Cypriot spirit

First thing on the list. But there is trouble ahead. The bey of the Mameluks is somewhat upset that we make a living out of piracy attacking his merchat ships and the pilgrims to Mecca. I need to raise 100 ducats before 1427, and that is no easy task for Cyprus.

We are increasing the size of our vital navy constantly. We still have to promote a tax collector. We are strapped for cash. It is time for a fund raising campaign. The Mameluks have got plenty of money, and their navy sucks. Time to declare war to them. After all they've got control of three of our cores, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria.


Actually the plan is not to conquer territory, but to bring cash in. We raise the warscore every time they attack Cyprus, and we disembark our cavalry that constantly loots their provinces. Every time a province is looted, I direct the money to the treasure by minting at 100% that month. It drives them crazy.

Hey Lusignan! You are a pirate!

Yes I am, I have no choice, the crusades have fallen out of fashion, the turism is not invented yet. How are we supposed to make a living? Our Greek peasants cannot be squeezed any more, and an illustrated court famous for its music and poetry is expensive to maintain.


We have been warned by the Mameluks, but we are not afraid of them. We are French knights, the cream of the Christian cavalry. Our armies are directed by my own cousin, Henri Lusignan, Prince of Galilee, a mighty leader of 3, 2, 4 stats, that knows how to drive the muslim nuts.

And so we finally make peace with the Mameluks after many years. They pay us good money, and with the 50 ducats from our pirate expeditions, we have now 100 ducats, enough to face the future.


Oh No! Disaster. The Mameluks were so upset that they landed in Cyprus after all. Our army got crushed at the battle of Khirokitia. Henri, Prince of Galilee was killed, together with the cream of the Frankish nobility. I saved my life by screaming that I was the king. Our army has been disbanded. Didn't I tell you to embark the army in our fleet come June 1426?

I forgot master, every one of them is dead now.

Arghh! I would kill you if I wasn't taken in chains to Cairo.

But our kind readers will also forget that they have to put their army in safety within a fleet when the time comes. Well you better be at peace then, because otherwise Cyprus will be as defenceless as it was in the summer of 1426, when Nicosia was sacked and burned. Our palace was destroyed for the second time (the Genoese destroyed the first one).


And now you know why we needed 100 ducats, cause that is the amount that we have to ponny up to release our good king Janus. That and become vassals of the Mameluks. If we did not have the cash, we would be forced to take a loan that we could never dream of repaying. The spiral of bankruptcy awaits those that are not on the knowing. Who said playing Cyprus was easy? Hey, all this is historic. This is the unfortunate island after all.

Of course the vassalage lasts less than a month, the time for a diplomat to arrive to Cairo and tell the Bey we were kidding when we accepted to become vassals. Better send an ambassador you don't care much about losing his services. But the Bey will not break the truce and declare war.

Janus never recovered from the experience, and from a frank, cheerful, valient king, he became a shadow of himself. He would die five years later and be succeded by his son Jean.


Jean was in need of a wife and heirs, as life is so uncertain. He was not as strong willed as his father had been. The religious situation in the island was complicated indeed. With an Orthodox population, and a Catholic nobility and Royal family, immersed in a region that was quickly turning more and more muslim dominated, Cyprus depended very much on Western support, and Western support, as the Eastern Roman Empire had discovered, was only available to Catholics. It was therefore a very controversial decision to marry an Orthodox princess. No doubt well received by the local population, but it almost immediately led to clashes against the Pope, as Queen Helena was adamant in supporting the Orthodox church. Jean soon found that it was not easy to oppose Helena's wishes, as she was quick in the use of poison, even if by instigation, with those that opposed her.


But a few years later, with the army finally recovered from the disaster of Khirokitia, it was time to bug the egyptians again. The Mameluk Bey has been neglecting his fleet, which is a problem if you want to defeat him, but fortunately, they are now allied to Tlemcen and Tunisia, which are more than willing to send small fleets to provide for the necessary warscore. The occassional landing of Barbary pirates is quickly aborted by the army. In the end however, the war provided some welcomed funds but nothing else. Cyprus is so poor, that having a proper army is out of the question.


And now we see the seeds of destruction planted by Jean's marriage grow. Jean has two children, Charlotte is the heir, and Jacques is the bastard. But Jacques is like his grandfather. A handsom, strong and impulsive boy, very much loved by his father and hated by his father's wife. Despite this, Charlotte and Jacques love each other, and when Charlotte has a problem, she seeks Jacques to solve it. For example, when Charlotte's husband, the Duke of Coimbra, is killed at the instigation of her mother. Ah these Lusignans! they will never learn.

Perhaps Jean had intended for Jacques to succeed him. Many historians think so. Jacques clearly thought so, but with the dead of his father, a few months after the dead of Helena Palaelogus, he found himself shunt out by the High Court. The nobles convinced Charlotte to not receive him. They made a serious mistake, because Jacques was not the kind of man to let the river of History pass next to him leaving him stranded. Faced with lack of support at home and in the West, he turned East. He made himself at home at the Court of the Mameluks, where, being a likable young man, he soon gathered support. Charlotte and Louis of Savoy made another mistake not sending immediately an ambassador with gifts and the tribute. When they finally decided to do so, it was already too late.


It is therefore very appropiate that we are again at war with the Mameluks. It demands complicated maneuvering, as the Mameluk resources are much bigger. But they are also distracted by almost continuous rebellions. Sometimes I am caught before I can retreat to safety, but my navy allows me to jump from province to province. I have to watch the funds, but finally enough warscore is obtained, and the Mameluks are tired enough of making war at low stability, that Jerusalem is recovered.

With Mameluk help, and helped also by more mistakes from Charlotte and her useless, almost subnormal husband Louis of Savoy, Jacques is soon crowned King of Cyprus, Armenia and Jerusalem. No longer an empty title. Obviously, the Mameluk help to oust popular Charlotte does worsen the already low reputation of Jacques in the Christian world.


But the Venetians have a great economical interest in Cyprus. The Corner family owns extensive sugar plantations and factories near Limassol. The merchants with Levant and the pilgrim's galley stop at Cyprus. With a keen eye for business, they soon see that Jacques isolation is an opportunity to expand the business operation in the island at the expense of the declining Genoese and Catalans. They are ready to support jacques for a price.


Cyprus has initiated its expansion. There is permanent casus belli against Egypt and the Ottoman Empire. This one seems to have problems to overtake the Byzantines.


And being an energetic, capable ruler, Jacques soon crowns his achievements with the capture of Famagusta. The dream of three generations finally fullfilled. The island is one again. Charlotte, now a childless widow, takes refuge in Rome, where the Pope tries to console her and refuses to recognize Jacques as the King of Cyprus, keeping alive the aspirations of the Duke of Savoy, and attracting also the interes of Ferrante of Naples, while Jacques is pushed more and more into the hands of the Venetians.

Zacharym87, Norrefeldt, Stroph1, AmbassadeBelgie, good to see you around.

Cyprus is indeed a lot of fun for a different kind of game. It has so many handicaps that every small triumph is an achievement. All along you know the clock is ticking for the Ottomans to take over the Middle East, yet you have to watch the years pass increasing your treasury in 3 ducats. A thousand more soldiers after 3 years. But now Cyprus will have a twist at the end in which you can truly customize your country in terms of technology, culture and cores. I will only play one possibility, and I hope that Cyprus will be favored by new players and veterans alike.

With Jacques now firmly in control of the throne, it is time to continue the Lusignan dynasty. For a young, handsome king, there is no shortage of candidate brides. It is just a question of deciding on the dowry, and on the luster that a royal bride might bring to the little Court of Cyprus. Sofia (Zoe) Palaelogus, as heir of the Easter Roman Empire looks like a crowning star, but the all important question of papal recognition can delay the matter. In comparison, a Venetian noblewoman lacks prestance, even if the money is better.


But while in the middle of all these marriage considerations, Pius II announces his feeble attempt at organizing a crusade to expel the Turks from Constantinople. Most Christian princes laugh at it in the Congress of Mantua, but Venice and Hungary, attacked by the Turks are in favor of it, and the Burgundians, the biggest troublemakers in Europe, also promise to help. The pope gathers a few thousand poor and destitute men from all over Europe before a pestilence disperses them, and illness kills him.


Obviously Pius II, the enemy of Jacques, was not going to ask him to participate in the crusade, but our own offer can gather some positive feelings from the participants, and the casus belli could be handy for someone good enough to have recovered Adana already. Not my case.


The failure of the marriage proposal to Zoe Palaelogus opens the way for a compromise with Caterina Cornaro. She is just a child from the fabulously wealthy Corner family, but she has a few drops of royal blood from a great grandfather who was emperor of Trabzond. It will have to suffice. But all these negotiations find us again at war with the Mameluks. Actually their allies, the Hedjaz, show themselves more active than the Mameluks. Here I am attacking Aleppo after having conquered Lebanon, but the Hedjaz have conquered Samaria from us.

Not only war takes time, but also the negotiations with the Venetians. After all Caterina is still too young to marry, and the Venetians show a suspicious insistence that she is crowned as queen and heir to the kingdom instead of royal consort. But I cannot pay enough attention to those matters, distracted by the war. If only Judea falls into our hands before the Hedjaz recover Lebanon, I will have enough warscore to ask for one province. Why are the Hejadz here anyway?


It is at this time when Ferrante, that intrigant from Naples, comes with a most unusual proposition. He has his eyes set on Cyprus, like many others, and he has no shortage of daughters, as he is fathering with as many women as he can lay hands on. Or whatever... Anyway, he's got an illegitimate daughter, Leonora, the he claims would be perfect for Jacques. Naples is a powerful Italian kingdom, and the support of Ferrante as father-in-law is no small issue.

Decisions, so many decisions. But I just need to beat those damm Hedjazians. Heathens is a more proper name for them, and easier to say also.

Fnuco said:

Is poor Jacques doomed to remain a bachelor?

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Haha, no way! He has already several illegitimate children as any king worth of that title should have. In Spain we have not had a single Borbon king without illegitimate children, including the present one

This post is from an alternate AAR in a paralel universe. It did not happen and it is here through a disruption of the continuum. If you like surprises just skip this post. If you are too curious to resist, and want to know what happens if Jacques prefers the other girl, here it is what would have probably happened have he decided to dump the Venetian girl and go with Ferrante's daughter.



Oh yes, Lusignan, you were warned. The Venetians want Cyprus. It will be easier for them to reach an understanding with Charlotte, your half-sister, than watch Cyprus fall into the hands of the hated Ferrante.


Oh yes, the Venetians have been sneaking into the island. Buying supporters, controlling trade. Their agents are everywhere. They have reached a point of commitment that they will not surrender the island without a fight. Will you care to take our warning and buy some more time for Cyprus?


No? Well then it will be war. Regretfully you will die and your half-sister Charlotte will be again ruling Cyprus. You decide.

Yes, it is better to choose Caterina for the time being. Or at least follows history more closely. Let us follow that path then. Leonora, you are to be forgotten by history. Married to some Italian prince to further your father's ambitions. Oh don't be sorry. Easier to be happy in crazy Italy than in this most unfortunate island. You have escaped the dark fate that looms over the Lusignan.

Author's note: It is not registered by history the name of Ferrante's illegitimate daughter that was offered to Jacques (at least to my knowledge, some books have it wrong in this respect). I have chosen Leonora because between known illegitimate daughters of Ferrante, she had the right age and an awesome name.

Caterina Cornaro, a strong fantastic woman. So many times she had to face infortune, but she never broke. Faithful to Venice, faithful to her husband, faithful to Cyprus, faithful to her Greek subjects. How could she be so faithful to such conflicting parties? Her family imposed a heavy burden on her. A path she never chose, yet she accepted it. She was well above those that used her, well above the Lusignans and well above those cold merchants that ruled Venice.

Caterina got married by proxy in Venice when she was 16 years old. After the ceremony, she was named "Daughter of St. Mark" despite lack of evidence that the evangelist ever got married and much less had descendants. 2 years later, and with all the difficulties ironed out, she was taken to Cyprus to meet his husband.

All this in the middle of our new war. We were finally able to rout the Hedjazians and get enough warscore to be offered Lebanon. We happily accepted. We have now three provinces, but the weakness of the Ottomans was just too tempting, as they have got almost all their armies killed by stupid sieges. So we attack in Adana. But it is easier said than done, as the Ottomans send waves of small armies that reset the siege quite often. They are tough these Ottomans, and our recruiting capacity is very limited.


After a religious wedding, Caterina was crowned as queen of Cyprus. A few months later she was a pregnant widow. Outrage! Everybody suspected the Venetians. Their insistence of naming Caterina full queen and heir of the kingdom further increased the suspicions. We can see the whole plot unravel. Being the "Daughter of St. Mark", the Serenissima Repubblica is now heir to the kingdom of Cyprus.

Oh well, there is a little matter. Jacques was not only the king, but a man of hot impulses also. He did not wait virgin till the wedding night, and he has three older children with a local woman. Perhaps she has died already, because the three children are under the care of their grandmother, Marietta Patras, the mother of Jacques that lost her nose to the rage of Helena Palaelogus. She understands that kings have certain needs. Nevertheless those children pose a danger to Venetian imperialism. But for the time being less concern ourselves with the last of the Lusignans that grows inside his mother's womb. He is by his own right the King of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia, and soon after he is born, he is crowned in a mock ceremony destined to give the appearence that all is well in the Kingdom. Long life to Jacques III Lusignan!


That's when the Catalans decide to move. Luis Perez Fabregas bishop of Nicosia, and some Catalan nobles, sought the help of Ferrante. Those who control Caterina and little Jacques will control Cyprus. Ferrante provided a galley with some reinforcements. The coup is very bloody. The suspects in the killing of Jacques, uncle and cousin of Caterina, are executed, but also anybody that gets in the way is killed, and the naked bodies are thrown to the moat of Famagusta to be eaten by dogs. Meanwhile, our army is away trying to defend recently conquered Adana against an increasing number of Turks that attack us.

A letter is requested from Caterina. She is to abdicate in Charla, illegitimate daughter of much lamented Jacques. The plan is well thought but lacks enough military support. A marriage contract has been signed between Charla and Alonso, illegitimate son of Ferrante. I told you he has lots and lots of those. Former Queen Charlotte, old and childless, has agreed into adopting the young couple, and the Bey of the Mameluks has already been contacted to give his aproval after promises for finantial incentives.


But the Venetians will not let their prey go easily. They sent the navy under command of their best admiral, Pietro Mocenigo. And the plan of Ferrante and the Catalans starts to fail. Now it is all up to us again. Shall we support the Venetians and help Caterina? In that case the conspirators will jump to the Neapolitan galley and leave the island. Alternatively we could help the Catalans and make a bid to lift the Venetian yoke. But in that case you know already what awaits us. The venetians will put up a fight against anybody that will dispute them Cyprus, even the Cypriots.

AmbassadeBelgie said:

Poor cypriots

Great events where can we find them (stares greedily from corner to corner)????



Indeed a sad people and a sad island

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They are in AGCEEP 1.37

So we let the Venetians take care of the conspirators. They don't inspire us much sympathy anyway. Pietro Mocenigo, former friend of Jacques II Lusignan, will hang a few and take some others to Venice in chains. But after Pietro leaves, Caterina is placed under the supervision of two Venetian censors. Her movements are restricted, her privacy removed, her letters read and censored. She is however allowed to complain to the Doge, and she does.


It happened in the summer. The summer in Famagusta is very hot, and Caterina is not allowed to go to cooler Nicosia as the kings of Cyprus usually did. Little Jacques, a month from his first birthday, falls ill and dies. Venice has a heart of stone, but nobody suspects that she would go to that extreme. Infant mortality was very high. Destiny has just handed Venice another card to play that hand more easily.

And while our Queen suffers such a terrible loss and is overtaken by pain and sorrow, our armies face a difficult situation. We have underestimated the capacity of recovery by the Ottoman Turks. We have been once more pushed out of Armenia and now we cannot return. We should either settle or try something wild. Of course we choose to try something wild. The Turks have a pathetic navy, so we embark our armies and send them to Smyrna. We are going to try the famous Heimlich maneuver. Grab a country from both sides and squeeze hard until it spits a province.


And so we leave our 8,000 mostly cavalry besieging Smyrna while Caterina becomes Queen of Cyprus.

Two years later we are still fighting this war. The cavalry in Smyrna has been reduced to irrelevance after several phyrric victories, but Adana is again available and so we besiege it once again. After its reconquest, the Turks tire from this constant pointless war and offer us Adana. We are finally truly the kings of Cyprus, Armenia and Jerusalem. Who said that stubborness doesn't pay?


But Venice worries about losing Cyprus. The illegitimate children of Jacques are removed to Mantua, together with their grandmother, a testimony to the health and longevity of the local Cypriot population. That's when we finally realize that Venice wants to turn the Kingdom of Cyprus into just a province. Or more properly four provinces, quite a treat for Venice. But the hardened crusaders that have spilled so much blood for the glory of Christendom are not happy about submitting to the Godless merchants of Venice. The Kingdom is clearly not ready for submission.


Two years later our friends, the Hospitalliers, offer us to join in their crusade against an unholy alliance of the Ottoman Empire and Karaman with the traitors of Cologne, Scotland, Brittany and Burgundy. Now we are not going to decline an invitation to such a party, are we? We know we will be dancing with the ugliest girl in town, and with the damage to our stability for breaking the truce, but on the plus side, the Turks will have to cross the river to reach us. Karaman participation offers also some interesting possibilities so we will not get bored. We tell our mighty army to stop chasing Hezbollah rebels in the mountains of Lebanon and proceed as quickly as possible to Angora.


Actually the whole thing worked better that we expected. The Knights offered a solid performance, landing repeated times in Karaman. Once Karaman lost control of one of her provinces and had her capital under siege, she had no problem in signing a white peace with us. That left the Ottomans as our only enemy in a disadvantaged position. They were unable to recover Angora and were repelled multiple times back to Anatolia with great losses. It was a six years war, but we ended up with Angora and a lot of rebel headaches.