The Archbishop of Mainz stood, looking at Janos, the Lutheran Emperor. He put the crown on his emperor's head, watching as the Lutheran Princes and burghers and bishops cheered. They all knew this was a momentous occasion. The Archbishop thought to what had happened in the past few weeks, how much had changed. He had come to a realization in his time in Brandenburg, and had converted to the words of Luther. Saxony had attacked the Catholic Lorrainese at the behest of Spain, which had made the Archbishop wonder if the Spanish had come to the light, or were just using the Protestants as a way to gain an advantage. The Protestant North and Center of Germany had begun to slowly grow a pan-Protestant alliance, prepared to defend themselves from the growing Catholic push-back. This League grew to include both Saxonies, Mainz, Mecklenburg, the Hanseatic cities in the Holy Roman Empire, Munster, Brunswick-Luneburg, Bamberg, Wurzburg, Nassau, and the various north German counts between Munster and Brunswick. They had invited their fellow German Hohenzollerns in Brandenburg, Ansbach, Gotland, and the Netherlands as well as the Lutheran Emperor to join the League. They have also inquired to Denmark and Sweden to join the League, as these two are bastions of Protestantism and are powerful allies. The Swiss Zwinglists are not invited to this league, and the Zwinglists in Switzerland and Swabia feel no commonality between them and the Lutherans of the North.

Meanwhile, word of this spread to the southern regions and the Catholic Italians and Germans. Quickly a response was made, as the Catholic Electors of Cologne and Trier refuse to agree to the Lutehran Emperor publicly and claim that the Emperor is false for he has not been approved by the Pope. Cologne, however, realizes it is surrounded by powerful Lutheran states and does not do much beyond refuse to accept the Lutheran Emperor. Trier then decides to lead the charge and calls upon many of the Catholic Princes and Kings to join against the Protestants who are clearly attempting to overthrow the most Holy Roman Empire. Austria, already haven been pulled into this European War by Navarre, quickly agrees and champions this alliance. The Swabian Counts and Free Cities, Baden, Savoy, Aachen, and Genoa quickly form an alliance of their own and call upon their allies in Sicily, Navarre, France, Milan, Swabia, Ferrara and Modena, and Bavaria to join their alliance. They also call upon the Pope to christen this alliance and even send troops should the Protestants attack. Trier and Cologne offer to crown Claude Emperor with the Pope's backing, and asks Bavaria to support the true Catholic Emperor. Venice also offers to provide mercenaries to this League, a significant amount at that.

Shortly after the Catholics scrambled to prepare for a Lutheran attack, religious violence erupted. The region of Swabia was one of the most religiously diverse areas in all of Europe, and soon there were major rebellions throughout the region of Swabia. The Duchy of Swabia is unable to raise any more troops and Swabia has large peasant rebellions and religious strife throughout its lands. More importantly, the northern region of Bavaria, which used to be part of the Palatinate, had a large protestant rebellion against the Duke and, fearing a response, called upon the Protestant League to protect them and their new Protestant state. The League agreed, and should Bavaria join the Catholic League, would spark a war between the two. Germany was now one letter away from a continental war. In the East, Royal Prussia sent a letter to the Polish King asking to permission to join the Protestant League and join their brethren. In the West, the Berquinists in France inquire the King to support the Protestant League and take advantage of the situation.

M: So, in the revelation of the Saxon call to arms by Spain, the old HRE crisis is being scrapped in favor of this. I will be fixing the sheets and such soon. As for this crisis, the two religious Leagues have been founded and I have listed all the countries on each side that have been called upon. All nations will have varying degrees of problems should they fail to come to the support of their religious brethren.