Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR

[GameHunter5303]

((Thanks 05060403))

 

[Michaelangelo]

Your Grace, Sire,

I am completely humbled by the kindness shown to me and my young family by you and the good people of your glorious Kingdom. I wish to assure you that I will endeavour to repay this kindness by continuing to assist you in whatever way I can, should your wisdom deem my services to be of requirement.

For what my opinion is worth, I have heard talk of your Kingdom investigating the potential for an alliance with France. I, for one, deem this to be a very sensible option indeed. I am certain you are all too aware of the threat posed by our neighbours Castile - an arrangement with the French would no doubt give the devious Castilians cause to check their aggressive rhetoric.

As for the question of Navarra's place in Iberia, which I understand has been brought up by certain people, we should seek to bring their lands under your control as soon as possible. Again, there is word that the meddlesome Castilians look greedily at the Navarran lands. An Aragonese port on the northern coast of Iberia could well be beneficial to your Kingdom's naval pursuits.

Yours dutifully,
John Kendall
Kendall Trading

*Erik bows down to Alfons*

Your grace's decisions are as wise as you are.

I think an alliance with France would be very beneficial for us in the short run, but as they too begin to expand, our mighty states will surely come into conflict. Especially over the province of Rousillion? I am just wondering if we could get to know the rivalries of the French, as an alliance with the Emperor, Austria would also be very beneficial for us.

I also think that forcing the subjugation of Navarra is the right way to go, as doing it peacefully will take far to long, risking Castillian intervention. But I would rather suggest you to pursue the conquest of the province of Provence rather than conquering Granada as we would have a harder time with rebellions and conversion of the populous than in Provence. If the French conquers it it will greatly hinder our income. Why not let Castille deal with the heathens so we can later seize the provinces. As for a bridgehead into Africa, we already have the island of Sicily and Sardinia to use this for.

I would also make a suggestion to your majesty.
Its in my knowledge that our royal fleet is not as big as we can support and I suggest to you that we should increase it by constructing two more barques and cog to further strengthen our fleet and presence in the western Mediterranean.

Your faithful,
Erik Inge

((I think that an alliance with Austria against the BBB aggression would be very beneficial. Also, seizing Granada would give us some problems as +20 revolt risk in all the provinces would surely have an rebellion. We would also be unable to convert the provinces until we get adm tech 8 and an inquisitor as our conversion power is not good enough. Castille on the other hand have an event that changes the religion and we can seize the area when they have gotten the event together with Andalusia to gain power in Sevilla.))

Your grace,

it is an honour to bask in your presence and your assistance of the order will not be forgotten. I'd like to present the most pious opinion of a humble and fellow Christian, if you allow me to. Alliances with France and Portugal seem indeed wise, as they strengthen the bond between us Christian brethren and allow for peace, prosperity and also do not hinder the operations of the brotherhood. I must say that violently subjugating Navarra is not the right choice, though. To commit acts of violence against fellow Catholics that want to be protected peacefully by the most glorious Kingdom of Aragon and Naples would be frowned upon in Rome. On the contrary, it is our the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensable of duties to diminish the infidel threat that plagues the mediterranean. We need to strike against the Berbers as soon as possible! Weakening Tunis might be a good start, if the Ottoman devil *his face expresses his deep disgust of anything that non-believers stand for* does not have unholy bonds with them. Furthermore, we need to finish the Reconquista against those usurpers in Granada - they shall not be allowed to pester our beloved homeland with their presence any longer. If we manage to defeat them instead of Castille, all the prestige and honours of ending the Muslim occupation of the Iberian peninsula will indeed belong only to you, your Majesty. There are also rumors of unfathomable amounts of riches in the Granadan treasuries, which could further help to develop the kingdom, your Grace.


((Is it possible that provinces change their category at a certain point in time? Should I ever choose to play a noble knight hospitaller I would not be able to compete for Malta, which is rather unfortunate imho.))

((Most of my thinking on the Granda issue was based on the idea that we did not have a truce with them. I did not realize/failed to notice that we do have a truce with him too, so I'll have to retract that idea, in RP of course."

Ioannes bows before his King, stepping forward to deliver a follow-up to his earlier statements

Your Grace,

My apologies for my failure to completely assess the situation before us. While the Castilians do have a truce with the Emir of Granada, I neglected to notice that we too have a truce with the Emir, one of many treaties I am sure my failing memory will forget. With this newfound knowledge, I would retract my suggestion to invade the rich provinces of the Emirate, and instead would ask that we utilize those resources to conduct an armed subjugation of Navarra.

The idea of seizing the lands surrounding the city of Marseilles from the Duke of Provence would do well to increase the Kingdom's trade income and as such I would like to support the plan to seize the province.

((this next part hinges on the idea that we're all in a court speaking, but if this isn't information I would know then disregard it))

As for the invasion of English Labourd, I do not believe that to be wise unless we would like to ultimately turn our backs to the French after utilizing them as an ally for other conquests. But if we would like to pursue such a conquest, then I believe it wise to seek out a strong alliance with the Emperor instead of the Portuguese who may very well not wish to join against the Castilians due to their historical friendship.

In order to be more clear I would like to provide a list of the motions that I do support:
+ - The subjugation of Navarra as soon as possible
+ - The seizure of Provence from the Duchy of Provence
+ - The expansion of both naval and land forces to the maximum capacity (force limits)

((Could we get info on the alliances/rivals of Portugal/Castille/France/Austria in order to make slightly more informed decisions?))

((I was not even aware of that about Granada. It certainly sounds better to take them from Castile instead. I have a feeling that Castile will beat us to Granada anyway with the shorter truce.

As for changing province types, I suppose someone could present a petition to change a province. If we get clergy members from the same family claiming the province multiple times, we could roleplay it that it becomes hereditary. I'm considering changing one of the bishoprics since we have so few clergy and many more nobles.))

​

Austria has shown a willingness to accept an alliance with us, but we fear they are too far away to be of any help. As for France, they consider England, Burgundy, and Castile to be the biggest threats. Seeing as these powers consider us rivals, we share common enemies.

The possibility of fighting the heathens in North Africa is an intriguing one. While they would be better off under our rule, administrating their land would be a nightmare. It should at least not antagonize our fellow Christians.

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples

((I'll list the alliances and rivals of Portugal, Castile, France, and Austria in a bit. My computer is acting finicky since I'm backing up my files. EUIV just froze on me. I'm also going to add a more in-depth section in the rules about petitions. Basically everyone is free to propose laws and such, or even changes to the game's rules, that the king or GM will choose whether to approve or put up for a vote.

Sorry for the late reply. I'm trying to do several things at once.))

 

[01smito01]

Name: Jean de Pamiers
Date of Birth: 23rd June 1423
Religion: Catholic
Class: Noble
Bio: The de Pamiers were an insignificant French noble family, however through skilled diplomacy they gradually grew in influence, eventually inheriting the Duchy of Foix. But when a revolt, lead by the charismatic Tolousian Denis Hébert, usurped the Duchy, the de Pamiers family fled to Roussillon, linked to the duchy since time immemorial, where they are now, once again, on the rise.
Jean de Pamiers is one of the less diplomatic de Pamiers, however, he is an excellent cavalryman and a skilled tactician. His parents have recently died in an 'accident', in which a poisonous snake, brought by a Granadan merchant, escaped its pen in the palace.
Requested province: Roussillon

 

[Michaelangelo]

((I have been a long term lurker, I have read your AAR's since the beginning of your tag-swap AAR.))

Name: Leonardo de Abruzzi
Date of Birth: June 17, 1416
Class: Courtier (Neapolitan Merchant)
Bio: A Merchant from the Neapolitan province of Abruzzi. His family is located in Pascara owning a small plot of land for farming. He learned many skills in Diplomacy thanks to his well educated mother, and going to Florence to become educated. He has a wit like a viper, he can influence almost everyone with his tongue. His wit is what allows him to be such a good merchant.

((Assuming you annex Naples, can I get Abruzzi when you do?))

((05060503 is correct. I give preference to nobles, so if one wants it, they'll get it. But we'll see. Also you forgot religion, but I just assume you're Catholic. Not much choice other than Orthodox anyway. ))

 

[05060403]

((What about Coptic! All the Muslim sultanates taking over Egypt must mean that a lot of Copts are fleeing to other countries!))

 

[Michaelangelo]

((What about Coptic! All the Muslim sultanates taking over Egypt must mean that a lot of Copts are fleeing to other countries!))

((I actually forgot Coptic is represented in the game. Guess I should add them too.))

 

[Robban204]

Your grace,
I have listened to the many opinions on the path of Aragon, and it gladdens me that we all mostly share the same visions of a grand and strong Aragon.
So, I will list the matters I feel is most important at hand, in order of importance;

The subjugation of Navarra, either diplomatically or militarily, to strenghten the hold on the peninsula.
The build up of our forces to capacity to further deter any hostility.
Ally France. Portugal should be allied if they are not friends with Castille.
Keeping Naples in check and integrating them into our great kingdom.
Dealing with Venice, to make sure that our tradepower is not disputed.

Furthermore, may I propose creating a Royal Guard, to protect the king and the royal family, in style of the greatly respected Varangian Guard, that protected the emperors of the great Empire of Byzantium.

Of course, your grace may deal with these matters as he please, or not at all, but I would be greatly honored if your grace did.

Your loyal servant,
Felipé de Alvaro

 

[GameHunter5303]

((05060503 is correct. I give preference to nobles, so if one wants it, they'll get it. But we'll see. Also you forgot religion, but I just assume you're Catholic. Not much choice other than Orthodox anyway. ))

((Yes I'm catholic, for now. ))

 

[Andre Massena]

Cardinal de Vascona in his later years
​

Name: Fernando de Vascona
Date of Birth: May 5, 1416
Religion: Catholic
Class: Clergy
Bio: Fernando is the third son of Luis de Vascona, the head of a minor barony ((I'll pick something from CK later)) near Barcelona. As Fernando had no chance of inheriting the family property he was sent to the seminary to become a priest a the age of twelve. Fernando became a very pious young man who took religions seriously, unlike the sons of other noble families who were "left to rot" at the seminary. Because of this, Fernando became friendly with the sons of poor families who also took their theological career seriously and began to disdain the nobility of the country.

Fernando excelled in his studies and was sent to run the small parish of San Juan the Dwarf in Barbastro. He became known as a competent and strict priest who disdains all manner of heresy an demanded adherence to the Inquisition. He soon caught the eyes of the king's ministers do to his devotion and skill.
With approval from the papacy, he was elevated to the bishopric of Pirineo in 1444.

He was immediately appointed to the position of court chaplain of the realm. His dedication and zeal soon became noticed in the Vatican. As a gesture of friendship for Aragon's alliance to France, the new French pope chose Fernando as a cardinal. Fernando spent the next ten years dedicating his time in Rome to reforming the Church. He was disgusted by the ostentatious displays of wealth in Rome and the lack of spirituality at the highest levels of the Church.

in 1467, Fernando's attempts to capture the papacy and reform the Church were foiled by the French faction, who elected another French pope. He then backed King Alfons in the Aragonian Succession Crisis the next year. The king would repay the Church's support through public spending on churches and wars against the heathen Turks in the east.

The cardinal spent the next few decades alternating between attempting reform in the Church, begging for peace between Christian powers and overseeing the Aragonian Inquisition. Though the Inquisition achieved much success and all Iberian provinces were converted to Catholicism, de Vascona was frustrated by the failure of his proposed Alahambra Decree to expel all Jews from the realm. His attempts at church reform fared even worse as the corrupt Clemens VII was elected from Hungary, who issued in an era of extravagance and secular ambition for the Papal States. His attempts to broker peace between Christian nations also failed as Aragon continued to exhaust her manpower in successful conquests.

Fernando would spend the last few years of his life bemoaning the stalled progress of the Inquisition as Athens continued to stubbornly cling to Orthodoxy and secret (as well as public) Jews and Mohammedans continued to pollute the kingdom while funds for the Inquisition dried up. De Vascona oversaw the education of the future cardinal Juan de Soneta and instilled his values and wisdom into the young man.

Cardinal Fernando de Vascona would die in 1501 at the age of 82. During his life, he saw tremendous changes as the Kingdom of Aragon rose to become a world power through decades of exhausting war, new lands were being discovered, new technologies developed, the wealth of the Church increased dramatically, and discontent against Catholicism grew. He served as court chaplain for over fifty years and died as the most respected man in Aragon. His legacy would inspire both church traditionalists and reformers in the years after his death.


((I am claiming the Bishopric of Pirineo

What are we doing about tech and ideas?

Also, can a clergy character become a cardinal/the pope?))​

 

[GameHunter5303]

Your Grace,
May I suggest to place your merchants in the rich nodes of Champagne and Rhineland to take advantage of all our caravans who are just sitting there.((And the bonus to trade power in capital node for all merchants steering trade.)) I as a merchant have some experience. I hope you take my suggestion into consideration, My Lord.
~Leonardo de Abruzzi

 

[Michaelangelo]

((I am claiming the Bishopric of Pirineo

What are we doing about tech and ideas?

Also, can a clergy character become a cardinal/the pope?))

((I shall be researching tech as we go along. I feel that tech is sort of a process going on in the background that we shouldn't have complete control of. It'd be silly for me to have to consult someone every single time we can afford a tech. Every time an idea group is unlocked, we'll hold a vote on which one to pick.

I did not consider that before, but I suppose it could be managed. I suppose every time we receive a cardinal, a random clergy member could be appointed cardinal. Pope might be a bit tricky though since then it'd imply that the character leads the Papal State, which we have no control over. I'll add that to my list of potential changes.))

Your Grace,
May I suggest to place your merchants in the rich nodes of Champagne and Rhineland to take advantage of all our caravans who are just sitting there.((And the bonus to trade power in capital node for all merchants steering trade.)) I as a merchant have some experience. I hope you take my suggestion into consideration, My Lord.
~Leonardo de Abruzzi

​

We shall take this into consideration, but it will ultimately be up to whoever we appoint to our Council. We shall be making appointments shortly.

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples

((I'll appoint people to the council in a bit and hand out titles as well.))

 

[Attalus]

{{ I'd just suggest for our first cardinal to be Rodrigo Borgia. I mean he would make a pretty badass pope too }}

Your Majesty, I think it is Aragon's duty to spread the Holy Faith in the Mediterranean : as you have said Granada could be conquered by Castile before we can do a thing but I am sure they will try to get some help from their heathen brothers from Africa. We could start an easy war against the said heathens and use it to take over Granada. We could be seen as opportunists maybe but it sounds like the best thing to do unless we want the weak Kings of Toledo to rule over Iberia without any threats.
I also think that our naval dominance of the area could allow us to threaten the Mahometans in their lands and conquer back the coast from Islam ! Tunis, the old Cartage would be especially well placed for our traders and would act as a symbol of our power over these lands. I know the Mahometan Berbers are reckless and hard to submit and such a move would be costly for our Crown but it seems like the best opportunity of expansion beside the pesky emir of Granada

 

[Michaelangelo]

{{ I'd just suggest for our first cardinal to be Rodrigo Borgia. I mean he would make a pretty badass pope too }}

Your Majesty, I think it is Aragon's duty to spread the Holy Faith in the Mediterranean : as you have said Granada could be conquered by Castile before we can do a thing but I am sure they will try to get some help from their heathen brothers from Africa. We could start an easy war against the said heathens and use it to take over Granada. We could be seen as opportunists maybe but it sounds like the best thing to do unless we want the weak Kings of Toledo to rule over Iberia without any threats.
I also think that our naval dominance of the area could allow us to threaten the Mahometans in their lands and conquer back the coast from Islam ! Tunis, the old Cartage would be especially well placed for our traders and would act as a symbol of our power over these lands. I know the Mahometan Berbers are reckless and hard to submit and such a move would be costly for our Crown but it seems like the best opportunity of expansion beside the pesky emir of Granada

((Well I'd prefer for players to take the role, but if we don't have enough I suppose Borgia would be a natural choice. Half the cardinals would vote for him as Pope out of fear and the other half he would have bribed. ))


It is certainly a viable form of expansion. We shall officially address the court regarding such matters once the Council has been appointed. ((I know, I'm getting to it. ))

​

We have consulted our advisors on the state of diplomatic relations in Europe and they have written up the following:

Portugal
Rivals: Morocco, Algeria, Tunia
Allies: England

Castile
Rivals: Aragon, England, Tunis
Allies: None

England
Rivals: France, Burgundy, Aragon
Allies: Portugal

France
Rivals: England, Burgundy, Castile
Allies: None

Austria
Rivals: Burgundy, France, Ottomans
Allies: None

We have also had a survey conducted of the lands within the kingdom of Aragon. It would appear that the Black Plague, which struck our kingdom many years ago, has struck again and eradicated a large portion of the upper nobility. Many counties are now left vacant with no one to rule over them. The clergy have not been spared and several bishops have fallen ill. We shall fill these ranks with the loyal nobles present in court, and assign clergy to the appropriate bishoprics. After much consultation, we have assigned the following titles as so:

Baleares, The - Esteban Iglesia y Maig ((Idhrendur))
Barcelona - Jaume Cristòfor ((Artistove))
Malta - Ramón de Montcada ((ThetrueColt))
Palermo - Felice Castelozzi ((alscon))
Pirineo - Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena))
Roussillon - Jean de Pamiers ((01smito01))
Sassari - Felipé de Alvaro ((Robban204))
Syracuse - Carlos de Leon ((zenphoenix))
Urgell - Catholic - Jofré Llançol de Borja ((Attalus))
Zaragoza - Arturo de Valencia ((05060304))

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples

((Attalus, you didn't specify a specific province, although you did mention Zaragoza in passing which is already claimed, so I gave you Urgell. I hope that's okay.

As for the courtiers, I'm afraid you'll have to earn the king's trust first. He doesn't hand out titles so easily to refugees and merchants, after all. ))

 

[Artistove]

Your Grace Alfons V,
I sincerely thank you for giving me the wealthy and grand county of Barcelona, and I'd love to fight in battle with you since I have heard of your military prowess. We must kill the Granada heathens together, and finish the Reconquista! DEUS VULT!

From yours truly,
Jaume Cristòfor, Count of Barcelona

 

[TrueProd]

Ioannes, upon viewing the information presented before him regarding the diplomatic alliances possessed by neighbouring powers, presents a renewed plan before the King and the rest of the nobility to discuss.

"Your Grace,

After reviewing and re-reviewing the webs of alliances carefully, I may have an idea, though it may be a bit bold. Since the Castilians have not managed to secure any alliances and we could ally the French and Portuguese immediately and launch a surprise offensive against the Castilians. We could lay claim to the provinces directly to our west with Murcia and Toledo coming to mind.

Such an ambitious assault would leave the Castilians, who as we know have no allies, alone and sandwiched from both sides as well as facing our French allies who would pour in from the North.

It is a plan to consider, though a bold one, I would like to present it as an option to the rest of the council. It would leave them weak and vulnerable to future invasions, as well as open the door for our own expansion elsewhere without fear of the Castilians consolidating their strength in the center of Iberia.

If we were to do this, we would have to strike almost immediately."

((This is definitely not the safest option, but I think it is something that we could definitely do. I just wanted to present a bit more of a bold option for the council to consider. Is it possible that we could begin a vote for our first military campaign(s)?))

 

[Michaelangelo]

((I've added a paragraph on the petition process so everyone should have a better grasp of how to present laws or changes to the game. I'll quote the paragraph for convenience.))

Petition

All players have the option to petition the king whenever he is present in court. 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. The king will then decide whether or not to put it up for a vote. 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. 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.

​

We admit that we have not spent much time amongst our subjects and our knowledge of your backgrounds and skills is somewhat limited. Perhaps in time we will best understand who is the most qualified for each position. We have done our best to form a Council that will best serve the kingdom. We shall be taking the position of Chancellor for our own, for foreign relations seems far too important at this time to delegate to the court. We shall also claim the position of Treasurer for reasons of great import. ((Alfons is later rumoured to have been seen swimming through a pile of ducats in the treasure room. ))

Chancellor - King Alfons V de Trastámara
Steward - Arturo de Valencia ((05060304))
Treasurer - King Alfons V de Trastámara
Grandmaster - Erik Inge ((Egil4950))
Marshal - Jaume Cristòfor ((Artistove))
Court Chaplain - Fernando de Vascona ((Andre Massena))

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples

((I admit I had difficulty picking people, so don't feel bad if you didn't make the cut this time. The best way to get on the Council is to make your presence known, especially regarding matters pertinent to whatever position you want. Subtly hinting that you want a position might help too. I'll probably relinquish the Chancellorship once the initial craziness fades away. Not sure if the king will want to let anyone handle his precious ducats though.

I'll give the new council members roughly 48 hours (let's say 7pm PST on Thursday) to come up with a general plan for their ministry. I realize though that it might be confusing the first time around, so this deadline isn't too strict. When constructing a plan, just consult the rules for what your position covers and give a list of things you want to occur. For example, the Steward could advise on how he wants revolts handled, the Grandmaster could designate where merchants and trade fleets should go, and the Marshal could state a specific army composition he wants. Unfortunately the Court Chaplain doesn't have much of a role until we collect some papal influence or conquer non-Catholic provinces. Once we have all the plans, we'll put them up to a simple vote where everyone states whether they approve of the plan or not. If the new council members need any information to make an informed decision, feel free to ask. As for the positions that the king serves, I'll be holding a special vote for the chancellorship plan. Don't expect the king to reveal what's happening to the finances though. ))

 

[Michaelangelo]

Ioannes, upon viewing the information presented before him regarding the diplomatic alliances possessed by neighbouring powers, presents a renewed plan before the King and the rest of the nobility to discuss.

"Your Grace,

After reviewing and re-reviewing the webs of alliances carefully, I may have an idea, though it may be a bit bold. Since the Castilians have not managed to secure any alliances and we could ally the French and Portuguese immediately and launch a surprise offensive against the Castilians. We could lay claim to the provinces directly to our west with Murcia and Toledo coming to mind.

Such an ambitious assault would leave the Castilians, who as we know have no allies, alone and sandwiched from both sides as well as facing our French allies who would pour in from the North.

It is a plan to consider, though a bold one, I would like to present it as an option to the rest of the council. It would leave them weak and vulnerable to future invasions, as well as open the door for our own expansion elsewhere without fear of the Castilians consolidating their strength in the center of Iberia.

If we were to do this, we would have to strike almost immediately."

((This is definitely not the safest option, but I think it is something that we could definitely do. I just wanted to present a bit more of a bold option for the council to consider. Is it possible that we could begin a vote for our first military campaign(s)?))

​

Your plan is bold, but perhaps that is what is needed. We would require the assurances of the French and Portuguese to succeed, but it is possible. We shall add it as an option as we draft up our plans for the chancellorship.

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples

((I'm going to start working up a plan for potential alliances and wars, which we'll hold a vote on. I just need a little time to get it written out.))

 

[Artistove]

My King, as my first act as Marshal of Aragon, I suggest this new law, which if approved is to be put in effect immediately:

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.

From yours truly,
Jaume Cristòfor, Count of Barcelona and Marshal of the Realm

 

[Michaelangelo]

​

After much thought, I have drafted up several options we may pursue regarding foreign relations. I believe it best that they be presented to the court to choose the best decision, for these issues affect us all. Thus I present the following options regarding foreign policy:

Regarding Navarra, we have a few options. We believe it prudent that we extend our protection to them, although we are unsure of the methods of achieving such. Here is what we have considered:
1. Diplovassalization - The people of Navarra view us quite favourably and it is believed that they would willingly become our subjects in time. It would be prudent to establish an alliance first and work from there to peacefully bring them into our kingdom.
2. War - Diplomacy will take too long to achieve. Let us bring them under our rule by force.
3. Neither - Who cares about Navarra? Let us leave them to fend for themselves.

Then there is the question of alliances. We believe it best that Aragon seek out two potential allies ((We only have 4 relations slots, and it's assumed that 2 of them will be for Naples and Navarra)). We have collected a list of potential candidates for you to consider. We advise you all to select your two preferences.
1. Portugal - A fellow Iberian kingdom, they could be an useful ally to use against Castile. However, they are also allied with England and may not be entirely hostile towards Castile.
2. France - One of the strongest land powers in Europe, who also happens to be close enough to be able to help against Castile. Allying them may also keep them off our back, or it may drag us into unimportant wars.
3. Austria - The Holy Roman Emperor fields a massive army that could be to our benefit, although the distance from Aragon may make them an ineffective ally.
4. Papal State - What good Catholic would not want to be an ally of the Pope? The Pope does covet our lands in Naples, but perhaps an alliance will offset that.

Then comes the question of war. We have come up with three potential targets. Unfortunately Granada does not make this list due to the truce. The other three will have to do. It is assumed that if we choose war against Navarra, we will have to delay any of these endeavours.
1. Provence - As many within the court has mentioned, attacking Provence would provide us with valuable provinces on the Mediterranean and allow us greater control of trade in the region. This may risk antagonizing France in the future, but that is a risk we must take for the success of Aragon.
2. Tunis - The heathens of North Africa must be shown the true faith. Grabbing provinces within Africa may also strengthen our position in the Mediterranean.
3. Castile - As Ioannes Kontostephanos has suggested, we may be able to make a quick strike at Castile with the right allies. It is a risky plan and could be difficult to pull off, but would greatly weaken our chief rival if successful.

Those are all the matters we wish to consult you all on. We have also decided that we will declare Castile, England, and Genoa as rivals.

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples


((All three of these proposals are up for a vote. You can also express discontent for the choice of rivals, but the king has a long memory so be warned. For the three votes, simply state which of the options you prefer and bold the vote. The second one regarding alliances is special, since you can choose two options. Seeing as this is the first official vote and it will end up being added with the other council plans, I'm giving everyone 4 days to vote on them. I'm aiming for 6pm PST on Saturday. That should be more than enough time to vote. It also works out well since I'm working until Saturday and won't have time to play until then.

To add to the confusion, I have an OOC vote to conduct. I need your opinions on some matters regarding this iAAR. I had a discussion in the Coldfront channel with some players about how player generals work. At the moment I merely pretend they're leading a leaderless army, but that means that it's the equivalent of every player general being terrible. The alternative is adding player generals into the game. The leader cap presents a problem though. If I add player generals, we'll go over that limit and start losing military points. We discussed the possibility of raising the limit through modding and adding in player generals with the console. The stats of each general would be randomly assigned by me based on our army tradition. At the moment, I'm thinking of raising the leader limit to 4, which should allow us to have 3 player generals and our sole admiral. Of course I also realize some may see this as gamey, so that's why I'm putting it up for a vote. To clarify things, here are the two options:

Raise the leader limit and add in player generals using the console.
Stick with the system of pretending player generals are leading the army.

This is part of the vote, but please keep it OOC. Voting power does not apply here, so everyone gets a single vote. The deadline is the same as the earlier vote, so 6pm PST on Saturday.

But we're not done yet! Andre brought up the idea of players becoming cardinals or even the Pope. While I believe making it so that players can become cardinals should be relatively easy, the Pope may be more difficult. If we allowed a player to serve as Pope when Aragon becomes papal controller, how would that be implemented? I'm a bit unsure about it, since in-game the Pope would be the leader of the Papal States, which is a country we cannot control. Either we'd have to find an explanation for why one of the characters is leading a foreign country or have an NPC serve the role. I'm bringing this up because I want to hear what everyone thinks of this idea. It's in the brainstorming process, so offer up any suggestions you have.

I've also got some questions about forts. I have not had the chance to play an actual game with Common Sense, so I'm not entirely familiar with the new fort system. From what I can tell, each fort has a sphere of influence over the surrounding provinces to help protect them and reclaim provinces. My question is if having two forts next to each other has any benefit? To me it'd make more sense to spread them out to cover all provinces instead of wasting precious ducats protecting the same provinces twice. This has to do with Roussillon and Girona both having forts. I almost want to move one because it seems illogical to have both there. Can someone clarify this whole fort thing better for me?

Well I've rambled on for long enough. Sorry for bombarding you with so much information at once. Take your time to process it. To clarify, you have four things to vote on, three in-character and one out-of-character, and four days to vote on them.))

 

[Michaelangelo]

My King, as my first act as Marshal of Aragon, I suggest this new law, which if approved is to be put in effect immediately:

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.

From yours truly,
Jaume Cristòfor, Count of Barcelona and Marshal of the Realm

​

We deem this law to be a viable one for the kingdom. Forts have indeed been a drain on the treasury. We wish to hear what the rest of the court thinks on such matters.

- His Majesty, Alfons V de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples


((Consider Aristove's law up for the vote with the other proposals. Just give a simple yes or no vote, bolded of course, for it. The deadline will also be 6pm PST on Saturday. Sorry for throwing so many votes at you at once. ))