Chapter 47: For all the Gods I've loved before...
A Theologian. First one I've seen in 100 years or so I think. At any rate, he's very much needed for one simple thing... But first I have to hire him. Sorry Trader man, much as I love the help, I have a bigger need.
Before I can do anything else, another boundary dispute, this time on Nis... It's got a good tax base and trades copper. It also borders two of my provinces, so I approve.
Now for that decision I need to make...
Church taxes are darn near a requirement for any nation not Catholic. Heck, even when you are if you can swing it... The other act just helps with RR, though the STAB cost is a bit of a hit at this point. STAB cost hits when you get big can mean alot of added ducats to a level. I don't pass them lightly. Here I weighed the the ducats lost to RR with the conversions and figured every province will lose that little bit less money over an extended period of time. It'll end up being alot of ducats by the time I'm done.
The Theologian also gives us a minor boost to our missionary production currently +4.3 a year.
Another round of letting my neighbor's know I'll be around soon with the issuance of various wordings to Granada and Aragon.
I must have done something, as my one star parade has lately featured a number of two star, and even a few three and four star advisor pop ups. Still no one worth taking, but the game is recognizing we aren't as dominant as we once were...
As 1580 comes to a close, Friuli successfully completes it's conversion course. We also continue with gifting Hesse to achieve what we've been hoping for, as our gold crown icon now informs us that we have a good chance of diplo annexing both Switzerland and Hesse.
The new year makes a grand entrance with the announcement that Maria Theresa I of Austria has become the HRE... And a man...
It's the becoming a man part of the announcement that throws everybody.
Treviso forgets that it's no longer a part of all that and revolts with 8,000 Catholic zealots. Turns out it was the becoming a man part that upset them too.
I February, Cologne collapses. The smell is dreadful.
Next on the REFormation ticket is Württemberg.
As I very much hate the decentral penalty for diplo-annex, especially as it pertains to friendly "yes please annex us" situations, I decided to propose annexation to both Switzerland and Hesse at the same time...:
And yes, I am as surprised as you are. I figured I get one, as I normally do. I almost feel bad. But not really. I figure it's appropriate given the penalty that shouldn't be. Friendly absorptions like this would not have the rampant negative effects that are given. They'd be carefully outlined and planned, so I feel the 2 for 1 is an even clear.
This now means means I have vassal spots open too... My BB for the days work is hefty too, giving me a total of 5.0 for the deed. Better than a war annex, but BB just the same.
Having completed what I wanted to with the Theologian, I decide to pop the Trader back in while I still have exclusivity...
It drops me back to 3.9 missionaries a year... With nine currently in the field still going at it, I'm not worried. You don't want to have too many out there to support. It's a nice balance so far, having ten or so out working at any given time.
April brings a slew of market places and other assorted buildings in new places. I also take the opportunity to continue abandoning the HRE... I got a bonus land enclosures in Nassau, formerly of the Hessian rule.
I have to build up all 5 of these newly acquired provinces from the ground up, as they lack even the most basic buildings, like a workshop.
Kassel welcomes me with open arms, and then stabs me in the back by rebelling. Judea sees the rebellion and decides it too wants to be someone else. I kill off the Rebs and the next day they convert. It was one of those really cool moments where you almost feel like you had something to do with it...
Here's something you don't see every day...:
No, your eyes do not deceive you. That is our buddy Ming camped outside our door. Can't blame him for trying, but Ming dear, there are some things you just don't do... And taking these extremely poor provinces half a world from home happens to be one of them.
Janina is next on the list of REFormers as I begin to work my way south. The Greek lands are next on the list to try to preserve the culture acceptance...
Just after this, a good event for Libya...
A very good event. Anything that can make that sand pit worth something is a good deal...
A quick look at where Europe stands as we complete a few more market places...:
Only a few central provinces remain, all of them being worked.
More infrastructure is completed in the recently acquired lands. Hard to believe, but two of the Hessian provinces needed fort 1's...! Truly sad for this stage of the game. Guess it doesn't pay to be a vassal...
Achea REForms next, followed a few days later by Macedonia. Ming celebrates by collapsing, splitting Ethiopia back off into the junk south of our occupied Mam Lands. Meck joins in the collapsing too, just for fun.
Zeta celebrates by converting, as does Lienz. Burgas sees the movement and joins in a few weeks later, prompting Athens to jump the Catholic ship mere days after that. 20 days later, Istria figures out the program and jumps too. The next month sees Morea also going REFormed. This leaves an all time low of six provinces being worked...
As the year 1583 rolls around, Adana gets carried away with new year's celebrations. A bunch of drunkards get together and decide they want to start a new country. They get crushed by the 6th CAV out of Aleppo. 5,000 new years resolutions will go unfulfilled, unless dying in a rebellion was their new years resolution...
A few workshops in the new acquisitions and a two star spymaster bring little to the table as April Fools comes and goes with little fan fare.
Kosovo joins the Reformation giving us a religious connection from the capitol to Thrace... The Palatinate celebrates by collapsing, and Naxos approves by going Reformed at the news.
September sees our Trade Tech going to 22... We then turn and start back into Govt Tech, currently 2 years ahead and a cool 30,781 ducats. Level 24 for customs houses is on the way, due in 1587, less than 4 years away.
Our next slider move is due in April of 1484... I was hoping to be done by then, but it's not looking good. Looks like I'll be playing through until something a little more "exciting" happens...
The rest of the boot cores in October, 1583. Later in December another 7 market places finish in the latest REFormation adoptees.
Merchant Hokey Pokey starts again, this time in Venezia. Ugh. Between that and the 2 star Privateer and 2 star Natural Scientist that stop by looking for work, it's an unproductive beginning to the new year.
February does not disappoint though, as I get a very helpful event...:
Sweetness...
The free DoW nets us a conflict with Burgundy, Normandy and Lorraine. I don't have a whole lot of firepower in the area, but I won't need that much.
The "battle" of Bourgogne lasts a day. Siege begins immediately. Venezia celebrates by losing another merchant and Treviso celebrates the old fashioned way... With another 8,000 Catholic zealots still apparently very upset that the HRE is run by a girl guy. They also fight like girl guys, as they get cleared in a one shot wonder and lose 8,000 men women to my 271 real men.
While the "war" rages on, Konya converts to the REFormed faith, Temples complete in former Hessian lands...
And I forget I have ships up around Antwerpen...
Normandy wipes out the patrol as apparently my Barque(s) was(were) worse than my bite... (zing...!)
I promptly hire an Admiral, which nets me a 3/0/0/0 geezer who hates to sail but loves to blow stuff up. He gets command of the 40 ship main fleet and I sail it post haste towards Normandy, full speed ahead.
Bithynia plays some Hokey Pokey too, as Corfu becomes the latest to adopt the REFormation craze.
I, as well as my generals, have waited a long time for something to fight about. Unfortunately it was too much for General Orsisni. He heard he was finally going to see some action... And when he thought that meant seeing his wife of 39 years, he promptly keeled over and died.
Anatalya heard we were at war and converted, not wanting to be a bother.
At this time the slider move popped. Being nowhere near where I want to be, and having just gotten to a fun part I made a move towards narrow minded and moved on.
The result was less than spectacular...:
I love getting to do things twice. It's like Rebels, only with religion...
At least we now get 4.1 missionaries a year. That gets celebrated with an excellent vintage. And Hokey Pokey in Antwerpen.
I believe one reason for all the merchant troubles is my stellar +6 prestige... I have a number of uncontested claims that are making for no gain from all the bonuses we get.
Back at the war, Lorraine gets bold and launches an assault on Bern... I'm busy shelling out another 96d to get Thrace reconverted. But that doesn't take long. I sneak a force into Lothringen behind Bern and start sieging there, essentially cutting off Lorraine's troops. I then put a small siege unit in Burgundy and go after them, wiping them out rather quickly.
It's not long for some movement in the whole affair...:
I'm not one for assaults, but I did it anyways. I needed to get it done because I need the men to jump on a ship and go sail around to Normandy.
After Lorraine realizes she's doomed, she sends a white peace. I just send a piece. I guarantee it so she sees that it's a guaranteed piece of sh** in a box. I had the spare time... (reference, anyone...?)
And then it was election time again. This time I don't keep Melzi, even though he again astounds me by being on the ballot. Instead I take the military candidate... Why ? There's a decision to get another 0.5 missionaries and a 5% conversion chance for a good military leader... Any help I can get. Except my stellar choice turns out to be a 3/5/6 loser of a man named Carafa. So much for that. See you in four years.
He even turns out to be dud in the general ranks. His paltry 0/2/1/1 stats will be just enough to put him on the boat and send him to Normandy.
Al-Djazair cores in September... Just in time for my men to enter Barrois and wipe out the small defenders and start sieging.
I then get the news my Diplomat is dead already. That was way too quick, but what are you going to do. He leaves a 1.6 BB in his wake, though I 'spect that to change rather soon.
The rest of the year plays out in revolts, and alot of them along with Merchant fun. We get a few useless advisors and complete some buildings in the infrastructure starved Hessian quarter.
The new year of 1585 dawns brightly with Thrace converting back to our beloved REFormed. The first month also sees Barrois fall to our army and Normandy begging to be spared. Sorry, but the object of bowling is to strike. A spare is only a secondary goal when the original plan doesn't work out. The month ends with Salzburg coming on board.
By March I have Lothringen under wraps and a ship full of fighting men well on their way to Normandy. As I get ready to land, Angora recognizes the REFormed ways of our nation, followed by Callabria.
Our first action in Normandy is a success...:
I'll be able to split up the big army and siege at will. I hide the ships in Antwerpen until the army is done with their bit. The 40 ship fleet will be ready when the Normandy ships have to leave port.
A couple temples in Hessian lands are just as finished as the Normandy ground troops. I lose 1000, they lose 5000, and the province of Caux as the siege finishes there.
1586 arrives with another round of construction news. Level 2 forts, market places and a few courthouses round out the list.
The main army gets split in Normandy, and we get hit with poor uniforms. Damn them...
The first of February is a good day indeed...:
Some new things to build and a Diplomat I can use. The Govt Tech jumps to 14 years ahead at 58,746. Time to jump to another branch. I replace my trader with one of the diplomats and the empty chair with another. I dislike that I need two guys to get the job done instead of one, but beggars can't be choosers.
I'm only at 0.66 in BB anyways, so it's not a horrific impact by any stretch of the imagination.
Lorraine offers a stout 900 ducats and a province for peace. I have no designs on her provinces, but that means she has money... Burgundy offers to renounce a few claims ...on French lands... Sorry, but the 580d along with that doesn't come close to repairing the damage done by your merchants.
I respond with an annexation demand. It's the only way to appease my anger at your pathetic attempts to kill my monopolies.
It's a done deal...
Aah the French... They will certainly love me now...
By March Maine is under Empire control and April brings Cyprus into the fold. Normandy makes a last ditch peace effort for the two provinces I already hold. No thanks, the walls are breached in Normandie proper and the fall will come at any time.
Mellila gets right with God near the end of July, I kick Rebs out of Barrois...
And we get Hardy Seamen...
By September it's all over and Normandy is ours. The last battle is a naval affair short on length and quick on death.
With the end of hostilities, the end also comes for other religions in the boot of Italy. Apulia finally REForms making the whole of the continent done barring the far north non cores.
Speaking of cores, Mus becomes a proper member of the Empire in November. December starts with some 18 construction projects finishing, most of them market places.
January begins a new year again. The other months don't think it's fair, but that's just the way it is. February got a boundary dispute, but hasn't been able to mount an offensive and is in danger of losing the core...
The Hessian lands get a few Temples built as I get my men out of Dodge. I don't want a bunch of guys trapped up there in Normandy Land. I have other uses for them planned.
We start the peace process with Normandy, letting her remain her bad self, albeit 500d lighter and as a vassal.
Lorraine is next up. It's a straight up cash grab...:
That will come in very handy, thankyou. I have alot of Customs Houses to build.
I also decide to build a Weapons Manufactory in Oberpfalz. It's a good province, has Iron. I don't build many of these usually, but as I said before, I may need the income this game. I guess we'll see how it goes. It costs me 3,104.00d to do it...
As of April 1st, 1587...
Our EOY is now a cozy 1622.44d. Not bad for this time frame. Not great, but not bad. We'd be closer to 2K if we had gone PRO, so I think this will be a good handicap as REFormed. I can foresee alot more gradual progression to growth as opposed to the flagrant spurts and plateaus you get with Protestant bents.
We also get word of our first round of Customs Houses getting done.
On top of that we get a two star Banker wanting work...
I say "Sure..." and tell him he'll start March 31st.
He looks puzzled... "Next Year...?" he says...
"No, 2 years ago." I quip back.
It's truly sad I have to remind him that this
is April Fool's Day...
Our grand total BB hit for our recent activities is a walloping 2.63...
I'd say that's as good a reason as any to find somewhere else to get into trouble.
So... My army is hanging around when all of a sudden all heck breaks loose...:
Apparently no one mentioned this was just a test of the "Emergency Rebel Detection System". It's a good thing there's 11,000 of them there to write the letters to the rebel stand ins parents and relatives.
Oh, and had this been an actual rebel emergency, the rebel yell you just heard would have been followed by a Billy Idol concert, which would then be followed by important safety information...
We get a 2 star Diplomat show up in June. Alas he must wave goodbye, as I don't allow myself three Diplomats at once in the Advisor pool. If he had been a little better, I could have fired a guy...
But he wasn't.
As I look around and prepare for some new operations, I decide to check in and see how the Lucky Nation Tags are effecting the new hires...:
Novgorod and Persia both have made huge gains, and VIJ has managed to survive multiple wars and Ming to remain on the front page. Of the oldsters, Portugal has made quite the comeback having been smacked down by Castille earlier. She only has three provinces in Europe left... Great Britain is becoming it's name sake. It's huge.
Tech and armed forces also follow along with the trend, with VIJ actually having more men in the field than GB, the GH or Persia. She also sports nearly as many big ships a GB...
So it's June, and Mus finds the way to religious conversion... We get a few revolts, handled quickly.
Then it's another border dispute...:
If ever I get to connecting Antwerpen with the rest of The Empire, I'll need to go through Brabant. That one core is all I need from them.
Once everything settled down, I asked for and got an alliance with Normandy. Cleves is out to lunch, not wanting anything to do with us, so these guys are now my right hand man. Well, my only hand man. I should probably stop talking about guys and hands... Man.
Sivas joins the Reformation in late September, followed by Larissa in October. With all the chaos, Portugal decides it wants some peace and quiet...:
War with Portugal is not looking like such a fruitless proposition anymore.
Though the provinces in question aren't exactly on the Med...
They are coastal though...
As December rolls on, recent convertees get their market places completed. We also hear news that a real man is finally in charge of the HRE, as Franz I Stefan of Austria is elected.
As I battle a big revolt in Libya that washed in from Alexandria, I get word Kärnten has finally converted. A few months later Cairo joins her.
Customs houses are the news of the day, being selectively built in the biggest and best provinces while funds are limited. The CoT provinces and the Capitol are prime candidates...
Carafa's tern (thankfully) comes to an end. Our new man is Sforza Maria d'Este, a 9/5/5 man. He turns into a capable general, sporting 1/3/1/1. Not stellar, but passable.
Out in the distant North Atlantic, Norway breaks free from Scandinavia.
Nice job... Nothing like giving GB another couple of provinces to take with little if any strings attached.
Yeah, so I'm jealous. So sue me...
September sees Tangiers and Anatolia convert on the same day...!
Normandy continues to get the treaties and gift treatments when applicable.
They need to be a good ally for when France goes all wacko again.
December grants us Prod Tech 22 and a few new MP's.
Treviso finally converts just before new years.
I spend some time going through some of the older ships and disbanding some of the Carracks. I also start building Flytes once in awhile to replace and augment aging Cogs.
By February, some very good news is delivered...:
The game completely changes from here on out as we go from biding our time to starting a new Island settlement program in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
The War for Spice has begun.
First up is the Island of Mahe, second up is The Andamans. They are the first steps in a bold new direction for The Empire.
March brings Diamientia into the REFormed flock, followed by Dhofar.
Nassau celebrates with yet another Rebellion.
I have three armies up here monitoring 5 provinces.
They keep popping rebels like clock work.
The Sinai converts in May as the Swahili break apart. The province over there are so poor even the natives can't hold it together.
After getting the rebs under control, I begin phase two of The Spice Campaign. Settling Islands is the easy part. Getting into the Indian and Far Eastern mainlands is another thing all together.
As I probe for weaknesses I find something I may be able to take advantage off...
Until very recently, Sind had some baggage in the form of alliances. Now, it seems she's all alone. She does happen to already be at war with VIJ and Champa. But who knows, maybe what she really needed was a decent DoWry...
As we learn of the Kastamon conversion, we also learn the provinces of Sind are otherwise engaged with enemies already. I send some ships over to introduce myself and send their "fleet" scurrying to port.
By June, Delta has successfully converted and the VIJ are wrapping up their sieges of the Sind. As they lose Kutch, the Sind fleet reemerges from port into the cannon of my awaiting ships. I send help just in case, but it isn't needed.
Our latest Island Mahe joins the Empire...:
Our fleet wraps up the naval necessities off Kutch, leaving a few stragglers to chase down. While I head off to take care of it I get the latest news from the homeland. It appears Medina, Diamientia, Delta and Alexandria have all cored. Very sweet to have another CoT in the core fold.
We make short work of the stragglers and await the peace between Sind and VIJ...
They don't disappoint...:
How can you be mad at that...
An Annex possibility...
A coastal CoT...
A foot hold into India that doesn't require a Persian Access Card.
Very Nice... Very nice Indeed...
Now all I have to do is go take it.
Which I'll get to in the next update... (I hope...!)
Till then...!
T
