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((How about the duel now, @05060403 ? You can't escape with this story entirely :p, as this would happen:

'Brother? Ha! Anyone can claim that. Do you really think my men are so useless and incapable of tracking a man who happens to have a known twin over three years? You're dumber than I thought if you think you can escape this way, coward! If you fear for your life, than let's settle for something else - a limb would certainly be enough to remind you of your former way of life the rest of your existence. My last words. Take it or leave for good.'))

((You're underestimating me! But I'll tall you what since I'll be switching to Henri after this update you can duel me then. Sound good to you?))

"I see you do not believe me 'Duke'. If you need proof that I'm not my brother then I will show you my wounds that I recieved during the tournament" he said lifting up his sleeve revealing a big scar "I was hit during my first bout... Bloody thing almost pierced my entire arm! But if you really want to face my brother then you will have to wait few more years. As for my life I do not care about it... I have no chance at achieving greatness so if you seek blood kill me right here, right now. Or if truely are a man of honour then leave me be."
 
((You're underestimating me! But I'll tall you what since I'll be switching to Henri after this update you can duel me then. Sound good to you?))

"I see you do not believe me 'Duke'. If you need proof that I'm not my brother then I will show you my wounds that I recieved during the tournament" he said lifting up his sleeve revealing a big scar "I was hit during my first bout... Bloody thing almost pierced my entire arm! But if you really want to face my brother then you will have to wait few more years. As for my life I do not care about it... I have no chance at achieving greatness so if you seek blood kill me right here, right now. Or if truely are a man of honour then leave me be."

((All right, if this is what you want... Though then the age of the combatants shouldn't play any role ;). Duke Louis isn't the youngest man after all.))

'Treat me with the respect I deserve.' Montségur said with all his dignity. Then, he abruptly turned around and split the head of the man standing behind him with his sword. ''I am sure, my lord.' Well, no, you useless idiot!'
He signalled his guards to carry away the body. 'I do need more capable men, it seems.' He sighed, focusing his attention back on the man that had been drinking. 'I gather you don't know somebody who is skilled in such things? I really don't want to ask around, especially not her... Didn't you say you have no chance at achieving greatness? Then what about some... lesser, hidden greatness? Of course, you wouldn't have to do anything I think you wouldn't want.'
He readied himself to leave. 'If you have anything to say, then come to my residence in Valencia. Either I will be there or Filippo here', he signalled to his guard at the left, 'depending on if I am leading the army or not.'
 
1579-1584 - Humiliation

The court unanimously favoured joining the French war against Bar and its allies. With their support, King Ferran IV accepted the call-to-arms and joined the war. Austria, as Emperor, called in more of its allies, although most of them were insignificant northwestern German powers such as Cologne, East Frisia, and Aachen. Austria and Hungary were the only significant threats. The focus was to be placed on assisting France on their eastern border and protecting Byzantium. The armies in Iberia were ordered up to northeast France, where the fighting seemed to be occurring, along with the army in Provence. The main fleet was already on its way to blockade the Austrian and Hungarian coast to eliminate any potential naval threat. The army in Greece was to join forces with the Greeks, while the army in Napoli was to later join them after the transport fleet arrived.

The main Austrian army appeared in Luxembourg alongside Bar and Hainaut. Together they had roughly 45k, although the French had 60k in the area. A clash was likely if either could gain the initiative. For now, Austria was content to siege the province.

The war led to a slight breakdown of communication between ministers. Crown Prince Pere initiated a mass construction plan, building temples in Cantabria, Roussillon, Cosenza, and Lucania. What he wasn’t made aware of was that the Crown had taken out a loan earlier. This information was not shared with the Steward for quite some time. ((This is the problem with breaks between updates. I forget what I was doing earlier, such as trying to pay off a loan. :D))

As expected, the Hungarians decided to make a move on Byzantium, with their army of 35k marching into Vidin and heading south. The combined forces of Byzantium and the Greek army were not strong enough to remove the threat, but they could keep them from pushing further into Greece if need be. A lack of communication between the Byzantium and Hispanian army in Greece led to problems. The Greeks marched off on their own without warning, not leaving enough time for the Hispanians to catch up. By the time the Hispanians arrived, the Greeks were already on the run. General Niccolo Limmona and the Napoli army arrived in time to assist, but the odds were against them. He was forced to order a retreat before his army was crushed. One army tried to protect the Greek’s flank while the other headed to Athens. ((Not sure what happened here. I had the one army set to follow Byzantium’s army, but when I checked Byzantium was fighting the Hungarians and our army was heading the wrong way. Weird. I also missed screenshotting the battle results. My bad.))



While the eastern front was a mess, the west was much more agreeable. The Austrians had 40k men sieging Luxembourg, but Barrois was wide open. Generals Louis Clément de Montségur and Wolfgang Oliver Lübeckerlaunched a joint attack on the province and Bar’s army. The small nation couldn’t withstand the onslaught. Their entire army was slaughtered in the assault, opening the province for siege.

During this battle though, the French made a move on Cologne’s army in Liege. France had the numbers and better general, but then the Austrians managed to capture Luxembourg. Now 40k Austrians were marching north to aid their allies. France had another army nearby to assist, bumping their numbers up to over 60k. The arrival of the Austrians led to a battle with over 100k combatants. Liege became a bloodbath. Montségur and Lübecker attempted to help, but the captured fort in Luxembourg kept them from reaching Liege. There were only 280 men garrisoning the fort, but they prevented the army from moving past. Over 33k Hispanian men started besieging the province in the hopes of crushing the garrisoned forces and aiding the French. Their help wasn’t needed in the end. The French managed to pull off a victory, even though a bloody one. Austria fled past Hispania’s army on its way home, while Cologne fled northeast.

Over in Greece, the Greeks had fled across the straits where the Hungarians could not touch them. Niccolo Limmona and his army joined forces with them as they crossed back over the straits and marched around the Hungarian army currently besieging Macedonia. The army that had fled to Athens caught up and joined them in Sofia. With the Hungarians so intent on taking Macedonia, they managed to march straight to the fort in Hunyad uninterrupted.

A major setback occurred for the diplomatic corps. The building where many documents were held, including the forged claims created by Hispania’s spies, was burnt down. Overnight Hispania had lost its claims to over two dozen provinces. A few claims survived the blaze, mainly the ones on Portugal, a few on Venice, and one or two in Genoa and Tunis. ((Another weird occurrence. Not sure why we lost almost all our claims on the same day.))



In May of 1580, Luxembourg was reclaimed. With Galicia having moved on into Bar to take down the tiny nation for France, Hispania could focus elsewhere. Cologne, Hainaut, and Aachen’s army had returned to Liege and France was chasing them down. Generals Montségur and Lübecker pursued the threat as well, intending to crush the enemy in the west. Combined they more than tripled the number of the enemy. Without Austria to help, the enemy was doomed. They were forced on the run, fleeing to Cologne which could not be reached as easily. France took the long way around by marching through Brabant, but the two Hispanian generals decided to stay near France instead of wasting manpower rampaging deep into enemy territory. The three Hispanian armies set out to besiege Hainaut’s three provinces instead.

The French’s chase into Cologne paid off. They caught the enemy army outside Westfalen and dealt them a fatal blow. The Germans states could not hold off the French onslaught any more.

The Austrians had failed to make a reappearance in the west, but it soon became apparent why when their entire army appeared in Hungary as it bore down on the combined Hispanian and Greek army sieging Hunyad. The Austrians were too strong and General Limmona was forced to call another retreat with everyone heading for Constantinople. The Austrians pursued and it was hoped they would not interfere further.



Things were going more smoothly in the west. Galicia had taken Barrois and France now held the province. Cambray had fallen in Hainaut, leaving two provinces left. An exceptional business environment and excellent harvest contributed to a hike in tax income, something of great benefit when running a war. Queen Isabel also established the Casa de Contratacion to aid with Hispania’s colonial endeavours.

The Austrians were in hot pursuit of the armies in Greece, and Hungary had managed to take Macedonia and were moving on to Edirne. The armies were trapped in Constantinople. The transport fleet had been sitting in Athens and sailed for the straits. Hopefully it could ferry enough troops across and out of harm’s way. The Austrians arrived first and forced a battle. The men were too exhausted to put up much of a fight and fled for the ships when things turned against them. Unfortunately, the ships could not fit both Hispanian armies. In a great act of bravery, General Niccolo Limmona led the remnants of one army in a suicidal assault to hold back the Austrians while the second army fled across the straits. His gambit paid off. The second army was able to get away, but at the cost of Limmona’s forces. The general himself was rumoured to have been dragged away by his most loyal men at the battle’s end and ferried across the straits in a fishing boat. Few know if the rumours are true, but the general survived the battle met up with the army on the other side of the straits.

With the Napoli army gone, recruitment efforts were launched back in Iberia for a new army to replace it. Things went further downhill as the Greek army fled to Silistria and was bested by an army half its size. They were forced to flee to Hungary, abandoning their home. When Hainaut fell in January of 1581, a decision was made. With the entire Hungarian and Austrian armies in Greece, Byzantium could not be retaken, at least not by Hispania alone. The way to win this war was to crush the enemy from the west where France could pull its weight. If the west fell, the war would end and Byzantium would be safe once again. With 70k men sieging Edirne and Constantinople, the Greeks were abandoned to their fate in the hopes that the war could be won in the west.



With the eastern front abandoned, the army hiding in Anatolia was shipped over to Provence. Once there, the transport fleet returned east. It was tasked with blockading the straits. Even if the army was not strong enough to save Byzantium, the navy could at least keep their Anatolian provinces free. The Greek court had already fled to Biga, with Constantinople no longer safe.

In April, France managed to force Cologne out of the war, removing one of the biggest threats in the west. Lübecker at the same time also crushed a small Hainaut resistance force of 4k men.

Once the recruitment of the new army was done, it joined two more armies under the command of Generals Montségur and Limmona as they pushed up through Savoy and into western Austria. The Emperor would pay for his assault on Byzantium.

Just as Edirne fell to the Hungarians, a wisp of hope appeared in the form of Poland declaring war on Hungary. Hungary and Austria were now at war with most of Europe, with Sweden and Venice backing up the Poles. This could only aid the war effort.

Aachen was the next power to be forced out of the war. France was generous enough to ensure Hispania received some funds from the vanquished enemy.

The Greeks’ attempt to pester Hungary went sour as Hungary’s army returned home and wiped out their entire army. Poland watched from the next province over.

Efforts to bring Malta more under the Sicilian administration paid off. This would lead to better governance with the island and cooperation with the holy order that operated on it.



Breisgau was the first Austrian province to fall. As things started turning Hispania’s way, Hainaut lost Namur, which the French gladly gobbled up in the resulting peace. The two armies in Hainaut split with one headed up to East Frisia and the other under Lübecker heading over to Austria.

Things in the east had gone downhill yet again. The great city of Constantinople had fallen to the Austrians. The Greeks were furious at this, especially since Hispania had abandoned them to fight in the west. The so-called “Protector of the Greeks” had failed in its duty.

Even if the Greeks were not pleased with events, the plan was working. 39k Frenchmen had snuck into the Austrian capital of Wien. After Wurttemberg fell, France decided it had done enough to secure a peace. However, it was not the peace Hispania expected. France decided instead to pilfer Bar’s treasury and leave them untouched. King Ferran IV was not amused that his ally had started a war to conquer Bar and failed to do so. At least the French were quite grateful. Perhaps that could be used for leverage in one of Hispania’s wars. For now, trust had improved between the two allies and the Hispanian armies could return home. As for Austria, Chancellor Marti declared that any friendly attitude that had been pursued beforehand was now gone. There would be no friendship between the two nations.



With peace settled, things could return to normal. Despite the presence of a loan, Prince Pere as steward ordered the expansion of the forts in Navarra and Girona. The debacle in Byzantium had proven that Hispania was not invincible, and such a thing could never be allowed to happen in Iberia. The improved forts would ensure the region was properly protected.

Efforts to improve the technology of the kingdom occurred as well. Experimentation was encouraged to find new ways of production and ideas that could benefit the kingdom as a whole. Perhaps Hispania could find a new focus for thought. ((We’ve unlocked our fourth idea group and will be voting on that later.))

Efforts to reforge the lost claims were going smoothly. Claims on the Canaries were already complete and more were being made on mainland Morocco, as well as in parts of Venice.

Despite setbacks during the last war, the army was in better shape than it had ever been. Countries around the world recognized it for its unprecedented skill and quality.

One group that wasn’t doing so well was the nobility. Squabbles amongst various nobles and their decreasing influence over the army had weakened their position at court. King Ferran IV did not have the patience to deal with their petty disputes.

Efforts to formally integrate Galicia into the realm suddenly leapt forward when the duke of Galicia, Ramiro IV, suddenly died without an heir. The only two claimants were Ramiro’s sister Branca, the wife of Prince Marti, and the previous duke’s bastard son. The title was to go to Branca when a letter was found from the late Duke Garcia II declaring the legitimization his bastard son, which the duke had not been able to make public before his death. Thus Ramiro the Bastard become the next duke, although Galicia finally fell under control of Hispania. His claim was weak though and would have little backing if the king turned against him. In subservience to the crown, Galicia’s army was disbanded and its two ships merged into the navy. ((This is my way of making the province available for players to claim instead of making it a Crown province.))



The colony in Gabon came to fruition in June of 1582. At the news, the colonist in Tandil left for Camana to start a colony there for Duke Montségur. The colony bordered three separate native nations and was bound to interact with them in the future.

While Hispania had been focused on the war in Europe, Nueva Granada had taken the opportunity to form an assembly to manage some local affairs such as tax legislation and budgets without proper authority. They claimed to be better situated to handle such things, but it also meant less to be controlled by the Crown. A careful eye would have to be kept on the colonies.

Austria’s loss against France apparently had not endeared it to the electors. In a surprisingly twist, Lambert II of Brabant was elected the next emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Such a nation would be much easier to handle than Austria.

A prominent philosopher had been publicly sharing his new theories that in some ways contradicted religious truths. The Church was furious and the Inquisition was ready to lock the man up or burn him at the stake as a heretic. The king, however, was intrigued by these ideas and intervened. He brought the man to court and had him share his ideas. Some of them, perhaps, could aid Hispania in the long run. The clergy were not pleased with this decision.



The increasing power of Hispanian trading companies was bringing in vast wealth to the kingdom. These chartered companies were encouraged, especially as they pumped more money back into the kingdom. They encouraged the improvement of the navy, and one prominent merchant working for the TATC even acquired some new ships designs for transports, supposedly borrowed from the British or Flemish.

Word reached Iberia that Morocco had officially declared Hispania a rival of theirs. There had been little love between the neighbours, especially after Hispania took Fez from Morocco. With Venice’s power waning, the sentiment was returned. Morocco would be watched carefully. ((Venice kept losing and gaining power randomly, so they never stayed a stable rival. I chose Morocco once they did the same to us.))

Army reforms went alongside the many others. The number of men in a formation was adjusted to prevent men from standing idle while the men up front did most of the fighting. By adjusting the size of the formations, each man could be more effectively utilized.

Austria sparing Ravensburg years ago turned out to be a bad thing for Switzerland. They lost three provinces to their tiny neighbour, an embarrassing situation.

In February of 1583, the substantial loan was finally paid off, leaving the kingdom debt-free.



The previous two stewards had left extensive construction plans and it was only in 1583 that the late Sastre’s plan was finished with a temple built in Cuenca.

The colony of Havana became self-sufficient and was transferred to Nuevas Baleares for governance. Colonist Miguel Villanova set off on a long journey across the Atlantic and around the Cape of Good Hope, eventually landing in Menabe on the island of Madagascar.

Tuscany continued with its near heretical actions by declaring war on the Papal State. King Ferran IV was just glad he was not forced to decide between the two, for such a decision would be difficult.

A grand performance was planned and paid for by the Crown to perform across the country. Ideally it would please the people and keep their mind off other matters. One such thing that needed attention drawn away from it was the Laws of Burgos. These laws had been established far back during the initial colonization efforts of Hispania. They stipulated rules and regulations for the use of native labour. Most of the time, though, these laws were ignored. Rumours of its lax enforcement kept making their way back to the king’s ears. Seeing as the court had decided upon a policy of coexistence years ago, Ferran IV felt it best to maintain good relations with the locals, and that required not abusing them as forced labour. Efforts to enforce these laws were increased.

With Austria’s loss of the imperial crown, the Protestant League continued to grow. Catholic nations continued to join it, seeing the league less as a group of religious brethren but as a means to strike against their rivals. Tuscany, Venice, Great Britain, and others were willing to abandon the Church for a little revenge. Perhaps now more than ever the Catholics of Europe needed Hispania’s help.













JpsioAG.png

Presenting His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights.

The French work in such mysterious ways. First they can’t decide whether they love us or hate us, and now they start a war over Barrois and don’t even take the province. Fools. At least now they may be more willing to aid us in our own efforts.

I fear though that this last war has shattered some of the trust the Greeks had in us. We failed to protect them, even if our efforts did end the war. We must attempt to make amends with them.

I also have more joyous news. My daughter, Princess Clara, has come of age. I believe it is time that she be presented to the court. Suitors from across Europe will be coming to Valencia to win her hand and I encourage you all to attend the debutante to get to better know my dear daughter. ((This will be our event for this week. Don’t worry, I have something planned to spice it up a bit. ;)))


((Sorry for the delay. Work took up more time than expected and the holidays are always a mess. Anyway, on to business as usual. I will give all ministers until Friday at 12pm PST to post plans. Anyone may propose laws in that time too. There are some ministries that haven’t had proper plans in some time, so I suggest every minister do so even if it’s just keeping things the same. It should be noted that anyone may request we join one of the HRE religious leagues at any time if they want to redo the earlier vote.

Also, I didn’t notice until the end of the update that our conquistador, Hernando Francisco de Leon, has been sitting in the western tip of Alaska for who knows how long. I believe we’ve officially explored all of the Americas. @zenphoenix, you may want to consider a new occupation. :D

Pensioners:
@Luqueasaur
@cheif bearpaw
@Andre Massena

Dying:
@TJDS
@EmperorBasilius
@GreatUberGeek))
 
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It was the end of another day. Auguste went to his room to sleep... All of this was so tiring... Maybe he should rest a bit longer... Yes that can't hurt... And so he fell asleep never to wake up again.
And so Auguste de Saint-Pierre died during his sleep.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name: Henri de Saint-Pierre
Date of birth: 1544
Class: Courtier
Religion: Catholic
Bio: 'Son' of Auguste de Saint-Pierre. Henri is a selfish, greedy, wrothful man willing to do anything for his closest family and himself. He tries to manipulate as much people to his side, Henri is not afraid to bribe, threaten or even blackmail as long as it brings results.


A letter to King Ferran IV de Trastámara,

Your Majesty,
I write to you to ask you for the position of Grandmaster. I simply wish to relief you of the burden that this role might be. It is known that my family always brought wealth to the Kingdom thanks to good relations between my company and Crown Merchants. I hope you will entrust my family once again to oversee the trade. With that said I would also wish to become a Crown Merchant. I hope you will see reason in my requests and grant them.
Your humble servant,
Henri de Saint-Pierre
Head of the Trans-Atlantic Trading Company

A letter to Jan Pieterszoon van Antwerpen ( @ThePatriotOfDreumel )
I wish to congratulate you on winning the last elections in the council of the Trans-Atlantic Trading Comapny. With this you are officialy the head of the council until the next elections occur. I hope that you will bring more profit for the company, and that you will not disappoint me or other councillors who have entrusted you with this position.
Henri de Saint-Pierre

((Basically RNG decided that Dreumel won this election and gets to become the first player controlled head of TATC's council. Which mean he gets to pull most of the strings around the compnay))
 
It all came so suddenly. But then again Hernando Francisco had been expecting the message from home for a long time now.

His mission was to march north into the uncharted regions of the continent. He was to explore, to make first contact with natives, to add lines and names to the maps. And he did all of that faithfully. He began his journey at the great native city of Tenochtitlan, where he observed the savage rituals of human sacrifice occurring at the main temple. From the stone city on the lake he trekked northwards with his men. He found no more stone cities but rather small adobe villages and at one point an impressive town built into a cliff wall. Yet there were no cities of stone or gold here.
He made his way up the coast, marching through the dry deserts, vast valleys, and towering peaks of what he dubbed "California," a land with beautiful geography. He came across a large bay surrounded by marshlands where fish and wildlife was plentiful. The natives here, the Miwok, were welcoming as always. This bay would be a perfect place to build a grand Hispanian harbor and a great Hispanian city.
He marched further north, as he could not cross the mountains of the east into the Great Basin. He found another bay, where a tribe called the Salish lived. He observed the totem poles they worshipped and the expertly crafted canoes they and the neighboring Chinooks used to hunt whales and fish. Yet there were no cities here as well, at least not yet, so he moved on.
The climate grew colder and the rain came down fast and hard, almost like the storms he had encountered in Sanchonia. The forests and mountains grew larger. He was not used to this weather. None of his men were. Many died from the cold and the native diseases, and the survivors continued on their journey.
Finally, after months of trekking through the wilderness, they arrived. They arrive at the northern and westernmost extreme of the continent, a small island off the coast of what the natives called "Alaska." The local people, the Aleuts, gave them shelter and food.
They stayed in the Aleut village for a long time. How long, Hernando Francisco forgot. They made friends with the natives and, for lack of a better description, were integrated into the society.
Some soldiers began teaching the Gospel to the natives. There were few converts, mostly those who had managed to pick up Spanish. The natives learned really fast. Some figured out how guns worked on their own, to Hernando Francisco's shock. Others debated theology skillfully with the expedition's head priest, and even the priest admitted he was stumped by the native arguments. Some other soldiers even intermarried into the local population, despite Hernando Francisco's warnings and disapproval. Many of them participated in the villages activities, hunting bears alongside the native warriors and rapidly gaining what could only be described as honors from the elders. Trophies of small wooden totems, bear skins, and whale teeth were awarded to some of the expedition members. Perhaps these natives weren't as savage as they seem... Hernando Francisco thought.
Sometimes Hernando Francisco walked to the westernmost point on the island, a small hill overlooking the frigid northern waters. Fog usually obscured his view, but occasionally the fog lifted, allowing him to see a coastline on the other side of the waters. He postulated that that land was the easternmost point of Asia, but until he could get there and walk to China from there he could not be sure.
After what seemed like an eternity, a messenger arrived from Panama. The king was giving him orders to return home for further instructions. Many in the expedition leaped at the opportunity to go home, but others were reluctant, not wanting to leave the village they had come to call home. Hernando Francisco, wanting to obey the king, decided to leave the men behind. He would tell the Europeans that they had died or gotten lost.
He bade farewell to the Aleuts and began the long journey home. Once back in Hispania, he was met with little celebration. He realized that he was the last conquistador, the last man to explore the Americas. And his job was done. The conquistadors were no longer necessary. He had finished the work of his father and his grandfather and the other Leon conquistadors now. What was his purpose now?
Europe had changed dramatically since he had departed to the Americas. The Reformation and its heresies was growing more and more powerful by the day. The Holy Roman Empire was becoming polarized into Catholic and Protestant leagues, with many Catholic nations siding with heretics for political gain. It wouldn't be long before war broke out, a war larger than any before, one which would engulf most if not all of Europe and Christendom.
Here, he saw a new purpose for him, a way to reinvent himself and his family.
The Age of Conquistadors was over. The Age of the Counter-Reformation was here, and he would serve king, Pope, and God in battle against the heretics.

((Requesting to be a normal general, with a focus on fire.))
 
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A letter to King Ferran IV de Trastámara,

Your Majesty,
I write to you to ask you for the position of Grandmaster. I simply wish to relief you of the burden that this role might be. It is known that my family always brought wealth to the Kingdom thanks to good relations between my company and Crown Merchants. I hope you will entrust my family once again to oversee the trade. With that said I would also wish to become a Crown Merchant. I hope you will see reason in my requests and grant them.
Your humble servant,
Henri de Saint-Pierre
Head of the Trans-Atlantic Trading Company

JpsioAG.png

Your family has served us admirably for so long, so I have no issue with you taking up the position. Less work I have to do.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights

((To make it fair, if anyone else requests the Grandmaster position, I will most likely grant it to them. I don't want 05060403 to have it forever if someone else wants it. :p))

((Requesting to be a normal general, with a focus on fire.))

((Seeing as you are already a conquistador, I'm just going to swap you over to a general, add a few pips, and then rearrange them with fire focus. I feel it's only fair seeing as your job suddenly became obsolete. That reminds me...))

JpsioAG.png

I feel it is time to recognize those that have served Hispania with undying loyalty and unprecedented skill. These men have done much to make this kingdom great and thus I believe they should be admitted into the Royal Order of the Light.

For his tireless service as a general of Hispania, for his stoic perseverance when faced with endless tasks that placed him all over Europe and even in Africa or the New World, and for his bravery in the face of the Austrian attack on Constantinople, I wish to admit Duke Niccolo Limmona into the Order.

For his endless service to the Crown, for his perseverance in the face of untold perils, for charting an entire continent and revealing the mysteries of the New World, I wish to admit Hernando Francisco de Leon into the Order.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights
 
(( Corrected colonies list

O5060403 - Mahe
ThePatriotOfDreumal - Rio de Janeiro
Keinwyn - Sergipe
Totally Oink - Bolina

Inactives (lowest priority):
Supergrej - Parabia
Firehound15 - Pamlico
))
 
King Ferran IV welcomed the guests into the palace. Some expressed their great interest in meeting the princess, while others seemed more interested in the free food. The Trastámaras did not skimp on the hors d'oeuvres. As he idly chatted with a few guests, he kept glancing towards the entrance. His daughter was supposed to have arrived a half hour ago. It was not much of a debutante ball without the debutante.

* * * * *

Princess Clara stuck her head out of the spare room and glanced down the hallway. Not a person in sight. She slipped out in the hallway and adjusted her dress. It was all crumbled and ruffled near the bottom, probably because she'd had it pulled up past her hips for the last twenty minutes. A quick adjustment of her top made sure her breasts wouldn't pop out if she ended up dancing at her own ball. Of course she made enough cleavage was showing to please most men. She wasn't afraid to give men, and perhaps a few interested women, a good peak at the goods, but she wasn't going to show the whole works right away. A man had to earn that privilege first.

As Clara started working on getting her hair back into the up-do her servants had spent over an hour doing, the stableboy she had been fooling around with stumbled out of the spare room, a look of pure bliss on his face. She smirked at him, but he was lost in his own little world. She never failed to please. Once her hair was in order, or at least passable enough for a royal ball, she kissed the smitten man on the cheek and sped down the hall. She glanced back and watched as he staggered the other way. If someone found him now, they'd probably think he was drunk. Clara had that effect on men.

It took a few minutes to make it to the ballroom. Clara made sure to use the less-used passages of the palace to ensure no one knew where she'd been or what she'd been up to. By the time she reached the entrance, some of the servants were panicking. It wasn't her fault she liked to be fashionably late. As she stepped through the doorway, she could already make out her father glaring at her from across the room. Of course he was angry that she was late. She gave a slight curtsy and he just shook his head and looked away.

Clara gave her best dainty pose and looked over expectantly at the herald. He stuck up his nose, blew a short note on his trumpet, and announced, "Presenting Her Highness, Princess Clara de Trastámara."

The crowd broke out into polite applause as Clara sashayed into the ballroom. They had all come here to admire her, to celebrate her growth into womanhood, and perhaps to seek her hand in marriage. She already knew that her father intended to see he married off as soon as possible. Most likely he'd pick some stuffy old royal from the backwaters of Europe. There wasn't much she could do about that now. For the moment though, she could at least have a little fun. Perhaps some men here wanted her hand, but she was certain there were others that were more than willing to be her playthings. A stableboy was a mere distraction, a momentary bout of pleasure. Now a noble, that would be a thrilling pursuit. She'd take her pleasures where she could, but she was certainly going to aim high.
 
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During the débutante ceremony, Santoros approached the King.

"Your Majesty, I humbly ask that the position of Grandmaster be given to me, as I have long wished to be in that position, and I believe I am capable. Now, you may not think me a tradesman, but my time in Africa has honed my negotiation skills, and I have earned a small fortune through trade. As such, I confidently believe I am able for the post of Grandmaster."
 
Adam was at the gate of the palace,however a guard said he could not enter.
"What do you mean that I can not enter!' Adam said.
"Commoners can not enter" said the guard.
"What do you mean when commoners can not enter!I am not a commoner."
"Then what are you.A ghost,a demon?"
The argument went on for several minutes.
"I do not have time for this!"
Adam thought of what to do.He payed some man gold to distract the guard.
Then while the guard was distracted,Adam took the key to the palace,opened the gate and entered the palace and noticed the man entered as well.
 
Wolfgang Oliver Lübecker, 97, has died in his sleep yesterday. Still troubled with fighting people of his own kind, everything seemed to fade away...

((New Character!
Name: Robert Johann Lübecker
DOB: November 3, 1541
Religion: Catholic
Class: Courtier
Bio: I suck at these. :p
))
Your Majesty,

With my father's death, I will be taking his place at court. Besides that, like my grandfather Ernst before me, I humbly request that I serve as a merchant and the admiral of the Hispanian Navy. ((Too lazy to write anything else :p))

With regards,
Robert Johann Lübecker
 
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JpsioAG.png

Now that France's war is over, I believe it time to go ahead with my earlier plan to encourage our colonial nations to bring in under their rule the small native tribes on their borders. We can better enlighten them in the ways of God this way.

- Prince Marti de Trastámara

* * * * *

There are not many additions I need to make to my plans as steward. There are still plenty of building projects to conduct for now. The previous war, though, has made me realize that perhaps we should be looking to help better defend the Greeks. Too often have the Poles, Hungarians, and now Austrians just marched straight through the Balkans and right towards Constantinople. The Greeks have three forts, but they all are clustered together and defend the south. Seeing as we have no representative to Byzantium, as steward I suggest we do a favour for the Greeks and build a fort for them in Tarnova to better defend their northern border. Such a fort would help fend off most invasions from the north and ensure we don't experience another repeat of the last war.

- Crown Prince Pere de Trastámara

During the débutante ceremony, Santoros approached the King.

"Your Majesty, I humbly ask that the position of Grandmaster be given to me, as I have long wished to be in that position, and I believe I am capable. Now, you may not think me a tradesman, but my time in Africa has honed my negotiation skills, and I have earned a small fortune through trade. As such, I confidently believe I am able for the post of Grandmaster."

I suppose it is time we had some fresh blood as Grandmaster. You are welcome to the position.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights

((@05060403))
I have come to the realization that you were the man that cheated in my tournament. I cannot in good faith let you have control of the kingdom's trade as Grandmaster.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights

((Had to think up a reason why you'd suddenly lose the position after getting it. Thankfully your character made it easy. :D))

Your Majesty,

With my father's death, I will be taking his place at court. Besides that, like my grandfather Ernst before me, I humbly request that I serve as a merchant and the admiral of the Hispanian Navy. ((Too lazy to write anything else :p))

With regards,
Robert Johann Lübecker

I'm afraid I can no longer grant your request simply because it is not my purview. You must consult the Grandmaster if you wish to be a merchant, which at the moment we already have too many. As for becoming an admiral, you should consult the Grand Admiral.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights
 
The Iron Cardinal shook his head sadly as he brooded about the debacles of the past few years. France had destroyed the unity of the Catholic League over a war for Bar and they did not even take land. The Empire made a joke of the Counter Reformation by electing a weakling state as leader. The disgraceful Tuscany continued their heretical ways by warring the pope and Aragon did not even intervene. The king made a mockery of the Church by inviting a heretical philosopher to court and then fawning over a nonsense. It was enough to make him sick.

Velazquez believed that the Church, and therefore the world, was doomed if this sinfulness would continue. He was welcome back to Rome since his ideas had been in style now for years and some cardinals had called on him to once again defend the city against the evil Tuscans but he declined. Clearly God did not have any plans to put him in the position of leadership, for every project he conceived of (save the holy colony of Guantanamo, which he had not heard word from in years) had failed. Rhodes was the only home he had left. With little to do, he took his usual nap after Mass and slept soundly. It was not a bad life for an old man, but he could have done so much good for the world. If only everyone had listened to him...

((no changes to Knights plan))
 
To the honourable Niccolo Limmona, duke of Napoli and Capua
Our glorious king has expressed his will to rule the tribes living on the border of our colonies. I have been a mercenary all my life and a man of action cannot spend his life in the quiet boredom of the court without going crazy. I would appreciate to be a part of the forces that will submit those natives, as a soldier of course, I understand I am too young and new to this realm to lead men. I am quite experienced in battle though having fought various war in the Holy Roman Empire as a mercenary since the age of sixteen.
I thus offer my sword to you,
Lorenzo da Lusari

P.S.: I am addressing this request to you as you are marshall of the realm and a fellow italian, if this kind of matter has to be presented to the king directly I will of course do so.

((and if michaelangelo needs to be informed of this directly, if he doesn't read this private spoilers))
 
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How dare he?! That fool on the throne just ensured that the Crown will suffer from the lack of co-operation... But he needed to stay as calm as possible, do not give any sings of anger...

I have come to the realization that you were the man that cheated in my tournament. I cannot in good faith let you have control of the kingdom's trade as Grandmaster.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights

((Had to think up a reason why you'd suddenly lose the position after getting it. Thankfully your character made it easy. :D))

Your Majesty,
I fully understand. May I ask for a chance to redeem myself? I have noticed that the region of Sanchonia lacks a viceroy, I hope you will give me a chance and entrust that position to me.
Your humble servant,
Henri de Saint-Pierre

(( ;_; Damn you hirahammad!!! ))
 
Having snuck into the ballroom Lorenzo da Lusari tried to ignore some eyes glaring at his attire. He surely looked more like a soldier than an elegant noble. He liked it though, those nobles were too used to the court's luxuries, most went soft.

He wanted to see this ceremony, and this princess, anything that could distract him from the boredom of the court, so the young mercenary took place in some dark corner of the room, he probably wasn't all that welcome there, and maybe not even meant to be there. Mercenaries aren't very appreciated courtiers, even less if they are bastards, thank god most didn't know about his origins.

The princess was late and the servants were fairly agitated, he hated late people, that must have been a side-effect of leaving his life his short life on the frontlines, late allies were the worst on the battlefield. The princess finally arrived, she was voluntarily late, you could see it in her eyes, she had the same expression his highborn sisters had when they did the same at their parties. Those weren't nearly as grand as this one though. She seemed way too overjoyed for all those honors. She was beautiful though and every man in that room was staring. Most were hoping to marry her, he new how that worked, probably none of them would get her, idiots...

He tried to ignore all the praising and fawning going on in that ballroom and tried to focus on the food instead, he really needed to get some job to do. A sword and an enemy. This court life was just unbearably boring...
 
Count de Alvaro and his son Felipé entered the ballroom, the count supporting himself on his cane.
"Let me help you father." Felipé took his fathers arm and supported him across the room.
"These legs will soon give out my son, I am not a young man anymore." The count said as he sat down.
"I know father, but 68 years is not something to take lightly, you have taken care of Sassari for almost 40 years."
"Yes my son, and soon it will be your turn."
His father gave a gentle smile before he continued. "Now be a dear and fetch me some wine."
"Of course father."
Felipé hurried along and fetched a cup and handed it to his father.
The count took a sip. "This reminds me, have I told you about that time in Anatolia when me and my men were ambushed by a muslim band of robbers?"
Felipé chuckled. "Yes father, almost four times now."
The count smiled and sighed. "Fine then, run along and chatt with the guests now, I will remain here."
"Do not do anything stupid father."
Felipé said jokingly as he walked away.
The count chuckled a little. He will make a great leader someday. He thought as he took another sip of wine.
 
((Private))

The feast was a welcome change. After fighting in the war, admiring the late general Lübecker's use of the army's firearms, learning much in the battles they led together, he replaced much of his former shadowy underlings and took up the raising of his son. With no further news from the man in the tavern, he had to look for new ways of information.

((Public))

Before the feast, Duke Montségur personally saw to it that his nephew would have a good depart from Valencia for the New World. Camana, or San Dionisio as he was going to call it, would be his new home. He had to watch over the new colony in his name.

At the feast, Louis attended with his son. Now 16 years old, he would soon celebrate his marriage with Isabel Sastre, and it was never too early to introduce him to court. He enjoyed himself at the feast - the princess would certainly be married to a good match.

Now, where was his target again...

((The challenge still stands. Preferably to the death, or to a hand if not. Don't know if Henri is present, so I won't issue it again.:rolleyes:))
 
((Well you can finally have your duel :p Henri won't be really attending after recent events, so we'll have to find another way to find each other))

In one of many Valencia's taverns Henri was enjoying himself. One of his 'friends' approached him to tell him about Duke Montségur's plans:

"That old man?! I tell let him come for me! I'll cut off his arm, maybe that will teach him! That is if he's man enough to face me! He might be hiding in his castle scared of me: the might Henri de Saint-Pierre!"
the small crowd cheered for Henri as he prepared to leave in search of his challenger
 
Your Majesty,
I fully understand. May I ask for a chance to redeem myself? I have noticed that the region of Sanchonia lacks a viceroy, I hope you will give me a chance and entrust that position to me.
Your humble servant,
Henri de Saint-Pierre

JpsioAG.png

I suppose the TATC monopoly in the area will greatly assist with keeping Sanchonia in line. Very well, you may have the position.

- His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights

((The challenge still stands. Preferably to the death, or to a hand if not. Don't know if Henri is present, so I won't issue it again.:rolleyes:))

((Well you can finally have your duel :p Henri won't be really attending after recent events, so we'll have to find another way to find each other))

((Well once 05 decides upon a weapon and both choose whether it is to the death or first blood, I'll do the rolls for the duel. Hell, you could even have it happen in the palace courtyard to spice up the ball. :D))