Toulouse - Finished page
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Toulouse - Finished page
Priority
Religion
Government
Dynasty
Play Style
P1
Cathar
Duchy
Toulouse
Survivors of the Albigensian Crusade
Militaristic religious fanatics
Friends of the Jewish Kingdoms
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 Visigothic Kingdom followed by the Kingdom of Aquitaine and a leading figure in the First Crusade, Toulouse has a long and admirable history. But nothing has been as important to 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 chose to see Toulousian Cathars as rivals, instead of the illuminators of God's true word. The Papacy didn’t see them for what they really are - a people who have truly understood the meaning of "Faith" and so the greedy and corrupt Catholic Church would rather fight to keep their riches than accept the truth.
In 1209, Pope Innocent III sought to completely destroy the Cathars in a crusade against their heartland - Toulouse. Allied with the King of France, The Duke of Burgundy and Austria a Crusade was started.
For 20 years Catholics threw in their knights and soldiers, even mercenaries to destroy Toulouse - 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? Toulouse still stands to this day, independent and true in Cathar 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 everything we can to bring our true faith to the four corners of the world. We shall speak the only language capable of convincing heretics - the language of swords and lances!
Special Rules
When playing as Toulouse you are a firm believer in the Cathar faith. Your ancestors died by the tens of thousands in the Albigensian Crusade to defend your religious homeland and achieve the long desired freedom from the tyrannical and oppressive King of France. Now with him dead England is trying to subjugate you, this must not happen - the only way to stop another tyrant from controlling Toulouse is to become the King of France yourself and acquire power necessary to fend off the English!
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 are lots of contestants and the task itself is not easy.
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 provinces that are outside of your core realm, hurting the legitimacy of your claim for the throne of France. There will be events and missions that grant necessary cores for you to become France.
You are allowed to vassalize other French Duchies. If you are a player nation and become a vassal of another player, you must roleplay as loyal. While you might have high liberty desire as a ruler, but your people and soldiers are not. However, it is strictly forbidden to integrate vassals - unless you have a mission that does it for you.
Once a player has held Paris for long enough to become a potential King of France, they will be allowed to integrate their French 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 plans of uniting France or stop funding you.
You have no desire to see another 'King of France'. You will do whatever it takes to prevent others from becoming France, even if that means helping your enemies.
By the 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, effectively overshadowing France.
The Albigensian crusade led to the slaughter of the Catholic clergy. It is no big deal - they will be reborn again in this hellish world.
Current Relations
After achieving your independence 200 years ago, you became diplomatically isolated. Any Catholic that would negotiate with you would risk excommunication, so none of them did. For almost a hundred years you stood alone, but no one really had time or resources to attack you,busy dealing with their own issues. So, your former rulers decided to keep a low profile and stabilize their nation. The reputation of your castles being a place where large crusades end did indeed help keep the peace in this period.
In the year 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 one ended in the favor of the Muslims, as Aragonese fleet was sunk just outside of Mallorca. With no ships to protect their isolated island dominions, 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 establishing good relations. Wealth began to spread into Languedoc region via trade.
Things started to go uphill. The Republic of Genoa was also dominated by Jewish, but while you have great relations with their nation, they dare not oppose the Catholic Holy Roman Empire and have official dealings with Toulouse. Unlike Sicily that is protected by its large navy, Genoa is surrounded by potential enemies and has to act more carefully.
In 1428 an event of large importance occured. A royal marriage between the heir of Aragon, Prince Enrique, and Princess Catherine of Navarra was held in the Zaragoza at 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 were planning to break the truce and take advantage of the distracted Catholics. After Christian Kings 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 nobles 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 Toulouse had seen since our independence.
Toulouse accepted.
Alliances
Three stars alliance, they are your strongest ally since year 1333.
While the quality of their amy is not the best, their brilliant strategists, navy and influence more than makes up for it.
Sicily was attacked by Naples and the Papal States in 1351, and Sicily won singlehandedly by letting them invade Sicily, winning the naval superiority and routing their armies into desertion one by one.
This young nation has proven themselves to be a serious power. You 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 very 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
Gascony is your archrival, your main enemy.
Their ruler, Jean V of Armagnac married his sister, which utterly disgusts your people on a moral level and now they are independent, aggressive and your neighbour.
This is a three star rival.
Aragon dislikes you for aiding Catalonia in their independence and they partially blame 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 became independent from the French King they quickly bent 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 your alliance.
Galicia dislikes you for the religious differences and partly blames instabily of their pilgrims routes through France on you.
Tournaments are not just a way to entertain each other and win glory. It is a tradition and art that improves the combat skill of the individual knight. Every knight in Toulouse has jousted hundreds of times. They are ready for the day the lance is pointy and the charge is besides their broders of arms.
Lots of Cathars believe that the God of the Old Testament is Satan. His cruelty and anger has no limits. They believe human spirits were the sexless spirits of Angels trapped in the material realm of the evil God, destined to be reincarnatd until they achieved salvation through the consolamentum, a form of baptism performed when death is imminent, when they would return to the Good God, the God of the New Testament and the creator of the spiritual realm.
Traditions
-2 Global Unrest
+5% Discipline
1. Cathar Castles
Before Catharism became the dominant religion of Toulouse, several strongholds and castles across the region offered refuge to dispossessed Cathars in the thirteenth century. This led to massive construction of castles and their integration into everyday life and the economy of the region.
+25% Fort Defense
-10% Fort Maintenance
2. Descendants of Raymond IV
During the First Crusade, one of the most influential leaders were Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse. Not only does this legacy keep our soldiers full of morale and heroic inspiration, but the nobility of Toulouse has a heritage of gallant knights that proudly do what is expected of them.
+10% Morale of Armies
+10% Nobility Loyalty Equilibrium
3. Fanatical Religious Leaders
As the first independent Cathar nation, our religious leaders are dedicated and passionate in their duties on a level only matched by the most pious popes. The religious leaders of Toulouse works day and night to ensure every man, woman and child in Toulouse is Cathar. The clergy loves the rulers of Toulouse for the support they receive in doing what is right.
+2 Missionary Strength
+10% Clergy Loyalty Equilibrium
4. Violas, not lilies!
The French nobility has always been obsessed with the lily flower. The fleur-de-lis has been used in art and heraldry since the establishment of the Frankish Kingdom in early 6th century. In Toulouse, the flower of the region is the viola. It can be used for coloring, cooking, medicine and perfumes. Toulouse has been independent long enough to establish their own identity with the viola as it's symbol and distanced themselves from the fleur-de-lis.
+1 Yearly Legitimacy
5. Women are equal to men
Gender has less of a significant impact of the human life to the Cathars. The human body is a shell to carry the soul and the soul is all that matters. Toulouse has removed all laws and regulations which discrimnate based on gender. There are the same opportunities and responsibilities for everyone. This have led lots of fierce women to flock to our banners.
+20% National Manpower Modifier
May recruit female generals
-25% General cost
6. Female spies
It came as no surprise that filling our administration with dedicated religious women would benefit us, but it was a pleasant discovery when we found out they make excellent spies. Every court of Europe will have a beautiful lady around, whose heart is loyal to Toulouse.
+25% Spy Network Construction
+30% Foreign Spy Detection
7. Consolamentum - Death is a gift
Cathars have a different view on death than any other Christian. A true zealot of the Cathar faith does not fear death, even by execution. Cathars are famous across Europe for instances where inquisitors have punished Cathars and they accepted their fate, refusing to convert even under threat of burning alive. This fearless behavior comes in handy at the fields of battle.
-10% Fire Damage Received
Ambition +25% Land Force Limit Modifier