Another question for the history experts here. 
Are there any major historical events happening 1220-1230? Like famous battles, for examples.
The reason I'm asking is that I want the characters in my campaign to be witness to something that makes them feel being part of history. Any suggestions for Europe and the Levant? Would be cool to start the campaign (it begins next week) with some kind of famous event.
Cheers,
Eirik
There are two Crusades that occurred within that period. The Fifth Crusade 1217-1221 (a dismal failure) and the Sixth Crusade (1228-1229).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Crusade
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixth_Crusade
A table with the timelines of Crusades that also mentions some other events within different periods...
gzg.fn.bw.schule.de/staufer/stauf_e.htm
some other happenings in that decade (books written, famous personages born, etc...)
magicdragon.com/UltimateSF/t ... #1230Books
Edited to add: Since I seem to recall you are setting your saga in The Rhine Tribunal, there is also any number of stories to be had centered around the papal crowning of Frederik II (Frederik I of Sicily) as Holy Roman Emperor in 1220 until his death in 1250 and the various wars he fought, especially against the Papal states.
This Wiki article on him should give you some good seeds...
Ah, excellent! The crowning of Fredrick II would be a very good start of the campaign. Need to research tha one.
E.
In 1210 the Order of Friars Minor commonly called the "Franciscans" was founden in Assisi. An order that was not unopposed indside the curch.
For a saga focusing on the divine/curch this may be a story hook.
Salvete,
Widewitt
Ferretz, what is most interesting about Frederik II is his consistent success against the interests of Rome despite their best efforts to counter him. Some of his achievements included:
He was not deterred in the slightest by excommunication and was so effective at curbing Papal authority that many in the clergy considered him the Anti-Christ. Even after his death many believed he would come again and rule for a thousand years. (Good hook for a Tremere Necromancer saga).
This might be inspiring, even if it's from a later period of the empire:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Quat ... Negker.jpg
(edit: hey, I even see Pfalz there! Neat!)
Fred II is a good one
Magna Carta in 1225, England.
Notice that there is a difference between an event that was important for today history but not at the time, and an event that was grandiose to behold and marked history at the same time.
That is of course Henry III's reissue of magna carta, not the original which was 10 years earlier. The reissue was half the size, but actually remained valid for longer than a few months (unlike the original).
Mark
Magna carta is 1215 
EDIT: saw mark's comment above just now.
There is a fairly good book on England in 1215 called precisely that: "Magna Carta". It talks about all the branches of society economy, military and city life in the period, as well as court and the external relations of the kingdom. A good general overview of the English medieval society at the time. It also talks about battles and the like, so it might be worthy if you set your saga in England. Less interesting if you set it in the Rhine, but worth mentioning.
Other important events can be found here:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_timelines#History
The diverse tiomelines are good inspiration. The student riot of paris (1126) was turned IMS into a full fledged battle that ended in the burning of the city (small help of our residing flambeau there).
The golden charter of Berne (that stablishes it as an independent state or the agreement betyweent Fred II and the bishops (1220) are also good starting points.
As said, skim the list of timelines in the Wikipedia. it is a fairly good source of inspiration to get a wide picture over diverse mundane events. And supernatural ones, sicne fires can be caused by magical beings for example
Xavi
There's this rather nifty function in wikipedia... just write a year and you get a list of events, births, deaths and such.
Ah, I didn't know that. Takker og bukker!
E.
Now THAT is probably one of the most useful functions I have ever seen for a roleplayer.
happily dances away to play with it
The Albigensian Crusade was still in business in 1220:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albigensian_Crusade
That's a nasty complication for anyone who happens to wander through Languedoc.
Indeed. And Montsegur doesn't fall until 1244... plenty of time. Cathar companions would be good plot seeds, even in the Rhine tribunal.
Just be aware that Cathars (Albigensians) firmly rejected the swearing of oaths and so any such companions would refuse to swear any oath of fealty either to a covenant or to a magus.
