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A Message from Duque y Conte y Conte Guillen II B.X. Etxeto of House Etxeto

Cortz:

1. Duque y Conte y Conte Guillen II B.X. Etxeto

[Duque, Conte, Conte, Catholic Defender in the wake of meme players]
 
I think I have misread, or is it truly what you are suggesting? To guarantee the secular independence of the pope in his corner of Rome, grant him the right to fortify it and defend it with thousand men? Then all we have gained in the war are the papal territories. If he can keep his little army in his safe place, the situation is exactly as before. The pope as sovereign of a state, albeit a small one, surrounded by Hispania. What would prevent the pope from continuing as before? Each conflict ending with fighting in the streets of Rome? No, that is wrong. Let him return to Avignon or wherever else. Or truly strip him of all worldly power. Our goal was to end his worldly power, control all non-spiritual matters of the Holy See. What reason would the pope have to respect such a treaty if he can retreat to his fortress and his army, just as he could before? There can be no personal army for the pope, or the dominant cause of the war has failed.

Gen. L.F. de Montségur, Marshal of Hispania, Duke of Trinacria
 
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Dear Ambassador,

I understand you fear we weaken the Catholic Church to enemies in Germany. Therefore, I propose a plan. Were you to accept our control over Rome, as I earlier told you, and as will be formalized, Hispania would bring its military might to bear in allowing Catholic Electors and Emperors in the HRE.

Chancellor, and Diplomat to His Imperial Highness, Alfons VIII de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks,
Almaden Hashem

Hispanian assistance in removing the Protestant dominance of the Holy Roman Empire will be most appreciated. The Archduke and I are more than willing to agree to your terms in regard to His Holiness's removal from his secular position if it means Catholics will no longer face persecution within the Empire. It seems that the creation of your new church does not make you as anti-Catholic as the Pope would have us believe.
 
Dear Count,

The Almighty Lord has saved us all. I had given up on Poland, so had commenced in negotiations with Sweden. In return for Swedish acceptance, we would free Serbia and regain the Baltic for the Swedes. As you can see, had the Polish accepted, there would have been great problems. ((And much OC interesting events)) Though, I was considering forcing tolerance in Germany for our Austrian friends, so that would have worked out, but it would not have been worth the diplomatic scandal it would have caused. At least, now we can justify the war on Polish unwillingness to cooperate.

Sincerely,
Almaden Hashem

Honorable Chancellor,
I was not aware of negotiations with the Swedes, however I am happy to know that they are willing to cooperate, unlike the Polish. I truly wanted to seek a peaceful agreement with the Slavs, but it seems that they are too arrogant for their own good. Their pride will the reason of their demise and I will gladly see thier capital burning down to ashes. Although I don't think the time is right to strike them now. Instead we must wait for more suitable time. I have to say that placating the Austrians is a very good idea. I will begin preparations for the upcoming war immediately, get the men in shape and think of strategies and possible scenarios.
With all due respect,
Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre, Count of Roussillon, General of Hispania

Gaston de Saint-Pierre signs the Chancellor's letter.
((Just use the same signature as in this letter))
 
((Just reminder that the deadline is tomorrow at 12PM PST (or rather today seeing as it's no longer Wednesday :p). I'll need a final draft of the resolution, although the first one is usable. It'd also be good to have negotiations wrapped up. So far I have it noted that we've agreed to let France have Savoy by revoking our claims (as well as possible concessions in the Caribbean, but this has not been confirmed yet), to start or join a war in the HRE to force religious freedom on Austria's behalf, and to pursue war with Poland at a later date to help the Swedish (and perhaps an alliance with Sweden, although I need confirmation on this). Negotiations with Poland have clearly failed and run counter to our negotiations with Sweden, while it seems everyone recognizes that Lithuania is a lost cause. Hopefully I have not missed or misinterpreted things. The chancellor, @hirahammad, is free to change his minister plan to include agreements made during this event.))
 
My esteemed ambassador,

I have spoken with the Emperor and an agreement have been made in regards of Savoy and northern Italy, we have also spoken about the possibility to come to an agreement regarding our different claims in the caribbean. It can all be discussed when things have settled down, but I can assure both you and the King that the final draft is in both Frances and Hispanias best interests.

Andrés de Alvaro, Duke of Sardinia and Imperial Diplomat
 
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Alejandro de Soneta petitions to pass through the archbishoprics of the Church of Jesus Christ
and as a effort of good will between himself and the prime minister, voted for Petros Mandromenos to sit on the Cortz. He had considered voting for Jean Gerand, or was it his son Gaston- Alejandro had been alive so long he could see all of his close alliances blur into one too easily, seeing as the de Sonetas and Saint Pierres had a long history together, but his daughter and empress commanded him to nominate Himself to the role, so as there won't be a repeat of the fiasco in Rome and in dealing with the Papal State.

Vote Summary
Yes to Archbishoprics in CoJC
For the Cortz
-Alejandro de Soneta
-Petros Mandromenos

Alejandro III de Soneta, Grandmaster of Hispania and Duke of the Northern Mountains
 
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ArchBishoprics in the Church of Christ: Yes
Church Aspects: 1. Translated Bibles
2. Holy Sacrements

Juan De Capadocia, Courtier
 
My esteemed ambassador,

I have spoken with the Emperor and an agreement have been made in regards of Savoy and northern Italy, we have also spoken about the possibility to come to an agreement regarding our different claims in the caribbean. It can all be discussed when things have settled down, but I can assure both you and the King that the final draft is in both Frances and Hispanias best interests.

Andrés de Alvaro, Duke of Sardinia and Imperial Diplomat

His Majesty will be pleased to hear that Hispania favours France's dominance of Savoy. As for the Caribbean, we look forward to future negotiations over that issue. For now France shall give Hispania its support in this council.

* * * * *

((Time for me to end the vote. Here are the results:

Establishment of Archbishoprics of the Church of Jesus Christ: Yes
Church Aspects:
1. Translated Bibles
2. Holy Sacraments
Cortz (Nobles Only):
1. Alejandro III Lorenzo Maria Phillipe Alfons de Soneta ((ML8891))
2. Petros Mandromenos ((Mach Twelve))

I probably won't start the playthrough for another hour or more, so people can still post stuff for the Council of Rome to wrap things up.))
 
Petros looked out at the Mediterranean from his lodgings in Rome. He had received positive reports from the diplomats handling the Council. He decided to send a letter to the Chancellor.

Greetings to my successor,

I have reviewed your work since your arrival in Rome and that of the diplomats you organized to negotiate with the five great nations. I must admit, I am very impressed by your work and feel that you have validated my choice in naming you Chancellor. This Council will surely have you remembered as one of the greatest men of this age, right up there with your father, if for different roles.

Count Petros Mandromenos, Prime Minister of Hispania and Member of the Cortz
 
((Sorry about not doing anything at the end there. I guess Almaden has made an enemy in Louis Montsegur, @alscon.))

Dear Prime Minister Petros Mandromenos,

Thank you for your kind words. I feel inadequate to live up to your legacy, even still. I feel a doubt gnawing at me, about a complaint I had received on the Papal Articles, one that I failed to act upon, a wise one. I feel like at any moment, something may slip past me, and harm Hispania. Had the Polish been more amenable, we would be facing a diplomatic crisis. I wish that I could be everywhere, know everything, do anything. But I can't. I only hope my home isn't damaged by my weakness.
But, thank you. To know that such a great man, such a great diplomat, approves of my actions is tremendous. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Almaden Hashem
 
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The Prime Minister read the Chancellor's response. Humble, Diligent, willing to acknowledge mistakes and not repeat them. Hashem would do well. Petros turned to his latest work though, a thick manuscript he had been writing for the past few months, already at several hundred pages of cramped writing. Part recent history from his perspective, part description of the various nations he worked with as a diplomat, part commentary on international affairs that happened a few decades before his birth to present day, and part political theory and treatise, the Count of Athens hoped to inspire a new kind of monarchy, one based on limitations for all peoples, even the monarch. He had enough material for several volumes and was only getting started. But who to read the book first? And what to call his radical idea? He searched long for a name, and settled on Constitutionalism, and the title of this Magnus Opus: De Rebus Constitutionibus Civitatum (Concerning the Things Involving the Constitutions of States)
 
((And next on Philosophize This, the founder of Constitutionalism, Petros Mandromenos, and his book De Rebus Constitutionibus Civitatum))
 
1667-1671 – The Council of Rome

The Council of Rome took centre stage in Europe for the following months. Hispania’s diplomatic team worked around the clock to reach a resolution that would appease the major powers involved. It was agreed that the Pope would be allowed to continue as a spiritual leader of the Catholic Church but be divorced from his position as secular leader of the Papal State to remove claims that Hispania was using the current circumstance to manipulate and control the Church. This was still somewhat contested, but Chancellor Almaden Hashem and his team negotiated with the various powers to win their consent. France offered their support in exchange for Hispania revoking its claims on Savoy as well as possible future negotiations over the Caribbean. Austria consented once Hispania agreed to aid their cause to bring religious freedom to the Holy Roman Empire, reviving the old Catholic League in the process. Sweden was convinced to change their mind after Hispania agreed to pursue a future war with Poland and possibly sign an alliance at a later date. As for the rest, Poland’s demands proved too high and Lithuania was considered a lost cause. Hispania left the Council with the backing of a majority of the powers, allowing them to get away with vassalizing the Papal State, although Hispania was forced to concede that the Papal State could not be drawn into any wars on its behalf. Poland and Lithuania were not deterred though and started a coalition against Hispania. They would not stand by in the face of Hispanian aggression.

While the Council of Rome was going on, the Church of Jesus Christ was instituting changes to help better cater to the people and bring them under the unified faith. Bibles were translated into local dialects and distributed across the empire. Sacraments were also adopted, drawing from all the Christian faiths, to help instill discipline amongst the faithful.

Hispania had been eyeing up India for some time and plans were drafted up for a potential invasion either of Ceylon or Venad. Bahmanis took objection to Hispania’s claim to the region, but what could they do about it?

Expansion to the navy continued on like usual, with five more heavy ships and five more galleys added to the navy by Grand Admiral Dietrich Vinzent Lübecker.



With the Council of Rome mostly a success, Hispania could start looking elsewhere. A transport fleet under command of Admiral João de Maia headed down the coast of Africa to retrieve the colonial army for a planned war against Ceylon. It’d take some time to get there.

Serbia’s cause for freedom was further supported by Bohemia and the Mamluks. The chancellery felt out whether Serbia would be interested in Hispania’s help, but it seemed Serbia wasn’t that desperate. ((Turns out Serbia won’t accept us supporting their independence even if we wanted to.))

With the revival of the Catholic League to allow Catholics equal rights in the HRE, other states were drawn to the cause. In less than a month, France, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, and a few other minor states joined the league. All the major powers surrounding the HRE had joined in this cause, bringing them together again after the Council of Rome.

Despite the unity of Catholics, the coalition was destined to grow. Venice joined shortly after its creation, not that they were much of a threat. Genoa, at the behest of Lithuania and with hopes of weakening Byzantium, joined as well.

Even as the religious landscape of Europe changed, the colonial empire of Hispania only grew and prospered. Money coming in from the colonies was reaching unprecedented levels.

In June, Ferrara requested military access, possibly as a means of outmaneuvering Tuscany and Lucca. Despite the desire of conquering the region, Emperor Alfons authorized granting the request, for letting them continue to fight things out amongst each other benefited Hispania.

July brought a great surprise to all of Catholic Europe. While no one was surprised to see Bohemia place its backing behind the Protestant emperor Brandenburg, it was a shock to many to hear that Lithuania was now supporting the Protestants. The decision reeked of hypocrisy, for they had chastised Hispania for going against the Church even as they joined against the Catholic League. There was no doubt this was fuelled by a hatred for Sweden, who had joined the Catholics.

Perhaps these recent events had had some impact on the religious state of Hispania, for less and less people were looking to the clergy for advice. Their power was waning.



The war in Italy wound down as Tuscany came out victorious. They connected more of their lands together by taking Ferrara. Lucca, in their own war, ended Ferrara’s independence by taking Modena. Shortly after ending their wars, both Italian nations joined the coalition against Hispania, recognizing the threat it posed to them.

Over in the HRE, religious tensions flared up as East Frisia forced the Palatinate to convert to Protestantism. The disregard to Catholics continued even in the face of the creation of the Catholic League.

A relaxed approach to the African colonies and allowing the TATC greater freedom was paying off in East Africa, with some of the colonies experiencing a great boost in trade.

In February of 1668, Trier annexed Cleves. The HRE was in constant inner turmoil.



The Exercit Colonial was transported to the Maldives by May, preparing for an invasion of Ceylon. Once landed, the order was given to initiate the war.

As war began overseas, another one ended back in Europe. Switzerland pulled off a major victory against Savoy, taking all but Parma from them. The Swiss had secured themselves a large chunk of land, but this also put them at odds with France, who had claimed the region earlier. This also put some doubt on Hispania’s agreement with France. Had Hispania recognized France’s claim to the state of Savoy or its land at the time?

The end of May saw Umbria embracing the Church of Jesus Christ. Efforts returned to focusing in Iberia, mostly around Zaragoza and Pirineo.

The Mamluks had effectively taken advantage of Djerid’s independence, subjugating them to make a new vassal. Hispania would need to dispute this in the future.



In July, the colony in Yuin became self-sufficient, with colonial efforts shifted to Manila.

The war against Ceylon proceeded with few obstacles. Kandy was captured easily, a single ship forced from port and sunk. Conquistador Maximilien Philippe de Montségur moved into Ceylon’s capital, their army proving only a minor nuisance.

The Protestant League was growing, with four electors (excluding the emperor) embracing the cause, including the recently converted Palatinate. Alsace supported the Catholics as the only Catholic elector left. Frankfurt was the only elector still remaining neutral, but they joined the Protestants at a later date.

By October, Lithuania had decided it was time to extend eastwards again, declaring war on Kazan yet again.

The decision to allow local customs to be practiced without interference had paid off, so it was extended to allowing local leaders more involvement in government. This in turn created a government more representative of its people, pleasing those of different cultural groups.

The province of Kotte was captured in December, and a single transport was captured when it tried to flee to sea. The ship was sent back to Europe for reassignment. As for Ceylon, with all resistance gone, it was time to incorporate it into the empire. Ceylon became the first major holding in India, although the mainland was still untouched. The East India Trading Company, a Crown company, now had somewhere to operate.



The opening of the Indian market and trade routes to the east saw a greater demand for silk, driving up the price.

With the coalition in place, plans to expand further in Italy were placed on hold. It was not worth risking a war with Poland and Lithuania over such a thing. That didn’t mean Austria couldn’t expand there. In March of 1669, they declared war on Tuscany, drawing in Lucca as well.

Silk had proven a popular commodity, but so too had cotton. People craved Indian cotton. The Hispanian wool industry pushed for a ban on such imports, but the emperor was unwilling to do so. Wool declined in price, but cotton was on the rise now.

As if knowing that Hispania had designs on Italy too, Austria asked for Hispania to join their war. This was a way to pursue the war proposed by the chancellor without risking the coalition’s ire. Thus the war was joined with the hope that Austria would be generous enough to provide Hispania with land.



The colony in Antofagasta had grown large enough to give over to Nuevo Leon, who now had their land linked to the coast. Focus on Asia continued, this time in Middag on Taiwan.

Tuscany had a tiny trade fleet out in the Mediterranean that made the mistake of crossing Hispania’s fleet. They lost all four of their ships, with a single one captured in the process.

A joint Hispanian-Austrian attack was made on Tuscany’s army in Firenze, spearheaded by General Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre. They were able to push the Tuscans from their capital, although several thousand men were lost in the process. With them gone though, the general was free to siege the Tuscany capital. The Exercit Napoli was already in Ancona, and General Louis François de Montségur had arrived with the Exercit Valencia to help siege provinces. General Marti de Leon was marching through France with the Exercit Castilla La Vieja to move on Lucca.

With Hispania involved in a war, it came as a complete surprise that Poland would even consider leaving the coalition against Hispania, yet they did just that. This brought to attention the decline in relations between Poland and Lithuania. After Lithuania had so blatantly abandoned the Catholic cause by supporting the Protestant League, things had only gone downhill from there. Having been betrayed by Sweden once before, they could not tolerate yet another betrayal. Poland thus ended their alliance with Lithuania, who in turn used their influence with the Pope to annul the marriage between two royals from their countries. Relations were still somewhat positive, but it would take time to repair any distrust. Probably the only man not surprised by these developments was Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre, who had a greater insight from his negotiations with the Polish ambassador into why Poland would so suddenly turn against Lithuania.



With building projects having been placed on hold, ducats were set aside for upgrading the trade fleets. They both cost over 900 ducats to upgrade, but they needed to be their best to remain competitive. The Genoan fleet was upgraded first, followed later by the Alexandrian fleet.

The war with Tuscany proceeded with few complications. Austria at some point managed to eliminate Tuscany’s army. The Exercit Napoli was already pushing north into Romagna. Austria reached Ferrara first though, which saw Leon and Montségur rushing to besiege Lucca’s territory first. The more land Hispania controlled, the more likely Austria would be willing to concede provinces to them.

Ethiopia faced defeat against Yemen, although amusingly enough was able to weasel 35 ducats out of Kaffa a week later.

The Church of Jesus Christ achieved its greatest success with the people of Valencia finally fully embracing it. Religious tolerance now existed fully within the capital.

The Statesman Jeroni Bielsa passed away in October. An Italian admiral, Leandro Mancinetti, was hired to take his place, with hopes that he’d improve the performance of the ever-growing Hispanian navy.

A reminder of the agreement reached with Sweden came in the form of Poland declaring war on Wallachia. Their expansion so close to Byzantium was worrying and soon Hispania would have to fulfill their promise.

The Tuscan fleet was forced from port after Austria captured Ferrara, the Hispanian navy lying in wait. Admiral Lübecker had little difficulty securing victory, capturing a new ship for the transport fleet in the process.



New techniques in woodwork found it much easier to use tropical wood for projects once thought impossible. The price of these more beautiful woods increased as their popularity rose.

Near the end of 1669, General Saint-Pierre capture the prized city of Firenze, leaving only Lucca’s capital left. As he arrived there, Leon was given leave to return to Iberia.

A new delicacy was discovered in the colonies, encouraging manufactories to mass produce it for the entire empire.

Before the final Luccan province could fall, Austria signed a peace with Tuscany. Austria claimed for itself the three northern provinces of Tuscany, one of which they had not previously claimed before. For Hispania’s help, the empire was granted Modena, one of Lucca’s provinces, a welcome gesture. This gave the two allies a shared border, but also an urgency to see who could claim the rest of Tuscany first. The attempts to close off Central Italy were not done yet.

In colonial news, the island colony of South Georgia originally started by Emperor Ferran V was finished, allowing Crown resources to be shifted to Swellendam in South Africa, a region largely ignored.

Tensions in Byzantium led to a noble revolt in Saruhan, one in which Hispania was quick to respond. The Greek army was off in Italy, for they had moved to assist Hispania in Tuscany, so General Demetrios Madromenos and the Exercit Athens was tasked with removing the rebel problem.



In March of 1670, Bohemia joined the coalition against Hispania, probably in response to their involvement in the Catholic League, followed shortly by the Palatinate. This also brought to attention that the mostly isolationist Great Britain had decided to involve itself in the religious situation in the HRE. They placed their support behind the Emperor in resistance to the Catholic cause.

General Madromenos engaged the Greek nobles in April and had little trouble removing that problem. The nobles were outmatched and soundly defeated.

Persia and Kazan achieved a massive success against Tabarestan, seizing large swathes of land. Kazan needed this victory as Lithuania pushed into their lands.

The Polish threat to Byzantium dramatically increased as they annexed Wallachia, extending the border between the two. Something had to be done and soon. The question was whether Hispania would choose to knock Poland down a step or join beside them to bring religious tolerance to the HRE first.











JpsioAG.png

Presenting His Imperial Highness, Alfons VIII de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, and Protector of the Greeks.

The Council of Rome has lingered in my mind for the past few years, and I believe so has it for many of you and those outside Hispania. We have seen shifts in European politics brought about by that Council. Lithuania’s hypocrisy at chastising us for our actions against the Papal State and then turning around to support the Protestant League has not gone unnoticed, perhaps by Poland most of all. These leagues grow with each year and I fear that we have spurred on a continental conflict that will bath Europe in blood. We must ask ourselves if the price of religious tolerance is worth it before we act, although I fear that if we do not, the Catholic League might act on its own and not with the noble intentions that we hold dear here in Hispania.

There is also the matter of Poland. Their split with Lithuania is welcome, and so is their withdrawal from the coalition. Their conquest of Wallachia is a foreboding sign, one we should consider acting on. The Swedes will expect us to act against Poland soon, and I’ve received word from them that an alliance between our two peoples would be most welcome. It will be yet another arduous conflict, but one that we must consider. It seems conflict is inevitable if we wish to fulfill our promises made at the Council.

It does please me greatly that we continue to expand around the globe. India has been opened to us and perhaps our presence will only continue to expand. Hispania is at the height of its greatness, to be sure.


((Well the events of that update took an interesting turn. I wasn’t expecting them to fit so nicely with the events of the Council, nor for Poland and Lithuania to split. Now we have a good chance to fulfill our promises. I’ve given us a special CB for starting a league war, even though we’re not league leader. It will stick around for 20 years (16-ish now), since I feel that is the amount of time Austria would consider it reasonable for us to fulfill our part of the bargain. Same goes for war with Poland. We can choose to ignore our promises, but this will piss off those we betray. It might be better for us to initiate the league war anyway, since if the AI does it will undoubtedly impose a Catholic-only HRE leadership. We should also consider reaching out to the French about the Caribbean, since they will be expecting some sort of resolution on that matter.

As for our usual business, ministers have until Monday at 12PM PST to post their plans. Players may also propose laws in that time period. I also need a new steward's plan, since I've built everything on the list for now.

Pensioners:
@alscon))
 
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Reactions:
((Chancellor's Plan

First, ally Sweden.
Then, pursue the HRE war.
Next, attack Poland.

If there is still time, expansion in Tuscany if AE allows it.))
 
After getting used to life at court Sancho Villanova decides to send letters to two people.

((Both private, first to @Michaelangelo second to @05060403))

Your Imperial Majesty,
I humbly request the position of colonist.
Sancho Villanova

I ask to join the TATC as several of my family have done in the past.
Sancho Villanova
 
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With affairs being handled expertly by the other Councillers, Petros smirked, he didn't need to do anything for the Empire and could still claim to be one of the most diligent servants of the Emperor. After all, his job was to review and replace Councilors not performing to expectations, and they were all performing. Perhaps he would need to replace the Steward, since the Countess de Maia wasn't recommending more improvements to Hispania's infrastructure, and he could not have that. Petros hoped that wouldn't be necessary.

With all this time, he was able to continue on his word on De Rebus Constitutionibus Civitatum with his grandson Andronicus. The young man had bright and novel ideas, and Petros would add in his experience to make Andronicus's idealism realistic with reality. Three volumes of five were already published and the fourth was being printed right now. These books took the legal scholars of Europe by storm. Already Petros was badgered with requests for lectures and interviews to discuss his ideas along with criticism about them, and Andronicus was now serving as a lecturer at the Univeristy of Valencia as a legal scholar. Some of his critics were well meaning and helped improve his works, others were just discontents making personal attacks.

The door opened and a representative from the printers came in. He carried with him ten thick tomes, the first ten copies of the fourth volume, which went into heavy detail and discussion on designing and implementing a Constitutional State. It was the most important work yet, and Petros knew it would be the subject of the most debate of all of the volumes. The ten books were gifts to the members of the Small Council, his grandson, the Emperor, and a few spares. All had received similar copies of the first three volumes as gifts. He ordered for the servants to bring the books to their new owners, grabbed one of the spares, and began to read his newest work.
 
After getting used to life at court Sancho Villanova decides to send letters to two people.

((Both private, first to @Michaelangelo second to @05060403))

Your Imperial Majesty,
I humbly request the position of colonist.
Sancho Villanova

JpsioAG.png

Your family has served as Crown colonists for generations and I see no reason to deny you the same opportunity. I gladly grant you the position.

- His Imperial Highness, Alfons VIII de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, & Protector of the Greeks