Secrets

The Roman Flight required a truly enormous amount of preparations to be conducted: The construction of a fleet large enough to carry hundreds upon hundreds of settlers, the acquisition of supplies and personnel for such a trip, and the evacuation of the City's of the World Desire, all while keeping the flight's true purpose a secret from both prying European and Turkish eyes. Of course, as large as the fleet could be, the space in the fleet was still not infinite, and upon the fleet's completion, the Romans were faced with a choice: They could use their limited space to either store a number of secrets that have been the staple of the Roman Empire for decades, which would be sure to benefit their nation's development in the future, or bring in much required additional supplies and people that would be sure to improve their survival and colonization efforts in the new world.

## Books and Knowledge

Choosing to bring in the books will result in the '**Books of Knowledge**' government modifier being applied, which simply gives Rhomanía a -10.0% idea cost reduction. On January 1st 1450, the following event will occur:

If the Rights of Man DLC is enabled, this event has a 25% chance of adding a trait to your current leader between Just, Free Thinker, Scholar and righteous (Unless a ruler already has these traits, in which case, the chance turns into 33%). Otherwise, you gain 5 prestige.

More importantly, after this event, provinces with at least 10 development will slowly begin getting renaissance spread from books of knowledge, which would normally only be available decades later, through Portugal at the very earliest.

## Greek Fire

Bringing in Greek Fire will result in the '**Greek Fire**' government modifier being added to Elysia, with following bonuses:

* Naval Maintenance Modifier: +10.0%
* Heavy Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
* Light Ship Combat Ability: +10.0%
* Galley Combat Ability: +25.0%
* Fort Defense: +30.0%

Greek Fire occupies an interesting position among the four secrets. Greek Fire will face depletion as time goes on (Depletion is faster if you used them against the Granadan Pirates), requiring you to have control over provinces with the Naphtha supply modifier, or face the loss of the secret as if you never took it, this potential loss of the secret means that any player aiming to take Greek Fire must have some strategy around it. In exchange for this requirement, it also offers a few bonuses over the playthrough:

* Early on, you'll receive an event warning you of possible Greek Fire depletion, which allows you to select an option to unlock an early artillery unit before tech level 7. The Experimental Greek Fire Flamethrower has no pips but contributes to a siege.
* The Tier 5 Government Reform Indiscriminate Bombardment is unlocked, giving the following benefits:
	+ +33% Siege Ability
	+ +1 Artillery Level vs Fort
	+ -33% Improve Relations Modifier
	+ +10% Artillery Cost
	+ +5 Years of Separatism
	+ -50% Province Loot
	+ When an enemy fortified province is captured, it gains 50 Devastation. Loses Random Development. Gets the 'Devastated by Greek Fire!' modifier for 20 years, giving the following effects: Fort Level: -1, Local Garrison Growth: -50.0%, Local Monthly Devastation: +0.5, Immune to penalties of Indiscriminate Bombardment

### Army Reforms

If Greek Fire modifier is active, and the reserves aren't depleted, the army reform events (And the decision) will include unique Greek Fire army reforms from the second reform onwards.

The Tier 2 Greek Fire Army Reform provides the following effects:

* +0.8 Infantry Fire
* +40% Infantry Cost
* -20% Land Forcelimit Modifier
* -25% Regiment Recruiting Speed
* +1.0 Leader Land Fire
* -10% Unit Movement Speed
* +10% Siege Ability

The Tier 3 Greek Fire Army Reform provides the following effects:

* +1.0 Infantry Fire
* +40% Infantry Cost
* -15% Land Forcelimit Modifier
* -50% Regiment Recruiting Speed
* +1.0 Leader Land Fire
* -5% Unit Movement Speed
* +5% Siege Ability

The Tier 4 Greek Fire Army Reform provides the following effects:

* +1.0 Infantry Fire
* +40% Infantry Cost
* +10% Artillery Combat Ability
* -15% Land Forcelimit Modifier
* -50% Regiment Recruiting Speed
* +1.0 Leader Land Fire
* +5% Siege Ability
* +50% Assault Fort Ability
* +1 Max General Siege

The provinces with Naptha supply are (Controlled by Erie at the start of the game), and Trinidad (Uncolonized province)

## Silk Production

Bringing in Silk adds the '**Silk Production**' government modifier, giving you +10.0% Trade Efficiency, and will enable the Skoros Silk trade good early on in the game, giving a much necessary boost to the economy.

The main benefit of bringing in Silk is the Imperial Silk mission, which varies on whether you brought silk in or not. If you brought in Silk, then you need at least diplomatic tech 8, and then you have two ways of completing this mission: Colonise one province between Ais, Mayaimi, Bahamas, Moron, Camaguey or Baracoa, and bring it to 16 development, or conquer 5 provinces among the Thrace, Macedonia, Western Mediterranean Islands, Catalonia, Valencia, Baleares or Tunisia areas, which will give a hefty reward to Elysia, removing Silk Production and replacing it with the Silk Quarter modifier in the capital instead, giving +5.00 Local Goods Produced, +30.0% Local Goods Produced Modifier, one extra merchant, and the production of the unique Elysian Silk trade good. However, if you don't take the silk, the mission turns into Warm Waters, requiring 12 diplomatic tech, Constantinople retaken and 5 provinces in the aforementioned areas conquered, for the Elysian Silk trade good and 2 base production in Elysia.

Of note, is that finishing the Invasion and having the required diplomatic tech will always complete this mission, as all of the provinces required to complete the Invasion also happen to be provinces that count towards silk.

## The Venetian Captains

The Venetian Captains are the most variable of the secrets, nearly all of their benefits come at the early game and largely aims to benefit Elysia when it's still setting itself up.

First off, two early events are improved. The first one are the Granadan Pirates event, taking the Venetian Captains will always enable an improved option no matter which other combination of secrets and exiles you take. Afterwards, the Elysian state will acquire a much stronger version of the Salvaging the Fleet event.

Past that, another early event will enable the Burgher estate before the Merchant Class mission is completed (Called the Arte del Treviso), in 1447, the estate will also feature improved privileges- Better versions of the "Indebted to the Burghers" and "Burghers in the Admiralty" privileges will always be available no matter what. If the Emperor DLC is active, the "Control over monetary policy" privilege is improved as well. If the Res Publica DLC is active, trade posts will also be enabled as a mechanic for Elysia.

Lastly, you are given the unique Arsenal of Elysia great project further down the game after you rediscover Europe. The project is made available after taking the Build an Elysian Arsenal Decision, requiring 200 diplomatic points or good relations with Venice, either control over Venice or the Grand Cothon at tier 2, and grants the following benefits depending on tier:

* Tier 1 takes 1000 ducats and can be built in 60 months (5 years). The cost can be reduced to 900 if Ivos already has a shipyard built, and 800 if the province has a grand shipyard on it. Once construction is finished, the province's base production will be increased by 1 and remove any shipyard or grand shipyard built beforehand. It grants the following bonuses:
	+ 75% faster ship construction speed in the province
	+ 75% faster ship repair speed in the province
	+ -10% ship construction costs in the province
	+ +4.00 Naval Force Limit
* Tier 2 costs 2500 ducats and can be built in 120 months (10 years), granting the following bonuses:
	+ +80% faster ship construction speed in the province
	+ +80% faster ship repair speed in the province
	+ -20% ship construction costs in the province
	+ +4.00 Naval Force Limit
	+ 10% Global Ship Costs Reduction
	+ +5% Ship Durability
* Tier 3 is the best form of the arsenal, costing 5000 ducats and 360 months (20 years) to be completed. The province bonuses remain the same as tier 2, but are applied to every single province in the Elysia area, effectively being the same as building five extra arsenals, (Any shipyards or grand shipyards are destroyed in the process), blockades contribute an additional +1 modifier to siege progress, and the global ship cost reduction from tier 2 is increased to 15%

The Venetian Captains are the only secret that can't be reacquired in a lesser form once you finally return to Constantinople.