Re: Colonize & Conquer 2: Medieval Mayhem

[99luftballons]

Narni, though still suspicious, accepts the role which he is unoficially given. The Pope gains more cardinal supporters as a result.

Cosimo is willing to extend his bank. As a sign of gratitude, he offers to ship the Anatolian army home with one of his trade ships in the Adriatic Sea.

[Flagmauth]

France, meanwhile, sends its forces south to help the union between Castile and Portugal.

[President WIN]

(if the DM permits) Hans Haraldson finally reaches home after a harrowing but satisfying sea voyage. When he arrives home, he announces the good news of the new Pope Felix. As could be expected, there is a joyous celebration across Kalmar. Haraldson announces the new pope's decision regarding the vacant post of Archbishop of Kalmar, and the King consents.

About two weeks after Haraldson returns home, King Olaf walks with Haraldson through the King's entrance of the Kalmar Faith Cathedral, and the King declares him Archbishop of Kalmar by the will of the new Pope. Then the bells of the recently finished cathedral are rung, at a time planned to coincide with a ringing of the bells in Vatican City. Though they are no doubt off by minutes, if not hours, the idea of such an event electrifies the imagination of the people of Kalmar.

Meanwhile, in Rome, the Pope hears news of France's aid to Portugal and Castille, and sends a Vatican messenger to offer his blessing upon the alliance and their war, to remind them to wage a just war, having always at their heart the goal of peace, and to not disgrace God by mistreating any of his children unnecessarily, even those who have gone astray (captives, messengers, etc.)

Hearing news of a possible peace in the east, Felix asks Cesare to oversee a mission to council the Byzantines, with the added goal of repairing some breaks with the Eastern Church. Although Pope Felix realizes that nothing is going to fix the on/off schism overnight, he is a firm believer in a totally united church, and sees this as an opportunity which is too good to pass up.

(I don't mean to make your life more difficult Numbers, but I thought this would be interesting, and an appropriate assignment for Narni. Be sure and ask any questions Cesare has, but after that, you're in charge. Also I don't know whether the Orthodox Church would be under Sirius' control, or the DM's.)

Finally, back in Kalmar, King Olaf gratefully accepts Cosimo's offer of transportation for the Anatolian army. He also mentions that when the Medici scion or Scions who will be in charge of the Kalmar branch of their bank arrive, he would like to dine with them.

As that message is delivered, Olaf prepares to make yet another trade voyage, this time to the former enemies in Brandenburg and Poland-Lithuania. In Brandenburg he emphasizes trade favorable to them to help rebuild, while in Poland-Lithuania he only advocates reasonable fair-trade, but does make a surprising comment. The King suggests that he hopes the "Danish" and "King's" Armies of Kalmar might march alongside Polish troops once again in support of the Byzantines, to renew the fractured friendship between the two countries.

(yikes! another long one! sorry!)

[Flagmauth]

[I think the Orthodox Church is a separate entity from the Byzantine state; correct me if I'm wrong, but it would be made more so by the Byzantine declaration of freedom of religion, which I'd assume includes separation of church and state.]

Poland seems open to the general idea, but reluctant to actually go and do it; word of the Ottomans' peace-seeking endeavors has reached them and they don't see any reason to help the Byzantines.

The Orthodox Church is tentatively open to a resolution of the issues between them and Rome, but unwilling to commit to anything as yet. They propose that a theological discussion on the matter be arranged, preferably in the Byzantine Empire (citing the free religion politics of the Empire as the reason).

[99luftballons]

Cesare Narni goes to Byzantium to meet with the Eastern Orthodox Church officials, bringing along some cardinals to help in the proceedings.

Meanwhile Cosimo sends people over to open the Kalmar branch of the Medici bank, making it the first Europe wide bank. The Bank also hires local accountants (or any Kalmars who can do math) and puts a few upper class men in some high positions (although the top is controlled by Italians). The people who Cosimo sent over gladly accept the kings invitation, bringing fine Italian whines as a gift.

[President WIN]

Olaf, in his hamfisted way, decides that Polish openness to the idea equals agreement. He announces that the armies he previously mentioned will be outbound for the Byzantine Empire soon after he returns home, and that they will rendezvous with the Polish troops already there.

On his way back home, the King re-emphasizes the possibility of aid-trade with Brandenburg, and declares the whole of his latest mission a resounding success.

King Olaf returns to Kalmar just in time to dine with the Italians. Besides the King, many prominent members of Kalmar society are there, including

-the Heir Apparent of Kalmar, Prince Eric, and his son Prince Christian,

-General Felix, and his family, including his daughter Sonja, who seems especially interested in the Medicis,

-Archbishop Haraldson,

-and some of the Kalmars named to work with the new bank, including the highest ranking, Lord Haakonsson,
(I don't know what his position is - that's your call, Numbers - but he is the highest ranking of the Kalmari in the new branch of the Medici bank.)

The King is delighted with the Italian wine, and thanks his guests for bringing it. He toasts them, and the possibilities their new bank brings to Kalmar.

That night, the King retires to bed, contented.

The next morning, he is dead.

[Sirius Lupin]

Byzantine diplomats make a compromise, saying they only want about three-fourths of Greece, as it was historically theirs through inheritance from the Romans.

Ambrosius, meanwhile, sends his sympathies to Kalamar. He orders his scientists to begin researching the possibility of a new era. He splits the total number of scientists into three groups- one will research weapons and warfare, another will research biology and health, and the last one will research technology.

In case of an Ottoman attack, Ambrosius increased the military to every male citizen aged 16 and older.

[Flagmauth]

The Ottomans ask if that means the Byzantines will be ceding their territory in Anatolia (meaning Turkey). The Poles, meanwhile, are rolling up Ottomans on the latter's European possessions quite handily.

[A Blind Guy]

meanwhile the army of England is marching through the British Isle, willing to face any opposition in their path.

[Flagmauth]

Scotland, falling under the category of "any opposition," realizes the poor position it's in. With France occupied on the Continent, the Scots' traditional ally against English aggression was out of the picture. Anticipating an English offensive to subdue the remainder of their country, Scotland appeals to the Kalmar Union for assistance.

[Sirius Lupin]

The Byzantines say that they meant everything to the north and west of Byzantium, hoping this would be a fair trade.

[Flagmauth]

Since they haven't actually had their question answered, the Ottomans repeat it. They know what is meant by Greece, they want to know of Byzantium is ceding her Turkish territory.

[Sirius Lupin]

The Byzantines say yes.

[Flagmauth]

The Ottomans accept. All Byzantine territory in Anatolia is ceded to them and all Ottoman territory within the agreed-upon area defined as Greece is ceded to the Byzantines. The Ottomans now turn to the Poles, who are much harsher and force the ceding of the remaining Ottoman territory in Europe proper as well as a fair sum of reparation payments. That done, the Ottomans withdraw their forces from the European continent across the Black (or Caspian if I'm failing at geography) Sea to Anatolia.

The conflict on the Iberian peninsula is now limited to extremely scattered fighting. The new Kingdom of Iberia, formed from the Castillian/Portuguese royal union, has largely established its rule with French assistance. The Crown of Aragon has disappeared from the maps, France receiving its former lands including the isles in the Mediterranean and Gibraltar.

[Sirius Lupin]

The Byzantines begin work on their new era project.

[Flagmauth]

A man by the name of Cristoforo Colombo contacts the Italian government, requesting funds for a trip west to find an overseas trade route to the Far East.

The Ottomans have begun the construction of a cluster of buildings surrounding a fort just outside the city of Constantinople's Anatolian side.

[Flagmauth]

Also, the printing press is spreading through Europe from Lombardy.

[Sirius Lupin]

(Hows the project status going?)

[Flagmauth]

[What is the project anyway?]

[Sirius Lupin]

(They're upgrading their weapons and warfare technology)

[Flagmauth]

[Upgrading in what way exactly?]

[99luftballons]

Cosimo accepts to Columbus'es offer, but giving him two ships.

Meanwhile Narni is still waiting for the Orthodox church in the Byzantine half of Constantinople...

[Flagmauth]

The Orthodox clergy arrive looking somewhat harrassed and explain that their delay was caused by a meeting with the government. They ask what the overall purpose of this meeting is.

[President WIN]

As King Olaf has died, his son, Eric, takes the throne. Eric, already middle-aged (ha-ha) because of how long his father ruled, is indolent, spoiled, and more than a little suspicious about how his father died. Fearing for his own life, Eric immediately targets the Italians, issuing a declaration ordering them and their bank out of the country.

Fortunately the message is intercepted by General (Felix) Torstein, who stops the message before it arrives, and rushes to council his new liege. He convinces Eric that the Italians were not responsible, because they have no reason to want a weakened Kalmar. He leaves, thinking he has averted a crisis, only to find the next day that he has been relieved of his station, and that a messenger has been sent to tell all the Armies of Kalmar to march on Poland-Lithuania for the offence of poisoning King Olaf.

Felix, knowing this to be madness, rides out of the capital on his fastest stallion, catching up to the Messenger before he can board a boat for Jutland (where most of the army is based nowadays). The General pleads with the messenger to see reason, and stop his errand, but the messenger will not listen because the General no longer has authority, according to King Eric.

Accordingly, Felix kills the messenger with great sadness, with the ominous words, "We'll see about that."

The General rallies the troops loyal to him, and leads them back toward the Capital, driving Eric to flee to the East. General Felix Torstein declares that since Eric did not have time to be anointed in Kalmar Cathedral, he is illegitimate. He declares himself regent for the adolescent King Christian, who goes along with the scheme, because even he never really liked his father, and because he is confident he can take power when the time comes.

This leads to a rather cold (ha-ha) civil war for a few years, with General Felix controlling the West of Kalmar, and King Eric controlling the East with only minor skirmishes between the two, and a rather distraught populous, which ends abruptly when, without the medical care usually afforded to a King, Eric dies of dysentery.

During the war (so as not to leave any lose ends,) General Felix feels secure enough he sends a letter to England asking if their mutual defense treaty is still intact. If they reply that it is, Kalmar VERY discretely trades LOW levels of aid, such as weapons, to Scotland, but sends no troops. If England replies that it isn't, Kalmar intervenes directly on the side of the Scots, fighting rather distractedly until the civil war ends.

Soon after the civil war ends, Christian takes the throne. Grateful for his help, but fearing his popularity, King Christian asks General Torstein to enter semi-retirement on an estate in Jutland where he can help manage the majority of Kalmar defense. Felix agrees, on the unspoken understanding that if Christian does anything terribly stupid, he'll be back.

(Holy cow! Another long one. My apologies. But hopefully this will wrap things up for Mycro, whom I hear has a new stage planned for this RP soon.)

(tl;dr Eric's an ass of a king, Felix fights him, Christian wins, eventually.)

[Sirius Lupin]

(You know, trying to see if they can make gun powder and the like.)

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