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lots of juicy political manouvering in that update ... like the subtle changes to the constitution and Pierallini will be pretty awesome if he can gain you land tech advantages in the west. Notice you're stocking up on Colonial Range people ... are you finding Europe a wee bit too small?

Not going to colonize yet; that's the entire pool of advisors, with the one I chose circled.

Making my first post on this forum to say I've been following this for a while and am really enjoying it. Keep up the good work.

And also:



I'd guess Dulkadir. One province, but bordering two of yours, so it'd tighten up your defensible territory and allow you to concentrate your armies. Also, it looks like they're taking Erserum in the background of that last image, which would also tighten up border defenses.

You've got it! Welcome to the forums, and PM me your character; name, age, and a brief bio. Remember, he'll be the new Marshal, so keep that in mind!

Hmmm, I would have to guess you declare war on The Mamluks.

I think I'll leave the Mamluks alone for a while.

Nice... + Getting Turkish in accepted cultures is a great thing!

I pretty much have no provinces that aren't an accepted culture right now, which is awesome.

I am going to say Dulkadir as well. The Mamelukes would be too obvious. I personally think those reform's of Francis are going to bit the empire in the butt eventually. It might not be in his lifetime, but I think it will happen. Absolute monarchies, which is in essence what the empire is at the moment, only work when the King is good. If the King is an idiot, then their is usually no one in a position to stop him.

Somebody beat you to the right answer, but the rest of your comment is interesting. If everything went perfectly, of course, this AAR wouldn't be very exciting :)

Would it happen to be the Timuruds.

That's two updates from now!

I'm not going to even bother with the contest. Time to give someone else a chance. :p
Unfortunate that Andreas Germanicus died, since he was a cool character. As for Axel, he better not retire to soon. He's got to last for two lifetimes to make up for Constantine's short life. ;)

He'll probably have to retire eventually; I have no idea how old he is.

The next update is going to be kind of short, but I will work on it tomorrow and Wednesday.
 
What good would a Carthaginian peace be then...isn't it called that because the Romans sacked, burned the city and then according to unverified fact (but nasty intention) sowed the land with salt (ooh nasty). Apparently, three Punic Wars were enough.

The Romans used dirty tactics to pull the Carthaginians into the First and Third Punic Wars. I'm not saying restore Carthage all along the North African coast, with a large portion of Southern Hispania in their grasp. What I'm trying to say is for this AAR to include some kind of Carthaginian influence, and possibly a rebirth in their culture in modern day Tunisia, Algeria, Lybia, and Morocco. It would add a bit more depth into the story, not that it needs it Avindian
 
The Romans used dirty tactics to pull the Carthaginians into the First and Third Punic Wars. I'm not saying restore Carthage all along the North African coast, with a large portion of Southern Hispania in their grasp. What I'm trying to say is for this AAR to include some kind of Carthaginian influence, and possibly a rebirth in their culture in modern day Tunisia, Algeria, Lybia, and Morocco. It would add a bit more depth into the story, not that it needs it Avindian

Under the guidance of Tuscany (New Roman Empire), of course :D
 
Under the guidance of Tuscany (New Roman Empire), of course :D

I'll have to give this some serious thought. The tricky part is that Carthage and Carthaginian culture have been dead for a very long time, and I'm not sure what would cause a spontaneous rebirth. You seem to be arguing for a Carthaginian vassal state: at least, that's the impression I get. That would take some pretty heavy modding, and to be honest, I'm not that good at it. For now, it won't be a major concern, since I've barely made a dent in Africa.
 
You seem to be arguing for a Carthaginian vassal state: at least, that's the impression I get.

Not a vassal state. The culture of the coast of North Africa from Tunisia to Morocco becomes Carthaginian. Maybe a character from there or something. I don't know, I think I'm over stepping myself by intruding on your AAR with my ambitons
 
Not a vassal state. The culture of the coast of North Africa from Tunisia to Morocco becomes Carthaginian. Maybe a character from there or something. I don't know, I think I'm over stepping myself by intruding on your AAR with my ambitons

Fair enough; don't worry about it, if the mood strikes me, we'll see something like that! :)
 
Phew...a couple of days to catch up,but man was it worth it.
Just love the way the characters are portrayed what with all the love,hate,jealousy,intrigue interlaced with the gameplay elements,awesome stuff.
 
Phew...a couple of days to catch up,but man was it worth it.
Just love the way the characters are portrayed what with all the love,hate,jealousy,intrigue interlaced with the gameplay elements,awesome stuff.

Glad you're enjoying it!
 
I'm not excited about the whole Carthage thingy. No need to mod.
 
I guess what he meant was mod in a Carthage nation, with their own culture and all that...this could be awesome!
think of it, a new power in Africa ready to oppose you!

I'm not excited about the whole Carthage thingy. No need to mod.

I don't have the modding skills, and I think it would be more trouble than it's worth.

I'm still waiting for the new character from our contest winner; if I don't get one by this weekend, I'll have another contest and swinkee can name one later on.
 
Chapter 25: The War of '77

16 February 1577, The Imperial War Room

Francis I hoped that the more vocal ex-Senators got the message. He'd converted the former Imperial Senate into a War Room, lined with books, maps, charts, and portraits of the greatest heroes of the Tuscan Empire, including a yet-to-be-completed portrait of Sir Andreas Germanicus.

Still, although the Emperor allowed himself this last propaganda victory, he knew that he had more pressing matters. With overextension gone, he could begin expanding the Empire of Tuscany once more. His chosen target was the Muslim kingdom of Duldakir. He had two reasons for going after them: first, for the province of Mus, and second, because they were blocking the Empire from the acquisition of Erserum. He'd consulted with his foreign minister, Count Giovanni Barberini, earlier that day. Duldakir was not without allies; Ak Koyunlu was her ally, while Yemen, the Mamluks, and Morocco all guaranteed her independence. In addition, Oman claimed Duldakir belonged in her Sphere of Influence. None of these were a real threat, apart from Morocco.

chapter25february1577.jpg


Francis wasn't entirely pleased with Minister Barberini, however. He'd neglected to tell his Emperor that the Holy Land had fallen to Castille; such an important event should have been brought immediately to his attention, Francis thought. That meant dealing with one of the preeminent powers in Europe if he wanted Judea; a far cry from handling a relatively disorganized and weak army in Morocco. He quietly made a note to examine Castillian forces.

Salvestro Pieroni, Marshal of the Empire, excitedly entered the room. The Emperor's subtle victory was lost on him; he was too busy worrying about his future glory.

"Emperor Francis, you needed to see me?"

"Indeed, Salvestro. I would like you to begin mobilizing our legions for war. Our enemy shall be the infidels of Duldakir."

"Of course, my Emperor. I shall issue the orders personally." The Marshal's grin was so big it threatened to blind Francis I.

Francis grimaced as the Marshal turned to leave. Pieroni was becoming a problem. He was much too eager for conflict, a sure sign of a man who'd never really experienced one. The Emperor was begging for some way to get rid of Pieroni, and cursed under his breath. Salvestro had never wanted to be in the military; if not for his father, he probably wouldn't have even become a noble. Even without a voice in the Senate, nobles still had a strong presence in their respective areas. Pieroni's wealth didn't hurt either. No, the only way the Emperor could dismiss Salvestro as Marshal is if he made some really stupid decision.

To mitigate the damage an overeager Marshal might cause, Francis had appointed a new Deputy Marshal. Karel van Dijk, a young lad from Holland, had arrived a few weeks earlier. His father had been instrumental in the Protestant victory over Holland, and had inculcated in his three sons two things: faith in God (a Lutheran God, naturally) and respect for the military. Karel, the middle child, aged 25, went to the finest military academies in Europe, but could not get a commission in the Dutch army. Although his father had successfully led the rebellion, the government of Holland didn't entirely trust him, not unreasonably so. His elder brother served in the English army as a General; his younger brother used part of the family wealth (Karel's father owned the largest shipyard in Holland) to start his own mercenary company.

Karel, on the other hand, had different plans. Tuscany had been the true Defender of the Protestant Faith for years now. He'd heard rumors they'd wanted to restore the Christian Cross to the Holy Land. In his eyes, Castille was no more Christian than the Ottoman Empire had been; they were corrupt, Papist fools. All of Europe knew the tale of Sir Andreas Germanicus, and Karel was no exception. Tuscany was a place where your past actions didn't matter; only your abilities as a man. His father understood that, and used a distant connection to the Barberini family to get him an audience with the Emperor. Hoping originally to serve as a junior officer in one of the legions, he was surprised when Francis I decided to name him Deputy Marshal. What Karel didn't know was that he was easily the most educated man in military affairs in the entire Empire; even Prince Leopoldo was awed by Karel van Dijk. He was also an authority on naval matters as well, something Prince Leopoldo had completely neglected in his studies.

Francis was positively delighted by young van Dijk. All he needed to do now was find a way to ease Pieroni out of the Marshal's spot. A difficult task, but Francis had little doubt that Pieroni would unwittingly cooperate.
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1 June 1577, Constantinople

Prince Leopoldo Farnese thought he was the happiest man in the world. He'd had a wedding three months ago. He still didn't understand why his new wife, Francesca, had chosen to hide her pregnancy from him. Perhaps it was because she was not of noble birth, and thought to protect him from the shame of an ignoble son. The Prince couldn't care less; he was just thrilled to be a father. He insisted on marrying her as soon as he found out, and his son had been born the night before. He named the young child after Francesca's father, Pietro. Her father was a horse breeder; Leopoldo had originally been looking for a new supplier of horses for the Imperial legions, but ended up with a wife instead.

Pietro Leopoldo Farnese was the center of the Prince's world. The infant and his mother were resting in another chamber in the palace; he was still the Prince of Constantinople and had many duties to perform, especially with a war on. Still, he found himself sneaking back every now and again to see his little son. For him, the world was perfect.

A few hours later, Castle St. Maso, Rome

For Salvestro Pieroni, the world was chaos. He was drunk. Very drunk. He'd won his first argument with his subordinate, Karel van Dijk, and it ended up losing him his job. In the sort of clarity that only comes when you've lost everything, he realized he should have let van Dijk take care of the naval arrangements; Pieroni had very little experience with ships of any kind, which only belatedly struck him as odd, being a merchant's son.

chapter25june1577.jpg


With the loss of Sardinia in so short a time -- plus the fact that the bulk of the Moroccan fleet had slipped past the out-of-position Classis II, thanks to Pieroni's own meddling -- Salvestro knew he was in trouble. He'd just finished one of the most unpleasant audiences with Francis I he'd ever had. The Emperor had actually wanted him executed on the spot. His unlikely savior was Drusus Germanicus; Drusus had been in Rome to discuss the war and to see if he could help in any way. Germanicus pointed out that executing a commander for one bad performance sent a very bad message to the rest of the military. While the Emperor and Drusus Germanicus had never really been friends, or even liked each other, Francis did respect his opinion and integrity. Francis accepted the "resignation" of his Marshal.

While Pieroni was grateful to have been spared his life, the truth was he'd been disgraced. He was still the Archduke of Asia Minor, which gave him wealth, power, and influence, but he'd already had those before. What he'd lost was glory, and to him, that was all that mattered. He had no children and had never married. He was getting too old to do either, and that meant the Pieronis would lose the Archduchy anyway.

As Salvestro stumbled up the gangplank onto the ship that would take him to Ankara -- the provisional capital for the Archduchy of Asia Minor at the moment -- he wondered whether he'd actually been spared anything at all.
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24 June 1577, Syracuse, Sicily, the camp of Legio II 'Sicilia'

The newly promoted Marshal van Dijk wasted no time in proving his superiority over his predecessor. First, he ordered an immediate retaliatory strike on the fleet that had landed the 14,000 Moroccans occupying Sardinia.

chapter25june15772.jpg


He knew he would ultimately only secure his place in the military by retaking Sardinia. That meant appointing a new Imperial General to lead the expedition. He'd originally asked the Emperor to let him lead it himself; Francis I refused, however, since van Dijk was the only official in the Empire with the skill to conduct the war. Karel had to agree that was sensible, and so he consulted a list of Legionary Commanders who might be worthy of promotion. Some of them were political appointees; close friends of the ex-Marshal. Some had been promoted through seniority only. The problem was, van Dijk thought, that there had been no major battles in Tuscan history for a long time.

The Marshal found only one man of significant military experience who was not too old to command in the field.

chapter25june15773.jpg


Giancarlo Boncompagni was a soldier's soldier. He'd enlisted at the age of 14 as a drummer boy in the Legio I 'Imperator'. That was in 1545. At the Battle of Edirne, he earned a promotion to Corporal by finding a trail around the Ottoman flank that made that battle a lot easier. He'd transferred to Legio IV 'Neapolis' and was a key figure in beating back the advances of the barbarian hordes. He earned promotions to Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Captain by 1565. In 1572, he was finally given command of the Fourth Legion and helped push back the major revolt in Bursa. Prince Leopoldo was so pleased with the results that Boncompagni was made a Colonel on the spot and became part of his permanent staff.

Van Dijk knew men like Giancarlo -- they much preferred leading men over leading a desk. As General of the Empire, he would get to do exactly that.
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29 August 1577, Sardinia

General Boncompagni was dripping in sweat, exactly the way he liked it. He didn't even mind working under that Dutch pipsqueak van Dijk. That lad really knew his stuff! There was even talk that he planned to write a book on Tuscan military strategy from the founding of the Empire to the present; that was one of the few books that Giancarlo actually knew he would read.

Duldakir finally capitulated on 3 July 1577.

chapter25july1577.jpg


The General was very pleased at this; nobody had ever even considered a different result, but the swift conquest of the primary target in this war meant there were new areas to pursue, and a new enemy -- the Timurids.

chapter25july15772.jpg


Ultimately, Boncompagni knew this was actually a blessing; the Timurids controlled the territory between Tuscany and the Holy Land, and a land connection would make a war with Castille a lot easier. Like most military officials (but few civilians), the General considered war over Judea inevitable. Hispania had been an important province under the Roman Empire; it would be a valuable addition to the Empire of Tuscany as well. Giancarlo knew it was unlikely he would ever be part of such a war, since it was doubtless far in the future, but nevertheless said a quick prayer that such a war would be swift, brutal to the Empire's enemies, and victorious.

The General took a drink from his canteen, and grinned. He'd won a victory, killing or capturing all 14,000 Moroccan soldiers. This was a sizable part of their army; perhaps an invasion of North Africa was coming soon?

He knew just the man to lead it. [1]
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23 July 1578, Tunis, North Africa

General Boncompagni never expected it to take this long. The War of '77 actually took another year to finish. The Moroccan soldiers were a joke; the long distances and brutal climate were not. There had been some good news in the interim, however.

Qara Koyunlu was no longer a threat to the Empire of Tuscany. Muscovy moved south and took some of their provinces, while Erserum had defected to Tuscany, thanks to some brave colonists.

chapter25december1577.jpg


That left only horde to worry about, the Timurids, who conceded defeat in March of 1578. Ak Koyunlu signed a white peace with the Empire that same month. That left only Morocco as a threat.

His amphibious invasion was bold, but successful. Taking advantage of the short distance from Sardinia to Tunis, he landed under cover of darkness and surprising the small force that guarded the province. The navy fought a few inconclusive battles with the remnants of the Moroccan fleet; they were only meant to trick the enemy into thinking a larger force was coming. After capturing Tunis and Constantine, however, the General knew his men would not be able to stand much more of the North African heat. Capturing more territory was not only possible, but effortless, yet the General was first and foremost concerned about his men. He sent a dispatch to the Marshal, respecting the chain of command. He knew van Dijk would stick up for his men, and he did. A few days later, he got a letter from the Emperor himself:

General Boncompagni,

Greetings from the Imperial capital of Rome. I've received your request from Marshal van Dijk this day, and I authorize you to treat with the enemy general on my behalf. You have proven an exceptional commander, and I see big things for you in the future. Bring your lads home.

Emperor Francis I, King of Milan, etc. etc.​

General Boncompagni grinned. He immediately sent a runner to the enemy camp, offering peace in exchange for Tunis and Constantine. There was something noble and poetic about the lands of Carthage becoming part of the Empire of Tuscany, as they had under the Roman Empire. He knew the general would agree; they'd actually already conducted negotiations in anticipation of the Emperor agreeing to his request.

chapter25july1578.jpg

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24 June 1579, Sardinia

Chancellor Axel Gathenhielm led the funeral procession as Duke of Istria-Sardinia. General Giancarlo Boncompagni was dead of a heart attack. It seemed that his own heart was mightier than all the soldiers of the army of Morocco -- a fitting tribute, if there ever was one.

The Chancellor had been busy. He'd gotten a new embassy constructed in Silistria, and was actually on the island to start construction of a new Weapons Manufactory, by order of the Emperor. The Chancellor did not expect to be preparing for a funeral as well. One of the easiest decisions he'd ever made was to formally proclaim it the General Boncompagni Weapons Plant.

The Empire had lost a fine commander, but she was not quite done with war yet.

Or funerals.
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1 October 1582, the Fine Arts Academy at Ancona

There had been a lot of debate when a brilliant sculptor, recently graduated from the Fine Arts Academy, offered his services to create a statue honoring a prominent figure of Imperial history. Three major candidates emerged. Drusus Germanicus recommended his grandfather, Sir Andreas Germanicus. Chancellor Axel Gathenhielm offered Emperor Maso I, the founder of the Empire of Tuscany. Primus Tullius Cicero suggested his own grandfather, Marcus Tullius Cicero. Ultimately, it was the Emperor's decision, but Francis I simply couldn't decide.

It had been an excellent few years for the Empire. More Imperial provinces were recognized as cores by the rest of the world: Konya, Hamid, Angora, and Yazgod were all eternally Tuscan now. Overextension was surely a thing of the past. A distant cousin was Heir to the Throne of Provence. [2]

chapter25september1578.jpg


There had been peace and prosperity for all Tuscan citizens. In a moving and unexpected ceremony, all the ex-Senators gathered together and each one formally abdicated their seat on the Senate, in effect ending the Imperial Senate once and for all. Each one affirmed his complete confidence and respect for the institution of the Empire and Francis I in particular. Even Drusus Germanicus attended, and embraced the Emperor he'd fought with so many times in the Senate. Francis I broke down in tears at this affirmation of his decision and his legitimacy. He'd done the right thing and had been recognized for it, something that happens all too few times in history.

As Francis I reviewed all the petitions, he knew who he would choose. He approached the balcony, calmed down the demonstrators, and spoke:

"My fellow citizens, I appreciate the passion with which you have all argued your cases. All three are excellent choices. Sir Andreas Germanicus was one of the finest military minds this world has ever seen. Maso degli Ablizzi was the reason we are all here today. But they've already been honored. My home in Rome is named after Maso I. The Imperial Academy is named after Sir Andreas.

"That is why I commissioning this statue for Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was a brilliant Chancellor and diplomat, spoke as well as his namesake, and has given us one of our oldest and most important families.

"The recent ceremony in the former halls of the Imperial Senate reminded me of something attributed to the late Marcus Tullius Cicero, and I cannot think of a better inscription.

"Sine servitium non est nobilitatis. Sine nobilitate, non imperium." [3]

Those who understood Latin immediately cheered, and knew the Emperor had made the right choice. Marshal van Dijk was not one of them, and so he nudged the man next to him and asked for a translation. With tears in his eyes, the man replied,

"Without service, there is no nobility. Without nobility, there is no Empire."

chapter25october1582.jpg

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11 April 1584, the Marshal's office, Rome

Karel van Dijk already had quite a reputation with his successful conclusion to the War of '77. The brilliant victories over the Timurids were icing on the cake. The Battle of Aleppo was a masterpiece, and the Commander of the Legion, a man named Ferdinando Bartolini, had done a superb job neutralizing the Timurid's superior numbers by focusing on marksmanship. The results were astonishing.

chapter25october1583.jpg


Marshal van Dijk earmarked young Bartolini for a promotion in the future. His skill had defeated the largest army the Timurids had, and that made gaining two new provinces even easier. The Timurids had a couple of hours earlier conceded defeat to prevent further losses.

chapter25december1583.jpg


chapter25march1584.jpg


Only one province stood between Tuscany and Judea now; Beirut. Unfortunately, Beirut was occupied by Castille. Van Dijk was concerned; at every turn, it seemed, Castille was thwarting the Empire's plans. He didn't know if it was intentional or not, but he did know that it would probably come to blows, and sooner rather than later. Very quietly, Francis I had asked him to consider war plans against Castille. It would appear that his request had been prescient.

Castille could not be allowed to prevent the Empire's destiny.
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10 August 1584, the Foreign Minister's office, Rome

Foreign Minister Giovanni Barberini, for all of his brilliance, had been outmaneuvered and didn't even realize it. The Emperor had finally had enough with Castille. Barberini had tried his very best to keep this war from happening; first of all, it was his job, and second, he feared for his Empire's safety. The Muscovites had let their treaty of alliance lapse. Savoy had agreed to an alliance, but their power was miniscule compared to the Muscovites. Only Burgundy remained a staunch ally.

That all changed when Daoud Selim Iskander, his predecessor and Governor of Diamentia, discovered records that suggested that the Castillian province was and always had been a Tuscan province. If the province were conquered, the Empire could immediately present this claim, and Delta would instantly become a core province of the Empire.

chapter25july1584.jpg


The retirement of Alberto Chiastvelli, former Commandant of the Germanicus Imperial Academy, made him even more uneasy, although Marshal van Dijk insisted his replacement was equal to the task ahead.

chapter25august1584.jpg


The Marshal's report, sent along with the new hiring announcement, filled the Foreign Minister with dread.

chapter25july15842.jpg


Tuscany's army, especially with her ally Burgundy, was larger than Castille's, that was true. But Castille had two allies, Transylvania and Riga. While neither was especially fearsome, she could also call upon the Defender of the Catholic Faith -- France. France could also have allies that she might call upon as well. It would certainly be a massive war that would not soon end; the casualties could be horrific.

There was only one chance to survive this war; convince the Muscovites to renew their alliance. Transylvania might not even honor the call, a welcome thought. Riga was certainly no threat, and perhaps even France might be wary of joining the war. Burgundy and Tuscany against Castille and France was a dicey proposition. Burgundy, Muscovy, and Tuscany against Castille alone was practically a guaranteed victory.

Although his heart was heavy, he nonetheless began writing some particularly flowery dispatches, including gold. He knew this would be no easy task.
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1 June 1588, Castle St. Maso, Rome

The Empire was in shock. Nobody knew how it had happened, but the Emperor, Francis I, was dead. Everybody tried to reconstruct the events of the previous evening, with difficulty.

The Emperor had been in meetings most of that day. It was not an unusual day, but around 6 PM, he'd dismissed the guards, which was unusual. The Emperor had claimed top secret business that only he and his guest could discuss. The guards were particularly puzzled, since the Emperor was alone at that time. The chief of the guards briefly questioned the Emperor, but to no avail. He wouldn't say another word, except to say that his guest would be arriving shortly.

When one of the palace boys had knocked on the Emperor's door for his normal late dinner, around 9 PM, he got no answer. He assumed the Emperor had fallen asleep, so he left a tray with food outside the door, notified one of the guards, and left. When he was due to be awakened the next day, at 7 AM, the tray of food was still there, covered in flies. The guards kicked open the door, and found the Emperor dead. The murder weapon, a Castillian dagger, was still embedded in the Emperor's heart. The assassin had even left a note, in Spanish. The guards quickly woke the Foreign Minister, who translated it.

War is a very dangerous step. Consider carefully the consequences of your actions, Emperor Leo III.

The fact it mentioned the Prince as the new Emperor sealed the guilt of Castille's complicity in the assassination. The Foreign Minister sent a strongly worded note via the Ambassador, but Castille denied any wrong doing. Until the Prince -- now Emperor -- arrived in Rome, a declaration of war could not happen, but almost everybody agreed that it was only a matter of time.

One man in the crowd that day knew differently, knew that Castille had nothing to do with the assassination.

He wasn't talking.

chapter25june1588.jpg

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Big enough cliffhanger for you? :p

[1] For some reason, Muscovy can conduct normal diplomatic relations with the hordes, but nobody else can. It's a weird bug that I think comes from my update to the official patch. It's not a big deal, but they did get QK to cede provinces, and they're still very much a horde.

[2] Readers, does anybody know what practical effect this has?

[3] I'm pretty sure I made this up, but I did study Latin for four years in high school, so it could be that I'm remembering something I'd already learned subconsciously. If I did, please let me know and I will attribute it properly.

Next update won't happen for a few days; I've got to play more to have enough for a new update.
 
It looks like someone really wants to see Tuscany go to war with Castille. I can't wait to find out who it is.
As for a member of your dynasty becoming heir to Provence's throne, I believe that it just gives you a relations bonus and makes them trust you more. There could be more to it though.
 
It looks like someone really wants to see Tuscany go to war with Castille. I can't wait to find out who it is.
As for a member of your dynasty becoming heir to Provence's throne, I believe that it just gives you a relations bonus and makes them trust you more. There could be more to it though.

Good to know. Perhaps a PU would come of it?

That was quite a thrill of an update, I cannot wait to find out who did it.

great update, was enjoying the tussle with Morocco and then ... mmmhh someone does want war don't they?

oooh assassin(s)
Screaming "put up job"? Well, the Empire will get its war.

I will try not to make you wait too much longer :)

I'm going to start up EU 3 now; let's see how things go!
 
Just finished playing for a few hours; I have a lot of material for updates now. I am extraordinarily lucky I have a lot of infamy, thanks to the difficulty level I chose. That's all I'll say for now :) We're looking at three or four updates, minimum, before we get to 1600.
 
Just finished playing for a few hours; I have a lot of material for updates now. I am extraordinarily lucky I have a lot of infamy, thanks to the difficulty level I chose. That's all I'll say for now :) We're looking at three or four updates, minimum, before we get to 1600.

you tease ...