Let's Play Crusader Kings 2: The Scotsman of Venice

[OrcusMcP]

http://konaskorner.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CK2-Logo.jpg

This is a Let's Play of Crusader Kings 2, with all the DLC (Ruler Designer, Sword of Islam, Legacy of Rome, Sunset Invasion, The Republic and The Old Gods in particular)(Sons of Abraham was released partway through the LP, as was integrated).

Crusader Kings 2 is a grand strategy game by Paradox Interactive, set in the High Medieval period of Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Western Steppes. It covers from 1066 until 1453, recently dialed back with The Old Gods to start in 867. Unlike other strategy games where you play a nation or faction, you are playing a landed character. The goal of the game is not so much to make your country powerful, but your family powerful.

I've found that CK2 is best experienced by starting low and aiming high! Thus, we are going to be playing someone of very limited power, but with a lot of potential for greatness: A Patrician in Venice in 867.

http://www.empowernetwork.com/withdee/files/2012/06/MedievelVenice.jpg
As a Patrician, we are considered to be on the same rung as a Baron, the lowest of landholders. Our main family palace holdings are so small, they do not even fit on the map! The only thing we will have going for us, is that as a merchant patrician we will be able to command large sums of money.

But even money is no guarantee of safety! Venice in 867 is nowhere near the power it will become in the late medieval and early renaissance period. The Karling kingdoms of Italy and Bavaria are right on our doorstep, as is the empire of Byzantium! Further into the Mediterranean are the Muslims of Africa and the Levant! And since this is 867, we must always have an eye to the horizon for Norse raiders from the far north.

But that isn't enough to hold us back, no! We will be playing as this fine gentleman here:

http://imageshack.com/a/img707/5959/9u6q.png
Magnus Mac Phail! A greedy, cynical man, he none the less has some command of coin and commerce.

However, Magnus is also a Scot! For those of you unfamiliar with European Geography, Venice is in the lagoon of the Adriatic Sea, in the north-east of Italy. This means that the other Patrician families will hate us, as will the Doge of Venice, for being a smelly foreign Scottish upstart!

His starting council should give you enough idea of the opinion penalties we will be seeing until proper Scotsmen can be hired.

http://imageshack.com/a/img200/5825/62w.png
There will be many points at which decisions will need to be made and courses plotted! I encourage much narrative and in-character arguing! I will be narrative in my tone, but some silliness will ensue.

I will explain any particularly notable concepts as they relate to playing a Republic, but treat the main concepts as known. If you want to know more, The CK2 Strategy Help Thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=276097) should have any answers you seek, and you may also read these (http://lparchive.org/Crusader-Kings-2/) two (http://lparchive.org/Crusader-Kings-2-(by-Thanqol)/) fantastic LPs, one is very informative, the other very fun.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 0 - La Serenissima (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15779479&postcount=5)
Chapter 1 - Pennies Saved (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15797545&postcount=10)
Chapter 2 - Pennies Lost (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15813855&postcount=22)
Chapter 3 - Here We Go Again (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15880095&postcount=43)
Chapter 4 - Spinning Around In Circles (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15996587&postcount=66)
State of the World - 900 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15996808&postcount=67)
Chapter 5 - Disregard Females. Acquire Currency. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16041594&postcount=72)
Interlude 1 - Brice's Speech to the Sharholders (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16081760&postcount=92)
Chapter 6 - New Days (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16413643&postcount=99)
Chapter 7 - Payment Due (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16556746&postcount=119)
Chapter 8 - Putting Affairs in Order (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16632084&postcount=141)
Chapter 9 - Offers, Temptations, Refusals (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16688845&postcount=158)
State of the World - 935 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16688976&postcount=159)
Chapter 10 - Quieter Years (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16745311&postcount=160)
Chapter 11 - Development and Quiet (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16927220&postcount=177)
Chapter 12 - Sunrise, Sunset (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16959558&postcount=194)
Chapter 13 - Here I Go Again on my Own (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16974006&postcount=197)
State of the World - 971 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=17038235&postcount=216)

[Grif]

Something to note. The CK2 title banner is stretching the screen. Recommend using a lower-res version/hide it in spoilers.

[OrcusMcP]

Something to note. The CK2 title banner is stretching the screen. Recommend using a lower-res version/hide it in spoilers.

Fixed, thanks!

[Leecros]

Magnus Mac Phail? I see what you did there...



I'll enjoy reading about the adventures of the Mac Phails.:smalltongue:

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 0: La Serenissima

Magnus was born in 842, as the Pictish and Gaelic tribes began to mingle and unite in the South-West of Scotland. That this mingling was forced and necessitated by Viking conquest of the Scottish coast made the whole ordeal not as heartwarming as you might think.

http://images.smh.com.au/2008/11/12/263573/VikingsAxe_gallery__600x394-600x400.jpg
Growing up among the fertile pastures of Galloway meant Magnus was very familiar with sheep, and before he even left his teens he was well known as an appraiser and seller of wool. No one had happier sheep or thicker wool than Magnus. Naturally, all who knew him took this completely in stride and made no commentary on it whatsoever.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxowfalhWd1qa9obmo1_500.png
But in the spring 861, when a small group of trading galleys led by a Venetian merchant named Dominic Caboto arrived on the shores of Scotland looking to trade spices and wine for wool and cloth, Magnus was the one who was able to broker the best prices.

Magnus saw the finery that Dominic dressed in, the food he brought with him, the size of his boat, and knew that riches beyond his wildest dreams would be found far from the cold shores of the Isles. He made a deal with Dominic, that if he came back the next year, there would be triple the wool for the return journey, and the only price would be that Magnus would come with him.

And so, it was in 862 that Magnus Mac Phail sailed off with the Venetians to their home. Magnus had bought the sheep for miles around Galloway and had delivered enough wool to warmly clothe the whole city of Venice.

Dominic and Magnus came to enjoy each other's company over the course of the voyage, and while they spoke little of each other's language, they both understood coin and profit. Their main contention was over the church, for while the Venetian was a very devout man, Magnus had seen too much death and devastation at the hand of the heathen Norse to believe that God was a watchful shepherd.

http://www.sott.net/image/image/s5/100503/full/disillusionment.jpg

When they reached Venice, Dominic surprised the young Scot by offering him a job as a dockmaster for his warehouse. Magnus leapt at this opportunity, and quickly became a master of logistics. While the dock workers resented having this large, hairy foreigner in charge, none of them could deny that business ran smoother and profits ran higher.

Dominic had a son, Domingo, who was expected to carry on after his father passed away. He was charged with running most of the merchant voyages down the Adriatic coast, and so this kept him away from home often. Domingo became jealous of Magnus, and worried that the Scot spent so much time close to his father in order to take over the whole business himself!

However, Magnus spent time with Dominic because it meant he could spend time with his daughter, Sofia.

http://www.cgfaonlineartmuseum.com/durer/durer35.jpg

By 866, Magnus and Sofia had wed.

Dominic was growing old, however, and sickly. He left more and more of the running of the business in the hands of Domingo and Magnus, but the two men knew the old Patrician's time ran short. Domingo set off on a last voyage to Sicily just as his sister announced that she was expecting a child.

Berber pirates caught Domingo's galley of the coast of Sicily, took the entire cargo and slaughtered everyone.

http://www.boppitybear.com/n3406103_32249032_2319_2.jpg

Dominic fell into deep despair over this, for Domingo was his only son and thus there was no one to take over the family business.

No one, that is, except Magnus Mac Phail.

Thus Dominic willed that Magnus would take control upon his death, with the solemn promise that though the Coboto name may not be on the house, that at least Caboto blood will.

How tragic, then, for Sofia to die in childbirth, not 2 months after her father passes. Just as her son Brice Mac Phail took his first breath, did she draw her last.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_S5dFdpF6xm0/SvSdSC9ehDI/AAAAAAAAAqA/FoiRGVabxTg/s400/medieval-funeral.jpg

And so, House Mac Phail rose to become one of the preeminent merchant families of Venice at the beginning of the year 867. Magnus knew that all odds were stacked against him, and his own heart had become cold and heavy with the death of his wife. However, all needed to do was look into his son Brice's eyes to know that riches and splendour awaited in the future.

http://imageshack.com/a/img13/1740/d408.png

[Grif]

I'm actually amused his own son hated his guts. :smallbiggrin:

[OrcusMcP]

Magnus Mac Phail? I see what you did there...:

I can promise my name is not Magnus..... :smallwink:


I'm actually amused his own son hated his guts. :smallbiggrin:

You know what the problem with Scotland is?

It's full of Scots.

[Vauron]

Berber pirates caught Magnus's galley of the coast of Sicily, took the entire cargo and slaughtered everyone.


Dominic fell into deep despair over this, for Domingo was his only son and thus there was no one to take over the family business.

I think you erred with the names here.

[OrcusMcP]

I think you erred with the names here.

Derp. Fixed, thanks.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 1: Pennies Saved

Magnus's first months as a Patrician were not the most pleasant. Still in mourning for his departed Sofia, his nights were mostly spent alone caring for his son. Many of the company men decided to leave and find work with the other families instead of this foreign miser. The other families turned their noses at Magnus, thinking it just a matter of time before he failed and his assets could be divided between them.

By March of 867, though, the profits began to roll back in and the situation improved dramatically. Magnus was, if nothing else, a canny administrator. He sent some letters and requests to old friends and rivals in Scotland, inviting them to Scotland to help run the company.

"Think about it my good fellows: Warmer weather, fine wine, beautiful women and no sodding Vikings."

"No Vikings?" wrote back his friend Colin.

"No Vikings."

"We'll be there in a month."

http://imageshack.com/a/img826/9110/v3pi.png
While the Scotsmen were en route, Magnus took some time to become more acquainted with Venetian law. He found that it was traditional for the main Patricians to serve in the Doge's council. He was insulted that he had not yet been invited, though he suspected the reason why.

Never being one to suffer from implication, he went to get an official rejection, and so he found himself sipping wine in the home of the Serene Doge of Venice, Orso Participazio.

http://imageshack.com/a/img580/825/w7kq.png
"I know why you are here, Magnus Mac Phail, and I do not care to hear your feeble reasons why you think you deserve this or that honour," said the Doge after sending the servants away. "While I have no particular reason to dislike you, I have no reason to like you either. You do realise you are an upstart in La Serenissima, do you not?"

"I know my place, Doge, and I seek no favours or rewards I don't earn. I only ask for the law."

Orso laughed at this, "The law? The law in Venice is the Golden Law! Gold is law!"

Magnus was in no mood for mockery. "Then how "Serene" can this republic be? Surely there is some small post that a Patrician such as myself can fill. I will await your response." Magnus then took his leave.

It was a week before the letter came.

"Very well, Magnus, since you care so much about the law, you will help see it done. It is not a council position, nor particularly prestigious. I must still see the Republic run, and the other families will not suffer challenges to the status quo.

"However, see this not as a token, but a beginning. We were all new to this Most Serene Republic once. If you can thrive and see your family grow, I can promise that a Mac Phail will rule in Venice some day."

"I only hope that, for my son's sake, that day comes many years from now."

http://imageshack.com/a/img547/2829/p3sk.png
Magnus was angry, but understood the wisdom in the Doge's words and actions. He decided to be patient, looking forward to the day a Mac Phail might rule Venice.

Republic Note: When you are Doge, the Patrician heads expect to be on your council, and if you ignore them, you get a stiff relations penalty.

With that settled, Magnus knew that if he wished to carry any more weight and influence in the Republic, he would need to find a new wife. He was too young to be a widower his entire life.

He heard reports that a cousin of the King of Tara was young, intelligent, beautiful, and while she wasn't Scottish, she was at least Irish.

http://imageshack.com/a/img822/688/o70y.png
Then he saw the expected dowry.

http://imageshack.com/a/img818/2088/szmb.png
:smalleek:

Needless to say, Magnus decided to seek a young wife that would not cost him 5 years profit. He sent letters again back to Scotland seeking women brave enough to venture into the Mediterranean for a husband. He promised no dowry, but did promise wealth and comfort.

http://imageshack.com/a/img834/1449/b965.png
Perfect.

Republic Note: Yup, as a Patrician you actually have to pay dowries for wives. If the dynasty is particularly prestigious or the woman is of high rank, the cost can get very high. It can be worth it if you are after prestige gains(important for elections, which we will discuss later), but most of the time it is not. Lowborn women or your own courtiers of course require no dowries.

By the end of 867, Magnus found himself in a comfortable schedule. The morning was for time with his son Brice, midday was for reading profit reports, the afternoon was for answering letters and the evening was for Mary.

In early 868, his first permanent trade post was opened in Benevento for a bargain price. This would be the beginning of Magnus's plan to control all the trade of the southern Adriatic. Let the other families squabble for the Venetian gulf, he thought, I will seek my riches where there is no competition.

http://imageshack.com/a/img32/8228/xnh6.png
He continued to spend time at the Doge's court as well, interacting with both the Doge himself and the other Patricians. Magnus took his job as High Judge seriously, and learned all he could of Venetian law. While the Patricians never really warmed up to him, they appreciated his enthusiasm. Doge Orso even came to see Magnus as a friendly rival, and they visited each other often.

http://imageshack.com/a/img20/8807/5qxv.png
The years began to speed by as the company grew. Magnus made a point to keep informed of important events, both for business opportunities and to avoid disasters.

In December of 868, the Magyars finally broke through the Carpathian mountains and took the basin from the King of Bulgaria. They then declared the new Kingdom of Hungary, homeland now and forever for the Magyar peoples.

http://imageshack.com/a/img62/9895/r3r5.png

In 870, a major conflict broke out on the peninsula. Various lords fought to install Charles the Bald as King of Italy, and the major Karling kingdoms all came to be involved.

http://imageshack.com/a/img15/5443/bvkz.jpg
The war was epic in scope, but aside from the various belligerents destroying each other's land and disrupting commerce, little happened. Until 874.

That was the year that the Lord Mayor of Genoa took the opportunity of the chaos to declare their own Merchant Republic.

http://imageshack.com/a/img89/1324/91hn.png
By 876, the Italian War continued unabated. Magnus however, found himself at a crossroads. His accumulated wealth required reinvestment, but he had divergent choices.



He could embrace his newfound Gregariousness and reinvest his profit into a family vault, lending out money at interest. This would bring him closer to affording an election campaign, but would divert his attention from the company.

Or, he could follow his Ambition and use the Italian War to claim the city of Avellino, on the coast of Benevento. This would give him land foothold on the Adriatic, the better to spread his trade potential, but also pull him further from the halls of Venetian power.

Where would the Mac Phail family go from here?

[Yaktan]

I vote Ambition. Adventure awaits!

[Rockphed]

What is best in life? To rule many holdings and gain much riches. Conquer the city and eventually the province. Follow your ambition. Begin lending money later.

[Flickerdart]

From city, the next step is county conquest. Follow your ambition and see Venice expand!

[Guancyto]

If you can hang on to it, an entire city will get you way more money than your vault.

Ambition!

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, based on what I've heard my girlfriend say about the game, following his Ambitions seems appropriate here. Besides, it promises more chaos and that's always amusing.

[Rockphed]

If you can hang on to it, an entire city will get you way more money than your vault.

Ambition!

Come to think of it, cities are 2 edged swords. They give you a source of income outside of your family palace, and a fairly good one at that. Also, they give troops with much lower upkeep costs than mercenaries. On the other hand, they offer a point of weakness in war where your enemies may attack you.

[Guancyto]

Cities are honestly ideal at this point because I've never, ever seen the AI declare war for single holdings (except for other republics). Taking a county would be dangerous, though, the reunited Italy would want it back.

(That said as a Patrician/Mayor you can't even vassalize barons, so nicking a county somewhere that won't get run over is a big step up)

[Grif]

Cities are honestly ideal at this point because I've never, ever seen the AI declare war for single holdings (except for other republics). Taking a county would be dangerous, though, the reunited Italy would want it back.

(That said as a Patrician/Mayor you can't even vassalize barons, so nicking a county somewhere that won't get run over is a big step up)

They actually do. (But only if they have nothing else that they have claims on.) You were warned. :smalltongue:

[Guancyto]

Huh. Never knew that.

Well, the Italian king is pretty much going to have perpetual claims on every one of his neighbors because it's the Karling blob, so it still seems pretty safe.

[Grif]

Huh. Never knew that.

Well, the Italian king is pretty much going to have perpetual claims on every one of his neighbors because it's the Karling blob, so it still seems pretty safe.

There's still his vassals. And his vassal's vassal. :smalltongue:

Though duke-level vassals are probably safer and easier to beat anyway.

[OrcusMcP]

Well, this seems to be a pretty unanimous decision to follow the Ambition. I will play this evening, and hopefully update tonight or tomorrow morning before I am out of town until next week.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 2: Pennies Lost

The war was declared in early 876, and report came in that the Duke, while possessed of a large amount of money himself, had few men under his command, having squandered most in the Italian War.

Magnus was pleased by this news, and went to an office in Venice in order to purchase a particular service. The service of..... deregulation.

http://imageshack.com/a/img593/3989/orn0.png
The Swiss Company provided Magnus with over two thousand hardened mercenaries, and promised the war would be over in 2 years. That was exactly how long Magnus had calculated he could afford the war, and if unsuccessful, would make further wealth even more difficult to accumulate.

http://imageshack.com/a/img15/2105/mh5o.png
The Swiss quickly eliminated all of the Duke's levies and proceeded with siege operations. In October of 876, an unforseen event occurred: The Italian War ended with the death of Charles The Bald.

Louis the Stammerer was now King of West Francia.

http://imageshack.com/a/img827/5241/e1uz.png
Benevento remained independent, and some petty internal wars continued, but the main conflict on the peninsula died down. Magnus's own war continued, and he felt heartened by other news: his wife Mary was pregnant.

http://imageshack.com/a/img10/8349/82e.png
The sieges dragged on into 877, with the main garrison of Benevento falling in January, and the war itself was finished by July.

http://imageshack.com/a/img838/7475/ubl8.png
The ink was drying on the peace treaty when word came to Magnus that he had become a father again. He now had a daughter, Agnes.

The war had been costly. With the Mac Phail company infrastructure resettling to the city of Avellino, and the Swiss deregulation of the countryside leaving much in ruins, Magnus's margins became thin. He was able to keep everyone paid, but it would be some time before everything became solvent and efficient again.

http://imageshack.com/a/img818/5517/l0g.png
Thus, what was needed at this point was the time. Magnus and Mary spent more time at the church of Ascoli, developing a new passion for piety together.

The financial tensions began to take their toll on Magnus's health as well, the stresses of running both a company and a city competing for what could cause the most headaches.

http://imageshack.com/a/img163/1084/n8r2.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img24/8974/qha2.png
Magnus and Mary also spent more time with Brice, and while he remained jealous of the attention given to his new half-sister, was developing into a shrewd and clever man that might soon surpass his father in commercial skill. Having grown up surrounded by the Venetian merchants and business men, hearing both Gaelic and Italian spoken around the home, Brice took in all the lessons he would need to become a successful Patrician.

http://imageshack.com/a/img854/6264/ns2g.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img266/9451/wne.png
As the family fortunes began to recover, Magnus was surprised by a visit from Doge Orso in early 879.

"Magnus, my good fellow, what you have done has lit a fire in Venice," said the old Italian as he embraced the younger Scot. "You have both awed and inspired the other families with your daring acquisition, and even now they are spreading their commercial nets further down into the Mediterranean."

"I sought only to enrich my own family and company, good Doge, for 'gold is law' as you said." Magnus was unsure what the purpose of the Doge's visit was.

"Be that as it may, you are still a Patrician of La Serenissima, and you have proven your worth and valour. No longer an upstart, I would have you serve on my council, as is tradition. Will you serve as the Steward of Venice?"

Magnus could hardly turn down additional salary.

http://imageshack.com/a/img703/6049/lzo.png
Magnus spent most of the next few months in Venice, getting closer to the vast financial network of the Republic. He saw less and less of the Doge though, for he grew more and more ill.

In October 879, The Most Serene Republic of Venice had a new Doge after Orzo Participazio died in his sleep. The glory and responsibility was now on the head of Pietro Candiano

http://imageshack.com/a/img856/8292/5vx0.png
Republic Note: A new Doge! Succession in a merchant republic is a unique one called "Patrician Elective", in that the new Doge is chosen from the heads of one of the five Patrician families. As you can see in the next screen, each Patrician head has a "respect" score, and the one with the highest gets elected when a Doge dies.

Respect is affected most highly by age, so the elected Doges tend to be the oldest of the Patricians. Prestige is also a factor, and you can give bribes donate to charitable causes to increase your respect. Prestige and bribes are best used when all the patrician heads are close to the same age. Old guys just have too much clout to really compete against.

http://imageshack.com/a/img707/2336/cj44.png
Doge Pietro kept Magnus on as Steward, not wanting to rock the boat left by the estimable Orso. The Candiano elder seemed more interested in throwing parties and enjoying the privileges than really running the republic.

But in late 880, just as Benevento was calming down and the Mac Phail company was once again solvent, Doge Pietro did something that neither Magnus nor the other Patrician families expected.

He declared war on the Duke of Benvento, so that the Mac Phail family might control the entire county.

http://imageshack.com/a/img837/8524/z6p.png
This was not entirely to Magnus's immediate benefit, as further war undermined the reconstruction attempts and his income would plummet once more. As the war dragged on, it would take even longer before the Mac Phail company became remotely profitable and influential again.

Plus, having a county under Venetian control in southern Italy meant that the other families would be able to spread their trade influence more easily as well.

Given time, though, owning both the city and the countryside would eventually make Magnus monstrously rich compared to the rest of the families. He planned to make the most of his new territory.

The war lasted a year, and Magnus once again tasked the company towards stability and rebuilding when he most wanted to profit and expand. Now, though, controlling the whole county of Benevento, he stood to make the Mac Phail company stronger than ever.

http://imageshack.com/a/img62/4501/y4d4.png
Then Magnus received a most ominous letter. One that might have dire ramifications.

The lady Bianca Orseleo, wife to the likely successor of the Republic, asked Magnus for support in an attempt on the life of Doge Pietro Candiano.

http://imageshack.com/a/img542/5063/wx2u.png
Magnus again found himself at a fork, that the family's destiny might be shaped by his decision.


Did Magnus's Zeal compel him to lend support to the Orseleo plot? Doge Pietro was an outstandingly impious man, seeking only to eat, drink and bed his way to the grave. He was even rumoured to be having an affair with his own daughter-in-law! Once such a course was started, when knives became the tools of politics instead of pens, where would it end? Were the merchants truly no better than the Assassinator Kings (2)?

Or did Magnus heed his wife Mary's advice and ignore the letter, and try to alleviate his Stress? Brice and Agnes required attention and education, the company still required rebuilding, and the family coffers were running dangerously dry. Allies would come by more honourable means. Would the Scot take the moral road that the Italians would not?

[Wookieetank]

Get rid of the Stress (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7EONScLrHg).

[snoopy13a]

If I was the OP, I'd be seriously scared of the ERE. The Byzantines have conquered Venice (they have a de jure claim) in my last two 867 games.

[Guancyto]

Impiety or no, that man just made you a Lord-Mayor.

That... may be a poisoned chalice he's handed you, but for now, he seems to have your back.

Let God decide his time to leave this Earth, and get rid of your stress.

[Terraoblivion]

Not mention that getting too deeply involved with major political conspiracies seems risky in general. Let's keep that stress down for now.

[Rockphed]

We get bonuses for having lots of our kin in our court, yes? So it seems that our long term benefit would depend on our ability to have several sons. Right now we have an heir and a daughter. Get rid of the Stress so we can ensure that Brice has plenty of brothers to help in running the firm.

Edit: How much longer do we have before our castle and town start being profitable for us?

[IthilanorStPete]

Get rid of stress. Let's focus on being ruthlessly mercantile patricians instead of the usual scheming nobles.

[Yaktan]

I concur. Don't add more Stress with assasination plots. Stay focused on making your shiny new county profitable. Besides, the current Doge is your Bro, getting you a county to play with.

[Rockphed]

I concur. Don't add more Stress with assasination plots. Stay focused on making your shiny new county profitable. Besides, the current Doge is your Bro, getting you a county to play with.

And if we offed him, he would lose out on the chance to repent of his hedonistic ways! Not only is it not our duty to help kill him, it is our duty to see him brought back into the fold!

Now, if he were a heretic, then it would be our duty to overthrow him. :smallamused:

[Flickerdart]

Dying would be bad - divergent succession laws between your Republican assets and your feudal holdings may lose you the county. Focus on getting rid of your stress.

[OrcusMcP]

Stress is the clear winner, and now that I am back in town I will play and hopefully post by tonight.

[Rockphed]

Stress is the clear winner, and now that I am back in town I will play and hopefully post by tonight.

Did anyone vote for Zeal this time around? I just hope we get more diversity in voting in the future, otherwise this could turn out boring.

[OrcusMcP]

Did anyone vote for Zeal this time around? I just hope we get more diversity in voting in the future, otherwise this could turn out boring.

I will do my best for more choice going forward, especially when there is more family and succession becomes an issue. The problem right now is that the tech/money development starting in 867 is poor, and a few republic elements are very dependent on them(i will be going into this, worry not).

This is also my first "Let's Play" so I'm learning and adjusting as I go. :smalltongue:

[ReluctantReaper]

This lets play inspired me to play as a republic. Other then the curse of all dying young, 38 has been my oldest. Let's just say it is aggervating but enjoyably. Have two ports its great

[Guancyto]

Did anyone vote for Zeal this time around? I just hope we get more diversity in voting in the future, otherwise this could turn out boring.

In fairness, 'whether or not to try and murder the guy who just landed you (and probably end up in jail for it)' is a pretty easy choice!

[OrcusMcP]

In fairness, 'whether or not to try and murder the guy who just landed you (and probably end up in jail for it)' is a pretty easy choice!

See above re: Assassinator Kings 2

When you play the game of thronesCK2, you wincest or you backstab. :smallwink:

Slight delay in update, should be up by end of week.

[Guancyto]

Well, sure.

I mean if backstabbing the Doge gets us a shot at sitting in the big chair ourselves, I don't care if he's Jesus Come Again who personally handed us Sicily and Italy together with a bow around them, he's getting stabbed in the back.

(Actually that seems like an excellent reason to stab him in the back, form the Principality of Italia and start our own church of God is Dead Because We Killed Him In a Manure Explosion and This Time It Stuck... but I digress.)

Maybe the next time an opportunity like this comes up, some notes on his prospective replacement?

Edit: Oh, any chance of getting other patricians' children educated by Scotsmen, or are you considered a foreign power while you're a patrician yourself?

[Grif]

Did anyone vote for Zeal this time around? I just hope we get more diversity in voting in the future, otherwise this could turn out boring.

I wanted to, but there's no point going against majority at this point. :smalltongue:

[Rockphed]

I wanted to, but there's no point going against majority at this point. :smalltongue:

While the OrcusMP may not follow this, most Let's Plays I have seen choose middle paths between the options they give when the vote is divided between a couple options. At the least it lets the author know that there are more people reading and caring about what happens.

[Grif]

While the OrcusMP may not follow this, most Let's Plays I have seen choose middle paths between the options they give when the vote is divided between a couple options. At the least it lets the author know that there are more people reading and caring about what happens.

Good point. Though really, we're too small-time to have any real choice yet, so things should change once we expand.

[OrcusMcP]

Good point. Though really, we're too small-time to have any real choice yet, so things should change once we expand.

Yeah, pretty much this. As I mentioned earlier, once there is more family for succession, choices will open up a lot.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 3: Here We Go Again

As the year 881 got underway, Magnus took to heart his advisor's council and focused on his health. How could an honest Scotch merchant return a gift of such kindness as land with a knife in the back?

As the year continued, efforts to restore order and prosperity to the county of Benevento were stymied by an outbreak of Consumption that was ravaging eastern Italy.

http://imageshack.com/a/img812/3624/jmcq.png
Thankfully none of his family became sick, but many of his councilors and workers who were out and about trading and negotiating in the countryside.

Time otherwise passed unremarked. Magnus and Mary continued to grow closer, and over the next 8 years would have 3 more daughters. The Mac Phail girls became known for their energy and enthusiasm, and were very close as they aged.
http://imageshack.com/a/img42/3594/4zqr.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img571/5751/37xs.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img90/5762/lghb.png
In March of 882, however, a small disaster struck Venice, clad in blue and purple. The Doge of the Republic of Amalfi had become wary of Venice's encroaching influence and had been in negotiations with Basileos I of Makedon, the mighty emperor of Rome.

Doge Sico Mauro promised chests of treasure to the emperor, as well as any spoils, if he would only raid and destroy all the Venetian trade hubs in his realm. Emperor Basileos said yes.

http://imageshack.com/a/img838/1161/3al1.png
Republic Note: Embargo wars! Trade posts are generally good for both the patrician and the county owner, because they increase the wealth in the county. However, they also make tempting targets. If the liege loses favour with the Doge or Patrician, or is bribed by a rival Republic, they may declare to embargo.

If successful, then all trade posts in the attacker's realm are destroyed and the they gets cash relative to the amount of trade posts and their wealth. This can be very annoying when dealing with large realms.
*cough*Karlings*cough*Byzantium*cough*HRE*cough*

Magnus was not worried about his own trade post, as it fell outside the Emperor's control, but further war continued to devastate the wealth of the land. Since Doge Pietro lacked both the men and the money to stand up to the sheer numbers of the Greeks, he could only drink himself into a futile stupor until the ravage was over in early 883.

http://imageshack.com/a/img13/2755/yc1o.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img821/9202/a5uz.png
At the same time as the other families were losing their trade holdings, Magnus held a small celebration for his son Brice. The younger Mac Phail had come of age at the end of the war and had turned into an even more capable man than his father. Men of power and influence all over the Republic saw in him the makings of a great Doge, one who might lead both his family and La Serenissima to wealth and glory. They also muttered that Brice would have to start keeping his bedroom activities better hidden though. Less kind Italians started calling him "Bellimbusto" behind his back.

http://imageshack.com/a/img42/7384/ewrw.png
Magnus cared little, though, and put Brice right to work as the Chief Operator of the Mac Phail trading company, as his own attentions were needed to keep the Republic running as the Doge continued to drink and whore himself into debt. For appearances, Magnus also insisted that Brice be married, and a small ceremony was held in July of 883.

http://imageshack.com/a/img818/3540/er83.png
The end of 883 would bring absolute ruin to the Mac Phail family plans. A relative of the count of Napoli, a ruthless Greek from the even more ruthless Spartenos family had gathered a large band of mercenaries and adventurers and taken over the duchy of Benevento and then proceeded to push the Venetians out of the county.

http://imageshack.com/a/img189/9302/8ctv.png
With the Republic treasury drained from the conflict with the Romans, the Doge put up little resistance to the invasion. Magnus was furious, and desperately spent what little profit he had accumulated on mercenary contracts to hold the county. However, just as the troops were to touch the soil, the Doge simply surrendered. All the money wasted. The main trading infrastructure remained, including the family holdings, but control of the land was no longer Magnus's.

He fumed and paced for days, kicking and yelling at servants. Magnus was angry, angry that the world was too chaotic, that men were too short-sighted, that iron still held more sway than coin.

It took one of his dockmasters, an old Italian named Francesco, to bring the Patrician out of his mood. Francesco had been working with Magnus since the Scot first arrived in Venice in the employ of Dominic Caboto, and was an expert in navigating the customs and tariffs of the various feudal realms. He had managed to procure a gift for Magnus to celebrate Brice Mac Phail's marriage, but weather and war had delayed the shipping.

Francesco gave Magnus a bottle of whisky. The first bottle of whisky to reach Italy. The two merchants shared the bottle over one very loud drunken night, and Magnus felt better. The resulting hangover forced Magnus to relax and confront reality, and came up with a plan.

http://imageshack.com/a/img22/3469/f2w5.png
Magnus was relaxed and ready to build his company back up and retake the land, but it would take time. 3 years would pass until all would be ready.

In that time, Brice surprised everyone when he announced that his wife had given birth to his daughter: Eleanor. Magnus became a Grandfather.

http://imageshack.com/a/img23/9739/tq1c.png
In October of 886, Magnus had collected enough money and influence to have Doge Pietro declare war for the city of Avellino on the Spartenos duke. The conflict was swift and decisive, and Magnus soon found himself back in his mayoral chair.

No sooner was the ink dry on the peace treaty in early 887 then Magnus declared war for the whole county, with similar results.

http://imageshack.com/a/img41/1756/upto.png
Magnus even felt a sense of deja-vu when consumption broke out in eastern Italy again in early 888.

By 889, though, Magnus was feeling secure. It would still be many years before the company became fully profitable again, war and administration changes having taken a major toll on the wealth of the region. He had many beautiful children, his son more than ready to take over the family business and having children of his own. He had influence and renown in the Republic. All was well.

But it was not enough. Ambition stirred within Magnus, and there was an unfinished score to settle.

Doge Sico Mauro, having initiated the Embargo that set the stage for the other invasions, deserved to pay. The only question became how.

Would Magnus run for office? By first becoming Doge, Magnus would be able to bring the whole of the republic's wealth and might to bear. The expected successor of the Republic was Badaoro Participazio, son of the former Doge and a well respected and talented man. Magnus would have to go through him first.

Did he secure Benevento? If the whole of the duchy could be brought into the Mac Phail Trading Company, a safe staging ground of arms and money next door to Amalfi would be available. This option might provoke the rival republic to be ready for the attack, though, and would make permanent enemies of the Spartenos family of Napoli.

Or did Magnus arm in secret? Though this would take longer, and require much patience, and perhaps even require Brice to take up the conflict, the Mac Phail family could invest in private military warehouses, armories and vaults. This would give the family the security to defend it's own posts and expand the franchise without complete reliance on expensive mercenary forces.

Where did the Mac Phail family go from here?

[IthilanorStPete]

Arm in secret, I'd say. Continue to expand slowly and quietly, build up a base of income and troops to use in the future.

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, at this point moving slowly and carefully seems like a good idea. So arm in secret.

[Wookieetank]

I'll throw in for secure Benevento and once that is completed Arm in Secret. You can never have enough appendages in this game. :smallwink:

[Grif]

Run for Office, I say. Now is your time to consolidate your power and then strike at the treacherous Amalfi.

[Flickerdart]

The corrupt patricians of Venice would never accept a foreigner among themselves. Secure the Duchy of Benevento, and deliver your demands to them upon a thousand spears!

[t209]

Run For Office, better to have more armies quickly and strike hard.
But be cautious on possible retribution.

[GnomeGninjas]

Secure the Duchy!

[Yaktan]

Secure the Duchy. Go big or go home, I say. Arming in secret is insufficient to express your anger at your rival republic, and it seems the current successor to the Dogeship has too much an edge to have a reasonable chance of running against him. The next one after him, though...

[OrcusMcP]

Secure the Duchy. Go big or go home, I say. Arming in secret is insufficient to express your anger at your rival republic, and it seems the current successor to the Dogeship has too much an edge to have a reasonable chance of running against him. The next one after him, though...

For clarity, the Participazio guy I mentioned is the obvious successor, but we are currently neck and neck with everyone else for second place.

[Yaktan]

Oh, did you mean more long-term angle to be next in line after the current heir? In that case I vote for that, since that seems like an easy way to angle for power.

[Guancyto]

Hmm, no need to be Doge just yet; if we're a clear second place, we'll get our turn.

Securing the Duchy puts us in a perfect position to annihilate Amalfi in true Scottish fashion, and (if it works) gets us more prestige which will help us with the election.

[Flickerdart]

For clarity, the Participazio guy I mentioned is the obvious successor, but we are currently neck and neck with everyone else for second place.
The first time I played The Republic, I got the "your family didn't get invited to the ball" event that makes you rivals with another doge, who was favored for the succession as well.

So I assassinated him.

[Rockphed]

I prefer sure things. While running for office and securing the duchy both bear greater fruit, I thing we should arm in secret to secure the duchy, which should give us the leg up we need to run for office.

[OrcusMcP]

The first time I played The Republic, I got the "your family didn't get invited to the ball" event that makes you rivals with another doge, who was favored for the succession as well.

So I assassinated him.

http://picslap.com/images/good.jpg

[OrcusMcP]

Current tally is:
Arm in Secret - 3
Secure Duchy - 4
Run for office - 3

I'll let the voting go for the rest of the day and then pick the winner.

[Demon 997]

Run for office

Go big or go home.

[VonFenris]

A tie? This will not stand! Secure the Duchy is the only true course!

[OrcusMcP]

Well, the voting has resulted in pretty much a 3 way tie. It would be cruel to deny you all the results of such..... indecision. :smallamused:

Reactionary decisions will be the name of the game for the next update.

[Rockphed]

Well, the voting has resulted in pretty much a 3 way tie. It would be cruel to deny you all the results of such..... indecision. :smallamused:

Reactionary decisions will be the name of the game for the next update.

Just as planned. :smallamused:

[t209]

Well, the voting has resulted in pretty much a 3 way tie. It would be cruel to deny you all the results of such..... indecision. :smallamused:

Reactionary decisions will be the name of the game for the next update.
I choose secure duchy instead of voting for office.

[Rockphed]

So, did the Scotsman get annoyed at our intransigence and reach out from the screen to kill you? Or did classes start and you had a lot less time than you expected? Give us juicy details!

[OrcusMcP]

So, did the Scotsman get annoyed at our intransigence and reach out from the screen to kill you? Or did classes start and you had a lot less time than you expected? Give us juicy details!

No class, but being out of town (and Europa 4)delayed me. We have guests from out of country staying this week that I had forgotten about until yesterday(and my girlfriend would not be pleased if I spent the whole time playing CK2), so the update will likely have to wait until next week. Many apologies, and many thanks for the patience!

As a tease, though, I can promise that Amalfi got their ironic come-uppance, we visited the Prestige Bank of Karling, and money is finally beginning to flow.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 4: Spinning Around In Circles

Magnus spent an entire day with his company advisors, and after several bottles of wine drunk, punches thrown, friendships created and shattered in the span of only a few hours, there was no consensus as to how to deal with Amalfi in the long term.

The Amalfi Merchant Republic had the benefit of entrenched interests, more developed trade routes and merchant estates, coupled with a strong relationship with the Byzantines.

All Venice had going for it was a more sophisticated governmental structure, and the Mac Phails.

http://imageshack.com/a/img703/3783/dvxf.png
The Musco family had become such a thorn in the side of the Venetians that all notion of rationality was clouded by rage.

Thus, Magnus came to a decision: Let them make the next move. The Mac Phail Trading Company will continue to build up private military reserves, expand to own the entire duchy of Benevento, and move towards Doge-ship.

Plans seemed to be moving forward when a new Doge was chosen from the Participazio family after Pietro Candiano passed away.

http://imageshack.com/a/img580/6355/ngtr.png
Magnus now had enough season and prestige to be the next expected Doge.

http://imageshack.com/a/img849/1243/rz57.png
However, just to prove that not everything can go according to plan, the Spartenos family declared war to reclaim the Benevento County in late 890.

http://imageshack.com/a/img819/1871/vz0r.png
:smallannoyed:
Magnus's policies and the renewal of wealth in Benevento county allowed him to hire enough mercenaries to fend off the greeks, all that was needed was time.

http://imageshack.com/a/img829/3973/i1ly.png
:smallmad:
Time that Amalfi would not give.

Magnus could only nurse the many headaches he developed in 891 as the Imperial Cataphracts ravaged the Venetian trade posts again and again. Amalfi had made the first move, alright, and it was devastating.

While the Byzantine war was mercifully quick, as such things go, it meant the Benevento war would not resolve for some time.

Republic Note: Terrible Luck! Though you are always at the mercy of the Holy Random Number God in Crusader Kings 2, Republics have an especially precarious time. When you are so dependent on money, you become a big fat target when you don't have much. However, this can work to your benefit of being very versatile and dangerous when you DO have money.

As the Byzantines pulled back in mid 892 with their loot, Magnus once again set about the task of rebuilding his land. Fortunately, he had already broken much of the Spartenos forces before hand so they were regrouping as well.

Then, in January of 893, Doge Musco wished the Mac Phails a happy new year with an opportunistic war to claim the Benevento trade post.

http://imageshack.com/a/img27/9534/wlw5.png
:smallfurious:
It is difficult to describe in words the attitudes and opinions of the Venetians towards their Amalfi counterparts during this war, but descriptions of "frothing apocalyptic rage" come to mind.

Fortunately, the war would soon turn to be a fair fight. Doge Badoaro had men and funds prepared, and a lucky break for the Mac Phail Company would give Magnus all he needed to finish the push back against the Spartenos.

http://imageshack.com/a/img541/3978/etl1.png

http://imageshack.com/a/img189/648/8hpg.png
Republic Note: Random Money Events! When playing a republic/patrician, there will be random events like this that pop up every now and then, with wildly varying flavour. They will either give you or cost you gold in set quantities.

In March of 893, his daughter Agnes came of age, and caught the attention of a man Magnus did not expect: Louis Karling, heir to the thrones of Burgundy and Lotharinga. The two were wed a month later.

http://imageshack.com/a/img543/1420/ajxx.png
Republic Note: Marrying off Daughters! In a republic, you cannot marry matrilinearly. Thus, if you are low on sons, you will soon have no family to inherit. However, marrying your daughters off to powerful/prestigious families can get you a lot of prestige, which is useful for elections, as we have discussed.

Magnus's personal renown grew, and none in the Republic doubted that he would be Doge once Badoaro had passed.

His happiness was short lived, though. As the armies of the Venetians and Amalfines converged for a massive battle in July, Magnus was struck by a terrible blow. His wife, Mary, had been slain by unknown assailants.

http://imageshack.com/a/img163/8900/7tug.png
Magnus would marry again twice, but they were only for political and administrative purposes. A Merchant Patrician had duties, after all.

On July 7th, 893, the battle of Avellino was joined. 2400 fresh Venetian mercenaries squared off against 1700 crack Amalfine troops and retinues. Venice had the better position and the numbers, but the Amalfi soldiers were more hardened and better led. It would be 10 days before the battle was over.

July 17th became a day of rememberance in Venice.

A day to remember victory.

http://imageshack.com/a/img46/2681/8wpk.png
The Amalfi troops crashed into the mercenaries where they were strongest and were absolutely crushed. Doge Musco sent terms of surrender as soon as he had received his report.

Magnus had a copy of the battle report made, as well as details of the surrender, and sent it as a package to the Duke of Salerno, the neighbour of Amalfi with a De Jure claim to the lands.

By mid 894, the Republic of Amalfi was no more.

http://imageshack.com/a/img268/4817/z6vj.png
Now that Magnus could relax, he turned his attention towards his family once again. He received news that his son-in-law Louis, now known as Louis 'The Young' had become king, and he and his wife had a son, Lamberto, that would succeed afterwards.

http://imageshack.com/a/img19/6276/eavc.png
However, Louis proved uniquely unsuited for the crown and lost the kingdom of Burgundy to another member of the Karling clan, then got himself slain in battle of the crown of Lotharinga in early 895. Magnus's first grandson was now king, but likely not for long.

http://imageshack.com/a/img838/3738/zh95.png
By 896, the recovery of Benevento county had been completed. Gold flowed through the city of Avellino and the Mac Phail company was in a strong position to move forward again.

Brice Mac Phail, having lost his first Italian wife to disease during the Amalfi war, found another in the various Anglo-Saxon refugees that ventured south away from the Norse. In late 896, she gave Brice a son, Murdoch.

http://imageshack.com/a/img541/3558/irwl.png
In 897, Magnus's health began to fail. The years of stress, war, travel and administration had taken a large toll on the Scot. By the beginning of 898, he could barely get out of bed and Brice had taken de facto ownership of the company.

http://imageshack.com/a/img59/6772/twci.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img854/3370/ubph.png
It was early February when Magnus called his son to his side.

"Brice, my lad, I am dying. I'm sorry to leave you, but you are wise and strong and will run the company well."

"Let us not talk of such things, Father, you have spent enough time worrying about the company. You just need to rest, I'm sure you will be back on your feet in no time."

"Don't!" Magnus coughed, "Don't lie to your father. Always remember that the Mac Phails have been the only honest merchants in the Republic. Promise me you will keep it that way."

"I promise. I will make you proud, Father. We all will." Brice fought back tears.

"I only wish.......you could have known......your mother............"

http://imageshack.com/a/img571/6314/muq6.png

[OrcusMcP]

State of the World: 900

ITALY!

http://imageshack.com/a/img802/6247/zf1q.png
The peninsula continues to be a hornet's nest. The powerful Duke of Tuscany is leading the charge in a new Italian War over which Karling will be king of Italy. With Amalfi gone, Venice (and the Mac Phails) is in a much better position to start expanding again. Stupid Damocles swords.


IBERIA!

http://imageshack.com/a/img6/7261/vfbe.png
Asturias is making slow but steady gains, while the new Umayyad Sultan is in the middle of a very nasty succession crisis. Catholicism may get a strong hold in Hispania if this continues.


CENTRAL EUROPE!

http://imageshack.com/a/img839/4231/gax6.png
Ah, the Karlings. Can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em. We certainly backed the wrong horse to be king of Lotharinga. Nice to see a kingdom of Brittany, though!


EASTERN EUROPE!

http://imageshack.com/a/img90/9460/6xnz.png
Strong pagan kingdoms sandwiching smaller pagan tribes. This will be interesting to watch as time goes on.


SCANDINAVIA!

http://imageshack.com/a/img689/9361/9n3j.png
Denmark is split, Sweden is formed, and Norway is close to unifying. Hopefully the Norse keep to the north seas.


BRITISH ISLES!

http://imageshack.com/a/img541/8349/mjda.png
The Norse still have a strong presence in the isles, but a few die-hard Scottish and Saxon hold outs keep the dream alive.


MIDDLE EAST!

http://imageshack.com/a/img30/1443/g04v.png
The Abbasid Caliph is young but the Caliphate is strong. Abyssinia is thriving and pushing back the Muslim emirates in the horn of Africa.


ANATOLIA!

http://imageshack.com/a/img835/3812/p26b.png
Byzantium is very strong and stable, having pushed into the Caliphate, the Balkans and Sicily. Screw these guys. They have been the biggest pain for me so far, basically being a force of nature. They have a de jure claim on Venice, which may or may not make its way into the story.




PS: The Byzantine Emperor?

http://imageshack.com/a/img138/5153/m3el.png
:smalleek:
Possessed, Iconoclast, Voice of Satan, all of these are in good fun.
He also has "Jesus Gives Martial Advice". This gives +20 Martial.
What the hell, game? Why does Byzantium deserve Basileios of Arc and not me? :smallwink:

[Flickerdart]

Count and not Lord Mayor? That's interesting. Make sure that the county doesn't pass to a different heir in the succession.

[Terraoblivion]

Sounds like picking a fight with the Byzantines would be a very bad idea. It also sounds like they won't follow their historically ordained path and collapse, at least not anytime soon. Though of course, no Seljuks have shown up yet, so that might change.

[OrcusMcP]

Count and not Lord Mayor? That's interesting. Make sure that the county doesn't pass to a different heir in the succession.

I think that's just a quirk of the succession screen. Brice is a proper Lord Mayor Patrician.


Sounds like picking a fight with the Byzantines would be a very bad idea. It also sounds like they won't follow their historically ordained path and collapse, at least not anytime soon. Though of course, no Seljuks have shown up yet, so that might change.

Indeed! I'm honestly shocked at how stable they are right now considering the emperor. Though maybe they're just terrified. We're about a hundred years away from the Seljuks, so time will tell.

[Rockphed]

I think that's just a quirk of the succession screen. Brice is a proper Lord Mayor Patrician.



Indeed! I'm honestly shocked at how stable they are right now considering the emperor. Though maybe they're just terrified. We're about a hundred years away from the Seljuks, so time will tell.

He has 38 martial before advisers. I would be afraid of him if I were living in Britain and had a doomstack of my own.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 5: Disregard Females. Acquire Currency.

Brice Mac Phail was many things. Like his father, he was ambitious and a very talented administrator. A friendly, straightforward man who enjoyed collecting books, Brice otherwise spent little time enjoying the riches of the company himself. Famously temperate, eschewing both the rich food and fine wines of the Italian countryside, he threw himself into his work like few others in the Republic.

Those who disliked him often scoffed at his habit of sailing with his merchant employs, to say nothing of the infamous rumours that surrounded such voyages. Brice still managed to have two children with two wives, including his son Murdoch. When asked how he achieved all this, Brice would answer sarcastically "It must be the beard."

http://imageshack.com/a/img21/8949/1dm0.png
As he took command of the Mac Phail Trading Company, Brice saw little reason to deviate from the business policies set down by his father. Brice made plans to acquire the county of Foggia and secure Benevento, while also investing in the private holdings of the company itself. As a man in his early 30s, Brice knew that it would be some time before he could be considered experienced enough to be a candidate for Doge.

So, in 898, not long after arranging a proper funeral for such a man as his father Magnus, Brice braced himself for the challenges posed by the Republic. As a fresh Italian War began in Northern Italy, Brice was amazed that the Italians managed to have any kind of society at all with all the war and upheaval. These wars would resolve and then resume for the next 8 years.

"They don't know which king they want, but they know they don't want THIS one."

http://imageshack.com/a/img826/9543/3835.png
In June, Brice invested into some militia grounds and barracks the city of Avellino, while also setting up a basic garrison in the family trade post in the docks. The many Beneventian wars cost both the Republic and the Mac Phails much in opportunity costs and mercenary contracts, and the infrastructure of an actual military would help dissuade threats in the long term.

Many of Brice's detractors claimed he only did this because he enjoyed seeing men in uniform. The only response he ever had to these rumours was "So does my wife."

http://imageshack.com/a/img208/7010/1zc.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img802/5181/ld9j.png
Republic Note: Unique Holdings! A Merchant Patrician has access to 2 special holdings that feudal lords do not: The Family Palace and Trade Posts, both can be invested in and upgraded, and should be.

Trade Posts live attached to coastal counties, as we have seen, and have 3 upgrades available. They are all inexpensive and build quickly, but have limited effects. The Merchant Enclave chain increases the direct tax income you get from the Trade Post, Merchant Ports increase the value of the trade zone, while Garrisons add a token fort level and garrison to the Trade Post. Garrisons also add a small amount to your retinue cap.

Family Palaces live in the Aether of the Republic, they're not on the map anywhere and cannot be occupied or lost in a war unless the republic itself ceases to exist, but they are considered to be in your family's capital county for tax purposes(Benevento in our case). They have many improvements to build. They are all expensive and take a long time to build, but give excellent effects. Some give you troops, some give you prestige/fertility/piety and even improve your stats as they get to higher levels, and the most important is the Palace itself. It increase the tax of your Family Palace, and also increases the amount of Trade Posts you can have.

Brice was proving to be as effective and influential as his father, perhaps even more so. When Tedaldo Orseleo became the new Doge in late 898, Brice followed in his father's footsteps and was appointed to the Republican council as Steward. While still a Scot by birth and culture, Brice spoke fluent Italian and Latin and suffered much less prejudice than his father.

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Once 899 came, though, the news became much more mixed. On a brisk February morning, Brice left his home with a light step and large smile, for his wife had just told him that they were to expect another child. He was eager to spread the news to the other company officers and dockhands when he received the next piece of news. The Spartenos family that still held the duchy of Benevento congratulated Brice on his good fortune the only way they knew how: A declaration of war.

http://imageshack.com/a/img405/7035/jd9p.png
Brice was concerned, since the Orseleo Doge was slow to respond and his own military build-up was not yet complete. Only some timely luck and cash allowed him to buy a mercenary contract.

He needn't have worried, though. The Ducal forces concentrated their efforts on sieging Venice itself, letting the other merchant families take the brunt of the effort, while Brice focused on defeating the remaining forces and sieging the Spartenos castles. After one particularly speedy and successful siege, Brice received news that his wife had born him another son. Brice decided to name him after his famous father.

http://imageshack.com/a/img268/4966/dj9m.png
As the century turned, the war continued surely but slowly in Venetian favour. In March, Tedaldo Orseleo passed away from an infection of an aggravated wound. The Doge had spent much time fighting alongside the Republican troops, having shown tremendous mettle for a man in his sixties.

His successor, Pietro Tribuno, was a far inferior specimen.

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Further unfortunate news appeared in June of 900, when Brice received reports that longships had been sighted in the Adriatic. Norse were raiding the Italian Peninsula.

http://imageshack.com/a/img32/4797/sqen.png
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Brice found himself in a hard place when they landed in Benevento, as abandoning the war effort could have far more dire consequences than simple raids, but without the financial infrastructure intact, it would be hard to keep the mercenaries paid.

In the end, it mattered little, as both sets of raiders only passed briefly through Benvento, more eager to raid the wealthier provinces of Rome, Tuscany and Florence.

By November, the war had concluded. The Venetians had won once more. Iokos Spartenos could not even muster the dignity to send a copy of the surrender to Brice, sending it only to Doge Pietro.

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As 901 came about, more of Brice's sisters came of age, and were all in a mind for marriage. Brice negotiated with various ducal lords in Italy and Spain, as was expected of him as head of the family, and one-by-one the 3 sisters were married off to dukes and petty kings all over the Mediterranean. That the Mac Phail women were now to be found in such famous courts brought great renown to Brice and the family as a whole.

As a dowry, all Brice asked was corroborating documentation for his claim on the county of Foggia. By the time the count of Foggia had decided to rebel to install a different member of the Spartenos family in the ducal chair, Brice had his Casus Belli.

http://imageshack.com/a/img801/3299/kmxf.png
As the Spartenos family squabbled, Brice stockpiled his cash and called in more favours and debts. In October, after a battle in Neapolis had left both sides of the civil war depleted, Brice struck.

To call it a war was a massive overstatement. The only comment Brice made about the affair at all is this: "Possession is nine tenths of the law."

http://imageshack.com/a/img823/4766/k4v3.png
Swift occupation forced the Spartenos family to renounce all claim to the county of Foggia, as well as the ducal title of Benevento.

The Mac Phail Trading Company now had the same power as a petty king.

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http://imageshack.com/a/img7/8636/8f3d.png
Surveys estimated that the full recovery of the Foggia countryside to profitability would be 20 years, but Brice was a patient man. Having defanged another regional viper, the company had much less reason to fear destruction. The time had come for consolidation and investment.

Brice returned to his duties as Steward in 903, and made an interesting observation: The old men were dying. With the exception of old Orso Participazio, the Patricians were all the same age as Brice himself. Young blood and fresh thinking were the fashion in Venezia, and Brice found himself in the surprising position of being able to capitalize on it.

Brice's personal prestige had soared due to his shrewd marriage negotiation for his sisters, as well as for his strong showing in both the defensive and offensive Spartenos wars. And since the Mac Phail Trading Company had land as well as trade to draw from, Brice was in a personally powerful position to finance an election campaign for Doge.

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Doge Pietro's health was never good, but it began taking a turn for the worse in 903, and Brice began his campaign. As more of his sisters' betrothals became full on marriages, as more cash came in from the now peaceful ducal province of Benevento, money began to find its way into the hands of powerful decision makers in Venice. The Palazzo Ducale began to ring with the sound of Mac Phail coin as bribes and favours were traded.

In contrast, Orso Participazio spent his time at his palace. He was old, cranky and not well thought of in comparison to his name-sake grandfather. As the most senior of the Patricians, he expected to be elected Doge in his time as all elders who came before. He simply did not expect or comprehend a young ambitious upstart like Brice Mac Phail to buy and smile his way to the top post of the Republic.

By late 904, Brice had done just that. A Scot, from a young family, at an age before most Republican men expected to become a Patrician let alone Doge, was poised to take over The Most Serene Republic of Venice.

http://imageshack.com/a/img15/7530/xeeg.png
And in January 905, when Doge Pietro Tribuno finally passed quietly in his sleep, Brice Mac Phail was Serene Doge. Brice accepted the position but not the title, preferring to be referred to as Serene Prince Mayor.

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Now, though, Brice was in a strange position. His family was more powerful than ever, and while he was Prince Mayor could dictate policy for years to come.

Before that could be done, though, his family holding would have to be put in a trust held by the company officers until one of Brice's sons was old enough to administrate it on his behalf. Brice would still be the Patrician of the family and company, able to determine policy and direction, but it was considered grossly immoral and crass to use the government solely for personal gain.

Such policy now needed to be determined. Policy that would dictate the direction of the Mac Phail Trading Company for centuries to come.

3 philosophies dominated among the company officers, and before he moved to the Palazzo Ducale to run the Republic, Brice invited his officers to the Steward's Residence to make a decision. History was made that night, but what kind? What school of thought would become the dominant mode of business?

There is no substitute for success. Let other merchants squabble over fashionable trends and new markets, the Mac Phails will succeed by simply being BETTER. Better Stewards, better merchants, better Doges. A Patrician must be schooled in Administration or Scholasticism to better squeeze value out of the Republic and make it leaner. A permanent relationship with the Dogeship will make Venezia and the Mac Phail Company one and the same. All roads lead to Rome, but all ships come to Venice.

Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. The company would not be in the commanding position it is now without cunning and clever diplomacy. When you have fingers in every pie, you'll know which ones will taste sweetest. A Patrician must be schooled in Diplomacy or Intrigue and seek to have contacts far and wide. We cannot guarantee that the company will sit at the top table at all times, but we can guarantee there will always be new business. No avenue will be off limits, no target too sacred. Let a Mac Phail coin become as feared as a Karling sword.

War is good for business. The company only became truly profitable when the threats were gone. The other families learned the hard way that trying to profit in fortunate but unfriendly lands was a recipe for disaster. By owning the land, making it fortunate ourselves, we can profit most. A Patrician must be educated in the arts of war and no business shall be sought until the land can be claimed. The Republic has shown it cannot always protect the company interests, so we must enforce them ourselves.

[IthilanorStPete]

Very nice going! Seems like things are going quite well for you; I didn't expect such success from a merchant republic this early on.


Those who disliked him often scoffed at his habit of sailing with his merchant employs, to say nothing of the infamous rumours that surrounded such voyages. Brice still managed to have two children with two wives, including his son Murdoch. When asked how he achieved all this, Brice would answer sarcastically "It must be the beard."

I see what you did there. :smallwink:

Personally, I favor Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. It's (relatively) easy to build up power in your own right; being the puppetmaster behind all the other plots is less common, and I think it'll be more fun.

[Terraoblivion]

Opportunity plus instinct equals profit sounds fun. Also, less likely to constantly have angry people trying to kill you.

[Guancyto]

But having angry people constantly trying to kill you is the greatest measure of success!

War is always good for business!

Oh, and if you're in good with your Patricians, get their children educated as Scotsmen already! :smallwink:

[Yaktan]

War is always good for business!

The Mac Phail family advanced to their supreme position by stint of clever conquest. This should be a model for their future foundations.

[GnomeGninjas]

War is always good for business! Destroy all who stand in your way!

[Rockphed]

Despite my bloodthirsty streak a mile wide, I do not think that educating our sons as great warriors is the path to our family's success. Nay, our success has always hinged on taking advantage of good fortune and mitigating unfortunate events. Our father came to Venice on a whim and a prayer, and even though his first love died, he carried on and conquered. It was not greed that led him to Benevento, but the squabbling of the other patricians over the Adriatic. When the opportunity presented itself, we took the county, and then had to retake it when fortune turned sour. We fought off vikings and adventurers yes, but it was with gold found at the bottom of the harbor. If we forget where we come from, disaster will surely follow. We must let opportunity plus instinct equal profit!

[Wookieetank]

I'll throw in for Opportunity plus instinct equals profit.

[Flickerdart]

As a merchant republic, you are a very tempting target for the empires that surround you. War is good for business because unless you can win defensive wars against the Muslims, you won't have any business.

[Cristo Meyers]

Make it so that when your enemies finally take the field against you, that they do so with the knowledge that our people have insured that they have already lost.

Opportunity plus instinct equals profit

[Rockphed]

I must ask why no votes have been cast for "There is no substitute for success?" While I think that diplomacy and intrigue are often better than stewardship, stewardship is still very useful.

[Sharoth]

Thanks for posting this. I shall be following it.

[OrcusMcP]

I must ask why no votes have been cast for "There is no substitute for success?" While I think that diplomacy and intrigue are often better than stewardship, stewardship is still very useful.

Well, I've also tied the education/attribute decision to long term character and flavour, so it's not a straight up judgement on stewardship and learning.

The choice is akin to ice cream. There's the finest french vanilla made from top notch imported ingredients, a big mix of sherbert, pralines, cherries, yogurt,and walnuts, and a homemade rocky road. Flavour is everything. :smallwink:

[Demon 997]

War is good for business

No point in having lots of gold if you can't keep it.

[OrcusMcP]

Voting is currently split exactly down the middle between War is Good for Business and Opportunity plus Instinct equals profit.

To make this interesting, voting will be reset, you can only vote for these two options but I will give weighted votes to in-character reasoning. Arguing and Harrumphing (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN99jshaQbY) is encouraged.

(Alternatively, if you feel even crazier, find a different Rule of Acquisition that would be appropriate for the Mac Phails. :smallwink:)

[Terraoblivion]

Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. The McPhails have always prospered by spotting opportunities and seizing them, often making use of the efforts of others in securing lands. Running around starting wars and trying to grab land is what some idiot Karling would do and we've all seen how much success they have had. Much better to simply make sure others create opportunities for us and exploit them and how better to do that than by making them do it?

[Cristo Meyers]

(Alternatively, if you feel even crazier, find a different Rule of Acquisition that would be appropriate for the Mac Phails. :smallwink:)

I thought these sounded familiar...

Sticking with Opportunity plus instinct equals profit A knife in the dark is worth a dozen swords at dawn.

[Wookieetank]

Opportunity plus instinct equals profit. Part of the reason the McPhails left Scotland was to get away from the war mongering for the sake of war mongering. The McPhails has built up their company by bettering themselves and their holdings, not by making things worse for others. War will find the McPhails sooner or later, why waste money on wars when it can be invested to increase their income. Harrumph! :smallbiggrin:

[Guancyto]

Oh is that what they are.

Well in that case, let's go with...

There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.

The Mac Phails aren't used to knives in the dark, either, and although they've departed from the Scottish lands to get away from Vikings, they haven't forgotten where they came from. Let them learn the arts of Diplomacy and Stewardship, make friends and gather wealth and use these to crush whoever stands in their way!

Italy is weak and in constant civil war, Sicily divided and subject to constant raiding. Could they not benefit from Mac Phail administration?

[Rockphed]

Oh is that what they are.

Well in that case, let's go with...

There's nothing more dangerous than an honest businessman.

The Mac Phails aren't used to knives in the dark, either, and although they've departed from the Scottish lands to get away from Vikings, they haven't forgotten where they came from. Let them learn the arts of Diplomacy and Stewardship, make friends and gather wealth and use these to crush whoever stands in their way!

Italy is weak and in constant civil war, Sicily divided and subject to constant raiding. Could they not benefit from Mac Phail administration?

My aged grandmother could throw a caber farther than you, you lack-witted italian! If we do not study the ways of intrigue, we will soon be killed off and usurped by those who do. While I agree that training the young gentlemen in the art of Diplomacy is wise and just, we cannot avoid making someone dislike us. Instead, we should make sure our enemies dare not try a knife in the dark, lest we respond a thousand fold. No, we should remember that Opportunity plus instinct equals Profit! Harumph!

[OrcusMcP]

Interlude 1: Brice's Speech to the Shareholders.

My fellow Scots, on this evening where we ate and drank to my success, I asked you to show me the future. Now, as the night comes to a close, I toast to the wisdom of the board, for Opportunity Plus Instinct Equals Profit will lead us to wealth and glory! As the Chief Executive of the Mac Phail Trading Company, I, Brice Mac Phail, will see it done!

Company Patricians are to be men of the Tongue! Silken and forked, the Mac Phail tongue will be our greatest weapon, making friends through careful negotiations and flattery, while backing our enemies into corners through devious trickery. Where others would expand by the sword and cross, let us expand by the purse and dagger!

No source of revenue will be off limits to the Mac Phails. If the lord will not yield us land to profit from, then off with his head until one will! If the pope see fit to disapprove, then clearly he is false and should be replaced! If some would be king or emperor dare to charge us false rents then he shall find the fury of the known world descending upon him!

My tenure as Prince Mayor will be a light one, I intend to let the Republic be soft while the company becomes strong. Let the title of Doge be a ceremonial one for the vain Italians, to be comforted by honours, titles and prestige, for a true Scotsman needs only coin and wool.

There are some who would say that this goes against what my noble father laid down when he came to Venice. I too remember our history, and am saddened that his honour is not enough anymore, but times have changed! The so-called emperor of Rome is a terrifying madman who burns churches and calls upon Jesus to guide his sword! Vikings sail unmolested to all corners of the world! Not even the proud descendants of Charlemagne himself are able to reconcile! Honour is gone from the world, drowned in its own blood, and to cling to it would be our death.

Now comes the true test, for words are easy. Only time will tell what our fortunes will be, good sirs, but do not be troubled: We are rich! We are Scots! We will live!

We will not fail.

[OrcusMcP]

Sorry for the tease, no update yet, but just wanted to give a status report:

Due to the following happening in quick succession over the past couple months, I had to abandon writing for a bit:
-Getting engaged
-Having no money at all
-Almost lost my job
-Took on a small directing gig that became a LARGE directing gig

I will have an update for you all either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks again for your patience and I'm so sorry for the delay.

[Wookieetank]

Sorry for the tease, no update yet, but just wanted to give a status report:

Due to the following happening in quick succession over the past couple months, I had to abandon writing for a bit:
-Getting engaged
-Having no money at all
-Almost lost my job
-Took on a small directing gig that became a LARGE directing gig

I will have an update for you all either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks again for your patience and I'm so sorry for the delay.

Congrats on the Engagement. Just remember RL marriages work a bit differntly than in CK2... :smallwink:

[OrcusMcP]

Congrats on the Engagement. Just remember RL marriages work a bit differntly than in CK2... :smallwink:

Wait, you mean she and I Shouldn't be plotting to take over the world? Man, our relationship has been WAY off! :smallwink:

[Wookieetank]

Wait, you mean she and I Shouldn't be plotting to take over the world? Man, our relationship has been WAY off! :smallwink:

That bit is alright (been working on teaching my 7.5 m/o daughter the finer points of taking over the world myself). I meant more of the marrying and then mysteriously losing inlaws until you have more land of your own.

[Rockphed]

Wait, you mean she and I Shouldn't be plotting to take over the world? Man, our relationship has been WAY off! :smallwink:

No, real life relationships built on a mutual appreciation for world conquest generally go far.

On the other hand, the duty you can collect on marriage is not quite as impressive in real life as a high stewardship king over a vast nation can.

[IthilanorStPete]

Sorry for the tease, no update yet, but just wanted to give a status report:

Due to the following happening in quick succession over the past couple months, I had to abandon writing for a bit:
-Getting engaged
-Having no money at all
-Almost lost my job
-Took on a small directing gig that became a LARGE directing gig

I will have an update for you all either tonight or tomorrow morning! Thanks again for your patience and I'm so sorry for the delay.

Congrats on the engagement! Don't worry about this - all of those things take priority over stories of fictional Scottish merchants.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 6: New Days

Brice Mac Phail, Prince Mayor of Venice, took his first official day in office in November 905. The people knew that times were changing, that no one so young had ever risen to such ranks, that threats were on all sides and that profit was a fickle mistress, but they also knew that Brice would weather all the coming storms. History would come to know this period in Venice as a time of great wealth and opportunity, and it was also come to know Brice not only by his title, but by his honorific.

Prince Mayor Brice Mac Phail became known to history as Brice The Great.

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With the new school of thought among the company, Brice sought to keep a light hand on the reigns of the Republic and leave the other Patricians to their business. He set about trying to improve the bureaucracy of the city and relax the mercantile restrictions, but these were long term legal goals. He sought out new tutors for his children, and enamoured himself to his various inlaws, relatives and subjects.

Republic Note: Serene Republics are limited to either "Minimal" or "Low" crown authority, and getting to "Low" is almost impossible in the early game. When you are Doge/Prince Mayor, you control the capitol holding and collect token taxes from the other patricians, but your control over their land, levies or expansion is almost non-existent.

Only for outside threats and obligations would the Republic be called to action. And it was not yet December when such a call came.

Brice's son-in-law, the Duke of Flanders, was trying to take advantage of a succession war in Denmark to reclaim the Low Countries from the pagans, and requested both monetary and material aid.

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Brice sent a reply that a contingent of troops would make the long voyage to provide logistical support. When the head of the Contarini family raised an objection, Brice informed him that he would be leading the contingent and to come back with a report on the economic health of the region.

With that annoyance out of his hair for a few months, Brice returned to his work. He also made a note to hire a food taster.

It was May 906 when the report came back: Northern Europe is a wasteland of destruction and death as the Franks and Saxons clashed with the Norse. Even wealthy Frisia is too ravaged to provide any material worth trading

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Brice did not expect anything else to really be the case, but his daughter was now in that wasteland, and he hoped she would keep safe.

It turned out that dangers were much closer to home than he realized, in very familiar forms. In June, Brice received a notice with familiar handwriting.

Spartenos handwriting.

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:smallsigh:

Brice was more impressed at the gall than anything. While Gregarios Spartans had once again somehow managed to convince people to fight for him against the Mac Phails, it was just getting tiresome.

The troops did not even arrive in Benevento until August.

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Brice now saw an chance to put the new paradigm to the test. Many letters and couriers left the Palazzo Ducale in September. Many with instructions, some with coin, all with purpose.

The expeditionary force was recalled from Holland, as the Danes were regrouping and the war looked to fizzle before real gains could be made. Frisian peasant rebellions were also getting in the way.

Brice was not bringing the troops back to fight the Spartenos dogs, though, they were just starting to cost too much.

Mac Phails now fought their war with coin. With business. Brice's return on investment came in October.

http://imageshack.com/a/img59/9718/cy60.png
Much better. Where were we?

Ah yes: Peaceful Consolidation of Wealth.

That Brice Mac Phail stopped a war with only a bag of coin gave both neighbouring kings and fellow merchants pause. All eyes were now on the fledging family and the Republic it ran.

Brice capitalized on this fear by doing absolutely nothing. He saw no reason to antagonize the neighbouring states while he was in charge, far better to lay the groundwork so that the company can work on its own without dragging the Republic's name through the mud with it.

In May 908, Brice invested company profits into a new palace and company office in Benevento, as more infrastructure would be needed to expand the franchise in the years to come.

http://imageshack.com/a/img18/1658/lcym.png
The construction would take several years, so Brice simply continued on. No major threats arose, no worrying events, no great joys aside from more children.

Then news came Christmas Day, 909, that brought a collective sigh of relief from the entire Republic:

http://imageshack.com/a/img198/3624/7viv.png
Basileios Makedon had passed in his sleep. The Terror of Rome and the Doom of Venice was no more.

Long whispered outside of the Empire to be possessed and insane, he still commanded armies like none had ever seen. Like the Great Herakles of old myth his body made up for the strength his mind lacked. His madness also impacted his faith and the faith of the realm, as Iconoclasm took root in Anatolia, mostly out of fear of the Emperor.

The new Emperor Leon was a follower of the Eastern Orthodoxy, and seemingly similar in skill to his father, but the various douxs and despots of Rome were finally free of the sword of Damocles over their head. The civil war began in September of the next year, as Orthodoxy clashed with Iconoclasm.

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Before the war broke out, Brice had finally achieved one of his major goals while he headed the Republic: A massive legal upheaval. Restrictions on the monopolies Patrician families could hold were loosened, while tariffs were lowered across the whole board.

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Republic Note: Technology! Friggin' Finally! This is the big thing that hurts Merchant Republics early on, especially with the Old Gods start. Technology is just non-existent. Trade Practices allows Patrician to build more Trade Posts, while also increasing the value of trade zones. Now that it is finally improving, we can start trading in more than just 1 or 2 provinces. More trade posts mean more money, mo' money means mo' problems.

The Mac Phail company began to set up shop not only in the rest of the Benevento duchy, but also in their old rival's wealthy province of Amalfi. The rest of the Patrician began to expand as well, some into Dalmatia, others in the southern Greek and Sicilian islands.

2 years of uninterrupted profits came and went, and long dreamed of plans were starting to come to fruition for the Mac Phails.

Brice's first son, Murdoch, first student of the new Mac Phail school came of age. He caught the eye of a clever and beautiful noble Italian daughter, and with Brice's title there was little standing in the way of their betrothal.

http://imageshack.com/a/img51/8317/o1r4.pnghttp://imageshack.com/a/img21/8472/3l8d.png
In September 912 shock mixed with joy when the Karlings revoked the Republic of Genoa, leaving the wealth of the Western Mediterranean open once more.

http://imageshack.com/a/img543/556/5wf4.png
And on Christmas Day, there was once again a new Emperor on the throne of Byzanitum. The wars of succession and religion that ravaged Anatolia and Greece had come to a close, and the Iconoclasts had won. Their figurehead, though, left much to be desired.

http://imageshack.com/a/img36/1236/tix0.png

By 914, new challenges were arising, and new plans were to be drawn up. Several petitioners brought forward their cases to be heard, and all claimed it was time Brice became a Prince Mayor in action as will as in name.

Some of the Patrician Families demanded that Brice assist them with their own territorial acquisition in the Adriatic. While this would not benefit him directly, they do point out how much help Brice's father had gotten from successive Doges in securing Benevento. Such assistance deserved to be paid back.

Others in the Family Business wanted more direct investment and takeover in the established markets of southern Italy, especially Amalfi. The only problem was that powerful men were taking control in Salerno and Sicily that would not take kindly to Mercantile takeovers. It would be the Spartenos crises all over again.

Finally, the Minor Merchants wanted to take their shot at earning wealth and saw the opening of Aragon, Provence and Liguria as an opportunity not to be missed! Some ports and outposts claimed there could allow more wealth to flow into the Republic.

Where did Brice the Great go from here?

[Cristo Meyers]

Never let it be said that a Mac Phail reneged on his debts. We should pay back the Patrician Families for their assistance.

[Wookieetank]

Never let it be said that a Mac Phail reneged on his debts. We should pay back the Patrician Families for their assistance.

+1 to this followed by Minor Merchants time and circumstance allowing.

[Terraoblivion]

Let's not worry overly much about little details such as honor or the internal squabbles of the republic. Of trade increases and flows to the republic, everyone gets richer and gets a greater share. So support the proposal of the Minor Merchants to expand your reach.

[GnomeGninjas]

Family Business

[Sightsear]

Whatever else may be said of them, the Patrician Families of Venice are of Venice, and to strengthen Venice is to invest in our own security. Let it never be said that the Mac Phails were bad for anyone's business (we are far to sneaky to get caught.)

[Yaktan]

The patrician families. The leading families of Venice should stick together. Besides, more land for the republic is good.

[IthilanorStPete]

Support the patrician families. Keep building up the power of Venice, make friends among the patricians, then leverage those for future acquisitions and plots.

[OrcusMcP]

Patrician Families has a pretty clear lead, but I'll let voting continue over the weekend since I kind of want to get Sons of Abraham and make sure the save file converts well for this.

Don't forget to Harrumph! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN99jshaQbY)

[Cristo Meyers]

Patrician Families has a pretty clear lead, but I'll let voting continue over the weekend since I kind of want to get Sons of Abraham and make sure the save file converts well for this.

Don't forget to Harrumph! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN99jshaQbY)

Keeping us in suspense! Something must be done! HARRUMPH!

[Rockphed]

While I agree that the patrician families do deserve some help with their own expansion, I think that we should try to expand the ranks of the minor merchants. We definitely should not try to expand the MacPhail holdings in Sicily until Venice is a stronger and more stable realm.

[OrcusMcP]

Looks like the Patrician Families will be getting some land of their own, and since Sons of Abraham didn't break the save, I should be able to play this week and produce an update by the end of the weekend. I'll point out anything cool that pops up as a result of SoA.

[Rockphed]

Wait, the new Basileus has a learning of 0. He must be rather dense.

Also, what are the odds that Iconoclast becomes the new orthodox? I hope something interesting comes of it.

[Flickerdart]

Also, what are the odds that Iconoclast becomes the new orthodox? I hope something interesting comes of it.
Pretty high, given that Byzantium is basically the only Orthodox country in Old Gods (Ethiopia becomes Muslim at its earliest convenience, Bulgaria gets eaten by the ERE and marauding Magyars, the Russians take their sweet time getting converted, and Georgia and the Alans have no prospects given that they neighbour the nastiest Tengris in the land).

[OrcusMcP]

Pretty high, given that Byzantium is basically the only Orthodox country in Old Gods (Ethiopia becomes Muslim at its earliest convenience, Bulgaria gets eaten by the ERE and marauding Magyars, the Russians take their sweet time getting converted, and Georgia and the Alans have no prospects given that they neighbour the nastiest Tengris in the land).

Ethiopia is actually doing pretty well for itself so far, but it will remain to be seen how everyone else does.

[OrcusMcP]

Ugh, so sorry, the update would have been up sooner, but I actually DID end up losing my job, so between looking for new work and some part-time stuff, things have been hectic. Update will come tomorrow, promise. :smallsmile:

[Rockphed]

Losing jobs stinks. Good luck finding new one.

[Wookieetank]

Good luck with the job hunting! I highly recommend using something with tranquilizing and/or imobilizing properties to prevent the jobs from getting away. :smallwink:

[TheStranger]

If you can't find a job, I suggest plotting the death of somebody with a job you want. You may want to marry their daughter first to ensure that you get a good claim on it.

Or, you know, send out resumes. Good luck, however you decide to go about it.

[Wookieetank]

If you can't find a job, I suggest plotting the death of somebody with a job you want. You may want to marry their daughter first to ensure that you get a good claim on it.


Don't forget to marry off your unwed relatives for an increased number of claims as well.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 7: Payment Due

With Brice The Great relenting to the Patrician lobby, Venice finally put itself on war footing. Militias were armed, retinues hired and merchant fleets were refitted for troop transportation. The Patricians were eager for holdings outside Venezia itself, as the influence of the Mac Phail family showed that great wealth and security were the fruits of such labour.

The lobbying continued, as it was not feasible to launch invasions for all the cities were Venice had trade, especially since many of the Patrician's trading posts lay in Byzantine territory.

After another week of mustering and planning, Brice had a meeting with the very young Patrician of Candiano, Bernardo. His family and always been good friends to Brice and his father Magnus, and Brice wanted to make sure that they received as they were due. That Bernardo was a Patrician at 23 spoke to the family's current fortunes.

"We need this, my Doge. The Candiano family has weakened, and if we do not get further lands before the rest, I fear for our future," Bernardo pleaded, after several glasses of wine.

"Prince Mayor, if you please. And I know this. Your grandfather was very kind to my father, and you are deserving of first blood. I need only know where the ships need sail."

"Capua."

At that, Brice drained his glass and simply replied: "Shall I begin?"

http://imageshack.com/a/img819/3179/h8n3.png
December had been harsh in Capua, with several storms wreaking havoc on the city. Only a token force arrayed itself to meet the Venetian troops in battle.

http://imageshack.com/a/img30/9978/3vv9.png
As the troops settled in to siege the city, little else happened. It was only a matter of time before the war concluded, so Brice turned his attention back to more administrative matters.

However, in April of 915, a curious man sought an audience with Brice: A Jewish diplomat.

http://imageshack.com/a/img826/7307/xg22.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img209/8121/mgra.png
A very gentle but intelligent man, Kalonymos had served in several courts in Europe, serving diligently and faithfully until the prejudices eventually wore him down and he was forced to travel in search of new employers once again.

And now he came to Venice.

While Brice was a student of Christ and a strong Catholic, he bore no ill will towards this man, as might some of the Italian Patricians. While there had always been a few merchants selling spices or acting as money changers and lenders, they had not yet arrived in large numbers as they had elsewhere in Europe.

Brice thought of his own family situation, how his Celtic background and features continued to set him apart from the rest of the Republic. Perhaps some more diversity was needed in the bureaucracy, and the Republic was always in need of skilled men. Thus, Kalonymos became both the Chancellor of La Serinissima, and a friend to Brice.

Little else happened as the war continued to go well but slowly, but in February 916, all of European nobility was in an up-roar as Christendom suffered a split. King Augustin The Bold of East Francia had grown tired of the Pope meddling in German affairs. and elevated one his bishops to be a Pope in Munich.

http://imageshack.com/a/img199/2595/imif.png
There was no precedent for this, not even the Great Schism of the Eastern and Western churches offered guidance, there was simply a contestation of leadership in Catholicism. No one could tell where this would lead.

By June, Capua had completely capitulated, and the Candiano family now had a foothold near Rome itself.

http://imageshack.com/a/img607/4061/p5os.png
Brice new that tis was only a start, and to really expand Patrician holdings he would eventually have to come up against the might of Byzantium. But remembering that opportunity plus instinct equals profit, as the new school dictated, he put in motion plans to destabilize the Eastern Empire.

He sent spies with money to distribute all over Anatolia to the disaffected Orthodox populace and nobles, that the Iconoclasm of the Emperors could not be tolerated any more, that the Empire had finally come to a place of no return.

Sic Semper Tyrannis.

http://imageshack.com/a/img854/1155/zyiq.png
It would take time for all the pieces to come into place, and while the Participazio family was laying claim to the coast of Croatia, they were not yet ready.

Brice also felt that it would be best to become unsuspicious as his spies worked in Anatolia and Greece, so he decided to make a trek to Rome, to see how the city fared with the news of the anti-pope. So, in July, he set off.

http://imageshack.com/a/img191/9224/e637.png
Rather than take the easier route by sea, Brice elected to make a more devotional journey by foot.

http://imageshack.com/a/img560/3915/hfjb.png
When he arrived, Brice was surprised that the city seemed as it ever was. Eternal. The populace seemed unworried of the state of the Catholic church, but surely the priests were frantically sending condemnations to any and all that supported the German pope.

Brice felt a strong resurgence of his faith as he came to take mass in one of the larger basilicas, but he also noted that the church was best felt among the people of the city, rather than the priests and nobles. Christ forgave the beggars and thieves, walked in sandals and threw the moneychangers from the temple. How could a rich man ever be considered godly or holy?

http://imageshack.com/a/img843/452/72pn.png
It was with a heavy heart that Brice ventured to Capua to take one of the Candiano's new vessels back to Venice in September of 916.

http://imageshack.com/a/img35/4451/sm33.png
Brice fell into a deep despondence, wrestling with matters of faith for days on end. He emerged only to deal with any pressing issues of state.

It was a year later, in October of 917, that he came to a sense of peace with his religion. He never spoke of God again to anyone, and his age was beginning to show.

The timing of his return was fortunate, as treason came to light involving the expected successor of the Republic: Niccolo Tribuno.

http://imageshack.com/a/img59/8003/4kre.png
As Niccolo saw it, since the Scot came to power at such a young age, his reign has been overly long as far as the Republic was concerned. They (meaning He) had had enough of having to suffer the strange customs and laws of this upstart family.

Needless to say, Brice the Great disagreed quite vehemently.

http://imageshack.com/a/img34/1397/66sc.png
Once done, Brice received word that the Participazio, also strong historically friends of the Mac Phails, had finally secured the necessary legalities and trade posts to make a play for the city of Brinje in Croatia.

http://imageshack.com/a/img29/8301/jy9q.png
While Venice's wealth ensured that they would be able to defeat the strong Croation force with the number of mercenaries at hand, the mountainous terrain was harsh, and many old Roman forts held the passes.

http://imageshack.com/a/img10/1550/p9ky.png
December came and went, and as 918 came about Venice had routed the main Croatian force. Once again, it was now a matter of time for the sieges to complete.

It was March when a wrinkle in the plan forced Brice to abandon the sieges to deal with another threat. The Croatians had snuck a force into southern Italy and were now assaulting the Mac Phail holdings in Benevento.

http://imageshack.com/a/img543/6013/axkv.png
It would be another year, in April of 919 when the war would finally be over.

Happier news came again in May, when Brice's second daughter Muriel came of age. A shy, lazy girl, she none-the-less had an honest charm and a proud bearing.

http://imageshack.com/a/img534/7364/7eu0.png
It was therefor time to find her a husband, and while there were the usual suitors from the small noble houses in Venice, one in particular stood out: Kalonymos.

The Jew had become good friends with Brice and his family during the long campaigns, helping to smooth over conflict in his role as Chancellor. He had seen the young Muriel grow up, and had also become a strong confidant to her brother Magnus and Murdoch.

While it was highly unusual, Brice allowed them to marry. He came again to a happier place, looking fondly to the future when the Mac Phails, ever the outsiders in the Republic, would have cousins to protect that perpetually found themselves outsiders everywhere.

http://imageshack.com/a/img834/9245/r3lz.png
May proved to be a busy month that year. While Venice was tiring again of war, the Patrician course had to stay. The Byzantine Conspiracy had not yet succeeded, but eventually the Emperor would fall and hopefully the ensuing war for the throne would be enough to allow further expansion.

At the end of the month, news arrived that put paid to that hope. The Emperor had become aware of the plot. The old Roman adage that "In Vino: Veritas" came true once again.

http://imageshack.com/a/img849/1724/sc0e.png
While Brice did not panic, he knew that this would not end well. It would be unlikely that the Emperor would take this insult and let it pass. Clouds of doom loomed on the horizon.

Brice also knew that other matters had to be attended to. While he was still not elderly, he had passed the age when his own father died and he was looking his age more and more.

The time had come to choose the successor.

Republic Note: Patrician Succession! While the standard mode of succession for Patricians is Agnatic-Seniority (Oldest male member inherits), there is an honorary title you can bestow on sons/brothers/etc called "Designated Heir" that overrides it.

Brice had two strong sons of age, and they would both be fine choices.

The eldest, Murdoch, was the epitome of the new school of business employed but the Mac Phail family. A hard working, outgoing man, he also had a fondness for food and drink that meant his physical state left much to be desired. He could command rooms of nobles and merchants just as easily as he could order their deaths in poorly lit alleys.

http://imageshack.com/a/img17/1970/yx12.png
His brother, Magnus, took more to diplomacy than secrecy, but take he did. Kind, honest, brave, the man seemed to have an aura around him. A man with no enemies, he unfortunately also had no real ambition. He would do his work, hold parties and spend time with his family.

http://imageshack.com/a/img845/3943/m1wv.png

Who became the next Mac Phail Patrician?

[OrcusMcP]

Also: You guys are awesome. If only getting a job was as easy as murdering. :smallwink:

[Cristo Meyers]

I vote Murdoch. With the right cabinet members you can make up for his stats.


Don't forget to marry off your unwed relatives for an increased number of claims as well.

Could also establish an Anti-Boss and have them give you your job back.

[Wookieetank]

Also: You guys are awesome. If only getting a job was as easy as murdering. :smallwink:

Its what I do :smallbiggrin:


As for the heir, I'll vote Magnus just to be contrary.

[Flickerdart]

Magnus is the superior choice - he can take the Improve Intrigue ambition to make up for his shortcomings. He also doesn't have a crippling Stewardship, unlike Murdoch, so you'll actually be able to have a demesne.

[Guancyto]

What is that claim that Murdoch has? Is it one of yours?

I'm inclined to say Magnus, if and only if he has an Ambitious wife to push him around a bit.

[Terraoblivion]

Flickerdart's comments about stewardship convinced me that Magnus is probably the better choice. I don't know the game well enough to really be able to make an informed choice anyway.

[mythmonster2]

Magnus seems the better choice to me, as well. It was a good thing I found this LP, it's been great so far.

[OrcusMcP]

To clarify some concerns/questions:

Stewardship isn't as important for demesne in a Republic, since Republican law limits it quite a bit. You make less money with lower stewardship, though.

Also, trade posts don't count towards your demesne.

The claim Murdoch has is for the county of Benevento, which is the main Mac Phail county in Italy.

Murdoch's wife is Delinda de Saluzzo, an Italian prodigy of incredible talent, she is ambitious and well trained to handle the stewardship of the company at Murdoch's side.

Magnus's wife is Amelie Welf, nearly as talented a diplomat as he is, with very similar qualities to his personality. She is kind, patient, diligent, and brave. The epitome of a proper high nobility lady.

[Terraoblivion]

Okay, if Murdoch's wife can handle that for him, I'm switching to him. Seems like the more interesting character to watch.

[Rockphed]

Magnus is the superior choice - he can take the Improve Intrigue ambition to make up for his shortcomings. He also doesn't have a crippling Stewardship, unlike Murdoch, so you'll actually be able to have a demesne.

Couldn't we just eat the penalties while using the Improve Stewardship ambition?

[Flickerdart]

Couldn't we just eat the penalties while using the Improve Stewardship ambition?
You can only Improve up to 8, so we can either spend ages building up Stewardship on Murdoch and have him be a lousy diplomat in the meantime, or rock out as Magnus solving every problem by talking and work on Intrigue on the side (which out Spymaster can compensate for).

Wives have a very limited effect on anything - they give a small bonus to Stewardship if their own is high for demesne purposes, and I think that's it.

I guess it ultimately comes down to how much murder you want to get up to.

[Rockphed]

You can only Improve up to 8, so we can either spend ages building up Stewardship on Murdoch and have him be a lousy diplomat in the meantime, or rock out as Magnus solving every problem by talking and work on Intrigue on the side (which out Spymaster can compensate for).

Wives have a very limited effect on anything - they give a small bonus to Stewardship if their own is high for demesne purposes, and I think that's it.

I guess it ultimately comes down to how much murder you want to get up to.

In that case, I vote Magnus for patrician. Our brother can be our spymaster and breed some nephews for us. I would really prefer to have more than 1 spare male around.

[IthilanorStPete]

I'll vote for Magnus to continue our plan of slow, subtle expansion.


Wives have a very limited effect on anything - they give a small bonus to Stewardship if their own is high for demesne purposes, and I think that's it.

Adding half of their attributes to your state attributes is pretty nice, especially if you can find some awesome wives with level 4 education traits and what not.

[Flickerdart]

In that case, I vote Magnus for patrician. Our brother can be our spymaster and breed some nephews for us. I would really prefer to have more than 1 spare male around.
It's a shame we're not pagans, because having a Patrician with a ton of concubines gives you an absurd amount of children.

[Guancyto]

Hrm. I know Content doesn't really do anything in-game, but Orcus is roleplaying a bit more and I don't want our Patrician to spend his days sitting on the couch eating chips.

So I'ma go with Murdoch so he can instead disgrace the family name, because it's more fun that way.

[Rockphed]

Hrm. I know Content doesn't really do anything in-game, but Orcus is roleplaying a bit more and I don't want our Patrician to spend his days sitting on the couch eating chips.

So I'ma go with Murdoch so he can instead disgrace the family name, because it's more fun that way.

Doesn't content reduce the available ambitions?

[Yaktan]

I vote Murdock. Each son has his own advantages, so we should stick with the default succession.

[OrcusMcP]

Murdoch: 4
Magnus: 5

I'll call it here with Magnus being the chosen successor, but Murdoch will be expecting proper representation and compensation. :small wink:

Should be able to play and post an update by Tuesday.

[Guancyto]

Doesn't content reduce the available ambitions?

Surprisingly, no.

Can't plot revocations when you're Content but he isn't liable to do that anyway at the moment.

[tonberrian]

Surprisingly, no.

Can't plot revocations when you're Content but he isn't liable to do that anyway at the moment.

It does prevent you from getting Exalted Among Men.

[OrcusMcP]

Small delay, Steam is not letting me take screenshots.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 8: Putting Affairs in Order

Murdoch was angry. Very angry. That his younger brother Magnus should be made successor of the Mac Phail trading company over himself was a dire insult. Brice knew this would not sit well with his son, but he made an effort to make peace between the two so that they would work together when he was gone. Promises were made that Murdoch would be entitled to land in lieu of authority once Brice passed away, and both brothers shook and drank on the agreement.

http://imageshack.com/a/img7/4701/n09r.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img6/6046/fes4.png
As the yearly business died down and the other Patrician began to re-settle and rebuild their new cities, dangerous tidings came to Venice in May of 920: the Karling throne was divided between sons once more. Two boys now ruled in Italy and Germany, and only war could follow in such a wake.

http://imageshack.com/a/img706/9071/x0sq.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img36/5612/zm25.png
A war of succession Italy began not long after, starting in the county of Orvieto, where Artemio Orseleo had long standing trading rights in the city of Amelia. In June, Artemio came to Brice and claimed his Patrician rights as the others had done. Brice declared war in June.

http://imageshack.com/a/img855/2172/e0vw.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img547/9752/81yh.png
The war was expected to require little effort or men, time for occupation would be all that was needed. The various Counts and Dukes were all at each others throats for the throne and paid little mind to the petty wars of merchants.

News from the East came in July of 920. The steppe Khan of Turkestan, Berkiyaruk Yagbuid, with consultation from the Arpad Khan of Hungary and Crimea and support from the Cuman tribes wrote a new Holy Book: The first Holy Scripture of Tengrism.

http://imageshack.com/a/img89/3239/d9b6.png
As Byzantium pushed into Georgia and Alania, and the Sultans of Khiva and Persia consolidated, this newly reformed faith of the Steppes gave bureaucracy and legitimacy to the Tengri. Brice believed that they were an unlikely threat to the Republic, but still worthy of attention.

What was more concerning to Brice and the rest of the Republic, was the news that came in the new year.

http://imageshack.com/a/img14/2493/dvgq.png
Iconoclasm succeeded in usurping the mantle of Orthodoxy of the eastern Christians. Now that the heresy was in charge, it would become much more difficult to sow the discontent Brice needed. Some drastic measures would have to be taken, with no guarantee of success.

As the sieges in Orvieto continued, another of Brice's sons came of age. His own namesake, and an embarrassment.

http://imageshack.com/a/img585/8770/z83r.png
Brice the younger was a dullard in a family of sharp minds. While he loved all his sons deeply, Brice the Great knew that the meritocracy would tear his youngest son apart. He therefore made arrangements to have him put in charge of the bishopric, where his name would give influence without requiring much thought.

http://imageshack.com/a/img543/9271/rx3r.png
By September of 921, the war in Orvieto had concluded. Now all the Patrician families, save the treasonous Tribunos, had cities of their own to govern. The Patrician Pledge was fulfilled.

http://imageshack.com/a/img31/535/muyc.png
The looming purple threat was still there, however, and Brice knew that his plans to destabilize Byzantium would have to be sped up. The Emperor knew of Brice's involvement and expected subtle attacks, so Brice send his best spy, Serafino, to lay the groundwork for a more blatant attack.

http://imageshack.com/a/img834/3100/1g8c.png
Two quiet years would pass while everything was put in place, until September 923. Brice was amazed that he was allowed this much time, but the Emperor was nothing if not a patient man. Far better to react when Brice failed than to strike the first blow.

http://imageshack.com/a/img689/8930/i97f.png
There was a very important fact that the Emperor overlooked, however. He was used to dealing with Greeks and Italians, peoples with long histories of backstabbing and intrigue, only striking when success was assured.

Brice was a Scot, and the Scots have always been a people who played long odds. Even with survival.

http://imageshack.com/a/img19/1375/8y06.png
Brice held a private celebration at his villa when the news came back. A threat gone, and nothing leading back to him. Perfect.

The good mood dwindled by December, when no disorder came about from the new administration in the Empire.

http://imageshack.com/a/img706/1156/tp4d.png
Perhaps the lands he owned were just too powerful? The other Byzantine factions were too focused on their internal squabbles to unite against him? Brice was confused, but when his inquiries revealed that many still offered more clandestine service against the new Emperor, he decided "Why not?"

http://imageshack.com/a/img9/3971/diti.png
Again, Brice's Republican cunning and Scottish determination bore quick fruit.

http://imageshack.com/a/img534/8898/luzo.png
Once again, however, the new ruler of Byzantium revealed that the Wars of Imperial Succession may be over. The new Empress was well liked and had many friends in court and abroad. None spoke against her or even dreamed of opposing her.

http://imageshack.com/a/img10/2048/nyqd.png
Patience was needed until the empress passed on her own accord. She was married to one of the Georgian princes, and would be the last Makedon on the throne. Only time would tell whether the Byzantine lords would accept a Caucasian Emperor, but for now there was nothing to do. All plans to expand into Imperial Territory were halted.

More time passed, and Brice focused on improvements in both the family holdings and the city of Venice in itself. It was December 925 when ground was broken on the largest infrastructure project the Republic had seen. It would take 3 years to finish, and was only the first step to becoming a true power on the Mediterranean, but what a step.

The Italians called it l'Arsenale, but its official name was the Scotch Arsenal.

http://imageshack.com/a/img856/3905/4pig.png
Republic Note: Arsenals! They are expensive, take a long time to build, can only be built in the Republic's capitol city, and until recently were bugged to delete on succession, Arsenals are still pretty cool. They expand a lot on what cities sorely need to compete militarily with castles. Fort level, levies, garrisons, plus some bonus galleys. Build Arsenals, especially now that they aren't bugged.

As 926 rolled in, Brice was greeted with unpleasant new years news: The Byzantine Empress was consolidating strength and increasing the crown's authority. She could now call on even more levies from the various factions, making Anatolia and Greece even more unassailable.

http://imageshack.com/a/img35/5972/m33r.png
Brice knew that any attempt to press into Byzantine territory was now doomed, so it was time to start looking for new family land elsewhere. His various councillors all had separate ideas.

http://imageshack.com/a/img29/4985/plmr.png
Kalonymos suggested that Sardinia should be the next target. Alone, outside of either Karling or Byzantine influence, and allowing further expansion into the Western Mediterranean. The only downside is that it would take some time before anything could be claimed.

http://imageshack.com/a/img824/5670/zb2c.png
Murdoch instead proposed that expansion into Northern Italy would bear the most fruit. The lands were still in chaos over the succession of the crown, and while the current conflict was winding down, stability would not last long.

http://imageshack.com/a/img89/5779/b4f2.png
Magnus, however, insisted that the family continue its current policies of slow expansion into Sicily. Trade posts were already in place in Salerno, allowing for expansion at any time. This would, however, give Byzantium a direct border with Mac Phail holdings.

Where did the Mac Phail trading company go from there?

[Wookieetank]

Sardinia seems like our best bet right now, particularly with 2 failed attempts at trying to destabilize Byzantium, it seems they aren't going anywhere any time soon.

[IthilanorStPete]

I agree, expansion to Sardinia seems like the best plan. I'm surprised nothing came of assassinating the Emperors, especially since enough people hated Konstantinos enough to help kill him...you'd think there'd be some level of rebellion.

[Guancyto]

Since you aren't in a position to conquer Italy wholesale and fighting the Byzantines sounds troublesome at this juncture, Sardinia seems like the best choice.

editga: Usually when you get such overwhelming support for killing a ruler it's a sign you should leave him in place. The new Basilea is kind, which is the absolute best trait an AI Greek ruler can have (since it means they won't get into the death spiral of blinding and castrating everyone who objects to them blinding and castrating everyone).

[Flickerdart]

Don't mess with Northern Italy - the Karlings always bounce back and always go for what's theirs (unless you unite Europe and systematically stamp them all out - in my Bulgaria game, the last Karling is a patrician in the ass end of nowhere). Sicily will pit you against Muslims, but they're usually too busy having decadence wars to put up much of a fight. Sardinia is kind of useless and takes forever to get anywhere in. So Sicily would be my choice.

[VonFenris]

Go for Sicily, they're used to Normans, so they can endure a little Scottish rule. Sardinia is just too small to bother, and northern Italy is a wasp nest you don't want to stick your hand in.

[Cristo Meyers]

Oohhh...tough choice, tough choice...I'm with the group that says go for Sicily.

[OrcusMcP]

Vote is split between Sardinia and Sicily, any upsets?

[Manticoran]

I'd vote Sicily! *Returns to lurking*

[Rockphed]

I wish to retire in Sicily!

[mythmonster2]

I'll join in on the side of Sardinia.

[GnomeGninjas]

Sicily!.......

[Terraoblivion]

Who has ever heard of anything interesting happening on Sardinia? Go for Sicily.

[RossN]

Going against the grain and arguing for Sardinia. Sicily might attract more attention because it is such a prize.

[OrcusMcP]

Going against the grain and arguing for Sardinia. Sicily might attract more attention because it is such a prize.

But the PRIIIIZE!!
http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/y1iiRLFROwM/hqdefault.jpg

[Cristo Meyers]

But the PRIIIIZE!!
http://i2.ytimg.com/vi/y1iiRLFROwM/hqdefault.jpg

I hate you and I'm never going to forgive you for making me remember that.

HARRUMPH!

[OrcusMcP]

I hate you and I'm never going to forgive you for making me remember that.

You're very welcome. :smallsmile:

The vote is:
Sardinia: 5
Sicily: 7

Sicily takes it. I will play this week, but won't be able to post until Friday. Tune in then!

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 9: Offers, Temptations, Refusals

Magnus convinced his father that pressing the trade influence already held in Salerno would be the safest course of action, as well as the most easily legitimized. His reasoning was solid, as both Salerno and Amalfi were wealthy and more advanced and developed compared to Benevento.

Plus, the Duke of Salerno was old and would not be able to put up much of a fight.

http://imageshack.com/a/img194/8097/bjw4.png
War was declared in November of 926, and all the retinues, levies and mercenaries of the Republic were mustered to Benevento.

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In February of 927, the decisive battle was joined, as the Duke caught the Venetian army in a treacherous mountain pass. The fighting was fierce, and many troops were lost in the mountains, but the Venetians were more numerous and better led, and broke the Duke's line.

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Brice then left the mercenary captains to chase down the remainder of the Salerno forces and siege the holdings. There was always urgent business in the capitol that required his attention.

The war continued to go well, but in December, news came from up north. Venetian steel was needed in Northern Europe once more.

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The Mac Ailpin family had somehow gotten the crown of Burgundy, and held lands in both the continent and Scotland proper, and in truth were the only landed Scots with any authority and power outside of Venice. Brice had married his youngest daughter to the King's brother, cementing an alliance.

The British Isles were in chaos, as the powerful Viking King of Scotland was being assaulted by a massive uprising of Catholic nobles and peasants, while the Anglo-Saxon King of England still fought with the Vikings of Jorvik. The Mac Ailpins sought to fight back to reclaim parts of the Scottish Lowlands during this chaos, but the Dutch Viking King of Frisia was wealthy and powerful and was attempting to push inland at the same time.

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Much like the last time Venice was called to the Lowlands for war, conflicts in Italy prevented troops from being committed. Brice did not want to leave the fellow Scot out to the wind, however, and expedited many vessels full of supplies and coin to help fund the war effort. Hopefully, the logistical assistance would be enough to help turn the tide.

It was August of 928 when the Duke of Salerno finally surrendered, ceding the city of Nocera to the Mac Phail family. During that time, the Mac Ailpins were making progress in the Lowlands, but slowly, while losing more and more ground to Frisia. Brice sent further material and supplies, but could not spare any more troops.

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Things progressed like this for many months, with the only news for Brice coming in April of 929 when he was notified that his son Magnus now had a son: Andrew.

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This lightened Brice's spirits tremendously, and he seemed to many in the Republic like a new man once more. He began to exercise with his retinues, studying to lead men alongside his marshall and seemed prime to lead men from the front. A tall order for an aging man of 64.

Some worrying news came in October of the same year, as two orders of Unholy Warriors organized themselves, breathing new life into the threats posed by the Pagans to Christendom.

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As January of 930 came about, some more sad news tempered the mood of the Prince Mayor, for Kalonymos Binyamin had died of a fever. Brice and the whole Mac Phail family attended the funeral, and it would be sometime before Jews and Christians grieved together over the same man.

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It was the summer of 931 when the wars in Northern Europe finally came to an end. The Frisians had successfully pressed their territorial claim to Liege, while the Catholic Uprising in Scotland had succeeded before the Mac Ailpins could declare victory. Now the Anglo-Saxon king of Godwin held the Crown of Scotland, though significant Norse power remained on the Isles.

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During this time, Magnus, who had taken over Kalonymos's duties as Chancellor, discovered some interesting documents. Some old Roman texts hidden in the Papal archives had been discovered by Kalonymos, and Magnus had finally deciphered them.

They spelled out how Sardinia and Corsica used to be important trading centres for powerful Patrician families in Rome, families which re-settled to the Northern Adriatic as the Western Empire started declining.

Thus, Sardinia fell under the Venetian Sphere of Influence.

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The undertaking was hugely expensive, between the various notaries and translators and bribes involved, but Brice now had a claim on the islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The truce had yet to run out with the Duke of Salerno, so Brice thought that maybe Kalonymos' plans to expand into Sardinia were not so wild after all.

To finance the war, however, money was needed. Money that Brice pressed out of the church.

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This turned out to be not the greatest idea, as while the large sum of money helped finance war efforts, the bishops Brice taxed arranged for him to excommunicated.

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As befit his new lust for life, however, Brice took the news in stride and wrote a very cordial letter to Pope Lando, asking him to reign in his more zealous bishops and reinstate Brice into the church.

Brice had so many friends in high places that he felt invincible.

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It was May of 932 when the war for Sardinia began, after some heated negotiations with Duke Tedaldo of Sardinia. Brice first tried to press upon the Duke the wealth and affluence that would flow from being in the Venetian sphere, but Tedaldo had spent too long under his own power. He had thrown off incursions from the Karlings, the Genoans and the Muslims. He would do the same with the Venetians.

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It did not help that Duke Tedaldo took much council from his son and heir, Arrigo. The man was rumoured to be the most brilliant statesman in the Mediterranean, and a man of impeccable character and generosity. His tongue was said to sway Vikings away with mere whispers. His only fault, was personal cowardice in battle.

Brice knew this man needed to be removed before Sardinia would fall.

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In June, as the Venetian forces were already en-route to the islands, Brice received word that the young Duke Sulvan of Croatia had answered Duke Tedaldo's call, and was already sieging the cities and trade posts Venice had in the Dalmatian coast.

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Brice made a rash decision to lead the troops himself, but seemed to handle command well. He focused on capturing the capitol of Cagliari, then would turn back to fight off the Croatians.

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The plan was working very well up until the start of 933, when word came that Norse raiders were once again ravaging Italy, settling first on Benevento.

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Cagliari had fallen by March, so Brice ordered that the forces pull back to deal with the threats close to home, starting with the Norse.

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Brice used the Republican Navy to block the Norse from retreat to their longboats, and then the Venetian forces caught many raiders by surprise until they were all killed to a man. Brice received many a cheer from the men for his daring strategy, especially when it became clear that the Prince Mayor, a man of 68, had slew 3 Norse berserkers himself with a pike.

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By May, Brice's forces were finished re-capturing the cities of Croatia.

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It was time to sail back to Sardinia, to finish the war there. Both Dukes Tedaldo and Sulvan had brought the majority of their forces, paltry though they may be, to the island to break the Venetian hold.

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It was July 5th when the melee started to slow, the Croatians holding bravely, but were slowly being dwindled. Brice strode out to help shatter the defenders, grabbing a nearby mercenary's pike to fight.

He soon found himself in personal combat with a man in bloody but otherwise impeccable armour with a large sword. They fought for two hours, the armoured man never giving ground. Brice showed remarkable stamina and skill for a man trained more for finance than war, but soon it was clear that he was beaten. The rest of the armies began to close in to try to see the outcome, and the Venetians rushed to save Brice.

However, they were all too late. The Croatian found an opening and thrust home, piercing Brice deep into the ribs.

As he lay bleeding out, the Croat lifted his visor to reveal the face of Duke Sulvan. He looked Brice in the eye and spoke before turning to his men to re join the melee.

"I'm sorry old man, war is for the young."

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With Brice the Great dead, and the Republic out of Mac Phail control, the war no longer had any cause. The Sardinians remained independent, and Duke Sulvan became a man of renown for slaying the Great Scot.

Magnus held a solemn funeral for his father along the Grand Canal of Venice, with the whole republic coming to offer condolences. Never before had a man brought so much wealth, land and prestige to the Republic. His like may never be seen again.

The other Patrician families were both saddened and relieved, as with the Scot out of the way, they were free to pursue their own prerogatives again, but it was Brice who gave them their footholds in Italy and Dalmatia in the first place.

Magnus was offered a role in the Republican Council, not in his father's old post of Steward, but as Chancellor.

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Magnus agreed, but he had one last piece of business to attend to first: Salerno. Magnus never approved of the ambitious plans for Sardinia, he only completed Kalonymos' research because it was the right thing to do. Never did he think his father would follow such a silly and obviously suicidal course.

No, now he needed to prove that was capable of mastering coin and destiny the proper way. Trade already flowed through Northern Sicily and Mac Phail merchants, it was time to solidify that control.

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The war lasted for little over a year, with control of the county becoming final in November of 934. Magnus saw the vast wealth and infrastructure in place in the city of Nocera, far superior to the old home of Benevento, and so he made the decision to make Nocera the new Home City for the Mac Phail Trading company. The docks officially opened on January 1st, 935.

More challenges and opportunities awaited, and while Magnus lacked the cunning instinct of either his Father or his Brother, he had allies everywhere and would see that none would threaten the Mac Phail interests on his watch.

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[OrcusMcP]

State of the world - 935

The Mac Phail Trading Company
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We are in very good financial shape, with a very healthy income. Our tech advancement in Salerno is also quite good, only falling behind Venice itself in a few categories.

Italy
http://imageshack.com/a/img17/1525/npq2.png
United again under the Karlings, it is likely only a matter of time before war erupts again, if only because that's what always happens.

Carpathia & The Steppes
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Hungary continues to spread, while the other Tengri Khanates are splintering.

Byzanitum
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Stable, scary, and unyielding. Their borders haven't really changed in Asia or Europe, but they are pushing into Crimea.

Middle East & Persia
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You call that an empire? THIS is an empire! The Abbasids are beastly, controlling everything from Egypt to Persia, Yemen to Georgia.

North Africa
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Lots of activity in North Africa, as the Sunni and Shia fight for territory in Marrakesh, while the Aghlabids try to maintain their control of Tunis and the surrounding area. Of particular note is the Norse Petty Kingdom of Tangier.

Iberia
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The Muslims continue to fracture, but still hold Andalusia and Aragon against the Christians. Galicia is advancing south, while Asturias and Castille spend more time fighting each other than the Muslims.

France
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While often marred by civil war as it always does, France is large and powerful. Once their crown authority gets higher, they will be almost unstoppable. Brittany is still an independent kingdom, which makes me happy.

British Isles
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Ugly borders aside, some interesting things are going on. The Catholic Kings are finally powerful enough to push back, but the Norse are still clinging to their traditional power centres of York and the Isles.

Germany & The Lowlands
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Karlings continue to hold onto Germany and Bavaria, but the Norse Kingdom of Frisia is spreading like a cancer. They have money, they have troops and they have Norse aggression.

Scandinavia
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Scandinavia is a land of conflict. Sweden and Norway have not been able to spread their influence far, Finland is still divided, and Denmark is experiencing pushback from its conquests in the Baltic.

Baltics and Russia
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Poland, Ruthenia and Rus are all major Slavic Kingdoms. The Russians are fighting with each other and the Eastern Tengri, while Poland is pushing back against Denmark.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 10: Quieter Years

The Year of our Lord 935 started off sombrely. Both Magnus and Murdoch were still recovering form the death of their father, and Magnus had the additional burden of running the family business at the same time.

Now that both men had become more insular and content, less eager to seek adventure, the Mac Phail Trading Company entered into a period of stability and peace. Magnus decided to focus on revitalizing the infrastructure of the company, dreaming of when the family palace grounds could be the envy of all of Europe and the known world. Attention was pulled away from trading in the capitol to focus on trading more in the company holdings itself.

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Republic Note: We are now starting to get the Family Palace upgrades that boost stats, I'll make note of any specific bonuses a future Patrician would receive.

Magnus also put his brother Murdoch to work on the infrastructure of the lands. While the city of Nocera was quite advanced, the other company holdings were not as developed.

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Magnus also decided to showcase the wealth of the Company by holding fairs, hunts and feasts that year. Better to entertain friends and allies and intimidate rivals through displays than threats, thought Magnus.

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The commoners were pleased with the bread and circuses, and the feasts were regarded as among the best the Republic had seen.

By April of 936, however, Magnus knew that something was wrong.

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It started with some falsified reports and simple smuggling, but soon began escalating into outright theft and piracy. The Italian Patricians were turning on the Mac Phails.

The consensus in the company was that only Brice was holding everything together. Now that the Great Scot was dead from his own brash adventure, the native Republican families could go back to the good old days when they didn't have to know any Gaelic in order to do business. They now had lands and property outside Venice of their own, a Mac Phail was no longer "Prince Mayor" as the upstart liked, and the two brothers seemed too timid to be any threat.

Since a show of wealth and generosity wasn't earning respect, Magnus decided that further showing of force was required. Plans were drawn up to finish the conquest of Amalfi, but before they could be implemented, the Doge declared his own war for the county of Capua.

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Further building and consolidation was done in the meantime, as Magnus expected the war to be over before long.

In July of 937, however, Murdoch came to Magnus and asked for his rightful lands as agreed upon. He was tired of being on the trade side of the business, and wanted to retire to look over some of the county holdings.

Magnus granted his brother the county of Foggia, and entrusted him to look over the defines of the Adriatic coast of the Company land. Murdoch would spend the rest of his career between the county castle and running clandestine errands, washing his hands of the company otherwise.

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By April of 938, the war for Amalfi was ready.

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The Duke of Salerno had far less wealth and manpower to draw upon, so Magnus knew the war would sort itself out in a matter of time.

He decided to spend more of his time holding lavish parties, feasts and generally carousing at the Republic's finer establishments.

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As expected, the war was over in just over a year, so that Magnus had control of the city of Amalfi by June of 939.

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A mere few months later, however, word came to him that the authority of the Doge had been enhanced.

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While this would not affect the Company business too much, it did increase the required troop commitment Magnus owed, as well as gave the Doge authority to revoke land with adequate cause.

Magnus knew this was another attempt to push the Mac Phails out of Republic business and politics, for as the largest landowner he would have the most to lose should the Doge decide to start seizing land.

After wrestling with the legalities for several months, Magnus decided a vacation was in order, and declared that he and his wife were going to make a pilgrimage to Santiago, following the way of St. James.

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It was December of 940 when Magnus returned to the Family Palace outside Nocera, but he received word that the count of Napoli, the last of the dreaded Spartenos family, had raised a substantial army to seize the duchy of Benevento from Venice.

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The Doge was not keen to defend Mac Phail lands themselves, but knew that less land meant less taxes and sent relief soldiers, though it would be at least a month before they could be brought to bear.

In the meantime, Magnus had collected his retinues and levies, along with a mercenary contract to hold the line in Benevento as the larger Napoli force bore down upon them.

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The battle was fierce, with the Greek army seeming to get the upper hand at first.

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However, the highly trained Scots Pikes held the line and turned the tide of battle, and the mercenary calvary dealt heavy damage to the Greeks as they retreated down the mountain.

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The reinforcements from Venice arrived a week later, and mopped up the rest of the Spartenos forces and laid siege to the city of Napoli itself. Surrender came not long after.

Things were quiet again for a long time. Magnus continued his policy of building up the infrastructure while schmoozing with the rich and powerful from around Italy and beyond.

A question came up in the interim, about whether the company was wise to continue its course. A question of soul. The Mac Phail Trading Company traded exclusively in Italy, but was founded by and all its higher offices were held by Scots. That Scottish-ness was now holding the company back. Could Brice the Great have been the last possible chance to really impact the soul of the Republic itself?

The other Patricians had wasted no time in relegating the Mac Phails to their Sicilian lands while enjoying their taxes, but the truth remained that Scottish discipline, cynicism and hardiness had won the current holdings as they stood.

Magnus met the question head on.

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"Though I have not yet set foot on my ancestors soil in the lowlands, I am shaped by their legacy. My Grandfather, my namesake, forged a path of extreme bravery. Would one of these Italian men uproot themselves and their families so thoroughly to seek riches elsewhere? I think not! Scotland is a land for hardy people. Rough, cold, wet. This is why our Company does well! The trade is rough, the steel is cold and the sea is wet!

Scottishness is what brought us wealth, let's not forsake more by becoming something lesser."

And with that the question was settled. One can only imagine that the company would have gone the other way had their overriding philosophy been different.

It was October of 942 when Magnus received word that the old Duke of Salerno had passed, and his son was embroiled in protracted wars with the Steppe Tengri of Hungary and the Slavs of Poland.

It was time to finish the conquest of Amalfi. The old city that rivalled both Venice and the Mac Phails would soon be in their hands.

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The war was a foregone conclusion, barely any men remained in the castle to defend it, and the siege was over within months.

By June of 943, the duke had surrendered and the Mac Phail Trading Company grew in land.

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Now it was time to look beyond Amalfi.

Magnus's sons were nearing their majority and could soon be entrusted to administer new trading stations, and further improvements to the Company Palace would add new offices to the bureaucracy. The Company already controlled most of the wealth in Southern Italy, it was time for new markets.

As a large city, Nocera was home to people of varying faiths, including Muslims. Extending offers of trade South-West to the Aghlabid Sultan of Africa could allow access to the wealth of Tunis.

Many rich Orthodox Christians also resided in Nocera and Amalfi, and had ties to the Sicilian Greeks in the South-East, though trading there meant risking Byzantine wrath.

Some in the company felt that since the other Republican Patricians turned their back on the Mac Phails, they deserved repayment for their lack of respect. An offensive takeover in the North-East could wake them up.

Lastly, there was still opportunity in the North-West as the wealth of Genoa, Aquitaine and Aragon were still untouched by organized traders.

Where did the Mac Phails go from there?

[Cristo Meyers]

I like payback, payback is always good. How about some payback? Don't you want to get some payback? We should get some payback.

To the North-East, for...umm...olives?

[mythmonster2]

To the Northeast. Let those pansy Italians remember the power of a true Scot.

[Yaktan]

The North-West offers great opportunity for us to exploit, and brings us closer to our scottish homeland.

[IthilanorStPete]

To the Southwest, I say! Extend the reach of MacPhail trade while giving Pisa/Genoa room to develop - I think that'll be more interesting later on.

[Wookieetank]

I vote southwest as well. The wealth that could be ours if these tales of strange creatures turns out to be true is just too tempting to pass on.

[Terraoblivion]

Yeah, Southwest sounds good. It also means that if it leads to war crusades can be caused, instead of risking excommunication. Seems useful to me.

[Hydranova]

Southwest. Begin a gradual conquest of Africa and Iberia, then reclaim your homelands!

[Wookieetank]

Southwest. Begin a gradual conquest of Africa and Iberia, then take over the world!

Mwa hahahahahahahaha :smallwink:

[WitchSlayer]

Southwest! The MacPhails loathe the pagan and loathe more the Heathen, crush those moslems beneath your heel and use their wealth as your own!

[Rockphed]

The North-West offers great opportunity for us to exploit, and brings us closer to our scottish homeland.

I agree. We should begin the journey home to bring peace to the lands Magnus left. Northwest

[OrcusMcP]

SW: 5
NW: 2
NE: 2

Looks like the Mac Phails will be on their way to Africa.

[Rockphed]

I shall prepare my "Laurence of Arabia" Robes.

[Hydranova]

Ah, excellent. How many years before they go native?

[Rockphed]

Ah, excellent. How many years before they go native?

Are you suggesting we convert to Islam, or that we should change to magreb culture?

[OrcusMcP]

Directing and job searching has delayed updates, and I'll be away for a week, so the next chapter will come late next week.

[Wookieetank]

Directing and job searching has delayed updates, and I'll be away for a week, so the next chapter will come late next week.

No worries, god luck with the hunting!

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 11: Development and Quiet

The Mac Phail Trading Company, having decided to move towards Africa for wealth, sent many diplomatic gifts and overtures to the Sultans and Emirs of the Tunisian coast. The old city of Carthage, having been burnt and salted by the Romans, was still a major centre for people and goods to gather, and the nearby city of Tunis was wealthier still.

Despite all this, despite the famous Mac Phail diplomacy, the goods and wealth on offer, the Sultan's desire for trade, the post could still not yet be built. Too much uncertainty and distrust still held between the Christians and Muslims, the Company bureaucracy was not yet ready, and succession wars were ravaging the coast. Magnus continued the efforts, and was ready to break ground as soon as everything calmed down.

His skill at managing the affair increased his renown, and with all the land the Company held and prestige from its conflicts, Magnus found himself as the expected successor to the Republic, much as his father was.

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The other Patricians still held Magnus little good will, but the Scottish merchants had become too entrenched and too successful to be ignored by the electorate of the Republic.

Further quiet years unfolded, and Magnus focused on developing the company infrastructure as well as the urban environments.

In April of 945, his first son Andrew came of age, and he was somewhat of a disappointment. Trained in intrigue, but showing absolutely no skill at it whatsoever, he was more at home in the courts than the shadows.

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In 946, a great tournament was held in Venice, with warriors from all over the Republic coming to show their mettle. All the patricians were expected to make a showing and to provide sponsorship to the best. Being more of a diplomat than a commander, Magnus was not the best at choosing the champions. He made some spectacularly poor bets and his reputation diminished considerably.

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In 947, Magnus's second son, Edgar, came of age. Similar in character to his grandfather, he was a natural spy as well as a decent commander.

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And with the Year of Our Lord, 948, Magnus's younger daughters started to come of age, including Nuala. While the younger girls were educated by their mother and preferred the customs and language of France over their Scottish roots, the girls were incredibly talented, Nuala especially.

It was with a strange sadness that Magnus realized that the best the girls could hope for was a stable and fruitful marriage, as under the laws of the Republic they could hold no lands or be Matron of a merchant house. That such talent could only be put towards support of men seemed a deep waste.

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Little else passed in the Republic or the Company until 950. Negotiations and preparations continued with the Africans, Magnus was still expected to be the next Doge/Prince Mayor, and internal development continued.

In 950, Magnus embarked on a plan to develop both his own personal learning as well as the state of knowledge throughout the Company.

He also had strange ideas about flying machines....

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Using his contacts with the Jewish community of Venice, he secured a loan at good interest and used the capital to begin construction of a university in the city of Nocera, that it might become a centre of learning in the middle of the Meditteranean.

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As the scholars began to gather in the city and take up residence in the developing institution, Magnus conferred with several of them in the matter of his flying machine...

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After finishing his prototype, Magnus knew that only a light, live body would allow for a proper test. As such, in what is surely among the sillier moments in the Republic's history, Magnus "borrowed" a dog belonging to the daughter of his favourite blacksmith.

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Sadly, Magnus did not foresee that the blacksmith himself was quite fond of the dog as well.

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While this certainly became the best Republican gossip ever, Magnus still managed to learn a lot about the nature of things.

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Sidenote: I love this event chain, just had to share it. :smallwink:

950 was also the year that something happened that had never happened before: A Celt became a cardinal in the Curia. A lowborn man named Matthew, the bishop of Acerno, rose to become an exceptionally talented man in the church. The court chaplain of the Mac Phail Trading Company, one of the foremost Theologians of Europe, and now a member of the Papal Curia.

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The year 951 was both a joyous and sad year. The trading post in Tunis was finally ready to begin construction after the years of developing the infrastructure and relationships.

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It was also the year the Magnus's daughter Nuala passed away from Pneumonia.

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Grieving, Magnus and the rest of the Mac Phail Company then focused on internal affairs again for the next few years. The Tunisian trade was developing nicely and Magnus was keen to gain more concessions from the Sultan.

Then, in August of 953, further tragedy struck. Magnus's beloved wife, the mother of his children, Amelie, passed away in her sleep.

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Magnus was deeply in love with Amelie, and took her death very poorly. He spent a month in grieving, leaving the running of the Company to his sons. With a daughter lost, and now a wife lost, even the comfort of coin seemed cold.

By October, his resolve had been re-steeled, but there was a deep sadness in his eyes for all to see. As a sign of respect, the Serene Doge of Venice offered to Magnus the hand of his daughter, Antonella, as a new wife.

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For her part, Antonella did try to improve the Scot's spirits, and was a devoted wife. She was still young, and that youthfulness helped bring energy to the Company. She became a friend to the various scholars at the new University of Nocera, and became a fan of poetry.

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In July of 954, the years of peace finally came to an end as the Doge declared war on the boy King of Italy to solidify Patrician hold on the county of Orvieto, calling on the new troop obligations owed by the Company.

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Magnus intended to avoid the war as much as possible in preference for the internal affairs as had been the case for some time, and the war was sure to be a long drawn out conflict.

He also preferred spending time with his new, young wife.

War responsibility fell into Magnus's lap, however, in May of 955 when the Doge suddenly passed, and Magnus became the new head of the Republic, carrying the mantle of Prince Mayor as his father had done.

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As the war continued late into the year 955 with no clear end yet in sight, Magnus received joyous news. Antonella was pregnant.

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But, as had been so often the case in the past 10 years, sorrow followed joy as the young, vibrant woman died of a strong fever a mere week after her announcement.

Then, as if fate was mocking him, his youngest daughter Marthe also passed, in childbirth.

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That the women in his life had suffered and died so early in their life, that such talent and beauty were so short for this world while the ugliness and devastation wrought by men endured, that the Republic could not allow a single allowance for the plight of its women infuriated Magnus.

As a third wife, Magnus took Affraic Ua Breanain, an Irish noblewoman who had fled the British Isles. Magnus needed a strong, seasoned and talented woman like her at his side.

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Before he could wrap up the war in Italy, now that he was Prince Mayor, it was again time to start preparing the succession in the company.

While the past years had been quiet and profitable, and the company was richer and more powerful than ever, trying times lay ahead. New challenges and markets awaited and it would take an exceptional man to lead the Mac Phail Trading company into these challenges.

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Magnus's first son Andrew was a bit of a milquetoast, likely to simply stay the course laid by his father and focus on internal development and trade with Africa.

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Edgar, meanwhile, was a very talented man already and desired to prove himself in the open markets of the Republic. Trade with Africa would continue, but who knew where else the Company would be steered.

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Magnus's brother, Murdoch, while not wanting control of the company anymore, was the default successor. Being elder than Magnus, Murdoch preferred that control would pass down to the even younger generation, to the sons of Edgar and Andrew once they came of age.

Where did the Mac Phail Trading Company go from there?

[OrcusMcP]

Apologies for the delays everybody, and thanks for your patience. :smallsmile:

With the news that Rajas of India and the accompanying patch will break old saves, I'm going to go through as much of the LP as I can before it launches and stick to the old patch when it does (though I may need help on running old beta patches through Steam).

[mythmonster2]

Edgar looks like he'll be a good, strong leader. Hopefully this can continue past RoI, as well, assuming no problems with keeping an older patch.

[Cristo Meyers]

I agree, let Edgar take the reins.

I hadn't known Rajas was going to break old saves, I guess that just means I'll be waiting even longer to start up again. Still waiting for Sons to go on sale anyway...

[Terraoblivion]

I agree that Edgar seems like both the most effective and the most interesting choice.

[Artanis]

I'll throw in a vote for Edgar as well.

[SaruSama]

I vote for Edgar. (Also thanks for this Lets Play it helped convinced me to play the game.)

[Guancyto]

I'm going to vote Murdoch so as not to consume the Designated Heir title, on the off chance that Magnus pops out a kid with a claim on Ireland and then lives another sixteen years.

...clearly a plan as cunning as it is certain.

[Hydranova]

I say Edgar too. But while you're at it, is there a way to put relatives of yours on the thrones of OTHER republics?

[Yaktan]

Edgar, he is skilled in intrigue and war, allowing him to continue the family tradition of expansion.

[OrcusMcP]

I say Edgar too. But while you're at it, is there a way to put relatives of yours on the thrones of OTHER republics?

I have seen it happen, but only with newly formed republics and when a family dies out in another republic. It's completely random, though, and a male member of your family has to be present in the proper court for it to trigger.

As to whether we want that to happen? No, not really. It makes succession very complicated, and it actually makes it harder to expand your trade, as you want as many male members of your family in your court in order to build juicy trade posts.

[Guancyto]

Yeah. Now, adding another republic's trade posts and lands to our own republic or putting our people on the thrones of kings, that's where they money is at.

[OrcusMcP]

I vote for Edgar. (Also thanks for this Lets Play it helped convinced me to play the game.)

Awesome, glad I could inspire. :smallsmile:

[Cristo Meyers]

I have seen it happen, but only with newly formed republics and when a family dies out in another republic. It's completely random, though, and a male member of your family has to be present in the proper court for it to trigger.

As to whether we want that to happen? No, not really. It makes succession very complicated, and it actually makes it harder to expand your trade, as you want as many male members of your family in your court in order to build juicy trade posts.

Assuming Edgar goes through, I'd keep the brother around as Chancellor (?, been a while). He's a decent enough diplomat and maybe it'll keep him...contained.

But then again, my first CK2 game was as a Spanish kingdom. Having to deal with rebellious siblings was kind of a given...:smallamused:

[Wookieetank]

I'll vote Andrew just to be obnoxious really. :smalltongue:

Need to get back to this game myself (have to overcome my current CIV5 addiction first though XD)

[Rockphed]

I'm going to vote Murdoch so as not to consume the Designated Heir title, on the off chance that Magnus pops out a kid with a claim on Ireland and then lives another sixteen years.

...clearly a plan as cunning as it is certain.

I agree. We should allow our estranged brother the opportunity to take the throne.

[OrcusMcP]

Looks like Edgar is the clear favourite, I'll play and should have an update by Monday.

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 12: Sunrise, Sunset

As Magnus brought his sons together, informing them that Edgar Mac Phail would be the sole designated heir to the Company, none were surprised. Edgar was talented and ambitious, and not too dissimilar from his Grandfather Brice. Andrew accepted the decision, knowing that his destiny was one of support.

Magnus then had to turn his attention to the war in Italy, but found it in good condition. Much of the territory in Orvieto had already been secured, and while the young King of Italy had substantial forces near Venice, he was also trying to subdue a rebellion by his powerful Dukes.

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The conflict lasted only another 3 months, as the King decided that his efforts were best put towards the rebellion for his crown, rather than fighting tooth and nail for a small spit of land. The terms of surrender were offered on July 3 of 956.

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As the Republic quieted down once more from the war, Magnus settled into his new role as Prince Mayor and set about his usual governing policies of infrastructure growth for the Company. Unlike his father, who had lots of support from the various Patrician families, Magnus was under no compulsion to not improve his family's holdings.

Republic Note: I forgot to mention in the succession question, that our family palace improves our Patrician's stats now. By the end of this update, all our Patricians will receive +2 Diplomacy and +1 Intrigue.

Magnus had to make a very sad voyage to Foggia in October of that year, when his brother Murdoch died suddenly.

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The funeral was a very solemn affair, and much whiskey was drunk to commemorate the elder Mac Phail. He was well loved by the people of Foggia, and was a good friend and confidant for his brother and the Company.

His daughter, Alice, who now controlled the castle and county, was far less loved. Married to a Occitan count, she felt more for him and the lands their children will inherit in France than the filial bonds of the Company.

When her first official act was to formally request further land from Magnus in Benevento, Magnus was disgusted. His diplomatic skill was put to good use in denying the request and tying her bureaucracy up in paperwork, but it was still worrying.

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Further diplomatic rises emerged in December, as an old name and an old enemy re-emerged. The Spartenos family was back. Matthias Spartenos had somehow become the Duke of Susa, was getting documentation sorted to reassert his claims on the lands of Benevento and Salerno, and had somehow come into vast sums of gold.

The entire Company quaked at the news. Matthias was rumoured to be a very strong general, and with his treasury could afford many companies of mercenaries. He was biding his time, but only so he could strike at the right moment.

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Side Note: What the crap?? How did he get so much money?? This will not end well.

From there into the new year, however, life in the Republic quieted once more. Magnus was more interested in increasing his wealth and focusing on Africa, while Matthias only held two small counties, so the Company made conscious decision to ignore the Greek, at least at the moment. Better to deal with the challenges already before them than to imagine monsters.

Magnus proved that his seed was still strong for an old man, when his newest wife Affraic announced she was pregnant in May of 957, and by December Magnus had another son, named Findlay.

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As Magnus continued to run the Republic, he reflected. On his wife Affraic, his former wives and his daughters. That so many formidable women came and went through the halls of the company was a shame. Though they could not hold any power under the law, they could still be great advisors and mentors.

Thus, Magnus decided that his sons would start to need new, more dynamic wives.

While his Andrew had two strong sons already, his wife had passed away of a fever in the winter of 958. In May of 959, a most interesting young lady was invited to Venice to wed the son of Magnus Mac Phail: Susanna Karling.

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The most brilliant diplomat anyone in the Republic had ever met, Susanna was at home in court. She immediately started working with her new husband Andrew to draft the letters to the various Dukes and Kings the Republic treated with.

Susanna was also a Karling, and the members of the Karling family were always attracted to power.

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It was a warm, moonlit night in late May, when Magnus invited his sons and their wives to dinner. Business had been good that month, and he wanted to toast to the brothers' successes. Much wine flowed, much boar was consumed, and by the time of customary whisky toast, everyone but Magnus and Susanna had retired. Andrew had passed out in his chair.

It was in that moment, that brief moment where time stood still, as anyone who had felt what these two singular individuals felt would say, that the old Scot and the young French prodigy fell madly in love. Some later accounts hold that the two were sleeping together on the balcony while Andrew still slept in his dinner chair.

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Magnus still cared deeply for his wife Affraic, and still had two more children with her, but it was nothing compared to his deep love for Susanna. Fortunately, neither Affraic nor Andrew ever suspected the secret affair.

In August of 959, as Affraic retired to a nearby abbey to deliver her next child, and Andrew was off on a merchant venture to Tunis, Magnus and Susanna spent almost every waking moment together. This almost backfired when Susanna realized she was now pregnant.

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Fortunately, the timing was was good and the resulting child, Colin, carried most of the Mac Phail character, that Andrew believed the child to be his upon his return from Tunis.

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In early February of 961, Magnus set in motion a grand plan. He planned to build the Grandest Palace ever seen in the history of the Republic, the size of the estate would make some of the ancient Roman emperors blush. Simultaneously, he started drafting legislation to once again lessen restrictions on trade monopolies, much like his father had done. Soon, there would be an explosion of trade posts opening all over the Mediteranean, and Magnus wanted to make sure that the Mac Phail family was ready to develop even further trade relationships with Africa, as well as the Mediterranean islands.

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As word of this began to trickle through the Republic, many in the Jewish community of Venice made their own plans. The Mac Phails had long been supporters and friends of the community, unlike the other Patrician families, and soon offers of financing and discounts were flooding the Company house.

But it was one particular man, a Steward of considerable skill named Eina, that came forward and offered his own personal services to Magnus. The Scot accepted warmly, as much work was needed to tidy up the books.

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Not all was well that year, though. In October Magnus received a disturbing report from his son Edgar, detailing how his niece Alice was attempting to usurp Company lands again this time through devious conspiracies.

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While she was certainly in the spirit of the Company motto, there was an unwritten rule to the Company that she did not heed. This rule was what set the Company apart form the rest of the feuding dynasties.

Don't ever go against the family.

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In early 962, some worrying reports started coming into the Company. It seemed the Aghlabid Sultan had been downplaying the seriousness of his succession war, as it was still raging 10 year later. This hurt the trade flow, as well as the plans to expand the trade into the Tripolitania area.

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Once 964 came, both the expanded palace was completed and the new legislation had passed, allowing the opportunity for an immediate doubling of the Company's trade capacity.

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Ground was broken on trading posts all along the coast of Tunis and Tripolitania, as well as a way station post on the island of Sardinia. All that was needed was time for the posts to be built and the income of the Company would soar.

Magnus felt fantastic. He was a man who had everything one could possibly want. Strong sons, a wife who continued to bear him children, a young beautiful woman who loved him, vast sums of money, and control of one of the greatest Republics seen since Roman times.

It was a very hot day in mid July of 965. A Tuesday, which meant that Affraic would be with the children while Magnus was free to spend time with Susanna. They decided on taking a long walk through the markets of Venice, stopping at various stalls to sample the wares.

As had been the case for his father, Magnus had been tempted to assimilate more fully into Italian culture. But, also like his father, saw that strength lay in staying true to your ancestors, that Scottishness was what made the Company strong.

He had always been an easygoing, peaceful man. Enjoying the courtly world of the Republic, expanding the family fortunes, building new offices and universities, Magnus was one of the best things to have happened to the Republic.

That Tuesday night, after finishing his time with Susanna, he had dinner with his wife and young sons. They ate quail, and talked about the various sea monsters the boys had slain.

As Magnus and his wife finally went to bed, he gave his wife a kiss. "Life is good, is it not?" he asked.

"Life could not be better," she replied.

"As it should be." And Magnus went to sleep.

He was found dead the next morning.

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[Flickerdart]

Duke Edgar? Are we not a Republic-type ruler anymore?

[OrcusMcP]

Duke Edgar? Are we not a Republic-type ruler anymore?

It's a quirk of the succession window, but we are considered a duke, since we are a ducal level vassal of a King level title. Can't have republics within republics.

EDIT: There's another update coming very shortly, and some weirdness related to the above happened. Rest assured, we are still Republic style, but some of the titling has messed up. It wasn't unexpected, but it's still weird. [/vagueness]

http://bhstudios.org/_img/decor/EIFNIR.png

[OrcusMcP]

Chapter 13: Here I Go Again on my Own

Edgar was a strange man, as far as history cold tell. Talented, seemingly born to intrigue, he was also a capable commander of men. Though skilled with lies, cursed with ferocious temper and jealousy, he was none-the-less committed to the idea of justice. Of fairness. That people should get what they deserve. Whether that is land, glory, or a knife in the back mattered not. People should get what they deserve.

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His wife, Pernette, was a member of the Karling family, much like his brother Andrew's wife Susanna. A major prodigy, she was a driving force in Edgar's early days under Magnus, helping to hone his skills. and drive him to succeed.

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How tragic, then, that the first breath of their first son, named for his father, would be her last.

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In September of 965, after a proper period of mourning, Edgar remarried to a very capable Anglo-Saxon noblewoman named Aelfswith. A kind, charitable woman, she unfortunately had a love of food and drink that took away from her looks. Her mind was sharp, though, and if Magnus had instilled anything of value in his sons, it was that smart women were worth more than all the gold of the Republic.

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Speaking of the Republic, Edgar quickly became none too fond of it. A Company man, through and through, he took to heart the motto that Opportunity Plus Instinct Equals Profit. The rest of the Republican Patricians were more keen on their vested interests. They saw little benefit in venturing far outside of the Italian and Balkan coasts they were used to, and thought the Mac Phail plan to expand into the Muslim lands of Africa doomed to failure.

It was true in a sense, since the long period of war that plagued the Aghlabid lands were hurting business interests, but the Mac Phails had always been long term thinkers.

Edgar was not a patient man, however, and sought out solutions to help put an end to the African Wars. One such plan was to become the Republican Spymaster again. He was clearly the best of the Patricians for the job, and had served his father well as Spymaster during Magnus's time as Prince Mayor. As the Spymaster, he would be well situated to send envoys to the belligerents in Africa and have them either end the war or perish.

When he received the letter from the Doge, his heart raged. Edgar would be put to work on the Republican council, but as Marshal.

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Doge Ciuccio was not a warrior by any means, nor very capable of running a war. That there were no better commanders among the rest of the Patricians and courtiers of the Republic spoke the the combat experience of everyone else.

Thus, it fell squarely on Edgar's shoulders to mount a defence in March of 966 when the Spartenos invasion finally arrived.

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So incompetent was the Doge that Edgar has to spend his own treasury on mercenaries and organize the Company levies rather than the Republican ones.

Meanwhile, the first wave of Spartenos mercenaries arrived in Amalfi.

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In May, a smaller skirmish broke out in Capua, with Spartenos forces clashing with the Patrician guard there. Edgar sent the Company levies there while he was still mustering mercenaries for the push back against Amalfi.

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By July, enough troops had been collected and captains assigned that Edgar felt that he could finally push back against Matthias Spartenos before he could bring more mercenaries to bear.

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A solid but costly victory, Edgar spent the next three years alternating between smashing new Spartenos mercenaries, and attempting to start sieging Napoli to bring the war to an end.

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All the while there were no further Republic troops to be found. Whether the Doge trusted Edgar to handle the war and to reward him afterwards, or that Ciuccio secretly hoped the Greek would bleed the Scots into obscurity Edgar knew not. All Edgar knew during those years were rage and stress.

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In 968, some rays of light began to shine through the war haze. The siege of Napoli proper had finally begun, as Matthias found himself subject to a defensive war of his own from the King of Italy for his lands in Lombardia. Edgar's brother Andrew had a daughter named Marthoc that would prove to become a very important member of the family for years to come. And Eina, the Jewish Steward of the Company was hard at work integrating his old contacts with the infrastructure of the Company.

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It was September of 970 when the war finally ended. Matthias Spartenos had lost his title in Susa, his money, and his claims on Benevento. To this day, no record has been found of how he had acquired so much wealth in the first place.

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Aelfswith recommended that Edgar take a voyage away from formal business for awhile, perhaps to walk the Pilgrim's road much as his father and grandfather had done.

Edgar found that to be an excellent idea, and prepared for a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

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The sights, sounds and smells found in Jerusalem had a very calming effect on Edgar's mind. That there could be a place where such diversity was not only tolerated, but embraced was unthinkable.

Having not yet had the long experience of dealing with the Africans as his father or brother had, he had still thought of the Muslims as a savage people, an existential threat to Christendom. To see Christians, Muslims and Jews and a wide variety of peoples and languages all living together in the same city was a breath of fresh air.

Why were the Venetians, who were so advanced otherwise, so closed to the idea that a family of Scots could thrive? Why would a Patrician family of such wealth be excluded and abandoned so harshly simply due to the location of their heritage?

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Upon his return to Nocera in November, Edgar drafted a quick census of the Republic's finances and lands as well as the Company's.

The Venetian trade network spread from the Lagoon, down the Balkans and southern Italy. It then swung around up into western Italy until it met the tiny Republic of Pisa. Then, it spread down into Sardinia and Tunisia.

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The Mac Phail Trading Company comprised nearly half of that total network area, as well as near two thirds of the total value.

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Thus, Edgar brought the whole family together to reach a decision. Wine, whisky and ale were drunk by all, and while there was some disagreement, by the end of the night the family and the Company was of one mind. They stood behind Edgar to speak for the Company, and drafted a letter.

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A response was received from the Doge on December 3rd, The 970th Year of Our Lord.

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Independence.

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All were ready for conflict, but in retrospect the Scots were not surprised. Doge Ciuccio was likely pleased to see the Mac Phails gone from his precious Italian Republic, even if it meant less money.

But what now? The Company was now an independent realm on the world stage, under its own power. It stood, on the eve of its birth, as one of the wealthiest realms in Europe. Chaos ensued as the Company executives tried to determine what the head of the Company should even TITLE themselves as.

But mostly, there was a strong sense of optimism. No longer would the Company get held back by short sighted Republic Patricians. No longer would True Scotsmen be made to feel ashamed of their birth. Now the only thing that stood in the way of wealth was work. And if the Mac Phails had proven anything in the century since their arrival in Italy, none could work like a Scot.

Domestic policy was expected to remain consistent, at least for now, but a proper foreign policy would be needed for the Company. No realm had ever existed like this, so many ideas were put forth.

Edgar himself favoured the idea of The Highland Way, befitting his background in intrigue. The Company would expand only into urban cities, leaving the castles and counties to the Feudal realms. Bleed enemies dry. Assassination and opportunistic wars would be the weapons of the Company.

Susanna Karling, having come to embrace Scottish culture proposed Nova Scotia. Scotland itself was still a mess of wars and faiths. Bring Scotsmen to the Company and form a new land for the people. A hardy land would be needed, and lots of it. Expansion into rough, but rich, land until the Company could properly call itself a Kingdom.

Eina, the Jewish Steward brought forward his idea for The Promised Land. It was not enough for the Company to just be for Scots, Jews had been friends to the Mac Phails since the days of the first Magnus Mac Phail, and now more and more Muslims were coming as well. Thus, the Company should expand into lands so that all could be welcome, that all could be protected. If a people were in danger of being displaced, then the Company should establish protectorates.

Finally, there was always the long standing idea among the middle men of Prodigal Return. The Company could return Scotland to prominence, bring it to glory and reform it so that none could threaten it again. No more Scots should be faced with the choice of exodus or death. Leave Italy behind, leave Africa behind. Scotland was the Company's destiny.

Where did the Mac Phail Trading Company go from there?

[Flickerdart]

Nova Scotia seems like the best way to go. Crush the Venetians and Pisans under your boot and build a new Scotland. By the time you've conquered Sicily it's likely that the Karlings will have declined, so a push north would let you create Italia and reign as Grand Prince.

[Wookieetank]

I'll throw in for The Highland Way, it seems closest in line with Opportunity Plus Instinct Equals Profit.

[Sallera]

The Mac Phails have survived, thrived, and proven the worth of Scotsmen ten times over. What better course than to recreate their heritage in this Nova Scotia? Forsooth, few they wish to invite could resist the siren call of "No Vikings."

[Artanis]

If the Mac Phail legacy has proven anything, it is that diversity is strength. A foundation built by Scots - that of Scotland itself - has proven to result in chaos and petty squabbling. Likewise the Italians have proven too short-sighted to keep even their greatest assets with them. The mighty Karlings descended into infighting within a generation. The Jews are oppressed outcasts.

However, without the foundation provided by the Italians, the Mac Phail Company would not exist. Without the hardiness and drive of the Scots, the Mac Phail Company would not be strong. Without the contacts and experience of the Jews, the Mac Phail Company would not be wealthy. And without the blood of Charlemagne, the greatest of the Franks, flowing through the dynasty's veins, the Mac Phail Company would not be respected. Together, four failed peoples created the wealthiest nation that the world has ever known.

Therefore, I say that we create The Promised Land. Diversity brought strength, wealth, and greatness. So I say, let all come and add their strengths together, and in doing so, we will create something that will shine through history with a light greater than that of the sun!

[Cristo Meyers]

I say The Promised Land. The company owes its success just as much to the aid and friendship of those cast aside as it does good hard Scottish workmanship.

[Terraoblivion]

Let's not become like the arrogant Venetians, but instead welcome everyone who will work hard and be part of the...Whatever the current name for the government of MacPhail territories is called. Go with The Promised Land.

[SaruSama]

Our Company has prospered here so far away from the land of our ancestors. However, while we prosper our kin our besieged by war and chaos. I say that Prodigal Return is the path we should follow. We can return to our homeland in and bring wealth and power to all the Scots peoples. For those of you who propose the promised land who is to say we couldn't create such a land while still rescuing Scotland from the current predicament it finds itself in? Those who endorsed the Promised land I urge you to band together with the Prodigal Return faction since both of our goals can be accomplished with the same plan. Scotland can become a beacon on a hill welcoming all peoples to her shores.

[mythmonster2]

I'll stand by the path of Nova Scotia.

[Guancyto]

We did pick Susanna for her brains, and for her ambition. Or at least Murdoch did.

Nova Scotia, together with your new set of Scottish patricians, show the Sicilians and the Venetians and the Tunisians. Show them ALL!

[Lady Tialait]

The Mac Phail have always kept their Scottish roots dearly, but they have been gone from that wartorn land so long. Even when they could have helped, for one reason or another they did not.

They are closer to the Jews then the Scots at this point. Let the Mac Phail Company bring forth the shining beacon of the Promised Land

[GnomeGninjas]

The Promised Land! Establish The Most Divine Scottish Republic of Greater Canaan or something like that.

[IthilanorStPete]

I agree with trying to create Nova Scotia. I like the idea of integrating multiple cultures/religions, though, to the extent that's possible in CK2. (Protectorates are an EU thing, and we're a ways off of from that :smalltongue:)

[Hydranova]

Go for broke, go for The Promised Land! Maybe you can provide yourself with an endless stream of Jewish advisors!

Speaking of; do the Jewish advisors HAVE to be event advisors in order for them to get bonus tech?

[Flickerdart]

OWe can return to our homeland in and bring wealth and power to all the Scots peoples.
This would be such a pain - every time there's a war you have to sail your ships all the way through the Mediterranean around Iberia and then through the Channel and north towards Scotland. And that's if the war is in Scotland. If it's not, how all your ships have to grab the troops (since most of your navy spawns in your Republic capital, which is hard to move because of how dependent on tech a Republic is) and sail all the way back. Meanwhile you and your vassals are paying vessel and troop upkeep.

[Yaktan]

The Promised Land is the way to go. The Mac Phail family recognizes that the color of a man's money is what is important. Everyone who is willing to work together and make profit should be part of the company family.

[Cristo Meyers]

The Promised Land is the way to go. The Mac Phail family recognizes that the color of a man's money is what is important. Everyone who is willing to work together and make profit should be part of the company family.

Well, the color of their money combined with their willingness to give it to us, anyway...:smallwink:

[Yaktan]

But of course. Business is business after all.

[OrcusMcP]

Looks like Promised Land has beaten Nova Scotia 8 to 5, with only 1 vote each for Highland Way and Prodigal Return.

Time to put a crapton of my cultural tech points into Tolerance.

The system gave me some new random Scot Patricians, but I may fiddle with them to represent the new outlook. This is gonna be interesting.

[OrcusMcP]

State of the World 971

Time to take a look at the known world on the eve of Independence, as well as the status of the Company.

The MacPhail Trading Company
http://imageshack.com/a/img585/2866/d1a3.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img837/6601/4bje.png
With a higher income than the largest of Empires, with trading contacts throughout Southern Italy and Northern Africa, the company is like Carthage risen again. Though trading capacity has dwindled without access to the Venetian bureaucracy, that is only a temporary state of affairs.

Southern Italy
http://imageshack.com/a/img836/6007/y39a.png
The Company is surrounded by minor holdings of Venice and Karling Italy, while Byzantium continues to hold its Sicilian lands.

Northern Italy
http://imageshack.com/a/img513/8796/hrb3.png
Still strong, but as always there is some sort of unrest over the crown. Venice has lost much of its lands and connections with the Mac Phail secession, but thanks to Magnus Mac Phail the trading capacity of the Most Serene Republic will allow the remaining Patricians to spread into vast trade territory.

North Africa
http://imageshack.com/a/img62/6709/ztkl.png
Succession war continues to rage, and that is Edgar's first order of business. The Umayyads continue to find success in Marrakesh, but we will revisit them shortly.

Iberia
http://imageshack.com/a/img577/7994/b5rk.png
Just when the Umayyads seem unstoppable, a massive war of succession rocks them and the Christians push forward a little more. The new Kingdoms of Portugal and Castille have arisen and are poised to gain even more territory form the fractured Muslims.

France
http://imageshack.com/a/img833/7973/rfrs.png
France is a beast. Vast, mighty and with a stable dynasty, they have been pushing into Aragon recently.

Germany & the Lowlands
http://imageshack.com/a/img585/8685/rl6c.png
The Kingdom of Frisia is now in the hands of proper Catholics, while Germany and Bavaria continue to suffer from the eternal problems of the Karlings. Strong Pagan tribes in Bohemia, Saxony and Pommerania could pose challenges, though.

British Isles
http://imageshack.com/a/img18/8932/srf7.png
Still very messy, but England is poised to completely recover her De Jure land from the vikings. After that, it could be an entirely new story.

Scandinavia
http://imageshack.com/a/img854/2251/79h6.png
The Age of the Viking seems to be over. Only Norway remains as a strong Norse realm, while Denmark and Sweden have fallen into civil war. The Norse are no longer the power they once were.

Eastern Europe
http://imageshack.com/a/img839/9785/2e8y.png
Messy tribal conflicts among the Pagans have shattered once great Kingdoms. Only chaos rules in Rus, Lithuania and Poland right now.

The Steppes
http://imageshack.com/a/img802/272/j6sb.png
Cumania continues to be a massive power in the Western Steppes. With their faith reformed, the Tengri enjoy a stability that the other Pagan faiths do not.

Byzantium
http://imageshack.com/a/img40/3554/5o4z.png
The Eastern Roman Empire continues to both prosper and grow. Now fully in control of the Caucasus, the Balkans and Georgia, it is only a matter of time before the Emperor decides to expand into either Europe proper or into the Levant.

Arabia
http://imageshack.com/a/img713/6406/yszi.png
But the Levant is owned by the Abbasids. As is Egypt, and Arabia, and Mesopotamia, and they are now pushing into Persia. Nothing seems able to stop them.

The New Officers of the Mac Phail Trading Company
http://imageshack.com/a/img513/7311/8fnx.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img542/4782/esl4.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img163/7282/obw1.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img844/1884/vcsu.png
With the new foreign policy in place for the Company, Edgar and the rest of the family decided to raise up some new merchant blood to high positions of influence. This was a show of good faith, that Tolerance was expected and required of all in the Company. Gold was the only colour and faith that mattered.

Gilbride Campbell was an old friend of Edgar's, a son of Scottish immigrants to Sicily in the days of Brice.

Colban Binyamin was one of the few Khazars left in Europe, a shrewd merchant with dreams of seeing the Jewish people powerful again.

Gregorio de Sarno was a Venetian who had come to prefer the Scottish way of doing business, and brought his wealth with him to the new Company.

And finally, Constantine Domnaillid was an oddity: A Scottish Muslim. The son of lowborn Scottish fishmonger and a Muslim serving girl, he overcame much to get to his new position.

[Flickerdart]

Wow, literally all the patricians hate you.

[OrcusMcP]

Wow, literally all the patricians hate you.

Yeah, that's what happens when foreigner, infidel and short reign penalties all stack. Just because WE are tolerant doesn't make the other game characters any more so. At least, not until we put points into Tolerance. If you know someway to give characters the "Sympathy for judaism/islam/christianity" traits easily, I'm all ears.

[Hydranova]

At least they aren't heretics of any Abrahamic religion.

[Flickerdart]

If you know someway to give characters the "Sympathy for judaism/islam/christianity" traits easily, I'm all ears.
I believe the only non-event way to get this is to have the character convert; he should be tolerant of his old religion.

[Artanis]

Yeah, that's what happens when foreigner, infidel and short reign penalties all stack. Just because WE are tolerant doesn't make the other game characters any more so. At least, not until we put points into Tolerance. If you know someway to give characters the "Sympathy for judaism/islam/christianity" traits easily, I'm all ears.
Tag-switch and console them in, perhaps?


Edit: In particular, I'm thinking:

A "charinfo" to get the character info.

Then for each patrician, a "play <character number>" to swap to them, followed by "add_trait whatever" commands to give them the sympathy traits.

Repeat until all four are done, then a "play <the real you's character number>".

Then one last "charinfo" to get rid of the extra character info.

...I'm not sure what the traits would be called for the add_trait commands though.

[OrcusMcP]

...I'm not sure what the traits would be called for the add_trait commands though.

Yup, that's the problem I ran into as well.

[Guancyto]

The trait name is sympathy_christendom

the others are

sympathy_islam
sympathy_pagans
sympathy_zoroastrianism
sympathy_judaism

[OrcusMcP]

Well, this is unfortunate to say, but I'm going to have to stop the LP here. A combination of unemployment, depression and terrible health/luck otherwise is leaving me with little motivation or time to update.

Thanks to everyone who stuck it out this far, it was very rewarding to get feedback on my writing. This was my first foray into the Let's Play world, and I definitely will be doing it again. :smallsmile:

[Flickerdart]

You should upload the save; maybe someone will take over?

[SaruSama]

Well I'm really sad to see this go, but real life as always takes precedence. Thanks for the fun while it lasted and hope things get better soon for you.

[Wookieetank]

It's been a pleasure to read and participate. Good luck with your current life challanges! As a forgetful blue fish once said, "Just keep swimming."

[Hydranova]

It was fun to watch. But best of luck!

[IthilanorStPete]

Thanks for the excellent LP, Orcus. I hope things work out well for you!

[Artanis]

As they say, all good things must come to an end, and this good thing is no different, sadly :smallfrown:

Best of luck to you with your IRL situation, Orcus. I look forward to your next LP, whenever that may be :smallsmile: