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Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR

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You sadly ask this of me at the worst possible time. I am right now building a future for my family and dynasty and I cannot openly go against the crown without risking all of this.
I am torn, I have to care about my two daughters and their future, and I swore absolute loyalty to the crown in exchange for a landed title, that is why I voted "yes". On the other hand what you say is true, this change of law feels fishy. I do know how much I owe your father and I still haven't returned his generosity.

I can't help you now, I'm sorry, but I promise you this: I will help you in any way I can once I am awarded the county of Abruzzi, and if there really is treason behind this whole matter, and if it degenerates into an armed conflict, my schiavona will swing at your side. This is the best I can do, and I will do it in your father's name.

Baron Lorenzo da Lusari of Avezzano
 
Dear Denis Vincent de Montségur,

I understand your concerns, and it does seem strange that the King should propose such a change so suddenly. While my military skills I hope will not be needed, my position in the Caribbean Trading Company, and the power it provides, is at your service in making sure none harmfully push the King in this direction.

Sincerely,
General Hashem
 
alscon said:
((A diplomat's task: choosing each word carefully and having a document say what you want it to say ;).))



((I'll look for more allies then. :)))


General,

you as a hero of the last war with its culmination in the Battle of the Five Generals have seen the consequences that the right piece of information can have. In fact, the Venetians learned of our plan to strike against them, and sealed an advantageous peace for themselves before Hispania could attack. This peace made the Poles able to focus their might entirely against Hispania. Many lives were lost that would have otherwise been spared. So now, I ask for your help to prevent another critical information from escaping our grasp. Why Emperor Pere wants to change the succession so suddenly. He must have realized long ago that the crown might pass to Maurianus. And the way he presented his decision wasn't very convincing. There is likely another reason. One that, in the wrong hands, might cause as much bloodshed as the leaked plan to intervene against Venice. I humbly ask you to help me prevent another disaster like this one.

Hoping that there is no hidden reason, respectfully,
Denis Vincent de Montségur, Duke of Trinacria and Chancellor of Hispania

((A handy tagging for all those I addressed: @Robban204 , @Mau da Cic , @Von Habsburg , @AvatarOfKhaine , @hirahammad , @05060403 , @zenphoenix , @wzhang29, and @ML8991 before. ;)))
Click to expand...
((Calling it now, it's a descendant of Ferran (the prince who was taken in by the Austrians in the 1490s or so) who sent the letter.))

I am afraid that I as of this moment cannot support you in this endeavor. Remember that I was the one who suggested that Pere take the imperial crown, and I am the Marshal of the Realm; in doing both of these I have implicitly declared my utmost loyalty to the crown and sought the best for the empire. To support you would violate the trust that the Emperor has in me and possibly destabilize the empire. In addition, I am in the middle of restructuring my family's fortunes and reputation. After my ancestor Carlos, the last de Leon to be Marshal, disgraced himself all those years ago, we have been working hard to rebuild what he tore down by sending our men off to the New World. I view my appointment as Marshal the final step in redemption for my ancestor's wrongdoings, and I do not want to disgrace my family again and have my sons and grandsons work for generations to repair what damage I may cause. I want my sons to grow up as proud Hispanians and loyal servants of the empire without their careers being held back by anything I might have done.

While I do agree that something seems off about this sudden change in succession, I trust that the emperor is doing the right thing here and knows why he is doing this. Our ancestors helped each other in the jungles of the Amazon decades ago, but I cannot at this point offer my support. I will need more evidence and certainty that supporting you will not get us all killed or not supporting you will spark violence before I can offer my support, though I most certainly do not want to lead armies into battle against the emperor.

If there is anything else you need or you would like to try to convince me again, you can always send me another letter.

I wish you all of the best,
Hernando Francisco de Leon, Marshal of the Realm, Count of Leon, Member of the Imperial Order of Light, etc.
 
alscon said:
((I'll look for more allies then. :)))
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((Lol, I like how you contacted half the court. :p))

zenphoenix said:
((Calling it now, it's a descendant of Ferran (the prince who was taken in by the Austrians in the 1490s or so) who sent the letter.))
Click to expand...

((Do you mean Ferran the Bastard or Little Ferran? Ferran the Bastard did have a succession of male heirs, with his son even weaseling the county of Salento out of the king. Unfortunately his great-grandson only had one daughter, ending the claim there. As for Little Ferran, well his claim would be all but gone because he was married matrilineally and only had two daughters. The eldest daughter was married to a Habsburg, but they only had one daughter who died young. The other was married to the count of Salento, aka the descendent of Ferran the Bastard, because why the hell not unify the two bastard lines. They also only had a single daughter, who may have been snatched up by a certain ambitious royal for his eldest son to secure the county of Salento. So basically the two bastard lines were united, only to die out because of the female curse. We also mustn't forget Ferran IV's bastard son, also name Ferran, who may have a few male heirs out there. The lesson here is that if you have a bastard son, name him Ferran. :p))
 
Dear Denis Vincent de Montségur,

I write to you again to clarifiy that I will not go against the orders of the King, but rather pledge my aid to investigate the cause of His Majesty's sudden proposal.

Sincerely,
General Hashem
 
To the Duke:

Unfortunately I cannot help you in this endeavor right now. Despite the rumors put around about Francesc and all, they're just that: rumors. If there is more concrete evidence, I could consider my position.

Respectfully:
RJL
 
José was against changing the succession law because he felt that the current succession law has worked well for Hispania up to this point. Therefore, he saw no reason to change it. The tight that the king was considering changing the succession law made him angry. Sure, being ruled from Constantinipole was not ideal but it was even far less ideal to change the succession law. He was hoping that the emperor would change his mind before it was too late.

Change Succession Laws?: No
[Courtier, Merchant, Funded Colony, Grand Master]
 
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Dear Duke,
While I can understand your concern, I must say that I have full faith in our Emperor. I'm completly sure that whatever reason Pere had to so suddenly change the law, it had to be a very good one. I am sure that you know that our glorious ruler is a very busy man, that might be the reason why he has not thought about succesion before. But now that stability has returned to the realm he had to realize the consequences that would follow if the crown passed to the Byzantines. But if things take the turn for the worse you can count on my support. But unless things will look grim I will stand with our Empror.
Matthias de Saint-Pierre,
General of Hispania, Head of the Trans-Atlantic Trading Company

((I would like to sponsor a colony in Diego Garcia))
 
@alscon
My friend,
You indeed raise a valid point, one that I have also been thinking over. There must be something else in the works behind the curtains.
I do hope that I am wrong and that my worries are misplaced, but if they are not, something must happen, but I will not go against the orders of the emperor.
Of course I will help you get to the bottom of this, changing succession laws is not a small thing.

Your friend and fellow diplomat,

Felipé de Alvaro, count of Sassari and imperial diplomat
Lux Tenebris Vincet

Change Succession Laws?: Abstain
 
((When you look for allies, look for many ;). I won't answer individually this time though :p. Those that haven't answered yet won't get the letter ofc.))

I am glad that you will help me to uncover the truth. It would truly be a disaster if our enemies can use it for something vile... Let us hope to confirm the story. As for military support, that will not be necessary. I am not trying to force anything through, just to prevent any possible conflict.

Thankfully,
Denis Vincent de Montségur, Duke of Trinacria and Chancellor of Hispania

I do understand that acting on the base of suspicions is not ideal, but would I have evidence, then I would not ask for help. I do not seek any military conflict, on the contrary. My loyalty to the empire is unwavering. All I want to do is to uncover the truth, so that it may not be used by our enemies. I would ask His Imperial Highness, but he surely has his reasons for not revealing his motivation - if he doesn't - so I have to use more underhanded methods. Not violence. Should I fail to find any evidence, I will ask, but right now, it endangers the entire empire - and I have to act. Let us hope that the succession doesn't end in a bloodbath for whatever reason.

Respectfully,
Denis Vincent de Montségur, Duke of Trinacria and Chancellor of Hispania
 
((Seeing as I believe this roll may be very important depending on the outcome, I shall give alscon more time to gather allies or convince people. I'm also going to extend the vote for succession to last until Monday at 12PM PST instead.))
 
Juan was most glad he had Duke Montséger as his Chancellor, the man was like a second Prime Minister, the man was a hive of activity, and ever useful given Juan's advanced age. He deserved to give the man a response so he did.
Dearest Brother,
I am most glad you have sent this letter to me,
I can not promise to support you in this matter, for I do want to see how far Peré is going to go with this matter, it is most tricky, you must understand, I can say I have more information than what you know already, but my vows, you must understand, inhibit my sharing of such details. Do further clarify what you want to discuss though my friend, for I am unclear what you want to be outlined? I thank you though for reminding me about the lacklustre nature of Duke Etxeto, I will perhaps consider adding Baron "de Lusari" to the role, but for Treasurer, I am unsure. Viceroys I will send letters to Lubecker, to see where he would appreciate managing, for that would be fair to the hailed gentleman.
May God be with you, and don't fail to remind me of anything you see amiss,
Cardinal Juan II de Soneta

another letter came through, from the new Baron de Lusari asking, neigh appealing, to see him and his line legitimized, and so Juan offered him a reply
I am most grateful for your service to the realm good sir, I would be most elated if you, along with Robert Lubecker, could join me at my church in Zaragoza to allow your travel log to be forever immortalised for years to come, and I would be most eager myself to hear what this new world holds. About your concerns for your recognition as a true gentleman, and not a "bastard" as you describe yourself, then of course, with your great service to the realm, I will send word to His Holiness immediately to see you truly recognised. But I would recommend a change of name, perhaps de Gran Oceà to recognize your extensive exploration of the great ocean beyond the western continent.
May the lord bless thee, and hope to see you soon my son,
Juan II de Soneta

A final letter he needed to send was to Robert Lubecker
May I extend my warm congrationlations my son for being the first to circumnavigate the Lord's globe,
I wish to honour your achievements by offering to you a position as a Viceroy to a nation of your choosing. Furthermore I would be very grateful if you could join me in my church at Zaragoza to talk and otherwise record your great adventures around the globe,
yours truly
Juan II de Soneta
 
A letter sat nearby the globe sitting on his desk while Robert was tracing out the lines that marked the coastlines of the known world. His career as an explorer had ended with his latest feat, and now admiral he would be. He had just gotten to tracing the area of what is "Sanchonia" (he disliked Sancho strongly) when he noticed the letter. It was from the Prime Minister.

Our most esteemed Prime Minister:

I must have to thank you for this offer. I would request to be the Viceroy of Nueva Granada. And I would be glad to head to Zaragoza, I haven't been at a church for so long.

Respectfully,
RJL
 
Vows... A confession? Then there must be something. Not good. Even if Montségur was happy to see that his gut was right, he would have preferred to be wrong. Cardinal Juan had revealed much more than he could have hoped for. The evidence he needed to convince others to join him. Now, if he was like most Catholic priests, Denis would try to buy the information, but he knew and respected Juan de Soneta for his integrity. Why did Pere have to confess to a priest that isn't corrupt? In any way, now was the time to think about what he wanted to do. And gain more support, including his evidence, without mentioning the Prime Minister if possible. He had to gamble a bit with what was truth, what was interpretation and what was a lie. Something his diplomatic experience hopefully provided enough knowledge in. There was something fishy, and the ministers of Hispania had to know why.

Your Eminence,

I am glad that I can help Hispania in any way I can. For this delicate matter, I will best explain my plan. I thank you for telling me that there is something that you cannot tell me, and while I respect your vows, this helps me immensely. What I want to do is to retrace Emperor Pere's steps over the last weeks in order to find out what made him change his mind. A thourough investigation, as well masked as possible, to find out what happened. If he spoke with some foreign dignitary without knowledge of the Chancellory. If some mercenaries or assassins tried to murder him. If some sort of blackmail occurred. Or if Pere simply sat in the palace garden and then had an idea. I had multiple plans how to do it, and right now tend to investigate the disappearance of a man of the Guardia Real who shares my worries. The man would hide in the Chancellory and tell me what he knows while I would lead a counter-espionage operation in the palace to see if he met with the enemy. As a royal guard always follows the Emperor, I might be able to know what Pere did without directly asking for it. Still, I need all the help I can get, in securing more informants, devising a better plan. We have to know what made Pere change his mind about succession, and he will not answer if I ask directly. I ask you not to break your vows, but help me to get to the bottom of this.

May this letter reach you in good health, my friend,
Denis Vincent de Montségur

You have, for good reasons, asked for evidence that Emperor Pere's declaration is not all there is to know about the change of succession. I might be able to present such evidence. I have, without much success, tried to follow Pere's latest steps in Valencia, steps that first led me to the Cathedral, for it is known that the Emperor is a pious man. My enquiries about him met with success when on priest constantly evaded my questions. Presenting him with some pieces of gold, the man's mouth opened, and even though I couldn't get much out of him, I heard enough. Shortly after the declaration, the priest revealed, Pere shared information about it with him. When I asked what kind, his conscience reactivated and he spoke of the sacred confession. There is something he hides, something important, important enough not be shared amongst his council. We have to know what before others do, and for that I ask for your help, whatever help possible.
For this delicate matter, I will best explain my plan. What I want to do is to retrace Emperor Pere's steps over the last weeks in order to find out what made him change his mind. A thourough investigation, as well masked as possible, to find out what happened. If he spoke with some foreign dignitary without knowledge of the Chancellory. If some mercenaries or assassins tried to murder him. If some sort of blackmail occurred. Or if Pere simply sat in the palace garden and then had an idea. I had multiple plans how to do it, and right now tend to investigate the 'disappearance' of a man of the Guardia Real who shares my worries. The man would hide in the Chancellory and tell me what he knows while I would lead a counter-espionage operation in the palace to see if he met with the enemy. As a royal guard always follows the Emperor, I might be able to know what Pere did without directly asking for it. Still, I need all the help I can get, in securing more informants, devising a better plan. We have to know what made Pere change his mind about succession, and he will not answer if I ask directly. For the safety of Hispania.

Awaiting your answer,
Denis Vincent de Montségur, Duke of Trinacria and Chancellor of Hispania
 
I thank you for your help, I will change my family's name to Volturno.
I will gladly come to Zaragoza, an old sailor never grows tired of telling his adventures. I hope my colleague Lübecker will be there too.
Lorenzo Volturno, Baron of Avezzano

Your majesty,
Cardinal de Soneta accepted to support my legitimization. I have changed my family's name to Volturno to make things easier.
Lorenzo Volturno, Baron of Avezzano
 
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((Obviously there's a lot of back and forth chatter involved to figure out the plan to investigate Pere. I don't want to place an artificial time limit on it, since I'd like to give alscon and everyone else a chance to flesh out what they want to do and who is involved. I'm willing to indefinitely extend the deadline to allow a chance for this to be resolved, and then giving an extra day for anyone to change their votes. Seeing as this matter should have little to no impact on what happens in-game, unless Pere dies, I'll do the playthrough in the meantime and just prepare an update so I can post it immediately after this whole even is completed. I hope everyone is okay with this delay for the sake of roleplay. :)))

* * * * *

Mau da Cic said:
Your majesty,
Cardinal de Soneta accepted to support my legitimization. I have changed my family's name to Volturno to make things easier.
Lorenzo Volturno, Baron of Avezzano
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JpsioAG.png

Word has reached me from the Vatican of your legitimization. Cardinal Soneta's word has much sway over His Holiness. I wish to be the first to congratulate you on this. With that matter resolved, I see no further reason to deny you the county of Abruzzi. Consider it yours.

- His Imperial Highness, Pere V de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks
 
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Despite the on-going crisis concerning the proposed change of the succession law by Emperor Pere V, José did not want to abandon his liege. He felt that changing the succession law was wrong but he was a man of duty and so he worked out new ways of improving Hispania's financial situation.
He noticed that Alexandria had become an even more important center of trade these last years and therefore he asked the emperor to send more merchants to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Furthermore, he encouraged Pere V to continue improving the existing infrastructure of Hispania's provinces in the Mediterranean Basin. This was absolutely necessary if Hispania wanted to be competitive. Genoese and Tuscan merchants had a strong presence in the Mediterranean. By building a better infrastructure more merchants will settle down in the region and compete against the Italian states. José did not order any new ships for the moment as he believed the current trade fleet was large enough to accomplish the goals he had set.

((Grandmaster's Plan
- Continue upgrading all market places in the Genoa Trade node to trade depots.
- Swap the trade fleets. Send the 50 light ships patrolling in Genoa to Alexandria and the fleet patrolling in Alexandria to Genoa.))

José also believed that conquering the cities of Alexandria and Genoa would tremendously improve the situation of the Hispanian merchants as both cities are rich centers of trade. Having them controlled by the Crown of Hispania would be a blessing to all Hispanian people. If only the chancellor would realise the potential that lied in these cities. Maybe in the future a more competent chancellor will see to it that these cities fall to the domaine of Emperor Pere V.

((Genoa owns 7% of the Genoa trade node. Conquering that province would give us a massive increase in trade income. Also I know that aslcon has called for war against the Mamluks before but José is just not happy with the chancellor because the war never happened and because the chancellor wants to give Alexandria to Byzantium IIRC; just in case someone wonders why José does not speak highly of the chancellor.))
 
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I can see where your worry comes from. But I am still not entirely convinced. I will not help you with your search, but I will also not hinder it. But if you find something big, something that would really be a big break in the case you can count on my support.
Matthias de Saint-Pierre
General of Hispania, Head of the TATC
 
Let me congratulate you for your new title, Count Volturno. There are few men I know who deserve such an honour as much as you do. May I remind you of your promise then? I guarantee you this will not damage your standing as new count nor the reputation of your family in any way. I gather you have read the letter concerning my plan? What are your thoughts about it?

I thank you in advance,
Denis Vincent de Montségur, Duke of Trinacria and Chancellor of Hispania
 
This may not be in my best interest, but I won't break my promise, I will help with this.Please send me a letter to inform me of who else i backing us.

-I think a diplomat would be a most useful ally, in case any foreign power has a hand in what may be going on.

-If you wish to investigate Byzantium since they are married into the Trastamara family i would advise you to ask for the position of Representative to Byzantium, since you already deal with the realm's foreign affairs, the Emperor will probably accept.

-If you wish to investigate inside the realm you, of course, need the support of the Steward, as he has power over the administration. Since lord Etxeto has not done much for the realm recently I think you should try to get a trusted man to occupy that function. That would help your inquiry greatly.

I will deal with the Italian provinces so you can focus on those tasks.

Sincerely yours,
Lorenzo Volturno, Count of Abruzzi
 
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