[Army: Martial, 84+21+10=115]
Finally the new army of Ravenna is ready, trained in Corvinus's tactics though they are no black army. All are armed with sword and pike, with one in every four soldiers being armed with a musket and shot. The Cavalry, now no longer heavily armed or armored, resembles the Zaporizhian Cossacks of Crimea more then anything else now, equipped with long spears and curved sabers better for use in the saddle. He also equips this light cavalry with the smaller telescopic sights Leonardo had made some years past, claiming they would be good for reconnaissance even if they were fragile. Corvinus is almost sad all the wars are over, he would've loved to put these men into a proper battle to test them.
---
[Fortification: Martial, 43+13+10=66]
With the wars now over its time to think about the defense of these newly captured cities. The Lucca commune, though largely peaceful cant be ignored, neither can marquis Francesco Gonzaga and mantua. The biggest threat however is Milan and its new duchess, Jeanne de Valois, distant cousin to king Francis. With that Illario is given command of as many workers and engineers as he deems necessary to construct a strong wall of fortifications along the new border, with preference towards the Milanese border. As usual most of these forts start as little more than wooden palisades and simple earthworks, btu special attention is given to a fort at the meeting point of the Mantuan and Milanese border, right along the po river. Its position means it needs to be imposing to either front, as well as having the resources to actually maintain such a fort.
---
[Steam!: learning, 6+20+18=44]
Elenas given the task of working on the Steam device once again, and from the look on her face she is not pleased. She locks herself away with the device, telling you to not bother her if she's going to be wasting time on this. By the time she's done it seems barely anything's changed with the machine from your point of view, but her response to that is to ask what you would even know progress to look like.
---
[prosthesis: learning, 98+35+18=151]
When Georgios's prosthetic is finished it is a work of art, not only in its construction but also appearance. While it would be impossible to make the hand look like flesh, the hand still looks entirely like Georgios' hand before the war, merely one of metal with a few pins in place to lock the hand so it might hold something. When Leo gives Kostas the hand and shows him how to use it and put it on the bodyguard, while not happy, at least seems satisfied with the prosthesis.
Georgios one handed trait is replaced with master crafted prosthesis, -4 prowess.
---
[Roads: Stewardship, 13+10+15=38]
When you get around to finally building the road to connect bologna to Modena, you come to an embarrassing revelation. Everyone who could have worked on the road is currently busy with a different project. You start working through whoever is actually available, Belotti has lectures at the university, Guillaume has no head for construction, leaving only one man left, and you know he wont let you forget this. Machiavelli doesn't even let you try to lead into asking him when you approach the man. "Let me guess, you have work that needs to be done but nobody skilled left to actually do it." He doesn't even lift his eyes from whatever he's writing as he says this. You want to leave then and there but the road needs to be built, so you swallow your shame. "A road between bologna and Modena needs to be built to connect Romagna's newly acquired territory. Neither city is likely to appreciate this with their rivalry. Can you have this road built or not?" he places his quill in his inkwell, wipes off his hands, and says "who am I to say no to such an earnest request, but do know this likely wont be made easily." He leaves the villa, heading out to prepare, you assume. Meanwhile you just feel like a fool.
His skill certainly doesn't lay in road building, that's for sure, as just getting started with the road takes longer then desired. He tries to hire a foreman to get the work done but he cant find a one willing to take the job. As for workers its largely the same, by the time he's started the years already over and the northern gate out of bologna barely has twenty feet of brick laid.
---
[Ships: Stewardship, 31+20+15=66]
While your drydocks may put out quite a number of ships, most of these are larger, heavier, and slower ships. So, just to make sure you have a few faster ships on hand should the need arise, you send out Django to purchase some. Thankfully after the three emperors war, the war of Rumelian independence, the war of orthodox independence, whichever name for the wars you wanted to go by, the newly independent states are looking for funds, and are more then willing to sell off the ships they had captured or purchased for the war. While a few of them bear the marks of war they're still fast, still armed, and still float, and that's good enough.
Light ships added to the armada.
---
[Espionage: Intrigue, 96+20=116]
Arnao and his team, now located in Orleans, have been keeping their eyes on Assassin movements the past year, particularly their movements north into the now English Normandy. Apparently many of their kind in the territory have been persecuted by the new English lords, governors, and mayors put in place, and are seeking to resolve this problem. They've also been moving into Dutch Calais, less for aggression but more for their own espionage in the Netherlands, as far as Arnao can tell at least. As for the templars in Paris Arnao and his men were able to get the vast majority out before the church could condemn them. It seems that the assassins are now taking great power in the church, one of their members even forming within it a new knightly order, the servants of saint d'Arc. The army isn't the worrying part however, it's the political and religious influence that comes with it. Tying themselves even further to France and its society will make them all the harder to handle in the future. Arnao is working with the templars there to try and discredit this new church in the eyes of the people, but they have a lot of ground to cover.
---
[Training: Martial, 84+14+10=104]
Anacletos, with the aid of a professional translator, is finally able to drill into the recruits for the bodyguards not just the physical prowess needed to protect, but also the ability to recognize threats and how to stay in a formation focused on protecting their charge, not just ending the threat. Its not easy of course, the language barrier still proving a hurdle despite the translator, but eventually the men are ready enough. All that's left is dividing them into groups assigned to each member of your family, but that's easily taken care of.
New bodyguard group made.
---
It's been a few years, but finally Sophia has returned home from England, and she is glad to be rid of the place. The moment she steps off her ship she heads straight towards her home, and a nice warm bed. The next day is mostly spent listening to her complain about England, from the constant rain, the dampness, the smell, and the king. According to her the man is a braggart and a fool, better on the battlefield then in any court. When he isn't ignoring his advisors or plotting some invasion of Scotland, he's continuing the celebrations for conquering Normandy. Then there's his flirting with anything in a dress, which Sophia did not enjoy, and his failures to produce a male heir. Its only the day after that that she finally gets to her progress in removing the assassin presence in England.
You already know about her and Wolseys efforts in Normandy, but in most of England things have progressed well. The two have managed to remove much of their power by the seizing of assassins associated properties and framing their public members as French traitors. This has led to not a removal of the assassins, there's still far too many of them for that, but they have caused them to retreat from southern England for the time, spreading into the north, the isles, or Ireland. Since Sophia considers henry a fool, the task of continuing the hunt of English assassins has been left in Wolseys hands, now that he's been inducted into the English templars. If henry Grows half a mind he may just be inducted as well, but now that is solely their problem.
Sophia has returned and is available
The English templars have taken back some power and influence.
---
Sometime around October a ship arrives in Ravenna's docks, flying the crow of Wallachia on its flag. Off the ship comes a beautiful woman, aged prematurely by the war, many streaks of grey in once pure black hair. Ruxandra has finally come back to Romagna. If you had know she was coming you would have prepared something. When your told of her arrival you gather your sons and make your way from the castle to the city. When you finally arrive the boys burst out of the carriage and run off towards the villa, leaving you behind with only Anacletos for company. You make your way there, not quite as fast as the boys, and once you're inside the villa you see and hear them talking to her, too fast to make out everything they're saying as Ruxandras trying to get ahold of Lupo to see his scar.
When she sees you she tells the boys to calm down and moves over towards you and wraps you in a hug. "I see you've grown older since last I saw you. last I was here you would've been able to keep up with those boys, now they're leaving you behind." "Hey, you're no younger looking then I am, or are you ignoring the grey in your own hair?" She punches you in the arm at that, and the family goes into one of the more comfortable rooms to catch up on what's happened since she's been gone.
Ruxandra has returned for now.
---
[Lupo milestone: 67]
For the past few years Lupos been focusing not on the knightly warriors and their exploits against armies and monsters, but rather on the kings and dukes and the laws by which they rule. This has led to him becoming more and more focused on not just what is lawful, but what is just. If he's to inherit the title of duke of Romagna he needs to be just yet fair, to do things the right way unlike those murderous assassins. What he'd think of the templars and assassins, of your deals with the cento occhi or the assassin twins, you do not know, but soon you will need to tell him.
Lupo has gained Just. +2 stewardship, +1 learning,+1 diplomacy, -3 intrigue
---
Joana And Cesare must be quite happy now, as Ferdinand of Naples has passed. Their hated father and father in law is now gone from this world, and that means an end to their worries about his attempts to retake Spain. this has however led to the issue of inheritance in Naples. only two of his children, legitimate anyway, remain, Joana herself, though many nobles debate that as she separated her line from her fathers she is ineligible, and Catherine of Aragon, the wife of king Henry of England. these nobles truly don't wish for either choice, unwilling to become subjects to either power. some believe the prince of Sardinia is now the only one eligible for the inheritance, while others claim the Ferdinands bastard, Miguel Fernandez, should inherit the land as he's the kings oldest living son that hasn't taken up the cross, but that again brings up debate as Hes the son of the former princess of Granada, and these nobles refuse to let a Muslim rule over Naples. There are also calls for Ferdinand's grandson, Charles of Ghent, lord of the Netherlands, to take power. Overall, Naples has become a shit show.
---
With the annexation of Modena and Parma, all the cities and towns and land under your control is becoming just a bit much. You may wish to divide up the land a bit and place them under the control of some loyal governors.
---
you have 1950 florins, 2 regular armys, 2 fleets, and enough ships for trade
You have six actions, use them as you will
You may take up to two extra actions but each will subtract 10 from your rolls as you stretch yourself
Please make your vote in plan format
You have the sixth sense bonus and may have an advisor aid you or do a task on their own
Martial
[] The simplest way to expand is to take the land by force, send an army to try and conquer somewhere
-[] Where?
-[] What is your Casus Belli?
[] Have one of your armies train and try to improve
-[] which one?
[] Perhaps you could give the legionary eagle to one of your armies, it could do great things for morale
[] Spend some time to form another fleet of ships and train a crew to man them to protect or attack any naval foes
[] As Romagna expands you may need another army to defend it, start building one.
[] Perhaps you should look into mercenaries you could hire
[] Hire one of the mercenary groups you know of (300fl)
-[]Which one
[] With your current independence you may want to improve your defenses, send some men out to improve the forts
-[] north or south?
[] Write in
Stewardship
[] Give one of your stewards the funds to pursue their own projects
[]You can always make more trade deals(you will need more ships for oversea trade)
-[] 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)
[] you could encourage immigration somewhere
-[] where?
[] The docks are in good repair at least, perhaps you should purchase some ships to help with trade and defense (100 fl)
[] There's a whole new world out there, fund the company to form a new colony (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) (currently limited to three colonies)
-[] Where?
[] Write in
Diplomacy
[] Add new laws for the N.W.C. to follow in their colonization efforts
[] Louis soon to come of age, perhaps you could arrange a marriage for him?
[] Maybe you could look for an alliance, without marriage?
-[] Where?
[] The templars need new blood, maybe there's someone you could recruit?
-[] who?
[] 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
[] You now have two assassins, give them a target(50fl-200fl depending on the danger/Importance of the target)
[] You now have your own groups of thieves and spies, now what to use them for?
-[] Write in
[] Start spying in foreign land, blackmail or opportunities won't find themselves
-[] Where?
[] write in
Learning
[] Give your engineer resources and let them design what they please, perhaps making something of use (50fl)
[] Continue experimenting with the volley cannon, perhaps some new inspiration will strike?
[] Start experimenting with the steam engine
[] Have a prosthetic built for Georgios
[] Send the manuel of assassin techniques to Cesare, his crows may find it useful
[] try to find this prophecy chamber from Brutus journal
[] search for more pieces of Eden
[] Maybe you could make one of these hidden blades?
[] Try to track down this altair, he may have had a piece of eden
[] Investigate the ring of Solomon?
[] Investigate the writings of Solomon?
[] Write in
Personal
[] Try to befriend people in your court
-[] Who?
[] 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
[] Try to train a stat
-[] Which one?
