Destiny of Nations: Papal states

Papal states: 1492-1497



A brief, internal and very very secret analysis report at the Holy See:


Since the peaceful spring of 1492, the world has become a darker place indeed. The former pope, Innocentius VIII, passed away in the month of July, that fateful year. The Holy See is now guided by pope Alexander VI, who may not be as able a diplomat as his predecessor, but he is more skilled at handling practical matters of administrative and military nature, and the difference in politics is only marginal as the cardinals are always ready to inform him of how to best approach the different rulers of the enlightened world. At his side he also has Homerus, an excellent advisor whose only flaw is a strong preference for the church wine. He is very creative though, and has offered our most enlightened father many suggestions for how things could be changed. Surely the Lord is wise to have given us such great leadership in these dark times.

The troubles began early in his papalship, when Milan declared an unprovoked war against the papal states. Her allies were wise, however, and chose not to actively help Milan in her crimes. Unfortunately for Milan, the pope had ordered the bulk of the papal army to move north, in case Venice's army would accidentally proceed a bit too far to the south. d'Este, whose ability to lead an army in combat was equalled only by that of a fat, happy cow was given the duty of taking his 1,000 men south and make sure that Naples did not advance. He was never heard from since, but his sacrifice must have made Naples realise that it would be best to stay out of the papal lands. Meanwhile the northern army completely annihilated Milan's forces, despite having to cross the great river in order to reach the enemy. While the siege of Milan went on, Spain and France talked and disagreed about their visions for the future of Italy; Spain wanted Savoy to be left alone, while France insisted that Naples be released from the Spanish realm. As the complete victory over Milan approached, the pope considered annexing the Lombardian lands in order to make sure that Milan did not begin another aggression later on. The plan was, however, disagreed upon by the four other major powers in the area (France, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and Venice). Out of them, Venice's opposition was the strongest and involved poorly concealed threats of aggression. While the others seemed honestly concerned about the balance of power in the region and tried to find an acceptable solution, Venice's threats have revealed the true nature of the Venetian republic; those mammon-worshippers may not have openly declared opposition to the Holy See, but in their hearts they have already made up their minds. Venice is a great threat to all that is good and holy, and must eventually be dealt with before they can seriously harm. Homerus has also suggested that it may very well be the Venetians that, through secret negotiations and subtle influences, made Milan declare war in the first place. Perhaps they were hoping for an excuse to declare war and engage in open conflict. We do not yet see everything, for the servants of the devil move silently in the shadows, but we do know that Venice can not be trusted. As the saying goes, "there are lies, damned lies and Venice."

The Milanese war was concluded when Spain offered to pay reparations on Milan's behalf, following the successful capture of the town. In order to improve our infrastructure and prepare for the future, our father accepted the reparations (200 ducats, 150 of which were paid immediately and 35 were seemingly paid later; it appears the treasurer missed the notification and "lost" the ducats in the many administrative workings of the Vatican). We left behind some agents, however, who will send word if Milan develops in an unfortunate way. Hopefully they have now seen the light and will not listed to the Venices of Venice any more.

Besides using the gold to further improve our infrastructure, by promoting officials in the north and the east, the pope also decided that it would be a good idea to increase our military resources. Following the investments, our heavy cavalry numbered well over 10,000 men and horses.

The next war that followed was when Tuscany (also) foolishly declared war without provokation, where Modena and the knights hospitallier decided to join in. They did not stand a chance, however, and their entire army was completely and utterly annihilated at the battle of Bologna. More than 10,000 faithful men died that tragic day.

The situation was further complicated when the nobles of Brandenburg decided to pursue their own foreign policy (apparently the emperor did not mind in this case) and declared war on Denmark, claiming that it was a war of liberation for Mecklemburg's sake. Expecting France to join in, the pope decided to honour the alliance. When France decided to leave the alliance, our most wise pope saw the wisdom in Homerus' advice and signed a separate peace with the Holy Roman Empire; it was not in the interest of either to fight a war, for both sides are good and faithful catholics eager to defend the true faith. The emperor can also be assumed to know what is best for his realm, for he is second only to the pope in the material world.

The war in Italy was concluding soon thereafter, but we did not reach the complete victory we sought, for the leader of the alliance decided to sign a peace which left us without any progress having been made. The courier that delivered the written message had a red flag with a white cross on it and spoke a foreign language, which made us unsure of which country it was that had betrayed us; was it Savoy or Denmark? While the pope concluded that it probably was Savoy, we could not be sure and should leave the small alliance. The Danes and Savoyards now stand alone, and we pray that the Lord knows how to tell the two apart so that the right ones face an untimely demise.

Following the war, it was decided that a new alliance should be formed with the French. France insisted, however, that they should be the alliance leaders, for the vassals of France would otherwise refuse to join the alliance.

Some other notes:
* There are rumours of war in the east, where muslims are killing muslims. It appears, however, that the Turks took advantage of the chaotic situation in Italy and annexed Ragusa. We must be on our guard, for they need only a little more territory before they can launch a strong invasion of Italy. It is our hope that the internal struggles of the Holy Roman Empire are over soon, for we may very well need their strength if a crusade against the infidels becomes a necessity.
* The Iberians have successfully driven out the muslims from Granada, their last stronghold in western Europe. We should take the initiative to conquer northwestern Africa and gradually push back that perverted faith until all of Africa is cleansed.


PAX ITALIA
The two wars in Italy have showed us that the servants of the devil are plotting against the Holy See, hoping to bring about its downfall and slowly turn humanity against God. It is obvious that we need more control, for there can be only one master of the situation. If it is not us that guide history, it can only end up going worse and worse. We must therefore, to begin with, take control over the corrupted lands of Tuscany and Modena. They must never again rise up against the Holy See. We have made a pact with France, according to which they support our claims on the two countries. We expect that no good Christian will interfere with the subjugation of the betrayers. Anyone who does is obviously not a good Christian and will be excommunicated and banished for supporting the heretics and servants of the devil rather than the great father, our pope. Their lands will then be legally divided among the righteous, so that the country may never rise again. In order to achieve outer peace in the world, we must first find inner peace in Italy.



Concluding remarks:
* "Venice" is now the official papal word for a lie worse than a "damned lie".
* Spain still owes us 15 ducats.
* Never trust Venice.
* The list of countries with corrupted leadership: Venice, Savoy (likely; could be Denmark), Milan, Modena and Tuscany.
* Venice, being the strongest anti-pope country, must be neutralized as soon as possible.
* Spain and Portugal will be granted the pope's support for legitimate ownership of any provinces they take from the muslims in the region of Gibraltar. The Christians are at an advantage now and should make good use of it.
* A crusade may have to be called against the Ottomans, once the situation calms down in Europe and the Turks are busy fighting in the east. We will expect our allies (France and her vassals), the Holy Roman Empire and Venice to join it. The objective may vary depending on the situation, but it will involve the liberation of Ragusa at the very least. It may be counter-productive, however, if the war strengthens Venice more than the Ottomans are weakened.
* The orthodox Russians seem to be consolidating their position, according to the rumours that travellers bring. We may have to call a crusade against them in order to force a union of the churches.

Papal states: diplomacy in 1497



OPEN LETTER TO THE KINGS OF SPAIN AND PORTUGAL

It is the wish of the Pope that a small crusade is launched against the moslem presence in northwestern Africa, and it is the Pope's estimation that Spain and Portugal are just the right kingdoms to be given this honourable task, keeping in mind that the Iberians gained valuable experience in fighting the infidels during the reconquista. If Spain and Portugal agree to carry forth the word of the Pope, Spain and Portugal will in return receive from the Pope legal ownership over the lands they conquer, according to the following partition:
* Portugal is granted rulership over Morocco and all African lands south of it
* Spain is granted rulership over Algiers and all African lands east of it, from Tunisia to Quattara
* The lands of Fez go to whoever conquers it first

It is vital that the crusade takes place as soon as possible, while we still can be certain that the righteous hold the upper hand.

P.S. If Spain agrees, the debt of 15 ducats will be cancelled and does not have to be paid.

Papal states: plotting in 1497



Three monks were sitting in a poorly lit room. Not a sound could be heard, save for the snoring sounds coming from one of them. They had been waiting for a long time, sitting there in the dark. They did not know why they had been summoned, but they knew that it seemed very important.

Eventually steps could be heard in the hallway. A fat, robed man entered the room, holding three scrolls with his left arm.

- "Who goes there?" asked one of the monks.
- "I'm Homerus", the robed man answered, "but just call me Homer".
- "Why are we here, father?" asked the other monk. "It wasn't me who drank all the church wine, I promise!"
- "Worry not Bartholomew, my son. These are serious matters. The great father wants three messages sent to three kings. Or was it two kings and a dog? Ohh, I can't remember..." Homerus said, sounding a bit sad towards the end.
- "Do you mean a doge?" the first monk asked.
- "Bookworm!" Bartholomew spat out, staining the glasses of his fellow clergy-man.
- "Mmm, doge..." Homerus said. "Yes, that's the name."
He paused and then continued:
- "The pope wants these messages sent to the doge of Venice, the king of France and the emperor. They must arrive as soon as possible, and they must do so in secrecy. The shadows are chasing us, and we must now move among them stealthily or else all is lost. As the great father said: 'come, my shadow, that we may dance'. Our enemies are sneaky, and we will perish unless we're even more sneaky."

Homerus then wished them well on their journeys and departed the room. The two monks eventually awoke the third one, and then they parted ways.

An hour later Homerus entered a dark chamber, where the only light was that of the stars outside the closed glass window.
- "The messages have been sent. The great gamble has begun." Homerus said. There was silence, as if there was noone else in the room, and then an old voice spoke but one word:

"Excellent."

Papal states: diplomacy in 1506



"Greetings, father" Homerus said, trying his best to bow despite a bulging stomach. "It is a great day indeed, now that we have a pope again."

"Yes, the demise of the last two popes were quite unfortunate. Especially the death of Alexander VI. He was a true visionary, even if his grand plans for kicking the Ottomans out of Europe and leading a crusade to conquer Africa for Christendom were betrayed by the backstabbing French king, who is full of pride, greed and disrespect for those worth more than him. His actions during the final stages of the crusade preparations branded him a friend of heathens and enemy of Christianity, and it was a good move indeed of Pius III to condemn him to hell, where he belongs more than any other Christian who has ever lived. It is quite sad that Pius died two weeks later, the church could have used a radical pope with some real backbone for once. He may only have been a pope for less than two months, but he earned my respect more than any other pope since the time of Christ himself. I'm afraid that I don't have as much courage as he had. The French are raping Spain with her soldiers and outrageous and unjust demands, yet we can not interfere. France is too strong, much stronger than she should be in fact... it's almost as if..." the pope said, then he fell silent and his face turned pale. "I see it now."

"See what, father?" Homerus asked.

"Nothing... nothing that I should talk to anyone about. Not even you, my trusted advisor." pope Julius II answered. "It may be revealed in time, if developments allow it."

"Very well. There is a report from Lithuania, father, if we are done with the smalltalk. 'Smalltalk', heh..." Homerus said, apparently finding something funny in what he just said, and handed over the scroll.

"Let's see..." Julius said and started reading.

Suddenly the air felt thick for Homerus. The pope sat motionless, not making a sound, nor could the smallest movement be seen. After a minute had passed, he stood up and said:
"Summon the cardinals. The grand duke of Muscowy has openly and in writ threatened with - and confessed widespread Russian use of - black magic. It looks like there will be a crusade after all! We will go to Russia and not leave before every single Russian is cleansed and converted to catholicism!"



TO ARMS! TO RUSSIA!

Papal states: diplomacy in 1506
- the Pope announces a partition of Russia



Because of her crimes against Christianity, the Pope has decided that Muscowy has no right to exist anymore. The widespread use of black magic and devil-worshipping in Russia must stop, and these are the measures with which the Pope hopes to accomplish that:
* Sweden is to receive the lands of Kola, Karelia, Kexholm, Olonets, Ingermanland, Pskov, Novgorod, Vologda, Arkhangelsk and Vladimir.
* Lithuania is to receive the lands of Tver, Moskva, Nizhgorod and any other land belonging to Muscowy.
* The ruler of Lithuania is granted the title Prince of all Russias. Once the crusade is over and Muscowy is no more, he is granted the title King of all Russias.
* It is the duty of Sweden and Lithuania to convert the heretics of Russia to the true catholic faith.
* Following the crusade, it will be Lithuania's honourable duty to crush the Golden Horde and avenge the Mongol invasion of Poland, Germany and Hungary, as well as spread catholicism eastwards towards China.

There is yet time for the duke of Muscowy to repent his sinful ways, confess, convert and turn to the holy mother church. If Muscowy changes her state religion to catholicism for all eternity, converts her population to the true catholic faith and accepts vassalage to Lithuania, that the witches of Russia may be rooted out and burned at the stakes, her lands will be spared and the duke may remain a prince of Russia.
Otherwise an eternity in hell awaits him and his entire court of heretics.

Papal states: Homerus' work in France, 1506-1522



When Homerus was sent to France, she was at war and Spain was burning. Homerus spoke to the French king, and his speech brought the French king back to the real world; there would be no demands that would make even a madman gasp from the shock, but rather some lesser territorial gains in Europe. The French king started out with aiming for the former territories of Aragon and dreaming of separating Navarra from Spain, but when the southern army was nearly annihilated and driven out of Andalusia, the war evolved into a stalemate. The French king was then persuaded to only request some of the Aragonese territories (with the Baleares to Britanny as thanks for her aid in the war) and some war reparations. Alas, Spain refused to even negotiate and called for the help of the Emperor. If it had not been for that event, Spain would probably have gotten the beating she deserved, for a great army measuring in tens of thousands of men and horses had been recruited; these now had to turn their attention to the north, where the backstabbing Germans entered France and started a siege of Paris. Fortunately, all those lives were saved by Homerus' skilled diplomacy; he managed to get France, Spain and the Emperor to agree on a peace where Spain paid some war reparations and ceded Roussillon and the Baleares to France and Britanny, respectively. There can be little doubt that the huge army approaching from the south did indeed scare the Emperor, so that he realised that a peace had to be signed as soon as possible, or he would risk losing his army and Artois. During these dark times, Homerus also managed to effectively advice the French king on how to further centralize the government of France.

However, Europe was not yet at peace, for the minions of the devil were again making war against the Pope in Italy. France decided to interfere, however, and soon both Modena and Tuscany were pacified. Remaining in the war were Genoa and the Knights. Homerus then, for reasons unknown, persuaded the French king to seize Corsica and expand the French holdings in Italy. It seems a secret pact was signed with Venice, where France was to get Corsica and Venice would get the rich province of Liguria. In a display of disgrace, however, Venice failed to annex Genoa despite her navy and army having already been crushed once by the might of France.

Once peace had been restored, Homerus proceeded to advice the French king on how to proceed next: to invest in stability, to form an alliance with Scotland (partially in preparation for a possible war with England over Calais, partially to prevent English expansion there), to annex Britanny and Savoy, and to donate 308 ducats to the English inquisition (in order to ensure England's continued loyalty to the catholic faith).

The net result of Homerus' advisory period was that France was now at peace, stable and bigger than ever; by 1522, France had gained the provinces of Bretagne, Armor, Morbihan, Roussillon, Baleares, Corsica, Savoie and Piedmont, which is not too shabby a result.

His work done, Homerus returned home to Rome to report on the progress made.



(in case it wasn't clear, I was playing France during this session, since the permanent player of France was unable to play that night)

Pictures of Europe in 1522 can be found here.

Originally posted by Peter Ebbesen
Persia 1506-1522

Rejoice, ye oppressed of the earth. The King of Kings hears your wishes! These faithful, these glorious people, these our very brothers of Oman, have suffered much from the depredations of the Sultan of Constantinople. No more, proclaims the King of Kings, no more. Henceforth he will shelter you against all harm, and his blessings are upon you and your children unto the seventh generation. As vassals of Persia your safety is guaranteed forever more. Insh'Allah.

No longer shall we fight with the weapons of old, vulnerable to the devastating technological devices of the infidel, which even the Sultan of Constantinople has adopted. Through many years of hard work, these weapons have been turned to the service Allah, and even now, they are issued to all the armies of the faithful. And on each weapon is bestowed a blessing by the Hidden Imam: Strength through superior firepower.

Fall not into complacency, but beware! In the west the Turk grows fat on shattered nations, devouring them body and soul. Fear not! Stand tall and heed these words: The sun rises in the east, and eastwards lie our destiny as a nation, and as individuals. It is our manifest destiny to bring the word of the Prophet to those who suffer through ignorance.

Behold! Against the Sword of the Safavids none can stand. See the armies of Vijayanagar and Orissa crushed in open battle. Though they flee, Ismaîl will catch them, and he will destroy them, even unto the last man, and the cities of the infidel will be decimated and they will know fear. It is done. Allah is merciful. It is done. The eastern coast of India drips blood, and the lamentation of widows knows no end, but Yanam, Madras, and Pondicherry are now the first jewels of Persia's overseas possessions. It is done, insh'Allah.

Click to expand...

The Pope wishes to remind everyone that the Persian and islamic definition of merciful is "... drips of blood, and the lamentation of widows knows no end" (India). The following quote clearly shows the vile nature of that false faith and its followers:
"Though they flee, Ismaîl will catch them, and he will destroy them, even unto the last man, and the cities of the infidel will be decimated and they will know fear. It is done. Allah is merciful."


Be not fooled by the words of the mad infidel, or else he will lure you straight to HELL!

Originally posted by PJL
FRANCO-VENETIAN NON AGRESSION PACT

Venice and France have decided to sort out their differences and have resolved the Genoan issue which had been threatening to boil into all out war. Here are the details of the pact:

1. Non-agression pact with France for 25 years. Broken (1 months notice) if:
a) France attack Venice and vice versa
b) France attacks any allaince Venice may be in and doesn't make WP with leader and vice versa
2. Genoa indepedant for 25 years. No vassalage or alliance with anyone else (current Genoan allaince excepted)
3. Venice to buy Corsica and Balearics for 400d

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The Pope hereby blesses this non-aggression pact. May whoever breaks it burn in HELL.

Originally posted by BiB
Karl V just returned from Ladbrokes. He's a bit miffed they didn't accept any bets on France DOWing Austria, robbing him of a major windfall. Considering that unlike France he won't get his money back that hurt extra hard. On top of that he has to come home to more lies about him breaking his word. Ah well, considering France has been doing it continuously for days, regardless of factual reality, it can hardly be considered surprising. "Why not play along?" he thought. He possessed a weird sense of humour.

"We are deeply apologetic for betraying France by giving them Franche Comté. How they will ever recover from that is beyond us. We are sorry for not applauding their brave efforts of rampaging our family's realm as we are about not consulting them for our dp change every decade as they possess a great interest in our internal affairs. I bet we made them miss the opportunity to suggest a shift to naval. Apologies. We also regret not giving in to French demands of fullfilling certain treaty stipulations still despite France saying the treaty has been broken and is over. We are sorry for bringing the world on a verge of world war by adding 2 provinces to my realm (Wurtemberg will be gotten rid of) whereas France only added a meagre 10, about as much as Austria starts the game with, but xurely not enough to offset the great Austrian menace. We regret not furthering France's diplomatic ouvertures despite not getting any whatsoever."

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The Pope wishes to encourage the Emperor to put an end to his gambling habits. Gambling is the invention of the devil, for it allows him to gather a lot of poor, gullible souls in HELL! Surely we do not want the Emperor to go there, yes?

Papal states: a dilemma in 1522



The Pope was sitting alone in his office as Homerus entered. The Pope quickly greeted him.
- "Ah, there you are. Where have you been?"
- "Oh, nowhere special... I have been doing my usual diplomatic work. Sadly, my two attempts to make a deal which would grant us Jerusalem failed." Homerus replied.
- "Ambition is good, and so is persistence, but it is a dead cause. The crusade failed, the king of France be thanked, and it is now too late to do anything about it. You should stop trying to put together a crusade and focus on lesser, but more achievable, goals."
- "Actually, it was not quite..." Homerus started, but the Pope interrupted him.
- "No, son, I need not hear your explanation. You do your work in your way, and you do it well, so you need not explain yourself to me, my most trusted servant."
- "Very well, father. But, tell me, what do you want me to focus on instead?" Homerus wondered.
- "This." said the Pope, as he rolled out a map of Italy. "The time has come to begin realizing the little project, Pax Italia. The wars that rage Italy and burns her soil must come to an end. The city states of Tuscany and Modena have demonstrated that they are not to be trusted, for they have declared unprovoked wars upon us. There is no option left to us but to... annex them. Once they are dealt with, we will have to come up with a plan for how to handle the two merchant republics in the north, Genoa and that other one."
- "Venice?" Homerus asked.
- "Where are your manners, son? Swearing in front of the Pope like that?" the Pope asked, with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
- "Sorry, father. I have been gone for far too long, and in the games of serpents and foxes, it is easy to forget such things as wrongs done to oneself." Homerus answered, looking down at the floor.
- "Very well, I forgive you of your sin. You're not the French king, after all." the Pope said, almost with a hint of a wicked smile.
- "Ah yes, that reminds me. Once more, France expressed hostility to plans that would benefit the whole of Christianity. All they can think about are worldly gains, as has been so clearly apparent the last few months. If you look at their offers to us, they all revolve around provinces and money. They have offered nothing to catholicism, but rather tried to bribe us into supporting their insane campaign against house Habsburg and the Emperor! Please, father, we must show a little backbone and stand tall and righteous, and we must do it now before the vile schemes of France bends you down into a kneeling position before the French king!"
- "I... will take it into consideration, son. Your words does have some merit. Now, leave me. This is a matter that must not be decided upon in an act of impulse, for it will shape the future of the world. The question is which shape would be better..." the Pope answered and sat down in his 'thinking chair' facing a western window. "Come back at sunset. Make sure the servants do not bring me any food before I am done."

Homerus nodded, turned around and left, closing the door behind him.

Originally posted by PJL
I see the Pope has gone on one of his long and incoherent ramblings again - while he is worried about trifle things like Modena and Tuscany, there is much religious turmoil in Germany and Scandinavia with the heresy of Lutherism, not to mention the entire country of Sweden embracing it. Surely it is the Pope's duty to be combating this new evil. Instead, while Rome fiddles, Catholicism burns.

Oh, by the way, since Tuscany and Modena are in alliance with Genoa, I would take any Papal aggression on them, as an aggression against Genoa, and I would have to uphold the Non-Aggression agreement, and declare war on the Pope.

Click to expand...

Beware the vile Venices of Venice, for they are as untrue as any words spoken by man could possibly get.

Venice claims that the Pope does not care about the burning fire in the north. The truth is that Austria and France can testify that it has been the very focus of the talks done, in order to determine which way the Pope will go.

Venice claims that the Papal states would be covered by the non-aggression pact over Genoa that was signed between Venice and France. The truth is that the agreement says NOTHING about any other power being at war with Genoa, especially when that power has no intention of changing Genoa's current status as an independent city.

Beware the Venices, lies worse than damned lies, that come from the [censored] Venicer that is the doge of Venice. Venice can not be trusted, and they have proven it once more.

It also angers the Pope that Venice once again openly makes threats of violence against the great Papa. Since the doge is so clearly allied to the devil, the Pope is certain that noone will object to the fact that the Pope hereby condemns the doge of Venice to HELL, where his soul shall burn for all eternity, or at least until it has burned the Venice out of it, so that it may once again be pure and clean (if there actually is anything good within his soul; if there is not, he will obviously cease to exist).

Papal states: a dilemma in 1522, episode II



The Pope was still sitting in his chair as Homerus entered the office.
- "Have you reached any conclusion yet?" he asked.
- "Yes. After reading up on recent diplomatic exchanges, I have come to a conclusion that is not entirely radical, but at least allows us to keep a straight back." the Pope answered.
- "And what might that be?" Homerus asked, his interest in the matter most apparent.
- "We will stay in the French alliance for the time being. However, we will not support any forceful attempt to take any lands from any other valid catholic country or empire, directly or indirectly. If France wishes to expand with the Pope's good memory and support, it will have to be directed elsewhere than Spain or the Holy Roman Empire."
- "Very well. This may also coincide rather well with current events. Rumours from my sources say that the king of England is upset because his never-made request for divorce was never accepted. Or perhaps he is just tired with sticking to the 'missionary position only' policy that the catholic church promotes... you know how disgusting those Englishmen can be. We shouldn't be surprised if he allowed his servants to 'do the deed' as if they were dogs..." Homerus said, the Pope grimacing towards the end.

- "Very well, son. You may return to your tasks now." the Pope said and turned once more to study the landscape below.

Homerus nodded and left the room.

Later that night, Homerus stood in a hallway, as if waiting for someone.
- "Ah, there you are, my apprentice." a voice spoke from the shadows.
- "Yes, master." Homerus replied.
- "Why is the Pope suddenly so idealistic? I want him mean, cruel and cynical."
- "He is fasting and has not eaten his food for close to two weeks." Homerus answered, a bead of sweat running down his face.
- "Very well, it should be over soon. Once that happens, he will come to his senses again." the voice said.
- "Yes, master. It will be done as you have instructed. Catholic Europe will burn, and we will finally have our revenge." Homerus said as he bowed, after which he turned around and left the hallway. Once his footsteps had died out in the distance, the voice spoke a final word: "excellent".

Papal states: a shadow across Europe



Homerus almost felt aroused as he entered the Papal chambers. History was being written, and he was touching the pen that was writing it. The fact that the events that were transpiring could result in millions and millions of lives being extinguished did not bother him much; most of them would be catholics anyway.
- "It is done." he said, facing the back of the Pope's chair.
- "I pray to God this is the right thing to do. There will be so many dead in the great war that may come." the Pope answered in a sad voice.
- "It has to be done, father. They have betrayed the church, they have betrayed you and they have betrayed God. Their betrayal is even worse than that of the reformation movement; at least those fools only questioned your authority and the indulgence practices. They may be doing a moral crime by denying you, but what he did is an outright abomination, far worse than even France's sabotage of the great crusade."
- "Yes, son, you are right, as always..." the Pope said silently.
- "The question is, though, should we try to involve others? Denmark, for instance, has shown the kind of interest we could have use for."
- "That, Homerus, will be for the king to decide. It is, after all, he who would lead a war against the traitor. If he is up for the job, that is... it almost seems as if he has suddenly changed his heart and become a pacifist, contrary to his manners this far."

Homerus nodded and left, the fate of Europe trembling with each and every step.

And in the deepest shadows of the Vatican a word was spoken:



"Excellent"

Papal states: 1522-1531



1522, and the follow years, saw a great conflict in the Italian peninsula. On top of that, more countries betrayed the holy church and went their own way: England, Denmark, Teutonic Order, Brandenburg and Saxony all turned away, without giving even the hint of an explanation as to why they chose to do that, except in the case of Denmark. The mad ramblings from the Danish king only served to further promote his reputation of a drunkard, however. Clearly the Danes have been importing too much "sugar" from the new world.

The Italian wars begun with the announced and legal declaration of war against Modena and her ally Tuscany. The Pope made clear that Genoa's independence was not threatened. Despite that fact, however, the bloody liar in Venice got the idea that the Pope was violating the treaty. As everyone can see for themselves above, this was not the case: the treaty of Genoa said nothing about being at war with Genoa, only reducing her independence. Still, Venice can't be trusted, and IGNORED the Papal attempts to make Genoa sign a white peace. What followed was the burning of the Papal lands, and tall pillars of smoke could be seen rising from Rome. Fortunately, France eventually decided to stop Venice's madness and fertilized the Italian soil with Venetian blood. The damage was already done, however: the Papal states were forced into taking an additional loan resulting in an extra 70-ducat cost the first 5 years, and 140 more the following 5 after that (doubled interest rate due to inability to pay the loan). On top of that, the plundering of the Papal provinces resulted in a massive loss of income and in many dead Papal soldiers. Venice's attack also delayed the takeover of Tuscany and Modena, and it all adds up to roughly 400 ducats (including 100 ducats as compensation for the illegal attack on the Pope) of total expenses brought upon the Papal states by Venice. An even greater shame is that France ended the war without giving the Pope a say, effectively leaving Venice unpunished for her crimes and the Papal states burning and practically bankrupt. While the Pope was able to pay off the first loan, it is quite possible that the second loan won't end before yet another 5 years of (higher) interest have been paid, adding 210 ducats to Venice's debt (and the Pope's burden). What is especially shocking is that Venice sided with the greatest enemy of Christianity, the Ottoman Empire, in the war against the Pope. This atrocity will never be forgotten, nor forgiven. At least the traitorous city-states of Modena and Tuscany were finally subdued, adding the provinces of Modena and Siena to the Papal states and making Tuscany a Papal vassal. What is odd, however, is that Venice was soon found to be at war with Genoa in exactly the same manner as the Pope was (Genoa being an ally of the real subject of the war, the Knights of Rhodes). Venice should decide whether France should declare war on her (if such behaviour is a valid cause for war) or if Venice wronged the Papal states and should pay for all the expenses brought upon the Pope. Venice will probably claim that neither should be done, for Venice is a despicable worm that should be burned from the face of the earth. Venice is of no positive value, and the complete destruction of Venice will the the Pope's highest priority from now on. One day, the home of all lies shall be burned down and drowned in the sea.

At least Spain paid her debt of 15 ducats.

Papal states: dealing with the doge (and more)



"Fellow true catholics and monarchs of Europe, know that the Venicing doge of Venice is hereby banished from Christianity. Any faithful catholic claiming any of the Venetian lands will have the support of the Pope, for Venice is no longer recognised as a catholic country. Furthermore, know that the doge of Venice is hereby condemned to HELL along with anyone defending him.

Know also that the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire is hereby forgiven for the way he "sold" the Hungarian catholics to the Ottoman Empire, since he brought them back into the catholic fold, killing many Ottoman infidels in doing so. Clearly it was all a cunning scheme of the Emperor to centralize the worldly power of catholicism. The Emperor also deserves praise for fighting protestantism in Germany and returning the stray sheep to the fold.

Know also that the King of France is no longer condemned to HELL (by the Pope; there is still the possibility of him not being good enough to enter Heaven, but it will at least be within his power to affect his own destiny now).

Know also that the King of Poland is worthy of praise for his efforts to purge Poland of the protestant movement. He is a good man indeed, which was shown very clearly as Venice betrayed catholicism, and he will surely go to Heaven when his earthly time is over.

Know also that the great meteor recently sighted over Sweden is a final warning from God; if they don't change their ways and return to the catholic church, it will spell the end of the 'republic' of Sweden.

Know also that, because of the financial crisis, the Pope has decided, after talking with his personal advisor about it, to once again offer indulgences to monarchs. For those of a not entirely pure and humble nature, this special offer, that appears only once in your eternal life, allows you to guarantee yourself a place in Heaven in exchange for a small fee of 50 ducats. Order an indulgence now and you'll never regret it!



signed by Homerus,
advisor of our Papa"

Papal states: the coming of shadows



Homerus was waiting in the usual place. He was in a good mood now, unlike the poor Pope who had suffered a temporal insanity for close to half a year during the Italian wars. In a way, Homerus felt sorry for him. The poor Pope was a naive person who expected honesty and dignity from his fellow men, something that Homerus could sympathize with. Unlike the Pope, however, Homerus was quite familiar with the game of "serpents and foxes" and knew that you can't trust anyone, not even your very allies. Homerus shrugged off the sentimental thoughts and made himself remember that the pathetic man was the Pope, and that it was the Pope who had been at the head of the great betrayal almost a century ago. He could not forgive catholicism for what had been done, and the Pope was as close as you could get to an embodiment of catholicism. He smiled to himself, thinking of how close he was to finally getting his revenge. Once it was finally over, he could finally take his last breath and rest in piece. He was growing very old, older than most men in these times, and he was not certain that the goal would be reached before he died. Very few men would live past 100 years, for it was God's will that no man should live longer than 120 years, according to the Holy Bible. As he heard a familiar breathing a few paces away, he stopped daydreaming and focused on his task.

- "The plan is coming along very well, master. Practically all of northern Europe, including England, has defected to the reformation movement. Catholicism is growing weaker for every day. Furthermore, our infiltration of this administration is now nearly complete. It took us half a lifetime, but it is finally done; the Pope will soon be on his knees and catholicism will burn from within. The Italian wars had precisely the desired effects; more countries left catholicism, and those that remain loyal to the catholic church are not as friendly towards the Pope as they used to be, except perhaps for Spain. The catholic world is crumbling."
- "Excellent." an old voice replied from the darkness. "You have served me well."
- "Yes, master." Homerus answered.
- "Do you think it is time to deliver the coup de grâce?" the old voice asked.
- "The situation needs to be analyzed further in order to give a definitive answer. We are very close, that is for sure, but I am not sure if the situation is ideal yet. We are still surrounded by catholic powers, and I do believe we could gain one more major ally for the cause, on the other side of the 'gate'."
- "Who would that be? Have not most of the countries affected by the reformation chosen sides yet, especially the major ones?" the voice asked.
- "There is one country that is currently loyal to the Pope but could be swayed in the other direction. Protestantism has not yet appealed to them though, and their realm is practically untouched by it. I believe one more ingredient is needed before they can be manipulated to serve our intentions."
- "What would that be, Homer?" the voice asked.
- "There is a young protestant theologian in France, who is quite able in disputation. He has recently been studying law in Bourges, but is currently attending family matters. Something about his father, I believe. I sense potential in him to serve our purposes, and I intend to have a little chat with him in a year or two, when my work here allows me to travel once more. His name is..."
- "... insignificant to me. He will serve our purposes. What is significant, however, is which country you intend to have turn away from catholicism."
- "It is France. If we could turn her to the cause, she would be our most powerful ally yet. To be honest, I doubt a victory over catholicism is possible without the support of France; the combined might of Spain, Austria, Poland and France would be too much for us. With France on our side, however..." Homerus said with a serene voice.
- "It would be most impressive if you could accomplish this, Homer, but how do you intend to accomplish it? France is full of catholics, you know?"
- "Yes, master. But, master, please stop calling me Homer. It sounds like a bad joke." Homerus said, almost with a begging tone to his voice.
- "Very well, but how do you plan to turn away France from catholicism?"
- "I have a plan... a plan that is so cunning that you could put a tail on it and call it a weasel." Homerus said with a gleam in his eyes, his voice full of self-confidence.

The figure in the shadows put together his fingertips and uttered a single word:

"Excellent."