren- 
  tice, and Stephen, a French shepherd, are said hear the voice of 
  Christ calling them. Christ calls them to lead the children of 
  Christendom to the Holy Land, to retake the Holy Sepulcher. 
  Nicholas leads 30,000 children, mostly from the area around 
  Cologne, on a journey across the Alps to Genoa, where mer- 
  chants laugh at their requests to be taken to the Holy Land with 
  no means of payment. Undaunted, Nicholas appeals to Pope 
  Innocent I11 for aid, but even the Pope gently tells him to go 
  home. Disconsolate, Nicholas leads many children back over 
  the Alps, but several thousand remain in Genoa, becoming 
  apprentices and seamen. 
  The Crusade led by Stephen comes to a more terrible end. 
  He leads 20,000 children to Marseille, where he promises God 
  will part the sea, allowing them to walk to Jerusalem. The sea 
  refuses to part, but a number of merchants offer the children 
  free passage to the Holy Land. Instead of taking them to 
  Jerusalem, the merchantssail south to the coast of Africa, where 
  they sell the children to the Muslims as slaves. 
  When German Emperor Frederick I1 hears of the atrocity 
  he has all the merchants involved hanged for their crimes. The 
  Pope excommunicates them as well, damning them to eternal 
  torment. As a result of this scandal, the city of Marseille 
  acquires an unsavory reputation, making honest merchants 
  shun the city. 
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  pFth Crusade 
  Innocent 111, honified at the outcome of the Fourth 
  Crusade, calls for a new crusade at the Church’s Lateran 
  Council of A.D. 1215. Innocent 111 again calls for the invasion 
  of Egypt, giving the Christians a base from which to attack 
  Jerusalem, and denying it to the Saracens. 
  In 1217 king Andrew of Hungary leads a combined force 
  of Hungarians, Germans, and Bohemians south, attacking the 
  city of Damietta. Francis of Assisi comes with the army, but is 
  honified by the slaughter when the crusaders take the city in 
  1218. 
  The Sultan of Egypt offers terms for peace, which include 
  the return of the True Cross, lost when Saladin took Jerusalem, 
  and the return of all Christian prisoners and slaves. Even 
  though these terms would make the Crusade the most success- 
  ful since the First, the crusaders demand a large indemnity, 
  desiring money more than the return of the Holy Land. 
  The war therefore continues, with Saracens whittling away 
  at Christian forces until the crusaders accept peace terms in 
  1221, returning Damietta to the Egyptians in exchange for the 
  True Cross. The crusaders blame their diminished victory on 
  the German Emperor Frederick 11, who had taken crusading 
  vows in 1215, but did not join the Crusade because of politid 
  difficulties in Italy. 
  Sixth Crusade 
  In A.D. 1228 Emperor Frederick I1 finally sets out on 
  crusade, fulfilhg the vow he made in 1215. Though he fulfills 
  his commitment he is shunned by the Christians still in the 
  Holy Land as he is still under excommunication (for not 
  participating in the Fifth Crusade). 
  After fighting for part of a year Frederick sends messengers 
  to the Sultan of Egypt, finally concluding a peace in 1229. The 
  Sultan requests a truce for ten years and ten months. In return 
  he relinquishes most coastal cities to the Christians, and all of 
  Jerusalem, excluding the Dome of the Rock (though Christians 
  are allowed inside the Dome of the Rock to pray at the site of 
  Solomon’s temple). Another term of the agreement is the 
  release of all prisoners on both sides. 
  Christians in the Holy Land rejoice at the terms, but Pope 
  Gregory IX declares the treaty an insult to Christendom, and 
  refuses to rae it. Frederick remains in the Holy Land for a few 
  more years, and then departs for Germany. 
  After Frederick’s departure the Christian nobility in the 
  Holy Land seize Jerusalem, and ally with the Emir of Damascus 
  against the Sultan of Egypt. In turn, the Sultan calk on the 
  Turks, who capture Jerusalem in 1244, slaughtering thousands 
  of inhabitants and enslaving thousands more. Pope Innocent 
  IV, succeeding Gregory, calls for a crusade against Frederick, 
  offering the same indulgences and privileges for the crusade as 
  if the enemy is Muslim. However, most lords refuse to join a 
  crusade against a Catholic monarch, the memory of the honific 
  Albigensian Crusade still fresh in their minds. 
  seventh Crusade 
  Shortly after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 1244 Louis IX of 
  France organizes a crusade to attack Egypt. He also labors to 
  heal the breach between Frederick I1 and Innocent IV, so that 
  a united Mythlc Europe might support the Crusade. Instead of 
  forgiving Frederick, Innocent sends a messenger, Giovanni de 
  Piano Carpini, to the Great Khan in Asia, offering an alliance to 
  destroy the Muslims. The reply which comes back, several 
  years later, is that Mythlc Europe must first submit to Mongol 
  rule. 
  In 1248 Louis sets out on the Crusade, accompanied by 
  many of the great lords of France. The crusaders reached 
  Damietta, besieging and taking the townquickly. However, the 
  Nile floods rise, cutting off the city for half a year. Waiting out 
  the floods, the nobles entertain themselves with feasts, tourna- 
  ments, and debauchery, so that when the army leaves Damietta, 
  it is undisciplined and slothful. 
  Not surprisingly, the Sultan of Egypt routes the French at 
  the Battle of Mansura, capturing 10,000 Frenchmen, including 
  the King, who is ill with the flux (dysentery). The Sultan lends 
  his own physician to the King, who recovers in a month. The 
  Sultan demands 500,000 limes ransom, but reduces his de- 
  mand to 50,000 when the French King accepts the Sultans 
  extravagant terms. 
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  Louis pays half of the ransom, and is released on the 
  promise that he will pay the other half. Instead Louis leads the 
  remnants of his army to Acre, where they stay for four years. 
  Louis also sends a messenger, William of Rubriquois, to the 
  Great Khan, hoping for an alliance of his own, but William 
  returns with a message similar to that of Giovanni de Piano 
  Carpini. Louis returns to France in 1254. 
  After Louis leaves the Holy Land, factions which had been 
  quiet during his stay resume their activities. In 1256 a war 
  between Genoese and Venetians in the ports of the Holy Land 
  erupts, eventually dragging all other factions into the conflict. 
  Taking advantage of the chaos, Baybars, Sultan of Egypt, 
  sweeps up the coast of the Holy Land, capturing many cities. In 
  fact, Antioch is pillaged and burned so badly that it never 
  recovers, fading into history after 1268. 
  ~ 
  ~ _ _ _ _  
  King Louis of France takes to the cross a second time in 
  A.D. 1267,butthenobilityofFrancerefuses tosupporthim. He 
  therefore leads only a small army to Tunis, where he hopes to 
  split the coast of North Africa, allowing Christians to attack 
  both Morocco and Egypt. No sooner does the army land than 
  Louis again falls ill of the flux, but this time dies. Ironically, 
  much of his army dies as well, and his sons give up the Crusade 
  and return to France. 
  This is the last Crusade against the Muslims of the Holy 
  Land, though a few skirmishes are still staged. In 1291 a band 
  of Christian adventurers in the Holy Land attacks a Muslim 
  caravan. The Sultan of Egypt demands compensation, which 
  is not paid. The Sultan then attacks Acre, the strongest 
  Christian stronghold left in the Holy Land, taking it in only 
  forty-three days. The Sultan allows his men their freedom of 
  the town, and they massacre or enslave 60,000 prisoners. The 
  remaining Christian cities of the Holy Land surrender or are 
  captured soon afterwards, eliminating Latin occupation of the 
  Holy Land for all time. 
  The heretical Albigensian religious sect, centered in the 
  County of Toulouse, is a constant thorn in the side of the 
  Church. The movement’s followers preach Apostolic poverty 
  in the Church, and that salvation is only available to those who 
  have no worldly possessions. Paradoxically, the Albigensians 
  are supported by great nobles, renowned for their extrava- 
  gance. Even Count Raymond of Toulouse hosts Perfecti and 
  believers, and is on the verge of joining the movement when 
  Pope Innocent 111 initiates the chain of events which lead to the 
  Albigensian Crusade. 
  The Pope’s first reaction to the Albigensians is not a 
  crusade, though. Rather, he sends the Cistercian order to 
  Toulouse to reform the Albigensians. However, the Albigensians 
  only gain support by using the Cistercians, contrasting their 
  humility and poverty to the wealth and pomp of the monks. 
  Thus, the Albigensians continue their so-called heretical faith. 
  Next, in 1205, the Pope appoints three legates - 
  Peter of 
  Castlenau, Raynarde de Certre, and Arnold-Amalric - to 
  Toulouse. Their mission is to extirpate the heretics. The legates 
  are empowered by the Pope to call on the King of France for aid, 
  but are enjoined to use moderation. The legates excommuni- 
  cate Count Raymond and put his lands under interdict. As a 
  result local animosity toward the Church intensifies, until, in 
  1208, the hated Peter of Castlenau is murdered by one of the 
  Count’s knights. This events makes war an inevitability, and 
  the Pope calls a crusade against the Abigensians. 
  At the time of heretical activity, King Philip I1 Augustus of 
  France is involved in a war against the English, and has no time 
  for a campaign in southern France. Nevertheless, many lords 
  and knights, hungry for lands of the south and for absolution 
  of sin, assemble at Lyon in 1209. This army, led by Simon de 
  Montfort, takes southern city after city, ravaging and laying 
  waste to the land. 
  In reaction to the Crusade King Peter I1 of Aragon, 
  overlord of Foix and Beziers, protests to the Pope about the 
  attacks on his lands, but his pleas are ignored. Consequently, 
  Peter takes the field against the crusaders, leading his own army 
  north. The Spanish and French armies clash at the battle of 
  Muret in 1213, where Peter of Aragon is lulled. Simon de 
  Montfort is granted the titles of Count of Toulouse and Duke 
  of Narbonne by the Pope in 1215. 
  After the death of Innocent I11 in 1216, King Philip takes 
  his turn at crusading. He had promised to crusade against the 
  Saracens in the Holy Land, but at the time has not fulfilled that 
  vow. Instead, he crusades in his own lands. In the meantime 
  the Albigensians rally and Toulouse rebels against de Montfort, 
  who is killed in 1218 whle trying to retake his lands. King 
  Philip tries to take Toulouse as well, but returns north when his 
  efforts fail. 
  Philip dies in 1223, and King Louis VI11 takes to the field 
  in 1226, defeating Provence. The heretics still hold out in 
  Toulouse, though, under Raymond VII, son of Raymond VI. 
  Raymond VI1 continues the struggle of his faith, leading a 
  league of southern lords against the northern armies. Unfortu- 
  nately the southern league is defeated, and their lands ravaged 
  once again. 
  The rebels finally yield, signing the Treaty of Paris in April 
  1229, bringing some peace to southern France. The fall of 
  castle Montsegur, in 1244, is the last great event of the Crusade, 
  wherein two hundred castle defenders are dragged from their 
  retreats and burned by the Crusaders. 
  Though the Albigensian Crusade is ostensibly a victory for 
  the Church, the cultures of Provence and Aquitaine are de- 
  stroyed by the struggle. No longer do the lands’ unique 
  troubadours sing of the courts of love. In fact, many cities, as 
  cultural centers, are so badly damaged they never recover. The 
  old noble families are also displaced. New lords, with northern 
  ideas and allegiances, take control of the countryside, over- 
  whelming the former character of the land. 
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  Though he is loathe to admit it, the fury of the northern 
  crusaders takes even the Pope by surprise. Not even he is able 
  to control the knights once loosed, not even to save the culture 
  . of a land once occupied by genuinely devout Catholics. 
  The reconquest of Spain (from the Muslims who had 
  captured parts of it in the Seventh and Eighth Centuries) started 
  in the early Eleventh Century. The reclamation was initiated 
  when the Omayyad Caliphate of Cordova dissolved into a 
  group of small, mutually hostile Islamic kingdoms, known as 
  Taifas. Each Taifa was based on a city, though some controlled 
  no more than two or three towns. The Christian kingdoms of 
  northern Spain, which were not much more politically ad- 
  vanced, had a number of strong kings who were able to take 
  advantage of the disarray of the Moorish forces to capture the 
  occupied territory and return it to Christian rule. 
  By A.D. 1090, the border between Muslim and Christian 
  lands had been pushed down to a line from Coimbra to Toledo, 
  then north to the southern border of Aragon. The most famous 
  Christian of tFlls period was not a king or great noble, but a 
  knight named Rodrigo devivar, more commonly known by the 
  name his Moorish enemies gave him, El Cid. 
  The Spanish Muslims were not without aid against the 
  Christians and El Cid, though. In Africa, a fundamentalist sect 
  of Muslims known as the Almoravids had established an 
  empire stretching across the northern coast of Africa, east of 
  Tangier almost to Barce. The kings of the Taifas begged the 
  Almoravids to aid them against the Christians, which they did, 
  twice defeating the Christian armies. The Almoravids soon 
  grew just as decadent as the Taifas they supported, though, and 
  lost their holdings in Africa to a new sect, the Almohads, who 
  were even more fanatical than the Almoravids had been. The 
  Almohads fought the Almoravids for southern Spain, fmuy 
  uniting it in 1175. 
  THE THIRTEENTH 
  CENTURY 
  Dynastic problems among the Christian kings in the 
  Thirteenth Century keep them from uIufylng to expel the 
  Moors from Spain, though some advances are made. The final 
  stage of the reconquest begins in A.D. 1210, when Pope 
  Innocent 111 declares a crusade against the Moors (partially to 
  redirect marauding knights engaged in the Albigensian Cru- 
  , 
  sade). In the Spanish Crusade Alfonso VI11 of Castile leads a 
  united Spanish army from Toledo, in 1212, and routes the 
  Almohads at the battle of Los Navas de Tolosa. The Almohads 
  never recover from the defeat, and their downfall becomes 
  inevitable. 
  Though, further dynastic struggles in the Christian states 
  allow the Muslims more time to recoup, they cannot resist 
  further Chrisbn attacks. The Almohad Empire breaks up into 
  petty kingdoms in 1223, of which Cordova is the greatest. 
  Castile captures Cordova in 1236, Seville in 1248, and Murcia 
  in 1261. Meanwhile, AragoncapturestheBalearicIslesin 1235, 
  and Valencia in 1238. Portugal conquers the territory east of 
  Silves, to the Guadiana river, where the forces of Castile move 
  westward. This area between the two armies, the Algarve, is 
  finally acknowledged as Portuguese territory in 1267. Only the 
  Muslim kingdom of Grana& holds out against the feuding 
  Christian states. 
  The latest in a long series of eastern steppe nomads, the 
  Mongols appear in Thirteenth Century western Mythlc Europe 
  in A.D. 1222, when they come off the steppes and capture the 
  city of Tam on the Black Sea. 
  The Mongols are a race of hardy horsemen, afraid of 
  nothing and capable of hideous acts of cruelty, both as a people, 
  and individually. The Mongols begin riding as soon as they can 
  remain seated on a horse, and learn the use of the bow as soon 
  as they can pull the string. 
  Led by their kings, known as khans, the Mongols capture 
  town after town around the Black Sea in 1222 and 1223, then 
  disappear back into the steppe until 1237, when they begin 
  attacking cities in Russia. During their western invasion the 
  Mongols defeat everyone in their path. They forge through to 
  Poland, sacking Cracow, and defeating the combined armies of 
  Teutonic knights, Poles, and German Imperial forces at the 
  Battle of Leignitz. They continue with the sack of Olmutz, and 
  pass through Hungary on their way back to the steppes. Once 
  established in Russia, the Golden Horde, as the Mongols call 
  themselves, take control of the government. 
  No one knows why the Mongols disappear from Mythlc 
  Europe in 1223, or why they turn back from further invasions 
  in 1241. Speculation on the subject runs from the power of 
  Christian prayer and miracle which drives off the heathens, to 
  the summoning of demons which lay waste to the barbarians. 
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  -
  1
   
  CHAPTER FIVE 
  Vascones, known to the French as the Basques. These wild 
  steep slopes in the south. These mountains are inhabitedby the 
  he Iberian peninsula is a roughly rectangular 
  regionwhichjuts fromthesouthwestern tipof 
  Mythl<: Europe. Home to a mix of Muslim and 
  Christian kingdoms and provinces, it is a land 
  of contrasts, and a land of war. 
  Journeying to 7ber ia 
  Entering the Iberian peninsula from France, a traveler 
  must first cross the forbidding Pyrenees, high craggy moun- 
  tains rivaling the famous Alps. Approaching from the north, 
  the mountains are steep and ominous, revealing few passes to 
  the southern side. The Iberian slopes are gentler, with a 
  number of north-south valleys which make the descent into 
  Iberiamucheasier than theascent fromFrance. Themountains 
  are also steeper in the east than the west, and most of the 
  accessible passes are on the Atlantic side of the mountain range, 
  near the city of Pamplona. 
  Travelers are advised that even the best passes are closed 
  for many months of the year; winters in the Pyrenees are harsh, 
  and passes quickly fill with snow. The most relenting time to 
  travel is in late spring or early summer, as torrential rains make 
  the western passes treacherous in late summer and fall. Should 
  a late crossing be attempted, it might be best to use one of the 
  few eastern passes, as the eastern mountains do not suffer as 
  much from autumn rains. 
  Once across the Pyrenees, a traveler must navigate the 
  gentler slopes of the Cantabrian Mountains. These mountains, 
  which cover the northern half of the Christian kingdoms of 
  Leon and Old Castile, and the Christian kingdoms of Navarre 
  and Aragon, are comprised of gentle terraces in the north, and 
  people have lived in these lands since before the time of Caesar, 
  by farming, herding, and (some say) smuggling and perform- 
  ing magic. 
  The Cantabrians receive considerable rainfall throughout 
  the year, and the climate is warm and humid. Mists are 
  frequent, and it is said that this region receives more rain than 
  all the rest of Iberia combined. Most rainfall comes from the 
  Atlantic, so the southern slopes are much drier and hotter than 
  the northern. 
  Entering Iberia 
  L 
  Most pilgrims traveling to Santiago de Campostela come 
  south of the Cantabrians, traveling through the eastern passes 
  to reach Burgos, then turning west through Leon before finally 
  assaying the steeper slopes of northwestern Iberia. Their 
  journey brings them along the northern edge of the Meseta, the 
  vast high plain which dominates central Iberia. The Meseta 
  extends north-south from Leon to the southern edge of New 
  Castile, and from the west coast to 
  broad flat region is very dry, with 
  the north), and hot summers. There are few forests, and most 
  vegetation is brushwood and scrub, some of which (the "monte 
  bajo," or low woods) rise only a few feet above the plain. 
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  The Meseta is divided into two major parts by the Central 
  Sierras, an east-west line of low mountains which runs through 
  the center of the plains north of Toledo. These mountains 
  extend into Portugal in the west, and to the edge of New Castile 
  in the east. There are many breaks in the range, however, so 
  crossing these mountains is not difficult. 
  The Meseta was once under Muslim rule for over four 
  centuries, and there are still traces of Muslim culture in every 
  local village and town. Indeed, even the buildings show 
  Muslim influence, with fluted roofs and bright patterns of tile. 
  Many of the peoples of the region also maintain Muslim 
  practices despite their purported conversion to Christianity, 
  when crusaders liberated the land. 
  The southern edge of the Meseta is marked by the Sierra 
  Morena, a mountain chain north of Cordova. These mountains 
  run from Portugal eastward to end at the Mediterranean coast 
  just north of Murcia. The Sierra Morena has many deep, 
  narrow passes to the southern lands of Granada and the 
  Almohad Empire. 
  On the far side of the Sierra Morena is Andalusia, a hot, dry 
  region with mild winters, a region which extends across the 
  Muslim nations: the Almohad Empire and the kingdom of 
  Granada. Most of this area is a broad flat plain, much like the 
  Meseta except at a lower altitude. However, the central portion 
  of Andalusia is dominated by the Sierra Nevada, a steep, rocky 
  mountain range. The Balearic Islands, which lie to the north- 
  east of the Sierra Nevada, are also steep and rocky, but receive 
  much more rainfall. The little rain that does fall in Andalusia 
  flows through the Guadalquivir River to the sea. 
  Andalusia is under Muslim rule, and has been for centu- 
  ries¶ although the kingdoms of Castile and Portugal are press- 
  ing for further gains in the area. 
  East of the Meseta lies the Levant, a narrow strip of land 
  which runs from the mouth of the Ebro River to Cape Palos, 
  southofMurcia. Itisasunnylandwithlittlerainfal1,dominated
  by high rocky mountains and silt plains. What rain does fall 
  comes in autumn and early winter. Days are very hot, but 
  nights are cold, even in summer. The region supports many 
  vineyards and olive trees, and there are many small fishing 
  villages along the coast. 
  War 
  Iberia is at war. The Christian kingdoms are involved in 
  a crusade to recapture all of Iberia from the Muslims, and to 
  restore Iberia to Christian rule. This campaign, called the 
  Reconquista, has been quite successful, and Iberia is now split 
  fairly evenly between the two religious factions, with the 
  Christians in the north and the Muslims in the south. The 
  Christian kingdoms along the frontier continue their raids into 
  Muslim territory, pressing against the weakening Almohad 
  Empire. On the other hand, tensions are rising between the 
  Christian kings north of the frontier. 
  The People 
  The people of Iberia are idealistic and generous, heroic and 
  passionate. El Cid, the greatest knight who ever lived, embod- 
  ies the strengths of these people. The Iberians combine the 
  virtues of bravery and generosity with the paradoxical faults of 
  pride, intolerance, and the refusal to submit to appropriate 
  authority. 
  In relation to their denial of authority, many Christian folk 
  who have lived under the Muslim fight the Reconquista, 
  preferring their Muslim kings to honest Christian rule. Like- 
  wise, the Muslims themselves are not united. Some fight beside 
  the Christians against the Muslim cause. In Iberia, a person’s 
  religion is no guarantee of loyalty. 
  The Almohad Empire is that of Muslim raiders who have 
  invaded and settled in Iberia. The Empire’s initial invasion 
  attempts led to penetration into France, north of the Pyrenees 
  mountains, but that expansion was thwarted. Afterward the 
  Empire contented itself with occupying Spain for centuries. 
  History of the EmDire 
  The invasion of Spain by the forces of Islam was instigated 
  by King Roderic, the last Gothic King of Spain. He forced 
  himself on the daughter of Count Julian, who had sent the girl 
  to Roderic’s court for an education. When Count Julian arrived 
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  at Roderic’s court to Like his daughter back home, King 
  Roderic, believing Julian did not know of his acts, asked Julian 
  to send back some falcons for hunting. Julian, who was enraged 
  at the way h 
  daughter had been treated, replied that he would 
  send back so many that Roderic could not believe his eyes. 
  Julian then negotiated with Musa, a noble of Africa, who 
  sent his general, Tank, and an army to Spain. The rock of 
  Gibraltar still bears Tank‘s name (“Gebel Turiq”, meaning 
  Tank‘s Mountain). Tank and his small army of Arab, Persian, 
  and Moorish troops easily defeating the army of King Roderic 
  at the battle of Lake Janda in A.D. 711. And, part of Tank‘s 
  success derived from the help of Jews and other rebellious 
  subjects under King Roderic. 
  After his success in Spain, Tank was recalled by Musa, 
  however, and flogged for disobeying orders by advancing too 
  far north. By 722, Tank‘s Moors had conquered all of Spain up 
  to the foot of the Pyrenees, except for a small area around 
  Santiago where they were confounded by the tenacity of the 
  natives and the supernatural aid of St. James. Regardless of this 
  Christian holdout, the Muslim Empire had established itself in 
  Iberia. 
  Defending the Empire 
  The invading Muslims soon found that ruling conquered 
  landswasmoredifficultthanoverrunningthem. Many Moorish 
  princes revolted against their masters, and Christian uprisings 
  kept the lands in a constant state of war. And, before long, the 
  I 
  Muslim movement northward was brought to a halt. Raids 
  across the Pyrenees brought in much booty, but were finally 
  ended at the Battle of Poitiers (also known as the Battle of 
  Tours) in A.D. 732, when King Charles Martel of France 
  defeated a loot-laden Moorish army. In fact, all the towns north 
  of the Pyrenees were reconquered, and a string of French 
  castles was erected to guard the passes through the mountains. 
  Settling into the conquered Spain, Moorish forces lay 
  tranquil under the rule of the Omayyad Caliphate. But, in 103 1, 
  a series of weak caliphs allowed Spain to fragment into Taifa 
  (Arabic for party or group) kingdoms, each centered on one or 
  two cities or towns. At the same time, the Chnstian kings of 
  Castile, Leon, Aragon, and Navarre began the Reconquista, 
  their reconquest of Spain. For once, the Muslims in Spain were 
  on the defensive. 
  Native Muslim forces rallied to their allies’ side in Spain, 
  and daunted the Christian forces, but eventually lost power. In 
  Africa, a new religious fervor arose among the Moors, who 
  invaded Spain after the fall of Toledo in 1085. The Almoravid 
  kings (from the Arabic “Al-murabbitun,” meaning warriors of 
  the faith) were able to halt and even reverse the reconquests of 
  the Christians, but were soon overcome by the easy living 
  found in Andalusia. Weakened by their corruption, the 
  Almoravids were in turn overthrown by the Almohads (“AI- 
  muwuhhidun, ” meaning unitarian), another fierce puritan sect. 
  It was thus that the Almohad Empire arose in already estab- 
  lished Muslim lands. 
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  & Cultural Integration 
  As the Almohad Empire continues to reign in Iberia, the 
  invaders and natives have become increasingly tolerant of each 
  other, and have even intermingled. It is thus that a tenuous 
  truce has evolved between conquerors and conquered. 
  The Spanish Moors also import many slaves for their 
  service. Indeed, slaves are brought by Jewish merchants from 
  Slavonia. The invaders also take Spanish wives. As a result of 
  this cultural mix, within only a few generations of each 
  invasion, very few pure-blooded Moors remain. 
  Religious tolerance also exists between the mixed cultures 
  of the Almohad Empire. The Muslims allow Jews and Chris- 
  tians to worship unhindered. All that Muslims require is for 
  non-Islamics to pay a tax for their beliefs. 
  Not only are the Muslims receptive to foreignreligions, but 
  some Christians are receptive of Islam (though not necessarily 
  for virtuous reasons). 
  A great many Christian Spaniards 
  turned to Islam during and after the conquest. Those that 
  embraced Islam duringthe conquest kept their lands, titles, and 
  wealth, and were treated as brothers by the invaders. However, 
  those who have become Muslim after the invasion, whether to 
  avoid special taxes or for fear of mob violence, are looked down 
  upon by the Moors. The Almohads are scornful of those who 
  renounce their religion out of intimidation. 
  But, regardless of religious tolerance, political relations in 
  the Empire are not always determined by religion. It is normal 
  for Christian knights to serve in Muslim armies, even against 
  other Christians. Conversely, it is normal to find Muslims in 
  the armies of Christian kings. Intermarriage is common 
  between the cultures, especially among the nobility, leading to 
  armies of mixed culture. 
  Ultimately, the Almohad Empire’s tolerance of divergent 
  beliefs, whether they be Christian, Arab, Moor, or Jew, pro- 
  duces the most civilized culture in the world. Indeed, the cities 
  of central and southern Spain, where the Almohad Empire 
  reigns, are renowned for their beauty, elegance, and learning. 
  BADAJOZ 
  Badajoz is one of the greatest of the Almohad Empire’s 
  cities and Taifa kingdoms. Long a bastion of Muslim power, 
  Badajoz has repelled attacks by Castile and Portugal for many 
  years. The kingdom finally falls to Castile in A.D. 1212, after 
  the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, when the Almoravid dynasty 
  is crushed by a combined Castilian-Aragonese-Portuguese
  army. The Castilians march to Badajoz, a distance of nearly two 
  hundred miles, in little over two weeks, before the news of the 
  Almoravid defeat reaches the city. 
  Badajoz has long been a stronghold of Muslim sorcerers, 
  but even they can not hold off the Castilian knights, who recruit 
  magicians of their own. In the final days of the city’s siege, the 
  sky turns dark and booming voices are heard shouting back and 
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  forth within the city's Tower of the Djinn. At the climax of a two 
  day battle, the Tower of the Djinn explodes, killing many 
  soldiers and all Muslim sorceorers inside. The explosion 
  scatters magical devices, and Magi may search for relics in the 
  town. Searchers are spurred on by tales of the Wand of Al- 
  Murhamet, a powerful artifact said to give its wielder the power 
  of flight, and many advantages when dealing with djinn. 
  Rumors of sigdcant finds can bring Magi from the southern 
  Hermetic Tribunals, and some pitched battles may be fought in 
  the streets of Badajoz, between Magi of different Covenants. 
  CORDOVA 
  Fertilized by both Muslim science and European philoso- 
  phy, Cordova is the acknowledged medical and scientific 
  center of all Mythic Europe. Doctors and scholars from across 
  the known world come to Cordova to study medicine, and to 
  participate in scientific discussions. Cordova is also a city of 
  artisans, and is a famed producer of jewelry and leatherwork. 
  Cordova is also a wealthy city, with over 700 mosques, 
  most now converted to churches, and 900 public baths, in 
  addition to many other fabulous public works. Most famous of 
  these works is the great Mosque of Cordova, which houses the 
  remains of Mohammed the Prophet, and is built on a scale seen 
  nowhere else. The roof is supported by 800 pillars, while 4,000 
  silver lamps bum scented oil. The Library of Cordova is said to 
  hold 400,000 volumes, including works written by ancient 
  authors unknown to ~hn~tians. 
  Cordova was recaptured from Muslims by the Christian 
  forces of Seville in A.D. 1078, when the Muslims attempted to 
  reunite the Taifa kingdoms. The Almoravids recaptured the 
  city themselves, but the army of Castile reclaims Cordova from 
  the Muslims in 1236. The last sack of the city is attended by 
  many Magi from Iberian Covenants, eager to claim the manu- 
  scripts of the city's many libraries. Invading Magi have to fight 
  Moorish sorcerers, as well as Magi from other Covenants. Of 
  course, these magical battles are fought before the backdrop of 
  a Spanish assault. 
  GRANADA 
  G E " b ,  ruled by Muslims, truly comes into its own after 
  Seville is recaptured by Christian forces in A.D. 1248. Until 
  then the ruling Nasrid dynasty manages to keep Christians out 
  of the city with the help of Moorish sorcerers. 
  By the mid Thirteenth Century Granada is the last Muslim 
  kingdom left on Spanish soil, and is perhaps the most beautiful 
  city in Spain. Indeed, it is crowned by the magnificent palace 
  of the Alhambra, a sprawling castle complex. The city also 
  boasts a number of fabulous libraries. Its books accumulate as 
  refugees - 
  scholars, doctors and sorcerers - 
  from other cities 
  flee the attacking Christians. 
  Granada sues the Christians for peace and, for a short 
  while after the fall of Seville and Cordova, becomes a tributary 
  kingdom to Castile. However, Granada soon shakes off the 
  Castilian influence. 
  until 1248. Civil wars and inter-Christian wars give the city 
  time to strengthen, and the city is well-situated, being invulner- 
  able to attack until the middle of the century. 
  MURCIA 
  A Taifa kingdom overrun by the army of Valencia, Murcia 
  became a Muslim kingdom again for a short while during the 
  Eleventh Century. The Muslim poet Ibn Ammar was told to 
  conquer the city by the King of Cordova. Ibn Ammar did so 
  with the help of traitors inside the gates, and soon declared 
  himself King of Murcia. 
  In response to the invasion the King of Seville wrote a 
  poetic protest of his new vassal's arrogance; Ibn Ammar replied 
  in the same meter. The messages continued in this style until 
  Ibn Ammar insulted the Queen of Cordova, which enraged the 
  King. Ibn Ammar then raided north toward Valencia, but the 
  same traitor who had opened Murcia's gates to Ammar now 
  held them against him on his return, and Ammar was forced to 
  journey to Saragossa. 
  Ammar was eventually captured on another raid, and his 
  captor put him up for auction to all the princes of Spain, many 
  of whom he had insulted or betrayed in one way or another. 
  The King of Cordova bought Ammar, and paraded him around 
  his domain in chains, then had him executed. However, 
  Ammar's body was buried in the royal crypt. 
  Murcia is the last Muslim stronghold in Seville to be 
  recaptured; for a time it is a tributary kingdom to Castile. 
  Castile finally takes the city in A.D. 1261 after a revolt by the 
  Muslims, which weakens the city's defenses. The city, cut off 
  from Cordova by the Christian army, surrenders to the King of 
  Castile, who grants free passage to those women who wish to 
  leave, but demands that they take only what they can carry. The 
  women carry their husbands on their backs, saving thousands 
  of men from slaughter. The citizens of Murcia then attempt to 
  enter Cordova, but are turned away from the city gates. The 
  people then wander through Spain, not welcome in either 
  Christian nor Muslim Spain. They travel in large groups, 
  defending themselves from robbers and brigands. 
  SEVILLE 
  The capital of the Almohad Empire until the city's Chris- 
  tian recapture in A.D. 1248, Seville is a city of beauty and 
  elegance, where the pursuit of art reaches a peak. The city's 
  castles and palaces seem to arise from tales of faerie, with 
  brilliant tiles and soaring towers. Nestled in the castles are 
  exquisite gardens, smelling of flowering fruit trees, with se- 
  cluded glades for lovers to meet. Even the water in the 
  fountains is perfumed, lending fragrance to the air. 
  Ships laden with the products of the world sail up the 
  Guadalquivir River, and it is said that anythmg, including bird's 
  milk, may be had in Seville. 
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  As a Taifa kingdom, Seville tried to unite the Muslim 
  kingdoms of Andalusia. The city conquered Cordova in 1078, 
  but infighting and pressure from the invading Christians 
  prohibited further expansion. Seville was captured from the 
  Muslim Almoravids by their invading brethren, the Almohads, 
  in 1147, and in 1248 is taken by the forces of Castile. 
  .SILVES 
  The Moorish city of Silves controlled the land known as 
  the Algarve, a fruitful region in the extreme southwest of Spain. 
  Renowned for its fruit and wine, the Algarve holds out against 
  the Christians until A.D. 1249, when Silves is captured by 
  Alfonso I11 of Portugal. There are no major changes made in the 
  govemment of the city, although, as in all recaptured cities in 
  Spain, a majority of the Muslim citizens depart. Most go to 
  Granada, at the time the last Muslim territory in Spain. 
  The waters off Silves produce many fish for the fleets, but 
  many sailors claim the waters are haunted. A number of sailors 
  tell tales of sudden,’thick fogs, in which thunderous sounds and 
  flashes of light play. Some sailors claim to have seen the shapes 
  of huge ships in the fog, shapes with lightning coming from 
  their sides. 
  VALENCIA 
  Valencia is a major seaport in Spain, though not as impor- 
  tant as Barcelona. Valencia is best known for its association 
  with El Cid, who conquered the city in A.D. 1094, ruling there 
  until his death in 1099. After the death of El Cid, the Muslim 
  Almoravids took the city, ruling there until the Almohads drive 
  them out in A.D. 1230. The army of Aragon recaptures 
  Valencia in 1238. Valencia is the last city on the Spanish 
  mainland to be taken by the kings of Aragon, who, after Castile 
  takesMurciaandhaltsany further conquests to thesouth, turns 
  their eye eastward to the Balearic Islands. 
  The sorcerers ofValencia are most famous for their control 
  of a great number of djinn, which they use to bring rare h i t  
  treesandgrapevines to thecity,plantingthemingreatorchards 
  and vineyards. The djinn are said to be commanded to care for 
  the plants, which they do, even after the fall of the city to the 
  Christians. The Archbishop of Toledo wants to exorcise the 
  djinn, as they are considered allies of demons. However, the 
  new Count of the city convinces the Archbishop to stay   IS 
  bans, and within five years the Count is exporting oranges, 
  pomegranates, and fine wine to all of Mythic Europe. The djinn 
  do their work quietly, requiring no supervision nor food, a 
  ready-made work force which comes free with the city. 
  Formed from the eastern third of the old kingdom of 
  Navarre, Aragon is bordered on the east by Catalonia, the old 
  County of Barcelona. 
  Because it was hampered by a short frontier, Aragon made 
  a little progress against the Muslims to the south in the 
  Reconquista. However, in A.D. 11 18 King Alfonso the Warrior 
  captured Saragossa and raided as far south as Grana&. His 
  death in 1134 left the country in chaos. Alfonso’s brother 
  Ramiro was a monk, but he was finally released from his vows 
  to ascend the throne. Ramiro only reigned three years, and his 
  wife bore hima daughter, Petronilla. Ramiro married the infant 
  to Raymond-Berenger IV of Toulouse, and promptly abdicated 
  in favor of his war-like son-in-law. 
  Marriage of Count Raymond-Berenger 111 of Toulouse to 
  the Aragon heiress also led to Aragon’s nominal overlordship 
  of the county of Provence. When the Albigensian Crusade is 
  called against Provence and other regions of southern France, 
  and northern French armies prove merciless to captured 
  towns, King Peter I1 of Aragon marches north at the head of a 
  Spanish army to protect his lands in Provence. He meets the 
  French army, led by Simon de Montfort, at the battle of Muret 
  in A.D. 1213, and is lulled, along with the flower of Aragonese 
  Peter’s son, James I, succeeds to the throne only by the 
  intervention of Pope Innocent 111, who orders him released by 
  Simon de Montfort (de Montfort had captured James at the 
  Battle of Muret). James spends the early part of his reign 
  Chivalry. 
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  Aragonese efforts to capture Sragossa, but languished after 
  Y
  CHAPTER FIVE 
  insuring his hold on the crown, and in 1229 begins a campaign 
  against the Muslim-held Balearic Isles, completing the con- 
  quest in 1235. He captures Valencia, El Cid’s city, in 1238. 
  In 1282 the citizens of Palermo, Sicily, outraged by the 
  mishandling of a Sicilian girl by French soldiers, begin a riot 
  which eventually sweeps the French from Sicily. After abortive 
  effortsat self-government, the citizens invite Peter I11 ofAragon 
  to rule Sicily, preferring a Spanish king to a French one, or to 
  their own partisan families. The mixture of Aragonese and 
  Catalan blood makes for a highly independent people, with 
  dress, language, and customs different from the rest of the 
  Spanish kingdoms. 
  The artistic temperament of Aragon is much like that in 
  Provence and Aquitaine, with much original art and poetry. 
  Militarily, southern France is more closely allied to Aragon 
  than to any other Spanish lungdom. Aragon controls the 
  majority of the passes through the Pyrenees, and has the only 
  Christian ports on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian 
  peninsula. 
  BARCELONA 
  One of the last cities captured by the Moors, Barcelona was 
  recaptured by Charlemagne. Charles the Great incorporated 
  the city into the Spanish March, a strip of land on the southern 
  slopes of the Pyrenees which buffered France from attacks by 
  the Moors. As a result, Barcelona has always been closer to 
  France than to the rest of Spain, and produces many poets in the 
  manner of the French troubadours. 
  Barcelona is the chief seaport of Aragon and Spain, and 
  receives shipments from all over the Mediterranean. Thus, it is 
  a source of great wealth for the kingdom of Aragon. During the 
  years of the conquest of the Balearic Islands (A.D. 1229-1235), 
  Barcelona is the major port of embarkation for Aragonese 
  troops. It remains the port used by colonists to the Balearics. 
  The citizens of Barcelona celebrate the sea every year with 
  a festival in the spring. The Bishop of Barcelona leads all the 
  priests of the city on a circuit of the walls, ending at the harbor, 
  where boats are freshly painted and decorated with colored 
  ropes and sails. The Bishop chooses a boat to ride in, a great 
  honor for the owner, and the boats sail on the Mediterranean, 
  lead by the Bishop’s boat. Once the congregation has assembled 
  about a mile from shore, crews sing songs honoring St. Mary 
  and St. Marinus. The Bishop blesses all the ships, and blesses 
  the sea. The sailors throw offerings onto the.waves. Everyone 
  returns to the city, where the Bishop celebrates a special Mass 
  in the cathedral. The rest of the day is given to festivities and 
  parades. 
  JACA 
  The capital of Old Navarre, Jaca became the principal city 
  of the kingdom of Aragon when Sancho the Great split the 
  kingdom in A.D. 1035. The lands around Jaca have long been 
  peaceful, and the citizens have more to fear from Christian 
  brigands than Muslim raiders. Jaca was the starting point of the 
  Saragossa was taken. Now the city is a way station for pilgrims 
  from Barcelona and Narbonne on their way to St. James of 
  Campostela. As such, prices in the city are dear, especially for 
  food, mules, horses, and traveling gear. On the other hand, the 
  city supports a thriving business in saints’ relics, from the 
  feathers of archangel wings to the bones of any saint you care 
  to name. Pardoners also reside in the city, offering their services 
  to pilgrims who have strayed from the path of righteousness 
  during their journey. 
  PALMA 
  The Baeleric Islands consist of the three main islands of 
  Majorca, Minorca, and Ibiza, and numerous small, uninhab- 
  ited rocky islets. Founded by Ulysses, Palma is the capital of the 
  Baeleric Islands, and boasts a marvelous harbor, surrounded by 
  a wall built by the Romans. The islands have had a number of 
  masters; the Romans, Carthaginians, Goths, Vandals, and 
  Moors have each conquered the islands in turn. 
  In A.D. 1229 King James I of Aragon captures Palma, 
  though the conquest of the islands takes the next six years. 
  James builds the cathedral in Palma, replacing the dilapidated 
  buildmg which had fallen into a ruin during the five hundred 
  years of Moorish occupation. The Baeleric Islands are made a 
  kingdom and granted by James I of Aragon to his son, James I 
  of Majorca, in 1276. 
  The people of the islands prove excellent slingers, a skill 
  long lost to most armies of Mythc Europe. The slingers are said 
  to be able to pluck grapes with their slingstones, and to crack 
  helmets with rocks the size of a knucklebone. King James of 
  Aragon experiments with slingers in his army, and by their 
  accuracy and the force of their stones, is soon encouraged to 
  add slingers to his force. 
  SARAGOSSA 
  The key city of north-central Spain, Saragossa was the 
  object of the invasion by Charlemagne, chronicled in the “Song 
  of Roland.” 
  King Alfonso I of Aragon conquered Saragossa in A.D. 
  1 1 18, after a heavy siege wherein twenty war engines were used 
  by the Moorish rulers of the city. Many citizens died in the 
  fighting, and many more starved themselves rather than sur- 
  render. The survivors only opened the gates of the town after 
  a relief force was defeated by the Aragonese. The Muslim 
  citizens were given a quarter of the city to live in, but many left 
  to live among their own faith. 
  While once a city on the frontier between Christians and 
  Moors, Saragossa is now firmly in peaceful Christian country. 
  However, it still has a small Muslim population, tolerated by the 
  King of Aragon. 
  The libraries of Saragossa were largely taken south by 
  fleeing Muslims, and some were burned, but a few survived the 
  capture of the city. The contents of surviving libraries were 
  taken north to Paris, where they serve as the nucleus of the 
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  University of Paris. Unfortunately, a large percentage of the 
  salvaged manuscripts were lost in crossing the Pyrenees in 
  1120, when mules carrying them were captured by a Basque 
  raiding party. 
  No one knows what happened to the captured manu- 
  scripts. The fear is that the Basques used them for their fires, 
  though some whisper that a learned dragon in the mountains 
  now possesses them. 
  Castile 
  The greatest of the Spanish kingdoms, Castile was given to 
  FerdinandIbyhisfather,SanchotheGreatofNavame. 
  Ferdinand 
  conquered the city of Leon in A.D. 1037, displacing its rightful 
  King, Bermudo 111, and overran his brother’s kingdom of 
  Navarre in 1054. Ferdinand did not annex Navarre, though, 
  preferring to keep taxing it instead, for his eyes looked south to 
  the Moorish kingdoms of central and southern Spain. By the 
  time he died, Ferdinand had expanded his borders as far south 
  as the line drawn from Coimbra to Toledo, and had the Muslim 
  kingdoms of Seville, Toledo, Saragossa, and Badajoz paying 
  tribute. However, Castile was split on Ferdinand’s death, and 
  thus lost momentum against the Moors, while Ferdinand’s 
  children fought wars amongst themselves. 
  The eventual victor of Castile’s civil war was Alfonso VI, 
  King of Leon. Alfonso made the King of Seville pay double 
  tribute to retain his throne, and captured Toledo when its ruler 
  appealed to him for aid to regain that throne. Alfonso sent 
  troops to the city, but then besieged and captured it in 1085, 
  annexing it to Castile. 
  Alfonso also made all Muslim Taifa kingdoms to the south 
  and east tributaries. Indeed, the military success of Alfonzo 
  forced the Moors of Spain to appeal to the Almoravids of Africa, 
  a fanatical Berber tribe, for help. The Ahoravids defeated 
  Alfonzo twice, but soon took over the Taifa kingdoms, spend- 
  ing their time capturing the cities of Muslim Spain rather than 
  fighting the Christians. 
  It was Alfonso who exiled a poor knight, Rodrigo de Vivar, 
  from his lands for attacking the King of Toledo in 1081. 
  Unwittingly, Alfonso sent forth the one destined to become 
  Spain’s greatest hero, El Cid. 
  On Alfonso’s death Castile divided into civil war again, 
  with King Alfonso I of Aragon and Navarre; Queen Urraca of 
  Castile; Teresa, the queen’s sister; andPrince Alfonso of Castile, 
  the queen’s son, all fighting for the throne. Prince Alfonso 
  finally managed to take the throne as Alfonso VII. 
  The kingdom of Castile can be roughly divided into three 
  pieces: the old kingdom of Leon, Old Castile, and New Castile. 
  The old kingdom of Leon, located around the cities of Leon and 
  Santiago, is the oldest Christian portion of Spain. The Moors 
  never conquered Leon because of the fierceness of its natives 
  and the power of holy relics in Santiago. Old Castile, from 
  Navarre to north of Toledo, was captured by Moors, but was 
  retaken early in the Reconquista. The land is now held by 
  strong Christian knights. New Castile, which extends from 
  Toledo southward, is still a frontier, with raids from Moorish 
  horsemen a constant threat to travelers and towns. Not 
  surprisingly, the military might of Castile is concentrated in the 
  south, where raids and invasions are a way of life. 
  AVILA 
  Avila is a frontier city in Castile, the bastion of Christian 
  power at the edge of Moorish lands. Its grim battlements steep 
  the city in the Spartan sentiment of war; even the cathedral is 
  a fortress, incorporated into the city walls. Although the 
  Reconquista has progressed beyond Avila, from the walls 
  Moors can still occasionally be seen raiding nearby farms. 
  The army which captured Toledo from the Moors &is 
  formed at Avila, and it stands as a ready fortress should the tide 
  of the Reconquista turn. 
  Built on a windswept, treeless plateau with lofty, snow- 
  covered peaks rising in the near distance, Avila brings out the 
  inner soul of a man. Many mystics and hermits can be found 
  in the mountains surrounding Avila, living quiet lives of 
  poverty and contemplation. without the need for companion- 
  ship. 
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  BURGOS 
  The capital of Old Castile, Burgos is still a vital city, as all 
  government business is conducted here. The city is filled with 
  ambassadors, legates, and spies, all drawn to the center of the 
  most aggressive Christian kingdom in Spain. 
  A few miles outside Burgos is the town of Vivar, home of 
  the greatest hero of Spain, El Cid. Here pilgrims come to pay 
  their respects to the most Christian of knights. A movement to 
  have El Cid canonized began in A.D. 1092, and a number of 
  knights would like to fom a military order in El Cid’s name. 
  The Archbishop of Burgos has so far refused to pass the locals’ 
  requests on to the Pope, as he deems some of El Cid’s deeds less 
  than Christian. (The city’s cathedral bears chronicles from the 
  time of El Cid, along with messages and a box full of sand which 
  El Cid gave as surety on a loan, claiming it was full of jewels.) 
  Just as the kingdom of Castile is oriented to war, so is 
  Burgos. Despite its distance from Moorish lands, the city‘s 
  garrison is ever-vigilant. Soldiers constantly walk the walls of 
  the city, and mounted patrols sweep the country for several 
  days’ ride all around. All the Spanish military orders have 
  chapter houses in Burgos, both to support and to spy on the 
  plans of the King of Castile. The archbishops of Burgos are 
  traditionally chosen for their militant stance, and many have 
  been renowned warriors, leading the forces of the kingdom in 
  the’tradition of Charlemagne’s Bishop Turpin, who died fight- 
  ing at the pass of Roncevalles. 
  LEON 
  The city of Leon lies in the north-central part of the Iberian 
  peninsula. Once the kingdom of Leon’s capital, the city now 
  languishes, forgotten except by pilgrims who pass through on 
  their way to and from Santiago. Even the local Archbishop and 
  the religious community are overshadowed by Santiago, result- 
  ing in less competent priests being assigned to Leon. As a result, 
  the Archbishop of Leon is viewed as something of a joke by 
  other Spanish bishops, and even by the Pope’s Lateran Palace. 
  The city’s inferior position has incensed more than one 
  rising member of the Church hierarchy, whose path to cardinal 
  is shunted to this lowly station. Some holders of local Church 
  office have abandoned their vows, turning instead to hedonism 
  and depravity. Some have even been suspected of diablerie. 
  And, a few of these fallen bishops have met violent deaths at the 
  hands of those who have suffered from their cruelty. 
  One infamous case sung by many troubadours involves a 
  bishop of Leon who forced a noblewoman to accept his 
  advances, in defiance of his vows of chastity. Upon being 
  refused, the Bishop turned to diabolic ritual to enchant the 
  noblewoman and her true love. Only through the power of 
  their love for one another, and the grace of God, were the lovers 
  able to escape Bishop’s enchantment. 
  While the accuracy of this story is questionable, such 
  sentiments are common in the region. Moreover, the corrup- 
  tion of the local bishopric has weakened the power of the 
  . 
  Pillars of Hercules 
  These islands are said to be all that remains of Atlantis, 
  the island kingdom first described by Plato. It is also said 
  that the islands are the resting place of the most precious of 
  Atlantis’s possessions. The items are supposedly protected 
  by such great magicks that they were not destroyed in the 
  cataclysm which sank the rest of the kingdom far beneath 
  the sea. 
  Few have ever landed on these islands and returned. 
  Those thathavereturnedhavenotspokenofwhat they saw. 
  The islands are perpetually shrouded by a mystical fog, and 
  some Magi suspect the islands bear regio, much like those 
  of some faerie forests on the continent. A favorite source of 
  rivalry among apprentices in the Order of Hemes is in 
  being the first to find and return safely from the Pillars of 
  Hercules. Of course, the young are often foolish. 
  Dominion in Leon. Thus, the people of Leon distrust those 
  with magical abilities, as magic seems to have greater sway in 
  their city than it does elsewhere. 
  SANTIAGO 
  Santiago, the second largest city of the kingdom of Leon, 
  lies in the northwestern comer of Spain. It was never overrun 
  by the Muslims; the ferocity of its defenders, bolstered by the 
  sanctity of the bones of St. James the Greater, made this comer 
  of Spain particularly unattractive to the Moors. It is said that St. 
  Jiimes himself, mounted on a white charger and brandishing a 
  silver sword, was seen over many battlefields, heartening the 
  Christians and temfylng the Moors. 
  The Cathedral of St. James Campostela in Santiago is the 
  third great pilgrimage site (after Jerusalem and Rome) of the 
  Christian world. Tens of thousands of pilgrims visit each year, 
  making Santiago and neighboring cities rich with pilgrim 
  donations. Inside the cathedral is a statue of St. James, whch 
  when touched is said to confer good luck and health on the 
  pilgrim. The cockle shell is the symbol of the pilgrimage to 
  Santiago. 
  TOLEDO 
  Toledo was the capital of the early Christian kingdom of 
  Spain. Although overrun by the Moors in A.D. 712, the 
  Moorish policy of religious tolerance allowed the Archbishop 
  of Toledo to remain the chief Bishop of Spain. Toledo was 
  recaptured by Castilian forces from Avila in 1085 after a two 
  year siege. The Muslim inhabitants mostly fled the city, but a 
  large Jewish population remains. 
  Reconquista. Raids from Toledo into Moorish lands seek more 
  than discomfiting the heathens, however; attacks are cattle 
  raids on a huge scale, with thousands of head of cattle and 
  horses driven from Muslim lands to Toledo, where they are sold 
  * Toledo is now the forward base for the continuation of the I 
  P 
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  to thyrest of Spain. The lands between Toledo and Cordova 
  remain barren, except for bands of raiders and thieves. Little 
  traffic passes between the two cities. Merchants prefer the 
  longer but safer route through Badajoz, Seville, and Grana&. 
  On that route, though they may lose money to tolls and bribes, 
  merchants at least preserve their lives. 
  The University of Toledo is renowned for its study of 
  medicine, science, and magic. Gerbert of Aurillac, later Pope 
  Sylvester 11, studied here, and took with him when he left a 
  brazen head, which could calculate any mathematical equation 
  and foretell the future. The head has long since been lost; many 
  scholars believe it is hidden in the vaults of the Pope’s Lateran 
  Palace, perhaps guiding the destiny of the Church. 
  navarre 
  Navarre is the only Spanish kingdom which has no room 
  to grow, as it is bordered on the west by Castile, and on the east 
  and south by Aragon. Because of its unfortunate location, 
  Navarre is a poor, small country. During the reign of Sancho 
  the Great (A.D. 1000-1035), Navarre conquered Castile and 
  Leon, but Sancho divided the kingdom among his sons, giving 
  his eldest son, Garcia, the kingdom of Navarre, his second 
  eldest, Ferdinand, the kingdom of Castile, and his last son, 
  Ramiro, the kingdom of Aragon. King Ferdinand of Castile 
  overthrew Garcia in 1054, but did not annex the kingdom, 
  instead taking tribute andusingit to fund his expeditions to the 
  south. Navarre has not played a significant role in Spain since. 
  PAMPLONA 
  The capital city of the kingdom of Navarre, Pamplona 
  stands at the southern end of the pass of Roncevalles, where the 
  Muslim horde overpowered Roland and the twelve Peers of 
  France, as chronicled in “The Song of Roland.” 
  Pamplona itself caters to the pilgrim trade, and has a 
  number of minor shrines. During the month of July it cel- 
  ebrates the Fiera de San Fermin, when bulls are let loose 
  through the city streets. It is considered a sign of great bravery 
  to touch the bulls during the run. However, doing do is 
  extremely dangerous and many people are killed or maimed 
  each year. 
  I;lortusaL 
  Originally formed as a county of Leon, Portugal was 
  declared a kingdom in A.D. 1139 by Alfonso I Henriques, who 
  then spent the next four years defending his new kingdom from 
  Leon as well as the Moors. After his kingship was recognized 
  in 1143, Henriques concentrated on expanding his territory to 
  the south, capturing Lisbon in 1147, with the help of English 
  and German crusaders. 
  Portugal’s lands south of the Tagus river were defended by 
  the Templars, while the Cistercians were entrusted with lands 
  to the north, to act for the King while he was at war. After the 
  Templars pulled out of Spain in the 1150s, the military order of 
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  the Brethren of Santa Maria took their place. The order changes 
  Lisbon is the finest Port in Portugal, due in large Part to its 
  its name in 121 1 after capturing the town OfAviz, and is known natural harbor provided by the Tagus river. Lisbon is protected 
  afterwards as the Knights of Aviz. 
  by miles of walls on its landward sides, and its Portuguese 
  1170, but was repelled by an Almohad-Leonese coalition. 
  A hUndred Years after Lisbon’s recapture from the Moon, 
  However, the Reconquista is completed by Portugal when it AlfOnsO 111 moves his capital here as a 
  Point for the 
  captures the city of Silves in 1249, further expansion to the east capture of SilVes- ships from l-i~bon Sweep down the coast, 
  halted by Castile’s conquests of Badajoz and Seville. 
  supplying Portuguese soldiers who march inland. The ships 
  blockade Silves, keeping reinforcements and supplies from the 
  city’s inhabitants. 
  The kings of Portugal have made the navy a principal part 
  The capital city of Portugal from A.D. 1100 to 1255, of their military force. Portugal controls most of the west coast 
  Coimbra was recaptured from the Islamics by forces from Leon of Spain. only lands imund Leon, and lands held by the 
  in 1064. As in most recaptured Moorish cities in Spain, the Moorish hngdom of Grana&, are not held by Portugal. 
  population of Coimbra largely fled south, but enough re- 
  Furthermore, Portuguese merchants based in Lisbon have 
  mained behind to create a cosmopolitan atmosphere. This begun trade up the coast to France and England, but have not 
  atmosphere encouraged growth of the University of Coimbra, been able to gain any inroads to the towns of the Hanseatic 
  the university the revenues of a number of manors to help with Aragon, and some cities on the coast of north Africa, but 
  defray its expenses. 
  Italian cities keep them from more lucrative trade with the east. 
  Alfonso tried to capture Badajoz from the Muslims in sailors have proven more than adequate at sea battle. 
  COIMBRA 
  which is officially recognized by King Dinis in 1290. He grants League. In the Meditemnean, the Portuguese are able to trade 
  The gentle climate of Coimbra always made it a favorite 
  retreat for the kings of Portugal, even after the capital is moved 
  to Lisbon. The Kings of Portugal maintain a number of small 
  palaces in and around Coimbra, to which they come when 
  given a chance. 
  One of the palaces, on a hill overlooking the city, is the site 
  of a miraculous visitation. In 1220, the King is fighting in the 
  south, and sends to Queen Maria in Coimbra for more money, 
  with which to hire boats for a daring raid on Silves. The Queen 
  ransacks the treasury, but to no avail. It seems a clerk of the 
  Exchequer had recently left the King’s employ, along with most 
  of the readily portable wealth. The Queen prays to her 
  namesake, St. Mary, and falls asleep in front of a shrine to St. 
  Mary. 
  The Queen wakes from her sleep to see the figure of the 
  Virgin Mary standing before her. The Queen is told to follow 
  the figure, who leads the way to the lower levels of the palace, 
  which had been built on the foundations of a Moorish palace. 
  The figure indicates a place on the wall and vanishes. The next 
  morning the Queen leads a number ofworkmen to the spot and 
  tells them to break through the wall. Inside they find a chamber 
  which had been built over, a chamber filled with treasure. The 
  Queen sends some of the money to her husband, and uses the 
  rest to build the Church of the Nightly Visitation, dedicated to 
  St. Mary. 
  LISBON 
  This city, on the Tagus river, was founded by Ulysses 
  during his ten year voyage home from the Trojan War. It was 
  recaptured from the Moors in A.D. 1150 by Portuguese forces, 
  with the aid of German and Enghsh crusaders. 
  El Cid 
  ~ 
  El Cid is the title of the great Spanish hero Rodrigo Diaz 
  de Vivar. A penniless knight, Rodrigo was banished from 
  the kingdom of Castile for attacking the Muslim King of 
  Toledo, who was allied to Castile. 
  Rodrigo championed the Christian cause against the 
  Moors. The title of Cid (from the Arabic “Suyyid”, meaning 
  lord) was given by his enemies, who recognized his heroic 
  stature. Rodrigo led a few companions out of Castile, but 
  in a few years he had assembled a large army. He fought the 
  Moors, tahng the spoils ofbattle andloot from towns to pay 
  his men. Once, when out of funds, he sent a locked iron 
  chest to the city of Burgos. He said the chest was full of 
  treasure, and that he wished to use it to guarantee a loan. 
  The citizens trusted him, and loaned him the money. He 
  repaid the loan in good time, and did not request the return 
  of the chest, which puzzled the citizens. They took the 
  chest to the Archbishop of Burgos, who had the chest 
  opened. El Cid had filled the chest with sand, having not 
  so much as a penny to his name. Needless to say, he did not 
  try the same trick twice. 
  El Cid conquered the kingdom of Valencia, and ruled 
  it from A.D. 1094 until he died in 1099, fighting against a 
  Moorish army besieging the city. El Cid’s long struggle 
  against the Moors is chronicled by the P o r n  del Cid, a 
  lengthy Chanson de Geste often recited by Cantadores, 
  special singers who ride in the front of the armies of 
  Christian Spain, singing of the deeds of El Cid to hearten the 
  troops. 
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  heBritish Isles are alargearchipelao northwest of 
  continental Myhc Europe, dominated by two 
  largeislands,BritainandIreland. 
  Theseislandsare 
  isolated hom the remainder of Myhc Europe by 
  the Enghsh Channel and the Stmit of Dover, both of which lie 
  between England and Fmce. 
  The island of Britain is the largest of the group, accounting 
  for two-thirds of the total area of the archipelago. It is divided 
  into several kingdoms, each of which has its own unique 
  character. 
  Lands of England 
  The southeastern portion of Britain holds the kingdom of 
  England, the largest and most prosperous of the lungdoms of 
  Britain. England's north is dominated by the Pennines, a ridge 
  of high, angular hills separated by deep, flat-bottomed valleys. 
  The eastern Pennine slopes are low, and riddled with coal 
  deposits. The western slopes, however, are steep and harsh. 
  South of the Pennines lies Lowland England. This land is low 
  and flat, rising to steep chalk cliffs at the southern edge of the 
  island. The eastern edge of the island is marshy, particularly in 
  the low zone between the Pennines and the cliffs of Dover. 
  The land of England is cool, with cold winters and warm 
  summers. Rainfall is seasonal, with occasional periods, weeks 
  or even months in length, with no rain whatsoever. 
  The English are the most commonly encountered Britons 
  on the Mythic European continent. Englands coastlines face 
  Mythic Europe, and most European trade with Britain is 
  managed through English ports. The English are fair of skin 
  and hair and of medium build and height. They are indepen- 
  dent, introspective, and proud, with a sense of their importance 
  perhaps out of proportion to their influence in Mythic Euro- 
  pean affairs. 
  Tensions amongst English folk have risen since the death 
  of King Richard Lionheart, who was killed besieging a castle in 
  France. Richards brother and successor, KingJohn, is not well 
  loved by the English people, and there may soon be rebellion 
  against his rule. 
  Lands of Wales 
  East of England lies Wales, a broad mountainous penin- 
  sula in the southeast of Britain. Bordered on three sides by the 
  sea, Wales has mild winters, moderate summers, and plenty of 
  rain. In the high mountains, temperatures are much cooler, 
  with extremely severe winters in the upper highlands. 
  The Welsh people are short, dark, and lively, primarily of 
  Celtic stock, and are fiercely independent of their large English 
  neighbor. The Welsh have their own language, and resent the 
  accident of geography which places England, not Wales, in a 
  prime location for trade with the rest of Mythc Europe. 
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  Lands of Scotland 
  Caledonia, also known as the kingdom of Scotland, lies to 
  the northern part of Britain. This kingdom, which runs from 
  Carlisle northward, is divided into three southwest-northeast 
  bands of terrain. Moving from south to north, one first 
  encounters the Dales along the English border, a series of hills 
  cut by numerous valleys. The border lands have heavy rains 
  and cool climate. North of the Dales are the Lowlands, a damp, 
  gray region of heather and moors. Beyond the lowlands lie the 
  Scottish Highlands, a hilly land of fog-bound lakes (which the 
  Scots call “lochs”). The slopes are more gentle in the east, but 
  in the western highlands the Grampian Mountains are sharp 
  and steep. Rainfall in this region is somewhat lighter than it is 
  in the south, as it is dispersed by the high hillsides. However, 
  the Highlands are the coldest region in the British Isles. But, 
  despite its altitude and northern extent, Scotland is still much 
  warmer than the Mythic European coastline directly to the east. 
  The Highland Scots are divided into a number of clans, 
  each of which controls a portion of their grim, forbidding land. 
  The clans are extended families, ruled only by their chiefs, 
  disdaining the commands of the King of Scotland. 
  The highlanders are independent and stoic. They are 
  profoundly religious people (it is said that Caledonia converted 
  to Christianity first among all British people), warm, hospi- 
  table, and kindly. They are outstanding tale tellers, particularly 
  with stories of ghosts and magic. The highlanders speak Gaelic, 
  a language shared by their cousins across the Irish sea. 
  Lands of Ireland 
  The second largest island in the British Isles is Ireland. 
  Ireland bears two extensive mountainous regions covering the 
  northern and southern thirds of the land. The northern 
  mountains cover the counties of Donegal and Mayo, while the 
  southern mountains cover the counties of Kerry and Cork. The 
  central land, between the mountain ranges, is a low-lying plain 
  which holds the majoriiy of the Irish population. 
  The island’s climate is cool, wet, cloudy, and windy in 
  winter. The climate is livable, but even a single year of unusual 
  cold or heavy rain weakens crops and causes famine. 
  The Irish people are fierce; many consider them inhuman, 
  a savage, slightly magical, faerie people. The Irish also inter- 
  married with Viking settlers on the east coast. Most Irish or 
  Irish-Vikings are fair of skin, with red or brown hair and slight 
  builds. 
  Ireland was independent for many centuries. Not even the 
  Romans invaded the island, and Viking raiders could only 
  conquer small coastal areas, establishing port cities, leaving 
  inlands alone. However, the east coast of Ireland fell to Norman 
  adventurers a mere 40 years ago. Many of the Irish resent 
  English rule (as the kings of Ireland are now subservient to 
  English kings), but the English maintain sufficient troops in 
  Irish cities to forestall rebellion. 
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  That was not the extent of England’s invaders, though. 
  Danish Vikings began to raid English seaside towns and villages 
  7
  -
  i
   
  CHAITER SIX 
  Other Lands 
  The lesser islands of the British archipelago are sparsely 
  inhabited, and share culture and climate with neighboring 
  regions of Ireland or Britain. A number of the smaller islands 
  are reputed to be occupied by faeries and sorcerers of various 
  types- 
  The England of the late Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries 
  has a long and glorious history. An understanding of that 
  history is essential to an understanding of England in Mythic 
  Europe. 
  HISTORY 
  ~ 
  Julius Caesar invaded Britain in the First Century before 
  Christ. The Romans invadedin an effort to halt the flow of arms 
  and warriors from Britain to the tribes on the Atlantic coast of 
  Gaul, to whom the Britons were related. Indeed, Caesar 
  invaded twice. The first invasion was inconclusive, but the 
  second defeated a sizable force of Britons, from whom Caesar 
  demanded hostages and annual tribute. 
  Ultimately, though, Caesar was too preoccupied with 
  political advancement to worry about the Britons’ refusal to pay 
  tribute. 
  However, in the century after Christ, the Romans landed 
  on the beaches of Britain in force, and soon conquered the 
  country. They built many castles and forts, and in the north 
  erected a series of walls to keep the savage Picts of Caledonia 
  from raiding southward. The Roman legions left Britain in the 
  early Fifth Century, and the lands were invaded almost imme- 
  diately by the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, Germanic tribes from 
  the area around Denmark. The Anglo-Saxon invasions were 
  halted for a time by King Arthur, ofwhom many stories are told. 
  Arthur was eventually killed by his illegitimate son Mordred, 
  and the Saxons poured into the country. The Anglo-Saxons 
  eventually settled into seven kingdoms, the Saxons in Wessex, 
  Sussex, and Essex, the Jutes in Kent, and the Angles in East 
  Anglia, Mercia, and Northumbria. 
  Under the Romans, Christianity had been accepted in 
  Britain, but the Saxons were a pagan people, worshipping fierce 
  gods: Thunor and Wotan. The Saxons therefore pushed the 
  worship of the ‘White God into the fringes of the islands: 
  Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. There the Celtic 
  Christian Church grew apart from the Pope in Rome in many 
  ways. Still, the Celtic Church sent missionaries to the northern 
  kingdoms at the same time that Pope Gregory the Great sent St. 
  Augustine to the south, around the end of the Sixth Century. 
  It was thus that the two Christian traditions slowly converted 
  the pagan Angles and Saxons, until the Synod of Whitby in A.D. 
  663, when King Oswy of Northumbria chose the Roman 
  Church over the Celtic. 
  in the late Eighth Century, and in the middle of the Ninth 
  Centuryraids turned to conquest. In fact, the Danessettledinto 
  the north of England, in an area known as the Danelaw. Six of 
  the seven Saxon kingdoms were destroyed by the Vikings. 
  Only Wessex held out against the Viking invaders. Wessex 
  was under King Alfred the Great, who built many forts and 
  castles, and organized his army in two halves, so that one half 
  could always be on duty, while the other farmed or fished. 
  Alfred also built a fleet, to challenge the Vikings on the coasts 
  and rivers. The Viking army caught Alfred off guard, though, 
  forcing him to take refuge in the marshes of Somerset. Alfred 
  rallied his troops, and in 878 the Saxons and Danes met at the 
  battle of Edington, whereupon the Saxons won a total victory. 
  As a result, the Viking leaders agreed to accept Christianity. 
  (They were the first important Viking leaders to do so.) The 
  Anglo-Saxons continued to press the Danes back, and eventu- 
  ally absorbed them into Anglo-Saxon culture. 
  A second series of Danish invasions started when the 
  Viking crown passed to Ethelred the Unredy (Saxon for Bad or 
  No Council) in 978. The Danish King sent waves of attackers 
  against thesaxons, unti1,in 1016,KingCanuteofDenmarkwas 
  accepted by the Saxon Witan (council) as the King of the 
  England. The Danes had already embraced Christianity, so 
  Canute ruled England respecting Saxon traditions. At the 
  council of Oxford in 1018, Canute formally declared peace 
  between the Saxons and the Danes of the Danelaw, and the 
  united lands swore to uphold Christianity. 
  Canute’s two sons ruled England in turn after he died in 
  1035, neither doing a remarkable job. The Witan chose 
  Edward the Confessor, the exiled son of Ethelred, to be their 
  next King. Edward had spent most of his life in Normandy, 
  among his mother’s people. And, on his ascension to the throne 
  of England he welcomed Norman knights and counselors to his 
  court. Edward was a weaker King than Canute, and under his 
  reign the earls (Danish “jarl,” meaning count) began to rebel 
  against the King and his Norman friends. The most powerful 
  Earl was Godwin of Wessex, Edward’s father-in-law. Godwin 
  forced Edward to send home his Norman advisors. Even the 
  Archbishop of Canterbury was obliged to leave. Godwin soon 
  controlled the government, with Edward as a figurehead. 
  Godwin’s son, Harold Godwinson, took up the reins of govern- 
  ment when his father died in 1053, and was publicly acknowl- 
  edge by Edward as heir to the throne. 
  However, Edward’s death in 1066 precipitated the ad- 
  vancement of three claims to the throne of England. Harold 
  Godwinson was the acknowledged heir to Edward, but Will- 
  iam the Bastard, Duke of Normandy, and Harald Hardrada, 
  King of Norway, both felt that, due to family ties and promises 
  made, they had more legitimate claims. Harald Hardrada 
  invaded England first, landing in the north country. Harold 
  Godwinson marshaled hls troops and met Harald Hardrada at 
  the battle of Stamford Bridge, where he bested the Norwegian. 
  Within a day of winning the battle, Harold was on his way to the 
  Channel coast, where William of Normandy had landed with 
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  of Hastings, where Harold was killed by an arrow through the 
  eye. 
  William, soon called the Conqueror, wasted no time in 
  consolidating his victory. He declared that England belonged 
  to the King, by right of conquest. William then parceled out 
  plots of land to his followers, making sure no one received 
  adjacent holdings, but rather that landholdings were scattered 
  throughout England. In this manner he made sure no lord 
  could challenge the power of the King, as was common in 
  France. 
  William’s conquest was uneasy, however. Fighting con- 
  tinued sporadically for a hundred years after his conquest, as 
  Norman overlords were challenged by the older Saxon nobility. 
  William died in 1087 while campaigning in France. 
  William Rufus was the Conqueror’s acknowledged heir, in 
  preference to his elder brother, Robert Curthose, who inherited 
  the Duchy of Normandy. Rufus was a Godless man, and was 
  much feared throughout his reign. He squeezed the barons for 
  money, and ignored the dictates of the Church, granting or 
  withholding bishoprics at his whim. Legend has it that he 
  worshipped the Devil. Rufus was murdered while hunting; 
  some claim pagans killed him to appease the land. 
  Henry I, brother of William Rufus, succeeded him, over- 
  throwing the claim to the crown of his brother Robert. Henry 
  healed the country of the tyranny that Rufus had imposed. 
  Such was Henry’s success in consolidating his power that no 
  baron challenged his reign after his defeat of the house Belleme, 
  a house of rapacious nobles who defied the power of Church 
  and King. In restoring the old order Henry was forced to accede 
  to the wishes of the Church regarding the investiture of 
  bishops. So, while he might grant bishops temporal power, the 
  Church granted them spiritual authority. 
  Henry’s death prompted a crisis in both England and 
  Normandy. Henry had married his daughter Mathilda, widow 
  of the Emperor Henry V, to Count Geoffery ofAnjou, sometime 
  called Plantagenet after the sprig of Broom (Plantu Genestu) he 
  wore as his badge. The barons of England and Normandy 
  refused to pay homage to the Count of Anjou. 
  Stephen, nephew of Henry, a popular, brave and religious 
  lord, stepped forward to take the throne. Stephen’s mother was 
  a daughter of William the Conqueror, and his wife, Maud, was 
  the niece of a Saxon lord. He was recognized as King by Pope 
  Innocent 11. Stephen was not a strong man, however, and the 
  barons learned they could ignore his decrees with impunity. 
  After 1138, Stephen’s reign was plagued by rebellion and civil 
  war. Stephen was captured at the battle of Lincoln in 1141, 
  whereupon his wife Maud led the loyal barons. Finally a 
  compromise was reached, whereby, after Stephen’s death, 
  Geoffrey’s son Henry would inherit the throne. Henry suc- 
  ceeded Stephen with little fuss, as all sides were exhausted after 
  sixteen years of warfare. 
  Henry I1 was a robust man, and an able king, but his reign 
  was marred by the revolts of his sons; the murder of Thomas 
  Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury; and by the imprisonment of 
  MYTHIC 
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  a force of Norman knights. The two forces clashed at the battle his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine, for nine years. Eleanor married 
  Henry after having her-previous marriage to the dauphin Louis, 
  later Louis VI1 of France, annulled. Henry and Eleanor had four 
  sons, Henry (the Young King), Richard (Lionheart), Geoffery, 
  and John. Henry the Young Kingwas crowned during the reign 
  of Henry 11, but died in revolt against his father. Ultimately, 
  Henry I1 died in 1189, leaving Richard the kingdom of England 
  and the great duchies of Normandy and Aquitaine. 
  Richard spent only a few of his ten years as King in 
  England, preferring to go on the Third Crusade and to defend 
  his French possessions. Richard’s absence from England gave 
  Prince Johna taste for ruling the country, so much so, that when 
  Richard was captured by German Emperor Henry VI, John 
  collected the ransom, but chose to spend it on himself. 
  THE THIRTEENTH 
  CENTURY 
  John inherits the throne on Richard’s death, though a 
  rumor circulates that John murdered prince Arthur, son of his 
  brother Geoffery, to gain the throne. However, John’s lacklus- 
  ter performance as King in the Thirteenth Century loses 
  England the duchy of Normandy, and results in John’s signing 
  of the Magna Carta, a document which gives greater powers to 
  the barons, lessening the power of the King. 
  John’s death means the crowning of his young son, Henry 
  111, under the Regency of William Marshall, aself-made noble- 
  man who had grown to power under Henry I1 and Richard. 
  Henry III’s reign sees more loss of land to the French, and a civil 
  war led by Earl Simon de Montfort. 
  Henry’s son, Edward I, becomes King while on pilgrimage, 
  and soon sets the affairs of the realm in order. He starts a war 
  of conquest against Wales, building many great castles to hold 
  the country. He also oversees the election of John Balliol as 
  King of Scotland, but when Balliol refuses to support Edward 
  in his war against France, Edward conquers Scotland, taking 
  the Stone of Scone, a magical artifact used in the coronation of 
  Scottish kings. 
  CARLISLE 
  An important border town named Luguvallium during the 
  Roman occupation of Britain, Carlisle guarded the western end 
  of Hadrian’s Wall, a 73-mile long wall built during the Second 
  Century after Christ. The wall was built to keep the savage Picts 
  from raiding south into England, and formed the northern 
  border of Roman territory in Britain. 
  King William Rufus walled Carlisle in 1092, and built a 
  castle to protect the city. Carlisle became the northern border 
  of England, though it fell to King David of Scotland for a short 
  while. Local legend has it that King Arthur made Carlisle his 
  home while ridding northern England of dragons, monsters, 
  and faeries. 
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  South of Carlisle is the stone circle known as Long Meg and 
  her Daughters, a coven of witches turned to stone by the 
  ScottishwizardMichael Scot. The stones arevirtuallyuncount- 
  able, but it is said that if someone counts the stones twice, and 
  comes out to the same number both times, the spell will be 
  broken. The daughters stand in an oval 360 feet long by 300 feet 
  wide. Long Meg herself stands outside the circle, and stands 
  twelve feet tall. 
  EXETER 
  “Here lies buried the renowned King Arthur in the Isle ofAvalon.” 
  The coffin supposedly contained the remains of a man who 
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  CHAPTER SIX 
  I 
  stood well over six feet tall, and the body of a golden-haired 
  woman. The monks separated the bones, however, and rebur- 
  ied them in separate coffins under the floor of the abbey church, 
  marking the tomb with the inscription, “Here lies Arthur, the 
  Once and Future King. ” Whether the remains are genuinely 
  those of Arthur and Guenevere is uncertain, though the abbey 
  monks adamantly claim they are. 
  Exeter dates back before the Roman invasion of Britain. It 
  was conquered by the Romans in the First Century after Christ, 
  and the Romans walled the city, which was built on a plateau 
  above the river Exe. 
  Exeter is the westernmost city in England, and controls the 
  counties of Cornwall and Devon. Exeter was a flourishingport, 
  and a terminus for Breton smugglers until a low dam is built 
  across the river Exe in A.D. 1198, three miles downstream, 
  barring passage to all ships. The net result is that smuggling 
  activity moves to a point on the river half a mile from the dam. 
  A sizeable town springs up on the spot, catering not only to 
  smugglers, but to ffihennan who used to ship from Exeter. 
  Outside of Exeter is the forbidding Dartmoor, a lonely land 
  of bogs and granite hills, called Tors. Sudden fogs can appear 
  at any time, and folk from Exeter claim the moor is haunted by 
  numerous ghosts and evil fairies. Folk shun the moor after 
  dark, fearing both the natural and supernatural. 
  GLASTONBURY 
  Glastonbury lies in a part of England full of strange occult 
  sites. To the east the great stone circles of Stonehenge dominate 
  Salisbury Plain, while rising above Glastonbury is Glastonbury 
  Tor, an unnaturally steep hill topped by a stone tower. The hill 
  has a labyrinth, known as the Walls of Troy, cut into the side 
  of it. The monks of Glastonbury Abbey use a more direct path 
  up the crest of the Tor, and dedicate the hills’ the stone tower 
  as a chapal to St. Michael. 
  Glastonbury Abbey was founded by Joseph of Arimathea, 
  who buried Christ after the cruciffion. Joseph traveled 
  throughout Mythic Europe after the Resurrection, finally dying 
  in England at Glastonbury Abbey. Joseph carried with h m  the 
  Holy Grail, the Chalice from which Christ drank at the Last 
  Supper, and which caught His blood at the crucifurion. 
  It is said that Joseph planted his thornwood staff at 
  Glastonbury (though others argue the staff was planted else- 
  where), which miraculously sprouted, and flowers every year 
  on Easter and Christmas. The flowering of the Glastonbury 
  thorn is used by the monks of Glastonbury Abbey to date these 
  two holy days, no matter what the Church in Rome determines 
  them to be. 
  And, in 1190, the monks of Glastonbury Abbey claim to 
  have found the single grave of King Arthur and Queen 
  Guenevere. The grave was said to have been marked with a 
  leaden cross buried in the soil, and inscribed with the legend: 
  LINCOLN 
  I I 
  Founded by retired Roman soldiers as Lindum Colonia, 
  Lincoln has been fought over by the Saxons, Vikings, and 
  Normans. It lies at the junction of two Roman roads, and its 
  importance was recognized by William the Conqueror, who 
  built Lincoln castle outside the town. As the Tower of London 
  functions in that city, Lincoln’s castle was not built for defense 
  of the city, but to keep the city under the eye and hand of the 
  King. 
  Lincoln is the second largest city in northern England and, 
  in A.D. 1172, Bishop Remigius was commanded by William the 
  Conqueror to build a cathedral of size proportionate to that of 
  the lands the town ruled. Lincoln cathedral is the second 
  largest in England, after York Minster. The cathedral has one 
  of the four copies of the Magna Carta, the document signed by 
  King John granting numerous privileges to English barons. 
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  LONDON 
  Founded by the Romans, London was the first practical 
  location for a bridge over the river Thames. The river is also 
  wide and deep enough for ocean-going ships, making London 
  an important city for trade. London is surrounded by suburbs, 
  both to the north and east, and across the river to the south. 
  Although London has stood since Roman times, it re- 
  mained a small town until the reign of the Saxon King Alfred 
  the Great, who fortified the town in A.D. 886 against Viking 
  raiders who plagued England. One of London’s great strengths 
  is the willingness of its tradesmen, especially its apprentices 
  and journeymen, to rise in arms against a popular foe, be it king 
  or foreigner. 
  When William the Conqueror took London, he strength- 
  ened the walls and built the Tower of London, not only to 
  defend the city, but to keep the residents under the eye of the 
  Warden of the Tower. Henry 111 remodeled the Tower, and 
  added the beginnings of a zoo to it, with camels and other exotic 
  animals. Henry also began rebuilding the Abbey ofWestminster, 
  in which church all lungs since William have been crowned. 
  KINGDOM 
  OF LYONESSE
  Under the waves off the southern coast of Cornwall lies the 
  Lost Kingdom of Lyonesse. Sometimes, in the middle of 
  storms, the church bells of the lungdom’s towns and cities can 
  be heard. Local fshennen say that on certain days the water 
  even becomes clear, allowing a view of the submerged land.. 
  However, no one can be found who has actually seen the 
  lungdom, for fshennen fear crossing above the drowned lands 
  on nights of significance to pagans (i.e., Allhallows Eve, May 1, 
  and the equinoxes). 
  Legend says the kingdom was drowned in the reign of King 
  Arthur, possibly when a knight broke one of the numerous 
  strange customs of the land, or by the folly of its King. Whatever 
  the nature of the crime, a great wave flooded the land, drowning 
  its cities and towns. The Scilly Isles are all that is left of the 
  lungdom, and Magi have thoroughly picked over those few 
  remains. 
  Fishermen along both coasts of the Channel claim the sea 
  above the kingdom is unusually rich in fEh, and point at the 
  drowned lands as the cause. Legends warn that if a mortal man 
  ever returns to the kingdom, great calamities will follow, 
  ranging from fish leaving the area, to the unleashing of fear- 
  some sea monsters or demons. 
  MAIDEN 
  CASTLE 
  Nothing remains of Maiden Castle but the outline of the 
  walls and ditches which surround its hilltop location. Some 
  legends say the castle was a focus of resistance to the Roman 
  invasion of Britain, and that Roman soldiers massacred the 
  defenders, selling their women and children as slaves in Rome. 
  Another legend says the hill is an entrance to Faerieland. This 
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  belief stems from a tale describing the adventures of a knight 
  who slept on top of the hill on Midsummer Eve, and was 
  spirited away by faeries for seven years and a day, returning to 
  find his lands laid waste and his wife dead from grief. 
  Local peasants claim the hill is haunted, and on certain 
  nights the clash of weapons can be heard here and ruddy lights 
  areseen toshineinto thesky. Noonestayson thehillafterdark, 
  and no one plows the land around it. Magi who have investi- 
  gated the hill have found nothing out of the ordinary on it, 
  though some of their magically grfted companions describe a 
  feeling of being watched. 
  SHREWSBURY 
  Founded by the Romans in the Fifth Century after Christ, 
  Shrewsbury remained a center of urban life even during the 
  Saxon invasions and raids by the Welsh. The city was given to 
  Roger de Montgomery after the battle of Hasting, and he built 
  Shrewsbury castle in A.D. 1070. In the Thirteenth Century 
  Shrewsbury remains a bastionagainst the Welsh, and is used by 
  King Edward I as his headquarters during his subjugation of 
  Wales in the 1270s and 80s. 
  In the hills surroundmg Shrewsbury are the remains of 
  many hill forts, built in ages past by the wild Britons who 
  resisted Roman advances. Also surrounding Shrewsbury are 
  several castles, built by the Marcher lords, those lords ap- 
  pointed to the defense of England against Welsh savages. 
  The Castle of Shrewsbury is haunted by the ghost of 
  Margret la Belle, who loved a man in the force which besieged 
  Shrewsbury Castle in 1 158. Margret left a rope out for her lover 
  to climb to her in the middle of the night, but he instead led an 
  attacking force up the rope. Realizing what she had done, 
  Margret killed her lover with his own sword, then jumped out 
  of the tower to her death. The tower from which Margret 
  jumped is known as Maiden’s Tower, and it is said the ghost of 
  Margret falls from the top whenever the castle is in danger of 
  being attacked. 
  TINTAGEL 
  The place where King Arthur was conceived and born, 
  Tintagel is a lonely, windswept castle high above the ocean. 
  The wizardMerlin disguiseduther Pendragon as Duke Gorlois, 
  so that he might sleep with Igraine, the Duke’s wife. Uther did 
  so, and begat Arthur, the greatest King of the Britons. 
  No one currently lives at Tintagel. Every knight who has 
  held the castle has gone mad from the spirits which inhabit it. 
  Some say these are the ghosts of Igraine and Gorlois, driven 
  mad by the treachery of Uther. 
  Beneath the castle, a cave in the cliff leads inward to a 
  grotto, which is said to have been usedby Merlin. It is rumored 
  that vis-rich items can be found in the cave, but no one has ever 
  found Merlin’s laboratory. 
  B 
  WINCHESTER 
  WinchesterwasthecapitalseatofAlfredtheGreat,aSaxon 
  King who led the fight against theVikings in the Ninth Century. 
  Alfred’s tutor was St. Swithin, who was buried in a splendid 
  tomb inside the cathedral of Winchester, against his express 
  wishes. After the saint’s burial it rained for forty days, until the 
  body was moved to an outdoor, modest grave. The people of 
  Winchester believe that if it rains on St. Swithin‘s day (July IS), 
  forty days of rain will follow. 
  The Nonnans captured Winchester early in their invasion 
  of England, and built Winchester Castle to keep the city under 
  control. Winchester is a stop for pilgnms on their way to 
  Canterbury, and the city‘s cathedral has a pilgrims’ hall to 
  accommodate travelers. 
  There is a “miz-maze,” or labyrinth, cut into the turf on top 
  of the local St. Catherine’s hill. It is claimed that faeries can be 
  seen treading the labyrinth’s path on the pagan holidays of 
  Samhain and Beltaine. 
  YORK 
  York is the second largest city in England, after London. It 
  is also the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second church- 
  man of the realm. York was founded by the Romans as 
  Erboracum, and served as the capital of Roman Britain. The city 
  was also the capital of the Danelaw, the area conquered by the 
  Vikings in the Ninth Century after Christ. And,Yorkwas home 
  to a cathedral school, founded in the 860s by Alcuin, who later 
  founded a school at Charlemagne’s Imperial city of Aix-la- 
  Chappel. 
  During the Norman conquest of England, York was rav- 
  aged and destroyed by the Normans in their attempts to put 
  down the numerous rebellions of the north. The city was 
  rebuilt by the Normans soon afterward, and in A.D. 1190 an 
  anti-Jewish riot resulted in the burning of one of the two 
  wooden castles which had been built to watch over the city. 
  The Archbishop of York had both castles rebuilt out of stone. 
  York controls all of northern England, both for Church 
  and King. The Archbishop of York is a great noble of the realm, 
  holding lands in fief to the English King. 
  Ireland, an island off the western coast of Britain, has the 
  distinction of never having been invaded by the Romans. 
  Consequently, ancient forms of government continued there 
  for much longer than in the rest of Mythlc Europe.. 
  Ireland remained a pagan country until St. Patrick arrived 
  in A.D. 432 and began converting the tribes to Christianity. He 
  performed many miracles, and challenged the druids to many 
  contests, winning every one. By his miracles and pious way of 
  life Patrick converted the entire island. 
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  model of ecclesiastical power, concentrated in the hands of 
  bishops. Rather, early Christian Ireland embraced monasti- 
  cism, with monastic groups functioning as subkingdoms. The 
  Irish Church also differed from Rome's in a number of areas, 
  especially in its reckoning of the date of Easter. 
  Irish monks are accredited with keeping Classical knowl- 
  edge alive in the west, even as that knowledge died in Gaul and 
  Britain. Furthermore, Irish monks were renowned for their 
  learning, and many traveled throughout Mythic Europe as 
  missionaries. Others founded schools. Indeed, Alcuin was 
  invited to the court of Charlemagne to start a school at Aix-la- 
  Chappele for the Franks. The monks of Ireland also produced 
  beautiful works of religious art, using gold and jewels from 
  mines now lost. 
  Irish society was ruled by the Ard-ri, or High King, who 
  was elected from one of the four kingdoms of Ireland Ulster in 
  the northeast, Munster in the southwest, Leinster in the south- 
  east, and Connaught in the northwest. Each king ruled over 
  subkings, who ruled clans or Tuaths. The High King was in 
  theory selected from all male relatives, as far as second cousins, 
  but politics and murder often decided who was King. In reality, 
  the High King could only command those kings who decided 
  to offer him loyalty. 
  The Vikings began raiding Ireland's rich monasteries in 
  the Ninth Century, but soon settled along the coast in Dublin, 
  Waterford, and Cork. From these cities the Vikings traded, 
  raided, and ruled small landholdings. The Danes never ven- 
  tured far into the countryside, though, preferring to stay close 
  to the sea. Eventually they mixed with the Irish, and took on 
  local customs, finding their place in Irish society as kings and 
  subkings. 
  Around the year 1000 an Ard-ri arose in the southern half 
  of Ireland who nearly succeeded in uniting all the kingdoms of 
  the island. Brian Boru did so by taking hostages from all the 
  kings and subkings, forcing them to obey his laws. His error 
  was to restrict the Danes to their coastal enclaves, prompting a 
  rebellion led by Sihtric of Dublin, who was aided by troops from 
  the Orkneys and Leinster. The armies of the High King and 
  rebels met at Clontarf, and most of the leaders of both sides, 
  including Brian Boru, were killed. Sihtric retreated to Dublin, 
  but many Danes took to their ships, leaving Ireland forever. 
  After Brian Boru the High Kingship never again ruled over a 
  united Ireland. 
  In fact, a new, foreign leader arose in Ireland. In 1166 
  Dermot MacMurrough, King of Leinster, was exiled by Rory 
  OConner, the High King of the time. Dermot appealed to 
  Henry I1 of England to restore his throne, and Henry allowed 
  Richard Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, to gather an army to aid 
  Dermot. Dermot regained his kingdom in 1167 with English 
  help, but wished for the High Kingship. Strongbow married 
  Eva, daughter of Dermot, and continued his campaign, captur- 
  ing Waterford and Dublin. When Dermot died in 1171, 
  Strongbow declared himself Dennot's heir, and entitled to the 
  kingdom of Leinster. The Leinstermen revolted, and Rory 
  OConner besieged Strongbow in Dublin. At the same time, 
  Henry I1 became suspicious gf Strongbow's plans and landed in 
  Waterford to oversee the conquest for himself. The Irish kings, 
  including Rory OConner, acknowledged Henry as their over- 
  lord, and the Papal Legate held a synod at Cashel to bring the 
  Irish Church in line with the Papacy. 
  Henry granted much land in Ireland to his Anglo-Norman 
  barons, who wasted no time consolidating their lands with 
  castles and forts. In 1177 Henry gave Ireland to his son, John, 
  to rule. However, John proved extremely unpopular with both 
  the barons and Irish kings, and had to be recalled. Thus, the 
  Irish remained as divided as they had before the English 
  invasion. 
  In Thirteen Century Ireland petty wars and raids continue 
  in defunce of the English, who have retreated to the Pale, a 
  small area of Ireland protected by a line of castles. 
  CORK 
  It was St. Finbarr who founded a monastery at Cork, in the 
  marshes of Southern Ireland in the Seventh Century. The 
  monastery was plundered many times by the Vikings, who 
  eventually settled to trade with the Irish clans of the interior. 
  Cork remained a Danish port until A.D. 1150, when Dermot 
  McCarthy, lord of Desmond, expelled the Vikings. The city 
  then remained in Irish hands until the forces of Henry I1 of 
  England conquered it in 1172. Under Henry, Cork, along with 
  Waterford and Dublin, was declared a royal city, only respon- 
  sible to the King of England. 
  Cork, as the southernmost city of the Norman Irish 
  holdings, must be continually on the alert for raiding parties 
  from the 'wild' Irish. The Irish, by tradition, do not fight pitched 
  battles or sieges, but rather raid roads and towns, carrying off 
  cattle and goods. Traders prefer to sail to Cork from other Irish 
  cities, as raids often close the roads to Waterford. 
  DUBLIN 
  Dublin remains Ireland's foremost city and port, status it 
  has enjoyed since the time of the Vikings. Dublin was founded 
  by Norse raiders in the Ninth Century as a base for both raids 
  and colonization. It was captured in A.D. 1170 by Richard 
  Strongbow, Earl of Pembroke, who was invited to Ireland by 
  King Dermot MacMorrough of Leinster to aid the King in his 
  fight with Rory OConner, High King of Connaught. Dublin 
  became the capital of the Norman-conquered portion of Ire- 
  land, which soon stretched down the east coast of Ireland asfar 
  as Cork. 
  Strongbow began a cathedral on the site of Christ Church, 
  built in 1038 by King Sihtric. In 1191 John Commyn, Arch- 
  bishop of Dublin, began construction of St. Patrick's Cathedral 
  outside the walls of the city, in direct rivalry with Christ 
  Church. The Archbishop was forced to build walls around his 
  cathedral to protect it against attacks by kild' Irishmen, who 
  still raid even into the heart of Norman Ireland. 
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  WATERFORD 
  Like Cork and Dublin, Waterford was founded by the 
  Danes in the Ninth Century, and was a base for raids and 
  colonization. Waterford was captured by Richard Strongbow 
  in A.D. 11 70. There he married Eva, daughter of King Dermot 
  MacMorrough, his ally and host. 
  King Henry I1 landed at Waterford in 1171 to keep an eye 
  on his vassal, and to see that Strongbow did not make himself 
  too powerful with Irish conquests. Henry declared Waterford 
  a royal town, directly controlled by the King of England. 
  The citizens of Waterford rebel against their Norman lord 
  in 1213, and the city is looted by the enraged English Baron. 
  After its most recent defeat by the British, the city becomes an 
  armed camp, and no Nonnan ventures out of the castle alone. 
  Rather, Normans always travel with at least two companions. 
  Inhabitedby savage Picts (“painted,” or “tattooed people”), 
  Scotland was known as Caledonia by the Romans, who built 
  walls to keep the Picts from raiding into the south. With the 
  Germanic invasions, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the 
  Picts were attacked on all sides. From Ireland came a tribe 
  known as the Scots, who settled on the seacoasts of the west. 
  Vikings settled in the Orkney, Shetland, and Hebrides islands. 
  And, Britons settled in the lowlands of the west, and Angles in 
  the lowlands of the east. 
  Surrounded, the Picts retreated into the Highlands, a land 
  of moors, peaks, and valleys, cut by the Great Glen, a series of 
  lakes reaching through the highlands from Ben Nevis in the 
  southwest, to Moray Firth in the northeast. However, Viking 
  raids weakened the Picts, so that in A.D. 884 Kenneth I 
  MacAlpin, King of the Scots, managed to conquer the Picts, 
  permanently unitingthe two nations. The land thereby became 
  known as Scotland, though the Scots and Picts continued to call 
  it by the name Alban. 
  The Scottish kings made it a policy to expand their borders 
  south of the Highland line, and in 954 the Scottish King Indulf 
  captured Edinburgh, a stronghold of the Angles. Furthermore, 
  Malcolm I1 conquered the kingdom of Lothian in 1018, merg- 
  ing its Britons with the Scots and Picts. And, Viking invasions 
  in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries forced thousands of 
  Anglo-Saxons north into Scottish lands. It was thus that King 
  Duncan I merged all four peoples into the kingdom of Scotland 
  in 1034. 
  Even in a unified Scotland there was not peace, though. 
  King Duncan was killed by his general, Macbeth, who claimed 
  the right of kingship through his relation to Malcolm 11. Prior 
  to that time the inheritance of the Scottish throne was based on 
  descent of the female line. Thus, the crown passed from 
  Malcolm I1 to his sister’s son, not his own son. Ultimately, 
  Macbeth was killed by Malcolm 111, aided by the English Earl 
  of Northumbria. From that time forward, the Scottish kingship 
  passed from father to son, though a rival kingship continued 
  sporadically among the northern Picts for two centuries. 
  Before killing Macbeth, Malcolm had been sent to the 
  English court of Edward the Confessor, and brought many 
  English nobles back home with him. With this support 
  Malcolm attempted to push the Southern border further into 
  England, but was repulsed by William the Conqueror, who had 
  captured England in 1066. 
  Malcolm’s arrival also brought religious change in Scot- 
  land. His wife Margeret, sister of Edgar Atheling, introduced a 
  civilizing influence in the Scottish court. Indeed, she invited 
  merchants and churchmen of the Roman Church north to 
  Scotland. (Although the Scots had been converted by Christian 
  missionaries from Ireland in the Sixth Century, they still held 
  onto Celtic faith.) 
  When he came to power, Malcolm’s brother, DonaldBane, 
  briefly resisted the Anglicization that Malcolm had introduced 
  to Scotland. However, King William Rufus of England sent 
  Edgar Atheling to Scotland in 1097, placing the English noble 
  on the Scottish throne. 
  With foreign leadership, many changes were made in 
  Scotland. Edgar made Edinburgh the capital of the kingdom. 
  After Edgar, Alexander I oversaw the division of Scotland into 
  ecclesiastical dioceses, and after him David I introduced nu- 
  merous Norman noble families into the Scottish court. Fur- 
  thermore, the traditional Scottishmonnaers were retitled earls, 
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  Alexander 111 managed to defeat the Norwegian fleets and 
  armies who fought to defend the Highlanders, bringing all of 
  Scotland under the authority of the Scottish crown. 
  After Scotland was united, William the Lion attempted 
  once more to move the border southward into England. 
  William was captured at the Battle of Alnwick by Henry 11, in 
  1 174, and was forced to pay homage on behalf of Scotland to the 
  English King Henry. From the resulting treaty came an English 
  claim to the lands of Scotland. The Scottish Church was 
  therefore separated from the Archdiocese of York in 1192 by 
  Pope Celestine 111, who made the Scottish Church subject only 
  to the Papacy. And, the Scots and English kings were united 
  by the marriages of Alexander I1 to Henry III's sister Joan, and 
  Alexander I11 to Henry's daughter Margeret. 
  THIRTEENTH 
  CENTUR
  Alexander I11 dies without heirs in A.D. 1286, and his only 
  descendant is his granddaughter Margeret, known as the Maid 
  of Norway. She is sent for by the Scottish nobility. Her father, 
  King Eric of Norway, makes an arrangement with King Edward 
  of England regarding her marriage to Edward's son, Edward of 
  Carnaervon. However, Margeret dies on the voyage to Scotland 
  in 1290. Scotland is left without an heir. 
  Without a chosen leader, the nobility of Scotland begin 
  fighting for the throne. They finally appeal to King Edward of 
  England to decide between the thirteen major claimants to the 
  throne, mostly of Norman extraction. The deliberation lasts 
  and the clan system of government was replaced by tenantry from 1291 to 1292, with the three closest competitors all 
  under barons. The Pictish and Scottish metho& of inheritance descended from the daughters of the dead Earl of Huntingdon, 
  and government were therefore replaced with Anglo-Norman William the Lion's brother. John Balliol and Robert Bruce are 
  institutions. Even the Benedictine and Cistercian Christian nearly equal in the their claims, while John Hastings can ody 
  orders moved to Scotland in great numbers, attracted by the hope to have the kingdom divided into three parts. The court, 
  open-handedness of King David. 
  consisting of people chosen by the claimants and Edward, 
  ancient systems of society were maintained in the north. That swears homage to Edward in 1292. 
  meant clan rule and paganism persisted. The kingdom of 
  Though he gains his position through Edward, John 
  Scotland, while claiming the Highlands, actually ignored the Balliol resents the interpretation which Edward puts on their 
  . still, relationship. Accordingly, in 1295, he refuses to attend Ed- 
  ward in Edward's war against France, hstead =king an 
  alliance with Philip the Fair of France. In retaliation Edward 
  comes north with a large force, captures John, and forces the 
  surrender of Scotland to the English crown. 
  To insure that he holds the Scottish throne, Edwardcarries 
  off the stone of scone, also known as the stone of Destiny, 
  which is traditionally used in the coronation ceremony of the 
  kings of Scotland. Edward also leaves three English nobles in 
  charge of Scotland and returns to England. 
  Regardless of the Stone of Scone's loss, the Scots rise under 
  the leadership of William Wallace, a brilliant tactician and rebel 
  leader. At the Battle of Stirling Bridge he destroys the main part 
  of the English amy in Scotland, but the English appeal to 
  Edward to save them. Edward hurries back to Scotland in 
  1298, where at the Battle of Falkirk the Scots first beat back 
  English knights with their pike fomtions, but then d e  in 
  droves when Welsh longbowmen in Edward's army shoot into 
  Though changes were made south of the Highlands, the finally rules in favor of John Ballid, who is crowned by and 
  Having failed once, King David of Scotland was anxious to 
  expand southward into England. His renewed efforts were 
  largely defeated in 1138, at the Battle of the Standard. But, he 
  did manage to obtain a number of earldoms in England for his 
  heirs, though his grandson was forced to turn them over to the 
  English by King Henry 11. 
  Eventually the northern regions of Scotland fell to the 
  southern kings, though. The Scottish kings made efforts to 
  overcome the barbarians to the north, but the Highlanders 
  rebelled time and time again. The Highlanders were supported 
  by the Norwegian King, who had been granted suzerainty over 
  the western Isles by King Edgar. However, Alexander I1 and 
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  packed formations. Though the Scots are set back at Falkirk, 
  the war in Scotland continues, with the Scots, led by Wallace, 
  ambushing and waylaying the English, avoidmg mass battles. 
  EDINBURGH 
  Y 5 i i - i  
  cMM"ER SIX 
  Bernard's Well is sulfurous and gives one a good appetite for 
  breakfast. And, on the ridge known as Liberton ("Leper- 
  town") is St. Catherine's Balm Well, the oily surface of which 
  brings relief to those suffering from skin ailments. 
  STIRLING 
  Stirling Castle, built in A.D. 1107 by King Alexander I of 
  Scotland, guards the Kingdom of Scotland from the savage 
  clansmen of the Highlands. Stirling is taken by troops of the 
  English Edward in 1296, but William Wallace brings the castle 
  under siege in 1297, and defeats the Earl of Surrey at the battle 
  of Stirling Bridge. In fact, Wallace sweeps the English out of the 
  Edinburghwas foundedby King EdwinofNorthumberland 
  in the Seventh Century, and is captured by King Edwrd of 
  .EnglandinA.D. 1296. Whereas the Scotsman William Wallace 
  drives the English out of the area surrounding Stirling, the 
  English remain in Edinburgh, safe in Edinburgh Castle. 
  The castle is built on a rocky crag above the city. A mile 
  from the castle is Holyrood Abbey, built by King David I on the 
  site of a miracle that saved his life. He and a party of nobles and 
  churchmen were out hunting when a wounded stag nearly 
  gored the King, but was turned away by a cross interposed by 
  a monk. 
  There are three wells with miraculous powers close to 
  Edinburgh. St. Anthony's Well, beneath the looming hill 
  known as Arthur's Seat, heals those who drink from it. St. 
  area. However, in 1298 Edward I leads a force of soldiers, 
  including several thousand Welsh longbowmen, and captures 
  the Scottish Wallace at the battle of Falkirk. 
  A few miles to the south and west of Stirling Castle lies St. 
  drinks of it on the first of May, before the sun rises, will not die 
  in the coming year. 
  Corbet's Well. The well is blessed by the saint so that whomever 
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  rance forms a Mythlc European land bridge be 
  tween the Holy Roman Empire and @e king 
  doms of Iberia and England, and a natural link 
  between the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, and 
  the North Sea. France is divided into a number of distinct 
  geographic regions, each with its own terrain and culture. 
  France is bounded to the east by mountains: the Alps, the 
  Jura, and the Ardennes. Except for the narrow venees, which 
  separate France from Iberia, in all other directions France is 
  bound by the sea. 
  The southern portion of France, from the Rhoqe River east 
  to the Loire, is a high mountainous region which abuts the Alps. 
  Rather than consisting of the high, steep peaks which charac- 
  terize the Italian Alps, the French mountain lands consist of 
  high, rough ground dotted with tall, conical mountains. These 
  mountains have much of the aspects of Italian volcanoes, but 
  are covered with grasses and trees and have not erupted in 
  human memory. This mountainous region of France gradually 
  lowers and becomes less rocky in the highlands below. 
  The weather in the French central highland varies widely. 
  On the western slopes, the weather is tempered by winds from 
  the Mediterranean, which travel up the Rhone Valley to pro- 
  vide rain and warm wind. Similarly, the western and northern 
  slopes receive considerable rainfall, although they are subject 
  to temperature variations being farther from the sea. The 
  central highlands, however, receive almost no rainfall; winds 
  are sharp, winters are bitter, and even in summer the region is 
  cool. 
  West of the central highlands are the fertile lowlands of the 
  Aquitaine. The eastern half of this huge lowland region has the 
  most fertile, even farmland in France, with rolling foothills and 
  rugged soil. Eastern Aquitaine is one of the main hrming 
  regions of France, its fertility comparable to that of the famous 
  Po Valley in Italy. The western coastline, however, is the 
  Landes region, a desolate sandy plain, Vrshy with summer 
  rains and covered with blowing dunes in winter. The northern 
  Aquitaine is not as fertile as the east, with softer soils and poor 
  drainage (although not so poor as in the Landes region), but 
  some hming still occurs here. 
  The climate of the Aquitaine varies with proximity to the 
  sea. The western coastal region has even, seasonal tempera- 
  tures, mild winters, and pleasant summers. With travel inland 
  temperature variations get wider, and winters get colder, more 
  severe, and more enduring. Summers inland are very hot. 
  The Southern boundary of the Aquitaine is marked by the 
  stony, high slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains. Beyond them 
  lies Iberia. To the north, the Aquitaine ends at the hills of 
  Brittany. These hills cover the northwestern comer of France; 
  the provinces of Brittany and Normandy. The range begins 
  withlow, stony hills, rising to mountainsin the central portions 
  of the region. Beyond the mountains, highlands persist all the. 
  way to the sea. There is some farming and sheep herding in the 
  highlands, which benefit from the Atlantic influence of mild 
  weather and considerable rainfall. 
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  the northern lowlan;. 
  These extend east all the-way to the 
  Ardennes and the Vosges, and north through Flanders. The 
  land declines slowly from the mountains, until, at Flanders, it 
  drops smoothly below sea level into the marshy plains of the 
  Low Countries. The land is generally flat, with rolling hills in 
  the east, and is France’s primary firming zone (in extent, at 
  least, as farmers of the Aquitaine contend their land is more 
  fertile). 
  Between France’s south-central highlands and the Alps, at 
  the southern end of the Rhone River, lie the small lowland 
  provinces of Provence and Languedoc. Trapped between the 
  high Alps (for Provence) or Pyrenees (for Languedoc) and the 
  central highlands, these narrow provinces are watered by 
  runoff from the mountain systems. The provinces are therefore 
  fertile (although not so much as the Aquitaine), and blessed 
  with a warm and beautiful climate. However, the region is 
  somewhat isolated from the rest of France, and people here are 
  more independent than in the remainder of the country. 
  France is one of the major political powers of Mythic 
  Europe, along with the Italian city-states and the Holy Roman 
  Empire. Its people are proud. Some in Myduc Europe say too 
  proud. The French are also independently minded, and have 
  been less inclined than the people of other lands to accept the 
  word of the Pope on religious matters. Their defiance of the 
  Pope has led to several outbreaks of heretical thought in the 
  land, and more than one religious movement, begun in the 
  rural regions of France, has been outlawed by the Church. 
  IntheThirteenth Century,withtheriseoftheAlbigensians, 
  there is talk of a crusade against France. Other nations view the 
  idea with mixed feelings. On the one hand, they would like to 
  capture some of France’s valuable lands for themselves (and the 
  Church, of course). But, they fear that once a crusade is 
  declared against a Christian kingdom, others may occur. 
  French Hjstory 
  It was Viking and, to a lesser extent, Magyar raids which 
  forced the nobles of Charlemagne’s Western Kingdom (which 
  would become France) to consolidate their power. In fact, they 
  had to do so because they could not rely on Imperial or royal 
  aid given the speed at which the raiders struck. Eventually the 
  enjoined nobles took to calling themselves dukes, and soon 
  split the kingdom into nearly autonomous duchies and coun- 
  ties (based on the counties of Charlemagne). Ironically, though, 
  the independent nobles fought each other as much as they 
  fought the raiders. 
  A series of weak kings only exacerbated the decline of the 
  Empire’s Western Kingdom. The monarchs preferred to pay 
  raiders to stay away from royal holdings around Paris and 
  Orleans than to risk battle with a numerically smaller foe. In 
  A.D. 911 King Charles the Simple put an end to Viking raids, 
  but at the expense of his kingdom. He gave the Duchy of 
  Normandy to Rollo, a Viking leader who had already seized the 
  free of Viking raids, but ruled it as a Dane, not a lord of the 
  Empire. 
  Compromises with the Vikings could not end all the 
  kingdom’s invasion problems, though. Along the Mediterra- 
  nean coast, Muslim attackers from Cossura and north Africa 
  raided freely, establishing the kingdom of Fraxinetum after 
  sacking that city. 
  In 987 the French King Louis V died without heirs, and the 
  nobles elected Hugh Capet to the throne. The first four 
  Capetian kings carried the title of King, but in reality only ruled 
  crown lands, with no influence over dukes and counts. Indeed, 
  the dukes and counts were so independent of the King’s law 
  that William, Duke of Normandy, successfully invaded En- 
  gland on his own. However, the Conqueror only created 
  problems for both his successors and the French King, for while 
  he held Normandy in fief from the French King, William held 
  England as an autonomous kingdom. The resulting struggle 
  between French and English kings continues into the Thir- 
  teenth Century. 
  After generations of noble defiance of the throne, Louis VI 
  the Fat became King in 1108, determined that a strong hand 
  was necessary to control the nobles. With the aid of the 
  Church, he subjugated the unruly nobles. Louis also estab- 
  lished requirements for the investiture of abbots and bishops, 
  and established many monasteries. 
  However, sense of France as a kingdom rather than a 
  region only began with the First Crusade, in which the French 
  took pride in themselves as a nation rather than district. 
  Unfortunately, the Second Crusade initiated several disasters 
  for King Louis VII, undermining French nationalist cod- 
  dence. Louis left for the Holy Land with not only his army, but 
  his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine and her ladies in waiting, who 
  rode bare-breasted in the manner of Amazon warriors. In 
  Louis’s absence the country was ruled by Abbot Suger of St. 
  Denis, who levied a direct tax on all Frenchmen to support the 
  Crusade. The Crusade was therefore unpopular and endan- 
  gered the King’s influence and power. 
  Disasters continued when huis divorced Eleanor in 1 152. 
  She then married Henry, Duke of Normandy and Brittany, and 
  Count of Anjou, Maine and Poitiers. Henry thus inherited the 
  KingdomofEnglandin 1154,asHenryII. So,inHenryII,Louis 
  now faced a state larger than France, a state which controlled 
  nearly the entire Atlantic coast of the region. 
  THIRTEENTH 
  CENTURY
  French glory is only restored by the French King Philip I1 
  Augustus. The ties of feudal allegiance under the King are 
  stretched nearly to the breaking point, but Philip uses revolts 
  by the English King Henry‘s sons to regain many continental 
  lands held by the English kings. In A.D. 1202 Philip declares 
  John of England deposed of all his lands taken from the French 
  crown. And, to hold these lands, Philip resists a combined army 
  of English and Germans at the battle of Bouvines in 1214. 
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  Toulouse leads to the sending of Papal legates to preach against 
  the heretics in 1205. The murder of legate Peter of Castlenau 
  by a knight of the County of Toulouse in 1208 leads the Pope 
  to call a crusade against the Albigensians. 
  King Philip Augustus is busy contending with John at the 
  time, but allows knights and lords to join the Crusade. In 1209 
  an army assembles at Lyon, led by Simon de Montfort, an 
  Anglo-Norman knight, perhaps the best leader in the west at 
  the time. The crusaders attack the counties of southern France, 
  capturing city after city, looting and pillaging. 
  In 1213 the King of Aragon crosses the Pyrenees to protect 
  his lands of Foix and Beziers, but is killed at the battle of Muret. 
  Simon de Montfort is granted the lands of Narbonne and 
  Toulouse, but the city of Toulouse rebels, led by Raymond VII, 
  son of the Count of Toulouse. Simon himself is killed besieging 
  the city, and King Philip takes the field, but also fails to take the 
  city. 
  Philip dies in 1223, and Raymond leads a coalition of 
  southern lords against Queen Blanche, regent of the young 
  Louis VIII. The league is defeated, though, and Raymond signs 
  the treaty of Paris in 1229, which cedes much of his land to the 
  crown. The remainder of Raymond’s land goes to his daughter 
  Joanna, until her death in 1271, when it also reverts to the 
  crown. 
  I ,I. I \ 
  After the Albigensian Crusade and the consolidation of 
  reclaimed lands, the reign of Philip IV the Fair sees a consider- 
  able increase in power and wealth compared to the reigns of 
  previous kings. Philip establishes a royal treasury, and instead 
  of demanding traditional military service of his vassals, re- 
  quires payment of scutage (Latin for “shield tax’’) by nobles. 
  Thus, the King’s coffers are filled to fund wars, and the King is 
  able to keep an army in the field longer than forty days, which 
  was an obligation of the old feudal, military service. 
  In the Thirteenth Century French order is also finally 
  established with the English. In the north, the Peace of Paris, 
  in 1259, makes English King Henry 111 give up Normandy, 
  Maine, Anjou, and Poitiers, and pay feudal obligations for 
  Guyenne (Aquitaine). Thus, France regains many territories 
  lost for years to the English. 
  FRENCH 
  PEOPLE 
  The population of France is diverse in origin and by region, 
  with German, Frankish, Italian, Breton, and Norman folk 
  either mixed or in their distinct duchies and counties. Indeed, 
  France is divided into seven main provinces: the Duchies of 
  Aquitaine, Burgundy, and Normandy; and the Counties of 
  Anjou, Champagne, Flanders, and Toulouse. The great lords 
  of these lands act with royal prerogative, minting coins, levying 
  taxes, and making war. In the Thirteenth Century, however, 
  the French King has increasing power over dukes and counts. 
  Once a small seaport serving a Roman legionary camp, 
  Agde has quietly spent the intervening centuries basking in the 
  sun and watching the world go by. 
  The city boasts a modest arena, which local knights use for 
  their tournaments. In A.D. 1200 the Count of Toulouse hosts 
  a tournament where his knights dress as Roman soldiers, while 
  visiting knights take the part of barbarian Germans. Several 
  pitched battles are held in the arena, with blunted weapons. 
  Several injuries and deaths also occur, but everyone involved 
  agrees the spectacle is a welcome change from ordinary tourna- 
  ments. Feasts during the tournaments are served by “Vestal 
  Virgins,” local ladies who dress in provocative and revealing 
  dresses. 
  However, Agde’s liberal and luxuriant lifestyle changes 
  with the declaration of the Crusade against the Albigensians. 
  Jean de Moissac, a Dominican friar, comes to town preaching 
  the Crusade. Jean is actually an Inquisitor, charged with 
  finding and destroying the heresy. 
  Jean’s methods provoke the citizens to complain to the 
  Bishop of Narbonne. Jean de Moissac and the Abbey of St. Giles 
  make considerable money from the confi’ication of heretics’ 
  property. They are given large grants of land and money by 
  landholders who hold land adjacent to that of “heretics.” It is 
  these landholders who end up owning lands after heresy trials. 
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  Antwerp 
  The name Antwerp dates back to the earliest days of the 
  city, when a giant lived in the river Schelde, and cut off the 
  hands of ship captains who refused to pay his toll. The giant 
  would then throw the severed hands into the river. Sir Giullio, 
  a descendent of Julius Caesar and a knight of renown, fought 
  the giant and killed it, taking its head to the French King as 
  proof of his might. For his deed the knight was granted the land 
  where the two fought, and the knight founded a city, naming 
  it Antwerpen, meaning Thrown Hand. 
  Antwerp has always been a seaport, but has also always 
  been eclipsed by surrounding cities with better harbors, espe- 
  cially Brugge. The burghers of Antwerp claim the tidal wave 
  that gave Brugge its harbor in A.D. 1134 was the work of the 
  Devil, punishing Antwerp for its pride and prosperity. Many 
  citizens ofAntwerp hold to this opinion, or a related one, which 
  states the tidal wave was created by a band of sorcerers working 
  for the council of Brugge. Some rumors tell of deals made 
  between the burghers of Antwerp and a nearby Covenant, for 
  a similar “natural” accident to happen in Antwerp. 
  Arks 
  The major features of Arles are its amphitheater and arena, 
  both dating back to the days of the Romans. Each structure can 
  hold the entire population of the city, and they are often used 
  for public demonstrations. The Archbishop of Arles holds 
  sunrise senrice in the amphitheater on Easter, timing his service 
  so that, at the moment in the Mass when he elevates the host 
  and wine, the rising sun strikes the chalice. 
  Even the Romans were not able to permanently bridge the 
  Rhone at Arles. A stone bridge has recently been built, but not 
  without tragedy. The western tower of the bridge collapsed 
  during construction, killing a dozen workers and maiming a 
  number more. The tower could not be reconstructed until the 
  Archbishop blessed the platform. Witnesses claim that, when 
  the platform was blessed, a black cloud flew out of the founda- 
  tion and a great wailing was heard. It is known that the 
  Archbishop’s hair turned snow-white soon after. The citizens 
  say a demon had taken up residence in the river after a massacre 
  during Roman times, feeding on the souls of pagans who had 
  beenkilledanddumpedinto thewater. Itisbelievedthedemon 
  caused all bridges to fail after his residence, until exorcised by 
  the Archbishop. 
  Bordeaux 
  The capital of the Bordelaise, one of the finest wine- 
  growing regions in France, Bordeaux ships wine primarily to 
  the English port of London. 
  The Archbishop of Bordeaux holds much power over the 
  surrounding country, because of the marriage of Louis VI1 to 
  Eleanor of Aquitaine. Louis VI, then King of France, gave up 
  any sovereignty over the Archbishop ofBordeaux, then Geoffery 
  du Lauroux, for the Archbikhop’s support of the marriage. As 
  a result, Geoffery claimed to hold the land as an ecclesiastical 
  Count, and ruled the Bordelaise as a secular lord. Later, John 
  Lackland, King of England, put Aquitaine into the keeping of 
  Archbishop Helie de Malmort, who held the Duchy as a fief 
  from the English King. De Malmoflwas able to keep Aquitaine 
  within the English realm by a combination of hplomacy, force 
  of arms, and the threat of Church displeasure. 
  Drest 
  Brest boasts one of the finest natural harbors in all of 
  Myhc Europe. The city‘s position on the peninsula of Brittany 
  allows its sailors to fare both the Bay of Biscay and the English 
  Channel. 
  The tides in the Bay of Biscay are so fierce that the shock 
  of waves hitting rocks on the beach can be felt up to twenty 
  miles inland. The land around Brest is harsh, and barely able 
  to support crops, so the natural inclination of the men of Brest 
  is to take to the sea. 
  Thesailors ofBrestwarn ofdangers inland, where the wind 
  howls over the craggy peaks of the peninsula. The Bretons fear 
  not only the spirits, ghosts, and faeries of the area, but also 
  dislike the imposition of laws levied by inland dukes. The 
  Bretons left Britain during the Anglo-Saxon invasions, settling 
  in Brittany (Little Britain) to get away from “foreigners.” The 
  dukes of Brittany are viewed by the Bretons in much the same 
  way as the Bretons viewed the Anglo-Saxons. 
  Bruggewasasmall t0wninFlandersuntilA.D. 1134,when 
  a great tidal wave changed the Zwyn estuary into a gulf of the 
  North Sea. After 1134, Brugge became the greatest port of 
  Flanders, granting many tax immunities and trading privileges 
  to merchants. These incentives attract merchants from all over 
  Myhc Europe, even in the Thirteenth Century. Other cities in 
  Flanders have made appeals to the Church to investigate the 
  unnatural flood of 1134, which they claim was conjured by the 
  Devil or sorcerers. The Church looked into the matter in 1159, 
  and was satisfied that the tidal wave was an act of God, with no 
  diabolic influence. 
  Brugge is the westemmost member of the Hanseatic 
  League, and deals largely with France and Britain. While not 
  as large as Ghent, Brugge is one of the richest cities in Flanders, 
  and its citizens like to @lay their wealth. The citizens of 
  Brugge, especially the burghers’wives, wear expensive furs and 
  fabrics, embroidered with silk threads and gems. The Count of 
  Flanders has issued many proclamations against wearing os- 
  tentatious garments, but the burghers ignore the decrees, 
  paying fines to display their finexy. 
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  Brussels is nominally the capital of the Duchy of Brabant, 
  but maintains itself as an independent city, allying itself with 
  other towns of Flanders. Brussels rebelled against its lord, the 
  Duke of Brabant, in A.D. 1194, and declared itself a free 
  commune. The Duke attempts to recover the city in 1201, but 
  the burghers of the city, with the help of other cities of Flanders, 
  defeat the Duke, forcing him to accept the city's independence. 
  Gudule, a maiden of Brussels, fought the Devil in 1146. 
  The Devil had lured many prominent burghers into worship 
  ping Him, and the burghers began dabbling in magic, held 
  Black Masses, and attempted to murder the Duke by diabolic 
  means. 
  Gudule, daughter of one of the burghers, followed her 
  father to one of the Black Masses, and when the Devil appeared 
  she broke out in fervent prayer. The Devil instructed the girl's 
  father to kill her, but the vision of his daughter broke his heart, 
  and the man died. The Devil then attempted to fiightened the 
  girl, and when that failed He attempted to seduce her with 
  visions of jewels and gold. Through it all Gudule persisted in 
  her prayer, finally driving the Devil away with her piety. The 
  remaining burghers fled the church and threw themselves on 
  the mercy of the Bishop, pleading for forgiveness. 
  Gudulediesin 1215,andiscanonizedin 1218. Acathedral 
  to St. Gudule and St. Michael is begun on the site of the church 
  where Gudule chased the Devil away. 
  Caen 
  The beloved city of William the Conqueror, Caen was his 
  capital while still only Duke of Normandy, and he visited it 
  often after his conquest of England in A.D. 1066. 
  Caen was the recipient of a substantial penance which 
  William paid, for manying his cousin Matilda of Flanders. To 
  account for his sin William was instructed by the Bishop of 
  Caen to construct an abbey and a convent, The Abbey aux 
  Hommes and the Abbey Aux Dames, and to build four hospi- 
  tals. 
  Caen remains in English hands until it is lost to the French 
  during the reign of English King John. The people of Caen are 
  devoutly loyal to their Duke. The events of 1204, when 
  Normandy is conquered by the French, is hard on Caen, for it 
  must hold out against French invaders for several months and 
  does. However, once French King Philip Augustus appoints 
  William of Touraine as Duke of Normandy, the people of Caen 
  resume a normal life, loyal to their new Duke. 
  Duke Robert I of Burgundy made Dijon his capital in A.D. 
  1051, and it remains the capital of Burgundy into the Thir- 
  teenth Century. 
  In 1137 an accusation of witchcraft against a number of 
  Jews in the city ignited a week-long riot, which ended when a 
  number of fires broke out and burned the majority of the city 
  to the ground. Duke Hugues 11 rebuilt the city and circled it 
  with walls. 
  Jews are now forbidden inside the city, and a special ofice 
  of the Bishop of Dijon remains vigilant for suspected Jews, 
  witches, and sorcerers. The Inquisition is requested to examine 
  the city in 1207, and remains afterward. The population of the 
  city lives in fear of the Church, as do people fear their neighbors, 
  never knowing when they may be turned over to one of the two 
  Church courts by avaricious or jealous citizens. 
  paxrnetum 
  The city of Fraxinetum was founded by pirates from the 
  island of Cossura, and is a pirate base and hazard to all shipping 
  from Sicily to Spain. Located at the end of a rocky headland, 
  Fraxinetum is secure from attack by land, and its fleet protects 
  itbysea. ThepiratesclaimastheirownaUwatersfromItalyand 
  Sicily to the Pillars of Hercules. No country has yet had the 
  courage to beard these pirates in their lair, though numerous 
  protests have been made to the Duke of Burgundy, in whose 
  territory Fraxinetum lies. 
  Anythmg can be had in Fraxinetum for a price, though its 
  captains prefer not to travel east of Italy. The pirates are paid 
  a heavy ransom by port cities and towns along the coast to 
  prevent raids on ships entering or leaving those ports, and to 
  preserve cities from harm. 
  Thibaut One-Leg claims to be King of Fraxinetum, and 
  leads the pirates. He lost his leg in a raid on Rome itself, a raid 
  whichwasrepulsedbytheRomans. OnhisreturntoFrardnetum, 
  Thibaut declared the pirate city off-limits to all members of the 
  Church, throwing a number of missionary Dominican friars 
  into the harbor. The Archbishop of Arles has petitioned the 
  Pope to call a crusade against Fraxinetum, claiming the city has 
  forsaken the word of Christ, thus removing itself from the 
  Christian community. 
  Gbent 
  Ghent is the largest city in Flanders, and one of the 
  wealthiest in Myhc Europe. Its wealth comes from its wool 
  trade with England, and from the cloth it makes with that wool. 
  Because of its size, and the crossing of trade routes in Flanders, 
  Ghent is a major center of Mythlc European trade, and all major . 
  Italian banking families have ofices here. 
  The burghers of Ghent consider themselves independent 
  of the Count of Flanders, though he does not agree. No blood 
  has been spilt over the issue, but tensions between lord and 
  burghers are always high. The burghers of Ghent have begun 
  approaching other Flemish cities with the idea of forming the 
  League of finders, based on the Lombard and Hanseatic 
  Leagues. The proposed League would protect member cities, 
  and allow free travel and trade for League members in all cities 
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  of the League. Negotiations have been kept secret, as neither 
  the Count of Flanders nor the Hanseatic League would be 
  happy to hear of the new organization. 
  La f+ocbelle 
  Located ona high hill adjacent to a fine harbor, La Rochelle 
  has never fallen to siege. The city was part of Eleanor of 
  Aquitaine’s heritage, and became an English possession in A.D. 
  1154 when she became Queen of England. 
  La Rochelle suffered a number of sieges during the wars 
  between the English Henry I1 and his sons, and again when 
  Philip I1 Augustus of France retakes French territory from King 
  John. Ultimately, the city surrenders to the French in 1224, 
  throwing out its English lords (the populace was enraged with 
  the lords when they held a horse race through the middle of the 
  city the year before, running down men and women who got in 
  their way. A dozen nobles took part in the race, and twenty-five 
  citizens were injured or killed by the horses). 
  The mariners of La Rochelle are known for their bravery, 
  daring the storms of the Bay of Biscay to catch their fish, or to 
  smuggle wine to the port of Exeter in England, bypassing royal 
  tariffs in London. Many people also cross the English Channel 
  in smugglers’ ships, be they exiled English nobles returning to 
  foment rebellion, or people fleeing England one step ahead of 
  the King’s soldiers. As much as a quarter of La Rochelle’s 
  fEhermen are willing to thumb their noses at the English King. 
  The land surrounding the city of Le Puy abounds with 
  rocky spires, great upthrusting needles of rock. It is also a 
  . major gathering point for pilgrims to the Southern shrines, in 
  part based on a tradition started in the Tenth Century by the 
  Bishop of Le Puy, who led two hundred monks on a pilgrimage 
  tosantiago. 
  - 
  The chapel of St. Michel d’Aiguilhe (St. Michel on the 
  Needle) is built atop one of the rocky spires which surround Le 
  Puy, on the site of a former temple of Mercury. The chapel 
  boasts a statue of the Virgin, given to the church by St. Louis 
  after his failed crusade to Egypt in A.D. 1254. The statue has 
  miraculous powers, such that even the Moors of Grana&, in 
  Spain, venerate it. The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, 
  and is a focal point of her cult. 
  The Truce of God was also established in Le Puy. In the 
  year 900, the Bishop of Le Puy called together the nobles of his 
  diocese and preached to them of the sanctity of life. He tried to 
  persuade them to take an oath “To observe the peace, not to 
  piunder theproperty ofthe Church or thepoor, and to restore what 
  they had already taken.” When the barons refused, the Bishop 
  sent a force of armed men to surround them and force them to 
  take the oath under penalty of death. From this event came the 
  Truce of God, which protects widows, orphans and the poor, 
  prohibits fighting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, as well as on 
  All Saints’ Day and religious holidays, and lists conditions 
  under which a war may be considered “just.” The Truce of God 
  is generally ignored by nobles, but many churchmen have been 
  able to stop or containbattles by using the Truce as justification 
  for threats of excommunication. 
  A pilgrimage center second to the major centers of Jerusa- 
  lem, Rome, and Santiago, Limoge attractsmostly Frenchmen to 
  its shrines, which are dedicated to St. Martial, who converted 
  the area of central France to Christianity. 
  Legend has it that Martial was the boy who provided the 
  bread when Jesus performed the miracle of the loaves and 
  fishes. Martial traveled to the Roman province of Gaul, and 
  preached the word of Christ among the Romans and Gauls. He 
  was martyred by the Roman governor of Limoge, and buried in 
  an unmarked grave. 
  The cathedral chapter ofLimogebelieves they find Martial‘s 
  body when excavation begins for the new cathedral in A.D. 
  1245. Thebody is that ofamandressedinRoman-styleclothes, 
  but the body has not decayed over the years. The body is placed 
  in the old cathedral until a suitable reliquary can be con- 
  structed, but it disappears one night. The cathedral chapter 
  offers rewards, both money and remission of sins, to the person 
  who returns the body to the cathedral. For the thieves the 
  chapter promises excommunication and the fires of Hell. 
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  brilliant, enameled metalwork, which the craftsmen of Limoge 
  have perfected. Limoge enamelware is taken to the Champagne 
  Fairs, and is eagerly purchased by all traders. Many monarchs, 
  including the kings of France, England, and Aragon, and the 
  German Emperor, have commissioned pieces of enamelwork 
  for their insignias. The religious enamelwork pieces of Jean 
  Plieu have an unnatural beauty, as if his scenes of the saints are 
  created by angels. Magi who have seen Plieu’s work claim it has 
  suppressed their magic, as if empowered like a Christian relic. 
  The Archbishop of Tours has begun an investigation into Jean’s 
  work, to determine if there are supernatural influences at work. 
  I\lla rseille 
  Marseille is the oldest city in France, founded by the 
  ancient city of Athens when the surrounding territory was 
  populated by savage Gauls. The Romans conquered the city, 
  but it remained a center of Greek culture throughout the 
  Roman era. After the fall of Rome, Marseille was conquered by 
  barbarian tribes, but they soon became civilized under the 
  influence of the city. 
  Marseille has always been a major seaport, supplying 
  Greek traders with a place to sell their wares, and Roman 
  legions with a harbor from which to launch raids against the 
  Gauls. Even during the darkest period following the fall of 
  Rome, ships arrived and departed from Marseille from both 
  eastern and western ports. 
  The merchants of Marseille have a prominent part to play 
  in the Children’s Crusade of A.D. 1212. They promise passage 
  to the Holy Land, but instead sell thousands of children to slave 
  markets in Alexandria. The bad blood generated by this sale of 
  innocents makes Marseille a port shunned by honest mer- 
  chants. As a result, the sailors of Marseille turn to smuggling 
  and sometimes outright piracy to supplement their income. 
  They now have no qualms about selling slaves to the Saracens, 
  and dockside taverns are perhaps the most dangerous places in 
  the city. 
  I\llelusina the Water 
  In the city of Poitiers stands the Castle of Lusignan, the 
  creation of the water faerie, Melusina, for her husband Raymond, 
  Count de la Foret. When Melusina married Raymond, she 
  warned that he must not disturbed her on Saturdays, so that she 
  might have the whole day to herself. After a long and happy 
  marriage, the Count was one day goaded by his son-in-law to 
  observe Melusina at her Saturday bath. He saw that she had a 
  fEh‘s tail where her legs should be. When confronted by the 
  Count, Melusina fled the castle, leaving two children still in the 
  cradle. Melusina’s last words were that she would appear above 
  the castle whenever one of her family was to die. After all of her 
  family had died, she began to herald the death of the King of 
  France, appearing in the highest tower of the castle, clad in a 
  white dress marked with blood. 
  narbonne 
  This seacoast city handles a moderate amount of trade, 
  mostly from coastal traders serving the route between Marseille 
  and Valencia. Numerous small fishing boats fill the harbor. 
  The city walls date back to the age of the Romans, when the 
  colony of Narbonenses was founded. Narbonne was overrun 
  by the Arabs during their expansion north of the Pyrenees, but 
  was recaptured by the Pepin the Short, father of Charlemagne. 
  The atmosphere of the city, like most of the south coast of 
  France, is relaxed, and the citizens do not like the rabble- 
  rousing of the Inquisition. The Archbishop of Narbonne has 
  his hands full with the Cathars, Inquisition, and foreign knights 
  eager to fight the heretics. He must keep order, but tensions 
  between these factions threatens to tear his citp apart. In 
  addition, numerous complaints have come in of a Inquisitor in 
  the city of Agde who seems to have overstepped his authority. 
  The Archbishop is in failing health, and many say he does not 
  have long to live. Before he dies, he would like to resolve at least 
  one of the problems facing his city. 
  Orleans 
  MYTHIC Emom b
  -
   
  Limoge and surrounding towns are famous for their 
  A city even before the time of the Romans, Orleans was 
  captured by Julius Caesar during his conquest of Gaul, and 
  remained in Roman hands until the fall of the Roman Empire. 
  The city withstood the attacks of Attila the Hun, but Clovis, 
  King of the Franks, captured it in the Sixth Century after Christ. 
  The city then became part of the crown lands, and served as the 
  nucleus of the French state during the reign of the early 
  Capetian kings. 
  Orleans is the center of an area renowned for witchcraft, 
  sorcery, and heresy. In A.D. 1022 a number of Manicheanist 
  heretics were burned at the stake, and in the Eleventh and 
  Twelfth Centuries two archbishops and a duke, in addition to 
  uncounted numbers of peasants and knights, were killed by 
  sorcerers burning wax effigies. It is rumored that Church 
  officials on the Archbishop’s own staff are involved in sorcery 
  and worship of the Devil. Inquisitors sent to the city have also 
  been killed by the sorcerers, and the Archbishop has asked the 
  Pope to send a veritable army of Inquisitors and exorcists, and 
  knights from holy orders to guard honest churchmen. 
  Paris 
  Paris is an ancient city, founded by Paris, Prince of Troy, 
  after the Trojan War. When the Romans invaded Gaul under 
  Julius Caesar, they discovered Paris, which they named Lutetia, 
  though they called the inhabitants Parisii. 
  During the Roman era, a temple to Mercury was erected on 
  theheightsoftheMountofMercury,laterknownasMontmartre. 
  The name of the mountain was changed in the Third Century, 
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  when St. Denis, who preached against idolaters, was beheaded 
  on the slopes of the mountain. St. Denis picked up his own 
  severed head, washed it in a fountain, and walked to the site of 
  what would be his resting place, seven miles north of Paris. 
  An abbey was built on the site of Denis's burial, and became 
  the most important holy place in France. St. Denis became the 
  patron saint of France, but the patron of Paris is St. Genevieve, 
  who, through prayer, kept Attila the Hun from the gates of the 
  city. She died soon afterward, but numerous miracles were 
  attributed to her since her death, including the rescue of three 
  young children from a burning builhng. The Church made 
  Genevieve a saint in A.D. 475, legitimizing the cult which had 
  flourished in Paris since her death. 
  The Vikings sacked Paris in 845, sailing up the Seine in 
  their shallow-draft ships. The city was assaulted many times in 
  the years that followed, until King Charles the Simple granted 
  the lands of Normandy to the Vikmg King Roll0 in 91 1. 
  Hugh Capet made Paris the capital of his realm in 987, and 
  it has grown in importance since then. One of the major 
  influences on the growth of Paris has been the cathedral school, 
  which in 1200 is recognized as a university by King Philip 
  Augustus. The university is famous throughout Mythic Eu- 
  rope as the center of theology north of the Alps. 
  Many urban projects are also started or completed by 
  Philip Augustus, including the palace of the Louvre, the 
  Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, and the paving of major 
  streets. Another famoussite, the Abbey ofSt. Denis,istheburial 
  place of the kings of France since Clovis, and contains the 
  Oriflamme, the sacred flag of France, carried into battle by the 
  kings of France since Charlemagne. 
  Paris does not have a direct connection to the sea because 
  the Seine is too shallow to allow deepdraft ships passage so far 
  inland. Instead, shps on the sea stop at Rouen and unload their 
  cargo onto shallower river boats, which continue to Paris. 
  Goods from Paris reverse the routine. 
  portrers 
  Poitiers is the main city of the County of Poitiers, known 
  for its wines which are exported over much of Mythlc Europe. 
  Poitiers represents a point of moderation in the social Mer- 
  ences between northern and Southern France, able to appreci- 
  ate the cultural contributions of southerners, and the govern- 
  ment of the north. Poitiers was part of the lands of Henry I1 of 
  England, and many battles were fought in the County during 
  the rebellions of Henry's sons. Battles are also fought in the area 
  when King Philip Augustus regains fonnerly French territories 
  held by English kings. 
  The city of Poitiers also marks the geographic extent of the. 
  Moorish invasions into Myhc Europe. At Poitiers Charles 
  Martel, KingoftheFrench,smashedtheMoorisharmywiththe 
  help of the young Magus Flambeau, in A.D. 732, driving the 
  Moors back, eventually over the Pyrenees into Spain. 
  P 
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  where a faerie foresees the death of the King of France. 
  The Count of Poitiers hosts a special tournament every five 
  years, wherein knights from all over Mythlc Europe are invited 
  to join. The contests include melee and jousting, but also 
  include contests in the arts of love. The ladies of the court, 
  emulating the court of Eleanor of Aquitaine, judge the knights 
  on their conduct in the events, which are sometimes an- 
  nounced, sometimes secret. Contests of singing or writing 
  poetry might be announced, while a secret contest might test 
  how a knight behaves in the presence of a beautiful woman, or 
  with an accusation of cowardice. 
  At the end of the tournament, the three knights judged 
  most romantic are awarded silk scarves decorated with hearts. 
  The three knights judged most chivalrous are awarded scarves 
  decorated with lions. And, the three knights judged for their 
  fighting prowess are awarded swords decorated with eagles. 
  These knights are also invited to join orders of knighthood 
  befitting their awards the Order of Knights of the Heart, the 
  Lion, or the Eagle. 
  Members of each order are expected to show in their daily 
  life and speech the qualities for which the order stands. The 
  masters of the ordm are women of the court of Poitiers, and 
  may dismiss knights for failing to uphold the virtues of their 
  orders. No one has yet won knighthood in all three orders, 
  though there are a number of knights of two orders. 
  Rouen 
  Rouen is the capital of the Duchy of Normandy, and was 
  Richard the Lionheart’s favorite city. When Richard was 
  imprisoned by German Emperor Henry IV, the cathedral of 
  Rouen sold all its treasures to aid in his ransom. On Richard’s 
  release he endowed the cathedral with a number of fiefs in the 
  local area. At his death, Richard bequeathed his heart to the 
  cathedral, where it is kept in a jeweled reliquary. 
  Rouen also serves as the port for Paris, as deepdraft vessels 
  may not proceed up the Seine given to its shallow bottom. 
  Cargo is transshipped here to shallow river boats, which then 
  proceed to Paris. This transshipment offers a prime opportu- 
  nity for thieves to make off with parts of cargo, so the guard 
  around the docks is extremely heavy. 
  ‘Coulouse 
  Founded by the Romans as a vacation spot in the gentle 
  climate of Provence, Toulouse was ravaged many times by 
  Germanic tribes which flooded into the area after the fall of the 
  western Roman Empire. The city was even captured by Muslim 
  invaders from Spain in A.D. 725, who were forced out of the 
  country by Charles Martel and his successors. The Muslim 
  presence gave Toulouse an appreciation for the gentler arts of 
  poetry and music, though, and planted the seed for the flower- 
  ing of the gentle courts of the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. 
  The Counts of Toulouse share in their subjects’ love of 
  romance and poetry, and are patrons of the arts, encouraging 
  troubadours and free-thinkers. This tolerance is sorely tested 
  by the Church’s response to the Albigensian heresy. Count 
  Raymond VI of Toulouse, and many of the nobles of the 
  County, support the Cathar Perfecti, giving them shelter in 
  towns, cities, and castles. The Pope’slegates, Peter of Castlenau 
  and Arnold-Almric, lay Raymond’s lands under interdict and 
  excommunicate him for his support of the heretics, and for his 
  refusal to fight the heresy. 
  The Count yields to this pressure, but the 1208 murder of 
  Peter of Castlenau by one of the Count‘s knights sparks the war 
  which the nobility of the north want, giving them an excuse to 
  invade the south, fighting more for land and booty than for the 
  Church. Count Raymond takes the field against the northern 
  crusaders, but is dispossessed by Simon de Montfort, the leader 
  of the crusaders. Toulouse is then given to Simon, but the city 
  revolts against him in 1218, and he is killed during the siege to 
  retake the city. 
  Raymond VII, the popular son of Raymond VI, is able to 
  take the city from Amaury, son of Simon de Montfort, and to 
  defend it against King Louis of France. In fact, Raymond joins 
  a rebellion against Queen Blanche of France, but shares in its 
  defeat; the County and city of Toulouse are ravaged. The 
  culture of southern France never recovers; Toulouse is savaged 
  so badly that its artistic culture dies. 
  On the death of Raymond’s daughter the city and County 
  are passed to the crown. The city is then held for the King by 
  Baron Guilleme de Belvoir, a noble from Champagne. 
  Tours 
  Tours is a pilgrimage site of shrines to St. Martin, who 
  established the first monastery in France, and was named 
  Archbishop of Tours. He never truly relished being Arch- 
  bishop, preferring to live among monks, but pursued his duties 
  with devotion. Martin preached to the pagans and destroyed 
  their temples. Three times his life was threatened by pagan 
  lords wishing to rid themselves of his preaching, but each time 
  his life was saved by a pure white hart, which died in his place. 
  St. Martin is a patron saint of France, and the Archbishop of 
  Tours is the primate of the Church of France. 
  Tours was part of the English possession under kings 
  Henry 11, Richard, and John, but is recaptured by the French in 
  A.D. 1204, when the city delivers itself from the grip of the 
  English. 
  The citizens free themselves from the English when the 
  Archbishop preaches in the city‘s cathedral on Easter day, 1204. 
  He says St. Martin has come to him in a dream, telling him that 
  King Philip Augustus is beloved of God and rightful master of 
  the city. The Archbishop leads the populace to the local English 
  castle, where they demand the surrender of the English gam- 
  son. The garrison laughs at the townspeople, but one blow of 
  the Bishop’s crosier shivers the gates of the castle and the crowd 
  pours in, overwhelming the English knights. 
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  After the city is taken the inhabitants send messengers to 
  King Philip, urging him to make all haste to the city, which is 
  threatenedby barons friendly to the English. The French army 
  arrives in time to beat the English forces back from the walls, 
  where they had begun besieging the city. King Philip then 
  celebrates Mass in the cathedral, the first French king to do so 
  in fifty years. 
  Vclnnes 
  7
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  i
   
  CHAPTER SEVEN 
  English and French crowns has not concerned the populace, 
  who farm the land and fish the sea as their ancestors did for 
  hundreds of years. 
  Not far outside Vannes are the standing stones at Carnac, 
  a collection of thousands of monoliths laid out in rows, 
  stretching for miles. Local legend has it that these stones are all 
  that is left of an army which was turned to stone while pursuing 
  a powerful wizard. What army the soldiers belonged to has 
  long been forgotten, though some say it was a Roman army 
  pursuing a druid. Others claim it was a French army pursuing 
  Merlin. The locals warn that on specific nights of the year the 
  stones come to life and perform military maneuvers. Travelers 
  should beware on these nights, for the stone soldiers rush back 
  Vannes is nominally the capital of the Duchy of Brittany, 
  but its inhabitants prefer that their Duke would never visit. All 
  Bretons are independence-minded, and prefer to be left alone 
  by the French and English. The passing of Brittany between the to their former positions at-the first cockcrow, crushing anyone ; 
  in their path. 
  1 
  I I: 
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  he Empire of rhe Romans, sometimes known as 
  the Roman- 
  Empire but more often as 
  the Holy Roman Empire, is the largest single 
  nationinMythlcEurope. Stretchmgacn>sscen- 
  t n l  Myhc Europe, the Empire extends from the eastern edge of 
  F~etothe~domsofPolandand~y,andfromtheBaltic 
  Sea south to the Alp. 
  From the south, the first thing encountered by a traveler in 
  the Empire is the treacherous Alps. These mountains are the 
  highest in Mythic Europe, with some peaks exceeding 15,000 
  feet. The western Alps are the steepest, consisting of precipi- 
  tous cliffs and high peaks, with few passes cutting through 
  sharp, narrow valleys which wind their way nearly parallel to 
  the run of the mountain range. The eastern Alps are lower, 
  although still often over 10,000 feet in altitude, with terraced 
  slopes and wider valleys which provide more opportunity to 
  pass through the range. 
  The upper slopes of the Alps are covered with pine forests, 
  particularly on the northern side. The mid-slopes and sur- 
  rounding lands are covered by gravel plains with poor soil, 
  suitable only for producing barley, oats, and other feed grains. 
  The mid-slopes of the Alps support many cattle, which thrive 
  on the wild grasses that grow in the gravel plains. These plains 
  run out to the Danube River and the city of Ulm. 
  Beyond the gravel plains of the alpine foreland lie the 
  central uplands of the Empire. This hilly land is covered with 
  rolling, forested hills, granite massifs, and \iolcanic flows. It is 
  a very fertile region, home to the great Black Forest and the 
  famous Upper Tthine Valley. The central uplands get consider- 
  able rain and snow throughout the year. 
  The uplands persist over much of the central Empire. Only 
  in the north do they cease, to be replaced by the German 
  Lowlands. These lowlands are primarily tidal flats, marshes, 
  and bogs. Inhabited areas (particularly in the west) must be 
  protected from the sea by dikes. To the east, the lands rise 
  slowly, becoming hilly meadows at the lowlands' easternmost 
  extent. However, even in the east these lands are far lower and 
  flatter than anywhere in the uplands. 
  The Empire also envelops the kingdom of Bohemia, a 
  mountain-surrounded region containing a central basin. The 
  mountains of Bohemia are wooded and steep, with few peaks 
  over 4,000 feet. Bohemia is a subject nation to the Empire, but 
  retains some political independence. Emperor Frederick I 
  Barbarossa attempted several times to undermine the Piemysl 
  dynasty, which rules Bohemia through political manipulation. 
  Frederick's subversive attempts included an effort to remove 
  the Bishop of Prague (a member of the Piemysl family) from 
  authority in A.D. 1187, but the Piemysl family survives. Ten- 
  sions have eased between the Piemysl family and the Emperor 
  since Frederick I's death. 
  The eastern frontier of the Empire is divided into a series 
  of marches to protect the Empire from the nomads of eastern 
  Mythlc Europe. The people of these marches are slowly 
  ' 
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  pressing the Empire’s borders to the south and east. As a result, 
  tensions are rising on borders shared with Poland and Hun- 
  kPry. 
  The Empire of the Romans is ruled by the Hapsburg 
  dynasty. The Hapsburg emperors are currently struggling with 
  Papist forces to determine whether the Emperor or the Pope 
  shall be the temporal leader of Christendom. The outcome of 
  the struggle is still in doubt, but the the struggle has drawn the 
  emperors’ attention away from Imperial matters. The Empire 
  is suffering as a result. While few in the country openly 
  complain about neglect, the signs of that neglect - 
  crumbling 
  roads, poverty, and misery - 
  are everywhere. 
  And, while the Empire is the largest and most militarily 
  powerful country in Mythic Europe, it is not the wealthiest. 
  The Empire lacks a seaport on the Mediterranean, so is left out 
  of the burgeoning sea trade, which is the backbone of Italian 
  and French wealth. 
  empire (German? 
  History 
  The Eastern Kingdom of the Roman Empire, soon known 
  as Germany, was at an early age assailed by Viking raiders from 
  the north, and by Magyars from Hungary. Local rulers, not able 
  to rely on Imperial aid, soon developed their own armies for 
  defense, amending Carolingian laws requiring armed men to 
  rally to their counts. With increased local power, the great 
  nobles of the Eastern Kingdom soon assumed the titles of dukes 
  (from the Latin dux, meaning leader), and became virtually 
  autonomous of Imperial rule. 
  The death of Emperor Louis the Child in A.D. 911 gave 
  eastern dukes a chance at partial control of the Imperial title. 
  The dukes and the Empire’s archbishops claimed sole authority 
  in choice of the new Emperor, setting a precedent of ascension 
  which is preserved even in the Thirteenth Century. 
  The electing council was eventually reduced to seven: the 
  Dukes of Saxony and Bavaria, Count Palatinate, Margrave of 
  Brandenberg, and the Archbishops of Cologne, Maim, and 
  Trier. These Electors selected, and still select, a new Emperor 
  by simple majority vote. Even in the Thirteenth Century the 
  Electors are very powerful, as prospective emperors must win 
  their favor. Strong Imperial candidates are able to impose their 
  will on the Electors, while weak would-be emperors are pow- 
  erless before the great lords. Occasionally the Electors, who 
  choose the Emperor, and the Pope, who crowns him, disagree 
  on a candidate. At such an impasse the Empire is ruled by an 
  uncrowned monarch. 
  Otto I the Great became King of Germany, and therefore 
  Emperor, at age 24, and set to work on laying the foundations 
  for the Empire’s future. Early is his career he discovered and put 
  down a rebellion, forgiving his brother Henry who had been 
  part of the uprising. Otto also dispensed duchies to his 
  followers, assuring himself support from the important nobles 
  of his realm. And,”he consolidated the kingdom with the help 
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  82108
  Henry IV was crowned Emperor at the age of four, and was 
  of the Church, but kept the Empire only loosely affiliated with 
  the Pope, as Otto, instead of the Pope, invested bishops and 
  archbishops with their sees. 
  Otto also expanded his realm. On the urgings of his 
  bishops Otto attacked the pagan Wends on the east side of the 
  Elbe river. He conquered their lands, but was unable to convert 
  them. Furthermore, he compelled the Dukes of Poland and 
  Bohemia, and the King of Denmark, to accept his overlordship. 
  And, in 948 Otto invaded Italy. After a number of campaigns, 
  Otto added northern Italy, including Rome, to his Empire. 
  With the addition of Rome Otto changed the name of the 
  Empire, declaring that he no longer ruled the Roman Empire 
  of the West, but the Holy Roman Empire. To insure the 
  succession of the title, Otto had his son crowned Emperor Otto 
  11. 
  Otto I diedin 973 and was succeeded by his son, who spent 
  his reign trying to add southern Italy to the Empire’s lands, but 
  died in the attempt. Hisson, crowned Otto 111, succeeded to the 
  throne at the age of three, with his grandmother Adelaide and 
  mother Theophano as Regents. Otto 111 started to rule in his 
  own name by 996, at the age of sixteen, with Gerbert of Aurillac 
  as one of his chief advisors. Otto III’s great ambition was to 
  move his capital to Rome, and to unite all of Christendom 
  under the leadership of the Emperor and Pope. The Roman 
  citizens resisted his efforts, though, establishing a Roman 
  republic, which Otto quickly suppressed. Eventually Otto had 
  Gerbert elevated to the Papacy in 999 as Sylvester 11, but was 
  unable to realize his dream of uniting Christendom. 
  Following kings of Germany attempted to strengthen 
  Imperial authority, but withmixedsuccess. Henry I1 attempted 
  to add Poland to the Empire, battling Boleslav Chrobry, with 
  inconclusive results. By the terms of the Peace of Bautzen in 
  1018, Poland remained independent, but held a number of 
  lands as Imperial fiefs. Henry I1 also made several forays into 
  Italy, keeping the Byzantines in southern Italy from advancing 
  up the peninsula. 
  Conrad I1 lost territory to the Danes and Hungarians, but 
  gained back the fiefs held by Poland. He also gave in to German 
  dukes’ demands that their fiefs be made inalienable and heredi- 
  tary, undermining the Emperor’s power. Regardless of his 
  weaknesses, Conrad II’s greatest act was to add the kingdom of 
  Arelat (Burgundy) to the Empire in 1033, securing important 
  passes over the Alps and cementing connections to Imperial 
  Italy. Ultimately, Conrad was defeated by the cities of Lom- 
  bardy in 1038, and the city of Milan captured his coach, banners 
  and other symbols. Conrad therefore lost the throne in 
  disgrace. 
  In his turn, Emperor Henry I11 subjugated Hungary and 
  Bohemia, making them Imperial fiefs. He also removed a 
  number of archbishops from their sees, and eliminated much 
  of Italian archbishop’s influence in choosing the Pope. Henry 
  also divided the Duchy of Lorraine, creating Upper Lorraine 
  from the Duchy’s southern regions. 
  six when his father, Henry 111 died in 1056. Henry’s mother and 
  two archbishops acted as Regents, until the boy was declared of 
  age in 1065 at the age of fifteen. 
  The papacy of Henry IVs time was hostile, and his nobles 
  were anxious to increase their own power, that which was 
  stripped by Henry 111. Henry IVs youth and inexperience led 
  him to believe in the absolute power of the monarchy, and he 
  was soon in contention with most of the powerful dukes and 
  counts of his realm. 
  To undermine Henry’s power, Pope Gregory VI1 issued the 
  Bull Dictatus Papae in 1075, which forbade the investiture of 
  bishops and abbots by secular rulers. Secular appointment had 
  been a royal prerogative since before the time of Charlemagne. 
  The struggle that followed, known as the Investiture Contro- 
  versy, lasted long after the death of the two principals. During 
  the contest Henry was deposed by Pope Gregory when he 
  refused to acknowledge the Bull. Henry replied by calling a 
  synod of German and Lombard bishops, who declared Gregory 
  deposed on the grounds that he had exceeded his rightful 
  powers. Gregory finally proved the victor in the battle of wills, 
  keeping his seat against the Emperor. Henry surrendered to the 
  Pope’s will at Canossa, a castle in the Alps. However, the Pope 
  only absolved Henry after Henry spent three days barefoot in 
  the snow outside the gates of the castle. 
  After making peace with the Pope, Henry sped back to 
  Germany to deal with dukes who had rebelled during his 
  excommunication. Unfortunately the dukes deposed Henry 
  and elected Rudolf of Saxony as King. Henry fought the dukes 
  and the Anti-King, but was again deposed and excommuni- 
  cated by the Pope. Henry responded by deposing Gregory, and 
  elected Clement 111, known as the Anti-Pope. A series of battles 
  thereby began in Italy, with Henry supported financially by 
  Emperor Alexius Comnenus of Byzantium, and Gregory by 
  Robert Guiscard, the Norman King of Naples. 
  The sack of Rome by Robert in 1084 disillusioned the 
  Italians, who tried to protect Pope Gregory against the 
  duplicitous Norman. Robert took Gregory and much of the 
  college of cardinals into his domains, where Gregory died in 
  1085. The cardinals elected a series of Popes in Naples, 
  protected by Robert, while Henry IVs Clement held Rome, 
  protected by the Emperor. The kings of Europe declared their 
  support for the Emperor or Papacy by choosing to obey one 
  Pope or the other. 
  In the meantime, Henry returned to Germany where he 
  put down another rebellion (except, that is, in Bavaria, where 
  the powerful Welf family held power). The. First Crusade, 
  called by Pope Urban I1 in 1095, took many needed troops from 
  all sides in the rebellion, but did not stop the civil wars in 
  Germany. 
  To aid their cause, Germany’s nobility elected Henry‘s 
  second son, also called Henry, as Emperor. Henry V joined the 
  rebellious dukes and captured his father, though Henry IV 
  managed to escape. To regain his throne Henry IV led an army 
  against his son, defeatinghimin 1106. Fatefully, Henry IV died 
  the same year, worn out by his struggles. As a final insult to the 
  Y 
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  Christian burial, claiming he had died excommunicate. But, 
  the people of Liege defied the Pope and the King of Germany, 
  giving Henry a Christian burial in their cathedral. 
  Henry V, once he became sole King of Germany, found 
  that his father’s enemies now turned against him, and he fought 
  the same battles his father had. Pope Paschal I1 refused to 
  crown Henry V Emperor unless he swore to abide by Church 
  rulings onlay investiture. Henry seized the Pope and the Curia, 
  the Pope’s advisors, keeping them imprisoned for two months. 
  The Pope finally crowned Henry Emperor in 1 1 1 1, without any 
  mention of investiture. Thus, Henry hurried back to Germany, 
  where he faced another civil war with his dukes. 
  The Concordat of Worms in 1122 brought a compromise 
  solution to the investiture contest in Germany. The Emperor 
  was given the right to be present at the election of high Church 
  officials, to intervene in disputed elections, and to invest the 
  official with the lay scepter, accepting his fealty and homage. In 
  return the Church was guaranteed canonical elections, and 
  investment of bishops with official spiritual power, symbolized 
  by the ring and crosier. 
  The death of Henry V without heirs in 1125 allowed the 
  Electors to make their choice from among all the dukes of the 
  realm. The two main contenders were the Duke of Swabia, 
  Frederick Hohenstauffen, and the Duke of Saxony, Lothar of 
  Supplinburg, the latter an elderly and childless man. The 
  Electors chose Lothar to be King Lothar 111, thus creating 
  another civil war as Frederick rebelled time and again to claim 
  the throne. However, Lothar managed to expand the German 
  frontiers to the east; conquering but not converting the pagan 
  Wends; making Bohemia, Poland, and Denmark pay homage; 
  and putting his own candidate on the throne of Hungary. 
  Lothar died in 1137, leaving his son-in-law Henry the 
  Proud as the most powerful man in Germany: Duke of Bavaria 
  and Saxony, head of the house of Welf, and owner of great 
  btates in Germany and Italy. However, the Electors, fearing 
  the power ofHenry, instead elected Conrad111 ofHohenstauffen, 
  who was weaker and thus easier to control. Conrad started his 
  reign by taking both dukedoms from Henry, starting the Welf- 
  Weibelung feud against Henry, which spread throughout 
  Germany and Italy. Henry reconquered Saxony, and was ready 
  to invade Bavaria when he died, leaving his ten year old son, 
  Henry the Lion, as heir to the feud. Henry the Lion was granted 
  Saxonyby treaty, but renewed the struggle for Bavaria. 
  Bringing a brief respite to the civil war, Conrad led the 
  forces of the Empire in the Second Crusade in 1147. Returning 
  to the Empire, Conrad also found new enemies to engage. He 
  looked to Italy for new lands, and became embroiled in the 
  factionalism and fighting of Roger I1 of Sicily. Pope Eugenius 
  I11 appealed for Conrad’s aid against Arnold of Brescia, a 
  preacher of apostolic poverty and the disendowment of all 
  Church lands. Indeed, Arnold had led a revolt in Rome, and 
  encouraged the growth of communes in the Papal States. 
  Ultimately Conrad failed to aid the Pope, or to diminish Henry 
  the Lion, and died in 1152, leaving Germany immersed in civil 
  war. 
  Conrad’s cousin Frederick, Duke of Swabia, seemed to be 
  the man to heal Germany’s wounds. Frederick was elected 
  nearly unanimously by the Electors, who were weary of con- 
  stant civil war. The Italians named Frederick “Barbarossa,” 
  after his red beard. Frederick resolved the feud between Henry 
  the Lion and his family by granting his uncle, Welf IV, the 
  Margravate of Tuscany and the Duchy of Spoleto. In return his 
  cousin Henry the Lion received the Duchy of Saxony. And, 
  Duke Jasomirgott had his Margravate of Austria raised to a 
  Duchy in recompense for lost Saxony. 
  In Italy Arnold of Brescia, the popular heretical leader, had 
  forced Pope Eugenius 111 from Rome, and led the Romans in 
  forming a Roman republic. To resolve the situation, Frederick 
  and the Papal successor, Adrian, came to an understanding. 
  Frederick would capture Arnold and subjugate Rome in return 
  for the Imperial crown. Adrian then placed Rome under 
  interdict at the beginning of the Holy Week, motivating Ro- 
  mans to exile Arnold, who was in turn captured by Frederick. 
  Arnold was thus tried, hanged, and burned as a heretic, his 
  ashes flung into the Tiber. 
  Though a deal had been made with Frederick, the people 
  of the Roman republic would not recognize it. The Romans 
  refused to open the gates of the city to Frederick, so the Imperial 
  coronation was held in the fortress of St. Peter. To protect 
  themselves the Romans attacked the Imperial forces across the 
  Tiber, but were thrown back with great losses. However, 
  Frederick could not consolidate his victory but had to hurry 
  back to Germany as his army had contracted malaria. 
  At the Diet of Roncaglia, in 1158, Frederick asked the 
  lawyers of Bologna, who were decidedly Imperialist, to define 
  the rights of the Emperor in the kingdom of Italy. The lawyers 
  responded that the Emperor was supreme in the kingdom, with 
  the right to appoint clergy, and to totally control the judicial 
  and monetary processes of Italian cities. They also gave the 
  Emperor the right to place consuls in all cities, and the right to 
  place a podesta, or governor, in each city. The Papacy and the 
  communes of Lombardy were less than thrilled with the 
  answer, and years of warfare ensued. 
  The death of Pope Adrian in 1159 prompted two opposing 
  Popes to be appointed. The Papal cardinals elected Alexander 
  111, while the Imperials elected Victor IV. Frederick forced the 
  acceptance of Victor, and Alexander fled to France in 1162. 
  To continue fighting the Emperor, the cities of Lombardy 
  banded together in 1167, forming the Lombard League. The 
  cities vowed to support each other against the Emperor until 
  their rights were restored. Frederick returned to Italy in 1174, 
  besieging cities of the Lombard League. A short-lived peace 
  was established in 1175 between the Emperor, the Pope, and 
  the League, but hostilities broke out again the next year. In 
  retaliation, the Lombard League fielded an army to fight 
  Frederick, and at the battle of Legnano the League defeated the 
  Imperial troops. It was believed that Frederick was killed in the 
  fighting, until he reappeared in Pavia, alone. In 1177 Pope 
  Alexander mediated a six year truce, known as the Peace of 
  Venice, between the League and Frederick. Negotiations were 
  held in Venice, which was the only city both sides could agree 
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  Thirteenth Century 
  upon. At the end of the six years, in 1183, the Peace of 
  Constance was sihed by all parties, granting a number of 
  important rights to the League. 
  Henry the Lion, who had been in semi-constant rebellion 
  throughout the reign of Frederick, was brought to trial in 1178 
  on numerous charges of breaking the peace. He refused to 
  attend the proceedings and was placed under Imperial ban. A 
  second judicial conference stripped him of the Duchies of 
  Bavaria and Saxony. The lands were broken up and distributed 
  to a number of parties. Finally, Henry surrendered to Imperial 
  justice in 1181, after two years of warfare. He was given the 
  estates of Luneberg and Brunswick, and was exiled to England. 
  Emperor Frederickdied in 1190, drowning in a river in the 
  Holy Land while on the Third Crusade. His successor, Henry 
  VI, came to Rome to be crowned Emperor, and claimed the 
  kingdoms of Sicily and Naples by right of inheritance through 
  his wife. Henry then conquered Sicily and Naples, surrounding 
  the Papal States with Imperial lands. 
  Henry also managed to capture King Richard of England 
  in 1192, as Richard was returning home from the Third 
  Crusade. Henry kept Richard prisoner and demanded a 
  ransom of 150,OOO marks, which was twice the annual revenue 
  of theentire realmofEngland. TheEnglishandNorman people 
  collected the ransom, against the efforts of Prince John of 
  England and King Philip Augustus of France. The two Kings 
  wanted to keep Richard away from home, and even bribed 
  Henry VI to keep Richard prisoner. 
  In A.D. 1197 Henry dies, and the Empire again kces civil 
  war as Otto of Brunswickand Philip of Swabia fight for the 
  crown. Innocent 111 becomes Pope in 1198, and supports Otto, 
  crowning him Emperor Otto IV, in return for the Capitulation 
  of Neusse, which delineates Papal lands and denies Imperial 
  authority within those bounds. 
  FrederickIItakesthethroneofGermanyin 1210. Frederick 
  lends King John of England his support against King Philip of 
  France, who defeats the coalition at the Battle of Bouvines in 
  1214. Frederick is crowned Emperor in 1220, and in 1226 
  promises to lead a crusade to the Holy Land. He leads hi 7 troops 
  to join the Fifth Crusade in 1227, but has to turn back because 
  of illness in the ranks. For failure to join the Crusade he is 
  excommunicated by Pope Gregory IX. However, Frederick 
  leads the Sixth Crusade in 1228, but is shunned by Christian 
  lords in the Holy Land because of his excommunication. 
  RegardlessofhispoorwelcomeintheHoly Land, Frederick 
  is victorious over the Saracens and receives excellent peace 
  terms from them. However, the Pope refuses to ratify tk terms. 
  Frederick finally receives absolution in 1230, but, in 1239, is 
  again excommunicated. In 1244 he is deposed and declared a 
  heretic by the Council of Lyon for his tolerance of Muslim and 
  Jewish thought. 
  Frederickisnot dauntedby his exile. Indeed, he continues 
  to lead military campaigns in Italy, defeating a second Lombard 
  League, and forcing Pope Innocent IV to flee to Lyon. There the 
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  lands loyal to him under interdict and excommunicating his 
  followers. 
  The Pope then oversees the election of Henry Raspe as 
  Emperor, and William of Holland after Henry’s death. The 
  Pope even calls a crusade against Frederick, granting all privi- 
  leges and rights normally granted to crusaders in the Holy Land 
  to those who take the cross against Frederick. Frederick 
  responds by issuing the Reform Manifesto, wherein he accuses 
  the Church of worldliness, and confiscates the treasures of 
  churches to finance his war. He even recruits Saracen warriors 
  and uses them to execute hostages when towns rebel against 
  him. By this time Frederick grows so infamous that even his 
  own doctor tries to poison him. However, it takes the capture 
  of Frederick’s son to break the man’s spirit. 
  In the Holy Land, King Louis VI1 of France tries to mediate 
  the dispute between the Pope and Emperor, so that Frederick 
  might lead the Germans to aid the Seventh Crusade. But, 
  Frederick is struck mortally ill. He also begs forgiveness from 
  the Church, which Pope Innocent gives. Frederick thus gives 
  up the worldly life, and joins the Cistercian order, living the rest 
  of his in an Italian monastery. Frederick dies in 1250. People 
  whisper that devils come up from Hell to bear his soul through 
  the pit of Mt. Etna, on the way to eternal damnation. 
  In his will Frederick leaves the Empire to his son Conrad 
  IV, who had been crowned by the Germansin 1237. Frederick’s 
  illegitimate son Manfred is also given the regency of Italy. Pope 
  Innocent IV immediately begins to scheme to recover the cities 
  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE p
  of Italy, and to replace Conrad with the Anti-King William of 
  Holland. However the Italian cities want neither Pope nor 
  Emperor for their master, and neither faction makes much 
  headway against the communes. The Pope excommunicates 
  Conrad, who dies in 1254 on the way back to Germany. 
  Later on Germany faces the Great Interregnum, in which 
  Richard of Cornwall and Alfonso X of Castile both claim right 
  to the German throne. Neither is formally crowned, and the 
  dukes, counts and others nobles of Germany take advantage of 
  the void of royal authority to make war on their neighbors. The 
  kingdom sinks into total chaos. 
  By 1273 the Electors and Pope Gregory X are anxious to 
  end internal disputes. As their Imperial canchdate the Electors 
  choose the elderly Rudolf of Hapsburg, who is generally 
  respected. Rudolfs first act is to apply to the Pope for his 
  acceptance, which is given. He then deals with the demands of 
  the King of Bohemia, who claims right to be an Elector. Rudolf 
  has the support of the Pope, who lays Bohemia under interdict, 
  along with the great nobles of Germany. As a result, King 
  Ottokar of Bohemia is relieved of his German conquests and 
  made to pay homage for Bohemia. He rebels again in 1278, but 
  is defeatedandkilled by the Germans at the battle of Marchfield. 
  Rudolf then abandons claims to Italian cities, and placates the 
  Pope by admitting the superiority of the Church over the 
  Empire. 
  Initially the house of Hapsburg is not one of the great 
  houses of the Empire, but Rudolf gives lands seized from 
  Ottokar to his sons, raising the Hapsburg family to that of a 
  great house. Rudolfalso declares general peace in the kingdom, 
  and enforces it with armed might when necessary. 
  The death of Rudolf in 1291 gives Electors the chance to 
  elect a weaker monarch. They choose Adolf of Nassau, whose 
  reign is threatened by the expansionist policies of Philip the 
  Fair of France. The entire western border of Germany is thus 
  threatened by the French. A stronger emperor is clearly 
  needed, and Albert of Hapsburg, son of Rudolf, supported by 
  a majority of the Electors, leads an army against Adolf. Adolf 
  is defeated in 1298, whereupon Albert is declared King. Albert 
  spends the two years before the close of the century putting 
  down rebellions in the west. 
  AUGSBURG 
  Founded before Christ by the Roman Emperor Augustus, 
  Augsburg underwent a series of attacks and sacks during the 
  fall of the Roman Empire. But, the city emerged once again 
  under the reign of Charlemagne, who reestablished trade 
  routes between Italy and Germany. The lands surrounding 
  Augsburg have therefore been heavily influenced by Italy. And, 
  a number of heresies have sprung up there, including that of the 
  Brethren of Free Spirits, founded in 1262 in an attempt to 
  reconcile Catholic teachings and the writings of Aristotle, 
  brought north by students from the universities of Italy. Given 
  the significance of local heresies, the Inquisition is very active 
  in the area of Augsburg, one of the few areas in the Holy Roman 
  Empire to be visited by the Holy Office. 
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  In an effort to contest the southward advance of the 
  Hanseatic League, Augsburg, Ulm, and Nurnberg forma league 
  to control trade from Italy. The league has so far held, but 
  political and mercantile differences between the three cities 
  threaten to tear it apart. Augsburg is the nominal head of the 
  league, and the city‘s merchants are the most progressive 
  thinkers in the league. These merchants are coming to the 
  realization that their future lies to the south, with the rich cities 
  of Italy, and with those cities’ universities and ties to the Holy 
  Land and Constantinople. 
  BAMBERG 
  Bamberg was founded to be a base for conversion of the 
  Slavs of Thuringia in the time of Charlemagne. Emperor Henry 
  I1 and Pope Clement I1 are buried in the city‘s Kaiserdom 
  (cathedral), completed in A.D. 1232. 
  Many Jews lived in the city until the start of the First 
  Crusade, when a number of German knights, urged on by a 
  French monk, killed all the Jews they could lay their hands on. 
  A number of Jews took refuge in their temple, and the knights 
  burned it down, lulling all within. After the massacre Bamberg’s 
  Bishop expelled all Jews from the city to preserve the city from 
  further riots. 
  Bamberg is a center of beer brewing and drinking, with a 
  dozen large breweries and many small ones. One brewery, the 
  Beirhaus, has been brewing beer for at least seven hundred 
  years, since before the city was founded. Legend purports the 
  Beirhaus was attacked by one of the generals of Attila the Hun. 
  The brewery opened its gates to the invading Huns, who 
  promptly drank themselvesinto oblivion. The brewers sent the 
  heads of the general and his leading men to Attila, warning the 
  invader of their magical powers, and threatening complete 
  destruction of his men if they should again try to attack the 
  brewery. Some people claim the brewery actually houses a 
  band of sorcerers, possibly even druids from before the time of 
  the Romans. 
  BAUTZEN 
  Built by German traders to control trade between Vienna 
  and Poland in the late Tenth Century, Bautzen lies at the 
  borders of Poland, Bohemia, and the Holy Roman Empire. The 
  city was fought over many times until the treaty of Bautzen in 
  A.D. 1018 granted the March of Miesse, including Bautzen, to 
  King Boleslav of Poland as an Imperial fief. The lands reverted 
  to the Emperor on the death of Boleslav. 
  The Teutonic knights have a large commandery inBautzen, 
  where they keep Prussian and Pomeranian slaves before ship- 
  ping them south to Constantinople. Agents of the Hanseatic 
  League have approached the burghers of Bautzen with invita- 
  tions to join the League, but the Teutonic knights forbid the city 
  to join the League. Some say the Hochmeister of the Teutonics 
  is afraid the League will take the slave trade, one of their greatest 
  sources of income, from the knights. 
  - 
  Bremen is a growing commercial city. Its civic pride and 
  wealth are evident in its cathedral and government buildmgs, 
  in some cases still being built. The city’s guilds are also rich, and 
  hold several festivals and parades each year. The guilds even 
  field units for the city militia, who maintain the peace and lead 
  the city’s efforts at war. 
  Inspired by the independence of the cities of Flanders and 
  the Hansa towns of Lubeck and Hamburg, Bremen has rebelled 
  more than once against its lord, the Duke of Saxony. Each time 
  the citizens’ rebellion has been crushed, though. There are 
  persistent rumors that Bremen will join the Hanseatic League, 
  but until it gains its freedom from the Duke this is unlikely. 
  The cathedral of Bremen is built on the site of the first 
  wooden chapel, built in A.D. 787. One of the crypts of the 
  cathedral has the power to preserve the bodies of the dead. No 
  reason can be given for this miraculous effect, but it has become 
  custom to keep the bodies of strangers who die in the city in the 
  crypt, where they remain for a time until family appears to claim 
  them. 
  BRUNN 
  Silver and copper in the mountains above what is now 
  Brunn prompted Bohemian miners to establish the city around 
  A.D. 950. The town provides silver for coinage and omamen- 
  tation to Bohemia and the Empire. Brunn was attacked twice 
  by the Hungarians, in 1102 and 11 11, and was part of Poland 
  between 1103 and 1129. Merchants from Linz andVienna now 
  settle in Brunn, to get better prices on the precious metals. 
  When Attila the Hun spread his invasion west, Brunn was 
  spared from attack by the invaders, who were fresh from 
  victories over Poland and Olmutz. The citizens gave credit for 
  their salvation to Maria of Brunn, a young girl who prayed 
  unceasingly in front of the city gates for two weeks, from the 
  time it was known the invaders were coming. The barbarians 
  miraculously turned back, and as the news was joyously 
  heralded through the city, Maria died, a smile on her face. She 
  was interred in the cathedral, and petitions have gone to Rome 
  to have her declared a saint. 
  COLOGNE 
  Cologne is located in a strategic position on the trade 
  routes from the Holy Roman Empire to Flanders, and from Italy 
  to northern German cities. It is the largest and richest city in 
  Germany, and its citizens are well aware of that fact. 
  In A.D. 1248, the city starts construction of a cathedral 
  meant to dwarf all previous cathedrals. Work on the cathedral 
  is expected to last well into the next century. When the 
  cathedral is completed its towers will soar 400 feet into the air, 
  and the nave will be 500 feet long. 
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  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE p
  The neighborhood of Cologne is home to the Brethren of 
  However, the Duke has recently sent one of his trusted 
  the Free Spirit, a mystical heretical group which believes in the men, Baron Helmut von Steissel, a veteran of the crusades and 
  dominance of the human spirit over all of nature and God. The Polish wars, to take over the city with the task of eradicating the 
  Inquisition is active in the area, but has yet to eradicate the pirates. Von Steissel is contemptuous of current city troops, 
  heresy. Local secular lords secretly support the Brethren, as the and appeals for more veterans to bolster his forces. He vows to 
  idea of the secular having superiority over the spiritual suits hang any captured pirates, a statement sure to end peaceful 
  their views in the debate between Church and state. 
  relations between the city and the pirates. 
  The bishops of Cologne have been spiritual and military 
  leaders. The current Bishop of Cologne is one of the Electors 
  of the Empire. In 1167 Bishop Rainald of Cologne led an army 
  against the Italians, looting Milan of relics of the Three Kings 
  who visited the Christ Child. These relics are now kept in 
  Cologne’s old cathedral, waiting for the completion of the new 
  cathedral so that they may be housed in surroundings worthy 
  of their sanctity. 
  DANZIG 
  Founded in the Eleventh Century by merchants from 
  Lubeck, Danzig resisted efforts by Teutonic knights to take the 
  city by political means. And, theBishop of Danzigsent anangry 
  message to the Pope when the knights threatened to take the 
  city by storm. Now, 
  the knights are allowed in the city only in 
  small groups, and the Bishop has given them land outside the 
  walls for their commandery. 
  Danzig joined the Hanseatic League, partly for added 
  insurance against the threatening military order. For their part, 
  the knights bide their time and petition the Pope for rights in 
  the city. They hope to be able to place a Bishop in the city who 
  is sympathetic to their cause. Until the knights have free 
  passage through the city, their home city of Thorn remains cut 
  off from the Baltic. 
  DEVENTER 
  Founded in A.D. 1167 by the Duke of Lower Lorraine as 
  a base from which to control Frisian pirates and smugglers, 
  Deventer is a military camp in the midst of salt marshes. 
  An effort is being made to drain the marshes, which 
  involves building dikes around the city to keep tides from 
  flooding the streets. Deep channels have also been cut to both 
  drain the land and to connect Deventer with the Ijsselmeer, a 
  great shallow inland sea. The boats of the Ijsselmeer are flat- 
  bottomed, powered by sails and oars. 
  The pirates of Frisia, against whom Deventer is deter- 
  mined, raid both on land and on sea, attacking coastal traders 
  sailing from Hanseatic ports to Flanders and England. The 
  campaign to control the pirates is at a virtual standstill, as the 
  boatmen used by the Duke’s troops are, or are related to, the 
  pirates they are trying to catch. In fact, city troops and pirates 
  have almost made a game out of their situation, with little blood 
  lost on either side, even in the rare cases that pirates are actually 
  found. When discovered the pirates usually surrender, are 
  taken back to the city, fined, and released. 
  FRANKFURT 
  OM MAIN
  A way station between the cities of Italy and Flanders, 
  Frankfurt on the Maine owes its position to the revival of 
  Mythic European trade. It hosts a trade fair, and all the Italian 
  banking families maintain houses there. Frankfurt, like Cham- 
  pagne, is quick to defend traders on their way to or from the city, 
  even going so far as to attack nobles who place extravagant tolls 
  on roads and bridges. 
  Frankfurt has ignored much of the strife of the Empire. Its 
  citizens’ disdain for Imperial trappings is evident in their 
  treatment of Frederick Barbarossa’s palace, which they have 
  turned over to Dutch cloth merchants for use as a warehouse. 
  FRANKFURT 
  OM DER 
  ODER 
  The result of a mad Count’s whim, Frankfurt is built 
  betweenA.D. 1253 and 1257 asamodelcity,where eachperson 
  is supposed to have a job, and to know his or her place in 
  relation to every other citizen. Margrave Freidrich of Lusatia 
  funds the entire project, hiring workmen, buying materials, 
  and inviting peasants from his lands, as well as merchants from 
  nearby cities to settle the new town. For the first three or four 
  years, the experiment works, but the Margrave’s money runs 
  out in 1261, and the city soon attracts less than honest folk who 
  see the lack of guards and watch as an opportunity to enrich 
  themselves. 
  The new, less than scrupulous inhabitants create gates in 
  the bridges over the Oder, and demand tolls from ships which 
  pass by. Parties of rogues also raid the countryside, retreating 
  behind city walls when patrols are in the area. Both the 
  Emperor and the Hanseatic League are fed up with the deeds of 
  the people of Frankfurt, and are banded together to silence the 
  city. Plans are being laid for a combined river and land assault, 
  and recruiting for the expedition has begun. 
  GRAZ 
  Graz is known for its arms and armor, which it sells all over 
  eastern Mythlc Europe. High grade iron ore was discovered in 
  the mountains of the Asturian Alps in the Ninth Century after 
  Christ, and by the Tenth Century ironworks dotted the moun- 
  tains and river valleys near the city. 
  The ironworks of Graz are commonly located along moun- 
  tain streams, and use watenvheels to crush ore and to pound 
  out sheets of iron. Some smiths are experimenting with &king 
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  armor from plate iron, but as yet have not produced a worlung 
  model. Weapons made in Graz are normaily of good quality, 
  though not highly ornamented. However, the armories of Graz 
  can equip several thousand warriors at a moment’s notice, and 
  the ironworks can produce hundreds of swords or thousands 
  of spears a month. 
  Rumor tells of an insane smith who works on a lonely 
  mountain peak near Graz. The smith is reputed to be several 
  hundred years old, and produces enchanted swords, which are 
  able to cut the best iron or steel armor. But, each of the smith‘s 
  swords is also said to cany a curse; that they eventually kill their 
  owners. The smith produces only one of these swords every 
  twenty years, and comes to Graz in disguise, where he sells the 
  sword to an unsuspecting customer. 
  HAMBURG 
  Hamburg, along with Lubeck, was one of the founding 
  cities of the Hanseatic League, the powerful coalition of north- 
  em cities which regulates trade in Germany and along the Baltic 
  coast. Hamburg is governed by its merchants, who own the 
  land and buildings where trade occurs. Hamburg boasts a good 
  harbor, inland on the Elbe, which allows trading vessels a 
  sheltered refuge from the storms of the North Sea. 
  Every year the guilds of Hamburg celebrate the founding 
  of the city and, for three months before parade day in late July, 
  the guilds work on extravagant floats and entries. The 
  guildmasters gather on the morning of July 25th to judge the 
  entries. The winning guild leads the parade, and gets fed first 
  at the feast which is held that night. 
  LEIPZIG 
  Surrounded by silver mines, Leipzig is the site of a large 
  mint, owned by the Emperor, but leased to the city. This mint 
  produces much of the silver coinage of the Empire, and has 
  done so for several centuries. Leipzig was founded in A.D. 
  1087, and the mint was established soon after, in 1093. 
  Originally, the coins from the Leipzig mint were renowned for 
  their purity, but the passing years have seen the debasing of the 
  silver pennies, until Leipzig pennies have perhaps one-half the 
  amount of silver of English pennies, and are worth two to one 
  in comparison. The existence of the mint has protected the city 
  from attack, as Imperial troops are quickly sent to guard mint 
  and city at the least sign of trouble. A garrison of Imperial 
  troops resides in the city’s castle, built in 1103, which overlooks 
  the mint. 
  LINZ 
  Founded by the Romans as Lentia, Linz was a major way 
  station on the salt route between the eastern Alps and Bohemia. 
  During the fall of the Roman Empire, it remained a flourishing 
  city, due in a large part to the salt trade. The importance of this 
  trade was not lost on even the most barbaric of kings, all of 
  whom demanded and received huge amounts of salt in tribute. 
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  to pagan gods, now used as store houses, residences, or in one 
  case, a church. 
  A number of libraries exist in Linz, spared the normal 
  looting and pillaging which was the lot of other cities. How- 
  ever, these libraries are guarded and hidden, and it is rumored 
  that at least one contains texts and accounts of rites from the 
  pagan temples. The Bishop of Linz, a dogged enemy of heretics 
  and other non-believers, has invited the Inquisition to Linz in 
  an attempt to uncover these libraries, which he plans to add to 
  his own impressive collection. 
  LUBECK 
  The city retains many vestiges of its heritage, including temples 
  Lubeck is the Empire’s largest and most important port on 
  the Baltic, receiving shipments of timber, fur, and amber from 
  Scandinavia and the pagan Wends. Long a trading port for 
  ships on the Baltic, Lubeck joined forces with Hamburg to form 
  the Hanseatic League. Lubeck is built on a number of shallow 
  islands, and is surrounded by canals, which give it the nick- 
  name, “Venice of the Baltic.” 
  Lubeck is formally recognized by the Emperor as a free 
  city, and owes fealty to no one. The city boasts a powerful navy, 
  allowing it to blockade the harbors of cities which hinder the 
  passage of ships in the League. A council of merchants runs the 
  city, and civil decisions are made based on trade costs and 
  impacts. 
  The city also sends agents to other cities to gather informa- 
  tion about the amount and type of trade they conduct. These 
  agents also gather information that would be useful in convinc- 
  ing other cities to join the Hanseatic League. Once a suitable 
  amount of information has been gathered, the agents quietly 
  seek out the powerful traders and merchants of a city and detail 
  the benefits which joining the League would bring. If the 
  merchants balk, information gathered can be used to change 
  their minds. 
  LYON 
  Founded by the Romans as Lugdinium, Lyon weathered 
  the fall of Rome and the rise of the Frankish kingdoms, 
  managing to stay on the winning side in wars and raids which 
  swept Mythlc Europe. The city became part of the Holy Roman 
  Empire in A.D. 1033, and remains part of the kingdom of 
  Burgundy. 
  Two Church councils are called in Lyon, the first, held in 
  1245 by Pope Innocent IV, excommunicates Emperor Frederick 
  I1 and calls for a crusade against the Holy Roman Empire. 
  The second council is called by Pope Gregory X in 1274, 
  to resolve a number of questions fixing the Church. Among 
  other things, the second council recognizes the Christian 
  Carmelite Order and the Order of Austin Friars, oversees the 
  election of Rudolf of Habsburg to the throne of the Holy Roman 
  Empire, and accepts the pledge of faith of Michael Palaeologus, 
  Emperor of Byzantium. The pledge, which might reunite the 
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  Catholic and Orthodox Churches under the leadership of the 
  Pope, is resisted by Orthodox clergy, and is finally rejected in 
  1281 by Pope Martin IV. 
  Lyon is also the center of the Waldesian heresy. The 
  Church maintains several Inquisitors in Lyon and its surround- 
  ing towns, ferreting out heretics. As in the area of Narbonne 
  and Agde, a number of the Inquisitors are willing to persecute 
  specific people, pointed out by jealous or covetous neighbors. 
  MAGDEBURG 
  Organized as a border city and base from which to convert 
  pagan Slavs in the Ninth Century, Magdeburg performed its 
  duties well, becoming the Archbishopric in charge of the 
  conversion of Bohemia (A.D. 933, and Poland (966). As the 
  frontier moved eastward, away from the city, Magdeburg 
  developed into a major trading center, eventually joining the 
  Hanseatic League in 1208. 
  Magdeburg has thus become the center of another conver- 
  sion movement, spreading the power of the Hanseatic League 
  to the south, attempting to control trade in Bamberg and 
  Nurnberg. Nurnberg has so far resisted the efforts of Magdeburg, 
  and has even started a trade league (the League of Augsburg) in 
  direct competition with the Hanseatic League. The leading 
  merchants of Magdeburg are frustrated at every turn by their 
  counterparts in Nurnberg, and there are plans underway to hire 
  assassins from Verdun to eliminate some of the merchants’ 
  more stubborn opponents. 
  METZ 
  Founded by the Romans, Metz was an early center of 
  Christianity in northern Mythic Europe. The city suffered from 
  Germanic invasions, but by the Sixth Century after Christ was 
  the seat of Frankish kings. Indeed, Metz was a favorite city of 
  Charlemagne, and his wife and two of his children are buried 
  in the Abbey of Saint Amoult. 
  In A.D. 1134 the citizens of Metz rebelled against their 
  lord, and secured the status of a free city. Metz is therefore the 
  capital of a small republic, populated by towns and villages 
  within a day’s walk of the city. The Duke of Upper Lorraine, the 
  nominal overlord of the republic, has plans to bring the city 
  back under his suzerainty, but his plans for a military campaign 
  have been brought to a halt for the time being. The Italian 
  banking families have refused to lend him money for the 
  undertaking, until he repays them money he borrowed for an 
  ill-conceived bid to win the throne of the Empire. Until that 
  time, the Duke must make do with sending agents into Metz to 
  foment unrest. 
  All agents the Duke has sent so far have been foiled by the 
  Warden of the city, Johannes Kusten, who has taken the 
  business of spying and revealing spies to new heights. It is said 
  that he has agents in all the cities of the Hanseatic League and 
  Lateran Palace, and that he has copies of the code books for.al1 
  banks operating in northern Mythic Europe. 
  MUNICH 
  Henry the Lion, head of the Welf family, built Munich in 
  A.D. 1158 to be the capital of Bavaria and his base against the 
  Hohenstauffen Emperors (his rivals for the throne). The 
  citizens retain the belligerent attitude which Henry the Lion 
  instilled in them, and the city is often violently outspoken 
  against the Emperor. 
  In 1285, rumors of ritual murders by Jews in the city spark 
  numerous anti-Jewish riots. Fearing both the mobs and the 
  Church, 180 Jews flee to the sanctuary of their temple, which 
  the crowd burns with the Jews inside. The fire spreads to 
  adjoining buildings, and by the time it is finally extinguished 
  almost a third of the city lies in ruins. Munich‘s few remaining 
  Jews leave the city for the Holy Land, preferring to live under 
  the rule of Muslims than to stay in Germany. 
  NEISSE 
  Founded as a Benedictine monastery in A.D. 875, Neisse 
  developed a flourishing glass industry, producing nearly clear 
  glass for windows, and later developing colored glass for the 
  windows of cathedrals. 
  Like many of the cities in its vicinity, Neisse was traded 
  between German and Polish overlords until the Treaty of 
  Bautzen, which gave the Polish King Boleslav suzerainty of the 
  border areas, but as a fief held from the German Emperor. The 
  border lands, including Neisse, were reclaimed by Germany on 
  the death of Boleslav. 
  Neisse was the scene of a number of Jewish massacres 
  during the First and Second Crusades, with even monks 
  joining in the looting and murder. The Bishop of Neisse seized 
  the local monastery and associated lands after the Second 
  Crusade, granting the revenue of the glassworks to a fund for 
  Jews in perpetuity. 
  The city is also sacked in the Mongol invasion of 1241, but 
  is quickly rebuilt with the aid of German merchants, eager to 
  take over the lucrative glass trade. 
  NICE 
  Colonized by Greek traders from Marseille, Nice was 
  taken by the Romans who built an arena, is still used by local 
  knights for their tournaments. 
  Nice fell to the barbarian hordes during the fall of the 
  Roman Empire and Cossuran pirates captured the city in the 
  early Eighth Century, using it as a base to raid inland areas. The 
  Franks, under Charles Martel, also took the city by storm in 
  A.D. 739, slaughtering the pirates and their families. 
  Although the city was looted quite thoroughly by Frankish 
  soldiers, rumors persist of great troves of treasure buried or 
  hidden in the city. One theory holds that the great Pirate’s 
  Tower is built on a foundation of solid gold. Every few years the 
  city is gripped by treasure fever as small troves are discovered 
  in basements or walls. In 1201 a trove is found between the 
  ~ 
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  city apart looking for more treasure,-and several people are 
  killed when they refuse to allow treasure seekers into their 
  houses. 
  NURNBERG 
  Nurnberg was founded as a monastery by Benedictine 
  monksintheNinthCentury,andthemonasteryhasgrownrich 
  on grants of land from nobles wishing to purchase redemption 
  through monks’ prayers. 
  The city of Nurnberg grew up around the monastery, 
  which is now in the center of the town, surrounded by high 
  walls. The city is administered by the monks, who were granted 
  the city by Emperor Otto I1 on his deathbed. The monastery 
  produces a wine made from pears, but the city’s main industries 
  are linen and wood crafts. Nurnberg carpenters have made all 
  the looms of the city, and have traveled to many other cities and 
  countries to craft looms and spinning machines for the produc- 
  tion of cloth. 
  The monks of Nurnberg, fearing the effects the Hanseatic 
  League would have on their business, proposed a trade alliance 
  with Ulm and Augsburg, known as the League of Augsburg. 
  The monks now use the Empire’s network of monasteries to 
  keep track of developments in league cities. The monks are 
  dismayed by dissension in Ulm. To protect themselves from a 
  rebellious Ulm, the monks assemble evidence which implicates 
  leading citizens of Ulm of harboring heretics. If the situation in 
  Ulm worsens, the monks plan to present their evidence to the 
  Bishop and the Pope. 
  One of the monks’ number, Johannes of Silesia, is an 
  Inquisitor in southern France. The clergy plan to recall him just 
  before they present their case against Ulm, so that he will 
  already be in the area, available for duty in Ulm when the 
  Inquisition is called to the city. 
  OLMUTZ 
  Founded as a monastery in the Ninth Century, Olmutz 
  was raised by the Pope to a bishopric in A.D. 975. Olmutz 
  resisted numerous attacks by the Poles, Magyars, and Imperial 
  forces. It was traded between Poland and Bohemia in treaties, 
  butnever falls toanenemyarmyuntill241, whentheMongols, 
  fresh from their sack of Cracow and defeat of Imperial forces, 
  storms the walls and puts the city to the sword. The city is 
  quickly rebuilt after the Mongols leave, and even grows in the 
  years following. 
  The monks of Olmutz produce wine, even though the 
  climate is generally too cold for grapevines to flourish. The 
  monks attribute their good fortune to St. Methodius, the 
  missionary to Slovania, who performed a miracle in which he 
  producedwine frombeer presented to himby pagan Moravians. 
  The tribe to which Methodius was preaching was converted by 
  the miracle, and they invited Benedictine monks to farm the 
  valley. 
  Most of the wine produced by the monks is used in the 
  services of the cathedral of Olmutz, or is drunk by the monks 
  themselves. A small amount (about two tunes per year) is sold 
  to Rome for use by the Pope. The monks’ wine is said to 
  enhance the piety of those who drink a sip of it, but turns bitter 
  and foul if drunk to excess. Olmutz’s wine is often used by the 
  Church to cure monks and priests of alcoholism; the bitter taste 
  drives off a monk’s desire for any drink. 
  FRAGUE 
  Prague has been the capital of Bohemia since the Ninth 
  Century, when the Przemysl family dominated the surround- 
  ing tribes and built a castle to consolidate their lands. In A.D. 
  973 the Pope made Prague a bishopric, under the jurisdiction 
  of Maim in Germany. Prague was briefly held by Poland in 
  1102, under Boreslav the Great, but freed itself after a year. It 
  was attacked twice by the Hungarians, in 1107 and 1112. 
  walls of two houses. After the discovery citizens nearly tear the 
  The area around Prague produces low-grade iron and 
  glassware, which is inferior to glass from Italy or the east, but 
  is eagerly sought after in northern cities. 
  In the 1140s German merchants settledin Prague and were 
  welcomed by the city but taxed by the crown. In 1176 the 
  merchants staged a blockade of the city, forcing concessions 
  from the crown. 
  Travelers around Prague tell tale of a cursed crossroads at 
  which the Devil draws out the evil of those who pass. Indeed, 
  many travelers claim to have met their evil doppelgangers after 
  passing through the crossroads, and many captured criminals 
  blame their crimes on evil doubles, said to sprout up from the 
  roads. 
  SPEYER 
  Speyer was founded during the reign of Charlemagne, and 
  a large Jewish population soon moved into the city, occupying 
  much of its northern area. It was a Jewish academy for teaching 
  Jewish leaders (known as Rabbis) that attracted Jews from all 
  over the Empire. 
  In the First Crusade a French monk preached that crusad- 
  ers should begin their holy mission by eliminating the Jews and 
  other unbelievers of the Empire, before attacking Saracens in 
  the Holy Land. A number of German barons and knights took 
  the monk’s words to heart, attacking Jews in many German 
  cities. 
  In Speyer the soldiers dragged eleven Jews into the cathe- 
  dral, demanding that they accept baptism. When the Jews 
  refused, the knights killed them in front of the altar. Riots 
  erupted all over the city as Christians killed and robbed Jews. 
  A number of Jews fled to the protection of the Bishop, who not 
  only kept them safe, but executed a number of knights involved 
  in the murders at the cathedral. 
  By A.D. 1286 most of the Jewish population has left Speyer 
  to live in the Holy Land, under the rule of the Muslims, who, 
  they figure, are more tolerant than the citizens of Speyer. 
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  CHAPTE 
  STETTIN 
  Founded in A.D. 1180 to bring Christianity to the pagans 
  of Pomerania, Stettin built and maintains strong defenses, 
  which the citizens find necessary against the raids of pagan 
  tribesmen. 
  The Bishop of Stettin has even requested magical assis- 
  tance from the Order of Hermes as the Pomeranians are aided 
  by,wizards from the Order of Odin. In the past Houses 
  Flambeau and Tytalus sent a dozen Magi north to form a 
  crusading Covenant. However, internal dissension between 
  Covenant members Ignibus Impervious of Flambeau (the 
  Bishop’s brother) and Wilhelm of Prague of House Tytalus 
  caused the Covenant’s breakup within two years. The Cov- 
  enant buildings were left to the elements, ar,d for a while were 
  a base for pagan sorcerers. The pagan sorcerers were finally 
  killed in a pitched battle, in which half a hundred men were 
  frozen to death, mauled by trolls, or driven insane by the 
  witches. 
  Though primarily a military institution, Stettin is also used 
  by the Germans as a trading port. 
  TORUN 
  Torun is a city wholly owned by the Teutonic order, 
  founded by the order in A.D. 1231 as a harbor and base for the 
  conversion of pagans in Prussia. The administration of the 
  town is entirely in the hands of the order. Merchants are 
  welcome but there is little chance of a popular uprising or a 
  commune being established. Torun is also a depot for the 
  transportation of Prussian slaves, which are taken to 
  Constantinople and sold. The slave yards on the south side of 
  the city are heavily guarded, both to keep slaves in and to keep 
  citizens from freeing them. 
  TOUL 
  Ruled by the Duke of Upper Lorraine, Toul has resisted 
  both the arms and the money of the Count of Champagne, 
  remaining fiercely loyal to its Duke. Taken by the French in 
  A.D. 1189, the citizens revolted within the year, slaughtering 
  the foreign garrison. 
  Toul’s cathedral of St. Michael boasts three hundred pairs 
  of golden spurs, taken from French knights. The Guild of 
  Butchers won great honor in the fight against the French, 
  storming the castle and hacking the banner of Champagne 
  from the tower walls. A great celebration is held in the city every 
  year on July 26th, in honor of the storming of the citadel. 
  ULM 
  Ulm is a city of weavers, surrounded by fields of flax. The 
  linen produced at Ulm is used for clothing throughout the Holy 
  Roman Empire, and its production is the city’s main industry. 
  that the climate of the surrounding area was ideal for the 
  cultivation of flax. The city has never been attacked and its 
  walls are low and not well maintained. 
  Ulm is the junior partner in the League of Augsburg, which 
  was formed by Augsburg, Ulm, and Nurnberg to control trade 
  from Italy to the cities of the Empire. The burghers of Ulm wish 
  their fathers had not been so quick to join the league, as the sale 
  of linen is also handled by the league, which represents a major 
  loss of profit for Ulm. Many merchant meetings have been held 
  in recent months about whether to remain in the league, to join 
  the Hanseatic League, or for the city to strike off on its own. 
  The city is full of intrigue as representatives and spies from 
  Italy, Augsburg, Nurnberg, and the Hansa attempt to sway the 
  burghers to their side. A number of citizens make a tidy profit 
  from negotiations and from selling infoxmation, true or false, to 
  one or all sides. 
  VERDUN 
  The Treaty of Verdun, signed in A.D. 843, divided the 
  Empire of Charlemagne among the Emperor’s three grandsons. 
  Verdun itself was granted to Lothair as part of the Middle 
  Kingdom. After the death of Lothair, Verdun was allocated first 
  to the Western Kingdom (France) by the treaty of Mersen, in 
  870, then to the Eastern Kingdom (the Holy Roman Empire) by 
  the treaty of Ribemont in 880. Verdun has remained in the 
  possession of the east since then, remaining a border civ, 
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  intrigues between the great princes of France, Germany, Bur- 
  gundy, the two Lorraines, and Flanders are played out. 
  Verdun is the northern capital for spies and assassins. 
  Being told that “A man fiom Verdun is looking JOT you” is a 
  warning in surrounding lands. The Warden of the city of Metz 
  makes it clear, in no uncertain terms, that murders in his city 
  are not tolerated. The last time someone commissioned a 
  murderinMetz, thewardensentbackthebodusoftheassassin 
  and his employer in several small sacks, addressed to the 
  citizens of Verdun. Since that time Metz has been declared off- 
  limits by the assassins and spies of Verdun. None agree to a 
  mission in Metz. 
  VIENNA 
  While Vienna is primarily a German city, it has always 
  looked down the Danube to the south and east, the direction 
  from which most attackers come. Vienna started as a frontier 
  fortress for Roman legions and swiftly grew fat on trade which 
  still passes both north-south and east-west. The Roman 
  Emperor Marcus Aurelius died in Vienna in A.D. 180, but his 
  sepulcher has been lost over the intervening centuries. 
  Vienna was chartered as a German Imperial city in 1137, 
  and became the capital of the Duchy of Austria in 1 156. Vienna 
  was used as a staging point for German knights going on 
  Crusade to the Holy Land. In 1251 Ottokar of Bohemia 
  captures the city, making it his capital; he then defeats the 
  besieging forces of Emperor Rudolf I in 1278. Vienna remains 
  in Bohemian hands. 
  Vienna is the center of music in Germany and eastern 
  Mythlc Europe, attracting minnesingers much as the court of 
  Aquitaine attracts troubadours. The city boasts a number of 
  theaters and buildings specifically dwoted to music, and 
  citizens eagerly await the next composition of the most popular 
  minnesinger of the moment. 
  . 
  ZURICH 
  This city, high in the Alps, is the personification of Swiss 
  independence. It is granted the title of Imperial free city in A.D. 
  1218, releasing it from fealty to the Duke of Burgundy. 
  Zurich’s importance grew as St. Gothard Pass, which lies 
  just outside the city, was used by the Hohenstauffen Emperors 
  as a road to Italy. Merchants soon started using the pass as well, 
  adhng to the coffers of the city. 
  Attempts by German Emperors to control the Swiss can- 
  tons (counties) have led the Swiss to band together, much like 
  the towns of Flanders or the Hanseatic League have. The 
  citizens of Zurich are willing to put their lives on the line to 
  preserve the freedom of their city. The city therefore promises 
  to remain a headache for the German Emperor, as cantons 
  resist Imperial edicts with ever increasing fervor. 
  Denmark 
  The inhabitants of Denmark have always ben warriors. 
  During the age of Viking raids, the Danes made England and 
  France their hunting grounds, while the Swedes attacked 
  Russia and Poland, and the Norwegians sailed to Scotland and 
  Ireland. The Danes settled in England in an area known as the 
  Danehw, and received hegeld, or ransom, to keep them from 
  ravaging the lands of the Angles and Saxons. It was King Gom 
  who conquered the jarls (earls) and united Denmark, while his 
  son,HaraldBluetooth, convertedthe paganDanes to Christian- 
  ity by fire and sword. 
  In A.D. 1002 King Ethelred the Unredy of England mur- 
  dered the Danes in his service, including the sister of King Svein 
  of Denmark. Svein thus became the mortal enemy of Ethelred, 
  and attacked England for ten years, attacks against which the 
  English had no defense. Svein finally chased Ethelred to 
  Normandy in 1013, and took over the country, but suddenly 
  died in 1014. 
  On their father’s death, Svein’s son Harald I1 took the 
  crown of Denmark, whle his other son, Canute, sailed to 
  England to assume the throne there. Harald died in 1019, 
  whereupon Canute sailed to Denmark, uniting the two king- 
  dom of Denmark and England once again. Canute conquered 
  Norway in 1028, but the kingdom revolts against Denmark in 
  1234. 
  Canute’s death in 1035 left his son Hardicanute with a 
  rebellion in Norway, while his other son Harold Harefoot was 
  crowned by the English. Hardicanute invaded England in 
  1040, and his brother died of mysterious circumstances just as 
  Hardicanute’s fleet appeared off the coast. Hardicanute there- 
  fore ruled both England and Denmark, but with an iron fist and 
  was hated in both countries. Hardicanute’s death in 1042 
  allowed the English to return to their own kings, while Den- 
  mark was plunged into civil war. 
  After Hardicanute, Denmark floundered for more than a 
  centurywhile the jarls fought the king and each other. That was 
  the case until the reign of Kingvaldemer, who seized the crown 
  through battle and murder. He reorganized the government, 
  encouraged trade, and swept the seas and islands of the pirates 
  that infested them. Valdemer’s minister, Absalon, Archbishop 
  of Lund, made many of the King’s accomplishments possible, 
  and founded the city of Copenhagen (“Market-haven”) in 1167 
  for traders traveling from the south. Even the Danish Church 
  flourished under Valdemer and Absalon, and Denmark slowly 
  grew into feudalism. Indeed, non-noble peasants became 
  tenant fanners, while a new class of knights grew to provide the 
  amy of h e  realm with a ready source of manpower. And the 
  peasants, instead of providing soldiery, were taxed instead. 
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  to the eldest grandmother. Forkbeard then resettled the area 
  with southern Swedes and constructed a church, the dedica- 
  Y - i !  
  cH&?TER 
  Thirteenth Century 
  TheDanishkingstakeadvantageofHenrytheLionandthe 
  civil wars in the Holy Roman Empire to expand to the south and 
  east along the Baltic coast. However, their effort to control the 
  Baltic is foiled at the Battle of Bomhovede in 1227, when 
  Valdemer I1 is captured by Imperial forces. 
  Trade also improves in Thirteenth Century Denmark. 
  This commercial growth arises as the population of the king- 
  dom clears forests and settles islands instead of staging raids 
  like the Vikings of the past. Monetary concerns become so 
  important in Denmark that the Church and nobility begin to 
  limit the power of the King, especially in the levying of taxes on 
  land. And, these trade concerns lead to more political ones. In 
  1282 Danish nobles force King Eric V to sign a charter prom- 
  ising to summon a council of nobles once a year, and not to 
  punishwithout due process of law. So emphaticare the nobility 
  in their demandsthat Ericismurderedin 1286whenhereneges 
  on the charter. Learning from his predecessor's error, Eric VI 
  realizes it is in his best interests to abide by the charter, and rules 
  wisely thereafter. 
  AARHUSE 
  Aarhuse was made a bishopric in A.D. 950, and was a base 
  from which Franlush missionaries spread the word of God to 
  the Danes. In 985 King Svein Forkbeard granted the cathedral 
  of Aarhuse jurisdiction over the city. 
  For a short while priests from Aarhuse rode the waves with 
  the sea raiders, but the Bishop declared the murder and pillage 
  of fellow Christians to be against the law of God and man. The 
  matter was tested in 1003, when Thorkeld Strongjaw led a force 
  of five ships raidmg along the coast of France, returning laden 
  with plunder. The Bishop forbade the raiders to land, and 
  declared them excommunicate and outlawed. The prospect of 
  that much treasure, possessed by one whose fate had been 
  determined by the Church, was too much to resist for sailors up 
  and down the coast. Thorkeld was attacked numerous times, 
  losing all but one ship, and losing all his treasure. He returned 
  to Aarhuse and begged forgiveness of the Bishop. It was 
  granted, but Thorkeldwas commanded to join theBenedictine 
  order. He did so, and lived out his days in a monastery. 
  The citizens of Aarhuse continue to follow the lead of their 
  Bishop, who is the overlord of the city. Aarhuse still produces 
  great sailors, but they have joined the Hanseatic League, and no 
  longer plunder the coasts of France and England as their 
  forefathers did. 
  BORGLUM 
  When the families who lived in the village of Borglum 
  resisted the religious conversion of the kingdom under Svein 
  Forkbeard in A.D. 987, the King had the entire region swept by 
  his troops, killing every person found, from the youngest child 
  tion of which he personally oversaw. 
  Borglum is now one of the most loyal towns of the 
  kingdom, supporting the King with money and warriors. The 
  city is also one of the most fervent in its faith. The people of 
  Borglum are required to search their city for heretics and 
  pagans, a duty passed from generation to generation. 
  A church is built into each gate of the city. Visitors are only 
  allowed in at specified times and must attend Mass before 
  proceeding into the city. Horses and livestock are not allowed 
  in the city; stables and stockyards are provided outside the 
  walls. 
  MALMO 
  Y 
  Founded in A.D. 1203 by Hanseatic shippers, Malm0 3 
  begins as a quiet village with a moderately good harbor. The # 
  League, needing a safe port in which to trade with the southern 
  Swedes, buys the land on which the town stands, and imports 
  masons and laborers from Germany to undertake the construc- 
  tion. 
  The town's church, built of wood, burns to the ground 
  during its dedication ceremony in 1207. Rebuilt of stone, the 
  church develops great cracks in its walls, making it unsafe for 
  services. An old man comes forward then and declares the 
  church is haunted by a draug, an undead creature over whose 
  tomb the church is built. Christian ceremonies to exorcise or 
  lay the draug to rest prove futile. Eventually, in 1246, the 
  building is abandoned and a new church is constructed a safe 
  distance from the old one. 
  I
  RIBE 
  e 
  Established as a bishopric in A.D. 948 by King Harold 
  Bluetooth, Ribe is a center of Danish trade, peopled by fearless 
  descendents of Viking raiders. The seamen of Ribe boast they 
  are afraid of neither storm nor tide, not even the terrible tides 
  which sweep from the Atlantic to the Baltic. 
  Ribehasmainta~editsdistancefromtheHanseaticLeague, 
  and its people travel where they wish. As the city has its own 
  ships, a blockade by the League meanslittle. In 1205 a blockade 
  is attemptedby Hamburg, against the advice of theLeague. The 
  sailors of Ribe show that their veneer of civilization, lent by 
  Christianity, is thin. They reveal that beneath their Christianity 
  lies the Viking and the berserk. In a two hour battle the fierce 
  Danes sink or capture all but one of the blockading ships. The 
  Bishop of Ribe has to personally intervene to prevent the 
  sacrifice of captured sailors. 
  Though the country of Ribe is Christian, the surrounding 
  lands belong to the wizards of the Order of Odm, who keep 
  Magi of the Order of Hemes at bay. 
  82120
  
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  82121
  
  82122
  he easternmost portions of Mythic Europe are 
  divided into three major countries: Poland, 
  Hungary, and Serbia. These lands are less 
  civilized than those to their west, never having 
  fallen under the control of the Roman Empire, even in ancient 
  times. Eastern lands are home to a nomadic people who raid 
  civilized lands for food and gold; few civilized folk travel these 
  wild lands. 
  Lands of Poland 
  Poland is the northernmost nation of the east. It extends 
  from the Carpathian Mountains northward almost to the Baltic, 
  although the Empire of the Romans (Germany) has taken the 
  seaport of Danzig on the Oder. The lands of Poland are 
  primarily sharp, with north-south valleys that are quite low, 
  and of many rivers. In the southern portion of the country the 
  land rises in a series of barren plateaus, with no trees and few 
  crops. 
  Poland's southern highlands are dotted with small castles, 
  built to defend the Poles from the depredations of their Hungar- 
  ian and Bohemian neighbors. Poland has often been a battle- 
  ground, with invaders entering from the west, south, and east. 
  The people are therefore grim and used to the trials of war. They 
  are dark, of medium height, with broad chests, dark straight 
  hair, and muscular shoulders. The Polish people also have a 
  reputation for being slow to grasp new ideas, but their creativity 
  in defending their land (and occasionally raiding the Holy 
  Roman Empire) belies this characterization. 
  Beyond Poland lies the Ural Mountains and the Russian 
  Steppe. This treeless grassland is home to pagan barbarians 
  who have been trickling into Europesince Roman times. Polish 
  defenses are split between warding off the advances of the 
  Roman Empire and stopping or diverting the westward flow of 
  barbarians from the steppe. 
  Lands of Hungary 
  The kingdom of Hungary 
  a lowland surrounded by 
  mountains. The northern and eastern borders of the land are 
  formed by the Carpathians, a steep mountain range slightly 
  lower than the Alps. The Carpathians are heavily forested, and 
  have many passes which allow travel to the north and east. The 
  southeastern border of the country is formed by the 
  Transylvanian Alps, an Alps-like range with flat-topped pla- 
  teaus and terraces which contrast its sharp, high peaks. The 
  Transylvanian Alps are more barren than the Carpathians, with 
  few trees and high winds. 
  Within this crescent of mountain ranges lie the lowlands 
  ofHungary, knownas the Carpathian basin. The northwestern 
  comer of the region is the Little Alfold, a swampy flatland. 
  South of the Little Alfold lie the rolling hills of Transdanubia, 
  while to the east lies the Great Alfold, a larger tableland. East 
  of the Great Alfold is the Transylvanian basin, a fertile, clay 
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  82123
  Alps. The land here gets little rainfall, and is generally watered 
  by runoff from surrounding mountain ranges. 
  The people of Hungary are the Magyars, a fierce mountain 
  people. The leaders of Hungary are all warriors in their own 
  right. The Magyars are known for disliking the Roman- 
  German Empire; one Imperial ambassador, upon refusing to 
  remove his hat for the Hungarian lord he was visiting on a 
  diplomatic mission, was returned to the Empire with his hat 
  nailed to his head. The Magyars are characteristically short and 
  stocky, excellent riders, and physically strong. Their customs, 
  however, are seen as barbaric by much of the rest of Mythic 
  Europe, despite the Magyars’ supposed Christian conversion. 
  Lands of Serbia 
  ~ 
  Serbiaisasmallernation, primarily occupyingthe Croatian 
  hill lands (which lie south of the Transdanubian Hills) and the 
  nearby Dinaric mountain ranges. The land of Serbia is isolated 
  and harsh, with icy winters and gray, dry summers. As in the 
  Hungarian lowlands, Serbia receives little rainfall or wind, 
  sheltered as it is by the mountain ranges of the region. 
  The Serbs are divided into many clans and tribes. Each 
  clan is led by a zupan, or headman, who acts as the tribe’s leader. 
  The zupan is elected by the clan, and serves at the pleasure of 
  the people. In recent years, however, the zupani have become 
  more powerful, and it is now rare to see a zupan deposed. Serbia 
  is ruled from Zeta, a small town in central Serbia. The Prince 
  of Zeta holds his crown as a vassal of the Byzantines, but since 
  the fall of Constantinople has ruled as an independent king. 
  The plains of the Danube, open to the east and the west, 
  have provided invasion routes into Mythic Europe from the 
  time the steppe nomads first came from the east. The early 
  history of Hungary begins with nomadic conquerors settling, 
  only to fall prey to the next nomads to arrive. The Ostrogoths, 
  Huns, and Avars all settled on the broad plains, displacing 
  previous residents. 
  In the Ninth Century after Christ, the Magyars under 
  Arpad first raided, then settled in Hungary, using it as a base 
  from which to raid to the west and south. They raided as far as 
  France and Spain. In A.D. 906 they conquered the kingdom of 
  Moravia (now part of Bohemia), but in 955 were defeated at the 
  battle of Lechfield, outside Augsburg, by the German Emperor 
  Otto I. Arpad’s grandson, Geza, promoted a policy of settle- 
  ment, and became a Christian, encouraging his subjects to do 
  likewise. His son, St. Stephen, established the Christian 
  sovereignty of Hungary and was crowned with a crown sent by 
  Pope Sylvester 11. Stephen also established the Archbishopric 
  of Esztergrom, and invited Benedictine monks to settle in 
  Hungary. 
  Between the death of St. Stephen in 1038 and the corona- 
  tionofIadislasIin 1077,Hunga1yunderwentdynasticstruggles,
  heathen uprisings, and attacks from neighbors. Ladislas proved 
  to be a capable monarch, and a foe of paganism. His nephew, 
  Kalman I, conquered Croatia, and converted it to Roman 
  Catholicism. Hungary also continued to be a thorn in the side 
  of Byzantium, which managed to finally put King Bela on the 
  Hungarian throne in 1173. Bela was sympathetic to the east 
  rather than the west. King Bela still had ties to the west, 
  however. He married Marguerite of France, and invited the 
  Premonstrantian and Cistercian orders to establish monaster- 
  ies in his territory. 
  Thirteenth Century 
  In A.D. 1222, King Andrew I1 is forced by Hungarian 
  nobles to sign a document known as the Golden Bull, which, 
  much like the Magna Carta of England, guarantees certain 
  rights and privileges to the nobles. The Golden Bull protects 
  the higher nobility and clergy from certain taxes, arrest, and 
  from confiscation of property. Furthermore, the Golden Bull 
  gives barons unrestricted power over knights and serfs, and 
  allows uncompenstated military service, but only in Hungary. 
  Military service outside of Hungary must be paid for by the 
  King. Finally, the national assembly is given the right to voice 
  grievances and to legally resist the King. 
  The downfall of the Hungarian kingdom comes with the 
  Mongol invasion of 1241, which depopulates the country, and 
  is followed by the migration of pagan Cumans. The influx of 
  the Cumans leads to the eventual rise to the Hungarian throne 
  of Ladislas IV “The Cuman,” who favors his mother’s people 
  and is murdered in 1290 by nobles who wish to return the 
  throne to the “Hungarian” line. 
  BELGRADE 
  ~ 
  ~ 
  ~~ 
  Founded by the Romans as Singidunum, Belgrade guarded 
  a bridge over the Danube river, the northern border of the 
  eastern German Empire. Attila the Hun took and sacked the 
  city in A.D. 441, burning it to the ground. Belgrade lay ruined 
  for several hundred years, until rebuilt in the Tenth Century by 
  the Magyars, a nomadic steppe people who settled in Hungary. 
  Belgrade, with its bridges over the Danube, became the 
  point of contention between the Hungarians, Serbians, 
  Croatians, and Bulgarians. Hungary finally annexed Croatia, 
  including the city of Belgrade and much land south of the 
  Danube, securing the city for itself. 
  Belgrade is taken again by the Mongols in 1241, and its 
  bridges are thrown down, since the Mongols can swim their 
  steppe ponies across the Danube while their opponents are 
  dependent on bridges. The Mongols leave Hungary mysteri- 
  ously. Some say demons appear before them during a raid in 
  the territory south of Belgrade, others that their leader dies in 
  the east, and they leave for his funeral. Regardless of the truth 
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  behind the Mongols’ disappearance, Belgrade is almost imme- 
  diately recolonized by the Hungarians and they rebuild the 
  city’s bridges and walls. 
  BRATISLAVA 
  Bratislava is renowned for its horses and cattle, and is one 
  of the major suppliers of the cattle fair in Nish every year. 
  Founded by the Magyars in the Tenth Century at a fordable 
  stretch of the Danube nver, Bratislava soon attracted Viennese 
  merchants. The merchants erected three bridges over the 
  Danube, one for carts, one for horses, and one for foot traffic. 
  City walls were also erected by order of St. Stephen, King of 
  Hungary, in A.D. 1024. 
  A fourth bridge was begun in 1176, but lack of funds left 
  the bridge incomplete; agap of fifty feet separates the two spans. 
  Both spans are now covered in shops, taverns, and houses. The 
  north span is reputedly the worst part of the city. Indeed, one 
  tavern keeper is accused of running a white slavery ring, 
  knockmg out unsuspecting travelers and lowering them to 
  boats waiting below, who sell them down the river in 
  Constantinople, or to Saracens and Mongols across the Black 
  Sea. 
  BUDAPEST 
  Budapest is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, separated by 
  the Danube river. The combined city was the focus of the last 
  pagan uprisings in Hungary, in A.D. 1045. In fact, Gellart, 
  Bishop of Budapest, was killed by pagans as the leader of the 
  Church in Hungary. King Andrew I of Hungary put down the 
  rebellion, which had been caused by the submission of King 
  Peter to the Holy Roman Emperor in 1045. Gellart suspected 
  Byzantine influence in the uprising. 
  Andrew I had to put down another uprising in Budapest 
  when Janus, son of the leader of the previous rising, tried to take 
  the city in 1061. After this last revolt, Andrew I made the 
  practice of paganism punishable by beheading. 
  King Bela IV invites the Inquisition to the city ini1265, 
  when a number of pagan cultists are found practicing rites 
  outside the city. The Inquisitor, Baroslav of Nish, findsno other 
  evidence of paganism, but does find followers of the Bogomil 
  heresy in the city. He dispatches messengers to Rome to detail 
  his findings, but the messengers are waylaid on the road and 
  never arrive at their destination. Baroslav himself is then 
  targeted for assassination by an extremist faction of heretics, 
  and flees the city to save his life. 
  ESZTERGROM 
  Also known as Gran, Esztergrom is the site of an aborted 
  attempt to create an autonomous Hungarian Church, free of 
  both Rome and Byzantium. The Archbishopric of Esztergrom 
  was founded in A.D. 1001, but the Hungarian Church soon 
  died out, and Hungary joined the Catholic Church. 
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  82125
  after a two month siege. The siege might last much longer, as 
  the city is well stocked against enemies, but a bitter cold storm 
  freezes wells inside the city, forcing the inhabitants to surren- 
  der. Such a storm is clearly unnatural, and the Archbishop calls 
  for a hunt of sorcerers and witches inside the city. The hunt is 
  interrupted when the Mongols sack the city. The raiders do not 
  remain long in city, vacating Esztergrom almost as soon as they 
  finish burning most of it to the ground. The citizens then have 
  too much on their minds with the rebuilding to continue the 
  witch hunt, though the Church does not forget the hunt. 
  NISH 
  Settled by soldiers of the Roman legion in the century after 
  the birth of Christ, Nish has a greatly variable population. 
  During the winter and spring, the city is practically deserted. 
  But, during the late summer and fall it fills with hundreds of 
  thousands of cattle, and swaggering Hungarian herders who 
  drive their cattle off the fertile Danubian plain, into Nish. Once 
  in the city cattle are sold to merchants from all over eastern 
  Myhc Europe. 
  Taverns in Nish stay open all night, and festivals and 
  parties continue almost nonstop as herders spend their pay on 
  drink, women, and food. Tavern keepers and merchants are 
  both blessed and cursed by this influx of trade. When they are 
  L 
  dr 
  paid, they are paid well, but they are often not paid, or worse, 
  their establishments are broken up or torched by drunken 
  horsemen. 
  The festival of St. Luke, in early October, marks the end of 
  the cattle season in Nish. The herders form a long parade, and, 
  following the Bishop of Nish, ride the walls of the city, blessing 
  the four cardinal points of the compass. A horse race is also 
  held, the winner traditionally giving his horse to the Church of 
  St. Luke, receiving an engraved sword in return. 
  SPLALATO 
  EUROPE w
  -
   
  Esztergrom is attacked by Mongols in 1243, and sacked 
  Founded by the Romans during their wars against the 
  Greeks, Splalato functioned as a port and supply depot for the 
  Roman fleet of the Adriatic. Even after the Roman Empire 
  divided into East and West, Splalato retained its western 
  culture and language. 
  The rise of Venice at the head of the Adriatic forced the 
  citizens of Splalato to choose between Crouton or Venetian 
  masters. They chose to ally with Venice, who’s influence soon 
  dominated the city. During the Fourth.Crusade in A.D. 1204 
  and because of its alliance, Splalato is spared the fate of Zara, an 
  independent city north on the coast, which is attacked and 
  taken by crusaders at the instigation of Venice. 
  The shipwrights of Splalato build sturdy, though, to the 
  untutored eye, unimaginative ships. However, for the right 
  price, hidden holds and rooms can be built into a Splalato ship, 
  holds and rooms which can pass all but the most rigorous 
  inspection. These ships are used by smugglers who wish to 
  pose as honest merchants, sailing into any harbor in the 
  Mediterranean, as opposed to those who sail to deserted 
  beaches at the dead of night. The use of secret holds is only 
  known to a few shipmasters, who carefully choose who to pass 
  the secret on to. In fact, the shipmasters of Splalato are very 
  secretive, and have been known to murder those who talk of 
  their ships to the wrong ears. 
  ZARA 
  The little port city of Zara, on the Adriatic, was one of the 
  causes of the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. 
  Originally a fishing village, in the late Twelfth Century it 
  entered into the Mediterranean trade, shipping goods from the 
  Holy Land and Egypt into Hungary, cutting into the profits of 
  Venetian traders. The leaders of Venice watched with dismay 
  as the little town blossomed into a trading city, with the 
  potential of dominating the Adriatic. 
  In A.D. 1204, crusaders bound for Egypt are unable to pay 
  the 85,000 marks demanded by Venice for transport. Enrico 
  Dandalo, Doge (Duke) of Venice, negotiates a deal with the 
  crusaders. He offers to postpone due payment of the 85,000 
  marks until after the crusaders conquer Egypt, if they do him 
  the favor of conquering Zara. The crusaders agree to this 
  sidetrip, even though Zara is a Christian city. They take Zara 
  in a few days, plundering and looting unmercifully. A hunt for 
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  82126
  accused sorcerers also takes place after the walls fall, for many 
  crusaders are mysteriously taken ill during the siege. The Pope 
  excommunicates the crusaders, who plead for forgiveness. 
  I;loCand 
  The Poles are a Slavic people, related to the Pomeranians, 
  Bohemians, Croatians, and Serbs. In A.D. 963, their Prince 
  Mieszko I, fearful of German advances to the east, converted to 
  Christianity and gave his land and people to the Pope, receiving 
  them back to be ruled in the name of the Pope. The Polish 
  conversion halted the advance of the Germans, who found 
  themselves attacking their spiritual lord. 
  Boleslav I, Mieszko’s son, conquered Pomerania and an- 
  nexed Cracow, fought three wars with the German Emperor 
  Henry 11, and declared himself King of Poland in 1025, mere 
  months before his death. His son, Mieszko 11, faced attacks by 
  both the Russians and Germans, and lost many of his father’s 
  conquests in the west. Casamir I the Restorer regained much 
  of Mieszko’s losses, and attempted to unite the five Polish 
  tribes, but the effort was mostly futile, the tribes resisting 
  reforms forced on them by the King. Much time, effort and 
  energy was therefore wasted on petty wars between the tribes, 
  and on the Russians, Bohemians Hungarians, and Germans. 
  After the Restorer, Boleslav I1 Wrymouth expanded Polish 
  borders to the north and west, fought a prolonged civil war with 
  his brother, and kept Poland safe from its enemies. He also led 
  Christianizing efforts among the Poles of Pomerania, but made 
  little headway against paganism there. Unfortunately, Boleslav 
  divided the country among his four sons on his death in 1079, 
  weakening the authority of the crown, and leading to anarchy 
  as major landholders declared themselves independent. The 
  neighboring kingdoms all took advantage of the situation, 
  aiding one prince against his brothers, or nobles against their 
  prince, all the while taking land, castles, and cities. 
  In the ensuing civil wars, German merchants and settlers 
  came east, establishing cities and forts in Poland. Some princes 
  managed to unite Poland and declare themselves King, but 
  were soon overthrown. At least one step was taken to unify the 
  country, when King Leszek I attracted western monks and 
  ecclesiastics to oversee the Church, resultingin a cleanup of the 
  Polish Church, which had gone its own way since Boleslav I. 
  Thirteenth Century 
  ~~~ 
  By the Thirteenth Century the entire coast of the Baltic, 
  from the east bank of the Vistula, is still inhabited by pagan 
  tribes who refuse to be converted to Christianity. Personal 
  pride leads many Polish kings and princes to attempt to convert 
  the heathens, but the terrain, as much as religious obstinance, 
  defeats them. 
  Still, conversion attempts continue. Germans from Lubeck 
  establish the city of Riga in A.D. 1201, and found the Brethren 
  of the Sword to crusade against the surrounding tribes. In 1228 
  Prince Conrad comes to an agreement with Herman of Salza, 
  the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, who has led his order 
  which uses it as a base for crusades against the tribes. In fifty 
  years, the order conquers all of Pmssia, which had formerly 
  resisted the Poles. However, the Teutonic order, subject only 
  to the Pope and not the Polish King, becomes a problem for the 
  King. Thus, indignities performed by the order can only be 
  appealed to the Pope - 
  a long journey for a decision likely to 
  be made in favor of the order. 
  CRACOW 
  Capital of the Principality of Lesser, or Little, Poland, 
  Cracow was annexed to Poland in A.D. 1014 by King Boleslav 
  the Great. The Dukes of Lesser Cracow used the city as their 
  capital, and invited German merchants into the city to provide 
  German arms and goods. 
  Cracow is sacked and burned by the Mongols in 1241, and 
  lays desolate for several years. It is rebuilt with the help of 
  German merchants, who demand and receive several trade 
  concessions with the city, including the running of fairs in 
  Lesser Poland. Lead, copper, iron, and fossil salt are found in 
  the hills around Cracow, and are traded to the Germans for 
  luxury items, arms, and cloth. 
  The fairs of Cracow are held in a great field outside of the 
  city. They are staged in the early fall, before the snows come. 
  German merchants bring arms and armor to the fairs, along 
  with cloth and manufactured objects. The city takes a holiday 
  for the two weeks that the fairs last, and celebrations and 
  festivals are scattered throughout the weeks. The Duke tradi- 
  tionally provides beer and meat for the city on the two Sundays 
  of the fairs. 
  C~NEIZNO 
  Founded in the Tenth Century by Polish tribes, Gneizno 
  slowly grew to a great city as the power of Polish kings grew. 
  The city became an archbishopric in A.D. 1000, and St. 
  Adalbert of Prague was canonized at the dedication ceremony. 
  The Archbishop of Gneizno has authority over Posen and 
  Danzig, and nominally over Thorn. However, the Teutonic 
  order, which controls the city and the Bishop, is answerable to 
  the Pope alone, and ignores the commands of the Archbishop. 
  The current Archbishop, Bratislav of Leqca, swears to 
  drive the Teutonic order from Poland, and has agents watchng 
  the knights for any acts which he can use in letters to the Pope 
  to request the order’s removal. The Bishop of Posen has defied 
  the Archbishop, though, siding with the Hochmeister (Grand 
  Master) of the order. Thus, the Bishop of Posen forces Bratislav 
  to consider religious sanctions, including excommunication 
  and interdict against Bishop and city. 
  LUBLIN 
  Settled in the Ninth Century by pagan Slavs, Lublin 
  enjoyedtradewiththecityofVladimir to theeastandposenand 
  Gneizno to the west. Lublin was converted to Chnstianity by 
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  82127
  is still largely pagan, with a thin veneer of Christianity disguis- 
  ing its pagan rituals. Indeed, the people of Lublin and the 
  surrounding regions celebrate the birth of Christ by raising up 
  a fir tree, decoratedwithgold chains andglass ornaments. They 
  then circle the tree singing hymns in praise of the Father. The 
  Bishop of Lublin allows these pagan ceremonies, as the sur- 
  rounding country is still full of half-pagan tribes, who would 
  rebel if Christianity was forced on them. 
  Lublin is sacked by the Mongols of the Golden Horde in 
  1241, but is soon rebuilt with German help. Lublin is the 
  easternmost Christian city, though trade runs to Vladimir now 
  carry missionaries to the Khan of the Golden Horde. The Khan 
  has not as yet been converted, but surrounds himself with 
  priests of many religions. Mongol soldiers can occasionally be 
  seen in Lublin, crowds parting before them in awe and terror. 
  POSEN 
  The first Bishopric in Poland, Posen was established in the 
  Eighth Century as a stronghold of the Piast dynasty. Mieszko 
  Piast was baptized in A.D. 
  966 in Posen, and the Pope granted 
  the city the Bishopric in recognition of Piast's baptism. 
  Posen is used as a base by Teutonic knights until their city 
  of Torun is built in 123 1. Thereafter the order treats the city as 
  a valued ally, and still maintains good relations with it. A major 
  commandery is built inside the walls of Posen, and the 
  commandery is involved in the sale of pagan slaves to 
  Constantinople. The Archbishop of Gneizno threatens 
  Celestine, Bishop of Posen, with excommunication if he allows 
  the trade to continue, but theBishopappeals to theHochmeister 
  (commander) of the order, Otto of Bremen, who intercedes for 
  him with the Pope. 
  By thisdefiance, theBishop ofPosencreatesaschisminthe 
  Polish Church, weakening the authority of the Archbishop of 
  Gneizno. The Hochmeister, who offered his services to the 
  Bishop in the first place, is pleased with the way the religious 
  community splits, as his own authority is thereby strength- 
  ened. 
  RADOM 
  Founded in A.D. 1215 by German merchants, Radom 
  deals mostly in grain and cattle. The peasants of the city and its 
  lands sell their cattle and grain at inflated prices, which the 
  merchants of hdom compensate for by charging higher prices 
  for goods imported from Germany. This inflation has made 
  Radom a financially turbulent area, as local dukes try to control 
  prices only to be overruled by both peasants and merchants. 
  Tensions in Radom are raised further by German settlers, 
  whoinsultPolishpeasantsinthesurroundingareaswithsneers 
  and airs. Not surprisingly, bad feelings abound on both sides. 
  Radom is burned by the Mongols in 1241, and rebuilt by 
  the Germans two years later. The price wars continue, how- 
  ever, and a number of merchants import German peasants to 
  farm fields, providing basic food for the German community. 
  If the experiment works, more Germans may come to Poland 
  to raise cattle and grain for the merchants, undermining Polish 
  profits. The local Duke has told the merchants that more 
  German peasants are unwelcome. The situation is currently at 
  a standoff. 
  Russia 
  The principalities of Russia are located at the beginning of 
  aboundless sea of grass, the steppes, which stretches all the way 
  to fabled Cathay. The steppes are home to fierce nomads, of 
  which the Mongols are but the latest wave. Huns, Magyars, 
  Bulgars, and Mongols all rode off the steppes and into the 
  history of Mythic Europe. 
  Northern Russia is divided into sixty-four principalities, 
  founded by Viking traders seeking the markets of Mickleburg 
  (Constantinople), by following the great rivers south. The 
  trading posts they founded grew into cities, and the cities 
  became the nuclei of the principalities. 
  The Prince of Kiev is acknowledged by most other Russian 
  princes as the first among equals. At his death in A.D. 1054 the 
  then Grand Prince of Kiev, Yaroslav, divided the principalities 
  among his sons, the eldest inheriting Kiev, the others assigned 
  principalities based on their birth. A system was then set up 
  whereby a prince would move from a lesser to a greater 
  principality upon the death of a senior prince. The system is 
  still used in the Thirteenth Century. Princes were and are 
  responsible to the council of nobles, and to the popular 
  assembly. The Church also became responsible for administra- 
  tion and law, and now holds a near monopoly on literacy. Only 
  a few Russian traders and nobles bother to learn or read. 
  Finally, under the new system of administration, the keeping 
  of slaves was accepted, and fell under the jurisdiction of the 
  Church. 
  Between the death of Grand Prince Yaroslav and the 
  Mongol invasions in 1224, there were eighty-three civil wars, 
  293 princes in sixty-four Principalities, and sixteen wars by 
  Russian princes against foes outside the country. By 11 13 the 
  poverty caused by war, unemployment, high interest rates, and 
  chronic exploitation by the nobles had reached its peak in Kiev. 
  The peasants and townsfolk rose in revolt, killing nobles, 
  moneylenders, and churchmen, and took over the government 
  for a short time. The remaining nobles called on Prince 
  Monomakh of Pereyaslaval to become the Grand Prince of 
  Kiev, over his protestations. Once he held the throne, he cut the 
  \ 
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  rate of interest on loans, reduced the authority of employers 
  over the employed, and restricted the selling of bankrupt 
  debtors into slavery. The nobles screamed the new Grand 
  Prince overstepped his bounds, while the poor complained he 
  chd not do enough. 
  Given the country‘s internal turmoil, the Russian martial 
  spirit was not up to the task of defending the Motherland. This 
  was true even in 1096, when raids by Bulgars in the south 
  enslaved entire villages. Kiev itself was sacked in 1169 by a rival 
  prince. And, the rise of the Italian trade cities in the Mediter- 
  ranean cut off trade ,which had sustained Russia. 
  Thirteenth Century 
  The final blow is delivered to Russia by the Mongols, who 
  sack and bum most major cities, enslaving thousands of 
  peasants, and replacing ruling nobles with khans. 
  The Mongols come up from the south in the 1220s, 
  attacking the Cuman tribes along the shores of the Black Sea. 
  The Cumans, hereditary enemies of the principalities, ask the 
  Russians for aid, saying “The Mongols have taken our lands 
  today, tomorrow they will take yours.” Several princes lead their 
  troops south and join with the Cumans, but the combined 
  armies are defeated by the Mongols near the sea of Azov. 
  The Mongols then retreat back to the steppes, only to 
  return in A.D. 1237 under Batu Khan, who has an army of 
  500,000 ferocious horsemen. The Mongols sweep through the 
  principalities like wildh-e through dry grass, burning cities and 
  pillaging as they come. Kiev is sacked in 1238, and when the 
  monkGiavannodePianoCarpiniseestheruined townin 1244, 
  he describes it as “two hundred cottages surrounded byjelds of 
  skulls.” The Mongols then pass to the west, overrunning 
  Poland and Hungary, and returning to Russia where they stay, 
  calling themselves the Golden Horde. Russian nobles are 
  allowed to keep their lands, but at the cost of a crushing tribute 
  and sometimes yearly visits to the Khan of the Golden Horde, 
  or even to the Great Khan in Mongolia. 
  The Mongols, knowing that they cannot hold the land 
  against the Russians and all outside threat, make alliances with 
  Constantinople, and protect the lives and property of the 
  Orthodox Church. Thus, to gain a level of security, thousands 
  of Russians join the ranks of Orthodox monks, and others give 
  generously to the Church, which becomes wealthy amid the 
  general squalor of Russian towns. 
  KIEV 
  Kiev was founded by Viking traders, who discovered the 
  markets of Constantinople by following Russian rivers south- 
  ward. Kiev was a trading post and fort, providing protection 
  and markets for Norse merchants. From these humble begin- 
  nings grew a large city, which became the capital of the premier 
  principality in Russia. 
  In A.D. 11 13, the peasants threw off the rule of the nobles 
  and seized the city, protesting chronic unemployment and debt 
  caused by decades of warfare. The nobles of Kiev called upon 
  Prince Monomakh of Pereyaslaval to become the Grand Prince 
  of Kiev, which he reluctantly did. Once in power Monomakh 
  made sweeping reforms, which satisfied neither the nobles, 
  who saw them as too strict, nor the poor, who saw them as too 
  slack. Prince Monomakh died after twelve years of trying to 
  mend the problems of Kiev and the rest of Russia. 
  The prince of Suzdalia, another Russian principality, sacked 
  the city in 1169, selling thousands of its citizens as slaves. Kiev 
  has barely recovered from the attack when, in 1237, the 
  Mongols come off the steppes and bum the city to the ground, 
  again enslaving the people of Kiev. Once regarded as the 
  “Mother of Russian cities,” Kiev is now a sad little town; barely 
  two hundred cottages make up the center of town, and the 
  fields for miles around are filled with skulls and bones. 
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  VLADIMIR 
  Founded by King Vladimir I in A.D. 987, Vladimir was the 
  seat of the Prince of Vladimir, who was nominally subservient 
  to the Prince of Kiev. 
  Vladimir trades grain and timber to Poland for goods from 
  the west. The city is sacked by the Mongols in 1240, and 
  remains under the rule of the Golden Horde, who allow trade 
  to continue, taking the best items for themselves. Outside the 
  city is a pile of skulls, deteriorating in the Russian weather. 
  These are the skulls of the defenders of Vladimir, who resisted 
  the Mongols for three weeks. When the city fell, the defenders 
  were killed and their heads stacked as a reminder and warning 
  to the people of Vladimir. Now, no word of revolt is heard in 
  the streets, where the most important citizen makes way for the 
  lowliest soldier of the Golden Horde. Visitors to the city are 
  encouraged to leave as soon as possible, for the Mongols are 
  suspicious of foreigners, and are known to slaughter merchants 
  on a whim. 
  A part of the Roman Empire since the Second Century 
  before Christ, Serbia was known as Illyricum (along the coast) 
  and Dacia (inland). The mountains of the interior provided 
  many rebels and revolutionaries with secure bases and hiding 
  places from which to try to overthrow the yoke of Rome. In 
  A.D. 1151 Stephen Nemanja managed to unite the tribes 
  inhabitingthe highlandsandthrewoff thecontrolofByzantium. 
  Nemanja's son, also named Stephen, is attracted to the 
  west and the Papacy. In return for pnting rights to western 
  clergy, Stephen I1 is accorded royal status in 1217 by.Pope 
  Honorius 111. However, the clergy of the country are still 
  predominantly Orthodox, so Stephen is crowned a second time 
  by his brother, St. Stava, according to Orthodox rites. 
  With Papal authority, Serbia's noble class forms itself 
  along the lines of the west, and formerly free peasants are 
  reduced to serfs tied to the land and bought, sold, or traded with 
  it. Unfortunately, Serbia has only one true city and port to 
  which serfs may escape, the city of Ragussa, which is an 
  independent city-state, much like the northern Italian cities. In 
  1221 Ragussa appeals to Venice for protection against the 
  Despot of Epirus, allowing Venice to gain influence over the 
  city and Serbia. One of the major goals of the King of Serbia is 
  to gain control of Ragussa. 
  Serbia also falls under the influence of Bulgaria during the 
  reigns of Radoslav and Vladislav, and is overrun by Mongols in 
  1241. Uros I reestablishes peace in Serbia, and encoumges 
  trade, resulting in increased growth both politically and finan- 
  cially. Uros '[I begins a campaign of expansion into Bulgaria, 
  and in response is offered Simone, the daughter of Emperor 
  Andronicus 1.1. 
  Serbia is one of the few states still expanding its borders, 
  and under U ros 11, may prove to be a successor to Byzantium 
  in the Balkans. 
  4-A 
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  RAGUSSA 
  Founded by the Greeks long before the birth of Christ, 
  Ragussa is currently the only port in the kingdomof Serbia. The 
  city retains the culture and language of the Romans, who 
  conquered it early in their history. And, fought over constantly 
  by Bulgarians, Itahns, Normans, and Byzantines, Ragussa 
  declared itself an independent city in A.D. 1158, allied to Serbia 
  but paying neither fealty nor tribute. 
  The kings of Serbia dare not upset this important city, as 
  they are dependent on the goods brought to the port. In 1221, 
  to prevent an attack by the Despot of Epirus, Ragussa appeals 
  to Venice, which is delighted to send troops and ships. In return 
  the Venetians demand to be declared the city's overlord. The 
  move is resisted strongly by many of the city's common people, 
  but the merchants of Ragussa see this as their only chance for 
  survival, as Venice would surely conquer them if they refuse. 
  A solid core of the citizenry still hold ill will toward their 
  Venetian masters, and plot to restore the commune of Ragussa. 
  To this end, they have been in correspondence with the 
  Holy Roman Emperor, urging him to attack Venice. They 
  figure that with Venice occupied by the forces of the Empire, 
  Ragussa can free itself. 
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  82132
  he boot-shaped Italian peninsula, which ex 
  tends from thecentralsouthernedge ofMyhc 
  Europe into the Mediterranean Sea, is a study 
  in contrasts. Birthplace of the Roman Empire, 
  and united by a common language and culture, Italy remains 
  divided into a number of squabbling city-states. Italy is also 
  easily divided into two major regions: north and south. The 
  north of the country is possessed of some of the best farmland 
  and the most powerful trading cities in Myhc Europe, while 
  the country’s southern regions are financially and agricultur- 
  ally poor. 
  Lands OF northern 
  Northern Italy extends from the Alps south to encompass 
  Genoa, Venice, Pisa, Milan, and the Patrimonium Petri (the 
  Papal States). The northern lands of Italy comprise the fertile 
  lowlands of the Po Valley and alpine pastures. 
  The northern boundary of Italy is set by the Alps, an east- 
  west mountain range which runs in a broad arc from Genoa to 
  Venice. The steep slopes of the Alps allow few mountain passes, 
  but there are still sufficient passes known to support all trade 
  between Italy and the rest of the Holy Roman Empire. 
  The Po Valley receives ample rainfall in summer, and soil 
  there is as fertile as anywhere in Mythic: Europe. It is said that 
  farmers of the Po Valley are the true backbone of Italian trading 
  cities’ strength and wealth. Any who have seen the wheat- 
  covered hills of Tuscany agree. In winter, however, the region 
  is buried in snow, which sometimes gets as deep as six feet. 
  The alpine pastures of the north lie in the southern 
  foothills of the Alps. While the area has limited land for crops, 
  farmers in the region have taken to terracing the mountainsides, 
  creating long flat strips of arable farmland which run across the 
  mountains. In addition to the grains which dominate the Po 
  Valley, the pastures of the alpine region support some vine- 
  yards and fruit orchards, as well as large herds of grazing cattle. 
  And, like the Po Valley, the alpine region suffers from terrible 
  winters. Unfortunately, its summers are also drier than those 
  in the lowlands. 
  The cities of northern Italy are major forces in Mythlc 
  European trade, with trading outposts from England to the 
  Black Sea. While ostensibly under the control of the Holy 
  Roman Empire, Italian cities are independent, and jockey with 
  one another for control of vital trade routes and trading 
  partners. 
  Italy, especially northern Italy, flourishes under the influ- 
  ence of trade between Mythic Europe and the Holy Land. 
  Italian traders ply the Mediterranean with goods from the Holy 
  Land, keeping a portion of every shipment for themselves, and 
  another for the Church’s tithe. Northern Italy’s interest in 
  profit has attracted the attention of even the Pope, and the Papal 
  States are no less mercantile than their more “secular” neigh- 
  bors. 
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  South of the Apennines, the lands of Italy are dominated 
  by the Sicilian highlands, a lower and less rocky mountainous 
  region. There are a number of cities at the edge of these 
  highlands, such as Reggio, Brindisi, and Syracuse, which 
  survive as seaports and trade the limited agricultural products 
  of the region across the Mediterranean. 
  Southern Italy also has several volcanoes, most notably 
  Mount Vesuvius, outside of Naples. While Vesuvius itself has 
  not erupted since ancient times, other lesser volcanoes have 
  erupted, spreading smoke, fire, and ash over large areas. Once 
  the lava from these small volcanoes cools, however, farmers 
  rush to covered regions, as volcanic soil is the most fertile in all 
  of Italy. 
  ITALIAN 
  PEOPLE 
  The people of northern Italy are sophisticated, clever, 
  hard-working, and avaricious. Mercantilism dominates, and it 
  is said that you can trust a Venetian trader in anything except 
  business. Southern Italians have a reputation for stoicism, 
  honesty, and an unbending will, but are considered dull by 
  their more cosmopolitan, northern neighbors. 
  northern 7talian 
  History 
  Italy is divided politically into two main sections: Imperial 
  Italy in the north, including the Papal States and the kingdom 
  of Naples in the south, which is often associatedwith Sicily (for 
  a while the two were referred to as the Two Sicilies). 
  With the death of Charlemagne and the division of the 
  Empire, Italy, to as far south as Rome, was left in the control of 
  succeeding Emperors. Rome itselfwas left in the control of the 
  states to the tip Of the Pope. Other lands, stretching across Italy and up the east coast 
  to Venice, were also controlledby the pope (that is, they 
  Lands OF Buthern 
  southern 
  Italy encompasses the entire kingdom Of 
  from the 
  Italian peninsula, and out to the island of Sicily. The region is 
  dominated by the Apennines, a narrow, rugged mountain belonged to the papal states). 
  The rockY ApeMines 
  rainfall 
  the Adriatic sea' such lack Of 
  southern Italy's crops poor and its production limited. There popes to crown them Emperor, 
  are a number of vineyards in southern Italy, as well as tree crops ignored 
  of olives, fruits, carobs, and almonds, but the huge wheat fields unrest, 
  of northern Italy cannot be found here. On the other hand, cities of 
  southern Italy suffers only mild winters, as its snowstorms are 
  tempered by the warm waters of the Mediterranean. 
  border Of the 
  range which runs 
  the length Of the Italian Peninsula' 
  South of Rome the country was controlled by a patchwork 
  the landscape' limiting the of Byzantines, Lombards, and Saracens, who also controlled 
  makes number of Italian kings fought over the kingdom and forced the 
  a standing which was largely 
  Contributing to the 
  raiding from the Hungarian plains pillaged the 
  Furthermore, between 951 and 962 Otto I the Great of 
  Germany spent many years in Italy fighting that country's King 
  gowing 
  conditions' 'Outhem 
  Italy has Berengar and several Popes, who alternatively pleaded for help 
  amount Of 
  land availab1e for 
  and 
  Sicily. After the death of Emperor Charles 111 in A.D. 888 a 
  by the Germans and 
  Italy, even 
  Rome in 937. 
  Despite its 
  People. The re@on has been 'Ihbited 
  from and deposed the Emperor. In 
  turn, Otto 11 spent most 
  show of his reign attempting to add southern Italy to the German 
  Other 
  Empire, a move resisted by the popes, until the Empire finally 
  for 
  'V5O0 Yeam, and the People Of 
  Italy 
  greater 
  ProPensiV for having children than those Of 
  surrounded the Papal States. 
  Otto I11 attempted to move his capital to Rome, but the 
  citizens refused. Instead, they established a Roman republic, 
  which was quickly suppressed by Otto. Otto then oversaw the 
  nation. Those born in France, England, or Spain often marvel 
  at how many people can be found in the villages and towns of 
  Southern Italy, and at how close the villages are to one another. 
  Traveling Italians, on the other hand, view less populous places 
  as barely civilized wilderlands. 
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  Sylvester 11, and the two continued their attempt at the reuni- 
  fication of Christendom. Fatefully, Otto fell in love with the 
  wife of a rebel he had executed, and she poisoned him in 1002. 
  The nobles of Italy thus chose Arduin of Ivrea as their King, but 
  he was defeated by the German Emperor Henry 11, and deposed 
  in 1015. 
  In 1075 Pope Gregory VI1 issued the Dictatus Papae and 
  sparked the investiture contest, a fight over the right to invest 
  higher church officials (bishops and abbots) with spiritual and 
  secular authority. Gregory contended that only the Church 
  could invest officials, going against hundreds of years of Mythic 
  European tradition. By opposing the Church and its bid for 
  power, German Emperor Henry IV bore the brunt of the 
  contest. He was deposed and twice excommunicated by the 
  Pope, but oversaw the deposition of the Pope, and arranged the 
  election of his own Pope, Clement 111. 
  In retaliation Gregory called the Norman lords of southern 
  Italy to his aid. He had to endure three long years of siege in the 
  Castle Sant’ Angel0 before Robert Guiscard drove the Emperor 
  off in 1084. Robert’s men then sacked Rome, which alienated 
  the Romans from both the Normans and the Pope. Robert 
  retreated to southern Italy, taking Gregory with him and 
  installing him at Salerno, where Gregory died in 1085. The 
  college of cardinals followed Gregory to Salerno, where they 
  electedurban I1 to oppose Clement 111, who remained in Rome. 
  In 1085 the Emperor of Byzantium, Alexius, granted 
  trading privileges to Venice for their help in defeating Robert 
  Guiscard’s plan for conquering Byzantium. These trade privi- 
  leges included exemption from taxes, as well as a Venetian 
  quarter in Constantinople. With these advantages Venice soon 
  grew to be a financial world power, outstripping Genoa and 
  Pisa, whosoondemandedthesameconcessions fromByzantium. 
  Giving up so many trade privileges, Byzantine merchants were 
  eventually put in a difficult position. They had to pay the taxes 
  and berthing fees Venice and other cities were not, so could not 
  compete with the Italian cities. This inequality would cause 
  further difficulties for Byzantium at a later date. 
  In 1097 the Italian fleets of Genoa and Pisa contributed to 
  the First Crusade, shipping knights, arms, and supplies to the 
  Holy Land. Italian engineers from Genoese also helped in the 
  capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Venice joined the Crusade in 
  1100, assisting in the siege of Haifa. As a result of their 
  contributions Genoa, Pisa, and Venice obtained trading rights 
  in all ports of the Holy Land, a very profitable arrangement for 
  the Italians. For their aid the Venetians were also given 
  suzerainty over a quarter of the city of Sidon. Trade rights 
  established by the Italians in the Holy Land became the model 
  for all those to follow. 
  Though the First Crusade created an alliance between the 
  Pope and Emperor, the death of Matilda of Tuscany in 11 15 
  renewed the conflict between them. Matilda had bequeathed 
  her considerable lands to both the Church and the Emperor, 
  who then fought over them. In the chaos generated by the 
  dispute, many cities threw off both powers’ claims and formed 
  , 
  communes, refusing fealty to either Emperor or Pope. Since 
  that time neither the Pope nor the Emperor has managed to 
  achieve success in controlling the whole of northern Italy, and 
  its cities play the two powers against each other. These cities 
  also eventually adopted the Guelph-Ghibelline feud, though 
  they do not use those names until the time of Frederick I1 (circa 
  1220). 
  In 1123 the Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus re- 
  fused to renew the Golden Bull, Venice’s charter in the eastern 
  Empire. In retaliation, Venice began to raid the Adriatic ports 
  and Ionian islands of the Empire. Peace was restored between 
  Venice and Byzantium when Roger I1 of Sicily began to make 
  raids of his own against Byzantium. The alliance was short- 
  lived, however, and Venice resumed her attacks. 
  The Romans also took to fighting, and rebelled once more 
  in 1 143, forming a commune, ruling their city through a senate. 
  The heretical Arnold of Brescia came to the city in 1146, 
  preaching against the wealth of the Church and Papacy in 
  particular. As a result Pope Eugenius I11 was forced out of 
  Rome, and spent the rest of his reign in exile. 
  The cardinals then elected Nicholas Breakspear, an En- 
  glish Bishop, to the Papacy as Adrian IV. He resolved to regain 
  the city of Rome, held by Amold and the senate. The Roman 
  mobs, rioting at the election of an Englishman to the Papal 
  throne, attacked and seriously injured an elderly and well- 
  respected cardinal. Adrian was thus prompted to lay the entire 
  city under interdict during Holy Week, depriving the city of its 
  normal influx of pilgrims for religious festivals, a source of 
  income which had never failed the city. Given the choice of 
  autonomy or wealth, the mercantile Romans expelled Arnold, 
  who fled to Sicily. Adrian lifted the ban on the city once Arnold 
  had left. 
  To restore order in Rome and reinstate the power of the 
  Papacy,AdriancalledonthemilitaryaidofFrederickBarbarossa, 
  inviting the German to take the city. Frederick captured 
  Arnold of Brescia, turning him over to Papal authorities, who 
  burned him at the stake and threw his ashes into the Tiber. 
  However, the Romans refused to allow Frederickinto their city, 
  so his Imperial coronation was held in the fortress of St. Peter. 
  In the meantime the Romans attacked Imperial forces across 
  the Tiber, and were thrown back with great losses. Frederick 
  then hurried back to Germany as his army had contracted 
  Malaria, but he had taken the Imperial crown. 
  At the Diet of Roncaglia in 1158 Frederick asked the 
  lawyers of Bologna, who were decidedly Imperialist, to define 
  the rights of the Emperor in the kingdom of Italy. The lawyers 
  returned that the Emperor was supreme in the kingdom, with 
  the right to appoint clergy, and to control the judicial and 
  monetary processes of the country’s cities. The lawyers also 
  gave the Emperor the right to place consuls in all cities, and the 
  right to place a podesta, or governor, in each city. The 
  communes of Lombardy and the Papacy rejected the ruling, 
  and years of warfare ensued. 
  The death of Pope Adrian in 1159 prompted two opposing 
  Popes to be appointed in his place. The Papal cardinals elected 
  Alexander I11 while the Imperials elected Victor IV. Frederick 
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  Hungarian port of Zara. The crusaders do so, and then agree to 
  forced the acceptance of Victor, and Alexander fled to France 
  in 1162. On Victor‘s death in 1 164, a series of Anti-Popes were 
  forced on the citizens of Rome. 
  In the meantime the cities of Lombardy banded together in 
  1167, forming the LombardLeague, andvowed to support each 
  other against the Emperor until their rights were restored. 
  Frederick returned to Italy to fight the League, and at the battle 
  of Legnano in 1176 the League defeated Imperial troops. It was 
  believed that Frederick was killed in the fighting, until he 
  reappeared alone in Pavia. In 1177 Pope Alexander mediated 
  a six year truce between the League and Frederick. The 
  negotiations were held in Venice, which was the only city both 
  sides could agree upon. In 1183 the Peace of Constance was 
  signed by all parties, granting a number of important rights to 
  the League. Interestingly, most cities maintained the post of 
  Podesta, which Frederick had instituted, electing individuals 
  from outside the city who had no alliances to any feuds within 
  the city. 
  By 1 172 troubles had again arisen between Byzantium and 
  Venice. The Byzantine Emperor Manual I ordered the seizure 
  of all Venetian persons and property in Constantinople. The 
  Venetians responded by sending an expedition to 
  Constantinople, but it was defeated by the Byzantines. On the 
  expedition’s return to Venice the populace mobbed and killed 
  the Doge for his failure. Fortunately friendly relations between 
  Byzantium and Venice were renewed in 1175. 
  In 1190 Emperor Frederick of Germany died, and his 
  successor, Henry VI, came to Rome to be crowned Emperor. 
  Henry claimed the kingdoms of Sicily and Naples by right of 
  inheritance through his wife, Constance. He then proceeded to 
  conquer southern Italy, but refused to acknowledge feudal 
  obligations to the Pope, the nominal overload of Naples and 
  Sicily. In 1197 Henry died, and his orphaned son Frederick 
  inherited the crown of Sicily and Naples. The young Frederick 
  was placed under the care of the Pope, but the Empire again 
  facedcidwarasOttoofBrunswickandPhilipofSwabiafought 
  for the crown. Innocent 111 became Pope in 1198, and sup- 
  ported Otto, in return for the Capitulation of Neusse, which 
  delineated Papal lands, and denied any Imperial authority 
  within those bounds. 
  The Capitulation of Neusse also established order in 
  Lombardy. The cities had polarized around Imperial and Papal 
  parties, both of which claimed authority. Indeed, towers and 
  fortresses soon sprung up in the cities, as fadies found the 
  need to protect themselves from feuds. The factions inside the 
  cities fought bloody battles, with alliances shifting back and 
  forth. It was through the Capitulation of Neusse that Innocent 
  regained control of the Papal States, and soon many of the cities 
  of northern Italy renounced their allegiance to the Emperor, 
  swearing new oaths to Papal legates. 
  THIRTEENTH 
  CENTURY 
  1nA.D. 1204 theFourthCrusade,whichis toattackEgypt, 
  is diverted by Doge Enrico Dandalo of Venice, who offers to 
  cover part of the ferrying charges of the army if it attacks the 
  attack Constantinople. Pope Innocent excommunicates all 
  those who take part in the attack on Zara, relenthg when they 
  plead for mercy. Rumors of the attack on Constantinople make 
  the Pope again threaten excommunication for anyone who 
  takes part, but the Pope’s threats are ignored. The capture of 
  Constantinople in 1204 at first honifies Innocent, but he soon 
  looks on it as a long-sought opportunity to reunite the Catholic 
  and Orthodox Churches under the leadership of Rome. 
  Otto IV breaks the Treaty of N e k e  in 1209, and Innocent 
  excommunicates him in 1212. Frederick11 takes the throne on 
  the Pope’s insistence, but is made to swear not to join the 
  kingdoms of southern Italy to the Empire. Instead Frederick 
  names his young son Henry King of Naples, putting Henry into 
  the Pope7s care. Numerous other oaths are also required of 
  Frederick before the Pope allows him to take the crown of the 
  Empire, including observance of most of the provisions of the 
  treaty of N e w ,  and the promise to take up the cross for the 
  Holy Land. 
  Frederick, supported by hnds from the Pope, leaves Italy 
  to battle Otto IV, but Otto, allied to King John of England, is 
  defeated by King Philip Augustus of France, so resistance to 
  Frederick collapses. Frederick then has the Electors crown his 
  son Henry King of Germany, while Frederick becomes Regent 
  of Sicily, for Henry. However, barons and Saracens in Naples 
  and Sicily rebel in 1221, requiring Frederick’s presence in 
  southern Italy. Then Pope Honorius, wishing for Frederick to 
  aid the Christians in the Holy Land, persuades Frederick to 
  many the heiress of Jerusalem, and Frederick adds King of 
  Jerusalem to his titles. But, in 1227, Frederick’s army is reduced 
  by a plague which breaks out before he can embark for the Holy 
  Land. Accordingly, Pope Gregory IX loses all patience with the 
  Emperor and excommunicates him. 
  However, Frederick leaves on crusade in 1228 while still 
  excommunicated, and Gregory releases his vassals from their 
  vows against the former Emperor. Frederick return to Italy 
  and reconquers his lands, signing the Treaty of San German0 
  in 1230. 
  Back in Europe, Frederick I1 continues to lead military 
  campaigns in Italy, defeating a second Lombard League, and 
  forcing Pope Innocent IV to flee to Lyon. There the Pope 
  declares Frederick deposed and a heretic, laying all lands loyal 
  to him under interdict and excommunicating his followers. 
  The Pope also calls a crusade against Frederick, granting all 
  privileges and rights normally granted to crusaders in the Holy 
  Land to those who take the cross against the Emperor. Frederick 
  responds by issuing the Reform Manifesto, wherein he accuses 
  the Church of worldliness and confiscates the treasures of the 
  Church to finance his war. 
  In the Holy Land King Louis VI1 of France tries to mediate 
  the dispute between the Pope and Emperor, so that Frederick 
  might lead the Germans to aid the Seventh Crusade. But, 
  Frederick is struck mortally ill. Before death he begs forgive- 
  ness of the Pope, and forgiveness is offered. Making peace with 
  the Pope, Frederick gives up the worldly life, and joins the 
  Cistercian order, living out the rest of his life in an Italian 
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  come up &om Hell to bear his soul through the pit of Mt. Etna 
  to eternal damnation beyond. 
  In his will Frederick leaves his son, Conrad IV, the Empire, 
  and his illegitimate son, Manfred, the Regency of Italy. The 
  Italians revolt against Manfred almost immediately, welcoming 
  Papal legates to replace the Imperial. Pope Innocent IV returns 
  to Italy from Lyon, and makes Naples the headquarters of his 
  efforts to annex the cities of southern Italy. His plans to annex 
  the north are foiled by northern Italian cities, which prefer 
  independence to either Pope or Emperor. Indeed, the Imperial 
  nobles Ezzelino and Uberto Pallavicino are godless brothers 
  who hold several Italian cities in fealty to the Emperor. They 
  have no respect for God or the Church, refuse the Pope’s bids 
  for power in their cities, and allow heresy to grow rampant 
  under their jurisdiction. 
  In 1254 Emperor Conrad leads an invasion of Italy, 
  recapturing much of the country for the Empire, but dies of 
  Malaria in 1254 before the consolidation of his conquests. 
  Manfred then assumes the leadership of Imperial forces, rout- 
  ing a Papal army. When Innocent hears news of the defeat he 
  dies in despair. After Innocent, Pope Alexander IV organizes 
  a crusade against the rebellious Pallavicinos, capturing both 
  brothers and torturing them to death alongwith their families. 
  The entirety of northern Italy thus falls into chaos. Meanwhile, 
  in the south of Italy, Regent Manfred leads a life of hunting, 
  singing, and playing. He defeats another Papal army in 1260. 
  Pope Urban IV, no longer able to rely on the Emperor for 
  protection from the south, turns to the French, offering the 
  kingdom of the Two Sicilies to Louis IX. Louis declines the 
  honor, but allows Charles of Anjou to accept the kingdom as a 
  fief from the Pope in 1264. Charles leads 30,000 troops into 
  Italy,defeatingthearmyofManfred. InresponseManfredleads 
  one final, desperate charge into the French force, dying rather 
  than submit. In turn, Emperor Conrad’s son, also named 
  Conrad, a boy of fifteen, leads an army of Germans against the 
  French in 1265, but is captured and publicly beheaded in the 
  market square of Naples in 1268. 
  In the years that follow the northem cities of Italy continue 
  to play the Pope against the Emperor, maintaining their inde- 
  pendence from both parties by adroit political maneuvering. 
  Instead of fighting Pope or Emperor, the Italian cities fight each 
  other, hiring mercenaries to wage their battles for them. The 
  Conditierri, as the mercenaries come to be called, take delight 
  in ravaging defenseless villages and towns, but rarely fight true 
  battles. Instead, they maneuver the opposing armies into 
  retiring or surrendering before lives are lost. In this manner 
  northern Italy tears itself to pieces while the rest of the world 
  looks on in horror and amusement. 
  Southern 7taLian 
  History 
  By the early Eleventh Century southern Italy was a patch- 
  work of states, with the Byzantine Empire, Lombards, and 
  independent cities all fighting for supremacy. Knightly adven- 
  turers traveled from city to city, fighting first for one faction, 
  then another. In A.D. 1016 a band of Norman pilgrims agreed 
  to recruit their countrymen to fight for one of the petty nobles 
  of southern Italy, and the trickle of adventurers into southern 
  Italy increased tenfold as Normans, eager for land, took passage 
  for the peninsula. Pope Leo IX, seeing the atrocities performed 
  by the Normans, attempted to form a league of cities allied with 
  the Byzantine Empire to expel the Norman lords, but negotia- 
  tions with the Byzantines broke down in theological contro- 
  versy. After the Norman victory of Civitate in 1053, where 
  Pope Leo was captured, the Normans proceeded to conquer the 
  lands of southern Italy in a concerted effort to form a new 
  kingdom. 
  The greatest of the Norman knightly invaders was Robert 
  Guiscard (“the Cunning”), who carved out the County of 
  Apulia, and split Calabria with his brother Richard. Political 
  necessity forced Pope Nicholas I1 to recognize the conquests of 
  the brothers in 1059, as their armies were the only military 
  might in Italy able to protect the Papacy from the schemes of the 
  German emperors. Nicholas therefore enfeoffed Robert with 
  the Duchies of Apulia, Calabria, and the Island of Sicily, which 
  was in Saracen hands. Richard was awarded the Principality of 
  Capua. By this action, the Pope legalized the conquests of the 
  brothers, and gained their support. The two brothers spent 
  many years suppressing revolts in their new duchies. Robert 
  was able to expel the Byzantines from Italy in 1071, and a third 
  brother, Roger, began the slow conquest of Sicily in 1060,
  taking the title Count Roger I of Sicily. Robert was eventually 
  excommunicated by Pope Gregory VI1 in 1074 for the capture 
  of Papal cities, but he continued his conquests. In 1080 he 
  reconciled with the Pope, and renewed his vows of fealty. 
  Pope Gregory renewed alliances with Robert because he 
  needed the Norman’s aid against the armies of Emperor Henry 
  IV, which were besieging Rome. However, Robert did not come 
  to the Pope’s assistance right away. Instead he attacked the 
  Byzantine Empire in an attempt to claim the eastern Empire for 
  himself. He returned to Italy in 1084, sacking Rome in his 
  attempt to bring Henry to battle. Robert took the Pope and the 
  Curia under his protection and housed them in Salerno while 
  the Anti-Pope Clement I11 held Rome. Robert then attempted 
  to renew his Byzantine conquests, but died in 1085 at the age 
  of seventy. When his turn in power came, Robert’s son Roger 
  watched in dismay while the lands of his father were conquered 
  or rebelled, and in his reign, Roger’s son William lost all but the 
  Duchy of Apulia. 
  The Norman Roger I, Robert’s brother, spent thirty years 
  conquering Sicily, taking Messina in 1060, Palermo in 1072, 
  and Malta in 1091. The govemment of Sicily was a mixture of 
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  Saracens, Byzantines, and Normans, while Roger I's army 
  consisted of Norman knights with Saracen troops. Roger 
  tolerated Muslim and Jewish religious observances, and sup- 
  ported the universities and libraries of Sicily. Roger died in 
  1101, and his widow acted as Regent for his sons Simon and 
  Roger 11, until Roger I1 was able to take control of the govern- 
  ment in 1105. Roger I1 was a statesman of the first rank and 
  a brave warrior. By 1 129 he had conquered his cousin William's 
  holdings in Apulia, left vacant at William's death in 1125. 
  The schism in the Church between Pope Innocent 11 and 
  the Anti-Pope Anacletus gave Roger I1 a chance to increase his 
  power. His support of Anacletus won him a rise in rank to King 
  of Sicily. However, the Pope had no intention of allowing a 
  strong, undivided state in southern Italy, fearing such a state 
  could dominate Rome as much or more than the Emperor 
  already did. To use Roger against the Emperor was the only 
  recourse for the Pope, who attempted to keep Italian political 
  and military power in check. 
  The strife between the Pope and Anti-Pope continued, and 
  several times Roger was forced to expel lords appointed to his 
  lands by the Pope. Pope Innocent I1 led an expedition against 
  Roger in 1139, but was captured by Roger's son, and was 
  compelled to confirm Roger's kingship before he was released. 
  Roger's control of important ports on Sicily and in Italy made 
  the cities of Pisa and Genoa support rebels against the king with 
  money and arms. However, Roger was able to continue his 
  conquests even with rebellions at home, and between 1134 and 
  his death in 1 154 he conquered part of the north African coast. 
  During the Second Crusade Roger also plundered the city 
  of Thebes in Greece, capturing a number of silk workers, 
  bringing the silk industry to Sicily. Roger also allowed the 
  various cultures of Sicily - Saracens, Jews, Greeks, and 
  Normans - 
  to practice their religions freely, and opened the 
  government to all races, searching for competence rather than 
  pedigree. Under Roger the kingdom of Sicily was the richest 
  and most cultured for a generation, and paved the way for the 
  opulent court of Frederick 11. 
  Roger II's death in 1154 was followed by the reign of 
  William the Bad, who retired to the luxuries of his harem and 
  court, leaving the governance of the realm to the Grand 
  Admiral, a man thoroughly hated by Sicilian nobles. Many 
  revolutions and rebellions marked the reign of William, and 
  Frederick Barbarossa invaded northern Italy, threatening to 
  turn against the south as well. However, William showed the 
  blood of his Norman forbears in 1155 and 56, when he quelled 
  the rebels in Sicily, then routed a Byzantine army which was 
  aiding rebels in Apulia. But, William's African holdings were 
  overrun by the Almohads, and by 1160 the Sicilians were 
  thrown out of Africa. Finally, William preserved his position 
  in southern Italy by aiding the Pope against the aggressions of 
  Frederick Barbarossa, in return for control over the Church in 
  Sicily. 
  William's death in 1166 led to the crowning of his son 
  William 11, called the Good, to distinguish him from his father. 
  His reign was renowned for internal peace, and William II 
  helped moderate the Peace of Venice between Pope Alexander 
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  against the Byzantine Empire, but was soundly defeated in 
  1185. He died childless that year, while preparing to lead a 
  third crusade against the Saracens in the Holy Land. 
  To assume control of southern Italy, Tancred of Lecce was 
  elected by the nobles. Tancred’s first official function was to 
  buy his country back from King Richard of England. Richard 
  had become annoyed at the treatment he received on his way 
  to the Holy Land and captured Sicily. He dealt with the 
  expected revolts with a heavy hand, and defeated a German 
  invasion of Naples in 1 191. Tancred died in 1194, leaving only 
  a young son to hold the crown against the ambitions of the 
  Germans. 
  Henry VI of Germany finally claimed the throne of Sicily 
  by his marriage to Constance, an aunt of William 11. Henry 
  allied with Genoa and Pisa, who loaned him ships, and were 
  eager to reduce their mutual rival. Henry captured Palermo in 
  1194, and was crowned King of Sicily. Henry died in 1197, 
  leavinghis three year oldsonFrederick, whowascrownedKing 
  of Sicily in 1198. Pope Innocent I11 was given the boy to raise 
  and educate, but Frederick was largely ignored by his Papal 
  guardians, and spent his youth in poverty, running through the 
  streets of Palermo. As a young man, Frederick learned to ride 
  and fight, and grew to love hunting. He never lost the tolerance 
  of his childhood, and acquired knowledge of Greek, Arabic, 
  and the philosophy of many religions. 
  THIRTEENTH 
  CENTURY 
  Pope Innocent 111, needing a foil against the ambitions of 
  Otto IV, turns to Frederick, whom he crowns Emperor in A.D. 
  1212. In return Frederick pledges to protect the Papacy, and 
  never to join Sicily or Naples to his Empire. Furthermore, 
  Frederick is forced to give up his Sicilian kingdom, and to name 
  his young son Henry as King of Sicily, under a regent appointed 
  by Innocent. Frederick then goes north into Germany and 
  suppresses rebellions, aided by the defeat of Otto at the hands 
  of Philip Augustus of France, at the Battle of Bouvines. 
  However, Frederickmisses the lands of southern Italy and, 
  leaving the government of the Empire to regents, returns to 
  Sicily, trading places with his son who is then crowned King of 
  the Romans by the German Electors. This reversal of realms is 
  contrary to the Mythic European vision of Innocent, but 
  Innocent dies in 1216, and his successor, Honorius 111, is not of 
  the same mettle, so does not depose Frederick. 
  Frederickis punished by the Papacy at a later date, though. 
  Frederick had promised to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, but 
  his army contracts a plague in 1227, forcing it to return to Italy. 
  Frederick is excommunicated by Pope Gregory for his failure, 
  but in 1228 leads a Crusade to the Holy Land, where he amazes 
  the Saracens by being able to understand their speech and 
  culture. 
  While Frederick is in Syria, Pope Gregory absolves his 
  vassals of their oaths to the Emperor, and prepares to conquer 
  southern Italy. Frederick’s regents invade the Papal states, but 
  are defeated. The Pope, in turn, sends an army into Sicily and 
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  111 and Frederick Barbarossa. He also continued conquests monks spread the rumor that Frederick is dead. Soon Sicily and 
  Naples are in the hands of Papal troops. Frederick therefore 
  returns from the Holy Land in haste, and recaptures all his cities 
  with hardly a fight. At the border of the Papal States he sends 
  an emissary to the Pope, requesting forgiveness for his trans- 
  gressions against the Pope’s recent conquests. Forgiveness is 
  granted. 
  Frederick spends much of his time in southern Italy 
  restoring order. Captured Muslim warriors from the Sicilian 
  hills become the best and most loyal part of his armies. 
  Frederick also comes to rely on lawyers, trained at his univer- 
  sity in Salerno, for his government. His court at Salerno and 
  Foggia becomes renowned for the level of culture enjoyed 
  there, as well as for the court’s harem and veritable army of 
  Muslim slaves, to attend to the needs of courtiers. Further- 
  more, Frederick welcomes Arabic and Jewish scholars to Italy, 
  debating their subjects with them until late in the evening. In 
  truth, Frederick adopts many trappings of the lost Roman 
  Emperors, minting coins with his own likeness, and elevating 
  himself to near godhood in the minds of his people. 
  Frederick‘s ultimate goal is to join all of Italy to the German 
  Empire, and to make Rome the political, as well as spiritual, 
  capital of the Christian world. In 1226 he invites all the cities 
  of Italy to the Diet of Cremona. However, Lombard cities, 
  fearing for their independence, refuse to send delegates, and the 
  Pope forbids any Papal cities to attend. 
  Ironically, Frederick’s efforts toward unification work in 
  one sense, when powers in Italy turn against him. The 
  Lombards cause trouble again by founding the second Lombard 
  League. Frederick is also forced to deal with northern Italy for 
  a number of years. And, the Pope joins the battle against the 
  Emperor, excommunicating him once more in 1239. 
  Fortunately, southern Italy does not suffer the results of 
  attacks on Frederick. The battlefields are in northern Italy, 
  leaving Naples and Sicily to bask in the pleasures of the court, 
  only defending themselves from infrequent attacks. 
  In retaliation, after the Second Council of Lyon in 1245,
  which renews Frederick‘s excommunication, Frederick issues 
  his own “ReformManifesto.” It accuses the Papacy and Church 
  of worldliness and self-indulgence. Frederick therefore confis- 
  cates the treasures of churches in southern Italy, using them to 
  finance his war against the north. During this period Frederick 
  also brutally puts down rebellions, using Muslim soldiers to 
  execute hostages; Muslims are impervious to pleas for mercy in 
  Frederick‘s attacks to the north win him several victories. 
  In 1250 hisgeneralswinanumberofimportantcitiesbackfrom
  rebels, and Louis IX of France, captured by Saracens during the 
  Seventh Crusade, offers to mediate between the Pope and 
  Emperor. At that point Frederick contracts dysentery and 
  reverses his previous stand against the Church to save hls soul 
  before death. He therefore begs for absolution, which is 
  granted, and joins the Cistercian order, dying in December of 
  1250. 
  Christ’s M E .  
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  Frederick’s illegitimate son Manfred is made Regent of 
  Italy and Sicily, but most Italian towns rebel, and welcome 
  Papallegates. Furthermore, the Pope captures Naples anduses 
  it as his base against Sicily and southern Italy, capturing city 
  after city. Manfred turns things around, though, when Em- 
  peror Conrad IV leads a German army south to fight the Pope’s 
  forces, and dies of Malaria in 1254. Manfred takes charge of the 
  Imperial army, defeating Papal troops in December of that year. 
  Unfortunately, after Manfred’s victory, southern Italy de- 
  volves into chaos, with Imperial, Papal, and independent 
  armies fighting each other. Finally, Pope Urban IV offers the 
  crown of Sicily and Naples to King Louis IX of France, who 
  allows his brother, Charles of Anjou, to take the Italian crown. 
  Charles leads French troops to Italy, where he defeats Manfred 
  and his Germans. A succeeding Emperor, Conradin, son of 
  Conrad IV, leads one last German invasion into southern Italy, 
  but is defeated and captured. In 1268 he is publicly beheaded 
  in Naples, putting an end to the German claim to southern Italy. 
  After the Germans are defeated, Charles of Anjou moves 
  his capital to Naples, inviting French nobles and churchmen to 
  the country. He rules so badly, though, that the southern Italian 
  people long for the resurrection of Frederick, and the Pope 
  mourns the day offered the crown to the French. Finally, in 
  1282 Palermo, a French soldier becomes overly familiar with a 
  young Sicilian bride, sparking a riot which sweeps through all 
  of Sicily. Known as the Sicilian Vespers, the riots lead to open 
  rebellion, and the French are expelled from the island. 
  Charles vows to lay the entire island to waste and ruin, and 
  Pope Martin N excommunicates all Sicilians. Looking for aid 
  against the French, the Sicilians offer their crown to King Pedro 
  I11 of Amgon, who lands with Spanish troops in 1282. Charles 
  tries to recapture the island, but his ships are sunk by the larger 
  Spanish fleet, and some French ships, attempting the Straits of 
  Messina, are destroyed by the Sirens. 
  In the end Charles dies of fiustration in 1285. His 
  successors thereafter struggle in vain to rejoin Sicily to Naples. I 
  Bologw 
  A small city in the center of Italy, Bologna is chiefly known 
  for its university. Founded in A.D. 1200, the university 
  specializes in the study of law, and also has a school of 
  medicine. The fame of the university attracts students from as 
  far away as Hungary, Poland, and England. 
  Lawyers from Bologna were invited by the Emperor 
  Frederick Barbarossa to take part in the Diet of Roncaglia in 
  1 158. Therein Barbarossa asked them to define the rights of the 
  Emperor in the kingdom of Italy. The lawyers, after much 
  deliberation, returned the opinion that the Emperor was su- 
  preme within the kingdom, with the right to appoint Imperial 
  consuls in cities, appoint bishops and abbots, and to dispense 
  justice. This pronouncement did not sit well with the other 
  cities of Italy, who continued to rebel against Frederick. 
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  The University of Bologna is reputedly the site of a Her- 
  metic Covenant led by House Jerbiton. Rumors persist that the 
  Covenant includes some of the university’s faculty and stu- 
  dents, but meets in secret, as the local Archbishop is hostile to 
  both the University (which he sees as teaching godless ways) 
  and Magi (for practicing those ways). 
  BrindisiisoftenthelastChristiantownthatpilgrimsseeon 
  their way to the Holy Land. Even though Templars and 
  Hospitallers guard the roads on the way to and in the Holy 
  Land, and soldiers guard the Empire’s roads, brigands infest the 
  land around Brindisi, as do bands of Saracen marauders. A sea 
  voyage is still the safest way to travel to Brindisi. 
  Perhaps the biggest event in Brindisi’s history was the 
  embarkation of French and Italian knights during the First 
  Crusade. The knights sailed across the Adriatic to Dumo, 
  where they continued on their way to the Holy Land. The ship 
  owners who ferried the crusaders spent their fees building 
  mansions in the hills surrounding Brindisi. The city itself is 
  little more than a number of shops and inns supporting the 
  pilgrim trade and the harbor. 
  Caliga ri 
  Founded by Phoenician sailors and colonized by 
  Cartheginians, Caligari was taken by the Romans two hundred 
  years before Christ. The island of Sardinia, where Caligari is 
  located, was overrun by the Vandals in the Fifth Century and 
  by the Muslims in the Ninth. Sardinia resisted Frankish 
  invaders, though the Franks managed to wrest Corsica from 
  the Muslims. Genoa and Pisa then fought over the island for 
  two hundred years, until the Pisans take and fortib Cagliari in 
  A.D. 1200, building the cathedral in the center of town. 
  Scattered throughout the island are curious structures 
  known as Nuraghi, made of undressed stones laid in a cone 
  shape, without mortar. The structures have stood for thou- 
  sands of years, and the islanders claim they are the remains of 
  people who lived on the island before the earliest settlers came 
  from across the sea. 
  Magi in the Roman Tribunal fight over the privilege of 
  combing the Nuraghi for vis, which can sometimes be found 
  embedded in the structures’ walls or floors. In addition, rare 
  items, presumably from from the original inhabitants of the 
  island, can be found among the Nuraghi. Seekers claim that 
  from the form of the items the inhabitants were related to the 
  Egyptians and the people of Malta. 
  Those who have found the need of him also know of a 
  mundane learned in the states of human sleep. Indeed, he is 
  said to be able to control those who sleep, commanding them 
  to his will. Whether this person is friend or foe to the Order of 
  Hemes is unknown, though he has studied alongside special- 
  ists of Idgonem and Mentem magic (albeit some less scrupu- 
  lous ones). 
  Florence 
  A rich and prosperous Italian city, Florence relies on a 
  flourishing textile industry and banking houses for its power. 
  Political power within the city is concentrated in the guilds and 
  merchants, with the supreme magistrate (the Podesta) re- 
  cruited from outside the city to insure impartiality. As in most 
  cities in northern Italy, Florence’s politics follow Guelph- 
  Ghibelline lines. The Donati family represents the old nobility. 
  Its members are strong supporters of the most radical Guelph 
  faction, the Blacks. 
  As a center for trade and communication, Florence attracts 
  Magi with an interest in the affairs of the world. The Blacks, 
  while strong in their Christian faith, are willing to deal with 
  Magi, occasionally involving visiting Magi in their political 
  intrigues. The Blacks have been known to threaten to hand 
  Magi over to the Church for interrogation should Magi refuse 
  their aid. 
  Pressure from the Blacks puts Magi in a dimcult position. 
  The Peripheral Code forbids Magi from serving a temporal 
  power, but thus far incidents involving Magi have been infre- 
  quent enough to avoid Tribunal attention. Some Magi have 
  proposed instructing the feuding factions that their intrigues 
  will not be tolerated, but only a Tribunal meeting can decide to 
  take such action. 
  (jenoa 
  The sea port of Genoa has been a center of trade through- 
  out its long history. It began as a prominent Roman port, and 
  kept its prosperity throughout the Germanic invasions. 1nA.D. 
  936, the city was raided by Saracens, an outrage not soon 
  forgotten. In 1007, Genoa allied herself with Pisa in order to 
  attacktheSaracens,whohadestablishedthemselvesinSardinia
  Although the attack against the Saracens was a success, the 
  division of Sardinia between Genoa and Pisa led to the first war 
  between the two cities. The resulting rivalry with Pisa has 
  become one of the defining forces in Genoa’s history. 
  Genoa profited greatly from the crusades. Genoese engi- 
  neers were responsible for building the great siege engines used 
  in the conquest of Jerusalem in the First Crusade. And, Genoa 
  gained self-governing trade colonies throughout the Latin 
  kingdom OfJerusalem. This trade with the Holy Land provided 
  the city with immense wealth, even after the fall of the Latin 
  kingdom. 
  Throughout Italy’s many Pope-Emperor conflicts Genoa 
  attempted to appear neutral, but finally declared its anti- 
  Imperialist inclinations after Emperor Henry IV reneged on 
  agreements with the city in 1194. Pisa’s strong support of 
  Imperial power helped the growth of anti-Imperial sentiment 
  in Genoa. 
  The Genoese support the Empire of Nicaea after the fall of 
  Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. In return they are 
  granted trading rights in the Black Sea and the eastern Empire 
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  82142
  after Michael VI1 takes back the Empire from its Latin rulers. 
  Genoa also manages to keep Venice out of the Black Sea, which 
  depresses the fortunes of that city. 
  The Genoese rivalry with Pisa continues until 1284, when 
  both cities put forth their naval might at the great battle of 
  Meloria, off the Tuscan coast. Genoa is victorious, destroying 
  most of the Pisan fleet, and taking almost 11,000 Pisan prison- 
  ers. Additionally, Genoa finally gains control over Corsica and 
  most of Sardinia. 
  Malta 
  Locatedinastrategicposition betweensicily and the north 
  African coast, Malta has been fought over by every nation 
  which uses the Mediterranean. Greeks, Phoenicians, 
  Cartheginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Cossuran pi- 
  rates, Saracens, and Normans have all taken the island, only to 
  lose it to the next invader. But, beneath the thin veneer which 
  each culture has imposed on the island lies a much older 
  culture, unique to the island. 
  Natives of the island are tall, dark people, with gray eyes 
  and black hair. Neither Christianity nor Islam have made 
  inroads into the lives of the natives. They still worship in 
  hidden cave temples, far from any town or village. Any attempt 
  by the Church to enter or harm these temples has ended in 
  disaster for the Christians. One expedition became lost in the 
  night and fell over a cliff. Another party was found babbling o 
  demons and gods, fairies and monsters. Their hair had turned 
  stark white and they had aged by decades in less than a week. 
  Magi investigating the island have found huge amounts of 
  vis in its rocks, but have not been able to remove any of it. 
  Talismans and amulets have also been observed on the natives, 
  who seem immune to Hermetic magic. Indeed, magic cast 
  against them has been known to rebound at the caster, some- 
  times doublefold. Many Magi, especially of House Verditius, 
  have cast covetous eyes at the island and its treasures, but as yet 
  no one has managed to bring back the smallest amulet or even 
  one pawn of vis. 
  Milan 
  Milan was founded be Celts around the Third Century 
  before Christ and captured by Rome soon after. The city gained 
  in prominence after the collapse of the Empire. Though Milan 
  suffered attacks by numerous Germanic invaders, and the 
  Lombards made nearby Pavia their capital, Mdan became an 
  important center of trade, and surpassed Pavia as the foremost 
  city of the plains of Lombardy. 
  Many battles have been fought between the cities of 
  Lombardy since the early Twelfth Century. Milan, being the 
  richest and most powerful city of the region, is always at the 
  center of these conflicts. Around A.D. 1100, Milan started 
  subjugating its smaller neighbors. During the invasions of 
  FrederickBarbarossa in the 1160s, Milan’s forces were defeated 
  by the Emperor, and in 1162, destroyed. In truth Frederick was 
  helped in his conquest by many of Milan’s Lombard enemies. 
  Still, Milan was rebuilt in 1167 with assistance from the 
  Lombard League. Milan remained a center of anti-Imperial 
  sentiment, and even aids Henry, one of the sons of Frederick 11, 
  to rise up against his father. In 1237 Milanese forces are 
  defeated by Frederick I1 at Cortenuova. 
  The city of Naples sits below the crown of Vesuvius, a 
  volcano well known for its powerful eruptions. On the far side 
  of Vesuvius the peasants say there are towns buried by some 
  unknown cataclysm before the birth of Christ. 
  Naples itself is a pleasant city, well served by the sea, and 
  home to many seafarers, who bring riches from all over the 
  Mediterranean world. The trade of Naples has nowhere near 
  the volume of Venice, Genoa, or Pisa, but the strong govern- 
  ments of southern Italy insure that northern cities do not 
  molest Neapolitans. 
  The Normans conquered Naples in A.D. 1057, defeating 
  the Saracens who had driven out the Byzantines. Robert 
  Guiscard used Naples as his base to subjugate southern Italy. 
  The Emperor Frederick I1 founds a university in Naples in 1224 
  to supply his court with trained administrators. Charles of 
  Anjou also moves the capital of the kingdom of Sicily and 
  Naples to Naples, which helps prompt the revolt in Sicily 
  known as the Sicilian Vespers. 
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  Palerrno 
  Palermo is the chief seaport of Sicily, and sailors from all 
  over the world can be found here, from swarthy Moors to 
  towering Varangians. Palenno’s main rival is the city of 
  Syracuse, which faces the Levant while Palemo faces Mythic 
  Europe. 
  The cosmopolitan flavor of Palermo is a product of its 
  history. It has been controlled by the Romans, Saracens, 
  Byzantines, Normans, and the Holy Roman Empire. When 
  they held Palermo the Normans built many splendid churches, 
  and the fusion of Norman and Saracen architecture has spread 
  to many other parts of the island and onto the mainland. 
  Before Charles of Anjou moves the capital in 1268, the 
  court of Palermo is heralded as one of the most learned in 
  Mythic Europe, where Greek, Latin, and Muslim scholars come 
  to share ideas. The Norman lungs of Sicily encourage this trade 
  of knowledge, and take advantage of the opportunity to amass 
  a huge library of scholarly works in all languages. 
  pavia 
  Founded by an Italian tribe called the Papirii, Pavia was 
  taken from its founders by Rome about two centuries before the 
  birth of Christ. Near the end of the Sixth Century Pavia became 
  the Lombard capital. The city’s reign lasted until A.D. 774, 
  when the city fell to Charlemagne, bringing to an end two 
  hundred years of Lombard rule over Italy. 
  Pavia is well known for its long-standing feud with Milan. 
  The cities (which lie only about twenty miles apart) have been 
  bitter rivals since Roman times, and have fought numerous 
  wars. In the early Twelfth Century, Pavia began to expand its 
  influence by subjugating its less powerful neighbors, and by 
  supporting many of the towns and cities which fought against 
  Milan (which was also subjugating its neighbors). During the 
  invasions of Frederick Barbarossa, Pavia sided with the Em- 
  peror against Milan, and participated in the defeat and destruc- 
  tion of Milan in 1162. In 1164 Pavia was rewarded for its 
  support by receiving an Imperial grant of privileges, which 
  officially gave citizens the right to choose their own consuls. 
  Pavia has remained a loyal Imperialist city, even refusing to join 
  the Lombard League, and is strongly influenced by the 
  Ghibellines. 
  Pavia is known for its many tall towers, which have been 
  built within the city by prominent families. There are about one 
  hundred towers looking over the town. Each tower is owned 
  by one family, which retreats within when feuds and street 
  fighting, which characterize Pavian politics, get too intense. 
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  CHAPTER TEN 
  prsa 
  Pisa, like its rival Genoa, has a long tradition of maritime 
  trade. It was involved in trade in Roman times, and by the 
  Eleventh Century was the more prosperous and ambitious of 
  the two westernmaritime trade powers. 1nA.D. 1005, Pisa was 
  raided by Saracens, and joined with Genoa in an attack on the 
  Saracens in Sardinia. Though Pisa had provided the majority 
  of the ships and men, Genoa demanded an equal share of the 
  spoils. This led to the first of a long series of wars between the 
  two cities. 
  Pisa has had strong Ghbelline traditions since the time of 
  Otto 11. In 1081, Emperor Henry IV granted Pisa a charter 
  officially recognizing the rights of the Pisan commune. Pisa’s 
  support of Imperial power in Italy has lasted throughout the 
  invasions of Frederick Barbarossa, Frederick 11, and beyond, 
  withonlyoccasionallapses. Pisasupportsandaids theGerman 
  Emperor on numerous occasions. 
  Constant hostility between Pisa and Genoa continues 
  throughout the Thirteenth Century, finally reaching a climax 
  at the battle of Meloria. Pisa is soundly defeated, and to make 
  matters worse, many of Pisa’s other rivals (Lucca, Florence, 
  Pistoia, Prato, and Volterra) form an alliance bent on her 
  complete destruction. Only by submitting to the Guelph 
  tyrant, Ugolino della Gherardesca, is Pisa saved. Ugolino rules 
  for only a few years before the Ghibellines once more gain 
  control. They imprison Ugolino and his family in 1288, and 
  throw the key to the dungeon into the Arno River on orders of 
  the Archbishop. 
  Located on the ,toe” of Italy, opposite Sicily, Reggio has a 
  problem which has persisted since ancient times. Perfectly 
  situated on the route between Italy and Sicily, the straits on 
  which Reggio stands are guarded by the fierce Sirens, who lure 
  the crews of ships to their death by the power of song. When 
  the Norman Roger I attempted to conquer Sicily he sent his first 
  ships from Reggio. The ensuing disaster forced him to post- 
  pone the invasion for half a year. 
  As a result of the Sirens’ menace, Reggio is a listless city. 
  Numerous expeditions have attempted to rid the area of the 
  Sirens, but none have succeeded, and few have returned. The 
  city offers a reward to the person who can defeat the Sirens, that 
  reward being the leadership and fealty of the city. 
  Only a few fishermen dare the straits of Messina, on which 
  Reggio stands. As a result the citizens’ Friday and Lent dinners 
  consist of a long stringy noodle made from wheat flour. 
  Rome 
  Rome is the spiritual center of the Holy Roman Empire. 
  The city lost its place of honor as the capital of the Empire 
  several centuries ago when it was sacked by the Visigoths and 
  Vandals. However, the city again rose to prominence under 
  Charlemagne, and has ever since been the site of the coronation 
  of German emperors. 
  Rome is the home of the premier bishopric of the Church. 
  Since St. Peter the Apostle, the Bishop of Rome (known as the 
  Pope, or Father) has been head of the Church and the Holy 
  Father of all true believers. An Easter or Christmas Mass brings 
  thousands of people to St. Peter‘s Basilica to hear the Holy 
  Father officiate, and the holy sites of the Lateran, the Papal 
  Enclave, bring thousands of pilgrims every year. 
  The German Emperor is obligated to defend Rome against 
  its enemies, so tensions between Emperor and Pope cause 
  unrest in the city. Such tensions rose greatly during the Twelfth 
  Century, when Pope Alexander I11 was exiled from Rome by 
  Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. However, Barbarossa recog- 
  nized the peril to his immortal soul, and sued for forgiveness in 
  A.D. 1177. Since then the Pope has been the overlord of the 
  city, although the city is ruled as a commune by its citizens. 
  Roman politics often involves riots and murder. Faction- 
  alism is rife, with guilds, major families, foreigners, and Church 
  groups all adding their voices to the clamor of the throng. 
  Everyone in the city is a member of a faction, and sometimes 
  more than one. Double-dealings are common. Factions even 
  influence the choice of Popes, sometimes violently, so the 
  Lateran Palace is well fortified. 
  The common folk of the city live in great slums, some of 
  which date back to the time of Caesar. The great temples and 
  shrines are in ruins, and pieces of ancient stonework now lie 
  within the walls of other houses. Under the city lie catacombs 
  dating back before the birth of Christ, including the hiding 
  places of Christians persecuted by early emperors. The Roman 
  wealthy live in fodied houses, castles, or entirely outside the 
  city. 
  Foreigners are common in Rome. The offices of the 
  Church bring many supplicants as well as envoys from kings 
  and princes. St. Peter’s tomb makes Rome a major pilgrimage 
  center, as do the many relics donated to the Church. There is 
  a cathedral school in Rome, drawing theological students from 
  all over Italy. Most students use their time in Rome to make 
  connections in the Papal organization, which they then use to 
  gain choice assignments in the Church after completing their 
  courses of study. 
  SaCerno 
  This city, located a day’s journey south of Naples, is the 
  location of the oldest university in Mythic Europe. The 
  university specializes in medicine, and is a crossroads of Greek, 
  Latin, Arabic, and Jewish culture. This combination of cultures 
  enhances scholastic atmosphere, encouraging the mingling of 
  ideas. However, the Church disapproves of medical study, as 
  the desecration of corpses is against Church law. A number of 
  doctors have come under suspicion of graverobbing for the 
  , 
  purpose of dissection. If suspicions are true, scholars can be 
  accused of desecra tion and heresy, and if found guilty, are liable 
  to be burnt at the stake. 
  I 
  F
  I 
  I 
  I 
  i 
  I 
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  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE W
  ’
  r
   
  Salerno was part of the Norman kingdom of Naples, and 
  became home to Pope Gregory VI1 after Robert Guiscard 
  rescued him from Emperor Henry IV in A.D. 1080. Robert 
  defended succeeding Popes until they returned to Rome, after 
  the death of the Anti-Pope Sylvester IV in 1111. The city 
  enjoyed increased trade while the Popes held court in the city, 
  and the return of the Papacy to Rome resulted in a depression 
  in Salerno. 
  4 
  sassan 
  The inhabitants of Sassari claim their city predates the 
  Phoenician settlement of Cagliari, at the southern part of the 
  island. There is evidence to support this claim, as city walls are 
  built of immense blocks of stone laid without mortar, much like 
  the Nuraghi (conical houses) which litter the island. Indeed, 
  many of the buildings in the city are Nuraghi, and the remain- 
  der are built in many styles, but only one is built with mortar 
  to hold its stones together. Any building erected using mortar 
  has fallen within a year, and during construction bricks and 
  stones also fall, often killing workmen. Only Sassari’s cathedral 
  stands with mortar. The churchmen attribute the relics of St. 
  Barbara, patron saint of stonemasons, with the continued 
  existence of the cathedral. If the relics are ever removed the 
  cathedral will surely fall. 
  srrens 
  The strait between Sicily and Italy has been plagued by the 
  Sirens since before the Trojan War. These faerie women lure 
  sailors to their deaths with the beauty of song. Ulysses was able 
  to pass them by plugging the ears of his crew with wax. He left 
  his own ears open, tied himself to the mast of his ship, and was 
  nearly driven mad by the Sirens’ song. In fact, he was the last 
  man to hear the Sirens’ song and live. Others have tried the 
  same trick and have either gone insane or tom through their 
  bonds and jumped into the sea to reach the Sirens. 
  In A.D. 1057, the Sirens played a major part in delaying the 
  Norman reconquest of Sicily. The Norman Roger I’s fleet was 
  offered information which led to an undefended portion of the 
  Sicilian coast, where the invaders could make their beachhead. 
  In truth, the guide who offered the information served the 
  Saracen nobility of Sicily. He led the Norman fleet directly to 
  the Sirens, sacrificing himself to stop the Norman invasion. 
  The straits of the Sirens are avoided by all mariners in the 
  area. Thus, few ships now fall to their haunting songs. 
  However, a few adventurous souls dare the straits each year, as 
  the straits provide a quick route between Italian and Sicilian 
  ports. The wealth and weapons of many lost ships litter the 
  coastline. The city of Reggio promises a reward to any person 
  who manages to drive off or kill the Sirens. Though many 
  attempts have been made no one has yet claimed the prize. 
  %la Volcano 
  ThisvolcanoislandwasknowntotheRomansas thehome 
  of Vulcan, the god of smiths and volcanoes. Rumors of Vulcan’s 
  workshop, deep within the island, and rumors of mystical 
  treasures within the shop attract more than a few Magi. While 
  no one has ever found these halls (or at least no one has come 
  forward to say so), the island is a source of Ignem vis, offering 
  up to four rooks a year. However, the dangers inherent in 
  gatheringthevisaregreaterthantherewards. Onlythegreatest 
  of Ignem Magi can withstand the heat of the inner chambers, 
  where the vis collects in shiny black lumps. The volcano is also 
  closely watched by the Covenants of the Roman Tribunal, 
  especially Verdi, the Domus Magnus of House Verditius. 
  Syracuse 
  The second port of Sicily, Syracuse has had a long history 
  of magic, from the time that Archimedes burned an invadifig 
  Roman fleet with the focused light of the sun. The magical 
  theories of Archimedes, which are based on scientific observa- 
  tion and the four elements, have been lost, but every few years 
  young Magi arrive in Syracuse in an attempt to find his works, 
  rumored to be hidden in the city. 
  The history of Syracuse is a succession of invasions. 
  Physical evidence of such can be found in the city’s Roman 
  amphitheater, which is larger than the one in Athens; and in the 
  Cathedral of Syracuse, which is built on the site of a pagan 
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  temple to Athena. (In fact, pillars from the pagan temple are 
  embedded in the cathedral’s walls.) The city‘s architecture is 
  also a fusion of Saracen and Norman styles. Indeed, Syracuse 
  looks as if buildings from half the civilized world have been 
  wrenched from their rightful places and placed in the city. But, 
  the total effect is pleasing as the eye is able to move easily from 
  building to building, without growing weary of a monotonous 
  style. 
  raranto 
  Founded by the Spartans three hundred years before 
  Christ, Taranto has been invaded and conquered numerous 
  times, first by the Romans, followed by the Ostrogoths, 
  Byzantines, Lombards, Arabs, Saracens, and finally by the 
  Normans in A.D. 1063. This history of invasion has resigned 
  the city‘s populace to their current state. They are willing to put 
  up with almost any indignity from their rulers, since those 
  rulers will surely be replaced soon anyway. 
  When the Normans invaded southern Italy in the 1060s 
  the Saracen navy had been based in Taranto. Count Robert 
  Guiscard made a special effort to capture the town and the 
  ships, but the Saracens burned those ships which could not sail 
  away. As all the city‘s shipwrights had gone with the fleeing 
  Muslims, no one remained to rebuild the fleet. In a fury, Robert 
  sacked all the mosques of the city, burned priceless rugs and 
  hangings, and sold all the Muslims he could find into slavery. 
  An attempt by Taranto to rebuild the fleet in 1150 was 
  stopped by the Venetians, who sailed into the harbor at night 
  and burned the ships and shipyards, escaping virtually un- 
  harmed. Since that time, the city has remained under the close 
  eye of the dukes of Apulia, whether Norman, German, or 
  French. The harbor was finally rebuilt in 1173, and a flourish- 
  ing fEhing fleet now departs every night to bring in the fish 
  which forms a large part of the city’s diet. 
  venrce 
  Founded by refugees fleeing Attila the Hun, Venice was 
  built on a series of low sandy islands. The inhabitants of the 
  islands traded salt and fish for grain and meat. Trade was thus 
  a necessity from the very earliest time, so it is no wonder that 
  Venice has grown to be the largest trading center in Italy. 
  Venice remained under Byzantine rule even while Ger- 
  manic kingdoms grew and died on the mainland. The marshes 
  surrounding Venice were the best protection against conquest. 
  Continued attachment to the east gave Venice both constant 
  trade with the eastern Mediterranean, and also the political and 
  mercantile experience needed to run a trading empire. In 
  return, goods from Constantinople and the east were sold in 
  northern Italy, stimulating trade among the towns and cities 
  there. 
  As a necessity of trade Venice’s ships swept the Adriatic Sea 
  free of pirates. Thus, it was only natural that Venice became the 
  predominant sea power of the eastern Mediterranean, espe- 
  cially with the decline of the Byzantine Empire. 
  1nA.D. 1204Enrico Dandalo, Doge ofvenice, subverts the 
  Fourth Crusade, sendmg the crusaders against the walls of 
  Constantinople in an attempt to wrest control of the eastern 
  Mediterranean from the Byzantines. The crusaders capture 
  Constantinople and found the Latin Empire. 
  To the Venetians, money matters more than political or 
  religious orientation; Venetians trade with Christians and 
  Muslims alike. Venice has extensive trade with the entire 
  Mediterranean. However, Venice is not able to trade in the 
  Black Sea anymore, as it was excluded from trade with the 
  restored Byzantine Empire after Michael Palaeologus recap- 
  tured Constantinople with the help of the Genoese. Thus, 
  Venice must now compete with Genoa and Pisa for trade in the 
  east. 
  vreste 
  Vieste is located on the “spur” of the “boot” of Italy, and is 
  held by Viscount Theobaldo di Vieste, a noted p n t  and 
  diabolist. The city is dominated by Castle Vieste, and rumors 
  of atrocities committed on its inhabitants circulate throughout 
  central Italy. 
  The Church has been ineffective in its attempts to bring the 
  area’s people under protection, as the knights of Castle Vieste 
  kill any priest they come across. The Archbishop of Benevento 
  has petitioned the Knights Templar to eradicate the Viscount, 
  and plans are under way for an invasion of his lands. However, 
  the Viscount has made alliances with Venice, allowing Vene- 
  tian ships free access to his harbor, and the Venetians are 
  prepared to help their ally in his time of need. 
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  82148
  he land onceknmas theByzantine Empire was 
  the home of the eastern Orthodox Church, the 
  second great Christian faith of the world. The 
  Patriarch of Constantinople, leader of the Ortho- 
  dox’Church, was as powerful in the east as the Pope is in the west 
  The Emperor of Constantinople held his throne in direct descent 
  from the Roman emperoxs themselves. 
  Unfortunately, events of the Thirteenth Century disrupt 
  Byzantine life, and change the character of this eastern region, 
  perhaps forever. In A.D. 1206 western crusaders conquer 
  Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire, and appor- 
  tion its land to the Norman conquerors and their Venetian 
  backers. The region now consists of several nations, eachvying 
  for control of the old Empire, but none strong enough to take 
  it. 
  The Latin Empire, which now rules Constantinople, is an 
  uneasy alliance of Normans and Italians. However, the Latins 
  control the Bosphorus, the M ~ O W  strait where it is easiest to 
  cross the mouth of the Black Sea. The Bosphorus is the gateway 
  between Mythic Europe and the Levant, and the Latins’ greatest 
  strength is their control of this crucial crossing point. 
  The boundaries of the Latin Empire encompass the city of 
  Brussa in Asia Minor, Constantinople itself, the land of 
  Thessalonica, and the eastern portion of Greece. The northern 
  coasts are low and flat with only marginally fertile lands. They 
  receive warm summer rains from the Mediterranean and are 
  generally well watered. The southern portions of Greece are 
  extremely mountainous, with high, rocky peaks and little 
  farmland. The weather in Greece is warm with mild winters. 
  There are no rains at all in Greece during the summer, and only 
  light rain or snow in winter, so the land is poorly watered. 
  The Latins’ most strident opponent is the Empire of 
  Nicaea, where the remnants of the eastern Byzantines are 
  withdrawn. Once a weak government-in-exile, Nicaea has 
  become a major force in Asia Minor. They have made alliances 
  with the Turks and the Bulgars, and are waging a war of 
  economic and military strategy to force the Latins out of 
  Constantinople and back to Mythic Europe. 
  Nicaea is a land small in extent, really more of an append- 
  age to the outside of the Latin Empire. The Nicaeans hold a few 
  minor seaports on the Black Sea, and have done little to conquer 
  territories to their east. What lands they do hold are on the 
  fringe of the mountains of Asia Minor, lands which are worn 
  out from centuries of farming. 
  Another player in the political battles of Asia Minor is the 
  so-called “Empire” of Trebizond. This weak city-state is a lesser 
  figure in the fate of the Latin Empire, but its politicians 
  constantly attempt to play the Latins’ enemies against one 
  another, hoping for some political or financial advantage. It is 
  said that Trebizond is negotiating with the Viennese of the 
  Latin Empire to provide trading ports along the Black Sea. 
  Between Nicaea and Trebizond lie the pagan lands of the 
  Seljuk Turks. These nomadic people are the first wave of the 
  eastern barbarian hordes, and have infested much of Asia 
  Minor. They rule the high, barren mountains which fill eastern 
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  Trebizond alike. The land of the Turks is very dry withhigh 
  mountains blocking any rainfall. Scrub grasses which survive 
  here make adequate fare for Turkish horses, though. 
  On the other side of the Byzantines are two additional 
  enemies of the Latins. The Bulgarian Empire is located in the 
  mountainous areas of the Balkans, and to the north in the 
  Wallachian plain. The Byzantines have only recently won their 
  independence from Constantinople when the Latins conquer 
  it, and the Bulgars are fighting to insure that the Latins do not 
  conquer Bulgaria. 
  Bulgaria has a climate much like that of Hungary: little rain 
  and mild weather. The Balkans (and the Transylvanian Alps to 
  the north) protect the Wallachian plain from severe weather. 
  The region is well watered by the Danube, however, as well as 
  by runoff from the surrounding mountains. The land here, 
  unlike much of the rest of the region, is extremely fertile, and 
  the fields ofwallachia are filled with all manner of cool-weather 
  crops. 
  The other major western opponent to the Latin Empire is 
  the Despotate of Epirus. This Byzantine state was founded after 
  the fall of Constantinople by Greek allies of the Empire of 
  Nicaea, and occupies much of northwestern Greece. While the 
  Despotate is still weak, it represents a considerable threat to the 
  Latin Empire, as its borders abut those of Bulgaria, cutting the 
  Latin Empire's connection to the remainder of Mythic Europe. 
  The Despotate, like the Empire of Nicaea, is struggling to 
  1 
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  overthrow the Latins, andonly a constant flow ofsupplies from 
  Viennese ships through the Mediterranean keeps the Latin 
  forces supplied. 
  Byzantine ernpire 
  The fall of the western Roman Empire to Germanic tribes 
  in the Fourth Century left Constantinople and the eastern 
  Empire in dire straits. In the first place the eastern Roman 
  Empire was surroundedby invaders. It was caught between the 
  barbarians in the west, the Persians in the south and east, and 
  the Huns in the north. The eastern Empire also faced threats 
  from within. The people revolted against the oppression of the 
  large landholders and the government's heavy tax burden, 
  riotinginAnti0chinA.D. 397andThessalonicain390. In fact, 
  the suppression of riots in Thessalonica cost 7,000 lives. And, 
  the Christian Church was wracked by heresies and fictional- 
  ism. Indeed, the Arians and other heresies found adherents in 
  the many peoples of the east. 
  Theodosius I1 ascended the throne of the east in 408 at the 
  age of seven. His sister hlcharia took the young Emperor in 
  hand, giving him manuscripts to read and illuminate, giving 
  him an education fit for a monk but not an emperor. hlcharia 
  assumed the Regency in 414 at the age of sixteen, and ruled the 
  Empire in Theodosius's name for thirty-three years. She and 
  her two sistelrs gave themselves over to the life of Christian 
  virgins. The palace was thus transformed into a monastery, to 
  which only women and priests were admitted. In spite of their 
  other-worldliness, the women ruled the Empire so well that the 
  eastern Empire survived the downfall of the west, and enjoyed 
  many years of relative peace. During that peace, in an effort to 
  c o w  all the laws of the Empire, a special council of jurists was 
  called in 429. The Theodosian Code was produced nine years 
  later. The laws were accepted in both the east and in the 
  remainder of the western Empire. 
  The Emperor Justinian came to the eastern throne in 527, 
  and almost immediately faced a revolt by the citizens of 
  Constantinople. GeneralBelisarius put down the riots, known 
  as the 'Nika' (Victory) rebellion after the cry of the revolution- 
  aries, at a cost of 30,000 lives. 
  Emperor Justinian then called on Belisarius to reconquer 
  thewestfromtheGermantribes. Hisfirsteffortsresultedinthe 
  capture of Carthage and the north African coast from the 
  Vandals. The African coast remained under Byzantine control 
  until conquered again by the Arabs in the Seventh Century. 
  Belisarius continued with his victories, conquering Sicily, then 
  the Ostrogothic kingdom of Naples. He captured Naples by 
  sending select troops through the city's aqueduct, allowing the 
  intruders to open the gates to the rest of the army. 
  In turn the populace of Rome hailed Belisarius as a 
  conqueror, and the clergy welcomed him as a force with which 
  to oppose the Ostrogoths, who followed in the Arian heresy. 
  However, Justinian began to suspect Belisarius of plotting for 
  the throne, so reinforcements sent to Italy were led by officers 
  hostile to the General. In spite of the Emperor's distrust, 
  Belisarius managed to conquer most of Italy. 
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  82150
  the last count, the Avars in the north and the Persians in the east 
  Justinian, thinking the threat in the west was then abated, 
  called Belisarius east to attack Persia. In the absence of the 
  eastern armies, the Goths took Rome in 549, then swept on to 
  conquer the rest of the Italian peninsula and its surrounding 
  islands. With Belisarius busy in the east, Justinian sent the 
  eunuch Narses into Italy. Narses managed to drive the Goths 
  from Italy, but the country was ruined by the eighteen years of 
  the Gothic war. Rome had been besieged and looted, her 
  population reduced from one million to perhaps 40,000. Half 
  the citizens were actually supported by alms from the Papacy, 
  and the decimation of the senatorial class eliminated the Senate 
  as a government office. 
  In addition to his wars of reconquest, the eastern Emperor 
  Justinian clasiedandre-codified the laws of the Empire, which 
  had become muddled since the time of the Theodosian Code. 
  Ten jurists worked on the laws, and all other laws were declared 
  null, except as included in the Justinian Code. The final form 
  of the Code was published in Greek, marking the end of Latin 
  as the official language of the eastern Empire. The Code also 
  legalized Christianity of the Orthodox faith, making 
  Nestorianism, Monophysite, and other heresies illegal. It 
  acknowledged the leadership of the Pope in Rome, but stressed 
  the supremacy of the Emperor over the Church. And, under 
  the Code, the Bible was included in judicial trials; all parties 
  involved in a case were made to swear the truth of their case on 
  the Bible. Indeed, the Code covered all aspects of life, from the 
  establishment of the Church to penalties for adultery and 
  heresy. 
  Though the eastern Empire had won victories in other 
  lands, the Empire’s lands were eventually taken by more 
  foreign invaders. A group of Huns crossed the Danube and 
  raidedcitiesinThraceandGreece,advancingon Constantinople 
  in 559. Justinian called once more on Belisarius, who was now 
  old and feeble. Belisarius gathered 600 volunteers and went to 
  meet the 7,000-man Hunnish army. He concealed a third of his 
  force on one flank, and the hidden attacked the Huns as the 
  remainder of the army waited in a defensive stance. The Huns 
  fled before a single Greek fell, but the citizens of Constantinople 
  complained that Belisarius had not brought back the heads of 
  the Huns. Justinian listened to the populace rather than 
  reasoned with them, and ordered Belisarius stripped of rank 
  and possessions. 
  Emperor Justinian died in 565, becoming a heretic in his 
  last years. In the end he believed the body of Christ was 
  incorruptible, and that Christ had never been subject to the 
  wants or needs of the flesh. The Church warned him that to die 
  unrepentant was to spend all eternity in the fires of Hell, but 
  Justinian never repented. Justinian was the last true Roman 
  Emperor, who thought of the Empire as comprising both east 
  and west. The emperors who followed let the west fend for 
  itself, or attempted to conquer portions of it, but did not 
  acknowledge the west as part of the Empire. 
  The heirs of Justinian could not stem the problems which 
  beset the Empire. On Justinians death the treasurywas empty, 
  heretics and entire nations had been conquered but not paci- 
  fied, and barbarians still waited outside Imperial borders. On 
  both made inroads into the Empire. Taking matters into his 
  own hands, a centurion named Phocas overthrew the line of 
  emperors, killing the sons of Emperor Maurice before hls eyes, 
  and then had the Emperor beheaded. The nobility of 
  Constantinople appealed to the Governor of Egypt for aid 
  against Phocas, and the Governor sent his son Heraclius to aid 
  the city. Heraclius sailed a fleet to Constantinople in 610, 
  captured Phocas, and displayed his corpse to the people. 
  Heraclius was acclaimed as Emperor, and spent the rest of his 
  life cleaning up the state. 
  However, Heraclius’s reign was not without its hardships. 
  The Persians captured Jerusalem and Egypt in 614, cutting off 
  the major granary of the Empire, compelling Heraclius to 
  reduce the daily dole which had for so long fed the citizens of 
  Constantinople. To feed the people the Patriarch of 
  Constantinople loaned the considerable wealth of the Church 
  to the Emperor, to finance a holy war to reclaim the Holy Land. 
  In six years of war Heraclius managed to recapture the Holy 
  Land, and to scatter the Avar armies which threatened 
  Constantinople. Heraclius’s last years saw the fall of Syria and 
  Egypt to the Arabs, who were fueled by their faith in the new 
  religion of Islam. Indeed, the Arabs besieged Constantinople 
  in the years 673 to 678, but were repulsed by Greek Fire, which 
  burns even when doused with water. 
  As in the west, troubles arose in the east between Church 
  and state, and in the way the Church delivered its “truths.” 
  Emperor Leo I11 became offended by the reverence with which 
  icons (symbols of the saints and Christ) were worshipped by 
  the common people. The people looked on images as the 
  personification of God or a saint, rather than as mere represen- 
  tations. In 726 Leo assembled leading churchmen, and with 
  their consent passed laws to remove images, from murals to 
  icons, from all aspects of the Church. In response the peasantry 
  revolted, supported by the lower levels of the Church. The 
  Iconoclasts (“Image Breakers”) were attacked by the peasantry, 
  a rival Emperor was raised and had to be fought, and Pope 
  Gregory I1 anathemized the Iconoclasts. Even the Patriarch of 
  Constantinople eventually joined the revolution, seeking to 
  separate the Church from the authority of the Emperor. 
  The new laws were only lightly enforced during Leo’s 
  reign, but his son Constantine V took a harsher stance against 
  the worship of images. He ordered the mutilation of priests and 
  monks who resisted the law, confiscated monasteries, and 
  beheaded the Patriarch in 767. The Iconoclastic movement 
  continued for another twelve years under the Emperors Leo IV 
  and Constantine VI, until Empress Irene, acting as Regent to 
  Constantine VI, called the Second Council of Nicaea. The 
  Council established that the veneration of holy objects was an 
  acceptable part of Christian life. 
  From the Tenth Century generations of emperors held the 
  throne of Byzantium, some good, some bad. The Macedonian 
  dynasty reigned in Byzantium from the ascension of Basil I until 
  the death of the Empress Theodora in 1056. Basil 11, son of 
  Romanus 11, served as co-Emperor with Nicephorus and John 
  Tzimisces, and on John’s death in 976 became sole Emperor. 
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  ’ He put down revolts among the armies, stopped the Saracens 
  from gaining any more territory at the Empire’s expense, and 
  destroyed the power of the Bulgars. Indeed, in 1014 Basil won 
  a great victory over the Bulgars and sent 14,000 prisoners back 
  to their king, blinding all but one in a hundred, who still had 
  one eye put out. The Bulgarian King died when his army 
  T 
  returned, every hundred men led by a one-eyed man. Basil I1 
  died on the eve of putting to sea to reconquer Sicily from the 
  Saracens. 
  The thronepassed to ConstantineVIII, whodiedwithonly 
  three daughters to succeed him. His eldest daughter Zoe acted 
  as Regent for four different Emperors, and with her sister 
  Theodora ruledwisely. Zoe attacked corruption in the govern- 
  ment and Church, stopped the practice of purchasing offices, 
  and dispensed justice with an even hand. When Zoe died in 
  1050, Theodora retired to a convent, but was called backby the 
  populace on the death of Emperor Constantine IX in 1055. 
  Theodora ruled for another year, but died suddenly in 1056. 
  Palace administrators elected Michael VI in Theodora’s 
  stead, while theByzantine army elected Isaac Comnenus. Isaac 
  fought one battle with Michael, overthrowing him and compel- 
  ling him to become a monk. Isaac was crowned Emperor in 
  1057. He retired after two years, leaving the throne to become 
  a monk himself, and named Constantine h a s  his successor. 
  Constantine ruled for eight years, dying in 1067, leaving his 
  wife Eudocia as Regent for four years. She married and elevated 
  Romanus IV to the throne, to lead armies against the onslaught 
  of the Seljuk Turks. However, Romanus was defeated at the 
  battle of Manzikert in 1071, and returned to Constantinople 
  where he was deposed and blinded by Michael VII. 
  Toward the end of the Eleventh Century the Byzantine 
  Empire was in trouble. The Seljuks took Jerusalem in 1076, and 
  the Norman Robert Gusicard attacked Byzantine cities in 
  Greece. Alexius Comnenus ascended the throne in 1081, and 
  immediately began to take steps to save the Empire. In 1081 he 
  issued the Golden Bull, giving Venice trading rights in Byzan- 
  tine ports and offering them an area of Constantinople, all in 
  return for the Venetians’ aid against Gusicard. In 1095 Alexius 
  appealed to the Pope for aid against the Seljuks, and offered a 
  reunion of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, so that a 
  united Christendom could reclaim the Holy Land. Alexius’s 
  appeal helped catalyze the lords of the west to join the First 
  Crusade. 
  The Golden Bull of 1082 gave Venice duty-free rights to the 
  ports of Byzantium in the Aegean and Black Seas, and gave the 
  city part of Constantinople in which to work and live. By 1100 
  there were 10,000 Venetians in Constantinople, and they 
  terrorized the rest of the city with brawls and murders. The 
  cities of Genoa and Pisa demanded and received similar trade 
  rights from the Empire, taking trade from Greek merchants and 
  money from the Imperial treasury. Greek merchants under- 
  standably felt betrayed by their Emperor, and bad blood 
  between the Italians and Greeks lay at the root of many 
  problems to come. 
  The First Crusade, enabled by the unification of the 
  Catholic and Orthodox Churches, was preceded by a rag-tag 
  army of peasants led by Peter the Hermit and Walter the 
  Penniless. The peasants were fed and assisted by the people of 
  Constantinople, but plundered the outskirts of the city, break- 
  ing into houses and churches in search of food and spoils. 
  Emperor Alexius had the peasants ferried across theBosphorus, 
  and bade them wait for western lords who were on their way to 
  the Crusade. The peasants refused to wait and advanced on 
  Nicaea, where they perished under the arrows of the Saracens. 
  The western armies of the First Crusade were entertained 
  for a while in Constantinople, where the leaders of the Crusade 
  swore fealty to the eastern Emperor, and swore to return all 
  former Byzantine cities which might be recaptured in the Holy 
  Land. The western crusaders were joined by the Byzantine 
  army, and the combined forces captured Nicaea in 1097. The 
  Byzantine Emperor claimed the city, protectingit from western 
  knights, who complained that the Emperor seemed to be in 
  league with the Saracens. 
  The armies then continued on, the crusaders besieging 
  Antioch, while Emperor Alexius captured the towns and 
  villages of Asia Minor. Westem fugitives from the siege of 
  Antioch painted a picture of disaster, so Alexius gathered his 
  army and prepared to defend his lands from the Saracens which . 
  the fleeing crusaders swore were at their heels. However, the 
  crusaders in Antioch, who had actually captured the city, 
  claimed Alexius had abandoned them, breaking his vows as 
  feudal overlord. From that time on the crusaders retained the 
  cities they captured from the Saracens, and created four feudal 
  states: Jerusalem, Edessa, Tripolis, and Antioch. 
  Outraged, Alexius returned to Constantinople where he 
  wrote bitter letters to the Pope. He also defended his western 
  lands from Bohemund of Sicily, who followed in Robert 
  Guiscard’s footsteps andinvaded the coast of Greece from Italy. 
  Alexius died in 11 18, and was succeeded by his son John 11. 
  John I1 lived a life of simplicity and virtue, and led 
  successful campaigns against the foes of Christendom, but died 
  in 1143 from the scratch of one of his own poisoned arrows. 
  John’s son, Manuel I, reveled in battle and warfare, seeking out 
  personal combat in the field. He surrounded himself with 
  advisors from the west; French, Italians, and Germans all had 
  a place at his court. Manuel also participated in western style 
  tournaments, and married Mary of Antioch, a Latin princess. 
  Eventually, Manuel became preoccupied with regaining 
  Italy for Byzantium, and spent a great deal of time and money 
  on schemes and diplomacy. In 1171 he arrested all the 
  Venetians in the Empire, confiscating their possessions. He 
  made reparations to the Venetians in 1175, but the Venetians 
  never forgot or forgave the injuries done them. Manuel also led 
  campaigns against the Latin kingdom ofJerusalem, and against 
  the Saracens in the Holy Land and Asia Minor. But, at the pass 
  of Mynokephalon in 1176, the Byzantine army was decimated 
  by the Seljuk Turks, and any hope of driving the Turks from 
  Asia Minor was lost. 
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  Manuel died in 1 180 and was succeeded by his son Alexius 
  11, who was only twelve. The Empress Mary of Antioch 
  assumed the boy’s Regency, supported by the many Latin 
  nobles who had been granted high government posts under 
  Manuel. However, the people of Constantinople rebelled 
  against the Latin influence in court, welcoming Andronicus 
  Comnenus as protector of the Emperor. Indeed, the Greeks 
  slaughtered any Latins they could get their hands on, even 
  breaking into hospitals to murder the sick and injured. Many 
  Latins fled by ship, leaving the city and government in Greek 
  hands. Thus, 
  Andronicus firstbecameco-Emperorwith Alexius, 
  then killed Alexius and seized the throne. Andronicus cleaned 
  up the corruption that was rampant in the government, telling 
  officials, “You must choose between ceasing to cheat, or ceasing to 
  live.” Many officials fled to the provinces, where they took up 
  arms against the Emperor, who suppressed their many rebel- 
  lions with great cruelty. 
  During the Byzantine Empire’s unrest, nations on its 
  borders took the opportunity to free themselves from the yoke 
  of oppression. And, outside enemies of the Empire invaded its 
  outlying districts. In 1185 the Normans of Sicily captured 
  Thessalonica. As a result Emperor Andronicus was tom to 
  pieces by the citizens of Constantinople, who chose Emperor 
  Isaac I1 to replace him. The Normans were expelled from 
  Thessaly, but the Imperial government returned to its previous 
  corrupt ways. Thus, the Bulgarians revolted in 1186, led by 
  Ivan and Peter Asen. Isaac was deposed and blinded by his 
  Imperial brother, Alexius 111. 
  Thirteenth Century 
  With the coming of the Thirteenth Century the Byzantine 
  Empire continues to see unrest. Alexius 111 loses the Balkans to 
  the Empire of Bulgaria, and in A.D. 1203 loses the city of 
  Co’nstantinople and his life to the lords of the Fourth Crusade. 
  The crusaders invade the eastern capital after plots of 
  intrigue are staged by its former line of emperors. With his 
  father‘s fall from the throne, Alexius, son of the deposed Isaac 
  11, flees to the court of his brother-in-law, Philip of Swabia. 
  There he meets and talks with Boniface of Montferrat, who 
  becomes the leader of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. After the 
  sack of Zara by the members of the Fourth Crusade, Alexius 
  offers to cover the cost of transporting the crusaders, and to 
  unite the Catholic and Orthodox Churches under the Pope, if 
  the crusaders help place his father back on the throne of 
  Byzantium. 
  The crusaders cross to Constantinople where they place 
  Isaac I1 back on the throne with his son Alexius N as co- 
  Emperor. Alexius is not able to make good his promises to the 
  Westerners, so the Venetians and crusaders came to terms with 
  each other. Alexius V removes both Isaac and Alexius IV in 
  1204, but is attacked by the Latins before he can consolidate hls 
  hold on the city. The Emperor, Patriarch, and many great 
  nobles flee to outlying provinces as the Latins take the city and 
  partition the Empire among themselves. For three days sol- 
  . 
  diers of the west sack the city, looting and burning. The 
  Venetians manage to steal many great works of art, but the 
  crusaders only vent their frustrations and lust. 
  Out of the western destruction of the Byzantine Empire 
  emerges a number of states. The Empire itself is divided among 
  the crusaders andvenetians Baldwin of Flanders becomes the 
  new Emperor of the Latin Empire of Romania, Greece is 
  divided into the Principality of Achaea and the Duchy of 
  Athens, and Thessaly becomes a kingdom. Venice takes most 
  of the ports of the Empire as its share, along with three-eighths 
  of the city of Constantinople. The new Patriarch is chosen from 
  among the Venetian ecclesiastics. 
  Greek nobles who fled the Empire take advantage of its 
  same. Thus, several new empires are founded: the Empire of 
  Trebizond by Alexius and David Comnenus, grandsons of 
  Andronicus; the Empire of Nicaea, the new seat of Byzantine 
  Michael I Angelus. 
  During the Empire’s disorder the Latins quickly consoli- 
  date their gains, but make an enemy of Kaloyan I of Bulgaria. 
  He invades Thrace and, at the Battle of Adrianopie, captures 
  Baldwin, Emperor of the Latin Empire. Kaloyan continues to 
  ravage the lands of Thrace and Thessaly, until even the Greeks 
  look to the Latins for aid. Ultimately Kaloyan kills Baldwin, and 
  Henry of Flanders is made Emperor in 1206. Henry manages 
  ruin to set up their own outlying states. Byzantine nobles so the 
  power, by Theodore I Lascaris; and the Despotate of Epim by 
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  MYTHIC 
  to pacify the country, defeating Kaloyan and the Nicaean 
  Empire. He also instigates a more humane government in 
  Byzantium than had the rapacious Baldwin. 
  The Pope is at first horrified by the sack of Constantinople, 
  but as the Latin Empire grows in power the Pope looks upon the 
  consolidation of the west and east as a miracle. However, Papal 
  legates are not able to join the two Churches together, and the 
  people of the former Byzantine Empire rebel many times in 
  favor of the Orthodox Church. 
  Though the Latin Empire is first strong and has control, it 
  eventually begins losing its influence over the east, and finally 
  falls. The Despot of Epirus makes the fust gains against the 
  Latins, capturing Albania and the Port of Durrazo in 1210. 
  Theodore of Epirus also captures the kingdom of Thessalonica 
  in 1223 and assumes the title of Emperor. However, the 
  Bulgarians take Thessalonica in 1230 and, allied with the 
  Empire of Nicaea, conquer Thrace. 
  One of the powers to rival the Latins is that of Nicaea, the 
  new seat of Byzantine power. In the new Empire of Nicaea, the 
  emperors prove popular with the Greeks, and soon much of 
  Asia Minor is in the emperors’ hands. In fact, the Empire is 
  prosperous, especially with the rival Seljuks weakened by 
  invasions of the Mongols. Thus, the Nicaean Emperor John I11 
  Vastazes is able to concentrate on the west. An alliance with 
  Bulgaria gives Nicaea a foothold in Mythic Europe, and the 
  Bulgarian kings of 1242 and 1246 allow John to conquer 
  . 
  l 
  ’ 
  portions of Bulgarian territory. He also manages to capture 
  Thessalonica in 1246, surrounding Constantinople with cap 
  tured territory. 
  John’s son, Theodore 11, inherits the throne in 1254 and is 
  able to hold off Bulgarian attacks, inciting civil war in Bulgaria. 
  The internal war eliminates the ruling Bulgarian Asen family. 
  Theodore dies in 1258 and the nobility of the Nicaean 
  Empire scrambles for the Regency of Theodore’s son, John IV. 
  The eventual victor is Michael VI1 Palaeologus, who appoints 
  himself Emperor in 1259. He leads successful campaigns 
  against the Latins, and gives trading concessions to Genoa for 
  its aid in the fight. Thus, the Venetians of Constantinople are 
  outmaneuvered by their rivals, and in 1261 Constantinople 
  falls to the Nicaeans. With the fall of the city, the Byzantine 
  Empire is essentially renewed, simply under a new govern- 
  ment. 
  While the Latin Empire and Thessalonica fall to the 
  Nicaeans, the Duchy of Athens and Achaea still hold out. 
  However, the Nicaean Emperor manages to gain the area 
  around Mistra in return for the release of some Latin nobles. 
  The Duchy of Athens is given to Charles of Anjou, the King of 
  Sicily, who attempts to pass off his invasions of Byzantine lands 
  as a new crusade. 
  In 1274 Emperor Michael of Byzantium gives his submis- 
  sion to the Pope at the Second Council of Lyon, promising to 
  join the two Churches under the leadership of Rome. However, 
  no one believes the submission and Pope Martin IV denounces 
  it in 1281. By now Nicaea’s fall is imminent. The struggles 
  against the west leave Asia Minor open to conquest by the 
  Turks, and Nicaean lands are lost once again. By Michael’s 
  death in 1282 Bulgaria and Epirus remain independent, and 
  Asia Minor is lost to the Muslims. 
  Emperor Michael is succeeded by his son Andronicus 11, 
  who is saved from the danger of Charles of Anjou by the revolt 
  of the Sicilian Vespers. However, monks seize the governance 
  of the Empire’s Church, preferring that the Empire would die 
  before a reconciliation with Rome would occur. Thus, the 
  Nicaeans still hold some of the former Byzantine Empire, but 
  not for long. In the east Turkish tribes are gathering under the 
  banner of Osman, the charismatic leader of a small tribe. The 
  Turks ovemn Asia Minor on the collapse of the Seljuks and 
  threaten Constantinople itself. 
  ADRI 
  ANOPLE 
  ~ 
  Adrianople now stands on the border of the Byzantine 
  Empire, when once it was many days journey from the lands of 
  the barbarians. The shrinking of the Empire’s borders has 
  forced Adrianople to adopt a defensive position, for it is all that 
  stands between Constantinople and the warriors of the west. 
  Adrianople was the site of a great battle during the Fourth 
  Century, when the Goths destroyed two thirds of the Byzantine 
  army, including the Byzantine Emperor Valens and his royal 
  bodyguard. 
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  After the fall of Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade, 
  Adrianople is claimed by the Venetians, who hold the city 
  independent of the Latin Emperor. Adrianople is the site of 
  another battle in A.D. 1205, when Greek and Bulgarian armies 
  crush an army of the Latin Empire, allowing the Greek states to 
  gather their forces for the reconquest of Byzantium. Adrianople 
  opens its gates to the army of Michael Palaeologus, overthrow- 
  ing its Venetian masters in 1260. 
  AMASTRIS 
  cells into the rock. The greatest of these is the Church of the 
  This port handles much of the wine trade on the Black Sea, 
  supplying Constantinople and the Latin kingdoms of Asia 
  Minor. 
  After the fall of Constantinople in A.D. 1204, Amastris 
  became part of the Nicaean Empire, serving as its port on the 
  Black Sea. Amastris also exports rugs made in the interior of 
  Asia Minor, which Genoese merchants carry back to Italy and 
  Flanders. 
  Amastris is ruled by a council of wealthy merchants. The 
  Genoese have managed to insert an agent into the council. The 
  agent sponsors the Genoese as trading partners in the city, over 
  Venetian traders who look to break Genoa’s dominance on the 
  Black Sea. The Venetians have many agents in the city, looking 
  for a way to win a place on the council, but they have been 
  successfully blocked by the Genoese. 
  ATHENS 
  This ancient Greek city was the leader of a coalition of city- 
  states before Christ. The citizens defeated the Persian King 
  Darius and his army on the field of Marathon, while the 
  Athenian fleet sank Persian ships in the straits of Salamis. 
  Athens sank into relative obscurity after its ancient glory, and 
  took simply to building ships for the Roman, and later Byzan- 
  tine, navy. 
  After the fall of Constantinople the Duchy of Athens is held 
  in fief from the King of Thessalonica. The Orthodox priests of 
  Athens flee to Epirus, to escape a forced conversion to Catholi- 
  cism. The Duchy of Athens is reduced in size by the advances 
  of Epirot and Nicaean forces, but the city and surrounding 
  country are never conquered, and are still held by Latins. 
  The city may tout Christian devotion, but hints at the old 
  ways persist. Among the city’s Greek relics is the Acropolis, a 
  steep-sided plateau topped by many temples to the pagan gods 
  of Greece. The Archbishops of Greece converted many of the 
  temples to churches and shrines, but rumor says many of the 
  temples have hidden cellars leading into the Acropolis, and that 
  worship of the pagan gods continues. 
  BRUSSA 
  The hlls around Brussa support many thousands of her- 
  mits and monks, all retiring from the trials of the world to 
  acheve inner peace and dedication to the Lord. Many of these 
  hermits settle the slopes of Mt. Olympus and carve chapels and 
  Risen Christ, an entire church carved on the eastern slope, 
  which catches the rays of the morning sun through an intri- 
  cately carved window. Shadows cast on the floor are inter- 
  preted by the monks who inhabit the surrounding cells. 
  The interpreting monks send a message to the Emperor in 
  A.D. 1200, waming him to beware the schemes of the Doge of 
  Venice, but the Imperial staff laughs away the waming. 
  It is to Bnxssa that Michael Palaeologus comes in 1257, to 
  see what the future holds for him. He comes away from the 
  church and takes the crown of the Empire in 1258, reconquer- 
  ing Constantinople in 1261. He grants the Church of the Risen 
  Christ the revenues of many estates taken from nobles who had 
  aided the Latins. 
  CHERSON 
  Byzantium’s only port on the northern coast of the Black 
  Sea, Cherson is the main port for shipping grain from the 
  Crimea to Constantinople. 
  Cherson is not overrun by the Mongols given its position 
  on a strongly defended hill, with a natural harbor. Byzantine 
  ships are able to keep the city supplied during a four month 
  siege in the autumn of A.D. 1222; its capture might mean 
  starvation in Byzantium. 
  Cherson’s other export is gold, which washes down from 
  the hills. The peasants place fleeces in the rivers, and the gold 
  is captured in the wool. These golden fleeces inspired the 
  legend of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the 
  Golden Fleece. There is a cave near Cherson which locals claim 
  is the very cave where Jason slew the Hydra, a great dragon with 
  seven heads. To this day the surroundings of the cave can bear 
  no life. 
  CONSTANTINOPLE 
  Founded in A.D. 324 and dedicated in 330 as Nova Roma, 
  the name Constantinople was attached to the city, in the 
  popular mind, during the reign of its founder, Constantine the 
  Great. HefoundedthecityastheChristiancapitaloftheRoman 
  Empire, opposite Rome. The site of the fishing village of 
  Byzantium was chosen as its location on the Golden Horn, a 
  natural bay in the Sea of Marmora, made for both a harbor and 
  prime defensive location. 
  Within two centuries of its founding, Constantinople 
  became the richest city in Christendom. Constantinople has a 
  population in excess of one million, and has thousands’ of 
  monasteries and churches, the greatest of which is Hagia 
  Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, built in 330 and called the 
  most beautiful church in the world. 
  The Venetians, and later the Genoese and Pisins, were 
  given sections of the city to live and work in return for aid 
  against the Normans of southern Italy. In 1183 the people of 
  Constantinople noted against the Italians, massacring several 
  thousand and forcing the rest from the city. The Venetians 
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  offered topay the pa&age of the Fourth Crusade if the crusaders 
  would take Constantinople. 
  The Latin crusaders take the city in 1204, briefly putting 
  h i u s  IV on the throne, before taking the city and the Empire 
  for themselves. The city languishes under the Latins for fifty- 
  seven years, and opens its gates to the armies of Michael VI11 in 
  1261. 
  CORINTH 
  Even in ancient times Corinth was famous for its cloth, and 
  it still supplies cloth to the eastern markets of Constantinople 
  and the Holy Land. 
  The mount of Corinth, or Acrocorinth, rises from the 
  center of the city and is topped by a castle, formerly the site of 
  a temple to Aphrodite which was served by 1,000 temple 
  prostitutes. It was the Apostle Paul who wrote letters to the 
  Corinthians, rebuking them for their licentious ways. 
  Corinth was sacked by Norman soldiers in A.D. 1185, and 
  becomes part of the Principality of Achaea after the fall of 
  Constantinople. William of Moerbeke, installed as the Catho- 
  lic Archbishop of Corinth, uses his time in the city to translate 
  the works of Aristotle into Latin, giving scholars of the west the 
  wisdom of ancient Greece. 
  Corinth’s castle is held by the Baron of Corinth. His court 
  resembles the earlier Temple of Aphrodite in many ways. The 
  Archbishop needs the support of the Baron, so does not dare 
  censure him for his harem, but is forming the opinion that more 
  is happening in the castle than the Baron lets on. The Baron and 
  his knights have stopped attending church services in the city, 
  instead staying in the castle on Sundays, attending Mass in the 
  chapel. The Archbishop plans to send a priest to the castle but 
  has not yet found the right person. 
  The city has not been recaptured by the Byzantine Empire, 
  and remains part of the Latin holdings of the Principality of 
  Achaea. The Corinthians, for the most part Orthodox Chris- 
  tians, fret under the rule of the Archbishop and Latin nobles. A 
  number of groups have arisen which work toward the eventual 
  liberation of the city. 
  DURRAZO 
  Durrazo, or Dyrrachium, as it is known to the Greeks, 
  playsasmallbutveryimportantpartinthehistoryof theFourth 
  Crusade and the fall of Constantinople. D u m 0  is a good port, 
  and is easily accessible from the southern Italian port of 
  Brindisi. When Robert Guiscard conquered lower Italy he soon 
  cast his eyes on Durrazo which would allow him to control the 
  Adriatic Sea, coincidentally allowing him to stop the ships of 
  the nascent city of Venice. Robert captured Durrazo in A.D. 
  1081, and the Emperor of Byzantium, rightly fearing a Norman 
  conquest from the west, sent messengers to Venice requesting 
  the aid of the Venetian navy, the only fleet powerful enough to 
  contend with Robert. As an inducement, the Emperor granted 
  free trading rights to Venetian merchants, allowing them to use 
  Byzantine ports, docks, and warehouses for free, which other 
  merchants had to pay large fees to use. 
  Thevenetianspreparedanarmy and fleet toretake Durrazo, 
  but before they could move a rebellion in Italy forced Robert to 
  return there, eliminating the need for a naval assault. The 
  Greeks reconquered Durazzo, but it is taken by the Venetians 
  after the fall of Constantinople. The Despotate of Epirus 
  quickly recaptures Durrazo in 1205, and the city rejoins the 
  Empire in 1265. 
  ITHICA 
  Ithica is the home and kingdom of the legendary Wizard- 
  King Ulysses, who crafted the ruse of the Trojan Horse. After 
  the Trojan War, he wandered the Mediterranean Sea, cursed by 
  Neptune. When he finally arrived home, he found numerous 
  suitors for the hand of his wife, Penelope, as it was assumed he 
  was dead. Penelope had kept the suitors waiting by weaving 
  Ulysses’s death shroud by day, unraveling it by night. Ulysses 
  killed the suitors during a feast. Later in his life, when he felt 
  death approaching, he carried an oar inland, vowing not to stop 
  until the natives he met did not recognize the oar for what it 
  was. Legends say he wandered far beyond Byzantium, until he 
  finally found his resting place among the barbarians beyond the 
  Black Sea. 
  The palace of Ulysses is long lost to time. However, some 
  Magi and scholars still seek its ancient ruins, as it is said much 
  of Ulysses’s magical wealth still remains in his palace. Ulysses 
  was also supposed to have taken many magical items from the 
  sack of Troy, but if legends are to be believed he arrived at Ithica 
  penniless and devoid of his Trojan gains. 
  MISTRA 
  Mistra served as the Byzantine capital of the Moera, or 
  Peloponese. The city was one of the intellectual centers of the 
  Byzantine Empire, being rich in schools. 
  The city is seized and burned to the ground in the Fourth 
  Crusade of A.D. 1204, but is rebuilt in 1249 by Guilleme de 
  Villehardouin. The city is retaken in 1263 by the Emperor 
  Michael Palaeologus, and the Byzantines use it as a strongpoint 
  in the reconquest of the Peloponese. 
  Thoughthecity isrebuilt, muchofitisstillinruins. Poorer 
  citizens have made tent- and shanty-towns among burnt out 
  buildings. 
  MODON 
  ~ 
  Modon is a small town on the coast of Greece until Venice 
  seizes it in AD. 1202 and builds a castle on the promontory. 
  The castle attracts western merchants and soon grows into a 
  thriving city. Modon and the nearby castle of Korone are 
  known as the “Eyes of the Republic,” and are the first Venetian 
  footholds on the Greek mainland. 
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  Nicaea becomes capital of the Empire of Nicaea after the 
  After the fall of Constantinople, Venice enlarges the city 
  walls and encloses the bay, creating a fine harbor. The 
  Venetians hold Modon and Korone free of any oath to the 
  Principality of Achaea. Indeed, they charge ships of other cities 
  huge fees to use the city’s harbor; Modon’s is one of the few ports 
  on the west coast of Greece which can handle large ships. 
  NICAEA 
  Nicaea served as the meeting place for the Ecumenical 
  Council of the Christian Church in A.D. 325. An important 
  doctrinal decision was made here, called the Nicene Creed, 
  which stated that Christ was of the same substance as God, the 
  Father. The Council of Nicaea had been called because of 
  problems brought on by the teachings of Anus of Alexandria, 
  that Christ and God were two separate beings. 
  The Second Council of Nicaea was called in 786, and 
  resolved the Iconoclastic controversy by declaring that icons 
  were objects of veneration, not worship. 
  In 1086 Nicaea fell to the Seljuk Turks, who made the city 
  their capital in Asia Minor. The First Crusade recaptured 
  Nicaea in 1097, which surrendered to the Byzantine Emperor 
  Alexius after he pledged the garrison would be spared. He kept 
  the crusaders from sacking the city, which angered them, as 
  Nicaea was a rich city. 
  I 
  fall of Constantinople, and soon becomes the center of Imperial 
  Byzantine bureaucracy. Accordingly, many different peoples 
  can be found in its streets: Genoese merchants, Mongols, 
  Latins, and Saracen soldiers and ambassadors. Even after 
  Constantinople is reconquered in 1261, Nicaea retains its 
  cosmopolitan air, and becomes a center of culture and govern- 
  ment in Asia Minor. 
  After the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth 
  Crusade, Theodore I Lascaris takes Nicaea as the seat of a new 
  Byzantine Empire. The Empire of Nicaea initially bears the 
  brunt of fighting from both the Latin Empire and the Seljuks of 
  Rum. However, an alliance with the Bulgars manages to divert 
  the fighting force of the Latin Empire, allowing Theodore to 
  triumph at the battle of Adrianople in A.D. 1205. The borders 
  between the Latin and Nicaean Empires are therefore fixed by 
  treaty in 1214. But, by his death in 1222, Theodore is able to 
  drive the Latins from most of Asia Minor, leaving them a thin 
  strip of land opposite Constantinople. Part of Theodore’s 
  success comes from his ability to address the patriotism of the 
  Byzantine people. 
  John I11 Vatatzes, Theodore’s son-in-law, succeeds him 
  and continues the reconquest of the Byzantine Empire. He 
  recaptures the Aegean Islands from the Latins and Venice. An -- 
  alliance with the Empire of Epirus, also known as the Empire 
  of Bulgaria, also allows the capture of Thrace and the kingdom 
  of Thessalonica from the Latins. However, relations between 
  the Byzantine and Bulgarian Empires breaks down because of 
  their divergent ambitions. 
  John, the Nicaean Emperor, holds his lands against com- 
  bined attacks by the Latins, Bulgarians, and lastly the Cumans, 
  a savage nomadic people from beyond the Black Sea. Fortu- 
  nately the attacks of the Mongols so weakens the Seljuks that 
  John is able to ignore them for the rest of his reign. The death 
  of Kaliman I of Bulgaria allows John to seize southern Bulgaria, 
  thus surrounding the Latin Empire and Constantinople with 
  Byzantine holdings. John also reconquers Macedonia and 
  Rhodes so that, by his death in 1254, most of the former 
  Byzantine Empire is back in the hands of the Greeks. 
  I 
  1 
  Theodore I1 Lascaris, John’s son, is an able but unbalanced 
  ruler who is able to repel the attempt by the Bulgarian Emperor 
  to retake his lost lands. Theodore I1 dies in 1258, leaving his 
  throne in the hands of his seven year old son, John IV Lascaris. 
  The political turmoil which results ends with the elevation of 
  the popular General MichaelVlI Palaeologus, who soon usurps 
  the title of Emperor. 
  Michael resists the combined attacks of the kingdom of 
  Achaia and the Despotate of Epirus, crushing Epinxs’s hopes of 
  ever retaking Constantinople. Baldwin 11, Emperor of the Latin 
  Empire, tries to conquer Nicaea but fails in the attempt. 
  Michael Palaeologus therefore wins a diplomatic victory from 
  the attack, and is able to use his new influence to sway Genoese 
  merchants from their support of the Latin Empire. The 
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  Constantinople, and the chance that Nicaea will remember the 
  help given by Genoa. Constantinople falls in the summer of 
  1261, thehtinsfleeingbysea. MichaelVIIPaleologusleadsthe 
  troops of Nicaea into the city, reclaiming it for all time. 
  NIKOPOLIS 
  Nikopoliswasestablishedbythe RomanEmperorAuptus 
  to commemorate his victory over the navy of Marc Antony and 
  Queen Cleopatra of Egypt. A splendid temple to Neptune was 
  built, decorated with the prows of enemy ships. 
  The temple is destroyed by the soldiers of the Fourth 
  Crusade, along with most of the city. The invading soldiers 
  become drunk with wine they plunder from the storehouses in 
  the harbor, and an archery contest, using flaming arrows (so 
  they can be seen in the night) sets the town aflame. Justice is 
  served, however, as the soldiers who start the fire are trapped 
  in a wooden tavern, and perish to a man. 
  The town lies vacant for twenty years, until A.D. 1235 
  when the Despot of Epirus captures the surrounding lands. 
  The Despot settles a number of retired soldiers in the town, and 
  rebuilds the walls. Nikopolis withstands a short siege by the 
  Venetians in 1242, which is called off when the commander of 
  the besiegers is killed by a lucky arrow shot from the walls. 
  COLOSSUS OF RHODES 
  Genoese take the chance that Nicaea is able to take 
  Built centuries before Christ, the Colossus of Rhodes was 
  an immense statue of the God Apollo, which straddled the 
  entrance to the harbor of Rhodes. It was 120 feet high, with one 
  foot on each side of the entrance. The statue was destroyed in 
  a great storm and earthquake, leaving only its feet, each 16 feet 
  long. The wreckage was dredged from the harbor mouth and 
  used to rebuild the town. Even now numerous houses bear 
  parts of the statue, including one whose facade is the face of 
  Apollo. 
  SINOPE 
  An ancient city on the Black Sea, Sinope has withstood 
  centuries of strife. Sinope was a major port not only for 
  merchants dealingwith the east, but also for Norse traders from 
  as far away as Sweden and Denmark, who traveled down the 
  Dneiper river to trade on the Black Sea and offer their swords 
  to the Emperor. 
  Part of the Roman Empire since the century before Christ, 
  the city remained in the eastern Empire even after the defeat of 
  the Byzantine armies at the battle of Manzikert in A.D. 1071. 
  The powerful Byzantine navy was able to keep Sinope supplied, 
  allowing it to hold out against a long siege. After the capture of 
  Constantinople in 1204 by the Fourth Crusade, Sinope re- 
  mains loyal to the Lascarid Emperor in Nicaea. Though loyal 
  to Nicaea, Sinope is surrounded by Muslim states and the 
  invasions of the Mongols whittle down the lands which Sinope 
  controls. 
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  However, the city has fared less well since then. It was 
  YZiiii'r 
  Merchants from Genoa have settled in Sinope, keeping out 
  merchants from other Italian cities. The Govemor of Aecity, 
  however, has been bought by Venetian agents and has tried 
  several times to have Venetians admitted to the city. The 
  Genoese, who have effectively bought the chief traders of the 
  city, have been fightingalosingbattle over theissue, andsinope 
  may be the first city in the Black Sea to grant trading privileges 
  to the Venetians. 
  SMYRNA 
  Founded by Greek traders in Persia, Smyrna passed from 
  Greek to Roman to Byzantine control with little notice. How- 
  ever, after the battle of Manzikert, Saracens took the city and 
  slew many of its leading citizens, who led a number of futile 
  attempts at revolt. 
  The city then became the base for pirates who raided 
  within sight of the walls of Constantinople. Protected from the 
  Byzantines on the landward side by hordes of Seljuk Turks, 
  Smyrnan pirates felt secure from attack. The soldiers of the 
  First Crusade taught them otherwise, though, and took the city 
  in A.D. 1099. In accordance with agreements with the Byzan- 
  tine Empire, the crusaders returned the city to the Byzantines. 
  A little more than a hundred years later, after the Fourth 
  Crusade conquers Constantinople, Theodore I Lascaris takes 
  Smyrna as part of the Empire of Nicaea. The same seafaring 
  blood which had made the pirates of Smyrna so feared now 
  allows Theodore to control the coast of Asia Minor and to 
  harass the Latins in Constantinople and Greece. 
  TANA 
  A small port on the sea of Azov, Tam is the western 
  terminus of the silk road, which extends east to Cathay. At 
  Tam, Mongol soldiers mingle with Byzantine and Italian 
  merchants. Caravans from Cathay and Sind bring silk, gold, 
  and spices, and take away metalwork and wool. Any traveler 
  east beyond Tana is advised to hire guides and animals. 
  I
  sacked in A.D. 904 by Leo of Tripoli, a renegade Christian who 
  led an army of Saracens against the city, selling 22,000 citizens 
  into slavery. It was again sacked in 1185 by Normans from the 
  kingdom of Sicily, in retaliation for the massacre of Latins in 
  Constantinople, in 1183. 
  After the fall of Constantinople, Thessalonica is given to 
  Boniface of Montferrat, the leader of the Latin forces, who 
  proclaims himself King of Thessalonica and holds overlordshp 
  over the Duchy of Athens and the Principality of Achaea. 
  Theodore Angelus, Despot of Epirus, takes the city in 1224 
  and the Empire of Nicaea takes the city and the kingdom in 
  1246. Thessalonica rebuilds itself slowly after occupation by 
  the Latins, who take as much treasure and artwork as they can 4 
  during their tenure. 
  TREBIZOND 
  3 
  1 
  A trading port on the Black Sea, Trebizond for many years 
  exported colorful rugs from the interior regions of Asia Minor 
  and Persia. 
  The city has an uneventful history until the fall of 
  Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade. The Empire of 
  Trebizond was founded when the brothers Alexius and David 
  Comnenus, grandsons of Emperor Andronicus I, flee to the city 
  of Trebizond. Trebizond, surrounded by Mongols and Mus- 
  lims, uses treaty and negotiation as major weapons in its 
  Imperial policy. The Empire flourishes in the years A.D. 1204- 
  61, at times placing itself under the protection of the Latin 
  Empire, the Muslims, or the Mongols. However, the city always 
  manages to sunrive as an independent state. 
  Trebizond is the western terminus of the spice road to 
  Sind. Spices are so important a commodity that merchant 
  houses from both Venice and Genoa have set up permanent 
  residences in the city. Many easterners can be found in 
  Trebizond, includingmembers of amysterioussect: eastern fire 
  worshippers who claim to be descended from the three Wise 
  Men who visited the Christ child in the manger of Bethlehem. 
  It is from Tana that Giovanni de Piano Carpini in A.D. 
  1237, and William of Rubriquois in 1253, start their separate TROY 
  journeys to preach the gospel to the Mongols. Both fail, and 
  their accounts make clear that any large-scale conversion of the 
  Mongols is imposible. The Mongols capture Tans in 1222, 
  slaughtering a great number of its inhabitants. However, after 
  the Mongols are stopped in their westward course by the 
  Mamluks, they reopen the city to western merchants. 
  The Trojan War began when Pa&, m c e  of Troy, kid- 
  napped Helen, wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. The Greeks 
  retaliated by assaulting and besieging Troy, a siege which lasted 
  ten years. Despite the heroism of both sides, the siege was 
  stalemated until Ulysses, King of Ithica, devised the stratagem 
  of the Trojan Horse. 
  Ulysses and his men built a huge wooden horse, with room 
  in its belly for a hundred men. The Greeks left the horse on the 
  The City Of'rhsdmka has been BPntiUm's gate to the beach in front of Troy and sailed away. They also left a herald, 
  lands of Greece and the Moera since the founding of 
  who explained to the Trojans that the Greeks had 
  the 
  Constantinople. It withstood the attacks of various barbarian 
  GO& with the war, so had left the horse as compensation to the 
  tribes in the Fourth and Fifth Centuries, victories which the Trojans. The Trojans pulled the horse into &e city, destroying 
  citizens attribute to St. Demetrius, the patron saint of the city. the city gates in &e proc-. That night, after the Trojans had 
  fallen into drunken sleep, Ulysses and his men crept forth from 
  the horse and opened the remaining city gates to the Greeks, 
  THESALONICA 
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  who had returned under cover of night. Few Trojans escaped 
  the slaughter, but one was Prince Aneas, who fled to the coast 
  of Africa and founded Carthage. 
  The Seekers, members of the Order of Hemes who seek 
  the origins of magic, have located the plain where Troy once 
  stood, a ghost-haunted place on the coast of Asia Minor. Such 
  is the number of lost spirits on the site that none have ever been 
  to the place. Indeed, the plain is barren, and no one lives within 
  seven leagues of it. Even out to sea the souls of drowned sailors 
  haunt ships which approach. 
  One Magus lives on the outskirts of the haunted area, 
  however, making a study of the various ghosts he has encoun- 
  tered. He has a collection of weapons and armor which he has 
  found on the plain, and knows an astounding number of names 
  of ghosts which haunt the area. Regardless of his knowledge, 
  the Magus has never been to the site of the city, fearing for his 
  health and sanity. 
  The knowledge of the site of Troy is generally withheld 
  from the Order given the site’s ghosts and the unknown effect 
  theywouldhaveonaMap. TotheworldoutsideoftheOrder, 
  the myth of Troy is just that, a myth. Still, the plain in Asia 
  Minor is known to be haunted and is avoided by everyone. A 
  party of crusaders from the First Crusade, led by a number of 
  priests, attempted to cross the plain, but no one has seen them 
  since. 
  The area north of the border of the Byzantine Empire was 
  settledby Bulgars during the Seventh Century after Christ. The 
  Bulgars, or Ugri, were a nomadic steppe people, and their 
  ferocity was so infamous that it spawned two words, used even 
  in the west to denote beings of terror: the “bogie man” and 
  “ogre. ” 
  The Byzantine army in the north had its hands full trying 
  to cope with the Bulgar threat, but the Bulgars repeatedly 
  penetrated into Imperial territory to loot and pillage. In A.D. 
  811 Khan (king) Krum decimated the Byzantine army led by 
  Emperor Nicephorus in the Haemus mountains, and made a 
  drinking goblet from the Emperor’s skull. In 813 Krum sacked 
  Adrianople, and attacked Constantinople itself, burning the 
  suburbs of the city. His successor, Omurtag, concluded a thirty 
  year peace treaty with Emperor Michael 11. 
  In his turn, Khan Boris was baptized in the Orthodox 
  manner in 865, and forced his people to accept Christianity. He 
  abdicated in 888, and lived the remainder of his life as a monk. 
  His second son, Simeon, took the title Tsar (meaning Caesar or 
  Emperor) of the Bulgarians and Greeks, and defeated the 
  Byzantines and Magyars, seizing Belgrade and Nish. However, 
  the greater part of the Bulgarian territory was lost to the 
  Byzantine Empire by Boris’s son and then grandson, Peter and 
  Boris 11. Finally only western Bulgaria remained free of the 
  Byzantines, and that territory was ruled by Tsar Samual, the son 
  of a noble who had rebelled in 963. Samual managed to 
  reconquer the territory of Simeon, but numerous attacks by the 
  Byzantine army whittled away even his power. 
  The Byzantine Emperor Basil I1 eventually defeated the 
  army of Bulgaria in 1014, and sent 14,000 blinded prisoners, 
  led by one man in a hundred who had only his right eye plucked 
  out, to Tsar Samual, who died at the sight of his army. Four 
  years later all of Bulgaria was conquered by Basil, earning him 
  the name “Bulgar-slayer.” The Bulgarian lands remained an 
  Imperial province for the next 170 years, but the practices of 
  Imperial tax collectors, and the spread of the Bogomil heresy, 
  made the land nearly worthless to the Empire. 
  In 1186 the brothers Peter and Ivan Asen led a revolt 
  against Byzantine rule, and in 1201 the Byzantine Emperor 
  Alexius 111 recognizes the fact that Bulgaria is in fact indepen- 
  dent of Byzantium. As King of the new, independent state, Ivan 
  expands his borders, taking Nish and Belgmde, and territory 
  fromHungary, SerbiaandtheByzantine Empire. He is crowned 
  in 1204 by a legate of Pope Innocent 111. Ivan also takes 
  advantage of the confusion created by the fall of Constantinople, 
  in the Fourth Crusade, to conquer lands to the south, defeating 
  the Latin Empire at the battle of Adrianople in 1205. 
  After Adrianople the expansion of Bulgaria only contin- 
  ues, reclaiming lands on all borders. In the west the Bulgarians 
  fight with the Despot of Epirus, and in the south with the Latin 
  kingdoms. However, after the death of Ivan I1 in 1241 the 
  Bulgarian Empire fragments into its component parts under the 
  great nobles, and passes from the pages of history. 
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  SOFIA 
  Given the many conquerors they have had, the citizens o 
  Sofia are notorious for their rapid changes of loyalty. Once they 
  let in the Hungarian amy in one week, and helped the 
  Founded by the Romans as a legion camp, Sofia was lost for Bulgarians chase the Hungarians from the city the next. 
  ashort time to theBulgarian Empire after thebattle OfAdrianople 
  in the 
  Century, but 
  guicwy 
  by the 
  Sofia is a major trading city, situated between the Byzan- 
  Romans. 
  tine Empire and the kingdom of Hungary. Cattle are driven by 
  city folkin the late fall, bound for the markets of Constantinople. 
  The Bulgars eventually settled in the area in the Seventh Intruth,shopkeeperslock theirstoresandtakeavacationinthe 
  Century, and occupied Sofm. The city remained in Bulgarian country duringthe weekor two that it takes drovers to leave the 
  hands, though it was forced to submit to Byzantium a number city. The stockyards outside the city, on the west side, are used 
  of times. The city was also the capital of the Bulgarian Empire, for public ceremonies the remainder of the year, and are the 
  and was captured by both Hungarian and Byzantine armies. gathering place of the Bulgarian army before major campaigns. 
  Though Sofia was never taken by storm, it was every time lost 
  to the Bulgarians through treachery. 
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  82162
  he lands of klam are those possessed by the 
  Muslims. Though the Muslims have con 
  queredasEarnorthinmMyhcEuropeasSpain, 
  their primary territories lie in the Christian Holy 
  Landand Africa (parti&lynorthA, 
  in termsofrelationswith 
  Myhc Europe). Certainly the lands of Islam are primary in the 
  determinatitionofMyhcEuropeanhistory,culture,andpolitics,so 
  andentandingoflanditspeopleisessential toundentand- 
  ing Myhc Europe. 
  HoCy Land 
  The region known as the Levant, or the Holy Land, is the 
  goal and prize of the crusades. This land, where Jesus walked 
  the earth, is the holiest land in Christendom, and the aim of the 
  crusades is to free the land from domination by pagan Muslims. 
  The region of the Holy Land is hilly, but not mountainous, 
  and dry. Winds prevail from the south and southeast, bringing 
  little rain to this desert land. In the summer, the hot southerly 
  wind becomes the sirocco, a blast of heat that feels as if drawn 
  across the fires of Hell itself. There are few plants in the Holy 
  Land, and primary crops are olives, cedar, and citrus fruit, all 
  of which thrive in the harsh climate. 
  The native people of the region are primarily Muslims and 
  Jews,although thereisagrowingpopulationof Christians. The 
  Muslims are divided into two mjor groups: the town dwellers 
  (known as hadar or fellahin) and the nomads, called Bedouin. 
  The Muslims are swarthy, with dark hair and small stature. 
  The Muslims of the Holy Land are polite, but taciturn. 
  Indeed, it is rare to hear a Muslim say anyhng ill about 
  another, but it is often difficult to learn the name of a Muslim 
  you do not know well. The Muslims are also protective of their 
  wives and families, rarely allowing strangers to even see them. 
  And yet, some Christians who have traveled the Holy Lands 
  alone or in small groups claim that Muslims are hospitable to 
  all who visit them in peace. Finally, hospitable or not, the 
  Muslims are fatalistic. They are willing to accept any hardship, 
  no matter how terrible, believing such hardship is brought 
  upon them by God. 
  The Christian lands of the Holy Land hug the shores of the 
  Mediterranean; Christians are unwilling to travel further than 
  necessary from the cooling influence of the sea. Northernmost 
  of these lands is the Principality of Antioch, the strongest and 
  most established of the Christian states in the Holy Land. 
  Antioch is the first stop for pilgrims in the Holy Land, and for 
  many Antioch is as close as some ever get to the holy city of 
  Jerusalem. 
  South of Antioch is the Earldom of Tripoli, another 
  Christian nation. Tripoli has been held since the First Crusade, 
  but uprisings of Muslims and invasions from the south are 
  common here, and the city is sometimes not secure for weeks 
  at a time. 
  Beyond Tripoli lies the holy city of Jerusalem. It is in this 
  place thatJesusperformedmanyofHismiracles, 
  anditwas here 
  that He gave Himself to the Cross to redeem mankind from sin. 
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  The Muslims now control Jerusalem, and the Christian King of 
  Jerusalem (who holds the fealty of Tripoli and Antioch) rules 
  in exile in Acre. 
  Bit by bit the kingdom of Jerusalem is falling back into 
  Muslim hands. Even the forces of the Third Crusade were 
  unable to reclaim Christian losses. By the Thirteenth Century 
  the King OfJerusalem appeals for yet another Crusade, this one 
  not to be distracted or deterred (a stinging reference to the 
  Fourth Crusade’s adventures in Byzantium) until Jerusalem is 
  again in Christian hands. 
  Latin Kingdoms of the Holy Land 
  Established by the First Crusade, the kingdom of Jerusa- 
  lem, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli, and the 
  County of Edessa formed the Latin kingdoms in the Holy land. 
  Though the crusaders had sworn oaths to return captured cities 
  and lands to the Byzantine Empire, the retreat of the Byzantine 
  Emperor Alexius after the capture of Antioch was declared 
  grounds for nullification of oaths made by crusaders. 
  In fact, the leaders of the crusaders were quick to seize 
  control of the Holy Land. The Norman crusader Baldwin, 
  brother of Godfrey of Bouillon, took his men away from the 
  main crusader army in A.D. 1008, capturing the city of Edessa. 
  There he established the first Latin state, the County of Ed-. 
  Bohemund of Taranto was elected Prince of Antioch after the 
  capture of that city in 1098. Raymond of Toulouse captured 
  Tripolis and formed the County of Tripolis. Finally, Godfrey 
  of Bouillon was elected Protector of the Holy See, and after hls 
  death in 1100 Baldwin succeeded to the throne, styling himself 
  King of Jerusalem. 
  The three lesser Christian states swore oaths of fealty to the 
  King of Jerusalem, but acted as sovereigns in their own lands. 
  They minted money, issued decrees, and made and broke 
  treaties with the surrounding Muslims. It was the fall of the 
  County of Edessa in 1144 that was grounds for the start of the 
  Second Crusade, which failed miserably. 
  Troubles also brewed in the Latin Holy Land as they did in 
  Mythic Europe, through intrigue against the throne. King 
  Baldwin IV was a leper and his affliction caused much conster- 
  nation among the nobles. His sister, Sibylla, was first married 
  to Marquess William of Montferrat, and the couple produced 
  an heir to the throne, Baldwin V. But, William was killed and 
  Sibylla married Guy de Lusignan, a despised adventurer from 
  France. In order to seize power, Baldwin V was hastily 
  crowned, while his uncle still lived, with Raymond of Tripolis 
  as Regent. 
  Baldwin IV did die in 1185, but his nephew only reigned 
  for a year longer, dying himself in 1 186. Following his stepson, 
  Guy de Lusignan was elected King by lords from the west, 
  newly arrived at the Holy Land and ready for battle. Guy led the 
  army of the kingdom, accompanied by both the Order of 
  Templars and by the Hospitallers, to resist the onslaught of 
  Saladin. However, the Christian army met defeat at the battle 
  of Hattin in 1187. 
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  Guy was taken prisoner at the battle, but was released by 
  Saladin. Jerusalem then surrendered to Saladin the same year, 
  leaving the County of Tripolis and the Principality of Antioch 
  alone to face the Muslims. Thus, Guy was a king without a 
  kingdom, until Richard Lionheart gave him the island of 
  Fatefully, in the Thirteenth Century, Antioch falls to the 
  Saracens in 1268, and Tripolis in 1289, Tripolis being the last 
  remnant of Latin power in the east. 
  CypruS. 
  ACRE 
  ~~ 
  The greatest port in the Holy Land, Acre was captured in 
  the First Crusade in A.D. 1098 and was ceded to Venice as part 
  of the price for transporting the crusaders. 
  Acre fell to the forces of Saladin in 1 187 after the disastrous 
  battle of Hattin, where the combined armies of the Latins were 
  beaten by heat, thirst, and Saracen arrows. Saladin treated the 
  captured city mildly, allowing grieving women and children to 
  depart unmolested. 
  The Third Crusade captured the city once again in 1191, 
  after a nineteen month siege, and soon after King Richard of 
  England joined the besiegers. Richard also treated the city with 
  mercy, allowing the Saracens to leave with what goods they 
  could cany. The Saracens gave back the True Cross, which had 
  been captured in the Seventh Century by the Muslims, recov- 
  ered by the Byzantines, and lost again at the Battle of Hattin. 
  Acre falls for the last time in 1291, when the Sultan Khalil, 
  enraged by the slaughter of a Muslim caravan by Christian 
  knights, leads his forces against the city, at the time the last great 
  Latin city in the Holy Land. The city falls after a siege of forty- 
  three days and the inhabitants are slaughtered or sold into 
  slavery. 
  ANTIOCH 
  An ancient city, Antiochwas one of the five Apostolic Sees, 
  the original bishoprics of the Christian Church. The city fell to 
  the Muslims in the Seventh Century after the death of Christ, 
  and was the focus of a major siege in the First Crusade. The 
  crusaders besieged the city for eight months in A.D. 1097 and 
  1098. During the siege Christian knights, starving and dying 
  of exposure, sucked the sweet juice of a cane, called “sukkar” 
  by the Muslims. The crusaders took the city by treachery three 
  days before a Muslim relief army arrived. 
  However, many of the crusaders, fearful that they could 
  not stand before the coming Saracens, fled to Emperor Alexius, 
  who had also retreated to protect his lands in Asia Minor, 
  believing the Crusade lost. The remaining crusaders saw 
  Alexius’s act as one of cowardice. They declared that his failure 
  to support the army freed them of the oath they swore, that they 
  would return captured cities to the Byzantines. 
  The Saracen relief force surrounded Antioch, but a French 
  priest found the Holy Lance, the spear which had pierced the 
  side of Christ during the Crucifudon. The lance became a 
  Theodore, and George -aided the crusaders in battle, routing 
  the Saracens. 
  After the Latins reclaimed the city it was granted to 
  Bohemund of Tarentum, who was made Prince of Antioch. 
  Antioch therefore became the first of the Latin states founded 
  in the Holy Land. Bohemund nominally held the land in fief 
  from the Byzantine Emperor Alexius, but declared his obliga- 
  tion nullified upon Alexius’s retreat. 
  The Principality of Antioch survives until 1268, when the 
  Sultan Baybars defeats the current Count’s army and captures 
  the city, putting Christians to the sword and buming the city 
  to the ground, a fate from which it never recovers. Only those 
  who claim defiance to Christianity, including Magi in the city, 
  are spared. 
  DAMASCUS 
  Capital of Roman, and later Byzantine, Palestine, Dam- 
  ascus fell to the Arab hordes in the Seventh Century after 
  Christ. The citizens were treated well by the conquerors; they 
  were allowed to stay and keep their religion, or to leave with 
  their possessions. In fact, the capture of Damascus became the 
  Muslim model for the treatment of captured cities in Palestine. 
  The Saracens of the city were so tolerant of Christians that 
  they allowed them to make pilgrimage to Damascus, as Dam- 
  ascus held the head of St. John the Baptist. The city also became 
  the seat of the Caliph, the religious leader of Islam, in the 
  Seventh Century, but lost the honor to Baghdad in the Eighth. 
  Still, the city held over five hundred mosques, the most 
  magnificent being the Great Mosque, built on the foundations 
  of the cathedral of St. John the Baptist, which in turn had been 
  built on the site of a temple to Jupiter. 
  Damascus withstood the armies of the Second Crusade, 
  and was never recaptured by the Christians. However, the 
  Mongols capture the city in A.D. 1258, laying waste to one of 
  the greatest cities in the world. Even the land around Damascus 
  loses its fertility after the Mongols strike. Some say wizards 
  among the Mongols are responsible for the infertility of the 
  land, though the Order of Hemes has no proof of such 
  allegations. 
  FAMAGUSTA 
  ~ 
  ~~ 
  The major urban center and port on the island of Rhodes, 
  Famagusta is an ancient city, dating back to the days of the 
  Trojan War. A goddess named Astarte was worshipped here, 
  and a city oracle foretold the future. Ancient Famagusta was 
  renowned for its shipyards, supplying the Byzantine Empire 
  with ships until it fell to the Arabs in A.D. 644. The Arabs tried 
  to use the shipyards to bolster their navy, but the native 
  shipwrights used poor quality wood and nails, causing the 
  ships to founder and sink. 
  Rhodes was conquered and reconquered many times 
  duringthefive hundredyearsthatfollowed. Thatis,untilll91, 
  when Richard the Lionheart camxed the island from the 
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  crusaders. Richardsold theisland to the Knights Templar, who 
  sold it to the King of Jerusalem, Guy of Lusignan. 
  Guy and his successors model their govemance of the 
  island on the French system, granting fiefs and manors to 
  knights. The greatest fief on the island is the County of 
  Famagusta, which includes not only the city, but the shipyards 
  and much of the surrounding countryside. 
  Famagusta carries on a lively trade with the cities of the 
  Holy Land. Though the Italian cities, especially Venice and 
  Genoa, wish to set up trading houses in Famagusta, each King 
  of Cyprus has denied them that right, instead making them rent 
  warehouse and dock space from the crown. 
  Rumors tell of ancient storehouses still buried under the 
  city, storehouses that were lost during some forgotten invasion. 
  In these lairs are supposed to lie the treasures of the ancient 
  gods, and knowledge of their ways. 
  JERUSALEM 
  Jerusalem is the holiest of cities to both Jews and Chris- 
  tians. The city also ranks third in sanctity to Muslims, behind 
  Mecca and Medina. 
  The Dome of the Rock (known as the Mosque of Omar to 
  crusaders) covers the spot where Abraham was prevented from 
  sacrificing Isaac, and where Moses received the Ark of the 
  Covenant. Solomon and Herod also built the Temples of 
  Apostolic See of the Christians, and housed the True Cross and 
  the Holy Sepulcher, where Christ’s body lay for three days. 
  And, according to the Muslims, the Prophet Mohammed 
  ascended to Heaven here. The truly devout are said to be able 
  to see his footprints on the stone. 
  Jerusalem was captured by the Persians in A.D. 614, and 
  the True Cross was sent to the Queen of Persia as a gdt. Both 
  the city and the Cross were retaken in 622 by the Byzantine 
  Emperor Heraclius, but the city surrendered to Caliph Omar in 
  637. After Omar’s victory Christians were allowed to enter the 
  city as pilgrims, but in 1009 the Church of the Holy Sepulcher 
  was destroyed by the mad Caliph Al-Hakim, and in 1071 the 
  city was captured by the Seljuk Turks, who refused to allow 
  Christians entry, precipitating the First Crusade. 
  The crusaders hid siege to the city in 1099 and took it in 
  forty days. The crusaders then slaughtered the inhabitants of 
  the city with wanton cruelty, shooting whole groups full of 
  arrows, and pushingothers off walls and towers. Jews were also 
  herded into synagogues and burned to death. It is said that 
  knights rode through blood up to the bellies of their horses. At 
  least 50,000 Jews and as many as 70,000 Saracens were killed 
  in the city in a three week-long orgy of murder, looting, and 
  burning. After the slaughter, Geoffery of Bouillon was chosen 
  by the crusaders as the King of Jerusalem, a position he held for 
  one year before dying. 
  J 
  .L 
  V 
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  During the Second Crusade, the remnants of French and 
  German armies arrived in JerusalernJed by the French King 
  huis and the German Emperor Conrad. Baldwin 111, King of 
  Jerusalem, joined his fellow monarchs, and they led their forces 
  to Damascus, which resisted their siege. Ultimately, the 
  Christian armies fled before a Muslim relief army, and Baldwin 
  led his men back to Jerusalem to defend it from a supposed 
  attack which never materialized. 
  However, Saladin conquered Jerusalem in 1187, after the 
  Battle of Hattin, and treated the citizens with mercy. But, due 
  to the miserliness of the Christian Hospitallers and Templars in 
  not paying their ransom to the Muslims, thousands of poor 
  citizens were sold into slavery. The fall of Jerusalem was a 
  clarion call to the west, a call which was answered by King 
  Richard Lionheart of England, Philip Augustus of France, and 
  FrederickBarbarossa of the Holy Roman Empire. But, even the 
  forces of these three great monarchs failed to retake Jerusalem, 
  and it remains in Muslim hands. 
  Y 5 i i - i  
  C
  H
  A
  ~
   
  Only in the westernmost regions of north Africa is there 
  The lands of north Africa are among the most inhospitable 
  ever known by living man. Biting sand, blistering heat, and the 
  miserable blasts of sirocco winds are said to flay the flesh from 
  a Christian. 
  The intolerable wastes of north Africa are occupied by 
  swarthy, hardy Muslims, who are primarily nomadic Bedouins. 
  The Bedouins of north Africa spend their entire lives in the 
  desert. They use camels for their beasts of burden, their milk, 
  and their meat. Their tents are marvels in their own right. Each 
  is comprised of two chambers: the men’s room, which is used 
  for the reception of guests, and the women’s room, where 
  families are hidden and possessions stored. A Bedouin offers a 
  visitor hospitality if that person is able to touch the Bedouin’s 
  tent pole. But, that same Bedouin slays any traveler he finds 
  entering the women’s quarters of his tent. 
  The eastern portion of north Africa is flat, with essentially 
  no fertile ground. The only fertile region is the narrow band of 
  the Nile River Valley which runs through the center of the 
  kingdom of Egypt. This river floods annually, so the lands to 
  either side are actually extremely fertile. Only a few miles from 
  the river, however, no plants grow. 
  Egypt is one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations 
  of the Muslim lands. Egyptian forces have been the primary 
  opponents to the advance of Christians into the Holy Land, and 
  are fierce wamors. It is also said the land of Egypt is covered 
  with ancient monuments and statues; the sorcerers of Egypt are 
  said to know marvelous magics, some of which do not function 
  outside the magical Nile Valley. 
  The western area of north Africa is hillier than the east, but 
  no more fertile. The region is part of the Almohad Empire, 
  which extends eastward to the city of Cossura and to the 
  western shore of the Bay of Sidra. (The Empire’s northern 
  extent can be found in Iberia.) The western part of north Africa 
  has several cities along its coast, and grows increasingly moun- 
  tainous as one travels further west. 
  anythmg more than the occasional olive tree. In the far west, 
  the Atlas Mountains (a range which rivals the Alps in height and 
  stark beauty) trap Atlantic rains against the coast, near the city 
  of Tangier. These rains create a relatively fertile zone, with 
  mountain woodlands and other healthy foliage. 
  ALEXANDRIA 
  Founded by Alexander the Great, Alexandria was the 
  provincial capital of Egypt during the country‘s Greek, Roman, 
  and Byzantine occupations. Alexandria fell to the forces of 
  Islam in A.D. 641, betrayed by rebellious Monophysite her- 
  etics. 
  The Great Library of Alexandria was famous as one of the 
  greatest repositories of ancient thought, but was burned by the 
  Arabs in 642, who declared that: “Ifthese writings agree with the 
  Book of God, then they are worthless and need not be preserved, 
  d 
  ij they do not they are pernicious and should be destroyed” 
  The dockyards of Alexandria then outfitted the Arab navies, 
  and Alexandrine ships conquered the island of Cyprus in 649. 
  The political significance of Alexandria was overshad- 
  owed by the building of Cairo, which became the Arab capital 
  in975. Whilestillagreatcity,Alexandriaisnolongerthecenter 
  of learning, nor of political power, that it once was. However, 
  it is still a great trading center, with a power to rival Genoa and 
  Pisa, if not Venice. Trade betweenVenice and Alexandria is one 
  of the major reasons Doge EMco Dandalo of Venice leads 
  crusaders from attacking Alexandria (their first target), to 
  attacking Zara and Constantinople instead. 
  ALGIERS 
  Founded by the Romans in the century before Christ, 
  Algiers declined into near vacancy after the fall of the Roman 
  Empire. Indeed, the city was fought over by nomadic tribes, 
  and some times raided by the Vandals from Spain. However, the 
  advent of Islam in the Eighth Century saw a revival of the city 
  which, for all the fighting which had taken place, was remark- 
  ably well preserved. The Muslims dredged the harbor, which 
  had silted up over the preceding centuries, and used the port 
  facilities for trade. 
  Algiers was raided many times by pirates from Bougie and 
  Cossura, and the city appealed to the Byzantine Emperor in 
  A.D. 1048 for ships and men to defend itself. The request was 
  refused, but such was the terror of the citizens that they 
  appealed to Robert Guiscard, even offering him the city if he 
  would aid them. Robert was on the verge of accepting when 
  opportunities in the east beckoned him. The citizens of Algiers 
  finally surrendered to the pirates of Cossura, and theirs became 
  another harbor from which to launch raids. The honest 
  merchants of the city fled, leaving their goods and merchandise 
  behind, wishing to have nothing to do with the new masters of 
  the civ. 
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  .\. 
  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE 
  BARCE 
  CEUTA 
  Founded in ancient times by the Greeks as Barka, Barce 
  Founded as a legion camp and naval base by the Romans, 
  was conquered by the Romans in the century before Christ. It Ceuta was ruled by the Byzantine Count Julian in the Eighth 
  was again conquered by Islam around A.D. 642. 
  Century after Christ. Julian sent his daughter to the court of 
  Barce was chosen by a mighty Saracen sorcerer, whose 
  name has not been preserved, to be the site of a school for other 
  sorcerers. It is said that no Christian has entered Barce and 
  lived. Travelers who have seen the city say it is surrounded by 
  iron walls, forty feet high with demonic faces on them. Rumors 
  among the Christian seamen say the ships of Barce are manned 
  by the dead bodies of Christians, who were sold as slaves to the 
  college of sorcery. It is true that none of the ships of Barce have 
  ever been captured in battle, scuttling themselves, or exploding 
  in multi-colored flames before they can be boarded. Even the 
  King Roderic of Spain for education, but Roderic seduced her. 
  In retaliation Julian told Tank, a Moorish noble, of the booty in 
  Spain, instigating the invasion of that country. King Roderic 
  was captured in the first battle of the invasion, spirited away by 
  genies under the command of the Moors. He was brought 
  before Julian, who laughed in his face when Roderic pleaded for 
  mercy, saying “These demons will show you the same mercy you 
  showed my duughter.” Roderic’s body was found several days 
  later. The men who found it buried it where it lay, refusing to 
  describe the manner in which Roderic died. 
  pirates of Cossura and Fraxinetum leave ships from Barce 
  alone. 
  Tank captured the city of Ceuta in A.D. 714, after his 
  conquests in Spain. He rewarded Julian, who would not accept 
  the word of the Prophet, by giving him a horse and sword, and 
  sending him out into the desert. The city then became the 
  terminus of trade routes which stretched across the Sahara to 
  Founded by sailors from the city of Carthage, Bougie the nearly mythic city of Timbuktu. Ivory, furs of great cats, and 
  possesses a fine harbor. It was conquered by pirates from the ‘slaves flowed north while swords, horses, and gold went south. 
  island of Cossura in the 480s, and accepted the word of the Once an elephant was sent north, as an experiment in warfare, 
  Prophet in A.D. 702. Bougie’s sailors now scour the sea, raiding but none of the horses in the city could stand to be near it, 
  Christian and Muslim ships and cities equally. The coasts of 
  panicking at its smell and trumpeting noises. Reluctantly, the 
  France and Spain are the favorite targets of the pirates, who governor of the city had the beast slaughtered and fed to the 
  force captives to row their ships. 
  poor. Its great tusks can still be seen in the Mosque of the 
  The mouth of the harbor of Bougie has too many entrances 
  I BOUGIE 
  1 
  to be easily blockaded, as the navy of Tunis learned to its regret. 
  A Tunisian admiral, vowing to rid the sea of the pirates after 
  ’ 
  they captured and sold his wife and daughter, led his fleet to 
  Bougie and set about capturing the pirates as they entered and 
  exited the harbor. A number of pirates already in the harbor 
  slipped out a hidden entrance and burned a great number of the 
  1 
  blockadmg ships. They captured the Admiral and chained him 
  to an oar on their largest ship, where he lived out the rest of his 
  1 
  life rowing and being mocked by his captors. 
  ~ CAIRO 
  1 
  Founded in A.D. 969 by the Muslims, Cairo became the 
  capital of Egypt in 996. Travelers to Cairo talk of several 
  wonders, such as canopies which shade the streets from the 
  COSSURA 
  Known as “The Island of the Banished,” Cossura was used 
  as an open prison by the Romans. The Romans made sure no 
  sailors were sent to the island, fearing a sea-borne revolt by the 
  prisoners. After the fall of Rome the inhabitants mixed with 
  barbarian invaders, and the islanders soon acquired boats and 
  the knowledge to use them. By the Sixth Century after Christ, 
  the islanders had developed a thriving pirate kingdom. The 
  island was overrun by the onslaught of Islam, but the mixture 
  of pirate and Muslim cultures produced the feared pirates of 
  cossura. 
  During the Ninth Century the pirates managed to conquer 
  a portion of southem France, founding the pirate kingdom of 
  sun, and lamps which iight the streets at night. The city has h i x h m m .  Even the military genius of Charlemabe was 
  hundreds of mosques, and numerous schools for Muslim unequal to the task of defeating the pirates of Fdnetum, the 
  children to learn the faith of their fathers. It is said that all city at the end of a rocky hadland, defended by fierce corsairs 
  subjects are taught in Cairo, including wizardry and alchemy. (from the Latin “to run”). 
  Saladin founded several schools in Cairo during his reign, 
  Cossuran pirates are renowned throughout the western 
  wishing to educate scholars to defeat the enemies of Islam. The Mediterranean for their daring raids, and the cry, “Black Sails,” 
  sorcerers of Cairo protect the temples and monuments of Egypt makes even strong mariners look to their weapons. The pirates 
  from the eyes of the Order of Hemes, leading to much sail small vessels, and some sailors claim the pirates have the 
  speculation on the contents of these temples, particularly wind bound to their sails, for they can sail close to the wind, and 
  among Magi of the west. 
  have been seen proceeding under full sail on a calm sea. The 
  Cossurans and the corsairs of Fraxinetum continue their 
  I 
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  profitable alliance, even though the “King” of the pirates of 
  Fraxinetum claims all waters of the western Mediterranean as 
  his private domain. 
  DAMIETTA 
  . 
  A major port and naval center of the Byzantine Empire, 
  second only to Alexandria in the southern Mediterranean, 
  Damietta was taken by the Arabs in the Seventh Century. The 
  . 
  Byzantines, fearful of growing Arabic naval power in the Ninth 
  Century, sent a fleet to Damietta which succeeded in buming 
  the docks and naval yards. 
  Damietta is also the focus of the Fifth Crusade, and falls in . 
  A.D. 1218 after a one year siege. St. Francis ofkisi is with the 
  assaulting crusaders, passes into the city one night during the . 
  siege, and confionts the governor of the city. Assisi offers to 
  walk through flames if the Governor promises to lead his troops . 
  in the Christian cause. The Governor refuses the test and has 
  Francis escorted out of Damietta. The pillage of the city, when 
  it falls, honifies Francis, who returns to Italy disillusioned with 
  the military mind. The final peace settlement of the Fifth 
  Crusade returns Damietta to Egypt. 
  The Seventh Crusade, led by King Louis of France, also 
  attacks and takes Damietta, but the Nile floods strand the 
  crusaders in the city for half a year, where they spend their time 
  feasting and drinking. When the flood waters recede the 
  crusaders leave the city, but are in such poor condition they are 
  easily beaten at the battle of Mansura. The Egyptians thus 
  recapture the city. And,.shve traders of the city profit from the 
  thousands of French captives taken at Mansura. The Egyptians 
  build the Mosque of the Franks, to commemorate the event and 
  to give thanks to Allah. 
  . 
  ’ 
  TEMPLES 
  OF PAGAN 
  EGYPT 
  . 
  ~~ 
  ~ 
  ~ 
  Clustered up and down the Nile, huge statues, temples, 
  and pyramids are evidence of the mystical’power of ancient ’ , 
  Egyptian sorcerers. Guarded by enchanted animals and mum-. 
  mies, the structures remab stocked with items of great occult ., 
  power, or so says rumor, . The Saracens guard the sites from 1 .. 
  -
  I
   
  Magi of the Order of Hemes. 
  Recently, Magi studying the ancient records of the Order ’ , 
  of Hemes have come across evidence of a storehouse of .. - 
  magical knowledge in a huge statue shaped like a human- 
  I :  : . 
  headed lion, near the dlage of Giza. Though W-statue has not 1. , 
  yet been found, some within the Order are pressing for an 
  :‘i .*i: 
  expedition into Saracen lands to find the statue and bring its ;;’; 
  magical knowledge out for the Order. A number of Magi :.,. 
  accompany the Fifth Crusade, hoping the crusaders accom- . i-’ 
  plish their stated goal of capturing all Egypt. But, those Magi 
  ‘: -- 
  leave Egypt after the crusaders prove themselves incapable of 
  concerted action. The Seventh Crusade attracts only two Magi 
  ,. 
  in search of the statue, but the pair waste their time in Damietta, ; ’ 
  indulging in a Wizard War. 
  , 
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  authorized, many in the Order know that the Covenant which 
  possesses Egypt’s secrets will gain tremendous status and 
  power. Indeed, the Magus who leads such an expedition is 
  likely to become the next Primus of his House. 
  FEZ 
  Founded by the Arab Prince Idris I1 in A.D. 808 to be his 
  capital in the Maghreb (Morocco), Fez soon became noted for 
  dyes, perfumes, and a type of rimless hat. The city was sacked 
  in 992 by nomadic raiders from the Rif, a range of hills between 
  Fez and Ceuta. 
  Jews and Christians are forbidden to enter the city, a law 
  since the Almoravid Moors swept out of the south, taking the 
  city in 1065. In 1276, Yakub I1 begins construction of White 
  Fez, an extension of the city outside the standing walls. It is said 
  that many mosques and schools are being built in the new city, 
  but rumor does not say what the schools will teach. 
  ORAN 
  Founded by the Arabs in the Tenth Century, Oran is a port 
  ofreasonablesize,atthe terminusofatraderoutfromTimbuktu, 
  a city south of the Sahara desert. 
  Tired of being harassed by pirates from Cossura, 
  Fraxinetum, and Bougie, the merchants of Oran hire a number 
  of sorcerers who travel on the merchants’ ships, protecting 
  them from attack. The merchants grant the sorcerers a large 
  percentage of the profits from the trips, such that the sorcerers 
  are able to found a school of magical arts in Oran in A.D. 1214. 
  The Sorcerers seem to specialize in controlling the elements of 
  air and water, though they are also rumored to unleash demons 
  on board some ships. 
  Sorcerers on board ships do not come out on deck while 
  ships are in port, so no one can tell if a ship has a sorcerer or not. 
  It is said that less than one-fifth of the shps from Oran actually 
  carry sorcerers, but few pirates are willing to trust their lives to 
  the odds. 
  Q.JXYRAWAN 
  The city of Qayrawan was founded in A.D. 670 by an Arab 
  general, who gathered his men there in preparation for attack- 
  ing Tunis and Carthage. 
  Qayrawan means “The Resting 
  Place.” The camp soon became a city, and the capital of the 
  province of Ifriqya. Qayrawan governed north Africa and Spain 
  until 756, when Idris I, the last member of the Ummayid 
  dynasty, fled to Morocco and took over the government there. 
  In 960 a Jewish academy was founded in Qayrawan, 
  teaching theology, philosophy, and medicine. One of its first 
  professors was Isaac Israeli, the court physician, who wrote 
  treatises which are currently used in the universities of Paris 
  and Salerno. 
  The city’s Mosque of Sidi Oqba was built of hundreds of 
  columns gathered from the ruins of ancient Carthage, which 
  had tobeblessedby the Caliph tolayghostsofslaincartheginians 
  to rest. The beauty of the Mosque makes it the fourth holy place 
  of Islam, after Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. 
  ST. CATHERINE’S 
  MONASTERY 
  Lost in the Arabian desert, the monastery of St. Catherine 
  is rumored to have resisted Muslim warriors and sorcerers. 
  Legend says the monks of the monastery guard the clothes 
  worn by Mary, Mother of God, at the Crucifudon, clothes 
  stained with Christ’s blood. 
  Another legend states that the head of Saint Catherine, a 
  martyr in the Fourth Century, resides here. The head is said to 
  have oracular power. Saint Catherine is known to have come 
  to the aid of a number of women faced with death, and to 
  women forced to defend castles or towns. 
  TANGIER 
  MYTHIC 
  EUROPE k
  -
   
  While no other official expeditions of Magi into Egypt are 
  ~ 
  Founded by the Cartheginians as Tingis, Tangier was the 
  Roman capital of the province of Mauritania. The Vandals and 
  Goths both overran the city, the Vandals destroying so much of 
  it that their name became synonymous with wanton destruc- 
  tion. 
  The city was later attacked by the Arabs in A.D. 660, but 
  was not conquered until 701. Tangier is the premier port 
  trading with Spain, and many smugglers have made it their 
  home, evading both Moorish and Christian craft to bring wine 
  to Morocco, where it is prohibited by order of the Prophet. The 
  wine is traded to the south for the most part, though decadent 
  citizens have been known to break the commandment of the 
  Prophet. Smugglers caught with wine in their ships are flogged 
  and blinded, and all their money and ships are confiscated. 
  TLEMCEN 
  ~~ 
  ~ 
  ~ 
  The city of Tlemcen is in a favorable trading position, 
  between the port of Oran and the trade routes to Timbuktu. 
  However the city is caught between the contending forces of 
  Fez and the Moroccans to the west, and the Nomads of the 
  Sahara to the south and east. 
  Tlemcen was captured by the Arab General Oqba in A.D. 
  675 when it was just a collection of huts around a major oasis. 
  The city grew in importance once Oran was built. For a short 
  time, between 1236 and 1283, it is the capital of the langdom 
  of Tlemcen, but forces from Fez conquer the city, ending its 
  brief political life. 
  A large percentage of the population of Tlemcen is de- 
  scended from the Vandals, a Germanic tribe which conquered 
  north Afiica in the Fifth and Sixth Centuries. Under the 
  Muslims, Vandal descendents are allowed to observe their 
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  Christianfaith. Inuuth, theyarethelastremnantsoftheArian 
  heresy, which flourished during the Vandal occupation of 
  Africa. 
  to attack Rome from the north. Hannibal spent many years in 
  Italy fighting Roman legions, but was not able to conquer 
  Y
  C
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  CHAPTER 
  TUNIS 
  Built close to the ruins of Carthage, Tunis was founded by 
  Cossuran pirates who wished to secede from the rule of their 
  Tunis continues the trade of its founders, and is the most 
  organized of the many pirate kingdoms in the Mediterranean. 
  The Great Mosque of Tunis was built by French slaves, slaves 
  who were captured in many raids along the coast of France in 
  the 1150s. 
  Tunis declared independence from the Caliph of Baghdad 
  in A.D. 801, and declared its own caliph. The caliphs of Tunis 
  ruled much of the coast of Afiica, their power growing in 
  invetse proportion to the fanaticism of the Moon. Thus, 
  Tunis'scaliphshadperiodsofleastpowerdu~gthegrowthof 
  the Almoravid and Almohad dynasties. But, the caliphs re- 
  gained power as the dynasties grew decadent and slothful in 
  Spain. 
  Tunis fights off the efforts of the Eighth Crusade in 1270. 
  But, in 1292 Raymond Lully, a French priest, secretly crosses 
  to Tunis and founds a small colony of Christians. He hopes the 
  Christians will convert the city, and perhaps the entire coast. 
  king. 
  ZAMA, B A ~ E  
  OF 
  The ancient city of Carthage is best known for its wars 
  against Rome. At the peakofitsattacksagainst Rome, Carthage 
  sent its great General Hannibal across the Alps, with elephants, 
  Rome. 
  After Hannibal's invasion attempt, the Romans counterat- 
  tacked. The legions overcame the Cartheginian army at the 
  battle of Zama, and Carthage fell soon after. Such was the 
  Roman hatred for Canhage that not one stone in the city was 
  left atop another. Indeed, the city's fields were salted to prevent 
  plants from growing, and surviving Cartheginians were sold as 
  slaves. 
  Now only rubble remains to show where a great city once 
  stood. The ground is still twistedby the sheer number of deaths 
  which occurred here. In fact, Moorish Covenants in the Iberian 
  Tribunal claim the site is rife with Perdo and Cc5rporem vis. 
  The ruins of Carthage are also reputed to be haunted. 
  According to legend, the souls of Cartheginians slain during the 
  Roman invasion still haunt the corpse of their city. Some 
  travelers report seeing ghosts of Carthage's lost inhabitants still f 
  wandering about theircity,asifthebuildingswerewholeagain. 
  A few others whisper of an encounter with another kind of 
  entity, a spectral creature three times the height of a man, 
  wearing the armor of a Cartheginian soldier. The city is 
  shunned by the Moors who now control the region. 
  New Carthage is built outside the area of the old city's 
  devastation. Great walls are raised around the new city to 
  prevent spirits and creatures which lurk in ancient Carthage 
  from entering. At one time new Carthage was a city of great 
  learning, and many Christian theologians studied or worked 
  there. However, the city was captured in the Seventh Century 
  by the forces of Islam and is now closely allied with Tunis. 
  I 
  e 1 
  82170
  
  82171
  82171
  
  82172
  . . i 
  ROMAN EMFERORS 
  FROM A.D . 284 
  Crowned Died 
  Diocletiqn ......................... 
  284 
  305 
  Maximian .......................... 
  286 
  305 
  Galerius ............................ 
  305 
  311 
  Constantius I ..................... 
  305 
  306 
  Maximian .......................... 
  306 
  308 
  Seve rus .............................. 
  306 
  307 
  Maxentius ......................... 
  306 
  312 
  Constantine I the Great ..... 306 
  337 
  Licinius ............................. 
  307 
  324 
  Maximin Daza ................... 308 
  3 13 
  Constantine I1 ................... 337 
  340 
  constantius I1 ................... 337 
  361 
  constans ........................... 
  337 
  350 
  Magnentius ....................... 
  350 
  353 
  Julian the Apostate ............ 360 
  363 
  Jovian ................................ 
  363 
  364 
  Valentinian I ..................... 
  364 
  375 (West) 
  Valens ............................... 
  364 
  378 (East) 
  Gratian .............................. 
  375 
  383 (West) 
  .................... 
  Valentinian 11 
  375 
  392 (West) 
  Theodosius 1 the Great ...... 378 
  395 (East; west 
  from 392) 
  East 
  Crowned Died 
  ........................... 
  Honorius 
  395 
  423 
  Constantine 111 .................. 407 
  411 
  Constantius 111 .................. 421 
  421’ 
  John .................................. 
  423 
  425 
  Valentinian 111 ................... 425 
  455 
  Petronius Maximus ........... 455 
  Avitus ............................... 
  455 
  Majoran ............................ 
  457 
  Severus I11 ......................... 
  461 
  Anthemius ........................ 
  467 
  Olybrius ............................ 
  472 
  Glycerius ........................... 
  473 
  Romulus Augustulus ......... 475 
  Julius Nepos ...................... 
  473 
  82172
  
  82173
  Roman Emperors continued 
  1 
  west 
  \ 
  1- 
  \ 
  Crowned 
  Arcadius ............................ 
  395 
  Theodosius I1 .................... 
  408 
  Marcian ............................. 
  450 
  Leo I ................................. 
  457 
  Leo I1 ................................ 
  474 
  Zeno ................................. 
  474 
  Basilicus ............................ 
  475 
  Died 
  408 
  450 
  457 
  474 
  474 
  491 
  476 
  KINGS 
  OF ARAGON 
  Crowned 
  Ramiro I ............................ 
  1035 
  Sancho Ramirez ................ 1063 
  Peter I ............................... 
  1094 
  Alfonso I ........................... 
  1104 
  Ramiro I11 ........................ 
  .113 
  4.37 
  Petronilla ......................... 
  .113 7.62 
  Alfonso I1 .......................... 
  1 162 
  Peter I1 .............................. 
  1196 
  Peter I11 ............................. 
  1276 
  Alfonso I11 ......................... 
  1285 
  James I1 ............................. 
  129 1 
  James I The Conqueror ..... 1213 
  Died 
  1063 
  1094 
  1104 
  1134 
  1147 
  1172 
  1196 
  1213 
  1276 
  1285 
  1291 
  KINGS OF BULGARIA 
  Crowned Died 
  Ivan Asen .......................... 
  1204 
  1207 
  Kaloyan ............................. 
  1207 
  1207 
  Boris ................................. 
  1207 
  1218 
  Ivan I1 ............................... 
  1218 
  1241 
  Constantine ...................... 
  1258 
  1277 
  Ivan I11 .............................. 
  1277 
  1280 
  KINGS 
  OF CASTILE 
  Crowned 
  Died 
  Ferdinand I ....................... 
  1033 
  1065 
  Sancho I1 ........................... 
  1065 
  1072 
  Alfonso VI ......................... 
  1072 
  1109 
  urraca ............................... 
  1109 
  1126 
  Alfonso VI1 ........................ 
  1 126 
  1157 
  Sancho I11 ......................... 
  1157 
  1158 
  Alfonso VI11 ...................... 
  1 158 
  1214 
  Henry I ............................. 
  1214 
  1217 
  c1 
  82173
  
  82174
  Michael V .......................... 
  104 1 
  Y - ' L ) A  
  PPENDIX 
  Ferdinand I11 ..................... 
  12 1 7 
  1252 
  Alfonso X .......................... 
  1252 
  1284 
  BYZANTINE 
  EMPIRE 
  ' Crowned 
  Justin I .............................. 
  518 
  Justinian ............................ 
  527 
  Justin I1 ............................. 
  565 
  Tiberius ............................ 
  578 
  Maurice ............................. 
  582 . 
  Phocas .............................. 
  602 
  Heraclius I ......................... 
  610 
  Constantine I11 .................. 641 
  Heracleonis ....................... 
  641 
  constans I1 ........................ 
  641 
  Constantine IV ............... A68 
  Justinian I1 ........................ 
  685 
  Leontius ............................ 
  695 
  Tiberius I11 ........................ 
  698 
  Justinian I1 ........................ 
  705 
  Philippicus ........................ 
  7 1 1 
  Anastasius I1 ...................... 
  713 
  Theodosius I11 ................... 7 15 
  Leo I11 ............................... 
  717 
  Constantine V ................... 741 
  Leo IV ............................... 
  775 
  Constantine VI .................. 780 
  Irene ................................. 
  797 
  Nicephorus I ..................... 
  802 
  Michael I ........................... 
  811 
  Leo V ................................ 
  813 
  Michael I1 .......................... 
  842 
  Theophilius ....................... 
  829 
  Michael I11 ........................ 
  842 
  Basil I ................................ 
  867 
  Leo VI ............................... 
  886 
  Alexander ......................... 
  9 1 2 
  Constantine VI1 ................. 913 
  Romanus I ......................... 
  919 
  Romanus I1 ....................... 
  959 
  Nicephorus I1 .................... 
  963 
  John I 
  ................................ 
  969 
  Basil I1 ............................... 
  976 
  Constantine VI11 ............... 1025 
  Zoe ................................... 
  1028 
  Romanus I11 ...................... 
  1028 
  Michael IV ........................ 
  1034 
  Died 
  527 
  565 
  578 
  582 
  602 
  610 
  641 
  641 
  641 
  668 
  685 
  695 
  698 
  705 
  711 
  713 
  715 
  717 
  741 
  775 
  780 
  797 
  802 
  811 
  813 
  820 
  829 
  842 
  867 
  886 
  912 
  913 
  959 
  944 
  963 
  969 
  976 
  1025 
  1028 
  1050 
  ............. 
  .................. 
  .......................... 
  Zoe and Theodom 
  1042 
  1042 
  Constantine IX 
  1042 
  1054 
  Theodora 
  1054 
  1056 
  Michael VI ........................ 
  1056 
  1057 
  Isaac 1 ............................... 
  1057 
  1059 
  Constantine X ................... 1059 
  1067 
  Romanus N ...................... 
  1067 
  1071 
  Michael VI ........................ 
  1071 
  1078 
  Nicepohorus 111 ................. 1078 
  1081 
  Alexius 1 ............................ 
  1081 
  1118 
  John 11 ............................... 
  1118 
  1143 
  Manuel 1 ........................... 
  1143 
  1180 
  Alexius 11 
  1180 
  1183 
  Andronicus 1 ..................... 
  1183 
  1185 
  Isaac 11 .............................. 
  1185 
  1195 
  Alexius 111 ......................... 
  1195 
  1203 
  Isaac 11 .............................. 
  1203 
  1204 
  Alexius IV ......................... 
  1203 
  1204 
  Alexius v .......................... 
  1204 
  1204 
  .......................... 
  ........................... 
  LATIN EMPERORS 
  Crowned Died 
  1205 
  Baldwin 1 
  1204 
  Henry 
  1205 
  1216 
  Peter of Courtenay ............ 1217 
  1217 
  Yolande ............................. 
  1217 
  1219 
  Robert of Courtenay .......... 1221 
  1228 
  Baldwin 11 ......................... 
  1228 
  1261 
  John of Brienne ................. 1231 
  1237 (co-Em- 
  ................................ 
  peror) 
  EMPERORS 
  AT NICAEA 
  Crowned Died 
  Theodore 1 Lascaris ........... 1206 
  1222 
  John 111 ............................. 
  1222 
  1254 
  Theodore I1 ....................... 
  1254 
  1258 
  John IV ............................. 
  1258 
  1261 
  CONSTANTINOPLE 
  REGAINED 
  . Crowned Died 
  Michael v111 ...................... 
  1261 
  1282 
  .................... 
  Y 
  1034 
  Andronicus 11 
  1282 
  1041 
  82174
  
  82175
  Died 
  940 
  986 
  1014 
  1019 
  1035 
  1042 
  1074 
  1080 
  1086 
  1095 
  1103 
  1134 
  1137 
  1134 
  1146 
  1142 
  1157 
  1157 
  1182 
  1202 
  1241 
  1250 
  1252 
  1259 
  1286 
  Henry I ............................. 
  1100 
  1135 
  Stephen of Blois ................ 1136 
  1154 
  Gom ................................ 
  940 
  Hamld I Bluetooth ............. 940 
  Svein I ............................... 
  985 
  H d d  I1 ........................... 
  1014 
  Cam te .............................. 
  10 19 
  Hardicanu te ...................... 
  1035 
  Svein I1 .............................. 
  1047 
  H d d  III .......................... 
  1074 
  Canute I1 ........................... 
  1080 
  Olaf I ................................. 
  1086 
  Erik I ................................ 
  1095 
  Niels ................................. 
  1104 
  Erik I1 ............................... 
  1134 
  blapus ............................. 
  1 129 
  bik I11 .............................. 
  1137 
  Ohf I1 ............................... 
  1140 
  Svein I11 ............................ 
  1146 
  Canute I11 ......................... 
  1146 
  Vdldemer I ........................ 
  1 15 7 
  Canute IV ......................... 
  1182 
  Vdldemer I1 ....................... 
  1202 
  E.& IV .............................. 
  124 1 
  Abel .................................. 
  1250 
  Henry I1 ............................ 
  1154 
  1189 
  Richard Lionheart ............. 1189 
  1199 
  John Lackland ................... 1199 
  1216 
  Henry I11 ........................... 
  1216 
  1272 
  Edward I ........................... 
  1272 
  KINGS 
  OF FRANCE 
  ......................................... 
  Crowned 
  Hugh Capet ....................... 
  987 
  Robert I1 ............................ 
  996 
  Henri I .............................. 
  1031 
  Philip I .............................. 
  1060 
  Louis VI ............................ 
  1108 
  Louis VI1 ........................... 
  1137 
  Philip I1 Augustus ............. 1180 
  Louis VI11 .......................... 
  1223 
  Louis IX ............................ 
  1226 
  Philip IV ........................... 
  1285 
  Philip 111 ........................... 
  1270 
  Died 
  996 
  1031 
  1060 
  1108 
  1137 
  1180 
  1223 
  1226 
  1270 
  1285 
  KINGS OF GERMANY 
  AND HOLY 
  ROMAN 
  EMPERORS 
  Crowned Died 
  Charlemagne ..................... 
  800 
  814 
  .. Christopher ....................... 
  1252 
  Edk V ............................... 
  1259 
  Erik VI .............................. 
  1286 
  Louis the pious ................. 814 
  840 
  Lothar I ............................. 
  840 
  855 
  Crowned Died 
  Louis I1 ............................. 
  855 
  875 
  Alfred the Great 
  877 
  899 
  Charles I1 the Bald ............. 875 
  877 
  Edward the Elder 
  899 
  925 
  Charles I11 the Fat ............. 881 
  887 
  Athektan 
  925 
  939 
  Guy of Spoleto .................. 891 
  894 
  ................ 
  .............. 
  .. 
  ........................... 
  ............................ 
  ............ 
  Edmund 
  939 
  946 
  Lambert of Spoleto 
  894 
  898 
  899 
  905 
  Arnulf of Carinthia ............ 896 
  Louis 111 of Provence ......... 901 
  ........... 
  Edgar the Peaceable 
  959 
  975 
  Berengar I ......................... 
  915 
  924 
  ; Ethelred the Unready 
  975 
  1016 
  Otto I the Great ................. 962 
  973 
  .. 
  ............. 
  ............................... 
  Edmund Ironsid es 
  1016 
  1016 
  Otto I1 
  973 
  983 
  Canute of Denmark 
  1016 
  1035 
  Otto I11 .............................. 
  983 
  1002 
  &mld Harefoot 
  1035 
  1040 
  Henry I1 ............................ 
  1002 
  1024 
  &!rd!icanute 
  1040 
  1042 
  Conrad I1 .......................... 
  1024 
  1039 
  Edward the Confessor 
  1042 
  1066 
  Henry 111 ........................... 
  1039 
  1056 
  Henry IV ........................... 
  1056 
  1106 
  ........ 
  ........... 
  ................ 
  ...................... 
  ....... 
  Rudolf of Swabia ............. 1077 
  Hermann of S a h  ............ 1081 
  1080 
  1093 
  82175
  
  82176
  ....... 
  Andrew I1 .......................... 
  1205 
  Conrad of Franconia 
  1093 
  1101 
  Y
  !
  !
  z
  i
  i
  i
  !
  z
  i
  i
  i
  i
  A
   
  PPENDIX 
  Henry V ............................ 
  1106 
  1125 
  Lothar I11 .......................... 
  1125 
  1137 
  Conrad I11 ......................... 
  1138 
  Frederick I Barbarossa ....... 1152 
  Henry VI ........................... 
  1190 
  1197 
  1 . Philip of Swabia ............ 1198 
  1152 Never formally 
  1190 
  1208 Never formally 
  2 . Otto IV ......................... 
  1198 
  1218 
  Frederick I1 ....................... 
  1212 
  1250 
  Henry Raspe ...................... 
  1246 
  1247 ~nti.~ing. 
  never -- 
  1256 ~nti.~ing, 
  never 
  formay.alJ-?d 
  1254 Never formally 
  1272 Never formally 
  1273 Never formally 
  1291 Never formally 
  1298 Never formally 
  ClOWned 
  Crowned 
  William of Holland .......... 1247 
  Conrad IV ......................... 
  1250 
  1 . Richard of Cornwall ..... 1257 
  2 . Alfonso X of Castile ...... 1257 
  crowned 
  crowned 
  crowned 
  Rudolf1 of Hapsburg ......... 1273 
  crowned 
  Adolf of Nassau ................. 1292 
  crowned 
  Albert I of Hapsburg .......... 1298 Never formally crowned 
  KINGS OF HUNGARY 
  Crowned 
  Geza .................................. 
  (972) 
  Stephen I ........................... 
  992 
  Peter ................................. 
  1038 
  Samual .............................. 
  1041 
  Peter ................................. 
  1044 
  Andrew I ........................... 
  1047 
  Bela I ................................. 
  1060 
  Salamon ............................ 
  1063 
  Geza I ............................... 
  1074 
  Died 
  992 (Duke) 
  1038 
  1041 
  1044 
  1046 
  1060 
  1063 
  1074 
  1077 
  Ladislas I ........................... 
  1077 
  1095 
  K a h n  ............................. 
  1095 
  1116 
  1131 
  Bela I1 ................................ 
  1131 
  1141 
  Geza I1 .............................. 
  1141 
  1162 
  Stephen I1 ......................... 
  11 16 
  Bela IV .............................. 
  1235 
  1270 
  Stephen V ......................... 
  1270 
  1272 
  Ladislas IV ........................ 
  1272 
  1290 
  Andrew I11 ........................ 
  1290 
  KINGS OF JERUSALEM 
  Crowned Died 
  1100 
  Baldwin I ........................... 
  1100 
  1118 
  Baldwin I1 ......................... 
  1118 
  1131 
  Fulk. Ct . of Anjou ............. 1131 
  1144 
  Baldwin I11 ........................ 
  1144 
  1163 
  Amaury I ........................... 
  1163 
  1174 
  Baldwin IV ........................ 
  1174 
  1185 
  Baldwin V ......................... 
  1183 
  1186 
  Guy de Lusignan ............... 1186 
  1187 
  Godfrey of Bouillon ........... 1099 
  KINGS 
  OF POLAND 
  Crowned Died 
  Boleslav I ........................... 
  1025 
  1025 
  Mieszko I1 ......................... 
  1025 
  1034 
  Casamir I .......................... 
  1034 
  1058 
  Boleslav I1 ......................... 
  1058 
  1079 
  Vladislav I ......................... 
  1079 
  1102 
  Boleslav I11 ........................ 
  1102 
  1138 
  Boleslav IV ........................ 
  1146 
  1173 
  Casamir I1 ......................... 
  1177 
  1194 
  Leszek I ............................. 
  1202 
  1227 
  KINGS OF PORWGAL 
  Crowned Died 
  1185 
  Sancho I ............................ 
  1185 
  121 1 
  Alfonso I1 .......................... 
  1211 
  1223 
  Sancho 11 ........................... 
  1223-1245 1246 (deposed) 
  Alfonso I11 ......................... 
  1279 
  Dinis ................................. 
  1279 
  Alfonso I Henriques .......... 1139 
  KINGS 
  OF SCOTLAND .
  Stephen I11 ........................ 
  1161 
  1161 
  Crowned Died 
  Stephen IV ........................ 
  1164 
  1165 
  Donald I ............................ 
  860 
  Aedh ................................. 
  877 
  Bela I11 .............................. 
  1172 
  1196 
  Eocha ................................ 
  878 
  Imre .................................. 
  1196 
  1204 
  Donald I1 ........................... 
  889 
  Ladislas I11 ........................ 
  1204 
  1205 
  ............ 
  Ladislas I1 .......................... 
  1162 
  1163 
  Kenneth I McAlpin 
  843 
  Stephen I11 ........................ 
  1163 
  1172 
  Constantine I .................... 
  863 
  82176
  
  82177
  Constantine I1 ................... 900 
  hhlcolm I .......................... 
  943 
  4ndulf ................................ 
  954 
  Duff .................................. 
  962 
  Colin ................................. 
  967 
  Kenneth I1 ......................... 
  971 
  Constantine 111 .................. 995 
  Kenneth 111 ....................... 
  997 
  M.alcolm I1 ........................ 
  1005 
  Duncan I ........................... 
  1034 
  MacBeth ............................ 
  1040 
  Malcolm 111 ....................... 
  1057 
  Donald Bane ...................... 
  1093 
  Duncan I1 .......................... 
  1094 
  Donald Bane ...................... 
  1094 
  Edgar ................................ 
  1097 
  943 
  954 
  962 
  967 
  ’ 
  971 
  995 
  997 
  1005 
  1034 
  1040 
  1057 
  1093 
  1094 
  1094 
  1097 
  1107 
  Malcolm IV ....................... 
  1153 
  1165 
  William the Lion ............... 1165 
  1214 
  Alexander I1 ...................... 
  1214 
  1249 
  Alexander I11 ..................... 
  1249 
  1286 
  Margeret ........................... 
  1286 
  1290 
  John Balliol ....................... 
  1292 
  1296 
  Edward I of England ......... 1296 
  KINGS OF SERBIA 
  Alexander4 ....................... 
  1107 
  1124 
  David I .............................. 
  1124 
  1153 
  Crowned Died 
  Stephen Nemanja .............. 1151 
  1196 
  Radoslav ........................... 
  1228 
  1232 
  vladislav ........................... 
  1232 
  1243 
  Uros I ................................ 
  1243 
  1276 
  Stephen I ........................... 
  1196 
  1228 
  Stephen Dragutin .............. 1276 
  1282 
  Stephen Uros I1 ................. 1282 
  Arrmmx B 
  Crowned 
  Constantine 11 ................... 767 
  Adrian I ............................. 
  772 
  Leo I11 ............................... 
  795 
  Stephen V ......................... 
  816 
  Paschal I ............................ 
  8 17 
  Eugenius I1 ........................ 
  824 
  Valentine ........................... 
  827 
  Gregory IV ........................ 
  828 
  sergius I1 ........................... 
  844 
  Leo Iv ............................... 
  847 
  Benedict I11 ........................ 
  855 
  Anastasius ......................... 
  855 
  Nicholas I .......................... 
  858 
  Adrian I1 ........................... 
  867 
  John VI11 ........................... 
  872 
  Marinus I .......................... 
  882 
  Stephen IV ........................ 
  768 
  Died 
  768 
  772 
  795 
  816 
  817 
  824 
  827 
  827 
  a44 
  847 
  855 
  858 
  855 
  867 
  872 
  882 
  884 
  Adrian I11 .......................... 
  884 
  Stephen VI ........................ 
  885 
  Formosus .......................... 
  891 
  Boniface VI ........................ 
  896 
  Romanus ........................... 
  897 
  Stephen VI1 ....................... 
  896 
  Theodore I1 ............. .. ........ 897 
  John IX ............................. 
  898 
  Benedict IV ....................... 
  900 
  Leo v ................................ 
  903 
  Christopher ....................... 
  903 
  sergius I11 .......................... 
  904 
  Anastasius 111 .................... 
  911 
  Land0 ............................... 
  913 
  John X ............................... 
  914 
  Leo VI ............................... 
  928 
  Stephen VI11 ...................... 
  929 
  John XI ............................. 
  931 
  Stephen IX ........................ 
  939 
  Leo VI1 .............................. 
  936 
  885 
  891 
  896 
  896 
  097 
  897 
  897 
  900 
  903 
  903 
  903 
  911 
  913 
  914 
  928 
  928 
  931 
  935 
  939 
  942 
  82177
  
  82178
  Marinus I1 ......................... 
  942 
  Agapitus I1 ........................ 
  946 
  Leo VI11 ............................. 
  963 
  Benedict V ......................... 
  964 
  John XI11 ........................... 
  965 
  Benedict VI ....................... 
  973 
  Boniface VI1 ...................... 
  974 
  Benedict VI1 ...................... 
  974 
  John XIV ........................... 
  983 
  Boniface VI1 ...................... 
  984 
  John XV ............................ 
  985 
  Gregory V ......................... 
  996 
  John XVI ........................... 
  997 
  Sylvester I1 ........................ 
  999 
  John XVII .......................... 
  1003 
  John XI1 ............................ 
  955 
  John XVIII ........................ 
  1004 
  Sergius IV .......................... 
  1009 
  Benedlct VI11 ..................... 
  1012 
  John XIX ........................... 
  1024 
  Benedioct IX ..................... 
  1032 
  Sylvester I11 ....................... 
  1045 
  Benedict IX ....................... 
  1045 
  Gregory VI ........................ 
  1045 
  Clement I1 ......................... 
  1046 
  Benedict IX ....................... 
  1047 
  Damasus I1 ........................ 
  1048 
  Leo IX ............................... 
  1049 
  Victor I1 ............................ 
  1055 
  Stephen X ......................... 
  1057 
  Nicholas I1 ........................ 
  1059 
  Alexander I1 ...................... 
  1061 
  Gregory VI1 ....................... 
  1073 
  Clement I11 ....................... 
  1080 
  Victor 111 ........................... 
  1087 
  Urban I1 ............................ 
  1088 
  Paschal I1 .......................... 
  1099 
  Theodoric ......................... 
  1100 
  Albert ................................ 
  1102 
  946 
  955 
  964 
  965 
  966 
  972 
  974 
  974 
  983 
  984 
  985 
  996 
  999 
  998 
  1003 
  1003 
  1009 
  1012 
  1024 
  1032 
  1044 
  1045 
  1045 
  1046 
  1047 
  1048 
  1048 
  1054 
  1057 
  1058 
  1061 
  1073 
  1085 
  1100 
  1087 
  1099 
  1118 
  1100 
  1102 
  Sylvester N ....................... 
  1105 
  Gelasius I1 ......................... 
  1118 
  Gregory VI11 ...................... 
  1118 
  Calixtus I1 ......................... 
  1119 
  Honorius I1 ....................... 
  1124 
  Celes tine I1 ........................ 
  1124 
  Innocent 11 ........................ 
  1130 
  Anacletus I1 ....................... 
  1130 
  Victor IV ........................... 
  1138 
  Celestine 11 ........................ 
  1143 
  Lucius I1 ............................ 
  1144 
  Eugene 111 ......................... 
  1145 
  Anastasius IV .................... 
  1153 
  Hadrian IV ........................ 
  1154 
  Alexander I11 ..................... 
  1159 
  Lucius 111 .......................... 
  1181 
  Urban I11 ........................... 
  1185 
  Gregory VI11 ...................... 
  1187 
  Clement 111 ....................... 
  1187 
  Celestine 111 ...................... 
  1191 
  Innocent I11 ....................... 
  1198 
  Honorius I11 ...................... 
  1216 
  Gregory IX ........................ 
  1227 
  Celestine IV ...................... 
  1241 
  Innocent IV ....................... 
  1243 
  Alexander IV ..................... 
  1254 
  Urban IV ........................... 
  1261 
  Clement IV ....................... 
  1265 
  No Pope ............................ 
  1268 
  Gregory X ......................... 
  1271 
  Innocent V ........................ 
  1276 
  Hadrian V ......................... 
  1276 
  John XXI ........................... 
  1276 
  Nicholas I11 ....................... 
  1277 
  Martin IV .......................... 
  1281 
  Honorius N ...................... 
  1285 
  Nicholas IV ....................... 
  1287 
  Celestine V ........................ 
  1294 
  Boniface VI11 ..................... 
  1294 
  1154 
  1159 
  1181 
  1185 
  1187 
  1187 
  1191 
  1198 
  1216 
  1227 
  1241 
  1241 
  1254 
  1261 
  1264 
  1268 
  1271 
  1276 
  1276 
  1276 
  1276 
  1280 
  1285 
  1287 
  1292 
  82178
  
  82179
  82179
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Ars Magica [multi]/3rd Edition/Ars Magica 3e - Mythic Europe [digital edition] {AG0600}.pdf