Novum Romanum Imperium -- A Tuscany DW AAR

History_Buff said:

Why do I get the feeling von Brecht is overdue for an appointment with something pointy and unpleasant.

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It's entirely possible

Legosim said:

Just spent a bit of time over the past few days reading this. Great stuff, keep it up!

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loki100 said:

so, La Sapienza is founded (so that guarentees chaos in Rome) and von Brecht is on the cusp of getting his way, you are taking this in some intriguing directions

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Thanks for the kind words!

Chris Taylor said:

Egads. You won't get away with this, Brecht! Semper Fidelis Tyrannosaurus!

Yes, I know what Brutus the Younger actually said...

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:rofl:

Konnigratz said:

When do you get your next national idea? If you haven't played past that point already, I'd suggest Unam Sanctum. It's a lovely way to gain all that heretical land you need to reform the Empire.

Also, I'm unable to send PMs (one of the "perks" of never having received a registration email ) so I'll concede my prize and take satisfaction in finally guessing something right.

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Sorry to hear about your problems; hopefully you can get it straightened out! I think my next NI comes at Government 22, and I'm at 18 or 19. Unam Sanctam is certainly a possibility, but there's the whole "dies in 1650" thing. I'm currently considering Press Gangs, but I won't get there for a while. I'll give you a couple of days to get your problem straightened out; if you haven't by Tuesday, we'll say, I'll hold a new contest (of some kind).

Boris ze Spider said:

Darn, didn't even have time to enter the contest, hopefully the country doesn't collapse from rebels.

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We'll have to see, won't we?

I think I'll start working on Chapter 20 either today or tomorrow; it will take me a while, since it covers a regency, but this may be the least boring regency ever, so there's that.

History_Buff said:

Last I remember, the cleansing of heresy CB, which Unam Sanctum gives you, does not die after 1650, unless that is something they added in DW

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kepler said:

History_Buff is right. Burning Heretics never goes out of fashion. I suppose it depends which direction you want to give to this nice AAR, because Unam Sanctam is a truly game-changing NI...

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blsteen said:

Unam Sanctum...interesting if the reformed Roman Empire is to be the embodiment of the Protestant cause. It would also depend on how widely the schism spreads.

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This discussion convinced me to look through the files, and you're right -- the Holy War expires but Cleansing of Heresy does not. Those of you who read my Russia AAR know we had a debate there too; the problem there is that I didn't want European lands and it only works in your religion group.

I think you all may have convinced me to get Unam Sanctam next NI; once I'm ready to play again, I'll post a religion map so you can see what kind of effect it will have.

CivandEUIII said:

Why don't you mod it so that Holy War never expires?

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That feels a bit gamey to me. I'll think about it, for now.

12 March 1533, the Castle St. Maso, Rome

Johann David von Brecht, after years of scheming, had achieved his ultimate goal. He had risen from a casually chosen court Theologian to Regent of the Empire of Tuscany. With the young Prince Gian Gastone in Danzig getting the education of an Emperor, he had about ten years to promote and secure the future of the Protestant faith in the Empire. His path to power had not been entirely clean or without incident, but nonetheless he'd gotten what he wanted. His first diplomatic move was unpopular with some of the nobles.



Ordinarily, peace treaties had to be agreed upon by the Senate, but von Brecht, in a brilliant political move, used his capacity as a member of the War Council to issue a cease-fire order to all the soldiers; they'd already broken off their sieges and no more colonists were permitted to leave Tuscany. The Senate had no choice but to agree to the humiliating peace, since issuing new orders to the soldiers could result in widespread desertion, possibly a rebellion.

He had to move quickly; if he did not consolidate his power soon, the Senate could vote to name a new regent. With the Prince too young and out of the country, there were eight Senators, including himself. If he could only obtain four more votes, he could pass whatever he wanted with near impunity. He'd already buried all the evidence of his crimes as deeply as he could; that was an important but necessary step. With lunch over, the Senate reconvened; it was now or never for von Brecht.

"Gentlemen, I hope you enjoyed your lunches. I am a humble man of God; I have no desire for temporal power, and I want to assure you, business shall continue as usual under my Regency."

The other eight Senators looked at one another. Nobody entirely trusted the priest, but at the same time, Leo II had officially named him Regent. If the Emperor trusted him, they could not argue.

"I know my peace with the Timurid barbarians was extremely unpopular. However, I've had the finest cartographer in the Empire draw a fine new map of our new territories in Asia Minor!"



Everybody applauded at this; it was indeed a fine map.

"I present this beautiful map to the Duke of Constantinople, Tiberius Graecus, to commemorate our great victory. I have another gift for the Duke as well -- by the authority of the Imperial Regent, I hereby proclaim him and his heirs the Archduke of Constantinople. I feel this is appropriate, since by order of John I, all lands in Asia Minor are appended to his Duchy. He and his heirs are now third in prominence in the Empire, behind only the Emperor and the Prince of Florence. Three cheers for the Archduke!"

As the Senators cheered outwardly, some were uneasy. The Cato and Cicero families were Tuscan institutions, older even than the Emperor's family. Marius and Marcus Porcius Cato and Primus Tullius Cicero were not pleased by this development at all. Still, perhaps they would receive some manner of compensation. They quieted down.

"I have also made a number of administrative changes, to make things simpler for everybody. Most of these are purely cosmetic. I have provided a list of the new, renamed Duchies, to everybody. Please take a moment to look."

The Dukes of the Empire of Tuscany​

Gian Gastone Datti, Prince of Florence
Tiberius Graecus, Archduke of Constantinople
Agrippa Tullius Cicero, Duke of Ancona-Romagna
Axel Gathenhielm, Duke of Sardinia-Istria
Marcus Porcius Cato, Duke of Pisa-Siena
Marius Porcius Cato, Duke of Naples
Alessandro del Moro, Duke of Sicily


"I have formally added Malta to the Duke of Sicily's holdings; it is, in effect, part of Sicily. I've consolidated the titles of the Heir to the Throne as well, as many of you can see. Vitale Gori, many of you will no doubt recall, formally relinquished his right to sit on the Senate, but our other Imperial Councillors retain their titles and voting rights. I wish to make this clear; should Philosopher Gori retire or pass away, his successor may or may not choose to exercise any voting rights.

"The unified Duchies may not be divided without the consent of the entire Senate and the Emperor; it must be unanimous. Many of you have worked very hard to become Dukes; it would be dangerous to allow an outsider into the Senate. Are there any questions?"

Andreas Germanicus, Knight of the Order of the Tuscan Empire and Duke of Milan, immediately raised his hand.

"Why is my name not on the list, Regent von Brecht?"

von Brecht knew this question was coming; he'd anticipated it and already had a response.

"Sir Germanicus, I think I speak for everybody here when I say thank you for your years of service. The Germanicus family is one of the cornerstones of the Empire, and we are all grateful that you left your home in Mecklenburg to serve in the Empire.

"Unfortunately, after some careful examination of the laws of the Empire, I have no choice but to remove the Duchy of Milan from rolls of the Empire of Tuscany. Since Milan is still formally an independent nation -- although the Emperor of Tuscany is also King of Milan -- it cannot legally be a Duchy at the same time. You are still entitled to the rank of Count in the Tuscan Empire, and as a courtesy we will compensate you with the salary as if you were a Duke. You will not lose your place in the Senate, and you will remain Governor of Milan, but the Empire cannot give you estates that do not belong to the Empire."

Andreas was absolutely furious. He'd worked very hard to earn his station in the Empire, and now it was being stripped away as a result of some technicality? Who did this old kook think he was?

"That is completely unacceptable, von Brecht. I have been in the service of the Emperor of Tuscany since you were in diapers. Just because you taught Leo II about your insane notions of God, you think you deserve the office of Regent? Every man at this table has given blood, sweat, and treasure to the Empire of Tuscany; you've given little more than complaints, whining, and blasphemy. To Hell with you and all your brethren!"

von Brecht had gotten exactly what he wanted -- an excuse. "You dare challenge my authority, given to me by God himself and your Emperor, Leo II? Guards, arrest him! Your place in the Senate is hereby stripped!"

Before anybody could react, the unrepentant Andreas Germanicus was dragged away in chains. The Senate was horrified. Although they all agreed that von Brecht's interpretation of the law seemed reasonable, arresting a war hero seemed a little excessive. von Brecht, however, had secured a significant advantage; he'd eliminated his most troublesome opponent and sent a powerful message. There were now a total of seven voting Senators, counting himself. He had Graecus in his pocket; that was one guaranteed vote. Without a real political leader to oppose him, it would be relatively easy to earn the other two votes whenever he needed them.

His plan had almost come to fruition. He dismissed the meeting, and most of the Senators walked away confused. He couldn't demand the vote right away; most were still digesting Germanicus's arrest. He needed some time to talk with the individual Senators, to win them over to his side. He also had an expert forger prepare some documents; documents "written" by Germanicus that called for an end to the Empire and the restoration of the Republic of Tuscany.

Maybe he could even have Andreas executed! The thought of eliminating his most feared enemy made von Brecht positively radiant. It was only a matter of time.
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5 October 1533, Constantinople

The celebration had lasted over a month -- Thrace was now formally a core of the Tuscan Empire! Archduke Graecus knew this meant that his Center of Trade would bring in even more money for the Empire, and further increase his prestige both in the Empire and throughout the world. He would leave his sons a vast fortune and incredible power; he even briefly prayed to his grandfather, thanking him for coming to the Empire in the first place.

He looked at the beautiful map that hung on his wall. Johann von Brecht was a good man. von Brecht recognized how integral the Graecus family was to the Empire, and had given him the respect and honors he deserved. von Brecht had even agreed to make Greek one of the accepted state cultures and acknowledged Greek as an official state language. All he wanted in return was to protect the new faith that spread from the Teutonic Order; what was wrong with that? It was not so very different from the Catholic faith, and truth be told, no Tuscan had thought of the Pope in a long time. Bishops never had much power in the Empire, particularly since Rome had been captured and made the capital.

Graecus briefly wondered why it was taking so long to put the acceptance of the Protestant faith as a state religion to a vote in the Senate. Maybe it was the legislation that von Brecht wanted to pass at the same time? That seemed to make sense to him; after all, it would take a lot of political capital to get the votes to let the Act of Conversion pass. Why not do it all at once?

What Graecus never considered was that conversion would not be simply an act to be voted on or not voted on.
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5 August 1534, the Castle St. Moro

It was time to vote. In addition to sanctioning official conversion to the Protestant Faith, the Act of Conversion also included the Test Act -- banning those that did not accept the Protestant faith from office -- and the institution of Superintendents, or religious officials that would help increase the spread of the new faith. Tuscany would also agree to become Defender of the Protestant Faith.

All of von Brecht's hard work and tireless campaigning (as well as slander), would either be vindicated or rejected at this one session of the Senate. As the last to arrive, Archduke Graecus, finally entered the Senate Chamber, von Brecht formally convened the meeting.

"Gentlemen, I hope you have all had time to review the legislation. Are there any questions before we put it to a vote?"

Alex del Moro rose his hand. "Regent, are all Senators required to convert to the Protestant Faith?"

"By provision of the Test Act, yes."

This caused a little muttering. The next question came from Agrippa Tullius Cicero, who had decided to attend this vote personally, instead of his son Primus.

"Regent, what about the citizens of Tuscany?"

This question was not answered by von Brecht, but by Chancellor Axel Gathenhielm. "I cannot speak for your Duchy, Duke Cicero, but I can tell you that in Sardinia, the people almost instantly converted; there is still a lot of anti-Pope sentiment throughout the Empire. Most of my officials have already converted to Protestantism, and it has been a great boon for the economy."

von Brecht nodded gratefully at the Senator. "You're correct, Chancellor. Also, the Test Act only applies to government officials; the citizens of Tuscany will be free to choose as they will."

Archduke Graecus had the next question. "What of the Muslim subjects of the Empire? It may be difficult to convince them to convert, and it might be easier to do so once Italy has converted. I would probably need another Legion or two to maintain order once we send out our missionaries."

von Brecht considered this. "A fair point, Archduke. I agree; until Italy, as a whole, is Protestant, we will not attempt to convert the Muslims of the ex-Turkish lands. That seems a sensible precaution."

There were no further questions. "Then, gentlemen of the Senate, let us vote."

Graecus stood. "I vote 'aye' on the Act of Conversion and all amendments."

Duke Cicero stood next, in order of seniority. "I abstain. I will agree to convert, if the motion passes, but I am concerned about the Test Act and fear it could cause trouble."

Chancellor Gathenhielm voted yes. Among the Senators, he was the only one with significant experience dealing with Protestants, and he actually thought that the Empire was better off as Protestant.

Marcus and Marius Porcius Cato both voted no. They were concerned about getting drawn into wars as Defender of the Protestant Faith that they could not win. They did verbally agree to formally convert, however.

The swing vote came down to the Marshal of the Empire; Alessandro del Moro. If he voted no, the Act of Conversion was defeated. If he voted yes, it passed. If he abstained, von Brecht would have to vote, which didn't necessarily bother the Regent, but he did want it to seem as if the Senators wanted it, for appearance's sake.

"May I make a suggestion, Regent?"

von Brecht nodded impatiently.

"Regent, perhaps you should hire an Italian-born theologian to take your place. I am sure that you are very busy, and I think the people of the Tuscan Empire would more readily listen to the teachings of a native son."

von Brecht actually hadn't thought of that. He sent for an aide.

"Yes, Regent?"

"Who was top of his class at the University of Rome last year?"

"Carlo di Campofregoso. A brilliant young man and very charismatic; he received a ranking of three stars, the highest any Tuscan theologian has ever received."

von Brecht considered the political ramifications; this would actually give him another ally in the Senate, and another vote, if he chose to accept the rank of Count.

"Very well. Marshal del Moro, I think that is a fine suggestion. Would Signore di Campofregoso be acceptable to you?"

Marshal del Moro nodded. "Yes, he would. He comes from Syracuse and his father is a close friend. If you agree to hire him, I will vote yes on your proposal."

von Brecht smiled. "Then the motion passes, 3 votes for, 2 votes against, 1 abstention. You all agreed to convert, formally, to the Protestant Faith. I will send for our new Theologian and ask him to perform the ceremony in three days; is that acceptable?"

Everybody nodded.

"Fantastic. You are all dismissed; may God go with you."


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15 November 1534, Palermo, Sicily

Carlo di Campofregoso, newly made Count of the Empire of Tuscany, was beaming with pride. Five brilliant missionaries were in Romagna, Ancona, Pisa, Siena, and Rome, spreading the word of God. He couldn't believe his fortune -- 20 years old, recently graduated from the University of Rome, and already the most powerful Theologian in the Empire and a Senator. His wife, Annabella, was delighted that she was a Countess, and although they had no children, they planned to have some.

Since the Act of Conversion had been passed and signed into law, he'd had virtually no problems. The Regent, von Brecht, had openly proclaimed that Rome was now a City of God, and the rest of the world looked at the Empire with awe.



Only one thing troubled him. After accepting the position, he had a meeting with von Brecht. A very bothersome meeting. They'd covered the usual topics of any new job -- salary, duties, his staff, etc. -- and he'd been pleased with them all. He signed the agreement and was about to leave when von Brecht stopped him.

"One more thing, Count di Campofregoso; I am giving you a mandate to stamp out heretics, or those that do not accept the Protestant faith. You are authorized to call in the Legions if you need to."

"But Regent von Brecht, doesn't the Act of Conversion only require government officials to convert?"

The Regent scowled. "Do you, or do you not believe, that the teachings of Martin Luther are the basis of the One True Faith?"

"Of course I do, my lord."

"Then those that oppose us are heretics. Do I make myself clear?"

Unhappily, di Campofregoso had agreed at the time. But now that he was in Palermo, where a large group had begun to question the new faith they were expected to adopt, he was much less sure. He was no zealot; some of those who questioned the Protestant faith were good friends of his. He'd sent for the Commander of the Legio II 'Sicilia'; he needed to give him explicit instructions. As he considered the moral quandary he was in, a knock at the door announced the arrival of the Commander.

"Count di Campofregoso, you requested my presence?"

Carlo nodded. "I have, Commander. By order of the Imperial Regent, I am authorizing you to root out the resistance to the One True Faith in this city and throughout the countryside. You may use force, but only if the rebels are armed and if they attack you first. Do not harm any women or children; any who offer to convert in your presence to the Protestant Faith are to be spared. Violence should only be used as a last resort. Is that all clear, Commander."

The Commander nodded.

"Then you are dismissed. Gather your men; I fear an uprising is imminent."


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18 January 1535, the camp of the Second Legion

General Piccolomini was irritated. He'd been sent, very hastily, to Sicily to help put down the huge revolt that had risen after the order to "eradicate the heretics" had been given. The Commander of the Second Legion hesitated to move his men, and a village was burned by the rampaging rebels. Disgusted with his performance, the Regent had personally ordered the General to take command of the Legion and to use any means necessary to disperse the enemy forces.

He'd done just that, but it had been a bloodbath. He'd lost 300 good men, all of whom had fought with honor against the barbarian hordes. In retaliation, he took no prisoners; all 7300 soldiers left in the revolt, including their leader, Honorius Verona, were executed on the spot. The General knew that many of his men called him "the Butcher of Palermo" behind his back; it was better they fear him than sympathize with the rebels.

God himself demanded obedience; if that meant blood needed to be spilled, so be it.
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20 May 1535, the Castle St. Maso

When the Theologian di Campofregoso heard of the massacre at Palermo, he vomited. This was exactly why he'd opposed the selection of General Piccolomini in the first place; the Commander on the scene might have been indecisive, but at least he didn't slaughter people for no good reason. That the rebels were heretics was indisputable, but they should have been arrested, not executed by a firing squad. The General -- and Regent von Brecht -- had simply gone much too far.

A new law was being proposed by the Regent that day. He demanded more funding and more troops to ensure the heretics were fully brought to heel. He even wanted random searches of people's homes for Catholic catechism and other forbidden books. His insistence on compliance with "God's law" was so venomous and rabid that the Senate took a step back.

Unlike the vote on conversion, this vote was unanimous.

8-0 against.

In fact, led by Count di Campofregoso, a counter proposal was made: they would meet with leaders of the so-called heretics and offer concessions. This too, was unanimous -- 8-0 in favor.



Furious at the betrayal, von Brecht tried to have everybody present arrested.

"Do you doubt the will of God, you idiots? I am His representative on Earth! Without me, you are all damned for all eternity! I have given you everything!"

He ranted and raved for another ten minutes, but he began to quiet when he noticed that the guards were not surrounding and arresting the Senators. In fact, they hadn't moved.

"What is the meaning of this? Arrest them, you spineless cowards! God will damn you, too!"

Inspired, Carlo di Campofregoso rose to his feet. "Do you claim to speak for God, Regent?"

von Brecht screamed, "You're damn right I do! God speaks through me and me alone!"

Triumphantly, di Campofregoso replied, "Johann David von Brecht, by the laws enacted 5 August, the Year of Our Lord Fifteen-hundred and Thirty-Three, I find you guilty of heresy. The teachings of Martin Luther call for a priesthood of all believers; no one man speaks for God, apart from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Guards, please arrest the Regent."

von Brecht realized, too late, his mistake. He tried to backtrack, but the guards would hear none of it. As he was dragged away, the last thing that von Brecht saw was the entire Senate applauding.
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15 March 1538, the Castle St. Maso

It had been almost three years since the arrest of von Brecht, and the Empire was at peace. A lot had changed.

Andreas Germanicus was released from prison and acquitted of all charges. A careful investigation of the former Regent's quarters discovered Leo II's original will, as well as detailed notes on von Brecht's many schemes. Treason was now added to von Brecht's crimes. The Grandmaster of the Teutonic Order himself had visited Rome, and apologized profusely. He showed the actual orders that he written for von Brecht -- he was only to encourage the Empire to accept the Protestant Faith, not to force it upon them.

However, a very strange thing began to happen. The people of Tuscany began to convert to the Protestant faith of their own volition. Napoli was the first province to spontaneously accept the new faith. Although the methods had been insane and brutal, it turned out that Chancellor Gathenhielm had been right -- the Empire of Tuscany was better off Protestant. More gold flowed into Imperial Coffers, and generally speaking, unrest had been minimal. Siena had also converted, thanks to the well-trained missionary hired by Count di Campofregoso. A single rebellion in Rome had been quickly put down; after they were assured that no charges would be pressed and they would only be responsible for the destruction caused by their rioting, they surrendered.

Many of von Brecht's administrative changes were even kept. Although he'd done them for the wrong reasons, they ended up greatly helping the Empire. The new Regent, Andreas Germanicus, formally countersigned each one. He even accepted the loss of his Duchy in Milan; after all, repugnant as the little bastard had been, he was right about that too. Innocenzo Piccolomini was executed the same day as von Brecht; it made perfect sense that the two men most responsible for the wholesale death of almost 8000 individuals would be punished at the same time and for the same crime.

Unfortunately, one thing was destined to dampen the mood.


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3 February 1540, the camp of the Third Legion, outside Rome

The war against the Timurids was going extremely well. A new General, Alessandro Gori -- the son of the Court Philosopher and the Commander of the Second Legion before General Piccolomini -- had already occupied the entirety of Timurid lands in Asia Minor.



Palermo, the seat of the so-called "heretics", had even spontaneously accepted the Protestant faith. However, as always, with the good news came the bad. The unanimous decision to formally exclude all men not of noble birth from the Senate -- although in point of fact already enacted -- nevertheless caused a massive rebellion in Rome. The merchants were growing wealthier and wealthier, and had hired a number of mercenaries to protest the change.



Savoy had even warned the Empire not to go to war. The Timurids had offered peace, but this was rejected by the Senate -- they wanted the Timurids out of Europe and Asia Minor, by force if necessary, and as the map received the same day as the rebellion showed, the Timurids had a lot more soldiers.

The rebellion in Rome was too big to be left to a legionary commander -- for the first time in years, a second General (not an Emperor) was hired. However, he was no ordinary General.



Orsini was a not welcome name in Imperial halls. In fact, his great uncle had been none other than Francisco Ubaldo Orsini -- an Urbinese nationalist in 1430, who'd been executed for treason. Adriano's grandfather -- Niccolo -- took the family to Sardinia. When Sardinia was added to the Empire of Tuscany in 1504, Adriano was an infant. In 1524, Adriano enlisted in the Imperial legions. He personally went to Duke Gathenhielm, explained his family's history, and begged for the right to restore his family's honor.

Axel agreed, but made it very clear that under no circumstances would an Orsini ever be made a noble; he wasn't even allowed to campaign outside of Italy. Apart from those restrictions, there was no reason he could not excel. Adriano agreed, and that is how he found himself commanding the Third Legion against a group of Revolutionary Romans.

The irony was not lost on him.
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4 October 1540, the office of the Chancellor

Axel Gathenhielm was frustrated. Another horde now threatened the borders of the Empire of Tuscany!



Two Timurid provinces, Anatalya and Sivas, had defected to the Empire of Tuscany; unfortunately, this made the Khan of Qara Koyunlu a neighbor in the province of Sinope.

At least the premature Roman Revolution had been put down. Adriano Orsini had proven to be a brilliant General; he didn't suffer a single casualty. Axel had personally signed the recommendation to make Orsini a General, and he was glad it was paying dividends. He'd already quietly asked about a pardon for the Orsini family. Nothing official, but he'd brought up to Andreas Germanicus. At least some honor had been returned to the Orsini name.

Speaking of returns, Axel gave some thought to the Prince, Gian Gastone, who had returned to Tuscany at the end of 1539. Now 13, he had already made it clear he intended to accede to the throne on his 14th birthday in November of 1541. The lad was uncommonly bright, and had the dark complexion of his mother and the wry frame of his father. However, due to an unfortunate childhood illness, he was completely unable to have children. This did not bode well for the future of the House of Datti.

Not at all well.
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15 November 1541, the coronation of John II

For the first time in a long time, Tuscany had an Emperor again. Not much had happened in 1541; Karaman defected to Tuscany from the Timurids and a new Embassy was started in Istria. Three notable Tuscans had died between September 1540 and September 1541: Publius and Sextus Porcius Cato and Agrippa Tullius Cicero.

Emperor John II looked at the Senators. This would be his first opportunity to speak and make policy decisions, and he planned to make his first impression count.

"Senators, it is an honor to speak before you today. Although it is a day of celebration, it is also the first day of my reign, and we have matters to discuss."

The Senators quieted down, and looked expectantly at the new Emperor.

"First, I know many of you are concerned about the future of the Empire. As you know, I am unable to have children. I cannot name one of you as my Heir; that could cause a potential succession crisis in the future as children fought over who would be Duke and who might be Emperor. I cannot, in good conscience, allow that, without the potential Heir being willing to abdicate for his entire family for all eternity his Duchy. I repeat, I do not want a succession war.

"There is only one Duke who would be eligible, by blood, to become my heir. Archduke Tiberius Graecus, I am your grandson through my mother, the Dowager Empress Sofia. Do you want to press a claim to the throne?"

Graecus thought long and hard about it. In the end, he decided against it. He was more or less free to do what he liked as Archduke of Constantinople, he had no nobles to answer to. All he wanted was wealth and prestige; he was not convinced the hassle of dealing with the Senate was worth a relatively minimal increase in stature.

"Emperor John, I formally abdicate on behalf of all my heirs any and all claim to the Imperial Throne of Tuscany."

John II nodded. "Here is my proposal. Each of you has contacts, I am sure, to wealthy non-noble families throughout the Empire. In two weeks' time, I want a list of potential candidates. I will make entreaties to the best among them, and I will marry whosoever will have me, and her child or children will be the acknowledged successors to the Imperial Throne of Tuscany. Is that acceptable? I would put this to a formal vote."

All nine Senators voted yes.

"Then it is agreed. We will meet again in two weeks' time. Enjoy the rest of the festivities!"

All nine Senators bowed as one, turned, and left. Each was thinking very hard about who to propose.

Many historians argued that it was the most important vote in the entire history of the Empire of Tuscany.
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I'll have the next update done sometime next week; that will catch me up far enough that I'll need to play more for a new update. Of course, we'll have a 1550 State of the Empire style post soon as well.

CivandEUIII had a proposal, and I'd like to get your opinion on it. He proposed I end the limit on Holy War (post-1650) for the sake of this AAR. Someone had also brought up adding the Imperialism CB to this AAR as well. Does anybody have a strong opinion one way or the other? Both seem a little gamey, in my opinion, and I think with Unam Sanctam I could well have plenty of CBs. What do you think?

Boris ze Spider said:

I think as long as you limit your use that is fine with me.

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Seek75 said:

I'm a n00b when it comes to EU3 (I only have Napoleon's Ambition and In Nomine, and I don't play it that much), so I really couldn't say. If you think you could fit it into the AAR in a reasonable and believable manner, then I have no problems with it.

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Konnigratz said:

Good riddance to von Brecht. Bleedin' madman.

Also, I'd disagree with extending the Holy War CB to 1821, but I'd agree with giving the Imperialism CB to the Empire. It's wierd that it doesn't have it in the first place.

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I'm not entirely sure what I'll decide, but you've certainly given me some food for thought.