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==Politics==
[[File:Ms1346eura-56a48e8e5f9b58b7d0d785e91346_Europe.gifjpg|thumb]]
In 1346, Europe is torn apart by power struggles.
Lords will follow their king in combat with their troops not because the law obliges it, but because honour command it.
The main powers in western Europe are France, England, the Holy Roman empire (Germany), Castile (Spain) and the Pope.
There is in a war between England and France that just started and there is a power struggle between France, the Holy Roman Empire and the Pope.
The current Pope have been strongly supported by France and he is based in Avignon instead of Rome.
Christendom is still fighting against the Islamic world, Arabs have reclaimed the holy land (Jerusalem and some surrounding cities). The current crusade started in 1343 didn't mobilise as many soldiers as it used to.
Part of Spain is controlled by an Arabian king, it will take a hundred year before Spain reconquers the entirety of his land.
==Faith==
Secular members may chose to also be regular members and vice versa.
==War==
The French and English royal families are tightly intricate by countless marriages, to a point where the current King of England, Edward III of England is arguably the legal King of France.
French Nobles on the contrary chose Philip VI to be the king of the France, both claims to the throne being equally arguable.
After much tensions, Edward III of England launched a war against France that will last for a hundred years. Their troops first met on the battlefield at Crecy (nothern France) and it was a major defeat for France.
A typical medieval army consists of infantry, archers and cavalry.
Infantry and archers are trained soldiers, while cavalry consists mostly of nobles.
Canons barely exist, they have been used only once in the battle of Crecy but had little to no impact, to a point where most reports of the battle don't mention them. Early firearms haven't been invented yet.
Crossbows are forbidden against Christians.
A typical Knight wears a full chain mail armour, full plate armours haven't been invented yet. They fight on horseback with lances, shields and swords.
==Technology==
In 1346, architecture is dominated by the Gothic style. Each booksare handwritten by Monks mostly and on parchment, paper already exists but is considered a vile material and hence only used for low quality documents. Printing will not be invented before a very long time.medicinearchitectureMedicine is very backward, it relies on the theories of humoral types and dissections of corpses are forbidden. Hygiene is almost inexistent, sewers are very rare. In this regard as well as in many others, the Islamic world is much more advanced than Christendom. Glass is very rare, it is only used for the most expensive buildings, cheaper building use windows made of oiled parchment, bare holes in the wall or don't have windows at all. Several counties will mint their own coins out of gold and silver, banknotes do not exist yet and the only banking institutions are held by monastic orders. The first privately owned banks start to appear in Italy. The American continent have not been discovered yet, Christendom buy good from China through the silk road without knowing where they come from. Besides the book written by Marco Polo, knowledge of Asia is almost inexistent.