19 years in 2 hours at speed 2/3 isnt that badcomagoosie said:Only 19 years of Gameplay. Don't tell me this was a good run
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La Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia
The Ottomans were defeated. Their "Empire" lay in ruins, and they were forced to capitulate and cede their Greek territories to the Republic. The island of Corfu was now connected with the other Venetian territories and we almost controlled the entire Aegean Sea.
The expansion of the Stato da Mar in 1411.
However, consolidating these territories would be an ordeal. Though liberated from heathen rule, the Greeks were not totally welcome to Venetian control. It is unfortunate that the Greeks were so unwelcoming, and many revolts had to be put down with force.
The chance of revolts in our Greek territories is high.
The Greeks had been Orthodox heretics for centuries, and bringing them to the true faith required money and missionaries, who were sent to convert the Greeks.
In a few years, all of our Greek territories will be firmly Catholic.
Less than a year later... perhaps it will be easier than earlier thought.
A new Doge was needed to coincide with the Republic's shift in direction toward territorial expansion and aggressive trading. Thus, Antonio Barbarigo, a famed Venetian military commander, was elected in January, 1421. He was more than a face - he could truly lead our armies.
A brilliant military commander and widely regarded to be the best general in the world.
Soon after Barbarigo was elected, in 1422, the Republic was dragged into a war with the Berbers. Our Castilian allies had interests in the southern Mediterranean, as did we.
It should be a slaughter.
However, we were not able to send enough troops into Morocco to deal with the formidable army the Berbers had massed along the coast. The ingenious Doge devised a plan to strike from Morocco's relatively unguarded western coast. We did not desire a long and drawn out war with the Berbers, and so we signed a peace offer as soon as we had occupied part of the western coast.
The staging point for a future expedition.
Unfortunately, this would be Doge Barbarigo's first and last military campaign. He died unexpectedly only two years after the Berber war, in 1425. With our best leader and general dead, we did not know who could now serve the Republic and our armies.
We are forced to choose a lesser man.
In 1427 we received reports of rebellion in Aragonese Sicily. We waited and watched the situation closely to see if the nationalists would be successful.
This will prove useful.
Less than a year later, Sicily declared independence from Aragon. We immediately declared war to take advantage of newborn Sicily's weakness. We wanted control of the Straits of Messina, which were a good foothold in extending our control of Mediterranean trade.
We sought out the aid of the renowned Leonardo Rovereto, a former condotierro. He would be integral to our wars.
Perhaps he will offset the loss of Barbarigo.
The war went well. Messina and then Palermo fell, and our troops prepared to cross the straits to Calabria. A group of Cretans, knowing that our army was away fighting in Sicily, decided to revolt.
Fortunately, lowered taxes prevented it.
Doge Chiogga was killed during the siege of Calabria - he will not be missed. We chose a promising young general, Antonio Valieri, to be the new Doge. He is a gifted administrator, but he truly shines on the battlefield.
Second only to Barbarigo.
In July, 1429, we signed a peace offer with Sicily.
It seemed that the Republic would fight countless wars, and keeping in this fashion Genoa dragged us into a war not more than a month after we defeated Sicily.
Genoa had declared war on the Papal States.
Religion in Europe in 1430. One thing of note is the weakening of the Orthodox faith.
Europe in 1430.
Chapter II: Beyond the Adriatic
1411-1430
1411-1430
The Ottomans were defeated. Their "Empire" lay in ruins, and they were forced to capitulate and cede their Greek territories to the Republic. The island of Corfu was now connected with the other Venetian territories and we almost controlled the entire Aegean Sea.
The expansion of the Stato da Mar in 1411.
However, consolidating these territories would be an ordeal. Though liberated from heathen rule, the Greeks were not totally welcome to Venetian control. It is unfortunate that the Greeks were so unwelcoming, and many revolts had to be put down with force.
The chance of revolts in our Greek territories is high.
The Greeks had been Orthodox heretics for centuries, and bringing them to the true faith required money and missionaries, who were sent to convert the Greeks.
In a few years, all of our Greek territories will be firmly Catholic.
Less than a year later... perhaps it will be easier than earlier thought.
A new Doge was needed to coincide with the Republic's shift in direction toward territorial expansion and aggressive trading. Thus, Antonio Barbarigo, a famed Venetian military commander, was elected in January, 1421. He was more than a face - he could truly lead our armies.
A brilliant military commander and widely regarded to be the best general in the world.
Soon after Barbarigo was elected, in 1422, the Republic was dragged into a war with the Berbers. Our Castilian allies had interests in the southern Mediterranean, as did we.
It should be a slaughter.
However, we were not able to send enough troops into Morocco to deal with the formidable army the Berbers had massed along the coast. The ingenious Doge devised a plan to strike from Morocco's relatively unguarded western coast. We did not desire a long and drawn out war with the Berbers, and so we signed a peace offer as soon as we had occupied part of the western coast.
The staging point for a future expedition.
Unfortunately, this would be Doge Barbarigo's first and last military campaign. He died unexpectedly only two years after the Berber war, in 1425. With our best leader and general dead, we did not know who could now serve the Republic and our armies.
We are forced to choose a lesser man.
In 1427 we received reports of rebellion in Aragonese Sicily. We waited and watched the situation closely to see if the nationalists would be successful.
This will prove useful.
Less than a year later, Sicily declared independence from Aragon. We immediately declared war to take advantage of newborn Sicily's weakness. We wanted control of the Straits of Messina, which were a good foothold in extending our control of Mediterranean trade.
We sought out the aid of the renowned Leonardo Rovereto, a former condotierro. He would be integral to our wars.
Perhaps he will offset the loss of Barbarigo.
The war went well. Messina and then Palermo fell, and our troops prepared to cross the straits to Calabria. A group of Cretans, knowing that our army was away fighting in Sicily, decided to revolt.
Fortunately, lowered taxes prevented it.
Doge Chiogga was killed during the siege of Calabria - he will not be missed. We chose a promising young general, Antonio Valieri, to be the new Doge. He is a gifted administrator, but he truly shines on the battlefield.
Second only to Barbarigo.
In July, 1429, we signed a peace offer with Sicily.
It seemed that the Republic would fight countless wars, and keeping in this fashion Genoa dragged us into a war not more than a month after we defeated Sicily.
Genoa had declared war on the Papal States.
Religion in Europe in 1430. One thing of note is the weakening of the Orthodox faith.
Europe in 1430.
Maybe.
It's interesting how two more provinces next to beirut converted to christianity while being controlled by muslims. That's pretty nice, and one of them is Judea.
It's interesting how two more provinces next to beirut converted to christianity while being controlled by muslims. That's pretty nice, and one of them is Judea.
I was thinking on joining the crusade against Golden Horde to help our muscovite friend.Enewald said:Islam on retreat, good.
Crusades coming?
And Brabant in growing. :wacko:
Hell yes, getting closer to the netherlands!
The Indian Jewel
A VijayanagAAR
(OOC: This is my first AAR and I was not thinking far enough ahead in terms of the number of screenshots to take. I missed many small events, such as orders of succession, or the names of my Kings. As a result, the King of Vijayanagar, will simply be referred to as ‘the King’. Makes the office more important than the man, don’t you think
. So please don’t be too cruel about the relatively sparse screenies!)Part One: The State of the Realm and the King's Scrolls: 1411
The King of Vijayanagar woke up in a cold sweat. For several months he had been having nightmares. These nightmares struck at the King's heart, and yet they did not involve his family or his wealth. They invariably involved his life's love - his kingdom. He had seen his soldiers die on the streets of his capital, felled by red demons with an arrowless bow. He had seen the statues of his gods destroyed and desecrated by black-robed despoilers. He had seen his palace invaded, his successor along with his family put to death. And above all, he saw his beautiful yellow flag torn down and replaced with a crimson banner.
Walking to his balcony, the King looked out over his lush capital, seeing the massive statues of his Gods lit by torches in the distance. He promised, then and there, that whatever he saw in his nightmares would not come to pass. He knew that the only way for this to happen would be to expand the territory, prestige, wealth and might of Vijayanagar - to unite all of India under the yellow banner. He also knew that he would not live to see even the beginning stages of his plan come to fruition, but he hoped that his successors would see his wisdom, and continue his legacy.
For the rest of the night, he worked frantically. Calling for scribes and torch-bearers, he laid out his plans on parchment, and called for his ministers to be present at the palace in the morning.
The next day, the King's ministers arrived, unsure of what to expect. Called into the King's throne room, they were surprised to see both scribes and military officials present. Dismissing useless procedure, the King informed them that he had decided to make every effort to move Vijayanagar towards the complete conquest of the Indian Subcontinent. The King turned towards his Minister of War, who unfurled a map of Southern India:
“My liege, in the south we have three states that do not submit to the rule of your majesty. To the west, we have the princely states of Mysore and Travancore. Your majesty will notice that the Prince of Mysore is your subject, after being forced to kneel at the feet of your father.” The King nodded.
“In the south, we have the heretics on Ceylon, who exert a considerable amount of influence on the coastal maritime trade around the southern tip of India. Your majesty will also of course be aware of the subjugation of the heathens on the Maldive islands by your father.”
“In the nort-“. The minister was cut off.
“I am not concerned with the northern provinces as of this moment, minister.” stated the King. Without another word, the king seized a brush from a scribe. Dipping it in the ink, the King outlined his southern strategy.
“We will force the Prince of Mysore to integrate his realm with ours.”, said the King. Then we will force Travancore and Ceylon to submit. In time, both of them will submit to the realm as the Prince of Mysore will.”
“Additionally, if it is possible, we may exploit the situation in the north. The heathen Sultans and Sheikhs do not have the love of their populace, and regularly oppress their subjects of the true faith.”. Turning to his confidante, who served as the minister of the realm’s secret agents he said: “Incite riots wherever possible in the northern Kingdoms. Show the populace that only under the true faith can they flourish”.
“As you can see, our army is considerably larger than those of our southern neighbours. My father ensured that our army was the largest that our revenue would allow.”
Finally he turned to his Minister of Trade:
“Minister, the southern campaign will require a great deal of money. Some of it will be obtained from our defeated enemies, but we will have to convert a sizeable amount of our holdings into currency. This will no doubt damage the economy, but we have no choice. See to it.”. The minister nodded.
Observing that the King was unlikely to say more, the majordomo showed the Ministers out.
After they had left, the King turned to a scribe, and handed him a stack of parchment. “Take these, scribe. Each one has a condition written on it that must be true before it may be opened. Pass them on to your descendants, so that they might be able to help mine.”
The King, stood, and moved out of the hall, to prepare for the coming battles.
Part Two: The Subjugation of the South: 1411-1430
In the early years of his revitalized reign, the King repeatedly sent envoys to the Prince of Mysore, inviting him to peacefully join the realm. All attempts were rejected by the Prince. Finally, the King arranged for the Prince to be murdered by one of his courtesans. In the aftermath, the King peacefully integrated Mysore into the Kingdom of Vijayanagar, absorbing its culture and wealth.
The King of Travancore, however, was not so easily moved. Despite the general goodwill felt by his people towards the Princedom of Travancore, the King crossed the Travancore border at the head of his army. Although the Army of Travancore crossed the border and began plundering the King’s settlements, the King successfully besieged the two major strongholds of the Princedom of Travancore.
With their holdings captured, the Prince of Travancore knelt before the King, and was swiftly executed. In 1413, his bastard half-brother was placed on the throne, and the Princedom of Travancore became little more than a puppet state of the Kingdom of Vijayanagar.
However, tragedy struck as the King was returning to his capital. He became afflicted with a previously unknown disease, and died shortly after. In future years, he would be idolized by the Indian people, as the man who took the first few crucial steps on the path to the eventual unification of India. For the rest of history, he would be known as the First King.
His son, the new King, was not a great man, in any area where it may count, be it military, diplomacy or acumen (OOC: 3-3-3
), but he was determined to continue his father’s work after being shown the scrolls written by his father by the son of his father’s scribe. It was at this time that he decided to name them the First King’s Scrolls – a name that would resound through the following years.Looting everything of value from the vanquished state, the King built a navy capable of transporting his army to the island of Ceylon. When war was declared, the King quickly besieged the two major strongholds on the island.
While the island was incapable of putting up a serious defense, the officer in charge of the Ceylon fleet sent a detachment of his men to the Vijayanagarian port of Goa. Concentrating on the Ceylonese homeland, the port of Goa quickly fell, and as a rebellion of those dissatisfied by the King’s rule erupted, the port quickly defected to a northern Sheikhdom. The King vowed that it would be returned to Vijayanagar in the future, even though their core on the territory was lost.
In the present, however, the Prince of Ceylon was forced to surrender to the King, and in 1416 his fate was identical to that of the former Prince of Travancore.
It was at this time that the King received an urgent missive from the Prince of Gondwana, who informed him that the Prince of Orissa, who had had a defensive treaty with the late Prince of Ceylon, had attempted to march into the northern regions of Vijayanagar. The Prince informed him that he had attacked Orissa, and had been extremely successful.
Rushing his army north on ships, the King landed in Orissa, and seized their capital with the help of Gondwanan troops. Taking command, the King negotiated a peace treaty with Orissa in 1417, effectively destroying their country. Although this would lead to the end of the short-lived Vijayanagar-Gondwana alliance, the gain in territory was deemed to be of superior importance.
The constant wars had had their effect on the country however, and the King declared that it was time to rebuild and consolidate the position of Vijayanagar, which had more than doubled in size in the last six years.
(OOC: At this point, I badly needed to consolidate, as Stab was at -2 and WE was at 9.75)
For the next five years the King was occupied with numerous revolts throughout his realm. On one occasion, one rebel leader declared a kingdom in south-central India, but the King promptly defeated him.
During these many skirmishes, the King was killed by a rebel arrow. Saddened, but determined to go on, his son took over, and became the next King. He was a much more capable man than his father, and history would remember him as such. (OOC: 7-4-7,
).One of the first crises that the new King would encounter would be an economic one. The stress of the rebellions, along with the crushing weight of the army and fleet, was too much for the Vijayanagarian treasury.
To rectify this, the King sold off most of the navy to eastern merchants, and disbanded much of the nation’s cavalry. As the economic situation improved, so did the stability of the country (OOC: Hit +3 stab in 1422 and 0 WE in 1428).
The King was surprised, however, when he learned that the policy of religious agitation instituted by his grandfather, the First King, had paid fruit. Angry at their infidel overlords, the men of the True Faith in both Konkan and Ahmadnagar defected to the Kingdom, strengthening the Kingdom at the expense of her enemies.
In 1429 and 1430, respectively, the King did what his grandfather had done twenty years prior, and negotiated, threatened and assassinated his way to the integration of the rump state of Travancore.
The King then had a massive map of Vijayanagar erected, with his grandfather’s, as well as his own borders, outlined.
With the Subjugation of the South completed, the King opened the next of the First King’s scrolls, which had the destruction of the southern princely states as its condition.
The King smiled as he read his grandfather’s writings....
(OOC: Like it?
~1,800 words)
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Pretty awesome! I like the Gameplay/Narrative/Textbook style (damn, thats pretty much all types of AAR there is under one )
)
!Rebels almost tore your kingdom apart!
But now that stability is restored and War Exhaustion is down, you may re-commence the plans written on the "First King's Scrolls".
Bah, you should have looked at france, THATS NOTHING!EUROO7 said:
Rebels almost tore your kingdom apart!
But now that stability is restored and War Exhaustion is down, you may re-commence the plans written on the "First King's Scrolls".
I felt sorry for France.
Griffin.Gen said:
Yeah, France got gang-raped. But, to be fair, a 20K stack of rebels with a decent leader is pretty killer this early game.
I was having massive rebel problems, since I am still used to the NA rebel model, which was akin to whack-a-mole. Those 1K stacks with no leaders were nothing compared to the IN rebels....
I'm glad.Didaa said:I'm really liking all the AARs that are shown here
Oh and poor France, I guess darkness got crippled by WE from the AI war with Aragon. He got a save edit to compensate the terrible rebels.
Aww.PetitBourgeois said:I'm glad.
Oh and poor France, I guess darkness got crippled by WE from the AI war with Aragon. He got a save edit to compensate the terrible rebels.
That's no fun. He should have defeated them himself.
King named King?
Or just too lazy to write or it is too hard?
Ah well, we need more conquering.
Or just too lazy to write or it is too hard?
Ah well, we need more conquering.
Because of the web of Italian alliances - there's no weak point in their guarantees and alliances. That's why I declared war on Sicily right after they declared independence, it was a good chance to get some Italian territory without an extremely difficult war.
Edit: And if I control Edirne and Bursa I get a +15% trade income modifier.
Edit: And if I control Edirne and Bursa I get a +15% trade income modifier.
PetitBourgeois said:
I sympathize - the large northern Muslim countries are all allied, and are allied with the ugly blue Deccan that is interrupting the fluidity of my borders! Its going to take some creativity to get past these alliances....
Also, it was historical, Venice was highly interested in Constantinople and Greece.PetitBourgeois said:
well there goes my hope that you make a byzantine buffer before you conquer italyPetitBourgeois said:
Well of courseGriffin.Gen said:
The Venetians were the ones who damned the Byzantines.
What do you mean?Calum Cornish said:well there goes my hope that you make a byzantine buffer before you conquer italy