Intro and Era Select
It is written that there are three constants in man his desire to live, the fear of death and Gods grace…
There is However an unspoken fourth constant, the desire to work for gods kingdom by the mass accumulation of wealth and prestige to ignite one's work for a grander purpose.
Such is the sense of our league's work forging the foundation of the future of our world.
And make sure the maistro gets his cut.
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What is your Name:
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How old are you:
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What Era Do you hail from?:
[] Greatness from Small beginnings (1180) Lubeck…the beginning of everything it seems, Duke Henry the Lion is looking to improve his trade flow, and the enterprising and the ambitious have already noticed this privilege. The Hanse is gathering and plans are forming.
Perhaps a seed is ready to sprout.
[] Hail to the Baltic Seas!! (1230) Imperial Privilege, enterprise, and innovation, with these ingredients the world is open, middle German craftsman search for trade and commerce to seek their fortune, all the while the Danish look to harp on influence.
[] The Age of Work and Building (1310) The Hanse continues to grow as new markets and new lands outside the traditional areas of the Baltic, Riga and the rest of the duchies, Sweden, even the Finnish Ice ports are slowly opening to our influence and people the lands are opening to the world as it gets a bit bigger.
[]The Danish-Hanseatic War (1361) King Valdemar IV Atterdag has invaded Gotland, a year after his conquest of Scania, and with it had gathered support of the Swedish for this endeavor. The Wendish and Pomeranian cities and Hanse's demand action so that their traders rights and privileges are protected and preserved, as well as check this king's ambitions in the HRE.
[]Pirates and Plague (1400) After the Wars with Denmark, the Hanse stands arisen in the Northern Seas. But not all is well...the Victual Brothers, an infamous Coalition of Pirates, are beginning to strangle the Trade, despite losing their main stronghold to the Teutonic Order. Denmark remains ever resentful and might Lords of the Holy Roman Empire are eyeing the wealth of Hanseatic Cities with envy. To make things worse, the Black Death keeps striking the Cities in waves. It is a time of great uncertainty and danger...but equally great profits await those who would dare seize them...
[]The Kalmar War (1425) Denmark has, once again, overstepped it's boundaries. King Eric of the Kalmar Union has not only opened up the Baltic Sea routes for Dutch Traders but has also imposed a new toll for all foreign ships passing through the Oresund. This clear attempt to cut into the trade profits of the Hanseatic League and the Violation of the Treaty of Stralsund cannot stand! Lübeck is leading a coalition of six of the strongest Cities of the League into battle with Denmark...but this time, the Kingdom is far mightier than before, ruling not ony Norway, but also Sweden in a personal Union. Making matters worse, many other cities of the League do not support the War. To prevail on land and sea against this powerful foe, the League will need allies of her own. Are you brave enough to join the fight and lead the League once and for all to dominance over the Northern Seas?
[]Time of Change and Strife (1470) For centuries, the Hanse has stood at the top of the Trading World in Northern Europe. But slowly, cracks begin to show. Kings and Lords are beginning to work their ways around the Privileges of the Hanse. Profits are suffering and the structures of the League are beginning to grow outdated. New times dawn for the Hanse and much work will be necessary in order to adapt to the changing times...
[]Rise of Reformation (1520) As the Hanse keep eroding, with Member Cities beginning to leave the League, a new Movement is sweeping through Europe! Martin Luther's Reformation is taking much of the Northern Holy Roman Empire by storm and Lords and City Councils alike are discussing the Merits of tolerating or even adopting the new Religion. A clever enough Leader could seize upon this sweeping movement and use it's Energy to facilitate change in otehr Areas as well. Perhaps this is the chance to reform not just Religion, but the Hanse as well? The riches of Old and New World alike are waiting for those who act decisively - can you?
[]Götterdämmerung (1615) "Once, you were the Hanse...today, you are but Geese." This sentiment is beginning to take hold, even in the Hanseatic League itself. Over the 16th century, the Hanse has bled dry. Political power, money, Member Cities, all of them have crumbled away to a pale shadow of what once was. Profits are actually higher for those outside the League then in it: Kings and Lords have circumnavigated the Hanse's privileges by empowering local merchants instead. And the Cities of the Hanse, unwilling to centralize or otherwise reform their aging power structure, have fallen behind their rivals. Once the Masters of the Northern Trade, the Hanse is now a tired, wounded animal slowly waiting for death. And as the Vultures gather, Stormclouds rise in the South. The greatest Religious War that Europe has seen so far is about to begin.
But Chaos breeds opportunity. And as Conquest, War, Plague and Famine are about to ravage the World...the Hanse may have one last chance for survival. This is the Götterdämmerung, an Age of Apocalypse. Can you save the Hanse and return the League to it's former Glory...or are you doomed to be engulfed and finished in the swirling storm of Chaos that is about to swallow Europe? We shall see…
AN: Well, this has been a long time coming when it comes to this,a new mostly original quest staring one of the most underrated groups of the Middle Ages, the merchant class of the low/high Germans.
And so we begin. Enjoy.