Danish West-Indian Company 2nd venture

After a thorough cost analysis Nils Ingebricksen reports on projected cost to the King.

The three frigates would cost 60,000, or the King can donate some from his fleet.
Since Nils is a prominent nobleman, he has little need for large payment and accepts a pittance, alongside the resources he needs for the journey, to attract colonists and to start a settlement, the cost comes to 5,000.

The total comes to 65,000, or 5,000 with a donation of frigates.

However, previous English attempts to settle on the Island have met with strong resistance from the local Kalina Indians. It might be wise to add a transport and a unit of militiamen to defend the settlers.

Nils gathers his crew and prepares to set sail, hoping to relay positive news to the King at the beginning of the next year. He leaves with 300 skilled colonists and 1,000 militiamen.

Nils Ingerbriksen returns to Copenhagen with good news. A settlement named 'Kongensby' has been established on the target Island, St Vincent. However, shortly after landing they were attacked by the Kalina Indians. Nils claims over 5,000 of the Island's inhabitants rose up and attacked the settlement, though the true number of assailants is unclear - what is known is that the militia lost 500 in fierce fighting and 50 colonists were also killed. The remaining group have been able to rally together and explore the island, which seems to be perfectly suited for the farming of sugar, tobacco, cocoa and any number of subsistence crops.

OOC: Denmark gains St Vincent and the Grenadines - 1 (+1 per annum, maximum 3)

Nils Ingebriksen is of course greatly honoured by the show of faith the King has placed in him and gladly accepts the offer of a second venture. He starts looking into the fort at Dansborg and recognises that, as the King suspected, it is not quite as good as those held by the Portuguese. Since a trade port is already there, it will cost 15,000 to upgrade it to a larger and more fortified town increasing the value of the colonial province. Additionally, dealing with the local Rajas, could cost quite a bit more. Christian can choose to either send some extra finance with Nils to buy over a local Raja, or send an army which Nils can use to forcefully conquer new land. Alternatively, Christian can wait until Nils' report returns from India and then send over the finance or army necessary.

Nils did his research, and noted a Christian presence in India dating back to St Thomas the Apostle. He therefore concluded that these more civilised people would be more willing to accept a Christian conversion programme on the continent than those lesser peoples he encountered in the Americas, and relayed his reasoning to the King.

Nils returned a letter to the King, he would stay in India until the situation had been resolved. Unfortunately, Tanquebar was surrounded by major powers. To the South, a Dutch vassal state, to the North lay a French colony on the Comorin Coast. To the West, a large indigenous state called Bajapur. Bajapur is too powerful to consider an offer from the Danish without a war of conquest. However, due to the prolonged Dutch blockade of French India, the local Raja is looking for alternative sources of European funding to stay afloat. Nils can offer them the 15,000 to begin with, but to buy their loyalty the King would have to commit at another 30,000.

OOC: 'Loyalty' is perhaps a bad word to use. The idea is that you buy their allegiance in a similar way mercenaries work. You'll pay them as a gesture of goodwill, allowing you to build up better relations, then through general colonial trade practice you build up a longer term relationship. Think of it like an advance payment to sweeten a business arrangement. In normal circumstances you wouldn't be able to usurp this kind of colony from another European power, but since the Dutch have blockaded Comorin for over a year, they're running out of wealth and are starting to get desperate.