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The following information is taken from the notes of the Regency Council for Heinrich StadenNearly a year to the day since those druids warned Lothar-Udo of his impending demise, Heinrich is too young to lead at this point in his life, barely seven years old, we -- the capable members of his court that continue his learnings in his father's absence, will lead in his place.
The poor boy is already showing signs of stress, as his father was raising him at his side in the court. Though a sad day throughout all of Brandenburg, it is most sad for a single young boy who sits alone in the throne room.
December 1072 -
What a laugh. The Mecklenbergian tribes came forth to request an alliance with us.
Alliance. There was no deliberation necessary. The messenger will have hell to pay when he returns home with our chortled response.
September, 1073 -
The pagans of Wolgast apparently did not appreciate how we responded to their original homelands. They started marching with pitchforks and looting. We will set some men aside to police the area, though we are mostly unconcerned.
Furthermore, the Burghers take our focus on the revolt to their advantage, and leverage some weight into the table of focus of law, demanding more rights:
Honestly, there was no need for them to partake in such obvious political wrangling. We
agree that City Law should overshadow Canonical Law. We are, after all, not
priests.
October, 1073 -
A powerful alliance with a powerful man. We can see no reason to decline. Many frivilous wars across the world from us have been engaged in, and with most we declined to ability to project force over such great distance. We are certain the Austrians will understand.
February, 1074 -
The Poles have seen the strength to their west in our great Duchy and sent one of their sons to learn in our court. We accepted and begin teaching him the ways of our great people. It will do much to improve relations with our neighbors across the river.
July, 1074 -
Excellent work by the Stewards. Brandenburg is in a state of extreme prosperity. We may soon continue improvements of infrastructure, our new territories are in desperate need of getting brought to modern times.
August, 1074 -
A very brilliant Knight arrived today. A man named Folkan. He offered to teach the young Duke in the ways of war for a. . . sizeable fee. After much deliberation, we agreed to pay him his outrageous price, on the condition that he also remain as Marshal of Brandenburg.
He accepted.
Shortly thereafter, we hear news from the Bishop of Altmark. He has declared independence. A
bishop. This is a
man of God?! The Church wonders why Brandenburg moves further away from them as time passes when they
allow such insults to be thrown upon the crown! Worse yet, he makes this decision when the coffers are emptied from assisting our great Duke's son, with whom he was days ago
fiercly loyal to the name, and we are unable to respond.
It will not happen today. It will not happen tomorrow, likely not for many years, but he will pay.
He
will pay dearly.
September, 1075 -
Ah, problems from the Clergy never stop, however this time they bring the Law of the Land to us to make claims on lands within the Duchy that they
say is theirs by matter of tradition.
The laws do not lie, and we are bound by them, that is Lothar-Udo's way, and therefore it is the way of Brandenburg. Begrudgingly, we grant them this land.
Historian's Notes: Interestingly, there is a gap of information in the council's records from the previous notations in 1075 and the following notations which resume in 1078 for a very, very brief period, then again in 1079. We continue to attempt to cross-reference with lands outside of Brandenburg for the historical record, but little information has been found. It seems that Brandenburg remained upon a quiet, internal moment of peace building infrastructure and remaining out of foreign affairs. (( i.e. Absolutely nothing of interest happened for four freakin' years besides me building a couple sawmills. ))April, 1078 -
It seems the Steward has been using a few more... forceful methods of obtaining greater taxes. Worse yet, after some careful checking of the books, that money is nowhere to be seen.
Hundreds of ducats worth of gold are simply.... missing. Yet strangely our "fine" Steward has many new dresses and clothes.
She has been fired, and replaced with a more
capable Steward that will serve the
Duchy, not their own pocket.
December, 1078 -
The Pope has called for a Crusade against the muslims in Jeruselam. We wish the Knights throughout the world well. God be with you.
January, 1079 -
Our men our prepared, the plans are drafted, the coffers are full. When we stated that fool Bishop would pay, we meant with
Blood. We march to reclaim Altmark for the Duchy.
April, 1079 -
The siege begins.
May, 1079 -
Amusingly, the fool Bishop gave up in less time than it took our men to march to Altmark. Our reclaimation has completed.
September, 1079 -
Upon hearing that the lands of Altmark were returned, Bishop von Wetterau recovered from his depression. He was a renewed man, speaking of finding God once more. Interesting, well, in light of his waking up from the blackness that had been consuming him, we dubbed him Bishop of Altmark, and once again instituted the Bishopric that once stood in those lands. Hopefully he will do a far better job than the last.
October, 1079 -
After many years of revolt in Wolgast, it is time to meet partway. The damage done is causing a slow, but steady drain on the coffers, and when Heinrich comes of age soon, we do not want to leave him dealing with a popular revolt. We will sit with the pagan farmers and give in to some of their demands.
December, 1079 -
The Pommeranian tribes, emboldened by a recent alliance with the Swabians, declare war.
Furthermore:
The Austrians have declared war on Danzig. As we already fight in that realm we join them in this war, moving to intercept their troops as they pass towards Austria on our way through Pommeranian lands.
After the sound defeat we gave their troops, the Chief of Danzig offered a great sum of money for us to leave their lands in peace, which we gladly accepted to focus upon our real enemies to their west.
The money came at just the right time, we had underestimated the Pommeranian alliance with Swabia. The Swabians rushed out of nowhere across the countryside and sieged Brandenburg. Our men were deep in Pommeranian lands and could not return. Easy come, easy go. They demanded the money we received from Danzig's chieftan.
We gave it.
October, 1080 -
The payoff to the Swabians was worth it.
The campaign completed successfully. The Tribe of Pommerania is known now only in legend.
And already they complain of being led by us. A revolt is what they want? Then a fight is what they shall receive. We will convert their lands.... by force.
Historian's note: Here again we have a multi-year gap. It seems the majority of focus was placed upon the final years of Heinrich's teachings, as well as reconstruction of the war-torn lands of Pommerania to the Northeast of the Duchy's capital. There is but one last note, instilling their faith in the new Duke of Brandenburg.