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Bad news - I think I've got a flu or something (whatever it is I feel like shit), no update today.

Hope you feel better soon.

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Bad news - I think I've got a flu or something (whatever it is I feel like shit), no update today.

Don't worry about it. Just rest and focus on feeling better.
 
Have you designated a Regent?

I hear that the heir died in a hunting accident. We may have an Interregum until we have a new dynasty take over.
 
Take it easy, and on the subject of the Blues and their greek fire plan, may I remind everyone that the last time we let the Blues run military spending they bankrupt the Imperium building fleets, apparently with the goal of sinking enough ships in the straits to block the Aztec fleets with bodies and sunken ships.
 
Take it easy, and on the subject of the Blues and their greek fire plan, may I remind everyone that the last time we let the Blues run military spending they bankrupt the Imperium building fleets, apparently with the goal of sinking enough ships in the straits to block the Aztec fleets with bodies and sunken ships.

Drats, they figured us out Comrades! Flee to our elaborate underground maze hideouts where we will drink fine Greek wine and plan our next dastardly scheme!
 
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Take it easy, and on the subject of the Blues and their greek fire plan, may I remind everyone that the last time we let the Blues run military spending they bankrupt the Imperium building fleets, apparently with the goal of sinking enough ships in the straits to block the Aztec fleets with bodies and sunken ships.
We're talking about Greek fire (did the event chain fire in CKII?), so this might sound appropriate, but did anybody ever consider my plans for Black Death WMDs? Is it feasible at all?
 
By that do you mean throwing plague corpses over the walls?

On the subject of Greek fire, if we rediscover it a good land use for it would be as makeshift incendiary grenades. Would be great for anti-personnel, and it'll be the heretic burning tool of choice in the *pause* future! *rainbow passes overhead as harp plays*
 
By that do you mean throwing plague corpses over the walls?

On the subject of Greek fire, if we rediscover it a good land use for it would be as makeshift incendiary grenades. Would be great for anti-personnel, and it'll be the heretic burning tool of choice in the *pause* future! *rainbow passes overhead as harp plays*

I don't know, I still prefer the good old wood and oil for the post battle execution. In battle we just shoot them until they surrender...
 
By that do you mean throwing plague corpses over the walls?

On the subject of Greek fire, if we rediscover it a good land use for it would be as makeshift incendiary grenades. Would be great for anti-personnel, and it'll be the heretic burning tool of choice in the *pause* future! *rainbow passes overhead as harp plays*
I don't know, I still prefer the good old wood and oil for the post battle execution. In battle we just shoot them until they surrender...
I was actually thinking more like infecting Xenoi slaves with the disease and then sending them into a Xenoi city, where they spread the disease, but back to Greek fire, why stop at grenades when you can make flamethrowers?! They burn lots of heretics quickly and look cool while they're doing so!
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The issue is that at this point everyone's got at least partial immunity to this strain of the plague, so biowarfare would be less effective than you think.
 
The issue is that at this point everyone's got at least partial immunity to this strain of the plague, so biowarfare would be less effective than you think.
Ah, I see, so much for bioweapons, at least we got flamethrowers though...
 
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Well at least with catapulting bodies you could hit someone in the head and crack their skull.

Also, I hereby start a petition for CzokletMuss to create the Pyrotechnics Tagma! All who agree say "AAAAHH I'M BURNING!"
 
Also, I hereby start a petition for CzokletMuss to create the Pyrotechnics Tagma!
CHAPTER 6
1540-1555
BARBAROI AT THE GATES
(...)

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Artisans of destruction
The Dark Powers - daemons whom the Soulless serve - granted the xenoi with horrible powers. With black magic the Westerners wree able to turn metal statues into fire-breathing hellish monsters whose roar was louder than a thunderstorm. Aztec cultists carrying enchanted iron staffs could kill a man from a hundred paces with a flash of light and thunder, creating clouds of suffocating smoke. It was with these terrifying powers the beasts from Beyond the Sea won a hundred battle and killed thousands of good Christians. Many were eager to discover the secrets of these weapons but to do so meant to dealt with daemonic magic – a mortal sin punishable by death. Nonetheless there are always some men willing to put their very souls at risk of damnation in mad pursuit of knowledge and power.

Pisans were the first to start using cursed xenoi weapons, like before eager to mimick their former masters. It was in the Republic of Pisa where the strange plants from the Far West were cultivated for the first time by Kristianoi. There the godless natural philosophers began studying the forbidden xenoi knowledge and using what they learned began using the dark arts. The Pisans were able to concoct terrible poisons intoxicating mind and body, like the bitter drink known as xocolatl causing horrible abscesses or the devilish leaves called tabacco which when burned create acrid smoke, dangerous to the lungs and causing insanity.

Many were the crimes of the sinful merchants but the apelike aptitude with which they were able to emulate devices of their masters allowed them to built warships similiar to those from the Far West, unmatched by any vessel in the Imperial Navy. It was only after decision of megas droungarios Javier Espinosa when one of these mighty ships was captured by the Romaioi the scholars of Great Pandidakterion could study it. This enabled the Imperium to build new Roman warships, stronger than any dromon and capable of facing the fleets of the Westerners. Glorious victories of the Imperial Navy proved that Pisan trickery could be used for most noble cause. It isn't surprising than that some of the scholars began to think about adapting yet another Pisan invention so that it could be used by soldiers of Kristos – the fire-lances.

(...)

Despite great concern of the Holy Church fearing for their immortal souls, His Imperial Majesty in secret allowed selected group of scholars to study the terrible weapons from Beyond the Sea. Under custody of the vigilant Athanatoi the best alchemists, natural philosophers, engineers and craftsmen of the Imperium began their work. Not much is known about the process save for the fact that many paid hefty price for dealing with the forbidden secrets, losing their sight from poisonous vapors, hearing from devilish roars or in some cases even whole limbs. Many slaves were lost during the experimentations. Despite the initial setbacks, the work continued and soon the scholars of Great Pandidakterion made a surprising discovery – the fire-lances didn't depend on black magic. Nor blood nor xenoi glyphs nor even blasphemous prayers to the Dark Ones gave them their power. It was an alchemical substance, a volatile and poisonous mixture black as the hearts of the Soulless called blasting powder which allowed the fire-lances to bring death from hundreds of paces. Therefore it was not a sin to use those weapons against their creators, they argued, for the black powder was a product of nature and not daemonic powers and as such resembled greatly the ancient war-fire of the Romaioi.

Armed with this new knowledge, with blessing of the sacred Emperor and no fear of their souls, the scholars continued their work until years later they achieved mastery equal to this of the Pisans. Soon the Imperium was able to produce fire-lances as big and deadly as what Pisans called bombarde and serpentino. The Pandidakterioi called the huge fire-lances kanoni because their resembled large tubes, while the smaller ones were called by them pyrovolo oplo – the fire-weapon. Seeing how devastating effect they had in the hands of the Westerners during the Great Aragonese War, the sacred Emperor ordered to create whole tagmata equipped solely with these terrifying weapons. Soldiers carrying the new weapons, called pyrotechnikoi or fire-artisans, were not numerous for even a single canna cost as much as two imperial dromonoi. Although prohibitively expensive, the pyrotagmata were to become the vital part of the Imperial Army despite huge strain they had on the Aerarium, as it was ordered by His Imperial Majesty.

As it turned out, the pyrovolo oplo were to be put to a test sooner than expected...
Done :)
 
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