-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Urbino's Fate
With the Pope dead and his lands under Naples’ control, Renato could turn his focus to Rome’s neighbour. He had declared war on Urbino as a chance to attack the Papal army, but now he would need to finish the war. The people in the province of Ancona were just as hostile as those encountered in Roma or Romagna. The region would need to be pacified so that the Archangel Michael could do his work.
The entire army had been moved into Ancona when word arrived from Tuscany. King Renato was accused of warmongering and heresy for taking Rome. The letter outlining his crimes was barely legible and contained logic that few could grasp. Nevertheless, the message was clear. Naples and Tuscany were now at war.
Tuscany wasn’t perceived as too much of a threat. While their army was similar in size to Naples’, it was currently preoccupied with taking back Firenze from Modena. Most likely their army would not be going anywhere anytime soon.
After a few weeks, Michael returned from the former Papal provinces with news of success. The people there had been cured of the plague and were more than willing to serve the king of Naples. Word had spread of the safety that King Renato provided his subjects, something that other kingdoms lacked at this time, leading to a more stable nation as a whole. However, there was still fear within Naples. The Aragonese navy continued to sit outside Calabria. Some believed this heralded a potential invasion from Sicily, although none had been forthcoming. Only time would tell if Aragon would prove a threat to Naples.
In early May, Firenze was recaptured by the Tuscans. Renato feared a potential attack now that the Tuscan army was free, but instead it marched west to Pisa out of the Neapolitan scouts’ range. Another threat didn’t take long to reveal itself though. Ferrara declared war on Naples, demanding Romagna. A small Ferraranese army had even been terrorizing Romagna’s countryside for months, but was disorganized and seemed to lack any desire to capture the main city within the region. While a nuisance, the men in this army were considered more liken to bandits and marauders than actual soldiers.
It was clear that soon all of northern Italy would be hostile to Naples in the long run. Renato immediately called upon his local lords in Napoli to muster a cavalry force for the Neapolitan army. He also drafted an order for General Carlo Gori, requesting that he take action against Tuscany and capture the rich province of Firenze. The Tuscan army was nowhere in sight and Renato needed to take the initiative before more enemies reared their head.
The army split forces, with two-thirds moving on to Firenze and the rest remaining behind to capture Ancona. Once in place, scouts were sent to the previously inaccessible Pisa. They expected the Tuscan army to be hiding there, but they were not spotted. With the Milanese army blocking off Modena to the north, there was nowhere for the Tuscan army to have gone. However, after questioning some of the locals, rumours arose of the Tuscan army capturing small sailing vessels and venturing over into Corsica. If the Tuscan army was indeed in Corsica, that made taking their land that much easier.
After almost two years of siege, Ancona fell on August 21. Michael moved in immediately and cured the population of the province in little over a week. They eagerly took up the flag of Naples as their own. Now Naples had a land connection to the recently conquered Romagna and more loyal subjects to carry out the will of God. Renato couldn’t help but smile to himself. Perhaps Michael was right and they would accomplish their goal. Only time would tell.
With the Pope dead and his lands under Naples’ control, Renato could turn his focus to Rome’s neighbour. He had declared war on Urbino as a chance to attack the Papal army, but now he would need to finish the war. The people in the province of Ancona were just as hostile as those encountered in Roma or Romagna. The region would need to be pacified so that the Archangel Michael could do his work.
The entire army had been moved into Ancona when word arrived from Tuscany. King Renato was accused of warmongering and heresy for taking Rome. The letter outlining his crimes was barely legible and contained logic that few could grasp. Nevertheless, the message was clear. Naples and Tuscany were now at war.
Tuscany wasn’t perceived as too much of a threat. While their army was similar in size to Naples’, it was currently preoccupied with taking back Firenze from Modena. Most likely their army would not be going anywhere anytime soon.
After a few weeks, Michael returned from the former Papal provinces with news of success. The people there had been cured of the plague and were more than willing to serve the king of Naples. Word had spread of the safety that King Renato provided his subjects, something that other kingdoms lacked at this time, leading to a more stable nation as a whole. However, there was still fear within Naples. The Aragonese navy continued to sit outside Calabria. Some believed this heralded a potential invasion from Sicily, although none had been forthcoming. Only time would tell if Aragon would prove a threat to Naples.
In early May, Firenze was recaptured by the Tuscans. Renato feared a potential attack now that the Tuscan army was free, but instead it marched west to Pisa out of the Neapolitan scouts’ range. Another threat didn’t take long to reveal itself though. Ferrara declared war on Naples, demanding Romagna. A small Ferraranese army had even been terrorizing Romagna’s countryside for months, but was disorganized and seemed to lack any desire to capture the main city within the region. While a nuisance, the men in this army were considered more liken to bandits and marauders than actual soldiers.
It was clear that soon all of northern Italy would be hostile to Naples in the long run. Renato immediately called upon his local lords in Napoli to muster a cavalry force for the Neapolitan army. He also drafted an order for General Carlo Gori, requesting that he take action against Tuscany and capture the rich province of Firenze. The Tuscan army was nowhere in sight and Renato needed to take the initiative before more enemies reared their head.
The army split forces, with two-thirds moving on to Firenze and the rest remaining behind to capture Ancona. Once in place, scouts were sent to the previously inaccessible Pisa. They expected the Tuscan army to be hiding there, but they were not spotted. With the Milanese army blocking off Modena to the north, there was nowhere for the Tuscan army to have gone. However, after questioning some of the locals, rumours arose of the Tuscan army capturing small sailing vessels and venturing over into Corsica. If the Tuscan army was indeed in Corsica, that made taking their land that much easier.
After almost two years of siege, Ancona fell on August 21. Michael moved in immediately and cured the population of the province in little over a week. They eagerly took up the flag of Naples as their own. Now Naples had a land connection to the recently conquered Romagna and more loyal subjects to carry out the will of God. Renato couldn’t help but smile to himself. Perhaps Michael was right and they would accomplish their goal. Only time would tell.
- 1
And angels are shared across all Abrahamic religions so there is plenty to choose from. For example IIRC the only ones who are generally agreed to be archangels are Gabriel and Michael.
From what I've been able to find, the Orthodox faith recognizes more than the Catholic Church, which only recognizes three as archangels. Wikipedia has a list, but yet again who knows how accurate it is.
Last edited:
Things are slowly getting interesting as you share borders with more neighbors with each conquest. I hope you can challenge the Aragonese fleet soon so you could just take Sicily. Maybe a map of Europe? By the way, how dangerous are large nations like Ming in the east? They seem to be capable of blobbing rather quickly.
A map of Europe will be provided once I hit 1450, which is a few updates away. I'm hesitant to show anything outside Europe. I feel like the characters wouldn't know what's happening out there, so neither should anyone else.
I find this very enjoyable. Picking Naples is by far the best nation you could've chosen. Your explanation for why the world has lost it is very enticing. I can't wait for more battle between Archangels.
Naples is indeed an excellent choice, although I think that either England or Castile have it even better. They start off much stronger and in an even more isolated location for easy expansion.
And here I was worrying my reason for the world going to hell was too far-fetched or cliche. It's tricky coming up with an explanation for everyone wanting to kill everyone else.
England and Castile may be better strategy wise, but Naples is funner to play. Naples has many ways to expand, but Castile and England really have just one or two ways.
Hmmm, I guess I never thought of it like that. Naples' position in the Mediterranean surely is advantageous. I'm not quite sure I'm brave enough to attempt some naval invasions though, since defending disconnected provinces could be extremely tricky. Maybe once I secure the peninsula.
Yeah for this mod, that would be difficult. Have you ever played as Naples with the VEF mod? They already start with a vassal in Greece that will never be disloyal and they get events to form a coalition against Aragon with France on their side.
I am not familiar with the mod, although judging by the AAR in your signature I'm guessing you are. I usually shy away from mods that alter the core gameplay too much, unless it does something crazy like total war.
The only mods I ever really use are the Always War and Expanded Timeline mods.
I'm pretty sure now that by the time you actually face Aragon, you'll have become stronger than them. It will be tricky to get to Sicily if your fleet doesn't match theirs, but your army will be bigger and meanwhile they might have lost provinces to France and Castile. Make sure it happens before you really have to face Milan though - they might steal your newly conquered provinces like nothing while you're fighting South... unless they're busy in the North themselves. I hope King Renato can find very good scouts who can see what's going on a little further than one province away, even if they cannot actually see where the armies are. Geopolitics will soon be more than a question about curing the plague next door .
.
I'm pretty sure now that by the time you actually face Aragon, you'll have become stronger than them. It will be tricky to get to Sicily if your fleet doesn't match theirs, but your army will be bigger and meanwhile they might have lost provinces to France and Castile. Make sure it happens before you really have to face Milan though - they might steal your newly conquered provinces like nothing while you're fighting South... unless they're busy in the North themselves. I hope King Renato can find very good scouts who can see what's going on a little further than one province away, even if they cannot actually see where the armies are. Geopolitics will soon be more than a question about curing the plague next door
Well there's not much I can do against Aragon until they move that damn fleet. I'm just fortunate that they're too busy with France or Castile to send troops over. There will be a breakthrough eventually, but not how you'd expect it to happen.
I'll try to show more of the surrounding area in future updates. Since I wrote most of them beforehand, you'll have to settle for Italian politics for a few more updates.
The Liberation of Central Italy (Part I)
With Urbino out of the picture, the focus could be shifted to Tuscany. Naples’ other enemies weren’t much of a threat at this point. Modena’s army had been eliminated by Milan, while Ferrara was under siege by Venice and their army consisted of exiled bandits roaming Romagna. Aragon continued to not make a presence in Italy, relying entirely on a naval blockade of Calabria. Until the time when they did, focus would be on Tuscany
General Carlo Gori led the siege of Firenze himself, relying on a subordinate to coordinate the siege of Siena. The cavalry regiment recruited from earlier was joined to his army before General Gori marched with half the army in Firenze to besiege Pisa. With all of Tuscany under siege, it was hoped that they would be unable to coordinate further recruitment of troops. Holding back the plagued people of Tuscany was work enough.
Once in Pisa, scouts were able to sneak into Corsica and confirm that Tuscany’s army was indeed on the island. Their reconnaissance happened just in time, since the Tuscan army learned of Naples’ movements and was sending their army back to the mainland. Gori immediately recalled the men sieging Firenze to aid in the possible defence of Pisa, although the command proved unnecessary. The Tuscans must have had spies in place, since they abandoned their manoeuvre the moment Gori called for reinforcements. This led to an uncomfortable stalemate, with Tuscany’s army sitting in Corsica while Naples’ besieged their lands freely.
With Naples dominating central Italy now, money was not scarce. The treasury had been filling up and King Renato was able to repay his first loan back to the nobles who had lent him the money. There were still two more loans owed by the state, but Renato was hopeful that future conquests would bring in the funds to pay those off in time.
The stalemate with Tuscany abruptly ended a month later as Tuscany decided that it could not continue to allow Naples to siege its provinces unhindered. Gori altered his response this time, knowing that to call for reinforcements too soon would scare the Tuscans off. He waited until the Tuscans were spotted crossing the sea before issuing the order for the other siege armies to join his in Pisa. This plan paid off. The Tuscan army landed on December 1, ready to face the Neapolitan army half its size. In less than a week, the armies from Firenze and Siena had both arrived. Outnumbered, the Tuscan army was forced to retreat to Siena. General Gori ordered the pursuit and hunted down the enemy army to the man. Tuscany’s army was no more.
With the Tuscan army eliminated, the Neapolitan army was split into three forces and resumed the sieges of Firenze, Siena, and Pisa. However, while Tuscany was no longer a threat, new ones appeared on the horizon. Within days of each other, Ferrara was captured by Venice and Modena by Milan. Renato expected to have two new neighbours by the end of the month. As expected, Ferrara was incorporated into Venice. The Ferraranese army that had been pestering the people of Romagna abruptly disappeared. Some suspected they had returned home to pester the Venetians instead. Modena faced a different fate. Instead of annexing the nation outright, Milan forced Modena into vassalage instead. When told the news, both Renato and Michael were perplexed by it. Forcing a state to serve you instead of conquering them seemed to go against the usual actions of the diseased. Then a letter arrived, oddly enough addressed to the Archangel Michael. He scanned it over before dropping it to the floor with a scowl. Renato picked it up and gave it a read.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
- Gabriel
With Urbino out of the picture, the focus could be shifted to Tuscany. Naples’ other enemies weren’t much of a threat at this point. Modena’s army had been eliminated by Milan, while Ferrara was under siege by Venice and their army consisted of exiled bandits roaming Romagna. Aragon continued to not make a presence in Italy, relying entirely on a naval blockade of Calabria. Until the time when they did, focus would be on Tuscany
General Carlo Gori led the siege of Firenze himself, relying on a subordinate to coordinate the siege of Siena. The cavalry regiment recruited from earlier was joined to his army before General Gori marched with half the army in Firenze to besiege Pisa. With all of Tuscany under siege, it was hoped that they would be unable to coordinate further recruitment of troops. Holding back the plagued people of Tuscany was work enough.
Once in Pisa, scouts were able to sneak into Corsica and confirm that Tuscany’s army was indeed on the island. Their reconnaissance happened just in time, since the Tuscan army learned of Naples’ movements and was sending their army back to the mainland. Gori immediately recalled the men sieging Firenze to aid in the possible defence of Pisa, although the command proved unnecessary. The Tuscans must have had spies in place, since they abandoned their manoeuvre the moment Gori called for reinforcements. This led to an uncomfortable stalemate, with Tuscany’s army sitting in Corsica while Naples’ besieged their lands freely.
With Naples dominating central Italy now, money was not scarce. The treasury had been filling up and King Renato was able to repay his first loan back to the nobles who had lent him the money. There were still two more loans owed by the state, but Renato was hopeful that future conquests would bring in the funds to pay those off in time.
The stalemate with Tuscany abruptly ended a month later as Tuscany decided that it could not continue to allow Naples to siege its provinces unhindered. Gori altered his response this time, knowing that to call for reinforcements too soon would scare the Tuscans off. He waited until the Tuscans were spotted crossing the sea before issuing the order for the other siege armies to join his in Pisa. This plan paid off. The Tuscan army landed on December 1, ready to face the Neapolitan army half its size. In less than a week, the armies from Firenze and Siena had both arrived. Outnumbered, the Tuscan army was forced to retreat to Siena. General Gori ordered the pursuit and hunted down the enemy army to the man. Tuscany’s army was no more.
With the Tuscan army eliminated, the Neapolitan army was split into three forces and resumed the sieges of Firenze, Siena, and Pisa. However, while Tuscany was no longer a threat, new ones appeared on the horizon. Within days of each other, Ferrara was captured by Venice and Modena by Milan. Renato expected to have two new neighbours by the end of the month. As expected, Ferrara was incorporated into Venice. The Ferraranese army that had been pestering the people of Romagna abruptly disappeared. Some suspected they had returned home to pester the Venetians instead. Modena faced a different fate. Instead of annexing the nation outright, Milan forced Modena into vassalage instead. When told the news, both Renato and Michael were perplexed by it. Forcing a state to serve you instead of conquering them seemed to go against the usual actions of the diseased. Then a letter arrived, oddly enough addressed to the Archangel Michael. He scanned it over before dropping it to the floor with a scowl. Renato picked it up and gave it a read.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
- Gabriel
- 1
The first real challenger has arrived. We just need the Venetians to join so the situations gets more interesting. Looks like this might get a little challenging but you should be fine.
At least with the Venetians, they have all those sporadic territories in Greece to distract them. Their navy is just as annoyingly large as Aragon's though. I'll be happy the day I finally achieve naval superiority.
Milan might be a challenger, but you still have a layer of minors to slow them down a bit before you actually have to fight them. I would actually be more worried about Venice if I was you.
Also, a question that probably won't be relevant for a few decades, but how does Always War interact with colonial nations?
Also, a question that probably won't be relevant for a few decades, but how does Always War interact with colonial nations?
I do make sure to keep an eye on all my northern neighbours. Who knows which one will blob and strike south.
I've actually been wondering that myself. I've never played for enough to test that, since all my experience is with the EUIII mod where obviously there were no colonial nations. Based on what I've seen, I wouldn't be surprised to see colonial nations declaring war on their overlords, but it'd require a land border to start I believe. If I do ever start colonizing, I shall test that out before committing to making large colonies that may turn on me.
Dark days seem to be ahead. It wouldn't take much for one of your northern neighbors to destroy your army and take your land. I can't wait for you to conquer Italy and get to the real challengers.