• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
C'mon Reformed! Let's show these Protestants, Catholics, Buddhists, Shi'ites, Sunnis, Eastern Orthodoxes, Confucianists, Hindis, and Shamanists what you're made of! :cool:
 
Great update! That Batelli business was a really cool way to spin the whole "declare on an ally of your target to avoid said the original target's other allies" thingy. And a creative way to handle Guyenne :D

Oh, but why no Albania? It's on the coast after all while some of the provinces in the peace aren't.

Congratulations to the two new Knights! Even though I have to say that the frame story of the SotR did paint a somewhat nerdy picture of the Order :eek: :mad: :D
 
Not nerdy, intellectual. But still manly enough to know how to use the sword! Batelli is almost cunning enough to be working for someone else besides the official government of Milan;)
Now for the footstools! We await their crushing with pleasure and to see what provinces Guyenne can pick up Asia Minor(not on the Med of course):)
 
Not nerdy, intellectual. But still manly enough to know how to use the sword!

Of course intellectual people are known to sometimes be impractical, but isn't being unable to eat properly a bit much?

Though I have to admit that I'm not sure whether or not the eating difficulties etc. are "canon" or not. They are more of an "extended universe" thing - the Address itself does seem to support the possibility of the Order being composed of the intellectual but absent-minded sort.
 
I think of it as more of an 'uncomfortable first visit to a secret society' where one doesn't know the rules or customs. I thought it was just the way things worked there - turned out they were applying a shneaky self-humiliation kind of initiation. It was EGGstreme, but I made it through. :rofl:
 
I think of it as more of an 'uncomfortable first visit to a secret society' where one doesn't know the rules or customs. I thought it was just the way things worked there - turned out they were applying a shneaky self-humiliation kind of initiation. It was EGGstreme, but I made it through. :rofl:

Haha, that's a very good explanation :rofl:

Link? Or is that the one in antracer's sig?

To what? The SotR? Yes, the one in antracer's sig. But I was perhaps referring more to the commentary afterwards.
 
Ahhh, to be home again.

It appears we have alot of viewer mail... I should go away more often. :eek:

† Sir blsteen †
It was kind of funny, especially given she's a French influence.
But at 4 provinces, maybe she feels she's got enough muscle to flex a little...

† Sir OrangeYoshi †
The hard part will be bringing Batelli back for an encore.
Now that I'm in the soup, finesse isn't all that much a requirement.
Perhaps I should introduce his cousin, "Hammer"elli...
And I do love me some zero WE... ;)

† Sir Ahriman †
Emerging great power... :rofl: And yes, Rebs in North Africa.
Much expected though.
One of those inherent "we revolt all the time because we can" areas.
And your turkey provinces are on order.
Should be arriving soon...

Tim-O
Nothing surprises me in this game anymore.
It seems all of the countries know this is it and are making some sort of play to get recognized one last time.
It has been quite enjoyable, for sure.
I plan on doing an HT³ game as Milan to see how the old and the new differ, and whether the same types of accomplishments are still possible, or if the game has changed so much that you can't get there from here.
That should be fun too, I would think.

† Sir draik †
Good question on Greek, especially since I'm no where near done yet.
The Acquisitions department had to hire more staff to handle all the new stuff...
And dirty underwear...? Gads man... Hire a Laundress. For all our sakes... :D
You shall indeed witness the grit and irony (not ironing, again, that's that Laundress we were speaking of...) of the reality of war.
From island shore to distant desert lands, the armies of Milan do nothing but march forth unto battle for a long time to come.

† Sir Beamed †
I will do my best to stall the decision as much as possible, but as of now, it looks like our dear Reformed is a wilting flower, cowering against the might of the Protestant onslaught...

† Sir Malurous †
Ahh, Sir Malurous... How could we be anything but a little nerdy.
Superior, intelligent, remarkable of wit, full of charm and etiquette, especially when we have a hangover...
But when it comes down to it, we are a not so secret order of Knights...
It's a good thing we hide in the shadows and let our deeds speak for us, for it is only in that way we become the ruthless, cunning bastards that drive a nation.

As for Albania, I address it in the next update for you. :)

As for new customs and old, Sir draik got the gist of it.
It is always the custom to sway the perception of the newcomers that we may test their mettle under duress.
How else will we truly know they can handle the stresses of Knighthood...?

I believe an update is order. All in favor...?

The Aye's have it.

Update in 3...2...1...
 
Chapter 33: April Fools...​

OK, I feel bad about it now, but the setup was irresistible.

I lied.

I did.

I must confess.

The last screenshot was just a tease.

I was just checking out possible scenarios...

We are not, I repeat NOT, at war now.

April Fools.

It'll never be the same for us again...

To answer the question asked by Sir Malurous: "Why not Albania...?"

1: It's a shite province.
2: I didn't have enough war score to take it.
3: I really wanted to hamstring the straggler for sticking his honker where it didn't belong.

Besides, war with Hungary will be inevitable again, provided it survives.
I was worried more about the land bridge and serving up some irresistible goodies to Guyenne.
I must say I am really looking forward to watching this unfold.
I hope proves to be something epic, though I fear all it will do is spurn a few revolts and cause a few OPM's to reappear.

That and I must be entertained...

So, now that everyone has calmed down and gotten over the shock of my cruel hoax, we can get back to business...

As we begin, the month of May is upon us, and there is a knock at the door...:

PR_748.jpg


Ahh... No thankyou. Really, it's OK.
We have mad diplomacy skills here already.
Thanks anyways... Safe trip home and all that...!

Now here's something you see everyday...:

PR_749.jpg


OK, not everyday, but it sure feels like it, huh...?
And the poor goat... Hope it doesn't get hit by a cart or something.

I should point out the trader that stopped by in August was a level three.

Oh noes, Pirates...!

Where...?

Um, they were around here somewhere.

Oh, never mind...

They got deaded already.

Speaking of things that get deaded...:

PR_750.jpg
PR_751.jpg


Dementrio is more like it.
Tard. Getting all those "followers" killed.
It must have been the hair.

It was "stylin'..."

Only one more to go...:

PR_752.jpg


Next Stop, Administrative Republic.
It's 12 years ahead of time and some 22,000d...
But we'll get there.

The fort level 2 expansion project is coming along.
I'm working on coastal provinces and borders first.
Need to be ready for the big wars coming.
And the extra convert chance won't hurt.
Seeing is we have the whole change religion thing coming up soon.

From the "I can't swim" Dept...:

PR_753.jpg


That had to be a heck of a meeting...

Alot of Civil Religious Disorder going around, and alot of eradicating of Heretics.

The orders go out to the troops for the first actions of the war.

From the "Fear of impending doom" Dept...:

PR_754.jpg


I don't know if that game would be any fun.
I mean nobody would lose or die...
"And he gets back up... AGAIN...!!!"

It seems all my gooder generals are dying.

There's only one thing to do to stop the slow march of leadership deaths.

Only one thing too be when your generals are dying to quickly.

And that's to be at war...:

PR_755.jpg


I get news that Naples, Switzerland and Cleves will come to my aid.
I get news Courthouses are built in 5 some odd provinces.

And I get this news...:

PR_756.jpg


It's sad they let me down, but expected.
It will be great fun watching them deal with the trouble they're going to have controlling those provinces without any soldiers.

Maybe later on I'll relent. Maybe not.

I am thinking it might be more fun to let them support the lands and see what they can become.
But for now, they suffer.

Here's the "big picture" on the war...:

PR_757.jpg


You'll note the Ottoman "army" there.
Yep, that's all of it.
Though the Otts do go a little monkey fecal matter in making new units.

We have the core on Kastimon.
Sounds like Rastafarian for a great place to fish...

From the "You really should have seen this coming" Dept:

PR_758.jpg


Another good general gone, and the replacements are adequate at best.
Never a good situation...
But we will soldier on.

"There's a party in my province, you're invited"...:

PR_759.jpg


And so begins another installment of "Dismantling Footstools"...

The first showdowns are more like hoe downs...:

PR_760.jpg


Now swing your army to the right
Alamand left and hold her tight
Swing her round, don't let her go
And finish her off with a Doe-DIE-Doe...

Our first advance is into the Ottoman capitol, dispatching a pop up within days of arrival.
Besieging of the province begins immediately there after.

Our ships are victorious in their first engagement...
My 23/0/9/17 fleet eradicates the Otts all powerful, hand me down 0/0/4/0 collection of wood debris with oars...

Here's a good battle 'Sinope'-sis...:

PR_761.jpg


Well, not to 'Candar' coat it, but this ends the battle portion of our program with them.
It was fun. If you ever want to raise another army, give us a call...

Their navy meets a similar fate, their 4 Galleys being no match for my 17 Carracks and the collection of galleys running around the are patrolling.

I find out that I "Konya", and the Otts "Kantya"...:

PR_762.jpg


That pretty much ends the Ottoman threat.
The rest is nuisance variety couple here, couple there.
They do manage to make a 2/3/0 "army"...
But it gets insta-wiped later on.

In April, things are going along OK. I mean we're hardly breaking a sweat, really.

Then I get this:

PR_763.jpg


Well now... Plus two STAB.

What do you do with a free plus two STAB...?

I know !!!...:

PR_764-1.jpg


It's been long enough for Castille or Aragon or Portugal to come out here, and no one has obliged...
So heck, I got the BB to burn, I got the STAB to reset.
DoW 'em. Get it over with and start putting the cash in my pocket.

Naples, Cleves and Switzerland all join in, as they should.
Too bad all of Naples armies are otherwise occupied.
In 20/20 hindsight, I could have allowed Sicily to take all of Naples and then peaced out and let them have the provinces, as I'm leader in the war.
But that's gamey to the extreme, that is.
Can't go there.

I work my way across Ottoman lands, having all but 3 provinces under siege.
I'll leave the Otts split, with one province on each continent, and I'll have to take one from Candar and then come back.
Best case the Otts (or some other entity) pick it off to save some BB.
Worst is I go back in 5 years and just take it.
It's the same deal as Morea.

I get the "heretics" in Athens converted...
Though it will only be a short time and I'll have to convert them again.
As I go through new provinces from now on, I'll focus on building a fort first, followed by all the other buildings.
I won't worry about converting so much, as the religion question will make the few months or years of income hardly worth the missionary maintenance.

The beginning of the end...:

PR_765.jpg


That news is quickly followed up by a "please don't kill us all" white peace offer.

Sorry.

No refunds.

All wars are final.

With all that's transpired, a quick look at where we stand Bad Boy wise:

PR_766.jpg


We're looking at 6 BB for Polermo, and as yet undetermined amount for the Otts, and another 1/2 to 1 for Sinope.
Plus the 1.45 (1.2 actual) that we get back each month.

I foresee no BB issues for the near future.

As I head men into Polermo I get a white peace offer from Yeman.
With her still a ways off in the TI, I let her go.
I'll be down that way soon, and by then I should have some map reveal from my provinces in the Mam area.

That battle with the Sicilian forces is a bit of Pong, but only because I sent 4K leaderless CAV.
It's all I had nearby that wasn't guarding French aggression, Castillian Rebel instigation or taking part in the Ottoman Province Relief Effort...

As a last pic for this update, I offer a moment of zen...:

PR_767.jpg


The Ottomans, Candar, Sicily...

So much to do.

So much time to do it in. I wonder where to next...

No province religion transformations this go around, so Reformed is still in the hunt.
And no movement from France or Castille for a little bit. That's some good news that I hope continues.

Till next time...!

T
 
Quality update! Good to see the Ottos trounced again.

"Why not Albania...?"

1: It's a shite province.
2: I didn't have enough war score to take it.
3: I really wanted to hamstring the straggler for sticking his honker where it didn't belong.

I realize these. It just seemed like a more natural fit roleplaying-wise to connect the lands through Albania rather than Kosovo. But whatever, it's not like it's a big deal.

Haha, loved the message for the naval "battle" against Candar :rofl:

Here's a good battle 'Sinope'-sis...:

Well, not to 'Candar' coat it, but this ends the battle portion of our program with them.

Pure gold! And kinda cheap of course. Hmm, I wonder how these assessments fit together.
 
Quality update! Good to see the Ottos trounced again.
It's always good to trounce the Otts. Almost as much good it is to trounce the French...

I realize these. It just seemed like a more natural fit roleplaying-wise to connect the lands through Albania rather than Kosovo. But whatever, it's not like it's a big deal.

IIRC it came down to %WS and base tax. It was more advantageous to go inland. Besides, I now have a reason to war with Hungary again. And I can ally with them and give them access so I can dictate when and where, which I couldn't do so well with Kosovo... ;)

Haha, loved the message for the naval "battle" against Candar :rofl:
I was reading that description and it just struck me... "We aint in the ocean..." :D

Pure gold! And kinda cheap of course. Hmm, I wonder how these assessments fit together.

Quite well actually. It just means they have no more army... So it's a siege and a done.

Time to steal some kebab!!!
And a lot of it.
They are heathens.
They deserve it. :cool:
:rofl: I will have much Turkey... I just wish it was a little harder.
But have no fear, there are some very large nations to the east that look like much fun... And there will be no "Ottomans" once we get there.

Special hidden bonus update in 3...2...1...
 
No refunds? You're a mean one. The Turks are trying their best. You just want all their land. And quite right, too.

Can you explain why the Swedes keep going bankrupt?

Why haven't you jumped all over Guyenne, yet? Traitorous oathbreakers.

Good to see you finally going after Sicily.

I hoped that you'd finish off the wars before ending the post.
 
Note: This is an experimental chapter for evaluation purposes...
Hidden Bonus Chapter​

As we once again join our intrepid fighting men of Milan, the diplomatic tables are the center of attention. Having rebuffed the Ottoman Empire in it's request for a peace of the whiter variety, the Nation of Milan is now faced with a similar plea for the same peace from the Nation of Candar.

With it's summary dismissal, a cry goes up among the more "civilized" countries of the world, namely Castille, France, Austria, Poland and their lackey, a Hungary in severe decline.

Playing Possum for these Nations is the Small Country of Guyenne, recently spited by Milan because of it's refusal to take part in these latest "atrocities of war against the lower nations".

With it's supposed knowledge of the inner workings of Milan's court, which were gleaned during the short alliance shared between the nations, Guyenne plays the figure head as The Grand Purple(ish) Republic of Milan is called into question for it's most recent actions.

. . . .

The din of men outside was only louder inside, as all manner of dignitary was gathered to hear the evidence.

The Presidential Prince, Marcello Sforza, sat with his advisors on the right, facing the court. The curtains of the windows were opened, and the light from the sun shown strong upon them, illuminating them with an angelic aura.

Though the effect was a strong one, there wasn't a man among them that didn't wish for those curtains to be closed, the sooner the better. However, as they all knew, they wished in vain. Ask anyone who had taken this place before the court and they would tell you... They were in the proverbial "hot seats". In the heat of the August day, the defense table and it's surroundings became unbearably warm until the early afternoon, when the sun finally arced far enough on it's journey home to give those on the proverbial hot seat some relief.

Among the men who sat with the Ruler of Milan were the commander, his trusted military confidant, and a new man, who was yet unknown to the court. He answered to the name Batelli...

The shuffle of men and the sounds of doors and gates preceded the sounding of the bell, and the call for order rang out. The high court members were summarily introduced and took their places on the bench.

The court was made up of seven men. Three senior members sat in the center, raised up a full foot over the other four. One of these was a High Judge, One a Catholic Cardinal. The other was appointed by ballot, chosen by the Kings and Presidents and whatever else it was rulers were calling themselves these days. Ballots were cast based on the relative size of the country, meaning Milan had a great sway over this man when he had been chosen for his term. Having a friend in high places was something that never went out of style.

Of the other two, the judge hated Milan and anything Milanese. He hated anything purple, going so far as to having his robes redone in the Royal Blue of France upon his ascension into the high office.

The Cardinal was a wild card, chosen by the Pope himself for each successive meeting of this High Council. In better days, Milan could have counted on the support of the Pope, but after taking his beloved Rome, and forcing him into exile, support for the nation was not easily found. Milan had gone out of it's way on a number of occasions to send money and tribute to the Pontiff to facilitate the easing of tensions in the relationship, but as of this time the only thing the Pope had for Milan was something akin to contempt.

Of the lesser men of the court, from where Batelli sat, were the two other appointed Cardinals on the right, and the two other High Judges on the left. The judges were again voted into position, a tenure of some ten years, with the option for a lifetime appointment should the rulers of the world determine a man to be of quality in the position. As the Cardinals were woven in and out of the proceedings at the whim of his holiness, it gave him a decided advantage in the proceedings. He did not need to spend time and money currying favor from the appointed judges. He need only appease one of the other men and he was able to do as he willed with whatever nation that was brought before the court.

Because of this, Milan was in dire straights... There were many a man sitting on this panel that had anything but sympathy for the Grand Republic. In fact, if they have their way, Milan will be very sorry it had the chance to visit the insides of this court. The only thing that any of them were afraid of is going overboard, of losing face or taking to obvious a position. If the evidence allowed, such personal feelings could be indulged at will... But if there were any doubt, woe to anyone sitting in judgment here if they were to be perceived as having a personal motivation for their rulings.

To step too far out of line was to ostracize oneself into needing a new job. To sway opinion as fact, even as a Cardinal could very easily put a man on the wrong side of any decent assignment. Only if the facts painted the picture could the artwork be admired.

Batelli was counting on this...

. . . .

Once everyone had seated himself, the court came to order. The reasons for the hearing were read, the petition as brought by Guyenne, and supported by the requisite number of nations, among which were listed: Austria, Castille, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal. Many smaller nations had tacked their names on the decree, hoping for some crumbs from the reparations table. Should Milan be found guilty of the atrocities mentioned, a good many ducats would find their way into the coffers of any country supporting the measure.

As the litany of charges was read, the faces of those in the room put on the grand show of contempt and disdain. Fools, Batelli thought. They had all read the allegations already, having had the document for weeks. Everyone knew what face they would make days before the event.

Batelli didn't bother to look at the fools. Instead he eyed the men who would decide their fate. The looks he saw were not good. The Cardinals faces told him everything. Easily read, they displayed the same grotesque horror as each new charge was read.

The Judges however were trained to maintain their posture and their outlook, to give away nothing of what they heard or thought. It was much harder to read them, but Batelli saw in the traces of emotion that found their way to the surface still more echoes of the feelings in the room.

As he sat and listened and watched, he kept coming back to these men. Milan's fate was held in the hands of the seven men that sat before them, and from what he was seeing, it's future looked dim indeed...

. . . .

The first day was a day of monotony. It crawled along from the beginning as the delegate from Guyenne read off the list of things they thought were wrong in the eyes of God, and in the eyes of Men, and in the eyes of the Court, and in the eyes of the Government of Guyenne.

After this, they read all of the things they thought supported their claim, and then read all the things that had been done to them... Chief among these was the breaking of the Military Access treaty. They claimed that it had been revoked out of spite when Guyenne had refused to send men to die for Milan's latest land grab, and that it was just another demonstration of Milan's disregard for any lives but their own.

This was followed by five of the major supporters of the measure, all reading the same script, giving the same information and the same evidence and the same recommendations... Only in different accents.

The next day was very different, and the accusatory side of things went rather quickly, with all of the secondary nations having made their speeches by the end of the day. It was no surprise to Batelli, having procured a certain court order given to the accusing parties stating the time of the Judges was important, and that wasting it with repeated statements of a similar nature than the ones that preceded them was not going to be tolerated. Anyone who wished to speak was admonished to present only information that was new, or that was in direct support for the case.

This served to make the minor nations supporting statements rather short. In particular was the address by Sweden... Who simply asked that Milan return their goat, should they happen to have possession of it.

With close of proceedings on the second day, Milan and her leaders had a very good idea what they were fighting. The charges were many, and the number was only superseded by the severity of the offenses.

It was with a heavy heart that President Prince Sforza left the courtroom for his office.

. . . .

"All right gentlemen, lets take a seat and get started." Sforza looked a full ten years older than he did a week ago. "We all know the charges I believe, but I'll ask just in case if there are any points that need clarification for anyone before we proceed..."

They discussed a few of the finer points for at least an hour. Why this and why that. Who did Guyenne think they were to start all this.

As the clock chimed the bottom of the second hour, Batelli decided it was time. Whether it be the Brandy or his temperament remained a mystery, but enough was enough. He needed time... And sleep. And he was going to get neither listening to a bunch of old men rehash what was happening to them.

"Excuse me gentlemen...!" Batelli shouted more than he wanted to, but the desired effect was achieved, and he continued. "First of all, what you are discussing is not solving our problem. You can talk about it for the next ten weeks like this and you'll be no closer to a solution than you are now..."

The cries of who do you think you are, Who died and left you King, What do you know and the like broke out immediately, and continued for a few minutes before the President found himself shouting a little louder than he wanted too..."Enough...! I must agree with Mr. Batelli. Going around and around is accomplishing nothing. So shut up and let him speak." The President knew this was anger and exasperation talking, and as such went and poured himself a double... If he was going to talk like that, it had better be the liquor talking, not his anger.

"Mr. President I cannot see how letting this man speak is going to do us any good at all. What could he possibly know of Milan and her inner workings...? He's been with the government for what, a few months now...?"

Batelli looked over at the Prince, waiting for an indication that he would speak. Sforza nodded him off and turned to the accuser... "Mr. Batelli knows a great deal of why we're in the mess we're in. He's also keenly aware of how we got here."

"And how is that, Mr President...? What has he been involved in that we haven't...?"

"It was Mr. Batelli's work that enabled us to carry out your Greek compatriot's wishes in liberating their home provinces. Without him, I'd still be listening to you and your old men droning on about freeing your brothers in Janina and Corfu and Athens. He's proven to be quite adept at handling rather precarious situations, and if you ask me you're a fool not to hear what he has to say."

Batelli found himself as speechless as those to whom the comments had been directed at. He had hoped the President would back him up a little. He had no idea he'd be made out to be some kind of savior... He fumbled for a few minutes as he struggled to come up with anything that he could say to follow an act like that.

As it was, the commander beat him to it. "I will second the President's assessment of Mr. Batelli. If he has something to say in this matter, it's best to hear him out."

Well that didn't help at all, Batelli thought to himself. He was even less sure now of what to say. He decided to stall, walking over to the serving tray and pouring a stiff. He motioned to the President and to the commander for a refill, both of whom extended their glasses and generously accepted. It was just the thing to for the room to see, as it dawned on all seated within it that they were witnessing a common occurrence, not a first time event.

When Batelli turned towards them this time, a hint of respect started to show in the eyes of the men looking his way.

It was enough he thought, and he began.

. . . .

"The way I see it, who started this and why is irrelevant."

Batelli nestled himself on the edge of the desk as he spoke. "The real issue is just what they're looking for. Form what I've gathered, the crux of this whole matter is alot of bitter old enemies looking to take a bite out of Milan, nothing more. We aren't doing anything we haven't before, nor are we doing anything they haven't done themselves. We're simply being a tad bit more successful at it than they are and they aren't happy about it."

There was a pause of nodding heads and general positive comments at that revelation, along with a few men standing to make way to the serving table. While most would be upset at the interruption, Batelli just stopped and smiled. To him it was music. It was the melting of resistance, the appreciation of revealed fact in the comfort of knowing. It was like returning home after a trip and rediscovering how good your home felt. It was one of his best weapons, and he used it well.

After a bit more banter, and a few foundations laid, Batelli reached the end of his oratory. "I think we need only establish a few things and we can walk away from this without a scratch, really."

There was a general consensus that indeed, we just have to do a few things to make this all go away. A few offered a weak suggestion or two before the President himself spoke for all of them... "Care to enlighten us as to what those things are...?"

Batelli smiled sheepishly, like a schoolboy who knew he was caught, but also knew he'd get away with it.

"First, we establish it was Guyenne that agreed to participate in the war against Hungary, and that she was all too eager to accept the territory she took in the peace accord. That she didn't plan ahead to provide adequate access to those lands is a failure on her part. The fact she has made the refusal of access through Milan such a point of contention only proves that she was acting from mere greed and not thinking the campaign through."

"Second, we had documents that stated we were the rightful owners of Montenegro. We had every right to go in and remove the usurpers of the province. That Morea was allied with them and came to their defense is out of our control. We simply can't be held responsible for a nation's choice to intervene in a conflict, just as we couldn't deny Guyenne the right to honor the alliance they had with us."

"In addition, the fact that the Morean provinces in question were primarily Greek, and that Milan has a significant Greek population is more than enough to both rationalize and to justify taking them in the peace accord. What more does a people want than to belong to a society of their own kind...?"

"As for the current incursions into Candar, again we have documents and evidence that we are the rightful owners of the province. They certainly aren't going to just give it back to us."

Batelli paused for a moment, waiting for the question. For once he was wrong in his wager, thinking the President himself would have asked... But instead it was his initial accuser who took the bait. "What about Sicily...? How do you justify the invasion of a sovereign land with no documents or history of antagonistic behavior...?"

Batelli smiled. "You leave that one to me."

"Excuse me...?" the man asked.

"I have need of the President's time for that one, and I have some things in motion. Until I have time to tell the Prince what is going on, I can divulge no more."

There were a few minor questions, but nothing dramatic or nation threatening. As the meeting came to an end, Batelli asked the President if the result was satisfactory.

"For the most part, yes. Quite, actually. I do have one complaint though..." The Prince looked around to make sure no one was within earshot before he spoke. "Next time you want to speak for two hours, plant your ass on your own desk, not mine..."

. . . .

In the court the next day, the speakers for Milan relayed the information as Batelli had instructed. They carried into the next day, and when all was said and done, there remained only one question to address. Unfortunately, Batelli did not have the information he needed just yet. At just after 12 in the afternoon, he told the Prince he was not ready, and there was a need to stall for the rest of the day. He suggested putting the commander on the stand to speak of how Milan fought, knowing every nation with a grudge would line up around the building for a crack at roasting the supreme Milanese military mind.

The President thought for a moment. "If he'll agree to it on his own. I won't order him to go through it. You know what they'll do to him..."

"I need them to do it to him. It's a small part of the whole, but a very important one." Batelli was as close to pleading as he would ever get, but the order remained. The commander would not be forced.

The commander himself was wary, knowing at times his heart held too much compassion for the enemy. Batelli just smiled. The commander looked puzzled, so Batelli offered him an explanation. "I haven't known you for long, but I know you to be truthful. You won't lie up there, even for your country. And when it comes down to it, you speak your heart..."

"But I cannot. Not here. I will be seen as weak... As a man unfit for command. I'll be a laughingstock. Armies the world over know me by strategy and reputation, it's something I've worked hard to maintain..." The commander looked genuinely worried.

"You will not look that way at all, Sir. You will be a true soldier, a man of character and honor. You will display the true humility of one who makes the hard decision. You say you think showing your heart will make them think you weak, well let them think it. Let them display it. Let them shout at you. Let them rail you. Let them hurl insults at you. Let them tear you down to the core..."

"What you're asking is madness... Why would I do such a thing...?" The commander was now well beyond worried. He was to downright frightened, terrified even. There was a reason he was in the Capitol with the President. For all his prowess in strategic command, public was a whole different animal, one he had never truly mastered.

"Commander, do you know in your heart of hearts that you do the right thing...?" Batelli had leaned in close, and was nearly whispering. "Imagine what they will experience when they think of all the defeats you have given them. Imagine how angry they will be when they think to themselves 'I lost to...to... to him...?'... Imagine how crazy they will become. Now, what is it you always say about men and leaders who can be angered in this manner on the battle field...? They make mistakes."

The man nodded, a twinge of doubt crossing his complexion as he struggled to understand what was happening here.

"They will try to bring you down. They will try to fight you. But as you do on the field of battle, so shall you do here. You are the better man, Sir, Remember that."

The commander saw nothing in the statements. They brought him no closer to the truth of the matter than he had been before. What was Batelli wanting of him...?

Batelli thought for a moment. The easy path was easy, but it would not provide the man he needed now. He chose the hard path, in hopes the commander would come to understanding on his own.

"How would you prove it...?" Batelli asked. "How would you prove to the world that you are indeed the better men? How would you show them you are not the evil that they insist you are? The coward they insist you are? How would you defeat them?"

He continued..."I'll tell you how. By letting them try. Let them try to reach you. Let then try to take you down. Let them try to tarnish your name. Let them try to crush your heart. Let them attack again and again and again... And with each attack they will grow weaker, and you will grow stronger. In the end, only one man will be left. And that man will be you. You say you don't want them to see your heart because they'll think you weak. I have to tell you that I'm counting on it. I want them to see you as a predator sees prey. I want them to circle you and rush at you and try to feed on you... I want them so focused on tearing you asunder that they have no recollection of why we are even here."

"What on earth for...?" The commander was agitated now. He would do anything for his country, but this... to endure this... "What would that accomplish...? How does reliving years of battles and bloodshed help us? How does digging up the memory of hundreds of thousands of dead men serve us in any way? How does crucifying me on the stand vindicate us from any of this...?"

Batelli pulled back and brought his face into view... "Think commander... Think... I need a holding action, Sir. I need one man, one brigade that can hold. To the last man, to the last breath. I need time, and you are the only one that has even the smallest chance to give it to me... You think you see your own demise, but I tell you... I tell you in the end, all of them will be spent, exposed for what they are. All of them will be naked to the world, an open book of venom and spit and vileness and cruelty... But not you. I know you. I know the answers you will give. I know the honor you will keep. I know the end of this from the beginning, and you will shine like the sun. Honorable, uncorrupted, decent and true. You alone will stand while they rot and fester and wither beneath the hatred of their own accusations.

And tell me honestly sir... Who would believe a claim that a man like that had done anything wrong...? Especially in the face of those claims being made by so many who have already proven themselves as both vindictive and vile...?"

It was at long last that the commander's eyes lit with understanding. He looked up at Batelli, and a smile crept along his face. "A holding action you say..."

It was the last emotion the commander would show for a long while...

. . . .

As Batelli left, the commander indeed took the stand and began his "presentation". Outside the courtroom, he went straight to the appointed meeting place, where he waited for his information to arrive. He waited a long while. And then he waited more.

Court adjourned for the day, and Batelli still waited. As he had hoped, the vultures had come out in droves. All but one nation wanted to question the man who had directed the Armies of Milan. All but one waited with eager anticipation to tear the commander limb from limb.

Question after question, interjection and assumption, interrogation and accusation... The commander held his ground. He battled. He held. His composure remained sure. His voice measured and cold. Not a single emotion escaped his grasp, and his sure and icy gaze wore away the accusers.

So good was the commander that he managed the rest of that day, and was again on the stand the next morning. As the time for mid day recess approached, the number of those wanting to question the commander began to dwindle. Some of those at the back of the line started leaving for their seats, having decided maybe it wasn't such a good idea, and that vengeance in this case was a dish best not served at all, unless one liked wearing it...

During the lunch recess Batelli at long last got a hold of his information. Hand delivered by Sanc Muntaner, the grand Diplomat of Milan himself. It was he who had undertaken a special mission to the Nation of Naples, where upon he proceeded to procure important information concerning the activities of Sicily.

Batelli hurried to gather everything together, to get it ready for presentation. Batelli wondered if the commander would hold, but he proved to be a most resilient and resourceful man. As the chimes of the three o'clock hour rang out, the last of those that wanted a piece of the commander folded up shop and returned to their seats. In the end, he was alone. He was as Batelli had said, the last man standing. It was the first time in two days an emotion crossed his face... A barely perceptible smile as he returned to his seat beside a beaming President Prince.

With the hours going away, the Judges decided the proceedings would continue the following morning. The Commander became a very much wanted guest for dinner with many of the lesser royals in attendance, but chose instead to retire to his room, where he had a quiet, and quite enjoyable dinner on his own.

. . . .

The next morning, as court reconvened, Batelli was a happy man. The men of Milan were in higher spirits these days, and waited with great anticipation for the crowning jewel of the nation's defense.

It was over in a few hours.

It didn't take long for the court to rule once the information Batelli had received was made public. It certainly answered the question of why Milan had declared war on Sicily.

Batelli took great pleasure in explaining that the king's favorite daughter had been wed to a Prince, who was later discovered to have been wed already to a common woman, whom had borne him two sons. The marriage had been annulled and swept away, but records were obtained by the royal family of Naples at great cost to find the truth.

As Naples was currently busy fighting for Milan in the Ottoman territories, and because they were a vassal, they could not avenge the honor of their daughter on their own. Instead of resorting to clandestine tactics and dealing with the problem in the wrong way, they had made an appeal to the President Prince, who was all too happy to corroborate the story.

Indeed, Milan had heard the appeal of her vassal, and decided that the honor of a royal family member was a sacred, and that Sicily had betrayed that trust. The Declaration of War was made for her vassal, and the lands were to be taken in the Princess's honor.

To say the courtroom was bedlam after the revelation would be putting it terribly mild. The bomb that was dropped that day was as big as any the world has seen as the verdict was returned from the Judges.

In the end, Milan was exonerated of all charges, and her standing in the world around her was elevated dramatically as all nations saw Milan for what she really was, or at least what they now thought she was...

Honorable. Protector of Virtue. Fighting for what was rightfully their own.

It was a glorious day for Milan...

In the end, our Diplomat proved invaluable...:

PR_768.jpg


PR_769.jpg


Batelli smiled in spite of himself. Diplomat Muntaner had become quite the celebrity. He was heralded by all as the man who saved Milan. It was by design of course. Muntaner understood, and remarked the life of a Diplomat could be so difficult...

Batelli had no problem at all letting him have the credit.

Notoriety did him no good in his line of work.

Besides... This time the President sent two cases...

. . . .

Till next time...!

T
 
No refunds? You're a mean one. The Turks are trying their best. You just want all their land. And quite right, too.
And for the provinces... No Deposit : No Return... :D
And I do just want all their land. The Otts and the French hold special places in my heart as nations I particularly like to remove from contention at every available opportunity...

Can you explain why the Swedes keep going bankrupt?
It's a bug. It's been addressed in HT³ with some helpers to keep it from happening. Losing 3 STAB, and getting smacked with loan after loan until you can't take any. Then you lose all your military. Leaves you with no income as it's eaten by interest, you end up at -3 STAB so you get rebels, and then you have no army to fend them off. Get yourself the wrong rebels and you'll just sit there. Have an ally that clears them for you, only to have them refire and you end up like Sweden, locked in a cycle you can't get out of. Sometimes I'll actually spiff the country a few years until they get back on their feet.

Why haven't you jumped all over Guyenne, yet? Traitorous oathbreakers.
I have a plan for them actually. Right now I'm a little ticked at them, but I think I'm going to make them the new France. I think it'll be a fun little side line to the game as I am trying to stay out of Europe proper for the most part. Eventually I'll mosey northward as I'll need some tax income to compensate for the garbage I'll have to take on, but it's definitely not a European conquest scenario.

Good to see you finally going after Sicily.
I have alot of these little islands to do. I'm hoping bigger countries will swallow them up to save me some BB before I do though...

I hoped that you'd finish off the wars before ending the post.
Hate to say it, well, not really... :D But wars and rumors of wars will be the norm through the end of the cycle till the SoftR Address...

What, tired of all the picture editing? :p

A all text update might be just as good. I'll have to read it first. :p

It has pictures... Two of them...!

I got looking at the picture of that event, and was trying to think of a way to bring Batelli back for an encore, and well one thing led to another...

I've never done an update like this, so I thought it would be in keeping with the varied theme the updates follow.

Hope you enjoy it... :)

T
 
Really nice "courtroom drama" there. Batelli is quite a character :D

Very interesting and creative story!
 
Aaaahhhh! Two updates! My brain!

It was a cruel trick showing that screenshot of war with the Ottomans and not following through. I call for a boycot of this AAR ;) Oh, you declared war later on in the same update, ignore my earlier comment.

I imagine that goat defected to Denmark while it still could. I assume their economy's in rather better shape. If it had still been around for the next bankrupcy then they probably would have used the rope to strangle it.

The war with the Ottomans seems to be well in hand. It's sad when they get turned into a speedbump, but satisfying when you finally annex them. Damn Candarese 6 Shock Kings! :D

Great narrative update, it's nice to have an occaisional change of pace.

Where did this court come from? Was it in the Hague? The International Court of BadBoy? I decided long ago that if I was ever in that position I'd have to use the classic "I don't recognise the legitimacy of this court." Oh, and "You can't handle the truth!" is a must.

Turning Guyenne into France seems like an interesting idea. In my current France game trying out the new patch I've done the same thing with Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Great Britain and Germany. Improving the lot of your vassals is always rewarding, helping them form a new nation even better.

Can't wait for the next update! I want to see our new Turkish provinces added to the empire.