Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR

[Andre Massena]

To His Royal Majesty,

Thank you for continuing to place your faith in my person. I shall continue to advise you on religious matters to the best of my ability and act as your representative in Rome.The Holy Father looks favorably on your patronage and support of the Church. Perhaps we can use this favor to our kingdom's advantage in the future.

The Lord has blessed us with favorable circumstances that allowed us to make a peace with honor. It seems my prayers were answered. Now I pray there shall be no more bloodshed between Christian realms and that all heresy shall be vanquished from our borders. Let us never again see the bodies of brave young men and wise kings rotting in the fields.

Your humble servant,

Cardinal Fernando de Vascona
Bishop of Pirineo

 

[zenphoenix]

Your Majesty,

Thank you for appointing me as marshal of the realm. I promise to serve you well.
We may have escaped unscathed in this war with Castile, but next time we may not be so fortunate. To this end, I propose that we mothball the forts in Messina and Rousillon (if our relations with the French are maintained), as we must focus on maintaining the fort in Valencia against future Castilian incursions. Our possessions in Sicily are not threatened at this point, so we do not need to spend as much resources maintaining the fort there. Valencia, however, must be maintained at all costs.

That is all, Your Highness.

Your loyal subject,
Marshal Carlos de Leon

 

[NiniNunny]

Name: Carles Biel de Gracia de Gonia
Date of birth: September 24th, 1425
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Born the third son of a baron in Pirineo, he was blessed enough to earn the honor of staying home to secure the family succession during the Castillan War, and even luckier still when both his brothers perished during the fighting! Now that his father has died to illness, he has full control over the estate, and is now using all available resources to attempt to convince the young King Joan II to grant him the entire county.

 

[ML8991]

(ooooh a fight over Pirineo, all the best my county title rival)

(Furthermore, are there no other counties available, for those nobles still seeking a title, par Pirineo? Such as north Sardinia or other such regions? All the best michaelangelo, and good luck contesting)

 

[alscon]

Your Majesty,

I am honoured that You are putting your trust into my person to serve as Steward of the realm. I will put all my efforts to preserve the stability of the realm, that has thanks to Your wise choice been left mostly unscathed, save for the loss of so many young men. But with all these losses, inflicted to an important part by the Portuguese under the Earl of Avranches, I cannot understand those willing to re-ally the traitors. Siding with the defenders is certainly a noble cause, but not shortly after proposing to seal the alliance with the attacker with a royal marriage. No, the Portuguese are not to be trusted. As we extended our grasp to include Navarra, we will need to build up enough to defeat Portugal as well as Castile. If our French ally has less pressure by Burgundy, we shall take the victory.

For my duties as Steward of the Crown, I have decided on mostly general plans. To be more concrete, I would need to speak with my predecessor, the Count of Zaragoza.
- The peasantry is carrying a heavy burden due to the war, but one that time shall be able to heal. They will not need any royal aid. ((no lowering war exhaustion)).
- Yet there are unruly elements within the nation - we should root them out, and appease those who may drift into radicalism. ((Stability back to 0))
- Also, as multicultural nation, we need to preserve the rights of the accepted cultures. Abandoning Your Aragonese roots to become Catalan would be a step too much though, as it would leave a bitter taste in the other regions, such as my home Sicily. We should strive to keep our balance. ((develop provinces so that the cultures stay accepted))


But right now, recovering from the war needs to be the priority. We should gain an edge over the incapable Juan of Castile soon enough in this ever-changing world, and should try to make the best use of it. We should support the arts and sciences. As noble as it would be to face the Infidel, we cannot do it with a strong foe at our doors. We should prepare to vanquish them the next time. And under Your wise guidance, I know we will choose the right moment to strike.

Your humble servant,
Felice Castelozzi, Count of Palermo and Steward of Aragon

 

[05060403]

To: Felice Castelozzi, Count of Palermo and Steward of Aragon

It has come to my attention that you wanted to speak to me, about matters of the crown, so I'm writing this letter to you, so we can discuss the things that you wanted to talk about with me. So speak, and I shall answer.
Arturo de Valencia, count of Zaragoza

 

[alscon]

To the Count of Zaragoza, Arturo de Valencia

I wish to be informed of your plans as Steward of the Crown. As you excellently performed in your duties, I wish to construct my future plan of the interior dealings of the realm on yours. Continuance is the key to a stable and therefore wealthy and prospering realm. Shall you have no concerns with my current plan, then I will leave it as is. If you disagree, I shall modify my plan to keep the continuance.

Felice Castelozzi, Count of Palermo and Steward of Aragon

 

[05060403]

To: Felice Castelozzi, Count of Palermo and Steward of Aragon

I am very glad that you seek an assistance with someone that has a bit of experience. My plan was to keep the county stable, to avoid revolts ((keep stability at +1)), and in future before I was dismissed I planed to lower autonomy of some parts of our magnificent country, to make king's authority more respected. Other than that I have no concerns about your plan and I strongly agree with the plan to develop the cities even more.

With all due respect
Arturo de Valencia, count of Zaragoza

 

[Michaelangelo]

Your Grace, honourable members of the court

Today makes my heart heavy, our losses were great and our gain none. However this was not a military defeat, how could it be? Our soldiers fought with honour and valour, our generals were able and loyal. No, this was a diplomatic defeat, a defeat who's seeds were sown before we had even declared war. That Burgundian should ally Castille was predictable, that our allies across the sea should have logistical trouble supplying troops to the front was a matter of course.
It is conceivable that we could have won, however considering the balance of probability, it is not especially surprising that we did not. War should never be declared under such circumstances.

I believe this has thoroughly demonstrated the value - indeed, the necessity - of Portugal as an ally against the Castillans. No one else can provide such swift direct aid to a conflict in the peninsular. In this instance it worked very much against us, swelling the cause of our enemy. Unless we intend to act against the Emperor or the Turk I would therefore recommend to our chancellor dropping the Venetian alliance in favour of the Portuguese.

I would like to end by commending the armies of Aragon for their service, they did their country proud.

Alejandro Sastre
Bishop of Valencia

My king,

I pass on my condolences for the loss of your brother, truly a great king has left this earth. We should be thankful that Aragon was able to force the King of Castille to sign a white peace, however, this failure in war shows the need for allies that are close to our border. To be more sperefic we need Portugal an ally and not Venice, as Bishop Alejandro has already mentioned. The closeness of Portugal to both Castille and Aragon would be vital in a war.Furthurmore I suggest that we work on weakening the relations between the two nations, in order to ensure this new alliance stays strong for sake of the nation of Aragon.

Yours,

Deigo De La Vega, Count of Messina ​

My grace,

I apologize for the defeat in the Battle of Zaragoza, but it gladdens me that you continoue to have faith in my abilities as a general. I will do my best not to fail you. We may have lost this war, but we have gained a vassal, and there is many more battles to be fought against the wretched castillians.

I must agree with Bishop Alejandro and Count De La Vega, we should ally Portugal, if they don't help us against the castilians, atleast they have a greater chance of staying out of the next war.

Your loyal servant,

Felipé de Alvaro

A private letter is also sent to General de Agramunt.

My fellow general,

I apologize for my behaviour on the battlefield. Hope laid heavy together the bodies of my, and your, men and we were the last line against a certain defeat. The stress of battle overwhelmed my men and they snapped. One again, I apologize. I hope we can work together in future wars and stand up against any who dare oppose us.

Your fellow general,

Felipé de Alvaro

We admit we feel somewhat hesitant to ally the Portuguese again. They stabbed us in the back once before, and most surely would never join a war against Castile. A defensive alliance could be considered, but it would give us a bit too many international obligations to fulfill. Perhaps in time we can repair relations with them and seek an alliance when it is most expedient.

- His Majesty, Joan II de Trastámara, King of Aragon, Naples, and Navarra

My liege,
while I understand your decision to change the council, I do not understand what you mean by ordering me to better drill the soldiers of my country. I must say that it was a miracle that they have held their positions as long as they did since as I'm aware my county does not have a good fortification. They had to rely on hastily build stockade. The sheer number of Castillian army made it impossible to defend for long. As such I see no point in training my men even more as it is required for them to not lose their abilities. Another thing to note is news about the peace treaty didn't reach my troops nor the Castillian ones in time, so it's only natural that something happened while you were signing the treaty.

Regards
Arturo de Valencia, count of Zaragoza

We must apologize to you over that matter. We were distressed by our recent defeat and spoke without thinking. The fall of Zaragoza was a tragic affair and one most likely brought about by having two battles fought in the province. At some point in the future perhaps we can fortify our northwest border better to avoid another incident.

- His Majesty, Joan II de Trastámara, King of Aragon, Naples, and Navarra

My Liege,
I'm sorry about our loss, but it was not completly our fault, the French overextended themselves and got their armys destroyed by Burgundy, and Venice, landed with insurmountable odds, they were brave but it was not smart.

Thank you so much for appointing me Grandmaster, I believe our previous Grandmaster has done a fine job with trade so I will leave our ships and merchants where they are.

In Great News I have birthed a son, Renato de Abruzzi! ((Inspiration from our dear leader in our Naples campaign.))

~Leonardo de Abruzzi, Grandmaster of the Realm

We congratulate you on the birth of your son. We indeed believe that if our allies had coordinated their efforts better, perhaps the outcome could have been different. Not everyone has the spirit and bravery of the Aragonese people.

- His Majesty, Joan II de Trastámara, King of Aragon, Naples, and Navarra

Your Majesty,

I am honoured that You are putting your trust into my person to serve as Steward of the realm. I will put all my efforts to preserve the stability of the realm, that has thanks to Your wise choice been left mostly unscathed, save for the loss of so many young men. But with all these losses, inflicted to an important part by the Portuguese under the Earl of Avranches, I cannot understand those willing to re-ally the traitors. Siding with the defenders is certainly a noble cause, but not shortly after proposing to seal the alliance with the attacker with a royal marriage. No, the Portuguese are not to be trusted. As we extended our grasp to include Navarra, we will need to build up enough to defeat Portugal as well as Castile. If our French ally has less pressure by Burgundy, we shall take the victory.

For my duties as Steward of the Crown, I have decided on mostly general plans. To be more concrete, I would need to speak with my predecessor, the Count of Zaragoza.
- The peasantry is carrying a heavy burden due to the war, but one that time shall be able to heal. They will not need any royal aid. ((no lowering war exhaustion)).
- Yet there are unruly elements within the nation - we should root them out, and appease those who may drift into radicalism. ((Stability back to 0))
- Also, as multicultural nation, we need to preserve the rights of the accepted cultures. Abandoning Your Aragonese roots to become Catalan would be a step too much though, as it would leave a bitter taste in the other regions, such as my home Sicily. We should strive to keep our balance. ((develop provinces so that the cultures stay accepted))


But right now, recovering from the war needs to be the priority. We should gain an edge over the incapable Juan of Castile soon enough in this ever-changing world, and should try to make the best use of it. We should support the arts and sciences. As noble as it would be to face the Infidel, we cannot do it with a strong foe at our doors. We should prepare to vanquish them the next time. And under Your wise guidance, I know we will choose the right moment to strike.

Your humble servant,
Felice Castelozzi, Count of Palermo and Steward of Aragon

((Our stability is current at +1, so we're already above zero. I admit I was not aware that developing provinces of a specific culture affected cultural acceptance. Is there a specific thing you want to develop, like base tax? I still need to raise the production to 5 on all trade goods over 3 due to the Artisan Support Act.))

Your Grace,

Firstly, I must express my unmitigated thanks for appointing me as Treasurer of your Kingdom of Aragon. The move to reshuffle your Council could well be described as regrettable, but even more so sensible and imperative. As the war with Castile unfortunately took a turn for the worse, please accept my compliments on your swift decision-making resulting in the stabilisation of the situation.

The actions you decided upon in order to rescue the Kingdom from potential disaster were indeed necessary. However, it is to our chagrin that the Kingdom's treasury is in need of assessment. I will, of course, be closely analysing the condition of the treasury ((how much is in our treasury btw?)) upon my arrival to court in the very near future. In the meantime though, I would like to put to you the following recommendations:

• An Assistant Treasurer ((Treasurer Advisor)) or a Natural Scientist should be hired, as and when a suitable candidate becomes available.
• The mothballing of the fort in Girona was a wise and necessary decision. I would suggest we go further still, and mothball the fort in Roussillon as well, provided our relations with France remain positive. Naturally, Marshall De Leon should have the final say in this matter, and I am keen to hear his opinion.
• In light of the likelihood of a future war being declared on a new front, I would suggest the navy and army should be fully supported in terms of funding. Although costly, I believe this too to be necessary.
• In the event of the Kingdom being at war, war taxes should be collected immediately.
• Once the treasury's coffers have recovered somewhat ((I need to clarify a 'threshold' of sorts once I know how much is actually in the treasury)), I would suggest paying back at least one of the loans as soon as possible.

I believe all of the above are rational initial steps for the economy.

Yours always dutifully,
John Kendall
Treasurer of the Kingdom of Aragon

((The treasury is literally empty. Not a single ducat. I just paid off one of the loans, so that's why. We still have one more loan left to pay off, which I believe is due sometime in 1452.))

Your Majesty,

Thank you for appointing me as marshal of the realm. I promise to serve you well.
We may have escaped unscathed in this war with Castile, but next time we may not be so fortunate. To this end, I propose that we mothball the forts in Messina and Rousillon (if our relations with the French are maintained), as we must focus on maintaining the fort in Valencia against future Castilian incursions. Our possessions in Sicily are not threatened at this point, so we do not need to spend as much resources maintaining the fort there. Valencia, however, must be maintained at all costs.

That is all, Your Highness.

Your loyal subject,
Marshal Carlos de Leon

((Any specific army composition you want, or is the 2:1 infantry to cavalry ration fine as is?))

 

[zenphoenix]

((Any specific army composition you want, or is the 2:1 infantry to cavalry ration fine as is?))

Your Highness, the ratio of two infantry to every cavalry will work fine as of now.

~de Leon

 

[Michaelangelo]

(I realize I come late to you, but I admire the sheer depth you have included here michaelangelo, and for this I would love to take part in your iAAR as the first i'll taken part in)

Name:Matthias de Soneta

Born: 17th October 1423

Class: Noble

Religion: cynical catholic (to explain, accepts the faith and the power of the church, but is more inclined to believe the new advances in the sciences that are commencing)

Bio: Orginally of Spanish decent, he none the less has a continent wide family, with strong links to the enemy England and the Eastern Seat of Christanity at Byzantium. Through this, he was forced almost into a wide education range, studying around Europe, picking up grasps of all fields, and benefitted from joining the first intake of students, in his later education, at the newly founded Eton College in England. after this sweeping range of education, through which he picked up wide reaching language skills, he commenced a tour of the continent. He has just returned, and is willing to use his skills, but perhaps through his arrogance as well (due to his age and perceived knowledge), to serve the mighty crown of Aragon in any way his liege sees him to do, as compensation for his lack of involvement in the first affairs of state under the sadly missed Alfonso the Fifth, all hail the new king Joan the Second.

(I would request the county of Pirineo, if my grace would be so kind as to bestow it upon me, Edit: I saw that Pirineo is both a bishopric and a county, how does this work as such?)

Name: Carles Biel de Gracia de Gonia
Date of birth: September 24th, 1425
Class: Noble
Religion: Catholic
Bio: Born the third son of a baron in Pirineo, he was blessed enough to earn the honor of staying home to secure the family succession during the Castillan War, and even luckier still when both his brothers perished during the fighting! Now that his father has died to illness, he has full control over the estate, and is now using all available resources to attempt to convince the young King Joan II to grant him the entire county.

(ooooh a fight over Pirineo, all the best my county title rival)

(Furthermore, are there no other counties available, for those nobles still seeking a title, par Pirineo? Such as north Sardinia or other such regions? All the best michaelangelo, and good luck contesting)

((Pirineo is indeed the only county left, and since ML8991 posted first, he will receive it. Sorry about that, NiniNunny. I've made a few province both bishoprics and counties. It's supposed to be more historical, since most bishoprics were quite small and within a province. Since holding a title to a province doesn't necessarily mean you decide how that province is treated, I can have multiple players in a province.))

 

[Michaelangelo]

We almost forgot a matter of importance that we wished to discuss. It has come to our attention that we still lack a diplomat and two proficient merchants to serve our kingdom. If any of our courtiers are willing to follow in Diplomat Joseph von Thun's footsteps and serve us in a greater capacity, we would be most grateful.

- His Majesty, Joan II de Trastámara, King of Aragon, Naples, and Navarra

((I still have open positions for a diplomat and two merchants. Any courtier can take a position, although it's preferable that the position fit your character's background. You don't have to do anything for these positions, but you do get your name in the game and more voting power. Sounds like a win-win scenario to me. ))

 

[Artistove]

Your Grace Joan II,
I respect your decision to kick me out of the Marshal position. It is truly time for new people to occupy the position and make better decisions for the state of Aragon. However, I shall still retain my position as army commander, and I will still bring glory to this most noble country!

From yours truly,
Jaume Cristofor, Count of Barcelona

 

[Andre Massena]

To His Royal Majesty and the Council,
​

As court chaplain I recommend that we attempt to improve relations with the papacy and continue to support the Church within the borders of the kingdom. Doing so well increase our influence in the Holy See, which could lead to further opportunities down the road if God wills it.

((Court chaplain plan: invest papal influence whenever possible so that we can become papal controller))

I also present the following petition for Your Majesty to examine:

The Shield of Saint Peter Act​

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

May the Lord shine his favor upon you.

Your humble servant,

Cardinal Fernando de Vascona
Bishop of Pirineo

 

[ML8991]

In a letter to Cardial de vascona

Dear the lords representive on earth and in state.
I ask you to consider the action of many of your amendments your statuate is suggesting.
This could lead to a strongly repressive and thus potentially more unrest, especially after potential future conflicts.
Furthermore, as I am sure you have seen evidence of in Rome, man is starting a new age, is it truely wise to penalise a man who chooses a different way to express his affection to the all mighty?
I mean no harm, and I wish yourself will
Deus Vult
From Count Soneta of Pirineo

(Edit: I understand this piece of legislation has yet to go through the crown, so we may not of seen it, if so whoops for my error if that is the case here)

 

[Michaelangelo]

In a letter to Cardial de vascona

Dear the lords representive on earth and in state.
I ask you to consider the action of many of your amendments your statuate is suggesting.
This could lead to a strongly repressive and thus potentially more unrest, especially after potential future conflicts.
Furthermore, as I am sure you have seen evidence of in Rome, man is starting a new age, is it truely wise to penalise a man who chooses a different way to express his affection to the all mighty?
I mean no harm, and I wish yourself will
Deus Vult
From Count Soneta of Pirineo

(Edit: I understand this piece of legislation has yet to go through the crown, so we may not of seen it, if so whoops for my error if that is the case here)

((It's all good. It's assumed that if something isn't specifically designated as private or directed at a specific player that it's shared with the entire court. In this case, proposed laws are definitely shared so that the proposer has the chance to amend it. ))

 

[Andre Massena]

In a letter to Cardial de vascona

Dear the lords representive on earth and in state.
I ask you to consider the action of many of your amendments your statuate is suggesting.
This could lead to a strongly repressive and thus potentially more unrest, especially after potential future conflicts.
Furthermore, as I am sure you have seen evidence of in Rome, man is starting a new age, is it truely wise to penalise a man who chooses a different way to express his affection to the all mighty?
I mean no harm, and I wish yourself will
Deus Vult
From Count Soneta of Pirineo

(Edit: I understand this piece of legislation has yet to go through the crown, so we may not of seen it, if so whoops for my error if that is the case here)

To the noble Count Soneta of Pirineo,

There is only one true faith. Anyone outside the bosom of the one, true, holy, Catholic, and apostolic church has erred and should be shown the light of God.

It is true that there are many new developments and arts being discussed and implemented in Rome. However, they are all in the name of God and dedicated to the Chuch and His Holiness, the Pope.

-Cardinal de Vascona

 

[Michaelangelo]

The recent war has made us consider other options. Castile may be a threat, but is too strong for us. Some have suggested allying with Portugal again, but we feel it is too soon and they would only serve in a defensive alliance against our neighbour. We may reconsider this in time, after the stain of betrayal has washed away and we are not preoccupied elsewhere ((aka when Navarra is integrated and we have a free relations slot)). To expand anywhere near Italy would invoke the wrath of Austria, something we are not prepared to do. Instead we look south to the heathens of North Africa. Tunis is a natural enemy, and one we should consider facing in the future. Doing so now may not be possible, since we must recover first. We only wish for the court to consider war with Tunis at a later time. Tunis is currently allied with the Ottomans, which brings us to the importance of the Venetian alliance some do not fully support. While the Ottomans have the largest fleet in the Mediterranean, the Venetians are close behind. Only with their help could we hope to combat them at sea. We wish to stress that if war with the heathens came, the Venetians could be vital in maintaining naval supremacy. We have also become aware that Tunis is allied with Granada, a bonus in our eyes. If we some day go to war with Tunis, we may even receive the chance to take out Granada as well. That all rides on Granada withstanding the might of Castile. Viceroy Renato Limmona mentioned at some point that we should ally them due to joint interests. The idea of allying a heathen nation is quite ludicrous in our opinion, but we have another idea in mind. What if the kingdom of Aragon were to guarantee the independence of the Sultanate of Granada, or rather in more plain terms guarantee them protection from Castilian aggression? While I hold no love for the heathens of Granada, it is not in our best interests to allow Castile to grow stronger at their expense. If we can ensure Granada's survival, we could open up the way for a chance for Aragon to claim the sultanate instead. Basically we protect the heathens from our threatening neighbour until we can annex them ourselves. A genius plan, if we must say so ourselves. We do realize that many may see this as blasphemous in some regards as we consort with heathens, so we fully intend to show our faith to the Church by maintaining good relations with His Holiness. To sum up our plans for the chancellorship:

Maintain the Venetian alliance
Ally Portugal at a later date ((after Navarra is annexed in 10-15 years or we free up a relation slot))
Consider a future war with Tunis ((this is not a vote to go to war, but merely recognizes that we should consider it))
Guarantee Granada's independence ((until we have a chance to annex them ourselves))
Improve relations with the Papal State

We will gladly accept any advice on these proposals before voting on the matter.

- His Majesty, Joan II de Trastámara, King of Aragon, Naples, and Navarra

 

[AvatarOfKhaine]

Your Majesty,

As Viceroy of Naples, I would like to suggest that Neapolitan soldiers be directed to defend Naples in times of war, lack of occupation due to the garrisoned soldiers would prevent unrest against being ruled by a king seen as foreign.((OOC:Set Naples to act defensively so it isn't just a war leak. Please mention however if the Neapolitan troops were helping keep numbers up during the war.))

I also suggest as a general directive that you allow your Italian subjects the chance to serve with distinction in the army. (( OOC: If possible recruit one or two regiments from Sicily or Sardinia))

Your loyal servant,
Renato Limmona, Viceroy of Naples

 

[Keinwyn]

Your Grace,
May I suggest hiring a diplomatic individual to assist you? Someone with a naval background may be of use if war with the Turk is on the horizon.
In regards to the Granada proposition, I do not believe this is a good idea. To be seen as protecting the heathens would do immeasurable damage to our reputation throughout Christendom and would tie up our diplomats dealing with the fallout. This at a time when they are already fully engaged. On top of this I have my reservations on it's effectiveness - I do not believe it will deter the Castillans much.

Bishop Sastre.