Gascony - page unfinished
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Gascony - page unfinished
Priority
Religion
Government
Dynasty
Play Style
P1
Catholic
Duchy
Armagnac
Arrogant and aggresive
Current relationships
Alliance with Catalonia *** and Sicily ***
Rivals with Gascony ***, Aragon ** and Dauphine **
Background
The history of Toulouse is so old that words like ancient and antique have to be used. From their roman period into the Visigoth kingdom followed into the kingdom of Aquitaine and as a leading figure in the First Crusade, Toulouse has a long and impactful history. But nothing has been as important for the current times of Toulouse, than the Albigensian Crusade. As the true faith spread across Southern France and into the Alpine region, the damned Catholics desired to see the Cathars as rivals, instead of the illuminators of God's true word. The Papacy didn’t see us for what we really are, those that truly understand the faith and the greedy and corrupt Catholic Church would rather fight to keep their riches, than to accept the truth.
In 1209, Pope “Innocent” III sought to completely destroy the Cathars in a crusade against the Catharian heartland - Toulouse. Together with the King of France, The Duke of Burgundy, Austria and several other Pope-pleasuring puppets, they invaded us. Foolish.
For 20 years the catholics threw in their knights and soldiers, even mercenaries to destroy us - but in vain. We won the war and several hundred of thousands of men died at our gates. The Crusade was lost 200 years ago. And what is the current situation? We still stand to this day, independent and true in the faith. The King of France is gone. The Duchy of Burgundy is torn apart in civil war and the cowardly Pope is hiding behind his high walls as the Catholic Church is crumbling across Europe. The future is open for Toulouse, we shall do whatever it takes to bring the true faith to the four corners of the world. And by whatever we know the language that has to be spoken - the language of swords and lances!
Special Rules
When playing as Gascony you just became an independant nation three years ago. It was magnificent when Jean V of Armagnac swept out the English. You are in a far better situation now, instead of a simple Count of a small province, you are now one of the most powerful French Duchies. As Gascony, you desire to become the King of France.
Rules for your region:
Like all other French cultures duchies, your goal is to 'become France' through the casus belli of retaking Paris and holding it. This will be difficult as there is lots of contestants and the task very hard.
You are not allowed to take provinces from other French duchies unless you have a core on their province. The French people are strong believers in titles and it would burn your reputation to the ground if you began to take uncored provinces and making you even more illegimate to become the King of France. There will be events and missions that grants cores here and there.
You are allowed to take other French duchies as vassals. If you are a player nation and becomes a vassal of another player, you must roleplay as loyal. Yes, you as the ruler might be ready for some independence wars, but your people and soldiers are not. However, it is strickly forbidden to integrate vassals - unless you have a mission that performs the integration.
Once a player has hold Paris long enough to become a potential King of France, he will be allowed to integrate vassals.
Rules specific for Gascony:
You should embrace the aggresive and insulting behaviour of Jean V of Armagnac. While you should not play stupid or mean in the multiplayer game, you should make sure everyone else knows exactly, not only why you should be the King of France, but also importantly - why they should not.
It burns your heart to see an English pretender hold Paris and even the kings crown. Like all other french duchies, you desire to become the 'King of France'. You will do whatever it takes to keep anyone away from becoming France, even if it requires you to help nations you have grudges with.
When the time reaches year 1600, you will be able to form Aquitaine, a unique formable for your nation. Through this, you will become immune to the subjucation of the 'King of France' and you will be a contestant for the regional power in the French region with your capital as its center - not Paris.
Current Relations
After your independence 200 years ago, you have been diplomatically isolated. Any Catholic that would negotiate with you would risk excommunication and embargo, so none of them dared. For almost a hundred years were you alone, but no one really had time or ressources to attack you, everyone was already full of their own problems. So, your former rulers decided to stay low and stabilize their nation. The reputation of your castles being a place where large crusades dies did indeed help the peaceful period.
In the year of 1302 the War of Sicilian Vespers ended. The mighty Kingdom of Aragon had conquered Sicily from the Kingdom of Naples in an ambitious move to extend their influence further into the Mediterranean. But they did not know that this would turn the tide.
The Reconquista in Iberia has been slow, and the Christians has been unable to throw out the Muslims. In the year of 1333, another war between the Christians and Muslims occurred. This time in the favor of the Muslims, as the Aragonese fleet was sunk just outside of Mallorca. With no ships to protect their islands, the Sicilians broke free, but by an unusual faction. The Jewish merchant family of Raffaelli allied themselves with Barbary pirates and Jewish families across the Mediterranean and seized their independence.
The Jews are a peculiar people, and unlike the Catholics, the Sicilians opened their harbors to Toulouse and began to establish good relations. Wealth began to spread into the Languedoc region through trade.
Things started to go well. The Republic of Genoa is also dominated by Jewish people, but while you have great relations with their nation, they dare not oppose the Catholic Holy Roman Empire and make official deals with Toulouse. Unlike Sicily that is protected by its large navy, Genoa is surrounded by potential enemies and has to step more careful.
In 1428 something important happened again. A royal marriage between the heir of Aragon, Prince Enrique and the beautiful Princess Catherine of Navarra was held in the Aragonese capital, Zaragoza in the palace of Aljaferia. Just a day into the celebrations, the Kings of Leon and Castile left urgently as rumors spread, that the Muslims in the south would break the truce and take advantage of the celebrating Catholics. After they left, a terrible fire spread across the palace, leading to large amounts of death in the noble lines of East Iberia. This led to civil war as a Valencian noble declared for independence.
At this time in the Aragonese conflict, you received an interesting letter from your friends in Palermo, Sicily. Apparently, the Jewish family Suasso in Barcelona was waiting for the perfect moment to strike and declare their independence from Aragon, just like the Sicilians did a hundred years ago. And for this to happen, they needed the army of Toulouse. In exchange, we would be granted the province of Rosellón and more gold than we had seen since our independence.
We accepted.
Alliances
Three stars alliance, they are your strongest ally since year 1333.
While the quality of their amy is not the best, their use of tactics, navy and influence makes up for it.
Sicily was attacked by Naples and the Papal States in 1351, they did not call any allies for aid and they defeated them singlehanded, by letting them invade Sicily, win the naval superiority and routing their armies into desertion one by one.
This young nation has proven themselves to be a serious Kingdom. You have mad respect for the ambitions of House Raffaelli.
Three stars alliance since 1428.
This alliance is fairly new, but the Jewish family of Suasso has been extremely kind to your nation.
You share the same trade in the Valencia node and their merchants has just begun to teach you how to make those ducats count.
This alliance also secures your southren border and the Catalonian army to aid you, which seems more relevant than ever as the French Kingdom just collapsed.
Rivals
You hate Gascony more than anything.
Their ruler, Jean V of Armagnac married his sister, which utterly disgusts you and now they are independent, aggressive and your neighbour.
This is a three star rival.
Aragon hates you for aiding Catalonia in their independence and they partially blames you for their current downfall. They would love to see your nation burn.
Two star rival.
You see them as weak and arrogant.
As soon as they become independent from the French tyrants, they quickly bend the knee to the Holy Roman Emperor, who even granted them an electorate. You are ashamed that your cultural brothers did this.
Two star rival.
Other relations:
You have great relations with Genoa, but they fear an open alliance would provoke their neighboors into gathering up against the you.
Galicia dislikes you for the religious differences and partly blames instabily on their pilgrims routes through France on you.
Traditions
+1 Land leader maneuver
+25% Garrison Size
1. Insult Artist
When France collapsed, the Count of Armagnac, Jean V was fast in seizing the English lands and unite them under the Duchy of Gascony. Jean was thirty years old when he married his ten years younger sister, Isabella of Navarre. For these sinful actions, Jean has heard more than enough of scornful insults, which he is a master of delivering back. He is not just an insult artist, his mastering of the words and hurtful insults has become a part of our nations identify. If you deal with Gascony, some well sown insults will be directed towards you.
+100% Power Projection from Insults
-100% Change Rival cost
2. Logistics turned towards warfare
Our region is famous for our great logistics on production, exporting and commerce. A major part of warfare is preparations and planning ahead, which showed its potential when we swiftly swooped across the English and took them by surprise. It will be an integral part of our warfare to focus on the logistical side and gain the upper hand.
+15 movement speed
-15% land maintenance modifier
3. The Lord of Wine
The Bordeaux region is not just a massive production of wine, nutritious and an integrated part of mans diet. The wine from here is the best in all the world. The Pope use it for mass, Emperors use it for their weddings and rich Jewish merchants use it to seduce their way into trade deals. The red wine of Bordeaux is beyond anything else.
+1 Prestige
+5 Monthly Splendor
4. With an iron fist
Our independence has been guaranteed through Jean Armagnacs example of swift and well planned warfare. But one thing is to plan for it, another thing is to do what it takes once our generals give the command. Some nations focus on high morale or discipline, we focus on planning well and once we punch – we do it with all our might.
+10% shock damage
+1 Infantry shock
5. Veterans of a Hundred Years
Our lands has been one of the centers of the Hundred Years War – which has ended but opened the gate for even more bloodshed. Our men has fought many battles and the next generations will as well. One could say it has become tradition for us to fight.
+0.5 yearly army tradition
-0.5 yearly army tradition decay
6. Gascon Beauty
Jean married his sister Isabella, considered to be one of Europe’s most beautiful women. She was initially betrothed to Henry VI of England, but Jean would have none of that. Our region is famous for being the place to find the most elegant and beautiful ladies. Of course we have weaponized this and groomed our courtiers to benefit ourselves in the process.
+1 Diplomatic relations
+1 Diplomatic reputation
7. Port of the Moon
The river Gironde runs through Bordeaux in the shape of a crescent moon, and its nickname has been around since the Romans. It is about time that the port will be used to its full potential. This port will be one global center of trade.
+20% Naval Force limit modifier
+20% Trade efficiency
Ambition +1 Artillery Fire