Conclave: 1492

The year is 1492, and with the death of Pope Innocent VIII, the call of sede vacante rings out in Rome. 8 years after it last assembled, the College of Cardinals has been summoned to Rome yet again to select the next Holy Father. Yet, this is a selection unlike any other, as Spain and France clash in the newly-built Sistine Chapel over control of the Holy See. The Roman barons and princes, proud of their heritage and station, seek to gain influence and power above all else; while the city states of Milan, Florence, and others position themselves in the fight between Charles VII of France and Ferdinand of Spain. The sin of simony haunts this sacred conclave, with corruption and talk of reformation lurking in the shadows of the Vatican.

Players will take the role of Cardinals in this pivotal moment in the history of the Church, and will be forced to make, and break, alliances, blackmail allies, and bribe their way to the throne of Saint Peter. But do they? Some seek reform, others seek power. Through negotiation, faith, and most importantly, Machivellian cunning, this conclave shall shape the future of the Church.

As the doors of the Sistine Chapel shut on this Conclave for the first time in Church history, the cry of extra omnes rings out in the Vatican, and all outside influence ceases. As Botticelli's frescoes stare down on the College of Cardinals, the words of Matthew 16 ring through the halls of the the Sancta Capella,

"And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven."

MECHANICS

In Conclave: 1492, players will play as Cardinals from major families and factions within the church. Players will command resources, gold, favors, assets, and secrets, to steer the election of 1492 in their preferred direction. Here is the first part of the application players will make for this game.

When drafting your Cardinal, you will make a public application, and a private aspect of your application. Here is what a full character sheet will look like, and we will go through both parts in this OP.

SAMPLE CHARACTER SHEET (Rodrigo Borgia)
Public Info:
Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia
Faction and House: Spanish / House Borgia
Visible Trait: Charming & Rich
Voting Power: 1

Private Info:
Trait: Simoniac (gets 2 extra gold per round)
Resources: 10 Gold, 2 Blackmail materials
Secret Objective: Be elected Pope or ensure Ascanio Sforza is made Vice-Chancellor

Here is the public application, to start with. This is what all players must submit.

Public Application:

Cardinal [Insert Name Here]
Faction/House (if applicable):
Visible Trait: Choose ONE
Voting Power: 1
Biography:

FACTIONS (each player has one)

Note on historical characters: Only Rordrigo Borgia, Giuliano della Rovere, Ascanio Sforza, and Francesco Pioccolini, and Raffaele Riario have to have players to start the game. I am willing to give players leeway in creating their own Cardinals when there are sufficient gaps in the historical record.

Factions will be the rough groups of alignment in the game that define your character's ideology. However, factions in this conclave are fluid, with Cardinals being prone to bribes and blackmail to form majorities. Each faction will have a set amount of players, and I will ask players to clearly indicate which faction they belong to in their applications. New factions can arise throughout the game, these are only meant to start as guidelines and a starting point for players to feud from.

Spoiler: Faction Summaries

Spanish Faction (7 Players)
Leader: Cardinal Rodrigo Borja
Members: Spanish cardinals, Cardinal Sforza and other bribed Italian Cardinals
Goals: Bribery, ambition, and aggression characterize the Spanish faction. They seek to secure the Bishopric of Rome for Rodrigo Borja, all while advancing the wishes of the Crown of Spain. They often clash with the French and Italian Cardinals of the Curia.

French Faction (6 Players)
Leader: Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere
Members: French-aligned Italian Cardinals, Savoyard Cardinals, some non-aligned reformist Cardinals
Goals: The French Faction seeks to either elect Cardinal della Rovere or another aligned Cardinal to the Papacy, undermining Spanish influence and securing the Holy See for Charles VIII. The French are known for their skills in diplomacy, seeking to build a broad anti-Spanish front in the Conclave.

Milanese and Orsini Faction (4 Players)

Cardinals have traits, which will impact resources (seen below), but can also harm Cardinals as they jostle for power and influence in the Conclave. Each player has one visible trait, which all players will know about, and one hidden trait, which only the GM and the Cardinal is aware of, to simulate the duplicity of Papal Conclaves and Cardinals. The traits listed are not exhaustive, I welcome unique traits that players come up with, and I am happy to work with folks to develop these.

Traits (Non-exhaustive)

Spoiler: Trait List

Master of Lies: Once per game, change your private vote after seeing others
Charming and Rich: You are charismatic and wealthy, giving you deep pockets at the beginning of the Conclave.
Zealous: Must never vote for a Cardinal known for corruption.
Simoniac: Gets one extra gold each round.
Ambitious Nephew: Can attempt to become Pope or get a family member into power.
Blackmailer: Starts with one blackmail token
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: You appear loyal to any single player of your choice; if that player is within one vote of victory, you can secretly switch your vote without penalty.
Cold-Hearted Pragmatist: You ignore one scandal or blackmail attempt against you per game.
Gilded Patron: At the start of each round, gain 2 gold coins instead of 1 as your wealthy patron family funds you lavishly.
Networker: Once per game, you may rearrange two other players' secret objectives (swap them), sowing chaos in loyalties.
Backstabber: If you betray an explicit deal (break a promise revealed in public), gain 3 blackmail tokens.
Shrewd Tax Master: Each time you collect gold, you gain +1 extra gold (you skim discreetly from Church revenues).
Then, once accepted, players will send me a private DM listing their secret info, which will be privy to only the player and the GM via SV DM. They will select a secret objective from either the list below, or they will contact me via discord DM to figure out a personalized secret objective.
Polyglot: May read one intercepted faction message per round.
Ascetic: Immune to bribery attempts and material temptations.
Canonist: May challenge one voting procedure per game to void a ballot.
Charismatic Preacher: Gains an extra vote every third round due to popular acclaim.
Archivist: Once per game, may ask for secret voting history of one cardinal.
Devout Pilgrim: Immune to slander and reputation-based attacks.
Scholar of Prophecy: Once per game, predict a winner. If correct, gain their endorsement automatically.
Trusted Confessor: May learn one secret trait of a player during conclave.

Once players are accepted, I will ask them to send me their private info, which will be the secret subplots and traits that propel your Cardinal, for better or worse. Players will select one trait from the above list, and one objective from the below list. Then, they will PM me their choices, and once I accept that, they will officially be welcomed into the College of Cardinals.

Private Info:
Secret Trait: Choose ONE from the above list, or create one. Must be a sketchy one.
Secret Objective: [Determined by player, subject to change based on GM interpretation of secret objective.]

SECRET OBJECTIVES (each player gets one)

Standard Objectives

Be Elected Pope.
Ensure Cardinal X is Elected (could be for your patron or ally).
Prevent Cardinal Y from Winning (vengeance, rivalry).
Control the Curia: Get appointed to at least 2 major positions (e.g. Vice-Chancellor, Treasurer).
Ensure the election of an elderly pope: The elected pope must be over 65 years old.
Prevent any cardinal with military background from being elected: No cardinal with a military trait may become pope.

Difficult Objectives

Expose the Corruption of the Conclave: Leak scandals and prevent any candidate from winning in 3 rounds.
Advance Your Family: Become Pope or get a papal appointment for your nephew/child.
French Agent: Ensure a pro-French cardinal wins (or the anti-Spanish candidate loses).
Spiritual Reformer: Expose 2 simoniacs and push a reformer to the papacy.
Secret Pagan: Sabotage the election and escape the conclave without being exposed (one player max).
Accumulate three or more curial offices by the end of the conclave: You must hold at least three distinct Curial titles.
Cause a minimum of two conclave rounds to end in stalemate: Ensure at least two voting rounds result in no candidate reaching the required majority.
Secure the papal endorsement for a foreign power: The elected pope must openly declare favor for either France or Spain during their first address.

Resource Types

Gold
Secrets/Blackmail Tokens
Assets

Once we have our Cardinals, of which there were 27 in 1492 (only 23 attended the Conclave historically, but I am adding the extra four for player room and for fun. Sue me), players will begin the rounds of voting and negotiation that are typical of Papal conclaves. At the beginning of the conclave, players will be PM'd their character sheet, including their resources, which will be regularly updated throughout the duration of the game.

The game proceeds in Voting Rounds, each followed by Negotiation:

Public Vote: Everyone publicly declares their vote (and can lie or bluff).
Private Vote: Players PM/DM the GM their real vote over Sufficient Velocity.

In negotiation rounds, players can:

• Trade votes
• Promise (or lie about) favors
• Accuse others of simony or heresy (publicly or secretly)
• Leak secrets
• Forge alliances (or break them)

Following voting, there will be either two results.

Majority Wins: A player becomes pope if they get over 2/3rds of total votes.

OR

No Majority: A new round begins. Bribes, threats, and deals continue.

Following Fumata Nera (no majority), players will enter into a round of negotiations, before another round of voting begins. Repeat ad infinitum until we can say habemus papam.

Following Fumata Bianca (majority), the new Pope will privately message me his new name, and will appoint Cardinals to the Curia. Once that is complete, the game will end with the new Pope leading a homily in the Sistine Chapel and a final update to the game, detailing the duration of the new Pope's term.

IC-ONLY CHARACTERS OUTSIDE THE CONCLAVE

I want to give some players the ability to play outside of the conclave, if only to make high-quality (or not) IC posts that will add to the story of the Conclave, which it is above all. Please fill out the below application if you wish to play as a non-Cardinal character.

Name: Include any relevant titles or aliases.
Age: Plausible for the character's background and role.
Origin: City, region, or kingdom of origin (e.g., Venice, Castile, Corsica, the Papal States).
Social Standing: Peasant, noble, mercenary, merchant, monastic, etc.
Role within or near the Conclave: E.g., cook, valet to a cardinal, Swiss Guard, Roman noble observer, scribe, errant friar, papal physician, or secret courier.
Public Manner: What others see or assume: loyal, invisible, officious, charming, slow-witted, etc.
Connections to Named Cardinals (if any): Describe known service, kinship, loyalty, or vendetta toward any cardinal.
Role Intentions: Briefly describe how you want this character to function: disruptor, confessor, informant, comic relief, conscience, etc.

GAME RULES

Follow SV rules. Don't use the setting as an excuse to be offensive.
Be excellent to each other.
Don't be ahistorical.

DISCORD

GSRPG Server - #holy-see

Faction/House: French
Visible Trait: The Favorite of Kings (At the start of each round, gain 3 gold coins instead of 1 as King Charles VIII and King Ferrante back their candidate)
Voting Power: 1
Biography: Born to an impoverished noble family in the town of Albisola near Savona, in the Republic of Genoa, Giuliano was educated by his uncle, Fr. Francesco della Rovere O.F.M., among the Franciscan friars. After his uncle had become Minister-General of the Franciscans, Giuliano was sent to a Franciscan friary in Perugia to study sciences and theology. Giuliano's star rose further when his uncle Francesco was elected as Pope Sixtus IV in 1471. That year Giuliano was appointed Bishop of Carpentras in the Comtat Venaissin, the Papal lands about the city of Avignon. He was immediately raised to the rank of Cardinal in December of 1471, becoming a cardinal-nephew.

Giuliano became a trusted servant of Pope Sixtus IV, leading an army through northern Italy as a Papal Legate in 1474. In 1475, Pope Sixtus IV made for the first time a consolidated Archdiocese of Avignon, and appointed Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere as its first Archbishop. After serving for a year as Camerlengo of the College of Cardinals in 1479, Cardinal Giuliano was dispatched as Papal Legate to France on a diplomatic mission. He secured peace between King Louis XI and Archduke Maximillian of Austria, 300,000 ecus of gold from the French King for war against the Turks, and the release from French custody of Cardinal Jean Balue.

Under Pope Innocent VIII, Cardinal della Rovere became the Pope's principal adviser and managed his involvement in the affairs of the Kingdom of Naples. The effort to overthrow the Aragonese monarchy and place Naples under feudal submission to the Papal State was thwarted and the papacy of Innocent VIII was discredited.

However, Cardinal Guiliano della Rovere has come back from the infamy of the Neapolitan affair. He is supported by King Charles VIII of France and King Ferrante of Naples, for he is the great rival of the Spanish Cardinal Borja. Cardinal della Rovere is a canny politician, a commander of armies, and an excellent diplomat. His faith may be sincere but his theology is simple and given little thought.

Faction/House: Reformist
Visible Trait: Devout Pilgrim
Voting Power: 1
Biography: Born in 1426 from a cadet branch of the House of Savoy, Vittorio's childhood was marked by the turbulent period of rival papacies, most notably the Council of Basel that elevated his own kin as antipope. By the age of fourteen, his third cousin was elected as a rival to Pope Eugene IV in response to the excommunication of those involved with the Council of Basel. Inspired by the scholastic support of the antipope Felix V, Vittorio pursued a life of ecclesiastic studies, delving deep into theology, law, and philosophy, and touring the Holy Roman Empire alongside the legates of his cousin in their attempts to sway the Emperor's support. While the attempts ultimately failed, and Felix V submitted himself to Pope Nicholas V, that decade from 1440 to 1449 had seen him enter the Catholic Church.

While he did not retain the bishopric granted to him by the now Cardinal Amadeus, Vittorio took the opportunity to travel once more. Organising multiple pilgrimages across the Holy Roman Empire and the Italian peninsula, he sought to better understand the causes for the growing criticism that had been made apparent by the Western Schism, and how the Church could approach and reaffirm its holy mission. Comparatively, he spoke with fervour in support of the defence of Christianity in the face of the Ottoman threat, something that saw his restoration to the bishopric of Turin under Pope Callixtus III.

A firm supporter of combatting poverty and the spiritual hopelessness that he perceived as a failing of the Church, Vittorio has spent his years since his elevation funding the local charities and travelling his city and the towns of his diocese, inspired as he was by his own travels to share the word of God with the populace. Yet while he may be beloved by the people, it is not the same with the monks, who he has openly criticised amongst his peers for withdrawing from the world rather than doing their part to bring it forward.

In a similar vein, he made few friends amongst his peers, for while he had been a firm supporter of Puis II, he had lacked the political backing to ascend further, and his veiled contempt of Paul II's policies as Pope prevented any further rise until Sixtus IV rose to the head of the church. In 1476, Vittorio d'Aosta was finally elevated to the rank of cardinal at age 50. And yet his elevation, which Vittorio saw as a vindication of his views, only enhanced his distraught at the Holy See. Sixtus' nepotism, sale of offices, and focus on intra-Christian warfare rather than facing the Turkish threat made him withdraw from the politics of Rome and instead on fulfilling his duties, most notably as a Papal Legate in organising efforts for future wars against the Turks or as an emissary to the Spanish Inquisition. Innocent VIII's election and reign brought further distaste compared to his more worldly mission, such as the ongoing construction of a cathedral in Turin.

Having been practically absent from the great political circles, Cardinal Vittorio has few allies, but no strings bind him and his own personal reputation is untarnished. He supports the Iberians in their martial pursuits, yet criticises their taking and trading of Christian slaves. He is tied to the French due to his family obligations, yet finds their growing focus in Italian affairs worrisome. The wars over Northern Italy have soured him to most of the participants, and prays that their efforts could be turned towards the threat in the Eastern Mediterranean. And yet, for all his distaste of the politics of the Roman families, he knows that their influence is sadly prevalent throughout the Curia.

At the age of 66, he knows he may not live much longer, but he shall strive to make sure at least the next Pope shall address the corruption of the Church, straighten the path set by St Peter, and seek to rally Christendom against the Turks.

Can I make Janus Lascaris a Cardinal? Would be fun to play a Byzantine exile.

ByzantineCaesar said:

Can I make Janus Lascaris a Cardinal? Would be fun to play a Byzantine exile.

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Sorry, but a little too far outside the realm of historicity for me. You're free to play as a Cardinal who is aligned with, or allied with Lascaris however.

Faction/House: Roman Noble Families
Visible Trait: Shrewd Tax Master
Voting Power: 1
Biography: Born in Venice in the Year of our Lord 1450 Anno Domini, Pietro was a member of the minor Foscari noble house
WIP

Faction/House: Milanese/Orsini
Visible Trait: Gilded Patron
Voting Power: 1
All Cardinals will start with a base voting power of 1, which will change over the course of the game.
Biography: Dobroslavo was born into the Sorgo family in 1424, an influential Ragusan patrician family of mixed Albanian-Croatian ancestry. His name derives from the progenitor of the house, Dobroslavo. As is typical of the Ragusan patricians, he would also have Slavicized name: Dobroslav Sorkocevic. As the third son of the family's patriarch, he would be pushed towards an ecclesiastical career from an early age. He would be afforded a true Renaissance education, being taught Latin and Greek in addition to Italian (the language of the aristocracy) and Croatian (language of the commoners).

He would join the Order of Saint Francis, joining their monastery on a remote Dalmatian island controlled by Ragusa. On account of his heritage and family's power, he would quickly rise to a position of prominence within the Ragusan branch of the order. Although he was rather liberal in regards to their vow of poverty, he would be competent enough with his positions of authority over his brothers.

In 1456, at age 32, Dobroslavo was appointed Bishop of Ston in the Ragusan hinterlands, largely from the pushing (and simony) of his influential father. At Ston, Dobroslavo was a rather secular bishop, using his position to advance the interests of his family politically. He would be often absent from his diocese to focus on aristocratic politics in the city.

In 1470, Dobroslavo would be promoted to the Archbishop of Ragusa upon the death of its incumbent, once again aided by simony to Pope Paul II. His position as Archbishop would cement him as one of the more influential people in Ragusan politics, using his position as Archbishop as a base of power. With the backing of the power Sorgo family and his own personal power, Dobroslavo would be consistency elected to high office in the Republic over the next two decades. Already having a seat on the aristocratic and legislative Major Council as a patrician, he would variously gain positions on the executive Minor Council, the Senate and even the highly prestigous yet largely ceremonial position Rector (or head of state) on numerous occasions.

During the reign of Sixtus IV, Dobroslavo would be named cardinal, having impressed (and perhaps bribed) the pontiff on a mission to Rome as representative of Ragusa. In the 1484 conclave, he would support Cardinal Cybo due to bribes and for his support of the status. For the current conclave, he is rather aloof from factionalism in the curia. The concerns of Spain or France or the petty Italian states are of little note to Cardinal on the other side of the Adriatic. This neutrality to foreign affairs is what draws him currently to the Milanese faction, although little tethers him to the cause of Ascanio Sforza.

Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia
Faction: Borgia
Visible Trait: Charming and Rich
Voting Power: 1
Biography: Bishop of Urgell, philanderer, and nepotist - but a holy man. Rodrigo's candidacy is openly supported by the Spanish Crown.

DanMan said:

Cardinal-Archbishop of Ragusa

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Wow, my first idea when I saw this game was "Ooo, a cardinal for Ragusa would be cool". Wild that there were two people with the same idea

Faction/House: WIP

Visible Trait: Charming and Rich
Voting Power: 1
Biography: Appointed to the College of Cardinals already at 16 years of age, by his maternal grand-uncle Sixtus IV, Cardinal Riario has spent his entire adult life as part of the papal administration. Since 1477 (the year he became cardinal), he has served as the administrator of several dioceses, currently he is the administrator of the dioceses of Osma and Salamanca and archdiocese of Pisa. He has also served in several diplomatic roles, first as papal legate to Perugia in 1478, Hungary in 1480 and Marca Amconitana 1480-81. His most important role however is that of Camerlengo of the Holy Catholic Church, a position he's held since 1483.

On a more personal level, he is a famed patron of the arts, being the person that brought Michelangelo to Rome. His personal palace is a centre of art in the papal states and a herald of the coming High Reneissance.

Politically the man is quite neutral. Not interested enough in theological affairs to fall into the reformist camp, but without a stake in the geopolitical situation driving him into either the French or Spanish camp. His only firm political position seems to be an opposition to the Orsini family of Rome and a milder, if still notable, dislike for the Medici of Florence.
(Wikipedia page for further reading: Cardinal Riario)

All who applied are accepted, feel free to PM me your secret information at your leisure. Still looking for more Cardinals, for those interested!