Explorers 1452 (Map Game)

This map game will be like no other! Rules:


 * If you wish to both explore and colonize new unexplored territories, you must give up one turn.


 * After you capture a region, revolts are sure to happen, so you must give a description of how you put it down: With either force or propaganda.


 * It must be plausible. Example: No taking-over-Russia-as-Finland in a few turns.

Here is a list of new moves you can make:
 * If a nation wants an alliance with you, your nation can bargain (example-Portugal wants an alliance with Spain, but Spain will only join if Portugal gives its land claims in South America.)
 * You can hire raiders/pirates and make them raid any nation's ship, but this greatly reduces that country's relationship with your nation.
 * Unoccupied countries or nations led by inactive users can be invaded. If no resistance is made by said inactive users or the nation is unclaimed, you can conquer it in a plausible amount of time. Remember, the population will be angry about this, and after completely annexing a nation or a blank province players must explain how they deal with the entire populance. There are several options: Suppress them by force, massacre them, deport them, leave them as they are, etc.

Once eight to eleven turns in a year are made, we can move on to the next year. This includes the turns of two separate nations controlled by one player.

Keys/Legend




Nations

 * Poland Lithuiania - Duchland 03:44, July 21, 2010 (UTC)Duchland


 * Castile-Fedelede 03:45, July 21, 2010 (UTC)


 * Union of Kalmar - Destroyanator 03:50, July 21, 2010 (UTC)


 * Byzantine Empire - Nationcreator 19:19, July 30, 2010 (UTC)


 * England- BoredMatt 19:40, July 30, 2010 (UTC)


 * Empire of Trebizond - Emperor of Trebizond 00:27, October 2, 2010 (UTC)


 * Papal States - Emperor of Trebizond 22:40, October 5, 2010 (UTC)


 * France - Ownerzmcown 00:52, October 2, 2010 (UTC)


 * Muscovy - Ownerzmcown 21:46, October 3, 2010 (UTC)


 * Portugal - BoredMatt 21:47, October 3, 2010 (UTC)


 * Republic of Florence - Fedelede 22:10, October 5, 2010 (UTC)
 * Ottoman Empire (octiman10 19:53, October 6, 2010 (UTC))


 * Scotland - Bob 16:46, October 7, 2010 (UTC)
 * Aragon - Keperry 17:43, October 7, 2010 (UTC)
 * Teutonic Knights-Baconton 16:58, October 9, 2010 (UTC)
 * Mamluk Sultanate- StarkBlack
 * Venice-StarkBlack

Unclaimed Nations

 * Kingdom of Naples
 * Milan
 * Habsburg

1452



 * France launches an invasion of Britanny, capturing a majority of the east this year.
 * England offers France a truce to end the 100 Years War. They also strike into Scotland, securing Ayrshire and most of the lowlands.
 * The Empire of Trebizond, seeing Georgia's states divided among themselves, launches an assault on Georgian territories. The local population, frustrated by the constant instability in the area, welcomes this as a new form of order.
 * Muscovy invades the smaller states to its south, while avoiding war with Poland-Lithuania.
 * Portugal renews its alliance with England. Eager to expand its' mercentile influence in the Mediterranean, Portugal offers Trebizond relatively large amounts of weaponry, armor, and general supplies in exchange for duty-free transactions for Portuguese merchants in any port city that Trebizond controls. Also, a strike at Grenada captures Gibraltar. Combined with the small Portuguese holdings in northern Morocco, Portugal now has complete control over the Straits.
 * Castille launches an invasion against Granada. Tarifa is captured
 * Florence makes a call for "Unified Italy", and invades Genoa. The Genoese, based on sea power, are easily defeated on land. Portions of Massa-Carra are conquered, and the Florentines offer Genoa a surrender so that Italy might be unified more easily.
 * The Papal States ask that Rhodes be ceded to them by the Republic of Venice. "In all favor of the pope and Christendom", the Papacy wishes to establish an outpost by which new Crusades may possibly be launched against the Ottoman Empire.
 * The Ottoman Empire invades and captures provinces to the East and South East (securing all of Anatolia with the exception of lands held by the Byzantines and the Empire of Trebizond).

1453



 * The Empire of Trebizond decides to grant the Portuguese the ports they want on the Black Sea. They give Portugal exclusive trade rights in Pontus and Georgia. In return, the Trapezuntine Greeks ask that the Portuguese help keep them safe from the raids of the Genoese there. The emperor also insists that they supply him with the latest in gunpowder technology, including heavy artillery (For both land and sea) and 'hand'-guns. Meanwhile, with Byzantine control over their Crimean territory weakened, Trebizond sends an invasion force there to secure it for themselves.
 * The Papacy sends its tiny fleet to Rhodes and occupies it, having received no answer from the Venetians. The pope assures the Doge of Venice that he is acting in the best interests of the church and Christendom. Meanwhile, the island itself is granted to a Papal Knightly order known as 'Knights of the Vatican'.
 * Scotland cedes most of the Western Lowlands north of the Tweed to England. Scotland begins a period of political centralisation as the King consoldiates the smaller regions into larger regions with more powerful lords. The King of Scotland also bans the use of private armies.
 * The King of Aragon is alarmed by Castillian and Portugese expansion near the Straits of Gibraltar, and invades Navarre in order to obtain an Atlantic port. The war is bloody but successful. Navarre is incorporated into Aragon as a Duchy, and is semi-autonomous, with the exception of its short coast on the Bay of Biscay, which becomes Crown Land belonging directly to the King.
 * The Ottomans invade the holy land territories.
 * A Portuguese fleet lands at Tunis, taking the city and the peninsula that it is located on. A second force lands and captures the small port town known as Khadjibey on the Black Sea, giving them a base of operations there.
 * The English King Henry VI establishes a standing force of archers known as the Yeomanary. At it's founding, it consists of 7,000 longbowmen, 400 mounted sergeants, and a 700-man logistics unit. The army immediately moves into Ireland, taking Antrim and most of Northern Ireland by year's end.
 * Castillian kings finish conquering Granada, and start a tolerance policy on Southern Spain. At the same time, they start exploring the Atlantic.
 * Florentines conquer Genoa. Soon, the Genoan rebellions are quenched because of Florence's claim to "be a unifier and strengthener force".
 * France makes a further advance into Britanny, capturing almost all of Britanny's land.
 * Muscovy begins moving more troops to occupy the states to the south.

1454

 * The Empire of Trebizond, armed with weaponry supplied by the Portuguese, begin to build up their military forces into a professional, modernized, standing army. The grateful Trapezuntine Greeks also offer to supply armed escorts to Portuguese merchant ships in the Black Sea, which would discourage Italian, Turkish, and Byzantine harassment, as well as raiders and pirates. The Portuguese agree.
 * The Papal States send warm recognition to the agreed union between Florence and Genoa. The pope seems largely oblivious to the fact that the Florentines forcibly attacked the Genoese in order to achieve it.
 * Portugal declares open war on the Hafsids. Northern Tunisia is captured this year. Due to the agreement with the Trapezuntine Greeks, Portugal is able to use more of her navy to explore the waters surrounding Africa. Small trading posts are established at OTL Malabo, Dakar, and Sao Vincente. Several charter colonies are also established in the Cape Verde Islands.
 * English troops capture Cork and most of the south. All that is left of the Irish chiefdoms is various small holdings on the west coast, and lands north of the Shannon and west of Londonberry. A semiproffesional navy is introduced, consisting of 8 galleons and 15 barques (it's not meant to stand alone, but rather as a core for a hired-comandeered fleet that England would have in a time of war).
 * France finishes off the remainder of Britanny's forces and conquer's their remaining land.
 * Muscovy forces move away from the south and instead begin to invade to the north, but steering clear of Novgorod.
 * Florence sends ultimatums to Venice and Milan: They must resign to the Florentines or they will declare war. The Florentines are the strongest land fighting force on Italy by now, but still both nations repeal the ultimatum.
 * Castille expands into Morocco.
 * Aragon, seeking to compete with Portugal, lands armies in Oran and Melilla. An explorer sets out from Barcelona down the coast of Africa with a small fleet of ships poorly copied from the Portugese.

1455



 * The Papacy suddenly realizes the full extent of Florence's greed. They issue a dire warning to the Florentines: If they lift a finger against Milan or Venice, the pope will excommunicate them. Nay, if they launch invasions to annex the nations of their fellow Italians and Catholic brothers, the pope may call a Crusade for all of Christendom to strike Florence down.
 * The Empire of Trebizond marches on its east, annexing enough territory to establish a minor outpost on the Caspian Sea.
 * France lands colonists on the Northern African coast, declaring it a territory of France.
 * Myscovy continues advancing to the other states in the north, and still avoids war with Novgorod.
 * Aragon pledges its support to the Papal States, and issues a harshly worded ultimatum to France warning aginst further expansion in North Africa.
 * The Kalmar Union builds several large colonies in Greenland, and sends several ships to explore the Greenlandinc Coast.
 * Castille does not pledge it's support to the Pope, and in fact issues an alliance to Florence.
 * Florence accepts the Castillian alliance. However, they agree to take their ultimatums back. Changing to colonization policies, they send a squadron of ships towards central Africa. They also land a few forces in Damietta, Egypt. Finally, Florence offers an extension of the alliance to France.
 * Portugal completes it's conquest of the Hafsids. Due to rising tensions over religion in the newly conquered lands, Portugal allows Sufis and Shiites to worship openly, and allows the Sunnis to worship in their homes. Due to the large amount of income brought in through dominance of the Black Sea trade, taxes are reduced for all. Contingents of Portuguese troops establish full control over Cape Verde, Dakar, and the western 1/3 of the Gambia. Locals are given the same rights as Portuguese are, and, greatful for the amount of wealth brought by trade and commerce, are quite loyal to the new power.
 * English troops complete the conquest of Ireland. Irish are allowed to speak Gaelic (unlike otl) and are given much the same rights as englishmen. Still, some communities (mainly in Northern Ireland) are deported to a new charter colony set up on Sherbro Island.
 * The Mamluk Sultanate, observing all other nations get more powerful, decides to expands its borders. It sends an army to capture Jerusalum, and soon, its borders touch the ottomans. Firearms are introduced to the Mamluks by the Ottomans, and the Egyptian army is modernized, and a navy is built. The began trading with the Ottomans.

1456



 * The Kalmar Union begins construction on several new ships, to be used patrol and explore waters to the west of greenland. they are of a new design, similar to the OTL barque, and can travel much faster than the average vessel. in addition, the King of the Union sends an expedition to try to find the "Vinland", mentioned in the Icelandic Sagas.
 * English settlers arrive on the coast of what is otl Liberia and Sierra Leone, colonizing the area. An expedition led by Flemish mercenaries take control of the inland areas, and King Henry's third son John establishes Johnstown (otl Freetown) on the coast. His father appoints him Prince of Africa, and is instructed to carry out colonization of the continent by any means nessecary. He is a quite lenient ruler, though.
 * Portuguese troops build a series of coastal forts on the coast of Tunisia, to prevent any agression by other powers looking for control of the region. Struck by a fervent wave of piety, Alfonso V gives the city of Sfax and the island of Qarqanna to the Pope. He also sends troops in to take control of the Ashanti tribal kingdoms in otl Ghana, holding the king hostage and taking control of various small ports on the coast.
 * The Papacy dispatches the Knights of the Vatican from Rhodes with a fleet to land in Libya and establish an outpost there. They try to interest other European powers in joining in on a Crusade against the Egyptians by promising any territory annexed in the name of the Papal States will allow merchants from any Catholic European country to trade there freely, like an international business zone reserved for Christendom.
 * The Empire of Trebizond thoroughly explores the Caspian Sea, making contact with the Asian peoples on the other side. They also dispatch an army to seize all remaining lands north of Trebizond in Asia. The empire now borders Europe.
 * Aragon captures Annaba, and expands its holdings around Oran and Melilla. Seeking to further enforce its influence in North Africa, Aragon agrees to join any Crusade launched against Egypt. Meanwhile, the explorer they sent out establishes colonies in OTL Bissau, Conakry, and Abidjan (Bixau, Altrabanda, and Tallar Fulles)
 * France continues its growth by invading the Belgian Lowlands.
 * Muscoy, having taken the north and south, moves their forces to the east.
 * The Ottomans capture Cyprus and march east and capture a large portion of Persia. The Turks then propose a military alliance with the Mamluks in exchange for Judea.

1457



 * The Kalmar expedition lands in OTL Labrador, as well a Newfoundland. A settlement is built on the Labrador Coast, as well as one on Newfoundland. the Labrador colony becomes fairly profitable by shipping lumber to the larger colonies in Greenland, and the Newfoundland colony makes great profits exporting fish to the Kalmar Union. in addition, the new barques laid down in Scandinavia begin their first cruises, mostly by transporting more colonists to the North American colonies.
 * The Florentines land settlers on OTL Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Gold Coast, settling colonies there. Also, Cosimo de' Medici is replaced by Piero de' Medici as leader of Florence. Explorers start exploring the Atlantic Sea to find new lands and a route to India further west. Finally, the Florentines land an army in Alexandria and take it.
 * The Ottomans capture the rest of Persia. Becoming wary of the Papal States and other crusading states, they build a series of forts on its borders and builds up its army and navy. They create a new kind of ship called a Savas Gemisi or Warship. ( about the size of an OTL brig). It can hold 10-18 cannons and is made of tough but flexible Lebanese cedar. They build over 200 of the ships.
 * France continues its advance into the Lowlands as it invades OTL the Netherlands.
 * Muscovy continues its advance to the east.
 * The Empire of Trebizond takes all the remaining territories around the southern Caspian Sea.
 * The Pope proclaims a Crusade to free North Africa from anti-Christian rulers. His first target in mind is the neighboring stretch of Libyan coastline next to Portuguese Tunis. Meanwhile, he directs Aragon and any other European powers interested in Crusading to land troops in Egypt and hopefully, march on Cairo.
 * Aragon lands armies in Banghazi and Tobruk, technically following the Pope's orders but also showing that they have designs on Libya. The King decides exploration is a top priority and offers funds and support to any explorer with a feasible plan, provided that they are willing to claim any lands they find in the name of Aragon.
 * The Mamluks, worried about the Crusaders, sends an army of 70,000 to capture their military base in Libya. Meanwhile, they claim much of the remaining Arabian Peninsula.
 * Florence offers a truce to the Mamluks: They will keep their conquered land and in change the Mamluks will be protected by the Florentine army. The Mamluks agree to the truce with Florence.
 * Portugal continues to fortify it's holdings in Tunisia, and also consolidates it's control over the Ashanti. Alfonso make defense of their North African holdings a top priority, and begins the construction of a new fleet to keep trade corridors to the Black Sea open and free from Muslim incursions.

1458



 * With the Mamluks bearing down on Libya, the Pope collects volunteers from all over Europe and hires an army of professional mercenaries to garrison the strongholds he holds there. He also warns the king of Aragon to send armies to Libya if he wants to keep his holdings there. Meanwhile, the Papacy claims all of a western North African coastline between Tunisia and the Mamluk Sultanate for the States of the Church.
 * The Empire of Trebizond pushes north and succeeds in capturing all of Crimea and some of the surrounding Russian territory.
 * The Ottomans march east to take more land in Persian area, continuing to offer a military alliance to the Mamluks in exchange for most of Judea.
 * An English fleet lands at Nova Scotia, and many Irish, Scottish, and African families are deported there (as well as many criminals). Anticosti Island is turned in to a penal colony.
 * The Portuguese offer the Mamluks and Ottomans a deal. The Portuguese will not attempt any act of agression on the two nations (unless they themselves are attacked), even if the Pope gives the order. The Portuguese also will not attempt to take any more land (in North Africa). In return, the Muslims will not interfere in any way with Portuguese shipping and trade, and will not carry out acts of agression on Portugues Tunisia. Portuguese troops also continue to explore Africa, and their colonies on the Gold Coast are expanded.
 * A Scandinavian warship exploring the East Coast of North America comes across the English colony in Nova Scotia. A few volleys of the warships' cannons convinces the small English garrison that surrender is almost certainly the best option. The colony is annexed into the union, and a large number of Norse immigrants are landed in the surrounding area. The Labrador colony is expanded, and several drydocks are built in Newfoundland. the Kalmar Union begins to expand it's navy in preparation for the expected war with England. They also begin to sell weapons to the Scots.
 * England, hearing of the attack, moves it's entire standing army into it's colonies and expells the Norse. Portugal also sends much of it's navy to defend Nova Scotia, hoping to use it in the near future as a friendly staging point for colonies of their own. Neither nation declares war on the Union, however.
 * Aragon begins preparations to send armies back to Cyrenaica, and asks the Pope to use his army to distract the Egyptians while Aragon reclaims its bases. An explorer lands in OTL Puerto Rico and claims it for Aragon.
 * The Mamluk Sultan accepts the Portugese deal, and also begans sending trading ships to Portugal to trade with them. They start colonizing Sudan, and draft many of the Natives to join the Mamluk army. Sudanese goods were rarely seen in Europe, so the Egyptians get rich off selling these new exotic goods to Portugal, Florence, and the Ottomans. The Mamluks also agree to the Turks' alliance and cede them Judea. The Mamluk Sultan, angered by the Papal States claiming so much land in North Africa and attacking Egyptain lands, tells the Pope that he must stop the violence between their people, or prepare for total war.

1459



 * The pope responds to the Mamluks that he will never stop waging God's war for Christendom until the Crusaders regain what was once rightfully theirs and the Muslims stop threatening important elements of Christendom. His small, but highly trained army then moves quickly across the Libyan coast, avoiding direct conflict with the Egyptians but harassing supply lines. The Papal forces also receive reinforcements from the Swiss Guard, the pope's own elite bodyguards who are among some of the most renowned and bravest soldiers in Christendom.
 * The Empire of Trebizond annexes a little more Russian territory. They also push east, around the coast of the Caspian Sea. The emperor sends an envoy to the Ottoman Empire, reminding the sultan he is rich off the Silk Road and through monopolizing trade on the Caspian and Black Seas. He asks the sultan to name his price for the magnificent new ship designs that the Turks have developed. In return, he will allow Turkish traders to do business on the Caspian Sea, which will open up a great new revenue of trade and wealth for the Ottomans.
 * The Papal army in Libya is ambushed by a Mamluk army almost 5 times its size. Though they take heavy losses, the Mamluks win the battle. The Papal States' military was decimated, the only survivors were 7 members of the Swiss Guard. With only the local garrison defending the remaining Papal forts, the Egyptians lay siege to the bases, and the Sultan sends a message to the Pope saying that he will let the people leave or stay, which ever one they wish, if they surrender the forts to them. If not, when the Mamluks capture the bases, they will slaughter everyone there. Also, with their new wealth from Sudan lets the Mamluks build of huge fleet of 250 ships. 180 of these ships are large ships with 12 cannons, the other 70 are smaller, sleeker vessels that are meant to explore new lands and trade with other nations.
 * England reinforces it's fortifications in the New World, and befriends two tribes known as the Mohawks and the Huron. The English also begin settlement of a great fishing ground, called Powatan Bay (OTL Chesapeake Bay).
 * Muscovy resumes its advance south, and by the end of the year, reaches the Black Sea.
 * France finishes conquering the lowlands and decides to expand its African colony.
 * Venice, a nation who has been relatively quiet at the time, suddenly starts sending out ships to invade and capture Sicily. They also start creating a large army and begin trading with Florence.
 * The Ottoman Sultan accepts the Empire of Trebizond's offer and gives them the designs for the ship, in exchange for promising no intervention in any crusades and and the lower area of their territory near the Caspian sea. The ottomans also take the isthmus that Constanitinople is on (uniting the empire with the exception of the city itself). Experiencing some problems with the Christian citizens in the aquired land, the Ottomans vow not to persecute them and allows Greek pilgrims to travel to the Holy Land if they wish. This calms them.
 * England subcontract it's close ally Portugal to found a colony to serve as a possible new homeland for the Byzantines. The island of Malabo and the nearby mainland is quickly secured by colonial troops, and many Greeks living in Constantinople immigrate to the island, as do some Portuguese. At the same time, many of the nobility of England and Portugal, as well as some of the surrounding nations, begin entertaining the fanciful idea of returning the Byzantine Empire to it's former glory. Preachers begin denouncing the Turks and their invasion of Anatolia and Greece, and the public begins to be quite whipped up.

1460



 * The Empire of Trebizond turns over their southern Caspian territories to the Turks and officially removes their military forces. Now armed with the designs that have made the Ottoman navy so dominant over the eastern Mediterranean, the Trapezuntine Greeks set to work building up Trebizond's navy to rule the Black and Caspian Seas.
 * The Papacy gathers together the largest armies ever amassed by the Papal States on its own. The massive fighting force comprises mainly of Catholic soldiers and crossbowmen from Austria, Spain, Ireland, and Switzerland. However, the Crusading Orders of the Knights of the Vatican, the Knights of St. John, and their men-at-arms also make up a portion of the force, along with Papal military regulars and mercenary musketeers. The bulk of the army amasses in Rome by February, and the entire force has landed in Libya by June. The pope also hires Giovanni Giustiniani, a famous military tactician renowned for his skills in defending walled cities, to go to the Libyan strongholds and supervise the war against the Mamluks.
 * The Ottomans take all the unclaimed land in the Arabian peninsula, and they prepare the military for possible trouble with the Crusaders. Hearing of the riches found in the new world, the Sultan sends a fleet to explore and found a colony by going around the horn of africa but their ships, not strong enough to make the full trip instead land in OTL Somalia, where they found a colony called Güney Anadolu or South Anatolia, and start fixing the ships.
 * The emperor of Byzantium asks England to help them establish a colony in West Africa. He also asks for an alliance against the Ottomans.
 * Reinforced with a dozen "new model" topsail schooners, carrying around 40 guns apiece, the Kalmar Union's Navy again demands that the English withdraw from Nova Scotia. the navies preparing to battle are of approximately equal size, but the Kalmar ships carry almost three times as much firepower, ensuring that any naval engagement will be short, bloody and descisive. With most of their army facing starvation in the newly founded colony, the English colony's fate looks grim.
 * The Florentine ships on Africa (Gold Coast, Cotta d' Avoiro and Nigeria colonies) that were exploring the Atlantic Ocean discover a new land in OTL Venezuela (named New Italy after it's beauty) and start a colony there. The Florentine government sends approximately half of the ex-Genoan army, led by the Florentine flagship, the Lorenzo de' Medici (named after Piero's second son and the one he designed as the heir) to explore, half of it to the east of Africa to find India and the other to continue exploring this newly-found continent. Florence also offers the Venetians an alliance. Finally, Florence also offer an alliance to the Kalmar Union.
 * Castillian ships start exploring North America and discover a rich land. This land is named New Cordoba (OTL New York).
 * Muscovy continues a large advance to the east, capturing much lands from the natives.
 * France established another African colony on the western African coast.
 * England makes the best of it's current situation and torches it's own colonies as the refugees and the army are taken by their Mohawk allies and guided to their smaller colony at Powatan Bay. The Portuguese and English fleets escape by cover of darkness; the Portuguese return to Gibraltar, while the English fleet flees to Powatan Bay. A steady trade with the natives has developed a tentative friendship with them. Several forts are built at the mouth of the bay, while tribal conscripts from Africa reinforce the standing army.

1461

 * The Empire of Trebizond begins establishing outposts on the Eastern side of the Caspian Sea and around the northern coasts. The emperor also offers to grant Muscovy trade rights in the Black and newly explored Caspian Seas if the Muscovians will grant Trebizond a narrow strip of coastal territory so that the empire can be unified.
 * The large Papal army in Libya shows indescribable brutality to their Egyptian enemies when they ambush a campsite and massacre nearly a thousand Mamluks. The pope swears this Crusade is a holy war--no quarter will be asked and none given. Meanwhile, the tactician Giovanni Giustiniani constructs a series of new castles for the Papacy along the Libyan coast. These are supplied by their own wells and the largest fortress holds enough supplies to last a four year siege. He christens the largest castle Fort Pious, and designs it with a four layer ringwall system, spiked with cannon and fortifications.
 * England expands it's proffessional navy, adding newly designed sloops and the schooners designed by the KU. Relations with native peoples are improved considerably, and they manage to establish an actual alliance with the Mohawks and Huron. Relations with the native tribes loosely termed Powhatan are iimproved as well, with many joining the army in return for being allowed to keep their weapons and armor at the end of their tenure. African colonies are consolidated, and the settlements are reorganized into the Dominion of Africa.
 * Portugal continues to expand their settlements in Africa. A standing army of conscripted natives is established, and this allows them to move through and take territory without being impeded by terrain or cultural differences. Portuguese traders also expand their networks of commerce into the Black Sea, easily making them one of the richest kingdoms of Western Europe. They also formally cede control of the Byzantine African colony to a Greek colonial government.
 * Muscovy agrees to the Trebizond's proposition and continue an advance to the southeast.
 * France establishes a colony in western Hispaniola.