Beginning on 9/4/97, the war in Bishop 2 has lasted 80 years.. During that time, kingdoms have risen and fallen. Fiefs have changed hands numerous times, peasants calling first one and then another lord master. What began as a dispute between the house of Valois and the House of Plantagenet has reshaped Christendom, leaving the Plantagenets as Emperors of the West and rules of France, England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. But it was not always so, nor were English forces ever certain of victory.
In the early years, many families vied for control over the cities and fields of Europe. The Scots lead by Robert the Bruce harried England from the North. The French and English clashed in the Aquitaine region. A heretical king of Mallorca attacked the papacy and France from his kingdom in the South. Others, like the de Dreuxs, quietly amassed power by taking fiefs from inactive lords.
To counter the English threat, the French quickly began investing massively in fortifications. Castles and keeps rose to staggering levels across the kingdom of France, serving as impregnable fortresses from which to sally against the English. But while the walls provided safety they also came with a hidden danger. When one of these havens fell, the walls turned against the French themselves and protected the English from even the largest of French armies. Thus the House of Plantagenet slowly gained ground in France.
But the Plantagenet - Valois conflict merely glossed over the much larger struggle for power among the lesser lords. The Bruce, after achieving some notable victories in the North, fell before the English. His heir, King David II, became a prisoner and Bruce-led Scottish independence died a sudden death. The de Dreuxs, hereditary Ducs de Brittany, conspired with the English against the French and John de Dreux became first King of Ireland and soon after King of Scotland. Now High King John of the Celts, de Dreux had even larger goals planned, and with the death of Ludwig von Bayern, Holy Roman Emperor, de Dreux succeeded to that Crown by election.
The Holy See was not inactive in this conflict either. After negotiations between Edward Plantagenet and Philippe de Valois broke down and sensing a general foundering of Christian morality, Anastasisus V founded the Holy Order of Pontifical Knights (PK). These knights were to set an example for all to behold, espousing the highest standards of chivalry and piety. The pope immediately put the knights to use repressing the rebellious peasants in Italy.
The most significant development, however, was the formation of a group of French nobles unsatisfied with Valois rule. These men were not allies of the English. Rather, they simply called Valois enemy and found aid in the House of Plantagenet. Working on the long-term goal on removing the Valois from the Throne of Light, the rebellious families quietly took lands in France. Some, like de Rohan, openly professed their hatred of Valois. Others decided the more circumspect approach was the better course.
Gradually the impetuous built and the English gained greater tracks of land each season. The French valiantly strove against the English invaders, capturing the King of England in one massive battle, stripping outlaws of lands and titles, and stopping timers at the last moment. But slowly the end approached. Finally the rebellious French lords, some motivated out of their alliance with England, others out of the desire for personal gain, called for the removal of the Valois dynasty. Five candidates for the Crown of France stepped forward. The vote, split as it was, failed and no king was elected. That winter, the rebellious lords decided that no single one of them could achieve the throne. But, should Valois or Plantagenet rule France? Their hatred for Valois prevailed and the following fall the Pope crowned Edward IV King of France at Orleans.
After the coronation, Jeanne d'Arc appeared. Rallying the former crown prince Jean III against Edward IV, the two threw first Brittany and then Poitiers into rebellion. But by then most of the French nobles had either sworn fealty to Edward, or following the example of St. Simon, Sire Villers-Cotterat, had forsaken their lands and retired into monasteries or sought the solace of foreign shores. Having consolidated his victory and established peace throughout France, Edward IV reigned supreme. But one last accolade was still to come. Seeing in Edward the future of Christendom, His Holiness crowned Edward Emperor of the West and Guardian of the Church.
-HYWDracho, HYWaLions, FurySport, HYWBishop
#2 (38) Edward, King of England and France
#3 (139) Outlaw Rohan
#1 (233) Bouchier family
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Bouchier's Memoirs
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Emperor Plantagent's Memoirsbr>
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Overall GDP Growth
1 38 + Emperor Edward Plantagenet 12321.00
2 244 Isabella Chandos 2363.00
3 233 Alais de Bouchier 544.00
4 139 Cassandra de Rohan 543.00
5 265 *Herald Percy Plantagenet 173.00
6 101 Edward de Bohun 144.00
7 17 Azzo I de Visconti 141.00
8 22 Sylvester IV Pontifex Maximus 138.00
9 226 Annette Fitzalan 130.00
10 175 MdN John de Bourbon-Bourbon 125.00
Overall Game Points
1 233 Alais de Bouchier 3134
2 139 Cassandra de Rohan 1157
3 38 + Emperor Edward Plantagenet 845
4 265 *Herald Percy Plantagenet 618
5 5 William II de Savoy 480
6 101 Edward de Bohun 289
7 118 Connetable Philip de Bourgogne 277
8 89 Theodore de Grosmont 179
9 230 PK LG Chamberlain Clifford 172
10 280 Ernest de Vere 169
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