Timelines: What if Spain Failed to Control the World?

Miscreant said:

4,738 replies, and we finally have confirmation of Godwin's Law!!

p.s. - Canonized, I haven't posted before as I'm still in the way-back machine trying to get caught up. Everything so far is amazing though - I hope to be caught up prior to the elections (the 2012 ones that is :rofl: )

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Haha thank you very much !! Glad to have you along

crusaderknight: Aha shocking isn't it ? But you're going to get hit with even more in the coming chapters !

Chapter 4 Summary: The Siege of London

(Hold onto your hats since this was one of the longer chapters)

Davout's Salient Facts said:

Chapter 4 Siege of London (aka The Clash)

Old times - 1566, a Spanish Army slips across the Channel to besiege London. The Spanish fleet then runs and hides in the Bay of Biscay. Venice backstabs Spain so there won't be any reinforcements. Gen Alesandro de Gutierrez besieges London but is running out of men. He is told that the English Fleet will be back in a week after finding the Spanish fleet so he must storm London prematurely. Fortunately, he has a Cunning Plan. A week later, the besieged General Somerset is informed by Lt Lawrence (who has an outrageous Spanish accent, you silly English pig dogs) that the fleet will be back in 2 days. Two days later, the Spanish charge across London Bridge and a fight ensues. The Spanish attack from behind - "It's a trap" and the English flee. Then the English fleet appears - "It's a trap" and the Spanish flee. The English chase them across the bridge. The lead ship then blows up the bridge, stranding the English on the wrong side of the river. "It's a trap" and there is nowhere to flee. The Tower falls and London is taken. Months later, Franscisco and Lorenzo celebrate. Another Silent Room taken, Venice trounced and Hal, the English Eminence, hands over his key. Lorenzo thinks its almost done but Franscisco informs him of a duplicate set of keys and timepiece.

Current time - Tom and Ronald McDonald meet. Exposition on Tom Royce's family history - Europeans living in Beirut who move to Ulster and became Lutheran. And Tom's family coat of arms is.... dun dun dun... Augusta (London) and Jerusalem.
Game Concepts - There is a second set of keys and timepiece, which is just as well, otherwise the AAR would be over by now.
Post modern in jokes - 0. I don't count Hal because there were no amusing 2001 lines.
Shower scenes - I think we all have to realise it will be a long time before we get any shower scenes. We don't get our first female protagonist until the next chapter and her romantic ship takes a long time to get going. I will let you know when something interesting happens.

Next - And did those feet in ancient time....

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Chapter IV said:

It did not change General Alessandro’s expression, however, as he looked at the map lain out before him. He had memorized the terrain within the city as well as outside in the two weeks they have been working to encapsulate the city. He could tell you where St. John’s Priory house was and how it was just north of Smithfield and St. Bartholomew or how Westminster Hall was just below the Whitehall where the Thames curved south.

“Double the guard on the roads leading to St. Cile’s street. And see if you can get a spy into Baynard Castle,” he called out. One of the lieutenants dutifully nodded and took down the instructions by memory.

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Scene 1: Lorenzo and Francisco are anxious as they watch from the parapet of a castle in Calais to the English shore. They want to see the signal light from the army that they sent across the channel that they made it to the other side stealthily. They finally see the fire and Francisco orders one of the lieutenants to order the Spanish Armada which had a distraction further along the channel away from the main party to retreat away from the superior English navy. Francisco orders an army to move up to Normandie but they receive word that the Venetians have turned on the Spaniards and switched sides. Francisco is forced to reroute the Normandie troops southward and leaves all of England to General Alessandro and his 25,000 men.

Scene 2: General Alessandro has cleverly routed the English corps and has now besieged London. Reinforcements were supposed to arrive 10 days ago but they haven't. General Alessandro wants to wait out the siege now that all of the English divisions are defeated. A courier arrives at the war council and Alessandro immediately says how they need to attack within the week because the Spanish Navy has been discovered by the English Navy at their hiding point off the coast of Navarra and that they expect English ships to come down the Thames very soon.

Scene 3: General Somerset is briefing the Eminence within the Silent Room deep underneath the Tower of London on the situation. The Eminence feels against a key shaped lump on his chest. General Somerset is called away to debrief an English seaman named Lt. Lawrence who rushed across land and across enemy lines to inform the General that in the next few days the English are coming to relieve London. He says, however, that what the Spanish don't know is that the English ships are coming sooner than they think.

Scene 4: A massive night time assault is carried out on London with a feint attack on the London Bridge while a detachment is attacking the Tower of London. The attack is about to succeed in taking the bastion when the English Navy suddenly arrives down the Thames. It causes a Spanish route and the English give chase. The Spanish scatter into Southwark but as the ships approach the London Bridge, the lead ship explodes destroying the bridge and cutting off the English garrison in Southwark. The next few ships fire a close range barrage on the Tower of London and Spanish marines leap out of the ships. The Spanish lines reform in Southwark and pincer the English troops.

Scene 5: London has fallen and the English King made a subject to the Spanish Emperor. It is revealed that Lt. Lawrence was actually Lorenzo and Francisco congratulates him on a job well done deceiving the English. The Spanish fleet had actually waited for the English to chase them into Navarra and ambushed them, took the ships, and arrived in London. HAL is the name of the Eminence in the English Silent Room and he is now being 'retired' by Francisco (Janus). Lorenzo expresses mystery about there are two sets of Keys and Timepieces but really actually only one set and Hal mentions how Lorenzo is thinking too three dimensionally. Francisco promises that they'll get the rest of the Keys and it is implied that one set of the Five Keys are from the Five Patriarchates and they already received two of them (Rome from their control of the Curia and Alexandria from their conquest).

Interlude

Tom is talking with McDonald the publisher. We find out that Tom's family is originally from Beirut before (probably from old crusader stock) and that they moved to Ireland afterwards where they were converted to Lutheranism. We find out in this Timeline that England remained staunchly Catholic and Ireland was a bastion for Lutheranism. McDonald also dug up Tom's coat of arms which is a crest of two keys with a motto saying “Augusta et Ierusalem” which alluded to a connection between London and Jerusalem.

Chapter 5 Summary: Jerusalem (coming soon)

ROFL Actually Hal and TheRomanGeneral as well as the use of Janus are all allusions to people who have played those countries in MP EU2 games with me before . Unfortunately , yes , no references really in that chapter , was a pretty serious one XD . Unless I'm totally not remembering what I put in .

English Patriot said:

Walk upon England's mountain's green..
And was the holy lamb of god, on England's pleasant pastures seen..

Oooops

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Over a nice glass of scotch we should sing ! Well I suppose gin for you , though , eh ? XD

phargle: Isn't it though ? XD

Chapter 5 Summary: Jerusalem

Davout's Salient Facts said:

Old time: The Spanish storm the walls of Jerusalem whilst 13 Spanish spies slip in. Antonio (new character) goes all Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan when 3 spies blow up a nearby magazine. The remaining spies storm the guardhouse to the main gate and let the Spanish army in. By Christmas, it is peace a gain and Spain has gained Jerusalem. Antonio is introduced to Isabella (although they meet at school) by her father, Lorenzo. Antonio meets his father Franscisco Jiminez. Isabella reveals she was 1 of the 13 spies and Antonio chases her. Franscisco and Lorenzo exit stage right.

Current times: Tom daydreams in class. Tom & Rodrigo discuss playing HU3 as Japan & China resisting the Spanish invasion.

Game concepts: Roles are passed down within families, eg, Cardinal>Francisco>Antonio as eminences, Lorenzo>Isabella as covert operations/2IC's.

Post modern in jokes: Warcraft 3 - Defence of the Ancients, DotA Allstars

Ships: Start of the Antonio/Isabella ship. It is clear from the beginning who is in charge.

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Chapter V said:

The Ottomans were arrayed in their usual formation, a crescent with cavalry divisions on either flanking side waiting the enemy advance whereas the Christian army formed a line of battle with an advancing cavalry column in the center and the artillery train directly behind the center. It was the meeting of Cross and Crescent just miles away from where the Kadosh Hakadashim used to be.

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November 25 1575

Scene 1: The Spaniards have arrived at the Holy Land with Italian and Austrian vassal-allies. They defeated the Turkish ground army and are now beginning to storm the Holy City. 40,000 would take Jerusalem and 30,000 would go to Antioch. Thirteen figures dressed as peasants and wearing heavy cloaks secretly enter the city.

Scene 2: Antonio, a Spanish officer, leads his corps forward as they ascend ladders and is slightly disoriented from an explosion that nearly kills him before getting up to climb another ladder.

Scene 3: The explosion that occurred in the city was at the ammunition plant. The Thirteen use that as their chance to assault the Gatehouse and open the gate for the onrushing Spaniards.

Scene 4: Christmas Mass at the Church of the Nativity attended by Lorenzo and Francisco now that peace “through domination” reigned in the land. Antonio is waiting outside for his father and it is found out that he is the son of Francisco. Antonio meets Lorenzo after Mass and they exchange smalltalk and Lorenzo introduces him to his beautiful daughter Isabella. Francisco comes out. Lorenzo notices during their friendly talk how Antonio was almost destroyed by an explosion and Antonio laughs about it and complains about how some of his father's spies were careless with their operations and how he wanted to get his “hands on those agents' necks. I could have done a better job.” The adults laugh as Isabella re-assures that she'll tell her men not to avoid Antonio next time they have to liberate a city before laughing herself and walking off. Antonio goes off to chase her and apologize to her as the older men are amused at the progress of their children. Lorenzo and Francisco are about to retire and Francisco says how he would like to write.

Interlude

Scene 1: Tom is half asleep in his class as his teacher is explaining how in 1577 King (Emperor) Felipe II wrote “Assertio Absolutus” or “Defense of the Absolute” (DotA) although it was said that the text itself was ghostwritten by someone else or by a group of All-stars of philosophical and political advisers. It garnered the Spanish Sovereign the title of Defender of the Faith. Tom was only half listening but did manage to write down “Felipe II publishes DotA All-Stars.”

Scene 2: Tom and Rodrigo meet up for lunch in the cafeteria in the open air (California schools were like that). Rodrigo asks if Tom is up for another game of Hispania Universalis III; the 1580 scenario. Rodrigo recommends that they play as Japan and China to fend off the Spaniards together. Tom accepted Rodrigo's proposal.

Chapter 6 Summary: The Far East (coming soon)

ColossusCrusher said:

Go DotA!
Sadly, I have to make do with the less effective Starcraft version, since my Warcraft III is lacking in multiplayer capability.

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Haha I've been too busy to play it at all ! Zulu plays it often I think though XD

Miscreant said:

DotA is the only thing I've missed since building my new computer (I haven't been able to find my WC3 disks since... I dunno, 2003?). I love that Blizzard games have such a loooong shelf life.

BTW - I decided to print out chapters 2 and 3 at work today in my efforts to get caught up... without pictures, it came to a little over 13 pages in Times New Roman 12 pt. Worth every drop of company ink though

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Haha thank you very much ! I'm very flattered . Hope your company doesn't mind ? XD

CountArach: sounds good

Grubnessul said:

As long as noone has to stand in the tea chest

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ROFL a classic . Gosh I love English songs !

sadhukar: XD never ! Thank you for your patronage hope you enjoy it ! Please do share with us where you are and any comments you have so far We do enjoy reading what people like or dislike from previous chapters !

Chapter 6 Summary: The Far East

Davout's Salient Facts said:

Chapter 6 The Far East (Attack of the Vapors)

Old time: 1580, The Spanish Armada heads for Osaka after capturing a string of ports along the way. Antonio and Isabella banter. Introduction of new character, Chun Jeong-Hee (aka Sweet), a Korean spy loyal to Spain. One year later, Spain captured Osaka but lost it in a counter-attack. Isabella is interrogated by Daimyo Akechi Mitsuhide but she turns the tables by enticing him to turn on the Shogun with Spanish help.

Current time: Post-game chat between Tom and Rodrigo. Tom learns that Ronald McDonald was murdered.... in Japan.

Game concepts: Isabella has blonde hair and blue eyes. Help me out on this but none of the Hispanic girls I know fit this description. Is she from Barcelona?

Post modern in jokes: 1.5: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samurai_Warriors (.5 since it's based on history) and Sweet who incidentally has already retired by the time of this summary.

Ships: Antonio needs to work on his small talk.

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Chapter VI said:

“Do you still miss your mother, Akechi-kun?”

The departing figure stopped at the door. There was a short pause…

“Are you still bitter at Oda-san for being so dishonourable? Tsk tsk… surely he was aware that betraying Hatano-san would have some consequences… it’s a pity his rival’s retainers had to blame you and take your mother’s life…”

The two samurai wards looked at each other for a moment, confused at listening to this tale between their friend Akechi Mitsuhide and their master Oda Nobunaga. What was this all about?

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April 10 1580

Scene 1: The Spanish Armada is sailing to Japan with around ten thousand men. Zanzibar, Fars, Hormuz and other centers of trade have been taken along the way. Their final target is Osaka. Antonio and Isabella are on the flagship. Antonio introduces Isabella to one of the chief spies who will work under her Chun Jeong-Hee who is an expert in the Far East. He is christened “Sweet” as his codename by Isabella (because he treats her so sweetly). Antonio expresses his confidence in the Imperial troops to prevail in Japan.

May 21 1581

Scene 2: Nearly a year later, Isabella is being interrogated by Mitsuhide Akechi after the fall of Osaka back to the Japanese. Isabella refuses to answer and Akechi is about to go away when Isabella insinuates that she knows about Akechi's bitterness towards Nobunaga Oda (the current ruler of Japan). She pries into this and offers that she can help him take over Japan and avenge the wrongs Oda has done to Akechi.

Interlude

Tom gets a phone call from Rodrigo while Tom is playing Samurai Warriors on his console where Akechi is about to face off with Oda Nobunaga. Rodrigo says that he's looked into how Tom was getting his essay published and Tom is surprised, but Rodrigo is the one who surprises Tom by saying that the publisher McDonald is dead. Tom is speechless after he pauses his game instinctively. The screen is forzen right as Akechi is about to fight Hashiba Hideyoshi.

Chapter 7 Summary: Hashiba Hideyoshi (coming soon)