Ugutz is a new name :-P It's precisely because you have so many factioners bribed over that it screwed up your settlement-factioner ratio, and therefore it becomes now impossible to promote a captain. Try to...stop...bribing factioners, and see if it works again. While I'm on your side--i.e. a mass briber of generals myself, but if you want a MOTH, it's incompatible with your *ahem* diplomatic *ahem* practices.