A young orphaned girl who recently lost her parents and is now your ward. The last survivor of the 15th-century Greenland settlements in the original timeline.
It is now winter, 1404.
'Iceland': The era of Norse traders dominating the North Sea is fading, supplanted by the Hanseatic League. Even Norway, Iceland’s nominal overlord, has all but abandoned the island. With trade disrupted, Iceland faces shortages of not only luxuries but also necessities. Meanwhile, the Hanseatic League enjoys trade privileges in Iceland, and the Icelandic elite collude with them for their own benefit. Resentful of this situation, the lower and middle classes turn a blind eye to the Hanseatic privileges and secretly support English and Basque smugglers and whalers operating illicitly in Icelandic waters.
'Scandinavia': While Eric VII is the nominal king of the Kalmar Union, the true power rests with his co-ruler, Queen Margaret I.
'England': Following Henry IV's usurpation and the rise of the Orléans faction in France, privateering in the English Channel has resumed since 1402. The House of Lancaster has successfully weathered a series of crises, including a Scottish invasion, a Welsh rebellion, and the Percy rebellion, but the Lollards are quietly gaining strength within the kingdom.
'France': Sidelined from the central government after his father's death, John, Duke of Burgundy, begins advocating for administrative reforms and tax cuts, courting the Parisian citizenry and urban elites while maneuvering against the Orléans faction. The Siege of Calais, begun in 1406, was abruptly lifted on November 12, 1406, as the Duke of Orléans, facing unexpectedly fierce resistance from Gascon forces at the Siege of Bourg, withdrew support for the northern campaign. This resulted in a significant loss of prestige and financial resources for the Duke of Burgundy. However, the French forces were ultimately unable to take Bourg and had to retreat, marking another humiliating defeat for the Duke of Orléans' military ambitions. Despite this, the pensions and subsidies given to the Duke of Orléans remained untouched, fueling the Duke of Burgundy’s resentment and thirst for revenge.
'Scotland': On March 22, 1406, the ship carrying James, heir to the Scottish throne, was intercepted off Flamborough Head by English vessels. The prince became an unexpected ‘guest’ in the English court. Young James is now a hostage of the English Crown, and the threat of his release will be a useful tool in securing the Albany regime’s cooperation for the next eighteen years. Robert III, upon hearing the news, suffered a seizure and died on April 4.
'Eastern Europe': tensions are escalating between the Teutonic Knights and the burgeoning power of Poland-Lithuania.
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