Against All Odds: The Struggles of the Noyyau

[andyguy]

Is it too late to jump in and join this series?

If not, would you be fine with me creating a different faction not rooted in an ancient noble house?

 

[Noyyau]

Is it too late to jump in and join this series?

If not, would you be fine with me creating a different faction not rooted in an ancient noble house?

Never too late to join!

By all means, establish your faction however you wish (just as long as it makes sense within the setting...). Times and society are changing, the traditional Noble Houses still wield considerable influence but are not the only powers at play in the Noyyau Kingdom.

 

[andyguy]

In recent years, with the absence of the old nobility in the political scene, a power vacuum formed in both national and local politics. Seeking to take advantage of this, a small group of elite upper middle and higher class landowners, scientists, and businessmen pooled their considerable wealth and resources together in order to gain positions of power throughout the country of Noyyau, focusing especially on local governments, universities, and other locations of scientific advancement. Calling themselves the Council of Sedai, their objective is to promote the growth of the sciences and a higher literacy rate for the country. While at first they were not expecting to achieve much, recent discoveries in the fields of chemistry and physics gave the Council an unexpected popularity boost that allowed them to rapidly grow and begin to expand their influence throughout Noyyau. In larger cities, many positions of power among the buerocracy and universities have been taken by members of the Council while the construction of new universities and laboratories in smaller cities and more rural areas of the country have been secretly funded by them. Most notably is Isaac Newton's College in Xadhoom, the controversial scientist having received a great deal of funding by the Council and many of its members see it as their greatest success. With the recent return of several of the noble houses to politics, the Council of Sedai sees this as its best chance to begin influencing Noyyau on a national scale....

OOC: I'll try and do a bigger write-up once I get home from work today.
Until then I'll leave you with this:

Spoiler :

The Council really, REALLY like science.

 

[andyguy]

The Council of Sedai

Taking its name from the manor where the original meetings were held, the Council of Sedai represents the best and brightest of the classes that would be considered only a step or two behind the noble houses. The Council believes that the great nation of Noyyau cannot rely completely on size and military power alone in the world stage and must establish themselves as the dominant tech leaders as well. Despite their relative low amount of knowledge on political matters, especially on a national and international scale, the Council hope it can bring a more progressive opinion on how the nation should be run to the king's ears.

Leadership
The current elected head of the Council of Sedai is the aging, controversial physicist Isaac Newton. As leader he speaks for the rest of the council and will represent them in most important meetings. All major positions in the council are elected by other members with the elections being held every 6 years. Despite this, most major roles, in particular those elected to the Inner Council, are seen as lifelong positions due to a novel new concept the members are calling "tenure."

Stated Goals

1.) To encourage public support of the sciences by prioritizing the construction of universities, libraries, and laboratories as well as other scientific buildings in every city throughout the nation.

2.) By keeping what technological advantages the country of Noyyau does have through the usage of a counter-espionage network and by keeping tabs on other civilizations' tech levels, using sabotage and other forms of espionage to ensure that Noyyau technology goes unrivaled in the modern world.

3.) To find what resource advantages other countries may have over the Noyyau and nullify these advantages through either cunning diplomacy and trade or brute force if necessary.

Holdings
As the Council of Sedai is a relatively new player on the Noyyau political scene, it has few major holdings throughout the country. Much of its resources are found in the various scientific institutions throughout the country, where many of its members hold positions of power. Other holdings include a moderate sized complex in the technological capital of the country, Noyyau, as well as a larger complex in the island city of Cimmerian. However the Council has plans to eventually spread to every city in the nation.

Military
While currently having no military presence to speak of, the Council of Sedai has approached the king with an offer to train a corps of dedicated military engineers that would follow the armies of the nation and rebuild useful infrastructure and maintain supply lines as the armies advance.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

Lady Felicia Wilhelmina von Caterpillar II welcomes the entrance of the Council of Sedai into the political scene, but advises Mr. Newton that this is a dangerous world, and to be careful.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[CaterpillarKing]

Changes in the Caterpillardom

As the winds of the Noyyau kingdom began to shift, and internal issues began to trouble the Caterpillar noble family, changes were soon to come. Lady Felicia Wilhemina II, well into her adulthood, has failed to bear any children, and worries she may pass before having a direct line of inheritance, which may through the family into turmoil once more. It was this and many other reasons she decided to make a major announcement to the counts under the House von Caterpillar family as well as all subjects.

1. The first change was a big one, and would alter the way succession would occur in the von Caterpillar family. Lady Felicia Wilhelmina II announced that now the successor would be decided by the subjects under jurisdiction of the von Caterpillar family. After discussion with the family elders and significant members, that was what was decided to be the best method to keep the family whole and not allow for fracturing upon each succession. Voters would choose between various members of the von Caterpillar family directly related to the main lineage of previous rulers after the High Caterpillar Chamber (all major members of the noble family) decided that it was time to elect the successor. Candidates must also pass a test that shows them as capable administrators, and, while there is no specific age limit for the test or candidacy, the vying candidate must be able to read and write. If a candidate that is younger than sixteen years of age happens to win, he will rule alongside the jurisdiction of the High Caterpillar Chamber. During the voting period the candidates themselves are not allowed to personally campaign, but rather have others do so in proxy. Furthermore, voting rights would go out to all eligible men and women that owned whatever amount of land was deemed proper, keeping the most impoverished from voting nonsensically, but still bringing in enough of the people to give the lord or lady the "right to rule". The voting would work in that the people would cast a ballot for their specific district they live in within the Grandy Duchy. Each district has a certain number of "electors" based on the population, and the electors are to be chosen by the district administrators. The electors are to vote in a way that properly shows the will of its district.
2. After dealing out the large change to succession, Felicia Wilhelmina II followed with some minor changes that were only meant to consolidate legitimacy. The first was that the lands under the House von Caterpillar was to be referred to, officially, as the "Großherzogtum Robertia und Lettland" (Grandy Duchy of Robertia and Latvia), and generally as the "Großherzogtum Caterpillar" (Grandy Duchy of Caterpillar).
3. Along with changing the name of the lands being ruled, the titles were changed too. Female rulers were to be addressed as "Herzogin" (Duchess) and male rulers were to be addressed as "Herzog" (Herzog).

After addressing all of the issues, Herzogin Felicia Wilhelmina II thanked her loyal subjects and the generous king for all that has been done. Now all that could done was wait and see how these changes turn out for the Grand Duchy of Caterpillar.

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

House Florentanius is pleased with and thanks House Caterpillar for its attempts to avoid violence. House Florentanius, however would like to continue to express concern over the people of Robertia and the Vertidigers inability to control them. If riots are nearly started, with many agitators of the crowds still not apprehended, calling for the release of murderers just because of the allegiance of the victims, what then will occur during these elections? Will the RANK need to occupy the streets, squares and alleys to prevent murders, arsons and riots over individual's political leaning and the results of these elections?

 

[CaterpillarKing]

The Grand Duchy of Robertia and Latvia would not have to occupy the streets every election, because, unlike many other peoples, the subjects of the Grand Duchy know that the entire von Caterpillar family wants only the best for its people. It's simple. If a ruler is not liked by the people, they will be overthrown, killed, or lose in power as their popularity and thus leverage dwindles. By allowing for elections to be held, the best choice will always be put forward, and even if someone is chosen that they don't like, they would much rather accept their rule than have anarchy on the streets.

If this system somehow fails, however, then a new system will be created undoubtedly, and the Grand Duchy will move on.

(Edit: Some changes were made to the original post about how the system works)

 

[Noyyau]

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

It did not take long for the Robertia Murders trial to expand its scope beyond the four Schutzmanner suspects. In fact, it could be said that the trial had ceased to be about them at all, as all the original proof against them had been either dismissed as insufficient, or found to be outright false.
With the blessings of the current Kami Yata and the tacit approval of the King, the four Schutzmanner were cleared of any accusation against them, and declared innocent of the crime of murder. However, it was strongly suggested that they never return to Robertia, maybe even leave the Kingdom. When the four prisoners were finally freed and escorted out of the courtroom after the verdict, a representative of the Shadows of Hell Mercenary Company was already waiting for them with an offer they could not refuse.

The acquittal of the Schutzmanner did not stop the investigations, as the motive was still unknown and the real perpetrators at large.
The Noyyau Department of Investigations managed to coordinate an unprecedented level of cooperation among the various intelligence agencies (mainly the Intelligence Branch of the Watch of House Florentanius and the newly formed Caterpillar Intelligence Agency) in their efforts to find the real culprits.
Every possibility was considered, inspected, and either discarded or investigated further.
By the time the (now ex-) Schutzmanner were on a ship bound to Siam, the joint investigation (codenamed “Operation Butterfly&#8221 uncovered foreign infiltrations deep in all layers of Noyyau society, both among the criminal elements and, more worryingly, among unsuspectable merchants, tradesmen, and bureaucrats.
A list of about one hundred prime suspects was given to King Felix, awaiting his decision on how to further proceed.

Meanwhile...

The Romans advanced in force into the Holy Roman southern territories, in an attempt to cut the Holy Roman nation in two.

Spoiler :

Further north, the Holy Roman capital of Aachen seemed to be about to fall to a determined Roman attack.

Spoiler :

On the Catfish Continent, the Ottomans once again approached Delhi, its fate completely unknowable, given the Ottoman penchant for seemingly senseless maneuvers.

Spoiler :

Minor skirmishes were a daily occurrence in Batavia, the Batavian army having broken itself against the Noyyau invaders.
Following King Felix's orders, Duke Greek kept his troops in position, awaiting for the Batavians to finally surrender.

Spoiler :

A secret report, compiled by House Giacola accountants and shown confidentially only to high ranking military officials and Noble Houses' representatives, revealed that the ongoing plundering of Canadian merchant and military ships was generating enough income to pay for a substantial part of the costs of the invasion of Batavia.

Spoiler :

Even more mercenaries disembarked in Samut Prakan and joined the endless (and lucrative) Siam-Lithuania war.

Spoiler :

House Florentanius announced the inauguration of its own weapons manufacturer: the Florentanius Gun Company, based in Wark (where House Florentanius had long had a strong presence with its famous Brewery).
The new weapons manufacturer quickly became known across the Kingdom as its first production firearm, the SanguiFlores Musket, was chosen by the Shadows of Hell Mercenary Company (arguably the largest mercenary company in the Kingdom) as its new standard issue weapon.

Spoiler :

Despite constant losses, the Batavians still refused to surrender.

Spoiler :

On the Lower Continent, the Holy Romans repelled the Roman advance in a massive and bloody battle. The devastated fields of Agade would long bear the scars and wreckage of the fighting.

Spoiler :

After their defeat at Agade, the Romans sieging Aachen moved away from the Holy Roman capital, leaving the Noyyau observers puzzled.

Spoiler :

The Lithuanian-conquered city of Nakhom Pathom, on the de facto frontline between Siam and Lithuania, remained highly dangerous for both Siamese and Lithuanians alike (with some help from Noyyau SIS agents to keep the situation volatile).

Spoiler :

More troubling than Noyyau-supported foreign unrest, however, was the marked increase in banditry in the Latvian Fiefdom (recently renamed to Großherzogtum Lettland).
Despite the quick reaction of local garrisons and of the Caterpillar Verteidigers, a Village near Jelgava was raided by a particularly brutal band of Outlaws, before they were caught and apprehended by the Caterpillar Verteidigers.
The Caterpillar Investigations Agency was tasked by the Caterpillar leadership to investigate the origin of these bandits.

Spoiler :

The SIS continued its destabilizing operations in the Roman colony of Neapolis.

Spoiler :

The Sea Raiders continued harassing Batavian coastal targets, sailing uncontested along the eastern Batavian coasts.

Spoiler :

The SIS expanded its operations in Lithuania, targeting Lithuanian economical infrastructure.

Spoiler :

Despite (or perhaps due to) the impressive numbers of mercenaries operating in Siam, the Siamese government was unable to effectively control and deploy them where needed most, the mercenaries acting mostly of their own initiative. Such disorganization was capitalized by the Lithuanian army that had been harassing Khon Kaen for some time: having received reports that nearby Samut Prakan had been left lightly defended, they quickly marched north and seized the port city, while the bulk of the mercenaries were still celebrating their successful defense of Khon Kaen.

Spoiler :

As soon as the news reached Khon Kaen, the mercenaries moved out in force, engaging the Lithuanians still in the field.

Spoiler :

After a long and careful preparation period, the SIS began its activities in Hurrian-conquered former Vikingland, starting with the former Viking capital of Nidaros. Despite some initial setbacks and the unfortunate loss of a few agents, the oppressed Vikings responded well to Noyyau “suggestions” of rebellion against their Hurrian masters.

Spoiler :

Canadian shipping continued to be a profitable source of income for the marauding Noyyau corsairs, most of these funds ultimately helping fund the Batavian invasion.

Spoiler :

Beginning to tire of a “sitting war”, Duke Greek sent his mounted troops to do some raiding in the Batavian countryside, while still awaiting for a Batavian surrender.

Spoiler :

The Siamese managed to retake control of the countryside surrounding Samut Prakan, though the port city itself remained in Lithuanian hands. New mercenary arrivals were made to disembark on the shores across Samut Prakan's surrounding rivers, for immediate action against the Lithuanians.

Spoiler :

SIS saboteurs continued their operations in the Lithuanian interior.

Spoiler :

The SIS also sent some fresh recruits to sabotage secondary infrastructure in the Catfish Desert, mostly for training practice purposes: (currently) Siamese Saxon Fort, to stop this useless location from further distracting the Siamese...

Spoiler :

...and the Ottoman held Salt Fort, its walls exploding right under the noses of the sizeable Ottoman force stationed there.

Spoiler :

The Greek Army mounted another attack on Oppidum Batavorum, and the Sea Raiders hit Batavian troops across the island, though the Batavians still refused to accept their obvious defeat.

Spoiler :

The first teams of the Sedai Military Engineer Corps were sent to the RANK camps in southern Pictland, to perform integration exercises with the main RANK formations.

Spoiler :

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

1. House Florentanius is pleased to have seen the start of justice in the murders in Robertia. Those who are guilty will not go unpunished.
2. House Florentanius would like to express concern with the scope of infiltration of the Noyyau society, government and economy that has taken place. House Florentanius will be providing additional funding to the NDI and WHF-IntB to increase their ability to detect and respond to infiltration by enemy organizations and their agents.
3. House Florentanius is pleased with the continued successes in Batavia.
4. House Florentanius is pleased with the results of the report compiled by House Giacola regarding Canadian shipping.
5. The Florentanius Gun Company will be providing samples of their weapons to the RANK for a trial use of them. As well, the Watch of House Florentanius will be standardizing their guns as SanguiFlores Muskets.
6. House Florentanius, while not concered by the RANK’s ability to attain victory, would like to express concern over the Batavian refusal to surrender and that this conflict may become dragged out.
7. House Florentanius is concerned with the increased violence in former Latvia and would urge all parties to these investigations to work quickly to prevent the loss of life and attain justice for the victims of these criminals.
8. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes of the SIS in Lithuania and former Vikingland.
9. House Florentanius would like to express concern over the disorganized nature of the conflict in Siam. With the permission of the Siamese and Noyyau governments the Watch of House Florentanius would like to deploy a small team of advisors and trainers, no more than about a hundred in total, to provide assistance and training to the Siamese government in coordinating the movements of the mercenaries.

 

[Noyyau]

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

The Operation Butterfly investigation by the Noyyau Department of Investigations, in collaboration with the Caterpillar Intelligence Agency and the Watch of House Florentanius, brought to light the involvement of foreign agents in recent events that affected the Noyyau Kingdom, going as far back as the first bandit attacks on trade caravans in northen Pictland.
Painstaking record cross-checking, interrogations, and a few lucky breaks allowed the NDI to connect a myriad of seemingly separate coincidences into strings of events that all, ultimately, lead back to a single origin: Lithuania.
It seemed that the Lithuanian leadership did not appreciate the (not particularly subtle) Noyyau involvement in their war with Siam, and knowing they could not take on the Noyyau Kingdom openly, they instead turned to bribery and espionage to destabilize Noyyau from within. More and more proof emerged that the Robertia Murders had been staged by Lithuanian agents to create tensions in one of the most important Noyyau cities, and to discredit an ancient and honourable Noble House.

While travelling in the Latvian forests, Herzogin Felicia Wilhelmina II von Caterpillar was ambushed by remnants of the bandits that had been vanquished near Jelgava. Fortunately, the Verteidigers defending the Herzogin repelled this vile attack, and with the help of C.I.A. agents, discovered the bandits' camp, finally eliminating the outlaws for good.
The few surviving prisoners were taken to Robertia under C.I.A. escort, where they were soon publicly executed for the attempted murder of the beloved Herzogin.

Meanwhile...

Just as Ottoman troops seemed to be about to make a decisive attack on Delhi, the Indian Diplomat Mark Anthony managed to secure a peace deal at the last moment, saving the Indian capital. The actual details of the peace deal, however, remained secret.

Spoiler :

The Greek Army continued harassing the Batavians, though it seemed unlikely that their stubborness would give way to surrender. Duke Greek sent a messenger to King Felix, asking permission to go on the offensive and vanquish the Batavians once and for all.

Spoiler :

Piracy against Canada and destabilization against the Hurrians continued at a steady pace.

Spoiler :

The mercenaries in Siam mobilized en masse to recapture Samut Prakan, the port city being a vital link to the rest of the world via Noyyau ships.

Spoiler :

King Felix agreed with Duke Greek that the Batavians were unlikely to accept surrender, and gave Duke Greek the freedom to conquer militarily the Batavian Island as he thought best.
Minutes after the message had been read by Duke Greek, the last defenders of Oppidum Batavorum were under attack, and the city soon (and finally) fell into Noyyau hands.

Spoiler :

Mosa Trajectum was next, the Sea Raiders that were cruising nearby quickly performing an amphibious attack.

Spoiler :

Suddenly, the Hittites (and their Egyptian vassals) declared war on India. No one could think of a reason for the usually peaceful Hittites to invade another continent. Maybe they simply thought that the Indians, severely weakened by the war with the Ottomans, would be an easy target?

Spoiler :

The Canadians seemed to be able to build ships quicker than the corsairs could sink them.

Spoiler :

The Sea Raider Grenadiers made short work of Trier's few and inadequately armed defenders.

Spoiler :

The ancient city of Babylon, once an independent state of its own, fell to the Sea Raider Grenadiers almost at the same time as Trier.

Spoiler :

Duke Greek wanted to personally lead the attack against Akkad, the last Batavian city, where the remains of the Batavian fleet had found temporary refuge.

Spoiler :

In a hail of naval cannonades and musket volleys, the Noyyau troops conquered Akkad, consigning another civilization to the footnotes of history.

Spoiler :

With the Schutzmanner trial over and the Batavian Invasion completed, the Noyyau Kingdom was once again at (nominal) peace both internally and externally.
King Felix announced that, finally, the time was right to hold the long-postponed Royal Wedding, inviting all Nobles, merchants, scientists, and the whole population to the festivities that would be held in Noyyau.
King Felix also announced that, following the Wedding, slavery would be made definitively illegal in the Kingdom, giving the last remaining slave owners a year of time to free their slaves or face the full force of the law. The last remaining slaves in government possession would be freed following the Florentanius Model, giving them the option to remain in the employ of their former masters, at favourable conditions.

As for his own gift to his bride the Lady Pantea, King Felix announced the (re)construction of Noyyau's South Gate into the Brandenburg Tehran Gate, hoping for it to become a monument to national unity and tolerance.

Spoiler :

One of the lessons learned from the recent invasion of Batavia was the need for dedicated military warships to escort the vulnerable troop ships. While the corsairs had done a reasonably good job in protecting Noyyau transports and fighting the Batavian navy, coordinating them had been an overly complex task, and there were doubts a corsair fleet would be able to be as effective against a modern and organized navy.
A new warship design was thus created, a massive vessel with impressive firepower to dominate the oceans. The first prototypes of these Ships of the Line were soon completed at the Tehran shipyards.

Spoiler :

A fleet of corsair Men-o'-War cruised through Assyrian waters, encountering the vast and aggressive Assyrian navy. The naval battle ended as a Noyyau victory, though the corsairs were the first to admit that, had the Assyrians better ships and cannons, things would have been much different. As it was, the Noyyau corsairs retreated to effect much needed repairs and replenish their crews.

Spoiler :

At long last, the SIS efforts in the Ottoman colony of Diyarbakir reached fruition: the Ottoman colonists rose in rebellion against their mother country, their requests for a degree of autonomy and reasonable taxation ignored by the Ottoman government. Taking up (Noyyau-supplied) arms, the rebels took control of the ancient Apache countryside.

Spoiler :

Sabotage of Lithuanian production infrastructure continued unabated.

Spoiler :

The Romans pillaged Aachen's countryside, for some reason refraining from attacking the virtually undefended Holy Roman capital despite their superior numbers and firepower.

Spoiler :

A corsair fleet passing through the Catfish Northern Passage discovered new Indian and Ottoman colonies. The Indians especially had the nerve to found a new city exactly where the Siamese had first attacked them, which then led to the whole Catfish Continent Clash and the still ongoing Siam-Lithuania war.

Spoiler :

Pakistan, having remained neutral during the whole mess of the Catfish Continent Clash, used the time to strenghten its armed forces and reinforce a sense of national unity in the population.
With unrest in the Ottoma colony of Diyarbakir and most of the Ottoman troops still near the Indian borders, the Pakistani government decided the time had come to resume hostilities with their northern neighbours.

Spoiler :

Amid unconfirmed reports of naval skirmishes all along the western Indian coast, Noyyau merchants in Pataliputra witnessed the first Hittite troops disembarking on Indian soil.

Spoiler :

The Giacola Rogues, lately absent from intelligence reports, had been busy deeply infiltrating the Siamese government, with the purpose of having the Siamese declare Shinto to be their official State Religion, as all diplomatic attempts to convert them had failed.

Spoiler :

Galvanized by the quick and successful liberation of Samut Prakan, the mercenaries marched en masse towards Nakhon Pathom, its Lithuanian garrison already weakened by the latest wave of unrest.
After a long and messy battle, the city finally returned to Siamese control, and soon after a ceasefire was agreed with Lithuania.
Thus ended the last conflict of the Catfish Continent Clash, originally sparked by the Siamese invasion of the Indian territory of Tula.

Spoiler :

 

[Noyyau]

The time has come for the House of Nobles to convene again, and chart the further path of the Noyyau Kingdom.

The Siam-Lithuania war has ended (for now), but a new conflict has reignited further south, with the Pakistanis once again attacking the Ottomans.
The Hittites are attempting to invade India, though so far they have landed only a handful of units, and it is unknown what, if any, results they will achieve.
The Hurrians have so far remained fairly calm, while the Romans have been battling their neighbours the Holy Romans all along their long land border (a war provoked by Noyyau diplomats to break up a series of Defensive Pacts set up by the Dutch).
The Greek Army has completed the conquest of Batavia, which will soon be granted partial independence as a Noyyau Vassal State (keeping the Batavian cities under direct control is unfeasible, the maintenance costs alone are insane for cities so distant and on another landmass, to say nothing of the huge unhappiness penalty for distance).
And let us not forget Lithuania, the instigators of most of the recent unrest and banditry in the Noyyau Kingdom (according the Operation Butterfly investigation).

What should the Noyyau Kingdom focus its attention on?
(More information can be provided if requested, such as foreign relationship standings, civics, amount of trade, and so forth.)

1) Lithuania.
Even though the Siam-Lithuania war has ended, the Lithuanians must be made to pay for their involvement with criminals and destabilization of Noyyau society.
Proposed plans (still open for further discussions) range from increased espionage and sabotage to open war, an overseas invasion being a feasible operation as demonstrated by the Greek Army in Batavia.

2) Pakistan and Ottomans
Just as we got involved “indirectly” in the Siam-Lithuania war, the same could be done in the renewed Pakistan-Ottoman war. The King would be inclined to support the Pakistanis, being our long time friends and major trading partners, though trade with the Ottomans is also sizeable, if not as much as with Pakistan.

3) Hittites and India
While relations with the Hittites are quite good, the Noyyau Kingdom has nothing against India, and trade is decent with both nations. The King would be inclined to let them sort out their conflict on their own. Considering the difficulties involved in overseas invasions, it is believed by Noyyau analysts that no combatant will be able to make permanent gains in this conflict anyway.

4) Rome and Holy Rome
This conflict has been provoked by Noyyau diplomats, and it is still too early to be able to determine the likely victor. The Romans have sizeable armed forces and have aggressively invaded Holy Roman territory, though they have also been decisively repelled by a spirited Holy Roman defense.
Nominally, the Mongolians are also at war against the Holy Romans (again, Noyyau diplomacy at work), though it appears that Romans and Mongolians do not share an Open Borders agreement, and so far no Mongolian unit has been seen in Holy Roman lands.
The King would be inclined to support the Romans, as the Holy Romans now outright hate us for having made two nations declare war on them.

 

[CaterpillarKing]

The Grand Duchy of Robertia and Latvia is pleased that Noyyau is finally in a state of peace to some degree and is happy that the wedding's postponement was ended. However, there is a deeper issue with the attack on Herzogin that may run deep within the veins of the Noyyau kingdom. The attackers were not well trained, but had state of the art weaponry. Lowly bandits that are unable to properly attack couldn't afford such weaponry. Not to mention the weapons themselves appear to come from inside Noyyau lands somewhere. Finally, the attackers made odd claims during interrogation. The origin of the weapons and the validity and meaning of the claims are being investigated by the CIA as of now.

House Caterpillar will put forth its thoughts on the future soon.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

1. At this time House Florentanius will make no comment on Operation Butterfly.
2. House Florentanius would urge the other noble houses of the Noyyau Kingdom to contemplate a war with Lithuania. Their actions must not go unpunished, they have attacked the Noyyau and House von Caterpillar.
3. House Florentanius is pleased with the successes on Duke Greek and the RANK in Batavia.
4. Representatives from House Florentanius will be traveling to Batavia to purchase local businesses, set up production facilities and participate in other economic activities.
5. The Watch of House Florentanius will be sending teams to assist in counter-insurgency and counter-insurrection operations in Batavia, as well as to begin guarding the cities against enemies of the Noyyau, foreign and domestic. If the Batavian government wishes for the WHF to remain after the withdrawal of the RANK the WHF will remain.
6. House Florentanius is pleased that the King believes that the Kingdom is sufficiently stable to hold a Royal Wedding.
7. House Florentanius is pleased with the King’s decision to make slavery illegal, this will lead to a more prosperous and stable Kingdom. The WHF-IntB and WHF-InvB will be observing slave owners for the next year to ensure compliance with the law. Should any of these slave owners fail to comply with the law the WHF will request and execute warrants for their arrest.
8. House Florentanius is pleased with the King’s efforts to support national unity and tolerance among the Noyyau people.
9. House Florentanius would propose the adoption of a naval doctrine which emphasizes more coordinated and organized privateers and corsairs as well as the formation of a dedicated war fleet that has both transport and combat capabilities, trained to equivalent standards as the RANK for organized naval warfare.
10. House Florentanius is pleased with the efforts and successes of the SIS in Lithuania and Diyarbakir.
11. House Florentanius would like to condemn the horrible attempt on the life of the Herzogin, such a despicable act must be fully investigated and those responsible punished.

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

House Florentanius would like to propose a new naval doctrine for the RANK and the Noyyau Kingdom. With the King’s permission this doctrine would be called, the Felix Naval Military Doctrine and it shall include three main points:
1. A dedicated corps of sailors and ships will be formed and maintained strictly for military escort and transport purposes,
2. A dedicated Coast Guard will establish patrols around the Noyyau coast as well as the coasts of her colonies. The Coast Guard will work with the NDI, SIS and the intelligence and investigations branches of the WHF, Vertidigers and House Greek Guards to detect and prevent threats to Noyyau coastal and naval sovereignty,
3. Privateers, corsairs and private military vessels will be empowered to attack the enemies of the Noyyau through discrete back channels.

At this time House Florentanius would like to seek input from the noble houses and the Council of Sedai. As well, House Florentanius seeks input from His Majesty King Felix and respectfully requests permission to use his name on this doctrine should the Noyyau kingdom choose to adopt it while under his rule.

 

[Noyyau]

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Operation Butterfly became publicly known when trials began of the suspects listed by the NDI as probable foreign agents, almost a hundred people in total, from all sections of society.
The NDI, with assistance from local law enforcement (such as the Watch of House Florentanius, the Caterpillar Verteidigers and the Greek Guards) conducted raids all over the Kingdom to apprehend the suspects.
About half did not oppose resistance, appearing bewildered and denying any wrongdoing. Mostly these appeared to be civilians, going about their lives as merchants, tradesmen, and a few government officials as well.
The other half of the suspects, however, were known criminals, resisting arrest as expected. In the ensuing fights, most of them perished. Most surprising, however, was that about twenty of the criminal suspects were in fact already dead at the time of the raids, from causes as yet unknown, prompting further NDI investigations.

Meanwhile, the Schutzmanner trial was still a popular topic of discussion among the Noyyau population, a myriad of theories arising about the possible reasons for why the Schutzmanner were let go, including:
- House von Caterpillar bought their freedom.
- The King didn’t want House Caterpillar to secede from the Kingdom, which they would have done if the Schutzmanner hadn't been freed.
- To protect the Schutzmanner from House Florentanius assassins.
- House Florentanius took a bribe from House Caterpillar to let them go free.
- The whole thing (Murders and trial) had been staged by either House Florentanius or House Caterpillar (depending on who was telling the story) to distract the people from the increase in banditry and crimes in the nation.
Some of these rumors could easily be dismissed as ludicrous (especially the ones about Florentanius assassins or Caterpillar bribes), however the ones about hidden political machinations were getting some traction among the higher levels of society as well.


After quite some time, Noyyau Privateers returned to Incan waters, only to discover that the northern Catfish nation had made impressive advances in shipbuilding, and had Frigates on par with their Noyyau counterparts. Having taken severe casualties, the Noyyau Privateers retreated to Alemanni Island.

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The (Noyyau supported) rebels of Diyarbakir succeeded in expelling the loyal Ottoman garrison from their city, and declared Diyarbakir to be an independent free city.

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A Noyyau Galleon convoy was suddenly attacked by a foreign Privateer near Lithuanian waters, probably dreaming of the plunder they would get from the famously wealthy House Florentanius Merchant Ships. What the foreign Privateers discovered, unortunately for them, was that the Galleons were transporting Noyyau mercenary troops, who were instrumental in repelling the boarding attempt.
Despite the coincidencies in timing and location, the theory that the Privateer was Lithuanian was quickly dismissed, as it was known that the Lithuanians were yet unable to build even basic oceangoing ships.

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SIS operations in Indian-controlled Pak Kret continued, the ultimate goal being the return of the city into Siamese hands.

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To commemorate the Greek Army's victory over the Batavians, the city of Tehran dedicated to them a monumental square in the city center.

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A corsair Men-o'-War fleet raided the Assyrian coasts.

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Having effected repairs and recruited replacements in Alemanni, the Noyyau Privateers once again went raiding the Incan coasts.

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The corsairs that had escorted and supported the Greek Army during the Batavian Conquest returned to their piratical activities, deciding to pay a visit to Hurrian shores. The Hurrian navy quickly intercepted them, demonstrating its willingness to fight.

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As usual, Canada provided a steady flow of plunder income, now mostly invested in the reconstruction of basic infrastructure in conquered Batavia.

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Despite the end of the Siam-Lithuania war, the SIS continued its sabotage operations.

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King Felix and Queen Pantea travelled to Oppidum Batavorum to personally preside over the formation of a new colonial government.
The Royal Couple appointed Margrete I, a noblewoman from a branch of House Greek, as Queen of the Danish Protectorate.
Relations between the Protectorate and mainland Noyyau were quickly formalized.

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With Noyyau economical and material assistance, the fledgling Danish Protectorate was set up as a modern nation, an island of Noyyau-ness on the other side of the world.
House Greek and House Florentanius were the major entities involved the process.

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Gameplay note: why did I conquer the Batavian cities, instead of simply accepting a Batavian capitulation? (Their stubborness is for the story, in game they would have been willing to capitulate.)
It actually occurred to me right when I was about to accept the Batavian capitulation, that by doing so we would have gained a vassal with all their foreign relations modifiers, and all the consequent “we are worried about our rivals being your vassals” diplo modifiers (and all the “you declared war on our friend” as well).
Instead, by eliminating the Batavian civ, and then liberating the colony to another, brand new civ, we get a “clean” vassal, with the added bonus that they adore us. (“You granted us our freedom.”)
I wonder if I should have done the same with the Venetians, though I'm not completely sure that back in the day we would have been able to maintain control over the whole Venetian island long enough to liberate them as a new vassal.

Sabotage of Lithuanian infrastructure continued as planned.

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The few remaining inhabitants of Pak Kret were receptive to Noyyau SIS suggestions.

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The ongoing piracy problem experienced by Canada finally made them renounce the ineffectual “protection” provided by the Hurrians (not that it changed anything).
Careful inquiries revealed that the Canadians did not wish to come under Noyyau protection either.

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Academic analysis of the recent Catfish Continent Clash and of the Batavian Invasion led to the publishing of several treatises on war, studying both the strategic and tactical dimensions of a conflict.
To teach the science of war to the Royal Army of the Noyyau Kingdom, King Felix announced that several Military Academies would be opened in the major Noyyau cities.

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[Niccolo Edwards]

1. House Florentanius would like to express thanks to the NDI for uncovering this threat to the Noyyau Kingdom.
2. House Florentanius would like to express concern with the deaths of some of the suspects on the Butterfly List and hopes the NDI soon uncovers the reason why they were killed. As always the NDI has full access to the WHF’s investigative, intelligence and combat capabilities.
3. House Florentanius is confused and concerned about the rumours surrounding the trial. Rumours about either house employing assassins, staging murders, taking bribes or threatening to secede are ridiculous, while those about political machinations being the result or cause of the murders are not just ridiculous, but also threaten the stability of the kingdom and can cause divisions within Noyyau society.
4. House Florentanius is concerned about the advances the Incan peoples have made in naval warfare and shipbuilding as well as the failure of Noyyau privateers and corsairs in this matter.
5. House Florentanius is pleased with the independence of Diyarbakir.
6. House Florentanius is concerned that anyone would think they could successfully attack a House Florentanius Merchant Ship. House Florentanius is now formally enacting a policy that will have its merchant ships escorted by one primary combat ship and two escort ships regardless of cargo or destination. This will ensure that there are no attacks against House Florentanius’ ships.
7. House Florentanius is pleased with the establishment of the colonies in former Batavia.
8. House Florentanius is pleased with the efforts and successes of the SIS in Pak Kret and Lithuania.
9. House Florentanius is pleased with the Canadian’s revocation of the HUrrianian protection, though upset that they have refused Noyyau protection.
10. House Florentanius is pleased with the establishment of military academies, though the WHF will continue to maintain its own training facilities in classified locations.

 

[Noyyau]

Just a reminder: this is still waiting an answer from the Houses.

The time has come for the House of Nobles to convene again, and chart the further path of the Noyyau Kingdom.

The Siam-Lithuania war has ended (for now), but a new conflict has reignited further south, with the Pakistanis once again attacking the Ottomans.
The Hittites are attempting to invade India, though so far they have landed only a handful of units, and it is unknown what, if any, results they will achieve.
The Hurrians have so far remained fairly calm, while the Romans have been battling their neighbours the Holy Romans all along their long land border (a war provoked by Noyyau diplomats to break up a series of Defensive Pacts set up by the Dutch).
The Greek Army has completed the conquest of Batavia, which will soon be granted partial independence as a Noyyau Vassal State (keeping the Batavian cities under direct control is unfeasible, the maintenance costs alone are insane for cities so distant and on another landmass, to say nothing of the huge unhappiness penalty for distance).
And let us not forget Lithuania, the instigators of most of the recent unrest and banditry in the Noyyau Kingdom (according the Operation Butterfly investigation).

What should the Noyyau Kingdom focus its attention on?
(More information can be provided if requested, such as foreign relationship standings, civics, amount of trade, and so forth.)

1) Lithuania.
Even though the Siam-Lithuania war has ended, the Lithuanians must be made to pay for their involvement with criminals and destabilization of Noyyau society.
Proposed plans (still open for further discussions) range from increased espionage and sabotage to open war, an overseas invasion being a feasible operation as demonstrated by the Greek Army in Batavia.

2) Pakistan and Ottomans
Just as we got involved “indirectly” in the Siam-Lithuania war, the same could be done in the renewed Pakistan-Ottoman war. The King would be inclined to support the Pakistanis, being our long time friends and major trading partners, though trade with the Ottomans is also sizeable, if not as much as with Pakistan.

3) Hittites and India
While relations with the Hittites are quite good, the Noyyau Kingdom has nothing against India, and trade is decent with both nations. The King would be inclined to let them sort out their conflict on their own. Considering the difficulties involved in overseas invasions, it is believed by Noyyau analysts that no combatant will be able to make permanent gains in this conflict anyway.

4) Rome and Holy Rome
This conflict has been provoked by Noyyau diplomats, and it is still too early to be able to determine the likely victor. The Romans have sizeable armed forces and have aggressively invaded Holy Roman territory, though they have also been decisively repelled by a spirited Holy Roman defense.
Nominally, the Mongolians are also at war against the Holy Romans (again, Noyyau diplomacy at work), though it appears that Romans and Mongolians do not share an Open Borders agreement, and so far no Mongolian unit has been seen in Holy Roman lands.
The King would be inclined to support the Romans, as the Holy Romans now outright hate us for having made two nations declare war on them.

 

[Niccolo Edwards]

1. House Florentanius obviously supports a total war against Lithuania that will lead to a Siamese occupation. The Lithuanians killed almost thirty members of House Florentanius, that is something we do not take lightly. House Florentanius would like to ask the other noble houses and King Felix to consider a massive program of espionage followed by an invasion. This will not only punish the LIthuanians and prove to the world that the Noyyau are not to be trifled with, but it will also increase the power of a continental ally.
2. House Florentanius supports the Noyyau leveraging their diplomatic powers to bring about a peaceful resolution as this was is interrupting trade and leaving Noyyau merchants and economic activities in both Pakistan and the Ottoman Empire at risk.
3. House Florentanius would like to request that the RANK deploy observers, both military and academic to study the methods used so that the tactics and strategies used by both sides may be catalogued in the case of a war between the Noyyau and either party to this conflict.
4. Meh… let’s wait and see… this war was largely created to get rid of defensive pacts so it’s not really that important who wins. As with the Hittite-Indian conflict we should deploy observers to add to our military knowledge.

 

[Noyyau]

Author's suggestion: Play this in the background.

Despite intelligence reports pointing to Lithuanian inability to produce such ships, when a second foreign Privateer was spotted matters precipitated. A House Florentanius Merchant Escort Ship, the HFMES Friedhelm, tasked with protecting Florentanius shipping after the recent attack on the HFMS Blue Horizons, crossed into Lithuanian waters and sunk the pirate vessel.

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Almost at the same time, a sizeable force of mercenary troops disembarked on Lithuanian soil, in a forested area away from major cities. By the time Lithuanian authorities became aware of this incursion, the mercenaries had established and entrenched their positions.
No official declaration of war had been made against Lithuania, and the Noyyau Kingdom officially denied any involvement in the matter, stating that the mercenaries were acting out of their own volition.

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In Caledonii, the historical capital of the ancient Pict Kingdom, a major museum was inaugurated: the Louvre was the first state-sponsored institution that actively collected and preserved ancient artifacts, to be studied and shown to the public, rather than being accumulated for personal private collections like many wealthy Noyyau collectors tended to do.

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Why in Caledonii and not in Noyyau or one of the other core cities? Because we need to step up the Culture pressure against Assyria, whose border towns have all grown and, if not for the line of Forts keeping the border static, we'd have already lost a lot of tiles to their growing culture.

Piracy continued to plague Assyrian waters.

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The Lithuanian army, still combat-ready from the recent war with Siam, attacked in force the mercenaries, only to be severely defeated by the mercenaries' superior weaponry. Despite their equipment being clearly of Noyyau manufacture, the mercenaries announced to be members of the Fast Swords of Siam mercenary company, with some minor support from Shadows of Hell mercenaries as well.
Siamese authorities did not comment on Lithuanian requests to have the mercenaries withdraw from sovereign Lithuanian territory.

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Noyyau traders in Bombay observed Hittite troops landing nearby, the Indian coastal waters dominated by Hittite warships.

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Pirates attempted to raid the city of Trier in the recently established Danish Protectorate. House Florentanius Combat Armed Ships, chartered to transport the Greek Army, chased and sunk the pirate vessels.

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The Greek Army, about to finally begin the return trip to the Noyyau mainland, intervened at the request of Queen Margrete, herself a member of House Ut-Greek, a new cadet branch formed off of Duke Michael's younger son Antonius Greek and given the honor and duty of ruling the Danish Protectorate in the name of King Felix.
The disorganized pirates stood no chance against the elite Greek troops.

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After ever more insistent Lithuanian demands to withdraw the mercenaries and pay damages for the incursion, King Felix had had enough.
Revealing information obtained through the Operation Butterfly Investigation and the Butterfly Trials, King Felix officially accused the Lithuanian government of being behind recent disturbances in Robertia and Latvia, and declared a state of open war between Noyyau and Lithuania.

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As soon as the war was declared, the Third Army marched to Sofia and embarked on its dedicated tranports and escorts, the new Felix Naval Doctrine in action for the first time.

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The SIS redoubled its sabotage operations in Lithuania, while even more mercenaries joined the fight. Despite the Noyyau declaration of war, it was still unknown who was actually paying the mercenaries (and the mercs themselves of course remained tight-lipped). Theories abounded: was it Siam, in an attempt to make Lithuania pay for all the war victims and burned cities?
Maybe it was King Felix, using the mercs as a pretext for the war. Or was it actually House Florentanius, who would surely find a way to turn a profit from yet another conflict?

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Meanwhile, the Pakistan-Ottoman war excalated into major battles all along the jagged border between the two countries, in the area where the Catfish Continent was at its thinnest, dominated by mountain ranges forming three narrow passages.

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On the Northern Front, Yue-Chi (conquered by the Pakistani in the previous war) was besieged by an Ottoman army from Samsun, larger in numbers but with obsolete equiment compared to the Pakistani defenders. Would the Ottomans be able to liberate their ancient city before the sizeable Pakistani reinforcements would arrive?

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On the Southern Front, Pakistani forces were bolstered by a few regiments of mercenaries accepting contracts from the Pakistani government against the Ottomans.

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While the fighting between Lituania and the mercenaries continued, Siam celebrated the liberation of Nakhon Pathom from the long Lithuanian domination during their war.
The Lithuanians themselves were further distracted by an outbreak of plague in Marijamopole.

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Corsair efforts were renewed against the Incans, with a Frigate squadron battling with their Incan counterparts to a standstill, both sides suffering considerable damages.

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After their success in Diyarbakir, the SIS continued their destabilization operations in Neapolis, while the Diyarbakir independents became bolder with their territorial claims in the ancient Apache-Moroccan peninsula.

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A handful of mercenaries landed south of Kaunas, attempting to create a new front and divert Lithuanian forces.

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