Onward to Glory (Main Thread)

Nuka-sama

See ya! It has been a fun decade!
Joined
Jan 27, 2006
Messages
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also known as EU IV in NES form

Name: England
King Henry VII* (Born 1457)/Tudor
Heirs: Arthur (b. 1486), Henry (b. 1491), Margaret (b. 1489)
Personal Treasury: 46,000
Prestige:45
Initiative Points:4
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury):400,000-264,000 (0/10,000)
Army: 16 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy: 10 ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Henry VII (5/5)
English Nobles (3/2)
Catholic Church (2/2)
Anglo-Irish Lords (3/1)
English Peasants (1/0)
Irish Peasants (0/0)
Advisors:

Players: Players will of course, be taking “nations” with their claims, but it is not just the nation they are claiming; they are claiming the monarch of their nation. What this means is that you must consider the interests of your monarch and of your dynasty first and foremost, and the rest of your nation second. You are not playing as Austria; you’re playing as the Archduke and the Hapsburg family, and you must do what is in the dynasty’s interests, even if it might not necessarily be in Austria’s interests. That means things like reforms and curtailing of your monarch’s power will be seen as major attacks on you. Be careful about your heirs and anyone else who may have a claim to your throne, as they may very much strive to claim it for themselves through intrigue or war.

In the second line we have our King/Prime Minister/Shogun/Head Honcho, followed by his dynasty. This is your character, and who your interests work through. Dynasties are very important, and two nations that have the same ruling dynasty are generally very closely allied with one another.

After this, we have your heirs. Generally this will only include your children and grandchildren, though if you have no child, the next applicable potential heir will be placed her instead, as well as an additional note (such as “uncle” “cousin” or “brother”). I will put the children in the order they would succeed the throne, though it will be noted in many countries a woman cannot succeed the throne, and is put here to help you track your family members and who you can marry off (a * representing married).

As a side note, your ruler will do their best to produce as many heirs as possible! After all, we wouldn’t want all the heirs to die in infancy. If you would like to have names for your children specifically, you can let me know and I’ll keep them around. If not, I will use their closest real life self, and if not applicable, I will use common dynastic names (ie; for England, I would likely name a child Henry, Richard, or Edward)

Money:

First your income! This represents your yearly income! This was before the era of standardized taxes and budgets. Budgets would fluctuate wildly, with trade being better in some years than others, taxes needed to fight some years and others years of peace. Policies may change this, but for now this is what you’ve got!

Your income will come from taxes, trade, and more.

Expenses are your yearly expenditures. Around 15-20% of your income is dedicated to administration of your nation (more for larger, more centralized nations, less for smaller, decentralized nations). The rest of it, and your biggest expenses, will be your military spending. This was an era of tiny standing armies and fleets called up as needed, with mercenaries or levies covering the rest. As you can see in our example, England has 4,000 infantry, 1,000 mounted troops, and 10 ships; yet this, with the administration expenses, accounts for over half of England’s income!

Next we will talk about debt and treasury. First and foremost, it is not bad to go into debt. It is in fact, often necessary. What is bad is allowing the debt to fester. Depending on the nation you are, you will face various interest rates from either creditors or from foreign powers, and interest will accumulate. Of course, you may decide that your debt no longer exists (such as not paying them or defaulting) but then that will cause a host of problems; rampaging unpaid soldiers, rebellious nobles, furious merchants. If your lender was a foreign power, then it may cause a war! On the other side is your treasury. This is how much money you have accumulated from your nation’s income that was left unspent. While it is good for a rainy day fund, this gold is at risk; if you lose your capital, you may lose most or all of your treasury!

On a side note is your personal treasury. The personal treasury is the income you have at your direct disposal to do anything you so choose. You may buy stakes in a colonial company, invest it, loan it, buy an army, bribe your factions, buy clothes, whatever you want to do. Unless you have loans being repaid to you or you have holdings in a company, this stat will generally not replenish itself. Generally speaking, aside from investments, the way to increase your own treasury is to skim off the national treasury. In monarchies, 5% or so is considered perfectly acceptable; in a republic, it may be seen as an abuse of power. Take too much though, and your factions may begin turning on you. Aside from skimming off the top, one other way to do this is through war, with the captured loot (after your men take their shares of course) going directly to your personal treasury.

One thing to note is that people will know where they’re being paid from, and this knowledge may adjust their actions. An army paid by the state may turn on you in a civil war; an army paid by you will be loyal to you. An advisor being paid a state salary will do his best to entrench himself in the state so he cannot be removed easily; an advisor paid by you will be more likely to remain focused on his loyalty to you. Be careful!

Prestige is perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind, and what you as a player are trying to accumulate. Things that can benefit your prestige include winning battles and wars, holding colonies and other territories, impressive armies and navies, being Defender of the Faith or Holy Roman Emperor, royal marriages, vanity projects, and “kingly” actions (hosting tournaments and feasts and the like), but these are just examples. A good rule of thumb is that almost everything can affect prestige, either positively or negatively. Prestige is very fickle, and can go up and down on a wide variety of things, but overall is one of the most important stats. It not only affects things like morale, faction relations, and NPC diplomacy, but also players should note how much another prestige another player has. An alliance or royal marriage with a less prestigious nation’s monarch will have a negative effect on your prestige, while winning a war against a prestigious nation will do wonders for your own prestige.

On Historical realism and playability: The goal of a nes, of course, is to be playable, and to not have to follow a script of what you exactly have to do. No one wants to play EXACTLY as their entity did in reality, and I am not going to force you to do that. However, you will be constrained by reality, both in what you can do and what you would do. To give you the general gist of it, you may play as Ireland, and you can survive the years, and maybe you can even emerge as a middle level power, but you cannot become a global power with the economy to equal that of Spain. I will strive to create an enjoyable game for all players regardless of size.

Initiative Points are what we might consider “political capital”, namely what you can do. Actions may cost gold or armies, or anything in between, but they do all require initiative points. This is designed to show the limit of the power of your monarch’s hold over the nation: the more power they hold, the more political clout they have! Initiative points are made by how much power in your nation you have: one ‘power’ is equal to one ‘initiative point’ up to 3, and then afterwards, two power is equal to one initiative point. So if I was Henry VII with 5 power, I would have 4 Initiative Points.

Things that will cost Initiative Points!

-Declaring war! (One nation, one initiative point)
-Setting up a colony or trading post
-Issuing an edict
-Embarking on a reform (may need initiative points over several turns)
-Changing religions (takes 2 initiative points)

And much, much more!

Wars:

Casus Belli: Your cause for war. Unlike the wars of the later 19th and then the 20th century, there does not necessarily need to be a GOOD cause for war, but there has to be something. It can be claiming a throne, claiming colonial lands, border disputes, different religions, something. It can even be to cut down a major power that’s growing too strong. It’s not exactly difficult to make a reason for war, but keep in mind there are consequences; wars are expensive, and if you don’t have the money for them, it could stifle your ambitions. Furthermore, rebellious factions may see this as an opportune time to rise up against you. So be careful!

Calling the Banners: For the great majority of nations, there exists some form of landed class that has armies. While not to the extent of the days of old, generally most nations have nobles that can muster troops for you (the exact number depending on the nation and will have more or less depending on the relative power of the nobility. You may also conscript ships, generally from your merchants, and they will depend on the region where you are: Venice and Genoa will be using Galleys, while Portugal would be using Carracks.

The Prices for troops are as follows. Prices are per year,and there is no extra “hiring cost”. A company is 250 men.

For European Nations:

1 company of infantry-4,000 Ducats
1 company of cavalry-10,000 Ducats
1 ship-10,000 Ducats

For East Asian and Middle Eastern Nations:

1 company of infantry-2,000 Ducats
1 company of cavalry-5,000 Ducats
1 ship-10,000 ducats

For American Nations:

1 company of infantry-1,000 Ducats

This includes both recruitment and maintaining; so if I were France and I wanted 3 companies of infantry for 3 years, I would pay 12,000 ducats per year, for a total of 36,000 Ducats .

Paying for the War: As you can see in your stats, your armies make up the bulk of your expenses. You may decide to raise or disband at your leisure (even if it puts you into debt), though large scale disbandments can cause more trouble than money saved. In this era, European monarchs did not hold large standing armies, as the financial drain was particularly burdensome, and there was no standardized tax collection year in and year out.

Factions represent the various interest groups within your nation. There are dozens of different factions you may run into. The church, the army, the fleet, the nobility, the royal family, the bureaucrats and the merchantry are all common and powerful factions that can be found in your nation. There can also be peasantry, based off of either their nationality (Irish versus English), or religion (Catholic versus Sunni). If they grow powerful enough, even your advisors or other individuals may become powerful power brokers in their own right. Factions have two stats; loyalty and power.

Loyalty ranges from 0 (least loyal) to 5 (most loyal). The more loyal a faction, the more you can trust them with power. As a general rule of thumb, a loyalty of 3 is generally a “we are fine with being a part of the system” and can be trusted with some tasks in the nation, while a 4 or 5 is someone you can bring into your inner circle. A 2 is someone you may want to make ties with if they have sufficient power, and you should keep an eye on any 1 or 0, and reduce their power when it is prudent to do so. A faction reaching -1 is in rebellion. ‘Loyalty’ should not necessarily read as “how likely are they to rebel” ( though it definitely is a very strong indicator). Loyalty also shows how willing a faction is to go along with your decisions. Just because the Catholic Church has a loyalty of ‘2’ in England does not mean they’re about to start looking to ferment rebellion, it instead means they’re less likely to be willing to work with the monarch’s initiatives.

Each nation has 10 possible ‘power’ and is divided among your various factions. The more a faction has, the more powerful it is. Ideally, you should be the most powerful faction in your realm. If not, you may be dominated by the more powerful factions and be unable to achieve your goals, or worse, deposed from your seat of power!

Factions will make their desires (or demands) known to you, and depending on your actions, can make them more or less loyal, and potentially more or less powerful. While a powerful faction, if loyal, can be useful, you don’t want anyone to grow too powerful, and it may be necessary to act against them. You should not see factions unilaterally as opponents though. You may actually use your factions for your own advantage, and they may in fact be willing to carry out a task when you may not have the initiative needed to do so.

The question is, is it better to be feared or loved? You may try to overwhelm your factions, keeping them in line with your strength, but when your blackest hour comes, the factions you once bullied will be the ones to swing down the ax on your head. On the reverse side, being loved by the factions is not impossible, but if your power is too fragmented, then you will be unable to take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves. Every nation has its own unique path, and it is up to you on how you wish to tread that path.

Your factions can be dealt with in a variety of ways. For those of you who have the need to assert yourself, you may decide to simply execute anyone who opposes you, like Henry VIII of England. The Machiavelli in you may derive pleasure from causing fighting between factions, or even more deliciously, faction infighting. The coalition builder may invite a faction leader or member to be one of their advisors, or the Sultan in you may decide to slaughter a faction wholesale! You may even decide to exile a faction (such as those who are not of your religion). There are so many possibilities!

The one thing to remember is that in most cases, faction loyalty and strength is not an overnight thing. Do not expect to have 7 power and full loyalty from your factions in a few turns. Though your decrees and actions will have nuanced effects, unless your action is extreme, you will not see huge shifts overnight. In many cases, be prepared for a waiting game. Patience is a virtue after all.

Advisors are those of your court that will help you rule your nation. These advisors are talented and will help your nation thrive with their skills; some are efficient tax men, some are great explorers, others priests or taxmen. Some may even have multiple jobs! Advisors can be recruited from a general pool throughout your region, though if a new advisor “manifests”, then the nation that he was born in will have exclusive hiring rights for 5 years before he joins the general pool. You may have up to three advisors at a time, so make them count, but be careful! Advisors have personalities and can upset members of the court (or charm them!) and can actually develop into powerful players on their own right.

Updates
will be done in the style of “Point of View” Characters , along with some moderator narration on the side. Generally I would recommend reading the entire update, as the characters will often comment on happenings of the region. Of course, all major events will be discussed in the update, and EVERYTHING you do will be recorded. Just because it isn’t in the update does not mean it didn’t happen, it’s just not particularly newsworthy. For example, we NESers have a fetish for universities (despite it creating an educated class that will likely cause problems in the future), and while this IS an appropriate time to charter universities, schools, ect. ect., if that was one of the only things you did this turn, it might not make it into the update, especially if this was the year that twelve other universities were founded in Europe.

That being said, while some of the characters I hope to maintain as permanent characters as we see their stories evolve, many characters will be temporary, one time update POV’s (though they may resurface again). I will try to include many nations, and if I notice I’ve been slacking on your nation on one update, I’ll try to give it more screen time next update, provided you give me something to work with. If you have a suggestion for a POV character, I would like to hear it in a PM (maybe with your orders). Also, one definite way to increase your screentime is writing good stories :)

Updates are not a predetermined written length. If I need more characters and more time to devote to some turns I will, and if in some turns, little of note happens, then the update will reflect that.

Updates will encompass three years for now, though after a few updates I might see about increasing or decreasing the length of time per update, depending on how things are going.

If you have complaints, questions or concerns about the update, PLEASE Private message them to me

REQUIRED READING:

I do NOT require you to have huge amounts of knowledge about this era. Some people have history degrees or access to huge libraries or whatever, but I know not everyone has that. What I WILL require that you at the very minimum read the wikipedia page of your ruler. In addition I would highly advise clicking around, finding more about who you are and what your country is going through.

Writing Orders

Please remember in your incomes that these are your YEARLY incomes, not your per TURN Incomes. Also remember your Initiatives are your PER TURN

Remember that your incomes will WILDLY fluctuate in this period. Because of this, I do not need specific spending orders. Instead, I would recommend budgets for those more controlling, and and general priorities for those who are more open.

For the love of all that is holy please put your actions in what year you are doing them (ie; 1493, raise a fleet, 1494 invade Burgundy, 1495 leave Burgundy).
 
Stats:

Europe

Spoiler :

Austria
Archduke Maximilian (b. 1459)/Habsburg
Married to: (none)
Heir: Philip (b. 1478) [son of Maximilian], Margaret (b. 1480) [daughter of Maximilian], Kunigunde* (b. 1465) [sister]
Personal Treasury: 280,000
Prestige: 36
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 155,000-145,000 (0/78,000)
Army: 20 companies infantry, 15 companies horse
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Archduke Maximilian/House of Habsburg (5/4)
Duke Philip of Burgundy (5/0) [In Austria]
Catholic Church (4/2)
Burgundian Nobles (-1/2) [in revolt]
Dutch Burghers (-1/2) [in revolt]
Austrian Peasants (1/0)
Dutch Peasants (-1/0) [in revolt]
Advisors:
Notes:
Holy Roman Emperor

Bavaria
Duke Albert IV* (b. 1447)/Wittelsbach
Married: Kuningarde Habsburg (b. 1465)
Heir: William (b. 1493), Sidonie (b. 1488), Sibylle (b. 1489), Sabina (b. 1492), Susanne (b. 1495)
Personal Treasury: 72,000
Prestige: 22
Initiative Points: 4
National Income-Expenses: 184,000-99,000 (0/145,000)
Army: 8 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Albert IV (5/6)
Catholic Church (4/2)
Urban interests (3/2)
Peasants (2/0)
Advisors:

Brandenburg
Margrave Johann II* (b. 1455)/Hohenzollern
Married: Margaret of Wettin (b. 1449)
Heir: Joachim (b. 1486), Albert (b. 1490) Anna (b. 1487), Anna (b. 1487), Ursula (b. 1488),
Personal Treasury: 80,000
Prestige: 22
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 153,000- 110,500 (0/155,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Johann II (5/4)
Nobles (3/2)
Catholic Church (2/2)
Burghers (1/2)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Name: England
King Henry VII (Born 1457)/Tudor
Married: Elizabeth of York (b. 1466)
Heirs: Arthur (b. 1486), Henry (b. 1491), Edmund (b. 1494), Margaret (b. 1489)
Personal Treasury: 96,000
Prestige:42
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury):283,000-355,000 (0/111,000)
Army: 20 companies infantry, 5 companies horse
Navy: 15 ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Henry VII and the Court of the Star Chamber(5/4)
English Nobles (3/2)
Catholic Church (2/2)
Anglo-Irish Lords (3/1)
Urban Interests (2/1)
English Peasants (1/0)
Irish Peasants (0/0)
Advisors:
John Morton (Cardinal, Masterful Administrator, Finance expert)
John Cabot (Explorer)
Notes:
Nominal sovereign of Ireland
Pretender to the Throne of France
Richard of Shrewsbury , Pretender to the English throne (At court of Charles VIII in France)

Name: France
King Charles VIII* (b. 1470)/Valois
Married: Anne of Brittany (b. 1477)
Heirs: Charles (b. 1492), Francis (b. 1494)
Personal Treasury: 67,000
Prestige: 50
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 540,000-543,000 (0/143,000)
Army: 50 companies of infantry, 15 companies of cavalry
Navy: 10 ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Charles VIII (5/4)
French Nobles (3/2)
Non Integrated Provinces (2/1)
Catholic Church (3/2)
Localized Parliaments (3/1)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:
Gilbert de Bourbon (talented general)
Chevalier de Bayard (highly talented general)
Pubilo Fausto Andrelini (Poet)
Notes:
Has former Papal blessing to take the Crown of Naples
Has claim to the Duchy of Milan
Hosts Richard of Shrewsbury, Pretender to the English Throne

Genoa
Doge Gian Giazzano
Merchant Republic
Personal Treasury: 163,000
Prestige: 28
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 210,000-184,000 (0/248,000)
Army: 8 companies infantry
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Dodge (5/3)
Signora (3/3)
Merchant Guilds (3/4)
Navy (3/0)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Hungary (Bohemia and Croatia)
King Vladislaus II*/Jagiellon
Married: Beatrice of Naples (b. 1457)
Heir: Anne (b. 1493), John Albert [brother, King of Poland], Alexander [brother, Duke of Lithuania],
Personal Treasury: 100,000
Prestige: 38
Initiative Points: 1
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 130,000-640,000 (228,000/0)
Army: 60 companies infantry, 40 companies horse
Navy: 6 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Vladislaus II (5/1)
Bohemian Nobles (2/1)
Hungarian Nobles (-1/1) [in revolt]
Black Army (4/5)
Catholic Church (2/1)
Urban Interests (3/1)
Serfs (0/0)
Advisors:
Pál Kinizsi (Leader of the Black Army)
Notes: John Corvinus, pretender to Hungary

Milan
Duke Ludovico* (b. 1469)/Sforza
Spouse: Beatrice d'Este
Heir: Francesco (b. 1491) [grandnephew], Bianca Maria Sforza (b. 1472) [niece]
Personal Treasury: 430,000
Prestige: 23
Initiative Points: 4
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 231,000- 57,0000 (0/314,000)
Army: 6 companies infantry
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Ludovico Sforza (5/6)
Catholic Church (2/2)
Merchant Guilds (3/1)
Mercenaries (3/1)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:
Leonardo Da Vinci

Name: Muscovy
Tsar Ivan III* (b. 1440)/Rurik
Married: Zoe Palaiologina (b. 1455)
Heirs: Dmitry (b.1483) [grandson], Vasili (b. 1479), Yury (b. 1480), Helena (b. 1476)
Personal Treasury: 67,000
Prestige: 35
Initiative Points: 4
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 280,000-103,000 (0/67,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 4 companies cavalry
Navy: 3 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Ivan III (5/5)
Dvyorans (4/1)
Russian Orthodox Church (4/2)
Boyars (2/1)
Serfs (1/0)
Advisors:
Notes:
Uses Asian/Middle Eastern Army Stats

Naples
King Ferdinand II (b. 1469)/Trastámara
Married: Contessina de' Medici (b. 1478)
Heir: Alphonso (b. 1495), Frederick* (b. 1452) [Uncle], Ferdinand (b. 1488) [son of Frederick], Maria (b. 1494), Isabella (b. 1470) [sister, recently widowed], Beatrice* (b.1457) [Aunt], Juana* (b. 1476)
Personal Treasury: 248,000
Prestige: 12
Initiative Points: 5
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 220,000-213,000 (0/65,000)
Army: 20 companies infantry, 5 companies horse
Navy: 5 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Ferdinand II (5/7)
Nobility (1/1)
Catholic Church (1/1)
Merchants (2/1)
Peasants (0/0)
Advisors:
Notes:
Holds Claim to Milan
Holds Claim to Jerusalem

Kalmar Union (Union of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden)
King John II (b.1455)/Oldenburg
Married: Christina of Saxony (b. 1466)
Heir: Christian (b. 1481), Elizabeth (b. 1485),
Personal Treasury: 146,000
Prestige: 28
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 285,000-427,000 (0/15,000)
Army: 35 companies infantry, 8 companies horse
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
John II (5/3)
Danish Nobles (3/2)
Sten Sture, Regent of Sweden (-1/3) [in revolt]
Swedish Nobles (0/2) [in revolt]
Danish and Norwegian Peasants (1/0)
Swedish Peasants (-1/0) [in revolt
Advisors:
Notes:

Papal States
Alexander VI
Personal Treasury: 741,000
Prestige: 45
Initiative Points:
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 220,000-143,000 (0/80,0000)
Army: 10 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy: 3 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Alexander VI (5/4)
Cardinals (4/3)
Italian Barons (1/3)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Poland-Lithuania
King John I Albert (b. 1459)/Jagiellon
Married:
Heir: Alexander (b. 1461) [brother] Vladislaus* [brother, King of Hungary]
Personal Treasury: (75,000)
Prestige: 32
Initiative Points:1
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 253,000-205,000 (0/44,000)
Army: 15 companies infantry, 8 companies horse
Navy: 4 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
John I Albert (5/1)
Polish Nobility (2/3)
Alexander, Duke of Lithuania (3/4)
Catholic Church (3/2)
Catholic Polish Serfs (1/0)
Orthodox Serfs (0/0)
Ukrainian Serfs (0/0)
Advisors:
Friedrich Jagiellon
Notes: Fortification construction on Muscovite border

Portugal
King João II (b.1455)/Aviz
Married: Eleanor of Viseu (b. 1458)
Heirs: Manuel (b. 1469) [cousin]
Personal Treasury:8 5,000
Prestige: 43
Initiative Points: 4
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 309,000-273,000 (0/78,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 8 companies cavalry
Navy: 10 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
King João II (5/5)
Council of Scholars (4/2)
Catholic Church (3/2)
Nobility (2/1)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:
Bartolomeu Dias
Notes:
Jorge (b. 1481) illegitimate son
Portuguese Royal Company of Exploration and Colonization

Savoy
Duke Charles II (b. 1489)/Savoy
Married:
Heir: Philip* (b. 1438) [granduncle] Yolanda Louise (b. 1487) [sister]
Personal Treasury: 75,000
Prestige: 10
Initiative Points: 2
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 148,000-110,500 (0/40,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Blanche of Montferra and the House of Savoy (5/2)
French Nobility (2/3)
Italian Merchants (2/2)
Catholic Church: (2/3)
Advisors:
Blanche of Montferrat (as Regent)
Notes: Claimant to the Kingdom of Cyprus, Jerusalem, and Armenia

Saxony
Duke John V* (b. 1439)/Ascania
Heir: Magnus (b. 1471), Eric (b. 1472), John (b. 1483), Anna (b. 1490)
Personal Treasury: 159,000
Prestige: 25
Initiative Points: 4
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 180,000-123,000 (0/140,000)
Army: 14 companies infantry, 4 companies horse
Navy:
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Duke John V (5/6)
Burghers (3/2)
Catholic Church (3/2)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Name: Scotland
King James IV (Born 1473)/Stewart
Married:
Heirs:James* (b. 1476) [brother], John* (b. 1479) [brother]
Personal Treasury: 39,800
Prestige: 25
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 203,000-190,000 (0/42,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 6 companies horse
Navy: 6 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
King James IV (5/4)
Duke John of the Isles (2/2)
Scottish Nobles and Parliament (3/2)
Catholic Church (3/2)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Name: Spain
Queen Isabella (b.1451) and King Ferdinand (b. 1452)/Trastámara
Heirs: Juan (b. 1478), Isabella (b.1471) [widow], Joanna (b. 1479), Maria (b. 1482), Catherine (b. 1485)
Personal Treasury: 72,000
Prestige: 53
Initiative Points:2
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 583,000-500,000 (0/88,000)
Army: 40 companies infantry, 10 companies horse
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
King and Queen (5/2)
Lords of Castile (3/1)
Lords of Aragon (3/1)
Cortes of Castile (2/2)
Cortes of Aragon (2/2)
Catholic Church (4/2)
Catholic Peasants (2/0)
Non Catholics (0/0)
Advisors:
Christopher Columbus (Explorer)

Name: Teutonic Order
Grandmaster Johann von Tiefen
Monastic Order
Personal Treasury: 48,000
Prestige: 14
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 163,000-151,000 (0/70,000)
Army: 16 companies infantry, 6 companies horse
Navy: 4 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Grandmaster (Johann von Tiefen) and Prussian Knights (5/3)
Livonian Order Knights (3/2)
Prussian non-Order gentry (1/2)
City burghers of Livonia and Prussia, and merchants (1/2)
Catholic clergy (2/1)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Venice
Doge Agostino Barbarigo
Merchant Republic
Personal Treasury: 145,000
Prestige: 34
Initiative Points: 5
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 320,000-308,000 (0/388,000)
Army: 15 companies infantry, 5 companies horse
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
The Dodge and the Signoria (5/5)
Merchant Families (3/3)
Catholic Church (2/2)
Advisors:
Notes:
Debts owed to Venice: 75,000 (Egypt)


Middle East and Africa

Spoiler :

Egypt
Sultan Qaitbay/Burji
Heir:
Personal Treasury: 76,000
Prestige: 35
Initiative Points: 2
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 315,000-131,500 (75,000/0)
Army: 60 companies infantry, 10 companies horse
Navy: 7 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Sultan Qaitbay (5/2)
Emirs (3/4)
Mamluks (3/4)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:
Notes:
Debts owed to Venice (225,000)

Ottoman Empire
Sultan Bayezid II /Osman
Heir:
Personal Treasury: 218,000
Prestige: 50
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 734,000-638,000 (0/183,000)
Army: 120 companies infantry, 40 companies horse
Navy: 9 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Sultan and his officers (5/4)
Turkish Nobility (2/3)
Islamic Clergy (3/2)
Janissaries (5/1)
Muslim Peasants (2/0)
Orthodox Peasants (0/0)
Advisors:


East Asia

Spoiler :

Ayutthaya
Ramadhibodi II (b. 1473)/Suphannaphum
Heir:
Personal Treasury: 135,000
Prestige: 30
Initiative Points:3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 288,000-210,000 (0/95,000)
Army: 31 companies infantry, 10 companies horse
Navy: 5 ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Ramadhibodi II (5/3)
Uparaja (3/2)
Kalahom (4/2)
Tributaries (1/2)
Peasants (-1/1) [in revolt]
Advisors:

Japan
Shogun Ashikaga Yohorsehockyane* (b.1466)/Ashikaga
Heir: Ashikiga Yohorsehockysuna (b. 1483) [adopted son]
Personal Treasury: 107,000
Prestige: 30
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 288,000-235,000 (0/87,000)
Army: 40 companies infantry, 10 companies horse
Navy: 6 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Shogun Ashikaga Yohorsehockyane (5/4)
Emperor Go-Tsucimikado (5/1)
Hosokawa Masamoto (0/4) [missing]
Ashikaga Yohorsehockyaki (1/1)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Korea
King Seongjong* (b. 1457)/Joseon
Heir: Yeonsangun (b. 1476) (b. Jungjong (b. 1488)
Personal Treasury: 86,000
Prestige: 20
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 200,000-135,000 (0/115,000)
Army: 15 companies infantry, 5 companies horse
Navy: 5 ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
King Seongjong (5/4)
Sarim (4/2)
General Heo Jeong (4/1)
Yangbang (3/3)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

Lê Dynasty
Lê Thánh Tông/Lê
Heir: Lê Hiến Tông
Personal Treasury: 85,000
Prestige: 20
Initiative Points: 5
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 326,000-188,000 (0/115,000)
Army: 20 companies infantry, 10 companies horse
Navy: 5 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Lê Thánh Tông (5/5)
Censors (5/1)
Bureaucracy (3/2)
Nobles (2/2)
Peasants (2/0)
Advisors:

Malakka
Sultan Mahmud Shah (b. 1444)
Heir: Tun Besar (b. 1474), Tun Perpatih Putih (b. 1452)
Personal Treasury: 120,000
Prestige: 28
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 344,000-262,000 (0/88,000)
Army: 12 companies infantry, 5 companies horse
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Sultan Mahmud Shah (5/4)
Bendaharra Tun Perak (5/2)
Pendekar (4/2)
Hulubalang (4/2)
Peasants (2/0)
Advisors: Hang Tuah
Khoja Hassan
Hang Nadim

Ming Empire
The Hongzhi Emperor/Ming
Heir: Zhu Houzhao (b. 1491)
Personal Treasury: 760,000
Prestige: 45
Initiative Points: 2
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury): 654,000-598,000 (0/672,000)
Army: 100 infantry companies, 30 cavalry companies
Navy: 15 Ships
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Hongzhi Emperor (5/3)
Chancellor Wang Zhen and Inner Palace Eunuchs (4/2)
Landowning Nobility (3/2)
Imperial Bureaucracy (3/2)
Merchants (2/1)
Peasants (2/0)
Notes:


The Americas

Spoiler :

Tawantinsuyu
Huayna Capac (b.1468)/Hanan
Heir:
Personal Treasury: 87,000
Prestige: 30
Initiative Points: 3
National Income-Expenses (Debt/Treasury) 76,000-38,000 (0/56,000)
Army: 36 companies infantry
Navy: N/A
Factions (Loyalty/Power):
Huayna Capac (5/4)
Inka Nobility (3/2)
Religious Officials (4/2)
Inka Generals (3/2)
Peasants (1/0)
Advisors:

 
List of Players

Europe

Austria-Grandkhan
Bavaria-Pole475
Brandenburg-Arrow Gamer
England-Ophorian
France-bombshoo
Hungary-m.t. cicero
Kalmar-Omega124
Milan-ChineseWarlord
Naples-orangelex44
Poland-Lithuania: SouthernKing
Portugal-Golden1Knight
Saxony-PopcornLord
Spain-Immaculate
Venice-flyingchicken

----

Middle East


Asia

Ayutthaya-Christos200
Japan-Adrogonas
Malaka-Masada
Ming-Azale

Americas

Inka-Shadowbound
Iroquois-DuneBear
Wyandot-Iggy
 
List of Treaties, Alliances, and Marriages

List of Wars

The Flemish Revolt
Austria vs Flanders, allied cities

Holy Roman Empire

Current Emperor: Maximilian of Austria (Grandkhan)

Electors:

3 Spiritual

The Prince-Archbishop of Mainz
The Prince-Archbishop of Trier
The Prince-Archbishop of Cologne

4 Secular

The Margrave of Brandenburg (Arrow Gamer)
The King of Bohemia (m.t. cicero)
The Count of the Palatine of the Rhine (NPC)
The Duke of Saxony (Popcornlord)

The Current Pope: Alexander VI (Aragonese)
 
Update Zero, 1492: When Worlds Collide



Early January, Granada, Spain

Banner upon banner fluttered in the wind, carrying the insignia of both Christ and of Spain. The recruits were terse. In but a moment, the truce was to end. There had yet to be any assistance for the city, but the last thing the soldiers wanted was to fight one final bloody battle. Not when the end was so near. Midday was almost upon them, and for a brief moment, Gonzalo de Córdoba wondered if the city would rather fight, a last stand for Islam. But then, a sigh of relief went through the camp and Gonzalo smiled as the gates opened. No help had come for the heathens,and he had the tremendous honor of assisting with the surrender of the city. Their most Catholic majesties were there as the Sultan and his garrison marched out of the city. The Sultan handed the key to the city, but did not have to suffer the humiliation of kissing their most Catholic Majesties hands. He looked at the crowd; soldiers and cardinals were crying, and a chant of Te Deum began with but a few monks, but it soon seemed the entire encampment was chanting it. Gonzalo looked to his left and saw the Duke of Cadiz crying and then noticed his vision blur. Fearful for a second, he realized he too was crying. He fell to the ground, letting the tears flow. They had done it. They had finally done it. In the name of God and Christ the redeemer, they had done it. God is good. He wiped away his tears. God truly favored Spain, and after centuries of the humiliation of conquest, it was time to show this world what God knew Spain was capable of…

Near the Mediterranean Sea


A small company of servants and retainers accompanied the man who was King. He was Muhammad, twelfth of his name, but for all it mattered, the last of his name. He had dreams, ambitions. But now, they would only remember him as the man who was conquered last. As his party passed, they stood atop a hill that gave one last view of the city. He heard the bells ringing, the birds singing. But they were for someone else. He clenched his fists, and his lip trembled. He looked over the land, his former land, one last time. The green valley, the sun shining down on, it was as if this was the only place in the world. He looked upon the Alhambra, his home, for the final time. He outstretched his hand, and at this he fell to his knees.

The saltiness of his tears stung as they rolled down his face. He could never have done this before, not while there was still hope in the eyes of his people. But all was lost now. The tears kept flowing, mucus dripping from his nostrils. His servants were kind enough to avert their eyes as he dropped to the ground, sobbing. Soon enough, he was alone, and looked up again. Even through the tears, his city looked so beautiful. He continued to cry until he heard footsteps approach. He turned around to see his mother, her face filled with contempt. She shook her head and said “You weep like a woman for what you could not defend as a man”. The tears streaming down his face, he saw in her the contempt that the city and his servants must have for him. He should have fought like a man. But he was swayed by the thought of continuing to live. But for what? He would no longer be in Granada; would that really be a life worth living?

At Court in Buda, Hungary

Pál Kinizsi walked the halls of the castle. It was rather unimpressive for the King of such a vast domain, but it reflected his status. A King in name only it seemed. The true power, both here and Bohemia, lie with the nobles. He smiled. Well them, and the Black Army. The most ferocious fighting force in all of Europe. Matthias had plundered the state with taxes to keep the Army financed, but the new King did not have that kind of clout. The Army was expensive to maintain, but it WAS useful. Perhaps he could use it to keep the nobility in line, perhaps to take the throne of Poland from his younger brother. But perhaps it was best not to reach too far. His thrones in both lands were shaky at best, and it may be best to let the Army die. Or rather, kill it. As he continued walking, the soreness he felt this morning came back to him. He grimaced in pain as he began to clutch the wall. As much as he did not care to admit it, his age was showing more and more. As he approached the guardsman, the guard nodded and opened the door. Kinizsi walked through, determined to show no weakness. He would not die until he could at least solve this crisis. He owed it to the King.

After all, he smiled, he did crown him.

At Court in Krakow, Poland-Lithuania

Fryderyk Jagiellon prayed devotedly to God for it was most certainly an hour of need. His father, God rest his soul, was now at the Lord’s side. His brother John had been chosen King, and his brother Alex had become Duke of Lithuania. He sighed; brothers should be more hesitant to fight, they were of the same blood. Yet brother killing brother was a problem since before the time of Christ, and adding crowns and gold to the mix made it an even messier affair. Fryderyk’s other brother Vladislaus was just across the border in Buda with a ferocious army. He sniffed; Vladislaus could well see it in his rights to take the throne, and he had left for Bohemia before Fryderyk was even born. To top it all off, it seemed His Holiness would be departing from this world soon, if he had not already. Word from Rome had yet to reach him, but either way he could not leave Krakow. Not now. Frederyk sighed and made his prayer

“In the name of the Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost, please hear my prayer. Let there be peace in my family. Give my brothers long and happy lives, full of peace and plenty. Please allow my father to stand by your side in the Kingdom of Heaven, and please give me the strength to speak your word. Last but not least, please see that His Holiness recovers from his illness. Amen.”

Sistine Chapel, Rome

Ardicino della Porta entered the conclave with twenty-three others. The death of His Holiness had opened the conclave once more. The Chapel was at last to be used for election of the new holder of the Cathedra Romana, perhaps the only thing of a slightly positive note that would be said of this election, and to provide for him something to look at aside from the disgusting old men. He bitterly assessed his fellow cardinals. Nearly half of them were Cardinal-nephews, their position owed to their family; just as many were crown-cardinals, the secular princes and kings putting their fingerprints on the Papacy. The rest of them came from the powerful barons of the Papal lands. He and the pastor, Maffeo Gherardo, were the only truly religious men remaining. And Maggeo was so old and decrepit, he was more likely to pass from this world before passing through the doorway again. There were other worthy men, though unfortunately not in attendance. Pierre d'Aubusson, the venerable Grand Master of Knights Hospitaller, busy defending the faithful of Rhodes from the Turks, and Fryderyk Jagiellon, who recently lost his father the King. Adicino laughed at the thought of missing a cardinal that was both a King’s cardinal and King’s son, the worst parts of both the cardinal-nephews and Kings. At least though, Fryderyk was concerned about the spiritual welfare of the church.The others though, these men were concerned with the wealth of this world, not the wealth of the Kingdom of Heaven.

As the debates already began, he could smile at their frustration at the least. He had no place in their games, unwilling to take their bribes or favors, but he would not be able to leave until this was over, so some fun must be taken from the ceremony. The cardinals serving as representatives of their monarchs were not papible, rarely leaving their courts unless it was for the election. They would refuse to vote for one another, lest one monarch gain an advantage. However, they would unify in the face of one of the cardinal-nephews, the smallest of consolidations for the Church. Ardicino snorted. What a curious notion: these men had been given their power due to their sovereign’s favor, yet they refused to vote for a nephew of a former Pope. A strange concept considering they were kissing the boots of those who kept their power in the family. In any case, both of these factions were far too large to allow the other to win. The French sponsored Rouvere, and he would likely take a few cardinals, but so it seemed it would come to one of the Italian families: Borgia or Sforza.

As much as he hated to see it put to use in the Church, Ardicino could not help but marvel at the brutality of Borgia’s methods. Though Sforza and the other cardinals would be more than willing to be bribed, Borgia’s tactical brilliance was truly astounding. Borgia promised security for the families Colonna, Orsini, and Savelli, giving him the Italian barons, and others simply sought to keep up their lavish lifestyles paid by Borgia. It did take numerous votes: Carafa, Costa, Piccolomini, Cibò, and Zeno, along with Medici, would not take Borgia’s money. Rovere would not give his faction’s votes over to Borgia either. However time whittled down his opponents, and with promises of appointments, silver, and security, Borgia received his fifteenth and final supporter needed from Gherardo, purchased for a mere 5,000 ducats. The only consolation to be taken was that it was at last over, and perhaps now Ardicino could finally retire his cardinalship...

At Court in Paris, France


Charles VIII looked at the map of Europe, drumming his fingers against the table. Painted knights and footmen, wearing the liveries of England, France, Austria...he twirled around the man wearing the cross of Burgundy and smiled. He had no more use for this figure. He shifted around the figures, and made notes of what had changed since this map was made. France had come far. Aside from the stain of Calais, the English no longer polluted the continent. His Queen, Anne of Brittany, tied the Bretons to the French throne, and the other dukes and lords had either fallen in line or in battle. For once, it was France that could dictate the next move, and that brought a smile to his face. The Habsburgs were dealing with the Flemish and Dutch rebels, now led by Philip of Cleves. Henry Tudor killed any shadow near his crown, and Charles held the man many call the true King of England. The Spanish treasury was depleted, and that left France as the only one with a free hand in Europe. And what to do with it? The last Pope may have reconciled with the Neapolitan King before he died, but once you’ve offered a crown, you cannot take it back. He had his rights after all… Perhaps though, he could march north. The peasants certainly did not take to Habsburg rule. If the Burgundian lords realized who their true master was, perhaps he could save them. It could even be time to make war on English soil, he thought.

He moved the figures around, toying with the different possibilities. Concessions would have to be made most likely. And he had pawns to sacrifice. But to whom? And to get where? That was the question. He stepped back as the door opened and smiled. His queen, also smiling held their infant son. Anne had not taken well to her life at court, or her marriage at first. But holding their son, she seemed ecstatically happy. He held his son, the one day future King Charles. For him, this map would look far different. He would make sure of that. He turned to a servant and said “Parchment and quills”. The servant bowed and quickly ran. He handed his son back; he had letters to write.

The New World


“I claim this land in the name of Christ, and of their Most Catholic Majesties!” Cristobal looked ecstatic as he planted the regal flag of Spain upon the sand. Diego de Arana was beyond words. He had never expected God would place him here, but here he was! His father had never traveled farther than their vineyards, and while Diego had a bit more than that, he had never left Spain. But Asia! Even the name sounded exotic. Japan, then China. No gold had been found there, but here, already on the natives he could see their gold adorning their naked bodies. Diego greedily assessed them; no armor, no steel, the crew could conquer the lot of them, and likely the only casualties would be cuts and bruises. And then, he smiled, Cristobal would make good on his debts to him.

-----

Christmas Day, 1492 The New World

The men waved as the ship continued sailing in the distance. Twenty men and the wreck of the Santa Maria remained behind. Cristobal promised he would return with more men and supplies, but for now, they would live off the land and the natives. Diego looked at his domain; a barely started “fortress”, some swords and armor, and twenty men, the glorious founding of La Navidad. But Diego could not help but smile. This was HIS. Generations from now, children would learn of his name, as the man who ruled the first Spanish settlement here. The banner fluttered, and at last the ship disappeared over the horizon. God was good to honor him in such a way.

Spoiler :


-----

The next update will cover 1493-1495
 
I'm going to be a bit ambitious and say that orders are due Friday, April 18th, though if you need more time, I'm willing to extend it due to the Easter holiday, just let me know :)
 

A man serious about his work.

Empire of the Great Ming is here astride the abyss of the sea and the abyss of Mongols.
 
:thumbsup:
 
Kalmar Reporting for duty.

As for my king, you should indiciate that John is I in Denmark and Norway (In which is powerbase is from). He's only the second in Sweden.
 
Ramadhibodi II of Ayutthaya is here:

 
Henry VII, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Lord of Ireland, is present.
 
Automangs in the house.
 
im hungry
 
Saxony is in fact here.

I likely won't be able to get in orders until late friday.
 
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