The Leopard and the Lilies

Across 15 reigns of the House of Capet your family seeks lands, titles, glory and wealth but faces dangerous rivals, external enemies and the ferocious warriors of Islam and Byzantium.

Each turn is the reign of one king whose major policy/event impinges on that turn. The reigns (conveniently 15 of them) are split into five in the Age of Barons, five in the age of the Crusades, and five in the age of the Cursed Kings. After applying that reigns events (perhaps a Crusade or Poor Harvests) the players each have their turn (based on a cube draw). In each turn they may do one thing based on the Three Orders of medieval life: Laboratores, Bellatores and Oratores (Peasants, Warriors and Priests). Each has advantages and disadvantages. Finally, each Baron may attempt a marriage that will bring fresh fiefs into his family.

The Baron seeks fiefs (his knights), peasants (for his new towns) and titles (many minor barons gained impressive titles in the East) as well as money. But kings seek armies in which you serve at your cost as these can eat your reserves or result in yet further success. Additionally they can invest in cards in suites of Military, Cathedrals, Scholars, Queens, Resources, and Culture. For example, respectively, Simon de Montfort, the Basilica of Cluny, St Bernard of Clairvaux, Blanche of Castile, the Fairs of Lagny, and the “Summa Theologica” of St Thomas Acquinas,

Event cards cause a number of historical events to affect play. Victory is decided based on money, fame, titles held, card suites collected and other items.

—description from the designer