- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Plan: New Syndicates for Everyone
Legacy of The Tenth Crusade - A Divergences of Darkness Nation Quest [Finished]
- Thread starter Fission Battery
- Start date
- Alt. History
[X] Plan: New Syndicates for Everyone
- Location
- New York
What are the chances of a bloody Islamist military coup or civil war in the future if the Islamist paramilitaries and Islamist influence in the Egyptian military? I would like to avoid accidentally replicating the backstory of the Sordish Civil War from Suzerain. In the Suzerain backstory, the Republican movement led by Artor S. Wisci overthrew the Sordish monarchy with the support of the army and established the Republic of Sordland with himself as the first president. Far-right members of the Army who had previously supported Wisci began to feel the centrist Wisci was too friendly to the communists, so they overthrew President Wisci in a military coup, cancelled the planned elections, and massacred communists in the streets of the capital. This provoked the communists in the army and the general population to take up arms and Sordland collapsed into civil war.
The Islamists have no love for the far-left Marxist wing of the AENC and it is obvious that the center Ba'athist wing led by Hakim isn't too fond of the Islamists either. An Islamist military coup, even one with relatively little public support, would be very destabilizing for Egypt and possibly open the door to foreign intervention. On the other hand, avoiding picking the Islamist reserves option would mean picking options that would broaden the support base of the Islamists that could also be very dangerous in the long run as well. We have to pick our poisons and hope the ones we picked will not kill us.
The Islamists have no love for the far-left Marxist wing of the AENC and it is obvious that the center Ba'athist wing led by Hakim isn't too fond of the Islamists either. An Islamist military coup, even one with relatively little public support, would be very destabilizing for Egypt and possibly open the door to foreign intervention. On the other hand, avoiding picking the Islamist reserves option would mean picking options that would broaden the support base of the Islamists that could also be very dangerous in the long run as well. We have to pick our poisons and hope the ones we picked will not kill us.
- Location
- Fort Worth, TX
[X] Plan: All Power to the Centre
Cassiemouse
Market Atheist
I was thinking about this vote while lying down. We are choosing to make things union syndicates but also choosing to give the islamists a measure of power in these unions. That is bound to be pretty rough. I understand not wanting to go with farmers because that is our stronghold but I think maybe healthcare would be better than unions?
IamtooSleepy
I came here to be an ant
[X] Plan: New Syndicates for Everyone
Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Plan: New Syndicates for Everyone, but the Workers are ours!
Vote closed
Egypt, Spring 1918 - Italy Part 1
[] Plan: New Syndicates for Everyone
-[][AGR] Create the Agri-Worker Syndicate to control the industry
-[]TEX] Create the Textile-Worker Syndicate to control the industry
-[][MIL] Create the Labour Reserve Army to control the industry
-[][ISL] Islamist Unions
-[][ISL] Islamist Reservists
-[][AGR] Create the Agri-Worker Syndicate to control the industry
-[]TEX] Create the Textile-Worker Syndicate to control the industry
-[][MIL] Create the Labour Reserve Army to control the industry
-[][ISL] Islamist Unions
-[][ISL] Islamist Reservists
===
Egypt, Spring 1918 - Italy Part 1
===
The cool night air helped keep Marcato alert as he thought. In a short time the best course of action soon became clear to him. If the Islamists were to remain competitive with the other factions it had to build connections with the soon to be booming worker population. Egypt's new factories would require thousands of new workers to fill them. People with no ties to any existing group would be hired and there to greet them with open arms would be the Islamists. A comforting, familiar, and simple ideology to many compared to the complex theory of socialism. The explosive growth of industry would ensure plenty of opportunities to plant the seeds of discord among the workers.
While recognizing the paramilitary only made sense. It built on previous actions he'd taken and shored up a well established branch of the Islamists. They'd do good work funneling more people into their side. It meant more potential recruits for the officers to draw from. The Islamists in the military would appreciate the support of semi-loyal soldiers. Something that Marcato learned never hurt to have in his back pocket.
He placed the notepad back down beside him. The fireworks had long finished hours ago. The celebrating denizens of Alexandria had since returned to their homes in the early hours of the morning. Marcato had generously given them the day off. It was a pragmatic move meant to curry more favour with the people. He also knew most of his staff would be getting drunk during the night and sleeping off their hang over the next day. There was little point attempting to put a stop to it, and he knew better than to give an order that'd be ignored.
'That's one thing that Islam does right. It creates a sober society,' Marcato thought to himself. He arose from his chair and retreated from the balcony, notepad in his pocket, ready to retire for the night. In the morning plans would go into action, orders signed and money passed around to keep the Islamists in the fight for power. The gains made by the socialists would be undone in time and the party's unity shattered.
Marcato would make sure of it.
===
In the first weeks of the new year many things were in motion.
The Islamists celebrated the recognition of their paramilitary as an official reserve branch. Many considered it long overdue since the peasant militias received official recognition. They wasted no time in coordinating with friendly mosques to recruit thousands of young men who were registering for reserve service. They came from conservative backgrounds, knowing that the government had improved their lot in life, and the Islamists were quick to claim credit for helping to accomplish that task.
They were official members of the AENC after all. It wasn't a complete lie.
The Islamist Paramilitary would find itself flooded with state funding, access to heavy weapons, and training to go alongside it. Men that had enrolled in the officer program a year or two before now oversaw the paramilitary's training as they were brought up to standard. Their manpower pool increased greatly as well, though after the initial rush they found themselves competing with the Peasant Militias and Labour Reserve Army for reservists. The promise of training near your home or avoiding any potential fighting in the first place was a very appealing prospect to many.
Salaam was not concerned by that though. There was now a steady stream of money and men flowing into the Islamist Paramilitary. Many of its members could quit their jobs to become full time soldiers. The most experienced among them that hadn't gone off to the army would receive NCO and officer training as well. While Islamists comprised a small section of the army that number would grow bit after bit. The paradoxical situation of Islamists working with European imperialists was dismissed as a necessary evil to prevent dominion under other powers. Venice was weak and Italy a friend of Arabs. Why not use their own tools against them?
There were stumbling blocks when it came to the unions. Many within the faction lacked any experience with industrial work, but they made up for it with experience with propaganda and organizing. They found many people receptive to their message. Islam was not incompatible with modernity: you could live a religious life and enjoy electric lighting at the same time. Islam was anti-Western and anti-imperial: it had fought against European domination for centuries and continued to do so. Islam is the religion of the Arabs: it was founded by them and is their rightful heritage.
The Islamists also painted all Copts as collaborators and benefactors of imperialism. Copts were a small but significant part of the AENC and made up a significant minority of the party's working class supporters. A trend that came about from a combination of factors, one of which was favouritism from Venetian and Macedonian employers. That had helped keep them employed while their Muslim coworkers were fired. While they had continued to support the party in secret, many of the new workers were ignorant about that bit of history and it was those that the Islamists found the most fertile ground. Copts are stealing Arab jobs. Copts are imperialists. Copts are bourgeois. The few that knew an inkling of Marxists theory would compare them to masters in a guild and Arabs as the indebted apprentices who toiled under them.
It struck a chord with many. Socialists argued against it. The Marxists and Ba'athists working together would fight to recruit many of the new workers. They had the institutional strength, members, and experience in organizing workers, but that had the unfortunate effect of vindicating the Islamists. They felt locked out of power, blocked by entrenched Copt-aligned interests from taking their place in existing unions. Which is why the new ones would become ideological battle grounds.
The cabinet had decided to create new syndicates for each industry. They believed it would reduce competition between factories, encourage solidarity among workers, and serve as a large institution that'd back the party. The logic was that if an entire industry was under the control of a single all encompassing union then it stood a better chance against being dismantled. While Socialists would take prominent roles in the new syndicates, Islamists would rush to staff the institution so that it'd be loyal to them above the party.
It was met with mixed success. The Islamists decided to focus a lot of their attention on the Labour Reserve Army. They were unable to take control over the syndicate, given Khouri's interference in the military, but did find themselves with more income and equipment flowing into their coffers. The other new syndicates had vocal minorities of Islamist supporters, though nowhere near a majority. The most important part was it gave them a direct source of expertise.
Most importantly it helped normalize Islamism. The conservative minded workers, apolitical fence sitters, and centrists found themselves agreeing with many of their Islamist coworkers, even if they themselves didn't identify as an Islamist.
===
The Islamists weren't the only ones celebrating victory though. The Socialists of the AENC celebrated the beginning of Egypt's industrial revolution. The coming weeks and months would involve much fighting in the factory floor and makeshift union halls, but they did not back down from the challenge nor would they let it dampen their spirits.
German engineering and Comintern economic assistance made it cheaper than previously thought possible. Factory halls were assembled, machinery imported, domestically produced, and then put together by teams of foreign and native workers. It was messy, dirty, and exhausting work, but everyone involved worked with great enthusiasm. They knew they were literally building Egypt's future, bolt by bolt and rivet by rivet. Every project in Egypt suddenly became easier as assembly lines spooled up. Countless odds and ends no longer needed to be imported.
The first Egyptian built tractor rolled out of the factory shortly after Hakim left for Italy. Nadir attended the ceremony in the prime minister's place and gave a speech commemorating the accomplishment of the workers involved. He was thrilled to see it, fawning over it like a child would over a new toy and practically shaking with excitement when he got the chance to drive it around the lot in front of assembled party members and press. Left unsaid was that it was based on a German design. It used many of the same parts that their panzers did, meaning the tractor factory would quickly be swapped over into producing tank parts if necessary.
Ongoing Megaprojects: Completes 1 Season Sooner
Aswan Low Dam: Completes Fall 1920
North-South Line: Completes Fall 1919
Rural Plumbing: Completes Spring 1919
===
Marcato accompanied Hakim to Italy. The foreign minister had informed them that the king would not meet with Hakim without the governor present. It was an expected request, one which they'd made clear years prior, but it still stung nonetheless. The two heads of Egypt took great pains to avoid spending any time in each other's presence during the boat ride over to Rome.
That was until one night.
Hakim had spent an evening covering the political situation in Italy and Venice with Issa. Italy's role in defeating Aragon and Venice had won the kingdom many friends. The King had spent a great deal of treasure to capitalize on that to gain allies across North Africa and the Middle East. It was unclear if the process had brought much success yet or not, but many in the Arab League were cordial with Italy. The Arab kingdoms saw it as another potential patron to keep them afloat.
It also held a lot of Venetian debt. The kingdom had shown a degree of mercy towards Venice after Italian Unification, only imposing some reparation demands and military restrictions rather than completely annihilating the republic. The King would claim it was mercy towards fellow Italians who'd be led astray by outside influence. Others would say it was because Provence and its allies were already stretched thin fighting Aragon and feared that invading Venice would mean ceding more land to Hungary. Who's to say.
Many foreign observers figured it was a matter of time before Venice was annexed by Italy, especially if its financial situation did not improve. Something which seemed to become more dire with every passing year. Italy was also a member of the Entente and preparing to take France to reclaim the dynasty's old throne. Something of great concern for all in Europe…
They'd gone long into the night until Issa had to call it quits, too exhausted to continue on. He went to bed soon after, something which Hakim was unable to do himself. His mind was too wired, gears turning with nothing to latch onto and grind down on, leaving him restless.
While wandering on the deck of the ship, Hakim found his way to the private sun deck, sans sun, for officials and much to his displeasure had the misfortune of finding Marcato there, sitting in a lounge chair. He turned to leave without a word, but the governor's head turned and he knew he was spotted.
"Prime Minister Hakim, is there something that you need?" Marcato asked with polite disinterest. His sharp eyes bored Hakim, demanding to know why he'd be disturbed.
Hakim met them without flinching. The governor was used to intimidating people with his status and imposing attitude, neither of which had any affect on Hakim. He would make for a poor revolutionary if a glare could shake him. He bit back the urge to reply with 'You thrown overboard.'
"Fresh air to clear my head," Hakim dryly replied. "Italian politics has proved too much of a headache to deal with."
"On that we're in agreement," Marcato scoffed, sitting up in his chair, more alert than he was moments before. "It's a dreadful state. Italians are republicans by nature. It's in our blood and culture, stretching back to Rome. We've rejected hereditary rule for thousands of years. We formed beautiful city-states stretching across the peninsula. Venice the greatest of them all. It's no surprise then that the French would defile that proud heritage with their absolutism."
Hakim hid his surprise at the unprompted rant and hummed in response. He decided to needle the governor further. "I thought you Venetians weren't Italian. Why would you care what happens to the rest of the peninsula?"
"Are you Egyptians not also Arabs?!" he shot back. "Those wrenches in Toulon circle around us like vultures, threatening to upend over a thousand years of democracy! They're barbarians at the gates of Rome!" Marcato declared. His normally schooled features curled up in anger. "Venice is ruled by incompetent fools that surrounded themselves with backwards monarchies and look where it go them. Aragon destroyed itself in pointless wars and Macedonia has repaid kindness with a knife in our back. Betrayed, we've been left to die like Caesar on the Senate floor."
Silence hung in the air.
Venice was the greatest city in Italy that wasn't founded by the Romans, yet its long history as a republic caused it to draw a line from Rome to itself. It was a point of national pride to many that Venice still stood after a thousand years of independence. The eldest of all democracies in the world and it reached its apex right after the Tenth Crusade.
Hakim wasn't sure if he felt a smidge of respect for the governor. If nothing else, he had to admit the man had some principles. However that didn't change the fact that Marcato was an imperialist and for all his talk of democracy he had no problem denying it to Egyptians.
After several moments Hakim finally replied. "Your much vaunted Roman Republic fell to tyranny and became an empire. It destroyed itself in bloody petty civil wars until collapsing. You should be rejoicing that the French King of Italy appears to be following in its footsteps."
Marcato threw up a hand and scoffed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. Your people's Golden Age is long gone."
Hakim smiled in faux politeness, mocking intent barely concealed beneath the surface. "You forget yourself, Marcato, I am a historian. Your allusions do not impress me like they do your lackeys."
Marcato replied after a moment, adjusting the sleeves of his jacket. It was a gesture of control. "We should at least attempt to show a united front while in Italy. I don't see any negotiations going well if we spend the entire time arguing with each other."
"On that we're in agreement…" Hakim echoed Marcato's words before leaving the governor alone. The thought of trying to throw him overboard crossed his mind but was quickly dismissed. The sun deck had walls around it for privacy and he doubted he'd be able to get the governor over before help arrived.
'Shame. That would have made my evening.'
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
Never a day of rest for poor Hakim.
- Location
- barking
hahaha wait they serious let me laugh harder hahahaha they are about as anti imperialist as the christians are
True, but what they are winging on about is more Western Imperialism than Imperialism itself. Because I am somewhat sure that they wouldn't mind another caliphate ruling the Middle East North Africa Region if it was lead by them.
Fleurs de Merde
horde captain dipshit
Being anti-imperial and having godawful cultural policy are not mutually exclusive - the Algerian nationalities law, official Egyptian antisemitism, all the shit the Turks got up to around their war of independence.
Doesn't make this suck any less lol
Doesn't make this suck any less lol
- Location
- California
At least, we got some dams.
- Location
- New York
Random thoughts and questions.
Marcato might be a major thorn in Hakim's side and a serious potential danger to the AENC but having Marcato around may be preferable to a new Italian governor for Egypt if Italy annexes Venice and takes over the Venetian side of the Mandate. A new Italian governor would have the backing of a rising great power while the current governor Marcato merely has his wits and cunning to support his ploys.
We will have to be careful in our dealings with the Kingdom of Italy. Italy is an imperial power that might desire to become Egypt's new master either directly or bringing the more right-wing elements of the Arab League under the Italian sphere of influence. At the same time, Italy is no friend of the Christian League and has backed some of the AENC's allies out of realpolitik. We probably should keep Italy at arm's length but not completely snub them either. Let us try to avoid the cursed scenario that occasionally occurs in TNO when the United Arab Republic successfully forms only to be invaded by Italy which ends up putting most of the Middle East under Italian rule.
@Fission Battery Why are the monarchs of Bohemia still bent on restoring the Holy Roman Empire at this point in the 20th century in the quest timeline? In both standard Divergences of Darkness and the Fan Fork, Bohemia will abandon any attempt to restore the HRE after 1847 due to rising nationalism and the HRE's disunity discrediting the concept of the HRE either as the successor to the Roman Empire and a universal monarchy or as a de facto German state. In the Fan Fork, the monarch of Bohemia will officially dissolve the HRE in 1847 and declare Bohemia an Empire so he can continue being an Emperor if Bohemia has failed to centralize the HRE by 1847 similar to Francis declaring himself Emperor of Austria so he could continue being an Emperor and officially dissolving the HRE in 1806 in real life. I don't see how the idea of restoring the HRE would be appealing to the Bohemian people and elites at this point.
Why is a reactionary Bohemia and a liberal reformed Poland-Lithuania allies in the quest timeline? Why does Bohemia have no interest in pressing claims against Poland-Lithuania considering that DoD is full of royal dynasties trying to reclaim thrones lost centuries ago? In the Fan Fork, the Jagiellonian monarchs of Bohemia will invade a liberal reformist Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to try to crush the liberal movement and to restore the rule of the Jagiellonian dynasty over their ancestral homeland.
Marcato might be a major thorn in Hakim's side and a serious potential danger to the AENC but having Marcato around may be preferable to a new Italian governor for Egypt if Italy annexes Venice and takes over the Venetian side of the Mandate. A new Italian governor would have the backing of a rising great power while the current governor Marcato merely has his wits and cunning to support his ploys.
We will have to be careful in our dealings with the Kingdom of Italy. Italy is an imperial power that might desire to become Egypt's new master either directly or bringing the more right-wing elements of the Arab League under the Italian sphere of influence. At the same time, Italy is no friend of the Christian League and has backed some of the AENC's allies out of realpolitik. We probably should keep Italy at arm's length but not completely snub them either. Let us try to avoid the cursed scenario that occasionally occurs in TNO when the United Arab Republic successfully forms only to be invaded by Italy which ends up putting most of the Middle East under Italian rule.
@Fission Battery Why are the monarchs of Bohemia still bent on restoring the Holy Roman Empire at this point in the 20th century in the quest timeline? In both standard Divergences of Darkness and the Fan Fork, Bohemia will abandon any attempt to restore the HRE after 1847 due to rising nationalism and the HRE's disunity discrediting the concept of the HRE either as the successor to the Roman Empire and a universal monarchy or as a de facto German state. In the Fan Fork, the monarch of Bohemia will officially dissolve the HRE in 1847 and declare Bohemia an Empire so he can continue being an Emperor if Bohemia has failed to centralize the HRE by 1847 similar to Francis declaring himself Emperor of Austria so he could continue being an Emperor and officially dissolving the HRE in 1806 in real life. I don't see how the idea of restoring the HRE would be appealing to the Bohemian people and elites at this point.
Why is a reactionary Bohemia and a liberal reformed Poland-Lithuania allies in the quest timeline? Why does Bohemia have no interest in pressing claims against Poland-Lithuania considering that DoD is full of royal dynasties trying to reclaim thrones lost centuries ago? In the Fan Fork, the Jagiellonian monarchs of Bohemia will invade a liberal reformist Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to try to crush the liberal movement and to restore the rule of the Jagiellonian dynasty over their ancestral homeland.
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The current king of Bohemia is a bit like Wilhelm II. He's a belligerent reactionary riding high off institutional, though with a bit more cunning insofar as he doesn't offend every single ally and has been in power for something like 50 years or so. I'm also running with the idea that it wasn't dissolved in Bohemia, so legally it and Saxony are the only remaining members, united under the Bohemian King. Restoring Bohemian control over Germany is a major goal of his because he feels he was denied his birthright. He got to see the Second German Revolution birth Danubian Confederation, then the Third German Revolution under his rule see Bohemia lose Brandenburg. During both times Bohemians lost a lot of wealth and land. Germany seized foreign held property, broke up noble estates, collectivized farms, etc. The specter of German nationalism in Saxony and Northern Silesian haunts Bohemia, especially the ruling and industrial class.
So the Bohemian King has maintained a decades long policy of containment against Germany. It's a rogue state, no trade, refuse to recognize it, sanction it, and doing everything sort of way to destroy it. Scandinavia and Burgundy broadly agreed with this stance since they had similar policies too, up until the recent diplomatic turn Burgundy is taking. The Bohemian King is thus attempting to sell himself and his country as a force that could defang revolutionaries in Germany and bring it back under control. Germany's ties with communists have convinced a few that perhaps Bohemia should be put back in charge of Germany. If nothing else, quite a few powers still recognize its claim on Brandenburg as legitimate and its secession from the kingdom as illegal.
As for Poland-Lithuania, I wasn't aware Bohemia invaded in the fan fork. That's a cool detail. It didn't happen here though because the monarchy was dissolved shortly after WW1 in the 1890s. Bohemia wasn't in any position to attack Poland, who was in better shape than it was after the war. President Ludomir didn't seize Bohemian corporate assets and wanted to maintain ties with Bohemia, so not wanting to spur a possible ally the Bohemian King recognized the republic as legitimate. He was fearful that not doing so would possibly push Poland into allying with Germany and he didn't want to be surrounded by a republican alliance.
I hope that answers the questions. As always I love the insightful comments and questions about the world. It gives information and lets me talk about it more.
Italy, Spring 1918 - Italy Part 2
===
Italy, Spring 1918 - Italy Part 2
===
Gain +1 Budget Farmer Syndicate
Current Government Budget: 0
The Egyptian ship arrived in Italy, pulling into Rome. The bustling metropolis had been made the new capital of Italy in recent years, shifting the royal court from Toulon. The decision was a pragmatic one. Toulon sat too close to the border with the USR and the royal family did not want to risk getting the entire government captured or killed in the event of war. Rome was well equipped to handle the influx of officials and civil servants, taking it in stride as Italian ministries got adjusted to the change.
Hakim, Marcato, and their diplomatic retinue was greeted by the foreign minister, Alessa Donati. Marcato was addressed first before Hakim was, and when driven through the streets of Rome it was Marcato that got to sit with the minister while Hakim did not. There was no pomp or ceremony for their visit. They received a police escort as would be expected for a foreign head of state, but their arrival was not announced or celebrated. It was pure business.
"You have a worrying amount of socialists in your government," Donati bluntly told Marcato during their car ride. There was a divider between them and the driver, giving them a degree of privacy. "It's a concern to His Majesty that Egypt may join the Comintern. You understand that we have a great interest in preventing that from happening."
"The Copts were uncooperative," Marcato retorted, giving Dontai a level stare. He did not appreciate the presumptuous familiarity that the minister spoke to him. "I had to make do."
"We understand your predicament, Governor. That's why we wish to help…" Donati explained that Italy had been funding Islamists in Maghreb for years and was building ties with Arab monarchies on the peninsula. Italy needed a friendly or at least neutral Egypt in order to avoid being trapped inside the Mediterranean by the Comintern. It'd be willing to help Marcato maintain power in exchange for certain concessions. It was trying to make similar overtures to the rest of the Christian League…
"Aragon's a lost cause," Donati said. "We've tried rapprochement with them to contain Iberia, but they have no interest in salvaging their empire. They'd rather drag us down with them. Levant is similarly hostile. They're training and funding Sicilian paristans. We hope that the other members of the Christian League will be more reasonable in recognizing the threat we all face."
Marcato hid his amusement at Italy's own predicament. The great power whose empire is under threat of being snuffed out after existing for less than a decade. "I'm interested in what aid you can provide, though I can't promise anything. I can only speak for Egypt, no more."
"We have a specific favour in mind. We believe Sicilians are using Egyptian ports to smuggle arms in and out of your country to avoid sanctions on Levant." Donati reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a small notepad. He flipped it open to a list of names, all suspects with ties to partisans. "We'll base a cadre of police officers and a naval squadron in Alexandria to crack down on them." He glanced up to look at Marcato.
"You require my approval to do that."
Dontati nodded.
"In exchange for-"
"Funds, arms, and a naval squadron in Alexandria."
Marcato hummed, leaning back against the car seat to think it over. It didn't hurt to have a patron in his back pocket to secure power, even if it galled him that it was the French King of Italy supporting him. However the words of Machivalli came to mind, "do not invite a great power into your own affairs." The political theorist warned against it when speaking of Provencal interference in North Italian politics. They were words which the modern Italian states did not heed when they turned to Provence to protect them from Aragon aggression and republican revolutionaries.
'Because now they're all under the thumb of a French King,' Marcato thought to himself. It was a fate that he feared he would meet should he defer to them.
[ ][ITA] Accept. Marcato overcomes his distaste to accept their aid. Italians will station a police force and naval squadron in Alexandria. Egypt will help crack down on Sicilian smuggling operations. Islamists receiving more funding and military equipment.
[ ][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
===
"They're talking," Hakim muttered to Issa in Arabic, so their driver wouldn't understand them.
The Italian driver shot Hakim a look of annoyance as the Egyptian leaned forward, sticking his head between the front seats. Hakim was peering through the front windscreen of the car to try to see into the vehicle Marcato and Donati were in. There was little he could make out through the rear windscreen, only that they were talking and plans were evidently being made.
"We expected them too. There's nothing we can do about it. God willing, the damage done won't be too bad," Issa replied, shaking his head.
Hakim returned to his seat. "Marcato hates the Provencals almost as much as he does the Macedonians, perhaps more so. His pride should be making short work of any private negotiations."
"We can only hope."
===
They arrived at a state building for receiving diplomats, where Donati led Marcato and Hakim to a private meeting room. They all waited there for a short time, before a servant entered and announced the arrival of the Italian King, King Luigi XXI of House Valois. The name Louis had been slowly Italianized over time, which Louis publicly embraced when he took the name Luigi upon claiming the Italian throne.
King Luigi was a doughy man, thick and plump like an overripe fruit. He was draped in the finest silks and embroidered clothing money could buy, chest weighed down by medals awarded to celebrate his empire's various conquests and gold thread lined his suit jacket. Fat bulged out from around the rings on his fingers, choking blood flow around the meaty sausage like appendages. It wasn't even his full regalia, merely his official formal wear for state meetings.
Donati bowed at the king, indeed all the servants bowed at the entrance of the king. King Luigi looked expectantly at the two foreigners, smiling at them while spreading his hands. Marcato held his back rigid, head high, looking down at Luigi. He refused to bow. Hakim merely dipped his head, expecting far less leniency than the governor when it came to disregarding formalities.
The King's smile became strained, eyes narrowing at Marcato. The glare was returned, Marcato looking at the man like he was trash in his path. Luigi forwent the pleasantries and launched into a greeting, welcoming them to Italy, wishing them much success on state business, and thanking them for the shipment of grain. It wasn't a conversation, so much as him talking at them for a short period of time
"You know, Rome and Egypt were once closely tied together. They were our breadbaskets and fed our army of millions, and we in turn graciously protected and guided them with our greatness," King Luigi rambled on, stroking his graying mustache. "I trust that our races can once again live in harmony under the imperial eagle."
Hakim bit back a retort. "We only desire good, neighbourly relations, and hope that Italy does too."
Luigi paused, looked at Hakim with a stupefied stare, before laughing. "I didn't realize you spoke French! I thought you were his servant! You're doing a good job, Governor, if they're learning civilized languages." He looked back to Hakim. "You speak it well!"
'And I thought we were meeting with the king, not a hot air balloon.'
"Thank you, your Majesty, I learned it in Oxford, before the revolution, back when the rightful rulers still sat in Paris," Hakim graciously replied, dipping his head at the king.
"Those were better days, indeed," Marcato chimed in. "When the old order of Europe kept the peace. They stopped these dangerous upstarts from disrupting the balance of power."
The king glared at the two, before clapping his hands and looking at a nearby clock. "Well, I've got very important business to attend to, so I'll leave you in Minister Donati's capable hands." He left the room without further comment.
Donati was unimpressed with their remarks, deciding business was done for the day. He order the servants to show the Egyptians to the hotel they were staying at and excused himself to handle other business.
===
Marcato received a phone call in his hotel room. It was Cardono, his old political acquaintance. The Venetian had been staying in Rome when he heard about the Egyptian delegation's arrival and that Marcato was with them. He brought bad news.
"The entire season's worth of crops was wiped out! The plantations went bankrupt! We've lost everything on this," his voice yelled through the ear piece.
A combination of bad tropical storms, overintense farming, and a new form of banana destroying fungus had effectively wiped out the economy of the Bahamas. It'd spread to new plantations Venice had tried to set up in Africa too, strangling the enterprise in the crib entirely. Infrastructure on the islands was destroyed, villages were left in disarray, and neither Arcadian or Burgundian banks would cover the insurance payout. Venice's hopes of remaining solvent through cash crops had been a disaster.
Marcato's grip on the phone tightened with every passing sentence. The situation in Venice was grim. Its remaining colonial operations were unable to cover the losses. It couldn't afford to cover the costs of staying open, especially with confidence in Venice's currency collapsing. Investors were pulling out of the country, people were withdrawing their money, selling stocks as fast as they could, and nearly caused a run on the banks.
Worst of all, was that no one was willing to loan Venice any more money. Italy owned most of its debt and was already floating the possibility of alternative ways of handling the situation. The writing was on the wall. Venice would go bankrupt within a couple years and likely join Italy to avoid collapsing.
"Unless you take a loan out in Egypt's name and give it to us," Cardono pleaded, sounding hopeful. "It's about the only thing that we can think of to remain independent. I know you are a fellow patriot and true republican, Francesco Marcato. We can not let Venice become a footnote in history."
Marcato almost agreed to it at once. "And if I can't?" he slowly replied, barely able to bring himself to say those words.
"Then we are all Italians," Cardono solemnly said. "You shouldn't have any problem finding a lender though. Everyone wants a piece of Egypt."
"Yes, everyone does…" Marcato almost robotically replied. His heart was beating hard in his chest, a subtle pain slowly creeping into it as sweat rolled down his head and his hands felt clammy. He tried to think his way through the problem.
Egypt could survive the loan, but its budget would be heavily restricted afterwards. All that money would be flowing out of the country rather than into it, putting Egypt in a tight financial situation. In exchange, Venice would remain independent. It wouldn't prosper like it could before but Marcato could buy it breathing room to fend off the sharks circling around it.
However it'd make his situation in Egypt more difficult. It couldn't spend as freely as it did before. It could take on more debt for domestic spending but it'd risk causing a situation. If he didn't it'd mean Egypt could invest more into itself, but also that Italy would become its new joint-overlord. Marcato would become a patsy of Rome in securing a new territory for them.
He didn't fancy the idea of taking orders from Donati or Luigi. However it meant they'd back him against the AENC. There was also the possibility of them causing a confrontation with Macedonia over former Venetian land, however Marcato didn't hold his breath on that happening. Donati wanted less enemies.
"Hello? Marcato, are you there?" Cardono's voice came through the speaker.
Marcato lifted the phone back up and gave his answer…
[ ][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
[ ][MON] Don't Give Venice Money: Marcato will sacrifice Venice and Italy will come for Egypt.
===
In Alexandria, Lorenzo Lazaro sat in the back of a dimly lit Sicilian restaurant in the European quarter. Cigarette between his lips, he inhaled warm ash and blew out smoke. He was polite enough to blow it to the side and not in the face of the rotund man that sat across from him in the booth. Lorenzo had been contacted by a secretive group wishing to speak with the governor, an impossibility given Marcato had left on a diplomatic trip. Never one to shy away from the prospect of danger and mystery, Lorenzo instead offered to appear on his boss's behalf, which the group had accepted.
Much to Lorenzo's amusement, said group was the Mafia. The criminal organization turned freedom fighters that had ties to Levant. Anthony, no last name given, was an important man in the group and the one that'd arranged the meeting between them. He was a large older man, graying hair slicked back by grease and sweat, suit jacket clinging to him in the heat.
"I appreciate you coming here and hope that this will be a productive meeting," Anthony said, gesturing towards Lorenzo.
Lorenzo tapped his cigarette over the ashtray. "That depends on the purpose of this meeting," he said with a cocky grin. "Your letters were short on details."
"You understand that secrecy is the highest priority. We are not well liked by the fine people of Egypt, a feeling which I am sure you understand very well. We require the governor's assistance in liberating our homeland," Anthony explained, resting his hands on his chest. "A tall order I know, but not in how you are imaging it."
Lorenzo motioned with his cigarette for Anthony to continue. He raised it back up to his lips and inhaled.
"I'm sure you've no doubt heard about our ties to Levant. I am sorry to say that they are true." Anthony turned his palms upwards and shallowly shrugged, nonplussed by it. "King Asumdo provides us with the arms and training necessary to run an insurgency in Sicily. Unfortunately we've had disagreements with him. He wants Aragon to return, while we'd prefer an independent Sicily."
"That's all well and good, but where do we come into it?" Lorenzo coyly asked, his smile growing wider. He could feel where the conversation was turning. He already knew the answer.
"Were we to receive patronage from another source we would be willing to provide information on Levant in exchange, hypothetically of course," Anthony, tilted his head to one side and shrugged again. The barest of plausible deniability performed for its own sake. "In addition we'd require you to look the other way to our operations."
Lorenzo could hazard a guess as to what that entailed and didn't care. He'd want a cut of whatever profits were made. "Well that's a hell of a situation you've got, Anthony. Is this good information on Levant? I don't need to know the colour of the king's underwear."
"I assure you, it's worth it." Anthony rested his thick arms onto the table and leaned forward. "Anyone can see you're preparing for a war. It's not hard to guess who you're coming after. We can provide you with depot locations, troop numbers, battle plans, and more."
"And if I walk out of here right now without saying yes?" Lorenzo ground out his cigarette nub in the ashtray. He lifted his jacket, flashing his revolver, and reached in, resting his hand on his package of cigarettes beside the gun.
"There's no need for threats, Mister Lazaro," Anthony calmly replied and motioned for Lorenzo to ease up. "You walk out and you never see me again. This restaurant will be empty before you return. All of us long gone." Several other customers in the restaurant reached into their jackets, revealing their guns without drawing them.
Hand still in his pocket, Lorenzo replied, "I see, in that case…"
[ ][MAF] You've got a deal: Mafia will reveal information on Levant in exchange for receiving training and funding from Marcato. Gain Sicilian Partisans. They can act as paramilitary muscle. If taken with agreeing to help Italy hunt down the Mafia, Marcato's government will subtly throw off the investigation so nothing comes of it.
[ ][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
===
Please vote by plan.
Italy, Spring 1918 - Italy Part 2
===
Gain +1 Budget Farmer Syndicate
Current Government Budget: 0
The Egyptian ship arrived in Italy, pulling into Rome. The bustling metropolis had been made the new capital of Italy in recent years, shifting the royal court from Toulon. The decision was a pragmatic one. Toulon sat too close to the border with the USR and the royal family did not want to risk getting the entire government captured or killed in the event of war. Rome was well equipped to handle the influx of officials and civil servants, taking it in stride as Italian ministries got adjusted to the change.
Hakim, Marcato, and their diplomatic retinue was greeted by the foreign minister, Alessa Donati. Marcato was addressed first before Hakim was, and when driven through the streets of Rome it was Marcato that got to sit with the minister while Hakim did not. There was no pomp or ceremony for their visit. They received a police escort as would be expected for a foreign head of state, but their arrival was not announced or celebrated. It was pure business.
"You have a worrying amount of socialists in your government," Donati bluntly told Marcato during their car ride. There was a divider between them and the driver, giving them a degree of privacy. "It's a concern to His Majesty that Egypt may join the Comintern. You understand that we have a great interest in preventing that from happening."
"The Copts were uncooperative," Marcato retorted, giving Dontai a level stare. He did not appreciate the presumptuous familiarity that the minister spoke to him. "I had to make do."
"We understand your predicament, Governor. That's why we wish to help…" Donati explained that Italy had been funding Islamists in Maghreb for years and was building ties with Arab monarchies on the peninsula. Italy needed a friendly or at least neutral Egypt in order to avoid being trapped inside the Mediterranean by the Comintern. It'd be willing to help Marcato maintain power in exchange for certain concessions. It was trying to make similar overtures to the rest of the Christian League…
"Aragon's a lost cause," Donati said. "We've tried rapprochement with them to contain Iberia, but they have no interest in salvaging their empire. They'd rather drag us down with them. Levant is similarly hostile. They're training and funding Sicilian paristans. We hope that the other members of the Christian League will be more reasonable in recognizing the threat we all face."
Marcato hid his amusement at Italy's own predicament. The great power whose empire is under threat of being snuffed out after existing for less than a decade. "I'm interested in what aid you can provide, though I can't promise anything. I can only speak for Egypt, no more."
"We have a specific favour in mind. We believe Sicilians are using Egyptian ports to smuggle arms in and out of your country to avoid sanctions on Levant." Donati reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a small notepad. He flipped it open to a list of names, all suspects with ties to partisans. "We'll base a cadre of police officers and a naval squadron in Alexandria to crack down on them." He glanced up to look at Marcato.
"You require my approval to do that."
Dontati nodded.
"In exchange for-"
"Funds, arms, and a naval squadron in Alexandria."
Marcato hummed, leaning back against the car seat to think it over. It didn't hurt to have a patron in his back pocket to secure power, even if it galled him that it was the French King of Italy supporting him. However the words of Machivalli came to mind, "do not invite a great power into your own affairs." The political theorist warned against it when speaking of Provencal interference in North Italian politics. They were words which the modern Italian states did not heed when they turned to Provence to protect them from Aragon aggression and republican revolutionaries.
'Because now they're all under the thumb of a French King,' Marcato thought to himself. It was a fate that he feared he would meet should he defer to them.
[ ][ITA] Accept. Marcato overcomes his distaste to accept their aid. Italians will station a police force and naval squadron in Alexandria. Egypt will help crack down on Sicilian smuggling operations. Islamists receiving more funding and military equipment.
[ ][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
===
"They're talking," Hakim muttered to Issa in Arabic, so their driver wouldn't understand them.
The Italian driver shot Hakim a look of annoyance as the Egyptian leaned forward, sticking his head between the front seats. Hakim was peering through the front windscreen of the car to try to see into the vehicle Marcato and Donati were in. There was little he could make out through the rear windscreen, only that they were talking and plans were evidently being made.
"We expected them too. There's nothing we can do about it. God willing, the damage done won't be too bad," Issa replied, shaking his head.
Hakim returned to his seat. "Marcato hates the Provencals almost as much as he does the Macedonians, perhaps more so. His pride should be making short work of any private negotiations."
"We can only hope."
===
They arrived at a state building for receiving diplomats, where Donati led Marcato and Hakim to a private meeting room. They all waited there for a short time, before a servant entered and announced the arrival of the Italian King, King Luigi XXI of House Valois. The name Louis had been slowly Italianized over time, which Louis publicly embraced when he took the name Luigi upon claiming the Italian throne.
King Luigi was a doughy man, thick and plump like an overripe fruit. He was draped in the finest silks and embroidered clothing money could buy, chest weighed down by medals awarded to celebrate his empire's various conquests and gold thread lined his suit jacket. Fat bulged out from around the rings on his fingers, choking blood flow around the meaty sausage like appendages. It wasn't even his full regalia, merely his official formal wear for state meetings.
Donati bowed at the king, indeed all the servants bowed at the entrance of the king. King Luigi looked expectantly at the two foreigners, smiling at them while spreading his hands. Marcato held his back rigid, head high, looking down at Luigi. He refused to bow. Hakim merely dipped his head, expecting far less leniency than the governor when it came to disregarding formalities.
The King's smile became strained, eyes narrowing at Marcato. The glare was returned, Marcato looking at the man like he was trash in his path. Luigi forwent the pleasantries and launched into a greeting, welcoming them to Italy, wishing them much success on state business, and thanking them for the shipment of grain. It wasn't a conversation, so much as him talking at them for a short period of time
"You know, Rome and Egypt were once closely tied together. They were our breadbaskets and fed our army of millions, and we in turn graciously protected and guided them with our greatness," King Luigi rambled on, stroking his graying mustache. "I trust that our races can once again live in harmony under the imperial eagle."
Hakim bit back a retort. "We only desire good, neighbourly relations, and hope that Italy does too."
Luigi paused, looked at Hakim with a stupefied stare, before laughing. "I didn't realize you spoke French! I thought you were his servant! You're doing a good job, Governor, if they're learning civilized languages." He looked back to Hakim. "You speak it well!"
'And I thought we were meeting with the king, not a hot air balloon.'
"Thank you, your Majesty, I learned it in Oxford, before the revolution, back when the rightful rulers still sat in Paris," Hakim graciously replied, dipping his head at the king.
"Those were better days, indeed," Marcato chimed in. "When the old order of Europe kept the peace. They stopped these dangerous upstarts from disrupting the balance of power."
The king glared at the two, before clapping his hands and looking at a nearby clock. "Well, I've got very important business to attend to, so I'll leave you in Minister Donati's capable hands." He left the room without further comment.
Donati was unimpressed with their remarks, deciding business was done for the day. He order the servants to show the Egyptians to the hotel they were staying at and excused himself to handle other business.
===
Marcato received a phone call in his hotel room. It was Cardono, his old political acquaintance. The Venetian had been staying in Rome when he heard about the Egyptian delegation's arrival and that Marcato was with them. He brought bad news.
"The entire season's worth of crops was wiped out! The plantations went bankrupt! We've lost everything on this," his voice yelled through the ear piece.
A combination of bad tropical storms, overintense farming, and a new form of banana destroying fungus had effectively wiped out the economy of the Bahamas. It'd spread to new plantations Venice had tried to set up in Africa too, strangling the enterprise in the crib entirely. Infrastructure on the islands was destroyed, villages were left in disarray, and neither Arcadian or Burgundian banks would cover the insurance payout. Venice's hopes of remaining solvent through cash crops had been a disaster.
Marcato's grip on the phone tightened with every passing sentence. The situation in Venice was grim. Its remaining colonial operations were unable to cover the losses. It couldn't afford to cover the costs of staying open, especially with confidence in Venice's currency collapsing. Investors were pulling out of the country, people were withdrawing their money, selling stocks as fast as they could, and nearly caused a run on the banks.
Worst of all, was that no one was willing to loan Venice any more money. Italy owned most of its debt and was already floating the possibility of alternative ways of handling the situation. The writing was on the wall. Venice would go bankrupt within a couple years and likely join Italy to avoid collapsing.
"Unless you take a loan out in Egypt's name and give it to us," Cardono pleaded, sounding hopeful. "It's about the only thing that we can think of to remain independent. I know you are a fellow patriot and true republican, Francesco Marcato. We can not let Venice become a footnote in history."
Marcato almost agreed to it at once. "And if I can't?" he slowly replied, barely able to bring himself to say those words.
"Then we are all Italians," Cardono solemnly said. "You shouldn't have any problem finding a lender though. Everyone wants a piece of Egypt."
"Yes, everyone does…" Marcato almost robotically replied. His heart was beating hard in his chest, a subtle pain slowly creeping into it as sweat rolled down his head and his hands felt clammy. He tried to think his way through the problem.
Egypt could survive the loan, but its budget would be heavily restricted afterwards. All that money would be flowing out of the country rather than into it, putting Egypt in a tight financial situation. In exchange, Venice would remain independent. It wouldn't prosper like it could before but Marcato could buy it breathing room to fend off the sharks circling around it.
However it'd make his situation in Egypt more difficult. It couldn't spend as freely as it did before. It could take on more debt for domestic spending but it'd risk causing a situation. If he didn't it'd mean Egypt could invest more into itself, but also that Italy would become its new joint-overlord. Marcato would become a patsy of Rome in securing a new territory for them.
He didn't fancy the idea of taking orders from Donati or Luigi. However it meant they'd back him against the AENC. There was also the possibility of them causing a confrontation with Macedonia over former Venetian land, however Marcato didn't hold his breath on that happening. Donati wanted less enemies.
"Hello? Marcato, are you there?" Cardono's voice came through the speaker.
Marcato lifted the phone back up and gave his answer…
[ ][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
[ ][MON] Don't Give Venice Money: Marcato will sacrifice Venice and Italy will come for Egypt.
===
In Alexandria, Lorenzo Lazaro sat in the back of a dimly lit Sicilian restaurant in the European quarter. Cigarette between his lips, he inhaled warm ash and blew out smoke. He was polite enough to blow it to the side and not in the face of the rotund man that sat across from him in the booth. Lorenzo had been contacted by a secretive group wishing to speak with the governor, an impossibility given Marcato had left on a diplomatic trip. Never one to shy away from the prospect of danger and mystery, Lorenzo instead offered to appear on his boss's behalf, which the group had accepted.
Much to Lorenzo's amusement, said group was the Mafia. The criminal organization turned freedom fighters that had ties to Levant. Anthony, no last name given, was an important man in the group and the one that'd arranged the meeting between them. He was a large older man, graying hair slicked back by grease and sweat, suit jacket clinging to him in the heat.
"I appreciate you coming here and hope that this will be a productive meeting," Anthony said, gesturing towards Lorenzo.
Lorenzo tapped his cigarette over the ashtray. "That depends on the purpose of this meeting," he said with a cocky grin. "Your letters were short on details."
"You understand that secrecy is the highest priority. We are not well liked by the fine people of Egypt, a feeling which I am sure you understand very well. We require the governor's assistance in liberating our homeland," Anthony explained, resting his hands on his chest. "A tall order I know, but not in how you are imaging it."
Lorenzo motioned with his cigarette for Anthony to continue. He raised it back up to his lips and inhaled.
"I'm sure you've no doubt heard about our ties to Levant. I am sorry to say that they are true." Anthony turned his palms upwards and shallowly shrugged, nonplussed by it. "King Asumdo provides us with the arms and training necessary to run an insurgency in Sicily. Unfortunately we've had disagreements with him. He wants Aragon to return, while we'd prefer an independent Sicily."
"That's all well and good, but where do we come into it?" Lorenzo coyly asked, his smile growing wider. He could feel where the conversation was turning. He already knew the answer.
"Were we to receive patronage from another source we would be willing to provide information on Levant in exchange, hypothetically of course," Anthony, tilted his head to one side and shrugged again. The barest of plausible deniability performed for its own sake. "In addition we'd require you to look the other way to our operations."
Lorenzo could hazard a guess as to what that entailed and didn't care. He'd want a cut of whatever profits were made. "Well that's a hell of a situation you've got, Anthony. Is this good information on Levant? I don't need to know the colour of the king's underwear."
"I assure you, it's worth it." Anthony rested his thick arms onto the table and leaned forward. "Anyone can see you're preparing for a war. It's not hard to guess who you're coming after. We can provide you with depot locations, troop numbers, battle plans, and more."
"And if I walk out of here right now without saying yes?" Lorenzo ground out his cigarette nub in the ashtray. He lifted his jacket, flashing his revolver, and reached in, resting his hand on his package of cigarettes beside the gun.
"There's no need for threats, Mister Lazaro," Anthony calmly replied and motioned for Lorenzo to ease up. "You walk out and you never see me again. This restaurant will be empty before you return. All of us long gone." Several other customers in the restaurant reached into their jackets, revealing their guns without drawing them.
Hand still in his pocket, Lorenzo replied, "I see, in that case…"
[ ][MAF] You've got a deal: Mafia will reveal information on Levant in exchange for receiving training and funding from Marcato. Gain Sicilian Partisans. They can act as paramilitary muscle. If taken with agreeing to help Italy hunt down the Mafia, Marcato's government will subtly throw off the investigation so nothing comes of it.
[ ][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
===
Please vote by plan.
Cassiemouse
Market Atheist
[X] Plan: Marcato takes out a mortgage on Egypt
-[X][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
-[X][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
-[X][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
I think these are the best choices available to us. We manage to keep the peace with Italy for a while longer, keep Venice independent so Marcato has an escape route if things go south for him so that he doesn't have to fight to the death and he basically takes out a mortgage on Egypt which will make him very unpopular at home. The -4 budget hurts us in the short run but I think in the long run it's the best deal.
-[X][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
-[X][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
-[X][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
I think these are the best choices available to us. We manage to keep the peace with Italy for a while longer, keep Venice independent so Marcato has an escape route if things go south for him so that he doesn't have to fight to the death and he basically takes out a mortgage on Egypt which will make him very unpopular at home. The -4 budget hurts us in the short run but I think in the long run it's the best deal.
always_confused
Perpetually unwanted
- Location
- SEA
[X] Plan: Marcato takes out a mortgage on Egypt
-[X][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
-[X][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
-[X][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
This feels in-character for Marcato.
-[X][ITA] Refuse. Marcato will not make his destiny dependent on the French King of Italy. Egypt will be his without their aid. The diplomatic trip will continue only as a ceremonial sham. There's nothing else that can be accomplished.
-[X][MON] Give Venice Money: Costs 4 Budget. Government Budget becomes -4.
-[X][MAF] Go fuck yourself: refuse the deal. Lorenzo may or may not kill some people on his way out.
This feels in-character for Marcato.
- Location
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Plan: Marcato takes out a mortgage on Egypt
MordredRaal
Agitating
- Pronouns
- She/They
[X] Plan: Marcato takes out a mortgage on Egypt
- Location
- Somewhere in the area
- Pronouns
- He/She/They
[X] Plan: Marcato takes out a mortgage on Egypt
Just as we got the budget into the black too. Guess we're not going to be increasing the budget for the Education Ministry huh.
Just as we got the budget into the black too. Guess we're not going to be increasing the budget for the Education Ministry huh.