lepreuxchevalier - Tumblr blog

[lepreuxchevalier]

An illustration of a boyar cavalryman of "Rod Vojvodin Bol'shogo" or "House Vojvodin of Bolshoi" unhorsing a "legitimate issue" or "a dynastic scion" of "Maison Williamson du Royaume d'Aquitaine" or "House Williamson of The Kingdom of Aquitaine." This illustration officially commemorates Rod Vojvodin Bol'shogo's hard-earned military triumph against Maison Williamson du Royaume d'Aquitaine and it's feudal vassals during "The Second Rus'kayan Errantry War" officially preached and prosecuted against at "La Vallée de Morçeaux" in "Le Duché de Dulac" by Louis-Chrétien Carignan-Cerqui, Archevêque de Carillon on behalf of Archpatriarch Benedin XVI, 256th Bishop of Romulus and Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods with the intent of the systematic purging of the religious heretics officially subscribed to The Church of The Old Gods in Rus'kaya Tsarstvo in direct retaliation to Rod Vojvodin Bol'shogo's military and political connivance with the southern emirates of "Al-Khalifat Al-Khashabar" against the religiously Conservative "Rod Danielewski z Mazowsza" or "House Danielewski of Mazowsze," the longstanding "Defenders of The Faith" as personally and traditionally proclaimed by "The Archpatriarchs" or "The Bishops of Romulus" as the anointed, undisputed, and universal "Heads of The Conservative Church of The New Gods" until "Edmund IV, 41st and Reigning King of Albion and Current Head of House Lyonheart" drafted and published his written antithesis both critiquing against and questioning the general, sweeping, and universal theological reforms of "Karl Von Luxembourg, Church Doctor of Theology at Die Universität Wörtzburch" to the religious establishment of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and "The Empire of Mankind Primus" before it's final collapse marking the end of The Civilized World's historic epoch of "Classical Antiquity." As well as speaking out against both his maternal grandfather "Friedrich I, Der ester und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart" and his older cousin "Albrecht Von Biermann, Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg, Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann, und Der weltlich, übertragen Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menschheit" in their systematic persecution, legislative marginalization, and confiscation of the lands, estates, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had both openly refused to submit before and openly protested against the formal renunciation of their spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to The Bishops of Romulus through their legislative decrees to formally convert to Karl Von Luxembourg's theological reforms on behalf of both their dynastic houses and their hereditary subjects. This illustration best contrasts the civilizational friction between the opulence, the extravagance, and the decadence of "La Cour Royale de Maison Williamson du Royaume d'Aquitaine au Palais de Fontainebleau" with the rugged, resilient, and Spartan aesthetic of the princely "great houses" of "boyar" and "dvoryantsvo" aristocrats and nobles officially housed and seated within the provincial "kremlins" of the Gospodar and the Moravian petty principalities within Rus'kaya Tsarstvo.

[lepreuxchevalier]

My retouch of a second illustration of some "Schwarzen Reiter” that I have officially designed to feature the faction iconography of “Hohenrotbart” or “House Rotbart,” the ruling dynasty of “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland” in my “homebrew” low-fantasy setting. This artwork was designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to European History during the compounded advents of The Italian Renaissance, The Protestant Reformation, and The Discovery of America. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic and noble knights in suits of full plate armour and heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional regiments of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of exotic riches and territory.

In context to the canon lore of my medieval fantasy setting, “Hohenrotbart” or “House Rotbart” in the “Austere” or "Northern Imperial" Language is the newly crowned and anointed ruling dynasty of “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland.” "Das Königreich Middenland" under "Hohenrotbart" is loosely inspired by Medieval and Renaissance Prussia under the theocracy of The Teutonic Knights as well as Ducal Prussia during the 16th and 17th centuries. “Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart’s" legislative decree to formally convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects being highly analogous to the secularization of “The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights” or “Der Deutschordenstaat,” to The Lutheran, East Prussian Duchy in the early 16th century. Designated in my low-fantasy setting as “Shwarzer Reiter” or “Black Riders.” The constituent “Bruderschaften” or “chapters” of “Die Schwarze Reiter” as the elite, pseudo-monastic, martial fraternities of aristocratic and noble heavy cavalry paying direct homage and military service to the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland” from “Hohenrotbart” as opposed to the feudal, private interests of the aristocratic and noble “great houses” of “junker” princeps and magnates. Each “Brüderschaft” or “chapter” is led under the personal command and the direct supervision by “Ein Großmeister,” or “a grandmaster,” who are each personally and individually appointed for life from “legitimate issues” or “dynastic scions” of the princely “great houses” of “junker” artistocrats and nobles to serve the royal, state interests of “Die Könige von Middenland” from “Hohenrotbart” over those of any aristocratic and noble “great house” of “junker” princeps and magnates. “Die Könige von Middenland” from “Hohenrotbart,” by tradition, are the more-or-less hereditary holders of the appointed office of “Der Hochmeister Der Schwarzen Reiter” or “The Supreme Grandmaster of All Schwarzen Reiter” in order to “rationalize,” or otherwise “reinforce” their authority as the lawful, legitimate, anointed, and undisputed commanders-in-chief of all constituent “Bruderschaften” or "chapters" of "Die Schwarzen Reiter" in Das Königreich Middenland. To reinforce both the professional loyalties and the direct homage of the constituent Bruderschaften of Der Schwarzen Reiter to the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland” from “Hohenrotbart” as the traditional, more-or-less hereditary holders of the appointed office of “Der Hochmeister Der Schwarzen Reiter.” Both the personal livelihoods and the unit upkeep of the constituent “Brüderschaften” of "Der Schwarzen Reiter" were funded through a combination of a quarterly land tax generated by “the demesne” or “the crownlands” under the direct administration of Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland and their civil administrators, through any tariffs imposed on the commerce and the industry of Der König von Middenland’s charter companies and the local trade guilds, as well as through tithes and benefices generated by the religious services of, donations to, and property owned by The Conservative Church of The New Gods in joint partnership with Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland over the sovereign rulership, the state administration, and the systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or ”The Great Forest” geographically located beyond the easternmost fronters of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich Der Menschheit” or “The Empire of Mankind Proper.”

The Joint Partnership between The Conservative Church of The New Gods with "Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart" would come to an untimely collapse with his legislative decree to become the first hereditary, crowned ruler in both the geographic enormity and the recorded histories of The Known World to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” to the religious establishment of The Conservative Church of The New Gods traditionally and officially seated and housed within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” during "The Civilized World's" historical epoch of "Classical Antiquity" on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects. With Friedrich I's subsequent and consequent “formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion” as “The First Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland" naturally resulting in the systematic persecution, legislative marginalization, and the confiscation of any lands, estates, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had both stubbornly refused to submit before, and openly protested against the formal renunciation of his spiritual, cultural, and moral ties of fealty to “The Archpatriarchs” or “The Bishops of Romulus” as “The Anointed, Undisputed, and Universal Heads of The Conservative Church of The New Gods.”

[lepreuxchevalier]

"Magnus Williamson, Le Dauphin de Viennois et Le Héritier Présomptif du Royaume d'Aquitaine" delivering his final judgement on "Edward Fitzroy, Titular Duke of Huntington" over the controversy of the illegitimate conception with his youngest daughter "Princesse Emily Williamsdottir, La Duchesse de Bourbon" at "La Cour Royale de La Monarchie Aquitainienne et de Maison Williamson" at "Le Palais de Fontainebleau" in Couronne, Aquitaine, best summarized:

[lepreuxchevalier]

My third illustration of a “Schwarzer Reiter” that I have officially designed for “Hohenrotbart,” the ruling, dynastic house of “Das Königreich Middenland” in my low-fantasy world. Both this illustration and it’s associated “faction iconography” were officially designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to European History during the compounded advents of The Italian Renaissance, The Protestant Reformation, and The Discovery of America. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of exotic riches and virgin lands. In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, “Hohenrotbart” or “House Rotbart” is the newly established ruling dynasty over “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland.” A fantasy kingdom loosely inspired by Medieval and Renaissance Prussia under the theocracy of The Teutonic Knights, as well as 16th and 17th century “Ducal Prussia” after the official dissolution of The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights in East Prussia. “Die Schwarze Reiter” as the elite, pseudo-monastic, martial fraternities of aristocratic and noble heavy cavalry paying direct homage and military service to the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland” as both the traditional and the hereditary holders of the office of “Der Hochmeister Der Schwarze Reiter” or “The Supreme Grandmaster of All Schwarze Reiter” being highly analogous to the constituent chapters of The Teutonic Knights during The European Middle Ages and The Renaissance. While the official legislation formally decreed by Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart“ to convert to “The Luxembourgian Reforms” on behalf of his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects being roughly analogous to the secularization of “The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights” or “Der Deutschordenstaat” into the Lutheran, East Prussian Duchy during the early 16th century. Alongside “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Branndenborg,” “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” collectively form “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten.” Essentially a “Teutogen” or “Southern Austere” cultural and linguistic bloc born of the complimentary and subsequent events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung.” “The Southern Crusades” being the religious warfare and the territorial acquisitions officially preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk“ or “The Great Forest” geographically located beyond the eastern frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Proper. While “The Sudsiedlung” denotes the gradual and effective resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants to “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten” alongside the synonymous, systematic, and complimentary mass conversion efforts and the cultural assimilation of the indigenous “Albic” tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk.” The appeal for the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk“ or “The Great Forest” already gaining momentum amongst the Albic tribes indigenous to The Former Kingdom of The Midlands long before it’s final collapse beginning with the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of The Late House Bartholemnew and the consequent warring and political feuding between the princely, “great houses” of aristocratic and noble princeps and magnates over the issue of legitimate succession to The Late House Bartholemew for the hereditary title of “King of The Midlands.” “Das Königreich Middenland,“ in particular, is the consequential product of “The Midlands Crusade” formally and officially preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes geographically located beyond the southernmost frontier of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit.” With Friedrich-Albrecht von Rotbart as Bishop-Prince of Elchingen and one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit“ officially serving as “Archpatriarchal Legate,” or the pontifical representative to the person of Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as “The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” for this second “Southern Crusade” officially preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to The Former Kingdom of The Midlands. Before his formal coronation and anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Friedrich Von Rotbart was originally a mercenary captain of minor aristocratic stock to a company of professional pike-and-shotte infantry known as “Die Bande Des Falke” of “The Band of The Hawk” operating within both “The Austere” and “The Frivolous” cultural and linguistic hemispheres of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Friedrich Von Rotbart as a mercenary captain to pike-and-shotte infantry would have been content to ply his trade of professional soldiery in service to Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit’s great houses of aristocratic and noble “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” were it not for his fraternal connections to his far more prolific, prestigious, and illustrious older brother: Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart, Bishop-Prince of Elchingen, ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit,” and above all “Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for The Midlands Crusade.” In return for the once-in-a-millennium opportunity to be formally crowned and anointed the first monarch of his own sovereign state and the founding head of his own royal household, Friedrich Von Rotbart and his “Bande Des Falke” flocked to the rallying cry of this new “Midlands Crusade” formally preached and prosecuted by his far more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother as the pontifical representative to the person of Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as “The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods.” Although having allegedly fought with such distinction and meritorious service so as to earn both the respect and the commendation of the leading aristocratic and noble princeps and magnates as well as the sanctioned church authorities officially involved in The Midlands Crusade. Friedrich Von Rotbart and his “Bande Des Falke” fought only as minor belligerents involved in this campaign of religious warfare and territorial conquest aimed at the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk.” With The Midlands Crusade concluding in both stunning and overwhelming triumph for the crusaders at the climactic “Battle of The Godswoods.” “The Godswoods” as the holiest shrine and sacred grove to the apostate, Erdøki cultists indigenous to The Former Kingdom of The Midlands was subsequently desecrated and demolished by the conquering, crusading knights of The Midlands Crusade. With it’s constituent lands being officially consecrated as the official site of construction for the new basilica town of Marienburg, where Friedrich-Albrecht von Rotbart would be both formally and officially invested with the awesome and prestigious ecclesiastical office of “Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg,” with The Bishop of Romulus explicit blessing, in order to facilitate the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. Through sheer virtue of his fraternal ties to both the pontifical representative to the person of Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV for The Midlands Crusade and The Seminal Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg, Friedrich Von Rotbart was naturally prioritized over all other prospective candidates for the formal and official coronation and anointment as the first secular, worldly monarch for the new “Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland” as well as “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” or “The Founding Head of House Rotbart” as the region’s first reigning, dynastic household and hereditary monarch since the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of “The Late House Bartholemew” well over a century and a half ago. By sheer virtue of the awesome power, prestige, and authority invested within the ecclesiastical office of Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg, Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart would use his power, authority, and influence within The Conservative Church of The New Gods to leverage the unanimous religious and political support of the high ranking offices of both the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy in Das Königreich Middenland for the coronation and the anointment of his younger brother as “Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middeland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Friedrich I’s formal coronation and anointment as “The First and Reigning King of Middenland” and “The Founding Head of House Rotbart,” however, was initially received with both icy anticipation and subtle dread by the newly established princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility that had formed from the cream, core, and bulk of the conquering, crusading knights of The Midlands Crusade originally preached and prosecuted by Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as Archpatriarchal Legate to the person of Vexillarius IV as “The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods.” Friedrich I’s formal coronation and anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” was originally judged and disputed with suspicion and skepticism, in equal measure, by the feudal princeps and magnates of “junker” aristocracy and nobility due to his minor aristocratic birth within the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere, as well as his professional background as a mercenary captain to pike-and-shotte infantry, as opposed to aristocratic and noble heavy cavalry as the traditionally most prestigious form of military service due to the historical precedence of the militaristic ideology of professional chivalry. With both the formal blessing and the expressed recommendation of Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as his far more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother and The First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” had officially awarded hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment to Das Königreich Middenland’s newly established princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocrats and nobles the most arable lands, titles, and estates that had not been previously and officially claimed as the legal property of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. Much later into his long, prolific, and illustrious reign, Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” would officially decree state legislation to grant both the greater and lesser dynastic houses of “junker” aristocracy and nobility the exclusive, feudal privilege over official appointments as judges and magistrates for the new, secular, provincial, “royal” law courts officially established by Friedrich I shortly after his formal coronation and anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland.” The voluminous bodies of secular law codes, customs, and traditions applied to the provincial jurisdiction of the secular, “royal” law courts of the new “Königreich Middenland” essentially being derivative works based on the old town laws of “Die Freie Reichsstädte” or “The Imperial Free Cities” within the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of Das Selbst Kaiserreich Der Menscheit. With the exception of the provincial jurisdiction of the episcopal diocese of The Archbishopric of Marienburg, which fell directly under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction the canon law courts of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic kernel, capital, and namesake of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” In direct cooperation with his far more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as “The First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg.” Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” worked in joint partnership with both the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods over the rulership, the state administration, and the systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of Erdøk. Through the spiritual, cultural, and moral authority of a culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy with their monopoly on knowledge, education, and learning in general. The systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes of Das Königreich Middenland came synonymously with their thorough assimilation into the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” culture and language using the church schools and the religious services officially sponsored by a culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy. With any indigenous Albic tribes who had both openly and violently protested against the legislative marginalization of their religious liberties in order to encourage their systematic, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods facing mass genocide at the hands of either the fledgling, yet powerful professional army of “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland,” or the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly retinues or pike-and-shotte infantry regiments paying direct homage and military service to the great houses of junker princeps and magnates. In addition to the systematic, mass conversion and the thorough cultural assimilation of the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Friedrich I’s single, most defining, and most enduring policy as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” is actively encouraging the mass migration and the thorough and effective resettlement of settlers and immigrants hailing from his native “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere within The Empire of Mankind Proper. Using the allure and the promise of the opportunity to resettle and start a new life, in free hold, within the newly established castles and fortified cities of Das Königreich Middeland, as well as the most arable lands and estates within their attached countryside. Friedrich I intends to “bolster” or otherwise “revitalize” growth within the local economy, industrial base, and the cultural and scholastic activity of his new “Königreich Middenland” by attracting skilled, moneyed, and educated commoners to permanently resettle into his newly established castles and fortified cities as “burghers” or bourgeoisie, merchants, artisans, and professionals, as well as the most lucrative and arable lands and estates within their attached countryside as “kollmers” or country gentlemen. In order to ease the cultural and religious friction between the equally dramatic and significant influx of “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants with the Albic natives. Friedrich I, in direct partnership with the ecclesiastical clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods in Middenland, has actively pursued a church and state-mandated policy of encouraging the intermarriage between male settlers and immigrants hailing from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind Secundus with the daughters of Albic families who had officially converted back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. By granting church dowries officially sponsored by the ecclesiastical clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland to Albic families who had both openly and formally converted back into the fold of The Conservative Faith, Friedrich I hopes to simultaneously stimulate the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, while also easing the societal friction agitated by the cultural and religious differences between the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants with the Albic natives. Despite it’s reputation as the newest, poorest, and least developed sovereign state within the geographic boundaries of “The Civilized World” as officially defined and prescribed by the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as the nonconformist preachers of the multitude, or the plethora of “Reformed” and “Dissenter” churches of The New Gods derived from the theological reforms of Karl von Luxembourg and Cassyon Dufresne, respectively. “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” possesses the single largest, most disciplined, most skilled, and most professional armies of pike-and-shotte infantry south of Margrabia Mazowsza under Rod Danielewski. Immediately descended from the military traditions of the conquering, crusading host of The Midlands Crusade formally preached and prosecuted under the ecclesiastical leadership of Bishop-Prince Friedrich-Albrecht von Rotbart as “Archpatriarchal Legate,” or the pontifical representative to the person of Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV for The Midlands Crusade. The professional regiments of pike-and-shotte infantry paying direct homage and military service to Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland are some of the most feared and respected composite units of pikemen and matchlock musketeers to define the current epoch of post-chivalric warfare. Der König von Middenland’s professional regiments of pike-and-shotte infantry are notorious for their steely discipline in holding the line in pitched battles against other composite units of pike-and-shotte infantry and in the face of nigh-irresistible cavalry charges, their superb quality of military fitness and skill-at-arms, and their exceptional degree of military professionalism by contrast to the feudal, aristocratic levies and mercenary contractors more popular elsewhere within “The Civilized World.” This culture of military excellence and professionalism directly inherited from the conquering, crusading host of “The Midlands Crusade” have merely been “bolstered,” or otherwise “reinforced” by the personal and direct supervision of Friedrich I, whose world beating pike-and-shotte infantry regiments have only benefited from his hard-earned, empirical knowledge and worldly experience as a mercenary captain to pike-and-shotte infantry operating within the “Austere” and “Frivolous” states of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich Der Menscheit” before his expressed involvement in The Midlands Crusade at the expressed invitation of his older brother. Although born out of his inherent distrust for the newly established great houses of “junker” princeps and magnates that had formed from the cream, core, and bulk of the conquering, crusading knights originally involved in The Midlands Crusade. “Die Schwarze Reiter” as the elite, pseudo-monastic, aristocratic and noble heavy cavalry paying direct homage and military service to “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” as both the traditional and the hereditary holders of the office of “Der Hochmeister Der Schwarze Reiter” or “The Supreme Grandmaster of All Schwarze Reiter” likewise parallel the world-beating military professionalism, discipline, physical fitness, and skill-at-arms of Das Königreich Middenland’s prized regiments of pike-and-shotte infantry. Organized into elite, pseudo-monastic “chapters” or “martial fraternities” known as “Brüderschaften” or “Brotherhoods” each housed and headquartered within a local “chapter house” corresponding within a network of recruiting districts known as “cantons.” And placed under the personal command and the direct supervision of “Ein Großmeister” or “a Grandmaster” personally and directly appointed for life from “legitimate issues” or “dynastic scions” of Das Königreich Middenland’s great houses of “junker” princeps and magnates by the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland” themselves. “Die Schwarze Reiter” as the elite, pseudo-monastic, aristocratic and noble heavy cavalry paying direct homage and military service to “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” as both the traditional and the hereditary “Hochmeister Der Schwarze Reiter” or “Supreme Grandmasters of All Schwarze Reiter” were either compelled through the obligatory, feudal, aristocratic “blood tithe,” or otherwise willingly enrolled into the local chapter houses of their respective “Brüderschaft” to serve the royal, state interests of “Die Könige von Middenland” over the feudal, private interests of their aristocratic and noble households. To physically distinguish the constituent “Brüderschaften” of “Die Schwarze Reiter” from the domestic, household knights paying direct homage and military service to Das Königreich Middenland’s newly established great houses of “junker” princeps and magnates. “Die Schwarze Reiter” were issued their signature, black armour further embellished with skull fetishes, gilded plates, and “burned” chainmail to distinguish their rank, seniority, and specific “Brudershaft” while wearing surcoats and cuirasses richly emblazoned or enameled with the escutcheon of “Hohenrotbart” as the founding, ruling, dynastic household of “Das Königreich Middenland.” In order to both preserve and retain the professional loyalties and the direct homage of the various “Brüderschaften” of “Die Schwarze Reiter” to the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland.” Both the personal livelihoods and the upkeep costs of “Die Schwarze Reiter” were funded through a combination of the quarterly income tax generated by Das Königreich Middenland’s “royal demesne” or “crownlands,” by tariffs officially imposed on the trade, commerce, and industry of Der König von Middenland’s charter companies and the local trade guilds, as well as tithes and benefices generated by the religious services of, donations to, and the property owned by The Conservative Church of The New Gods in joint partnership with “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” over the rulership, the state administration, and the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes autochthonous to “Das Königreich Middenland.” Each “Großmeister” was personally and individually charged for life directly by the persons of “Die Könige von Middenland” with the personal command and the direct supervision of “Die Brüderschaften” of “Die Schwarze Reiter,” and could be immediately and unceremoniously stripped of their rank and office should they show any signs of insubordination to the person of “Der König von Middenland” or those of his official, state-sanctioned representatives. All “Schwarze Reiter” from the youngest and rawest of squires to the most venerable and seasoned “Großmeister” were legally obligated to forfeit any lands, titles, and estates within their legal possession at the secular, provincial, “royal” law courts of “Die Könige von Middenland” upon and regardless of their obligatory or voluntary enrollment into the local chapter houses of their respective “Brüderschaft.” Through compelling the second sons of Das Königreich Middenland’s junker aristocrats and nobles, as well as the firstborn sons of poorer junkers into elite, pseudo-monastic, and professional military service as “Schwarze Reiter” through the obligatory, feudal, aristocratic “blood tithe.” Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland,” “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” and “Der erster Hochmeister Der Schwarze Reiter” hopes to better “entrench” or otherwise “reinforce” the hereditary, dynastic loyalties and the feudal homage of Das Königreich Middenland’s greater and lesser dynastic houses of junker aristocrats and nobles to the persons of “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland.” In terms Hohenrotbart’s foreign and dynastic policy as the founding, ruling, dynastic household of “Das Königreich Middenland.” Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart shortly after his formal investiture as “The First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg” had successfully brokered a matrilineal union with “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” through the marriage of Markgraf Friedrich-Albrecht Von Biermann’s younger sister to the newly crowned and anointed “Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Through the matrilineal union forged by the marriage between Friedrich I and the younger sister of Markgraf Friedrich-Albrecht Von Biermann, the cornerstone for an extraimperial personal union between “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” and “Hohenbiermann Der Margrafschaft Brannenborg” as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten,” or “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or the nation-states born of the subsequent and the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung” was laid out. Which is most explicitly apparent with the subsequent and the complimentary “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannenborg-An-der-Havel” officially brokered between the state-sanctioned, court representatives of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” and “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” over the prospective merger of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and Das Königreich Middenland into an extraimperial composite state united by their shared heritage in “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung,” as well as their shared background as the earliest religious converts to the theological reforms of Karl von Luxembourg to the religious establishment of, and institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated in Romulus. Prinzessin Chloe Von Rotbart as Friedrich I’s eldest daughter from a previous marriage before his formal coronation and anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” was formally betrothed to Robert III, The 40th and Late King of Albion and The Former Head of House Lyonheart, as part of a defensive pact to put a check on the belligerence of Maison Williamson du Royaume d’Aquitaine’s as the single largest military powerhouse within “The Civilized World.” Edmund IV as the legitimate successor to both The Kingdom of Albion and House Lyonheart was equally unable to, nor inherently interested in staking a dynastic merger between The Kingdom of Albion and Das Königreich Middenland, as his mother Chloe Von Rotbart was not a “real issue” to the first “Prinzgemahl-Königin von Middenland” from “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.” Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst-Kaiserreich der Menscheit,“ however, was far more successful in cultivating closer ties with Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” and “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” using a combination of his paternal ties to “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland,” their shared heritage to the subsequent and the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung,” as well as their shared background as the earliest religious converts to the theological reforms of “Karl Von Luxembourg,” a learned church doctor of theology at “Die Universität Wörtzburch“ as one of the greatest centers of church-sanctioned, academic research on both The Canon Theology of The New Gods as well as Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence north of The Olympian Mountain Valley. Within the subsequent “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel” officially brokered between the state-sanctioned, court representatives of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” and “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland.” Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” secular, hereditary, “Kurfürst Des Selbst-Kaiserreich der Menscheit,” and nephew to Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland,” “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” and paternal uncle to Albrecht Von Biermann opened negotiations with the proposition of mutual inheritance between Hohenbiermann and Hohenrotbart for both Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and Das Königreich Middenland should either dynastic house grow extinct through the male bloodline. Friedrich I, in direct response to the opening propositions of Albrecht Von Biermann’s conditions, further elaborated upon the treaties with the following conditions that Albrecht Von Biermann never officially incorporate Das Königreich Middenland as a constituent, member state within The Empire of Mankind. As Imperial Law had officially restricted any member state outside “the hereditary state” and “the dynastic house” of The Emperor-Elect, as well as “Hohenluxembourg Des Königreich Schönbrunn” from endowing the reigning patriarchs of their dynastic houses with royal titles. That Albrecht Von Biermann and all of his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially convert to “The Reformed Faith of The New Gods” based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg officially published at “Die Universität Wörtzburch“ by the time of their formal inheritance to “Das Königreich Middenland” from the then extinct, male bloodline of “Hohenrotbart.” So as to simultaneously retain and preserve the religious liberties of all subscribers to The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland, while simultaneously encouraging both the spread and the proliferation of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. And that Albrecht Von Biermann and all his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially act as both regents and godfathers to Friedrich I’s infant son “Kronprinz Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart” in the event and the occasion of his untimely passing. As Friedrich I had only and finally succeeded in producing a surviving male heir by his late 70′s. To both sweeten and conclude the subsequent and the complimentary “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel,” Albrecht Von Biermann had offered the ultimatum of consenting to the outlined elaborations under the condition that Friedrich I and all of his prospective successors as “Die Könige von Middenland” officially hold the title of “Der Markgraf von Brannenborg” plurally with the title of “Der König von Middenland” rather than incorporating Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as a constituent province of Das Königreich Middenland uniquely situated within the southernmost frontier of The Empire of Mankind Proper, so as to simultaneously preserve and retain the awesome power, privilege, and authority traditionally attached to the title of secular, hereditary “Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” that had been both traditionally and synonymously tied with the hereditary title of “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” since it’s original awarding to Markgraf Friedrich II Von Biermann during The Electoral Reforms of Vespasian VII of The Imperial Household after his official election as The 96th Emperor-Elect of Mankind formally decreed in the aftermath the electoral wars disputing his lawful and legitimate election for the title of “Der Designiert-Kaiser Der Menscheit.” With the passing away of Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as Friedrich I’s far more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother and The First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. The venerable and ailing Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus and The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods had formally and officially invested in Wolfgang Amadeus Von Holswig-Schlestien, Bishop-Prince of Griffenheim and one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten Des Selbst-Kaiserreich Der Menscheit” as the next Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg for Das Königreich Middenland. Unlike Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as his predecessor and The Seminal Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. This new Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg was particularly hellbent on both maximizing and prioritizing the spiritual, cultural, and moral power, authority, and influence of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated in The Holy Sept of the old capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” over the rulership, the state administration, and the systematic, mass conversion of Das Königreich Middenland’s apostate, Albic tribes at the expense of reducing the secular, hereditary power, authority, and influence of “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” to a purely nominal role. Stating at one point that “The Midlands Crusade was formally preached and prosecuted in the name of The Canon Pantheon of The New Gods, not in the name of the selfish and conceited ambitions of prospective monarchs and aristocrats. And it was through their sheer grace and divinity that the crusade had concluded, in stunning and overwhelming triumph, in favour of the sanctioned forces of The Conservative Church.” In direct response to this ever increasing threat to his sovereign and legitimate rule and authority posed by both this new Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg and his clerical and lay followers. Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” had formally decreed state legislation to officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects. The “Reformed” Faith essentially being derived from the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch questioning both the spiritual and cultural legitimacy and the moral infallibility of “The Bishop of Romulus” or “The Archpatriarch” and his spiritual, cultural, and moral authority as “The Last of The Classical Pontiffs,” or the sole, anointed representative to The Entire Canon Pantheon of The New Gods in the whole world after the official dissolution of the “Quattuordecimviri Sacris Faciundus” or “The Pontifical College” under the Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Demetrius Superbus” with his official prescription of The Conservative Faith of The New Gods as “the state religion” of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Empire of Mankind Primus. As well as protesting against the widespread corruption, the abuses, and the worldly excesses of both the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. With his legislative decree to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects, Friedrich I had finally assumed supreme authority over matters of religion in Das Königreich Middenland. And in the process making himself the effective and virtual “Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland” as the first major culture and state in both the recorded histories and the geographic expanse of The Known World to officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg. With his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus formally annulled through his official conversion to The Luxembourgian Reformation, Friedrich I had actively pursued a policy of the systematic confiscation of the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had openly refused to submit before the formal renunciation of his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus, while also endowing himself with full control over the state investiture of new bishops and abbots for The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland. Including state investiture over the venerable and prestigious ecclesiastical office of Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg since it’s original consecration and founding by his far more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother at the stunning conclusion and the aftermath of “The Midlands Crusade” with the historic, subsequent, and complimentary desecration and demolition of “The Godswoods” as the holiest shrine and sacred grove of the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Friedrich I’s first official policy as “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland” was to decree church legislation to decriminalize both the private ownership and the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods, which had always been traditionally codified in “Cosmopolitan” or “Classical Romulan” as the liturgical language of The Conservative Church of The New Gods since it’s original codification and formalization under the religious reforms traditionally attributed to The Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great” with his establishment of The Conservative Faith of The New Gods as the “preferential” religion of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Empire of Mankind Primus. The possession, the reading, and the strict, legalistic interpretation of the Old Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy of The Holy Canons of The New Gods being the exclusive, legal reserve of the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as the exclusive, feudal privilege of the hereditary, dynastic, greater and lesser houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility since the closing centuries of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Empire of Mankind Primus at the twilight of The Civilized World’s “Classical Antiquity.” This policy of actively proliferating both the private ownership and the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods would subsequently open both it’s reading and it’s strict interpretation to all social classes outside the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy and the feudal aristocracy and nobility. To “reinforce” or otherwise “bolster” his policy of the mass proliferation of the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods to all social classes outside the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The “Reformed” Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland and the greater and lesser houses “junker” aristocracy and nobility. Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland,” “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” and “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland” has actively campaigned to encourage both the spread and the growth of mass literacy within Das Königreich Middenland using the religious and political support of any professional printers, missionaries, and church schools personally sympathetic to the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch. With Friedrich I’s formal issuance of the deed of foundation for “The Collegium Fridericium” or “Die Universität Königsberg” as both the earliest and the greatest, official centre of ideological proliferation for Karl Von Luxembourg’s theological reforms to the religious establishment of, and the institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the old capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” until it’s final and final collapse at the very end of The Civilized World’s historical epoch of “Classical Antiquity,” as well as a monolithic religious and material cultural monument literally “set in stone” dedicated to his irrefutable infamy and notoriety as the first hereditary, dynastic ruler in both the recorded histories and the geographic expanse of “The Known World” to formally renounce his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus through his legislative decree to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects. “The Collegium Fridericium” or “Die Universität Königsberg” essentially being founded to serve as a mighty bastion of religious and intellectual cultural education designed to produce new ecclesiastical and monastic clergy for Friedrich I’s “Reformed” Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland, as well as literate and formally educated missionaries to preach and proselytize The Luxembourgian Reformation throughout and beyond Das Königreich Middenland’s established frontiers.

[lepreuxchevalier]

Alano di Castiglione, “Il Duca Regnante di Messina” and “Il Capo Attuale di Casa Castiglione.” One of the nominal, feudal vassals to The Emperors-Elect of “The Empire of Mankind” or “Das Kaiserreich der Menscheit” officially seated at “Nymphenburg,” the provincial capital of “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” and the ancestral seat of power of “The Imperial Household.” The Imperial Household or “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt” essentially being the “hereditary” or otherwise the “preferential” candidates for the official elections for the title of “Emperor of Mankind,” as well as the direct descendants of Prinz Heinrich Von Nymphenburg as The First, Crowned Imperator of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus” to be officially crowned and anointed by Archpatriarch Demetrius IV, “The 100th Bishop of Romulus” and “The Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods.” Alano di Castiglione is one of the feudal, hereditary, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” from the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of “The Empire of Mankind Proper” or “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” geographically located within “The Olympian Mountain Valley” located within the southern frontiers of The Empire. “Il Ducato di Messina“ or “The Duchy of Messina” as the hereditary state of “Casa Castiglione” or “House Castiglione” roughly corresponds to the lands of “Classical Mycenae,” or the constituent heartlands of “The Classical Mycenean Civilization” during the long forgotten epoch of “Classical Antiquity” within the recorded histories of “The Civilized World.” “The Civilized World” as strictly and officially defined and prescribed by both the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” officially seated within The Holy Sept in Romulus as the historic kernel, capital, and namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” that once dominated the geographic majority of “The Civilized World” and beyond. As well as “The Civilized World” as strictly and officially defined and prescribed by the nonconformist preachers of the multitude, or the plethora of “Reformed” and “Dissenter” state churches of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl von Luxembourg and Cassyon Dufresne, respectively. It has been universally agreed upon by both the scholastic, academic communities officially sponsored by the ecclesiastical patronage of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as the scholastic, academic communities officially sponsored by secular, royal and aristocratic patronage of The Civilized World’s royal and princely houses, that “The Classical Mycenean Civilization” autochthonous to “Classical Mycenae,” or the constituent lands of the modern “Il Ducato di Messina” is the first, oldest, and arguably the single greatest Classical Civilization to come from “The Civilized World.” Geopolitically divided into a myriad, or a plethora of hundreds of tiny city-states known as “poleis” ruled almost exclusively either by hereditary, petty kings known as “Tyranos” or “Basileus” as well as “Aristokratos,” or oligarchical, noble republics ruled by councils consisting of representatives of the most prominent dynastic houses of hereditary aristocrats and nobles. The “poleis” of Classical Mycenae would develop a significant colonial presence throughout the lands of “Magna Mycenae” or “Mycenae Occidentalis,” the modern day “Westerlande” under the mercantile, republican rule of “Die Vereinten Gilden,” as well as a significant colonial presence on the northern and western coastlines of the modern day “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine.” Confederated under the leadership of “Alexius the Great,” Basileus of the peripheral Mycenean kingdom of “Nicomedia” as “the igumen” or “the hegemon” of the Nicomedean-led “League of Galedon.” All of the poleis of Classical Mycenae, as well as the overwhelming majority of the poleis of Magna Mycenae united against the common threat and enemy of the enormous, Classical Achaemenid Empire largely based on the southern hemisphere of the modern day “Al-Khalifat Al-Khashabar.” Both the Nicomedean-led Mycenean Empire built by Basileus Alexius the Great of Nicomedia and his “League of Galedon,” as well as the so-called “Successor States” officially founded by his “Diadochi” or his closest generals and companions after the collapse of The Classical Nicomedean Empire with the untimely demise of Alexius the Great, would begin the so-called “Mycenean Golden Age” of Classical Civilization that was characterized by the widespread proliferation and growth of Classical Mycenean culture, religion, and civilization throughout and beyond the established frontiers of The Civilized World. The material, intellectual, and social culture, religion, traditions, and customs of The Classical Myceneans would leave an indelible mark upon the cultural, religious, and civilizational development of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” Which is most explicitly apparent with the formal adoption and the religious appropriation of The Classical Mycenean Pantheon through the historic conversion of Augustinian Regulus as The First Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind in syncretic concurrence with religious worship in The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Pantheon which would later be termed as The Canon Pantheons of The Old Gods and The New Gods during and after the subsequent events of “The Enochian Heresy” and the formal and official drafting and codification the most popular Classical Mycenean and Romulan mythologies into the canon theology of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy of “The Holy Canons of The New Gods” under the theological reforms traditionally attributed to The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great,” as well as the so-called “Feudal Age” or “The Age of Chivalry” that would characterize the recorded histories of The Civilized World long after the collapse of Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civilization. The first major epoch within the recorded histories of “The Civilized World” is termed as “Classical Antiquity,” as it was the material, intellectual, and social culture, religion, customs, and traditions of the Classical Myceneans would set up “the cultural foundation,” or otherwise “the civilizational bedrock” for both Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civilization, as well as “The Vernacular Cosmopolitan” cultures and states that would characterize “The Feudal Age” or “The Age of Chivalry” within the long and storied, recorded histories of The Civilized World long after the collapse of Classical Romulan Civilization.

Under the secular, aristocratic, and princely patronage of Alano di Castiglione as “Il Duca Regnante di Messina” and “Il Capo Attuale di Casa Castiglione.” Professional scholars and artists have been officially commissioned to explore and study the remnants of the Classical Romulan and Mycenean civilizations of the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” states’ ancestral forebears. Alongside Adriano Martini as “Il Console-Eletti della Reppubbica Serenissima di Toscana” and Ronaldo de Fernandez as “El Marqués Reinante de Estalia.” Alano di Castiglione as “Il Duca Regnante di Messina” and “Il Capo Attuale di Casa Castigione” has become one of the foremost patrons of the so-called “Olympian Renaissance” or “Il Rinascimento Olympiano” within the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere. As a material and intellectual cultural movement that originally began towards the end of “The Feudal Age” or “The Age of Chivalry” within The Civilized World’s long and storied, recorded histories. The Olympian Renaissance has had a profound impact on the development of secular art, music, literature, and philosophy. Using the novel technologies of mechanical printing and papermaking, those exact same technological inventions which would later aid in the mass proliferation of the theological reforms and the treatises of both Karl von Luxembourg and Cassyon Dufresne in the form of their written thesis’ openly condemning the corruption, the abuses, and the worldly excesses of the spiritual, cultural, and moral authority of the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of “The Conservative Church of The New Gods,” as well as the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods that would go synonymously with the Luxembourgian and the Dissenter reformations throughout and beyond the Empire of Mankind’s established frontiers. Both the vernacular translations of Classical Romulan and Mycenean literary works and philosophical treatises, as well as printed copies of the academic research and the discoveries officially penned and drafted by scholars and artists willing to explore and study the remnants of the old, Classical Romulan and Mycenean culture and civilization within the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” hemisphere of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus” would propel both an elite and a plebeian interest in “Il Rinascimento Olympiano” as a cultural and intellectual movement far beyond the established frontiers of the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” states of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus.” With the philosophical and the intellectual cultural revival of “secular humanism” corresponding with the widespread proliferation of secular art, music, literature, and philosophy inherently tied to, and based on both the ecclesiastical and the princely patronage of the academic research and the cultural rediscovery of Classical Romulan and Mycenean culture and civilization based within the geographic boundaries of The Olympian Mountain Valley. Modern scholars and academics within and without the “Frivolous” or the “Southern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus” are often seen comparing and critiquing both the contemporary society that they live in, as well as that of the previous “Feudal Age” or “The Age of Chivalry” of The Civilized World’s long and storied, recorded histories to the ideals of classical philosophers. Proliferating the rise of secular philosophy and intellectual culture inherently tied to the belief in expanding both the potential and the inherent capacity of human beings as “thinking, feeling, conscious individuals” and of human civilization as a collective whole. And in the process setting new standards and ideals for both the ruling classes as well as the ruled. Intellectual and cultural connoisseurs of the academic discoveries and the research of “Il Rinascimento Olympiano” have been known to become experts on anything and everything from art, to music, to philosophy, to literary analysis, to political theory, to military strategy, to the material sciences, and everything in between.

Apart from his leading role in proliferating “Il Rinascimento Olympiano” as a material and intellectual cultural movement through his secular, aristocratic, and princely patronage of scholars and artists willing to study and explore the remnants of Classical Romulan and Mycenean culture and civilization. As well as his outspoken sponsorship and patronage of the spread and the proliferation of “secular humanism” as a philosophical and an intellectual cultural movement inherently separate, or otherwise detached from the religious teachings and the theological doctrines of “The Holy Canons of The New Gods” as officially preached and prescribed by the ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy of “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” officially seated in The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic kernel, capital, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” Alano di Castiglione has been plotting in conjunction with Adriano Martini as “Il Console-Eletti de La Serenissima Repubblica di Toscana” or “La Serenissima” to form “La Lega Olympica” “The Olympic League” of “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” states campaigning for maximized autonomy from the feudal supremacy and the excesses of the culturally and geographically distant Emperors-Elect of Mankind officially seated at “Nymphenburg,” the provincial capital of “Der Reichstaat,” or “The Imperial Demesne” and the hereditary lands of “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt” or “The Imperial Household” directly descended from the hereditary bloodline of Prinz Heinrich Von Nymphenburg as “The First Crowned Imperator of The Empire of Mankind Secundus.” Adriano Martini as “Il Presidente Ufficiale” or “The Official Chairman” to “La Lega Olympica” campaigning for maximized autonomy from the feudal supremacy and the excesses of “Die designiert-Kaiser der Menscheit” or “The Emperors-Elect of Mankind” has had much difficulty in persuading Ronaldo de Fernandez as “El Marqués Reinante de Estalia” and “El Encargado Attual de Casa Fernandez” to join and complete his “Lega Olympica” in their campaign to achieve “maximized” autonomy from the feudal supremacy and excesses of The Emperors-Elect. “La Consorte-Marquesa” to Ronaldo de Fernandez as “El Marqués Reinante de Estalia” is a “dynastic scion” or otherwise a “legitimate issue” of “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt” or “The Imperial Household” officially seated at Nymphenburg, whose dynastic patriarch officially holds the title of Emperor-Elect as “Alexius VI, 101st and reigning Emperor of Mankind and Current Head of The Imperial Household.” Ronaldo de Fernandez “El Marqués Reinante de Estalia” is also hellbent on cultivating closer political and religious ties with “L’Arcipatriarcato” or “The Archpatriarchy” officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic kernel, capital, and namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” As a legitimate issue of Casa Fernandez de Estalia currently holds the title of “Bishop-Preferati” or “Archpatriarchal Protégé” for the next official election to succeed the venerable and ailing Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV for the spiritual, cultural, and moral leadership of The Conservative Church of The New Gods as the next Bishop of Romulus. With the overwhelming majority of “The Curia” or “The College of Cardinals” supporting his official election for Archpatriarch due to the political and religious turbulence, tumult, and upheaval associated with The Luxembourgian and Dissenter Reformations throughout and beyond The Empire of Mankind Secundus’ established frontiers. Vexillarius IV as “The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” is a natural ally to Alexius VI and The Imperial Household as the hereditary, dynastic, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” for “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne.” As Alexius VI as “The 101st and Reigning Emperor of Mankind” and “The Current Head of The Imperial Household” is supremely reliant on the unanimous support of all three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” to retain his dynastic household’s ancestral monopoly over the official elections for the title of Emperor-Elect. Especially in an age when most of the secular, hereditary "Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit" outside of the staunchly and fervently Conservative “Hohenluxembourg Des Königreich Schönbrunn” have formally annulled their spiritual ties to The Holy Sept in Romulus through their legislative decrees to officially convert to either "The Luxembourgian Reforms" or "The Dissenter Theology" on behalf of their dynastic houses and their hereditary subjects. The three ecclesiastical, invested, “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” essentially being the Bishop-Princes of Griffenheim, Garyalburg, and Elchingen within the clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods.

Although supremely sympathetic to the “Reformed Union” under the leadership of Conrad Von Buchenauer as “Der herrschend Herzog von Solingen,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbuchenauer,” secular, hereditary “Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit,” and above all, the self-proclaimed “Defender, Guarantor, and Worldly Champion of Karl Von Luxembourg’s general, sweeping, and international reformation to The Conservative Church of The New Gods” with his ideological campaign to resist Alexius VI’s designs on imposing religious uniformity over the entire Empire of Mankind Secundus under the spiritual, cultural, and moral authority and leadership of The Conservative Church of The New Gods seated within The Holy Sept at Romulus. Both Adriano Martini and Alano di Castiglione as the two leading “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” within “La Lega Olympica” of “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” states officially campaigning for maximized autonomy from the feudal supremacy and the excesses of The Emperors-Elect of Mankind are extremely reluctant to conspire in conjunction with and in concurrence to Herzog Conrad von Buchenauer and his “Reformed Union.” As a plurality of “The Curia” or “The College of Cardinals” officially seated within The Holy Sept at Romulus compose of “legitimate issues” or otherwise “dynastic scions” of the baronial and knightly houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility from “Il Ducato di Messina” and “La Reppubblica Serenissima di Toscana,” who form a powerful lobby for both political and military support to both Casa Castiglione as “I Duchi di Messina” and Casa Martini as the longtime “I Consoli-Eletti della Reppubblica Serenissima di Toscana.” As the baronial and knightly houses of The Duchy of Messina and The Toscanii Republic form the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly retinues and pike-and-shotte infantry regiments who supplement the professional armies of knightly, heavy cavalry and pike-and-shotte infantry in direct homage and military service to The Dukes of Messina and The Consuls-Elect of Toscana.

[lepreuxchevalier]

Vasily IV, second and reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and Current Head of “Rod Vojvodin Bol'shogo” or “House Vojvodin of Bolshoi.” Vasily IV is the newly crowned and anointed “Tsar of Rus’skaya” following the passing away of his venerable grandfather and predecessor Tsar Ivan IV, the last head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi to officially style himself “Velikiy Knyaz' Russkiy” or “Grand Prince of Rus’kaya” before his final and complete annexation of The Rivacheg Republic under the hereditary rule of Merchant Princes from a cadet branch of House Vojvodin. The hereditary, dynastic title of “Tsar of Rus’kaya” officially marking Ivan Alyeksadrovitch’s final unification of the multitude, or the plethora of Gospodar and Moravian tributary principalities based within The Vylkova Badlands. Before the formal coronation and anointment of Ivan IV as “Tsar of Rus’kaya” by The Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad, the dynastic heads of the most senior branch of House Vojvodin have long held the title of “Prince of Rus’kaya” since the historic conversion of the Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin to The Faith of The Old Gods by the Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan master theologian Saint Enoch the Sufferer and the subsequent founding and construction of The Metropolitan Bishopric of Augustgrad over the consecrated site of Vasily Vojvodin’s formal conversion to The Faith of The Old Gods. The bishopric city of Augustgrad being named in honour of Augustinian Regulus, The First Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind in the recorded histories of “The Civilized World” and the Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind who would eventually convert to The Faith of The Old Gods based on the canon pantheon of the Classical Mycaenean civilization autochthonous the constituent lands of the modern “Il Ducato di Messina” within the “Frivolous” or “Southern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind Secundus in syncretic concurrence with worship of the canon pantheon of The New Gods based on the beliefs of the younger Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan civilization that would come to fully annex the Classical Mycaenean homeland in the formative century of The Classical Romulan Republic’s wars of conquest and expansion within The Olympian Mountain Valley. The bishopric city of Augustgrad would synonymously serve as the historic and the traditional seat of power of The Princes of Rus’kaya from House Vojvodin until it was conquered and sacked during The Kara-Khitai Invasions orchestrated under Temujin Khagan. Following the formal consecration and founding of The Metropolitan Bishopric of Augustgrad as the official seat of power for Vasily Vojvodin as The First Prince of Rus’kaya, Saint Enoch the Sufferer and his clerics and scribes would formulate both “The Enochian Script” and “The Church Gospodar Langauage” to codify and preach “The Holy Canons of The Old Gods” to the pious masses of The Church of The Old Gods in Rus’skaya. “The Enochian Script” originally formulated by Saint Enoch the Sufferer and his prelate of clerics and scribes would eventually be used to codify the written forms of the vernacular languages and cultures of the Gospodar and Moravian peoples indigenous to Rus’kaya.

Since the historic conversion of the Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin to The Faith of The Old Gods by Saint Enoch the Sufferer as The First Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad and his subsequent coronation as The First Prince of Rus’kaya, The Principality of Rus’kaya under House Vojvodin grew to absorb the multitude, or the plethora of Gospodar tribal chiefdoms and Moravian petty kingdoms within the Vylkova Badlands. Using the systematic, mass conversion of the Gospodar and Moravian tribes into The One True Faith of The Old Gods as the pretext, rationale, and justification for their wars of conquest and expansion within The Vylkova Badlands, any Gospodar warchiefs and Moravian petty kings who had openly refused to formally convert to The Faith of The Old Gods on behalf of their dynastic houses and their hereditary subjects were systematically overthrown by the conquering armies of The Principality of Rus’kaya and replaced by either “dynastic scions” or “legitimate issues” of House Vojvodin, who had married into the dynastic bloodlines of uncompliant Gospodar warchiefs and Moravian petty kings in order to "cement," or otherwise “legitimize” their hereditary regime and authority in the eyes of their newly conquered subjects, or “boyar” nobles and aristocrats hand picked from court favourites to The Princes of Rus’kaya seated in Augustgrad. Over the course of several centuries, many dynastic bloodlines of the original Gospodar warchiefs and Moravian petty kings who had willingly converted into The Faith of The Old Gods were eventually supplanted by “dynastic scions” or “legitimate issues” of House Vojvodin who had "coincidentally” married into their families shortly before their dynastic houses “conveniently” went extinct through the male bloodline. By the time of The Kara-Khitai Invasion of Rus’kaya under Temujin Khagan, The Principality of Rus’kaya had become a very loosely-knit confederation of highly autonomous petty principalities mostly ruled by junior and cadet branches of House Vojvodin as well as princely “great houses” of “boyar” nobles and aristocrats founded by court favourites to historic Princes of Rus’kaya, and united under the purely nominal suzerainty of The Princes of Rus’kaya from the senior branch of House Vojvodin officially seated in the bishopric city of Augustgrad. The loose autonomy of the petty principalities of Rus’kaya, coupled by the pandemic warring and political feuding between the petty princes from both junior and cadet branches of House Vojvodin as well as other princely “great houses” of “boyar” nobles and aristocrats officially founded by court favourites to historic Princes of Rus’kaya had effectively “optimized,” or otherwise “primed” the constituent lands of The Principality of Rus’kaya in The Vylkova Badlands for swift and decisive conquest and subjugation at the hands of The Kara-Khitai Horde.

Under the brilliant, ruthless, and cunning leadership of Temujin Khagan, most of the petty principalities of Rus’kaya were conquered and pillaged during the onslaught of the Kara-Khitai horde, including The Principality of Augustgrad itself, as both the traditional and the historic “demesne” or “crownlands” of The Princes of Rus’kaya from the senior branch of House Vojvodin and the episcopal diocese of The Metropolitan Bishopric of Augustgrad since the time of Saint Enoch the Sufferer, himself. Their native populations essentially becoming direct subjects to The Khan of Khans. Only the Gospodar and Moravian principalities based in the southern and western reaches of The Vylkova Badlands had finally submitted to The Khagan as tributary vassals after both realizing their inherent military weakness before, and witnessing the futility of their war efforts against The Khan of Khans. Vasily Alyeksandrovitch, the last surviving male scion of The Princes of Rus’kaya, was awarded the fertile and rich Bolshoye river valley by Temujin Khagan for his exceptional bravery, courage, and skill-at-arms in directly and personally confronting The Khan of Khans himself in single combat during the climactic Siege of Augustgrad. With the Bolshoi Kremlin becoming his new seat of power, Vasily Alyeksandrovich was subsequently awarded the title of “Grand Prince of Rus’kaya” as a grim and bitter reminder of his direct lineage to the fallen and defeated Princes of Rus’kaya formerly seated in The Metropolitan Bishopric of Augustgrad before The Kara-Khitai Invasions, as well as to distinguish his specific dynastic household from the other, more junior and cadet branches of House Vojvodin as the official collectors of taxes and tribute to The Khagans of The Kara-Khitai horde. These new “Grand Princes of Rus’kaya” directly descended from the bloodline of Vasily Alyeksandrovitch, diminutively called “The Princes of Bolshoi” by their political and military adversaries and naysayers amongst the princely, “great houses” of “boyar” and “dvoryantsvo” nobles and aristocrats would rise to become the single wealthiest and most powerful rulers amongst the tributary vassals to The Kara-Khitai Horde. Growing extremely rich serving as the official collectors of taxes and tribute to The Khan of Khans, with their already exorbitant wealth being merely bolstered and supplemented by the exceptional fertility and richness of their Bolshoye heartlands. The Grand Princes of Rus’kaya from House Vojvodin of Bolshoi would come to either absorb the constituent territories of any Rus’kayan principalities who had both openly and violently resisted their tax and tribute collections to The Khagans of The Kara-Khitai horde, or merely purchase the feudal homage and compliance of the poorer Rus’kayan princes who could not afford to pay their tribute to The Khagans. Under Alyeksandr Dmitryovitch or “Alyeksandr Donskoy,” the paternal great-grandfather of Vasily IV, The Kara-Khitai horde would suffer it’s first major, and most humiliating military defeat at the hands of the Rus’kayans at The Battle of The River Don.

With the unification of the Rus’kayan tributary principalities finally achieved under his late grandfather and predecessor. Vasily Ivanovitch as the second head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi to officially hold the title of “Tsar of Rus’kaya” has made a point out of inviting foreign quartermasters and gunsmiths from both Le Royaume d’Aquitaine under Maison Williamson and Das Kaiserreich der Menscheit to train his seemingly backwards, yet ever growing professional army in the latest tactics and drill techniques, as well as equipping his infantry forces with the latest forms of gunpowder-based weaponry and military technology. Vasily IV as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi has made a point out of arming and training newer, more professional infantry regiments of “strelets” or “shooters” with both the “bardiche,” or the Gospodar two-handed battleaxe, as well as matchlock arquebuses derived from the latest Aquitainien and Imperial models to supplement his retinues of “boyar” and “dvoryantsvo” heavy cavalry armoured in scale mail and brigandine in his bid to drive The Kara-Khitai Horde from Rus’kaya once and for all. Vasily Ivanovitch has also taken a keen interest in the latest technological developments made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery by giving expressed invitation to foreign gunsmiths from Le Royaume d’Aquitaine under Maison Williamson and Das Kaiserreich der Menscheit to disseminate the essential and necessary technical knowledge and skills to make and design gunpowder-based, siege artillery amongst the local metalsmiths of Rus’kaya Tsarstvo. By financially encouraging Aquitainien and Imperial gunsmiths to permanently set up workshop in The Principality of Bolshoi, Vasily Ivanovitch hopes to eventually outsource his antiquated arsenal of classical and feudal-age windlass artillery pieces such as catapults, trebuchets, mangonels, ballistae, and onagers with the more novel, and yet far more potent and brutally efficient gunpowder-based, siege artillery like bombards, mortars, culverins, chambered demi-canons, even the dreaded “basilisks.” Vasily IV, upon his formal coronation and anointment as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi, hopes to annex the constituent territories of the petty Khanates of Northern Rus’kaya that had formed from the untimely death Yesugai Khagan at The Battle of The River Don at the hands of his great grandfather Alyeksandr Dmitryovitch. His greatest ambition as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi is to reclaim The Metropolitan Bishopric of Augustgrad from The Khans of The Great Horde directly descended from Temujin Khagan, who have made House Vojvodin’s historic and traditional seat of power their home and powerbase since the climactic Siege of Augustgrad orchestrated under The Khan of Khans himself.

Inherently tied to his great push northward at the head of his heavy cavalry armies of “boyar” and “dvoryantso” nobles and aristocrats armoured in scale mail and brigandine, and supplemented by his professional, pike-and-shotte infantry regiments of strelets armed with bardiches and matchlock arquebuses. Vasily IV as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi hopes to persuade The Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad to permanently migrate his episcopal seat of power to House Vojvodin’s new capital in Bolshoi, finally tearing him from the authority and the influence of The Khan of The Great Horde forever. Remaining in Augustgrad as their episcopal seat since House Vojvodin’s historic expulsion from the bishopric city, The Khagans of The Kara-Khitai Horde have always kept a tight leash on The Metropolitan Patriarchs of Augustgrad to use them as kingmakers for their tributary vassals in Rus’kaya, strengthening their authority and legitimacy as tributary overlords and suzerains over the petty princes of Rus’kaya. Rus’kayan petty principalities ruled by junior and cadet branches of House Vojvodin, in particular, have been exceptionally reliant on the spiritual, cultural, and moral authority of The Metropolitan Patriarchs of Augustgrad to “legitimize,” or otherwise “validate” their secular, worldly authority in the eyes of their pious subjects religiously subscribed to The Church of The Old Gods in Rus’kaya. As their dynastic lineage to the Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin as The First Prince of Rus’kaya inherently ties them to his formal conversion to The Faith of The Old Gods on behalf of his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects by Saint Enoch the Sufferer as The First Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad and the founder of The Church of The Old Gods in Rus’kaya. Despite his political maneuvering and military campaigning to persuade The Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad to permanently move his episcopal seat of power to House Vojvodin’s new capital of Bolshoi, Vasily Ivanovitch has made a point out of stressing the ecclesiastical policy of “Caesaropatriarchy” originally brokered between Vasily Vojvodin and Saint Enoch the Sufferer as The First Metropolitan Patriarch of Augustgrad. Where the both the ecclesiastical and monastic interests of The Church of The Old Gods in Rus’kaya are virtually and effectively subordinated to, or otherwise made wholly dependent on the state interests of The Princes of Rus’kaya from House Vojvodin. As both Saint Enoch the Sufferer as well as his clerical and lay followers became supremely reliant on the military and political power and authority of the Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin to be their official defender, guarantor, and champion in their mission to proselytize The One True Faith of The Old Gods to the Gospodar and Moravian tribes autochthonous to The Vylkova Badlands after their formal expulsion from The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Empire of Mankind Primus during and after the turbulent years of “The Enochian Heresy.” With the subsequent drafting of the Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy of The Holy Canons of The New Gods officially formalized and decreed under the religious reforms of The Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great.” The Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin had only and finally agreed to formally convert to The Faith of The Old Gods on behalf of his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects under the conditions that Saint Enoch the Sufferer and his Church of The Old Gods in Rus’kaya use their spiritual, cultural, and moral power, authority, and influence to essentially “bolster,” “reinforce,” or otherwise “legitimize” the secular, worldly, and temporal power and authority of Vasily Vojvodin in the eyes of his newly conquered and converted Gospodar and Moravian subjects based within The Vylkova Badlands as the single greatest defender, guarantor, and champion of The Faith of The Old Gods as the one true religion in The Known World.

In order to help him win the political, military, and financial support of the “boyar” and “dvoryantsvo” aristocrats and nobles who both paid homage to him as feudal vassals over their petty principalities, as well as dominated the bulk and core of his domestic, household, heavy cavalry armies armoured in scale mail and brigandine as well as those paying direct homage and military service to his feudal vassals. Vasily Ivanovitch as “The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya” and “The Current head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi” has promised to award hereditary enfeoffment to both “dynastic scions” and “legitimate issues” of junior and cadet branches of House Vojvodin, as well as dynastic scions and legitimate issues of other prominent, princely, “great houses” of boyar and dvoryantsvo aristocrats and nobles over any petty principalities officially established from territories annexed from the petty khanates of The Kara-Khitai Horde, while also rewarding boyar and dvoryantsvo heavy cavalrymen with the most arable lands and estates officially confiscated from the annexed territories of The Kara-Khitai Horde. By promising to reward the boyar and dvoryantsvo nobles and aristocrats with fiefs, lands, and estates taken from the Kara-Khitai petty khanates, Vasily IV as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi hopes to both distract his feudal vassals amongst the petty principalities of Rus’kaya from their petty warring and political feuding, while also harnessing the military might and aggressive inhibitions and tendencies of his domestic, household, heavy cavalry armies of boyar and dvoryantsvo nobles and aristocrats armoured in scale mail and brigadine, as well as those paying direct homage and military service to his feudal vassals against the common enemy of The Kara-Khitai Horde. By using the military might and the force-of-arms of the heavily armoured and mounted boyar and dvoryantsvo nobles and aristocrats to retake any Rus’kayan territories long lost since The Kara-Khitai Invasion originally orchestrated under the brilliant, ruthless, and cunning leadership of Temujin Khagan, Vasily IV hopes to both restore the high-ranking ecclesiastical and monastic offices of the clergy of The Church of The Old Gods that had long fallen under the influence and the protection of The Kara-Khitai Horde to the ecclesiastical leadership of The Church of The Old Gods in Rus’kaya, as well as win their spiritual, cultural, and moral support and favour as the official and greatest worldly defender, guarantor, and champion of The Faith of The Old Gods as the one true religion in The Known World. Demetrius of Pereslavl, “the igumen” or “the grand abbot” of the fortress monastery of Pereslavl and one of the single, most respected theologians and religious authorities within the entirety and the enormity of The Faith of The Old Gods officially penned to Vasily Ivanovitch in a letter presented to him upon his formal coronation as The Second and Reigning Tsar of Rus’kaya and The Current Head of House Vojvodin of Bolshoi that his official seat of power in Bolshoi would be “The Third Romulus.” Stating within his elaborately gilded, ornamented, and watermarked letter that “Romulus as the original seat of The Faith of The Old Gods since the days of Augustinian Regulus as The First Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind had essentially fallen to the heresy and the blasphemy of The Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind Cassadorian the Great and his Faith of The New Gods. While the bishopric city of Augustgrad as The Second Romulus since the formal conversion of the Gospodar warchief Vasily Vojvodin and his subsequent coronation as The First Prince of Rus’skaya, as well as the historic and traditional seat of power of House Vojvodin had capitulated before the awful might and terror of Temujin Khagan and his heathen warbands of Kara-Khitai horse nomads. But with the effective unification of the petty princes of Rus’kaya under his sovereign and legitimate rule, Bolshoi as the seat of power of The Grand Princes and Tsars of Rus’kaya from the most cardinal branch of House Vojvodin would finally serve as The Third Romulus as both the shining beacon and the beating heart of The Faith of The Old Gods spiritual, cultural, and moral power and authority as the one true faith in The Known World.”

[lepreuxchevalier]

Some illustrations of pike-and-shotte infantry and gunpowder-based, siege artillery that I have officially designed for “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “House Biermann of The Margraviate of Brannenborg,” the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper.” Both these artworks and their associated “faction iconography” were officially designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to European History during the compounded advents of The Italian Renaissance, The Protestant Reformation, and The Discovery of America. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic and noble knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And Where fledgling nation-states in the form of both kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of exotic riches and virgin lands. In context to the canon lore of my “homebrew” medieval fantasy world, “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “House Biermann of The Margraviate of Brannenborg” is the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Prince-Electors” or “Kurfürsten” within The Imperial College of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “The Empire of Mankind Secundus.” “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” or “The Margraviate of Brannenborg” is loosely inspired by “The Mark Brandenburg” or “The Electorate of Brandenburg” within “The Holy Roman Empire” during the Medieval and the Early Modern periods of European history. “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” is at once the newest, and the most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper, or “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit.” As well as the newest secular, hereditary “electoral principality” or “Kurfürstentum” within The Empire of Mankind since the official appointment of Markgraf Friedrich II Von Biermann to The Imperial College during The Electoral Reforms of Emperor Vespasian VII as the 96th Emperor-Elect of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Over 150 years prior to the contemporary events of my medieval fantasy setting, the lands of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” was originally part of “The Former Kingdom of The Midlands” under “The Late House Bartholemew” before the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of their dynastic household and the subsequent collapse of their hereditary state. As the territorial part of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands most heavily afflicted by the wholesale peasant uprisings agitated by the religious indoctrination and the systematic, mass conversion of the local populace by the hut shamans hailing from “Erdøk,” or “The Great Forest” directly east of The Empire of Mankind Proper. The illegitimate son and the heir apparent to the last King of The Midlands born to House Bartholemew originally pawned, and then permanently transferred the future lands of “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” to “The Imperial Household,” the direct descendants of Prinz Heinrich von Nymphenburg as The First Crowned Imperator of The Empire of Mankind Secundus, as well as the hereditary, dynastic, “great house” of “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” for “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne,” in order to fund his equally desperate and futile war effort against the recalcitrant great houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility in The Former Kingdom of The Midlands. Who had universally rejected his lawful and legitimate succession to The Former Kingdom of The Midlands due to his birth as an illegitimate issue to the last King of The Midlands from The Late House Bartholemew. Due to it’s polar, geographic distance and territorial dislocation from “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” as the hereditary, dynastic lands of “The Imperial Household” or “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt,” as well as it’s constant affliction by the wholesale peasant uprisings agitated by both the religious indoctrination and the systematic, mass conversion efforts of the local populace by the hut shamans indigenous to “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Friedrich Biermann, one of the most seasoned, battle-hardened generals within “The Imperial Army” mostly levied, and later conscripted from the hereditary, dynastic lands of “The Imperial Household” seated at “Nymphenburg.” As well as one of the few commoners within the recorded history of The Imperial Army to be promoted to an office of military command by sheer virtue of merit, was officially awarded hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment over “The Southern Imperial March” or “Die Sudetenmark” for his years of meritorious service as a domestic, household general in service to The Imperial Army. As the local populace of The Southern Imperial March or “Die Sudetenmark” were longtime apostates from The Conservative Church of The New Gods who would never acknowledge the newly enfeoffed and anointed “Friedrich Von Biermann” as their liege lord and princeps. Friedrich Von Biermann as “Der Markgraf Der Sudetenmark” officially petitioned to Archpatriarch Cassadorian XIV seated at The Holy Sept of Romulus to prosecute an “errantry war” or a “great crusade” against the religious apostates of Die Sudetenmark, who were largely religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” Manfred Von Lichtenstein, Bishop-Prince of Garyalburg, one of the three ecclesiastical, invested, “prince-electors” or “Kurfürsten” of The Empire of Mankind Proper and Archpatrichal Legate to Cassadorian XIV for this new “Albic Crusade,” officially preached and prosecuted “The Albic Crusade” at a holy synod of Bishop-Princes and Grand Abbots at Die Universität Wörtzburch in Das Herzogtum Solingen, one of the leading centres of church-sanctioned, academic research on both The Canon Theology of The New Gods, as well as Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence north of The Olympian Mountain Valley. In addition to the retinues of crusading, aristocratic and noble knights and the peasant levies hailing from the multitude, or the plethora of minor “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” states as well as the constituent states of “The Borderlands Confederacy” directly south of “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg.” This “Albic Crusade” was generally only heeded by a minority of the baronial magnates from Das Herzogtum Solingen as the native, electoral principality of Markgraf Friedrich Von Biermann’s birth and origin before his formal enlistment into The Imperial Army based in “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg,” as well as their domestic, household retinues of aristocratic, noble knights and their feudal levies of men-at-arms. Knowing that the odds were still highly unfavourable towards Friedrich Von Biermann as the titular “Markgraf Der Sudetenmark” leading at the forefront of The Albic Crusade, despite it’s formal and official preaching and prosecution by Manfred Von Lichtenstein at The Holy Synod of Die Universität Wörtzburch as Bishop-Prince of Garyalburg and Archpatriarchal Legate to Cassadorian XIV. Maximillian IV as the 94th Emperor-Elect of The Empire of Mankind Secundus and the hereditary, dynastic, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” for “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” offered to permanently transfer to Friedrich Von Biermann fulltime command over a mighty host of professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues in return for acceding to an official “Imperial Act of Incorporation.” Where Friedrich Von Biermann and all his hereditary, dynastic successors as “Die Margrafen Der Sudetenmark” would both acknowledge the feudal, hereditary, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” of “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” and the dynastic patriarch of The Imperial Household as their liege lords and suzerains for “Die Sudetenmark,” unconditional to their formal election as the preferential candidates for the title of Emperor-Elect of Mankind. As well as subsequently incorporating Hohenbiermann’s hereditary lands of Die Sudetenmark as the newest, and perhaps most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper. Bolstered with permanent, fulltime command over a mighty host of professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues hailing from “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne” in joint partnership with Bishop-Prince Manfred Von Lichtenstein as “Archpatriarchal Legate,” or the pontifical representative to the person of Cassadorian XIV as “The 269th Bishop of Romulus” and “The Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” for this “Albic Crusade” formally preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk.” The Albic Crusade had concluded in overwhelming triumph for both Markgraf Friedrich Von Biermann and the crusaders with the final conquest of the greatest Erdøki cultist stronghold of “Brenna.” With the stunning and the official conclusion of The Albic Crusade at The Siege of Brenna, The castletown of Brenna as the final and greatest site of Erdøki cultist resistance was formally consecrated by Bishop-Prince Manfred von Lichtenstein as The Archbishopric of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel. Where Manfred Von Lichtenstein was formally invested, with Archpatriarch Cassadorian XIV’s explicit blessing, the awesome and prestigious ecclesiastical office of Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg in order to facilitate the systematic, mass conversion of the apostate, Albic tribes autochthonous to Die Sudetenmark back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated in The Holy Sept of Romulus as the civilizational kernel, historic capital, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” Friedrich Von Biermann as the first and only “Markgraf der Sudetenmark” would thus subsequently rule from the newly consecrated Archbishopric of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel, or the former Erdøki castletown of “Brenna,” as his official seat of power. formally restyling himself as “Der erster und herrshend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann.” With the next two and a half decades spent as “Der erster und herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann,” Friedrich I Von Biermann would award hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment to the most arable lands, titles, and estates that had not been previously claimed as the official property of The Conservative Church of The New Gods first and foremost to the conquering, crusading knights directly involved in The Albic Crusade, and secondly to the regimental colonels of the former Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments who had distinguished themselves with meritorious service, valour, and skill at arms. This new class of landed, hereditary, feudal aristocracy and nobility, or “junkers,” would come to “characterize,” or otherwise “engender” the entirety of the reign of Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann with a significant degree of military fortification in the form of stone castles and city walls in order to protect both themselves and their loyal subjects against the outrage and the predations of the apostate, Albic tribes, who had both stubbornly resisted, as well as deeply resented their forced, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods. These “great houses” of “junker” princeps and magnates, paying feudal homage to “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” would collectively facilitate the gradual and effective resettlement of skilled, moneyed, and educated settlers and immigrants hailing from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Most notably into the newly established castles and fortified cities established directly by Friedrich I Von Biermann as Der erster und herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann, as well as any castles and fortified cities constructed under the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility paying feudal homage to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. The culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants settling within these newly established castles and fortified cities, as well as the most lucrative and arable rural estates of attached countryside, would form base of commercial, industrial, cultural, and scholastic life in the new “Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” in the form of the urban “burghers” or bourgeoisie, merchants, artisans, and professionals, as well as the rural “kollmers” or country gentlemen. The gradual and effective resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” settlers and immigrants into the newly established castles and fortified cities of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and the rural estates of their attached countryside, as well as the systematic, mass conversion efforts with the subsequent and complimentary cultural assimilation of the autochthonous, apostate, Albic tribes by the culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy, with their traditional monopoly over knowledge, learning, and education in general, would characterize “The Sudsiedlung” in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as the last, and undoubtably the most reluctant, constituent member state and territorial addition to be officially incorporated into The Empire of Mankind Secundus. “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” alongside neighboring “Königreich Middenland” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Proper well over a century after the stunning and final conclusion of The Albic Crusade at The Siege of Brenna, would collectively form “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten.” A “Teutogen” or “Southern Austere” cultural and linguistic bloc born of the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades,” or the religious warfare and the territorial conquests of the lands of the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Bastion” across the easternmost frontiers of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich Der Menscheit” or “The Empire of Mankind Proper,” and “The Sudsiedlung,” or the gradual and effective resettlement of settlers and immigrants from the “Austere” or the “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind Secundus with the synonymous, complimentary, and systematic, mass conversion and the thorough cultural assimilation of the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk.” As implied by both it’s historic and it’s present strategic value as the last, and undoubtably the most reluctant, constituent member state of and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Secundus through Emperor Maximillian IV’s “Imperial Act of Incorporation” officially brokered with Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann in return for his military contributions in both manpower and resources against the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to “Die Sudetenmark” during The Albic Crusade. “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” since the historic reforming of “Die Sudetenmark” around the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel over the site of the former Erdøki castletown of Brenna, has been deprecated by both nobles and plebeians alike throughout the entirety of The Empire of Mankind as “The Imperial Sandbox.” Such an epithet implying the generally meagre, base economic and industrial yield and value that has come to characterize Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg ever since Markgraf Friedrich I Von Biermann had finally asserted his de jure rule over the region with The Albic Crusade and the subsequent and complimentary “Sudsiedlung.” Long before the final collapse of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands beginning with the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of The Late House Bartholemew. The lands of the future “Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” were already characterized by an overabundance of swamps, marshes, and thick, wild, impenetrable forests. What little economy, industry, material culture, and infrastructure that had previously existed within the region had largely been ecologically “reclaimed” by the Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest.” With Friedrich I Von Biermann’s de jure assumption of power and authority over the region, any apostate, Albic tribes who had both violently and openly resisted their systematic, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods by the culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” clergy had faced systematic, mass genocide at the hands of both the fledgling, yet highly competent professional army of Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, as well as the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly retinues and men-at-arms regiments paying military service and direct homage to the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility. This equally stubborn and violent resistance put up by the Albic natives religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of Erdøk would subsequently and consequently result in a significant depopulation of their number in the region by either the professional, armed forces paying direct homage and military service to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, themselves, or the feudal, aristocratic levies of knightly, heavy cavalry and men-at-arms regiments paying direct homage and military service to the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocrats and nobles paying feudal homage to Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as their liege lords and Imperial Princeps. Friedrich II Von Biermann as the second Markgraf von Brannenborg born to Hohenbiermann had only and finally achieved official appointment for Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg into The Imperial College as the newest of the four secular, hereditary “Kurfürsten Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper” as a reward for acceding to the obligatory call to arms by his unconditional feudal overlord and suzerain Vespasian VII against the official partisans of his political and military opposition for his lawful and legitimate election as the 96th Emperor-Elect of Mankind. Under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrshend Markgraf von Bannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” has the fortunes of Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg changed exponentially for the better. With the advent of the theological reforms to the religious establishment of, and the institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated within The Holy Sept of Romulus as the civilizational kernel, historic capital, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” formally preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch as one of the leading centers of church-sanctioned, academic research on The Canon Theology of The New Gods and Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence north of The Olympian Mountain Valley, as well as the original site of the church-sanctioned preaching and prosecution of The Albic Crusade by Bishop-Prince Manfred Von Lichtenstein at The Holy Synod of Wörtzburch. Has Albrecht Von Biermann taken the opportunity to confiscate the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and the monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had both openly resisted and protested against the formal renunciation of his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus in order to enrich both the state coffers of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg,” as well as any aristocratic, noble, “great houses” of “junker” princeps and magnates in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg personally sympathetic to the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg. Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannnenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” had formally decreed state legislation to officially renounce the old, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods originally formalized and decreed under the religious reforms traditionally attributed to The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great” in favour of “The Luxembourgian Reformation” with it’s theological emphasis on both the vernacular translations and the strict, universal interpretation of The Holy Canons of The New Gods by all social classes outside the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy and the feudal aristocracy and nobility. With Albrecht Von Biermann’s legislative decree to officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects, has Albrecht Von Biermann officially become both the second hereditary, dynastic ruler in both the recorded histories and the geographic expanse of “The Known World” after Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Proper, as well as the first hereditary, dynastic, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnate” to formally and officially annul his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” With Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg’s spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus formally annulled, has Albrecht Von Biermann finally assumed supreme authority over matters of religion in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. And in the process making himself the effective and virtual “Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.” As a direct consequence of his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion, as well as the formal renunciation of his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus, has Albrecht Von Biermann effectively endowed himself with full control over the state investiture of new bishops and abbots for “The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.” Including state investiture over the venerable and prestigious ecclesiastical office of “Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel” since it’s original establishment with the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel over last and greatest Erdøki cultist stronghold of “Brenna” by Manfred Von Lichtenstein as it’s Seminal Bishop-Patriarch. In addition to his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, as well as his systematic confiscation of the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods who had openly refused to submit before the formal renunciation of his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus. Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” has actively pursued an extraimperial personal union with “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” based uniquely beyond the southernmost frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Using their shared background as the earliest religious converts to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg to the religious establishment of, and institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods officially seated at The Holy Sept of Romulus as the historic capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both the Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus.” As well as his paternal, dynastic ties to Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” originally established through the marriage of the younger sister of his late father and predecessor Markgraf Friedrich-Albrecht Von Biermann to “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” shortly after the stunning and official conclusion of The Midlands Crusade with the climactic “Battle of The Godswoods” as “the pretext,” or otherwise “the rationale” for a prospective personal union. Has Albrecht Von Biermann actively pursued the agenda of merging Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg with Das Königreich Middenland into an extraimperial composite state united by their shared heritage as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten,” or cultures and states born of the subsequent and complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung.” As well as their shared background as the earliest religious converts to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological treatises of Karl Von Luxembourg questioning both the spiritual and cultural legitimacy and moral infallibility of “The Bishop of Romulus” or “The Archpatriarch” as well as his spiritual, cultural, and moral power and authority as “The Last of The Classical Pontiffs,” or the sole, anointed representative to The Entire Canon Pantheon of The New Gods in the world. Within the subsequent “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel” officially brokered between the state-sanctioned, court representatives of “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” and “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland,” respectively. Has Albrecht Von Biermann as “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan chef von Hohenbiermann,” secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit,” and nephew to Friedrich I offered to establish mutual heredity between Hohenbiermann and Hohenrotbart for both Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg and Das Königreich Middenland, should either dynastic house officially grow extinct through the male bloodline. Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland,” “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” and paternal uncle to Albrecht Von Biermann, in direct response to his nephew’s introductory proposition, elaborated upon the opening proposition. Only agreeing to the outlined terms under the conditions that Das Königreich Middenland never be incorporated into The Empire of Mankind Proper as both a constituent, member state and a territorial addition. As Imperial law had officially “restricted,” or otherwise “excluded” all constituent, member states outside “Hohenluxembourg Des Königreich Schönbrunn” and “the hereditary state” and “the dynastic house” of the Emperor-Elect, himself from endowing the reigning patriarch of their dynastic household with royal titles. That Albrecht Von Biermann and all of his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods by the time of their formal inheritance to Das Königreich Middenland from the then extinct, male bloodline of Hohenrotbart. So as to simultaneously protect and preserve the religious liberties of all subscribers to The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland, while also encouraging both the spread and the proliferation of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. And that Albrecht Von Biermann and all of his prospective successors as “Die Markgrafen von Brannenborg” officially serve as both regents and godfathers to Friedrich I’s infant son Kronprinz Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart in the event and the occasion of his untimely passing. As Friedrich I as Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart had only and finally succeeded in producing a surviving male heir by his late 70′s. Albrecht Von Biermann, in response to his paternal uncle’s diplomatic elaborations, both sweetened and concluded the subsequent and complimentary “Treaties of Marienburg and Brannnenborg-An-Der-Havel.” Outlining within his ultimatum the final condition that Friedrich I and all of his prospective successors as “Die Könige von Middenland” officially hold the title of “Der Markgraf von Brannenborg” plurally with the title of “Der König von Middenland” upon inheriting Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg from the then extinct, male bloodline of Hohenbiermann. As opposed to incorporating Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg as a constituent province of Das Königreich Middenland uniquely situated within the southernmost frontiers of “Das Selbst Kaiserreich der Mensceit,” so as to simultaneously preserve and retain the awesome power, authority, and privilege traditionally associated with the title of secular, hereditary “Kurfürst des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” that had been both traditionally, and synonymously tied with the hereditary, dynastic title of “Der Markgraf von Brannenborg” since The Electoral Reforms of Vespasian VII as the 96th and official Emperor-Elect of Mankind. With this diplomatic agenda of finally merging Das Königreich Middenland and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg into an extraimperial composite state based on their shared heritage as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” “Die Teutogenstaaten,” or “Die Sudentscheidenstaaten” born of the subsequent and the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and “The Sudsiedlung,” as well as their shared background as the earliest religious converts to the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg to the religious establishment of, and institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods. Albrecht Von Biermann actively pursues the dynastic ambition of acquiring hereditary, dynastic control over lands, armies, and wealth for his dynastic household that is virtually and effectively beyond the power, authority, influence, and jurisdiction of “Der Kaiserliche Haushalt” or “The Imperial Household” officially seated in “Der Reichstaat” or “The Imperial Demesne,” known colloquially as “Nymphenburg.” While also finally breaking away from his ancestral obligations of unconditional feudal homage to The Imperial Household seated at distant Nymphenburg in return for their historic military contributions in both manpower and resources officially granted to “Der erster und herrschend Markgraf Der Sudetenmark und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann” for his church-sanctioned crusade against the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to Die Sudetenmark that formed from the northernmost part of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands under The Late House Bartholemew. In terms of both the hereditary, dynastic military traditions of Hohenbiermann in particular, as well as the culturally ingrained, provincial, military traditions of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg in general. Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Die Markgrafen von Hohenbiermann arguably possesses the single, most competent, professional military of any constituent, member state within The Empire of Mankind Secundus. Despite it’s official status as the last, and arguably the most reluctant, constituent member state of, and territorial addition to The Empire of Mankind Proper. Linear descendants of the military traditions of the professional, Imperial Army men-at-arms regiments and knightly retinues permanently transferred to the fulltime military command and the direct supervision of Friedrich I Von Biermann in order to bolster his gradual and eventual pacification of the apostate, Albic tribes indigenous to “Die Sudetenmark” during, and in the wake of “The Albic Crusade.” And steeled by many decades of quasi-perpetual warfare against the apostate, Albic tribes who had both violently resisted and openly protested against their systematic persecution and the legislative marginalization of their religious liberties at the hands of a culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy. Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Die Markgrafen von Hohenbiermann possesses a highly formidable, professional, disciplined, and skilled-at-arms corps of elite pike-and-shotte infantry regiments. One whose professional quality and numeric quantity are both significantly disproportionate to the meagre, base economic and industrial yield and value of Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg. With the sudden, recalcitrant uprising of over half of the princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocrats and nobles who had both openly resisted and violently protested against Albrecht Von Biermann’s legislative decree for his official conversion to The Luxembourgian Reformation on behalf of both his dynastic household and his hereditary subjects, as well as the subsequential and consequential annulment of his spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus. Most notably the formidable, provincial power and authority of the junker princeps and magnates of “Hohenlictenstein” as the hereditary, dynastic household of Bishop-Patriarch Manfred Von Lichtenstein as the church-sanctioned, Archpatriarchal Legate to the person of Cassadorian XIV for The Albic Crusade, as well as The Seminal Bishop-Patriarch of Brannenborg-An-Der-Havel. Has Albrecht Von Biermann officially responded to the political, religious, and military opposition for his formal assumption of supreme authority over matters of religion as “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” by investing a significant portion of his state treasury into the latest technological advancements made in the novel design of gunpowder-based, siege artillery in order to effectively nullify the formal opposition of both the recalcitrant, princely, “great houses” of “junker” aristocracy and nobility, as well as any burgher and kollmer enclaves openly opposed and resistant to The Luxembourgian Reformation, by reducing their respective castles and fortified cities to ash and rubble.

[lepreuxchevalier]

My latest illustration of a knight I retouched to feature the signature colours and faction iconography of “House Lyonheart,” the ruling, dynastic house of “The Kingdom of Albion” in my low-fantasy setting. Both this artwork and it’s associated faction iconography were designed for a low-fantasy world of my original conception, with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods of European history. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both sumptuous country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in artillery design. And where fledgling nation-states in the form of both kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of the known world in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, “House Lyonheart” is the reigning, dynastic house of “The Kingdom of Albion.” An island kingdom loosely inspired by late medieval and early modern England under the Lancaster, Tudor, and Stuart kings, while also drawing fictional sources of inspiration from “Ulthuan,” or the land of the “Asur” or “High Elves” from Warhammer Fantasy as well as “The Kingdom of The Westerlands” under House Lannister in Game of Thrones. “The Kingdom of Albion,” under the hereditary, dynastic rule of the kings of “House Lyonheart,” practices a limited from of consensual government known as “constitutional monarchy.” An unusual form of monarchy where the military, executive, legislative, and fiscal power and authority of the Kings of Albion from House Lyonheart are limited by the constitutional “rule of law,” ultimately derived from the voluminous bodies of “Albionic Common Law” and governed by the constitutional mandates of “The Magna Rhetra” as well as thoroughly regulated by a bicameral legislative body known as “parliament.” Albionic Parliament as the chief, national, legislative body of The Kingdom of Albion consists of an upper “House of Lords” containing official representatives of the greater and lesser dynastic houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility within The Kingdom of Albion, as well as high-ranking ecclesiastical and monastic offices of “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” as the official, state religion of The Kingdom of Albion, as well as a lower “House of Commons,” containing elected representatives of the country gentlemen, the bourgeoisie, and the merchant guilds within The Kingdom of Albion. “The House of Lords” as the senior, upper legislative house of Albionic Parliament was officially formed in the aftermath of a baronial revolt against Edward Shortsword as the 31st King of Albion and Head of House Lyonheart following his calamitous and failed “Wars of Aquitanian Succession” to usurp Maison Williamson as the reigning, dynastic house of Aquitanian Monarchs, alongside the subsequent drafting of “The Magna Rhetra” as a codified constitution governing the voluminous bodies of “Albionic Common Law” that were first codified and implemented by Albionic court scribes and clergymen under the reign of “Artorius the Lyonhearted” as the culturally Southern Aquitanian son and heir apparent to “Hengist Skullsmasher,” The First King of Albion and The Founding Head of House Lyonheart. “The House of Commons” as the lower, junior legislative house of Albionic Parliament, by contrast, was officially formed during the reign of Robert III as the 40th and late King of Albion and the former head of House Lyonheart in the wake of a massive peasant uprising agitated by over 10 years of brutal taxation to repay the extortionate king’s ransom imposed on Robert III by the court representatives of Maison Williamson as the reigning, dynastic household of Aquitanian Monarchs following his capture by the forces of Prince Tancred Williamson, Duc de Chambord in The Battle of Tourangeau, and the subsequent drafting of “The Treaty of Fontainebleau” officially concluding the last Albionic invasion of Le Royaume d’Aquitaine. The Kingdom of Albion’s system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary legislature is a truly unique and exclusive model of government and society in a world where all monarchs and hereditary, dynastic princes based on the continental mainland of “The Civilized World” aspire to the example of “Maison Williamson du Royaume d’Aquitaine” as the “paragon,” “exemplar,” “ideal,” or otherwise “model” of a strong, powerful, prestigious, prolific, and illustrious “absolute monarchy.” A model of absolute monarchy that is distinctly characterized by a combination of their ancient, carefully cultivated and manicured political and religious alliance forged with “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” based in The Holy Sept of Romulus as the former capital, civilizational kernel, and titular namesake of both The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” that once dominated the vast majority of “The Known World” during the long forgotten epoch of “Classical Antiquity.” The superimposition of “The Aquitanian Parlements,” or “royal law courts,” over the provincial jurisdiction of both the feudal, aristocratic, legal traditions and customs of Northern Aquitaine, which collectively descend from the synthesis of Teutogen Tribal Customs with Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan legal traditions and jurisprudence, as well as the old, Classical Romulan law codes of Southern Aquitaine. With both forms of Regional Aquitanian Law being ultimately left over from the closing centuries of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan “Empire of Mankind Primus” and it’s gradual, eventual collapse at the hands of Teutogen, Norscan, and Moravian tribal invaders during the twilight of “Classical Antiquity” in the long and storied, recorded histories of “The Civilized World.” And the creation of The Civilized World’s first national, professional, state-funded, “royal” army since the historic mass mutiny and the consequent, official dissolution of The Romulan Legions of Classical Antiquity under the Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Demetrius Superbus” as the Classical Romulan Imperator who first prescribed “The Faith of The New Gods” based on the old, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy originally formalized and decreed in the theological reforms traditionally attributed to the Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great” as the official “state religion” of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan “Empire of Mankind Primus.” His official founding of “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” as an administrative institution, or “organ,” within the civil magistracy of The Classical Romulan Empire of Mankind, and his equally historical and infamous “land donation” with the consequent consecration and the construction of the first “Holy Sept” in Romulus. The Kingdom of Aquitaine’s national, professional, state-funded, “royal army” was created using the administrative, legislative, and fiscal power and support of “The Aquitanian Parlements,” or “royal law courts,” at the expense of the feudal, private, aristocratic levies of Le Royaume d’Aquitaine’s “great houses” of “feudal princeps” or “feudal magnates.” Although officially subscribed to “The Conservative Church of The New Gods” based on the old, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy originally formalized and decreed under the Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Cassadorian the Great” during his “Cassadorian Reforms,” and officially seated within “The Holy Sept” of the old capital, civilizational nucleus, and titular namesake of The Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Republic and “The Empire of Mankind Primus” since the original founding of The Conservative Church of The New Gods as an administrative institution, or “organ” within the Classical Romulan civil magistracy by the Classical Romulan Imperator of Mankind “Demetrius Superbus.” The Kingdom of Albion under the hereditary reign of Edmund IV as The 41st and Reigning King of Albion and The Current Head of House Lyonheart has officially opened The Kingdom of Albion’s borders to religious asylum for any religious subscribers to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg, a learned doctor of theology based at The University of Wörtzburch within The Empire of Mankind Proper, as well as the former heir apparent and the official head of “Hohenluxembourg Des Königreich Schönbrunn.” The only hereditary monarchy within The Empire of Mankind Secundus besides “the hereditary state” and “the dynastic house” of The Emperor-Elect, himself. As well as religious subscribers to any of The “Dissenter” Faiths of The New Gods ideologically descended from “The Dissenter Theology” of the Aquitanian vagabond Cassyon Dufresne, a more radical theological reformer officially seated in The Cathedral of Les Œillets in “The Borderlands Confederacy” of culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” states strategically situated between “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg” as the hereditary state of “The Imperial Household.” “The Exclusive” or otherwise “the preferential” candidates for the formal elections for the title of “Emperor of Mankind,” and “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” under “Hohenbiermann.” The last, and arguably the most reluctant constituent member state and hereditary, dynastic, “great house” of “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” within The Empire of Mankind Proper since the stunning and final conclusion of “The Albic Crusade” waged against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic, cult worship of “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest” east of The Empire of Mankind Proper and indigenous to “The Southern Imperial March” or “Die Sudetenmark.” The climactic “Siege of Brenna,” and the consequential, de jure installment of the great Imperial general Friedrich Biermann as “Der erster Markgraf von Brannenborg und Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann” over the lands originally pawned and then permanently transferred by the illegitimate issue of The Late House Bartholemew as The Last King of The Midlands to “The Imperial Household” as the hereditary, “Imperial Princeps” or “Imperial Magnates” for “Der Reichstaat” or “Nymphenburg.” Despite officially opening The Kingdom of Albion’s borders to religious asylum for any religious subscribers to the multitude, or the plethora of “Reformed” and “Dissenter” churches of The New Gods fleeing religious persecution and marginalization at the hands of religiously Conservative monarchs and aristocrats. The fourteen year old Edmund IV had already been officially proclaimed as “The Defender of The Faith” by the elderly and ailing Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as “The 299th and Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” for his written thesis’ openly condemning the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg as the titular “Great Reformer” to the religious establishment of, and the institutions of organized religion within The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as Edmund IV’s own maternal grandfather Friedrich I, “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” and his older cousin Albrecht Von Biermann, “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” and secular, hereditary “Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” for their combined actions in both forcibly and unlawfully confiscating the lands, property, and treasuries of any ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods based within Das Königreich Middenland and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, respectively, for openly refusing to submit before the formal renunciation of their spiritual ties of fealty to The Holy Sept in Romulus as the first and second hereditary, dynastic rulers in both the recorded histories and the geographic enormity of “The Known World” to formally decree state legislation to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” on behalf of both their houses and their subjects. The Kingdom of Albion’s unique and exclusive model of “constitutional monarchy” and “parliamentary legislature,” although severely limiting the military, executive, legislative, fiscal, and religious ambitions of House Lyonheart as the reigning dynasty of Kings of Albion. Especially by contrast to the aspiring absolute monarchies and aristocracies based on the continental mainland of “The Civilized World.” The hereditary subjects to The Kings of Albion from House Lyonheart are unironically exempt from all the extortionate taxation and brutal economic recessions that inherently coincide with the perpetual warfare, cutthroat political intrigues, and brutal religious upheaval that characterize daily life on the continental mainland of The Civilized World. With Albionic Parliament’s persistence on consistently vetoing any taxation officially levied by state representatives of the crown in order to fuel House Lyonheart’s continental ambitions. Edmund IV as The 41st and Reigning King of Albion and The Current Head of House Lyonheart has used the legal restrictions imposed upon him by the constitutional mandates of The Magna Rhetra and Albionic Parliament to conceive of a policy of overseas colonialism and maritime trade. By granting “letters of marque” or “colonial charters” to “trade companies” of merchants, traders, and professionals willing to invest their own capital in order to found and develop colonies and territories in overseas trade theatres, Edmund IV, as The 41st and Reigning King of Albion and The Current Head of House Lyonheart has essentially developed a far more efficient, or otherwise effective alternative policy to pursing House Lyonheart’s traditional, historic military and territorial ambitions against the monarchs and princes based on the continental mainland of “The Civilized World.” A policy that Albionic Parliament, and above all the country gentlemen, bourgeoisie, and merchant guilds collectively represented within the lower, junior “House of Commons” are far more willing to support as the chief, national, legislative body of The Kingdom of Albion. These “letters of marque” or “colonial charters,” as officially granted by Edmund IV as The 41st and Reigning King of Albion and The Current Head of House Lyonheart would essentially grant “trade companies” of merchants, traders, and professionals legally exclusive monopolies in overseas trade theatres to found and develop overseas colonies and territories in order to facilitate maritime trade back with The Kingdom of Albion, while also being granted a significant degree of political and military autonomy over any acquired and developed overseas colonial territories. Amongst the largest, most lucrative overseas colonial possessions officially founded and developed by The Kingdom of Albion’s and House Lyonheart’s “trade companies” include “New Albion” under “The King’s Landing Trade Company,” as well as “Arcadia” under “The World’s End Trade Company.” To secure the lucrative trade established between any overseas colonies and territories officially founded and developed by his majesty’s “trade companies” with The Kingdom of Albion, Edmund IV as The 41st and Reigning King of Albion and The Current Head of House Lyonheart has diverted most of the annual, national, state budget for The Kingdom of Albion’s traditionally strong, standing military in favour of founding and developing a national, professional, state-funded, “royal” navy, in contradiction to the traditional and historical policies of all Kings of Albion before him. Edmund IV has also “subsidized,” or otherwise “invested in” local merchant guilds devoted to the construction of ships and the production of maritime goods and resources on an industrial scale to give both his growing professional navy and his trade companies the necessary assets they need in order to both secure and facilitate the lucrative trade established between any acquired and developed overseas colonies and territories with The Kingdom of Albion, itself. Despite, or rather because of Edmund IV’s policy of overseas colonialism and maritime trade, as well as the necessity of both financing and developing a growing professional navy at the expense of The Kingdom of Albion’s traditionally strong, standing army. Specifically for the purpose of securing any maritime trade lanes officially established between The Kingdom of Albion with it’s multitude, or plethora of overseas colonial possessions. The Kingdom of Albion under the hereditary, dynastic reign of House Lyonheart oddly continues to employ peasant levies of billmen and longbowmen in an age where both the continental, mainland states of “The Civilized World,” as well as their reigning, dynastic houses of monarchs and aristocratic princes have moved on to employing professional regiments of pikemen and matchlock musketeers as the line, core, and bulk of their campaigning armies. However, in likeness to the continental states based on the mainland of “The Civilized World,” as well as the reigning, dynastic houses that rule them. The Kingdom of Albion under the hereditary, dynastic rule of House Lyonheart has successfully outsourced it’s antiquated arsenal of classical and feudal-style windlass artillery pieces such as ballistae, catapults, trebuchets, mangonels, and onagers with the more novel, yet far more potent and brutally efficient gunpowder-based, siege artillery pieces such as bombards, culverins, mortars, chambered demi-cannons, and even the dreaded “basilisks.” Despite the seemingly antiquated military technology and tactics employed by the infantry regiments serving both House Lyonheart in particular, and The Kingdom of Albion in general. The peasant levies of billmen and longbowmen indigenous to The Kingdom of Albion more often than not rival, if not occasionally outperform the more modern, professional, pike-and-shotte infantry regiments employed by both the continental powers of The Civilized World and the reigning, dynastic houses that rule them. Most notably those employed by “Maison Williamson du Royaume d’Aquitaine,” as well as “Die Sudkreuzritterstaaten,” or “The Teutogen” or “Southern Austere” cultural and linguistic bloc of hereditary, dynastic states such as “Hohenrotbart Des Königreich Middenland” and “Hohenbiermann Der Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.”

[lepreuxchevalier]

An illustration of a knight I designed to feature the colours and coat of arms I designed for Maison Von Vlaanderen, a great house of feudal aristocracy based in “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine” or “The Kingdom of Aquitaine” in my low-fantasy world. Both this illustration and it’s associated faction iconography were designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods of European history. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted knights sporting suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside armies of professional pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based siege artillery, and where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of the known world in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, “Maison Von Vlaanderen”  or “House Von Vlaanderen” are the hereditary, dynastic Counts of Flandres, one of the constituent duchies and counties of “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine,” or “The Kingdom of Aquitaine.” A fantasy kingdom loosely inspired by The Kingdom of France during the medieval and “Ancien Regime” periods of French and European history, while also taking fictional sources of inspiration from The Kingdom of Bretonnia in Warhammer Fantasy and The Kingdom of The Reach in Game of Thrones. In addition to being the hereditary, dynastic Counts of Flandres, the reigning, dynastic heads of Maison Von Vlaanderen are also the official, hereditary Viceroys to “Nouvelle Aquitaine” or “New Aquitaine,” the principal, overseas colonial possession of Le Royaume d’Aquitaine under Maison Williamson as the longtime, reigning, dynastic house of Aquitanian Monarchs. Amongst The Kingdom of Aquitaine’s constituent dukes and counts born to “the great houses” of feudal nobility and aristocracy, it is the Counts of Flandres from House Von Vlaanderen who have grown extortionately wealthy from both their ancient, maritime trade privileges forged with past Aquitanian Monarchs from Maison Williamson, as well as their letters of marque officially granting them an exclusive monopoly over trade in Nouvelle Aquitaine as it’s hereditary “Viceroys’ or “Colonial Governors.” The dynastic heads of Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary Counts of Flandres have always been the single wealthiest feudal, aristocratic magnates in Le Royaume d’Aquitaine after the Aquitanian monarchs from Maison Williamson themselves. But with the letters of marque recently granted to them by the Aquitanian monarchy, has their already outrageous fortunes only grown exponentially with their exclusive monopoly over the lucrative and profitable trade facilitated in Nouvelle Aquitaine. The fabulous wealth of Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary Counts of Flandres and The Viceroys to Nouvelle Aquitaine has only attracted both the concern and the chagrin, in equal measure, from all the other constituent great houses of Aquitanian nobles and aristocrats, who have collectively petitioned to the Aquitanian monarchs of Maison Williamson to take on protectionist measures to curb the exorbitant profits generated by Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary Viceroys to Nouvelle Aquitaine. In an effort to simultaneously relieve the growing concerns of Le Royaume d’Aquitaine’s noble and aristocratic princeps without permanently damaging his feudal ties with Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary Counts of Flandres, William XXI as the current head of Maison Williamson and the 64th and reigning Roi d’Aquitaine has significantly reduced all tariffs imposed on Nouvelle Aquitaine’s exclusive exports such as silks, spices, sugar, coffee, chocolate, gems, gold, indigo, and tobacco, while also imposing protectionist policies on all foreign imports to Nouvelle Aquitaine. With this policy of trade “reciprocity,” has Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary viceroys to Nouvelle Aquitaine been inherently discouraged from trading Nouvelle Aquitaine’s exported luxuries with foreign powers while having grown increasingly dependent on imports from Le Royaume d’Aquitaine’s constituent duchies and counties to fuel their colonial ventures. In regards to both the hereditary, dynastic military traditions of Maison Von Vlaanderen, as well the regional military culture of The County of Flandres, Gustave Von Vlaanderen as both the reigning Count of Flandres and the hereditary Viceroy of Nouvelle Aquitaine has pioneered the development of “Les Hommes de Guerre” or “Men of War,” specialized military vessels designed to carry more guns and ammunition than traditional seafaring vessels would, as well as the technological innovation of “the broadside cannon” to maximize the firepower of his new, “specialized” naval vessels. Although not possessing as nearly as venerable, or as prestigious a hereditary, dynastic, naval tradition such as those of Maison Gallois as the hereditary Counts of Poitiers, nor benefitting from a regional, military culture of naval professionalism, discipline, and skill at arms like that of The County of Poitiers based in the southern hemisphere of Le Royaume d’Aquitaine. Gustave Von Vlaanderen is irrefutably one the single, most brilliant military theorists of his age concerning the field of naval warfare and combat. Outside Maison Von Vlaanderen’s and The County of Flandres’ notable naval traditions. The feudal, aristocratic levies raised from The County of Flandres reflect the outrageous wealth, taste, and luxury of Maison Von Vlaanderen as the hereditary Counts of Flandres and the Viceroys of Nouvelle Aquitaine. The aristocratic and noble knights sworn into domestic, military homage to Maison Von Vlaanderen as The Counts of Flandres are notorious for generally sporting either some of the most baroque, gilded suits of full plate armour in all of Aquitaine, or Artificer quality coats of chainmail thickly and richly edged with gilded burnings. Often embellishing over their luxurious and sumptuous armours finely crafted surcoats and tabards made from the most premium and exotic silks imported from Nouvelle Aquitaine itself. While the matchlock musketeers levied from The County of Flanders, itself, are regularly issued richly dyed and elegantly crafted uniforms rivaling the quality and standards of those issued to The Royal Army of The Aquitanian Monarchs themselves. Even the poorest and least experienced pikemen serving the hereditary Counts of Flandres have ready access to chainmail hauberks and plate cuirasses, granting them, on average, superior protection and increased survivability compared to the pike-and-shotte infantry regiments of other feudal, aristocratic levies based in Le Royaume d’Aquitaine.

[lepreuxchevalier]

Some illustrations of pike-and-shotte infantry that I have officially designed for “Hohenrotbart,” the reigning, dynastic household of “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland” in my medieval fantasy setting. Both this series of illustrations, as well as their associated faction iconography, were officially designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods of European history. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish, sumptuous country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements being made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And where fledgling nation-states, most notably in the form of kingdoms and empires, look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of even greater wealth and territory.

In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, “Hohenrotbart” or “House Rotbart” is the newly crowned and anointed hereditary, dynastic household to “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland” following the stunning conclusion of “The Midlands Crusade” officially preached and prosecuted by Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as Bishop-Prince of Elchingen, one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper,” and Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for “The Midlands Crusade.” The apointed title of “Archpatriarchal Legate” essentially denoting the official, church-sanctioned representatives to the person of “The Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” in either foreign affairs or in “errantry wars” and “crusades” officially preached and prosecuted against the enemies of The Conservative Faith. The historic, church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Marienburg over the site of the former “Godswoods” marks both the official conclusion of The Midlands Crusade and the foundation of the new “Königreich Middenland” over the bulk of the remnants of “The Former Kingdom of The Midlands.” In terms of it’s historical, cultural, and religious sources of inspiration, “Das Königreich Middenland” under the hereditary, dynastic rule of “Hohenrotbart” as “Die Könige von Middenland” draws heavy influences from medieval and renaissance Prussia under “The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights” or “Deutschordenstaat,” as well as Ducal Prussia during the 16th and 17th centuries.” With Friedrich I’s legislative decree to officially convert to Karl Von Luxembourg’s general, sweeping, and international reformation to The Conservative Church of The New Gods on behalf of both his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects being highly analogous to the secularization of “The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights” or “Deutschordenstaat” to The Lutheran, East Prussian Duchy during the early 16th century.

Under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” or “The Founding Head of House Rotbart,” as the kingdom’s first reigning, hereditary, monarch and dynastic household since the untimely extinction of legitimate, male bloodline of “The Late House Bartholemew” and the subsequent collapse of “The Former Kingdom of The Midlands” over a century and a half ago. “Das Königreich Middenland,” as it has been termed since the official, church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Marienburg over the site of the former “Godswoods” at the conclusion of “The Midlands Crusade,” with the subsequent investiture of Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as the first “Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg” has officially become the first culture and state in both the recorded history, and the enormity of “The Known World” to renounce The Conservative Faith of The New Gods based on the old, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy originally formalized and decreed under The Classical Romulan Imperator “Cassadorian the Great” in favour of “The Luxembourgian Reforms” as officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg, a learned doctor of theology based at Die Universität Wörtzburch as well as the leading and titular “Great Reformer” to The Conservative Church of The New Gods, with Friedrich I’s legislative decree to officially convert to The Luxembourgian Reformation on behalf of both his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects.

Long before Friedrich I’s formal coronation and anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Friedrich Von Rotbart was originally a minor aristocrat and mercenary captain of a pike-and-shotte infantry company known as “Die Bande Des Falke” or “The Band of The Hawk” operating within both the “Austere” and the “Frivolous” cultural and linguistic hemispheres of The Empire of Mankind. With the advent of the official, church-sanctioned preaching and prosecution of “The Midlands Crusade” under his more prestigious, prolific, and illustrious older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as Bishop-Prince of Elchingen, one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper,” and Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for “The Midlands Crusade.” Friedrich Von Rotbart and his “Die Bande Des Falke” flocked to the banner of The Midlands Crusade officially preached and prosecuted against the apostate, Albic tribes religiously subscribed to the druidic worship of “Erdøk,” a strange, nature-worshipping faith that long predated the rise of organized worship in both The Canon Pantheons of The Old and The New Gods and remained prevalent within the confines of “The Great Bastion” or “The Great Forest of Erdøk” situated directly east of The Empire of Mankind. “Erdøk” as a unique form of religious worship had begun to spread in prominence within The Former Kingdom of The Midlands long before the untimely extinction of the legitimate, male bloodline of The Late House Bartholemew and the subsequent collapse of The Former Kingdom of The Mildands over a century and a half ago. Although both Friedrich Von Rotbart and his Bande Des Falke only fought in The Midlands Crusade as minor belligerents, despite having allegedly fought and served with such distinction so as to earn both the respect and the commendation of their fellow crusaders and the church authorities officially involved in the crusade. Friedrich Von Rotbart through his sheer hereditary ties to The Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for The Midlands Crusade and The First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg was prioritized over all other prospective candidates for the coronation and the anointment as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.”

In joint partnership with his older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as the first Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg over the rulership and administration of the new “Königreich Middenland.” Friedrich I, in conjunction with the clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, facilitated the systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous “Albic” tribes of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands back into the fold of The Conservative Faith under the formal leadership of “The Bishop of Romulus” or “The Archpatriarch” officially seated in The Holy Sept of the old, Classical Romulan capital and titular namesake of “The Empire of Mankind Primus” that had once dominated the overwhelming majority of “The Known World” during the long forgotten epoch of “Classical Antiquity.” Alongside the gradual, eventual conversion, and occasional pacification through force of arms and military might, of the indigenous “Albic” tribes of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands. “Das Königreich Middenland” throughout the long, prolific, and illustrious reign of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” has been thoroughly and effectively resettled by colonists and settlers hailing from Friedrich I’s native “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere within The Empire of Mankind. Most notably into the newly established, fortified towns and cities founded either directly under the official, state administration of Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland, himself, or by the newly established baronial magnates of “Junker” aristocracy in direct homage to Hohenrotbart as “Die Könige von Middenland.” In addition to the thorough and effective resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” colonists and settlers into the newly established, fortified towns and cities, as well as the most arable rural estates of their surrounding countryside. The autochthonous Albic tribes have been gradually assimilated into both the Northern Imperial culture and ethnicity through a combination of church-sponsored dowries in order to promote intermarriage between male colonists and settlers hailing from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind with the Albic natives. As well as the proliferation of both the oral and written “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” language and culture through the religious services and church schools officially sponsored by the culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” Conservative clergy. Although having been gradually, albeit thoroughly, transformed into a culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” nation-state situated uniquely without the southernmost frontiers and beyond the official jurisdiction of The Empire of Mankind.” Thanks in full to the long, prolific, and illustrious reign of Friedrich I in conjunction with the culturally and ethnically Northern Imperial Conservative clergy over the rulership, administration, and systematic, mass conversion of the Albic tribes indigenous to “Das Königreich Middenland.” Das Königreich Middenland, based uniquely without the established frontiers and beyond the official jurisdiction of The Empire of Mankind, alongside neighbouring “Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” as the newest, most recent, constituent member state of, and historic, territorial addition to the lands of The Empire of Mankind Proper, and one oddly and uniquely situated within the southernmost frontiers of The Empire, have come to collectively form a “Teutogen” or “Southern Austere” cultural and linguistic bloc within the confines of “The Civilized World Proper” that is uniquely characterized by both it’s shared cultural heritage as the crusader states born of the complimentary events of “The Southern Crusades” and the subsequent “Sudsiedlung,” as well as their common heritage as the earliest religious converts to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg with his scriptural emphasis on both the vernacular translation and the strict, universal interpretation of The Holy Canons of The New Gods by all social classes outside the clergy and the feudal aristocracy.

“Das Königreich Middenland,” with it’s complimentary policies of rampant, obsessive-compulsive military fortification, most notably in the form of stone castles and city walls, with the thorough, effective, state-mandated militarization of Das Königreich Middenland were both born of the equally stubborn and violent resistance put up by the indigenous Albic tribes, who had deeply resented both their systematic, mass conversion back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods as well as the systematic persecution and marginalization of their religious liberties that came synonymously with the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and ethnic assimilation efforts that characterized both “Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg” since the official, hereditary, and dynastic enfeoffment of the great Imperial general Friedrich Biermann as “Der erster und herrschend Markgraf der Sudetenmark” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenbiermann” shortly after the illegitimate successor the the last Batholemew King of The Midlands originally pawned, and later permanently transferred hereditary control over the lands of the former “Sudetenmark” to The Imperial Household based in “Der Reichstadt” or “The Imperial Demesne.” As well as “Das Königreich Middenland” since the final conclusion of “The Midlands Crusade” with the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Marienburg by Bishop-Prince Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart over the site of the former “Godswoods,” and the subsequent coronation and anointment of his younger brother Friedrich Von Rotbart as “Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Das Königreich Middenland, since the official coronation and anointment of Friedrich I as Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart, has been distinctly characterized by it’s complimentary policies of rampant, obsessive-compulsive military fortification, most notably in the form of medieval-style stone castles and city walls, and it’s thorough, effective, state-mandated militarization to such a degree, that it has already become the single, most prominent, military superpower within the church-prescribed confines of “The Known World,” and perhaps beyond. Despite it’s official status as the newest, constituent member amongst the established powers within The Civilized World. Das Königreich Middenland under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Friedrich I as it’s first and reigning king has come to possess one of the single largest, most skilled, most disciplined, and most professional fighting forces throughout the breadth and the enormity of The Known World. And one whose numeric size and professional level of quality and discipline are both highly disproportionate to it’s initial and base economic and industrial yield and value. Under the personal stewardship and the direct supervision of Friedrich I as a former captain of pike-and-shotte infantry before his expressed invitation and personal involvement in The Midlands Crusade at the behest of his older brother as Archpatriarchal Legate. The professional, pike-and-shotte infantry regiments in domestic, royal, military service to Hohenrotbart as “Die Könige von Middenland” have come to unquestionably represent the most skilled, disciplined, and professional pike-and-shotte infantry armies south of Margrabia Mazowsza.

Although born out of his inherent distrust for the baronial magnates of “Junker” nobility who had recently carved out lands, estates, titles for themselves as the bulk and core of the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights who had originally fought and participated in The Midlands Crusade. The same class of Junker nobles and aristocrats who had received reluctantly, and with icy anticipation, the formal coronation and anointment of Friedrich I as their liege lord and sovereign, due to his personal background as a minor aristocrat from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind. As well as his professional background as a mercenary captain of pike-and-shotte infantry, as opposed to aristocratic heavy cavalry as the traditionally most prestigious form of military service due to the historical precedence of the feudal, aristocratic traditions of professional chivalry. The heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights compelled into domestic, royal, military service to Hohenrotbart as “Die Könige von Middenland” likewise parallel the professional, pike-and-shotte infantry regiments hailing from Das Königreich Middenland in terms of their unique, pseudo-monastic culture of strict, military discipline, professionalism, and skill at arms. Organized into distinct orders of elite, secular, martial fraternities known as “Bruderschaften” or “Brotherhoods.” Each “Bruderschaft” was placed under the personal command and direct supervision of “Ein Großmeister,” or “A Grandmaster,” who were individually appointed for life from members of Das Königreich Middenland’s great houses of Junker nobility to serve the royal, state interests of Hohenrotbart as Die Könige von Middenland over the feudal, private interests of any single, great house of Junker aristocracy. “Die Shwartzen Rieterren” or “The Black Riders,” termed for the distinct and signature colour of their armour, were elite, heavily armoured cavalrymen drawn from the second sons of Junker nobles and aristocrats in order to tie the feudal, dynastic homage of Das Königreich Middenland’s greater and lesser houses of Junker aristocracy to the persons of Der König von Middenland and all his hereditary, dynastic successors. To further assure the loyalties of both “Die Schwartzen Rieterren” and their respective “Großmeister” individually charged with the military command and direct supervision of their respective “Bruderschaft.” “Die Bruderschaften” were made completely and fully dependent on a combination of the national, state budget generated by both regular taxation of Das Königreich Middenland’s crownlands and any tariffs officially levied and imposed on Der König von Middenland’s charter companies and the local trade guilds, as well as tithes generated by both the religious services of, and donations to The Conservative Church of The New Gods in joint partnership with Friedrich I over the rulership, administration, and systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous Albic tribes of Das Königreich Middenland, in order to effectively finance both their livelihoods and their upkeep costs as the national, professional, state-funded heavy cavalry army in direct service to The Kings of Middenland. Both “Die Großmeister” and all “Die Shwartzen Rieterren” under their respective command and direct supervision were expected to legally forfeit any landed titles, estates, and incomes in their possession, regardless of the nature of their obligatory or voluntary enrollment into their respective “Brudershaft.” While “Die Großmeister” could be immediately and unceremoniously stripped of their command and office should they show any signs of insubordination to the persons of “Der König von Middenland” or any of his official, state-sanctioned representatives. This unique, pseudo-monastic, military culture of strict, military discipline, professionalism, and skill at arms has come both characterize and engender the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights serving Die Könige von Middenland as “Shwartzen Rieterren” as some of the most feared and respected professional heavy cavalry in The Known World. “Die Shwartzen Rieterren” as Der König von Middenland’s domestic, royal, professional heavy cavalry army have come to collectively earn both a reputation, as well as a significant degree of notoriety for themselves, as some of the few heavy cavalrymen throughout the breadth and enormity of The Known World to truly impress and unnerve, in equal measure, the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights hailing from neighbouring “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine.” Who pridefully, arrogantly, and vaingloriously boast themselves to be the single greatest, most skilled, most disciplined, and most professional heavy cavalrymen throughout the breadth and the enormity of The Known World, and perhaps beyond.

With the passing away of Bishop-Patriarch Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as The Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for The Midlands Crusade and the first, official Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. The elderly Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as the 299th and reigning Bishop of Romulus and the current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods formally invested in Wolfgang Amadeus Von Holswig-Schlestien, Bishop-Prince of Griffenheim and one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper,” as Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart’s official, church-sanctioned successor as the new Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. Both this new Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg, as well as all of his clerical and lay followers, proved seemingly antithetical to both the secular, royal interests of Hohenrotbart as Die Könige von Middenland in particular, and the national, state interests of Das Königreich Middenland at large. Stating at one point that “The Midlands Crusade was officially preached and prosecuted in the name of The Canon Pantheon of The New Gods, not in the name of the selfish and conceited interests of prospective monarchs and aristocrats. And it was by their sheer grace that The Midlands Crusade had concluded, in overwhelming triumph, for the forces of The Conservative Church.” With this new Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg hellbent on prioritizing The Conservative Church of The New Gods’ exclusive domination over the rulership, administration, and systematic, mass conversion of the indigenous Albic tribes of Das Königreich Middenland at the expense of marginalizing the secular, royal power and authority of Die Könige von Middenland to an almost purely nominal role. Friedrich I consequently passed state legislation as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” to become the first hereditary, dynastic ruler in both the recorded history, and the enormity of “The Known World” to officially convert to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods based on the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg, a learned doctor of theology based at Die Universität Wörtzburch in Das Herzogtum Solingen, one of the leading centres of church-sanctioned, academic research on both The Canon Theology of The New Gods and Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence throughout the breadth and the entirety of The Civilized World, on behalf of both his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects. With Friedrich I’s official conversion to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” on behalf of both Hohenrotbart and Das Königreich Middenland, Friedrich I had finally assumed supreme authority over matters of religion in his kingdom. Consequently making himself the effective and virtual “Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland.” From that point on, Friedrich I as “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Middenland” was given full control over the state investiture of new bishops and abbots within Das Königreich Middenland, including exclusive investiture over the venerable and prestigious ecclesiastical office of “Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg” since it’s official establishment by his late older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart at the final conclusion of The Midlands Crusade. Friedrich I, as the hereditary, dynastic monarch of the first major culture and state in both the recorded history and the enormity of The Known World to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reforms,” likewise encouraged both the spread and the growth of mass literacy in Das Königreich Middenland by proliferating the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods printed in the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” language using printers, church schools, and missionaries sympathetic to Karl Von Luxembourg’s theological reforms. In addition to the proliferation of both the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods and other religious literature and pamphlets printed in the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” language, Friedrich I had simultaneously decreed state legislation as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” as well as clerical legislation as “The Supreme Head of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland,” to decriminalize both the ownership and the vernacular translations of The Holy Canons of The New Gods in Das Königreich Middenland. Thus officially opening both the reading and the strict, universal interpretation of The Holy Canons of The New Gods to all social classes outside of the clergy and the feudal aristocracy.

[lepreuxchevalier]

My second illustration of pike-and-shotte infantry that I have officially designed for Hohenrotbart, the ruling dynasty of Das Königreich Middenland in my medieval fantasy world. Both this artwork and it’s associated faction iconography were officially designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish, sumptuous country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And where fledgling nation-states, most notably in the form of kingdoms and empires, look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of “The Known World” in search of even greater wealth and territory.

In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, “Hohenrotbart” or “House Rotbart” is the newly crowned and anointed reigning, dynastic household of “Das Königreich Middenland” or “The Kingdom of Middenland.” A fantasy kingdom taking historical, cultural, and religious sources of inspiration from both medieval and renaissance Prussia under “The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights” or “Deutschordenstaat,” as well as The Post-Teutonic, Lutheran, East Prussian Duchy during the 16th and 17th centuries. Under the hereditary, dynastic rule of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” or “The Founding Head of House Rotbart.” Das Königreich Middenland has become the first hereditary, dynastic state, in both the recorded history and the enormity of “The Known World” to officially renounce The “Conservative” Faith of The New Gods based on the old, Classical Romulan rite and liturgy originally formalized and decreed under The Classical Romulan Imperator “Cassadorian the Great,” to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” as officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg, a learned doctor of theology based at Die Universität Wörtzburch in Das Herzogtum Solingen, one of the leading centres of church-sanctioned, academic research on both The Canon Theology of The New Gods and Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan Civil Law and Jurisprudence throughout the breadth and the enormity of “The Known World.” As well as both the official head and the former heir apparent to Hohenluxembourg des Königreich Schönbrunn. The only official monarchy within established frontiers of The Empire of Mankind Proper besides “the hereditary state” and “the dynastic house” of The Emperor-Elect, himself.

Long before Friedrich I’s legislative decree to become the first hereditary, dynastic ruler in both the recorded history and the enormity of The Known World to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reforms” on behalf of both his dynastic house and his hereditary subjects. Friedrich Von Rotbart was originally a minor aristocrat and a mercenary captain of a pike-and-shotte infantry company known as “Die Bande Des Falke,” or “The Band of The Hawk,” before his expressed invitation to and personal involvement in “The Midlands Crusade” officially preached and prosecuted by his more prolific, prestigious, and illustrious older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart, Bishop-Prince of Elchingen, one of the three ecclesiastical, invested “Kurfürsten des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” or “Prince-Electors of The Empire of Mankind Proper,” and Archpatriarchal Legate to Vexillarius IV for “The Midlands Crusade.” The appointed title of “Archpatriarchal Legate” denoting the official, church-sanctioned representatives to the person of “The Reigning Bishop of Romulus” and “The Current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods” in either diplomatic affairs or in “errantry wars” or “crusades” officially preached and prosecuted against the sanctioned enemies of The Conservative Faith. Following the stunning conclusion of The Midlands Crusade with the climactic “Battle of The Godswoods” with the subsequent, church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Marienburg over the site of the former “Godswoods.” Friedrich Von Rotbart was formally crowned and anointed as “Friedrich I, Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” as The Former Kingdom of The Midlands first reigning, hereditary monarch and dynastic house since the extinction of legitimate, male bloodline of The Late House Bartholemew and subsequent collapse of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands over a century and a half before.

Under the long, prolific, and illustrious reign of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart,” in joint partnership with The Conservative Church of The New Gods over the rulership, administration, and systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous “Albic” tribes of Das Königreich Middenland. The constituent lands of The Former Kingdom of The Midlands have been gradually, albeit thoroughly brought back into the fold of The Conservative Church of The New Gods after over a century and a half of religious indoctrination under the influence of the hut shamans from “Erdøk” or “The Great Forest” directly east of The Empire of Mankind. The new kingdom had been thoroughly and effectively resettled with colonists and settlers hailing from Friedrich I’s native “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind. Most notably into the newly established, fortified towns and cities founded either directly under the state administration of Friedrich I as Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland, or by the newly established baronial magnates of “Junker” aristocracy in direct homage to Hohenrotbart as “Die Könige von Middenland.” In addition to the thorough and effective resettlement of culturally and ethnically “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” colonists and settlers into both the newly established, fortified towns and cities of Das Königreich Middenland, as well as the most arable rural estates based on their surrounding countryside. The systematic, mass conversion of the autochthonous Albic tribes came synonymously with their cultural and ethnic assimilation. Most notably through a combination of dowries officially sponsored by The Conservative Church of The New Gods in order to promote intermarriage with male colonists and settlers hailing from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere of The Empire of Mankind, as well as encouraging both the spread and the proliferation of the oral and written “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” language and culture through the religious services and church schools of the culturally and ethnically Northern Imperial Conservative clergy.

In addition to it’s thorough and effective transformation into a culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” nation-state based uniquely without the southernmost frontiers and beyond the official jurisdiction of The Empire of Mankind Proper, as well as being the first major culture and state in both the recorded history and the enormity of The Known World to officially convert to “The Luxembourgian Reformation” as officially preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch. Das Königreich Middenland is also uniquely characterized amongst the fledgling nation-states of The Civilized World for it’s exclusive culture of strict, military discipline, professionalism, and skill at arms. Of all the nascent, growing, professional militaries in The Civilized World Proper, Das Königreich Middenland both proudly and staunchly boasts the most skilled, disciplined, and professional pike-and-shotte infantry regiments south of Margrabia Mazowsza, as well as one of the largest, most brutally efficient, and most potent professional fighting forces throughout the breadth and the enormity of The Known World. Despite it’s meagre initial and base economic and industrial yield and value, as well as it’s relatively sparse demographic size. A demographic that had only finally, and eventually developed a culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” character uniquely outside the southernmost frontiers and beyond the official jurisdiction of The Empire of Mankind Proper. Thanks in full to the long, prolific, and illustrious reign of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und ���Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart.” Both Das Königreich Middenland’s unique culture of strict, military discipline, professionalism, and skill at arms, as well as Friedrich I’s complimentary policies of rampant, obsessive-compulsive military fortification, most notably in the form of stone castles and city walls, with the thorough and effective, state-mandated militarization of Das Königreich Middenland are as much a consequence of The Kingdom of Middenland’s violent birth in the mass genocides and systematic persecutions during, and in the wake of Bishop-Prince Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart’s “Midlands Crusade” officially preached and prosecuted against the druidic, tree worshipping heathens religiously subscribed to “Erdøk.” As much as it is a product of both the personal stewardship and the direct supervision of Friedrich I with his hard earned, worldly experience acquired as a former mercenary captain of pike-and-shotte infantry. Friedrich I as Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland und Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart, in conjunction with his older brother Friedrich-Albrecht Von Rotbart as the first and reigning Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg over the rulership, administration, and systematic, mass conversion of the Albic tribes indigenous to Das Königreich Middenland, have always been very heavily reliant on employing a combination of military might and force of arms as a blunt tool in the gradual pacification, subjugation, and annexation of the Albic tribes indigenous to Das Königreich Middenland, who had largely remained religiously subscribed to the druidic worship of Erdøk in the aftermath of The Midlands Crusade with the official founding of Das Königreich Middenland during the church-sanctioned consecration of The Basilica of Marienburg over the sight of the former “Godswoods.”

In addition to the lingering resistance from the autochthonous Albic tribes of Das Königreich Middenland, the formal coronation and anointment of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” was received reluctantly, and with icy anticipation, by the baronial magnates of “Junker” nobility who had recently established themselves in Das Königreich Middenland as the bulk and core of the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights who had originally fought and participated in The Midlands Crusade. That same class of hereditary, dynastic, landed Junker aristocracy and nobility who had generally questioned both the political legitimacy and the authority of Friedrich I as “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” due to his personal background as a minor noble from the “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” cultural and linguistic hemisphere within The Empire of Mankind, as well as his professional background as a mercenary captain of pike-and-shotte infantry, as opposed to aristocratic heavy cavalry as the traditionally most prestigious form of military service due to the historic precedence of the feudal, aristocratic traditions of professional chivalry. In order to assure both the loyalty and the compliance of the great houses of Junker nobility, Friedrich I had awarded this newly established class of landed Junker nobles and aristocrats with hereditary, dynastic enfeoffment to the most arable lands and estates in Das Königreich Middenland that had not been previously claimed as the official property of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, while also compelling the second sons of Junker nobles and aristocrats into military service as professional, heavily armoured cavalry known as “Schwartzen Rieterren” or “Black Riders,” for the distinct, and signature colour of their armour. Both the greater and the lesser houses of Junker nobles and aristocrats were also granted the exclusive, legal privilege by Friedrich I for official appointments as judges to run and operate the secular, provincial, “royal” law courts officially established by Friedrich I shortly after the conclusion of The Midlands Crusade with the subsequent consecration of The Archbishopric of Marienburg over the site of the former “Godswoods.” 

“Die Schwartzen Rieterren” were organized into distinct units of elite, secular, pseudo-monastic, martial fraternities known as “Brüderschaften” or “Brotherhoods.” With each “Brüderschaft” being placed under the personal command and direct supervision of “Ein Großmeister” or “A Grandmaster,” who were individually appointed for life from members of Das Königreich Middenland’s great houses of Junker nobility to serve the royal, state interests of Hohenrotbart as Die Könige von Middenland over the feudal, private interests of any single, great house of Junker aristocracy. These heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights compelled into domestic, royal, military service to “Die Könige von Middenland” as “Schwartzen Rieterren” or “Black Riders,” likewise parallel the strict, military discipline, professionalism, and skill at arms that also uniquely characterize Der König von Middenland’s pike-and-shotte infantry regiments. Die Schwartzen Rieterren, as strictly organized into the various, pseudo-monastic orders of Die Brüderschaften compelled into domestic, royal, military service to Die Könige von  Middenland, are some of the few heavy cavalry throughout the breadth and the enormity The Known World to truly impress and unnerve, in equal measure, the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights hailing from neighboring “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine.” Who staunchly, proudly, and vaingloriously flaunt themselves to be the single greatest, most skilled, most disciplined, and most professional heavy cavalrymen across the breadth and the enormity of the known world, and perhaps beyond.

[lepreuxchevalier]

My new, sixth illustration of a fantasy knight I retouched to feature the colours and faction iconography I designed for House Lyonheart, the current and reigning dynasty of Kings of Albion in my medieval fantasy world. Both this artwork and it’s associated faction iconography were designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology and material culture roughly equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods of European history. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish, sumptuous country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements made in gunpowder-based, siege artillery. And where fledgling nation-states, most notably in the form of kingdoms and empires begin to look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of The Known World in search of even greater wealth and territory.

In context to the canon lore of my low-fantasy world, House Lyonheart is the reigning, dynastic house of constitutional monarchs over The Island Kingdom of Albion, a fantasy kingdom loosely inspired by The Kingdom of England under The Lancaster, Tudor, and Stuart Kings during the late medieval to early modern periods of English and European history, while also drawing fantastical sources of inspiration from “Ulthuan,” or the land of The High Elves in Warhammer Fantasy as well as The Kingdom of The Westerlands in Game of Thrones. Unlike the overwhelming majority of nation-states based on the mainland of “The Civilized World,” as rigidly defined and interpreted by both the clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as the nonconformist preachers of the myriad “Reformed” and “Dissenter” Churches of The New Gods, The Kingdom of Albion under the dynastic rule of House Lyonheart has embraced a limited form of consensual government known as “constitutional monarchy,” where the executive, legislative, military, fiscal, and religious powers of House Lyonheart as the longtime and reigning dynasty of Kings of Albion have been subjected to the rule of law, as well as bounded by the consent of Albionic “parliament,” a bicameral legislative body invested with the powers of raising and passing state legislation as well as the levying of taxes with or without the consent of The Kings of Albion. Albionic Parliament as the national, legislative body of The Kingdom of Albion consists of both an upper “House of Lords” containing representatives of the greater and lesser houses of feudal aristocracy and nobility within The Kingdom of Albion, as well as representatives of both the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods as the official, state-sanctioned religion of The Kingdom of Albion, as well as a far more recent, lower “House of Commons” containing representatives of the country gentlemen, the bourgeoisie, and the merchant guilds with The Kingdom of Albion. The House of Lords as the upper, senior house of Albionic Parliament came into existence following a baronial revolt against Edward Shortsword as 31st King of Albion and former head of House Lyonheart following the calamitous and failed wars of Aquitainian Succession to usurp House Williamson as the lawful and legitimate Kings of Aquitaine and the subsequent drafting of “The Magna Rhetra” as a codified constitution governing the various bodies of Albionic Common Law that were first codified by Albionic court scribes and clergymen under the reign of Artorius the Lyonhearted as the culturally Southern Aquitainian grandson and heir apparent to Hengist Skullsmasher, the first King of Albion and Founding Head of House Lyonheart. The House of Commons as the lower, junior house of Albion’s parliament, by contrast, came into existence following a massive peasant uprising against Robert III as the 40th and late King of Albion and former head of House Lyonheart after a decade of brutal, extortionate taxation levied to in order to pay for the king’s ransom imposed by House Williamson as The Aquitainian Monarchy after his defeat and subsequent capture in The Battle of Tourangeau at the hands Prince Tancred Williamson Duc de Chambord in the wake of the last great Albionic Invasion of Aquitaine.

Although born of House Lyonheart’s disastrous and failed wars against The Kingdom of Aquitaine, both the constitutional monarchy and parliamentary houses of legislation that distinctly characterized the government and society of The Kingdom of Albion under the rule of House Lyonheart has resulted in a fairer, more consensual political and social system that has protected the subjects of The Kings of Albion from the brutal economic recessions and extortionate taxation that became synonymous with the perpetual warfare, cutthroat political intrigues, and brutal religious upheaval that characterized the kingdoms and empires based on the continental mainland of The Civilized World, whose hereditary monarchs and princes universally aspired to the model of House Williamson and The Kingdom of Aquitaine as the “paragon,” “exemplar,” “ideal,” or otherwise “gold standard” of a strong, powerful, and prestigious, prolific, and illustrious absolute monarchy who had finally achieved the centralization of their kingdom into a proper nation state through their ancient, carefully cultivated and manicured political alliance forged with The Conservative Church of The New Gods based in The Holy Sept in Romulus as the official, state religion of The Kingdom of Aquitaine, as well as their gradual pacification of the legislative and military autonomy of the great houses of feudal aristocracy through the superimposition of “Aquitainian Parlements,” or “royal law courts,” over the historic regions of jurisdiction of both the feudal, aristocratic legal customs and traditions of Northern Aquitaine, as well as the old Cosmopolitan, Classical Romulan law codes of Southern Aquitaine left over from the days of “The Romulan Empire” or “The Empire of Mankind Primus” during the long forgotten epoch of “Classical Antiquity” within the long and storied history of “The Civilized World.” As well as using the power and authority of “The Aquitainian Parlements” to organize a national, professional, state funded “royal” army at the expense of the feudal, private levies of the great houses of nobility and aristocracy within The Kingdom of Aquitaine.

Due to the executive, legislative, military, fiscal, and religious restrictions imposed on House Lyonheart as the hereditary, dynastic Kings of Albion through the combination of the unique political and social system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary legislature, The Kingdom of Albion under the hereditary rule House Lyonheart has remained relatively aloof from the perpetual warfare, cutthroat political intrigues, and brutal religious upheaval that came to characterize the aspiring absolute monarchies based on the continental mainland of The Civilized World. However, under the reign of Edmund IV as the 41st and reigning King of Albion and the current Head of House Lyonheart, The Kingdom of Albion has been officially declared both a political and religious asylum for religious subscribers to The “Reformed” Faith of The New Gods derived from the theological reforms preached and published by Karl Von Luxembourg at Die Universität Wörtzburch in The Empire of Mankind, as well as religious subscribers to any of The “Dissenter” Faiths of The New Gods that either directly or indirectly descend from The “Dissenter” Theology of the Aquitanian vagabond and theologian Cassyon Dufresne as originally preached in “The Cathedral of Les Œillets” in “The Borderlands Confederacy” of culturally “Austere” or “Northern Imperial” states strategically situated between Der Reichstaat and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg within The Empire of Mankind. Despite The Kingdom of Albion’s international status as a political and religious asylum for all religious subscribers to both the multitude of “Reformed” and “Dissenter” Churches of The New Gods fleeing from religious persecution and marginalization at the hands of religiously Conservative monarchs and aristocrats, the fourteen year old Edmund IV as the 41st and reigning King of Albion and the current Head of House Lyonheart has already been officially proclaimed as “Defender of The Faith” by elderly Archpatriarch Vexillarius IV as the 299th and reigning Bishop of Romulus and the current Head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods for his written thesis’ openly condemning both the theological reforms of Karl Von Luxembourg as the leading and titular “Great Reformer” to The Conservative Church of The New Gods, as well as Edmund IV’s own maternal grandfather Friedrich I, “Der erster und herrschend König von Middenland” und “Der Gründungschef von Hohenrotbart” and Albrecht Von Biermann, “Der herrschend Markgraf von Brannenborg,” “Der momentan Chef von Hohenbiermann,” und “Kurfürst Des Selbst Kaiserreich der Menscheit” for their actions in officially confiscating the lands, property, and treasuries the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods based in Das Königreich Middenland and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg, respectively, as the first and second hereditary, dynastic rulers in both the recorded history and the enormity of The Known World to officially renounce The Conservative Faith of The New Gods in favour of The Luxembourgian Reformation on behalf of both their houses and subjects. 

Outside of his affairs concerning the religious upheaval surrounding both Karl Von Luxembourg’s and Cassyon Dufresne’s respective reforms to The Conservative Church of The New Gods on the continental mainland of The Civilized World, Edmund IV as 41st and reigning King of Albion and Current Head of House Lyonheart has used the restrictions on any continental military, political, economic, and religious ambitions in The Civilized World imposed by The Kingdom of Albion’s unique system of constitutional monarchy and parliamentary legislature to develop a new, and enduring policy of overseas colonialism and mercantilism devoted to the production and acquisition of luxury goods and natural resources by granting legally exclusive “letters of marque” or “colonial charters” to “trade companies” of merchants, traders, and professionals willing to use their own capital to establish trade posts and colonies in overseas trade theatres in order to export luxury goods and natural resources harvested and produced in “virgin lands” back to The Kingdom of Albion in return for generating a handsome profit from their corporate ventures. In addition to being granted legally exclusive monopolies over certain trade theatres with these “letters of marque” or “colonial charters,” these “trade companies” created by the 41st and reigning King of Albion and the current Head of House Lyonheart would also be given unrestricted political and military autonomy over any acquired and developed colonies and territories established in overseas trade theatres, with the most prominent and lucrative Albionic colonial possessions being established by “The King’s Landing Trade Company” in “New Albion,” and “The World’s End Trade Company” in “Arcadia.” To accommodate his ambition of colonialism and mercantilism, Edmund IV as the reigning King of Albion and the current Head of House Lyonheart has diverted The Kingdom of Albion’s annual, national budget in favour of a powerful, professional, state-funded “royal” navy over a strong standing army, in contradiction to the traditional and historic policy of all historic Kings of Albion before him, and to “subsidize” or otherwise “invest in” the business and industry of trade guilds devoted either to the construction of seafaring vessels or the production of maritime goods and resources on an industrial scale, as a means of bolstering both his ambitions to develop The Kingdom of Albion’s mercantile trade through the establishment of overseas colonies and territories in different trade theatres, and to give his growing professional navy the necessary assets and resources needed to secure the maritime trade lanes established between any overseas colonies and territories with The Kingdom of Albion.

In terms of The Kingdom of Albion’s standing military left over from Robert III’s failed war with House Williamson and The Kingdom of Aquitaine, the infantry regiments serving in the national, professional, state-funded “royal” army of House Lyonheart and The Kingdom of Albion oddly continue to employ peasant levies of billmen and longbowmen in an age when the overwhelming majority of fledgling nation-states and their ruling, dynastic houses based on the continental mainland of The Civilized World have moved on to employing professional regiments of pikemen and matchlock musketeers as the line, core, and bulk of their campaigning armies. Although, like the overwhelming majority of continental, mainland states of The Civilized World, The Kingdom of Albion under the constitutional monarchy of House Lyonheart has fully embraced the employment of gunpowder-based, siege artillery that is so inherently vogue of the current epoch of the post-chivalric battlefields of The Civilized World, fully displacing it’s outdated arsenal of classical and feudal-style windlass artillery pieces such as catapults, trebuchets, ballistae, mangonels, and onagers that have been both historically and traditionally employed on the battlefields of The Civilized World since the days of the Classical Mycaenean “Poleis” or “city states” that once flourished during the long forgotten epoch of “Classical Antiquity” in recorded history of The Civilized World. Despite the seemingly antiquated military technology and tactics employed by the billmen and longbowmen serving in the traditionally strong, standing army of The Kings of Albion. The mixed formations of Billmen and Longbowmen employed personally by House Lyonheart as the constitutional monarchs to The Kingdom of Albion are completely and perfectly capable of holding their own line against the more professional, pike and shotte infantry regiments employed by continental powers in The Civilized World such as Le Royaume d’Aquitaine, Das Königreich Middenland, and Die Markgrafschaft Brannenborg.

[lepreuxchevalier]

The latest edition of the faction iconography I designed for The Akbarid Dynasty, the ruling clan of The Caliphate of Khashabar in my low-fantasy world, as well as an illustration of a desert cavalryman I originally retouched to feature the colours of the faction iconography I designed for The Akbarid Dynasty of The Caliphate of Khashabar. Both this faction iconography and this associated design are artworks I originally designed for a low-fantasy world of my original conception with technology equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements made in artillery design. And where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of the known world in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the lore of my low-fantasy world, The Caliphate of Khashabar is the single largest state in the entirety of “The Known World,” as strictly and traditionally defined and interpreted by the clergy of The “Conservative” Church of The New Gods, as well as the nonconformist preachers of the myriad “Reformed” and “Dissenter” Churches of The New Gods. Although technically not part of “The Civilized World” proper, both the Conservative clergy as well as the myriad Reformed and Dissenter preachers have come to a general consensus that the Erizen and Ashuryan tribes meet the standards of “civilized” peoples, despite subscribing to a strange and bizarre religion devoted to the worship of a single “omnipresent, omnipotent, omnibenevolent deity” as opposed to the one or more canon pantheons of deities more popularly worshipped throughout the civilized world, with each deity within the canon pantheons of The Old Gods and The New Gods governing a specific sphere or aspect of the human and/or natural world. This general assumption by the clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods, one that was later generally shared by the nonconformist preachers of the multitude of Reformed and Dissenter Churches of The New Gods, is based on the hard-earned, worldly knowledge acquired during the many historic “errantry wars” or “crusades” officially prosecuted and overseen by the sanctioned authorities of The Conservative Church of The New Gods in previous epochs of the history of The Civilized World. In the centuries following the gradual collapse of “The Romulan Empire,” or “The Empire of Mankind Primus,” at the hands of tribal Teutogen, Norscan, and Moravian invaders. Merchants, emissaries, and adventurers from the multitude of barbarian kingdoms carved out from the neglected remnants of The Empire of Mankind Primus have observed the magnificent, if not seemingly decadent, opulent, extravagant, perhaps slightly hedonistic cultural, technological, economic, industrial, and civilizational prosperity enjoyed the cultures and states within The Caliphate of Khashabar. Such was the degree of civilizational prosperity enjoyed by the peoples of The Caliphate, since it’s original founding by The Erizen and Ashuryan tribes autochthonous to the Khashabar heartlands, that the so-called “Civilized World” had not seen this same degree of prosperity and civilization since the mythical “golden age” of classical civilization enjoyed by the long forgotten dynasties of Romulan Imperators of The Empire of Mankind Primus. By the time that The Caliphate had expanded to the northern frontier of The Mazovian Plains, the multitude of barbarian kingdoms that formed during, and in the wake of the eventual collapse of Classical Romulan Civilization and The Empire of Mankind Primus had formed, or otherwise “amalgamated,” through a combination of petty conquest and diplomatic coercion into the nascent forms of the contemporary states of “The Civilized World,” as traditionally defined and interpreted by both the ecclesiastical and monastic clergy of The Conservative Church of The New Gods since it’s original founding by The Romulan Imperator Cassadorian the Great during his “Cassadorian Reforms” formally decreed in the wake of “The Enochian Heresy” that culminated in the expulsion of Saint Enoch the Sufferer and most of the surviving clergy of The Church of The Old Gods to the bleak, unforgiving wastes of The Vylkova Badlands, Where Saint Enoch the Sufferer and his clerical and lay followers would find new political allies and religious converts in the Gospodar warchief Rurik Vojvodin as the founding head of House Vojvodin and first Prince of Rus’skaya. Following news of The Caliphate of Khashabar’s incursion into Die Kurpfalz on the northernmost frontier of “The Empire of Mankind Secundus,” as it was called since the official coronation of the new “Emperor of Mankind” by Archpatriarch Demetrius IV to Prinz Heinrich Von Nymphenburg, Archpatriarch Ptolemeus II as 201st Bishop of Romulus and head of The Conservative Church of The New Gods publicly and officially prosecuted the first “great crusade” or “errantry war” against the monotheistic infidels from The Caliphate of Khashabar, who had “unlawfully subjugated and oppressed the pious and devoted worshippers of The Canon Pantheon of The New Gods who had peopled The Mazovian Plains northwest of The Empire Secundus since time immemorial.” The site he chose for the official, church-sanctioned prosecution of the first great crusade against The Caliphate of Khashabar and the monotheistic infidels that worshipped the so-called “One, True god,” known as “Arua” to The Erizen tribes and as “Eo” to The Ashuryan tibes as the founding cultures of both The Caliphate of Khashabar and “The Faith of The One, True God,” was The Morceaux Valley in The Kingdom of Aquitaine, where Galloys Lafleur as the mythical first King of Aquitaine and the maternal progenitor to House Williamson officially embraced The Faith of The New Gods following a prophetic dream revealing both his divine heritage to Shelyn as the patron goddess of love, beauty, art, music, poetry, drama, the grape harvest, and gardening, as well as his prophesized destiny to unite the multitude of Aquitainii tribes under his hereditary leadership as their first king and drive the Norscan warbands to the sea. The official prosecution of the first great errantry war against The Caliphate garnered attention from both aristocrats and commoners alike from throughout The Kingdom of Aquitaine, who assembled a mighty host that included tens of thousands of aristocratic knights atop their prized, thoroughbred warhorses and in their artificer coats of chainmail finely edged with gilded burnings under the collective leadership of feudal lords representing each of the great houses of Aquitainian nobility, including a Prince Vastorian Williamson as The Duke of Armagnac and the official representative of The Aquitainian Monarch and his dynastic household in this first, great “errantry war” to reclaim The Mazovian Plains from the worshippers of The One, True God. Throughout the centuries of bloody conflict and religious upheaval between the crusading monarchs and princes of The Civilized World and the sultans and sheikhs of The Caliphate of Khashabar that precipitated from The Caliphate’s initial expansion into The Mazovian Plains as well as the subsequent “first crusade” or “errantry war” as officially prosecuted by Archpatriarch Ptolemeus II at The Morceaux Valley in Aquitaine, both the crusading knights and sanctioned church authorities involved in all the great crusades and the errantry wars against The Caliphate have always acknowledged the seemingly advanced culture, technology, economy, industry, and civilization that had traditionally characterized the lands and the peoples within The Caliphate of Khashabar, as well as the truly endearing values, traditions, and morality that came to engender the worshippers of “Arua,” or “Eo,” as The One, True God of the Erizen and Ashuryan tribes, respectively. In terms of it’s historical and cultural inspiration, The Caliphate of Khashabar is loosely inspired by both The Islamic World and The Jewish Diaspora from the time of The Ummayad Caliphate to The Early Ottoman Empire, or both Islamic and Jewish civilization from late antiquity to the renaissance in European history, with The Erizen and Ashuryan tribes being roughly analogous to tribal Arabs and Jews of respectively.

[lepreuxchevalier]

My ninth illustration of a knight I designed to feature the colours and coat of arms I designed of House Williamson, the ruling dynasty of Aquitanian monarchs in my medieval fantasy world. This artwork was designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception with technology equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside professional armies of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, “bastions,” due to the technological advancements made in artillery design. and Where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of the known world in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the lore of my low-fantasy setting. House Williamson is the sovereign and ruling dynasty of The Kingdom of Aquitaine, or “Le Royaume d’Aquitaine,” in the Middle Aquitainian language. A kingdom loosely inspired by The Kingdom of France during the medieval and “Ancien Regime” periods of French and European history, while also taking fictional sources of inspiration from The Kingdom of Bretonnia in Warhammer Fantasy and The Kingdom of The Reach in Game of Thrones. Amongst the established powers of “The Civilized World” as strictly and traditionally defined and interpreted by both the clergy of The “Conservative” Church of The New Gods, as well as the nonconformist preachers of the myriad “Reformed” and “Dissenter” Churches of The New Gods, The Kingdom of Aquitaine is the undisputed “hegemon” or “dominant superpower” of the established nations and states of The Civilized World, with House Williamson as the longtime and reigning dynasty of Aquitanian monarchs being widely considered by most to be the “paragon” or otherwise “exemplar” of a prestigious and sovereign dynasty of absolute monarchs in the world of my low-fantasy setting. House Williamson’s reputation as the most prestigious, venerable, and iconic example of a strong and powerful absolute monarchy in my world is without question the product of many centuries of careful political cultivation and consolidation under historic Aquitanian kings born to House Williamson through their ancient, and arguably symbiotic partnership with The Conservative Church of The New Gods based in The Holy Sept in Romulus, as well as the gradual pacification of the myriad great houses of feudal aristocracy through a combination of the superimposition of “parlements,” or “royal law courts,” over the historic and traditional regions of jurisdiction of the various feudal, aristocratic customs and legal traditions that defined law within The Kingdom of Aquitaine before the rise and consolidation of absolute monarchy under House Williamson and the establishment of a professional, state-funded, “royal army” answerable only the persons of the Aquitanian monarch and those of his official, state-sanctioned representatives at the expense the feudal, private, aristocratic levies of the great houses. The Kingdom of Aquitaine, even long before the rise of absolute monarchy proper under the historic kings of House Williamson, has always been the political, military, cultural, and religious powerhouse amongst the nations and states of The Civilized World. As a direct consequence of the wealth, taste, and generous patronage of historic Aquitanian monarchs born to House Williamson and those of it’s myriad aristocratic and clerical lords, The Kingdom of Aquitaine has often been best described, and with breathless awe, by foreign emissaries visiting the kingdom as guests of honour as “a land of extravagant, splendid palaces of marble, gold, and crystal, towering, monumental cathedral churches, venerable, pristine monastic strongholds, lush botanical gardens dotted and lined with rare and exotic cherry blossom trees, and iconic, picturesque castles of white stone and emerald-tiled roofing.” The Kingdom of Aquitaine is reputed well beyond it’s borders for it’s world renowned and prestigious aesthetic traditions of fine art, sculpture, music, literature, poetry, and theatre, it’s highly developed and world famous industry of winemaking, and it’s overwhelming, longtime domination over, and generous representation within the “curia,” or “the college of cardinals,” based in The Holy Sept in Romulus as the traditional seat of power of The Bishops of Romulus, or “The Archpatriarchs,” as the official heads of The Conservative Church of The New Gods since the mythical period of “Classical Antiquity” within The Civilized World. Despite it’s refined and lavish traditions of high culture and aesthetic, The Kingdom of Aquitaine’s opulence and splendour belies a long, proud, and prestigious tradition of military excellence. Both the knights serving in the professional, state-funded, royal army of The Kings of Aquitaine, as well as the household knights in service to the feudal, private, aristocratic levies of the great houses, are renowned and reputed, in equal measure, as some of the most competent heavy cavalry and swordsmen to grace the breadth and enormity of the known world. Aquitanian knights as a form of heavily armoured, mounted, aristocratic cavalry are well known for sporting either suits of baroque, gilded, full plate armour, or artificer quality coats of chainmail finely edged with gilded burnings, emblazoning their armour with surcoats crafted from the finest cuts of exotic and imported, Khashabarii silk, while riding atop thoroughbred warhorses prized and coveted across the breadth and enormity of the known world for their size, strength, speed, and endurance. Even the pikemen and musketeers in service to the royal army of the Aquitanian monarchs sport fashionable, standard issue uniforms crafted from the finest cuts of cloth, with Aquitanian musketeers wearing tabards edged with gold thread over their uniforms, while Aquitanian pikemen wear fashionable, ripped tunics richly dyed with emerald and pearl white dyes. This degree of standardization in military uniforms within the royal army of The Kings of Aquitaine is both an excessive luxury, as well as an objective rarity in a world where the overwhelming majority of states could, or rather would only realistically afford to delegate the armouring and outfitting of their state troops either to their regimental colonels, or directly onto the state troops themselves. The standardization and issuance of military uniforms within the royal army of the Aquitanian monarchs is without question a testament to the wealth, industry, and prosperity of The Kingdom of Aquitaine in general, as well as the degree of bureaucratic organization and excellence within the board of able ministers and councilors in direct service to the historic Kings of Aquitaine in particular.

[lepreuxchevalier]

[lepreuxchevalier]

An illustration of some pikemen and matchlock musketeers I retouched to feature the coat of arms and colour scheme I designed for Hohenrotbart, the ruling dynasty of Das Königreich Middenland in my medieval fantasy world. This artwork was originally designed for a low-fantasy setting of my original conception. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside armies of professional pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually being outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the technological advancements made in artillery design, and where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans and the frontiers of the known world in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the lore of my low-fantasy world, House Rotbart, or “Hohenrotbart” in the Northern Imperial Language, is the newly anointed ruling dynasty of The Kingdom of Middenland, or “Das Königreich Middenland,” following Friedrich Von Rotbart’s personal involvement in The Midlands Crusade and his subsequent coronation and anointment as first and reigning “König von Middenland” and Founding Head of Hohenrotbart by his older brother Friedrich Albrecht Von Rotbart as Archpatriarchal Legate to The Midlands Crusade and First Bishop-Patriarch of Marienburg. As a nation-state forged in the aftermath of The Midlands Crusade as officially declared and prosecuted by Friedrich Albrecht Von Rotbart as archpatriarchal legate, Das Königreich Middenland under the reign of Friedrich I has always been engendered, or otherwise principally characterized, by it’s unique culture of strict military professionalism and discipline. The pike and shotte infantry regiments fielded by and employed into the domestic military service of The Hohenrotbart Kings of Middenland are unquestionably some of the most skilled, professional, and disciplined infantry south of The Margraviate of Mazowsze. This world renowned tradition of military excellence and discipline is without question a product of the personal supervision and stewardship of Friedrich I as first and reigning König von Middenland and Founding Head of Hohenrotbart. A tradition that has most certainly benefited from Friedrich I’s years of personal and hard earned military experience as a mercenary captain of pike and shotte infantry before his express involvement in The Midlands Crusade at the request of his older brother as Archpatriarchal Legate. Much like the pikemen and musketeers in direct service to The Kings of Middenland, “die schwarzen rieterren” or “the black riders” employed into the domestic military service of The Kings of Middenland likewise reflect Das Königreich von Middenland’s world renowned culture of military professionalism and discipline. “Die Brüderschaften“ or “the brotherhoods” in which the heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic cavalry in direct service to The Kings of Middenland are organized into are emblematic of the very origins of Das Königreich Middenland’s unique and prestigious military culture and traditions in Friedrich I’s inherent distrust for the newly established great houses of junker aristocracy, who were generally reluctant to acknowledge his coronation and anointment as the first and reigning König von Middenland and Founding Head of Hohenrotbart in the aftermath of The Midlands Crusade. Both “die großmeisterren“ or “the grandmasters” of die brüderschaften, as well as all schwarzen rieterren under their command and supervision were made completely dependent on both Das Königreich Middenland’s state treasury generated by Das Königreich Middenland’s crownlands and any tariffs imposed on both Der König von Middenland’s charter companies and the local trade gilds, as well as tithes generated by the religious services of, and donations to the state ministry of The Reformed Church of The New Gods in Middenland as the primary sources of income for both their livelihoods and upkeep costs, while also being expected to forfeit any landed titles, estates, and incomes upon their enrollment into die brüderschaften as shwarzen rieterren. Both the obligatory and voluntary enrollment of heavily armoured and mounted, aristocratic knights into die schwarzen reiterren were both legally defined and characterized by serving the royal, state interests of The Kings of Middenland in general over the feudal, private interests the great houses of junker aristocracy in particular, with any failure to do so resulting in both their expulsion from their brüderschaft as well as the imposition of legal penalties and restrictions upon the aristocratic household of their birth by the provincial, “royal” law courts in direct service to The Kings of Middenland. The oaths of fealty sworn by die shwarzen reiterren to Der König von Middenland were made visually apparent using the distinct, iconic, black armour that was issued to them upon their enrollment into their respective order, which was, in certain cases, decorated with skull fetishes and gilded ornamentations to show any distinction in rank and seniority within their respective brüderschaft. In terms of it’s historical and cultural sources of inspiration, Das Königreich Middenland is loosely inspired by medieval and early renaissance Prussia under "The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights," or “Deutschordenstaat,“ as well as Ducal Prussia during the 16th and 17th centuries. With Friedrich I’s legislative decree of his official conversion to Karl Von Luxembourg’s reforms on behalf of his household and subjects being highly analogous to the secularization of The Monastic State of The Teutonic Knights into The Lutheran, East Prussian Duchy during the early 16th century.

[lepreuxchevalier]

A retouch of an illustration of a medieval knight I designed for House Durand, a great house of feudal aristocracy based in The Kingdom of Aquitaine in my low-fantasy setting. This artwork was designed for a medieval fantasy setting of my original conception featuring technology and culture equivalent to the late medieval and renaissance periods. Where formations of heavily armoured and mounted knights in either suits of full plate armour or heavy coats of chainmail fight alongside formations of pikemen and matchlock musketeers. Where medieval-style stone castles are gradually outsourced in favour of both lavish country estates and devoted military fortifications, or “bastions,” due to the advancements made in artillery technology. And where fledgling nation-states in the form of kingdoms and empires look beyond the great oceans in search of even greater wealth and territory. In context to the lore of my low-fantasy setting, House Durand is the ruling dynasty of The Duchy of Lyonesse and de jure vassals to House Williamson as the ruling dynasty of The Kingdom of Aquitaine. A fantasy kingdom loosely inspired by The Kingdom of France during the medieval and “ancien regime” periods of French and European history, while also taking fictional sources of inspiration from The Kingdom of Bretonnia in Warhammer Fantasy and The Kingdom of The Reach in Game of Thrones. Unlike the other constituent duchies and counties in The Kingdom of Aquitaine, The Duchy of Lyonesse is a thickly forested region of The Kingdom of Aquitaine by contrast to the sprawling municipal districts, heavily cultivated farmlands, and vast mining operations that are present elsewhere in the kingdom. In contrast to affluent, civilized, and cosmopolitan nature of the bourgeoisie and country gentlemen present in the other constituent duchies and counties within The Kingdom of Aquitaine, the denizens of The heavily forested Duchy of Lyonesse are a hardy, rugged, and resilient folk who live off the land through the forestry, beekeeping, and fur trade that dominates economic and agricultural activity within the sparsely developed lands of Lyonesse. The furs trapped and processed by the fur traders in Lyonesse are amongst the most prized and sought after luxuries across the breadth and enormity of The Civilized world south of The Tsardom of Rus’skaya. The fur pelts produced by The Lyonessais fur traders have often been used as tributary offerings or wedding presents in the dynastic machinations and petty politics of the great houses feudal aristocracy and petty monarchies of The Empire of Mankind Proper, with the four Lay Prince-Electors and even The Imperial Household themselves using them as tribute and dowries in the diplomatic intrigues that make and break dynastic unions within The Empire of Mankind Proper. In terms of the myriad martial competencies and dynastic military traditions that characterize the feudal, aristocratic levies in service to the great houses of feudal aristocracy within The Kingdom of Aquitaine, the woodsmen and fur traders indigenous to The Duchy of Lyonesse are reputed for their exceptional proficiency in both equestrian and dismounted archery in an age dominated by siege artillery and matchlock muskets. Many pike-and-shotte regiments who have dared to challenge the archers of Lyonesse on the battlefield have often suffered humiliation and defeat in equal measure after underestimating the seemingly antiquated martial skills and military tactics employed by the feudal levies of The Dukes of Lyonesse. It is rumoured, much to the chagrin and dismay of the provincial authorities of The Conservative Church of The New Gods based in The Duchy of Lyonesse, that there are isolated, splinter cults dedicated to the druidic worship of Erdøk deep within the most heavily forested and uncultivated regions of Lyonesse. The Bishop of Charroux as the leading religious authority within The Duchy of Lyonesse, in conjunction with The Dukes of Lyonesse themselves, have petitioned for the support of The Archpatriarch in Romulus to launch multiple inquisitorial purges against the tree worshipping heathens of Erdøk that have taken residence deep within the forests of Lyonesse, with the overwhelming majority of inquisitorial hosts and missions launched against the splinter sects of Erdøk vanishing deep within the confines of the forest, never to return. Despite the enduring complications associated with attempting to purge The Duchy of Lyonesse of it’s stubborn and resilient presence of Erdøki splinter cults, The Dukes of Lyonesse born to House Durand have always been outspoken, if not borderline fanatical devotees to The Kings of House Williamson as their monarchs and feudal overlords crowned and anointed personally with the explicit blessing and sanctions of The Bishops of Romulus as the supreme heads of The Conservative Church of The New Gods since time immemorial.