Giotto Fieschi is born to a wealthy Florentine family.
Giotto Fieschi enters the Priesthood as a member of the Dominican order.
By now a young cleric in Florence Giotto Fieschi discovered that he had been touched by the hand of God - he found that he could generate and control energy for a variety of different purposes. He immediately realised that God was preparing him for some task of Biblical proportions, but when he took his tale to his confessor and demonstrated his new abilities, he was denounced as in league with the Devil. Only by luck was he able to kill the confessor and flee before he was able to raise the alarm. When the corpse was discovered all news about it was suppressed due to the un-natural cause of death, and in the ensuing inquisition Giotto was easily able to keep his part in the death secret.
After lengthy thought Giotto realised that simple power would not be enough to carry out his mission whenever God chose to reveal it to him - he must have followers as well, and for that he needed to gain as high a rank in the Church as he could.
Giotto slowly works his way up the Church hierarchy, building up a large following and honing his powers as he does so. In the process of this he finds that he can imbue others as well as himself with a portion of Gods power (though he learnt through several narrow escapes never to make a servant which he could not control) or heal any wound short of death. As time went by he also noticed that he did not appear to be ageing and though he soon learned to hide this he realised that this was just another sign of the importance of the mission God was preparing him for.
Giannangelo Braschi is elected to the Papacy on the death of Pope Clement XIV and becomes Pope Pius VI.
The USA declares its independence from Britain.
Giotto Fieschi becomes a Cardinal. By this time Pius VI was already proving unable to cope with the changes taking place in the world, and upon his becoming Cardinal Giotto saw himself as Pius' natural successor. However, he was willing to bide his time and gain the Papacy by outliving Pius.
The Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II of Austria issues an edict greatly restricting Papal power. Giotto saw Pius VI vacillating and saw that this was the task for which God had long been preparing him - to save the Papacy from an otherwise inevitable decline. When the council of cardinals, with Pius VI at its head, assembled to discuss the situation, Giotto stood up and announced his powers and his mission. He executed Pius and declared himself Pope, under the name of Innocent XIV. No-one dared argue with his power and his personal following made the coup a fait accompli. After ascending to the Papacy Innocent goes before the crowds in St Peters Square and displays his powers, saying they are a gift from God to preserve the Church from infidels and blasphemers. He calls for true Catholics everywhere to rise up in a crusade against the heretic Joseph II and bring down the so-called Holy Roman Empire. Churchmen and intellectuals who object to the Popes call are imprisoned as heretics.
Within months, as the news of the 'miracle' spreads massive public support unites the Papal States behind the Pope. Hundreds of thousands of people converge on Rome from the Papal States and other Italian nations in answer to his call, believing him to be truly chosen by God.
When the spring comes the Pope moves northwards at the head of the crusade, preaching hellfire and damnation for supporters of Joseph II and gathering support as he goes. Many of Joseph II's troops desert to the Pope. After sweeping through the Austrian province of Tuscany, by the time the crusade reaches the borders of Austria, Joseph II's army has collapsed and after a few nominal battles, aided by the Pope himself and several lieutenants imbued with superhuman powers who become the first of the Papal Host of Heaven, Austria is conquered by the end of the summer, although several areas, mainly in the North and East remain outside Papal control. Joseph II flees to Russia as Innocent XIV proclaims the New Holy Roman Empire.
What was the Austrian Netherlands is divided up between Prussia and France.
After gaining reassurances from their churches that the Popes powers cannot possibly be divinely inspired, governments across Europe begin to search for other people with similar extraordinary powers.
Joseph II travels around Europe building a coalition of Russian, Polish and Prussian forces for an attempt to retake his country, offering them territory in Austria in payment.
The new crusade brings all of Italy under Papal control. Spain declares war after the crusade takes away areas they had controlled, and after blockading all Italian ports invades in several places. However, the invaders are soon repelled by the Papal armies and the Host of Heaven, and as in the battle against Joseph II many of the Spanish troops desert to the Pope soon afterwards, following several Papal pronouncements. Charles III of Spain, seeing his invasion crumbling and unwilling to go against the Pope, calls off the war and withdraws his forces.
The Inquisition receives extra funding and manpower as it begins to eradicate heretics from the new Holy Roman Empire. Over this and the following years thousands of Jews, Protestants and suspected heretics are put to death.
The USA finally wins the War of Independence against Britain.
In the summer of 1784 the combined armies of Joseph II attack. Although initially they achieve great success the Papal armies and the Host of Heaven, combined with desertion of many Catholics from the attacking armies when the words of the Pope reach them, slowly drive the invaders back despite their numerical superiority over the Papal forces.
In 1792 Joseph II is killed by the Host of Heaven and with his death the support of the Russian, Polish and Prussian armies fades and this, combined with their continuing desertion problem causes their retreat and assures continuing Roman control of Austria. However, Prussia remains in firm control of the Austrian states of Bohemia and Moravia, while Russia acquires parts of Galicia and north-east Hungary.
News begins to filter in from France of a struggle beginning between the French Crown and Parliament.
American settlers begin to move into the vast unsettled territory claimed by Spain as part of its Viceroyalty of New Spain to the west of the Mississippi river.
With the end of the war against the Papacy, Innocent XIV calls of French Catholics to rise up and overthrow their heretical leaders in his name. Beginning in the French countryside unrest spreads across the country then bursts into open revolt as peasants look to the Pope for guidance. As the revolt blossoms the Pope orders his forces into France from the south to support the peasant revolt. The Pope tells the world that the Catholics of France have called for his protection and he must answer that call. Within weeks Prussian forces also invade to prevent another Papal take-over, but they are hindered by widespread French resistance. The atrocities which ensue when the Prussians turn on the French citizenry merely spark more resistance and support for the Papal forces.
Holland frees itself from French control.
By late in the year the Prussian offensive has foundered against French resistance and the Roman armies and with the beginning of their withdrawal Roman forces take control of most of France.
In the wake of the French forces follows the Inquisition. Thousands of French aristocrats, Protestants and Jews are slaughtered as heretics as Innocent XIV consolidates his hold over his new territories.
In the confusion of the revolution, Dutch forces take control of what was the French Netherlands and forming the Kingdom of the United Netherlands.
With Roman forces in control of France, an ultimatum is handed to Switzerland, forcing them to ally themselves with the Papacy.
The Ottoman Empire, worried by the expansion of Papal power, seek and gain alliances with Britain and Russia against the new Holy Roman Empire.
As Papal power becomes fully consolidated in France and Austria, Papal agents move into Spain, Portugal and several states in southern Germany (notably Bavaria and Wurttemberg) and the Balkans in order to stimulate pro-Papacy uprisings.
As the pro-Papal movement in Spain grows, King Charles IV, knowing he will lose control in an uprising of the people unless he does something, allies himself with the Papacy in return for Roman support of his throne.
In a Papal Bull, which becomes known as the Centennial Bull, Innocent propounds the doctrine of total Papal infallibility.
By this time it has become obvious that Innocent XIV is not ageing. He explains that this is obviously another gift from God to enable him to continue his great mission. The revelation only increases his popularity with the masses.
Bavaria, Wurttemberg and Baden in southern Germany ally themselves with the new Holy Roman Empire.
Serbia rises up against Ottoman control in a pro-Papacy revolt. Roman forces move south from several points in Austria in order to support the uprising and soon forge ahead against heavy Ottoman resistance, reinforced by British and Russian troops. As the less well equipped Ottoman troops are pushed back the British and Russian forces become more heavily involved in the fighting.
Britain demands that the Ottomans allow them to take permanent control of several strategic areas in the Ionian Islands and the Dodecanese in return for their aid in the fight against the Papacy. The Ottomans refuse, so all British forces in Serbia are withdrawn. Within days the Roman forces have made huge advances and the Ottomans submit to the British demands. British forces occupy several areas of the Ottoman Empire and rejoin the fight against the forces of the Pope.
In Portugal pro-Papal unrest stirs across the country. The Portuguese government attempts to put down the unrest by force and on advice from the Pope, Spanish forces enter Portugal to protect the Catholics there from persecution. With British assistance the Portuguese royal family flees to its colony of Brazil, where they set up a court in exile. The British Navy begins to fire on Roman ships at sea.
Despite the best efforts of the British Army and Navy, Roman forces take control of Serbia and garrison it heavily. Britain heavily garrisons its new acquisitions in the Ottoman Empire.
In retaliation for British attacks on Roman shipping at sea, and their intervention in Serbia, Roman forces attack the Rock of Gibraltar and Malta, sparking a formal war between Britain and the Papacy. In both cases only the presence of members of the Host of Heaven turn what would otherwise have been defeat into narrowly-won victories.
Shortly after the take-over of Gibraltar a combined Spanish-Roman expedition takes control of the opposite side of the Strait of Gibraltar, effectively denying British shipping all access to the Mediterranean.
Official persecution of Roman Catholics begins in Britain as feeling grow ever more hostile to the new Papacy. Over the next few years increasing numbers of Catholics leave Britain, either for the Papacy or the United States of America. Ireland and parts of Scotland are almost depopulated by this action.
Several expeditions by the British to retake Gibraltar and re-supply their bases in the Ottoman Empire fail.
An attempt is made on the life of Innocent XIV and he is seriously injured. Although his powers heal him within minutes the attack makes him realise the full extent of his destiny - not only is his mission to protect the catholic faith, but it is also to wipe the scourges of heresy, idolatry and paganism from the face of the Earth.
The Inquisition traces the origin of the assassins to Spain, and the high levels of the Spanish government. With the permission of Charles IV he purges the Spanish government of all the Inquisition judge to be disloyal to Rome and replaces them with his own men.
Holland, fearing Roman aggression, allies itself with Britain.
The British forces in the Ottoman Empire, with aid from the Ottomans, abandon their bases and march northwards, eventually reaching Prussia from where British ships carry them home.
After establishing themselves in Brazil, Portuguese forces move to take over the Spanish colonies in South America, achieving significant levels of success to the east of the Andes, but being unable to fight effectively across them. When news reaches Spain towards the end of the year, a large combined Roman-Spanish armada sets out. Combined British and Dutch fleets meet the armada as it goes through the Strait of Gibraltar. In a mighty sea battle, which becomes known as the Battle of Gibraltar, the British and Dutch fleets are defeated by the armada and the surviving ships are forces to flee. After effecting repairs at Gibraltar the armada sets sail into the Atlantic.
The armada reaches South America and after splitting up docks at Buenos Aires and Maracaibo. Thousands of troops are off-loaded in two armies and immediately begin to move north and south to engage the Portuguese army. The Roman ships then set out to destroy the Portuguese navy.
Roman forces cripple the majority of the Portuguese navy but are reinforced by British navy ships. On land the Roman forces achieve some success, and although the terrain acts against them they manage to take over much of Brazil. By 1825 a stalemate has been reached, with British naval units based in Brazil and combating the Roman fleets, and continual skirmishes in parts of the Brazilian jungle.
In the wake of the Roman invaders come the missionaries, and at their hands tens of thousands of natives are either converted to Christianity or die.
As each new territory comes under Roman control, Innocent XIV appoints new Archbishops to oversee them.