Renovatio Europam campaign

Start date (1350)

It is a time of discord between peoples.

A terrible plague has struck, wiping out thousands in cities from the Yellow Sea all the way to the Pillars of Hercules. Villages and fields lie deserted, even as the flames of war burn bright red against the night skies of Europe and China, and civilisation is down on its knees.

The world now teeters on the edge between breakthrough and breakdown, and your people cry out for a leader to save them and bring them prosperity.

You.

How will you survive in this brave new world of shifting alliances and intrigue? do you have what it takes to lead your nation on a quest for greatness and the Rise of Kings?

Events

• Castille is at war with Aragon
• France is devastated, with Britain holding Gasconha e Lenghadoc, and England, but nothing more.
• The Welsh are limited to Powys.
• Denmark controls vast tracts of Scandinavia which are poorly fortified.
• Austria/Carinthia is now free and independent of the Empire, and is the sole seat of the HRE.
• Turks are now based in Galatia, next to the Romans
• Saracens control Egypt and Syria.

Barbarians

In the event that barbarians are necessary:

• Eastern Asia: Mongols.
• Southern Asia: Indians - although some of the areas of Central Asia are under the rule of different groups of Mongols and Turks, such as the Kara.
• Western Asia: Persians
• Northern Asia: Mongols
• Sclavonia and Danubia: Balts
• Varangia: Mongols
• Franconia: Germans
• Italia: Italians - although the very few areas of Italy mean that it receives the most scripted areas
• Britannia: Celts, mostly in Ireland
• Iberia: Berbers
• Africa: Berbers

Tribute

Tribute is the main currency of the game, and can be used for the following purposes:

• Upgrading fortification levels of your regions
• Buying bonus cards
• As a medium of exchange

There are several ways of collecting tribute:

• Destroying enemy factions - their entire tribute score is added to your own
• Vassals
• Colonies

Vassalage

Vassals can be created only by the following factions:

• China
• Egypt
• Turkey
• France
• England
• Habsburgs
• Venice
• Byzantine Empire

Vassalage is possible only as long as the Reformation doesn't happen.

When you play one of these factions and take the capital of an enemy, you may choose to convert it into a vassal instead of destroying it outright. The vassal's territory becomes appended to your own and what armies it used to have also belong to you, but you will not have access to its colonies or its rare resources. Over time, vassals will provide a small but steady stream of tribute to you, that amount being 25% of what that faction had prior to being defeated.

Politics

Political systems are locked but can be manipulated by Dilemmas. Whenever you play certain bonus cards, you will be given an opportunity to change your political system. Only the first two tiers of the political system are pre-determined.

The two dilemmas that change your political stances are:

• New Men: Eureka - Civics, or Eureka - commerce, changes your government to Urban Corporation or Feudalism
• Stupor Mundi: propaganda, changes government to Monarchy
• Science versus religion: Eureka - Science, Great Thinker, All Eureka, or Wonder of the World, changes government to Republic

Colonisation

Towards the end of the game, you will be allowed to colonise new territories, if you are playing as either China, Spain, Portugal, England, Scotland or France. Every so often at the onset of the Black Plague, you will be asked if you would like to create a colony. Colonies can count as a victory condition, and basically are a reflection of your faction's cultural and economic development (some wonders have effects on colonies). To win, you must acquire ten colonies. Upon obtaining them, you will be asked if you would like to continue the game. Should you do so, expect the game to become much harder!

Colonies are not cheap, and cost as much as a medium-sized vassal state. However, if done right, they will pay back good dividends. The cost structure for founding colonies is as follows:

• Chinese, Scots: Most expensive
• English, and French: somewhat costly
• Spain: cheap
• Portugal: cheapest.

If you chose not to expel Jews, your second colony will always be created for free.

Once you have agreed to create a colony, it will take some time before the new colony is set up. Additionally, you can create armies from colonies. To generate a new colony, you must create or acquire a set amount of overseas colonies to generate a new army:

• Chinese, Scots, other factions: every 6
• English, and French: every 5
• Spain: every 4
• Portugal: every 3.

Each colony has a specific faction it is usually acquired by, and also contributes tribute per turn and rare resources as if it were part of the campaign map itself. For a faction such as the Holy Roman Empire, it will have to acquire as many as 6 colonies in order to generate a new army on the campaign map. Additionally, the following wonders have the following effects on colonies:

• Confucian Academy - colonies are created instantaneously
• Marine arsenal - colonies are 25% cheaper

Events

Throughout the era, different events will occur, which may or may not affect you in some way or the other. These are some of the events that normally take place.

Spheres of influence

A sphere of influence is a collection of regions on the map which demarcates how aggressive a faction will remain. Once all the regions in a faction's sphere of influence have been obtained, that faction ceases to continue aggression. Some fctions like the Mongols, Byzantines and Hungarians, however, are naturally expansionist in nature.

The Jewish question

Whenever as a non-Asian nation, you lose Jerusalem, it will trigger a choice - religious tensions will force you to either expel Jews from your lands, or to keep them. This however has several implications:

• Keeping the Jews will result in 100 tribute being added to your treasury, but will disable Chivalric Orders and Islamic techs at the temple until this option is raised again.
• There will be other effects caused by expulsion or acceptance of Jews, most notably during the Black Plague and colonial period.

Black Plague

Black plague strikes once the following are achieved:

• The current era is the Castle Age
• One faction controls at least 60% of the entire campaign map.
• Average fortification level of the entire world is 2, rounded down.

This plague strikes immediately, lasting until the Imperial Era, and causes the following effects:

• Population cap in scenarios is reduced to 100;
• You are unable to fortify your territories
• Colonisation is unlocked for the Portuguese. Other factions will follow suit subsequently during the onset of the Imperial Era.
• The Alhambra wonder doesn't spawn units, but can mitigate the effects of Plague on population caps.
• The Aachen Palace Complex ensures that new regions that you capture in CtW are automatically upgraded to Level 2 upon acquisition. Also, income from your vassals during Black Plague cannot fall below 20%. of its value per turn.

The Plague will last for at least 12 turns. If you chose not to expel Jews during the Castle Age, European and Middle Eastern regions you control with a fortification of 4 or higher may revert to 1 if not garrisoned with an army when Black Plague strikes.

Gunpowder

Gunpowder weapons are restricted until the Imperial Era. Choosing to favour Science in the Science versus Religion dilemma at least once and finding in favour of the New Men at least once allows you to build gunpowder weapons during the Clastle Age as a Christian faction...for the cheap sum of 500 tribute.

Dilemmas

Dilemmas always play out once whenever factions play any of the following bonus cards for the first time.

Repeat events - occurs whenever any faction plays a card.

• Portuguese manpower problems (if warpath card played and has 3 colonies): either pay 100 to keep the 3 colonies and gain an alliance with Venice, or lose 3 colonies and gain 3 mercenaries cards.
• New Men: plays out whenever a Eureka - Civics, or Eureka - commerce card is played, and will ask the player whether to open the bureaucracy to the burghers, or to keep it to the nobility. Choosing one will lock the player's politics permanently into Feudalism or Urban Corporation, depending on what was chosen.
• Unemployed warriors: plays out whenever a Eureka - Military, Peasants, Warpath or Treachery or Mercenaries card is used during the Imperial Era, once per instance. They will demand a ransom of 100 tribute. Paying it results in you receiving a bandits card, paying nothing, results in your capital being razed! Unlike other cards, this event only triggers once per game.
• Science versus religion (Christians only): occurs after having played a Eureka - Science, Great Thinker, All Eureka, or Wonder of the World card. Clergy demand that you increases your efforts at stamping out heresy. Locks out Centralisation and ensures better relations with the Papal States, or permanently locks your politics into Republic.
• Diplomatic relations (Moors only): requires use of a Missionaries card or Cultural Domination card. Debates rage on at court on whether to strengthen Islamic rule or do nothing. Choosing the first locks in Five Pillars, permanently blocks alliances with France, Papal States, Spain and Portugal, choosing the second option instead generates a Eureka - Civics card.
• Stupor Mundi: After using a propaganda card, a famed artisan comes before you and asks if you would like to commission a new building, or a new artistic collection to increase prestige. The first requires 100 tribute and gives you a wonder of the world card, the second costs 20 and permanently locks your govt to Monarchy....the third is to dismiss him.
• Schism! this occurs whenever Papal States is vassalised or a faction obtains the New Men and Infrastructure development dilemmas. When this happens lawyers suggest taxing the church you have three choices - either get excommunicated or appoint a new pope (declare war on Rome) for 200 tribute, or back down (no tribute). Following that factions will get to vote in for "We are all for the Pope" or "All roads don't lead to Rome." The second ensures a steady flow of tribute but ensures that the Roman church will be angry with you forever.

One time events - once this event happens it does not happen for anybody else, although there are scripted responses for AI players.

• Colonisation: use a pop boom card to then start off colonisation in the Imperial Era. You will be asked to pay some tribute, which will allow for the discovery of a scripted colony. For the Portuguese, Colonisation starts the moment Black Plague strikes without even using a Pop boom card
• Venice, Armenia, Byzantium only: use Boom - Wealth card once: Mongols will demand tribute or declare war on you. Can choose to either pay 100 tribute, or pay 50 and collaborate with Mongols, or declare war. The both options result in alliance with Mongols and generates 2 military Eureka cards for Mongols, but the 2nd results in the Mongols taking your tribute in tax, and locking out your ability to conduct diplomacy (Armenia usually pays the tribute, Venice and Byzantium will abstain)
• A new colony: If you are Spain and have Nueva Vizcaya and Nueva Granada, and have recently played an Intel Network card, an explorer will say that there are rumours of more treasure to be found in another part of South America. Either pay him 200 tribute to explore and get Peru, or dismiss him (Spain pays whenever it can).
• 3 colonies, play metal boom card: Local natives are angry at your conduct and have begun an uprising. Either pay 100 to arm a counter-insurgency force, or lose all your colonies (Spain and Portugal will always pay, while other will simply just let the colonies slide).
• Hansa: for both Burgundy and Denmark after playing Merchant Corp card. It will ask you whether to establish a Hansa (improves relations with HRE, ensures a stream of tribute for HRE) or to centralise your government - gives you 2 Cultural Domination cards (Burgundy chooses to Centralise, Denmark always chooses the Hansa).
• Infrastructure developments: plays out whenever a Boom - Food, Boom - Wood or Logistics card was played: Merchants and farmers will demand stuff from you. You can either support the role of the Merchants which locks out the Peasant Guild and provides 100 tribute, or choose to side with the peasants, which locks out the Town Watch guild and provides 2 Pop Boom cards. (Only China, Russia, Denmark, Scotland, Wales, and the Islamic states support the Peasants)
• Piracy: a nation you played a Marque or Bandits card is furious, and demands compensation. Switches ownership of your colonies to that player or results in war. This occurs if you have at least 1 colony, and you have used it against a nonbelligerent. (AI always chooses war)
• Colony steal (player must own at least 1 colony, another faction has more colonies than you, and player has used a Spy School card recently) a merchant approaches you with a map and asks for support in taking action against a colony, saying that its exports are damaging trade. Pay 50 to either take the most recently inducted colony and declare war against the owner of the colony, pay 150 to destroy it without reprisals, or do nothing (AI will always sabotage).
• Privateering (China: if a Christian faction takes the Spice Islands and you have recently used a Eureka - Civ card): your tributaries in the Southern Sea complain that a foreign power has recently set itself up and is usurping tribute meant for your palace. You may sacrifice all your bonus cards to declare war against that faction and retake the Spice Islands, or do nothing. This occurs only once.
• (Holy Roman Empire only if at war with Saracens) after using the Transport Req card, the Saracens will offer you the following terms: pay 100 to take Jerusalem in exchange for Saracen alliance - for at least 8 turns. After this, the Saracens will go back to war with you (HRE normally does not take the alliance until the Reformation takes place).
• (Holy Roman Empire) dynastic dilemma (plays out if Spain, Magyars and Poles are still alive) : must have played Stupor Mundi, as well as selected Feudalism in New Men, and have selected to support the Clergy. Your empire has potential claims in several nations: which to enforce?
  • Spain: Spain becomes ally, results in war with France, and generates 1 Wealth Boom card (this is the default choice).
  • Magyars: Magyars become vassal, results in war with Turks if still around, and generates 2 mercenary cards
  • Poland: Poland becomes vassal, war with Russia and Norse, creates 3 merchant corp card.

Reformation

This occurs with the following:

• 5 or more factions have received the Science versus Religion dilemma and chose in favour of Science.
• Black Plague
• Byzantines are dead
• Schism has taken place

Excommunication will cease to have an effect on diplomacy for Christians, and factions may choose a bonus: either to keep to the Catholic Church (which makes it an ally) or to become Protestant. Choosing to become a Protestant results in the generation of 1 Wealth Boom card.

All factions starting conditions

• 1 region at level 3 (capital)
• 1 army
• 0 tribute

Western Asia

• Egyptians are relocated to Egypt, and have control of Sinai and the Levant
• Armenia controls only Cyprus, as well as Morea.
• Byzantine Empire is independent but controls only the Bosporus - although Thessaly is a "barbarian" state.
• Turks - control their capital from Edessa

Britannia and Franconia

• England and Scotland exist (with Northumberland being under English control with fort level of 1), and Wales is limited to Gwynedd, with England in control of the rest of Britannia, save Ireland as well as Gasconha e Lenghadoc. The rest of the French lands are, well, French!
• HRE is replaced with Austria, with Carinthia being the capital. The German states are in a complete mess, with the following:
  • Nordmark - vacant
  • Holstein - Danish
  • Lorraine - Burgundian
  • Swabia - part of Sicily
  • Bavaria, Vrieslan, Vlanderen, Lower Saxony - vacant
• Burgundy's capital is the same and controls Provence and Lorraine.

Norse

• Denmark controls Sjaelland, Jutland, Holstein, Norway and Gotaland.

Slavonia and Danubia

• Serbia rules the Balkans.
• Venice controls Istria, as well as Crete. Thessaly is a rebel area.

Eastern and Northern Asia

• Mongols are limited to the Chagatai Khanate -
  • Turkestan (captal)
  • Balkhash
• Novgorod is allied to the Mongols, and is based in the Ladoga region.

Italia and Iberia

• Most of Italia consists of single-state factions, although there are several differences:
  • Venice controls only Venice (but also is present in Istria and Crete to the east)
  • Papal States control the Apennines as well as Romagna
  • Aragon controls the following:
    • Catalonia (capital)
    • Navarre
    • Denia and Malaga
    • Sicily
    • Sardegna
    • Thessaly
  • Portugal is fully formed
  • The Moors are based in Africa, and have their capital in the Atlas and have Granada.