1530-1534 – The Road to War
The court was abuzz with news as the Chancellor declared the intent to start a war with Castile. King Ferran III adamantly pointed out that a truce existed and refused to start such a conflict until the truce was over. That meant over four years of waiting, or better yet, four years of preparation.
Castile was not the only potential target for war. A significant Catholic population existed in the province of Gabu, currently ruled by Mali. It was rumoured that the Catholic population was greatly mistreated and that it was Aragon’s duty to intervene. Of course the fact that Gabu was the only province that stood in the way of uniting two portions of Aragon’s African colonies was not overlooked either.
Morocco, another hostile heathen power, was also declared a rival to show that their expansionism in North Africa would not be tolerated, for it threatened Aragon’s possessions there. An embargo was put in place against them. To help enforce this embargo, two more carracks were constructed, raising the number of heavy ships to five.
Politics in the Holy See stirred up a potential conflict. Pope Stephen X, after the war with Tuscany, declared the entire state of Tuscany and all those in it excommunicated for their aggression against the HolyChurch. Since the current pope came from Aragon, Tuscany was blaming Aragon for its excommunication, although relations were not too hostile what with the marriage of a Tuscan to Prince Alfons years ago. Tuscany didn’t seem too worried about the excommunication. Likely all that would happen would be Tuscany electing a new leader in their next election for getting the country excommunicated.
Part of the Chancellor’s plan also involved laying claim to all the islands of the Mediterranean. Documents were already found laying claim to Corsica, Rhodes, Corfu, and others. More would need to be drafted up in the following years.
The past war with the Papal State and co. had damaged relations with Poland to the point that the eastern kingdom felt Aragon was a threat to its power. They’d have to be rivals from now on.
Tragedy struck in the New World with Conquistador Juan Ponce de Leon now dead. He had travelled ahead with some scouts by canoe and was brutally murdered when he refused to submit to the demands of a warlike tribe. The scouting party was all killed, except for one man who was able to make it back to the main army and warn Conquistador Denis Philippe de Montségur. With their leader dead, the 3k men who had been under the late conquistador’s command returned to Alagoas to restock. They promised to return later to aid the still living Montségur. ((The game exiled the 3k men who had been under Leon’s command, so I had to send them back before they could join Montségur. And sorry
@zenphoenix, but you’ll have to make a new character.))
Conquistador Montségur did not let the tragedy get to him. He sought out this tribe in an attempt at revenge. Instead he ended up getting captured like his late companion. The tribe had been ready to execute him, until the chief’s daughter ran out and saved him. Despite the princess saving his life, he and his men were quick to leave the tribe behind. Clearly the locals were a bunch of savages.
Back in Europe, Castile was forced to accept a peace with Provence, paying extensive war reparations. Rumours were circulating that this peace had bankrupted Castile so much that they could no longer fund their colonies. People were leaving the new colony of Muturu rather than risk starving from lack of food or supplies.
Explorer Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker returned from charting the waters of the Cape of Good Hope to restock in Fernando Po. He would have to spend some time on the island while his ships were fully repaired.
Adding to the ongoing naval expansion, five galleys were placed under construction.
During his travels through the new continent, Montségur found himself bogged down in mountainous territory of Ayaviri. As winter set in, he was forced to seek shelter. The locals proved to be much friendlier than those encountered earlier. The Conquistador and his party spent the winter with these natives and built some friendships in the process. Perhaps not all natives were so bad.
After months of sitting around in Vizcaya while his ships were refurbished, Explorer Alejandro Sancho was finally given sanction to resume his journeys. He intended to head up to the far northern reaches of the New World. He had spotted a large body of water the last time but had run out of supplies before charting it. This time he’d explore it all.
New weaponry yet again was adopted by the Aragonese army. As armour was improved to block the shots of an arquebus, a better weapon had to be designed. Larger muskets with heavier rounds were being implemented to get past this problem.
The start of 1531 was a chaotic time for the Church. Pope Stephen X, after a very short reign as pope, passed away. The cardinals, after the deteriorating situation the PapalState had been placed in during the Tuscan War, put a French pope in place to gain their favour and hopefully prevent any further Tuscan aggression. At least Pope Stephen X had accomplished one great thing. Relations between Aragon and the Papacy had returned to normal and the PapalState no longer viewed Aragon as a threat. Perhaps the two could finally resolve their issues and live in peace for once. In recognition of the late Pope’s contribution to the faith, the Inquisition ramped up its conversion efforts. ((Sorry
@ML8991 but you’ll have to make a new character. We finally get a pope and he only lasts like six years. What a rip-off.))
With his ships repaired, Explorer Lübecker headed back out to explore the coast of the Cape of Good Hope. He quickly met some friendly natives in Angra Pequena (the isolated southwestern African province) who seemed to have a supply of gold. Meanwhile back home, five caravels were constructed for use as a trade fleet to serve in Sevilla. ((If you want it moved somewhere else,
@05060403, just include it in your plan.))
Somehow, the nearly entirely occupied Burgundy managed to weasel money out of Austria. No one was sure how this was managed.
In September of 1531, the Mamluks declared war on what was left of the Ottomans. Their defeat seemed certain, and the Greeks started to feel nervous as this growing heathen threat drew closer to the straits.
Conquistador Montségur faced more hardship as the natives of Chichas tried to steal his men’s weapons and chased them after a hundred mile march. The group would have to do their best to flee these hostile natives who had the advantage of knowing the land and using it against them.
Explorer Lübecker returned from his mission having charted around the Cape. Having made it around the Cape, it seemed that India could only be so far away. He’d get there in time.
By February of 1532, the men that had served under Conquistador Leon returned west and joined up with Montségur. Now 8,000 strong, they were ready to face the threats of the New World head-on.
A war that had involved nearly all the North Africa nations ended with Djerid annexing Mzab. Perhaps their expansion would upset the balance of power and aid Aragon.
After much lobbying for funds, Steward Raffaelo Mòdena was able to get a workshop built in Alagoas. Hopefully it could boost the production of goods coming from the region.
The Mamluks finally put the Ottomans out of their misery. This also meant they now shared a border with Byzantium. They were increasingly becoming a growing threat to Europe as a whole. Perhaps the heathen kingdom would need to be brought down soon.
Byzantium was even further threatened as Poland annexed Moldavia, putting the Polish threat directly on their border.
Montségur got bogged down in the jungles of Moxos, yet another Poison Rock incident.
The colony in St. Helena was going along quite nicely. Colonist Miguel Villanova reported that the waters surrounding the island were filled with fish. The island would make for a thriving fishing community.
The Church within Aragon was undergoing some change, attempting to streamline its internal governance and allow for it to better administer to the needs of the population. There was even the suggestion that the Inquisition adjust and grant greater freedoms to those not of the faith. The King was inspired by the Church’s willingness to adapt and felt that perhaps the kingdom should follow suit. ((We can now pass the Declaration of Indulgence Act, granting +1 tolerance of heretics at -5% stability cost. We can also still pass the Suffragon Bishop Act if anyone is interested. We have a third idea group slot too, so we’ll be voting on our next one later.))
The trade situation in Aragon was turbulent for a time. The decision to end the embargo with Genoa awhile back had let to an influx of Genoan merchants trading in Aragonese ports. The local merchants did not think too highly of this. When nothing was done about it, some of these merchants decided it was best to trade elsewhere.
The Mamluks continued the audacious behaviour by declaring war on the Knights on Rhodes. Whether or not they could actually land on and besiege the island was yet to be seen.
Explorer Sancho’s experience with the northern natives continued to be more turbulent than ones in the south. Yet again he had to drive some natives off and threaten to shoot them on sight. He wasn’t winning any friends on this continent, not that Aragon was looking there as of yet.
In the province of Ucayali, Montségur encountered a strange tribe where the men and women lived separately and only interacted a few times a year. Curious about this bizarre tradition, Montségur and his men decided to join the men of this tribe in their next meeting with the women to better understand the situation. As for what they did with these women, that was most likely not going to be shared back in Aragon.
A diplomat hired a ways back known as Ponc Martorell passed away and was replaced by Francesc de Requesens.
At the beginning of January 1533, Alejandro Sancho returned from charting Hudson Bay. The waters further north were impassable, blocked by ice. There’d be no more exploring in that direction. He’d have to head further south, perhaps to see what was west of the Caribbean.
An embarrassing incident occurred when Conquistador Montségur kept wandering off to explore on his own, forcing the scouts to go out looking for him. He managed to wander off without anyone noticing yet again and the scouts went out looking once more.
After years of war, Provence finally managed to crush Burgundy. They only took a single province, but they drained Burgundy’s treasury dry and forced Hainaut to be set free. Burgundy would not be a threat any longer.
Montségur continued his interesting encounters with the locals by this time coming across a young pregnant woman and her trapper husband. They offered their services as interpreters and guides. Montségur was hesitant to accept, but the men pressured him into it after the numerous times the Conquistador had gotten lost and due to all the encounters with the locals that had gone horribly wrong.
By October of 1533, Sancho returned from charting the region near the Mississippi river. He hadn’t gone far before supplies ran out, but he intended to explore a bit further.
Attempts to improve the capacity of cogs for transporting goods led to a successful new design known as a flute, which proved handy for transporting goods across the ocean. Similar additions were made to galleys to make them hardier in battle.
During Montségur’s travels, a rodent of some kind bit the expedition’s dog and surgery had to be performed. The dog wouldn’t stop howling and some natives stole him. After the expedition got him back, it was made clear that if any attempt was made on the dog again, there would be hell to pay.
By November though, word finally reached the Conquistador of the impending war. War with Castile was planned to occur in a year and the King personally hoped that he could aid his kingdom by taking Castile’s colonies. Thus Montségur and his expedition began the long march back east in preparation for war. At least he had charted plenty of unknown land beforehand.
Things heated up in Europe as Savoy declared war on Provence. The conflict drew in England and Tuscany, as well as forced Austria and Hungary to fight each other. Having that power alliance broken up was a great boon to Aragon at least.
Preparations for war were now in full gear. The transportation fleet was sent out to retrieve troops from Africa and Naples to ship them to Iberia, the main theatre of war. The main fleet was brought out of the mothballs and moved to Gibraltar. The forts in Toledo, Granada, and Navarra were garrisoned to fend off any attempt to push into Aragon. Things would not be as simple as first thought though, for Castile had signed an alliance with Portugal again. Still, Aragon dwarfed both, so they would only be a minor nuisance.
In August of 1534, Sancho returned from exploring the coast of Rio Grande. Once back in civilization, he received the order to sail for the Mediterranean. The King recalled that the Explorer had been attacked by the Portuguese the last time they’d been at war, so he was not going to risk the man’s life again. He would wait it out in the Mediterranean until the waters of the New World were safe again.
In less important news, some very nasty wine was produced by a prestigious Aragonese vineyard. Surprisingly, few cared.
On September 9, the truce came to an end. The King declared that the kingdom would wait until October to strike. A few preparations had to be made, and all the diplomats were out of the country. The court took the time to look over Castile and Portugal’s military position. Together, along with Portugal’s new vassal Galicia and Portuguese Colombia, they possessed 22k men. Aragon had 40k in Iberia alone, with 8k waiting next to Castile’s colonies. They possessed 24 ships in total, by far weaker than Aragon’s 81 ships. This war would not present a problem.
Presenting His Majesty, Ferran III de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks.
We must prepare ourselves yet again for a conflict with Castile. It seems that it has become our eternal mission to rid them from Iberia. You have all deemed it necessary that we dominate the region at the expense of Castile and Portugal. They will always remain a threat to our homes here, and now are that much more of a threat as they expand into the New World. Only when Castile has fallen will we truly see peace in Iberia. God has chosen us to rule over Iberia. Let us not squander that opportunity.
((A few things to mention first. Obviously we will be picking a new idea group at the next vote. Also keep in mind that anyone may present the Declaration of Indulgence Act or Suffragan Bishop Act before the court. I also don’t require any exploration missions from my explorers. wzhang’s character will keep going east and Andre’s can’t explore anywhere yet since Zanzibar is our only option at the moment, unless he wants to attempt circumnavigating the globe and probably lose his ships and life in the process.
As for potential colonies, we can still only reach the same ones, although South Africa is now explored. I’ll include that to the bottom of the last list, which is linked to in the table of contents.
As for the usual matters, ministers have until
Saturday at 9am PST to present new plans or for anyone to present potential laws. Make sure that your plans also include for after war, since this may be a quick one and I’ll probably keep playing a bit longer.
Pension collectors:
@Paintato34343
Dying:
@Riccardo93))