You decide that simplicity is probably the best way to approach renaming the district and go with riforgiato, reforged. Not awe inspiring or impressive but it doesn't need to be. You start to think about holding a festival for the district, but when you approach Zelic about setting one up he tells you he's your chancellor, not a party advisor, and that's the end of that.
---
[Army: Martial, 24+10=34]
Finally getting around to inspecting your brothers, now your, army and you don't find much to complain about, though that can largely be attributed to not knowing what to look for. The forces are well trained, each showing skill that Kostas had deemed acceptable for a warrior, and each is equipped with a gambeson, breastplate, spear and shield. Each can stab and block a stab. Perhaps some improvement to their ranged ability might be useful but what else you don't know.
[Recruitment: Martial, 45+10+18=73]
And since you don't know, you decide to hire someone who does. With the help of commander Ast you start to look into hiring a mercenary commander who could train them better than you could. Unfortunately due to your reputation from Firenze and how none of the mercenaries survived it proves difficult to find one willing to serve you.
Thankfully you find one who's willing to overlook your reputation since he wouldn't be leading these men. One man from the H.R.E. by the name of Clais Von Ulme. Old and surly, Ast tells you that's the best kind, it means he's survived long and has the experience to be bitter.
Soon after he examines your men he has no end of complaints. First and foremost is that they lack unity and cohesion. Sure they're good individual fighters but that means nothing against a strong line of spears. Second is that they have little support. No archers or crossbowmen to rain arrows on the enemy. They have supply wagons good enough for short journeys but if they were sent out on siege or to break a siege it wouldn't be enough. Then he complains about the lack of war machines, though that's less a weakness of your soldiers and more his own preference he admits.
He soon starts on getting them to fight as one while Ast works to procure Crossbows for their most accurate soldiers. War machines sadly will have to wait. For now all you can do is wait for their training to be done.
---
[Navy: Stewardship, 10+15=25]
Your efforts to purchase more ships proves fruitless. With war Once again on the horizon everyone seeks more ships, whether for warfare or to move supplies or for trade, the main culprits being France and Venice. It seems that you aren't going to find anything this year.
---
[Recruitment: Diplomacy, 85+20+10=115]
You had sent off your letter to Sophia shortly after summer. Finding a way to reach her proved difficult since all you knew was that she was from Constantinople, not any specific address. You eventually gave it to a templar courier heading in that direction and hoped he'd be able to find her. Sadly you've had no letter in return from her, whether it has been waylaid or she merely didn't send a response you don't know.
While musing over this you hear a knocking coming from the doors to your office. You weren't expecting anyone and hadn't received word from your guards anyone was here, so you took the sensible decision to grab your dagger and inch your way to the door. Sliding it open a crack you don't find any danger or murderers(at least you don't think so) and instead see Sophia.
You're silent for a moment and that's all the invitation she needs to start talking. "I See the rumors are true, somehow our young lord has survived his encounter with the wicked Savonarola. And not only that but soon after rerunning he realized he couldn't live without his grand spymaster. Who am I to say no to one who so needs my help?" she says with the same snark as always. She seems no different than when you last saw her, if anything she seems more smug then before. You find yourself with only a single question.
"How did you sneak into my villa? Why didn't mt guards say anything? Please tell me you didn't poison them." Okay two questions. "Oh they're fine, though horrible at their jobs. They left a window open and a ladder wasn't too far away, it seems they forgot every bit of my training without me there to force it into them. But no worries, as your returning spymaster ill ensure that they are brought back to being the grand assassin hunters I know I can make them, if youll still have me that is? You wouldn't turn me away after coming all this way, would you?" an obviously fake frown forming on her face
"Yes yes you have the job, now stop with the attempts at guilting me please." You'd almost forgotten how much of a pain she could be. "Can do, my lord. Ill be off cleaning out my old chambers, hopefully it hasn't been ruined by whatever nonsense your brother was up to." And with that she's off, leaving you with a small bit of regret for sending that letter.
---
[Investigation: Intrigue, 81+17+20=118]
Your Investigation into Ezio Auditore proved fruitless, but then a thought comes to you. If information on him is absent what about the rest of his family? You start your investigation into his brother and father. Apparently only his father and older brother were members of the assassins, though according to notes from your father it would be safest to scourge the earth of Auditore blood so none could hunt the templars in revenge. Obviously that didn't work out. His mother and sister seem to also have disappeared at the same time as ezio so they likely fled with him.
Then comes the most useful bit of information. He has an uncle, one Mario Auditore, known Assassin and condottiero who rules In Monteriggioni. A small Tuscan town in Siena, south of Firenze, it seems to have flourished in the past decade, growing into a local power of sorts similar to Forli. Mario has proved to be a thorn in the side for the templars for many years, proving himself slippery and elusive to attempts to stop him.
It is also reported that it was in a battle with his forces that the youngest of the Pazzis and rival to Ezio, Vieri de Pazzi, was killed. You would bet that it was Ezio himself who slew Vieri, and he is likely still in Monteriggioni with his uncle and the rest of his family. While you know where he is Monterigionni has proven a bastion, having remained in Auditore hands for centuries.
You also learn various other smaller details, such as how he likely kept in contact with a frien of the family, an artist and engineer by the name of Leonardo da Vinci, who's currently looking for a sponsor for his work. Reports and bounty posters matching Ezios description have also come from throughout Italy. Referencing when these posters were made and events at the time it paints a bloody picture. Ezio had carved his way through almost all of the templar leadership in Italy. The pazzis, a doge of venice, powerful and wealthy men hunted down by him.
Whatever you do with this information, you will need to be careful unless you wish to be added to his list of kills.
---
[Training: Personal, 61+8=69]
Once again you find yourself training with your dagger, though instead of merely swinging and stabbing at a stationary target for hours you now have recruited one of your soldiers to fight with you. Both of you wear a thick gambeson and use blunt, unsharpened daggers, though they still hurt when they hit you. It takes a while before the soldier, a young man by the name of neri, actually trys to hit you. You can't blame him really, hurting your lord isn't going to give you a good reputation, but if you're going to defend yourself you need him to fight.
Days turn into weeks, weeks into months, and eventually you pick up on and are told various tips and tricks on how to attack and defend yourself, the best places to swing for or stab, that fighting fair is for the dead and that throwing dirt in someones eyes is a completely valid tactic. You are taught every dirty trick a soldier can know, including one that has a bit of history to it.
Neri tells you that some german lord challenged a famous mercenary to a duel, he couldn't tell you why, and wouldn't back out of it. And so he went to a famous duelmaster, asking to be taught any technique that would let him live. And so the master taught him to run behind the man and slice the back of his thigh then stay away, let the bleeding do the work. While you hope you never have to use these tricks, you live in a dangerous age. You can only hope that anyone who fights you proves the more honorable.
You are now a dagger journeyman, +5 to prowess when using a dagger, I totally didn't forget to add the trait while writing
---
Reports coming in from pisa prove interesting. The walls of pisa have been breached by French cannons, however they cant break into the city, being fought off time and time again by the pisan forces. Whether they were always this fearsome or they're desperate to not end up with the same fate as milan they prove effective. The rest of Italy continues to prepare with the time that pisa buys them, though you imagine they'd prefer help to being avenged.
You brother has apparently done well in Aragon. He has been accepted by their branch of the Borgia family as well as the templars in the Spanish inquisition, though you'd imagine he's still bitter at father. His efforts with his crows have proven somewhat effective, hunting down members of the assassins though no one of importance yet.
Juan and father continue to prepare for war, though Juan is biting at the chance to take the fight to the French. He has grown quite the grudge against the French since the loss of his eye, and wants to spill some of their noble blood in revenge, though father holds him back.
Sophia brought with her news from the east. Apparently the last of the byzantine royal line, Manuel Palaiologos, is no longer the last. He has adopted a girl, a young templar by the name of Maria, now Maria Palaiologos, whose parents had been executed by the ottomans. He was a friend of her fathers, and lacking an heir of his own decided she would inherit his legacy. It would also prove safer if his heir was a woman since the ottomans would find a reason to get rid of a son.
The world has managed to survive, somehow, to the year 1500. All across the Christian parts of the world people are celebrating, carnival has started early, and you're still in Ravenna, trying to plot a course from here. What will you do?
You have 600 florins, an army, two platoons, and two squadrons
You have six actions, use them as you will
Please make your vote in plan format
You have the cursed bonus and may have an advisor aid you or do a task on their own
Martial
[] The army you were building was finished under your brother, perhaps you should check on them, see if there's anything more that can be done to improve them
[] The simplest way to gain expand is to take the land by force, send an army to try and conquer somewhere
-[] Where?
-[] What is your Casus Belli?
[] Perhaps you should look into mercenaries you could hire
[] While your brother has worked on the local gangs and criminal situation there is still work to be done, send a platoon to clear out the remains
[] Send your Army to aid pisa, they might not be your allies but they're better then the French.
[] Write in
Stewardship
[] You have a good amount of wood, why not try to make a paper mill? (200fl)
[] Your brother hasn't made any trade deals while in power, maybe you could make some?
-[] Who?
[] The current iron mining operations are doing well, but perhaps they could expand?(50 fl)
[] Your brother found blacksmiths while you were away, perhaps they could forge you something?
-[] What?
[] The ruby mines could always be improved, try to do so(75 fl)
[] The woods are dense and large, perhaps you could expand the operations (50 fl)
[] The docks are in good repair at least, perhaps you should purchase some ships to help with trade and defense (100 fl)
[] Write in
Diplomacy
[] Your father thinks you should get married/find an alliance, maybe you should look for a bride?
[] Maybe you could look for an alliance, without marriage?
-[] Where?
[] Send a letter to that Shakulu fellow, any enemy of the ottomans is possibly an ally of yours
[] Perhaps you should go meet one of your neighbors directly?
-[] Which one?
[] You know where Ezio lives, perhaps you should send him a friendly letter
-[] About what?
[] Send a letter to a different Power, such as Venice, the Ottomans, etc
-[] Who?
[] Write in
Intrigue
[] Perhaps a few assassins of your own could be useful, try to hire Cahir and Caha
[] The Cento Occhi Still serve the Borgia thankfully, you could use them to get some intel that would be useful?
-[]Intel about what?
[] you could try and recruit the Cento Occhi, make them your personal spies and thieves (30 fl/turn)
[] the city still has some gangs, maybe you could get them on your side?
-[] Where?
[] write in
Learning
[] Seek the grave of Brutus for this healing shroud
[] There's a whole new world out there, send one of your squadrons out to map it for somewhere a colony could be made (takes one turn, and is much more likely to succeed with your map, you may choose a location on the eastern American coasts/Bahamas, 500 fl)
-[] Where?
[] Give your engineer resources and let them design what they please, perhaps making something of use (50fl)
[] Write in
Personal
[] The Apple has unimaginable knowledge, see what you can learn from it
[] Perhaps you can train in use of the Apple, so you could use it safely and perhaps learn more uses of it
[] The assassin said your father was going to use the apple to open some vault, perhaps you could open it instead?
[] Train in use of the Apple, perhaps it has more to it than knowledge and mind control?
[] Send a letter to a family member
-[] To who, and what about?
[] You should learn how to use that dagger Cesare gave you
-[] Or maybe something else?
[] Write in
