A World of War: World 9 - The Great Return (Map Game)/Backstory and Lore

Chapter 1 - 850 AD to 1050 AD
It is 850 AD, the Carolingian Empire was at its height in the continent of Europe. Over 50 years earlier, the Carolignian Dynasty had became what it claims to be the successor of the Western Roman Empire, as by recognition of Pope Leo III. It wasn't until the rise of Charlemagne was when the Carolingian Empire was at its greatest height in power. By the 850s, the Civil War in the early 840s nevered happened. As when Lothair I had successfully convinced his two brothers that he needed the control and the importance of unity within the Frankish Empire.

Under the blessings of Pope St. Leo IV, the Lothair I had been tasked to stop the Islamic Emirate of Cordoba within Iberia. The campaigns of Iberia had been led by a General whos name is long forgotten by many sources. However, the Franks were assisted by the Stellingas, a caste of saxons, who contributed to the main part of the battle for Iberia. By 855, Lothair I had managed to conquer most of Iberia before dying, establishing the Lotharingian Branch from the rest of the Carolingians. Leaving his son, Louis II, in charge of the throne for the next 20 years. During his time, Almennia? was annexed into the Franks, and with the conquest of Bari in 871 (and the rest of Italy in 873), relations with the Byzantine Empire had soured.

Louis II's death has brought to the short reign of Charles the Bald, who reigned for 3 years before dying in 878, to which he was succeeded several times (Louis III, 878 - 882, Carloman II, 882 - 884), before finally settling on Charles III the Simple (884-929), who came to the throne at 6 years old (under a regency council for the next 12 years). Charles III had greatly helped the Empire when it continously expanded throughout the tribes of Poland and Hungary, with annexation of Croatia and Moravia in 912. During his time, he had helped employed many spymasters and perfected the art of maintaining a large Empire through subjugation, indoctrination, and control of the younger generations through a revival of education.

In late 920 AD, the Vikings had successfully conquered the lands of England (aside from Cornwall) and southern Scotland. A vigorous 6-year war had erupted ended in 927, the victory of the Franks allowed for the christianization of the Vikings through "Franklaw" or "Roma/Romelaw" with the help from the Pope. By the time of Charles III's death (whom used the next 2 years to help strengthen his throne and his successor), Britain, Scandinavia, and Poland had been conquered by the Franks.

His son, Emperor Louis IV was raised again by a regency council until 936, upon his ascension to the throne. The biggest events under his throne is the further deterioration with the Byzantines through supporting Bulgaria's conquest of Greece and the conquest of Kievan Rus, which had also became conquered under Louis IV. He died in 954, bringing Northern Russia and Hungary under his belt. His successor, Lothair the III? had ruled from 954 to 984.

With being pushed from all sides, the Byzantines finally fell in 961 after a 4 year siege of constantinople and a 7 invasion by the Islamic invaders. This had naturally alarmed all of Europe, the Pope in Italy had declared an early first crusade against the invaders. Lothair III's reign had been mostly filled with fighting religious conflicts and getting Anatolia under safe Frankish hands. In 986, the Middle-east had lost in the war and led to the conquest of Anatolia, Thracia, and Southern Russia by the Franks.

Emperor Louis V the Terrible succeeded to the thrown in mid-986 and ruled until 1008, his reign was mostly peaceful, with a couple forced subjugation of tribes within the Baltics, Ireland, and the rest of Scandinavia. However, he was plagued with corruption and states trying to get independence. He had further perfected the "art of the Empire" through re-inventing the Imperial system based on the Byzantine Thema with a mix of other things in order to maintain order and fast responding forces to any noticeable unrest within provinces. By mastering of his school of intrigue and his legion of loyal indoctrinated spymasters, he had helped in a constant flow of information for any talks of unrest within each city and most of the towns, those who talk of unrest had led to their demise within the assassin's blade. With mysterious deaths, and political/religious indoctrination to be as loyal as possible, this made many to call the spymasters/assassins "Death Angels/ Angels of Death" (it's very twisted).

However, the oppressive regime of Louis V had not gone unnnoticed within the remaining major Christian states of Bulgaria, Naples, and the Papal states. With their frustration at controlling the Frankish power, the Pope had attempted to excommunicate Louis V in hopes to illegitimize his throne, while this had varying degrees of effect, any unrest from the system Louis V had built is put down within a couple weeks.

Louis V had found out Naples and Bulgaria's attempted talks at exploiting corruption within the Empire to further start a major civil war, Louis towards the end of his reign in 1004, declared war on the Bulgarians and Naples. By 1006, naples had fallen to Louis V's blade of vengeance. It wasn't until his sickness of old age had got to him and he felt weakened everyday before he found himself in his resting place. He died in 1008, stopping the war and leaving the throne to his son Emperor Lothair IV. Emperor Lothair IV reigned from 1008 - 1038.

Lothair IV continued the war against the Bulgarians in 1020, leading to their fair in 1024. Finally, Lothair IV turned against the pope, striking the pope down himself, being long planned and trained by his father to do so. Lothair IV then installed himself as the Emperor and the Pope of Europe after his conquest of the Papal State. He then spent the last years of his reign subjugating rebellions and such. However, a threat is growing upon the horizon, the size of the Empire had also led to its weakness to contain threats in its effortless spread.

Islam in the middle-east had abide by its time, carefully trying to figure out ways to take down the Empire, if not from within or from the outside. By its unification as the "Islamic" (by its enemy in Europe) Caliphate, Caliph Mohommad Soloman had began to craft a plan in the early 1040s, a plan to take down the Empire in.. nay...the Empire OF Europe - christian Europe.

By 1050, the stage has been set between the Empire of Christianity and the Empire of Islam, a cold war had erupted within the two Empires. While Christianity gathers its strength within numbers and its tactics within the terrains of Europe, Islam (being at a disadvantage) had hopes to flex its technological ingenuity as it lays within the middle of the still developing Silk Road.

