Embarking on Grand Tours
The Grand Tours feature, introduced in the Tours and Tournaments DLC, allows your ruler to embark on ambitious journeys across the map. These tours are not merely for leisure; they are opportunities to gain prestige, develop skills, forge alliances, and even uncover hidden secrets. Initiating a Grand Tour is done through the character's interaction menu, where you can select "Embark on a Grand Tour." You'll then choose a destination and a specific goal for your tour, such as "Visit the Holy Land" or "Attend the Great Tournament of Anatolia."
Each tour is broken down into stages, and at each stage, you'll face various events and decisions. These events can range from simple encounters with local lords to dangerous challenges like bandit ambushes or diplomatic faux pas. Your choices will impact your progress, your stress levels, and the opinions of those you meet. Successfully completing stages earns you progress towards your tour's objective and often grants rewards like prestige, piety, or even unique artifacts. Developing your character's skills, particularly Diplomacy and Intrigue, can significantly improve your chances of success during these events.
Consider the benefits of different tour types. A "Diplomatic Tour" might focus on visiting powerful rulers to improve relations or arrange marriages, while a "Martial Tour" could involve attending tournaments or inspecting your armies. The "Pilgrimage Tour" is excellent for gaining piety and potentially unlocking powerful religious bonuses. Remember to bring along courtiers with relevant skills to assist you; a skilled marshal can help with travel safety, while a learned scholar might decipher ancient texts encountered along the way. Managing your gold is also crucial, as tours can incur significant expenses for lodging, gifts, and potential bribes.