schlaufuchs
Break My Heart
Winter, 1268
Many before have waxed long and eloquent on the idea of "Italia", a land united in custom and language under one ruler. As a young man I thought this idea ludicrous - a whimsical dream of thinkers who know nothing of the realities of political intrigue. They think of this peninsula as a land of sheep, waiting for the right ram to come along and assert his authority over the flock. But ours is not a land of sheep, it is a land full of Leopards, and of Lions, powerful men who will no sooner bow to authority than sprout wings and take to the skies. It is also a land of jackals, conniving sycophants, content to sit in the esteem of Lions - at least until they fall asleep or leave their possessions unattended. The land I would say is entirely unsuited to unification, or at least I would have until just a few months ago. Many of the stronger dukes of the land have now died, or otherwise passed their holdings onto weak-willed heirs, and now more than ever the peninsula lies open to unification by those with the acumen and fortitude to reach out and grab it. If God wills it I will be that man, but the path forward won't be an easy one, for this is a land of Lions, Leopards and Jackals, and there are no shortage of lords who are of the same mind as I. 4 in particular pose a serious threat to my bid:
Kraznaya, the Baron and Lord of Sicily in the South. Cool and calculating, the man is renowned for his meticulous approach towards the management and upkeep of his demesnes. His economic acumen is matched only by military ability; while not the great soldier he once was, he is renowned throughout Christendom as an excellent tactician, and his armies are feared the world over. He's a cautious man, never leaving home unless he can be assured of victory, but when he strikes, it is with such ruthless efficiency that none can hope to recover.
With ample forests and an iron man at his disposal, Kraznaya should have no trouble mobilizing the armies he'll need to crush the peninsula underfoot.
Luckymoose, the Knight, Lord of Puglia, to the Southeast. The bravery of Lucky is feared throughout Christendom, and even into the lands of the Near East where he earned his reputation as a great killer of Turks. He has always been, and until the day he dies shall be a warrior first, a womanizer second, and maybe on a good day, a statesman third. It is no secret that Lucky is no lover of the tedious day-to-day management of his lands; his cruelty towards his peasants is unparalleled. He works them day and night, levies of them every material possession they have, and at the end of the day, throws them into his armies to stand a arrow-fodder so their betters can do the real work. He sees the people as a means to an end - a formality to pave the way for military glory. What he lacks in political acumen, however, he more than makes up for in military ability. Although his armies are composed primarily of peasants , they also contain no small number of fearsome knights who are more than up to the task of stabbing you in the back while you drown yourself wading through wave after wave of peasant. Lucky's strategy, however bloody, is very effective.
Lucky's personality is every bit as knightly as his warrior's reputation implies. To those he calls friend, he is doggedly loyal, but turn on him and he will pursue you to the ends of the earth, never ceasing his relentless assault until so little of you is left even the carrion will pass you by. Aggressive and expansionistic, once the ball gets rolling, there will be little that can get in his way with the force to stop him.
Puglia is also a region with rich stores of lumber and, more importantly, iron, ample supplies to get Lucky his Knights, he will truly be a force to fear.
Dachs, the Countess, and Lord of Lazio, smack in the middle of the peninsula. Born of a rich banking family, Dachs married into the title. For several months the marriage appeared a happy one, and Dachs, the perfect, servile wife. And then the Count died of a mysterious and unknown cause. There were some that cried foul, some that implied it was Dachs who did him in. Those people also died of a mysterious, and unknown cause. Since then, Dachs has shown herself to be perhaps the most capable administrator Lazio has ever seen. She personally oversees every aspect of the county, from the growing, harvesting, and storage of grain, to the purchasing of vital goods from the merchant, to the production of weapons and armor at the blacksmith. What's more, Dachs matches her managerial acumen with an extremely capable military ability; always making sure her armies are always well stocked with well stocked, state-of-the art pikemen, and no dearth of archers. Her tactics are similar to her personality - cool and calculating, never overextending herself or needlessly throwing troops away, she moves with a methodical, ruthless efficiency until nothing stands in her way.
Although the lands of Lazio are not particularly abundant or bountiful, the regions around it are. If Dachs can get her hands on the stone and wood rich lands of Abruzzi to the East, she will be a dangerous foe indeed.
Rounding out the gauntlet of foes standing before me is Thlayli, the Bishop, Lord of Veneto, to the Northeast. In a land of Jackals, Thlayli is the biggest Jackal of them all, gaining the seat of Venice in one of the most spectacular pieces of political intrigue in recent memory. Although he may be an excellent cajoler, and a spectacular arranger of coups, he is certainly no manager, and it shows. Thlayli's approach towards county management is similar to that of Lucky's, but with a little more emphasis on taxes. Thlayli is also a great lover of castles, and it shows, as he pours nearly all of his hard-collected tax crowns into the biggest, most over the top castles money can buy.
While he's no great tactician either, Thlayli does possess the benefit of not seeing peasants as people, and thus is perfectly content to throw every available peasant at his opponent until he collapses from exhaustion. Thlayli also supplements his military inexperience with skillful politicking: he lulls you into a false sense of security with a bevy of compliments, until the right moment, at which point he strikes with lightning quickness, thus adding another province to his tax base.
Thlayli, as with all of the Lords of Italy, starts with a Norman keep, but don't expect it to stay that way for long. Veneto possesses iron and wood - no stone, but that's never stopped Thlayli before; he'll find a way to get his Royal Castle.
Adversity stands all around me - it'll be a long road to the throne of Italia, but with the promise of a unified Italia before me, I won't be cowed so easily, and I'll be aided by the bounties of my homeland, Liguria:
With ample stockpiles of wood and iron, I'll have all I need to get an army out quickly. I also start with several barren fields, and even a flooded one, in addition to a low population and a relatively unhappy populace; although I have much going in my favor, this province is going to need a lot of work to get into fighting shape. Here's a breakdown of the current distribution of the people as Liguria stands today:
Obviously my primary objectives are to reclaim the barren plots and get my fields planted. With a happy and well-fed populace, the world is my oyster.
Many before have waxed long and eloquent on the idea of "Italia", a land united in custom and language under one ruler. As a young man I thought this idea ludicrous - a whimsical dream of thinkers who know nothing of the realities of political intrigue. They think of this peninsula as a land of sheep, waiting for the right ram to come along and assert his authority over the flock. But ours is not a land of sheep, it is a land full of Leopards, and of Lions, powerful men who will no sooner bow to authority than sprout wings and take to the skies. It is also a land of jackals, conniving sycophants, content to sit in the esteem of Lions - at least until they fall asleep or leave their possessions unattended. The land I would say is entirely unsuited to unification, or at least I would have until just a few months ago. Many of the stronger dukes of the land have now died, or otherwise passed their holdings onto weak-willed heirs, and now more than ever the peninsula lies open to unification by those with the acumen and fortitude to reach out and grab it. If God wills it I will be that man, but the path forward won't be an easy one, for this is a land of Lions, Leopards and Jackals, and there are no shortage of lords who are of the same mind as I. 4 in particular pose a serious threat to my bid:
Kraznaya, the Baron and Lord of Sicily in the South. Cool and calculating, the man is renowned for his meticulous approach towards the management and upkeep of his demesnes. His economic acumen is matched only by military ability; while not the great soldier he once was, he is renowned throughout Christendom as an excellent tactician, and his armies are feared the world over. He's a cautious man, never leaving home unless he can be assured of victory, but when he strikes, it is with such ruthless efficiency that none can hope to recover.
Spoiler :
With ample forests and an iron man at his disposal, Kraznaya should have no trouble mobilizing the armies he'll need to crush the peninsula underfoot.
Luckymoose, the Knight, Lord of Puglia, to the Southeast. The bravery of Lucky is feared throughout Christendom, and even into the lands of the Near East where he earned his reputation as a great killer of Turks. He has always been, and until the day he dies shall be a warrior first, a womanizer second, and maybe on a good day, a statesman third. It is no secret that Lucky is no lover of the tedious day-to-day management of his lands; his cruelty towards his peasants is unparalleled. He works them day and night, levies of them every material possession they have, and at the end of the day, throws them into his armies to stand a arrow-fodder so their betters can do the real work. He sees the people as a means to an end - a formality to pave the way for military glory. What he lacks in political acumen, however, he more than makes up for in military ability. Although his armies are composed primarily of peasants , they also contain no small number of fearsome knights who are more than up to the task of stabbing you in the back while you drown yourself wading through wave after wave of peasant. Lucky's strategy, however bloody, is very effective.
Lucky's personality is every bit as knightly as his warrior's reputation implies. To those he calls friend, he is doggedly loyal, but turn on him and he will pursue you to the ends of the earth, never ceasing his relentless assault until so little of you is left even the carrion will pass you by. Aggressive and expansionistic, once the ball gets rolling, there will be little that can get in his way with the force to stop him.
Spoiler :
Puglia is also a region with rich stores of lumber and, more importantly, iron, ample supplies to get Lucky his Knights, he will truly be a force to fear.
Dachs, the Countess, and Lord of Lazio, smack in the middle of the peninsula. Born of a rich banking family, Dachs married into the title. For several months the marriage appeared a happy one, and Dachs, the perfect, servile wife. And then the Count died of a mysterious and unknown cause. There were some that cried foul, some that implied it was Dachs who did him in. Those people also died of a mysterious, and unknown cause. Since then, Dachs has shown herself to be perhaps the most capable administrator Lazio has ever seen. She personally oversees every aspect of the county, from the growing, harvesting, and storage of grain, to the purchasing of vital goods from the merchant, to the production of weapons and armor at the blacksmith. What's more, Dachs matches her managerial acumen with an extremely capable military ability; always making sure her armies are always well stocked with well stocked, state-of-the art pikemen, and no dearth of archers. Her tactics are similar to her personality - cool and calculating, never overextending herself or needlessly throwing troops away, she moves with a methodical, ruthless efficiency until nothing stands in her way.
Spoiler :
Although the lands of Lazio are not particularly abundant or bountiful, the regions around it are. If Dachs can get her hands on the stone and wood rich lands of Abruzzi to the East, she will be a dangerous foe indeed.
Rounding out the gauntlet of foes standing before me is Thlayli, the Bishop, Lord of Veneto, to the Northeast. In a land of Jackals, Thlayli is the biggest Jackal of them all, gaining the seat of Venice in one of the most spectacular pieces of political intrigue in recent memory. Although he may be an excellent cajoler, and a spectacular arranger of coups, he is certainly no manager, and it shows. Thlayli's approach towards county management is similar to that of Lucky's, but with a little more emphasis on taxes. Thlayli is also a great lover of castles, and it shows, as he pours nearly all of his hard-collected tax crowns into the biggest, most over the top castles money can buy.
While he's no great tactician either, Thlayli does possess the benefit of not seeing peasants as people, and thus is perfectly content to throw every available peasant at his opponent until he collapses from exhaustion. Thlayli also supplements his military inexperience with skillful politicking: he lulls you into a false sense of security with a bevy of compliments, until the right moment, at which point he strikes with lightning quickness, thus adding another province to his tax base.
Spoiler :
Thlayli, as with all of the Lords of Italy, starts with a Norman keep, but don't expect it to stay that way for long. Veneto possesses iron and wood - no stone, but that's never stopped Thlayli before; he'll find a way to get his Royal Castle.
Adversity stands all around me - it'll be a long road to the throne of Italia, but with the promise of a unified Italia before me, I won't be cowed so easily, and I'll be aided by the bounties of my homeland, Liguria:
Spoiler :
With ample stockpiles of wood and iron, I'll have all I need to get an army out quickly. I also start with several barren fields, and even a flooded one, in addition to a low population and a relatively unhappy populace; although I have much going in my favor, this province is going to need a lot of work to get into fighting shape. Here's a breakdown of the current distribution of the people as Liguria stands today:
Spoiler :
Obviously my primary objectives are to reclaim the barren plots and get my fields planted. With a happy and well-fed populace, the world is my oyster.
