OOC: The game is played with 1.08, Hard/Aggressive
IC: God moves in mysterious ways, following the sad death of Brother Jerome I was summoned before the various Bishops and Cardinals who make up our government, I was sure that they had found out about the real reason for the expansion of the vineyards or about the jousting betting syndicate, but instead they informed that I was to be made chief clerk of the order, effectively making me responsible for the day to day running of our order. I looked upon this as an opportunity to expand my business empire while keeping everything on the Island ticking over, however the good Lord had other ideas....
I ordered a survey of our strength to be conducted, we have 1 province, Rhodes a poor island with a small population and income, a small army (9/1/0) and a reasonable navy (0/14/0) and an alliance with Genoa, Tuscany and Parma.
I decided that our incoming must be boosted straight away and promoted a Bailiff to make that the peasants make their rightful contribution to the order, our army is weak so 1000 horses and horsemen are raised, things quieten down for the next few months only the news of Spain driving the heathens of Granada into the sea disturbing the peace. During this period of inactivity I studied the maps of the world, to our east the giant nation of Turkey lies and I realise that they will be out major enemy and that the order must be prepared, I look around for allies and find that Hungry, Venice and Georgia are unattached, so on the 5th of April a Royal marriage is arranged with Venice. On the 1st of October I bid farewell to our Italian allies, the council of Bishops is unhappy because it is unchristian to break a vow but I remind the that it is our duty to defend against the heathen is any way we can and they reluctantly agree. The following day a treaty of alliance is signed between Venice and ourselves almost before the ink is dry Hungry also joins and we feel more secure, I have to wait until our diplomats return but in November Georgia joins us and our alliance is complete. On the 13th of November a war breaks out between Hansa and Denmark and just two days later following a sharp rise in the price of bacon Parma declares war on Denmark to force prices down.
At the start of the new year I decide to cement our alliance relations and arrange royal marriages between Georgia Hungry and us relations improve accordingly and the council of Bishops is very pleased with my efforts. On the 23rd of January the Turks declare war on fellow heathens the mameluks, we solemnly pray for their lives, for the loss of them that is... In keeping with the new spirit of peace in the world Russia declared war on Kazan 4 days later and we note that the mameluks seem to winning the war after two months. However the mameluks success if put in jeopardy when Persia stabs them in the back and declares war, we now have metal cannon balls (Land tech 2) and with the tide of the war Turing I decide that we should also attack the mameluks, taking a foothold in the holyland will please the Bishops and won't hurt our finances ether.
On the 11th of November I declare war on the mameluks, I don't call on my allies, as they would be of little use now. On the 8th of December I capture Lebanon, the lazy heathens had not bothered to build a fortress, we will teach them about the Christian work ethic. I march to Judea the next day and on Christ’s birthday we begin a siege of Judea but 3 days later the sneaky mameluks retake Judea, I march north to teach them a lesson and raise 2000 infantry at Rhodes, this may be a long war...
In the new year we somehow lose a battle to the Mameluks in Lebanon, God is testing us and we shall rise to the challenge! I travel with our reinforcements to Judea and we continue the siege. When I arrive I am told that Poland and her allies the pope, Savoy and Helvetia have declared war on Kazan, I send back the messenger with orders to raise 3000 more troops at Rhodes, the next day I take 1000 men and march north to Lebanon now that the Mameluks are busy with the Turks who hold two Aleppo and an adjoining province which now one here can pronounce and the Persians who hold Syria. On the 25th of May I take Lebanon and once again the Christians there are liberated from heathen rule, our troops celebrate by burning and raping everything in sight... We finally develop siege guns, at last a use for those cannon balls! I send a force of 1000 to sail to Sinai and take the Heathens from the rear (much like our troops are doing in Judea....) they land and capture the province with no resistance however just 4 days later a 12000 strong Mameluk force arrives and kills each and every one of our brave soldiers, a mass is held for them in the cathedral.
At the start of 1495, we have been at war for 1 1/2 years and we still have little to show for it, the siege of Judea is painfully slow our siege engines barely scratching the walls, our armies are small and tired, I order 100 horsemen to be raised, we have to end this war soon. Taking a little time out as all our armies are safely prosecuting the siege in Judea, I marry off a retired commander to a French princess and my spies inform me that France is a very rich kingdom, with over 80000 troops in the field, if only we could field a 1/4 of that we could win this war in weeks. Our navy has been neglected in this war so I order a new galley to be built at Rhodes, everything is quiet for a few months, the clam only disturbed by the news of Kazan giving Lipesk and 157 sheep hides to Russia. However on the 17th August we receive some terrible news the Mameluks have surrendered Aleppo and Nuyssayin to Turkey and Syria to Persia, their entire army will now be against us! desperate times call for desperate measures and I take a loan and order 1000 horse to be raised and 20 siege guns built.
In the new year Denmark agreed to drop the price and bacon and signed a white peace with Parma and a piece of good news arrives as we sink a Mameluk fleet trying to stop us getting reinforcements to Judea. On the second of February Persia declares war on Iraq but gets more than it bargained for when Turkey, Crimea, Algiers, the Hedjaz and Cyreniaica join Iraq and declare war on them. I order 2000 infantry and 1000 horse to be raised, as we still can't to take Judea, Persia tries to take the war on to the Hedjaz's lands, meanwhile Turkey besieges Syria. Persian armies are thrashed in Syria and we destroy a small (3) Mameluk army sent to relive Judea. On the 16th of September Hansa is forced to give up Holstein and 189 crates of beer to Denmark, we honestly couldn't care less because this month the walls of Judea start to collapse, the Mameluks finally decide to do something and sent 15000 troops to attack us, we defeat them with ease, our cannons scaring them off with 2000 losses, I order 3000 more infantry to be raised to beef up our force in the middle east and am informed that Persia paid 21 carpets to Crimea for peace. On the Christmas day the walls Judea look ready to fall but 10000 Heathens are marching to stop us.
1497 starts with order to raise a new army (2000) we have to stop the mameluks ending the siege or sneaking into Lebanon. We defeated the Mameluk army in Judea with only a few casualties and a few days later Judea falls but the Mameluks will not give me Lebanon, I am about to order the army to Jerusalem when the Mameluks offer me Judea, I accept!
The war is over and we have a foothold in the Middle East Envoys from every Christian nation come and visit us and congratulate us on retaking a small piece of the Holyland, and thus began our long involvement in the Middle East...
IC: God moves in mysterious ways, following the sad death of Brother Jerome I was summoned before the various Bishops and Cardinals who make up our government, I was sure that they had found out about the real reason for the expansion of the vineyards or about the jousting betting syndicate, but instead they informed that I was to be made chief clerk of the order, effectively making me responsible for the day to day running of our order. I looked upon this as an opportunity to expand my business empire while keeping everything on the Island ticking over, however the good Lord had other ideas....
I ordered a survey of our strength to be conducted, we have 1 province, Rhodes a poor island with a small population and income, a small army (9/1/0) and a reasonable navy (0/14/0) and an alliance with Genoa, Tuscany and Parma.
I decided that our incoming must be boosted straight away and promoted a Bailiff to make that the peasants make their rightful contribution to the order, our army is weak so 1000 horses and horsemen are raised, things quieten down for the next few months only the news of Spain driving the heathens of Granada into the sea disturbing the peace. During this period of inactivity I studied the maps of the world, to our east the giant nation of Turkey lies and I realise that they will be out major enemy and that the order must be prepared, I look around for allies and find that Hungry, Venice and Georgia are unattached, so on the 5th of April a Royal marriage is arranged with Venice. On the 1st of October I bid farewell to our Italian allies, the council of Bishops is unhappy because it is unchristian to break a vow but I remind the that it is our duty to defend against the heathen is any way we can and they reluctantly agree. The following day a treaty of alliance is signed between Venice and ourselves almost before the ink is dry Hungry also joins and we feel more secure, I have to wait until our diplomats return but in November Georgia joins us and our alliance is complete. On the 13th of November a war breaks out between Hansa and Denmark and just two days later following a sharp rise in the price of bacon Parma declares war on Denmark to force prices down.
At the start of the new year I decide to cement our alliance relations and arrange royal marriages between Georgia Hungry and us relations improve accordingly and the council of Bishops is very pleased with my efforts. On the 23rd of January the Turks declare war on fellow heathens the mameluks, we solemnly pray for their lives, for the loss of them that is... In keeping with the new spirit of peace in the world Russia declared war on Kazan 4 days later and we note that the mameluks seem to winning the war after two months. However the mameluks success if put in jeopardy when Persia stabs them in the back and declares war, we now have metal cannon balls (Land tech 2) and with the tide of the war Turing I decide that we should also attack the mameluks, taking a foothold in the holyland will please the Bishops and won't hurt our finances ether.
On the 11th of November I declare war on the mameluks, I don't call on my allies, as they would be of little use now. On the 8th of December I capture Lebanon, the lazy heathens had not bothered to build a fortress, we will teach them about the Christian work ethic. I march to Judea the next day and on Christ’s birthday we begin a siege of Judea but 3 days later the sneaky mameluks retake Judea, I march north to teach them a lesson and raise 2000 infantry at Rhodes, this may be a long war...
In the new year we somehow lose a battle to the Mameluks in Lebanon, God is testing us and we shall rise to the challenge! I travel with our reinforcements to Judea and we continue the siege. When I arrive I am told that Poland and her allies the pope, Savoy and Helvetia have declared war on Kazan, I send back the messenger with orders to raise 3000 more troops at Rhodes, the next day I take 1000 men and march north to Lebanon now that the Mameluks are busy with the Turks who hold two Aleppo and an adjoining province which now one here can pronounce and the Persians who hold Syria. On the 25th of May I take Lebanon and once again the Christians there are liberated from heathen rule, our troops celebrate by burning and raping everything in sight... We finally develop siege guns, at last a use for those cannon balls! I send a force of 1000 to sail to Sinai and take the Heathens from the rear (much like our troops are doing in Judea....) they land and capture the province with no resistance however just 4 days later a 12000 strong Mameluk force arrives and kills each and every one of our brave soldiers, a mass is held for them in the cathedral.
At the start of 1495, we have been at war for 1 1/2 years and we still have little to show for it, the siege of Judea is painfully slow our siege engines barely scratching the walls, our armies are small and tired, I order 100 horsemen to be raised, we have to end this war soon. Taking a little time out as all our armies are safely prosecuting the siege in Judea, I marry off a retired commander to a French princess and my spies inform me that France is a very rich kingdom, with over 80000 troops in the field, if only we could field a 1/4 of that we could win this war in weeks. Our navy has been neglected in this war so I order a new galley to be built at Rhodes, everything is quiet for a few months, the clam only disturbed by the news of Kazan giving Lipesk and 157 sheep hides to Russia. However on the 17th August we receive some terrible news the Mameluks have surrendered Aleppo and Nuyssayin to Turkey and Syria to Persia, their entire army will now be against us! desperate times call for desperate measures and I take a loan and order 1000 horse to be raised and 20 siege guns built.
In the new year Denmark agreed to drop the price and bacon and signed a white peace with Parma and a piece of good news arrives as we sink a Mameluk fleet trying to stop us getting reinforcements to Judea. On the second of February Persia declares war on Iraq but gets more than it bargained for when Turkey, Crimea, Algiers, the Hedjaz and Cyreniaica join Iraq and declare war on them. I order 2000 infantry and 1000 horse to be raised, as we still can't to take Judea, Persia tries to take the war on to the Hedjaz's lands, meanwhile Turkey besieges Syria. Persian armies are thrashed in Syria and we destroy a small (3) Mameluk army sent to relive Judea. On the 16th of September Hansa is forced to give up Holstein and 189 crates of beer to Denmark, we honestly couldn't care less because this month the walls of Judea start to collapse, the Mameluks finally decide to do something and sent 15000 troops to attack us, we defeat them with ease, our cannons scaring them off with 2000 losses, I order 3000 more infantry to be raised to beef up our force in the middle east and am informed that Persia paid 21 carpets to Crimea for peace. On the Christmas day the walls Judea look ready to fall but 10000 Heathens are marching to stop us.
1497 starts with order to raise a new army (2000) we have to stop the mameluks ending the siege or sneaking into Lebanon. We defeated the Mameluk army in Judea with only a few casualties and a few days later Judea falls but the Mameluks will not give me Lebanon, I am about to order the army to Jerusalem when the Mameluks offer me Judea, I accept!
The war is over and we have a foothold in the Middle East Envoys from every Christian nation come and visit us and congratulate us on retaking a small piece of the Holyland, and thus began our long involvement in the Middle East...
