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I vote C

The renaissance is starting to die down, and without bigger investments to support the growing Napolitan Commonwealth, then in the long run, formidable powers such as the Iberians and Britons will be able to catch up with the sophisticated technology the Two Sicilies withhold.

More money guarantees us superiority in every field...
 
Well voting's closed, C wins. The total bonus Trade Efficiency we get from decisions related to NTP is
22%.

Also
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I
I
what
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Yeah I'm happy with C. Not that it matters much, it's going well enough that you don't need anything really. :p

Nice job connecting the European regions.

Hmm, this game's Cuzco doesn't really inspire that much confidence. :D
 
Hmm, this game's Cuzco doesn't really inspire that much confidence. :D
:rofl: :rofl: :D
The Sapa Inca are weak in this universe...they lack the awareness of the bling that someone who will not be mentioned could bring;)
 
Chapter 27 1/4

The revival of a centuries-old proposal, as out-of-place (or perhaps out-of-time?) as it may have appeared to have been, earns a comfortable majority in the parliament vote and is quickly made into law. Almost forgetting that it was Leandro who revived the idea of adopting that policy, the people in the street celebrate the passing of "Old Joan's Law". Leandro himself, however, knows that this law alone is not reason to celebrate. It may be effective on its own, but there is still huge untapped potential hidden in the legislation. Allowing that to go to waste would be criminal.

He hires an experienced trader, Gioachino Piombante, and giving him a few guidelines, assigns him a mission: "You must refine Old Joan's Law". As the situation stands the biggest reforms Piombante is able to make, restriction on imports and making the state partake in the compensation for lost shipments, set the Napolitan state decades back in regards to its trade policy but provide a stronger foundation for the trade empire of Two Sicilies.

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In June, 1666, the Ottomans launch another attempt to take over Constantinople. Leandro comes in defence of the Greeks.

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Once again, the Turk's allies are of no consequence. The mongols can hardly reach the true fields of battle, but should see some action with the Russians. Yemen, though she owns most of the Arabian peninsula is hardly able to retake a castle taken by shiite muslims on the southern coastline and so apparently lacks any force of concern. And Persia is like a Middle-Eastern France, barely deserving its name, and cannot realistically hope to pose any threat. This war is another Napolitan-Turkish solo.

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And going back to the European France, the farce that the previously powerful empire had become is finally put to an end, the lands now directly administered by the Savoyard lord.

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A few naval battles occur in the Indian Ocean between the Napolitan Fleet O'Sudd and fleets of the Ottoman coalition. Persia's so-called navy, less than ten times smaller than the Napolitan armada stands no chance, and Persia can not even annoy Leandro's forces anymore.

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Naval superiority is also a given in the Mediterranean. Movement through the Hellespont becomes impossible for the Ottoman armies, and Gallipoli falls within little more than a month to the Army of Greece.

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By now the Fleet O'Sudd had reached its destination, the waters outside Mumbai, an Indian city that had passed to Ottoman ownership. The Fleet was carrying the majority of the Army O'Sudd, with the aim of taking the city, and begun unloading troops on the port and around the city.

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The Ottoman garrison stood no chance. Like Gallipoli, Mumbai falls in 34 days.

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Yemen's own problems, combined with Sicilian military victories, lead them to pursue white peace. The Ottomans Thus lose all hope of foreign help.

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The fleet the Ottoman navy had stationed in Mumbai, no longer in friendly port, try to scramble out but fall right in Fleet O'Sudd's waiting arms. No Turkish vessel escaped the onslaught.

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Now all that was left to force a peace was a show of strength; something to show the Ottoman Sultan that more than their overseas holdings were in danger, that his country's heartland in Asia Minor was also under threat. Enzo Tonelli was tasked with delivering that message to the sultan, accompanied by the Army of Greece.

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The negotiations did not go as well as hoped.

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Enzo then decided to use the old trick of luring diplomats to his side of the straight where they may be more easily convinced. At around this time the Emperor of Constantinople publicly declared he wanted nothing to do with any of this.

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Tonelli hurries to meet the Turkish diplomatic force that arrives in Gallipoli. After a rough first round of negotiations he decides to show them around eastern Thrace as well...

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...and then takes them back to Gallipoli to see them off as they go inform the Sultan of their agreement. Or he would have, had a diplomat of similar rank been among the Turkish dignitaries! It would appear he would have to wait for a second Turkish diplomatic mission.

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The Mongols, after talking it out with the Russians, contact Leandro for a white peace by themselves. All other fronts are now closed.

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In time, the Ottomans have prepared a second mission, this time lead by Giyasuddin Semiz. They meet with Tonelli on Gallipoli, and following exhausting talks a similar tour as with the first mission is decided upon.

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Negotiations in Thrace are harsh. Both sides, despite being already exhausted by the initial discussion in Gallipoli engage in yet another round of draining talks, which almost immediately devolve to a chaotic conversation. Tonelli is barely able to keep an edge.

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Finally, he takes Semiz back to Gallipoli and sees him off; this time, he felt, something had been accomplished, even if the previous confrontations between the two men had been inconclusive.

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And it had indeed been so.

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Ah, with those Ottoman numbers, Anatolia is now pretty much open for your armies should you choose to go for a decisive victory.
 
Mumbai? How?

Conquest? The Ottomans have various things around the Indian Ocean, even some colonies around Indonesia!

Trying something new this time, let's see how saving me precious seconds by not aligning every image to the centre of the page works out.

Chapter 27 2/4​

While Tonelli was finally advancing to Anatolia, Sicilian diplomats were busy in Dauphine. After surprisingly little convincing the Duke of the small state agreed to become a lord under the Sicilian Emperor. The constant threat by Savoy must have played no little part in this decision.

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Tonelli's forces quickly go to work in taking over the various castles around Biga, and a complete occupation of the province is achieved in a mere 12 days.

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With his mainland under direct threat, the Ottoman Sultan is forced on the negotiating table. He gives up Mumbai to the Two Sicilies, as well as a generous amount of ducats.

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With an Indian port the trader Piombante is able to do wonders. With a little work and Mumbai's strategic placement trade eastwards is revolutionised.

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Genoa, no doubt still fuming over the loss of Sàn-na tirelessly - and fruitlessly - tries to incite rebellions in Sicilian North America.

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Mumbai's quickly growing importance in Two Sicilies' trade also had a profound effect on colonists from Napoli; they, after all, had a lot to gain from the seafaring experiences of the merchants travelling back and forth from the Italian peninsula to India. Soon, the black horse banner is seen flying all across the west New Sicilian coast. The Empire had secured the island.

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To help Piombante's reforms along, Leandro issues an order to raise tariffs, and, in general, tighten up some of the trading restrictions. This causes a severe reaction in the capital, where people, who had become accustomed to the slackened trade policy simply refuse to do honest work, instead choosing to do business under the counter in reaction to the recent comeback of mercantilism.

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Despite that, Piombante continues his work, setting up an establishment to control colonial trade.

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Feeling that there's more untapped potential in colonial trade, Leandro hires customs collector Fabrizio Tempesta to aid Piombante in his work.

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Tempesta becomes the architect of the Navigation Act, a law that now requires ships to fly the flag of Two Sicilies to carry goods from the colonies to the mainland.

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Relations with Russia have also steadily risen after a series of gifts and feasts between dignitaries from Naples and St. Petersburg, and the Russian Grand Princess finally agrees to marry one of her nieces to one of Leandro's half-brothers. She is still unwilling to sign an alliance with Leandro's empire though.

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The two islands to the east of New Sicily are also settled, thanks to the East India Trade Company's aid. The northern island is named Jeannia in honour of the great queen Jean of old, while the southern one is given the name of the explorer that charted these waters, from now onwards called Cercignania.

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The Grand Princess of St. Petersburg, Anna I Mensjikov eventually does agree to an alliance with Leandro, especially given that her current war against the Teutons has been largely fuelled by generous subsidies from Naples.

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On the Iberian peninsula a rather awkward situation has developed. Portugal and Aragon are fighting a war on the same side against Castille, and the armies from all these countries have moved westwards. Except for Portugal's that has nowhere to move to and has promptly had its face punched in.

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Going back to the matters of his own realm, Imperatòr Leandro sends orders to the deep inland colonies of Vrasilía to realise the realm's colonial ambitions.

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No-one comes to the aid of the kingdom of Chibchaya, making this war a victory by default.

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Overall, despite the initial reaction to the much-mercantilistic reforms, the empire and its citizens have prospered, bringing a great deal of cash to the treasury.

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As if to cancel that gain out, corruption in the government is rife and causes losses to tax collection, as parliamentarians and ministers use it for their own purposes.

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The most infuriating news of all, though, is that the Duchy of Dauphine was annexed by Savoy! Leandro had neglected to sign a formal alliance with the Duke, and it probably had outstanding treaties with other states it couldn't ignore, thus getting in a war against the county on its own. That Leandro was not informed of this whatsoever, however, was most enraging.

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There would be no time to act on that matter, however, as the Ottomans once again went after Constantinople.

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16 thousand ducats?
Insanity!

What did the other option do?
 
Game me I don't know, +10% tax income for a year or so. Nothing compared to these 16K ducats.

I feel I'm making this too easy for myself.

Nov. 22nd 2011 edit: And I was. As it should be obvious by now, to any readers that happen upon this chronicle, or any that might look back to it, it's more or less abandoned. It has been fun, ladies and gentlemen.
 
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Game me I don't know, +10% tax income for a year or so. Nothing compared to these 16K ducats.

I feel I'm making this too easy for myself.

Most handicaps at this point would feel artificial though. I'd argue for picking a grand mission, like conquering the Orient or dismantling the HRE, maybe with some rather reckless playing. Otherwise, you could try playing as one of Sicily's rivals...