Venice

The Most Serene Republic of Venice has been on the rise for years now, with countless trading outposts and unimaginable influence and wealth. Many stand in its way, but they will all soon be footnotes to history, as the rise of Venice is inevitable. The never ending expansion of profit margins will reach across the whole of the Adriatic, the Italian Peninsula, and soon the whole of the Mediterranean, soon achieving the Mare Nostrum desired by so many before.

## Venetian Ideas

### Traditions

Global Trade Power: +10.0%National Sailors Modifier: +20.0%

### Venetian Arsenal

Naval Force Limit Modifier: +25.0%Galley Cost: -20.0%

### Naval Conscription

Naval Maintenance Modifier: -20.0%Sailor Maintenance: -5.0%

### Defend the Law

Stability Cost Modifier: -10.0%Cost to justify trade conflict: -10.0%

### Found the provveditori ai beni incluti

Land Attrition: -10.0%Naval Attrition: -10.0%

### Ambition

Galley Combat Ability: +25.0%

The Most Serene Republic of Venice is in its prime. Coming out as the victor in most of the conflicts it has been drawn into have greatly lined not just the Doge’s - but also the republic’s - pockets, all the while fueling the merchants’ avaricious profiteering. While this has been the downfall of many a fellow Italian merchant republic, the opposite has just about always been true for the Venetians. If anything, their ever-growing desire for wealth beyond measure has seen to the merchant fleet’s near-uncontested dominion over the Adriatic Sea for several centuries. Some within Venice’s government even propose making additional attempts at territorial expansion within the wider Mediterranean or beyond.

Even among Venice’s enemies, they are unable to deny it how impressively effective the small nation’s conquests have been. Throughout Europe in the Middle Ages, monarchies or land-based realms would most likely have raised peasant levies after harvesting season and deployed a handful of light ships to fight their wars. In contrast, Venice’s lack of expendable manpower and deep pockets allowed for it to sortie not only an entire merchant fleet, but also employ an imposing amount of experienced mercenaries for their campaigns. Yet more favors Venice in the form of its connection to the Crusader States in the Levant - alliances and treaties which are not only a barrier for the Nizzarid Sultanate, but also ensure that the Papacy will see them as a benefactor for Christendom.

Though the Venetian age of prosperity may soon be reaching its pinnacle, a fall will always seek to follow. The republic’s wars and trade conflicts have created as much hostility amongst the Mediterranean peoples as there is gold in the Doge’s private vault. The mainland Italians bear as much ill-will towards Venice for its exploiting their weakened state as the Nizzarids do for aiding the Crusaders. The mortal enemies of Venice, however, are the remnants of the Byzantine Empire - an ancient realm which had been shattered two centuries prior by the dagger Venice was hiding underneath its cloak. Should the Byzantines reunite once more, or Italians centralize, the Most Serene Republic of Venice will face the largest existential threat it could comprehend since the Germanic invasions of Italy. It may be that the merchants have dug themselves a hole not even their coffers can fill before they slip in...