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Lord Logsdon

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Feb 20, 2012
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Deus Vult! - A Knights to Jerusalem AAR
So this is my very first AAR and I am extremely excited for it. I'll be taking on the task of attempting to reclaim the Kingdom of Jerusalem using The Knights. First, let's get some ground rules down for this AAR...

  • This will be a story/narrative focused AAR. My inspiration for this AAR is the fantastic Victoria I Prussia AAR Fire Warms the Northern Lands by @Rensslaer. So imagine much of that same style.
  • This is an AAR focused on fun for me and the reader as well as telling a hopefully interesting story. As such I won't always be focusing on what's the best decision game wise. That's not saying I won't be using the occasional gamesmanship route given the country I'm starting with but hopefully will mesh it with the story.
  • In relation to the point above I'll avoid cheats as much as possible but I guarantee that in the case I do fudge something, it will be explained to the readers and justified IMO.
  • No mods will be used as I'm not familiar enough with how to do it but I might possibly add in some events down the line given the lack of flavor events for KoJ.
  • Comments are encouraged and welcome! Especially your thoughts and tips! I'm not an expert player by any means and help is welcome.
  • DLCs used: Wealth of Nations, Art of War, Common Sense.
A Preview

Henri de Foix gripped the rigging of the galley and took a deep breath of the salty Adriatic air. The Alphonse moved easily in the shimmering waters on this moonlit night. "This is it," he thought as he listened to the sounds familiar to any sailor. The groan of the ship, the water lapping at her sides and spitting off her bow, and the faint echo of the same sounds from the other two galleys moving in order with his own lead ship. The night watch went about their business quietly and methodically but even from where he stood he could see at least four Greeks sleeping on their watch in various forms to best lead an observer to believe otherwise.

They had managed to slip quietly from Rhodes days ago and despite some initial rough weather around the Aegean where they had taken mast damage and had to fix new rigging they were now in relatively smoother waters but not less dangerous ones. The heathen Turk rarely sailed this far away from his home waters but it wouldn't be impossible for a patrol to reach here.

"Sail sighted! 2 points abaft the starboard beam!" shouted one of the rare Spaniard sailors from the cross trees.

Henri moved to the quarterdeck and glanced out and when he confirmed the sighting he instructed the archer on deck to fire two flaming arrows off to the port side waters to signal to the other ships in the group to reduce sail. The mystery sail in question was moving swiftly and as her profile came into view it became clear she was a rough looking fishing ship of Italian design. The Alphonse threw out her colors, the glorious black flag with the white cross emblazoned on her. The fishing ship replied with a Venetian flag but Henri gave quiet orders to arm the rails should this be some stupid ruse. It would be foolish for a ship that size to attempt an action against a group of this weight but crazier things had been done by ruffians in these waters.

"Give way! Message for the Captain de Foix!" shouted the captain of the fishing vessel in his best French which was barely fitting even a horse trader.

As the boats got closer the fishing vessel tossed a barrel over with a line attached well ahead of her bow on the port side and one of the Greek sailors fished it out of the water with a halberd. As soon as the barrel was on deck the fishing vessel veered off and Henri was on the main deck reaching into the barrel to retrieve the wax sealed scroll marked with the Hospitaller seal. The message was brief.

RAGUSA FLEET HAS SAILED. TWO GALLEYS AND ONE COG. PROCEED TO DESTROY. GOD WILLS IT!

Henri tossed the message into one of the braziers on deck and marched back to the quarterdeck.

"Full sail. Make course. Let's have an early breakfast then morning confessionals and service. After that send the men to their stations and lock the hatches. If anyone protests, make an example."

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Another Knights AAR? War with Ragusa? I shall follow to see how this adventure will play out. If I remember correctly, Ragusa is out of the coring range when Rhodes is your only province at the start of the game.
 
I wish you best of luck with the Knights! They seem to be a rather popular country for AAR these days, don't they :)
Looking forward to seeing how it goes. The start with the war against Ragusa seems promising.
 
Excerpt from Kings of Eden by Dr. Louis Montaleux, Professor of History at the University of Jerusalem. (2010)

The story of our great nation cannot be told without telling the story of the multitude of individual actors and states who converged at the right time in the tempest of their time to forge their destinies. One of the most notorious of these individuals is Ludovicus de La Croix and how he came to be the Grandmaster of the Knights Hospitaller in 1448. Ludovicus I remains one of the most controversial figures of the holy order's history and for good reasons. As the fourth son of a noble lord in pre-Nationalized France he left a life of relative luxury to pursue what he believed to be his ultimate calling.

I dream of the Kingdom of Heaven restored once more and of retribution to be bestowed upon those who sacrificed her like a Judas. The enemy does not speak in diplomacy unless it comes at the tip of a sword and is heralded with the crash of men upon steel. The price for paradise is high but I am prepared to pay it in full for my legacy. - Reflections by Ludovicus I.

When he wrote Reflections on the island fortress of Rhodes in 1445 he was already a seasoned veteran of combat, having served with distinction in skirmishes with the Barbary Pirates of the day. He was noted in several reports for his ability to juggle the ambitions of his peers and the historical record seems to reflect that he deferred acknowledgement for many of his accomplishments in the field. His true baptism by fire came during the Battle of Varna in November 1444. Ludovicus was attached to the Kingdom of Poland as an advisor concerning their defense of Varna itself given his engineering knowledge from Rhodes, however during the battle itself he was part of John Hunyadi's command which included a large complement of Wallachian troops.

The night before the battle he was one of the members of the council convened to discuss the plans for the battle. It was there that Ludovicus threw his stock in with the Papal legate's plan to withdrawal until reinforcements could potentially arrive. When John Hunyadi, the leader of the Christian forces, disagreed he was endorsed by King Wladyslaw III of Poland and the decision was made to stand and fight. It would prove to be a disastrous defeat for the Christian forces and Ludovicus was one of the very few to escape to Galata where he took command of his three ships and sailed into the Black Sea with the few survivors he could muster and convince to abandon Galata.

The vultures feasted on the bodies of both armies that day but their most fateful meal was no doubt King Wladyslaw III who had been fouled by his own enthusiasm with the aid of the Turkish slaves. - Reflections

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Upon his return to Rhodes with the Varna Crusade now stopped and effectively over, Ludovicus was appointed to serve as the right-hand man to Grandmaster Jean Bonpar de Lastic. Grandmaster Bonpar de Lastic was significantly old by this time and his timid behavior with use of his forces had begun to frustrate some of his commanders. Ludovicus publicly defended his Grandmaster at almost every occasion and often cited his experience at Varna as evidence to the argument that the Knights Hospitaller should not carelessly throw men into the jaws of an enemy with a guaranteed defeat. But privately he schemed for a new direction for the order. Grandmaster de Lastic's focus had always been on the traditional focus on battling their non-Christian enemies but Ludovicus saw opportunities for expansion and victory in other parts of the world including Christian ones.

The heathen Turk is as much our enemy in our great cause as is the gold counter who profits off the demise of our brothers. The merchants of the Adriatic hold dear to their coffers while we hold dear to our coffins. The Lord will see to it in his own divine way to serve justice upon those who hath abandon his flock for a price. - Reflections

The plotting and friction came to a head on January 15, 1448 where it is recorded that Grandmaster de Lastic had passed a new Grandmaster was appointed. Many have conjectured as to how the Grandmaster died but we only have one historical account from the order's Chronicler Henri de Foix.

The commanders converged before their Grandmaster and began accusing him of sins. The Grandmaster defied the accusations and accused those before him of betrayal and treason. The commanders brought forward evidence of their Grandmasters' sins and demanded he exile himself and atone of his transgressions. That night few slept silently in their beds, least of all the blades in their scabbards. - Henri de Foix

From what we do have we can assume that the Grandmaster was killed that fateful night in his chambers but we can never know exactly how. But we do have a better idea of why he died and the chess pieces at play from the events afterwards.

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Ludovicus was named the Grandmaster of the order within several days with Papal approval and his appointment as his own heir and second-in-command was a member of the Valois dynasty. There is little doubt that a piece of the scheme to make Ludovicus the Grandmaster involved the French crown and its own influence in the Papacy. The order also quickly began recruiting new men and filling their ranks with willing soldiers who had a zeal for their religion, combat, and conquest. Within a few months Ludovicus had his diplomats in the Venetian court and a case was made for both parties to enter an alliance to eliminate a common enemy. For the Venetians it was a competitor. For Ludovicus it was something that he felt had betrayed his order and the recent Crusade efforts.

Not all in the order were entirely convinced of the argument against their new enemy and the people of Rhodes were quickly entered into a whirlwind of activity for the war effort.

But when dawn broke on March 7, 1448 a rider carried a declaration of war to the Ragusan Council and 12,000 Venetians were marching down the Adriatic coastline.

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Another Knights AAR? War with Ragusa? I shall follow to see how this adventure will play out. If I remember correctly, Ragusa is out of the coring range when Rhodes is your only province at the start of the game.

Thanks for following! Yes, I realized the mistake fairly quickly myself and it caused quite a bit of trouble but without giving too much away it worked itself out.

I wish you best of luck with the Knights! They seem to be a rather popular country for AAR these days, don't they :)
Looking forward to seeing how it goes. The start with the war against Ragusa seems promising.

Thanks for following along! They're definitely challenging with plenty of high-tension moments early on.

Nice introduction.Will be following this.

Thanks for following!
 
Thrilling opening! So you are going to throw one merchant against another? I wonder if Genoa or Venice themselves will be the next objectives...

Only time will tell but Ludovicus is far too cunning and not crazy enough (but no doubt mad to a degree) to abandon his Venetian allies just yet.
 
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"Sail ho!" screamed the Spanish lookout as the Order's fleet made its way out into the Gulf of Satalia.

Henri de Foix jumped to the rail and scanned the horizon in the direction of the lookout's sighting. Sure enough the glimmering specks began to appear on the horizon and quickly enough it became obvious that this was no minor patrol.

"God save us..." Henri murmured to himself as he began to acknowledge what he was seeing for what it was...a massive Ottoman fleet coming from the southern coasts of Anatolia do doubt where the Ottomans had been engaged with the minor entities that stood between them and complete domination of Asia Minor. From their course he could only guess they would be making the cut to slice between Rhodes and Crete and enter the Aegean Sea. Something was brewing but Henri wasn't entirely sure just what yet. The shifting winds brought him out of his thoughts.

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"Make sail for that storm! All hands! Move you bastards before we all die!" He screamed across the deck to the crew of mostly Greek sailors forced into their occupation out of necessity. Jobs were not plentiful on Rhodes for the lower classes and while a spot on a galley meant back-breaking work and almost assured combat, it was a reprieve from starving in the alleys.

The Hospitaller Fleet surged forward against the chopping waves and soon the deck was finely washed in the murky sea water being kicked up by the storm they sailed into.

"Sir, these ships...I'm not confident we can weather that storm..." said Marcus Toules, one of the commanders on the galley. "The transports are over-laden as is."

"Marcus, we either fight in that storm or we fight that Ottoman fleet. I'll take my chances with God."

The storm tossed the fleet around like toys in a wash basin for several days before backing down and thankfully the group had suffered minor damage and the troops in the transports had a new appreciation for what the sea could do.

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The journey was a slog and they had to turn back several times around the boot heel of Italy having not received word from the Venetian fort in Albania that the Venetian fleet had sailed into the Adriatic yet to provide some cover.

But now the ships were sitting off the southeastern tip of Ragusan land and the Transports began unloading their cargo of men, arms, supplies, and horses. Ludovicus himself oversaw the landing and once the army had been deposited on terra firma he sent the transports away. There would be no safe retreat for them if this endeavor failed.

The army immediately began marching to the northwest and after some days of fighting through horrible road conditions the city of Ragusa came into sight...and what a sight to behold.

The Venetian army had encircled the city and the conditions of the walls and the fires roaring behind them told him all he needed to know. His army had arrived late but not too late. He rode off with his command group to the Venetian commander's tent, passing by tired soldiers who trodded through mud and muck. The morale however seemed high as even the common soldier saw the writing on the badly beaten walls.

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"Grandmaster de la Croix, I am General Violto. It seems your journey was delayed..." The General seemed slightly annoyed in his speech as he tiredly sat down in his chair after exchanging handshakes. On a table beside him a map was laid out depicting the city with markers indicating the defenses and forces engaged on both sides. He quickly caught himself however and changed his tone as to not offend his guest, lest he tarnish relations with their new ally. "No worries however. The city's forces put up a meager fight at first before turning like cowards behind their walls. Thankfully we managed to rout a good number of them and it's safe to say they won't be leaving their precious walls anytime soon."

Ludovicus was caught the initial slight but brushed it off. He had a mind to remark that he was only delayed due to typical Italian sloth and disarray before a battle but thought better of it.

"Very well General. God thanks you and your men for your service. When do we attack?"

The General looked shocked at first before bellowing out a laugh as he began tearing at a greasy piece of chicken with his fingers. "The innards of the beast are broken but his hide is far from it. I will not throw my men away on a foolish mission. But you and your God are free to do so if you'd like."

"You speak blasphemy sir! An army of God serving in his interests will find his divine favor." Ludovicus snarled, his zealousness escaping past his diplomatic nature.

The General smirked and continued gobbling down his meal. "You mistake my humors sir. I mean no offense and I have no doubt of your army's favor. I merely suggest we let the Ragusans defeat themselves. There is no cause for us to send souls early to their maker. Besides...with their fleet having made preparations to sail they will be without supply for sure."

Ludovicus was startled. "Well where is the Venetian fleet?! Are we not to continue to be blockaded? That was the deal we made with the Doge."

"The deal you made with the Doge good sir was for my army to start the siege and eliminate serious defense. As you can see we have done that and MY fleet supported us in that effort. Now that you have arrived we will leave you to it and if you take issue then I suggest you speak with the Doge himself for those are my orders and that is what you paid for...and I assure you we take both very seriously in the Serene Republic for that is what God favors US to do."

Treachery...again. Ludovicus hid his response and merely bowed slightly before exiting the tent and marched off to his own. His aide de camp, Louis Rochefort, quickly tried to keep pace.

"These bastards and their deals...we must get word to Henri as quickly as possible. He's sailing into a trap."

"What of the battle here sir?"

Ludovicus turned and gazed again at the scene before him. Already the Venetians were breaking down their tents.

"What battle? The Venetians will continue to hold off their supplies."

"Shall we send an envoy and ask for surrender sir?"

Ludovicus' cold eyes continued to scan the horizon. "No man surrenders his home willingly. No...ask for an envoy to discuss terms from them. Then lop off his head and send it back. We will take this city and its citizens...with or without their heads. Those are our terms for that is what God favors US to do."

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(See the first preview post to understand this section)

Henri coughed and gasped with an exhausted breath as he turned onto his back on the floating piece of wood. The battle had been decided before it even started. There was no broken Ragusan fleet and there was no Venetian support in the words that now had claimed the lives of his men. Instead they had sailed right into the mouth of a waiting beast that had nothing to lose...a dangerous foe in any light.

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His eyes focused on the stars above and he guessed that with the currents, winds, and tides they could make it to Zeta and the Serbian coast.

They of course included the two other Greek sailors he had helped fish out of the sea on their pathetic raft and his prized Spanish lookout Armando.

When they washed upon the shore they looked horrible. Henri's clothes were tattered slightly and a passerby could've mistaken him for a commoner who had stolen some rags from a dead man. His compatriots looked slightly worse having already been in rags before the battle started.

They took stock of what they had and quickly started a fire to dry their clothes while one of the Greeks, Abraxos, went off to find what he could in the way of water, food, or even lodging. Henri quickly took his own inventory to ensure the three most precious items were still on him: His daggar, his pouch of gold, and his cross.

Abraxos thankfully did not return empty handed. With him came a group of Serbian riders and their spears lowered as they kicked Abraxos to the ground in front of the group. Henri unsheathed his daggar while keeping a hand on his gold. Either weapon might be needed in short notice.

"You are on the King's land Frenchman...now you will answer some questions for me..." said the lead Serbian rider as his group trotted in circles around them, their spears still pointed. "How did a Frank wash upon my King's shores? Has the Frank paid for this pleasure? Has the Frank come to harm my King's people?"

"I am Henri de Foix...Chronicler and Lord Admiral of the navy of the Hospitaller Order. We beseech the King and his people to grant us safe passage as Christian brothers to Ragusa. I assure you a fair ransom will be paid upon my return."

"And us?" squeeked Abraxos before receiving a firm elbow to his gut to silence him. Henri was a pragmatist...he would do what he could to save them all but if needed he would only foot the bill for one...himself.

The Serbian riders stopped their movements and the lead one leaned down to examine Henri for a bit with a bemused look. "Perhaps we can do just that Frank. But perhaps you'd like to meet my King? Perhaps there is a way your debt can be paid in other ways..."

Over the next several days they moved with extreme haste and Henri was informed that the order had indeed taken Ragusa but the lands they were riding through were hostile. Bosnian forces were already amidst a hard push down the coast and they were lucky this patrol had found them when they did. Upon arrival to King's war council Henri was ushered forward among and eery silence while his fellows waited outside. Henri was not moved by this. He had been in the presence of powerful men before and he would not allow his order to seem meek before a new neighbor.

"Lord Admiral de Foix...I am Despot Durad Brankovic...you are my guest as are your men. You have no doubt heard by now of our war with the Bosnians. I understand from my advisors that your order seeks to reclaim glory...is this true?"

Henri bowed deeply to honor his host before replying. "Yes my lord...we seek to restore the Kingdom of Jerusalem from her shackles beneath the Muslims and seek to destroy the Ottoman and free the Byzantine people."

The last part was a lie but politics is an art of lying at times. Henri knew it would warm the Despot's attitudes to hear this falsehood given his own wife was a Byzantine Princess and the Serbians had no love for their aggressive neighbor knocking at their borders.

"I see. Well I seek to reclaim my peoples' glory. To reclaim the glory of my Kingdom and return Bosnia to her rightful place, in the bosom of my heart. It is unfortunate her people see differently but such is life in these lands. Tell me...perhaps we can both reclaim something at this time. I do not seek to welcome Croats to a place that is not their home...at least not all of them..."

The council laughed at this jest but Henri remained stoic but slightly unnerved. Did this man think he was going to restore the Serbian Empire? Was he mad enough to think that? But as the Despot himself said...such is life in these lands.

And so the bargain was struck. Henri and his men rode away from the camp towards Ragusa using what roads they knew were safe. They tossed aside their clothes for a commoner look (not hard for them aside from Henri) and rode with haste. Henri checked his inventory again: Daggar, gold, cross, and a new addition...an offer of aid...an offer of expansion.

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Free Teaser Update: Up until last night I had no idea that I would successfully form Jerusalem and I can now safely say that it has been done although the course that took me there is extremely interesting and the current position is slightly....precarious. Hope everyone is enjoying and feel free to ask questions or chime in with ideas! I plan to incorporate regular readers who comment into the story!
 
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Sounds good! Looking forward to more.
 
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Excerpt from Kings of Eden by Dr. Louis Montaleux, Professor of History at the University of Jerusalem. (2010)

The war against the Kingdom of Bosnia in September 1452 was a quick and calculated affair and quite surprising given that the Order's army had just wrapped up its conquest of the Republic of Ragusa. The semi-coordinated attack of Bosnia was confirmed with the Treaty of Sjenica where Henri de Foix, acting as chief diplomat for the Order following his miraculous survival of the Battle of Budva, formed an agreement with the Serbian Despotate. The agreement did not result in a formal alliance but instead was a gesture of good will between the two forces and the subtext certainly inferred a mutual desire to attack Bosnian forces. The Order's ultimate goal was Trebinje near Hum which held two special purposes, one ceremonial and one more practical. Ceremonially, Trebinje connected the roads from Ragusa to Constantinople where Raymond IV of Toulouse had traversed during the First Crusade. Practically, the Order knew that it needed to grab hold of inland possessions should the port of Dubrovnik (Ragusa) be blockaded. Control of the juncture also meant control of coastal travel for the region and monetary gains from the tolls and trade there.

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The war itself was short lived and only took a matter of a few months. Five thousand troops from the Order quickly took Trebinje in the early stages of the war and sealed a peace with Bosnia, formally bowing out of the war just as Serbian forces had begun their counter-attack into Bosnian lands. By January of 1453 Serbia had conquered all of Bosnia and brought the entirety of the Kingdom under the Despotate's control. But this did not entirely mark the end of the Kingdom of Bosnia.

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Throughout the following year the Order was primarily focused on doing their best consolidate what few holdings they had. This proved to be troublesome at best with finances running low and the obvious logistical problems of trying to manage two distinct territories that were separated by a wide breadth of the Mediterranean Sea. The state of affairs was dealt a double-edged sword with Ludovicus' administrative skills. Ludovicus had by this time felt that he could not invest any real confidence in the powers that be in Rhodes to effectively steer the Order to their desired outcomes. In his opinion his agenda, no doubt bold and farsighted, would not be served by debating it with some of the Order's more conservative leaders back home. Instead he set up his offices in Ragusa and effectively ruled the Order from there. This chafed other members of the Order in Rhodes who were left to deal with Orthodox zealots, a barely tolerable Greek majority populace, and a delay in information from Ragusa that was so stretched that often Ludovicus was merely notifying them of his decisions and actions.

On top of all this, Ludovicus began shifting the Order's primary trade activity to Ragusa out of necessity to sustain his army in Europe but also to begin taking advantage of the city's bustling port. In this endeavor he enlisted the assistance of some of the remaining Italian merchant families who were permitted to keep their personal property in exchange for cooperation. His initial offer was reinforced when he evicted several families from their luxurious homes for his own lodging and lodging for his top commanders and confidants. Quickly Rhodes began seeing less activity in their own ports and the Order's merchants abroad were directed to begin steering all trade to Ragusa.

Ludovicus however was soon faced with a dilemma in the winter of 1453. His forces were beginning to be stretched too thin to assert dominion over Trebinje and Ragusa. Faced with his crisis he began to send feelers out to Serbia and Venice and the three powers consulted over the winter months on a solution. Ludovicus, being the master manipulator he was, maneuvered the parties involved to settle on a puppet government. This would satisfy the Bosnian sympathetic people of the area as well as ensure the Trebinje crossroads would stay managed under the hand of the Order. And so in February of 1454 King Tomas I was placed on the throne of a revived Kingdom of Bosnia. Tomas I had been recruited from a local noble family will strong historical ties to the region after being vetted by Ludovicus himself.

Prior to Tomas I's coronation he traveled to Ragusa to pay homage to his chief benefactor and Chronicler Henri de Foix recorded the meeting for posterity.

When Lord Tomas presented himself before the Grandmaster the receiving hall was adorned with the Order's pennants and flags including flags of the foes we had vanquished. The Grandmaster remained sitting as silence filled the room until Lord Tomas was instructed to kneel before the Grandmaster. This act reminded all present who was Lord and who was Serf on this day and the days to follow. The Grandmaster then stood and told Lord Tomas of his new charge and had the Bosnian flag taken down from the rafters and given to Lord Tomas as a gesture of peace and good will. The Grandmaster declared to all present of the rebirth of the Kingdom of Bosnia and that Lord Tomas would act as the Order's chief ally to ensure the crossroads of our great Crusade would forever be open to pilgrims who wish to join our noble cause for God's glory. - Henri de Foix, January 1454

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This act brought some stability to the region and greatly freed up the Order's resources to focus on fully consolidating their power and control over Ragusa. However peace in the greater region was far from assured.

In the same year Ottoman forces, encouraged by recent successful victories over Anatolian minor powers, launched their final assault on the last remaining vestiges of the Byzantine Empire. The siege of Constantinople was a long and arduous battle but when the superior Ottoman navy defeated the Byzantine navy in the Battle of the Horn in January of 1454 the result seemed a forgone conclusion. Ludovicus received several pleas from the Byzantines to honor the Order's commitment and give aid lest the gateway to Europe fall to Turkish control. By all accounts it seems Ludovicus denied these please, never saw, or flat ignored them. On February 1, 1454 what was once the greatest city in the western world fell and the royal family was executed with their bodies thrown into the Bosphorus Straight. Despite this tragic turn of events the Byzantine armies attempted to rally from their Greek possessions to little avail.

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By 1456 the deed had been done and the last gasps of the Byzantine Empire were drowned in a sea of Ottoman power that was no doubt beginning already to look for their next conquest with the critical Bosphorus secured and their armies now free to move across their empire and be supplied over land and sea as well.

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As a side note, during this time Europe was dealing with its own wars. The Kingdom of Burgundy had long been a scrappy and squabling neighbor to France to the point that the Valois Dynasty saw fit to lay claim to what they viewed as rightful possessions of the growing French crown. Ludovicus' own heir-apparent, Johannes de Valois, managed to convince Ludovicus to send support to the French cause in the form of Henri de Foix. Henri de Foix had proven to already be an able diplomat and a budding spy as well. Henri's travel to France was fortuitous as it brought him to courts of several major powers of Europe as well as new contacts within France which had always kept a lukewarm relationship with the Order. But the real fruits of his visit lay in his developing contacts near Aquitaine where he met with the dying out branch of the Lusignan dynasty.

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His shadowy work there would lead to securing a dubiously stretch claim via Johannes de Valois' uncle over the last land that Ludovicus believed falsely claimed the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Henri de Foix also brought back a gift far more precious in Ludovicus' master plan however and it was a man and his family whose dynasty had long since fallen into obscurity over the ages. That man was plucked from the harsh lands of Naples on Henri's return journey and had been living in disrepute as a bastard.

In Naples God led me to a treasure worth more than all the gold of Europe. I did not recognize him at our first meeting but over the following days and discussions I began to realize the truth of what I had found in Almaric de Anjou, the bastard son of King Ladislaus the Magnanimous. He lived with his family in what was barely above poverty and in seclusion from fear of the Aragonese authorities. But he lived with pride and happiness. He had three sons and one night after a discussion I felt the power of God in me. I was to return with the last remaining male heirs of the ancient line of Angevin Kings of Jerusalem and see to it that one day they returned to their rightful home. - Henri de Foix

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(Some Notes: I didn't grab a screenshot and I'm not sure how it happened but after I released Bosnia as a vassal I saw the option to core Ragusa which I did immediately and never looked back. In game time the move of the trade capital to Ragusa was after this but I moved it earlier in the story as I felt it was fitting. Also, I was plagued during most of this time of spending MIL points for harsh treatment to put down rebels which in hindsight might've been better spent in taking loans and putting up an army to just defeat them.)
 
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(Note: I know the times don't match up best with the times in the screenshots but I humbly request some artistic license from the readers. I also added in some of the readers who've commented but had to change the names a bit to fit.)

Diary of Henri de Foix


February 10th, 1454
Yesterday we reached Venice and the grand city lived up to her reputation. I'm joined on this noble journey by three men who seem fortuitously attached to me. Armando, my former lookout on the Alphonese and trustworthy assistant, Monsieur LaCheval (@Lamahorse), our more formal diplomatic representation given his familiarity with the French nobility and courts, and Father Nuppon (@ngppgn). Upon our arrival we proceeded immediately to the Doge's court for our reception. The Venetians, as is their custom, respect only wealth and unfortunately we had little to show off. Our reception was cool at best but the formalities were adhered to. I don't know what will truly come diplomatically from our brief visit here but I doubt it will be anything monumental. While Monsieur LaCheval served as our official dignitary, Armando and I set to work on our more fruitful goal. I estimate that the Venetian fleet is more than adequate to assert control over their trade lanes. The shipyard was full of activity and we managed to gather some valuable information from the city's notorious houses of ill repute, taverns, and inns. From this I came to understand better ship-building practices as well as a best guess as to their total naval strength. The stench in this city is revolting in certain tides and winds. The waste of its citizens floats aimlessly down the canals and stagnates at certain times. But this does not ruin their gaiety for every night seems to be some sort of reception or celebration.

February 25th, 1454
Our caravan has lost half its strength. Our journey through the Alps in the peak of winter has left its toll on us. Father Nuppon gave service over the dead and we buried them in the forest off the road, ill-equipped to carry them to a more suitable location. We've also begun picking up word that the Burgundian war with France has hit its crucible moment. We passed by several groups of disenchanted mercenaries today heading back towards Venice. They say that the French have been ruthlessly rampaging across Burgundy and their crimes include looting some of the churches of the region. We are about to slaughter one of our horses to secure food for the next few days in anticipation that not much will present itself to us when we cross into Burgundy. I pray we see this critical mission through.

March 10th, 1454
Burgundy is in ruins. It would be farce to say this land is fruitful anymore. The French have burned what they cannot take with them in their caravans of pillaged goods. General chaos has taken the populace who lives outside the cities. Monsieur LaCheval himself had to strike down two ravenous peasants who attempted to assault us with pitchforks and crude bludgeons. I pray for their souls but it is obvious that Father Nuppon is distressed by these turn of events. He is no stranger to war but what we see here is anything but war. It is hell itself. The only bright spot so far is that it seems the King of France has retired from the field of battle with the war well within its end and so we will not have to hunt across the country for him.

March 20th, 1454
Paris is like home. To hear your mother tongue spoken so frequently and in such a clean dialect is pleasing to the heart. Father Nuppon is being briefed at the Cathedral with the Bishop and Monsieur LaCheval did wondrously in presenting our group to the King's court. The real work will be with them as opposed to the King himself who seems gluttonous for continued victory and speaks with great wrath about his aims to push the English off of Europe and back to their islands. The Marshal of France and Count of Berry are both keen accomplices in our plot. Father Nuppon will be pressed to convince the Papacy of our aims as just cause. Armando has been sent south to Naples to follow a mysterious path that I have uncovered concerning the Angevin line.

March 30th, 1454
Success! We have secured Johannes de Valois' claim on Cyprus and have been assured that the Papacy will back this claim. But this victory comes at a price of course. Monsieur LaCheval has had to empty our meager financial resources to bribe the necessary officials while I have had to barter through Father Nuppon to assure the Papacy that we would not condone a Venetian move into Papal territory.

April 5th, 1454
Tragedy has struck. Our successes are now overshadowed by Venetian treachery again. Monsieur LaCheval was intercepted tonight on his way to our lodging. I am unsure of his fate but I am sure that the Venetians are behind this with their own aims on Cyprus. I have gathered from my contacts that the Venetians are hiding out in a brothel, typical, and have been in the city for several days. Fortunately their sins betray them and they have not been as inconspicuous as one should be when working in the shadows. Their lips are loose to share both protests of love to their paid liaisons and their plans of glory.

April 14th, 1454
No sign of Monsieur LaCheval still but the Venetians have been dealt with. My gold is just as good as Venetian gold and brigands come cheap these days in Paris. I was permitted to inspect the results of the attack myself and now feel assured that we have silenced the culprits however none of them could share LaCheval's location. I suspect he has already been taken back to Venice. I saved some items from the Venetians as proof when the time comes to present it but for now Father Nuppon and I sail for Naples to join Armando and God willing we will meet the sapling of our destiny.
 
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Monsieur La Cheval doesn't meditate as frequently as his monastic peers but when he has a sack over his head and he's locked in a chest, he does reflect on his life and actions; He likes to mimic his classical writers of old like Xenophon and Caeser by referring to himself in the Third person. Monsieur La Cheval slowly threds his bound hands around in the dark to probe for some imperfection or blemish in the timbers to spend whatever indeterminate length of time he has left; towards escaping.

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Great twist and thanks for incorporating us! I take it that the Knights will use the throne of Jerusalem to secure a powerful alliance with a certain European superpower.
 
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Great twist and thanks for incorporating us! I take it that the Knights will use the throne of Jerusalem to secure a powerful alliance with a certain European superpower.

Glad you liked it! I'm confident we have not seen the last of Monsieur LaCheval. I think you will be surprised at the way things play out with the Order's allies.

Let's pray so that the quest of Henri's fellowship is succesful and their companions see it through.

(I'm quite flattered at being sort of included in the atory:3).

This is shaping to be a thrilling narrative. Keep it up!

Glad you're enjoying it thus far! I felt like it'd be fun to pay homage to the readers by inserting them into the story where appropriate and this felt like a good spot to plug some in. I can guarantee you that Henri's machinations are from over.
 
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(I just looked up the claimants of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. One of the best challenges of EU4 is forming France as Cyprus; another claimant. I didn't know the Kings of Naples also had a claim!)

Godspeed Armando!
 
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