Re: More to celebrate....
Wouldn't last? Wouldn't last?!? Noooo! The thriving of Lorraine must last forever!!!!
Wouldn't last? Wouldn't last?!? Noooo! The thriving of Lorraine must last forever!!!!
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January, 1508
We seldom got visitors to the Court of Lorraine that did not relate directly to our alliance. Outside our circle of friends we were regarded with some interest and curiosity to be sure, but certainly not of a sufficient quantity to warrant a trip, and so, when the rider came, dressed in strange garb, with his wild, unkempt hair and fierce eyes, I was….understandably curious.
And when this strangely clad Steppe Warrior strode past me and toward the King, his face lighting up with an ear-splitting grin as they embraced in friendship, I was….all the more curious.
Had Rene been leading some sort of double life I was unaware of?
I caught his eye and told him without words that I would have questions later, and he nodded, and then retired to the War Room with a friend I did not know he even had.
They stayed there most of the night, and I confess, I eavesdropped. I was stung…hurt that this friend of the King had been kept so completely from me, and judging by the level of laughter and revelry in the War Room that night, they had been maintaining their friendship through letters for quite some time.
It made no sense.
Sometime in the heart of the night, the Steppe Warrior wandered off to one of the guest state rooms to sleep, and there came an almost tentative knocking at my door.
“You are the King…all doors are open to you.” I said simply.
The door opened partway, and Rene stuck his head in. “I get the feeling,” he said in a moment, “that you are none too happy with me.”
I sighed heavily and put down my book. “I’m not unhappy, no…it’s just that….with all the things we’ve been through together, I would have thought that I’d be in the know when it comes to your friends…this Steppe Warrior arrives out of nowhere, and suddenly I feel like an in-the-way guest in the place I have called my home for more than a decade now!”
Silence between us for a moment, as Rene crossed the room to sit across from me.
“I’m old.” He said at last.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised a hand, silencing me. “I am old, Hansen….and you are not. I have my suspicions about why you are not, but I am not inclined to voice them….you have been the very best of friend to me, and you have taken Lorraine to heights I had never even dreamed of. The head of an alliance which includes France!” He shook his head in amazement. “You were right, my friend.”
Another moment of silence and then he met my gaze and held it. “I do not want to be remembered as a feeble old man.”
He let those words sink in a moment, and understanding washed over me.
“That unkempt rider from the Golden Horde is the nephew of their Khan, with whom I have been corresponding quietly, and sometimes sporadically with since before your arrival at my court….a fascinating land, and a fascinating people.”
Rene stood and poured himself a drink. “He brought with him maps of the world as they know it, and I’ll take a copy of our maps with me when I depart at first light tomorrow….tell no one where I have gone, save for my son, who will understand. Let the rest think of me as simply vanished, and remember me as I am now….not as I will be some years hence…too feeble to even feed myself.”
“You are a good man, and a great friend, Rene…and Lorraine prospered because of your leadership. We shall miss you, and I most of all.”
He nodded. “And I you, old friend….guide my son….he has what it takes to be a truly great King, but is too rash sometimes for his own good. But with his raw charisma, and your wisdom….there is no limit to what Lorraine can accomplish.”
We talked through the rest of the evening, until the first rays of sunlight began peeking through the morning mist, and the rider from the Steppes appeared at my door as though summoned by the light itself.
The King nodded, and motioned for me to follow while he gathered up a few scant possessions to take with him, and when he was ready, he tossed the Crown of Lorraine to me in an almost casual way, and smiled.
“I guess I won’t be needing that any more.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing, and watched as he and the Steppe Warrior made for the stables, got horses, and then rode down the lane and into the mist.
It was the last time I ever saw my friend Rene, King of Lorraine.
I like to imagine that he and the rider with him made safe to the distant lands of the Golden Horde, where the King lived out the rest of his days having adventures of a kind that most men only dream about.
-=Vel=-
Game Notes - Got the message of Antoine's taking the throne of Lorraine hand-in-hand with the message re: a "diplomatic move" with the Golden Horde (+25 relations with them...which, by the way, *did* allow me to swap maps with them!), and figured I could work it into the story easily enough....
We seldom got visitors to the Court of Lorraine that did not relate directly to our alliance. Outside our circle of friends we were regarded with some interest and curiosity to be sure, but certainly not of a sufficient quantity to warrant a trip, and so, when the rider came, dressed in strange garb, with his wild, unkempt hair and fierce eyes, I was….understandably curious.
And when this strangely clad Steppe Warrior strode past me and toward the King, his face lighting up with an ear-splitting grin as they embraced in friendship, I was….all the more curious.
Had Rene been leading some sort of double life I was unaware of?
I caught his eye and told him without words that I would have questions later, and he nodded, and then retired to the War Room with a friend I did not know he even had.
They stayed there most of the night, and I confess, I eavesdropped. I was stung…hurt that this friend of the King had been kept so completely from me, and judging by the level of laughter and revelry in the War Room that night, they had been maintaining their friendship through letters for quite some time.
It made no sense.
Sometime in the heart of the night, the Steppe Warrior wandered off to one of the guest state rooms to sleep, and there came an almost tentative knocking at my door.
“You are the King…all doors are open to you.” I said simply.
The door opened partway, and Rene stuck his head in. “I get the feeling,” he said in a moment, “that you are none too happy with me.”
I sighed heavily and put down my book. “I’m not unhappy, no…it’s just that….with all the things we’ve been through together, I would have thought that I’d be in the know when it comes to your friends…this Steppe Warrior arrives out of nowhere, and suddenly I feel like an in-the-way guest in the place I have called my home for more than a decade now!”
Silence between us for a moment, as Rene crossed the room to sit across from me.
“I’m old.” He said at last.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he raised a hand, silencing me. “I am old, Hansen….and you are not. I have my suspicions about why you are not, but I am not inclined to voice them….you have been the very best of friend to me, and you have taken Lorraine to heights I had never even dreamed of. The head of an alliance which includes France!” He shook his head in amazement. “You were right, my friend.”
Another moment of silence and then he met my gaze and held it. “I do not want to be remembered as a feeble old man.”
He let those words sink in a moment, and understanding washed over me.
“That unkempt rider from the Golden Horde is the nephew of their Khan, with whom I have been corresponding quietly, and sometimes sporadically with since before your arrival at my court….a fascinating land, and a fascinating people.”
Rene stood and poured himself a drink. “He brought with him maps of the world as they know it, and I’ll take a copy of our maps with me when I depart at first light tomorrow….tell no one where I have gone, save for my son, who will understand. Let the rest think of me as simply vanished, and remember me as I am now….not as I will be some years hence…too feeble to even feed myself.”
“You are a good man, and a great friend, Rene…and Lorraine prospered because of your leadership. We shall miss you, and I most of all.”
He nodded. “And I you, old friend….guide my son….he has what it takes to be a truly great King, but is too rash sometimes for his own good. But with his raw charisma, and your wisdom….there is no limit to what Lorraine can accomplish.”
We talked through the rest of the evening, until the first rays of sunlight began peeking through the morning mist, and the rider from the Steppes appeared at my door as though summoned by the light itself.
The King nodded, and motioned for me to follow while he gathered up a few scant possessions to take with him, and when he was ready, he tossed the Crown of Lorraine to me in an almost casual way, and smiled.
“I guess I won’t be needing that any more.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing, and watched as he and the Steppe Warrior made for the stables, got horses, and then rode down the lane and into the mist.
It was the last time I ever saw my friend Rene, King of Lorraine.
I like to imagine that he and the rider with him made safe to the distant lands of the Golden Horde, where the King lived out the rest of his days having adventures of a kind that most men only dream about.
-=Vel=-
Game Notes - Got the message of Antoine's taking the throne of Lorraine hand-in-hand with the message re: a "diplomatic move" with the Golden Horde (+25 relations with them...which, by the way, *did* allow me to swap maps with them!), and figured I could work it into the story easily enough....
Highlights from Rene’s Rule 1474 - 1507
Reign of 33 years
Often called the “First King” because under his rule, the seeds of empire were planted, Rene is almost universally regarded as a fair-minded and just King. History has glossed over or forgotten the details of how the war with the Palintinat was begun (for which I am grateful), and has distilled that conflict down to one centrally defining point, that it was the army of the Palintinat who invaded Lorraine, and Lorraine’s green, untested army demolished them, and then went on the offensive.
Accomplishments in brief
* Fought and won a war against the Palitinat, tripling the size of his Kingdom (began with just the Province of Lorraine, and ended with Lorraine, Pfalz, and Mainz under Lorraine’s banner).
* Participated (nominally, it should be pointed out) on the winning side of a war against England and her allies.
* Defeated Palitinat Loyalist forces in a rebel uprising shortly after the annexation, and kept order and justice in his newly expanded territories.
* Took command of a Lorraine-led alliance which included France, Savoy, and the Papal States.
* Good economic policy saw Lorraine's economy more than quintuple in size (1.4 ---> 7.4 under Rene's Leadership)
But beyond that….beyond what you read in the text books, he was my friend, and I miss him still. A good king, and a great, true friend.
-=Vel=-
Reign of 33 years
Often called the “First King” because under his rule, the seeds of empire were planted, Rene is almost universally regarded as a fair-minded and just King. History has glossed over or forgotten the details of how the war with the Palintinat was begun (for which I am grateful), and has distilled that conflict down to one centrally defining point, that it was the army of the Palintinat who invaded Lorraine, and Lorraine’s green, untested army demolished them, and then went on the offensive.
Accomplishments in brief
* Fought and won a war against the Palitinat, tripling the size of his Kingdom (began with just the Province of Lorraine, and ended with Lorraine, Pfalz, and Mainz under Lorraine’s banner).
* Participated (nominally, it should be pointed out) on the winning side of a war against England and her allies.
* Defeated Palitinat Loyalist forces in a rebel uprising shortly after the annexation, and kept order and justice in his newly expanded territories.
* Took command of a Lorraine-led alliance which included France, Savoy, and the Papal States.
* Good economic policy saw Lorraine's economy more than quintuple in size (1.4 ---> 7.4 under Rene's Leadership)
But beyond that….beyond what you read in the text books, he was my friend, and I miss him still. A good king, and a great, true friend.
-=Vel=-
Wow the more i see this story, the more I like it. You're a natural writer and it's so easy to read.
Antoine's Early Years
1508 – Antoine Takes the Throne
“This sucks.” The King told me, not long after his coronation.
Okay, so maybe he didn’t use those exact words, but that was precisely the sentiment he was conveying to me, I can assure you.
“What’s that, my King?” I asked him, more than half knowing the answer.
He sighed, and shook his head in frustration. “I’m a military man….my place is at the head of the army of Lorraine smacking our enemies around….but….I can’t do that, because all of our enemies are playing nice with each other….it’s disgusting….peace is breaking out everywhere!”
And he was right….there were wars of course, but all of them distant….no armed incursions anywhere in our theater of operation.
Lorraine’s golden years continued, with Antoine at the head of the nation. We grew and prospered, in peace (much to Antoine’s dismay).
And, since we were in a state of peace with all our neighbors, Antoine threw himself with great vigor and enthusiasm into the study of economics, taking an increasing degree of control over our mercantile assignments, and using them aggressively, chasing out the merchants of our rivals, and increasing our “take” at the various centers of trade we had positions in. We also turned our attention to the promotion of state officials in our territories, to help bring in more tax revenues.
OoO
Economic Summary of Lorraine, 1508 – 1518
1508: 6.9 (Bailiff promoted in Lorraine)
1509: 7.4 (All budgetary efforts to Infrastructure) (Naval Tech 2 – Caravels)
1510: 9.0
1511: 9.9
1512: 10.0 (Bailiff in Mainz)
1513: 9.9
1514: 9.8
1515: 10.0
1516: 9.8
1517: 10.2 Justicar appointed in Lorraine (*First year we EVER had more than 100d in our treasury!)
1518: 10.3
As you can see, it was, by and large, another good ten-year for us, but again, the numbers do not tell the whole of the story, or even, in truth, a goodish part of it....there was quite a lot of activity going on, even while it was relatively quiet, and while Rene's "golden years" were built on a bit of luck with peace, this span of expansion was built in the face of, and often in spite of, numerous internal struggles. That we continued to grow in the face of those troubles is further testiment to the durability of the nation Rene built during his reign.
For example, given the spread of peace, in 1511, we entered into a Royal Marriage with Spain, in order to gain better information on the disposition and movements of their troops. What we saw was not heartening.
Apparently, the Spaniards were taking great pains to keep and expand their territories in the low countries, and there were some fifty thousand Spanish troops in that region, along with their alliance with many of the Germanic states near them (most troubling to my mind was Cologne, who, with the help of a steady influx of Spanish gold, had built up a massive force of some sixty thousand troops!)
“Don’t you worry about them.” Antoine told me conspiratorially.
“If war comes, my King, they will outnumber us by some four to one!” Our army had grown steadily, and was now at a healthy 15,755/0/0, but this was a shadow of the force that Cologne had assembled.
He smiled a confident smile. “Well….we do want to make it sporting, now don’t we?”
He took a leisurely sip of his ale and then set the tankard down. “I have studied the disposition of Spanish and allied forces in the low countries and surrounding lands, and have discovered a vast, gaping hole in their defenses. if war comes….and I don’t mind telling you that I fervently hope it does, we shall route the Spainiards utterly.”
I was dumbstruck, but did not press him with my questions. If he had it figured out, I was satisfied, but in my own looking over the troop dispositions, what I saw was some 30,000 Hessens, 60,000 men of Cologne, and 50,000 Spaniards, to Lorraine’s 15,000 men, and 10,000 of Kleves, with no French armies on the northern border.
If there was a gaping security hole, I was missing it.
So I continued to enjoy the peace.
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
1508 – Antoine Takes the Throne
“This sucks.” The King told me, not long after his coronation.
Okay, so maybe he didn’t use those exact words, but that was precisely the sentiment he was conveying to me, I can assure you.
“What’s that, my King?” I asked him, more than half knowing the answer.
He sighed, and shook his head in frustration. “I’m a military man….my place is at the head of the army of Lorraine smacking our enemies around….but….I can’t do that, because all of our enemies are playing nice with each other….it’s disgusting….peace is breaking out everywhere!”
And he was right….there were wars of course, but all of them distant….no armed incursions anywhere in our theater of operation.
Lorraine’s golden years continued, with Antoine at the head of the nation. We grew and prospered, in peace (much to Antoine’s dismay).
And, since we were in a state of peace with all our neighbors, Antoine threw himself with great vigor and enthusiasm into the study of economics, taking an increasing degree of control over our mercantile assignments, and using them aggressively, chasing out the merchants of our rivals, and increasing our “take” at the various centers of trade we had positions in. We also turned our attention to the promotion of state officials in our territories, to help bring in more tax revenues.
OoO
Economic Summary of Lorraine, 1508 – 1518
1508: 6.9 (Bailiff promoted in Lorraine)
1509: 7.4 (All budgetary efforts to Infrastructure) (Naval Tech 2 – Caravels)
1510: 9.0
1511: 9.9
1512: 10.0 (Bailiff in Mainz)
1513: 9.9
1514: 9.8
1515: 10.0
1516: 9.8
1517: 10.2 Justicar appointed in Lorraine (*First year we EVER had more than 100d in our treasury!)
1518: 10.3
As you can see, it was, by and large, another good ten-year for us, but again, the numbers do not tell the whole of the story, or even, in truth, a goodish part of it....there was quite a lot of activity going on, even while it was relatively quiet, and while Rene's "golden years" were built on a bit of luck with peace, this span of expansion was built in the face of, and often in spite of, numerous internal struggles. That we continued to grow in the face of those troubles is further testiment to the durability of the nation Rene built during his reign.
For example, given the spread of peace, in 1511, we entered into a Royal Marriage with Spain, in order to gain better information on the disposition and movements of their troops. What we saw was not heartening.
Apparently, the Spaniards were taking great pains to keep and expand their territories in the low countries, and there were some fifty thousand Spanish troops in that region, along with their alliance with many of the Germanic states near them (most troubling to my mind was Cologne, who, with the help of a steady influx of Spanish gold, had built up a massive force of some sixty thousand troops!)
“Don’t you worry about them.” Antoine told me conspiratorially.
“If war comes, my King, they will outnumber us by some four to one!” Our army had grown steadily, and was now at a healthy 15,755/0/0, but this was a shadow of the force that Cologne had assembled.
He smiled a confident smile. “Well….we do want to make it sporting, now don’t we?”
He took a leisurely sip of his ale and then set the tankard down. “I have studied the disposition of Spanish and allied forces in the low countries and surrounding lands, and have discovered a vast, gaping hole in their defenses. if war comes….and I don’t mind telling you that I fervently hope it does, we shall route the Spainiards utterly.”
I was dumbstruck, but did not press him with my questions. If he had it figured out, I was satisfied, but in my own looking over the troop dispositions, what I saw was some 30,000 Hessens, 60,000 men of Cologne, and 50,000 Spaniards, to Lorraine’s 15,000 men, and 10,000 of Kleves, with no French armies on the northern border.
If there was a gaping security hole, I was missing it.
So I continued to enjoy the peace.
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
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In 1512, our military received an overhaul, and all troops were issued a new weapon (Early Arquebus – Mil 5). This put our army back more-or-less on par with the armies near us in Europe, and in 1513, we had a bit of a public scare when it became general knowledge that the Spaniards and their friends so dramatically outnumbered our forces in the region. Unrest, unease, and unhappiness about this reached such heights that the Palintinat Loyalists once again took up arms in our northern territories, and many of our most talented artisans and engineers fled the country, fearing a Spanish invasion. It took every ounce of our King’s charm and charisma to woo them back, and a great many assurances that he had a plan to deal with any potential invasion by the Spanish and their allies. (Political crisis, -3 Stability, and half investment in Infrastructure and Trade Lost).
Amidst that turmoil, Antoine also wed, although his bride, Isabella Munoz (of Spanish descent) was perhaps somewhat poorly chosen, given the political crisis of the day, but he apparently married the woman for love, and not for politics, and for that, I respected him.
Later that same year (1513), we once more improve our Infrastructural development, this despite the fact that many of our artisans and engineers were leaving….a further testament to the talents of our King!
In 1514, Hessen declares against the House of Hannover over a slight apparently made during the previous year’s gathering at Anhault, giving the region a bit of a scare as the vast Spanish and allied armies rally behind the Hessens.
The war lasts all of two months, and ends in a humiliating defeat for Hannover, who is forced to pay out huge sums in indemnities to the Hessen King. We watch all these goings on with interest, but do nothing, save for send a quiet letter of condolence to the House of Hannover. The region quickly falls quiet, but there is an angry undercurrent in the air now, and this brash and brazen display of Spanish military might.
And not long after the beat of the war drums dies down, the winds of change blow anew, and a wily priest named Martin Luther sends all of Christiandom into an uproar with his 99-Thesis. Antoine greets the change with a shrug and a yawn, and decrees that although Lorraine has no particular interest in this new religious movement, tolerance should be the order of the day. Truly a man ahead of his time.
And 1515 sees more internal turmoil, with one of our financial ministers (a Frenchman, wouldn’t you know it!) revealed to be thoroughly corrupt, and siphoning off Lorraine’s wealth back to France! (Poor government policies, half of investment lost in infrastructure and trade! ARGH!). And late in the year, we hear distant, but nonetheless troubling rumblings….the far-off Turk has devoured the nation of Georgia in a single bite.
I remember fighting off a shiver when I heard the news….it had begun….as the Order predicted.
OoO
Like his father before him, Antoine had a keen interest in diplomacy (even if he tended to be more interested in dictating the terms with the business-end of his sword)….so when our alliance expired quietly in 1516, he was quick to renew it, once more, with Lorraine at the head of the table, allied with France, Savoy, The Papal States, and tiny Kleves, but our troubles continued in 1518 when, because of the extended period of peace and prosperity, some 5600 of our troops decided they didn’t want to be in an army any longer, and that we apparently didn’t need an army in any case, what with the wide spread outbreak of peace. (Event: Desertion). Truly then, Lorraine’s success during the ten-year were not simply good fortune, but built on the back of failure and trouble.
Nonetheless....we thrived.
-=Vel=-
Amidst that turmoil, Antoine also wed, although his bride, Isabella Munoz (of Spanish descent) was perhaps somewhat poorly chosen, given the political crisis of the day, but he apparently married the woman for love, and not for politics, and for that, I respected him.
Later that same year (1513), we once more improve our Infrastructural development, this despite the fact that many of our artisans and engineers were leaving….a further testament to the talents of our King!
In 1514, Hessen declares against the House of Hannover over a slight apparently made during the previous year’s gathering at Anhault, giving the region a bit of a scare as the vast Spanish and allied armies rally behind the Hessens.
The war lasts all of two months, and ends in a humiliating defeat for Hannover, who is forced to pay out huge sums in indemnities to the Hessen King. We watch all these goings on with interest, but do nothing, save for send a quiet letter of condolence to the House of Hannover. The region quickly falls quiet, but there is an angry undercurrent in the air now, and this brash and brazen display of Spanish military might.
And not long after the beat of the war drums dies down, the winds of change blow anew, and a wily priest named Martin Luther sends all of Christiandom into an uproar with his 99-Thesis. Antoine greets the change with a shrug and a yawn, and decrees that although Lorraine has no particular interest in this new religious movement, tolerance should be the order of the day. Truly a man ahead of his time.
And 1515 sees more internal turmoil, with one of our financial ministers (a Frenchman, wouldn’t you know it!) revealed to be thoroughly corrupt, and siphoning off Lorraine’s wealth back to France! (Poor government policies, half of investment lost in infrastructure and trade! ARGH!). And late in the year, we hear distant, but nonetheless troubling rumblings….the far-off Turk has devoured the nation of Georgia in a single bite.
I remember fighting off a shiver when I heard the news….it had begun….as the Order predicted.
OoO
Like his father before him, Antoine had a keen interest in diplomacy (even if he tended to be more interested in dictating the terms with the business-end of his sword)….so when our alliance expired quietly in 1516, he was quick to renew it, once more, with Lorraine at the head of the table, allied with France, Savoy, The Papal States, and tiny Kleves, but our troubles continued in 1518 when, because of the extended period of peace and prosperity, some 5600 of our troops decided they didn’t want to be in an army any longer, and that we apparently didn’t need an army in any case, what with the wide spread outbreak of peace. (Event: Desertion). Truly then, Lorraine’s success during the ten-year were not simply good fortune, but built on the back of failure and trouble.
Nonetheless....we thrived.
-=Vel=-
January 1530
“Okay…enough with all the peace!” Antoine said to me in disgust. “We finally re-re-built the army, and before anybody abandons ship again, I want to *use* it while I’m still young enough to lead the men into battle! Start me a war, Hansen, before Lorraine withers and dries up….that’s a command from your King.”
And he had a point. Our golden age of peaceful growth seemed to have run its course, and the last ten-year had seen us barely ahead of where we had started out. It had also seen Antoine’s frustration reach near-critical mass. If we wanted to expand further, the time was now, while we had a vigorous leader at the head of the army, and while Lorraine was primed and ready for further growth.
I began pouring over our options.
Ahhh, but I get ahead of myself, for there are some events of note in the ten-year I glossed over, so…everything in turn then. I shall return to tell of my efforts to start a war for Antoine momentarily, but first….to the ten-year I skipped over:
Economic Summary 1519-1529
1519: 10.6
1520: 10.6
1521: 10.6
1522: 9.9 – 3 rebellions! 2x Pfalz, 1x Mainz
1523: 10.9 – Poland devours Teutonic Order
1524: 10.9 – Justicar in Pfalz & 3 Colonists!
1525: 11.0 – Formal surrender of Palitinat Loyalists (revolt risk = 0)
1526: 11.0 – Renew alliance, minus the Papal States
1527: 10.7 – Justicar in Mainz & Military 6 (Early Pistols)
1528: 10.8 – 3k Desertions!
1529: 10.8 – Antoine’s son Charles is born
As you can see, the first part of the ten-year began quietly enough, with modest expansion from 1518 to 1519 (10.3 to 10.6), but then the economy seemed to stabilize at that size…despite our best efforts to promote further growth, we seemed to have gotten as big as we were going to, and in late 1521, the pesky Palitinat Loyalists rose up in force, and rocked our newly rebuilt army (remember that we suffered some 5k desertions, and lost a goodish number of our veterans for it, so the army was once again fleshed out with raw recruits).
Under Antoine’s leadership, the rebellions were swiftly crushed, but it was troubling indeed (not to mention that our economy took a solid hit for it).
The following year, we heard a report that the beleaguered Teutonic Knights were swamped and overrun by mighty Poland, and the following year, as we shopped ‘round for a man suitable to wear the title of Justicar in Pfalz, three groups of colonists arrive in Lorraine, seeking funding from Antoine to head to the new world. Antoine informed them that as soon as we had ports and a map to the new world, he would be most interested in financing them (personally, I think they were bound for Spanish-held Flandres and simply got lost, but I did not voice this to the King).
Finally, in 1525, Antoine forced the surrender of the Palitinat Loyalists, promising pardons to all if they would but surrender. Finally, the danger has ended in our unruly Northern Territories.
A year later, Antoine once again renews our Lorraine-led alliance, but on this occasion, our long-time friends from the Papal States opt out of a Lorraine-led coalition, and cast their lot instead with the Italian city-states, Tuscany, Modena, and Genoa, who form up with the Knights of St. John to crusade against the rising power of The Turk. We wish them well in their future battles!
1527-28 were alternately good and bad for the military, seeing a new military technology advance (6 – Early pistols), but also further desertions as the general level of unhappiness of the folk in our military continued to prove problematic, and not even Antioine’s considerable charm could prevent soldiers from dropping out of the ranks in droves (another random desertion event, this time costing us 3200 troops).
And last, to wrap up the ten year on a brighter note, Antoine’s son Charles was born. Despite the troubles at home, their newborn son fills the whole of the kingdom with joy and a spirit of celebration.
-=Vel=-
“Okay…enough with all the peace!” Antoine said to me in disgust. “We finally re-re-built the army, and before anybody abandons ship again, I want to *use* it while I’m still young enough to lead the men into battle! Start me a war, Hansen, before Lorraine withers and dries up….that’s a command from your King.”
And he had a point. Our golden age of peaceful growth seemed to have run its course, and the last ten-year had seen us barely ahead of where we had started out. It had also seen Antoine’s frustration reach near-critical mass. If we wanted to expand further, the time was now, while we had a vigorous leader at the head of the army, and while Lorraine was primed and ready for further growth.
I began pouring over our options.
Ahhh, but I get ahead of myself, for there are some events of note in the ten-year I glossed over, so…everything in turn then. I shall return to tell of my efforts to start a war for Antoine momentarily, but first….to the ten-year I skipped over:
Economic Summary 1519-1529
1519: 10.6
1520: 10.6
1521: 10.6
1522: 9.9 – 3 rebellions! 2x Pfalz, 1x Mainz
1523: 10.9 – Poland devours Teutonic Order
1524: 10.9 – Justicar in Pfalz & 3 Colonists!
1525: 11.0 – Formal surrender of Palitinat Loyalists (revolt risk = 0)
1526: 11.0 – Renew alliance, minus the Papal States
1527: 10.7 – Justicar in Mainz & Military 6 (Early Pistols)
1528: 10.8 – 3k Desertions!
1529: 10.8 – Antoine’s son Charles is born
As you can see, the first part of the ten-year began quietly enough, with modest expansion from 1518 to 1519 (10.3 to 10.6), but then the economy seemed to stabilize at that size…despite our best efforts to promote further growth, we seemed to have gotten as big as we were going to, and in late 1521, the pesky Palitinat Loyalists rose up in force, and rocked our newly rebuilt army (remember that we suffered some 5k desertions, and lost a goodish number of our veterans for it, so the army was once again fleshed out with raw recruits).
Under Antoine’s leadership, the rebellions were swiftly crushed, but it was troubling indeed (not to mention that our economy took a solid hit for it).
The following year, we heard a report that the beleaguered Teutonic Knights were swamped and overrun by mighty Poland, and the following year, as we shopped ‘round for a man suitable to wear the title of Justicar in Pfalz, three groups of colonists arrive in Lorraine, seeking funding from Antoine to head to the new world. Antoine informed them that as soon as we had ports and a map to the new world, he would be most interested in financing them (personally, I think they were bound for Spanish-held Flandres and simply got lost, but I did not voice this to the King).
Finally, in 1525, Antoine forced the surrender of the Palitinat Loyalists, promising pardons to all if they would but surrender. Finally, the danger has ended in our unruly Northern Territories.
A year later, Antoine once again renews our Lorraine-led alliance, but on this occasion, our long-time friends from the Papal States opt out of a Lorraine-led coalition, and cast their lot instead with the Italian city-states, Tuscany, Modena, and Genoa, who form up with the Knights of St. John to crusade against the rising power of The Turk. We wish them well in their future battles!
1527-28 were alternately good and bad for the military, seeing a new military technology advance (6 – Early pistols), but also further desertions as the general level of unhappiness of the folk in our military continued to prove problematic, and not even Antioine’s considerable charm could prevent soldiers from dropping out of the ranks in droves (another random desertion event, this time costing us 3200 troops).
And last, to wrap up the ten year on a brighter note, Antoine’s son Charles was born. Despite the troubles at home, their newborn son fills the whole of the kingdom with joy and a spirit of celebration.
-=Vel=-
March 1530
“Tago…I like it!” Antoine said with gusto. “Portugal is allied to England, and both are strong naval powers. Lorraine being land locked, a war with Portugal would be the perfect way to shake things up, while minimizing risk to hearth and home.”
I beamed, glad that he was happy with my choice of targets, and then set about my work making it happen.
It took time and persistence, but Portugal was very protective over her market share in Tago, and over the course of the next two years, we ran everybody out of business, and monopolized all the trade there.
Their reaction was understandable (trade embargo vs. Lorraine), but it gave the King what he had asked for….a valid reason to go to war.
The winds of change had suddenly kicked up again, and were blowing strongly…whether or not they blew in Lorraine’s favor remained to be seen, but the nation was about to roll the dice again, and take a bold gamble on her future….
Edit: And lest I forget the most crucial bit of news in this timeframe, in mid 1531, while attempting to get a war started to shake off this dreadful peace that had settled across Europe, Lorraine got Naval Tech 4 - Metal cannon balls! WhoooHoooo!
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
“Tago…I like it!” Antoine said with gusto. “Portugal is allied to England, and both are strong naval powers. Lorraine being land locked, a war with Portugal would be the perfect way to shake things up, while minimizing risk to hearth and home.”
I beamed, glad that he was happy with my choice of targets, and then set about my work making it happen.
It took time and persistence, but Portugal was very protective over her market share in Tago, and over the course of the next two years, we ran everybody out of business, and monopolized all the trade there.
Their reaction was understandable (trade embargo vs. Lorraine), but it gave the King what he had asked for….a valid reason to go to war.
The winds of change had suddenly kicked up again, and were blowing strongly…whether or not they blew in Lorraine’s favor remained to be seen, but the nation was about to roll the dice again, and take a bold gamble on her future….
Edit: And lest I forget the most crucial bit of news in this timeframe, in mid 1531, while attempting to get a war started to shake off this dreadful peace that had settled across Europe, Lorraine got Naval Tech 4 - Metal cannon balls! WhoooHoooo!
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
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April 1532
“Lift the trade embargo at once!” Antoine barked at the Ambassador from Portugal, who blanched in the face of our King’s rage. “Our tradesmen have done nothing wrong, and if your own merchants cannot compete honestly, then perhaps they ought not be in that business!”
“When last I checked, Princeling,” The Ambassador said when he had recovered from Antoine’s attack, “The King of Lorraine did *not* run the affairs of state in Portugal….you would do well to remember that, and not meddle in our affairs, which we shall run as we see fit.”
“Then we have no choice….to protect our mercantile interests abroad, we will go to war if needs be.”
The Ambassador scoffed. “With the mighty fleet of Lorraine? Good luck, lordling.”
War it would be.
OoO
On April fifth of 1532, King Antoine declared a state of war against distant Portugal, and rallied the alliance members to his banner. All of them accepted the surprising declaration, save for Kleves.
“I will not participate in this absurd adventure.” The Duke of Cleves chided.
The Short War
On April sixth, Antoine declared war on Kleves for breech of the alliance, and this time, he did not call on our allies for assistance, instead, marching his 15,432 troops on Kleves himself. The Grand Duke waited in Kleves with his army of 10,000 and taunted Antoine to do his level best.
In May, the two armies clashed, with Antoine inflicting some 3,000 casualties on the army of Kleves while taking a scant 500-odd, but amazingly, he was driven off. He retreated back to Pfalz, with the Grand Duke of Kleves in pursuit, and recruitment occurring in Kleves itself.
In June, the armies clashed again, and again, Kleves took the worst of it, losing another 1500 to Antoine’s 500-odd, and the army of Kleves was forced off, with Antoine again driving for the Dutchy.
In July, the army of Kleves was reduced to some 3000 souls (Antoine’s force still having some 12,000 soldiers in it), and a brutal assault on the lightly fortified walls of Kleves commenced.
The new recruits training in Kleves attempted to turn the tide, but it was too little, too late, and in early September, Antoine had control of the small keep in Kleves, and had the Grand Duke under his thumb.
“Your lands are forfeit to Lorraine for your disloyalty to the alliance.” He told him simply, before banishing him to a small country estate.
And with that, the Kingdom of Lorraine grew again….as did the army. At the start of the war with Kleves, Lorraine’s army contained just over fifteen thousand Infantry. At the conclusion of the battle, the Army of Lorraine contained 16,147/0/8, and Antoine became the first military commander in history to end a battle with a larger army than he began with.
As to the war with Portugal, we did nothing at all. The French seemed happy to press our claim for us, and we were only too happy to let them. The French won two naval battles, one against the English, and one against the Portugese, landed a largish force in Oporto, and eventually sued for peace, gaining that province! For our part, Lorraine simply sat back and let the war quietly expire (36 months – white peace). We had what we wanted….we had tested our long-standing alliance, rooted out the weak link, expanded the Kingdom, and stirred things up in Europe. And what we had discovered was that beneath the veneer of peace, the undercurrents of tension still ran strong and deep….they had just been resting…biding their time for some small spark to set them off again.
Little did we know it then, but our “war” with Portugal, and subsequent annexation of tiny Kleves, provided that spark, and would soon put us at the center of a much larger, much more threatening conflict. One that would cost us dearly.
-=Vel=-
“Lift the trade embargo at once!” Antoine barked at the Ambassador from Portugal, who blanched in the face of our King’s rage. “Our tradesmen have done nothing wrong, and if your own merchants cannot compete honestly, then perhaps they ought not be in that business!”
“When last I checked, Princeling,” The Ambassador said when he had recovered from Antoine’s attack, “The King of Lorraine did *not* run the affairs of state in Portugal….you would do well to remember that, and not meddle in our affairs, which we shall run as we see fit.”
“Then we have no choice….to protect our mercantile interests abroad, we will go to war if needs be.”
The Ambassador scoffed. “With the mighty fleet of Lorraine? Good luck, lordling.”
War it would be.
OoO
On April fifth of 1532, King Antoine declared a state of war against distant Portugal, and rallied the alliance members to his banner. All of them accepted the surprising declaration, save for Kleves.
“I will not participate in this absurd adventure.” The Duke of Cleves chided.
The Short War
On April sixth, Antoine declared war on Kleves for breech of the alliance, and this time, he did not call on our allies for assistance, instead, marching his 15,432 troops on Kleves himself. The Grand Duke waited in Kleves with his army of 10,000 and taunted Antoine to do his level best.
In May, the two armies clashed, with Antoine inflicting some 3,000 casualties on the army of Kleves while taking a scant 500-odd, but amazingly, he was driven off. He retreated back to Pfalz, with the Grand Duke of Kleves in pursuit, and recruitment occurring in Kleves itself.
In June, the armies clashed again, and again, Kleves took the worst of it, losing another 1500 to Antoine’s 500-odd, and the army of Kleves was forced off, with Antoine again driving for the Dutchy.
In July, the army of Kleves was reduced to some 3000 souls (Antoine’s force still having some 12,000 soldiers in it), and a brutal assault on the lightly fortified walls of Kleves commenced.
The new recruits training in Kleves attempted to turn the tide, but it was too little, too late, and in early September, Antoine had control of the small keep in Kleves, and had the Grand Duke under his thumb.
“Your lands are forfeit to Lorraine for your disloyalty to the alliance.” He told him simply, before banishing him to a small country estate.
And with that, the Kingdom of Lorraine grew again….as did the army. At the start of the war with Kleves, Lorraine’s army contained just over fifteen thousand Infantry. At the conclusion of the battle, the Army of Lorraine contained 16,147/0/8, and Antoine became the first military commander in history to end a battle with a larger army than he began with.
As to the war with Portugal, we did nothing at all. The French seemed happy to press our claim for us, and we were only too happy to let them. The French won two naval battles, one against the English, and one against the Portugese, landed a largish force in Oporto, and eventually sued for peace, gaining that province! For our part, Lorraine simply sat back and let the war quietly expire (36 months – white peace). We had what we wanted….we had tested our long-standing alliance, rooted out the weak link, expanded the Kingdom, and stirred things up in Europe. And what we had discovered was that beneath the veneer of peace, the undercurrents of tension still ran strong and deep….they had just been resting…biding their time for some small spark to set them off again.
Little did we know it then, but our “war” with Portugal, and subsequent annexation of tiny Kleves, provided that spark, and would soon put us at the center of a much larger, much more threatening conflict. One that would cost us dearly.
-=Vel=-
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It becomes clear why people made such a steer about the L.orraine aar. You simple are an excellent writer.
I am looking forward to more.
I am looking forward to more.
Stirring the pot....
The pot hath been well and duly stirred….
Our amusing little war (which actually grew both our army and the size of our country) seems to have stirred Europe out of its peacemongering stupor and a flurry of activity would follow in the wake of Lorraine’s unexpected (“quirky” as I heard a French diplomat describe it) behavior, but not before another group of lost colonists would wander into the court of Lorraine in June of 1533, seeking funding for their adventures abroad (not bad! Six colonists, and nowhere to send them!).
Following that, we see a wave of Protestant fever grip Europe, with England and Sweden leading the charge and fully embracing this new religion. Overnight, old alliances that had been taken for granted are disintegrated, and the balance of power in Europe is suddenly in a state of flux.
Spain and Poland and their various allies declare against The Turk early in 1534, and much of Europe seems united against the Turkish tide, with the Knights of St. John and their allies (expanded now, to also include Venice) leaping headlong into that fight as well. With so many powerful European nations lined up to fight the fearsome Turk, surely his armies will not stand. We wish our friends in Europe (and even the Spaniards) well in their crusade, and continue about our business.
Alas, in 1535, grim news reaches the court of Lorraine, and suddenly the Turkish menace is much, MUCH closer, as the Mighty Turk annexes the Papal States and Milan (an ally of Spain), and part of Naples! The Turk controls fully half of Italy, and his seemingly invincible armies are suddenly sitting in our neighborhood! This news electrifies and terrifies the population of our tiny nation, and all are abuzz….surely we must set aside our regional differences and unite against this grave threat, and yet…what can we do? Lorraine’s army is good enough for our limited purposes, but with the armies of Poland and Spain in full retreat, what could Lorraine possibly bring to that fight?
It is a time of fear and uncertainty, and suddenly, Lorraine’s relative insignificance is driven home all too clearly. More than forty years of careful work have thus far gone into turning Lorraine into an empire, and we are but a speck on the wall compared to the likes of the Turk and those who do battle against him.
Suddenly, I am filled with despair. Some mastermind of Empire I am….the entire army of Lorraine wouldn’t even raise the Turk’s eyebrows in amusement, and if he continued his march northward, he would undo every bit of my careful work and have us all speaking Turkish…or whatever language it is that they speak in that far off land.
In 1536, the world takes a continued turn to madness, as Brandenburg makes the switch to Protestantism, breaking the alliance they had formed with Hannover, and the Hansa league…suddenly that nations finds itself at war with both, and in very short order, it wins (Annexing the House of Hannover entirely, and stealing Bremen away from Hansa). One thing can be well and truly said…the Brandenburgers can *fight*! This is, however, somewhat troubling, as now it appears that there’s another rising star among the German minors, and Brandenburg is every bit as large as Lorraine, and with a significantly larger army to boot. Worse, they’re none too fond of us (-130). Could be a problem on the horizon, and I make a careful note of it.
But there’s more! Barely had the standard of Brandenburg been placed in Bremen than the Mighty Turk, appeared out of nowhere, sailing ‘round the Iberian peninsula and landing in force in Bremen, capturing the province and forcing it from the House of Branden! This sent a new wave of Turkish fear through the whole of tiny Lorraine, and all eyes looked to the King. Should we get our allies involved in this fight, or ride it out?
The debate raged, both behind the closed doors in the Palace of Lorraine, and in just about every tavern in Lorraine, France, and Savoy.
What to do?
What to do indeed? The world suddenly seemed to be a swirling pit of chaos, and I was reluctant to council the King to engage the Turk, though he would have leapt gleefully into that fight at the first suggestion of it. Still, if the Turk was not stopped…how far might he advance? Already he was in control of much of Italy, and now in northern Europe as well? Madness.
We kept our heads down and continued growing our kingdom, fending off the occasional rebellious uprising, and making Lorraine strong (well….strong being a relative term, of course…strong for us….not strong in terms of the likes of the Turk…), culminating in a massive investment in both trade and infrastructure research (Good Government Policies +1000d to each!).
And as we watched the world erupt into flames around us, we had no idea how quickly, nor how harshly those flames would turn in our direction, fully testing the mettle of our tiny nation.
I should have seen it, curse my soul! With storms erupting throughout the known world, I should have seen the storm coming for Lorraine.
Much to my regret, I did not.
OoO
Financial Summary for the period 1530-1539
1530: 10.8
1531: 11.6
1532: 11.7 (Kleves annexed)
1533: 11.7
1534: 12.4
1535: 12.6
1536: 13.1
1537: 13.1 (Good Gov. Policies!)
1538: 13.0
1539: 13.0
-=Vel=-
The pot hath been well and duly stirred….
Our amusing little war (which actually grew both our army and the size of our country) seems to have stirred Europe out of its peacemongering stupor and a flurry of activity would follow in the wake of Lorraine’s unexpected (“quirky” as I heard a French diplomat describe it) behavior, but not before another group of lost colonists would wander into the court of Lorraine in June of 1533, seeking funding for their adventures abroad (not bad! Six colonists, and nowhere to send them!).
Following that, we see a wave of Protestant fever grip Europe, with England and Sweden leading the charge and fully embracing this new religion. Overnight, old alliances that had been taken for granted are disintegrated, and the balance of power in Europe is suddenly in a state of flux.
Spain and Poland and their various allies declare against The Turk early in 1534, and much of Europe seems united against the Turkish tide, with the Knights of St. John and their allies (expanded now, to also include Venice) leaping headlong into that fight as well. With so many powerful European nations lined up to fight the fearsome Turk, surely his armies will not stand. We wish our friends in Europe (and even the Spaniards) well in their crusade, and continue about our business.
Alas, in 1535, grim news reaches the court of Lorraine, and suddenly the Turkish menace is much, MUCH closer, as the Mighty Turk annexes the Papal States and Milan (an ally of Spain), and part of Naples! The Turk controls fully half of Italy, and his seemingly invincible armies are suddenly sitting in our neighborhood! This news electrifies and terrifies the population of our tiny nation, and all are abuzz….surely we must set aside our regional differences and unite against this grave threat, and yet…what can we do? Lorraine’s army is good enough for our limited purposes, but with the armies of Poland and Spain in full retreat, what could Lorraine possibly bring to that fight?
It is a time of fear and uncertainty, and suddenly, Lorraine’s relative insignificance is driven home all too clearly. More than forty years of careful work have thus far gone into turning Lorraine into an empire, and we are but a speck on the wall compared to the likes of the Turk and those who do battle against him.
Suddenly, I am filled with despair. Some mastermind of Empire I am….the entire army of Lorraine wouldn’t even raise the Turk’s eyebrows in amusement, and if he continued his march northward, he would undo every bit of my careful work and have us all speaking Turkish…or whatever language it is that they speak in that far off land.
In 1536, the world takes a continued turn to madness, as Brandenburg makes the switch to Protestantism, breaking the alliance they had formed with Hannover, and the Hansa league…suddenly that nations finds itself at war with both, and in very short order, it wins (Annexing the House of Hannover entirely, and stealing Bremen away from Hansa). One thing can be well and truly said…the Brandenburgers can *fight*! This is, however, somewhat troubling, as now it appears that there’s another rising star among the German minors, and Brandenburg is every bit as large as Lorraine, and with a significantly larger army to boot. Worse, they’re none too fond of us (-130). Could be a problem on the horizon, and I make a careful note of it.
But there’s more! Barely had the standard of Brandenburg been placed in Bremen than the Mighty Turk, appeared out of nowhere, sailing ‘round the Iberian peninsula and landing in force in Bremen, capturing the province and forcing it from the House of Branden! This sent a new wave of Turkish fear through the whole of tiny Lorraine, and all eyes looked to the King. Should we get our allies involved in this fight, or ride it out?
The debate raged, both behind the closed doors in the Palace of Lorraine, and in just about every tavern in Lorraine, France, and Savoy.
What to do?
What to do indeed? The world suddenly seemed to be a swirling pit of chaos, and I was reluctant to council the King to engage the Turk, though he would have leapt gleefully into that fight at the first suggestion of it. Still, if the Turk was not stopped…how far might he advance? Already he was in control of much of Italy, and now in northern Europe as well? Madness.
We kept our heads down and continued growing our kingdom, fending off the occasional rebellious uprising, and making Lorraine strong (well….strong being a relative term, of course…strong for us….not strong in terms of the likes of the Turk…), culminating in a massive investment in both trade and infrastructure research (Good Government Policies +1000d to each!).
And as we watched the world erupt into flames around us, we had no idea how quickly, nor how harshly those flames would turn in our direction, fully testing the mettle of our tiny nation.
I should have seen it, curse my soul! With storms erupting throughout the known world, I should have seen the storm coming for Lorraine.
Much to my regret, I did not.
OoO
Financial Summary for the period 1530-1539
1530: 10.8
1531: 11.6
1532: 11.7 (Kleves annexed)
1533: 11.7
1534: 12.4
1535: 12.6
1536: 13.1
1537: 13.1 (Good Gov. Policies!)
1538: 13.0
1539: 13.0
-=Vel=-
Good Lord !!!!!! That's the furthest I've ever seen Turkey advance! In all my games, all it ever gets is Greece and North Africa. Wow!
!!!!!! That's the furthest I've ever seen Turkey advance! In all my games, all it ever gets is Greece and North Africa. Wow!
That's what I was thinking too! I think what really did it was, believe it or not, my taking the lead position in the alliance with France. Doing that seems to have short circuted the normally frequent French-Spanish warring (their relations actually got as high as +35!), and further, Bohemia's breakaway stance from Austria (probably as a response to counterbalance my early aggression against the German minors). This left Austria and Hungary pretty much alone against the Turk, and they just got hammered.
Once the Turk had seen some gains in Europe against Austria and Hungary (sending Austria into Spain's arms, and Hungary into Poland's), and having eaten a few of their neighbors, they *really* came on strong, and were just MONSTEROUS. It took years, and the combined might of all the major players in Europe to stem the tide, but more on that later....
-=Vel=-
Once the Turk had seen some gains in Europe against Austria and Hungary (sending Austria into Spain's arms, and Hungary into Poland's), and having eaten a few of their neighbors, they *really* came on strong, and were just MONSTEROUS. It took years, and the combined might of all the major players in Europe to stem the tide, but more on that later....
-=Vel=-
If Turkey isn't a major, you should just watch alliances and relations and keep pulling more guys into your alliance. Then, when practically all of Europe is with you, DoW and annex them. Or, you could always just ally with them (hopefully not )
)
The storm breaks over Lorraine!
Escalating Madness
In mid 1539, the Spaniards sue for peace with the mighty Turk (their armies are shattered and on the run), only to have Eire declare against them (The Turk) in early ’40. Spain honors their alliance with the tiny island nation it has taken under its wing, and is once more dragged into the fray.
This turn of events inspires the alliance of Denmark and Sweden to do some Turk-bashing, which in turn, bring Persia and her allies into the fray against Turkey, opening up the war on a new front.
By 1541, it feels as though the whole world is on fire. War raging all around us, with everyone up in arms (well, everyone save for our alliance) attempting to stem the rising tide of the unbeatable Turk, and now, fires burn unchecked and uncontrolled in the Spanish-held low countries.
Some years earlier, I had heard of a plot brewing in that area to give birth to a new nation, but dismissed it as rumor and supposition. That is the way of the Illuminatus. In general, the plots you hear about (unless you’re privy to them) are the ones that are a smoke screen for all the ones you *don’t* hear about…but of course, that rule has to be broken just often enough to add confusion to what we do.
This looked to be one of those times, for suddenly the fifty thousand Spaniards had their hands full with the task of simply maintaining order in their territories. That singular event effectively paralyzed much of Spanish power in our immediate vicinity.
I sensed….something in the air then, but did not guess what it was.
OoO
Critical Mass
We rode the tiger as long as we could.
We bided our time quietly for as long as we were allowed to do so, but in the end, the insanity breaking around us came home to Lorraine, and sucked us into the maelstrom.
In early 1543, the unstoppable Turk vanquished Venice, devouring that nation entire, and stormed through the great city and into Tyrol, stripping it from Austria, and effectively putting them out of the fight.
Having the Turk so close to our neck of the wood sent the German minors into an uproar, and a special session of the German Confederation was called at Anhault, where frantic cries for unity against the menace went out all around.
Of course, this led to the question of who would be first in that alliance, with Lorraine and Brandenburg being fronted as the logical choices, since we were the largest of the minors, but this of course led to a complete (and violent) breakdown in the discussions, and at the end of the week-long council, everyone went home embittered.
OoO
A storm was coming.
I could feel it, but did not yet know what form it would take.
The council meeting in Anhault had been a complete, devastating failure. There would be no unity among the Germanic States. Still fractured and bitterly suspicious of each other as ever, and this, despite the grave threat that The Turk represented.
There was a dangerous current in the air…pulsating. You could feel it in everything. See hints of it everywhere.
And yet…what did it mean?
Truly, if ever there was a time ripe for the creation of a new empire, this was it! But the climate was so unstable and deadly that one misstep could spell doom for any who tried to rise up against the surging chaos.
We had to tread carefully. There could be no mistakes.
I watched for signs....and waited.
I did not have to wait long.
October 4th, 1543
In a bid to become Master of the Germanic states, The House of Hesse declares war against Lorraine, rallying her allies ‘round her (most significantly Spain, Austria, and Cologne), all of whom honor their obligations.
The King is cool as ice when he hears the news.
“Time to put the alliance to a real test.” He told me simply.
I found myself hoping he was right about the “hole” in Spanish security in the region, for Cologne’s 60,000 man army was looming large in my mind.
We would know soon enough.
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
Escalating Madness
In mid 1539, the Spaniards sue for peace with the mighty Turk (their armies are shattered and on the run), only to have Eire declare against them (The Turk) in early ’40. Spain honors their alliance with the tiny island nation it has taken under its wing, and is once more dragged into the fray.
This turn of events inspires the alliance of Denmark and Sweden to do some Turk-bashing, which in turn, bring Persia and her allies into the fray against Turkey, opening up the war on a new front.
By 1541, it feels as though the whole world is on fire. War raging all around us, with everyone up in arms (well, everyone save for our alliance) attempting to stem the rising tide of the unbeatable Turk, and now, fires burn unchecked and uncontrolled in the Spanish-held low countries.
Some years earlier, I had heard of a plot brewing in that area to give birth to a new nation, but dismissed it as rumor and supposition. That is the way of the Illuminatus. In general, the plots you hear about (unless you’re privy to them) are the ones that are a smoke screen for all the ones you *don’t* hear about…but of course, that rule has to be broken just often enough to add confusion to what we do.
This looked to be one of those times, for suddenly the fifty thousand Spaniards had their hands full with the task of simply maintaining order in their territories. That singular event effectively paralyzed much of Spanish power in our immediate vicinity.
I sensed….something in the air then, but did not guess what it was.
OoO
Critical Mass
We rode the tiger as long as we could.
We bided our time quietly for as long as we were allowed to do so, but in the end, the insanity breaking around us came home to Lorraine, and sucked us into the maelstrom.
In early 1543, the unstoppable Turk vanquished Venice, devouring that nation entire, and stormed through the great city and into Tyrol, stripping it from Austria, and effectively putting them out of the fight.
Having the Turk so close to our neck of the wood sent the German minors into an uproar, and a special session of the German Confederation was called at Anhault, where frantic cries for unity against the menace went out all around.
Of course, this led to the question of who would be first in that alliance, with Lorraine and Brandenburg being fronted as the logical choices, since we were the largest of the minors, but this of course led to a complete (and violent) breakdown in the discussions, and at the end of the week-long council, everyone went home embittered.
OoO
A storm was coming.
I could feel it, but did not yet know what form it would take.
The council meeting in Anhault had been a complete, devastating failure. There would be no unity among the Germanic States. Still fractured and bitterly suspicious of each other as ever, and this, despite the grave threat that The Turk represented.
There was a dangerous current in the air…pulsating. You could feel it in everything. See hints of it everywhere.
And yet…what did it mean?
Truly, if ever there was a time ripe for the creation of a new empire, this was it! But the climate was so unstable and deadly that one misstep could spell doom for any who tried to rise up against the surging chaos.
We had to tread carefully. There could be no mistakes.
I watched for signs....and waited.
I did not have to wait long.
October 4th, 1543
In a bid to become Master of the Germanic states, The House of Hesse declares war against Lorraine, rallying her allies ‘round her (most significantly Spain, Austria, and Cologne), all of whom honor their obligations.
The King is cool as ice when he hears the news.
“Time to put the alliance to a real test.” He told me simply.
I found myself hoping he was right about the “hole” in Spanish security in the region, for Cologne’s 60,000 man army was looming large in my mind.
We would know soon enough.
(to be continued)
-=Vel=-
Very strong Turk indeed!
I often see the Turk devouring Hungary, Venice and strips of Austria. Ususally Vienna gets an uninvited visit. And of course Turkey annexes its North African neighbours. And of course Turkey, as part of some anti Spanish war, gets a small territory elsewhere. And of course most of East Africa is covered with Ottoman trding posts.
But this sounds unusual indeed.
I often see the Turk devouring Hungary, Venice and strips of Austria. Ususally Vienna gets an uninvited visit. And of course Turkey annexes its North African neighbours. And of course Turkey, as part of some anti Spanish war, gets a small territory elsewhere. And of course most of East Africa is covered with Ottoman trding posts.
But this sounds unusual indeed.
King Antoine, wearing the Crown of Lorraine and full battle armor looked larger-than-life and more powerful than God himself as he sat on his Roan at the head of the Army of Lorraine.
Facing his men…all eyes on him, unblinking. Trusting. Believing absolutely that their King….this King could take them anywhere they could dream to go.
I prayed they were right.
“In a few short moments, we ride into battle against our enemies.” He began. “It is no secret that the Hessens and their allies in the low countries outnumber our forces by nearly ten to one….there are some who might be given pause at those statistics….there are some who might believe that this war can have only one outcome.”
The pause was almost more than any could bear.
“But I believe that the Hessens and their allies did not bring enough men to the battle! We will sweep them from the field, they will not stand against us, and today….this day, we give birth to the Empire of Lorraine!”
The cheer that rose up from our army was loud enough to crack open the heavens, and I found myself believing that somehow….in some way I had not yet seen, our King would be victorious and do just as he had said.
“To battle!”
And the Army of Lorraine marched.
OoO
Immediately after the declaration of war, the Spaniards began marching south from the Low Countries, but at every turn, they were mired in the provinces by waves of rebellion.
The Hessens had initially sought to gather their forces in Hesse (7k marching from Munster to link up with 25k in Hessen), and then strike south to Lorraine, but when they saw the difficulty their Spanish allies were having in even getting out of their provinces, they changed their plans, marching first to the Low Countries to help the Spaniards put down the latest waves of rebellions, and then, the thinking went, the whole Spanish-Hessen host would roll out of the low countries and flatten tiny Lorraine.
Cologne’s vast army was sent into France to keep the French busy while the Spanish and Hessens dealt with the rebellious low countries, leaving Lorraine with a bit of breathing room in the immediacy.
As if summoned by the guns of war, a longtime friend of Antoine’s, and classmate at the University of Paris where he had studied appeared in Lorraine in her time of crisis and offered his services, and those of the men he led, to our cause (Explorer and 1000 men in Lorraine – Glockengeiser). Suddenly Lorraine had *two* commanders of note in her armies! (erm…well, army….we still lacked the manpower to field two forces, so I felt that his arrival was somewhat untimely, but the thousand men was surely appreciated, even if I lost the colonist that came with him—already had six from previous “rush of colonists” events.
I spend what scant money we have and begin recruiting 2,000 Infantry in Lorraine, with an eye toward recruiting more come the first of the year (and also, stopping all state-funded research come January, and hoarding cash for the war effort). At that point, it was still unclear what ace Antoine had up his sleeves, but I was trying to make the best of what I saw as an utterly unwinnable hand.
The King proved my pessimism wrong, I’m happy to say.
But oh the bitter price.
OoO
Facing his men…all eyes on him, unblinking. Trusting. Believing absolutely that their King….this King could take them anywhere they could dream to go.
I prayed they were right.
“In a few short moments, we ride into battle against our enemies.” He began. “It is no secret that the Hessens and their allies in the low countries outnumber our forces by nearly ten to one….there are some who might be given pause at those statistics….there are some who might believe that this war can have only one outcome.”
The pause was almost more than any could bear.
“But I believe that the Hessens and their allies did not bring enough men to the battle! We will sweep them from the field, they will not stand against us, and today….this day, we give birth to the Empire of Lorraine!”
The cheer that rose up from our army was loud enough to crack open the heavens, and I found myself believing that somehow….in some way I had not yet seen, our King would be victorious and do just as he had said.
“To battle!”
And the Army of Lorraine marched.
OoO
Immediately after the declaration of war, the Spaniards began marching south from the Low Countries, but at every turn, they were mired in the provinces by waves of rebellion.
The Hessens had initially sought to gather their forces in Hesse (7k marching from Munster to link up with 25k in Hessen), and then strike south to Lorraine, but when they saw the difficulty their Spanish allies were having in even getting out of their provinces, they changed their plans, marching first to the Low Countries to help the Spaniards put down the latest waves of rebellions, and then, the thinking went, the whole Spanish-Hessen host would roll out of the low countries and flatten tiny Lorraine.
Cologne’s vast army was sent into France to keep the French busy while the Spanish and Hessens dealt with the rebellious low countries, leaving Lorraine with a bit of breathing room in the immediacy.
As if summoned by the guns of war, a longtime friend of Antoine’s, and classmate at the University of Paris where he had studied appeared in Lorraine in her time of crisis and offered his services, and those of the men he led, to our cause (Explorer and 1000 men in Lorraine – Glockengeiser). Suddenly Lorraine had *two* commanders of note in her armies! (erm…well, army….we still lacked the manpower to field two forces, so I felt that his arrival was somewhat untimely, but the thousand men was surely appreciated, even if I lost the colonist that came with him—already had six from previous “rush of colonists” events.
I spend what scant money we have and begin recruiting 2,000 Infantry in Lorraine, with an eye toward recruiting more come the first of the year (and also, stopping all state-funded research come January, and hoarding cash for the war effort). At that point, it was still unclear what ace Antoine had up his sleeves, but I was trying to make the best of what I saw as an utterly unwinnable hand.
The King proved my pessimism wrong, I’m happy to say.
But oh the bitter price.
OoO
Late October, 1543
As soon as it becomes clear where the army of Cologne is bound for, Antoine drives his army straight for minimally fortified Cologne, arriving scant days after Cologne’s army arrives in Lux.
The King lays in an immediate siege of the Duke’s Keep, losing less than three hundred of his army before the walls are breeched and the Army of Lorraine is in firm control.
OoO
I was there at the battle…one of the few times I actually went afield with the army of Lorraine, but I could not resist. I had to not only see the King in action, but bear witness with my own unbelieving eyes to whatever magic the King would work to level the playing field against our enemies.
I watched the Army of Lorraine breech the lightly held walls of the Duke of Cologne’s smallish Castle….watched Antoine stride up the steps and into the Throne Room, to find a shocked Grand Duke gaping open-mouthed at the unexpected turn of events, and watched as our Warrior-King drew his twin cutlasses from their sheaths, placing one on each side of the Grand Duke’s neck.
“I do not want to kill you.” He told an aging Johan. “But I need an oath of loyalty from you, and I need your army so I can go play a few rounds of ‘Spank-the-Spaniard’ and show them that none of the German states are their lackeys or lapdogs.”
A slow, almost conspiratorial smile broke across Johan’s face, and in that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay.
OoO
The moment Lorraine’s army arrived in Cologne, the Army of Cologne did an about-face (breaking off from a battle it had just begun with some 18k Frenchmen in Lux), to return home in an effort to break Lorraine’s siege.
They were not in time.
OoO
As the Army of Cologne approached, the Men of Lorraine fled into the Keep of Cologne and sealed the hastily repaired main gate. The army commander was aghast. The “army” of Lorraine was little more than bottom-feeding scum led by a brighter-than-average, low-rent, make-believe ‘King.’ It was an affront that the men of Cologne had to even breathe the same air as the dogs of Lorraine, but that their toy army actually had the gall to….
The Grand Duke and Lorraine’s King came out of the Palace side by side, and strode up to the battlements of the main gate.
Once there, the Grand Duke faced his army and spread his hands wide.
“My brave, loyal soldiers…today we enter a new era! Today we bind ourselves and our future with the Kingdom of Lorraine, pledging ourselves and our talents to their service!”
No! It could not be! An oath of loyalty spoken by the Grand Duke of Cologne to the Jackal of Lorraine?!
Unthinkable!
From the ranks of Cologne’s faithful, a single arrow flew.
It’s aim was true, and it found its mark, biting deep into the chest of the King of Lorraine, who looked first surprised, and then defiant, before toppling off of the wall.
OoO
From the highest high, to the lowest low, all in the span of a few seconds.
To watch the Grand Duke of Cologne address his army and pledge their service to Lorraine, and then to watch Antoine fall, the victim of some coward’s arrow….it tore my heart out and numbed my spirit.
Antoine had been fearless. Bold. He had been the larger-than-life King I had dreamed of.
Gone in an instant.
I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the image, but could not.
It is forever burned on my brain.
OoO
Lorraine’s dream could have ended then and there, but the Duke of Cologne was a man of honor, and his bond, once given, was a strong one.
“I pledged my loyalty to Lorraine….not to her fallen King.” He told his men. “You will do as I command and likewise pledge yourselves to their service.”
And they did.
Antoine had done it.
It had cost us our King, but he had worked the magic, and suddenly, we found ourselves on an even footing in the low countries.
Even as I grieved for the loss of my friend and King….even as I wondered how I would break the news to young Charles, one thing was clear.
The race for Empire was on.
-=Vel=-
As soon as it becomes clear where the army of Cologne is bound for, Antoine drives his army straight for minimally fortified Cologne, arriving scant days after Cologne’s army arrives in Lux.
The King lays in an immediate siege of the Duke’s Keep, losing less than three hundred of his army before the walls are breeched and the Army of Lorraine is in firm control.
OoO
I was there at the battle…one of the few times I actually went afield with the army of Lorraine, but I could not resist. I had to not only see the King in action, but bear witness with my own unbelieving eyes to whatever magic the King would work to level the playing field against our enemies.
I watched the Army of Lorraine breech the lightly held walls of the Duke of Cologne’s smallish Castle….watched Antoine stride up the steps and into the Throne Room, to find a shocked Grand Duke gaping open-mouthed at the unexpected turn of events, and watched as our Warrior-King drew his twin cutlasses from their sheaths, placing one on each side of the Grand Duke’s neck.
“I do not want to kill you.” He told an aging Johan. “But I need an oath of loyalty from you, and I need your army so I can go play a few rounds of ‘Spank-the-Spaniard’ and show them that none of the German states are their lackeys or lapdogs.”
A slow, almost conspiratorial smile broke across Johan’s face, and in that moment, I knew everything was going to be okay.
OoO
The moment Lorraine’s army arrived in Cologne, the Army of Cologne did an about-face (breaking off from a battle it had just begun with some 18k Frenchmen in Lux), to return home in an effort to break Lorraine’s siege.
They were not in time.
OoO
As the Army of Cologne approached, the Men of Lorraine fled into the Keep of Cologne and sealed the hastily repaired main gate. The army commander was aghast. The “army” of Lorraine was little more than bottom-feeding scum led by a brighter-than-average, low-rent, make-believe ‘King.’ It was an affront that the men of Cologne had to even breathe the same air as the dogs of Lorraine, but that their toy army actually had the gall to….
The Grand Duke and Lorraine’s King came out of the Palace side by side, and strode up to the battlements of the main gate.
Once there, the Grand Duke faced his army and spread his hands wide.
“My brave, loyal soldiers…today we enter a new era! Today we bind ourselves and our future with the Kingdom of Lorraine, pledging ourselves and our talents to their service!”
No! It could not be! An oath of loyalty spoken by the Grand Duke of Cologne to the Jackal of Lorraine?!
Unthinkable!
From the ranks of Cologne’s faithful, a single arrow flew.
It’s aim was true, and it found its mark, biting deep into the chest of the King of Lorraine, who looked first surprised, and then defiant, before toppling off of the wall.
OoO
From the highest high, to the lowest low, all in the span of a few seconds.
To watch the Grand Duke of Cologne address his army and pledge their service to Lorraine, and then to watch Antoine fall, the victim of some coward’s arrow….it tore my heart out and numbed my spirit.
Antoine had been fearless. Bold. He had been the larger-than-life King I had dreamed of.
Gone in an instant.
I closed my eyes and tried to shut out the image, but could not.
It is forever burned on my brain.
OoO
Lorraine’s dream could have ended then and there, but the Duke of Cologne was a man of honor, and his bond, once given, was a strong one.
“I pledged my loyalty to Lorraine….not to her fallen King.” He told his men. “You will do as I command and likewise pledge yourselves to their service.”
And they did.
Antoine had done it.
It had cost us our King, but he had worked the magic, and suddenly, we found ourselves on an even footing in the low countries.
Even as I grieved for the loss of my friend and King….even as I wondered how I would break the news to young Charles, one thing was clear.
The race for Empire was on.
-=Vel=-
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Though I grieve for the loss of our splendid King, it is still my duty to make a report of his reign and rule. I do this with the heaviest of hearts, but it is my duty:
Highlights from Antoine’s Rule 1508-1544
Reign of 36 years
The first of Lorraine’s “Warrior Kings,” and without question, the most legendary, beloved figure in our entire history. Everything about Antoine was larger than life, and his tragic death, struck down the very day he had achieved Lorraine’s greatest victory to date, has only magnified his mythical status. His accomplishments were many and varied, and are detailed below.
Accomplishments in brief
* Guided Lorraine through an unprecedented three decades of peace, strengthening the economy and the kingdom in general, even in the face of various scandals and periods of crisis.
* Perfect battle record. Every battle he fought in, he won, putting him in a small, elite company of military commanders (historians will note that when the Army of Lorraine first clashed with the Army of Kleves, Antoine was forced to withdraw, and because of that, it is often incorrectly cited as a battlefield loss. The truth of the matter was that Antoine inflicted more than three times the casualties he took, reducing the army of Kleves by some 30% of its fighting strength, while taking scant casualties of his own. Proof of the devastating effect the first battle had on the army of Kleves can easily be found by examining the second battle, when the army of Lorraine crushed them utterly in a matter of days, and then went on to take the castle by storm).
* Antoine is the only military commander in recorded history to end every battle he fought with more troops than he started with (the capture of Kleves saw Lorraine’s army increase by some 1000-odd souls, and the capture of Cologne quadrupled the size of Lorraine’s army).
* Oversaw the final surrender of Palintinat Loyalist forces
* Nearly doubled the size of the Kingdom in the latter part of his reign (kingdom consisted of Lorraine, Pfalz, and Mainz when he took the throne, and upon his death, Kleves and Cologne had been absorbed into our national borders).
* Maintained the Lorraine-Led alliance with France for his entire reign as King.
* Spread law and order through the whole of the Kingdom (Bailiffs and Justicars appointed in all provinces)
* Continued his father’s brilliant economic work (economy at the start of Antoine’s reign: 6.9, and at the time of his death: 14.1….more than doubling its size and power).
I often wonder….had Antoine lived longer….what heights would he have taken us to? Sadly, it is a question we shall never know the answer to. For my part, all I can say is that it was an honor to know him, and a blessing to watch a true master at work. The man was brilliant.
OoO
Economic Summary Data for the remaining years of Antoine’s reign
(from previous) 1539: 13.0
1540: 13.1
1541: 13.8
1542: 13.9
1543: 14.1
-=Vel=-
Highlights from Antoine’s Rule 1508-1544
Reign of 36 years
The first of Lorraine’s “Warrior Kings,” and without question, the most legendary, beloved figure in our entire history. Everything about Antoine was larger than life, and his tragic death, struck down the very day he had achieved Lorraine’s greatest victory to date, has only magnified his mythical status. His accomplishments were many and varied, and are detailed below.
Accomplishments in brief
* Guided Lorraine through an unprecedented three decades of peace, strengthening the economy and the kingdom in general, even in the face of various scandals and periods of crisis.
* Perfect battle record. Every battle he fought in, he won, putting him in a small, elite company of military commanders (historians will note that when the Army of Lorraine first clashed with the Army of Kleves, Antoine was forced to withdraw, and because of that, it is often incorrectly cited as a battlefield loss. The truth of the matter was that Antoine inflicted more than three times the casualties he took, reducing the army of Kleves by some 30% of its fighting strength, while taking scant casualties of his own. Proof of the devastating effect the first battle had on the army of Kleves can easily be found by examining the second battle, when the army of Lorraine crushed them utterly in a matter of days, and then went on to take the castle by storm).
* Antoine is the only military commander in recorded history to end every battle he fought with more troops than he started with (the capture of Kleves saw Lorraine’s army increase by some 1000-odd souls, and the capture of Cologne quadrupled the size of Lorraine’s army).
* Oversaw the final surrender of Palintinat Loyalist forces
* Nearly doubled the size of the Kingdom in the latter part of his reign (kingdom consisted of Lorraine, Pfalz, and Mainz when he took the throne, and upon his death, Kleves and Cologne had been absorbed into our national borders).
* Maintained the Lorraine-Led alliance with France for his entire reign as King.
* Spread law and order through the whole of the Kingdom (Bailiffs and Justicars appointed in all provinces)
* Continued his father’s brilliant economic work (economy at the start of Antoine’s reign: 6.9, and at the time of his death: 14.1….more than doubling its size and power).
I often wonder….had Antoine lived longer….what heights would he have taken us to? Sadly, it is a question we shall never know the answer to. For my part, all I can say is that it was an honor to know him, and a blessing to watch a true master at work. The man was brilliant.
OoO
Economic Summary Data for the remaining years of Antoine’s reign
(from previous) 1539: 13.0
1540: 13.1
1541: 13.8
1542: 13.9
1543: 14.1
-=Vel=-