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Michaelangelo

Archaeopteryx
143 Badges
Feb 3, 2011
8.007
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Hello! Welcome to Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR. Empire of the Mediterranean, or EotM for short, is an interactive AAR where you get to decide on the fate of the nation. I, Michaelangelo, shall be your host. I will also be playing your king (or emperor later on) for roleplaying purposes. Do note that I have not done an iAAR before, so please bear with me. I’ll gladly take any suggestions and advice at any point along the way. We will start in 1444 where we play as Aragon, and later Hispania, ruled by me your beloved king/emperor. Difficulty is normal and lucky nations are off. We will be using the DLCs Conquest of Paradise, Wealth of Nations, Res Publica, Art of War, El Dorado, and Common Sense, and will be starting with patch 1.12.2 (added Cossacks and updated to 1.15.1 later on). I’ll inform you of any changes to the DLCs or patch number, although I do not plan to update past 1.15.1. Make sure to read all the rules before posting or making a character.

As to why I have chosen Aragon (or Hispania if you've read far enough) for my very first iAAR, I ask why not? Aragon is perfectly placed to pursue many different paths. We could compete with our fellow Iberian nations in the race to colonize the New World. If not that, we could carve out a Mediterranean empire and tap into the riches that flow through the sea. Or maybe we could take on France or even make a grab for the Imperial crown of the Holy Roman Empire. The opportunities are limitless, and that works perfectly for an iAAR where the players decide the nation’s path.

I would like to give a big thank you to blklizard, who without his help I might never have gotten his iAAR off the ground. Initially this iAAR was meant to be a joint effort between us, but unfortunately most of his ideas proved to be too complex to be implemented. Despite the fact that he’s stepped back from this iAAR and started his own projects, I still consider him a co-founder and give him full recognition for the part he played in its creation. :)

Everyone seems to be using Coldfront for their iAARs these days, so I may as well follow the trend to cut down on OOC chatter. If you want to discuss anything out-of-character or simply want to chat with your fellow players, go to http://www.coldfront.net/tiramisu/ and type in “/join #EotM_Main” (without the quotation marks obviously) to join this iAAR’s main chat. I’ll try to get on there as often as I can.

It's never too late to join! The EUIV portion of this iAAR is officially over!

Jb84UKU.png

Full interactivity approved by Mr. Capiatlist.
 
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Table of Contents

Character Roster
Character Creation
Rules
Rules (Republic)
Changelog & Laws


EotM Conversion Mod
1821 Save File
iAAR Mod (17 January 2017)
Policies & Church Aspects
Possible Colonial Provinces - 1706+
Hispania's Eligible Bachelors and Bachelorettes


Facción de los Campos
Partido Reconquista
Facción Imperial
Facció del Fénix
Parta Marina
Facción de la Edredón


Trans-Atlantic Trade Company (Merger of TPTC & ATC)
Hispanian Suez Canal Company
Oriental Trading Company
Caribbean Trading Company
Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company
Atlantic Trade Company
Balkan-Iberian Trading Company



1444 Royal Address
1444-1447 - The Castilian War (Part I)
1447-1448 - The Castilian War (Part II)
1448-1451 - A Needy Ally
1451-1455 - Holy War (Part I)
1455-1458 - Holy War (Part II)
1458-1464 - Protector of the Greeks
1464-1468 - A Crisis Emerges
1468 - The Succession Crisis
1468-1477 - Restoration of an Empire
1477-1482 - Vengeance
1482-1487 - Peace & Quiet?
1487-1492 - An Easy Victory
1492-1495 - A Bloodless War
1495-1498 - Revenge (Part I)
1498-1501 - Revenge (Part II)
1501-1507 - Papal Relations
1507-1513 - Unification
1513-1516 - Quest for the New World
1516-1519 - The Third Castilian War
1519-1523 - Westward, ho!
1523-1525 - An Unexpected Surprise
1525-1530 - A Whole New World
1530-1534 - The Road to War
1534-1536 - Punching Bag
1536-1541 - The Greek Rebellion
1541-1544 - The Calm Before the Storm
1544-1545 - Piety
1545-1551 - Prosperous Times
1551-1555 - A New Age
1555-1561 - The Medici Conspiracy
1561-1566 - Reform
1566-1572 - The Genoese War
1572-1576 - A New Chancellor
1576-1579 - Imperial Division
1579-1584 - Humiliation
1584-1589 - Europe in Chaos
1589-1592 - Hispanian Religious Debate
1592 - Broken Alliance
1592-1598 - Fresh Wounds & Old Scars
1598 - Illness
1598-1601 - Iberia
1601-1606 - The Path to Empire
1606-1613 - A Friend in Need
1613-1619 - Failure to Intimidate
1619-1624 - Portuguese Problems
1624-1630 - A Long-Awaited Crusade
1630 - Unburdened
1630-1637 - Instability
1637-1644 - The Italian Wars
1644-1651 - The Dark Continent
1651 - Change on the Horizon
1651-1657 - The Last Crusade
1657-1661 - The Price of Tolerance
1661-1667 - At War with Religion
1667-1671 - The Council of Rome
1671-1678 - The Second League War
1678-1684 - The Inevitability of Death
1684-1689 - The Second Italian Wars
1689-1694 - A War on Inequality
1694-1700 - The Crown Jewel of Hispania
1700-1706 - A New Century
1706-1710 - Tensions & Tragedies
1710-1716 - Folly of the Faithful
1716-1719 - A Heavenly Omen
1719-1725 - War of the Empires
1725-1731 - Mare Nostrum
1731-1735 - Alone Amongst Friends
1735-1740 - Construction & Destruction
1740-1745 - The Quadruple Entente
1745-1752 - The End of an Era
1752-1753 - The Hispanian Civil War (Part I)
1753 - The Hispanian Civil War (Part II)
1753-1755 - The Hispanian Civil War (Part III)
1755-1760 - The German Question
1760-1766 - The Balance of Power
1766-1768 - Showdown
1768-1773 - The Franco-Austrian War
1773-1778 - The Valois Coup
1778-1783 - Misery for Malwa
1783-1788 - The Second Franco-Austria War
1788-1793 - The Opium Wars
1793-1798 - The Three Successors of Rome
1798-1804 - Rebellion & Revolution
1804-1811 - The Restoration of Order
1811-1816 - On Death's Door
1816-1821 - Into the Blue
The World in 1821
1821 - The Beginning of the End
1822 - The Breakdown of Order
1823-1824 - Escalation
1825-1826 - Domestic Woes
1827-1828 - Blood & Ballots
1829-1830 - Nationalism on the Rise
1831-1832 - International Tension
1833-1834 - Crumbling Empire
1835 - The Right to Rule
1835 - The Fate of the Crown

1821-1836 - The Rest of the World


1776 Election
1780 Election
1784 Election
1788 Election
1792 Election
1796 Election
1800 Election
1804 Election
1808 Election
1812 Election
1816 Election
1820 Election
 
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Character Roster

All current characters will be listed here. I will include your character name, username, date of birth, class, religion, and any other pertinent information. The voting power (VP) in the class titles are the base values, so a character may have more or less than that based on various factors like positions in court, religion, etc. I'll keep track of these values elsewhere. The number in parentheses after religion represents the order of appointment or time of joining the iAAR for each position (only applicable to clergy and unlanded nobles) and is only used when two people ask for the same position.

(Sample) Smitty Werbenjagermanjensen - Number1 - b.1400 - Noble - Catholic

For a list of available characters for marriage, check here: Hispania's Eligible Bachelors and Bachelorettes

Unlanded Nobles (1 VP)
Juan Augusto Adrián de Salcedo - Firehound15 - 28 August 1749 - Noble - Catholic

Counts/Landed Nobles (2 VP)
Alexandra von Politz - Duke Dan "the Man" - 7 May 1739 - Noble - Protestant
Altair Spoleto - texasjoshua - 17 August 1760 - Noble - Catholic
Félix Villanova - DragonOfAtlantis - 13 March 1796 - Noble - Reformed
Maximiliao Dias - Mach Twelve - 26 July 1785 - Noble - Catholic

Dukes (2 VP)
Fernando de Leon - zenphoenix - 1762 - Noble - Catholic
Guillen Tomas Ximon Etxeto - Dadarian - 21 February 1761 - Noble - Catholic
Martí de Alvaro - Robban204 - 8 March 1730 - Noble - Catholic
Matthias Louis Enrique Alfonso de Soneta di Belmonte - ML8991 - 17 August 1732 - Noble - Catholic

Royalty (3VP)

Courtiers (1 VP)
Adalberto Giordano - LostPatriot - 16 April 1750 - Courtier - Catholic
Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre - 05060403 - 1757 - Courtier (Merchant) - Protestant
Emiliano Faixòn - alscon - 17 December 1738 - Courtier - Protestant
Liu Shuangguang - wzhang29 - 1758 - Courtier - Protestant

Clergy (1 VP)

Archbishops (2 VP)

Cardinals/Pope (3 VP)
Justinian Lagos - hirahammad - 1750 - Clergy - Catholic
Lluis Kardinal Martínez Siechta - BelisariustheGreat - 13 April 1751 - Clergy - Catholic

Criminals (0 VP)



Titles

All provinces are listed here. Every province in Europe counts as a county and archbishopric. Territories are non-colony provinces outside Europe. I’ll also include the titleholder of each province, the faith of each province, and archbishop of each province in that order, provided there are any. Provinces designated as Crown lands are owned by the king, while those left blank are not currently owned by anyone.

Counties & Archbishoprics
Abruzzi - Christian -
Albenga - Robban204 (Duke) - Christian -
Alentejo - Christian -
Algarve - Christian -
Alicante - Crown - Christian -
Almeria - Christian -
Ancona - Christian
Arezzo - Christian
Asturias - zenphoenix (Duke) - Christian -
Athens - Crown - Christian -
Azores, The - Christian -
Badajoz - Christian -
Baleares, The - Idhrendur (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Barcelona - 05060403 (Duke) - Christian -
Bari - Trastámara - Christian -
Beira - Christian -
Braganca - Christian -
Burgos - Dadarian (Duke) - Christian -
Caceres - Christian -
Cádiz - Christian -
Cagliari - Robban204 (Duke) - Christian-
Calabria - Christian -
Canarias, The - Christian -
Cantabria - Christian
Capitanata - Christian -
Castilla La Vieja - Trastámara - Christian -
Coimbra - Christian -
Córdoba - Christian -
Corsica - Robban204 (Duke) - Christian -
Cosenza - Christian -
Cremona - texasjoshua - Christian -
Cuenca - Crown - Christian -
Draguignan - Christian -
Ferrara - Christian -
Firenze - Duke Dan "the Man" (Primary Title) - Christian -
Friuli - Christian -
Galicia - Christian -
Genoa - Christian -
Gibraltar - Christian -
Girona - 05060403 (Duke) - Christian -
Görz - Christian -
Granada - Christian - hirahammad
Istria - Catholic -
Jaén - Christian -
Krain - Christian -
La Mancha - Trastámara - Christian -
León - zenphoenix (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Lisboa - Christian -
Lucania - Christian -
Lucca - Christian -
Madeira - Christian -
Madrid - Trastámara - Christian -
Malta - Crown - Christian -
Mantua - Christian -
Messina - Christian -
Modena - Christian -
Murcia - Crown - Christian -
Mylasa - Crown - Christian -
Napoli - Christian -
Navarra - Dadarian (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Nice - Christian -
Palermo - Christian -
Parma - Christian -
Pirineo - ML8991 (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Pisa - Christian -
Porto - Mach Twelve (Primary Title) - Christian -
Provence - DragonOfAtlantis (Primary Title) - Christian -
Rhodes - Crown - Christian -
Rioja - Dadarian (Duke) - Christian -
Roma - Crown - Christian - The Pope
Romagna - Christian
Roussillon - 05060403 (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Salamanca - zenphoenix (Duke) - Christian -
Salento - Trastámara - Christian -
Salerno - Christian -
Sassari - Robban204 (Duke - Primary Title) - Christian -
Sevilla - Christian - BelisariustheGreat
Siena - Christian -
Soria - Crown - Christian -
Syracuse - Christian -
Tarragona - Crown - Christian -
Teruel - Crown - Christian -
Toledo - Trastámara - Christian -
Treviso - Christian -
Umbria - Christian -
Urbino - Christian -
Urgell - ML8991 (Duke) - Christian -
València - Crown (Capital) - Christian - Trastámara
Venezia - Christian -
Verona - Christian -
Vizcaya - Dadarian (Duke) - Christian -
Zaragoza - ML8991 (Duke) - Christian -

Colonies & Territories with Governors



Royal Order of the Light
(Royal Order of Lucrezia)
Lux tenebris vincet - "The light will overcome darkness"

Fernando de Vascona - Andre Massena
Luigi Castelozzi - alscon
Sebastián de Loarre - EmperorBasilius
Juan Ponce de Leon - zenphoenix
Denis Philippe de Montségur - alscon
Alejandro Sancho - Andre Massena
Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker - wzhang29
Juan de Soneta/Pope Stephen X - ML8991
Manuel de Vivar y Sastre - Keinwyn
Maxime de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Marti de Trastámara
Niccolo Limmona - AvatarOfKhaine
Hernando Francisco de Leon - zenphoenix
Almudena Hashem - hirahammad
Matthias de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Juan II Francesco Michael de Soneta/Pope Francis I - ML8991
Robert Johann Lübecker - wzhang29
Denis Vincent de Montségur - alscon
Maximilien Philippe de Montségur - alscon
Petros Madromenos - Mach Twelve
Demetrios Madromenos - Mach Twelve
Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Louis de Soneta - ML8991
Louis François de Montségur - alscon
Marti de Leon - zenphoenix
Fausto Villanova - DragonOfAtlantis
Alejandro de Leon - zenphoenix
Gilbert de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Andreu de Trastámara
Sancho Velazquez/Xystus II - hirahammad
Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos - Mach Twelve



Kings/Emperors

The current king/emperor and all his predecessors will be listed here. If we change to a republic, this will change to a list of presidents.

King Alfons V de Trastámara (Greedy, Honest, Brave) - b. 1396, d. 1447, r. 1416-1447 - Catholic
King Joan II de Trastámara (Diligent, Content, Craven) - b. 1398, d. 1468, r. 1447-1468 - Catholic
King Alfons VI de Trastámara (Diligent, Paranoid, Cruel) - b. 1432, d. 1482, r. 1468-1482 - Catholic
King Ferran II de Trastámara (Cynical, Humble, Cruel) - b. 1444, d. 1519, r. 1482-1519 - Catholic
King Ferran III de Trastámara (Pious, Humble, Brave) - b. 1482, d. 1545, r. 1519-1545 - Catholic
King Alfons VII de Trastámara (Greedy, Paranoid, Just) - b. 1504, d. 1569, r. 1545-1569 - Catholic
King Ferran IV de Trastámara (Slothful, Humble, Impatient) - b. 1536, d. 1598, r. 1569-1598 - Catholic
King/Emperor Pere V de Trastámara (Charitable, Trusting, Strong) - b. 1560, d. 1630, r. 1598-1630 - Catholic
Emperor Francesc I de Trastámara (Cynical, Ambitious, Strong) - b. 1577, d. 1651, r. 1630-1651 - Catholic
Emperor Ferran V de Trastámara (Slothful, Gregarious, Patient) - b. 1600, d. 1661, r. 1651-1661 - Catholic
Emperor Alfons VIII de Trastámara (Diligent, Content, Impatient) - b. 1630, d. 1676, r. 1661-1676 - Catholic
Emperor Joan III de Trastámara (Greedy, Humble, Just) - b. 1653, d.1719, r. 1676-1719 - Catholic
Emperor Jaume IV de Trastámara (Temperate, Shy, Impatient) - b. 1699, r. 1719-1752 - Catholic
Regent Alexis Cyril de Saint-Pierre (05060403) - r. 1752-1752 (10 minutes)
Regent & Empress Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos (Mach Twelve) - r. 1752-1755
Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara (Charitable, Honest, Just) - b. 1740, d. 1821, r. 1755-1821 - Catholic
Emperor Pere VI de Trastámara (Slow, Honest, Kind) - b. 1769, r. 1821-1826 - Catholic
Regent Joan de Trastámara (Greedy, Ambitious, Assertive) - b. 1779, r.1826-? - Catholic



Prime Ministers

Juan II Francesco Michael de Soneta/Pope Francis I - ML8991 - 1601-1630
Duke Felipé de Alvaro - Robban204 - 1630-1651
Count Petros Mandromenos - Mach Twelve - 1651-1684
Count Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre - 05060403 - 1684-1694
Duke Félicien Pierre de Montségur - alscon - 1694-1716
Crown Prince Jaume de Trastámara - 1716-1719
Duke Bartomeu de Trastámara - 1719-1719
Emperor Jaume IV de Trastámara - 1719-1725
Alexis Cyril de Saint-Pierre - 05060403 - 1725-1752
Empress Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos - Mach Twelve - 1752-1773
Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara - 1773-1816
Prince Joan de Trastámara - 1816-?



The Cabinet

Prime Minister - Prince Joan de Trastámara
Chamberlain - Altair Spoleto - texasjoshua
Speaker - Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Crown Prince Pere de Trastámara
Minister of the Interior - Altair Spoleto - texasjoshua
Minister of Finance - Martí de Alvaro - Robban204
Minister of Trade - Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Minister of War - Prince Joan de Trastámara
Minister of the Navy - Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre - 05060403
Minister of Religious Affairs - Justinian Lagos - hirahammad
Minister of Colonial Affairs - Fernando de Leon - zenphoenix
Minister of Justice - Juan Augusto Adrián de Salcedo - Firehound15
Minister of Education - Independent NPC (1812)



Roles

Generals - 6 Positions
Field Marshals - 2 Positions (Reserved for minister of war & appointed assistant)
Prince Joan de Trastámara

Captain Generals
Fernando de Leon - zenphoenix
Martí de San Dionisio - alscon (Non-Active)
Maximiliao Dias - Mach Twelve

Lieutenant Generals
Stefano von Politz - Duke Dan "the Man" (Non-Active)
Admirals - 3 Positions
Grand Admirals - 2 Positions

Fleet Admirals - 2 Positions (Reserved for minister of the navy & appointed assistant)

Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre - 05060403

Admirals

Vice Admirals
Albino Dionisio de Sevilla - NPC
Diplomats - 3 Positions
Adalberto Giordano - LostPatriot
Alexandra von Politz - Duke Dan "the Man"

Merchants - 8 Positions (+2 Reserved for Crown, +3 Reserved for TATC, +1 Reserved for CTC)

Colonists - 2 Positions

Missionaries - 2 Positions

Ambassadors - 1 Position per Subject Nation

Head of Police &/or Detectives - 2 Positions
Matthias Louis Enrique Alfonso de Soneta di Belmonte - ML8991
 
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Character Creation
Name:
Date of birth:
Class:
Religion:
House:
Faction:
Bio:

Name is pretty straightforward since it's what we call you.

Date of birth will determine your age and, ultimately, your death. To simplify everything, your character will live until a hundred years at the most, at which point I’ll be forced to kill them off. Of course there might be rare cases where a character will die prematurely and you’re free to kill your character off whenever you please, although it is recommended you don't do it within 10 years of your previous character's death.

Class is mostly for roleplaying purposes and to determine your position at court. It consists of nobles, clergy, and courtiers. Nobles start out as minor landholders or are landless. Clergy serve their respective church and are the only ones who can serve as Court Chaplain on the Council. Courtiers are everyone else from merchants to foreigners. They can all be granted a title to a province. I’ll delve into further details on these classes later, so read on if you want more information. If the government is a republic, then nobles are replaced by patricians. This will be explained later in more detail.

Religion is the faith that your character appears to follow. Your character may secretly follow a heresy or heathen religion, but if it is kept secret then you must PM your character's true faith to me and include the faith you want others to believe you follow here instead. You may also choose to be open about your true faith if it is a heresy, but you may be persecuted for it. Players have the option to petition the emperor for greater rights for heresies. More about religion will be included later.

House is the body of Parliament that your character sits in, if they do at all. If you are a landed noble, you are automatically a member of the Cortz. Anyone else may choose to be an elected member of the Assembly, or appointed if they prefer that. Players may choose to be a member of neither house, in which case they should state "None" as their house, but it is assumed that they vote through members of the Assembly.

Faction is the party you belong to in government. These are player-created and included in the table of contents. Keep in mind you may need the party leader's permission to join. If you'd prefer not to join any existing parties or wish to create a party after making your character, simply state "Independent" as your faction. If the government is a republic, players can choose between one of three factions representing administrative, diplomatic, and military, so try to pick the one that most fits your character’s personality. More information is included in the republic section.

Bio is a simple past to give your character more life. Chances are that this bit won't affect the character, but it’s fun to know. You can also include which province you'd like to be granted if you are a noble or clergy, or even a courtier if we don't have enough nobles. Be warned that the emperor/GM must approve you receiving that province first, so don't simply just claim it or you will be denied. There's a list below the character roster.

Please do not post anything other than your character info until I have okayed your character (I'll agree with your post in most instances to show approval).
 
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Notice: All information in italics are amendments to the rules made by player laws.

Rules

1. Be respectful to the GM and your fellow players. The goal here is to have fun and being disrespectful to others ruins that.

2. Follow the forum rules. This is self-explanatory and should be followed without question.

3. Everyone is allowed only one active character at a time. You may make use of nameless characters or family members if you wish, but only to express a point rather than to impact gameplay or in rare instances where non-active characters are allowed court positions.

4. No playing God. This means you cannot control other people’s characters or go against the decisions of the GM. You also cannot have your character do or be anything too unreasonable. For example, you can be a claimant to a foreign county, but you can't make yourself heir to the French throne. You could be a wealthy merchant with a luxurious home, but not one with 10,000 ships at your command and with more ducats than in all the treasuries in Western Europe. Try to be reasonable with your character's background and actions.

5. All non-character chatter should be in parentheses like so: ((Random chatter here)). This is to avoid mixing up OOC comments with in-character ones.

6. If you wish to post anything that only pertains to certain characters or is to be withheld from the others, put ((private)) or ((secret)) before your post. To further keep it private, I recommend placing all private posts in spoilers.

7. To make the GM’s jobs easier, please include your character’s name and class in either your post or signature. This helps me keep track of who everyone is and how to take their comments into consideration.

8. Please bold all votes for clarity.

9. If you wish to change your vote, make a new post that clearly says you’ve changed your vote, otherwise your vote may be declared void. Quoting your old post or explicitly stating what is being changed to what works best.

10. Post your votes only in this thread. Voting through PMs or in chatrooms only makes things more complicated for me.

11. The GM’s word is law and I reserve the right to veto anything. If you do have concerns or questions about something though, feel free to voice them.

12. Have fun!



Turn Sequence

For those unfamiliar with an iAAR, this is how the average turn will progress:

1. I will play for roughly 1-10 years. The time may change depending on what occurs in-game or if a war is going on. I will do my best to carry out any minister’s plans to the best of my ability.

2. If any event occurs that requires immediate player consultation, I will stop the game and post about the event. This will usually involve a vote of some sort or the action of a minister.

3. Once the gameplay is done, I will post an update of that time period.

4. The emperor will consult his court. The emperor may also hire or fire ministers and other actions.

5. All ministers will post any changes to the plans for their ministry. If nothing is posted, it is assumed that the plan has not changed, although posting nothing for multiple turns will most likely result in a dismissal from the Cabinet. Players may also petition the emperor by proposing changes to laws and other things, and then the emperor will decide whether to put such an issue up for a vote. These must be presented after the emperor first consults his court following an update and before the deadline for presenting ministry plans, upon which they'll then be put up for a vote. Elections for a new Speaker of Chamberlain must be done at this time. Feel free to roleplay to your heart’s content here.

6. A vote will be held for any issues that have arisen that require player consultation. All council plans will be considered passed if the emperor does not object to them in 24-48 hours or the stated time period or decides to put them up for a vote. Players should not propose any laws at this time.

7. Once all votes and plans are finished and all issues presented by the emperor have been dealt with, I will recommence playing. Keep in mind that the emperor will be unlikely to reply after the vote's deadline.



Classes

There are three classes in this iAAR: nobles, clergy, and courtiers. They all have minor differences, mostly to their voting power, but essentially play the same. I’ll give a better description anyway, as well as include sub-classes for each one and roles they may perform. It should be noted that players are free to make characters of any class and try them all out with new characters. However, a player is not allowed to return to an old character without permission and is recommended to only swap characters once every 10 years. With the addition of the Cossacks DLC, the three classes are now also represented by the three estates: nobility, clergy, and burghers.

Nobles – The aristocracy of Hispania. All nobles start out as small landholders or unlanded nobles (I count them both as unlanded for simplicity), but may be granted a title to more land. A noble with one title is considered a count, but is elevated to a duke if they have more than one title. They are given priority over courtiers when new provinces are getting handed out. All titles and land are inherited by their descendants if the player continues with their family line, but will be returned to the Crown if the player creates a noble character outside the family. A player with a title may make any clergy or courtier character and have their noble family keep their title, as long none of their current characters reach 100, otherwise their title will be forfeited. Unlanded Nobles may serve as governors for territories. Any noble may serve as a diplomat. Nobles may become dukes by serving on the Cortz d'Hispania. If the government becomes a republic, all nobles become patricians and lose their titles.
Sub-classes: Unlanded Noble, Count/Landed Noble, Duke, Royal.

Clergy – Men of the cloth, better known as priests. All clergy serve one faith or another and are the only ones who can serve as court chaplain. Clergy may be granted control of provinces designated as archbishoprics. They can also become cardinals if Catholic, with the longest-serving active archbishop receiving the position first, or even the Pope if Hispania becomes papal controller, with the longest-serving active cardinal taking the position. If there are less than three cardinals, an archbishop will be promoted to cardinal after at least one update. Players of other Christian faiths follow a similar method of promotion within their own churches. If a player becomes the Pope, they are granted the power to excommunicate other nations and players, as well as call crusades and dispute the appointment of archbishops. These appointments require the character to be younger than 80 years of age. Any member of the clergy, excluding the Pope, may serve as a missionary. Upon the character’s death, the archbishopric is returned to the Crown so that the king may give it to another member of the clergy, although if the same player makes another clergy character they will almost certainly get the same province back. Further detail on clergy is included in the religion section.
Sub-classes: Priest/Bishop/Clergy, Archbishop, Cardinal, Pope.

Courtiers – Essentially everyone besides nobles and clergy. These people can be anything from merchants to a travelling minstrel. All foreigners fall under this category. While courtiers can be granted a title to lands, the odds are likely against them and unlanded nobles will always be given priority. If granted a title, they instantly become a noble. Courtiers can also be appointed as governors for territories, much in the same way a noble can be given a title. Courtiers can also be appointed as diplomats, merchants, and colonists (the in-game envoys) by the emperor.
Sub-classes: Courtier



Roles

A role is a position at court that can be served by certain classes. In most instances, these roles are the in-game envoys, although the governors and others are not. The non-game ones are usually IC only. Governors merely govern colonial provinces and territories outside of Europe. Ambassadors serve as representatives to individual subject nations of Hispania, much like a diplomat but to one specific nation. Roles are considered separate from leaders and cabinet positions, and it is possible to serve in all three at once. A role may restrict a certain class from serving as a certain type of leader, as listed later under the Leader section. Just like with leaders and council positions, a player may only assume one role at a time. Each roles gives +1VP or voting power. Players may have one non-active character fill a role, but they will not receive VP for it and active characters will always be given preference. Their birth year must be included so I can track their age. Characters are appointed to positions by the appropriate minister, or the emperor if there isn't one. All new characters should wait one turn before they request a role. The roles, the classes that can serve them, and who appoints them are listed below.

Diplomat - Noble, Courtier - Appointed by the minister of foreign affairs
Merchant - Courtier - Appointed by the minister of trade
Colonist - Courtier - Appointed by the minister of colonial affairs
Missionary - Clergy - Appointed by the minister of religious affairs
Governor - Unlanded Noble, Courtier - Appointed by the minister of colonial affairs in a colonial nation, the trading company where they hold a monopoly outside a colonial nation, and the emperor everywhere else.
Ambassador - Noble, Courtier - Appointed by the minister of colonial affairs.
Head of Hispanian Detective Force - Any - Appointed by the minister of justice.
Head of Hispanian Police Force - Any - Appointed by the minister of justice.



Leaders

At any time players may offer their service as a general, admiral, conquistador, or explorer. However, only certain classes may fulfill these roles, and some of these roles may become outdated (conquistador & explorer). It is usually up to the emperor whether a character will serve in one of these roles, although specific leaders are appointed by the appropriate ministers instead. In the case of generals, certain roleplay requirements must be met first, mainly involving attending the military academy in Valencia and being promoted to the appropriate rank within the army. The current marshal appoints players to each rank, and the ones that lead in-game armies are included below. Further details are included in the Military Reforms of 1678. A similar circumstance exists for the navy and is detailed further in the Naval Reform of 1793. Those whose offer is accepted will be randomly assigned to armies or fleets where need be, and receive +1VP or voting power due to their new position. Players may have one non-active character fill a leader position, but they will not receive VP for it and active characters will always be given preference. Their birth year must be included so I can track their age. They will then be included in-game. If the in-game leader dies in battle, there is a 75% chance that the character has died and a 25% chance they were severely wounded. If the in-game leader dies outside of battle in hostile territory, there is a 20% chance they died and an 80% chance they were wounded or incapacitated. If the in-game leader dies during peace or in friendly territory, I will simply add them back into the game. If the character that "died" is over 80 years old, he is automatically retired instead. When a character is added back in, the leader is promoted and given an extra pip to represent knowledge gained from their experiences. All new characters should wait one turn before they become a leader. Here is a list of each class or role that can serve as each type of leader, as well as who appoints them:

General - Nobles, Courtiers - Appointed by the minister of war
Field Marshal - The minister of war and his appointed assistant
Captain General & Lieutenant General - Promoted from lower ranks by the minister of war
Admiral - Nobles, Courtiers, Merchants - Appointed by the minister of the navy
Grand Admiral - Highest rank in the navy
Fleet Admiral - The minister of the navy and his appointed assistant
Admiral & Vice Admiral - Promoted from the lower ranks by the minister of the navy
Conquistador - Unlanded Nobles, Courtiers - Appointed by the emperor
Explorer - Unlanded Nobles, Courtiers - Appointed by the emperor
None - Clergy, Diplomats, Colonists

As for player leaders' stats, the number of pips will be randomly decided by whatever the game assigns, although the player can impact how they are distributed. Players may request a specialization in either fire, shock, or manoeuvre, as well as siege if leading an army. If the player does not give me a stat focus, I will just let the game auto-create a leader.



Voting

One of the key features of any iAAR is the ability to vote on issues and decisions affecting the nation. This iAAR is no exception. Every player is permitted to vote, but each player will have different voting power or VP. This means that certain players will have their votes count for more based on certain factors which usually depend on class, role, and religion. Each class or subclass has a base voting power that can be modified by voting granted by roles, leaders, and council positions.

For nobles, their voting power is tied to their land. At the start, all the small landholding and unlanded nobles have one voting power, but can gain another by financially backing a colony. However, if granted a title to a province, the noble will receive a base voting power of two. Any noble serving on the Cortz or as Chamberlain receives +1VP.

For clergy, the process is the same as for nobles. All clergy have one voting power, but their base voting power is increased to two if they hold an archbishopric. If an archbishop is appointed cardinal or an equivalent rank, they receive three base voting power instead, and if they become Pope they receive four base voting power. Clergy appointed as missionaries receive +1VP.

For courtiers, they receive only one voting power. A courtier can, however, be appointed as governor of territories or financially back a colony for +1VP. Courtiers appointed as diplomats, merchants, or colonists also receive another +1VP.

If any noble, clergy, or courtier is appointed to the Council or as a leader (general, admiral, conquistador, explorer), they will receive one extra voting power for each one to represent their position. Council position VP bonuses do not stack except for the prime minister.

All players who are in prison instantly have their voting power halved, but can still participate in votes. Players who are criminals on the run have no voting power and can only participate in OOC votes.

Religion does come into play for voting power. Excommunicated Catholic players have their voting power halved. All open heretics instantly have their voting power halved too. This penalty can be removed through the petition process for religious reform. It should also be noted that the religion of the province of a landed noble and clergy with an archbishopric matters. All nobles and clergy who control a province that follows a heresy, specifically their primary titles if a duke, will have their base voting power halved. Each province of a duke that is not their primary title that follows a heresy reduces their base voting power by 0.5, although this penalty cannot go above 1VP and is applied before the penalty for heresy in a primary title. This is to represent that these nobles or clergy do not have the full loyalty of their own subjects, thus removing the extra influence from controlling that province. These characters will be informed of when their land converts to a heresy and will be given the option to convert themselves. These penalties do not stack though, so a heretic noble who controls a heretic province will not have their voting power halved twice, although an excommunicated noble with a heretic province will have their voting power halved twice, so it might be wise to convert to avoid further penalties. The penalty for controlling a heretic province can also be removed through petitions. Also, governors of territories are not penalized for controlling a heretic or heathen province, since the religion of the people there is part of the reason a governor is needed.

The influence of each estate, added with the Cossacks DLC, adds extra VP to all members of a specific class. For each 5 points of influence, every member of that class receives an extra +0.2VP. This VP bonus is applied after all other bonuses and penalties.

It should be noted how the penalties and bonuses to voting power are applied, and how that differs from base voting. Base voting power is defined by your class or subclass. This is the voting power you have before adding in any bonuses or penalties from positions at court or religious penalties. In regards to penalties, some are applied to base voting power and others to voting power after bonuses are applied. The penalty for controlling a heretic province only applies to base voting power, since it represents the loss of power usually gained from that land and is not particularly the player's fault. Excommunication and penalties for being a heretic are applied to the total voting power, so if a player has managed to maintain any positions at court they will have those bonuses added first before their voting power is halved. If a heretic or excommunicated player controls a heretic province, they will receive the penalty for the heretic province first, followed by the one for being a heretic/excommunicated. The estate bonus is applied after all penalties, since it is usually calculated as a lump sum for all class members rather than individually.

Voting power will always be rounded to the nearest .5 VP and can never go below 0.5, with the exception of criminals on the run. If penalties to voting power result in a number that isn't a whole number or doesn't end in .5, that number will be rounded to the nearest of those two.

With the creation of the Parliament, voting has been adjusted to account for the two houses and the addition of parties. Players who are a member of Parliament vote through whichever house they are a member of, be that the Cortz or Assembly. For those who are not members of Parliament, it is assumed they vote through AI members. The house they vote through is decided by their class, with nobles voting through the Cortz and everyone else through the Assembly. For any act to be written into law, it must pass through both houses.

When voting through Parliament, the voting system is slightly different. Rather than simply using VP to determine the strength of a player's vote, VP now influences how many of the AI members of the player's respective house in Parliament they control. Basically the composition of both houses will be determined during an election or over time, based on player membership in parties and events occurring in the iAAR and the game. Once the percentage of each house each party controls and the number of independents has been determined, VP will then be used to influence it.

If a player is a member of a party, they may influence the votes of their fellow AI members. Only party members may influence those votes, so a member of another party or an Independent has no way of influencing another party's votes. The amount of votes a player influences in their own party is determined by the percent of VP they possess amongst the total of all VP of all party members. It should be noted that only players who vote are counted towards the total VP. So let's say we have three people in Party A with 1, 2, and 3 VP each, and their party controls 30% of the Assembly. The total VP of the party would be 6. Using that, the 3VP player would control 50% of the party, and thus 15% of the Assembly, the 2VP would control 33% and 10%, while the 1VP player would control 17% and 5%.

Independents are treated differently. While only players in a party can influence their own party's votes, everyone can influence independents, including an Independent player. How many independents each player controls is calculated the same way as with parties, but all members of the respective house are influencing them, and thus it is determined by the percent VP of all players in that house. As with parties, only players who vote are counted towards the total VP. Let's take our three players from the last example and add in two more players with 2VP each, who are part of Party B that controls 20% of the Assembly. 50% of the Assembly is controlled by the two parties and thus can only be influenced by those parties, while the remaining 50% is filled with independents. Thus all five of those players compete for votes, with a total VP of 10. Based off their VP, the 3VP player would control 15% of the independents, the 2VP players would control 10% each, while the 1VP player would control 5%. If you count up the numbers, the players from Party A would get 30% of the independents and the two 2VP players from Party B would get 20% for their party, in effect creating a total of 60% and 40% for the two parties.

While players of a party may influence independents, so can independent players, those who are not members of Parliament, or those who simply don't want to join a party. They also compete for the independent votes, but they have the disadvantage of not having access to the various party votes. To make things more fair for them, their VP is doubled, giving them greater influence over their fellow independents. So using the last example, let's add in two more players, independents with 2 and 3VP respectively. The party players already have 10VP, but the independents add a further 10VP because their VP is doubled, creating a new total of 20. In this one instance, the numbers work out so all the party players have their influence halved from the previous example, so the 3VP player gets 7.5%, the 2VP players get 5%, and the 1VP player gets 2.5%. As for the two independent players, the 3VP one gets 15% from their now 6VP, and the 2VP one gets 10% from their now 4VP. To add it all up, the two independents control roughly 25% of the Assembly, Party A controls 45%, and Party B controls 30%.

There are benefits and disadvantages for both joining a party and remaining independent. Joining a party gives you access to a safe portion of the votes that cannot be affected by your opponents and with enough members can secure a majority, but being an independent can bolster your own vote especially if you have high VP but at the risk of having it weakened by the other players.

If for whatever reason a party ever ends up with no players representing it in a specific house, perhaps due to recent character deaths, party members focusing on a single house, or reforms affecting seats, the NPC members still present will follow the example of the other house, although with no players present the independents will not be influenced by that party.

There are times when this parliamentary system of voting cannot be used, mostly when voting on anything with multiple options that does not fit the traditional yes/no formula. This is due to the fact that with two houses, it is much more difficult to get a clear answer if both houses vote for two different choices, of which neither are the status quo. When this is the case, such as when voting on a mission or idea group, players will vote using the old system where VP is used to calculate a person's vote and they are not separated by house.

Due to the complexity of this voting system, the estate bonuses for each class do not apply to any vote done this way. It is simply an unnecessary step, what with most classes being separated into different houses anyway. The estate system still applies to votes that require the old system of voting.



Petition

All players have the option to petition the emperor during a specified time, usually just after an update and before the vote starts. This means that they may present laws or proposals for him to consider. These can range from fluff laws meant to add to the roleplaying experience to a full-on constitution. Players may also suggest in-game events, or create custom events if they have a one-time effect. The emperor will then decide whether or not to put it up for a vote. These should all be presented before the vote starts. It is entirely up to me as to whether or not these will be up for a vote, so don't expect some crazy or drastic law to get my approval. All players will then vote on it, and if it passes it will be implemented into the iAAR. The person who presented the law is free at any time before the law is put up to a vote to amend or withdraw the law. Laws may not be amended once up for a vote. It should be noted that players may also propose changes to game rules, mechanics, or the structure of this iAAR, although preferably presented OOC. As GM I will then consider whether there should be a vote on the suggestion. This iAAR will always be a work in progress, so suggestions help improve the experience.



Titles

Titles originally gave players the right to rule or govern a province, at least IC-wise, but now are mostly titular or come with estates in the specific province. All landed nobles have a title to at least one province, while unlanded nobles may be given one of their own at a later date. Titles of nobility tied to a province will always be given to nobles first. Courtiers may be given a title, but usually only under extraordinary circumstances when the character has done something significant to warrant it. All nobles who are given the title to a province are considered counts, while any courtier who is given a title is then elevated to that position.

Nobles may gain more than one title or province, but only under specific circumstances. Upon receiving more than one title, a count is elevated to a duke. If a player reaches four provinces, they become a grand duke. There is no set limit for how many titles a noble can accumulate, although the emperor may take action if a noble becomes too powerful. The emperor may grant more titles to a noble at his discretion. Nobles may also inherit titles from other players. If the succession of a noble family would see the title to a province be inherited by another player’s character, then that player receives that title. It should be noted that a player’s primary title cannot be inherited by another unless that player either willingly gives it up or their dynasty goes extinct (leaves the iAAR). This type of inheritance requires both involved players' approval. It should be noted that unclaimed provinces can only be obtained by a player if the emperor allows it. That means a player may not make up a dynasty for an unclaimed province and then marry their noble character into it to make them the heir.

While not exactly titles, clergy may claim an archbishopric, thus elevating their position in the kingdom’s religious structure. Each clergy is restricted to only one archbishopric.

All provinces outside Europe are considered colonies or territories and thus require governors. Any courtier or unlanded noble may become a governor of any of these provinces. This role is mostly for roleplay purposes, with the player having no impact over the treatment of the province in-game. Players may choose to be governor of a specific province or a certain region (ex. West Africa). Players may also become governors for provinces within colonial nations, but not of the actual colonial nation itself, seeing as the game assigns a governor itself. Be warned that since those provinces are out of our direct control, the position of governor may be lost if the colonial nation somehow loses the province or declares independence. Governors for provinces within colonial nations are appointed by the appropriate viceroy, or emperor if there is none. If a province falls within the control of a trading company with a monopoly (excluding colonial nations), then the trading company appoints the governors. Regional governors may also appoint provincial governors for provinces within their region. The position of governor is considered a role and grants +1VP. Non-active characters, such as the unlanded sons of a noble, may also become governors, but for obvious reasons they do not receive the voting power bonus. Any player who funds a colony and is eligible to be a governor has first dibs on being governor of that province.



Estates

With the addition of the Cossacks DLC, we now have the estate system to use. Each class is tied to a different estate and receives bonuses and penalties from each of them. Influence and loyalty will have a direct impact on VP and how coups work. In the case of influence, it represents an estate’s power at court. It is tied directly to VP, granting a bonus the higher it is. Extra VP is assigned to each member of an estate based on the influence they have. Influence can be raised and lowered by proposals and decisions from the forum, which will be determined at the GM’s discretion. Each 5% of influence increases VP for all members of that estate by +0.2.

Having influence over 80% lowers the threshold for coups designed to install a government specific to each estate. Each percent above 80% lowers the number of votes required for those specific coups by 1%, for a maximum of 20% at 100 influence. Keep in mind that revolt risk still influences coups and that the required votes cannot drop more than 20% below their required value. However, if the disaster associated with high influence triggers, the minimum cap is removed for that specific coup. This means that if revolt risk is particularly high, it is possible for a government change coup to succeed with under 50% of the votes. If the disaster is removed, the cap is reinstated. The following estates receive the bonus from influence to the following coups:

Courtiers – Change to any republic (excluding noble republic). If the government is currently a republic, the coup for changing to a government of the same type is used, meaning 70% of the votes is needed instead of 80%.
Clergy – Change to theocracy.
Nobles – Change to noble republic. If the government is currently a republic, the coup for changing to a government of the same type is used, meaning 70% of the votes is needed instead of 80%.

Loyalty does not so much as represent the players’ loyalty as that of the NPC portion of their estate. It can be raised and lowered through proposals and decisions in the forum affecting that estate, which will be determined at the GM’s discretion. It basically represents how much the NPCs in each estate support the government, and thus their chance of supporting a coup. The bonuses and penalties work as such:

<40% Loyalty – The NPCs support a coup. They grant all members +1VP to coup attempts and -1VP if voting against coups.
40-59% Loyalty – The NPCs are neutral and do not grant extra VP to coup attempts.
>=60% Loyalty – The NPCs are against coups. They grant all members +1VP against coup attempts and -1VP if voting for coups.

Estates do not control provinces, as the game shows, but rather greatly influence them. If an estate controls a province in-game, they are merely considered the most influential of the estates in that province. This only affects the iAAR in RP reasons and in-game bonuses/penalties. For example, if a province is controlled by the clergy, that does not mean the noble of that province loses their title. Instead they are merely less influential than the clergy in that province. It has no major effect on any affected player or their VP.



The Emperor

The emperor has the power to veto any decision of his ministers or any vote, before or after they are conducted, at his discretion unless the government type is constitutional monarchy. He may also appoint and fire ministers at will at the game start. While he defers to his ministers and takes his subjects into consideration, it is a monarchy after all and he has the final say in everything. To make it fair, the emperor has only one veto per turn, so if multiple issues are brought up, he may only pick one to veto. He may choose which nations to arrange royal marriages with, hire in-game advisors, take out and repay loans, fabricate claims, upgrade ships, and attempt to lower war exhaustion, although some of these overlap with the duties of ministers. If a minister's plans are vague or there simply isn't one, the emperor will attempt to carry out the duties of the position as best as he can. The emperor may also break any of these rules and act unilaterally, but this will risk a coup as explained later.

One of the emperor's greatest powers, and one that cannot be taken away from him, is the ability to hand out titles for provinces. Whenever a new province is acquired, or a province does not have an owner, the emperor may grant the title for that province to any player. Counties can be given to nobles and courtiers, while archbishoprics must be given to clergy. Nobles are given priority for new counties over courtiers. The emperor may also keep counties for the Crown if he pleases. The emperor may only revoke a title if the player holding it is convicted of a crime. If a character's family dies out, their title is returned to the Crown or inherited by another player with ties to the family. Archbishoprics are returned upon death of the owner and given to a new member of the clergy, although if the player makes another clergy character they will probably receive the same province. If the Pope is a player, he may dispute the appointment of any Catholic bishop. The emperor may also appoint courtiers as governors of colonies. All provinces grant the owner an extra vote.

Each emperor will have a unique personality determined by his stats and partially at random. This personality will influence how he acts towards his subjects and the direction he wishes the nation to take. These are mostly modelled after CK2 traits, so they will hopefully be familiar. The emperor will receive one trait for his administrative, diplomatic, and military stats, for a total of three traits. There are eight traits based on each stat, with four for lower stats and four for higher stats, while all eight are used for any 3 stats. The lower each stat is, the more likely the king will have a bad trait.

Administrative
0-3

Slow – Does not understand most things and is more likely to rely on the Council.
Greedy – Covets personal wealth.
Cynical – Cares nothing for religious matters and is more likely to accept heretics.
Slothful – Prefers to rely on the Council to run the nation than do real work.
Gluttonous - More likely to do everything in excess.

3-6
Genius – Thinks logically and is unlikely to make hasty or rash decisions.
Charitable – More willing to help his subjects and provide them with what they need. Puts the nation first.
Pious – Strongly supports the state religion and puts religious matters first. Hates heretics.
Diligent – Actively participates in government and decisions that affect the nation.
Temperate - Prefers to take things one at a time or in moderation.


Diplomatic
0-3
Paranoid – Closely scrutinizes the actions of his subjects and thinks they’re out to get him.
Deceitful – More likely to act behind his subjects’ backs.
Proud – Sees himself as the sole power in the nation and is more likely to act unilaterally.
Content – Fine with the status quo and leaving things the way they are.
Shy - Is uncomfortable speaking around others.

3-6
Trusting – Willing to take people at their word and more likely to let the Council act independently.
Honest – Truthfully voices his opinions.
Humble – Respects his subjects and recognizes the role they play in the fate of the nation.
Ambitious – Wants to further both his own power and that of the nation.
Gregarious - Confident and comfortable talking to others.


Military
0-3
Craven – Would never lead an army.
Arbitrary – There is little logic behind his decisions.
Impatient – More likely to act hastily and without forethought.
Kind – Respects his subjects of all creeds, culture, and faith.
Meek - Easily pushed around and indecisive.

3-6
Brave – Eager to lead an army into battle.
Just – Treats others fairly.
Patient – Willing to wait for a consensus or a good opportunity to act.
Cruel – Prone to aggressive action and strikes against anything that stands against him.
Assertive - Strong-willed and decisive.

The royal family and who is born into it has been separated from the game and is now determined using some formulae and an RNG. All the information used will be included here, although it may change as I test it out.

Each potential parent is assigned a specific fertility value that impacts the chance of conceiving a child, as determined by the roll included below. A second roll is done to determine if each parent is lustful or chaste, with a 10% chance of each. If a parent is lustful, fertility is increased by 5; if a parent is chaste, fertility is decreased by 5. This value is also impacted by the level of inbreeding. Each partner loses an extra one point for every shared ancestor up to great-great-grandparents (don’t forget to add parents for parentless family tree members).

1-5: -100 Fertility
6-10: -20 Fertility
11-20: -15 Fertility
21-30: -10 Fertility
31-40: -5 Fertility
41-50: -2 Fertility
51-70: 0 Fertility
71-80: +2 Fertility
81-90: +5 Fertility
91-95: +10 Fertility
96-99: +15 Fertility
100: +20 Fertility

The age of the potential parents also impacts the chance of conception. The values differ for men and women. The first values are for men and second for women.

10-11: (-20, -15 F)
12-15: (0, 0 F)
16-20: (+3, +3 F)
21-25: (+5, +5 F)
26-30: (+4, +4 F)
31-35: (+3, +3 F)
36-40: (+2, +2 F)
41-45: (+1, -5 F)
46-50: (+1, -10 F)
51-55: (0, -20 F)
56-60: (0, -30 F)
61-65: (-5, -100 F)
66-70: (-10, -100 F)
71+: (-20, -100 F)

Each year a roll is conducted using an RNG from 1-100 to determine the chance of conception. This value is modified by fertility and age.

1-70: No Conception
71-75: Troubled Conception (-10 to child birth roll)
76-95: Normal Conception
96-100: Healthy Conception (+10 to child birth roll)

When a child is conceived, a roll is done to determine the health of the baby.

1-5: Mother dies & reroll with -30 for child’s health
6-15: Stillborn (permanent -2 to fertility)
16-20: Miscarriage
21-40: Sickly (-30 to child survival roll)
41-85: Normal
86-97: Healthy (+30 to child survival roll)
98: Twins with both sickly (-30 to child survival roll)
99: Twins with both normal
100: Twins with both healthy (+30 to child survival roll)
+100: Roll RNG with 1-30: healthy child; 31-50: healthy twins; 51-70: sickly triplets; 71-90: normal triplets; 91-100: healthy triplets.

If a child was born recently or one died that year, parents are less likely to have a kid soon after. These penalties do stack.

1 year ago: -10 Fertility per child born
2 years ago: -5 Fertility per child born
Child died that year: -5 Fertility per child death

If the couple already have children, they are less likely to have more children. A penalty is added to fertility for each living child, but only after the initial birth penalty is applied (3 years later) and based on the gender of previous children. The penalty is doubled if the mother is over 40. The penalty is removed if the child dies.

Living child if no son exists: -1 fertility per child (-2 after 40 for mother)
Living child if son exists: -2 fertility per child (-4 after 40 for mother)

There is a 50/50 chance of the child being either gender, determined by the usual 1-100 RNG roll.

Odds: Male
Evens: Female

Another roll is conducted to determine if the child survives childhood, as well as when they’ll die if they do not survive. This can be modified by the child’s health at birth. If at any time a perfect 100 is rolled, regardless of applied modifiers, the child is considered guaranteed to survive childhood and given +10 the death decade roll.

1-10: Died at 1
11-15: Died at 2
16-20: Died at 3
21-24: Died at 4
25-28: Died at 5
29-32: Died at 6
33-35: Died at 7
36-38: Died at 8
39-40: Died at 9
41-99: Alive
100: Instant survival

After surviving childhood, another roll is done to determine which decade of their life they will die in. 10 is subtracted from the roll for sickly children and 10 is added to the roll for healthy children. This roll does not apply to rulers and their heirs.

1-15: 10-19
16-25: 20-29
26-35: 30-39
36-50: 40-49
51-70: 50-59
71-90: 60-69
91-95: 70-79
96-97: 80-89
98-99: 90-99
100: 100

If the parents have been assigned personality traits and stats, and the child will be as well, there is a chance that personality traits may be inherited. For every stat that is within the same range (0-2 or 4-6), there is a 50% chance of the child inheriting the same trait. If both parents have a stat within the same range as their child or the child has a 3 stat, there is a 25% chance of inheritance for the trait of each parent.



The Cabinet

The emperor may be the official ruler, but sometimes he needs advice and guidance. That’s where the Cabinet comes in. This consists of his subjects who are appointed to positions of power to help choose the direction the nation should take. The emperor appoints a new prime minister when he ascends to the throne, who then appoints all other ministers. The prime minister may claim any cabinet positions for himself. The prime minister may appoint whoever they want to any positions and is free to dismiss and appoint most ministers at the moment of his appointment. The exceptions are the chamberlain, who is appointed by the Cortz, and the Speaker, who is appointed by the Assembly There is no limit to how many positions one person may hold.

All ministers receive +1VP to represent their position of power and influence in court. Players only receive the bonus once, even if they hold multiple offices, with the exception of the prime minister, who receives a max of +2VP.

The prime minister may fire any minister, but only with the emperor's consent. The emperor may hire or fire a prime minister whenever he pleases. The emperor will fill any positions left vacant, although an NPC, but not a non-active player's character, may be appointed or elected to any position. If any ministers do not perform their duties by not producing a plan for two turns in a row, the emperor will take over for them without penalty until the prime minister fills the position. If a minister simply wants to keep the same plan, it should be explicitly stated. Players may not object to plans unless the emperor explicitly puts them up to a vote, although they may speak out against them.

In the case of a regency, the ministers serve as the regency council, with the designated regent at its head, until the emperor comes of age, when they can be removed from their position. Whenever a new emperor takes over, the entire council is fired and a new prime minister is hired with the task of replacing the ministers, although the emperor can just let the ministers retain their position.

Small Cabinet
Prime Minister - The prime minister, or first minister, serves as the head of the council and is appointed directly by the emperor. They appoint all other ministers, with the exception of the chamberlain and spymaster. They also may object to any minister's plan and put it up to a vote. They may take any ministry as their own. If they hold a second position, they receive the VP bonus for both that and this position. They may be appointed regent during a regency, taking on many of the monarch's powers.

Chamberlain - The chamberlain is a representative of the nobles to the Crown appointed by the Cortz and serves as the head of the Cortz. He does not form plans, but merely represents the will of the nobility directly to the emperor. He suggests the use of estate actions, but these must be approved by the emperor. He conducts votes of reprimand and censure in the Cortz. He may also approve legislation concerning the Cortz presented by the Assembly for a vote, as well as decide whether a law only affects the Cortz. Only a member of the Cortz can fill this position.

Speaker
- The speaker serves as the head of the Assembly and is elected by its members. Much like the chamberlain, the speaker serves as the representative of his respective house on the Cabinet and to the emperor. He conducts votes of reprimand and censure in the Assembly. He may also approve legislation concerning the Assembly presented by the Cortz for a vote, as well as decide whether a law only affects the Assembly. The speaker must be a member of the Assembly.

Minister
of Foreign Affairs – This minister handles matters pertaining to foreign affairs. They propose potential alliances and can call for a declaration of war. They recommend nations to improve relations with and sets rivals. They can also request claims be fabricated on certain provinces and set a stance on how to react to call-to-arms. They can set attitudes towards countries to neutral, friendly, hostile, or threatened, as well as to set whether or not to agree to join offensive wars and how to spend favours. They can also designate provinces of interest. Recommended they have access to EUIV or be active on the Coldfront channel.
Appoints - Diplomats

Minister of the Interior – This minister is in charge of domestic affairs. They can request the construction of buildings, the development of provinces, and the decrease or increase of local autonomy. They are also in charge of raising stability and can lower war exhaustion during war. They may also change the culture in provinces.

Minister of Finance – This minister, as the name implies, is in charge of the nation's finances. They determine the position of the maintenance sliders in the economy tab, although army and navy are maxed at war. They also have the option to lower inflation, can decide whether or not to raise war taxes during war, can request a loan or repay them, and can hire advisors. They may deny funds for any specific project (buildings, troop/navy construction, etc) and may reject raising of maintenance even during war. They may choose to mothball forts or war fleets during peacetime, but can be overruled by the marshal or grand admiral respectively.

Minister of Trade – This minister deals with matters of trade. They determine where merchants and trade fleets are sent. They can request the construction of light ships for trade and can arrange for embargoes. They may propose the granting and revoking of monopolies, but the entire Cabinet shall then vote on the matter.
Appoints - Merchants


Minister of War – This minister's domain is that of war. They create a generalized war plan in the result of war. They can order the recruitment of regiments, as well as arrange the composition of all armies. They have the power to mothball forts during peacetime. They must state which forts will be mothballed during peace. Serves as a field marshal and appoints an assistant from the army as the second field marshal. Promotes players up through ranks in the army.
Appoints - Generals


Minister of the Navy - This minister is similar to the minister of war, except his domain is the navy. They can order the construction of or upgrade ships, as well as arrange the composition of all navies. They have the power to mothball fleets during peacetime and can veto the construction of trade ships by the minister of trade. Serves as a fleet admiral and appoints an assistant from the army as the second fleet admiral. Promotes players up through ranks in the navy.
Appoints - Admirals


Minister of Religious Affairs – This minister deals with matters of faith. They can choose the order of provinces to convert. They also decide how to spend papal influence if Catholic, fervour if Reformed, select church aspects, etc. They can recommend to become Defender of the Faith, if affordable. Only a member of the clergy who is also on the Council of Churches can fill this position. This is the only Cabinet position the Pope may claim.
Appoints - Missionaries


Minister of Colonial Affairs - This minister is appointed to oversee all vassals, PU partners, and colonial nations. They can choose a stance on how to treat each vassal, PU partner, or colonial nation, as well as make use of subject interactions. They may designate provinces or regions for Crown colonies. The viceroy superior may appoint governors for provinces within colonial nations, as well as an ambassador for each subject nation and colonists.
Appoints - Governors, Ambassadors, Colonists


Minister of Justice - This minister essentially replaces the spymaster. Unlike its predecessor, this minister is openly known and conducts his duties in full view of Parliament, although the more secretive duties will only be known by the emperor. They are charged with investigating and apprehending criminals, or rather leading those who do it, and appointing the heads of the Hispanian Detective and Police Forces. They set a stance for how to handle revolts and can suppress potential revolts. They may also appoint provincial judges with Crown approval and recommend judges for the Supreme Court. They may also investigate suspected heathens. This minister has much the same responsibilities and abilities as the spymaster when it comes to criminal investigations, so refer to that section for more details, although the emperor is fully aware of their actions unless purposely kept hidden. They may continue to send orders by PM.

Minister of Education - This minister is placed in charge of the education program provided at public schools and universities in Hispania. They are selected by the Assembly and Cortz through a process of nomination and voting, with the Assembly presenting two nominees and the Cortz voting on whom will serve as minister. The position has no in-game duties and is mostly an IC role.

Spymaster/Minister of Intelligence - The spymaster is a special role. The spymaster does not make any plans. Instead, they keep an ear open for secrets and conspiracies. Whenever a player attempts any illegal action or a coup, the spymaster has a chance to discover that action, both before or after it occurs. In regards to crime, the spymaster may either learn of the crime after the fact, while the rest of the court remains in the dark, or may learn that a crime is being planned beforehand. In the first instance, the spymaster may reveal the crime, blackmail the person, or keep it secret. In the second, the spymaster may tip off the proper authorities, thus increasing the chances of the person getting caught, or allow the crime to happen, thus opening them up to the three former options. If a player starts a coup, the spymaster has a 30% chance of learning of the coup beforehand. They can then use this information to either support or stop the coup. Due to this knowledge and their less savoury skills, their VP is doubled for coups if they learn of it beforehand. The spymaster is also placed in charge of investigating or hunting down any criminals on the run, and once per turn they may attempt to locate and apprehend a criminal.

What makes the spymaster quite interesting is that the role is kept secret. Only the player chosen as spymaster and the GM know the identity of the spymaster. The spymaster will send all their orders by PM to keep their identity secret, and all information they uncover will only be revealed to them, so players will never know when their secrets have been uncovered. If the spymaster ever wants to utilize the information they acquire, they may state in PM what they wish to do with it, followed by the GM carrying through with it for them. This is to avoid the spymaster having to post about it and reveal their identity. They are free to reveal their identity or any information they have to any player they wish, although preferably they will keep me informed of these decisions.

The spymaster does still receive the voting bonus that other council members receive, since obviously the king would take their vote into greater consideration and only I can see the bonuses. They may also serve in any other council position, if only to remove suspicions as to why they are avoiding joining the council. If the government becomes a republic, the secrecy of the position is removed and the position becomes official. This it to represent the transparency of a democratic system of government. All orders are still conducted by PM, but everyone knows who the Minister of Intelligence is. If anyone wants this position, they must request it through PM.



Regencies

If the emperor dies and an underage heir succeeds him or the monarch becomes incapable of ruling, a regency will occur. The Small Council will form a regency council to advise the young emperor, with the last designated regent placed at its head. If the chosen regent is unavailable, the prime minister will serve as regent, or chamberlain if the prime minister is unavailable. If all else fails, the closest blood relative of the emperor's of appropriate age will become regent. The Council will have unparalleled power at this time and may put forth any plan without fear of the emperor’s veto. All matters will still be put up for a vote, but the emperor will almost always support the efforts of the Council.

During a regency, the prime minister takes up many of the powers of the monarch. He may utilize the emperor's veto once per turn, hire any minister he pleases, as well as fire any minister. He relinquishes these powers once the regency ends.

Once the emperor is old enough to rule, the regency ends and all members of the Council are dismissed when a new ruler comes to power if the government is a feudal monarchy.



Government

Aragon/Hispania starts out as a feudal monarchy, but that does not mean it will always be the case. As the game progresses, other types of monarchies become available and there is the option to swap to those types. At any point one of these government types is available, a proposal may be made to swap to it. A vote will be held where a simple majority is required for the government change. Hispania cannot become a republic through a proposal, so don't bother trying to suggest it. The emperor will most likely have you executed if you even suggest deposing him. The process will differ based on the type of monarchy. These are the ways to change to each government type and the characteristics required for each government:

Feudal Monarchy – The starting government. The emperor can veto one vote per turn and can hire and fire ministers at will. He may also leave council positions empty, excluding the Court Chaplain, and perform the duties himself.

Administrative Monarchy – The king or any player can present a proposal to reform or streamline the administration. Players are free to include any minor changes to how the government functions, as long as it doesn't directly change the emperor's power. The proposal to reform the administration must include a declaration of the Council as an official administrative body, set terms for ministers to serve, and may place limitations on how many ministerial positions the emperor may claim for himself. The reform cannot change the emperor's veto, the royal family's personal affairs, or his power to hire and fire ministers at will, although it may place minor restrictions on the latter. Other than that, you can add as many fluff conditions and minor changes as you want.

Absolute Monarchy – The emperor is granted absolute authority over the nation. If this passes, the emperor will be able to decide the outcome of any vote he pleases and can dismiss the advice of his subjects and the Council at will, although only the worst of emperors will ignore them completely. It should be noted that an absolute monarchy may become a constitutional monarchy at a later date, but due to the nature of the current government, it is much more difficult to achieve than if the government was an administrative monarchy. Only a coup will force the emperor to accept a constitutional monarchy at this point. Keep this in mind when allowing the emperor absolute power, since taking it away won't be easy.

Constitutional Monarchy – The opposite of an absolute monarchy, the monarch's power is limited instead. The players draft up a constitution for the nation. This constitution must include whether the emperor maintains his veto, whether he can fire ministers (if he can't it must include a condition for a vote of no confidence to fire ministers), and who hires ministers (the emperor can maintain the power or people can vote on candidates that put themselves forward). If the government was never an administrative monarchy, ministers must now serve for a set term. The constitution may contain as many minor changes and fluff conditions as you want.

Enlightened Despotism - A sort of mixture of absolute and constitutional monarchy, where the monarch embraces ideas of the Enlightenment but there are few constraints on the monarch other than that they impose themselves. This government can range from entirely absolutist to self-imposed constitutionalism. The monarch usually favours religious tolerance, freedom of speech, and access to education, as well as pursing administrative and economic reforms that benefit the nation as a whole. It is the only form of government that can be freely adopted by an absolute monarchy through petition and vice-versa. In most cases, the monarch receives unlimited vetoes, but they lose legitimacy every time it is used.



The Parliament, Assembly, & Cortz d'Hispania

The Parliament is an advisory body created in 1755. It consists of an upper and lower house, the Cortz d'Hispania and the Assembly respectively. The Cortz is for landed nobles, while the Assembly is for everyone else. It is assumed that all players are either members of one of the two houses or vote through members of Parliament.

After each election, the composition of both houses will be adjusted to fit changes to party memberships or events in the iAAR or game. The more members a party has for each house, the more seats they are likely to get. Based on what is going on in the iAAR, the population may sway towards one party or another and this will show during elections.

The Assembly is a semi-elected advisory body consisting of representatives from the various provinces of the Empire and appointed representatives. The Speaker serves as the head of the Assembly and is elected by its members. Elections occur every four years, although the Emperor or Prime Minister may call an early election. Two-thirds of all seats are elected by males over 21 with sufficient property, with the electorates determined based on population. The remaining one-third of seats are appointed directly by the Emperor. If your character is not a landed noble in the Cortz or an elected member of the Assembly but you are participating in Parliament, it is assumed you are an appointed member of this house.

The Assembly elects a Speaker to represent them on the Cabinet.

At its creation, the Assembly had 300 seats and will likely continue to do so unless changed later. Some of those seats may be appointed by the Crown based on current laws. While I will not get into the gritty details of how the composition of this house is calculated, the development of each province is used to calculate the number of seats that province has in the Assembly. Each party is assigned safe seats based on key provinces important to each party. These are usually chosen based on the members, such as their home provinces, or because their key demographic lives there. Each province considered safe gives its respective party all its seats and they cannot be influenced by modifiers. The number of safe seats is relatively small for each party. Modifiers are then applied to each party based on how well they are doing to determine how many seats in the remaining independent provinces join their party. Unlike voting in parliament, these seats actually join the party and don't just vote with them as independents. They only change during elections. This determines the total number of seats each party holds in the Assembly.

The Cortz is a body or council consisting of nobles that represent the interests of the nobility. All landed nobles with a rank higher than baron sit on the Cortz. All members serve for life. The Cortz is an advisory body, the upper house of the Hispanian Parliament. It does not have the power to pass laws or create plans like the Cabinet does.

The Chamberlain serves as the head of the Cortz, is appointed by all members of the Cortz, and serves as the Cortz's direct representative to the Crown and receives an additional +1VP.

The number of seats and composition of the Cortz is determined differently than the Assembly. Each seat is tied to a title, with each title corresponding to an in-game province. Any noble who holds the appropriate title receives a seat on the Cortz. The number of seats in the Cortz changes as the number of provinces with the appropriate titles changes. Basically when a province in Europe is added to Hispania, it adds a seat on the Cortz too. Seeing as each seat represents a single noble, the composition of the Cortz is determined by each noble's interests. Seats held by players are assigned to their party, while all others remain independent unless there are obvious reasons why they would belong to a specific party. Just like the Assembly, these are considered safe seats and don't change during voting. Modifiers are then applied to determine how many of the remaining independents in the Cortz join each party. Unlike voting in parliament, these seats actually join the party and don't just vote with them as independents. The number should only change after events impact party membership in the Cortz or after an update. This determines the total number of seats each party holds in the Cortz.

Parties or Factions are groups of individuals with shared interests in Parliament. Players may create their own parties and allow other players to join their ranks. Each party should have its own post listing its core values and ideally current members. A list will be included in the Table of Contents. Parties may operate in one or both houses of Parliament, and it is recommended that members coordinate votes. The benefit of being a member of a party is that members are the only ones that can influence how AI members of their party vote. Players are not required to join a party and may remain an Independent instead.

Players may garner extra support for their party through IC. Debating bills in Parliament or giving speeches are easy ways of winning more support for your party, provided you're not talking about something no one would agree with. The quality of the campaign IC will influence how much it impacts your party's support. Players may also attempt to weaken another party's support by speaking out against them. If these traditional methods of campaigning aren't enough, players may attempt more underhanded methods like harassing voters at the polls or stuffing ballot boxes, although these can backfire and actually lose support if discovered. It's a choice of whether the greater risk is worth the greater reward.



War

At any time between turns, either the emperor or chancellor (president, prime minister, or foreign minister in a republic) is free to call for war against another nation. The declaration of war will then be put up for a vote. All players will vote on whether or not to declare, as well as what CB to use if applicable. If the vote passes, war will be declared within the next few years at a suitable time. If the Chancellor presents a potential war as part of their plan, then voting yes to the plan counts as a vote for the proposed war. All ministers may present any changes to their plans to be enacted during wartime that only require the emperor's approval to pass.

In the event of an ally issuing us a call-to-arms, the game will be paused and everyone consulted on the matter. A vote will be held whether or not to answer the call and join the war. These may be bypassed by the emperor or if the chancellor includes a condition for answering call-to-arms.

Once the war is nearing completion, the emperor will decide the peace to be arranged, unless peace terms have been decided beforehand. If we happen to be losing, a vote will be held instead on whether or not to settle for peace to get out of the war. Be noted that this applies to the war leaders and not the other belligerents. Other nations involved in the war may be included in the peace, but it is at the discretion of the GM as to how to settle peace with these countries.



Religion

As stated earlier, a player can choose any faith they please. A player’s faith will have little effect on them if it aligns with the state religion. A member of the clergy who follows the state religion can serve as court chaplain. Players also have the option to keep their true faith secret and act as though they follow another faith to the court. To do this, players must include their false faith in their character profile and PM me their true faith. I will keep it secret and use it for investigation purposes, which is mentioned later.

If Hispania is papal controller and the pope is a player, that player may excommunicate other Catholic players. Excommunicated players are viewed with disdain by their fellow Catholics, as well as the emperor. They cannot be appointed to the Council and have their base voting power halved (this does not stack with other penalties to voting power).

The matter is different for heretics or heathens; also, all references to heretics or heresy apply to heathens unless otherwise stated. An open heretic will face discrimination in the form of having their base voting power halved or even face persecution by the Inquisition. The emperor’s personality will also impact how he treats heretics. If the emperor is pious, for example, he will usually disfavour heretics and not permit them to serve on the Council. A kind or cynical emperor, on the other hand, is unlikely to take religion into account and will treat people based on their merits. Secret heretics are treated like anyone else, but if they are discovered they can be persecuted by the Inquisition.

At any time anyone may petition the emperor for greater rights and freedoms for a specific faith. They may petition the emperor multiple times to improve its status, eventually leading to a change in the state religion if enough people vote for the reform. It should be noted that while these reforms for heresies require only a simple majority, but a 2/3rds majority is needed for heathen faiths. This is to represent that heresies are different versions of the same faith instead of completely different religions. The reforms, listed below, must be passed in order and may be rescinded in the reverse order at a later date.

The Council of Churches is an inter-faith body that serves as a means of communication between the various Christian faiths. The body consists of the top three members of each Christian faith. They help guide the religious fate of the nation. They also have the power to decide whether any new faith is considered Christian or not and thus admitted to their ranks. The Council is also merged into the Ministry of Religious Affairs and its members are the only ones that may serve as Minister of Religious Affairs.

Recognition by the Crown – The heresy is recognized by the emperor, although that does not mean it won’t face discrimination. Heretics still have their VP penalized fully, although they can no longer be persecuted by the Inquisition.

Revision of Religious Laws – The laws concerning religion are made more accommodating to the heresy. The penalty for controlling a province with the heresy is removed. The state religion is still promoted, so heretic provinces can be subjected to conversion.

Anti-Discrimination Laws – Heretics can no longer be unfairly treated under the law. The penalty to heretic voting power is removed and heretics may now serve on the Council. This does not guarantee positions if the emperor is pious. Heretics may no longer be persecuted by the Inquisition for converting provinces. The state religion is still promoted, so heretic provinces can be subjected to conversion.

Equal Status – The heresy is given equal status, although it is not an official state religion. Missionaries can no longer convert provinces of that faith and heretics are more likely to be given council positions.

State Religion – The heresy becomes the new state religion, supplanting the old one and putting it under equal status. Cannot be passed while Hispania is the papal controller or defender of the faith. Requires a 2/3rds majority, unlike earlier reforms.

Players also have the option to attempt to convert provinces to a religion other than the state religion. Any character that is a heretic or heathen may attempt to convert the people of any province. Those following the state religion must rely on the in-game missionaries, unless they are targeting a province of an faith with equal status since they cannot be targeted by missionaries. Players may only convert provinces to their own faith, provided they follow an in-game religion, or convert provinces to the religion closest to their own if they follow a religion not in the game. There is a base chance of success and discovery with modifiers that will be mentioned below. If a player is caught trying to convert a province, they may be persecuted by the Inquisition. If a province is successfully converted, it cannot be converted again for 20 years due to religious zeal.

The base chance of converting a province is 5% and the base chance of being discovered is 45%. Each point of VP a player has increases these odds by 5%, so a player with more VP is more likely to succeed or get caught. All clergy get an extra 10% added to their base chance of success. If the player is the count/duke or archbishop/cardinal of the province being converted, their chance of success is doubled. Heathens have their chance of success halved. A player may only attempt to convert one province once per turn. It is recommended that a player with a secret faith request a province conversion attempt by PM to avoid revealing their true faith.



The Inquisition

The Inquisition is the ultimate religious authority in the realm and is charged with spreading and preserving the true faith. As such, they are the ones to deal with heretics at court. With the passing of the Inquisition Reformation Act, the Inquisition is tasked with spreading the Christian faith, but may no longer investigate or arrest suspected heathens.

Each turn anyone may suggest that another player, or even the emperor, be investigated for charges of heresy. All investigations require two or more sponsors before they can be carried out, although the Minister of Justice may conduct an investigation on his own. All investigations and trials require the permission of the emperor before they can be carried out. It should be noted that the same person can be investigated multiple times, but if the first investigation revealed no heresy a legitimate reason for investigation (evidence of borderline heresy in letters or proposals) must be presented first. If enough people sponsor an investigation or the Minister of Justice decides to conduct one himself, then the Minister of Justice investigates the person selected. A RNG roll is then conducted that decides the outcome of the investigation. This can range from discovering the true faith of a secret heretic to even finding false evidence implicating a true believer. The RNG operates as follows:

For a true believer:
1-5: Definitely a heretic (even though they’re not)
6-20: Some minor false evidence of heresy
21-30: Evidence of any misdeeds
31-70: Nothing found
71-100: Definitely a true believer

For a heretic:
1-20: Definitely a heretic
21-50: Minor evidence of heresy
51-60: Evidence of any misdeeds
61-95: Nothing found
96-100: Definitely a true believer (even though they’re not)

After the investigation is complete, the accused is placed before the appropriate court, provincial or supreme, and judged on religious crimes before a jury. However, if the accused is found to be a true believer, the court may not convict them of heresy. If the accused is determined to be guilty, the jury may show mercy, imprison the accused, or execute them. The emperor has the power to overrule the judgment, but if the verdict was unanimous then the emperor will suffer a +1 to revolt risk in regards to the abdication coup. If the evidence does not support an accusation of heresy and the jury decides that the accused is guilty, the emperor may overrule them without fear of any penalty. The Minister of Justice also may not conduct an investigation the next turn, regardless of whether the emperor intervenes or not. If the Recognition by the Crown petition is passed, the Inquisition may no longer punish heretics of the faith affected, but they may still investigate to root them out or find those who follow other faiths.

If the emperor was investigated and evidence of heresy was found, he cannot be tried but the empire suffers for it. The empire loses one stability and suffers +1 to revolt risk for the duration of his reign.



Crime & Punishment

Crime in this iAAR revolves around a system involving a RNG to determine a player’s chance of discovery and success. Whenever a player commits a crime, a RNG roll is performed to determine if they are discovered, whether they were discovered before or after the crime was committed, and then again to determine if they are successful. Extra rolls may be added to account for the specifics of each crime and those will be added at my discretion.

The chances of discovery and success will vary based on the crime, with the smaller and less severe crimes usually having a greater chance of success with less chance of discovery while the more serious crimes are more likely to fail and lead to discovery. A player’s voting power may also impact the crime. A player with more VP is considered to be more powerful and influential, and thus better able to carry out a crime, but in turn they are more noticeable and likely to be caught. A lowly courtier may not have the resources to carry out most crimes, but can sneak around unseen.

Players may also attempt to frame someone else for the crime. If the criminal decided to frame someone else for their crime, the chance of discovery will be increased with a greater chance of evidence against the framed person being found. There is always a slight chance that someone innocent may be implicated as the guilty party, regardless of whether or not someone is framed.

If someone wishes to commit a crime, they must request a roll for it, preferably by PM, although a private OOC post is fine. I will then decide upon a chance of discovery and success based on the specific crime or person. The rolls will then be performed. First the discovery roll will be done, followed by a roll to determine if discovery was made before or after the crime was committed, with a 30% chance for before and a 70% for after. If the spymaster or random person discovered the crime beforehand, they will be informed privately and be given 24 hours to act before the crime can be carried out, either choosing to expose the crime, keep it to themselves, or assist the criminal. If publicly discovered beforehand, the Crown or legal authorities have 24 hours to act before the crime is carried out, either by preemptively arresting the person or putting measures in place to prevent the crime, and the guilty party may choose to call off the crime. I will then do the roll for success chance, after which I will announce in-thread whether the crime was successful or not, as well as anyone implicated in the crime who was made public afterwards. If the spymaster or random person discovered the crime afterwards, they will be informed after its completion of the identify of the guilty party, upon which they can make use of that information however they please.

If anyone is implicated in a crime, they well be imprisoned and placed on trial. The accused will plead their case before the Small Council, who will decide whether the accused is guilty or not.

If someone is found guilty, they will then be punished. The emperor may decide all punishments for all crimes, although he may seek the Small Council’s opinion. In most instances, the criminal will be imprisoned until his fate is decided. Players may still vote while imprisoned, preferably OOC, but their voting power is instantly lowered to one. Also, while I encourage creativity with roleplay, players cannot get out of punishments simply by roleplaying that they have done so. Doing so would go against the no god-modding rule. The basic punishments that can be decided upon for the accused are as follows:

Mercy – The accused is forgiven of all crimes.
Fine – The accused is forced to pay a fine, which amounts to -1VP for one vote.
Loss of titles – The accused has their titles revoked.
Imprisonment – The accused is imprisoned for ten years. They may still participate in votes, but their voting power is halved.
Execution – The accused is put to death. The affected player must make a new character. Requires a clear majority to pass.

Players may attempt to break out of jail or avoid arrest all together, with the odds improving if they have outside help. It should be noted that all escapees forfeit their titles if they escape jail and will be executed if caught again. Those who attempt to avoid arrest will not lose their titles and will merely be imprisoned if caught. Their voting privileges are also revoked. A player’s chance of escape is determined by a RNG using numbers between 1 and 20, with modifiers included in. Here are the results for each roll and modifiers:

1-5 – The escapee is killed attempting to escape.
6-15 – The escapee is caught attempting to escape and put back in prison.
16-20 – The escapee gets away.

Each collaborator adds +1 to the roll. There is a 20% chance that each collaborator will be discovered. If revealed, the collaborator loses his voting privileges and is a wanted man until caught and imprisoned. His bonus to the escape roll is also removed. If a player was caught escaping jail before and is attempting to again, he has a -3 penalty to his roll. All collaborators have 24 hours after a player declares his intent to escape from jail or arrest to offer to serve as a collaborator.

If there are any players who have escaped punishment and exist as criminals, players may attempt to locate them and bring them to justice. Once per turn, any player may call for an investigation by the Crown to find a criminal. There is a base 30% chance that the criminal will be discovered and locked up. If the criminal has been on the run for more than two turns and has not committed any more crimes, the base chance of discovery is lowered to 20%. Chance of discovery is halved if the criminal has fled to another country. Once an investigation has been called for, the investigated criminal may not change locations or flee the country until it is completed, since this would be considered god-modding.

The spymaster plays an important role in investigations. The spymaster may choose to help or hinder existing ones. If the spymaster supports an investigation called for by a member of the court, the chance of discovery is doubled. If, however, they choose to hinder that investigation, the chance of discovery is halved. The spymaster may also conduct their own investigations in secret, independent of the court, with a base 50% chance of discovery. Unlike with the court-instigated investigations, the spymaster may choose to keep the location of the criminal secret rather than simply apprehend the criminal.

If an investigation reveals that a criminal is currently in another country, that criminal will not be immediately arrested. Vassals and subjects will always hand over criminals as long as their liberty desire is below 50, and allies will almost always hand over criminals as long as relations are above 100 and that criminal doesn’t have strong ties to the country. All countries that don’t fit that definition may choose not to extradite criminals, depending on current relations, relative power, and threat possibility. An event will be used that has a random chance of the AI accepting or denying the request determined by me based on my perception of the above factors. If they accept, the criminal will be returned and locked up. If they refuse, we will receive a diplomatic insult CB against them. If at any time we are at war with a nation where a criminal is known to be hiding, there is a 90% chance they will be apprehended if we win, or 100% if the war was declared with the provided CB. If their location is unknown and we happen to win a war against the nation hiding them, there is a 50% they will be discovered and apprehended if we win.



Assassination

At any point any player may attempt an assassination of another player. The base chance of success is 10%, although it can drop below this in certain circumstances to as low as 5%. This success rate is then modified both by the assassin’s and intended victim’s VP. Each point of VP the assassin has is added to their chance of success. Each point of VP the intended victim has is subtracted from the chance of success. With one assassin, the success rate is capped at a maximum of 20%. The chance of getting caught is 50%. Of that 50% chance of discovery, 20% is getting discovered by the spymaster (or random character if there is no spymaster), 20% is becoming publicly known as the assassin, and 10% is someone innocent being implicated. The roll for discovery is done first, and if publicly caught then the VP bonus of the assassin is removed, although the assassination attempt proceeds as planned. It should be noted that if only the spymaster learns of the crime, the VP bonus remains and only the spymaster will be informed by PM that they know of the crime. If the player kills themselves off before the assassination attempt is completed, their VP bonus to chance of success is removed. Players may only commit one assassination attempt every 24 hours, although this may include multiple targets.

For each failed attempt made against a specific target, the chance of discovery increases by 5% for getting discovered by the spymaster or a random character and 10% for becoming publicly known as the assassin for that specific target, for a total increase of 15% per failed attempt. If a previous attempt was discovered by the spymaster or a random character, there is a 10% chance added of one of those players discovering another attempt by that person, regardless of the target. If a criminal orders an assassination and the spymaster discovers the attempt, they also learn of the criminal’s location and may have them locked up. Criminals may not order assassinations from outside the country.

If multiple assassinations are ordered at once, they will be done all at once. The discovery rolls will be conducted first. If at any time the player is publicly caught, the VP bonus for that attempt is removed and all other attempts receive -1 to chance of success. Then the rolls for the actual assassination attempts occur. If any attempts were discovered, a roll is done for each undiscovered attempt with a 25% chance that it will be revealed that that person was also targeted by the same person, but only after the assassinations are carried out. If the spymaster finds out, the attempts continue without penalty but the spymaster now knows the culprit and can make use of that information any way they wish.

Assassins may also involve conspirators. Each conspirator adds their VP to the chance of success, which is capped at 30% when multiple conspirators are involved. It should be noted that each conspirator receives their own separate roll for the chance of being discovered. The chances are the same as for one person, except the 30% for being publicly known is split into 20% for just the one conspirator being known and 10% for all conspirators being known. This means that one conspirator may accidentally reveal everyone, or that they may be the only one caught and then may choose to rat out the others. Choose your conspirators wisely.

Players may attempt to convince notable royals to join their conspiracy, in which case each would have VP equivalent to nobles, although the heir receives 5VP. If, for whatever reason, the emperor is somehow involved in a assassination attempt or convinced to give implicit support, he receives 10VP.



Duelling

Players may challenge any other player to a duel at any time. If the person being challenged accepts, they then choose the weapon used. The two must then agree on whether the duel is to the first blood or to the death, that is if a melee weapon was chosen. Both players must choose a second for the duel, who can be either another player or an NPC. Once that is all decided, the duel can proceed. A simple roll is conducted to determine who won if the duel is with melee weapons, with the loser dying if the duel is to the death. Specific modifiers are applied to chance of success based on such factors as class, age, and whether or not the person served as a leader. For first blood, a second roll will then be conducted to determine the severity of the wound. A player may choose to attempt to kill the other player even in a first blood duel to increase the chances of victory (+10%) and causing a nasty wound (+20), but at the risk of taking a serious hit to their reputation (-1VP). If a wound is inflicted, the severity of the wound differs based on the roll. Another roll will be conducted if the wound is severe enough to possibly lead to death.

Noble: +10%
Clergy: -10%
General: +15%
Conquistador: +10%
Admiral: +5%
Explorer: +5%
Under 20: -10%
Over 50: -5%
Over 60: -10%
Over 70: -15%
Over 80: -20%

Note: Age modifiers do not stack. Modifiers are halved for ranged duelling.

1-30 – Minor scratch or light wound
31-60 – Medium wound, at worst resulting in a scar
61-75 – Deep wound to extremities with 10% chance of dying from wounds
76-90 – Deep wound to torso with 20% chance of dying from wounds
91-95 – Crippled or maimed with 50% chance of dying from wounds
96-100 – Dead

Firearms/ranged weapons are treated differently. Unlike with melee weapons, a duel involving firearms is usually just each participant firing one shot at each other rather than a continual fight until someone wins. In this case one, both, or neither participant may achieve a hit. A roll will be done for both players to determine how they fare in the duel. The modifiers from earlier are used here, but are halved with any decimals rounded up.

1-5 – Weapon jammed
6-10 – Blank bullet
11-15 – Embarrassing miss
16-20 – Accidentally shot the opponent’s second
21-25 – Hit object nowhere near opponent
26-30 – Hit object near opponent
31-35 – Hit opponent’s clothing but not them
36-50 – Glancing blow but no wound
51-60 – Inflicted light wound
61-70 – Inflicted medium wound, at worst resulting in a scar
71-80 – Inflicted deep wound to extremities with 10% chance of dying from wounds
81-90 – Inflicted deep wound to torso with 20% chance of dying from wounds
91-95 – Crippled or maimed opponent with 50% chance of dying from wounds.
96-100 – Killed opponent



Coup System

There are two types of coups in this iAAR, roughly defined as public and private coups. Any player may call for either type of coup, although they are carried out differently. Only one coup may be attempted per turn. Players may attempt to convince notable royals to join their cause, in which case each would have VP equivalent to nobles, although the heir receives 5VP. If, for whatever reason, the emperor is somehow involved in a coup or convinced to give implicit support, he receives 10VP.

For the first type of coup, the public coup, players may attempt them at any time, but the chance of success is impacted by revolt risk. These coups usually represent the large-scale conflicts that draw in the people or rest of the empire. All coups on the list may be attempted this way. The following formula is used to calculate how much revolt risk impacts chance of success by: required votes +/- 2^|revolt risk|. If revolt risk is positive, then subtraction is used. If revolt risk is negative, then addition. The number of votes required for any coup cannot drop more than 20% below their required votes or below 50% in total, whichever is lower. For example, the abdication coup can never go below 40% and change religion can't go below 50%. The numbers of votes required is lowered by 1% for every point of legitimacy below 100 under Enlightened Despotism. Estates with high influence lower the votes required for a government change coup by 1% for every point of influence over 80. If a disaster associated with high influence triggers, the cap to minimum required votes is removed for the specific government change coup, although it returns if the disaster ends. More is mentioned under the Estates section.

Any player who wishes to start a public coup simply states in the thread that they’re starting the coup and what the goal is. All players then must choose whether they side with the coup forces or the government. Players may change their vote, but their VP is halved to represent their shifting loyalties and they are treated with suspicion. It should also be noted that the spymaster has a 30% chance of learning of the coup beforehand, upon which their VP is doubled for the coup vote. The votes required for success depend on the goal. If successful, the resulting changes are immediately carried out. If the coup is of a violent nature, loyalists may be apprehended or killed. If it fails, a vote will be held where the loyalists decide the fate of the participants of the coup in most cases. A coup aiming for the abdication of the emperor is a bit special though. Every time the emperor breaks any rules restricting his power, for example using his veto twice in a turn, it counts as +1 to revolt risk for the rest of his reign, but only towards an abdication coup. The goals of each coup and the votes needed for them to succeed are listed below.

For the second type of coup, the private coup, players may also attempt them at any time, with success determined by an RNG and influenced by the participants’ VP. These coups are small-case ones done behind closed doors, where the impact is mostly only felt at court at first. Only the Change Council and Abdication coups may be carried through using a private coup. Each type of coup has a base chance of success, with each point of VP of each participant adding +1 to the roll. +1 is added to the roll for each point of legitimacy below 100 under Enlightened Despotism. All coups are capped at 50% chance of success. The chance of getting caught is 30%. Of that 30% chance of discovery, 10% is getting discovered by the spymaster (or random character if there is no spymaster), 15% is becoming publicly known, and 5% is someone innocent being implicated. If publicly caught, the VP bonus is removed; the same applies for if the spymaster reveals the coup. It should be noted that if there are multiple conspirators, the 15% for being publicly known is split into 5% for the leader being known, 5% for just one random conspirator being known, and 5% for all conspirators being known. A conspirator that is caught may choose to reveal the other conspirators if they so choose. Choose your conspirators wisely. If any player involved in the coup kills themselves off before the coup is completed, their VP bonus to chance of success is removed.

For a private coup, players may gather support privately beforehand through private posts, PM, or IRC. When the leader believes he has enough support, he must either PM me or post in the thread in a private post that he is starting the coup. A roll is then conducted first for discovery and then the actual coup. It should also be noted that since the spymaster has a chance of learning of the coup beforehand, they can reveal it before it is carried out, removing the VP bonus. If successful, the resulting changes are immediately carried out. If it fails, all involved players will lose 1VP for the next vote if conducting a Change Council coup or be put on trial for the Abdication coup. A coup aiming for the abdication of the emperor is a bit special though. Every time the emperor breaks any rules restricting his power, for example using his veto twice in a turn, it counts as +5 to the roll for the rest of his reign, but only towards an abdication coup. The base chance of success for each coup is listed below.

Change Council - 50% votes in favour of coup or 25% base chance - The entire council is fired, or a single minister if the coup was for a specific minister, and the victors appoint a new council or minister. This is a way to remove disliked ministers who have the emperor's or prime minister's favour. Loyalists are not punished upon success, and those attempting the coup will not face criminal charges if they fail, although they do lose 1VP for the next vote.

Abdication – 60% votes in favour of coup or 10% base chance – The current ruler abdicates and his heir or a suitable replacement with a legitimate claim from his family takes his place. This is a way of removing a troublesome or tyrannical emperor. +1 is added to revolt risk and +5 to private coup rolls for every unlawful act the emperor attempts during his reign for this type of coup alone. Loyalists are not punished upon success.

Change State Religion – 70% votes in favour of coup – If heretics feel that petitioning the emperor will not achieve their goals, they may forcefully change the state religion instead. Loyalists are not punished upon success.

Change from current government to other government of the same type – 70% votes in favour of coup – The government is changed to another type of the same government. For example, an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy, or a noble republic to a constitutional republic. Loyalists are not punished upon success. Votes needed may be lowered by an estate with high influence. Every time a constitution is passed by the court and vetoed by the emperor, the votes required for a coup for a constitutional monarchy is lowered by 10%.

Change to Republic/Monarchy/Theocracy – 80% votes in favour of coup – The monarchy is overthrown and an appropriate republican or non-monarchy government is installed, or vice-versa if the situation is reversed. Further details on how a republic will work are detailed later. Loyalists are punished upon success. Votes needed may be lowered by an estate with high influence.

Change to Revolutionary Government – 80% votes in favour of coup – The monarchy or republic is overthrown and a revolutionary republic installed. Can only be attempted after 1700. Further details included along with the republic information. Loyalists are punished upon success.

After a coup occurs, the winning side can decide the fate of the losers, except when the coup succeeds and it is a non-violent one. The winning side will vote on one of four possible fates for the losers, all of which are named under the Crime & Punishment section. Execution requires a clear majority to pass, otherwise it will be downgraded to imprisonment.



Exploration & Colonization

Once we unlock the ability to explore, certain characters can petition the emperor to serve as explorers or conquistadors. If approved, they will be added into the game and assigned some ships or regiments. If we have more explorers/conquistadors than navies/armies set for exploration, they will take turns utilizing the available armies/navies for exploration. Any explorer or conquistador may decide where they wish to explore, whether that involves in-game exploration missions or a general area for manual exploration. Keep in mind that you don’t know where any unexplored areas are, so no saying to explore Mexico when no one at the time would know what Mexico is. Please include missions or regions to explore in OOC to help clarify. If any explorer does not provide me with a specific location to explore, they will not get to explore until such a time as they do. Explorers may request more than one location to explore, although they will be accepted in the order presented. The emperor has the option to choose which exploration missions to back if there are multiple ones to choose from.

Once any unoccupied land is discovered, players have the option to hire an in-game colonist to colonize a province for them. If the colonist is the AI, the emperor will decide whose offer to accept. If the colonist is a player, that player may select the best offers themselves. Once any offers are accepted, the colonist will colonize the province and the player who wanted that province colonized becomes a financial backer. These players are not considered governors, since this would greatly complicate things once we have colonial nations. Instead they are seen as the ones responsible for financing the colonial venture. As such, all backers receive one extra voting power once the colony is complete. It should be noted that only one player may back any one specific colony at any time, and no player may back more than one colony simultaneously. Once a colony is complete though, the player who backed it is free to back another colony; however, players can only receive the voting bonus for being a backer once, although that bonus does last for the character’s lifetime. Backers are free to name their colonial provinces anything they please.

It should be noted that only certain classes can serve as explorers, conquistadors, and colonists. Who can be an explorer or conquistador is explained under the Leaders section. Only courtiers may serve as colonists. As for those who can financially back a colony, all classes have the option to do so. A colonist may only back a colony if no one has offered them a proposition. This is to avoid colonists rejecting offers and colonizing wherever they please.

Once several colonies form into a colonial nation, all players may suggest and then vote on a name for the new nation. A viceroy will be appointed to the Council to represent the colonial nation. They will have the same powers as any viceroy who would represent a vassal.



Trading Companies

At any time any courtier, preferably a merchant, may choose to found a trading company. They will be required to write up a charter and keep track of all members. Trading companies at first are general and simply act within the kingdom. However, they may be granted monopolies on certain regions, as represented by in-game trading companies and colonial regions, or even trade nodes. To claim monopolies on these regions, the trading company must convince the grandmaster to grant them the monopoly, provided the rest of the Council votes for it. Once the right is granted, all provinces within the region are added to a trading company. If the in-game trading company or colonial nation becomes successful enough to grant an extra merchant, that in-game merchant is assigned to the trading company. Members of the trading company decide which member will take the position and receive the one extra voting power. A trading company may also choose to keep the merchant as an NPC, such as when there are more in-game merchants than members of the trading company or when all members already have other roles. In this case, the extra VP can be assigned to any member of the trading company, including the head, provided they do not already have a VP bonus from a monopoly. Any member of a trading company with a monopoly VP boost cannot serve as a crown merchant.

Any noble may join a trading company, but only as a financial backer or by participating in the administration. This can include anything from being a simple clerk to serving on the trading company's governing body. Nobles, however, may not serve as merchants and may not be assigned any monopoly VP.

If a trading company holds a monopoly on a region where there are colonies or territories (ex. West Africa), they may appoint provincial or regional governors.

In regions without an in-game trading company or colonial nation, such as Europe, monopolies are decided by who controls the majority of trade in each trade node. Trading companies may be granted monopolies on a specific trade node and if our kingdom controls the most of the trade there, the trading company receives its extra VP. It should be noted that monopolies will not be granted to European trade nodes where we control a significant majority of the provinces or that is the home node (ex. Genoa, Sevilla, etc). This is to represent that most trade there is domestic trade and thus monopolies wouldn’t apply.

Every trading company must make a post that includes their charter and a list of members. I will link to this post in the table of contents for easy access. The trading company should also have a clear method for determining the head of the company, whether it is determined by blood, seniority, or a vote.
 
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Republic

While Aragon starts out as a monarchy, there is a chance that a coup could lead to a republic. This section will list all the changes that will occur to the game upon the change in government. If something isn’t covered here, assume that it hasn’t changed from whatever is written in the monarchy section. Just change “king” to “president” and we’re good.

Once a coup succeeds to change to a republic, the most appropriate republican government is chosen. For example, an administrative monarchy would become an administrative republic. I, as the GM, will make this decision. All nobles and clergy with titles will have them revoked and the title system will be abolished. Nobles will become patricians under the new government. Everyone now participates in votes as members of the republican government. Players will then join one of three factions, which I will now describe in the following section.



Factions

The republican government works differently from a monarchy. Instead of titles determining someone’s voting power, factions will come into play instead. There will be three factions, one for administrative, diplomatic, and military. The players are free to name the factions as they please, but they should follow policies favouring their designated trait. For example, the diplomatic faction will favour trade and colonization, while the military faction would want to expand through warfare.

To replace the title system, the three factions will have different voting power based on who is in power. During each in-game election, I will pick a candidate and the faction that represents his main trait will receive double votes. So if I pick a diplomatic candidate, all members of the diplomatic faction will double their voting power. This is to represent a faction having the greatest representation in government. Heretics no longer have their votes halved.



The President

Since there are no kings under a republic, my role will change with the government. I will assume the role of president if we become a republic, which is the character elected in-game. This position will have much less power than that of the king, but is similar in how it operates. The veto is removed and the president cannot hire or fire ministers. Ministers can only be removed through votes of no confidence where players vote on whether to remove a minister or not. The president, after an election, selects one player from the ruling faction to serve as prime minister, which will be described next. The president reserves the power to dissolve the current government and call for re-elections if things go downhill. He may also lower war exhaustion, take out and repay loans, and hire in-game advisors. The personality traits assigned to kings do not apply to presidents, since their traits are too predictable for it to work. Presidents will mostly have their personalities set based on which faction they represent, but it will have little impact on the game since they serve mostly in the background.



The Prime Minister & his Cabinet

Changing to a republican government changes how the Council works. The Council now becomes the Cabinet. The names of all the positions change, which is displayed in the initial Council information, but the roles are still all the same. After each election, I as the president will select a prime minister from the ruling faction. This prime minister will then form his own cabinet to fill the ministerial positions. The prime minister may claim one ministry as his own, although the position of court chaplain can still only be taken by a member of the clergy. The ruling faction must hold more positions (the position of prime minister included) than either of the other two factions to represent their control of government, but the other factions must have at least one position each. If the same president ends up being re-elected or a new candidate from the ruling faction becomes president, the prime minister stays in power unless the president states otherwise. The prime minister may keep all the same ministers if he pleases, but he is free to replace any of them after the election. If a new candidate from another faction is selected, the prime minister and all the other ministers lose their positions.



Religion

Under a republic, religion will have less of an impact. Those who follow the state religion will not have it impact their lives. A member of the clergy who follows the state religion is still the only one who may serve as Court Chaplain. Heretics no longer receive penalties to their voting power due to the more democratic nature of the government. Heretics are also free to serve on the Cabinet, although it’s at the discretion of the prime minister whether or not they’ll receive a position.

With no king around, the petition system ceases to exist. Most petitions are automatically enacted when changing to a republic, such as the ones that removed the penalties to voting power and the Council/Cabinet. The Equal Status and State Religion petitions are the only two that must be achieved through the republican system. A motion must be presented in the government for the heresy to receive equal status and thus no longer have its provinces subjected to conversion, which requires a majority vote in favour to pass. Revoking such a measure can also be done with a majority vote in favour. Making a heresy the official state religion requires a two-thirds majority vote in favour though.
 
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Changelog

13 July 2015
- Better defined how titles are handed out under the king section
- Added explanation on how to request provinces

14 July 2015
- Added section on petitions and explained the process in more detail
- Changed the turn sequence details to better define timing of petitions
- Clarified when laws can be proposed

15 July 2015
- Added in ability for bishops to become cardinals
- Changed petitions so only the proposer can amend or withdraw them
- Added in ability for a cardinal to become Pope
- Defined Pope’s powers regarding excommunication and crusades
- Defined how one is selected to be a cardinal or Pope

16 July 2015
- Added in ability for courtiers to serve as governors of colonies
- Added in knight sub-class, although not fully defined yet

17 July 2015
- Added in ability for courtiers to serve as diplomats, merchants, or colonists
- Added sub-classes for nobles, clergy, and courtiers to class section
- Better defined knight sub-class
- Updated character roster to include sub-classes
- Created a new leader section better defining who can serve each role
- Gave Court Chaplain option to declare Aragon Defender of the Faith
- Removed ability to change state religion through religious petition process while papal controller

18 July 2015
- Gave the Steward control over local autonomy
- Added laws and amendments section
- Updated leader rules for player leaders
- All amendments to the rules made by player laws are italicized from now on
- Adjusted Marshal's duties to include effects of the Forts Law
- Extended potential turn length to 10 years
- Council no longer automatically fired if the king dies during a war
- Included numbered order of length of service for clergy positions in character roster

19 July 2015
- Edited character creation bio to state that titles must be granted by GM and not taken without approval
- Gave player Pope the power to dispute bishop appointments
- Separated counties and bishoprics, with some province as just counties and some as both

20 July 2015
- Council members and leaders now receive an extra vote
- Viceroy added as a council member in charge of a vassal or PU partner
- Rewrote definition of each council member's powers in full sentences for clarity
- Removed individual voting power from character roster and made it more generalized

22 July 2015
- Added Grand Admiral to the Council

23 July 2015
- Council plans now pass if no one objects to them in 48 hours, otherwise a vote occurs

24 July 2015
- Added Spymaster position to Council

25 July 2015
- Changed rule so changed votes must be new posts (easier when using a running tally)
- Ministers only require king's approval for changes to plans for wartime
- King can veto votes before they are even conducted

27 July 2015
- Peace terms are now decided by king if winning the war

28 July 2015
- Changed how in-game leader deaths are handled
- Unlanded Nobles may now serve as conquistadors or explorers

29 July 2015
- Set minimum time needed for automatic passing of council plans to 24 hours

30 July 2015
- If the Chancellor includes a war in his plan, voting for his plan counts as voting for the war

31 July 2015
- Added territories to titles and the position of governor
- Governors of territories not affected by penalty to heretic or heathen provinces
- Territories defined as non-colonial provinces outside Europe.

3 August 2015

- Chancellor can now set a stance on how to respond to call-to-arms

4 August 2015
- King may claim as many Council positions as he wants under a feudal monarchy

5 August 2015
- Added a section on crime and punishment, as well as the ability to break out of jail
- Players may now only kill off one character every 10 years
- Ministers who fail to produce a plan for two consecutive turns are fired

13 August 2015
- Updated the changes implemented with each type of monarchy

15 August 2015
- Added rules for royal babies (still in progress)

16 August 2015
- Lowered base leader stats to make them comparable to in-game leaders and to account for promotions

27 August 2015
- Made it so only active clergy can become bishops, cardinals, or the Pope automatically

2 September 2015
- Players with a landed noble for a character may now play as a member of the clergy or courtier of the same family, as long as every second character of theirs is a noble, otherwise they will lose their title

3 September 2015
- Clergy may now serve as the in-game missionaries

4 September 2015
- Added in the Cortz d'Aragón, a group of nobles who consult the king on matters pertaining to the nobility

5 September 2015
- Added Exploration & Colonization section to the rules
- Colonist can no longer serve as leaders
- Grandmaster no longer decides where to colonize
- Added a small blurb to the Petition section about suggesting in-game events or custom events
- Moved the list of punishments from the Coup section to the Crime & Punishment section
- Altered absolute to constitutional monarchy coup to cover all governments of the same type
- Edited rules for religion to allow for players to keep their true faith secret
- Added in Inquisition mechanics allowing clergy to investigate players for heresy
- Updated character creation to state that players must PM their secret true faith to me

7 September 2015
- The king can now overrule an Inquisition vote without fear of a penalty if there is no evidence of heresy
- The Inquisition cannot conduct an investigation the turn after if they convicted anyone when the evidence didn't support heresy

8 September 2015
- Duke titles are now hereditary and only landed nobles may serve on the Cortz

10 September 2015
- Changed bishops to archbishops

13 September 2015
- Leaders over 80 years old that are killed in-game but not in the iAAR are automatically retired
- Characters over 80 years old cannot be appointed cardinal or pope, unless a player is required to fill the role

18 September 2015
- Inquisition cannot convict someone who is found to be a true believer
- Added Aragon's Eligible Bachelors and Bachelorettes to help people make matches for marriages

19 September 2015
- Grandmaster can now issue embargoes

23 September 2015
- Cleaned up character sheet
- Noble titles are now permanent as long as a player is active

26 September 2015
- Added mechanics for trade companies
- Any class may now back a colony

28 September 2015
- Players may only swap characters once every 10 years and cannot return to old characters

29 September 2015
- Changed some sub-classes to roles
- Removed knight as a sub-class and assigned existing knight as clergy

4 October 2015
- Chancellor must have access to EUIV or be active on the Coldfront channel

10 October 2015
- The Grand Admiral can order ships upgraded
- The king may now fabricate claims
- If a minister posts a vague plan or none at all, the king may carry out the minister's duties as best as he can
- Added six more personality traits.

22 October 2015
- Leaders now have the number of pips auto-assigned by the game, but can determine how the pips are distributed
- Added bonus/penalty to fertility for lustful and chaste traits

31 October 2015
- Crime system revamped so that players may commit certain types of crime and have the outcome determined by RNG rolls

3 November 2015
- "Recognition by the Crown" religious reform now protects a faith from being criminally charged and persecuted by the Inquisition

8 November 2015
- Bribing another player to change their vote is now in the Crime section and leads to a reduction in VP if caught due to its unscrupulous nature and to prevent spamming bribes

10 November 2015

- Simplified the crime system to use a roll system customized on the spot for each specific crime

11 November 2015
- Players may now avoid arrest

12 November 2015
- Added a section on roles to better differentiate them from class, leaders, and council positions

21 November 2015
- Individual players may only receive one VP bonus from trading company monopolies

26 November 2015
- Players may now attempt to convert provinces to their own faith, although they risk getting caught and persecuted by the Inquisition
- Condensed religious reforms from six to five and added in part about player province conversion
- Coups can now be attempted at any time with revolt risk altering the chance of success

27 November 2015
- Cleaned up the rules to make certain sections more clear
- Altered references to voting power that mentioned extra votes instead of VP
- Better defined how voting power bonuses and penalties are applied and how VP is rounded
- Clarified that the king or chancellor can determine how call-to-arms are handled
- Made it more clear that petitions should be presented after the update is posted and before the vote starts
- Placed a strikethrough through the Spymaster since the position needs to be reworked or removed due to the new crime system
- Updated mechanics for royal births

6 December 2015
- Updated rules to account for changes from Cossacks DLC such as Estates
- Added specific rules for assassination and duelling
- Trading companies may now receive VP bonuses from trade nodes outside trading company and colonial regions
- Spymaster has been revised to receive possible news of crime and coups rather than read private letters
- Voting power rules revised to allow for VP with .5 to work with new estate influence system
- Replaced lustful and chaste with gluttonous and temperate for the royal traits
- Lustful and chaste were added as special traits for fertility

14 December 2015
- Steward may now convert the culture of provinces

22 December 2015
- Nobles may now have multiple titles to provinces and become dukes once they have more than one
- Players appointed to the Cortz are no longer automatically made a duke
- All provinces outside Europe, including those held by colonial nations, may have governors
- Rearranged rules so core mechanics are first and similar categories are grouped together
- Viceroys now appoint governors within colonial nations
- Trading companies may now appoint governors where they have monopolies, excluding colonial nations

10 January 2016
- Nobles may now join trading companies, but cannot serve as merchants or receive monopoly VP
- The spymaster may take any other council position as their second one

15 January 2016
- Added modifiers from joust event to duelling mechanics
- Dukes now receive a 0.5 penalty to VP for every heretic province they hold that isn't their primary title, although the penalty cannot go higher than 1VP
- Removed references to Jesuit Grandmaster who no longer exists

28 January 2016
- Went spoiler-crazy and put all the rules in spoilers

29 January 2016
- Added rules for multiple assassinations and assassinations ordered right before character death

29 January 2016
- Adjusted the assassination mechanics with higher base success chance and to better accommodate the role of the spymaster
- New characters must now wait one turn before requesting a role, council position, or leader position.

15 February 2016
- Added the position of prime minister who now appoints most ministers
- Adjust the council rules to fit the prime minister, including how hiring and firing works
- Added the chamberlain to the small council
- The court chaplain is now appointed by the cardinals
- Lowered estate bonus from 0.5VP per 10% to 0.2VP per 5%
- Members of trading companies may no longer receive the monopoly VP bonus and serve as a Crown merchant at the same time

21 February 2016
- Chamberlain may now suggest the use of estate actions.

8 March 2016
- The prime minister now serves as regent during a regency and may make use of many of the monarch's powers
- Added Change Council coup
- Removed 50% minimum votes for coup cap and changed it to -20% required votes for coup instead
- Changed Abdication coup from 50% to 60%

21 March 2016
- Added rules for consecutive assassination attempts made on the same person

22 March 2016
- Changed rule for new characters requiring to wait one turn for a position to a suggestion
- Temporarily suspended assassination mechanic

23 March 2016
- Players following the state religion may now try to convert provinces that follow a faith under equal status

25 March 2016
- The prime minister may now object to plans and put them up to a vote
- Added mechanic for investigating criminals
- Revamped assassination mechanics to prevent assassination spam

23 April 2016
- Non-active characters may now fill roles or leader positions, with only one allowed per player and with active characters given preference
- Better clarified that the prime minister is replaced when a new king is crowned and that a new prime minister may appoint and dismiss any minister under their purview

26 May 2016
- Reorganized character title lists to combine counties and archbishoprics

28 May 2016
- Update royal babies mechanic to include fertility penalties for incest and lowered penalty for multiple children if there are no sons

3 June 2016
- Renamed the Cortz d'Aragon to the Cortz d'Hispania after waiting way too long to rectify that error
- Every time the emperor vetoes a constitution passed by the court, the number of votes required for a coup to establish a constitutional monarchy is lowered by 10%.

21 June 2016
- Changed strong and weak traits to assertive and meek to better represent personality rather than physical attributes

23 June 2016
- Changed references in rules to Aragon and king to Hispania and emperor respectively

26 June 2016
- Added in general ranks from reforms as well as need for all players to attend the military academy before joining the army
- Nobles now receive extra VP for each title they hold for Cortz elections

3 July 2016
- Changed coups to be influenced by revolt risk exponentially instead of at a flat rate
- If revolt risk is high enough, coups can now be carried out with 20% less votes or 50% in total, whichever is lower

5 July 2016
- Added private coups that operate independently of revolt risk and work similarly to assassination attempts, although only for specific types of coups
- Remade the old coup system into public coups
- Added the ability for royals to participate in assassination attempts and coups

10 July 2016
- Non-active characters must be given birth years to be given a role or leader position

15 July 2016
- Players may now frame others for crimes
- Added chance of innocent person being implicated for a crime

20 July 2016
- Redefined Enlightened Despotism to make it more different from Absolute Monarchy

23 July 2016
- Crimes may now be discovered before or after they are committed

11 August 2016
- Removed conquistadors and raised the number of generals

21 September 2016
- Added rules for Enlightened Despotism involving tying legitimacy to coups and the emperor's veto

18 October 2016
- Edited the character outline to include House and Faction for Parliament

27 October 2016
- Added in rules for a new voting system for Parliament to account for parties
- Updated info on the Parliament, Assembly, and Cortz to account for changes to voting and the addition of parties
- Included info on how parliamentary composition is determined
- Old system of voting will now be used for votes involving multiple choices, like missions and idea groups
- Estate bonuses now only apply to the old voting system and not the parliamentary voting system

31 October 2016
- Clarified that NPCs, but not non-active characters, may be appointed or elected to any position on the Small Cabinet

1 November 2016
- Swapped the duty of setting stances towards rebellions and suppressing them from the Minister of the Interior to the Minister of Justice

5 November 2016
- Elaborated on how players can garner extra support for their party, or hinder other parties, through IC

2 December 2016
- Made the heads of the Hispanian Detective & Police Forces official roles


Laws & Amendments
1444
Count Jaume Cristòfor ((Artistove)) said:
Forts Law

As of whenever this law can be put into effect, all forts in Aragon are to be mothballed until war is on the horizon.
Amendment I: In peace times, the court can vote on forts that are to be manned in case our lands are surprisingly attacked.
Count Arturo de Valencia ((05060403)) said:
Artisan support act

We should support our artisans that produce valuable goods (trade goods worth at least 3) by developing their workshops. ((Increasing production development of provinces producing those trade goods to at least 5 points of dev)).
Count Felipé de Alvaro ((Robban204)) said:
La Guàrdia Real

Creating a Royal Guard will keep the king and his family safe, and could also be used as an elite force during times of war.
Erik Inge ((Egil4950)) said:
Tariff Laws and Protection of Merchants

We should introduce tariffs and taxes on foreign merchants wanting to trade in our area, not only will it increase our income from trade, but to make our traders get an upper-hand in trade. We should also introduce protection of our merchants in certain nodes increasing our Mercantilism when we can. ((Increase our Mercantilism when we can from events to increase our trade power in our own provinces.))


1448
Joseph von Thun ((SirAlucard)) said:
Temple Act

Whenever the treasury can afford to build a temple and there is a Bishopric without one, one is to be built there.
Bishop Alejandro Sastre ((Keinwyn)) said:
Military Provision Act

In view of His Majesties lack of acquaintance with the ways of war I would like to propose that the council be given special powers relating to, and pay all due attention to matters of war.
((GM: Applies only as long as Joan II is king.))
Cardinal Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena)) said:
The Shield of Saint Peter Act


I. A registry of all non-Catholics in the Kingdom of Aragon shall be jointly maintained by the Catholic Church in Aragon and the crown.
II. All non-Catholics shall be subject to a five percent tax on either their rents or income whose proceeds shall be split between the Catholic Church and crown.
III. Individuals who turn away from their misguided religions and convert to the true faith shall be awarded a one time reward from the royal treasury.
IV. Any provinces that fall victim to the scourge of heresy shall be immediately returned to the bosom of the holy Church.
((convert any non-Catholic provinces to Catholic as soon as possible))
Leonardo de Abruzzi ((GameHunter5303)) said:
Illa Estratègic Act (Strategic Island Act)

Any Island with a Strategic Position shall be built up as a naval base.


1464
Cardinal Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena)) said:
Petition to Heal the Great Schism

I. With the Empire of the Romans under our protection, the crown should endeavor to heal the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Churches by bringing the Eastern clergy under the aegis of the bishop of Rome and the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.
II. The Eastern Church shall reenter the broader Catholic community and its clergy shall preach the Latin rite.
III. The clergy of the Eastern Church shall recognize the spiritual and administrative authority of the Bishop of Rome over all Christian churches.
IV. The crown is permitted to remove any clergy in the Empire of the Romans that does not agree to the above conditions and replace the aforementioned clergy with candidates chosen by the papacy.


1468
Cardinal Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena)) said:
Petition to Rebuild Cagliari

In order to repair the damage from the recent attack on Cagliari, we hereby propose the following measures:
I. A new marketplace shall be built in Cagliari ((build marketplace in Cagliari))
II. A team of court administrators shall be sent to Cagliari to help rebuild the tax-base of the city ((improve basetax in Cagliari))


1477
Renato Limmona ((AvatarOfKhaine)) said:
The Unity of the Kingdoms Act

This act would if passed, quarter the arms of Aragon with those of Naples, such that Aragon takes the heraldic position of primacy with Aragon as the 1st and 3rd quarters of the Aragonese Coat of Arms while Naples takes the secondary position with the 2nd and 4th quarters. This new Royal Coat of Arms would symbolise the unity of your two kings and pave the way for a united kingdom of Aragon and Naples when that day comes.

Bishop Manuel de Vivar y Sastre ((Keinwyn)) said:
For the Provision of Minors

Under-age nobility have long had their lands administered by a regent, and that regent often does not act in the interests of their ward, the land they administer or the crown. Legally the revenues of the estates of these minors belong to the crown. However many of these revenues have not been forthcoming in recent years. I would therefore like to propose that your majesty exercise his right to appoint a guardian to nobles still in their minority.
To this end a Court of Wards subordinated to the treasury should be established to appoint guardians and ensure the collection of the crown's due.
((No ingame effects.))

Count Luigi Castelozzi ((alscon)) said:
Centres of Drafting Act

The provinces from which most men are drafted and recruited ((most manpower/ where the regiments come from)) shall be equipped with barracks to augment the number of available men for the army. Also, in these centres of drafting the number of recruits shall be augmented when there is no more pressing matter to attend to. ((Raise manpower in these provinces when the mil points aren't needed elsewhere))


1487
Bishop Manuel de Vivar y Sastre of Valéncia ((Keinwyn)) said:
Extraordinary Court

There are many powerful men in the realm who's influence is such that local courts dare not move against them. Such men must face the crown's justice if we are to be able to maintain a peaceful, stable realm and ensure the enforcement of your majesty's laws against the Aragonese upper classes.
I propose an extraordinary court composed of your majesty's council and common law judges.
The court may also function as a court of appeal against any injustices of local courts.
((All major crimes (murder, treason, etc), ones that affect a county or greater, and appealed cases will be judged by the Council, who will decide the fate of the accused. The King may overrule the judgment at any time or choose to judge a criminal himself.))


1492
Count Stefano von Thun ((SirAlucard)) said:
The Noble Diplomacy Act

With our ever increasing noble party at court and their good education, the position of diplomat can be handed out to nobles now as well.

Bishop Manuel de Vivar y Sastre ((Keinwyn)) said:
Act of Union

For the increased prosperity of both parties, the estates of Naples should be merged irrevocably with the Crown of Aragon.


1501
Archbishop Juan de Soneta ((ML8991)) said:
The Noble Interment Act of 1501

Those of noble standing in the state ((members of the Order of the Light)), can reserve the right to a state funeral, to be laid to rest in the Cathedral in Valencia.


1507
Maxime de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Recognition of the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company

The newly founded Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company focuses on trade between Aragon and France. Proclaiming an exclusive right to trade Aragonse goods in France, and vice versa. With official support it will prosper and bring wealth to the one who is controlling it. King of France, not concerned with the matter of trade, has declined the request, and now it is up to the king of Aragon, his court, Aragonse nobility and clergy to decide the fate of this company.

Cardinal Manuel de Vivar y Sastre ((Keinwyn)) said:
General Ordinance of 1507

I. All baptisms and burials shall be recorded by the officiating priest. These acts must be signed by notaries.
II. That official documents are clear and understandable, and so there is no reason to doubt about the meaning of those documents, we want and order that they be made and written so clearly in the common Aragonese tongue that there can be no ambiguity or uncertainty, no reason to ask for an explanation.

Duke Stefano von Thun ((SirAlucard)) said:
The Disaster Prevention Act

As long as there is a disaster on the horizon, every fort in the country has to be manned. ((In-game disaster must be actively progressing and over 50% progress.))


1513
Maxime de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Act of the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company's Monopoly in Africa

The Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company is granted a monopoly in trade with Aragon's colonial possessions in Africa. From this day forward all of the trade shall be handled be the TPTC. In return the Crown shall receive 3/4 of income coming from trade with those possessions, and the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company will pay for the administration of the provinces. All the trade routes shall be patrolled by both parties (Royal Fleet, and the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company's trade fleet). Any damage that would be caused by the native population shall be repaired using funds from the Royal treasury. ((All colonies in Africa are assigned to a trade company.))


1519
Count En Alfonso Narzis de Montcada ((Marschalk)) said:
The Military Organization Act


1. All royal troops of Aragon, be they cavalry, infantry or artillery, are to be divided into brigades. Each brigade may be from 9000 to 18 000 men in size and commanded by a Captain General appointed by the King.
2. Each brigade consists of tercio and may include from three to six tercio. Each tercio may be from 3000 to 6000 men in size. Each tercio is commanded by a Maestro de Campo appointed by the King. Each Maestro de Campo is assisted by Sargento Major, as his chief of staff and second in the line of authority, and Fourier Major as an officer in charge of logistics and armaments. Both Sargento Major and Fourier Major receive their commission from the King upon his discretion, yet the Marshal of Aragon, Captain General or Maestro de Campo may provide their recommendations.
3. Each tercio is divided into 12 companies. Each company may be from 300 to 6000 men in size. Each tercio is commanded by a Captain. Each Captain receives his commission from the King upon his discretion, yet the Marshal of Aragon, Captain General or Maestro de Campo may provide his recommendations. A Captain is assisted by an Ensign, who serves as the second in the line of authority to the Captain and carries the company colors, and a Sergeant, who is in charge of fourirs and responsible for bringing the orders of the Captain and Ensign down to the soldiers.The Ensign receives receives his commission from the King upon his discretion, yet the Marschal of Aragon, Captain General or Maestro de Campo may provide his recommendations. The Sergeant may be appointed either directly by the King or by Captain General. The Maestro de Campo and commanding Captain may provide their recommendations.
4. Each company is divided into 12 platoons. Each platoon may from 30 to 60 men in size. Each platoon is commanded by a Corporal. Each Corporal may be appointed either directly by the King or by the Maestro de Campo. The commanding Captain may provide his recommendations.


1561
Count Alexandros Kostopoulos ((LordDamien)) said:
Proposal for the Missionary Order of the Jesuits in the Kingdom of Hispania/Aragon

1 - Only Catholic men can join the order and be a part of it. They serve for life
2 - The Grandmaster of the Missionary order must always be from the Kostopoulos family
3 - Are charged with spreading the true word of God in the Kingdom of Hispania/Aragon
4 - Are charged with creating schools, colleges, and seminars in the Kingdom of Hispania/Aragon
5 - The Grand master of the missionary order is the sole confessor to the king and royal family
6 - Supports the Inquisition in rooting out heresy and can in extreme circumstances imprison heretics
7 - The grand master must be clergy and can't be appointed cardinal or pope ever


1566
Marquis Armand Antonio Sastre ((Keinwyn)) said:
Administrative Reform

I. These members of His Majesty's Council will take on the following responsibilities in addition to their existing ones:

Chancellor -
Appoints diplomats

Treasurer -
May deny funds for any specific project; buildings, troop/navy construction.
May reject raising of maintenance even during war.

Grandmaster -
Appoints Merchants
May propose the granting and revoking of monopolies. The entire Council shall then vote on the matter. ((King may wield his veto))

Marshal -
Appoints Generals

Grand Admiral -
Appoints Admirals

Court Chaplain -
Appoints Missionaries.

II. Ministers may not remove agents without sufficient reason. The King may grant permission for removal.

III. Ministers may hold up to two ministries (must be related e.g- steward/treasurer, treasurer/grandmaster, grandmaster/admiral, admiral/marshal). ((but only get VP for the first.))

IV. For the purposes of trials and suchlike the Small Council shall be used. This does not include viceroys and representatives.

V. Ministers are appointed for a ten year period by the King. ((This is not a limit, they may simply be replaced without penalty after this amount of time.))
V. Ministers serve indefinitely at the discretion of the king. - Amended by King Alfons VII

VI. The court may object to an appointment, and put it to a vote. ((The King may still veto in his chosen individual))

VII. The King may dismiss any minister at any time with the court’s consent. ((may also use his veto))

VIII. Ministers’ plans may no longer be objected to by the court.

IX. The King may object to a plan, and put it to a vote of the court. ((or Veto it outright))

X. The King may, at any time, make his will known to his ministers. They ignore him at their own peril.

King Alfons VII de Trastámara said:
Cortz Reform

At the suggestion of Duke François de Montségur ((alscon)), the Cortz will continue to serve as an advisory body of the nobles to the Crown, but will appoint a Chamberlain to serve as a direct representative to the Crown. Such an individual will answer solely to the Cortz and must be a noble not currently serving on the advisory body.

King Alfons VII de Trastámara said:
Royal Succession Laws

The Trastámara family as the royal family of Hispania shall hereby adopt a limited male preference of agnatic-cognatic primogeniture succession. Upon the death of a member of the royal family, all their titles shall be passed down along the following line of succession:

I. The eldest son shall inherit all titles of either parent. If deceased, the eldest male grandchild fathered by the eldest son shall inherit instead.

II. If the eldest son and all his male heirs are deceased, all titles shall pass on to the second oldest son. If deceased, succession will act in the same manner as described for the eldest son.

III. In the event that there are no living direct male heirs lower in succession, be they children, grandchildren, and onwards, then all titles shall be inherited by the eldest brother. If said brother is deceased, succession will act in the same manner as described in earlier clauses. If the eldest brother's line has no direct male heirs, then succession shall pass to the next oldest brother and be treated in the same manner.

IV. If there are no brothers or there are no living direct male heirs within their line, the eldest daughter will inherit all titles. If deceased, the eldest grandchild born from the eldest daughter, with all males given preference first, shall inherit all titles instead. If the eldest daughter and all her heirs are deceased, all titles shall pass on to the second oldest daughter. If deceased, succession will act in the same manner as described for the eldest daughter.

V. In the event that there are no living direct heirs lower in succession, be they male or female, and the lines of any brothers holds no living direct male heirs, then all titles shall be inherited by the eldest sister. If said sister is deceased, succession will act in the same manner as described in earlier clauses, with direct male heirs only given consideration.

VI. In the event that there are no living direct heirs lower in succession, be they male or female, and the lines of any brothers or sisters holds no living direct male heirs, then the eldest daughter of the eldest brother shall inherit all titles. If said niece is deceased, succession will act in the same manner described in earlier clauses, with preference given to male heirs over females.

VII. In the event that there are no living direct heirs lower in succession, be they male or female, and the lines of any brothers are extinct, then the eldest daughter of the eldest sister shall inherit all titles. If said niece is deceased, succession will act in the same manner described in earlier clauses, with preference given to male heirs over females.

VIII. In the event there are no living direct heirs lower in succession, be they male or female, and the lines of any brothers or sisters are extinct, then all titles shall pass on to the closest direct male heir through the father's line.

IX. In the event there are no living direct male heirs within the entire family, all titles shall pass on to the closest direct female heir through any male line.

X. In the event there are no living direct male or female heirs within the entire family, and thus no one left with the family name, all titles shall pass on to the closest blood relative, regardless of their current dynasty name.

XI. In the tragic event that the entire family has been eradicated and there are no blood relatives, all titles shall pass on to the closest relative through marriage.


1572
King Ferran IV de Trastámara said:
Royal Decree on the Restriction of the Inquisition

His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania & Galicia, and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights, hereby announces that the Inquisition, tasked with eradicating heresy from the kingdom, shall from hereon require the permission of the Crown to conduct an investigation on any member of the nobility.


1592
King Ferran IV de Trastámara said:
Royal Decree on the Tolerance of Heretics

His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights, hereby proclaims the following:


I. The Protestant and Reformed faiths, and all their derivatives, shall be officially recognized by the Crown. The Orthodox faith shall not be granted recognition by the Crown, for it is considered formally disbanded as a result of the end of the Greek Schism.
II. All those who follow the above faiths (Protestant, Reformed, & Orthodox) shall be free to practice their religion free of persecution.
III. The Inquisition shall remained unchanged, although it may no longer persecute the above faiths. The Inquisition may continue as it were in regards to heathens, and may attempt to convert heretics back to the true faith through peaceful means.
IV. Those who called for the excommunication of those within this court shall not be tried by the Crown, for excommunication is the purview of His Holiness and outside the powers of the Crown.
V. The Knights of Rhodes shall remain as they are in Rhodes, although the possibility of placing them under the administration of Hispania, as are those on Malta, is not out of the question.

King Ferran IV de Trastámara said:
Statute in Restraint of Appeals

His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights, hereby proclaims the following:

I. The Crown shall be the final legal authority in all matters of religion.
II. The Inquisition shall no longer answer to the Church or any authority outside of Hispania. The Inquisition shall only be responsible to the Crown.
III. The Inquisition may not investigate or try any individual or group without the authorization of the Crown.


1598
- Religious laws revised for all Christian heresies


1601
- Anti-Discrimination Laws passed for all Christian heresies


1606
José Fulminante ((delpiero1234)) said:
Trade Act of 1606

The Grandmaster shall be given the power to order the construction of trade buildings. The Steward may veto the construction of those buildings.


Revoked in 1637


1619
Emperor Pere V de Trastámara said:
Amendment to Royal Succession Laws
The order of succession as dictated under the previous succession laws shall remain, but with males given preference over females in succession. Female heirs shall not be considered until all direct male heirs have been exhausted. Whenever an heir is sought through a female line, all direct male heirs of that female shall be given preference.


1630
- Equal Status religious laws passed for all Christian heresies

Duke Louis François de Montségur ((alscon)) said:
The Reglementation of Duels Act

Duels are fought to preserve one's honour or to settle a vehement dispute, a feud, between men of equal standing. A commoner can therefore not challenge nobility to such a duel as long as the noble hasn't committed a crime against him.

Emperor Pere V de Trastámara said:
The Declaration for the Pacification of the Catalan People

Having betrayed the trust of His Imperial Highness, Emperor Pere V de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks, and having forced unlawful demands upon the Crown under duress, the Catalan people shall have all rights revoked that were granted through said process. They shall be placed under the full law of the Hispanian Crown and their lands shall be fully integrated into the Aragonese administration to ensure future loyalty to the Crown. All dissent and rebellious sentiment shall not be tolerated.

((All Catalan provinces will be culture converted to Aragonese))


1637
- Founded Indian Trading Company as Crown trading company


1644
- Enacted Benign Neglect Policy

- Enacted Military Zeal Policy

Duke Louis François de Montségur ((alscon)) said:
Veto of the Cortz Act


Any declaration of war has to be voted upon by the Cortz supplying the troops. If the Cortz gives its approval, the war is not limited. If the Cortz gives its veto, then the only troops to be involved offensively in the conflict are the Royal Exercit de Valencia and mercenary troops.


1651
Count Petros Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
Correction of the Cortz Act


Should the Nobility of Hispania feel that one of the Cortz no longer represents them, they can remove that member by a majority vote.

Almaden Hashem ((hirahammad)) said:
Confirmation of Requests to Investigate

All requests for an Inquisition must have at least two advocates.


1657
Ecumenical Council of 1651 said:
Declaration of the Rights of Christians and Establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ
Clause I – All Christian faiths are hereby recognized as legitimate and equal. All those following a Christian faith may not be persecuted for their religion and are protected by the law.

Clause II – The Church of Jesus Christ shall be created within Hispania as a joining of all Christian faiths and all Christians within Hispania will be considered members of said church.
a) Each Christian faith shall be considered a sect within the Church of Jesus Christ.
b) Each Christian faith shall maintain autonomy in regards to practices, customs, and doctrine with control over its own affairs and adherents.
c) The Church of Jesus Christ will not be considered its own faith and will not have its own unique customs and practices, but rather serve as a representative of all Christians.
d) People may be ordained as Christian under the Church of Jesus Christ, but will need to follow one of the sects within the Church of Jesus Christ.

Clause III
– The Church of Jesus Christ, as the representative of Christianity as a whole, shall be considered the state religion of Hispania.

Clause IV – The Emperor of Hispania shall serve as the head of the Church of Jesus Christ.
a) All sects within the Church of Jesus Christ which do not currently have a head shall have the Emperor fill such a role.
b) The Emperor’s position shall be mostly ceremonial in regards to the administration and spiritual affairs of each sect. The extent of his powers shall be defined by Crown laws.
c) All sects must recognize Crown authority over them to be considered part of the Church of Jesus Christ and to receive the appropriate legal protection.
d) The Emperor will be officially ordained as Christian, but may practice any sect within the Church of Jesus Christ.

Clause V
– A Council of Churches shall be created to handle all inter-faith affairs and serve as a means of communication between sects.
a) Each sect will appoint three clergy members from their highest ranks to serve on the Council of Churches.
b) The Council of Churches will select one of their members to serve as Court Chaplain.
c) The Council of Churches shall be responsible for determining whether any new faith is considered Christian and admitting them into the Church of Jesus Christ.

Clause VI – The Inquisition shall now permit all Christians to serve within its ranks and shall fall under the purview of the Council of Churches and the Crown.
a) The Inquisition shall be tasked with promoting unity and cooperation amongst all Christians and ensuring their rights are protected as dictated.
b) The Inquisition shall take whatever methods necessary to convert heathens to any Christian faith, although violent methods should be avoided unless necessary.

Clause VII – The holy orders existing on Malta and Rhodes shall hereby surrender their autonomy to the Crown. They shall continue to exist under full control of the Crown and only participate in conflicts against heathens.


1667
Emperor Alfons VIII de Trastámara said:
Establishment of Archbishoprics of the Church of Jesus Christ

To create a more united religious community and encourage the cooperation of all Christian faiths within the Church of Jesus Christ, the following reforms shall be proposed:

I. All imperial provinces within Europe shall be designated as archbishoprics of the Church of Jesus Christ. These shall supersede all existing archbishoprics or equivalent dioceses of each sect.
II. The archbishop of each province must be a member of any Christian faith recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ and be of appropriate rank within their own sect.
III. The archbishop shall be chosen by all Christian clergy of their province.
IV. The archbishop of each province will handle the administration of the Church of Jesus Christ and direct its religious affairs within that province.
V. The archbishop will serve as their province's representative to the Council of Churches and the Crown.
VI. Only those who have served as an archbishop within the Church of Jesus Christ shall be considered for membership within the Council of Churches, and only if they've reached the appropriate rank within their own sect.
VII. The archbishop of each province shall serve for life, but may be removed if a majority of clergy within the province and the Crown feel they are not properly supporting the tenets of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Almaden Hashem ((hirahammad)) said:
Now that the Papal State has been subjugated, its position in the Empire must be confirmed.

1.The Pope is divorced from governance, and is replaced in that position by the Vassal of Rome.

2. The Pope will reside in the Apostolic Palace, inside an enclave that includes St. Peter's Basilica, and the Sistine Chapel, known as the Vatican City.

3. The Citizens of Rome will be subordinate to the Vassal of Rome, while inside the Vatican City will reside the Pope and his personal servants, subordinate to no one, so long as they do not harbor fugitives, harm Hispanians or Romans, or militarily aid other states.

4. The Papal State has thus been abolished, and replaced by the Vatican City, and the Vassal State of Rome.

5. Hispania will have no control over the interior of the Vatican City, so long as they follow the terms laid out in Section 3. To showcase Hispania's lack of influence, the Vatican City is allowed to build fortifications, and maintain an armed force not exceeding 500 infantry, 500 cavalry, and 500 cannons, but not totaling more than 1,000.

The Chancellor of Hispania, along with the Imperial Diplomats, hope this will clarify the situation of Rome.

Almaden Hashem, Chancellor and Imperial Diplomat
Andrés de Alvaro, Duke of Sassari and Imperial Diplomat
Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre, Count of Roussillon, General of Hispania


1678
Duke Louis François de Montségur ((alscon)) said:
Military Reforms of 1678

The formal chain of command and military organization will be updated to the current model:
The biggest formation is a field army, led by Captain Generals and Lieutenant Generals, and supervised and coordinated by two Field Marshals: One being the current Marshal of Hispania, the second one being his assistant. A field army counts about 30,000 men, both armed, the commanding staff, supply units and communication corps.
The second biggest formation is a division, counting roughly 10,000 men and led by a Sergeant Major General.
Then we have a brigade, counting about 5000 men, commanded by a Brigadier.
Lower in chain there are regiments, counting 900 armed men and 100 support and command units. The officer leading a regiment is a Colonel.
Going even lower in the organization we have a battalion, about 450 soldiers under the command of a Major.
Next there is the Company, 150 soldiers taking orders from a Captain.
Then comes the platoon, counting 50 soldiers, led by a Lieutenant.
The final formation is the squad, 10 men commanded by a Sergeant.
The last part of this chain is the single soldier, or Private.

Military academies shall be instituted within the empire, where the citizens receive a proper education to fulfil the roles of soldiers and petty officers, their basic equipment provided by the academy, while nobles and promising recruits are prepared to fill in the ranks of commanding officers. Leaders have to prove themselves in combat to attain a higher rank than Colonel.

The nobles shall provide a certain amount of men capable to fight each year as draftees to the academies. The peasants could volunteer, but it would be up to the noble to either let them serve or force other to join the army, as long as they would fulfil the quota.

Count Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Equipment Standardization Act

All the infantry weapons of armed forces of Hispania shall be standardized to facilitate usage of firearms training of soldiers, making sure that no matter what they will be able to use the weapon they are provided with. Trials shall be ran to determine the firearm on which the Hispanian army shall standardize.

All infantry, cavalry and artillery units shall follow a strict dress code. All uniforms for a certain branch shall be the same, making the recognition of our units easier.

Hispanian armed forces will decide upon a certain artillery type, making it eairer to train future gunners in the usage of said guns. The majority of Hispanian artillery corps shall consist of a cetrain gun type, but not removing the rest. The decision to standardize on a certain artillery type shall be made after appropriate trials are run to see what are the benefits and disadvantages of the different types of guns are.


1684
Emperor Henri II de Valois of France said:
The French-Hispanian New World Concordant

I. The entire Caribbean shall be declared open to colonization by both France and Hispania. Both nations will agree to joint control of the region and all claims on each other's current territory shall be revoked.
II. Hispania shall recognize France's legitimate claim to Louisiana, including all land currently not occupied by France within the designated region.
III. France shall recognize Hispania's legitimate claim to Peru (Cusco), including all land currently not occupied by Hispania within the designated region.
IV. Due to the large British presence in North America, if Britain interferes in any of the above regions, both France and Hispania shall agree to defend their claims to the regions mentioned in the previous clauses. France and Hispania will coordinate efforts to remove any British threat to these claims and will consult on possible military ventures, and will carry through with such ventures only with the consent of both parties.

Count Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
National Defense Act

All the forts in the heart of the Empire ((Iberia)) shall be always kept upgraded to the latest model in case of rebellions or foreign invasions


1694
Duke Andronicus Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
Reformation of the Viceroys and Ambassadors

Due to the habitual emptiness of most Viceroy and Representatives of Hispania's Subjects, the affairs of the subjects of the Empire should be consolidated into a new Council Position, the Viceroy Superior. The Viceroy Superior is able to appoint others to the position of Ambassador to Hispania's Subjects as the Chancellor appoints Diplomats and the Marshal Generals.

Duke Andronicus Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
Treasurer Reform

The Treasurer is granted the ability to deactivate the War Fleets and Forts except when war is threatened or present. The Emperor is to decide whether War is threatened.


1700
Crown Prince Pere de Trastámara said:
The Civil Service Act

I. The Civil Service shall hereby be formally created within Hispania. The Civil Service shall operate in the capital of Valencia, with smaller divisions established in major cities of all provinces of the empire.
II. The Civil Service shall consist of various branches called ministries, represented by each position on the Council, which shall hereby be known as ministers.
III. Civil servants within the Civil Service shall be assigned to the various ministries, with each ministry receiving the appropriate number of civil servants needed for carrying out the duties of the ministry.
IV. All civil servants within the Civil Service shall be accountable to the emperor, if he deems to intervene, and the civil servants in each ministry shall answer to the appropriate minister.
V. All civil servants will be required to have graduated from a recognized university within Hispania, have taken a special training course offered by a recognized Hispanian university, or have formally been trained by a qualified civil servant and have taken a civil service exam administered by a recognized Hispanian university.
VI. To provide for the above clause, all Hispanian universities will be required to offer a course designed to train civil servants. The curriculum shall be determined by the various ministers and shall be reviewed every ten years.
VII. Recognizing that the current universities in Valencia and Firenze are insufficient to provide the proper training to such a large Civil Service, universities shall be founded in Navarra, Madrid, Leon, Granada, Lisboa, Provence, Napoli, Palermo, and Athens.


1706
Empress Dowager Caterina Marie Julieta de Trastámara née de Soneta ((ML8991)) said:
The Handling of Crime and Punishment Act

All crimes against the state are to be put before the small council, and the body shall decide whether the accused individual is guilty of the crimes in question. It is then up to the crown to decide the punishment it sees fit to bestow on those found guilty, to an intended level equal to that of the level of crime they commit.


1706
Duke Félicien Pierre de Montségur ((alscon)) said:
The Integration of Rome Act

The vassal state in Rome is abolished and the city formally made part of the empire as crown province.


1719
William Augustus Von Pölitz ((Duke Dan "the Man")) said:
The Recognition and Acknowledgement of the Obvious Lack of Transparency and Openness within His Imperial Majesties' Small Council and the Attempt to Exterminate it in Order to Stop and Eliminate Possible Fraudulent and Corrupt Behaviors Act
1. The Recognition of the Need of Transparency within the Council to the Court by the Small Council

2. All Proposals and Plans made within the Small Council shall be made public knowledge to the Court, in recognition in the role it may play in limiting possible fraudulent by members of the council.

3. There shall be no power given or transferred to the Court by the Small Council, it is only to supervise the behavior of the council. But it is within the right of the Court to ask and petition the Monarch, in the same manner as in the Court does when passing laws such as this.


1745
- Deism recognized as a Christian faith and officially protected by the Church of Jesus Christ


1753
The Representatives of the Colonial Governments said:
Colonial Reform

I. The Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia shall be granted full control of and independence in all domestic affairs. Hispania shall retain control of foreign affairs.
II. The Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia shall form a legislative assembly within each of their own nations, with members elected by male citizens over 21 with property.
III. A governor shall be selected from the legislative assembly to govern the nation. He may only be appointed and removed by the legislative assembly, without interference from Hispania.
IV. A supranational committee shall be created with all the Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia, as well as Hispania, serving as members. This committee will have no legislative power but shall serve as a means to settle disputes and submit grievances.
V. The Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia shall be free to choose their own state religion.
VI. All tariffs imposed by Hispania on the Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia shall be removed or lowered to a maximum of 10%.
VII. The Hispanian colonial governments of the Americas and Australia shall be free to trade with each other, with all inter-colonial trade no longer taxed by Hispania.
VIII. The Hispanian colonial government of the Americas and Australia shall be free to trade with foreign nations, excluding nations actively at war with Hispania, while Hispania shall retain the right to impose tariffs on this trade.


1755
Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Parliament Act of 1755

I. A bicameral advisory body, hereby known as the Parliament, shall be created within Hispania.
II. The Cortz shall serve as the upper house of the Parliament. It shall be tasked with debating legislation and presenting bills to the Crown for consideration.
III. A semi-elected body shall be created as the lower house, hereby know as the Assembly. It shall be tasked with debating legislation and presenting bills to the Crown for consideration.
a) One-third of seats within the Assembly shall be appointed directly by the Crown.
b) Two-thirds of seats within the Assembly shall be elected by the provinces of Hispania.
i. Any man over 21 with sufficient property is permitted to run for an elected position in the Assembly or vote in the elections.
ii. The number of seats shall be determined based on population, with each electoral district representing an equivalent number of citizens.​
c) Elections shall be held every four years. The Crown or the Prime Minister may call for early elections.
d) The Assembly is required to meet at least twice a year.​
IV. Legislation must be passed by a majority vote in both houses before being presented to the Crown. All legislation presented by the Parliament must receive the Crown's approval before being signed into law.
a) The Prime Minister or Chamberlain may present legislation directly to the Crown for consideration.
b) The Crown may choose to consider for approval any legislation not passed by one or both houses.​
V. The Prime Minister shall serve as the head of the Assembly and is appointed solely by the Crown. If not a member of the Parliament, they shall receive an honorary seat in the Assembly.
a) If the Prime Minister is a member of the Cortz, they must temporarily relinquish their right to vote in the Cortz and shall serve as a member of the Assembly for the duration of their time as Prime Minister.​
VI. The Chamberlain shall serve as the head of the Cortz and be elected from amongst its ranks.
a) If the Chamberlain is appointed Prime Minister, they may either appoint a Second Minister to serve as head of the Assembly or allow a new Chamberlain to be chosen by the Cortz.​
VII. The Council shall be renamed to the Cabinet.
VIII. The titles for the head of each ministry shall be renamed as follows: Chancellor to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Steward to Minister of the Interior, Treasurer to Minister of Finance, Grandmaster to Minister of Trade, Marshal to Minister of War, Grand Admiral to Minister of the Navy, Court Chaplain to Minister of Religious Affairs, and Viceroy Superior to Minister of Colonial Affairs.
IX. All ministers, excluding the Chamberlain, shall be appointed by the Prime Minister at the discretion of the Crown. If the ministers are not members of the Parliament, they shall receive an honorary seat in the Assembly.
a) The Minister of Religious Affairs shall now be appointed by the Prime Minister at the discretion of the Crown instead of by the Council of Churches. This minister must be an ordained clergy of any of the recognized sects of the Church of Jesus Christ.
b) The Minister of Colonial Affairs shall be granted the ability to designate land for colonization by the Crown and to appoint Crown colonists.
c) There shall be no limit to how many minister positions an individual may hold, provided they have the permission of the Crown.​

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
Reform of the Cortz Act

I. Membership in the Cortz shall be extended to all members of the nobility possessing a rank higher than baron.
II. All nobles of sufficient rank shall be granted a hereditary seat and the ability to debate and vote on legislation, to be passed down with their title.
III. In exchange for representation on the Cortz, all members must relinquish their feudal rights, including the permission to raise levies and the ability to collect taxation on behalf of the Crown.
IV. The Crown may choose to grant the right to sit in the Cortz instead of land grants when granting a title of nobility.
V. All members of the Cortz with a titular title must attend at least one session of the Cortz per year and reside in the Capital for a minimum of six months out of the year.
VI. Due to the changes to the nature of the Cortz, the outdated Veto of the Cortz Act and Correction of the Cortz Act shall be formally revoked.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Trans-Atlantic Trading Company Restraint Act

I. Due to its participation in the Hispanian Civil War on the side of the Phoenixes, the Trans-Atlantic Trading Company forfeits its right to operate as an independent trading company.
II. The TATC shall hereby fall under Crown supervision. The TATC may no longer act without Crown permission and the Crown shall acquire majority control of the company.
III. In recognition of their dedication to the Loyalists, the Saint-Pierre family shall serve as hereditary executives of the TATC. A member of the Saint-Pierre family shall be appointed by the Crown to manage all affairs of the TATC.
IV. All members of the TATC who fought alongside the Phoenixes or openly supported them shall be removed from the company, to be replaced with members of the Free Merchants League or known Loyalists.
V. Due to the changing relations with the colonies in the Americas, the TATC monopolies on Nueva Granada and Sanchonia shall be revoked.
VI. The Crown shall formally take over administration of all lands in Africa. The TATC shall maintain its monopoly on all trade in the continent.

Emperor Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
The Imperial Governance Act

I. The Empire of Hispania is to be divided into Administrative Areas, to which Imperial Governors will be assigned by the Prime Minister, with approval of the Emperor, to ensure the policies of Emperor and Empire are effectively enforced. ((Each in game area (2-5 provinces) is given a governor))

II. The Imperial Governors are to be present in their Area at all times unless under official business elsewhere. Both Emperor and Governor are encouraged to minimize the need for such business. As such, no member of Parliament, the Cortz, any Minister, or Emperor is to hold the position of Governor or otherwise participate in the Area's governance except for the Imperial Area of Valencia. Should a Governor be selected to serve as one of the above, he must reject the selection or surrender his Governorship.

III. No man may be a Imperial Governor should his father be a Governor, nor Governor of an Area that his grandfather served as Governor, to prevent his family from acquiring the place the feudal lords once held.

IV. Appointing close relatives of any current Governor, member of Parliament, the Cortz, or any Minister is discouraged. Unattached able men involved with their community are to be excepted to be appointed, although the Prime Minister is free to choose anyone not bound by the second or third clause.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Security of the Capital Act

I. Any army stationed outside of or near the capital may only receive orders from the Crown or a designated representative.
II. A general may only command or give orders to an army stationed outside of or near the capital with the permission of the Crown.
III. No army may enter the capital without the permission of the Crown.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Regency Act

I. The Emperor, when of sound mind and of appropriate age, may designate a chosen regent for instances when a regency is necessary either through public proclamation or written in a private document. Both must be witnessed or signed by three qualified individuals.
II. If the Emperor is not of sound mind or is underage, the designated regent shall take over his duties until such a time as the Emperor is capable of ruling.
III. If the designated regent is unavailable or one was not named, then the Prime Minister shall be appointed regent.
IV. If the Prime Minister is unavailable, then the Chamberlain shall be appointed regent.
V. If the Chamberlain is unavailable, then the Emperor's closest blood relative of appropriate age shall be appointed regent.


1766
Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
Amendment to the Parliament Act of 1755

I. The Prime Minister shall no longer automatically serve as the head of the Assembly. They shall only serve as head of the Assembly if they are a member of the Assembly or if granted an honorary seat in the Assembly due to not being a member of Parliament.
II. If the Prime Minister is a member of the Cortz, they shall retain their seat in that body and not serve as the head of the Assembly. They shall no longer be granted a seat in the Assembly.
III. The Prime Minister may appoint a head of the Assembly, who shall be granted the position of Second Minister.
a) The Second Minister may not be a member of the Cortz.
b) If the Prime Minister is a member of the Cortz, they are required to appoint a Second Minister.
b) If the Prime Minister is a member of the Assembly, they are not required to appoint a Second Minister and may serve as head of the Assembly.​
IV. If the Chamberlain is appointed Prime Minister, they are now required to appoint a Second Minister.
V. If the Prime Minister is otherwise indisposed or unable to carry out their duties, the Second Minister shall assume their responsibilities.


1773
Emperor Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
The Great Reform of 1773

A. Political Reforms

I. The proportion of appointed members to the Assembly is to be one-fourth of the total

II. The remaining three-fourths is to be elected from the provinces in the following manner.

III. Each province in Europe and Anatolia is to be granted a number of seats in the Assembly at a set rate based on number of eligible voters. Any Christian male subject residing in these provinces over the age of 21 and owns property is to be an eligible voter.

IV. Each province is to be divided into municipalities small enough to ensure that each voter can attend meetings without disrupting his way of life. Each province should keep records of the number of voters in each municipality and an ordered list, from highest paying to lowest paying, of the amount of taxes yield from each voter.

V. Each municipality shall be divided into three groups. The first group shall consist of the highest taxpaying voters until their cumulative taxes is one-third of the municipality's tax yield. The second group will be the next third. The third group the final third. Each group shall nominate the same number of electors each. The total number of electors for the municipality shall be based on the population of voters of the municipality compared to the province.

VI. Each province shall host a meeting of the electors, providing aid where needed to ensure participation, to select the members of the Assembly from that province

VII. The Crown has the right to establish an agency to review the actions of the provinces and municipalities to ensure fairness and equity in these procedures.


B. Slavery Reforms.

I. The practices of slavery and serfdom are to be abolished immediately.

II. Any Christian freed in this manner is to be considered a subject of the Crown. Heathens to be freed are to be granted one final opportunity before freedom to accept Christ.

III. The subject nations of Hispania are encouraged to enact similar reforms.

IV. All those participating in the now obsolete Freedom for Service Act are to be allowed to count time served in appropriate policies in section D


C. Reform of Taxation

I. Taxation is to be reformed to be primarily assessed on property. Tax rates are to be at 2 parts in 1000 of the assessed value of the land, buildings, and other items considered property like animals.

II. The Assessed Value of an item or a building or parcel of land is to be determined by the Treasury, and total property values of each household is to be recorded by the Regional Administration.

III. The Treasury still maintains the right to tax the production of commodities of interest, trade, and income from vassal nations as defined elsewhere.

IV. Taxes are to be paid in Coins minted by the Treasury.

V. The Church and the Nobility are allowed to pay their taxes by transfer of land to the Crown. Such actions must be approved by the Crown beforehand and if allowed, the land will be assessed at double its value.


D. Military Reforms

I. Children of two non-subjects of the Crown, upon completion of twenty-five consecutive years of exemplary service in the Army or Navy, are to be made Subjects of the Crown.

II. Children of one Subject of the Crown shall be considered Subjects of the Crown after only ten years of service as stated in I.

III. Children of two Subjects require no military service to be made Subjects of the Crown but are made Subjects when they either born or their parents are granted such status after their birth.

IV. Should a Subject of the Crown serve twenty-five years as detailed in I, that Subject is to receive a parcel of land from the Crown Estates in a province in Europe. This land is to be considered the Subject's property.


E. Government Reforms

I. Ministers are no longer granted a honorary seat in the Assembly

II. Ministers are allowed to participate in the Cortz or the Assembly if they gain membership as any other person would

III. The Second Minister is abolished

IV. The Assembly shall, by popular vote, elect one of their own as Speaker of the Assembly

V. The Assembly, by popular vote, can remove a Speaker from office

VI. The Speaker is to be the Assembly's voice on the Cabinet, and the Chamberlain the Cortz's

VII. Neither the Cabinet nor the Prime Minister are subservient or accountable to either the Assembly or the Cortz except for the Speaker and Chamberlain respectively, but to the Emperor alone.

VIII. Members of Parliament are not subservient or accountable to the Cabinet or the Prime Minister, but to those who selected them, be it the Emperor or the County they represent.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Abolition of Slavery Act (as an Amendment to the Great Reform)

I. Slavery shall be abolished in all provinces and colonies in Hispania.
a) The colonial nations of Hispania shall be free to choose whether to abolish slavery of their own accord.
II. All freed slave shall become subjects of Hispania upon their release.

Section B, Clause V. The Crown shall compensate slave owners with an appropriate amount for each slave freed.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Justice Act of 1773

I. The position of Spymaster shall be abolished.
II. The position of Minister of Justice shall be created as a replacement for the Spymaster.
a) The Minister of Justice shall be placed in charge of a new Ministry of Justice.
b) The Minister of Justice shall be a normal Cabinet minister and publicly known.
c) The Minister of Justice will be fully accountable to the Crown and may not use Crown or ministry resources for personal use.​
III. The Ministry of Justice shall be charged with investigating crimes, managing the court system, apprehending criminals, and carrying out criminal sentences.
a) The Hispanian Detective Force shall be created as a department within the Ministry of Justice to investigate criminal activity.
b) The Hispanian Police Force shall be established as a department within the Ministry of Justice to apprehend criminals and dispense justice.
c) The Minister of Justice shall appoint the head of both the detective and police force, although the Crown may overturn appointments.​
IV. The Cabinet shall no longer serve as the final court of appeal within Hispania.
V. The Supreme Court of Hispania National Court shall be established in Valencia as the final court of appeal.
a) Seven Nine judges shall sit on the Supreme Court, to be appointed by the Crown at the recommendation of the Minister of Justice.
b) All judges appointed to the Supreme Court must have at least five years' experience in a lower court in Hispania.​
VI. Provincial Courts shall be established in all provinces of Hispania.
a) All provincial judges shall be appointed by the Minister of Justice, although the Crown may overturn any appointments.
b) All judges must have at least five years' worth of legal experience and have completed a legitimate legal program at a Hispanian university.​

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Inquisition Reformation Act

I. The Inquisition shall no longer be permitted to investigate or harass individuals believed to be heathens or anyone whose faith defines them as criminal.
II. A new investigative body independent of the Inquisition shall be created under full Crown authority to investigate religious crimes and accusations of heathenism, as well as carry out the appropriate legal actions.
a) If the Justice System Act is enacted, such responsibility will fall to the Hispanian Detective Force & Hispanian Police Force.
b) If the Justice System Act is not enacted, this investigate body will be created as part of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.​
III. The Inquisition shall be placed under the authority of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
IV. The Inquisition may continue to encourage conversion to a sect of the Church of Jesus Christ, but only through peaceful means and missionary efforts.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Holy Order Reassignment Act

I. All knightly and militant holy orders within Hispania shall be dismantled.
II. All members of these holy orders may choose to become laymen in their appropriate church or enlist in the army.
III. Members of holy orders choosing to join the army will be placed into special regiments.
a) These members must swear an oath to the Crown and place all orders received from the military establishment above those of their respective churches, as long as they don't go counter to core Christian values.​

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Cort Reform Act of 1773

I. A seat shall be created in the Cortz for every count title or title of higher rank within Hispania.
a) If a title higher than count originates from a lower title, such as a duchy containing one county or more, only the lower titles will grant seats.
b) A seat can only be claimed if the title holder relinquishes all feudal rights associated with all titles they hold.​
II. If a noble possesses more than one title, they shall be granted a seat for every eligible title they possess.
a) A noble may claim multiple seats if they have multiple eligible titles.
b) A noble with multiple seats may freely grant any of their seats, excluding the seat associated with their primary title, to chosen representatives.
i. Any chosen representative must be a Hispanian subject and may not hold a seat of their own in either the Cortz or Assembly.
ii. Representatives serve at the behest of the original title holder and may be removed or replaced at any time by the title holder.
iii. Representatives may not hold more than one seat.​
c) A noble may not allow anyone other than themselves to claim the seat associated with their primary title.​
III. If the hereditary holder of a seat is underage or is not of sound mind or body, their primary seat may be occupied by their designated regent, otherwise it is left vacant.
IV. The Emperor may not sit in the Cortz or personally claim any seats associated with titles he possesses. This restriction does not apply to other members of the royal family.
V. The Emperor may appoint representatives to any seats associated with Crown titles, following the same restrictions as Clause II, Sub-clause B.
a) If the Emperor does not appoint a representative, the seat is left vacant.
b) The heir to the throne automatically receives the seat associated with the Emperor's primary title.
i. If the heir to the throne is not of age, the seat remains vacant until they are of age.
ii. If the heir to the throne has a seat in the Assembly, they must relinquish it immediately before claiming the seat in the Cortz.
iii. If the heir to the throne holds another seat in the Cortz, they may retain that seat as well.
iv. The heir to the throne relinquishes the seat upon ascension to the throne and then passes it on to the new heir.​


1778
Emperor Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
Operational Security Act of 1778

I. Matters concerning the recruitment of additional regiments and ships, movement of troops and fleets, declaration of war, and ongoing negotiations with foreign powers are to be held in confidence of the Cabinet unless otherwise allowed by the Emperor due to the sensitivity of such information.

II. The Emperor is free to declare any other policy of his Cabinet as sensitive as well.

III. Those found to have violated this confidence are to be held guilty of treason against both Crown and Empire.


1783
Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Elementary Education Act of 1783

I. With the enactment of this Act public schools shall be established.
1. At least a single institution is required to exist per Administrative Area, determined by the The Imperial Governance Act, thus establishing a School District.
A. Each District will be administered by a School Board who shall answer before the Ministry of Education.
B. Schools are to be funded from taxes paid by Hispanian citizens to make education as affordable as possible.
C. School is to be defined as an institution tasked with the education of children in reading, writing and basic mathematics, staffed by teacher and/or tutors, funded by the Government.
a. While it is required to educate students in reading and writing in Hispanian as well as basic mathematics, it shall be noted that School Boards are free to expand on the education program and choose additional subjects to teach.​
2. It is to be noted that students at the new Public Elementary Schools shall not abstain from attending Sunday School, or any other such place of religious worship or education.
3. Local Parishes will be able to fulfil the role of a School, if the norms to be classified as a School shall be fulfilled.
4. Any child between the age of 5 and 11 shall be suitable to receive education at Public Elementary Schools.
5. If needed Schools shall provide accommodation for students coming from further parts of the School District, either by allowing students to live in the School building or live with the local Citizens
A. It is to be noted that students may live with the local Citizens only after they have agreed to take the children in. In other cases School shall provide accommodation on the Institution’s grounds.
B. It is also to be noted that the accommodation is to be payed by the parents of students and that if it will not be affordable said student shall be expelled from School.​
II. With the enactment of this Act the Ministry of Education will be founded.
1.The Ministry of Education shall be responsible for administration of School Districts as well as determining if School Boards are fulfilling their roles and upholding to the set standard.
A. For this task the role of Royal Inspector of Education shall be created. There must be at least one Inspector per District.​
2. The role of the Minister of Education shall be created with this act in order to lead the Ministry. He is to be elected each election cycle, and can serve for up to 3 terms in the office.
A. The Minister will be tasked with setting the standard and determining is everything is working as it should
B. If the norm will not be upheld by at least 60% by the end of his cadency the Minister shall resign without being able to run for the next term.
C. The Minister shall be elected by the Assembly and the Cortz.
a. First of two candidates will be chosen by the lower house. Then, from those two nominees, the upper house will elect the Minister.
b. Only members of the Parliament are allowed to be candidates for the position of the Minister of Education.​


1788
Duke Alejandro de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Additions to the Elementary Education Act

1. Education shall be conducted primarily in Hispanian, as the original Act intended. In regions with non-Hispanian minorities, citizens can opt to have their children educated in their native language(s) as well as Hispanian. For example, citizens who identify as Italian and speak Italian may chose to have their children educated in Italian in addition to Hispanian. In regions with non-Hispanian majorities, education shall be conducted as follows. In the beginning, a student's education shall be conducted mostly or completely in said student's native language. As the student matures, there will be a gradual introduction of the Hispanian language into the curriculum, until by the conclusion of said student's education the curriculum is conducted mostly in Hispanian.

2. Citizens shall elect their own representatives to the board of the school district they live in so that they can air their grievances and concerns more efficiently. Such elected board representatives, whose terms last for one year, will be responsible for collectively determining educational policy within the district.

3. Families who cannot afford to pay for their children to board with citizens closer to schools can instead apply to the school board to send their children to board at state-run residences at a substantially lower fee. The school board shall decide to approve the application and how much the fee shall be based on the family's financial circumstances. To prevent citizens' personal opinions of each other from interfering in this process, a member of the school board not elected by the local citizens and instead appointed by the Ministry of Education shall oversee the processing of each application.

Emiliano Faixòn ((alscon)) said:
Amendment to the Additions to the Elementary Education Act

In regions with Hispanian minorities, these can request to have their children taught solely in Hispanian. The majorities are to be taught in their local languages, with the addition of Hispanian, in the aim of providing a fluid knowledge of the language, that each citizen of Hispania can communicate with another.

Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Elementary Education Act of 1788
((Overrides previous education laws where conflict exists))
I. Concerning the Curriculum
1. Students shall be taught in the local language. This applies to the mandatory classes*, as well as all those decided upon the school boards.
A. Hispanian minorities in areas populated by majorities of different culture shall be educated in Hispanian, however, they may choose to learn the local language.
B. The students, if they think their local traditions and culture are not being respected, boycott attending school, thus forcing the current school board of the region to be disbanded and new one formed.
* This does not apply to classes of the Hispanian language, or classes of a different language in a Hispanian-dominant areas.​
2. Students outside of Iberia are required to attend Hispanian classes in order to learn the language in order to learn how to use it fluently.
3. If the School boards decided upon teaching the students religion, it shall be noted that the teaching must follow the teachings of the CJC and should respect the student’s individual beliefs.​
II. Concerning the matter of boarding
1. Cost of accommodation in the school building shall be equal to the average cost of a loaf of bread in the region per one week of accommodation. (( 1 week spent in school = 1 loaf of bread ))
A. If the school building does not have a proper facility in which the students will be allowed to board, such facility shall be constructed with the use of government funds.​
2. Families accepting boarding students should not demand a price exceeding the price of two loafs of bread per week.
A. The families, if they so wish, may allow the student to work in the household in order to pay for the cost of living with them.​
III. Concerning the School Boards
1. School Boards, before choosing a curriculum for their school, are required to send a rough draft of the planned educational program in order to be evaluated by the Ministry of Education. If the Ministry will consider it inappropriate, for example violating the local culture, it shall be discarded and the Board will be required to begin anew.
2. The School Boards shall consist of locally elected officials, with two Ministry appointed members who will be responsible for keeping a watchful eye and who will be required to send regular reports to the Ministry.​

Duke Alejandro de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Improvement of Quality of Life Act

1. At least one hospital, staffed by university-trained doctors and nurses, shall be established in every village and town in ever hospital district for the well-being of all Hispanian citizens. Hospitals may not charge any citizen for use of any of their facilities; they shall be funded through a small tax levied on all Hispanian citizens equally. Cities will have at least one hospital per every district within said city for ease of access for every citizen.

2. The government will organize volunteer task forces to clean up and improve on the sanitary conditions of every city; local civilian governments will be allowed to form their own volunteer task forces. Local laws and ordinances shall be established and enforced to make sure that sanitary conditions remain satisfactory.

3. The government will attempt to relocate citizens in overpopulated areas, with their consent, to state-funded affordable housing units. Should not enough citizens consent to relocation, the government will send architects, engineers, and sanitation workers to clean up the overpopulated neighborhood and bring its housing units in line with safety regulations.

4. Appropriate safety and sanitation regulations will be established at the national level as a baseline for local civilian governments to set their own regulations, to ensure that all citizens enjoy the best possible quality of life and have the ability to decide what levels of regulation are appropriate for them.

Emiliano Faixòn ((alscon)) said:
Amendment to the Improvement of Quality of Life Act

Hospital districts shall be created, to have one hospital in acceptable reach of every citizen. Both the size of the districts and hospitals vary depending on the geography and population density.

Emiliano Faixòn ((alscon)) said:
Reversal of War Taxes Act

After a war ends in which war taxes have been levied, the tax shall be reduced by the same amount and time it has been raised.

Archbishop Justinian Lagos ((hirahammad)) said:
The Papal Act

The Pope is excluded from ministerial offices, save for the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Recuperation of Losses Act

I. If a region of Hispania shall be sacked during a war, government shall use the available funds in order to help the people rebuild their homes, as well as providing the populace with wheat and fresh water until the people of the region will be able to sustain themselves.
II. If a region of Hispania shall suffer from a natural disaster the Crown will cover some of the costs of reparation, as well as provide the people with food and water until they will be able to afford it on their own.
III. If a region shall be devasted by a plague the Crown will cover some of the costs of reparation, as well as provide the people with food and water until they will be able to afford it on their own.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Inter-Parliamentary Relations Act

I. The Cortz and the Assembly shall be recognized as distinctly separate houses of Parliament.
II. The Chamberlain and Speaker shall be formally recognized as the official representatives of their respective houses, the Cortz and the Assembly.
a) The Chamberlain and Speaker shall be charged with organizing and managing all proceedings within their house.
b) The Chamberlain and Speaker shall conduct all votes on reprimands or censure within their own house.
i. Reprimands require a majority vote and serve as a warning for bad behaviour.
ii. Censure blocks the offending member from speaking in Parliament for one electoral term, requiring at least two reprimands and a two-thirds majority vote in favour.
iii. Reprimands and censure votes may only be called for against someone within the same house as the offending member and may only be voted on by members of that house.​
c) The election of a new Chamberlain and Speaker shall be decided by a plurality vote within their respective houses.
i. Any member of a house may call for an election of a new representative of their house.
ii. An election for a new Chamberlain or Speaker while a current one exists may only be called once per electoral term.​
III. No member of the Assembly or Cortz may present legislation for a vote that affects or alters the other house without the permission of the other house's chosen representative, the Chamberlain or the Speaker.
IV. Legislation that affects or alters only a single house on a minimal scale will only be voted on by that house.

a) Any changes to procedures, protocol, and basic functions will only be voted on by the house affected.
b) Any changes to fundamental elements of a house, such as changes to electoral districts, membership requirements, or powers and responsibilities, require the approval of both houses.
c) Any legislation that affects only a single house but also impacts either the Crown or any other body, group, or individual outside Parliament requires the approval of both houses.
V. The Chamberlain and Speaker are given the responsibility of deciding whether a law is considered as only affecting their house.
VI. The Crown may grant permission for members of either house to propose changes to the other house or decide whether legislation only affects a single house.

Emiliano Faixòn ((alscon)) said:
Local Autonomy Amendment to the Imperial Governance Act

I. All areas are permitted to form their own regional assemblies.

II. This body will be allowed to institute their own local laws, make local legal determinations and raise local taxes.

III. The authority vested in these provinces shall be secondary to the authority vested in Parliament, and they shall be restricted from any attempts to create their own currency or raise troops without Imperial permission.

IV. These ordinances are not permitted to interfere with the activities of the Imperial Government in any form, direct or indirect.

V. These ordinances are not allowed to conflict with the Hispanian Code of Laws at any time. Should such conflict occur, the ordinance in question is to be nullified.


1793
Duke Alejandro de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Judicial System Reform Act

All Hispanian citizens are now entitled to a trial by a jury of their peers.

Courts and justice systems will be set up at the following levels: municipal, provincial, and national.

Municipal courts will be established in every major town or city (where "major" is defined as having a population exceeding five thousand citizens) to address legal matters of local significance.

Provincial courts will be established in every administrative district of the Empire and handle legal matters of provincial significance.

A National Court will be established in Hispania and handle legal cases of national significance. This National Court will be staffed by nine justices, appointed by the Emperor himself, whose job is to not only deal with legal cases affecting the entire country but also to review all laws passed by Parliament and determine if they are constitutional, that is, they do not violate the constitution.

Citizens may seek legal action first in municipal courts. Should they not be satisfied with the court's decisions, they can then appeal to their provincial court, and should they not be satisfied with the provincial court's decisions, they can appeal to the National Court or to the Emperor himself; the decisions of both the National Court and the Emperor are final. All appeals are not guaranteed to be heard and may be rejected.

The Emperor and only the Emperor reserves the right to overturn any court verdict at will.

Judges at municipal and provincial courts will be selected from individuals with the proper educational requirements, that is, those who have university training and experience in legal matters.

Emiliano Faixòn ((alscon)) said:
Independence of Jurisdiction Act

The jurisdiction is independent of the administration. The verdict of the judge(s) cannot be influenced nor overturned.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Ministry of Religious Affairs Representation Act

I. To ensure proper representation of all Christian faiths, the Council of Churches shall be formally merged into the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
a) The Council of Churches within the Ministry of Religious Affairs shall retain its current form, with three members of each sect chosen to serve as a member by their respective faith.
b) All bureaucrats and administrators within the Ministry of Religious Affairs shall be subservient to the Council of Churches, which in turn shall be subservient to the Minister of Religious Affairs.​
II. The Minister of Religious Affairs shall still be appointed by the Prime Minister, but must be a member of the Council of Churches.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Parliamentary Quorum Act

Any act presented in Parliament that half of all members of either house abstain on cannot pass, regardless if more people voted for an act than against it. If the vote is conducted in only one house, then it must meet that requirement for only that house.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
The Embassy Act

I. Embassies shall be permanently established in the capitals of all nations in Europe, to be staffed by members of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or officials approved by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and to coordinate with existing ambassadors. These embassies shall be charged with conducting diplomacy between Hispania and the host nation.
II. The Minister of Foreign Affairs may choose to open an embassy in the capital of any nation outside Europe and may choose to close any of these embassies at any time.
III. Negotiations shall be conducted with all nations to arrange diplomatic immunity for all Hispanian diplomats and ambassadors, in which case said diplomats and ambassadors may not be harmed or prosecuted by the host country. Those nations that accept shall be granted diplomatic immunity for all their diplomats and ambassadors within Hispania.
IV. Negotiations shall be conducted with all nations hosting Hispanian embassies to arrange extraterritoriality status for all embassies, in which case Hispanian law shall override all local laws within the territory granted for the embassy. Those nations that accept shall be granted extraterritoriality status for all their embassies established within Hispania.
V. If at any time a nation rescinds diplomatic immunity for Hispanian diplomats and ambassadors or extraterritoriality status for the Hispanian embassy within their nation, a year shall be granted for the offending nation to reconsider their decision before the equivalent status is rescinded for the offending nation within Hispania.
VI. During times of war, all diplomats and ambassadors of hostile powers shall be confined to their respective embassies or appropriate quarters unless called upon by the Crown or a member of the Cabinet, or recalled by their home country.
VII. Anyone granted diplomatic immunity within Hispania who breaks Hispanian law shall be confined to their respective embassy or appropriate quarters until such a time as they are recalled by their home country. They shall not be prosecuted under Hispanian law.
VIII. Any Hispanian official granted diplomatic immunity within another country who breaks a law of the host country shall be recalled back to Hispania. They may be tried under Hispanian law, if applicable, at the behest of the Crown, Minister of Foreign Affairs, or Minister of Justice.

Grand Duke Martí de Alvaro ((Robban204)) said:
The Protection of Embassies Act Act

I. The Embassies set up in other nations will be accompanied by a security detail consisting of a platoon of Hispanian Imperial Marines.
II. The Marines will answer to the Imperial High Command as usual, but also to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the respective Ambassador in which country they are stationed.
III. The Marines will not intervene in the host nations affairs. Their only mission is to protect the embassy, embassy grounds and the embassy staff, as well as diplomats or dignitaries which are visiting the embassy.

Baron Juan Augusto Adrián de Salcedo ((Firehound15)) said:
Transdacian Establishment Act

I. The Transdacian territories shall have powers decentralized to them such that they will have their own parliament, co-equal with that of Valencia, their own laws, and a separate military force.

II. The name of these territories shall be "The Grand Principality of Transdacia," and its ruler shall be the Emperor of Hispania.

III. Transdacia shall receive military support and protection from Hispania.

IV. Transdacia shall be forbidden from engaging in diplomatic relations which any nation with which Hispania has formal relations.

V. Under the Emperor's discretion, he may appoint his heir apparent or any other male member of the Royal Household to temporarily act with the powers of the Grand Prince, such that he might develop a greater sense of personal capacity in political matters.

Grand Duke Martí de Alvaro ((Robban204)) said:
The Special Operations Forces Act


I. A new special operations forces command will be set up within the Imperial High Command, the Imperial Special Operations Command, ImSpecOpCom.
II. The Special Operations Command will be headed by a Colonel with suffient background, and answer to the Imperial High Command, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Emperor and the Minister of Justice.
III. The Special Forces outfit will be recruited from all branches of the Hispanian Military and given special training and equipment.

Count Altair Spoleto ((texasjoshua)) said:
Amendment and Additions to the Special Operations Forces Act

I. A new special operations forces command will be set up within the Imperial High Command, the Imperial Special Operations Command, ImSpecOpCom.
II. The Special Operations Command will be headed by a Colonel or higher with sufficient background, and answer directly to the Emperor.
III. The Special Forces outfit will be recruited from all branches of the Hispanian Military and given special training and equipment.
IV. The forces may be used in time of war or peace in cases where discretion and swiftness are necessary as judged by the Emperor.
V. The Emperor will require the approval of both the Chamberlain and Minister of Foreign Affairs for use of the special forces during times of peace.
VI. Due to the need for secrecy within special forces, the only individuals that are required by law to be apprised of special forces operations are the ministers and the heads of both houses of parliament.

Grand Duke Martí de Alvaro ((Robban204)) said:
The Marine Corps Act

I. Establish a Marine Corps comprised of capable sailors and soldiers who will serve as a shipbound spearhead.
II. This Marine Corps will be a branch under the Navy.
III. These Marines can be used as embassy protection personel in regards to their training, experience and capability to be transported quickly to where they are needed by ship.

Emperor Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
The Specialized Services Act

In recognition of the need for specialized infantry units for certain tasks, the Army is to create two types of formations, and the Navy one.

A. The Cazadores
I. The Cazadores are to be a scouting, reconnaissance, skirmishing, and sharpshooting force with specialized selection, equipment, and training for their role. They are to add on any logical duty that is justified as the need arises.
II. Cazadores are to be grouped into their own regiments attached to the Exercits. The exact size and organization of these regiments are to be adjusted to fit their duty.

B. The Grenadiers.
I. The Grenadiers are to be troops tasked with heavy assaults and charges at the front lines to best turn the tide of battle. They are also to have specialized selection, equipment, and training for their role with the ability to adapt their duties as needed.
II. Grenadiers are to be grouped into Companies of 100, with a Company attached to each regular infantry regiment.

C. The Marines.
I. The Marines are to be part of the Navy, as a fighting infantry force aboard Hispanian Ships as well as a amphibious invasion force and security of ports. Their selection, training, and equipment and duties are also allowed to be modified as needed.
II. The Navy is hereby required to decide the needed Marine detachment size on each Naval vessel and port, and is to ensure such requirements are met.
III. The Marines are to be organized as a separate unit in the Navy answering to the Commandant of the Marines who serves directly under the Grand Admiral. Localized detachments are to obey the orders of the commanding Naval Officer of the ship or port they are assigned should they not be in violation of the Hispanian Naval Code, Imperial Code, or Local Code if applicable.

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
Naval Reform of 1793

I. Military academies within the Empire shall be expanded to include naval programs, where Hispanians will be trained as sailors and petty naval officers. Any basic equipment shall be provided by the academy.
II. Anyone wishing to join the navy must graduate from an official naval academy or have served for five years at sea with a recognized Hispanian naval organization (trading companies, etc.)
III. The formal chain of command for the navy shall be updated to mirror the army as follows:
a) The highest ranking officer in the navy shall be the Fleet Admiral. There shall only ever be two: the Minister of the Navy and his chosen assistant.
b) Beneath the Fleet Admiral shall be the Admirals and Vice Admirals. Only they, along with the Fleet Admirals, may command Hispania's armadas and fleets.
c) Rear Admirals shall be placed in command of up to 20 ships within any fleet.
d) Commodores shall be placed in command of up to 5 ships within any fleet.
e) Ship-of-the-line Captains shall be the highest ranking officers in command of a single ship and shall be placed in command of heavy ships.
f) Frigate Captains shall be placed in command of light ships.
g) Corvette Captains shall be placed in command of galleys or transports.
h) Ship-of-the-line Lieutenants shall serve under Captains on heavy ships.
i) Frigate Lieutenants shall serve under Frigate Captains on light ships.
j) Corvette Lieutenants shall serve under Corvette Captains on galleys and transports.
k) All non-officer members of the navy shall be considered sailors.​
IV. All officers must prove themselves in combat or have served in the Hispanian navy for a minimum of five years to obtain the rank of Corvette Captain or higher.
V. If the Minister of the Navy is not an official officer of the Hispanian navy, the rank of Fleet Admiral shall be honorary and only retained as long as they retain the position.


1798
Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
The Reformation of the Administration of the Empire Act
1.The basic unit of administration within the Empire shall be the Municipality, and shall be governed by appointed bureaucrats from the Civil Service by the Minister of the Interior. All of land within the Empire shall be divided within Municipalities.

1.1 In order properly divide the whole of the Empire, a commission of 100 men within the Civil Service, as appointed by the Minister of the Interior, in order to smoothly survey the lands of the realm


2. The Second Unit of Administration is the prefecture

2.1. There shall be two kinds of Prefecture: a Metropolitan Prefecture, and a Agrarian Prefecture.

2.2. Both shall be governed by a Prefect, whom shall be elected by popular election every 2 years.

2.3. The Metropolitan Prefecture shall consist of one town over 10,000 people, as well as their surrounding countryside extending for 3 kilometers

2.4. An Agrarian Prefecture will consist of a part of the land within a District.

2.5. Each Agrarian Prefecture shall be divided evenly between the size of the land within a district.

2.6. There shall always be 3 times as many Agrarian Prefectures as there is Metropolitan Prefectures within a district.

2.7. Valencia shall be a special prefecture, being governed by the Imperial Parliament itself.

2.7.1. The Prime Minister shall appoint a Special Prefect to serve as the nominal governor of the city.

2.7.2. This Prefect must not hold any position within the cabinet and be a member of Parliament

2.8. In the event that a Prefect dies within his term, the Prime Minister is empowered to appoint a new Acting Prefect to take the former's place.


3. There will be 4 Districts within each province of the Empire

3.1. A District shall be governed by a local congress of delegates from each of the Prefectures, selected by the Prefect of the province.


4. A Province is defined as the traditional boundaries of the various lands of the nobility.

4.1. A province is governed by a Deputy Governor, and is elected through popular vote every 6 years.

4.2. The Deputy Governor shall be empowered to collect taxes, keep his people happy, and keep law and order within his province.


5. The fifth unit of administration will be the State, which has already been defined in previous acts.

Count Altair Spoleto ((texaxjoshua)) said:
The Protection of Hispania Act

I. All secessionist publications and groups are henceforth made illegal.
II. Anyone found in possession of secessionist propaganda shall be charged with no less than 1 year in prison.
III. Leaders of Secessionist groups or printers of secessionist material will be judged to be traitors to the Empire and hung.
IV. This law will be in effect until the emperor declares the Byzantium crisis over, or 5 years, whichever is shorter.

Emperor Dowager Sophia de Trastámara née Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve)) said:
Military Support Act

I. All nations whose affairs are managed by the Minister of Colonial Affairs shall be entitled to military support in the face of rebellion as they would a foreign army.

II. The Emperor is permitted to deny this support, as is the joint decision of the Minister of Colonial Affairs and the Minister of the Army.

Charles Gustave de Saint-Pierre ((05060403)) said:
Amendment to the Naval Reform of 1793

I. The highest ranks in the navy shall be: The Grand Admiral of Atlantic and Grand Admiral of the Orient.
1. The Grand Admirals shall be appointed by the Minister of the Navy, only if the candidate has shown exceptional skill in command and valor in combat.
2. The admirals shall operate separately from each other, each one being responsible for their respective region.
3. In special cases it is possible for one man to hold both ranks, in which case he shall be titled as The Grand Admiral of Hispania.​

II. The Naval Academy will be split into two: The Lower Academy for regular sailors and petty officers, as well as The Upper Academy for officers.
1. The Upper Academy will be restricted to those who showed exceptional skill during service, or those who have achieved extraordinary academic results in the Lower Academy.
2. Anyone above Frigate Captains will be required to finish education at the Upper Academy.
3. A specially formed committee of admirals and government officials will determine if a candidate is suitable for education at the Upper Academy.​

Duke Alejandro de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Protection of the Ruthenian People Act

The Transdacian semi-autonomous government will recognize Ruthenian as an accepted language for use in commerce and government. It will lift its ban on the use of the Ruthenian language and restore Ruthenians voting rights. In compensation, the Transdacian government is authorized to continue teaching the Wallachian language alongside Ruthenian in the name of cultural unity and increase the voting weights of Wallachians in elections. This act's provisions will also apply to the Hungarian population of Transdacia.


1804
Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
National Census Act

1. In order to verify the number of citizens within the Empire, the Minister of the Interior receive the duty to carry out a census every 5 years.

Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
Higher Education Act

1. From the ages of 12 to 16, a child, with the consent of his parents, will attend middle school, being an intermediate period between Elementary School, and Higher Education establishments.
2. The curriculum shall be decided by the local school board, although certain subjects may be considered mandatory by the Minister of Education
3. University will be an option for anyone over 16 years of age. In order to persuade more people to pursue higher education, the government shall agree to give discounts in taxes paid to people whom are studying at university not exceeding 2% of the total tax levied on a student.
4. The gov. shall also establish technical schools in order to help educate prepare who wish to go into certain fields of work
5. In order to heighten the efficiency of the agricultural practices of our farmers, those who go to technical schools with the hope to go into, or learn more efficient techniques farming shall receive training for free.

Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
Election of Governors of the Provinces

1. Governors shall be elected be their people every 4 years, during the election of seats in the Parliament

Emperor Alfons IX de Trastámara said:
Amendment to the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Act

I. Sections III-VI shall be removed from the Inter-Parliamentary Relations Act.
II. Any member of Parliament may propose legislation affecting only a single house. The house affected may vote on that law exclusively, but only with the permission of both the Speaker and the Chamberlain.
III. The Speaker and the Chamberlain are given the responsibility of deciding whether a law is considered as only affecting their house. If they do not make use of this power before a vote is conducted, proposed laws must be voted on by both houses.
IV. Any legislation that affects only a single house but also impacts either the Crown or any other body, group, or individual outside Parliament requires the approval of both houses.
V. Any legislation proposing changes to fundamental elements of a house, such as changes to electoral districts, membership, or powers and responsibilities, requires the approval of the Crown to be voted on by a single house.


1811
Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
Electoral Reform Act

1. Each elected members of Parliament shall henceforth represent a Prefecture of the Empire, as defined in Article 2 of the Administrative Reform Act.
2. Every Prefecture will elect 1 member to Parliament.


1816
Countess Alexandra von Politz ((Duke Dan 'the Man')) said:
National Plebiscite Act


Should the equivalent of ten thousand votes be collected by a protesting party, then a plebiscite shall always be held within 6 months.

If the protest is against a certain act, then that acts capabilities shall be suspended until after 2 months after the plebiscite shall be passed.

Duke Fernando de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Defense of the Monarchy Act

The monarchy of Hispania is an inviolable institution. Suggesting its overthrow shall be considered treason. Following from this, any individual or organization advocating for the establishment of a Hispanian republic shall be charged with treason.

Duke Fernando de Leon ((zenphoenix)) said:
Guarantee of Freedoms Act

All citizens of Hispania and its subjects shall be entitled to the following freedoms. Some are already current practice, but this act aims to formalize and protect them.

The freedom of speech and press, to say and publish what they want in public as long as they don't agitate for overthrow of the government or other treasonous activities.

The freedom to practice any Christian denomination in public.

The freedom of movement throughout Hispania.

The freedom to organize in private and public groups.

The freedom to peacefully petition the government to make known their grievances.

The freedom to run for any public office, ie a seat in a regional or national Parliament.

The freedom to pursue a legal profession of any kind.

Baron Juan Augusto Adrián de Salcedo ((Firehound15)) said:
Citizenship Act, 1816

I. Henceforth, all native-born subjects of the Hispanian Empire who, themselves, belong to a one-half parentage born of Italy, Iberia, Lusitania, Provence, Sardinia, Corsica, or the Colonies shall be known as Hispanian Citizens, and shall be granted all the rights, duties, and powers upon therein.

II. All Hispanian Citizens will be entitled to a certain set of rights, which shall not be infringed, and instead shall be upheld above all local decisions of the Empire-proper which are to the contrary. Such rights shall include, but shall never be limited to:

a. Right of Non-Violent Assembly
b. Right of Political Discourse
c. Right of a Fair Trial
d. Right to Operate a Press
e. Right of Free Travel
f. Right of Free Personhood​

III. All Hispanian Citizens will be granted the authority to vote in elections for the retention of those judges and justices who hold a jurisdiction to which those Citizens are privy, regardless of their capacity to vote in elections to determine the membership of the Assembly.

IV. Only Hispanian Citizens will be given the right to sit in either the Assembly or the Cortz.

V. Subject to His Majesty's decision, any individual who is resident within the Empire may be granted full Citizenship.

VI. Subject to the decision of His Majesty and Parliament, any Citizen may have their specific rights suspended due to treasonous activity, and may also be stripped of their Citizenship. Such punishments, however, will not come upon their blood.

VII. All Hispanian Citizens shall have the right to vote on local elections, however, voting for members of the Assembly shall be restricted to those Citizens who can provide evidence that they hold in their own name a value equal to or greater than 12 Escudos.

Cardinal Justinian Lagos ((hirahammad)) said:
Amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1816
I. Henceforth, all native-born taxpaying subjects over the age of 15 of the Hispanian Empire who, themselves, belong to a one-half parentage born of Italy, Iberia, Lusitania, Provence, Sardinia, Corsica, or the Colonies shall be known as Hispanian Citizens, and shall be granted all the rights, duties, and powers upon therein.

Baron Juan Augusto Adrián de Salcedo ((Firehound15)) said:
Parliament Act, 1816

I. Henceforth, the Assembly of the Hispanian Empire shall be reorganized into a body containing within itself 500 seats, which will be apportioned in the following manner:

a. Fifty seats shall be granted to those individuals appointed by the Crown to aid in the making of specialized decisions, and who shall be drawn from backgrounds of jurisprudence, history, foreign policy, the military, and all others deemed to be of value. These seats will be appointed at the discretion of the Emperor, and shall hold office until they are dismissed in the same means as their appointment.
b. Ninety-two seats shall be apportioned equally between all provinces of the Empire, and shall be filled by those individuals elected to hold such offices.
c. Eight seats shall be apportioned to the eight most populous cities within the Empire, and shall be filled by those individuals elected to hold such offices.
d. Three-hundred and fifty seats will be apportioned by population between all provinces within the Empire, and shall be filled by those individuals elected to hold such offices.​

II. Funds shall be allocated for the purposes of constructing a new Parliamentary Building in Valencia, which will be designed and built so that it will have the capacity to house all functions of Parliament, including not only both the Cortz and Assembly Chambers, but also offices for the members of both Chambers.

III. Parliamentary boundaries and allocations shall be reassessed every ten years, at which time a Census will be taken throughout the Hispanian Provinces. In the absence of firm precedence for such a count, the first such Census shall be conducted in 1820, under the supervision of joint committee of the Cortz and Assembly comprised of five individuals from each Chamber. Until that time, allocations will continue to be made based upon local records.


1822
Parliament said:
Second Amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1816
I. Henceforth, all native-born taxpaying subjects over the age of 15 of the Hispanian Empire who, themselves, belong to a one-half parentage born of Italy, Iberia, Lusitania, Provence, Sardinia, Corsica, Greece, Anatolia, or the Colonies shall be known as Hispanian Citizens, and shall be granted all the rights, duties, and powers upon therein.
 
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As I said in you Tag-Swap AAR I'm joining this one. I knew it would be good to give some traits and info about my character, good thing I did it. So I'm pleased to introduce my character:
Name: Arturo de Valencia
Date of Birth: 1412
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholicism
Bio: Arturo is a cunning, but he cares for the country he serves,though He puts the needs of his house on the prime spot, and his main objective is yo make his family the most powerful one. Arturo trained swordplay since childhood, and had a cynical look on religion, never being the most pious person. Because of that he did not attend many classes under priests and bishops choosing rather different universities. His long stay in the cities when he studied made him realize how the cities are the future of all countries, and how religious customs are relics of the past. He is very calm, but when angry he becomes cruel and wrathful. He hates Castillinas and seeks to weaken them on ever occasion. He is a very gregarious man seeking to always meet more friends.


Since we are able to request counties I would like to request Zaragoza. House de Valencia wants to engage those blasted Castillinas as the first!
 
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Well, I'm in as well. Looks promising to guide Aragon into its certain future (*cough*reclaiming Gonder*cough*)

Name: Felice Castelozzi
Date of Birth: 1407
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic

Bio: Felice, loyal servant of the crown, was born on Sicily into an influential local family. He would probably never have made it to Alfonso's court if not for his participation in the conquest of Naples, where his men bravely led the first assault of the city, leading to the ultimate victory of His Majesty. Proud of his heritage, Felice represents the Sicilian interests within the crown, to secure his families' continuing influence and wealth. A true knight in these ever-changing times, his actions always carry some chivalry with them, and he sees Aragon's firm grip on the Southern peninsula as an opportunity to restore long gone prosperity. Brave and taught in the art of war, Felice knows his position, and acts as such.

Also, if counties are for grabs, I'll take Palermo.
 
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Name: Ioannes Kontostephanos
Date of birth: December 23rd, 1419
Class: Courtier - Byzantine Refugee
(Faction)
Religion: Catholic (Orthodox Convert)

Bio:
Ioannes was born to the Duke and Duchess the Athens just two days before Christmas in Anno Domini 1419. He was the first born child of the pair, and prepared to be the heir to the Duchy of Athens during the crisis created by the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed I. After the passing of Mehmed the first and the rise of Mehmed the II who proved to be an even more fearsome tactician, his father was offered to send Ioannes to the city of Barcelona in order to ensure that their family would live on.

Ioannes's father, Alexi, faced a difficult decision. He was falling ill and should he pass before the Ottomans came, if they even made it to Athens, the Duchy of Athens would have no heir around to ensure the stability of the Duchy. Alexi pondered the decision for nearly three months, and upon the conclusion of the events at the siege of Thessalonika, Alexi made up his mind, Ioannes would be sent to study in the city of Barcelona and if the Empire prevailed, Ioannes would return to Athens.

As city after city fell to the Ottomans and the proudest of Greek nobles were slaughtered by the invading Turks, Alexi soon knew that there would be no homecoming for Ioannes.

-----

It is the year 1444 and Ioannes Kontostephanos has found himself in the court of His Majesty himself, serving dutifully and without question. Ioannes rarely speaks about his life in Greece though when the King is informed of news from his homeland, he can not help but listen with keen interest as the Turks move closer and closer to finally taking the Queen of Cities.

((Thought I'd throw in a Byzantine Refugee because it's always one of the cooler events I see playing a Mediterranean Nation, and I'd like to reflect that here. This is my first time posting in the AAR section or really anywhere. I've been watching a lot of good AARs for awhile, btu decided it's time for me to participate!))
 
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((05060403 has pointed out to me that I didn't properly describe how titles are handed out, so I've added more detail to that under the king section. If anyone has any questions about anything, certainly voice them. This will always be a work in progress and I want to make it as perfect as possible. I already see that alscon mentioned which province he wants, so that makes me realize I should write down somewhere how to request them. I'm always missing something. :rolleyes:

Also, glad to have all of you along. Sorry for not replying earlier. I didn't want to spam the thread by commenting on every character. Everyone's characters look promising so far. :)))
 
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Name: Esteban Iglesia y Maig
Date of birth: June, 1410
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Esteban is the eldest son of a landholding family in the Beleares. Inquisitive, loyal, and determined, he seeks to increase the fortunes of his family. He has three younger siblings and is recently married, so there is plenty of family in need of support, and more to come in the future.
 
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((Okay, now I've added it so that people may request a province in their character bio. Feel free to edit that in if you've already posted a character. For now I'm going to take it as that alscon wants Palermo and I assume Idhrendur wants the Baleares. Also welcome Idhrendur. Glad to see someone with iAAR experience. :)

Also first person to make a clergy member will have my gratitude. I need at least one to fill the Court Chaplain position.

Edit: The embarrassing moment I realize that the republic information is posted twice. :oops:))
 
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Name: Erik Inge (Hardrada branch which is again a Fairhair branch)
Date of Birth: 15th of August 1422
Class: Courtier - Norwegian Refugee
Faction: N/A
Religion: Catholic

Bio: Erik was born to the Mayor of Stavanger on the 15th of August 1422. The family could trace their ancestry back to the Bagler pretender Inge Magnusson, who was a pretender to the Norwegian throne from 1196-1202. They could also trace their ancestry back to the famous Norwegian King Sigurðr Jórsalafari who went on a crusade against the Muslims, sacking the then heathen held city of Lisbon and the Mediterranean Island of Majorca on his way to Jerusalem.
When his family had to flee Norway in 1428 on the threat and suspicion of them being proclaimed king if a independence rebellion would occur. They fled throughout Europe until they finally arrived in the Kingdom of Aragon in 1429 where they were welcomed by the great king Alfons V. Both of Eriks parents died two year later in 1431 during a plague and he were left parent-less. But, by this time he had grown a close friendship with the son of Alfons V, Ferrante (Ferdinand). The two was almost inseparable, and therefore educated together, making Erik get a very good education of the days standards. Being proud of his Norwegian ancestors, he hates heathens wholeheartedly and are very fond of ships.
 
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Name: Felipé de Alvaro
Birth: 21st of June, 1422
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic

Bio: Felipé was born to a landowner in Sassari and a french noblewoman who had fled France during The Hundred Years War. He got his name from his mothers brother who died fighting the englishmen at Caux. He was trained in the art of war by his uncle and can hold his own in a fight, growing strong by working on his fathers farm. He also posses a silver tounge, honed at study with a local priest during the times Felipé could sneak away from his chores on the farm. His father is an old man and his time is soon upon him so he has pretty much delegated all the tasks of running the farm to Felipé who, after watching his father run the farm, has a good eye on how to run it in his stead. Felipé was raised catholic but isn't very pious. He very often stand for what he believes in and isn't afraid to walk against the stream, but only after careful study of the facts and opinions of others, to make sure he makes an informed decision on the matter at hand. He gives respect to those who deserve it, but can be a fearsome foe to those who try their luck. Felipé has a pretty good education courtesy of the local priest. He is respectful, administrative and diplomatic, courtesy of his mother, and tough, brave and can hold his own in a fight, courtesy of his father. Felipé have a good jawline and good looking hair from his father and his mothers french nose and hazel eyes, making the local women swoon with every flick of his hair ;)

And I would very much like to grab the province of Sassari :)
 
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((Though I do not think it would make sense for a Byzantine refuge to suddenly hold land within the Kingdom, I would like to at least throw my hat in for the county of Messina, seeing as it would probably be a place for Ioannes to build up himself and be relatively close to his Greek heritage.

Of course, this is entirely up to you Michaelangelo and it would not hinder my RP if you chose not to give me the province. Perhaps it would make for more interesting RP if I tried to acquire the County by other means.))
 
((Though I do not think it would make sense for a Byzantine refuge to suddenly hold land within the Kingdom, I would like to at least throw my hat in for the county of Messina, seeing as it would probably be a place for Ioannes to build up himself and be relatively close to his Greek heritage.

Of course, this is entirely up to you Michaelangelo and it would not hinder my RP if you chose not to give me the province. Perhaps it would make for more interesting RP if I tried to acquire the County by other means.))

((At the moment, all nobles are given land ahead of courtiers. I imagine that unless we get a huge number of nobles joining, there will be provinces to spare. Then again, the current king is supposed to be greedy, so I can imagine that he may not want to let all those provinces go. :D There are a few provinces I've left open for the moment just in case a noble wants it, but the king will probably snatch them up. Barcelona is definitely one and Messina probably will be too since it has a fort and borders Naples. Well if the king does keep it, you can try to convince him to hand it over later or wait for his successor who may be more willing to hand it over. ;)))
 
((Since we have a few people already, I may as well put up the first post so you know what Aragon is like at the game start. You are free to start roleplaying after this and can consider the king present to speak with. This might be a good time to hint at potential council positions anyone wants, since I'll probably assign those in a day or two after I give more time for more people to join. I'll do the same with titles.))


1444 Royal Address


Presenting His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples. ((Personality: Greedy, Honest, Brave))

We welcome our loyal subjects to our court. It has been too long since we and our predecessors consulted our subjects. We have thus made the decision to create a council that we shall consult regarding matters of state. We will also appreciate all those who voice their opinions at court for the betterment of the kingdom. With all your guidance, we shall lead this kingdom to greatness.

Of course, for you to truly help us lead a kingdom, you must be presented with all pertinent information. We have consulted our advisors and loyal servants, who have dutifully drafted up documents regarding the state of the kingdom for your perusal. We shall present these to you immediately.



Here we have a map of our current holdings. Aragon controls the eastern part of Iberia, as well as the Baleares, Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta. Naples is our loyal vassal, having accepted us as their rightful king.



Our brother, Joan de Trastámara, serves as our heir. While we dearly love our son Ferdinand, many would frown upon him ascending to the throne. ((He’s illegitimate according to Wikipedia.))



An investigation of our current relations with other countries reveals that Hungary, England, Burgundy, and Castile all view us as a threat, although we do not know why. We have also had a list of countries that are potential rivals to Aragon drafted up. At the moment, the only relations we have with another country is our personal union with Naples.



An investigation of our kingdom’s finances has been conducted. As you can see, trade in the Mediterranean has been quite fruitful. We, of course, are in an excellent position to dominate the region’s trade, especially since the Aragonese people are expert shipbuilders and merchants. Our forts are proving quite costly and we have questioned whether they should all be fully maintained. ((I haven’t played Common Sense yet, but it seems idiotic to have two forts right next to each other in Roussillon and Girona. I’m almost tempted to tear one down and relocate it. Maybe we’ll have a vote on that.))



We have been informed that the kingdom, while not experiencing any potential revolt threats, is not as stable as it should be. This should be dealt with posthaste.



We possess no cardinals in the Holy See at the moment. Perhaps in time we can achieve such a thing and see an Aragonese Pope in the future.



The army is currently stationed in Valencia. We have been informed that it consists of 13 regiments of infantry and 5 regiments of cavalry. The entire Aragonese navy is currently at port, consisting of 9 galleys and 6 transports. We also possess 3 light ships that should be assigned a trade mission shortly. Our loyal subjects within Naples have informed us that they possess an army of 4 infantry regiments and 1 cavalry regiment. Their navy is more substantial at 4 galleys, 3 transports, and 2 light ships.



Speaking of Naples, we have been told by our spies that while the kingdom has accepted our rule, relations are not as high as they should be. Perhaps we should make efforts to appease the Neapolitan people.

For now, that is all the information we have to present. If any members of the court wish for something specific, do not hesitate to ask. We wish to involve our subjects in the trappings of government as much as possible.
 
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Name: Jaume Cristòfor
Born: 18 July 1419
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Jaume was born on 18 July 1419 in the town of Birkirkara on the island of Malta as the only child of prominent Catalan merchant Alfons Cristòfor (b. 1385 - d. 1441) and his English wife Matilda of Winchester (b. 1392). When he was only an infant, his family moved to the city of Barcelona in mainland Iberia, where Jaume was educated by his uncle Eduard in the art of war.

Nowadays, Jaume is a proficient military commander and a just, honourable knight who wishes to bring Catholicism to every corner of the known world whether by force or by diplomacy.
 
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Name: Jaume Cristòfor
Born: 18 July 1419
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Jaume was born in 1419 on the island of Malta as the only son to wealthy merchant Alfons Cristòfor and his English wife Matilda. Jaume was educated in the art of war, and has become a very adept army commander, albeit a weak administrator. Jaume is also a very pious Catholic, and wishes to spend the last of his days on the battlefield crushing dirty Muslim heathens.

((I would like to claim the county of Malta as my own))

((Unfortunately Malta has been designated as a bishopric, so only a member of the clergy can claim it.))