After a great deal of technical difficulties I finally managed to get all the expansion packs working and Magna Mundi Platinum as well. Needless to say, it is gorgeous. There was a fair deal of new nations I'd never heard of too, one of the nations, Aquileia immediately caught my eye and consequently I decided to do my first Magna Mundi Platinum AAR on it.
1399-1401
The Patriarchate of Aquileia had a long and turbulent history. Founded by St. Mark in 70 AD, its history was one of conflict and schism first with the Papacy and with the rival Patriarchate of Grado. It was under the militant and theocratic Patriarch Poppo that Aquileia had achieved it's independence from Carpethia and after sacking Grado twice finally achieved supremacy over its rival. Aquileia’s position is however precarious, nestled between two greatly more powerful states the wealthy Venice and the relatively huge Austria.
********************************************************
After mass Antonio I, Patriarch of Aquileia left behind the beauty and serenity of the Cathedral of Udine and hastily made his way through the streets, almost too fast for his armed and armoured bodyguard to keep up with him to his Palace where he had summoned his Privy Council. For he was one of the unlucky few who in addition to having to preside over the temporal AND spiritual affairs of an church diocese, also had to preside over the temporal affairs of a fully fledged imperial state, an imperial state larger than many. It was Poppo's legacy to him, just as much as the Cathedral was.
No he reminded himself, he wasn't cursed he was blessed. This was the true and godly form of government, one which should have been implemented everywhere by the Almighty. A State whose service to the almighty, so lovingly described by the Apostle in Romans 13 was securely in the hands of his holy Church. But, the demonic spirit of heresy within him chided "what security is there in a Church torn in two by a schism between two Popes?” He slapped himself to drive these heretical thoughts out of his mind.
As usual Marshall Ignazio Ruga was first to speak. He takes out a map and places it on the table.
"Patriarch, our position is far from ideal. We are located between Austria and Venice, both of which are greatly more powerful than us and yet we have no allies! It is almost as if Aquileia didn't exist yesterday, what were we doing all that time?"
"So you propose that we make alliances, but with whom?" Antonio asks,
"Bavaria and Salzburg," was the reply.
"But they can't help us against Venice; if we ally with Gorz then they could help us against both?" Siege Engineer Salvator Sforza adds.
"Because firstly Gorz is no stronger than ourselves and secondly they may have designs of their own against us, meaning they might reject an alliance, while Bavaria and Salzburg, they fear Austria and assuming that the Emperor aids us, in the event of Austrian aggression we would be able to attack Austria on all fronts,"
"But shouldn't we fear Venice more than Austria?" Salvator Sforza replies.
"No, for the time the Venetians will have their hands full with Milan and the others hopefully. Also, Austria is far larger than Venice; we could occupy Venice far more quickly than we could Vienna. We do not wish to get involved in a war with either, while allying with one of the rival Italian States would almost certainly get us involved in a war with Venice, possibly at an inopportune time, while Bavaria with all hope will not dare to attack Austria,"
"But," Salvator gasps.
"And the Austrians we should fear more than the Venitians for the Austrians are real men, not sissy merchants with a sissy republic!" Ignatio adds.
"Hey!" merchant Luchino Manchino cries.
"Diplomatically we shall follow Ignazio's plan, we shall indeed ally with Bavaria and Salzburg," Antonio decides.
There is a long pause.
"What are our plans for our merchants?" Luchino asks.
"We have the money to invest, so send them to Venice and try and obtain a greater part of the trade in the Venetian trade zone,"
********************************************************
2 days later a message arrived from Translyvania.
"My lord offers an alliance with your Patriachate, that’s what your nation is called right?"
"Why would I accept an alliance with a nation so far away?"
The pale looking man stops to think for a while.
"Hungary, Hungary borders you and it also borders us, if the Hungarians should bother you, we would help you"
"The deal is made!" he declares.
*********************************************************
Bruno Freystadt surveyed his men. They had answered his call by their thousands. It was beyond anything he could have wished for. Not only were there 1000s of infantry, but there were also around a 1000 cavalry, drawn from the pampered aristocracy of Austria, happy to trade the hunting of beasts for the hunting of a different sort of prey.
He turned to the vast mob.
"I am afraid that the evidently heathen burghers of Klagenfurt have decided to protect the filthy JEWS from us, the instruments of DIVINE WRATH AGAINST THE CHRIST-KILLERS!"
The mob cheers.
"But luckily so many outstanding Austrian men have answered our call, that we shall be able to LAY SIEGE TO KLAGENFURT!"
The mob cheers even louder.
"THEY SHALL HAND OVER THEIR JEWS TO US OR THEY WILL JOIN IN THEIR FATE!"
The mob waves their halberds and other weapons in the air.
"FIRST WE SHALL HAVE A KLAGENFURT FREE OF JEWISH FILTH, THEN AN AUSTRIA FREE OF JEWS, THEN A GERMANY FREE OF JEWS AND THEN A WORLD FREE OF JEWS!"
"A world free of Jews!" the crowd chant together.
*****************************************************
What had he been thinking? Of course if he besieged a city then the Austrian Army would intervene. And now his men, his glorious host were being routed by the Austrian army. Their bodies were stacking up but what was worse was the fear on his men’s faces and they fled from the disciplined ranks of the Austrian army that cut and shot his army to pieces.
But they hadn't killed that many. He could still rally then and then lead them south, into Krain. That was his only option, perhaps he could rally and hold off the Austrians long enough to take Krain over. Although as far as he knew, there weren't any Jews therein, he had no other choice.
"Follow me, I am Bruno Freystadt. Follow me or die, the army will not show you any mercy!" he declared to the straggling groups fleeing the battle.
*********************************************************
Trade success in Venice (also marked is the path taken by Bruno Freystadt and his Anti-Semitic thugs).
Luchino Machino waylays Antonio I after Mass.
"I am rich, very rich. Our share of the Venetian trade is now as great as the Venetians themselves.
"I hope you're giving enough of it to the poor," Antonio remarks sternly.
"Well, I give enough of it to the treasury, that's the same thing right?"
*********************************************************
(split this because it was ridiculously long).
1399-1401
The Patriarchate of Aquileia had a long and turbulent history. Founded by St. Mark in 70 AD, its history was one of conflict and schism first with the Papacy and with the rival Patriarchate of Grado. It was under the militant and theocratic Patriarch Poppo that Aquileia had achieved it's independence from Carpethia and after sacking Grado twice finally achieved supremacy over its rival. Aquileia’s position is however precarious, nestled between two greatly more powerful states the wealthy Venice and the relatively huge Austria.
********************************************************
After mass Antonio I, Patriarch of Aquileia left behind the beauty and serenity of the Cathedral of Udine and hastily made his way through the streets, almost too fast for his armed and armoured bodyguard to keep up with him to his Palace where he had summoned his Privy Council. For he was one of the unlucky few who in addition to having to preside over the temporal AND spiritual affairs of an church diocese, also had to preside over the temporal affairs of a fully fledged imperial state, an imperial state larger than many. It was Poppo's legacy to him, just as much as the Cathedral was.
No he reminded himself, he wasn't cursed he was blessed. This was the true and godly form of government, one which should have been implemented everywhere by the Almighty. A State whose service to the almighty, so lovingly described by the Apostle in Romans 13 was securely in the hands of his holy Church. But, the demonic spirit of heresy within him chided "what security is there in a Church torn in two by a schism between two Popes?” He slapped himself to drive these heretical thoughts out of his mind.
As usual Marshall Ignazio Ruga was first to speak. He takes out a map and places it on the table.
"Patriarch, our position is far from ideal. We are located between Austria and Venice, both of which are greatly more powerful than us and yet we have no allies! It is almost as if Aquileia didn't exist yesterday, what were we doing all that time?"
"So you propose that we make alliances, but with whom?" Antonio asks,
"Bavaria and Salzburg," was the reply.
"But they can't help us against Venice; if we ally with Gorz then they could help us against both?" Siege Engineer Salvator Sforza adds.
"Because firstly Gorz is no stronger than ourselves and secondly they may have designs of their own against us, meaning they might reject an alliance, while Bavaria and Salzburg, they fear Austria and assuming that the Emperor aids us, in the event of Austrian aggression we would be able to attack Austria on all fronts,"
"But shouldn't we fear Venice more than Austria?" Salvator Sforza replies.
"No, for the time the Venetians will have their hands full with Milan and the others hopefully. Also, Austria is far larger than Venice; we could occupy Venice far more quickly than we could Vienna. We do not wish to get involved in a war with either, while allying with one of the rival Italian States would almost certainly get us involved in a war with Venice, possibly at an inopportune time, while Bavaria with all hope will not dare to attack Austria,"
"But," Salvator gasps.
"And the Austrians we should fear more than the Venitians for the Austrians are real men, not sissy merchants with a sissy republic!" Ignatio adds.
"Hey!" merchant Luchino Manchino cries.
"Diplomatically we shall follow Ignazio's plan, we shall indeed ally with Bavaria and Salzburg," Antonio decides.
There is a long pause.
"What are our plans for our merchants?" Luchino asks.
"We have the money to invest, so send them to Venice and try and obtain a greater part of the trade in the Venetian trade zone,"
********************************************************
2 days later a message arrived from Translyvania.
"My lord offers an alliance with your Patriachate, that’s what your nation is called right?"
"Why would I accept an alliance with a nation so far away?"
The pale looking man stops to think for a while.
"Hungary, Hungary borders you and it also borders us, if the Hungarians should bother you, we would help you"
"The deal is made!" he declares.
*********************************************************
Bruno Freystadt surveyed his men. They had answered his call by their thousands. It was beyond anything he could have wished for. Not only were there 1000s of infantry, but there were also around a 1000 cavalry, drawn from the pampered aristocracy of Austria, happy to trade the hunting of beasts for the hunting of a different sort of prey.
He turned to the vast mob.
"I am afraid that the evidently heathen burghers of Klagenfurt have decided to protect the filthy JEWS from us, the instruments of DIVINE WRATH AGAINST THE CHRIST-KILLERS!"
The mob cheers.
"But luckily so many outstanding Austrian men have answered our call, that we shall be able to LAY SIEGE TO KLAGENFURT!"
The mob cheers even louder.
"THEY SHALL HAND OVER THEIR JEWS TO US OR THEY WILL JOIN IN THEIR FATE!"
The mob waves their halberds and other weapons in the air.
"FIRST WE SHALL HAVE A KLAGENFURT FREE OF JEWISH FILTH, THEN AN AUSTRIA FREE OF JEWS, THEN A GERMANY FREE OF JEWS AND THEN A WORLD FREE OF JEWS!"
"A world free of Jews!" the crowd chant together.
*****************************************************
What had he been thinking? Of course if he besieged a city then the Austrian Army would intervene. And now his men, his glorious host were being routed by the Austrian army. Their bodies were stacking up but what was worse was the fear on his men’s faces and they fled from the disciplined ranks of the Austrian army that cut and shot his army to pieces.
But they hadn't killed that many. He could still rally then and then lead them south, into Krain. That was his only option, perhaps he could rally and hold off the Austrians long enough to take Krain over. Although as far as he knew, there weren't any Jews therein, he had no other choice.
"Follow me, I am Bruno Freystadt. Follow me or die, the army will not show you any mercy!" he declared to the straggling groups fleeing the battle.
*********************************************************
Trade success in Venice (also marked is the path taken by Bruno Freystadt and his Anti-Semitic thugs).
Luchino Machino waylays Antonio I after Mass.
"I am rich, very rich. Our share of the Venetian trade is now as great as the Venetians themselves.
"I hope you're giving enough of it to the poor," Antonio remarks sternly.
"Well, I give enough of it to the treasury, that's the same thing right?"
*********************************************************
(split this because it was ridiculously long).
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