Book 4 Chapter 4: As the World Falls Apart Some More
-[X]Meanwhile with the Pope: Oh… He's here, and at least he isn't… oh by all that is crazy, he's come to make demands!? DC: 50/??? Reward: You see the pope. Rolled:
D100 + 30 => 73
"We need your army." The Pope, Leo X stated as he sat across from you. "To crush the Heathan King that has declared himself head of a new church."
At almost impossible insanity at the request, you laughed. You laughed and almost buckled to fall to the floor in laughter. "I'm sorry, you must think you have control over me, your Holiness. You are asking for something impossible to ask of me? And what do I gain from following you, to fighting for St.Peters church which has for centuries been extorting the members of the Lay people and the desperate for salvation."
"And yet you would stand by as Christendom burns!" He protested. "Are you a soldier of god that you were in your youth or a coward!"
"I think it is quite clear you are in a position that requires my help. Why not go to Spain? To Germany of Poland?" You asked. "Go to a place where your authority may still matter."
"Because without the greatest navy on earth… it will be all for naught!" He replied.
And so he reveals what he wants. "You want my navy to keep you safe?"
"Without the Italian Navy, any threat made can be acted upon. With the Italian Navy… no threat can be acted upon." He said.
You looked to the pope and frowned. "To think you are still in Rome because of Macheveli. I will think of this."
"If you do not accept, I will excommunicate you." He said.
You blinked once, before shaking your head. "And then I will make your successor reconcile me, at gunpoint. Do not assume you have the all-power authority of God on earth. Do not make threats when you have done nothing to stop the evil in this world."
"And what evil is that?" He asked.
"The evil that my navy is stamping upon and destroying with every day. The Evil of the Barbery corsairs that are but a memory. The Ottoman captains that flee to the sight of the Italian Flag… and of course the slave trade that should have been destroyed centuries ago, where our brothers in the faith are stolen away and enslaved." You said.
"That is evil. And it is the only evil."
Reward: You learn of the Pope's request and give him the beatdown for allowing such evil to continue and even encourage.
Meanwhile, your government is considering it.
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-[X]Niccolo: You look at your son and held him tight. DC: 0 Reward: Fluff. Rolled:
D100 => 75+30=105
You looked at the little one and rocked him slowly as you looked at Isabella. "You know I don't get the royals who don't spend time with their children, and be affectionate. It's rather strange to isolate them with strangers."
"It's standard practice, the state requires such unflinching devotion from its sovereign." She replied as she sat at the desk, reading several letters.
"But I am not the only sovereign in my nation, at least it's only absolute authority." You said as Niccolo squirmed and hugged you and you returned the embrace with a soft squeeze. "Such as, it gives me time to actually enjoy such moments you never had."
She looked away. "It's nice." She whispered as she turned to face you. "It's nice to be able to do this."
"I know." You replied with a smile. "Want to hold him?"
She took hold of Niccolo and rocked him, and he cooed and cawed at him. "I think he's hungry."
"No he's happy." You replied before she could pull him away to summon a wet nurse. "It's okay."
And Isabella held him in her arms, and she was happy.
Reward: Fluff.
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-[X]Simple Matters: Isabella came to your room with a stack of papers and your son. "We have to deal with something that we cannot wait on." DC: 40 Reward: Oh no, dynastic politics! Rolled:
D100 => 97+30=127+
D100 => 59+30=89
-[X]The Imperial… OH FUCK!: The Emperor is dead. And the Imperial Diat is trying to elect a new one before war breaks out. DC: 0 Reward: You see what the hell happens in the HRE. Rolled:
D100 => 82+30=112
Isabella was trying her best to not panic. "Please don't panic." You whispered as you watched her pace around the room.
"I will panic when I want to." She replied. "This is bad. Very bad."
"Yes the Emperor is dead and I really don't care about it."
"They want to hold elections in the Diat and summon the electors for a new emperor." She said.
"Once again, I know. You can stop pacing and come back to bed, and we can deal with it tomorrow morning." You replied.
"But the problem is, they want you to be there, they want the King of Italy there to act as a force for the Papal Loyalists." She said. "Because my brother wants to adopt you."
You frowned. "I'm not giving up my name to become a Hapsburg."
"Well that's the problem, they want you to be one so that in the eyes of the law, you can be a supporter of the Emperor. My brother." She said.
"Yes, I will support him, but that is not the point. He wants me to give up my name for his power." You said. "And you want me to?"
She paused as she thought. "That's politics."
"Well it's not what I want, and the Diet will try to make a push, and none of the electors can win without someone breaking rank." YOu replied. "It wont be as chaotic, so come to bed."
Reward: At the moment, no one can become Emperor with the electors separated and at war.
Meanwhile, the Hapsbugs want to adopt you just so that they can use Italy as a bargaining chip.
You refuse that.
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-[X]Aftermath: Isabella was quite happy. "You know, despite the assassination attempt, and giving birth in your dirty forge. I can safely say that I had a remarkably simple birth. DC: 0 Reward: You and Isabella have some pillow talk. Rolled:
D100 => 33+30=63
But a few nights later, you and Isabella were sleeping together and she couldn't sleep. "You know, despite the assassination attempt, and giving birth in your dirty forge. I can safely say that I had a remarkably simple birth."
"My forge is not dirty?" You protested. "I clean it every day."
"You leave guns and powder around."
"Well, that is true. But hey, you were safe there."
"I was." She blushed. "It's quite sinful to think about the things I want to do to you there."
"Well, we can make it less sinful." You smiled.
"Oh stop it you." She then stopped. "Are you afraid?"
"Yes, but I can think of something and build it to do that. I always do."
Reward: You reassure Isabella and then remind her that you can build something.
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-[X]The New Nobility: You want to meet the new courtiers. AKA the people you know will be wishing to be parasites to the state. DC: 30 Reward: You talk to the new courtiers. Rolled:
D100 => 28+30=59
To say that your courtiers were different was to put it mildly.
Most of them were landowners in Rome, and the surrounding countryside in Ferrara, and they have been remarkably kind to you.
You had suspected that they were all soldiers, but instead you were just men who loved books and inventing just as you had.
And they were able to spend much of their time in their own workshops to build things.
And they hoped to meet you as well.
Reward: Your courtiers are just as industrious as you are. and enjoy inventing things.
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-[X]Innovate or Die
--[X] Steampowered Transport Carriages and Tracks: The Creation of the Steam Engine brings forth a great potential towards the potential of the future. The possibilities of a wagonless transportation device is what interests you. You spend time producing a Horseless Steampowered Form of transportation that can carry materials and people to different places..of course with its tracks. Rolled:
D100 + 85 => 164
D100 + 85 => 104
D100 + 85 => 185 | natural 100: 1
D100 + 85 => 103
D100 + 85 => 125
D100 + 85 => 124
D100 + 85 => 127
D100 + 85 => 111
D100 + 85 => 97
D100 + 85 => 181
D100 + 85 => 111
D100 + 85 => 97
D100 + 85 => 181
D100 + 85 => 87
All you did was have to make a steam engine and power through the world and build a contraction to carry tens of thousands of pieces of equipment, through mountains and plains and the coastline.
Simple enough.
And you did. Who knew that putting you mind to it would see presentations?
It would take years to build it, but the plan worked. A simple steam locomotive and track, from a station to Capua, and Naples was possible, and cheap even, to get more men and materials down south…
But the carriage wheels needed to remain the same size. Repairs to the engine, places to repair them, and train.
But the North would be neglected… and you needed the North better than ever before war came. The Fortress lines are not done yet.
It was all to much for you… but you had the ideas there.
Reward: You have invented a steam train and carriages for it, but are lacking in… everything to make it happen, even if you wanted to build it. It would take years… and you did not have time.
You need help making this a reality.
New Action available.
AN: Enjoy.
