Re: Colonize & Conquer 2: Medieval Mayhem

[President WIN]

(Sorry, catching up post.)

Felix replies to Lorenzo that he doesn't really trust Columbo either, but that he believes that the opportunity he presents is too great to ignore. He suggests that they both send "advisory bureaucracies" with Columbo to keep him in line.

In response to Machiavelli's letter, the Pope responds that he believes the Chair of St. Peter is too sacred to be dispensed with in favor of a figurehead, but that he would to take a decrease in his power, noting the lack of biblical precedent for the pope, and make other sacrifices to maintain some Papal authority.

He suggests moving the final capital of the reunited church back from predominantly Catholic Pisa to predominantly Orthodox Athens to secure Orthodox support, which Felix justifies to Machiavelli by citing Roman's 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Other than that, the Pope sends blessings upon Machiavelli's work, and congratulates him on doing good work in the name of The Lord. In closing, Felix also mentions that he is casting about for a successor, that Machiavelli seems the best choice, and that the Pope is slowly trying to build support for that outcome.

[99luftballons]

Machiavelli tells the Orthodox Church about that Felix would like to be a bit more than a figurehead, but would be willing to let his power decrease.

He also says the Pope suggests Athens as the headquarters for the newly united church.

[Flagmauth]

The Orthodox clergy do seem amiable to that and to the movement to Athens.

[99luftballons]

Machiavelli agrees with the Orthodoxy and (DM willing...) the two church factions are united.

[99luftballons]

While Machiavelli is negotiating, Italy's Senate is increasingly controlled by merchants. The merchants have decided to try to expand trade opportunities to expand the Italian economy.

First off, they offer France a trade agreement, as a sign that tensions are decreasing over the Mediterranean.

Secondly, the Senate proposes a Free-Adriatic Agreement. In that agreement, the nations along the Adriatic Sea will not charge tariffs with member states, boosting the amount of trade between member countries. Also the Free- Adriatic Agreement lets member nations battle pirates (if there even are any...) together. The proposal is sent to Lombardy, Serbia and the Byzantine Empire.

Thirdly, a similar proposal is sent to Sicily.
______________________________________________________________________________

[Ignore this section if the churches don't unite]

As the main force of the Church leaves Italy, Lorenzo is able to implement renaissance friendly reforms. Most notable is that now scientists are allowed to operate on corpses, and that scientists can't get executed for expressing their opinion on a scientific subject (a few steps towards freedom of speech...).

Lorenzo after passing reforms heads to Athens to congratulate the unification of the new church. He meets up with the Byzantine king and wishes him luck in working with the church. Also Lorenzo offers a defensive pact with the Byzantine Empire [this is because both Italy and the Byzantines have a defensive pact with the Lombard League and thus it makes sense for Italy and the Byzantines to sign a defensive pact].

(Sorry Long post)

[Flagmauth]

The French agree to increase trade with the Italians, while Lombardy decides that the Free-Adriatic Agreement is a good idea on their end. Meanwhile, France offers assurance to Lombardy that it will not attack them, which causes a good deal of Lombard ship buildup at Venice. According to the Lombards they are planning an expedition to attack Tripolitania.

[99luftballons]

[Now that the church is in Greece, how is the choice of Pope and council going to go?]

[President WIN]

Pope Felix ventures to the Athens, where he will preside over the union of the churches. As part of the ceremonies, cardinals and patriarchs attending are offered the chance to sign a document that speaks in large generalities about the glory of God, and the future of the re-united church. Once all who care to have done so, he goes to sign it himself. Before he does so though, he pauses, then turns to the crowd, calling "Machiavelli Papa!"

(For an idea of what Felix is doing, see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acclamation_(Papal_elections)

And no, I don't think this is how all elections should be from now on, but hopefully this will do for this one.)

[99luftballons]

Machiavelli goes to Athens as well, to sign the document as well as taking his seat at the church council.

To no surprise, Narni too heads back to Athens, to sign the document. Before leaving Rome, Narni asks the French for a fast ship so that he can capture the Pope.
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Back in Italy, Rome opens a theological university, where the top students get access to the Vatican Library which still contains all the church records.

Florence finished building a giant library/university, where the idea is to create the renaissance version of the Alexandrian Library.

Lorenzo sponsors a huge party in Athens, to celebrate the United Church. All heads of state/church are invited.

[Flagmauth]

The French quietly lend Narni a ship of the variety he has asked for.

Columbus, meanwhile, after roaming around and purchasing a variety of items and the services of a number of persons as well as an additional ship, sets sail for his so-called New World. The fact that Narni is aboard neither of his ships doesn't seem to trouble him; it would seem his view on the matter is that Narni can come across the ocean when he gets around to it.

[President WIN]

(Sorry, my bad; I assumed everyone would already be there. Pretend my last post didn't happen until everyone got there. Oh, and yes, it was my plan to send Narni off to the new world with Columbus, but this whole united church thing got in the way, so what to do about Columbo will be Machiavelli's headache, if what I'm doing works.)

Pope Felix calls out again, saying, "Niccolo Machiavelli, father of the re-united Church of Christ, is called by God the father and his only begotten Son to take up the Chair of St. Peter! Machiavelli Papa! Machiavelli Papa! Machiavelli Papa!"

Felix raises his arms, hoping that the assembled Council and crowd with be similarly "divinely inspired".

(Anytime now guys?)

[Flagmauth]

At first, among the Orthodox clergy there's something of an awkward silence before one man echoes Felix' cry. One man soon became a dozen and before long the entire crowd (less any clergymen controlled by other players, should they choose to be wet blankets) was thundering Machiavelli's name.

[President WIN]

(Now we await only the (former) Catholic clergy, whom I assume are still under Numbers' control, excepting the player controlled ones. Oh, and for what it's worth...)

Cardinal Haraldson of Kalmar joins in with the general feeling, chanting along with the others.

[99luftballons]

Most of the Catholic Clergy is excited as well. Nani's supporters try to not arouse too much attention and quietly mumble Machiavelli's name accompanied by a few awkward claps.

(Is Machiavelli the Pope now or is he just being named the successor?)

[President WIN]

(I think I can help with that...)

Pope Felix smiles upon the uproarious crowd, beaming. He then dies.

Future generations will call it a heart attack. Among the watchers that day, the word 'miracle' was mumbled...

[99luftballons]

Machiavelli rises and gives a speech about Felix's accomplishments with the church and how he was a good Christian, etc. Then Machiavelli, the new Pope (assuming we don't have to vote), gives a speech about how the nations of Europe can rest in peace from foreign invasions and the dreams of that church.

Narni heads to France, having failed his mission.
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After the session, Machiavelli offers Haroldson a position as the First Bishop (the previous Pope's title. Now the First Bishop [Bishop of Rome], according to Machiavelli, will be second in command and represent the Pope if he is not available/busy). Secondly, Machiavelli is looking for a Byzantine and an Orthodox adviser, to show his support for the United Church.

[Flagmauth]

Meanwhile, Burgundy makes a peace with France, resulting in the French regaining much of the territory that the Burgundians took from them in the early 1400s. That having been accomplished the French troop concentrations at Brest swell enormously and finally a huge force of ships sets sail to the north and west.

In the meantime King Louis asks what Narni now intends to do and how it can benefit France; otherwise he really should be getting back to Athens to assist the new Pope in organizing the reunited church.

[99luftballons]

Machiavelli, taking advantage of most the European leaders present, decides to give a very important speech.

“Lorenzo de Medici, has about a year(?) sent an expedition across to China. Only, it failed. Instead, he found a continent full of gold and diamonds. A continent inhabited by people who use stones for spears.
In the name of the United Church, I ask you to spread Christianity to that continent. Riches await the nations who will take on the duty, for the continent is full of gold. However, there are Sacrifices that need to be made with blood. It is not easy, but the blood of Christ is within everyone of you. Therefore I shall name the continent after our sacrifices as members of a United Church, as Europe and as spreaders of the wisdom of the Bible. The continent shall henceforth be known as Sangue.”
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Lorenzo in Italy just sent a few (2) expeditions into Sangue.

Narni, arriving ahead of the news of the new continent, tells the French king about the continent and asks for an expedition to explore the continent and claim it for the powerfullest nation in the world: France.

[Flagmauth]

The French agree to do this but question where exactly this new continent is and does Narni know how to get there? (Columbus didn't ever tell anyone the specific location, just that it's across the Atlantic.) Meanwhile their fleet heading north encounters little resistance, as it bypasses the majority of England proper. It is instead heading for Ireland.

With the news, Iberia sends out forces to re-establish its control over the former Portuguese islands off the African coast, knowing that they will be important to efforts to cross the ocean.

The Hohenzollerns of Prussia have inherited Brandenburg.

[99luftballons]

Narni gets two ships ready in the Bordeaux harbor. He decides to head toward the cordinates of Nippon (since sailors knew the coordinates of India in the 1500's, I am assuming that Narni would be able to pinpoint Nippon's position). Before leaving, he assures the king that Columbus had a simmilar heading and therefore the mission would run into Sangue [looking at the world map, that would make Narni land approximately in Virginia].

Italy sends a simmilar expedition, only it heads south of the Aztec Empire, since Italy knows the Aztec coordinates.

[Flagmauth]

[Narni would be able to do no such thing; the specific location of Nippon was pretty much unknown by Europeans. Columbus, for example, thought he was heading for Japan because he thought it was somewhere on the equator. Rather obviously he's spectacularly wrong but in this case it worked out the better for him.]

[99luftballons]

[In that case Narni would head towards the equator]

[Flagmauth]

[Narni is directly trying to land in Aztlan then?]

[99luftballons]

[No, he is trying to set up a colony somewhere strategic in Sangue, but he wants to make sure to run into the continent]

[Flagmauth]

[Well if he's duplicating Columbus' course he'll likely end up in OTL Cuba first.]

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