Imperial Messenger Service

[Zim]

In the spirit of cooperation with our Frankish friends to the east of my city, I would like it known that if I find Luther, I will comply with the wishes of Fritz von Kastilien.

I also wish it known that I will help in any repelling of the Danes in their attack upon our sister Duchy, if I have the resources.

Jan von der Pfalz,
Count of Antwerp.

[econ21]

IMPERIAL SUCCESSION

I, Kaiser Elberhard, do hereby name PETER VON KASTILIEN as my successor as Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire and its present Prinz.

The passing of my beloved brother has reminded me of my own mortality and also of the perils of an absence of central authority. As I set sail for Europe, I cannot leave Outremer without first naming my successor should anything ill befall me.

All Electors know that I regarded Peter von Kastilien as a rebel, a traitor and a warmonger. I do not pretend that those differences did not exist or that we now think as one mind. However, the infamy of the Byzantines in exterminating Rome and Bologna have removed the main cause of disagreement - our opinion of the character of those "people".

But Peter von Kastilien committed one act that redeemed him in my eyes - he surrendered. Yes, it may seem a strange deed to prize in a war leader, the ability to surrender. But rather than sacrifice German blood in a fratricidal battle, Peter von Kastilien surrendered to Imperial authority when intercepted on his march to Constantinople.

He showed the same self-restraint later when he marched on Metz. He was in a position to decisively swing the civil war in Swabia, but he merely reasserted proper authority over the city and turned back to his Franconia to battle our external enemies. Whatever enmity he felt towards my late brother was over-ridened by his desire to keep the Reich strong and whole.

I believe the strength of character that Peter has shown makes him ideally placed to be Prinz and future Kaiser. As does, perversely, his political opposition to me earlier in my reign. I know many of you, like Peter, have disagreed with my decisions in the past. By appointing Peter Prinz, I hope to signal my wish for the Reich to forget old differences and work together a fresh.

As Duke of Franconia, Peter already has considerable authority among many of our Electors. His pointed neutrality in the Swabian conflict should make him acceptable to the feuding Electors there. And I believe neither Austria nor Bavaria has ill feeling towards him.

I will be setting sail within the year and will be out of communication. Peter as Prinz will represent Imperial interests and authority in my absence. I urge all Electors to show him the respect and deference his new position commands.

We are coming to the end of a trying time. I am sad that I cannot immediately join in your trials and I wish you every success. Fight hard, but fight wisely. Learn from the example of Bern and above all SURVIVE. When I make landfall, we will set about reconvening the Diet and when we work together the situation may radically improve. Until then, hang in and don't let the @#$%^&!!!ers bring you down!


Kaiser Elberhard

[AussieGiant]

Kaiser,

Before you leave Outremer, I'd suggest landing a reconnaissance party before sending in the full army and exposing yourself. I'd say the only southern port under our rule when you arrive will be Ragusa, and even that I can not guarantee.

Duke Arnold.

[gibsonsg91921]

A Message from Peter von Kastilien:

I accept the role of Prinz during these troubled times. However, in honor of the challenge imposed upon myself and indirectly by my late friend Jan von Hamburg, I shall never refer to myself as Prinz, or Duke, or eventually, hopefully after many years, Kaiser, but still serve the functions dutifully.

Also, Peter von Kastilien offers amnesty to the "Principality of Swabia," all of its inhabitants, Wolfgang Hummel, Jan von der Pfalz, and Ludwig von Bohmen. The "Principality" shall become the Duchy of Flanders, effectively creating a fifth House to our noble Reich. To obtain this grace, they must not attack a single loyal member of the Holy Roman Empire ever again, as Kaiser Elberhard has dictated.

Upon the next Diet session, should the Reich return to normality in time for its scheduled occurence in 1340, its members must swear loyalty to the Reich and to the Kaiser. Wolfgang Hummel must also apologize to Duke Athalwolf von Salza of Swabia for attacking his men to become Duke of Flanders. Should he fail to do so, he forfeits control of the Duchy and can never be its Duke. Upon apology, Wolfgang Hummel will be the first Duke of Flanders.

At the next Diet session, the Duchy of Flanders shall officially be granted Bruges, its capital, Antwerp, and Caen, when it is returned to Imperial hands. It will function from then on like any other historical House of the Reich.

Yours,

Peter von Kastilien

[GeneralHankerchief]

A message to the Electors of the Reich, from Alexander Luther

I am alive. I have fled the terrible Battle of Bern, survived, and am currently located far from the ravages of war. Do not try to find me. It would be a folly to do so, and frankly, there are better things that all of you could be doing.

From my hideout I have observed the Reich suffer greatly. As you all have probably surmised, we are in trouble; in danger of falling. We may blame this on whomever we wish - my personal grievances still lie with Kaiser Siegfried and his harebrained policy of reunification with the blaspheming Byzantines - but at this point it is like locking the stable door after the horse has left the barn. We're here, and we must deal with it.

I admit that I am at least partially to blame for the situation we find ourselves in at the moment. While I have only been teaching the Word of the Lord, my teachings have been quite un...Orthodox, no pun intended. At times my followers have done more than I have advocated, namely the destruction of the various churches and their participation in the War of Reformation that currently stews, both at Donauworth and elsewhere.

The whole point of Lutheranism is to see the people of the world have a more individual relationship with the Lord; to interact with Him on a more personal level. I was always against the idea of some Papal shaman or Byzantine Patriarch handing out orders made up out of nowhere. What makes him so special that only he can communicate with the Lord? No one's faith should have to depend on others. Yet, I fear that this is exactly the path we are embarking on. Unless a miracle happens, the Reich's people will forever doomed to be ruled by other, inferior Europeans, and will be made to listen to some French Pope or Greek Patriarch. Then, we are all doomed, in this life as well as the next.

One of the many things I learned at Bern was my ability to recruit an army, and quickly. The error was using that army against fellow Germans. Dietrich von Dassel, God rest his soul, claimed that the sooner he united Swabia, the sooner he could focus on driving out the enemy but the war just kept on going. I figure I can still raise an army. I figure that, if I, a religious leader, attach myself to another one of the Holy Roman Empire's mighty generals, legions of religious folk ready to defend their country and their faith to the end will quickly rise up and assist in defeating the invaders.

I offer myself up to you. Any general that wants me can have me. Send a message via this Service; it will reach me. I will then contact you privately.

However, I am not stupid. I will not go to those who have fought against Lutherans in the past in the name of Catholicism or the supporters of Hans, who sought to have me burned at the stake. I must be reasonably certain of your good intentions: namely, to use me to help recruit people to drive out the invaders and reclaim the Reich. If you use me and my men against fellow Germans, I will leave, as will my men. I have already survived one terrible battle that pitted German against German, and have no desire to see another one. Also, be advised that my presence will probably anger Catholics in the area and the War of Reformation may intensify where I am at.

I want the Reich united. I want the Reich strong again. At this point I will do anything to help. In 1340 at the Diet Session I will be present and negotiate with Kaiser Elberhard, probably the leading Catholic figure in the Reich now, to end the terrible War of Reformation eating us all, should he wish to receive me. These negotiations will be, of course, public.

Remember, if you desire my services, use the Imperial Messenger Service. It will get to me.

God save you all.

[Zim]

From Count Jan van der Pfalz, to Alexander Luther,

Your intention to use your considerable influence to help drive out the foreingers from the Reich intrigues me.

I am the newly appointed Count of Antwerp. Although I support my Prinz Wolfgang Hummel in his conflicts with other Germans, the task appointed to me by him is to drive the foreigners from Flanders. Bruges has already fallen to the French, while neighboring Franconia is threatened by the Danes. My intent is to drive both out of Imperial lands.

Things are grim in my lands, with foreign enemies on both borders. I lack the wealth and resources to raise an army capable of beating back the French and Danes, but am a capable general. If you wish put your abilities to use against the enemies that threaten the Reich, I would be honored if you would join with me in that task.

If this sounds good to you, please contact me,
Count Jan von der Pfalz

[Ramses II CP]

Along the same distribution as previous:

Reward rescinded for information leading to the location of Alexander Luther. Cease all such efforts immediately, no profit can come from them.

Fritz von Kastilien, Scourge of Stockholm

To Luther:

Franconia would welcome your assistance in these troubled times Father Luther. Know that where I, Fritz von Kastilien, am present you are both welcome, safe, and guaranteed to see no battles against men of the Reich. Franconia has been under heavy assault by the forces of the so called Catholic Alliance and I hope to be the spearhead that breaks that alliance and reveals it for the thin, petty sham we all know it is. Come here and serve under my Duke and brother, Peter, and we will bring the word of God to the ears of the people even as we bring the sword of truth down on the foreign oppressors of the Reich!

I know you will hunger to serve against the Byzantines to repay them for their foul lies, but they are not leading armies against the heart of the Holy Roman Empire and their defeat will not secure our homelands. What we need, more even than your ability to call up faithful men at arms, is your command of truth in the spoken word. Something must shatter the bonds that let Danes, Poles, Frenchmen, Venetians, Russians, and Byzantines all turn aside from their ordinairy mutually destructive behavior and unite against us.

I believe your words and a revelation of the depths of Byzantine treachery may well be the best weapon you could weild.

I look forward to welcoming you to Franconia!

Fritz von Kastilien

[Privateerkev]

To Alexander Luther,

This is Alfgarda von Hamburg, wife of Jan von Hamburg. If you are truly interested in helping the Reich, then taming the tensions you helped exacerbate would be more useful then stirring them more.

I could invoke my late husband's name and try to raise an army as well. But I have learned from my husband's mistakes where you have not seemed to have learned from yours.

I am saddened at how quick some are willing to take you up on your offer of exacerbating religious tension.

If you truly have the interest of the Reich at heart, then I implore you to use your considerable influence to calm down your followers, instead of raising an army. I pledge to do the same with Catholics. Together we might actually be able to do some good.

Both parties in this religious conflict could not help but take notice if you and I joined forces. So, I do call upon you to join me. Not to make war, but to make peace.

Sincerely,
Alfgarda von Hamburg

[AussieGiant]

Arnold:

It is clear to me that the role of the Church as it relates to this Empire workings must be discussed at great lengths whenever this Reich reconvene's, no matter how religious a man maybe.

Without a shadow of a doubt the Nobles of this Holy Roman Empire are fully aware of the benefits and catastrophic negatives involved with allowing religion to affect or influence Imperial control.

I recommend ALL religious or quasi religious groups and or representatives to cease and desist from using the Imperial Messenger Service for any communications of any kind.

Any further responses or comments by religious representatives SHOULD BE STRUCK immediately from the records and not be disseminated!!!

[RoadKill]

Lorenz Zirn:

I would like to propose something for all of the empire. As you all can see we have been losing more and more provinces to our enemies. These losses are blows to our empire, blows we can not take, and blows that will soon destroy us.

Austria is a great example of these losses, we will not stand here and watch our kingdom slowly fall apart. It was their victories, but now it shall be our victories. It is time, my fellow generals to bring the fight to their nation. We must not stay in our own provinces and protect them. We must assualt their settlements and take back what is rightfully ours. So I ask of all the Dukes out there to build their armies and strengths and attack our enemies in their own nation, and not sit here in our own nation and watch us crumble.

[Warluster]

To all Loyal Germans,

You may have heard, but the traitor Wolfgang Hummel recently ignored a plea from the Kaiser. This is treason! I call upon any Loyal German, be that Franconian, Bavarian, Austrian or Bohemian, to raise arms against any Rebel soldiers.

They have killed and wounded loyal Germans, and recently, under a direct violation of Kaiser's word, attacked a Loyal German province of Staufen. So I, DUke of Swabia, send a plead to all Houses of Loyal Germany to vansquish these traitors, and that all past diffrences are forgotten.

Athalwolf von Salza,
Duke of Swabia,

[Cecil XIX]

Let it be known that I have reached a reconciliation with the Duchy of Austria, pending the convening of the Diet.

[Ignoramus]

His excellency, Wolgang Hummel, Prinz of Swabia, extends a full amnesty and pardon to all the loyalist Swabians.

He also exhorts both the Lutherans and the Catholics to cease fighting, as they are allowing the honourless French to plunder Swabian land.

[Zim]

A message to the Electors of the Reich, from Jan von der Pfalz and Fritz von Kastilien

Fellow electors,

I come bearing a message from Count Fritz von Kastilien and me.

These past years have seen the Reich torn apart by religious and political differences. My own House, Swabia, has been particularly troubled, losing its two greatest leaders in the Battle of Bern. Franconia has only just recently attained some measure of stability, and still faces many Danish forces. The other two Houses have also faced difficulties, being forced to retreat or hold a line well behind their former borders. All have lost territories.

Most of you probably know that Alexander Luther, the man who participated in the Battle of Bern by raising a Lutheran army to counter Hans’ Loyalist army, has decided to put aside religious differences and use his considerable abilities to face the Reich’s external enemies.

There are many differences between Lutherans and Catholics, and we cannot pretend that all of them are easily solvable. However, the main conflict of unification, which first divided the sides, is a dead issue. The Reich now faces destruction at the hands of external foes. Now is the time to unite against them. Religious differences can be worked out after the Reich is no longer under the threat of extinction.

While Count Fritz von Kastilien drives the Danes from Franconia, Father Luther and I are dedicating ourselves to driving foreign invaders from the beleaguered House of Swabia. If the armies of Swabia are united, we can defeat our French foes. Otherwise, we will be defeated piecemeal. I would implore all the leaders of Swabia to forget their differences temporarily and come together against this threat to our very existence. My Lord Hummel has declared himself willing to do so. I strongly hope the other leaders of Swabia would as well.

Remember, fellow Electors, the Reich is the one true source of civilization in Europe. If we let it be destroyed it will mean a dark age across the face of the world. We cannot let this happen.

OOC: Written with input from the players of both Jan von der Pfalz and Fritz von Kastilien

[deguerra]

Grafen, Herzöge, König von Outremer, mein Kaiser,

I am deeply saddened to announce the death of my friend and ally Jan von der Pfalz, who died valiantly in battle.

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jan for only a very few years, as he and I entered into Prinz Hummel's service at the same time. Graf Jan had the graciousness not only to allow me to stay with him in Antwerp while my own county was besieged, but to vow to retake my county at the first opportunity.

Working closely together with him, we devised several plan for defeating the French army in the field, but were surprised when our allies, the faithful English made a landing and besieged Bruges themselves. Immediately seizing upon this opportunity, Graf Jan took his own army and lay siege to the city.

The assault was ferocious, and our English allies fought bravely, but were eventually routed by the firm resistance of some French knights. Unfortunately, Jan's Flemish fared little better, so in order to rally his troops and save the day, Jan charged into the French himself turning the tide and winning the battle.

However, I regain possession of the city only at the cost of my friend, as Jan was thrown from his horse and killed in the very last moments of the battle. I am unsure that I have gained more than I have lost this day. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways sometimes, and it is not my place to question his hold over life and death.

But Jan was my friend and I pray that he is recevied in the Kingdom of Heaven with open arms and exhaulted for his brave deeds, his honour, his kindness and his courage.

Ludwig von Böhmen, Graf von Brugge

[Ramses II CP]

Jan von der Pfalz will be missed, but his death should serve as a clarion call to the remaining nobles of the Reich. Ours is not only a position of entitlement and glory, but also of service and duty. Jan's service to Sir Hummel does him great credit, and the manner of his death in a brutal battle against the vile French invader is inspiring.

I must again echo the call Jan put out shortly before his death for all Germans to set aside their differences and turn their anger outward, at the foreigners who would sack our cities and destroy the light of civilization that the Reich represents! Are we a pack of dogs squabbling over the scraps of an Empire, or are we the builders of a new, greater realm?

Don't send me letters in answer, send me the heads of your foes!

Goodbye Jan von der Pfalz. You died well, with the blood of your enemies on your sword and your army marching to victory! I pray that I may someday find so honorable an end.

Fritz von Kastilien

[gibsonsg91921]

I, PETER VON KASTILIEN, declare that the infighting of the Holy Roman Empire must immediately cease and desist.

Wolfgang Hummel, by seizing Staufen you have violated the terms of Elberhard's decree and my offer. One day there may be a Duchy of Flanders, but you may never be its Duke while I draw breath.

Duke Lothar Steffen of Bavaria - tend to your lands my "old friend" and do not interfere with the Swabian Civil War anymore. You are in enough trouble with the Greeks as it is - sending armies to fight Athalwolf in support of Wolfgang will leave Bavaria in a state of chaos. You are lucky to have not met your end at their hands yet.

Any further acts of aggression by a German upon another German will have swift retribution against the aggressive party. I do not want civil war, but I will not shy away from the option in the face of disloyalty.

[Ignoramus]

I, Wolfgang Hummel, openly flout the authority of Peter von Kastilien. I respect the authority of the Kaiser, but not that of a Luthern Duke who has betrayed his faith.

[gibsonsg91921]

A Lutheran Duke who has betrayed his faith, says Wolfgang. One can be a Lutheran and not a fool. I attacked Constantinople in a time of relative safety for Franconia for the salvation of the Holy Roman Empire. I do not attack my brethren wantonly.

However, if you will flout my authority and slay your kin, you will my swept aside.

[TinCow]

An Open Letter to Péter von Kastilien, Duke of Franconia, from Lothar Steffen, Duke of Bavaria,

It is a pleasure to hear from you again, Péter. These trying times have kept all noble-born Electors from enjoying the pleasure of each others' company. I hope to see you again in person soon, and to congratulate you on your new title of Prinz.

My "old friend" advises me not to interfere in the Swabian Civil War. I swear here and now that I would never do anything that Duke Péter von Kastilien would not do himself. Fortunately, Duke Péter has seen fit to take sides in this war. He personally led an army to the aid of Duke Hans. I am thus pleased that my actions in providing military aid have followed in the example of my own esteemed colleague. I note too that Duke Péter and I are not the only ones who have "interfered" in Swabia. Two other highly placed men have done so in the past. King Jan von Hamburg, may he rest in peace, sent wealth, raised an army, and personally fought for Duke Hans, though it was not his place nor his war. Furthermore Kaiser Elberhard himself sent Duke Hans a great deal of wealth, far more than I have sent to Wolfgang Hummel. As our Kaiser is clearly infallible, so must I be in this situation.

I am pleased that Duke Péter provides me with guidance on an issue that is so close and dear to his heart. Perhaps in the future he would listen to some words of wisdom that I could impart to him. For example, should I meet Duke Péter in person, I would tell him that accusing a fellow Duke of meddling in Swabian affairs is an unwise thing; especially when that Duke possess original copies of letters from Duke Péter to a certain, now deceased, Swabian rebel. While I am sure that there is a logical explanation for the contents of these letters that has nothing whatsoever to do with aiding an active rebellion against Duke Hans, perhaps less intelligent men would think otherwise in reading them.

Many thanks for your kind words, Duke Péter. Please write again soon.

Lothar Steffen
Duke of Bavaria

[gibsonsg91921]

To all of the Reich:

I have made it clear to you all that I have opposed Duke Hans, Kaiser Elberhard, and the letters Lothar refers to regard to my opinion that Hans should be slain for the betterment of the Reich. Of course, since then, I have learned to rise above petty immaturity, which my dearest brother Lothar has failed to do. He may be six months younger than me physically, but he's fresh out of the womb mentally.

[AussieGiant]

Lords of the Reich:

Please be aware, the situation between Lord Becker and myself has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.

Lord Becker and Prague will remain autonomous until the beginning of the next Diet session. At which time Lord Becker will rejoin the Duchy as a respected and loyal member of the House.

The issue is resolved as far as the rest of the Reich should be concerned.

May I suggest everyone involving themselves in this Civil war refrain from provoking and antagonising the situation further. It's become somewhat like watching siblings fighting over a new sword.

Duke Arnold

[deguerra]

An Open Proclamation:

I hear with some sadness the news of the death of Wolfgang Hummel at the sally at Swabia. My Prinz and I did not always see eye to eye, but in the end he was an honourable man and should be remebered as such.

In his honour, I wish to end this war. I believe myself to be the last remaining Swabian Graf who once fought for Hummel. I desire to fight no more. I wish to negotiate fully with Herzog von Salza privately, but I pledge here and now that I will not take to arms against him, and should our negotiations go as planned, will swear fealty to him.

The Bible teaches us to love our brothers, and it is time we embrace that teaching again. The Reich is threatened so greatly from outside forces that we can ill afford to continue this incessant infighting.

May the Lord take Wolfgang Hummel in kindness, and may he hold a benevolent hand over the peace that I hope to establish here this day.

Ludwig von Bohmen, Graf von Brugge

[Warluster]

A Proclamation from the Duchy of Swabia:

The Civil War which has raged over through Swabia, is now over. It has lasted for 10 Years, and ravaged destruction and the demise of many fine souls. It ended with the unfortunate death of Wolfgang Hummel.

Swabia wishes the end of this War was not as gruesome, with only one of the original generals still alive. Swabia, while not going into mourning, will still sorry over Wolfgang's death and wish it would've resulted in capture.

But we move on already, and I have chosen to accept Ludwig von Bohmen's terms of surrender. This involves him taking a oath to join the Duchy of Swabia, and giving him the title of Count of Bruges. With Swabia back to some four Generals, we shall now take several years to recover.

We also wish for all those involved with helping Wolfgang to come forward, and inform us on some things.

Duke von Salza,

[Ramses II CP]

(OOC: Consider this as going out in early 1338, just getting a little jump on things. Obviously just PM me to add your name if so desired.)

Distributed to every German settlement and noble of consequence, barring those at sea:

Nobles of the Reich, while our enemies have been unified by the folly of unification we have, until recently, been quite divided over the same issue and it's consequences. The time has come to end our disunity and to dissolve the overwhelming political and financial support which has allowed our enemies to devote so many resources and armies to our destruction. I have a modest proposal towards that goal, a public renunciation of the effort towards unification and a denunciation of the Byzantines, thus offering our 'Catholic Alliance' opponents a chance to rethink their singleminded attempts to crush us.

I cannot guarantee any good result, but if by making the effort we divert even a tenth of our enemy's support and disrupt their coordination then I am confident the end result will be the triumph of the Reich!

I would ask every noble to review this document and, if they find it acceptable, to send me permission to include their name upon it before I have it translated and published at large. I would particularly appeal to acting Kaiser Peter von Kastilien to add his name in all haste. It is worth noting that I have already secured Pope Renaldus' cooperation in this effort, and I expect Father Luther will be pleased by it and offer to sign it as well:

The Complete Renunciation of the Catholic-Orthodox Unification

The undersigned do formally and publically renounce any further attempts at reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This noble, if misguided, endeavor by important figures on both sides of the schism was permanantly undermined and made impossible by outright Byzantine treachery. At the last possible moment a plot was discovered by men of the Reich involving agents of Byzantium stealing the Reich's treasury, capturing and torturing members of the German nobility, and laying waste to the Reich's capital, Rome. Though some aspects of this vile scheme were unpreventable it's advancement has finally been entirely halted, and can now expect to be reversed.

That the other nations of Europe would muster their every effort to oppose the tragically flawed reunification of Orthodoxy with larger Christianity is understandable, however, today the Papacy and the Reich stand together in repudiating the very idea of unification. The idea of a 'Catholic Alliance' standing opposed to a Catholic nation in good standing with the Pope is just as impossible now as the idea of unification itself.

Pope Renaldus
Father Alexander Luther
Prinz Peter von Kastilien, Duke of Franconia
King Matthias Steffen, of Outremer
Duke Lothar Steffen, of Bavaria
Duke Arnold, of Austria
Duke von Salza, of Swabia
Count Dieter Bresch, of Madgeburg
Count Friedrich Karolinger, of Innsbruck
Crusader Andreas von Salzgitter
Count Fritz von Kastilien

[TinCow]

Electors of the Reich,

It has been many years since the Imperial Diet last convened to discuss the affairs of government. With Kaiser Elberhard's return from Outremer and the recent stabilization of our borders, it is time to return to this time-honored tradition of communal governance. However, the Imperial capital, Rome, remains in Byzantine hands and it will not likely be regained in the near future.

Bavaria has always acted with the best interests of the Reich at heart. Though we have lost many provinces and suffered grievous casualties in battle and religious warfare, we remain no less dedicated to a single, united Reich that is strong and prosperous. Throughout this entire period of crisis, Nuremburg has been the only province of the Reich that has not been threatened by foreign or domestic armies. Today, the ancient capital of Bavaria remains safe and secure from all of our enemies and it is located in a central spot, adjacent to all four Ducal Houses and thus easily accessible for all Electors, barring those in Outremer.

Thus, as a demonstration of Bavaria's commitment to Imperial unity, I have offered to turn over Nuremburg to Imperial control to act as the new capital of the Reich until such time as Rome is recaptured. Kaiser Elberhard has agreed to my terms regarding this handover. Accordingly, I am pleased to announce that the Imperial Diet will convene in Nuremburg in 1340.

Long Live the Reich!

Lothar Steffen
Duke of Bavaria

[econ21]

Planned re-opening of the Imperial Diet

Honorable Electors,

As my loyal Duke Lothar has mentioned, you are all summoned to Nuremburg for a full session of the Diet to open in 1340. I look forward to seeing you all there.

However, there are some things I would ask you to leave behind. Duke Lothar has spoken of the terms on which he is providing Nuremburg for Imperial use. These terms were simply that we both agree to let the past be the past and work together for the good of the Reich.

The Reich has not been an innocent victim of the cataclysmic events of the recent years. Many of us bear some responsibility for creating the chaos. There are some of you who would look at me and the agenda of reunification as a key cause. There may be some justice in that view. As there may also be in the responsibility I ascribe to those who slew Kaiser Siegfried or sacked Constantinople or killed Pope Abate. Both sides may have some element of truth, but to seek to apportion blame now is unproductive.

As I have signalled by making the Lutheran and former rebel Peter von Kastilien my Prinz, I am willing to forget past disagreements and divisions. I ask you all to do the same.

Fritz von Kastilien's declaration seeks to reopen past wounds. It offers a view of history quite unrecognisable to me. And it is quite unnecessary. After the Byzantine extermination of Rome, no German could possibly advocate unifying with them. I can only think that the intention of the declaration is to embarass those, like myself, who once supported re-unification. If it is debated on the floor of the Diet, nothing good will come of it.

Electors, I will see you at the Diet, but I ask you not to come to refight old battles but to come prepared to start afresh, to rebuild a better Reich.



Kaiser Elberhard

[Ramses II CP]

(OOC: Despite some wrangling with the Kaiser the work of translating and distributing the Proclamation goes forward. It is one of the last documents to take advantage of the Imperial Messenger Service for distribution before the Diet reopens. Eventually every major city in every nation of Europe has a few copies arrive. Slowly, slowly the word spreads, but the true effects, positive and negative for the Reich, are, perhaps, too subtle to be appreciated without the perspective of history.)

The Complete Renunciation of the Catholic-Orthodox Unification

The undersigned do formally and publically renounce any further attempts at reunification of the Catholic and Orthodox churches. This noble, if misguided, endeavor by important figures on both sides of the schism was permanantly undermined and made impossible by outright Byzantine treachery. At the last possible moment a plot was discovered by men of the Reich involving agents of Byzantium stealing the Reich's treasury, capturing and torturing members of the German nobility, and laying waste to the Reich's capital, Rome. Though some aspects of this vile scheme were unpreventable it's advancement has finally been entirely halted, and can now expect to be reversed.

That the other nations of Europe would muster their every effort to oppose the tragically flawed reunification of Orthodoxy with larger Christianity is understandable, however, today the Papacy and the Reich stand together in repudiating the very idea of unification. The idea of a 'Catholic Alliance' standing opposed to a Catholic nation in good standing with the Pope is just as impossible now as the idea of unification itself.

Pope Renaldus
Father Alexander Luther
Prinz Peter von Kastilien, Duke of Franconia
King Matthias Steffen, of Outremer
Duke Lothar Steffen, of Bavaria
Duke Arnold, of Austria
Duke von Salza, of Swabia
Count Dieter Bresch, of Madgeburg
Count Friedrich Karolinger, of Innsbruck
Crusader Andreas von Salzgitter
Count Fritz von Kastilien

[econ21]

THE OPENING OF THE IMPERIAL DIET

All Electors are immediately summoned to the Imperial Diet.

Any future proclamations to the Reich can be made on the floor of the Diet. Messengers are directed to the post any announcements there.

The Kaiser would like to thank Fritz von Kastilien for the high quality paper used in his recent Proclamations. The thickness, coarseness and opacity of the paper is a testament to the qualities of its author. Arabs in Outremer have reported novel uses for paper discovered by men in the far away lands of Cathay. Fritz's proclamation, spread across Europe, may do wonders for sanitation in the Western world.

Kaiser Elberhard