Against All Odds: The Struggles of the Noyyau

1. House Florentnaius is pleased with the trade deals that have been formed by the Noyyau with her foreign contact and hopes to see this process continue.
2. House Florentanius is pleased with the clearing of the North. The leadership of House Florentanius would like to request permission to send settlers into the North so that they might produce valuable woods for the kingdom. While these cities would be built by House Florentanius and much of their industry would be owned by House Florentanius they would not be governed by them and House Florentanius would like to request that the king grant another house lordship over the territory.
3. House Florentanius would like to encourage House Spirictum to seek the King’s permission and blessing to send missionaries to the Ottoman empire and convert their people to our faith.
4. House Florentanius would like to commission a number of lightly armed transports for transoceanic travel and more heavily armed escorts. These ships would be used privately by House Florentanius to transport its goods to and from foreign nations. In a call to the nation's engineers House Florentanius will be offering the engineer's weight in gold and the second ship named after him (the first being named, with his permission, after the king.) to anyone who can create a fully oceangoing vessel. They will have to provide a prototype which will survive testing before being a scale model (1/6 the size) to be tested again before being built in full size. The best designs will be chosen and the chance to become wealthy will still be open even after some designs are finalized (though the amount will be reduced to half of what it was). Members of every caste are allowed to participate from the highest of nobles to the lowest of slaves. House Florentanius will also be commissioning their own set of dry-docks and an arsenal in former Iran to provide work and training to the Iranian-Noyyau people.
5. House Florentanius would like to purchase large tracts of land in former Pict land and massive number of slaves and well as offer free men the chance to earn a living. In order to keep up with the demand for alcohol and food House Florentanius will need an increase in the amount of raw materials.
6. Despite the increased demand, both foreign and domestic, for alcoholic products House Florentanius would like to assure the Noyyau people that there will be no need for panic as prices will remain the same. House Florentanius controls most of the alcohol production and distribution and can restrict the amount delivered to the traitorous and rebellious Picts.
7. As with former Iran the Watch of House Florentanius will be conducting through searches of Pictish homes. In a similar manner to Iran agents of the Watch will begin conducting discrete operations to capture or kill the leadership of the rebellion.
8. With the withdrawal of the Military District status from former Iran House Florentanius will be removing a large portion of its battle tested ‘rebel breakers’ they will be deployed to former Pictland while they are slowly replaced by less hardened guards who are trained in community and civilian interactions. A few rebel breakers will remain in former Iran to assist in the event of a riot or on call to support Pictish guards against rebels.
9. House Florentanius is pleased with the massive cultural progress that the Noyyau have made.
10. The leadership of House Florentanius would like to enrol all the family’s sons in the Oxford University when they come of age.
11. House Florentanius would like to offer a reward to anyone who can produce a weapon which acts in a similar way to those observed being used by the Pakistanis. The reward will be twice the weight of the person who produces the weapon, in gold.
12. House Florentanius would urge other members of this council to look for commercial opportunities abroad to extend the diplomatic power of the Noyyau.

Niccolo Edwards said:

Spoiler :

1. House Florentnaius is pleased with the trade deals that have been formed by the Noyyau with her foreign contact and hopes to see this process continue.
2. House Florentanius is pleased with the clearing of the North. The leadership of House Florentanius would like to request permission to send settlers into the North so that they might produce valuable woods for the kingdom. While these cities would be built by House Florentanius and much of their industry would be owned by House Florentanius they would not be governed by them and House Florentanius would like to request that the king grant another house lordship over the territory.
3. House Florentanius would like to encourage House Spirictum to seek the King’s permission and blessing to send missionaries to the Ottoman empire and convert their people to our faith.
4. House Florentanius would like to commission a number of lightly armed transports for transoceanic travel and more heavily armed escorts. These ships would be used privately by House Florentanius to transport its goods to and from foreign nations. In a call to the nation's engineers House Florentanius will be offering the engineer's weight in gold and the second ship named after him (the first being named, with his permission, after the king.) to anyone who can create a fully oceangoing vessel. They will have to provide a prototype which will survive testing before being a scale model (1/6 the size) to be tested again before being built in full size. The best designs will be chosen and the chance to become wealthy will still be open even after some designs are finalized (though the amount will be reduced to half of what it was). Members of every caste are allowed to participate from the highest of nobles to the lowest of slaves. House Florentanius will also be commissioning their own set of dry-docks and an arsenal in former Iran to provide work and training to the Iranian-Noyyau people.
5. House Florentanius would like to purchase large tracts of land in former Pict land and massive number of slaves and well as offer free men the chance to earn a living. In order to keep up with the demand for alcohol and food House Florentanius will need an increase in the amount of raw materials.
6. Despite the increased demand, both foreign and domestic, for alcoholic products House Florentanius would like to assure the Noyyau people that there will be no need for panic as prices will remain the same. House Florentanius controls most of the alcohol production and distribution and can restrict the amount delivered to the traitorous and rebellious Picts.
7. As with former Iran the Watch of House Florentanius will be conducting through searches of Pictish homes. In a similar manner to Iran agents of the Watch will begin conducting discrete operations to capture or kill the leadership of the rebellion.
8. With the withdrawal of the Military District status from former Iran House Florentanius will be removing a large portion of its battle tested ‘rebel breakers’ they will be deployed to former Pictland while they are slowly replaced by less hardened guards who are trained in community and civilian interactions. A few rebel breakers will remain in former Iran to assist in the event of a riot or on call to support Pictish guards against rebels.
9. House Florentanius is pleased with the massive cultural progress that the Noyyau have made.
10. The leadership of House Florentanius would like to enrol all the family’s sons in the Oxford University.
11. House Florentanius would like to offer a reward to anyone who can produce a weapon which acts in a similar way to those observed being used by the Pakistanis. The reward will be twice the weight of the person who produces the weapon, in gold.
12. House Florentanius would urge other members of this council to look for commercial opportunities abroad to extend the diplomatic power of the Noyyau.

Click to expand...

2.While some workers could be sent to build Forts to claim the area, no new cities will be settled yet. We still have a lot of much better lands that are still not settled, the main reason being that we already have too many cities and the happiness and revolution penalties are becoming quite severe (see the constant revolts in Pictland).

3.Sending Missionaries to the Catfish continent is a good idea, now that we're getting open borders with most of its nations.

4.In a few turns we will discover Astronomy, and that will give us our first true ocean transport.

5.I think we did this already? Basically all the former Pict lands that are not part of a city's territory, but are under the influence of one of our forts, count as House-owned territories, with sparse population and some economic activities (farming/mining).

8.Indeed, part of the garrisons of Tehran and Isfahan have been redeployed in various Pict cities.

11.The Pakistanis (and other nations as well) so far have been quite adamant in their refusals of samples of their strange weapons. (No Tech Trading is on)

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Map of the known world.


Civic organization of the Noyyau Kingdom.


List of all the cities of the Noyyau Kingdom, and information pertaining their size and productivity.


List of the military units currently in service.
By numbers, most of our military is tasked with garrisoning our cities.


Financial status of the Kingdom.


Technologies known and planned to research.


Current deals with foreign nations.


Comparison of knowledge with foreign nations.
No Tech Trading is on, so of course no one can trade anything. Despite the Pakistanis being quite more advanced than us, we still have some technologies that they lack.

The House Giacola would like to remind the House Florentnaius that all land North of Zapotec is claimed by House Giacola, but the matriarch is not averse to working out a fair deal to allow Florentanius economic activities in the region.



Article on Oxford University and the Giacolan Dream

With the establishment of the Noyyau Oxford University the long held dream of Julian Giacola has come to life. It has long been his stance that education inspires innovation, and is thus advantageous to any state.
Oxford grew out of his early attempts to educate the populace - his school of philosophy. This school has an impressive legacy. Two of its greatest alumni defined a generation. One was a merchant who's advise to the economic board of the Noyyau empire lead to greater wealth produced. The other was an artist who created distinctive melodies and harmonies that soon became a part of Noyyau culture. This helped foster a sense of Noyyau national identity. Another feather in the School of Philosophy's cap is that the part of the curriculum that was the philosophy of mathematics gave birth to the knowledge of algebra. In the end though, it wasn't enough. It was limited only to the capital and at most could only educate two to three hundred per year. However, after winning the power struggle within the House Giacola, Lena Giacola took the School of Philosophy, and with permission and funding by the king and the royal treasury, and turned it into Oxford university, the center of all knowledge in the Noyyau empire. Now with a almost a hundred professors ready to teach, and thousands of scholars flowing in and out to study, the school of Philosophy has become what its founder intended it to be: a center of knowledge.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The growing need for a precise method to determine a ship's position in the open ocean led to the formalization of astronomical charts and the spread of the first rudimentary backstaffs among the Noyyau sailors.

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Concurrently, the first ocean-capable cargo ships had finally been completed in the Robertian Arsenal, and these Fluyts were soon loaded with troops and sent to establish Noyyau control over Cimmerian Island, whose inhabitants had so far stubbornly refused any and all Noyyau diplomatic contacts.

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Despite the efforts of the Royal Guards, a deplorable attempt on the Prince's life happened on the way from the Orkham Summer Palace towards House Florentanius holdings, where the Prince was supposed to begin his fostering year.
The Royal Guards managed to stop the assassin before any harm actually was done to the Prince, and a swift investigation led to a group of mercenaries hiding out in the ruins of a Sand People settlement.
No amount of interrogation of the survivors produced the name of whoever hired them, however.
House Florentanius petitioned the King for permission to at least delay fostering the Prince, citing concerns about the Prince's safety if another such attempt were to happen while the young Prince was a guest of House Florentanius.

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Naval operation against the Venetians continued to be successful.

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While Siam finally managed to crush the Polynesian rebellion, the Pakistanis had more trouble than they had expected from the Ottomans. The development by the Ottomans of their own arquebuses and their massive rearming efforts led to their liberation of Samsun, and threatened further Ottoman advances in Pakistani-conquered territories.
Noyyau corsairs watched from nearby coastal waters the evolution of the conflict.

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The Assyrians finally reached the outskirts of Tiis Tseba, the Noyyau spies there long awaiting the moment to strike and ensure the Assyrians would conquer the city.

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Faced with their imminent conquest, the Cimmerians made a valiant, though futile, attempt at driving back the Noyyau invaders.

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As expected, the Assyrians conquered and razed Tiis Tseba, destroying the Apache nation (their only survivors some Explorers).
Despite the promises of the Noyyau diplomats, strange accidents sabotaged the Assyrian attempts to establish permanent Forts in the area, thus nullifying their claims to the territory.

1. House Florentanius would like to express its sympathies to those injured or killed by the earthquake in Iran. Thankfully the barracks of the Watch were spared.
2. The Watch of House Florentanius will be providing assistance in the rebuilding of the mines in Iran.
3. The Watch of House Florentanius will be providing assistance to the survivors of the earthquake in Iran while also increasing their presence to prevent looting.
4. House Florentanius would like to urge the Pictish rebels to lay down their arms and surrender peacefully as their nation has been destroyed and they have no hope of finding victory against the Noyyau forces. Clemency and special consideration will be given to members of the rebellion that surrender peacefully.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the efforts and successes of the Noyyau diplomats in negotiating peace agreements and trade deals.
6. House Florentanius is pleased with the development and formalization of astronomical charts and other marine navigational technologies.
7. House Florentanius is appalled by the attack on the young prince’s life. The resources of House Florentanius are, as always, at the will of the King. Members of The Watch of House Florentanius have been alerted to the situation and will be more vigilant than ever in watching for even the tiniest whisper of a plot against the King.
8. House Florentanius is pleased with the investigation into the attack on the prince. However, House Florentanius leadership would like to urge the King to keep the Prince with the safety and security of the more militarized houses' care and walls.

At the request of King Reinhard, House Florentanius has released a flow chart of its hierarchical organization and would urge other houses to do the same.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Cimmerian fell to the Noyyau troops after a brief fight, and became the Noyyau Kingdom's first overseas territory.

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The ongoing explorations of the world and the need for constantly updated maps led to the formation of a Cartography course at the Oxford University in Noyyau. Its graduates went on to become some of the most renowned mapmakers in Noyyau history.

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The smaller and nimbler Noyyau corsair vessels continued preying on foreign shipping, though they were not always fast enough to avoid the larger Pakistani Galleons' retaliation.

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Cimmerian was quickly reached by its new garrison, devout missionaries, and groups of Workers. Cimmerian Island would be tamed and its riches made available for the Noyyau Kingdom.

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The Assyrian armies found and massacred the last survivors of the Apache people, completing the depopulation of the Moroccan Peninsula and beginning the long journey towards home.
The Pakistanis, meanwhile, made use of their newly invented Printing Press to create great numbers of copies of their Hellenistic Holy Texts, helping the spread of their religion across the world.

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Trade agreements with India and Assyria were renegotiated at the foreigners' request, the Assyrians obtaining a discount on Noyyau meat thanks to their services in eliminating the Apaches.
The Apples that India no longer supplied were obtained from the Siamese Kingdom.

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The latest Pakistani-Ottoman war came to an abrupt end, the Pakistanis probably begging for peace after realizing they were unable to stop the massive Ottoman Arquebusier armies.
Noyyau piracy along the Pakistani coasts probably played a part in this decision as well.
Noyyau merchants that travelled to Lahore to experience its renowned Currency Market reported sighting even stranger weapons in the hands of the Pakistani soldiers stationed there.

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Banditry remained a minor annoyance, local city garrisons more than able to deal with a few untrained outlaws.

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As promised during the last Pict insurrection, the Venetian Kingdom would be made to pay for their help to the rebels. The Noyyau Noble Knights joined the Cimmerian Conquerors in making landfall near Venezia. Despite the unexpected discovery that the Venetians had also developed Arquebuses, the Noyyau troops were confident in their chances.
The first overseas invasion in Noyyau history was about to begin.

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The first ground fighting with Venetian forces occurred shortly after the Noyyau troops took positions in a forest east of Venezia. It was only a probing attack, but many considered this “wild adventure” to be the beginning of a new era of warfare, and the end of a relatively peaceful Golden Age.

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The first assault on Venezia was a complete Noyyau victory, despite some casualties. Most worrying was however the performance of the first Noyyau-made Bombards, still quite unreliable and prone to catastrophic failures after only a few shots. Nevertheless, when they did work, they did inflict severe casualties against the enemy.

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The Ottomans also requested some trade renegotiations, exchanging Noyyau Glassware for shipments of Corn, at the same price.

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Their capital almost in Noyyau hands, the Venetians quickly pulled reinforcements and counterattacked. Despite having led the previous charges against the city, the Noyyau Noble Knights did not rest and stopped the Venetians from reaching the weary Noyyau infantry and artillery.

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Reinforcements from mainland Noyyau engaged in an amphibious attack further east, in an attempt to distract and divide the Venetians. The rushed action resulted in high casualties, and the landing was ultimately called off, opting to drop the troops off together with the rest of the Noyyau forces.

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Claiming to have been hired by “wealthy and concerned Noyyau benefactors”, a newly formed mercenary company, the Shadows of Hell, offered their services to the Kingdom against the Venetians.

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The Noble Knights led another charge against Venezia, suddenly leaving, however, even though they were about to break the last line of defense.
The attack had only been a cover to give the rest of the troops the time to embark unhindered, and travel further east to strike at Treviso and Vicenza. The Knights, meanwhile, would move along the coast, using their speed to avoid pursuit and eventually engaging targets of opportunity along the way.
The King had plans for this war, and they did not include getting bogged down trying to hold an enemy capital across an ocean, though they also did not include razing said capital.
Ultimately King Reinhard hoped to subjugate the Venetians. Razing their capital would only harm the future Noyyau subjects in the long run.

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Noyyau naval experience constantly grew, the returning privateers sharing their experiences with anyone who would listen, both in tavers and in written form.

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Another Pakistani Galleon convoy engaged the Noyyau corsairs loiteing in their coastal waters, which resulted in another captured Galleon that would be brought back to the homeland to be studied.

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Zhou's Shinto Guard intercepted and scattered a small band of outlaws approaching the city from the desert.

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The Noyyau troops barely had the time to set foot onto the shore near Treviso when the Venetians attacked them in force. Determined to drive the invaders back to the sea, the Venetians relentlessly charged the Noyyau positions.
With Greek Fire support from the escorting corsairs and the timely arrival of the Shadows of Hells mercenaries, the Noyyau troops held their ground and repulsed attack after attack, despite the mounting casualties.

1. House Florentanius is pleased with the fall of Cimmerian and the arrival of her garrison and Noyyau inhabitants.
2. House Florentanius is pleased with the continued negotiation of Noyyau trade deals even when they have been terminated by other parties.
3. House Florentanius is pleased with the actions taken against the Venetians, but is concerned with the high number of casualties inflicted by the amphibious assault on Venetian positions.
4. House Florentanius is pleased that loyal Noyyau mercenaries have chosen to engage in the fight against the Venetians, but is concerned with the possibility of disloyalty from these mercenaries.
5. Franz Florentanius was killed twelve days ago, investigating guards have confirmed that the death was accidental. The funeral will be held in a week's time at the Florentanius residence inside Robertia. Franz Florentanius has been succeeded by his son Markus Florentanius who has worked closely with his father for over a year.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The Noble Knights reached the rest of the Noyyau troops and provided rear cover, while the Shadows of Hell Mercenaries proceeded to lay waste to the Venetian town of Treviso.

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A corsair-captured Pakistani Galleon dropped the first Noyyau troops onto Alemanni Island.

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Leaving behind the ruins of Treviso, the Noyyau expeditionary force went on to siege Vicenza.

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Piracy continued to plague the Pakistani and Ottoman coasts. So far, no formal accusations had been made, so King Reinhard continued to allow “independent captains” to do as they wished.

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The first Sugar Plantation was established on Cimmerian Island, providing an alternative sweetener to the traditional Noyyau honey. Sugar quickly became popular in the capital, commanding exhorbitant prices.

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From the first Bombard shot, the battle for Vicenza raged an entire day and the following night. Come the dawn, where once stood a coastal village, only smouldering rubble remained.

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From samples of Venetian Arquebuses collected on the field of battle and quickly sent home, the Noyyau Tinkerers finally managed to unlock the secrets of these hand-held mini-Bombards.

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Hunters operating near Riga were happy that the local deer herds were plentiful.

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Increasingly common sightings of Roman vessels off the Southern Coast prompted more Iranians to join corsair crews, looking to make a fortune for themselves.

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Skirting the northern coast of the Catfish Continent, some enterprising Noyyau corsairs reached Siamese internal waters, discovering plentiful and easy prey.

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Having razed Vicenza, the Noyyau troops once again embarked on their transports, while the Noble Knights followed the coast back to Venezia, encountering and defeating light opposition on the way.

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While the first hints of a new wave of unrest made themselves felt in Caledonii, an Iranian privateer flotilla ventured into the Lower Inner Sea, discovering that the Dutch were quite tough opponents.

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The Noyyau Expeditionary Force disembarked near London. The Venetians did not interfere, busy as they were putting out the fires in London caused by the Greek Fire bombardment of the escorting privateers.

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While the Noble Knights were once again approaching Venezia, the first Noyyau Arquebusiers had their first trial by fire.

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Prominent philosophers began discussing Pakistani theories about the role of man in society and nature, stirring controversy especially among the more traditionalist clergy.

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“Join a privateer crew today! Travel the world, encounter foreign peoples, and plunder all their valuables!”
Typical recruiting slogan heard in ports all across the Noyyau Kingdom.

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Alemanni fell relatively easily to the Noyyau forces on the island, though a unit of the House Florentanius Watch did perish in the fighting. Despite their training and experience in city defense, being (literally) on the other side of the wall was something completely different.

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London's defenders found themselves fighting two enemies at once: the Noyyau troops outside the walls, and the Greek Fire inside. It was a battle they had no hope of winning.

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The first embassies and trading deals were established with nations of the Lower Continent. Both the Dutch and the Hittites had wisely chosen Shinto as the true religion to follow, and both were in neutral or good standing with the major powers of the Catfish Continent.

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The Hittites had no exotic resources of interest to the Noyyau, nor had they the means to buy anything that the Noyyau merchants offered.
Still, a beneficial trade was concluded, as some members of the Hittite military had expressed their interest in working for the Noyyau, and the Hittite Kingdom was always in need of more workforce.

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Soon, Noyyau was visited by the first Hittite Warlord to ever leave his continent.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

With the force of desperation, the Venetians kept throwing bodies at the attacking Noyyau Noble Knights, desperate to hold their capital.

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To the surprise of many, King Reinhard included, the latest wave of Pictish unrest claimed the oppression of the Hellenist faith as their reason to pick up weapons. Since when had Hellenism ever played any part in Pictish history? Was this a ploy by Pakistani agents to stir up unrest in this troubled province of the Noyyau Kingdom? Or had the rebels invented an excuse to throw suspicion on a friend of the Noyyau?

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Trading agreements with the Incan Kingdom were renegotiated. As it seemed to be the norm, the negotiations almost always ended with the Noyyau merchants richer than before.

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To preempt the unrest from spreading further, discrete and anonymous intermediaries “convinced” Taezali's nationalists to lay low for a while.
It was best to not know if the money had ultimately gone directly to the local dissidents, or to certain “professionals” that would have silenced them.

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The Dutch responded to the pirate incursions into their waters by mobilizing their entire fleet. The small Noyyau flotilla was overwhelmed, and only the faster Sloops, heavily damaged, managed to escape.

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The situation was dire for the Venetians: both their capital and a major city were about to be conquered (and possibly razed, judging by recent events) by the victorious Noyyau.
Little did they know that King Reinhard was only waiting for them to offer their surrender, not at all interested in wasting money and troops attempting to control an oversea nation directly.

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The second “Cimmerian Tresure”, Incense, was also brought to mainland Noyyau, once viable Plantations had been established, under the protection of a newly-constructed Fort.

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As had been warned, the Picts of Maeatae and Caledonii once again attempted to liberate themselves from the oppressive yoke of the Noyyau (or so their propaganda went). One had to admire their courage and determination, even when faced with certain defeat against superior forces. Then again, it might have been better to die for something they truly believed in (no matter how wrong), rather than meekly live in servitude...

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What few rebels remained near Caledonii were quickly scattered. Workers were already on their way to repair the damage to the local infrastructure.

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Clearing Maeatae's hilly surroundings required a bit more time and effort, but as always, Noyyau forces ultimately prevailed and reestablished control over Pictland.

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Still on the run from the Dutch, the remains of the Iranian corsair flotilla were chanced upon by an Egyptian exploration Caravel, with predictable and gruesome consequences.

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Even the Knights were suprised at how fast the Venetians were able to recruit (or draft) new soldiers, only to send them to their deaths. When would their will to fight finally break?

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Somewhat late to the party, Damnonii's dissenters also decided to stir up some trouble.

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While the main Noyyau Expeditionary Force was marching from London towards Caerdydd, the Venetians launched a last desperate attack, sending almost everything they had to almost certain death.
That final defeat, and the Knights' last charge at Venezia, finally broke their spirit.

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In the name of King Reinhard of the Noyyau, the Noble Knights accepted the Venetians' unconditional surrender.
Further negotiations established that the Kingdom of Venice would maintain its internal independence, but in all matters diplomatic and military it would obey Noyyau commands.
As an act of goodwill, King Reinhard ordered the release of all prisoners captured during the invasion, so that they could return to their homes and rebuild their nation.

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The victory over the Venetians was somewhat marred by the sinking of the Susanoo, the heroic Caravel that had seen so much of the world, and had contributed to proving that it was round.
What could have happened somewhere off the Viking coast?

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A small corsair flotilla in the area went to search for answers, and found a heavily damaged pirate Brigantine, surrounded by a spreading ring of wreckage.
It seemed that the Susanoo had put up one hell of a fight, probably sinking at least one enemy vessel.
It was worrying, though not unexpected, that some other nation would also grant their subjects the freedom to hunt foreing shipping.

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Somewhat suprisingly, there seemed to be no lack of “discrete and anonymous” individuals that, for the right price, would make sure that certain subversive elements did not cause more trouble than necessary, no questions asked.
Rumours at court had it that most of them had some dark connection to House Florentanius, though of course no one had concrete proof, only suppositions and things heard from someone else.

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After the latest rebellion in Caledonii and Maeatae, the rebels of Damnonii looked more like a sorry band of outlaws than a serious threat, taking to plunder the local Plantations rather than attacking their professed enemies.

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The sudden attack of a Viking fleet against the Noyyau privateers cemented the suspicion that the pirates that sank the Susanoo were, after all, of Viking origin.

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The Giacola Rogues and other Noyyau infiltrators safely reached Rawalpindi, with the orders to learn as much as possible from the advanced Pakistani.
The corsair flotilla that brought them there, however, was intercepted and decimated by the Pakistani.


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The time has come for the Noble Houses to express their opinion!
The discovery of Humanism unlocks the Free Church civic.
1.Should we change civics?
The current civics are detailed here.


2.Should we Pay War Reparations to the Venetians?
This is a diplomatic feature of the RAND2 mod, which allows to remove part of the diplomatic penalties incurred while at war with a nation, in exchange for a hefty sum of gold.

1. House Florentanius is pleased with the surrender of the Venetian.
2. House Florentanius is troubled with the possibility that other nations have allowed their citizens to attack foreign shipping and will be responding by protecting her own vessels with armed escorts.
3. House Florentanius would like to offer their condolences to the families of sailors onboard the Susanoo.
4. House Florentanius would like to dispel rumours that House Florentanius or any of her subsidiaries have any connections to the private individuals who have offered their services in Former Pictland and would like to urge the cessation of the spread of these slanderous accusations.
5. House Florentanius would urge the maintenance of the current systems of religious governance.
6. House Florentanius would oppose war reparations to the Venetians in any capacity. This war was of their own making and as such is wholly their fault.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The few rebels around Damnonii were quickly eliminated, though tensions remained high and disorders in the city continued for a long time afterwards.

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The Giacola Rogues picked the first fruits of the growing (and well funded) espionage network in Pakistan.

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Meanwhile, Noyyau corsairs continued raiding Pakistani shipping.

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Unfortunately, over the years many other nations had also improved their shipbuilding capabilities. Even the Lower Continent Hittites had developed Sloops and Brigantines on par with the Noyyau ones, and a surprise attack against one already damaged corsair flotilla decimated them.

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In parallel with the espionage efforts, and often used as cover for them, House Spirictum Kannushis traveled in great numbers to the Catfish Continent, to spread the word of the Shinto Spirits, though not all its inhabitants were keen to listen to them.

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Despite having heard rumours of a new class of Pakistani warship, the first Pakistani Frigate to attack the Noyyau corsairs took them completely unprepared, with tragic consequences.

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The confusion of the naval battle just off the coast from Rawalpindi provided the perfect cover for Noyyau agents to steal a working printing press and bring it back to be studied.

Spoiler :

Despite his young age, Prince Felix was becoming a usual sight at the side of his father, especially after the failed attempt on his life. King Reinhard dismissed any grumbling about the throne room not being a place for a young boy, as how would the young Prince be able to learn to govern, if not by personally witnessing the process?
As time passed, King Reinhard would ask for his son's opinion before pronouncing his decisions.
Despite King Reinhard's penchant for quelling rebellions in blood, the young Prince showed a more diplomatic character, acting as a mellowing influence and allowing, in some cases, to avoid bloodshed.

Spoiler :

The Prince's first lesson in foreign relations came with a sudden visit to the capital from a Mongolian delegation, asking to establish a permanent Embassy and formalize relations among the two nations. It was pleasing to learn that the Mongolians had converted to the true Shintoist faith, however before an answer was given, the Mongolian standing with the rest of the world was reviewed: it seemed that any nation (that mattered, anyway) was either neutral or Pleased with them, so the Embassy request was approved and, soon after, a tentative trading deal was signed.

Spoiler :

Less than a month after the Mongolians, their neighbours the Romans also paid a visit to Noyyau. Despite them also having chosen the true Shintoist faith, they were currently at war with Pakistan, and the Noyyau Kingdom had no intention of souring relations with their best trading partner at this time.

Spoiler :

Corsair flotillas sailing along the Assyrian coastline, on their way to Pakistani waters, took the chance to plunder two sizeable Assyrian trading convoys, making short work of their escorts.

Spoiler :

Oil Painting gained in popularity among the growing Noyyau middle class, and Painter Shops popped up virtually overnight in all the major cities of the Kingdom.

Spoiler :

The Incans, still using oar-driven ships, attempted unsuccessfully to get rid of the Noyyau corsairs plaguing their waters. Witnesses told of wreckage from the massive naval battle floating in the Tiwanaku Strait for weeks after.

Spoiler :

An Iranian-based corsair flotilla approached the Roman coastline near the city of Sarmatian, which until recently had been an independent (and xenophobic) city-state.

Spoiler :

The Incan Scourge, as they had taken to call themselves, moved their hunting grounds towards the Incan capital of Cuzco. Despite their endless victories, the constant fighting was taking a toll on men and ships alike.

Spoiler :

Under pressure from devout Shinto nobles, King Reinhard called a Venetian envoy to inform them that it was about time for them to officially convert to Shinto. Listening to a suggestion from Prince Felix, some state-owned slaves were also offered, to sweeten the deal.

Spoiler :

Despite the Noyyau economy being stronger than ever, the Kingdom's Treasury never stayed full for long, as increasing malcontent in the further reaches of the nation required substantial funds to keep in check before erupting into violence.
In some cases, Prince Felix did not inform his father of his initiatives, keeping the bribes secret, fearing King Reinhard's reaction.

Spoiler :

Hittite merchants expressed their interest in acquiring Noyyau foodstuffs, and a reasonable price was quickly decided.

Spoiler :

A wandering corsair flotilla ran afoul of the Lithuanian Navy, though the encounter ended with barely a scratch on the Noyyau ships.

Spoiler :

An Assyrian patrol in former Apache lands discovered a small village inhabited by Apache refugees and Assyrian and Noyyau runaways. Believing them to be in cooperation with the pirates that had recently plundered two Assyrian naval convoys, the place was burned to the ground.

Spoiler :

After having hidden along the coasts of the forested island north of Cuzco to effect necessary repairs, the Incan Scourge returned to the Incan coastline.

Spoiler :

The threat of the Pakistani Frigates forced several corsair flotillas to band together, despite their preference to work in small groups and their definite dislike of having to split the plunder in too many small pieces.

Spoiler :

The diffusion of art (especially the recently popular oil paintings) as something reasonably affordable and the increase in demand led to the birth of the Artist as an independent profession, no longer under a specific patron, instead able to survive by selling their works to paying customers.

Spoiler :

A visionary inventor set up shop in Noyyau, quickly gaining fame for his fantastical machines and revolutionary ideas in civil and military engineering. A group of Robertian investors offered to fund him, in exchange for his services.

1. House Florentanius is pleased with the efforts of Noyyau spies.
2. House Florentanius is concerned about the attacks on Noyyau vessels and corsairs as well as the development of foreign nation’s weapons technologies.
3. House Florentanius is pleased that the young Prince Felix is well and is learning to rule beside his father.
4. House Florentanius is pleased with the conversion of the Venetians to Shinto.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the negotiations with Hittite merchants

So it has now been a full year (336 days - leap year) since this thread started.
During that time we made it through an entire era.

Reminder: Current civics, (almost) current map and other information about the Kingdom.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Despite the cordial relations between the two nations, Indian envoys surprised King Reinhard when they requested that the Noyyau Kingdom convert to Indian Zoroastrianism. Not even Pakistan could make the Noyyau people abandon the Spirits of their forefathers. What had the Indian envoys smoked to even think of such an outrageous demand?

Spoiler :

The London countryside was gripped by unrest when the mostly Anglo-Saxon peasants finally refused to pay the ever-increasing taxes their Venetian lords imposed.

Spoiler :

While the Noyyau corsairs were busy repairing their vessels, the Incans had made a tremendous leap forward in shipbuilding technology, and the new Incan Sloops and Brigantines overwhelmed the unsuspecting Noyyau pirates that had come back, expecting more easy looting.

Spoiler :

The Giacola Rogues, having succesfully infiltrated the Pakistani metallurgical community, transcribed with amazing precision the procedures to obtain superior quality cannons, and on the side also convinced an experienced (an poor) Pakistani woodworker to share his knowledge of the larger Frigate hull construction methods.
If only this knowledge had become available sooner!

Spoiler :

Conquered Pictland was proving to be a challenge for the Noyyau conquerors to keep pacified. Despite the best efforts of all the branches of the Noyyau government, some part of former Pictland was always attempting to break away, more or less violently.

Spoiler :

Having left Pakistani waters to avoid encountering their fearsome Frigates, a unified corsair fleet set sail for the Lower Continent. To the surprise of all parties involved, what was supposed to be a quick raid into Holy Roman coastal waters became a massive naval battle, with substantial losses on both sides.

Spoiler :

The age of the unstoppable Sloop-and-Brigantine pirate flotillas was definitely over, as even isolated island civilizations had learned how to build these nimble vessels and were able to stand up to the once-feared raiding flotillas.

Spoiler :

It was the Incans' turn to demand the Noyyau change religions. Did they suspect something about the pirates that had plundered so many of their merchant Galleys? Or was their timing simply coincidence?

Spoiler :

Taking the mantle of militant Taoism, the Picts rose once again in revolt against the Noyyau, taking control of Damnonii's and Taezali's countryside, but as usual failing to dislodge the veteran Noyyau garrisons from the cities.

Spoiler :

Damnonii's rebels, funded by the dissenters in the prosperous river and sea port city, had even managed to acquire some Arquebuses from unknown sources.

Spoiler :

Taezali's rebels were far less numerous, though their knowledge of the mountainous terrain and of the nearby Silver Mines made them no less of a threat.

Spoiler :

Decisive action from the Noble Knights, with the support of veterans from the Venetian Conquest, crushed the latest Pictish revolt in the blood of the rebels, with minimal losses on the Noyyau side.

Spoiler :

The Incan navy surprised and massacred another corsair flotilla, that had been sailing towards what they thought were easy prey, having been already at sea when news of the sudden Incan surge in naval capability had finally reached Noyyau.

Spoiler :

King Reinhard, his strength sapped by his age, left the capital for the calmer Summer Palace in Orkham, leaving Prince Felix in charge of the daily matters of government. The old King wanted to enjoy some time with his wife, disillusioned with the lack of any meaningful progress in the pacification of conquered Pictland, the extensive territories constantly irrigated with the blood of rebels.
Prince Felix continued his father's policy of refusing to even consider any request for independence from the conquered territories.
However, he did not cite “national unity” or “territorial integrity” in his orders to crush the latest rebellion, instead invoking the will of the Spirits and the manifest destiny of the Noyyau people to rule these lands, and to be ruled by the royal bloodline.

Spoiler :

Thanks to the secrets “acquired” from Pakistan, the Robertian Arsenal began producing the first Noyyau Frigates, whose captains were soon given letters of marque. Piracy was about to enter a new era.

Spoiler :

While the first corsair Frigates were still in sight of the Robertian harbor, another heated battle erupted between Pakistani Frigates and a unified pirate fleet, with inconclusive results and casualties on both sides.

Spoiler :

Damnonii's fields were still littered with bodies when Caledonii and Maeatae also saw the first warning signs of coming unrest.

Spoiler :

Almost at the same time, Hellenistic fanatics suddenly began demonstrating in cities all over the Kingdom. Despite the lack of any kind of proof, there were strong suspicions of Pakistani interference, given that the rebellion about to explode in Caledonii and Maeatae also had a Hellenistic overtone.

Spoiler :

Despite (or perhaps in spite of) the religious tensions, another magnificent place of Shinto worship was completed in Ringhio, the city's fame constantly growing.

Spoiler :

In contrast with the crowded demonstrations, only a handful of stupidly brave Hellenists actually dared openly oppose the Noyyau armies. As was obvious, they had no chance of survival.

Spoiler :

Prince Felix gave his blessings to the Noyyau infiltrators ready in Rawalpindi, and they succesfully returned to the capital with detailed information on Pakistan's intricate but surprisingly effective judicial system.

Spoiler :

Brewing troubles in Alemanni, the eastern independent island that had only recently “joined” the Kingdom, were peacefully placated with strategically placed bribes to the same people that were claiming to be the ideal leaders of a local republic, should the people follow them in seceding from the Kingdom.

Spoiler :

Trade with Mongolia slowly but steadily grew in volume, Noyyau Fish merchants finding an untapped market ready to be flooded with their produce.
1581 renegotiated trade with mongolia (was only rice for less gold)

Spoiler :

While cruising through Assyrian waters, Noyyau pirate Frigates were challenged by the Assyrian navy. Needless to say, the oar-powered Assyrian vessels were quickly reduced to floating debris by the new Noyyau naval cannons.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The marked increase of Noyyau exports to foreign nations, mostly sold for gold or other precious metals, was rationalised in a publication from a prominent Oxford University professor, in which he theorised that the nation, to promote the growth of its wealth and power, should focus on obtaining raw materials and currency from foreign trading partners, and sell its own finished products, thus maintaining a positive trade balance. A state control on the economy, especially imports and exports, was required for the system to work.
Despite failing to recognise the inherent long-term downsides to such an approach, the mercantilist theory was praised by Prince Felix, who saw it as a natural extension of the divine-mandated absolute political power of a monarch.

Spoiler :

After extensive repairs, one of the unified pirate fleets returned for a second round of fighting against the Holy Roman navy, who in the meantime had also replenished its numbers.
Once again casualties mounted on both sides without a clear victor, and the pirates were finally forced to leave with a fighting retreat.

Spoiler :

London and its surroundings continued to burn, the Venetians unable to put down the revolting Anglo-Saxon peasants.

Spoiler :

The first Frigate-vs-Frigate naval battle occurred off the easter Pakistani coast, the Noyyau pirates ultimately victorious. Though casualties were high on both sides, the Noyyau pirates managed to tow several captured vessels to friendly ports.

Spoiler :

Not heeding the lesson of the recent incursions into Holy Roman waters, an Iranian corsais flotilla ventured into Roman waters, were they quickly met the large and aggressive Roman navy.



A new Foreign Policy civic has become available, providing a nice bonus to war weariness (should we get bogged down in another war in the future), and a small bonus to commerce.
The fact that other civilizations will not refuse to talk will mean that, should we attempt to subjugate another civilization, the war will be potentially shorter, as we won't have to wait for the “refuse to talk” period to end.
Should we switch immediately, or wait for a future golden age?

1. House Florentanius will be expanding their production capabilities in all sectors to cope with foreign demands.
2. House Florentanius would urge pirate fleets to cease their activities until they can outmatch other nation’s fleets or to conduct their activities in areas where they are capable of victory.
3. House Florentanius would urge the current government to wait and slowly introduce mercantilist ideals and policies rather than all at once switching which would greatly affect Noyyau businesses and the economy (Wait for a golden age).

Note: the OP has been updated with a link to the Holdings of the Noble Houses.
Please let me know if there are omissions or mistakes to be corrected.

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Prince Felix “convinced” the Duchy of Venice to accept Noyyau currency as legal tender, and opened the Venetian market to the export of Noyyau goods.

Spoiler :

Scouts exploring Sand People ruins in the desert east of Zhou discovered a hidden cave, filled with treasures stockpiled during generations of Sand People raids against the East Coast, in an era long before the Noyyau conquered and settled the region.

Spoiler :

Northern border patrols discovered the small village of Phoenician, last refuge of outlaws on the run from Noyyau justice.

Spoiler :

News came from Siam of a great shrine being built in Rayong, dedicated to their Buddhist faith, and of the wondrous miracles performed by a local holy man.

Spoiler :

Unknown arsonists torched the University in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. While no one was seriously hurt, as the fire happened during the night, it was estimated that years worth of research had been lost.

Spoiler :

Ongoing efforts by House Spirictum to spread the true Shinto faith far and wide were mostly successful on the Catfish Continent. Despite temporary setbacks, ultimately the Kannushis were able to establish Shintoist footholds in almost all of the major cities on the continent.

Spoiler :

With a sigh, Prince Felix signed, on behalf of his father, yet another order to quell a Pict uprising.
Despite the best efforts (and partial success) of the counter-intelligence network, an important Shinto temple in Maeatae was torched by the rebels.

Spoiler :

Ignoring the recent lessons imparted by the Roman navy, yet another pirate fleet attempted to raid the Roman coast, where it was met and sunk by the Romans, aggressive as ever despite the plague ravaging their capital. News of this defeat reached Noyyau only when the Wide Eyed Wanderer wandered through the waters of the recent naval battle, spotting familiar corsair marking on the floating wreckage that littered a wide area.
In other foreign news, the Ottomans invaded India, probably having realized that another war against Pakistan would be only a bloodbath with nothing to be gained by either side.

Spoiler :

To show Noyyau commitment in helping the Venetian Duchy, Prince Felix asked the Watch of House Florentanius to send advisors and trainers to London, still gripped by unrest.
The leadership of House Florentanius executed the Prince's will, sending the first Arquebusier Watchmen, to impress the Venetians and scare the rebels (and who knows, maybe get the chance to test the weapons in urban combat as well).

Spoiler :

While the northern patrol engaged the outlaws in minor skirmishes, a raiding attempt further south was stopped by Zapotec's Watch.

Spoiler :

Funded by benefactors that wished to remain anonymous, brave Noyyau Adventurers reached the ports of Mongolia, to finally explore the Lower Continent, its interior still a mistery to Noyyau geographers.

Spoiler :

The Pict rebellion was finally quelled, and life in conquered Pictland slowly returned to normal... though for how long it would remain calm, was anyone's guess.

Spoiler :

Indian envoys expressed their willingness to purchase workforce from the Noyyau. Was the war against the Ottomans going so badly, that they needed to look for workers abroad?

Spoiler :

While all the Noyyau attention was towards rumours of a new Pict rebellion, everyone was taken by surprise when Sofia was attacked by hostile forces flying the old Moroccan flag.

Spoiler :

Despite the suprise, Sofia's garrison had no problems in repelling the sudden attack, forcing the surviving rebels to flee.

Spoiler :

The Noyyau cavalry was immediately dispatched from Caledonii, to hunt down the last Moroccan rebels... though as they were about to reach them, news were brought that the Moroccans had unconditionally surrendered to the Batavians, with whom the Kingdom was currently at peace... or, to be more precise, with whom the Noyyau Kingdom had barely any contact.

Spoiler :

The Batavian Kingdom, unknown to most of the Noyyau people, was a minor island nation located near the sourthern arctic circle, southwest of Pakistan. Earlier in their history they had conquered their neighbours the Babilonians, and recently they had adopted Shinto as their state religion, though how had the faith spread so far south remained a mistery, as no organized effort had been made by House Spirictum to send any missionaries there.

Spoiler :

Undeterred, the Noyyau corsairs returned to the Holy Roman coasts, intent on defeating once and for all the HR navy, who had the same idea. After a lenghty naval battle with casualties high on both sides, the corsairs once again retreated to the southern uninhabited islands, to effect repairs and tend to the wounded.

Spoiler :

The Kingdom of Noyyau was shocked when, in the span of only a few days, both beloved King Reinhard and his wife Queen Niniann left this world to be with the spirits, after long and eventful lives.
King Reinhard had recently visited the leader of House Florentanius, Mathias VII, himself in old age and feeling his time was about to come. They talked privately for hours, the topic of their talks a mistery to anyone but themselves and Prince Felix, who had been later called by his father to be informed of his recent decisions, that turned out to be his last.

Soon after his coronation, now King Felix called for a Central Bank to be established, to better manage the now impressive volume of commerce that the Kingdom generated, and as a corollary to that, to open regional Tax Offices in any city of importance.

Parallel to the economic decrees, King Felix also called for the most renowned philosophers to ponder about the relationship between the State and the Individual, seeking a rational explanation for the Spirits' decision to put him at the head of the great Noyyau Kingdom.

With the extra income that the Central Bank and the Tax Offices were about to bring, King Felix tasked House Giacola and House Florentanius to better organize and standardize the Public Works system, by establishing state-run Work Houses for those too poor to provided for themselves.

Last but not least, King Felix summoned his military commanders and told them that the ancient Vassalage system of military recruitment was failing to meet the needs of the ever growing Kingdom, and that they should take a look at how the Florentanius Watch was reforming itself towards a more meritocratic system of promotions and career advancement.