Reims - unfinished page
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Reims - unfinished page
Priority
Religion
Government
Dynasty
Play Style
P2
Catholic
Duchy
Clerical State
Devout and diplomatic Catholic
Seeks revenge against England
Current relationships
Alliance with Berry and Orleans.
Rivals with England and Burgundy
Background
It was you, Regnault de Chartes, that in 1429 during the Hundred Year's War anoited and crowned dauphin Charles king of France in Reims Cathedral, upholding the Valois dynasty's claim to the French Throne against the English claim of King Henry VI of England.
You were sure that ceremony would go down in history as one of Frances most legendary coronations, with Joan of Arc holding a banner of the Madonna and the most beautiful choir to bless the King.
At this time you were a cardinal, archbishop of Reims and peer of France as Archbishop-Duke of Reims. After the coronation you were appointed as chancellor of France under Charles VII. The following years were good and Charles almost threw out King Henry of all of Francia - until King Henry died.
The year is 1441 and twenty year old, King Henry VI of England dies under suspicious circumstances exactly 10 years after he is crowned King of France in Paris. England is without an heir and Richard of York, a direct male desendant of Edward III's line, takes the crown before anyone else even questions it. Stationed in Normandy as its military commander he surprises everyone by leading an assault on Paris. Taken by surprise, Charles VII of France is unable to defend Paris and surrenders. Everyone would expect another treaty to be negotiated and the Hundred Year's War would continue, but Richard III executes the 'pretender'. A massacre of french nobles followed in a bloodbath that shocked all of Europe. Paris is a burning ruin, the House of Valois is shattered and the Hundred Year's War has ended. Richard of York is now the King of England and France.
This results in the complete collapse of the Kingdom of France as it was ruled by the Valois. All their lands are shattered into small independent nations all in complete shock of the devastating news.
But lots of things has changed during the last three years.
Jean VI of Armagnac was swift to take the English lands and declare his independence under the Duchy of Gascony.
Dauphine has sought the protection of the Holy Roman Emperor.
Burgundy has shattered into a civil war between Hussites and Catholics.
Berry and Orleans are weak duchies that both found some Valois relative to rule them, both claming to be the rightful rulers of France and both too weak to challenge England, so they are fighting inbetween themselves.
Foix is weak and isolated between the Duchies of Gascony and Toulouse - one of them will seize it.
Special Rules
When playing as Reims you are a firm believer in the Cathar faith. Your ancestors died by the hundred of thousands in the Albigensian Crusade to defend your lands and grant the long desired freedom from the tyrannical and opressive King of France. Now with French King dead and England desires to sheep you into the fold, this must not happen - the only way to stop another tyrant from controlling Toulosue, is to become the King of France yourself!
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 Toulouse:
You are not allowed to change religion unless your religious unity is below 20%. If you are able to change religion through an event or mission, you can do so.
You are allied with the Jews unless they become a direct threat to your interests or stops funding you.
You have no desire to see another '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 Occitania, 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
King René I of Naples is a loyal friend.
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
Burgundy carries a large portion of the responsibility for the collapse of France. Constantly changing sides from the House of Valois to the English, whenever it fits them. This resulted in them growing so powerful that they were able to rival even the Emperor.
Most of your distrust comes from the execution of Joan of Arc and the turncloak behaviour of their rulers. Well, now they are torn into a fraction of their former power and still struggling under civil war between Hussites and Catholics.
Should the Catholics win and show proper behaviour, your attitude towards them could change too.
This is a one star rival.
This section does not require more elaboration. The sins of Richard of York is beyond anything seen in our times.
This rivalry is unbreakable until someone else gains Paris and England loses their current status of King of France.
Three star rivalry.
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
+5 Yearly papal influence
+1 yearly prestige
1. Construction workers
The Champagne area is in the heartland of France with sturdy infrastructure, large cities and attractively, the many workers that constructed most of the buildings for the former French king lives in our cities. This will benefit us tremendously and save us tons of gold over time. A second bonus to this, is that our men knows every corner of almost all French castles and cities, this will help us reconquer them.
-20% construction cost
+20% siege ability
2. Offertory
Our cities are covered in some of the world’s largest and most beautiful churches and cathedrals. With the large number of merchants and travelers passing through our trade cities, there is always full room during mass and their donations go directly to the Archbishop-Duke's pocket.
+20% National Tax Modifier
3. Thirst for revenge
As Charles VII got murdered by the vile English, lots of refugees from Paris ran east into our lands for protection. Not only do they thirst for revenge against the atrocities of Richard of York, but they desire their homes back – no matter the cost!
+20% Morale of armies
-100% war taxes cost
4. Unbreakable
Our devotion to Christ and the reconquest of our rightful lands has sprout a spirit and hope within us. The usual struggles of daily life or petty rivalries within our lands seems to have surpassed for a greater purpose.
-20% stability cost modifier
5. Molded by faith
The area of Reims and its surrounding lands are covered in gothic cathedrals and churches. It is impossible to grow up without being heavily influenced by the presence of the Catholic faith. As long as we can keep Christ true in the hearts of the people – they will flock to our side.
+40% Manpower in true faith provinces
6. Public Punishment
The rules of the church are ruthless, and the Archbishop-Duke is devout in keeping the law. All court cases are open to everyone to witness, and the punishments are announced and performed publicly. This makes people think twice beforeaccepting and tolerating even the tiniest of crimes. Those small crimes used stack up and makes corruption sprout. This is not a thing in Reims, few people want to be tortured in front of everyone.
-0.20 yearly corruption
-50% Harsh Treatment cost
7. Preaching for the cause
Wars are fought on many fronts and our Archbishop-Duke has begun to preach after mass for our cause to reconquer France. With so many foreigners attending mass here, some of them finds pity and hands their support to our holy cause in some diplomatic ways.
+1 monthly diplomatic power
Ambition
All power cost -5%