As the Doge of Venice, I have sought to not only reunify Italy, not only to resetablish the greatness of the Roman Empire, but to establish a greatness that is truly worthy to be dedicated to God.
I have begun my conquest by expanding Eastward into the Eastern Roman Empire, or the Byzantines. Taking the rich city of Constantinople, I began my conquest to reunify Italy, by taking the opportunity of Milan's and Sicily's excomunication. I expanded Eastward, crushing infedel after infedel, crushing the Turks and Egyptians and seizing their rich lands, ports, and cities such as Baghdad.
Meanwhile, I slowly but surely tore apart my fellow Catholic nations. First riding on the Crusades to London, against the excomunicated British. That was a tough war, for not only did the British hold well, but when I finally crushed their entire armies, leaving my men tired and depleted, isolated from Venician lands, the Scots descended upon me. If it weren't for my desperate strategy of breaking the siege of one city, and going around the main Scotish forces to take their cities and therefore their nationhood, I would have lost a good number of men for nothing.
Eventually, after I have taken Armenia, and all of Asia Minor, I began my grand conquest towards Europe, the steepes being an unideal place for conquest. I swung my troops in Asia towards North Africa, and crushed the Moors, and began moving towards Portugal who was constantly harassing me with naval invasions, and Spain who was being . I crushed France with a Pincer invasion from both Italy and the British isles, while my North African forces were moving towards mainland Spain. On the way, I sent an expedetionary force towards the deeper and unexplored parts of Africa, and I was pleased to find that there were indeed settlements there, and great riches of Ivory, gold, and slaves.
France defeated, and now pincering Spain and Portugal, one must wonder what the Pope thought about my aggression towards my fellow Catholic nations. He didn't like it of course. But then again, does it matter when that Pope cannot even live half a year before falling victim to my assassin's? I have killed over a dozzen Popes, like they were nothing. And even if I was excomunicated, the next Pope will simply reconcile with me. And it only got better as each Catholic nation began to fall, and soon only my Cardinals, my "ally" the Holy Roman Empire's cardinals, and the last stronghold of independent Christian nations, the Danish and Polish were left. I had an near monopoly on the Papacy.
I have always heard of the great Eastern Nations, and I had expected the Mongols to come. After taking Denmark, I used my puppet Pope to call a final crusade against these Eastern pigs. The Polish and Germans both sent their large forces to fight against the Eastern threat. And all the meanwhile I swooped down and took the emptied cities and castles of those fools. I had become the only Christian nation left (save those "Orthodox" Christians), and I truly then had an monopoly on the Papacy.
My last obstacles to securing the world was the Mongolians. Or at least I thought. The Mongolians put up an extremely tough stand. Especially when one of my greatest generals fell to their assassins, leaving one incompetent fools to lead my forces. But when it came to a war of attrition, with the Mongols isolated in the vast steepes (although that came to their advantage in battle), they were doomed.
It was the Timurids though who truly gave a last threat to my empire. Their war Elephants, with cannons atop. Their merciless generals. And how soft Asia has become when it became a colony only dedicated to trade and adding more coin to my Empire's purse. I had to muster and levy as many troops as I could, and swing whatever I could from my Western lands, to combat this Eastern Threat. It truly was a long war, a very long war, with so many of my armies falling. But again, in a war of attrition, nomads without a country to return to were as good as dead.
When I heard news from my scholar that there was a possibility that we could reach the East by heading West, I wasted no opportunity. Paris, a captial of development and knowledge, has mastered the art of gun warfare, and I had created grand armies of Muskeeters, accompanied and supported by Broken Lances, and Pike Militia men, equiped with the finest Plate armor. Sending in 5-6 fleets, with an army respectively, I myself went on the trip to lead the men. We finally made contact with the New World. We only encountered small villages and rebels at first, and I enjoyed simply bombing them with artillery and shooting the indigenous people with my artillery and guns. I had discovered an world divided, and disorganized, and full of exotic riches.
I was correct with the latter, but was terribly surprised when I began moving my forces away from the Caribean, down Southward. The New World was infact, united already by an Empire. The Aztecs seemed to be nothing more than Barbarians, but if that was the case then I would have easily conquered it. They not only had vast numbers, but their warriors were ferocious. Even if I shot half of their men with my artillery, they would still outnumber me. And my Musketeers and Artillery, without any support, would fall prey to the warrior's axes. But my Pike miilita, if not for my Calvary, would have gotten desimated.
I defeated and captured 2 of their settlements, out of three. I managed to avoid their clever ambushes (and they would have desimated an army if one was caught by them). But the problem was I was fighting the war of attrition now, just like the 2 Eastern invaders have. I had my boats ready to rescue and evacuate my forces if needed be, but that would mean another decade, or 2 for me to raise another expedition. I decided that I had to end the war as soon as possible, and continuing to fight pitched battles against the endless numbers of enemy soldiers would lead my men isolated, and crippled. Hiring Indigenous Warriors and mercenaries, my main force held their ground, fighting a few decisive, and not so decisive victories. My Calvary, my one decisive weapon, had small numbers, and every knight that fell was painful, as they would never rise again, and I only had so few.
I sent spies and scouts, to see where my enemies were trying to ambush me, which paths were blocked, and where the Aztec's last settlement was. And when I found it, I saw my victory in sight, but not in grasp's length yet. Their last grand city was only inhabited by their King and his Prince. All of their forces sent out to deal with me. If I could manage to send my small mercenary forces to that city, and if my Spy could infiltrate the city and open the gates for them, I could end the war with one turn. Many times were my small squads caught and defeated. But finally one, one meager force of a few indigenous warriors reached the city, while a great war was raging on in the middle of the New World.
It was a tough battle, and their king fought heroicly with his forces of a hundred men, composed of elite body guards, killing 200 of my 300 rowdy collection of mercenaries. But my mercenaries pulled out, barely, and took the city, exterminating and looting it. Without their king, without a land to assign to their nation, the Aztecs collapsed into nothing more than a rowdy group of rebels, who melted away quickly after one decive battle.
And thus, I have not only the Pope in my hands, not only a huge military force, not only a huge money supply, not only the Old World in my hands, but also the New World, somewhere no conquerer, whether it be Caesar, Alexander, or Charlemagne has ever set foot on. There is no one with a greater legacy than I, and there is NO ONE who can oppose me...
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Yeah.... I'm bored.
