My first attempt at a real AAR, because it seems like it could be fun.
Realm: Duchy of Munster
Ruler: Duke Murchad I
Family: Unmarried, one adult son (age 18)
Goal: Lead dynasty to untie the Emerald Isle and create an English-hating, non-dependent, nobly-led (i.e. chivalrous, non-asshat rulers) Irish Kingdom.
I chose the Duchy of Munster, as it is only one of two preexisting independent duchies on the isle, and the only one of the two that controls two counties...
Our first hero....
Duke Murchad I....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwhrOP.jpg&hash=36edd2059cf82a975f5185a3dc3d818904b0b2f9)
One goal is already failing...he is a cruel, craven, and proud ass. But I'll take it for now, that means I can do some crappy things with him and it won't be a surprise to anyone. :menace:
Fortunately his son, Brian, is almost a polar opposite...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3emqp.jpg&hash=881533516d95a9401aee5e9a752ea180e8143d19)
The first goal, as seen above, was marry him off to a good wife, in this case, a Hungarian hottie/princess with compatible attributes...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F841Q6.jpg&hash=19a9015f2dece6ad8b98b09bd4c0e2f1c8f425af)
They turn out to be a good match (eventually falling in love, a good +75 relationship modifier), as well as eventually giving birth to twin boys. Our hero also eventually marries (as seen above), in his case, a random German courtier who is around the same age (high 30's, in order to try and avoid extra heirs), and with equally conniving traits (which turned out to be a good fit, as they seemed to like each other) to be a decent spymaster. They also would have a son together, though he died at the age of 2.
As can also be seen, dad and son don't care much for each other...better keep him unlanded for a time.
Our first necessary political step?
Alas, our second county, consisting only of a city and a bishopric, seems to be run by incompatible Norwegians (two -20 relationship hits for wrong government type and being foreigners). Expel the scandies!
However, they want to resist....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FMf7Ogh.jpg&hash=d5667b121ec7b9b7d627f3ab6318415d4ec31ad5)
... fortunately, his levies are no match for mine. After a short siege, he is imprisoned, and banished back Norway. His fellow Norwegian bishop quick to follow.
Later, during a pleasurable hunting excursion, Duke Murchad comes across an enormous, giant stag...and wisely chooses to avoid the worst option...but not without a price...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FkIhP6.jpg&hash=4076c4f746393f45309061b0c1629a1be330b124)
...and he runs into some financial management issues...but Ermessinde comes to the rescue!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FegVLs.jpg&hash=471c616440e237b187e73f0b2b01354f59040d7c)
After a time, the third county belonging to the de jure Duchy of Munster, Desmond to the south, is subjugated. Now Murchad's minister must get hard at work to create the claims that will lead to unification! (we hate waiting)
Latest news:
- A successful claim was made against the county of Ossory, and they quickly joined Murchad's holdings.
- Changed law of succession to be Elective, and named Brian as heir. These acts lead to a reconciliation between father and son (had 100 relations at one point), and he is made Earl of Desmond.
Current problem:
I arranged the betrothal of the eldest twin grandson (and eventual heir), Konstantin, to a young daughter (and at the time, only heir) to another Irish county to the north. Probably a mistake to do this at the age of 2 (for both), as she turned out to be a lesbian. (and I cannot figure out how to manually break the betrothal, at least, as grandfather).
Earl Brian has turned out to develop rather well as an heir (despite a drinking problem, but then this is Ireland), and I would rather be playing him...but old man Murchad just won't die.
:)
Time to resume....
21 June 1083:
Ireland status:
My Duchy of Munster is the leading power...Duchies of Connaught and Meath have formed into second place.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6jlEch.jpg&hash=9a4ce3c5b1a0357bc53ea8dfc11f6ee693ae0448)
Status of Europe:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FnMEI2h.jpg&hash=19d6362f6fabb8a71ab220233fe7d8accfb24fe9)
England is still ruled by the Saxons (after a brief civil war with Lancaster breaking off), France aided some of the minor kingdoms of northern Spain to flourish, Danish expansionism along the Baltic, and some political realignment in Russia (notably Vladimir) seem to be the only major changes (I don't honestly follow the outside world too closely).
(failed at resizing the ss's properly..overdid it and failed to have backups...so the images here will suck)
The twin grandsons finally reach maturity.
The "elder twin", Constantin MacBrian, not a great heir, mostly average (he was educated by his dad), but not many downsides (besides the lesbian wife).
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FVw6HH.jpg&hash=e039a93f8b625bd73f22009a608efd1265d07082)
The other twin, Fedlimid, educated by the former marshal of the Earl of Desmond (who was a brilliant strategist), he seems to have passed that trait onto his pupil, who surpassed him. In all likelihood, when Brian comes to the throne, succession will switch to this twin.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQBFm3.jpg&hash=67d5adce766bc1e0fd40bf4bf0398853d8e2f982)
Brian's third son died at age 2 of pneumonia...though they recently had another boy.
Owning Ossory gave us a ducal claim on Leinster, after amassing the cash to create that title, it's time for a scrap with the Duchy of Meath.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJeOXQ.jpg&hash=e10c38436d33f2821e23c08be9f572cd44ac7baa)
Our Duchess has died. :(
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJRuWh.jpg&hash=be9b2c57339c1c130db82c570bf1847d600a18b7)
But even a war won't stop finding a new wife/spymaster. Our Hero grabs another conniving German to fill the role....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6JPXw.jpg&hash=ecdc5daac989a6484e6146276335a8b0c37c36dc)
The fight with Meath was successful, but I could only seize the county of Leinster...so now another potentially long wait while I scheme for a claim. My levies were enough to win, but I did hire the Saxon band to chase his levies around Ireland as they kept trying to outmaneuver my army.
The world, 11 June 1088
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FQdaS4.jpg&hash=777620820fc9eb2bfa12ca7df58401307ae11c23)
- Leon breaks up as the Muslims push back in Spain
- France splinters slightly
- Danes grab more pieces of the Baltic
- Has the Byzantine Empire begun to collapse?
Murchad is the first son of Brian Boru...
Make no peace with the Vikings. They remember Clontarf.
Quote from: MadImmortalMan on February 15, 2012, 10:44:54 PM
Murchad is the first son of Brian Boru...
Make no peace with the Vikings. They remember Clontarf.
Well, the starting Earl of Leinster/Meath (I forget which exactly) is also named Murchad, and has a wiki-link from the game, so I wonder if that is more likely the one you refer to.
Tonitrus,
You're off to a good start!
Bored while waiting for claims...a Byzantine Empire update!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fb4Zsyh.jpg&hash=d4416810a726677e9a6034ef775c22890a61b3bb)
It appears their trouble were only temporary, due to a civil war over who would rule the empire. Konstantinos II proving victorious over a Basilieus(sp) the Fat, moving the seat of the empire to Thessaloniki.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwhEI6h.jpg&hash=08aa1e56d08d7ccbfc9225188b39bda3db9d2589)
And a miracle! Constantin MacBrian proved his worth and has produced a legitimate son with his lesbian wife!
And our Duke Murchad's new, evil German wife decided she needed a mini-me, recently producing a daughter.
New Years Day, 1100 A.D.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Ftqgywh.jpg&hash=fa167fb80a72aaf2ee2aed99c1b5c26961f2d47c)
Murchad I "The Old", seemingly a rather mediocre ruler, is still kicking at the ripe age of 73, had led his army into battle to become Duke of Munster, Leinster, and Connaught (after a successful claim on that county, and usurpation of the Duchy) after finally subjected the county of Breifne. Having attained control of 7 counties, he is now eligible to create the Kingdom of Ireland.
His son Brian is still alive in his 50's, but has turned down a dark life of drunkenness and cruelty...only his loving Hungarian princess Lanka manages to keep him in line.
Wonder twins Constantin and Fedlimid are still doing well. Constantin's miracle son seems healthy, and Fedlimid has married, but so far only has a daughter. Brian's third son, Mael-Martain McBrian is developing quite well as a virtuous master diplomat...could he beat out the twins as the best heir-grandson?
And tonight's final Byzantine World Report:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrnpeBh.jpg&hash=79eaf2b1eca8840de5c2bc6b2c5b076138630ae3)
After reuniting the Empire, Konstantinos II of Thessalonika soon fell into a another civil war, led by an obscure Byzantine princess. This war left the Empire still alive, but torn usunder.
In other news:
- The Kingdom of Georgia was overrun by Turkmen
- The King of Norway was excommunicated, leading to a major uprising by the Duke of Trondelag and war with Scotland and England. Only just recently rehabilitated, peace was made with the major threats, and he is now fighting to regain Iceland.
- Sweden suffers from a protracted civil war against their tyrannical monarch.
- France just recently concluded a truce with the HRE in a squabble over some minor counties.
Quote from: Tonitrus on February 16, 2012, 01:55:46 AM
And a miracle! Constantin MacBrian proved his worth and has produced a legitimate son with his lesbian wife!
And our Duke Murchad's new, evil German wife decided she needed a mini-me, recently producing a daughter.
:lol:
I decided to wait until Brian inherits the throne before declaring Ireland, in order to better organize the duchies afterwords among his children so that relationship levels don't get clobbered.
But Murchad I won't freakin' die...now at 82 years old.
Death Panel?
Duke Murchad the Old finally got bored of not dying and declared himself King of Ireland!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FTlZ9F.jpg&hash=ee0a26c9060fcb6068c1f25da99a1c167e3ab6c0)
And finally a couple years later, on 28 October 1111, at the age of 84, King Murchad I passes away.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FD1Syy.jpg&hash=b3b1543cb8f36c56744c73d2e28b20dd68fd14e0)
Alas, King Brian I's reign would not last long, giving up the ghost in less than a year, on March 30, 1112.
But long live King Constantin I!
Here is the current ruling family...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FCGKvkh.jpg&hash=67373444845f7399f0d8cb0860927e38d7e9da70)
While alive, King Brian had made Fedlimid Marshal, and Duke of Connaught, while keeping Constantin an Earl until inheritance. (the idea being to keep the ruling line in control of the Duchy of Munster and Leinster as the King's power base).
Constantin and Deirdre(the lesbian) do have one son but I decided to make Fedlimid the heir for now, as Ireland still has elected succession and he is currently the best choice(I plan to change the succession law again...as elected seems rather crappy...when Brian was heir, he would keep swapping his favor from himself to some other distant relative, and back again constantly, also some totally unrelated 1-county Irish earl somehow has inheritance to the Kingdom of Ireland, so I need to lock him out....though being able to choose daughters is a nice advantage to have if needed, as long as one has an iron fist control of the electors).
Constantin also followed in his father's footsteps in consolidating the power of the King (between Murchad, Brian and him, got it up to "High").
Much of Ireland still remains independent, and invaders from The Isles have seized a province of Ulster, so now Constantine must begin the political and military consolidation of Eire.
(still deciding if I should continue to do the slow, "claim and conquest" strategy, or start schmoozing the independent earls...as they will mostly all accept vassilization now...but I don't like the idea of a bunch of rebellious tards controlling the north)
And The World, as of 20 April 1112....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F0DC8Ph.jpg&hash=a0b8ad3a02b68470ed6d8d837f4b829e20e64c85)
- France is split as Aquitaine fights a war for independence.
- Byzantium survives, but is splintered.
- Denmark continues to expand throughout the Baltic Sea.
- Novgorod, having acquired a large expanse of Rus, struggles to hold it together.
- England is suffering from a massive outbreak (I saw well over a dozen counties) of Consumption(tuberculosis).
It looks like in CK II you can't grow beyond a certain size, or the world starts to collapse as your vassals are always going to hate you. No?
Quote from: Faeelin on February 17, 2012, 08:22:57 AM
It looks like in CK II you can't grow beyond a certain size, or the world starts to collapse as your vassals are always going to hate you. No?
Basically - with the exceptions of the HRE and Byzantium. I think it's quite good and makes the game more interesting. But I think it also reflects the period. You could see a dynasty build up immense power and prestige before total collapse in response to civil war or a bad ruler.
Quote from: Sheilbh on February 17, 2012, 08:24:36 AM
Quote from: Faeelin on February 17, 2012, 08:22:57 AM
It looks like in CK II you can't grow beyond a certain size, or the world starts to collapse as your vassals are always going to hate you. No?
Basically - with the exceptions of the HRE and Byzantium. I think it's quite good and makes the game more interesting. But I think it also reflects the period. You could see a dynasty build up immense power and prestige before total collapse in response to civil war or a bad ruler.
Do holdings of your dynasty members you do not yourself control add to the score? I think people may be forgetting that, which is sorta counterintuitive compared to similar games - i.e. you are still getting points if your cousin rules France, even if it is a totally independent kingdom to your England for example.
Quote from: Faeelin on February 17, 2012, 08:22:57 AM
It looks like in CK II you can't grow beyond a certain size, or the world starts to collapse as your vassals are always going to hate you. No?
So far, I've managed to keep my Irish vassals happy, though besides the barons/bishops, they are all family. But there's only really been one generation change so far...things are bound to get worse.
Quote from: Martinus on February 17, 2012, 09:32:21 AM
Do holdings of your dynasty members you do not yourself control add to the score? I think people may be forgetting that, which is sorta counterintuitive compared to similar games - i.e. you are still getting points if your cousin rules France, even if it is a totally independent kingdom to your England for example.
I don't think they do (they add to that small prestige bit) but not the overall score. After all, if I reload as a cousin - my score is back at 0 although the dynasty prestige bit is at whatever it was at. The overall score is made up of a sum of each of your rulers' prestige and piety.
25 December 1122
Since last time...
Sadness, our Queen Mother, Lanka of Hungary has passed away... :(
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FW6mS6.jpg&hash=a00f499edb3841d970723a303775b05a79f4026b)
The epidemic of Consumption spread through Wales on onto Ireland, infecting the Queen (perhaps Constantin hoped at chance for a more willing and fertile wife...but alas Deirdre would eventually recover).
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FOhN5fh.jpg&hash=a9eb19b05ead5f29da60e7acec9e392ee94f287a)
Having coaxed the independent Earls of Ulster (including one who is possessed) to join the Irish kingdom, the Twin Kings of Ireland (as I have unofficially dubbed Constantin and Feldimid) declare war on The Isles for control of Ulster. The Isles, having just suffered a punishing defeat at the hands of Scotland, make for an easy opponent, and Ulster is soon liberated.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FpVIVHh.jpg&hash=3caf10f186645684343bbdca42d777696ca53279)
The Kingdom of Ireland remains just one county short of unification, Kildare's ruling dynasty remain stubborn hold-outs to the inevitable.
Despite this, the Twin King's reign over Ireland remains a pinnacle of unusual unity and loyalty (King Constantin doesn't have a vassal under 60 relationship).
Ireland's High Council
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F2xdYhh.jpg&hash=876161be18d84dadf0a0e4b83f75cf927441dda2)
(Prince Mael-Martain is the third son of the former King Brian and also now Duke of Leinster)
Prince Feldimid remains heir under electoral succession as King Constanin considers whether to introduce Primogeniture succession. The decision is not easy:
- Constanin only has one son (now the Duke of Ulster) from his wife Deirdre the Lesbian, and that idiot ended up married to a woman 18 years his senior (now 50) and they have no children.
- Prince Feldimid has two daughters (one from his first wife, now of legal age and in a matrilineal marriage), but also a new, young wife.
- Prince Mael-Martin has an almost-grown son and daughter.
I assume Primogeniture will make the idiot son heir, so likely the succession would eventually get thrown back to Feldimid's or Mael-Martin's family...but that seems like a recipe for chaos and instability. The risks of electoral succession may make sense for now...at least all the Duke's are inside the close family. But the 10-year delay for a new king to change the succession law can be a long, risky wait.
Anyway, finally the World Report:
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Ffz8Dwh.jpg&hash=00682804ca1572e3c84997fe08ad0bf6159ba7ef)
- Aquitaine failed in it's bid for independence, and France continues their crusades in Spain.
- Denmark continues its road to empire, fighting for domination of Finland.
- England, having reunited from a previous civil war under a new king in Warwick, again falls chaos.
- Norway fights to dominate Sweden, who is aided by Scotland seeking to liberate Norwegian-held counties in the north.
Keep up the AAR T.
:thumbsup:
Also will note, though I wasn't able to switch-off auto-updating before this recent patch, I decided to forge ahead despite the risks. No crashes so far, or complete strangeness (I probably wouldn't be able to tell anyway).
Killing off the story now and starting over is unacceptable! :mad:
Thing have been busy since last time...
King Constantin finds he can usurp the title for Duchy of Meath (the hold-out to unification), and promptly does so!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FwlFyY.jpg&hash=0c264e23b4d0c91ca622a35b20bec71cd91bfa9d)
The defenders are promptly quashed at the Battle of Kilkenny...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FboXdOh.jpg&hash=6044600e365770e3198a752465755b51958279cd)
And Eire is united!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FixO5oh.jpg&hash=59c00210db232906e8c3b00e0cf1e800bf83aa68)
But things are never peaceful for long...a plot is discovered that Deirdre the Lesbian desires to kill our twin brother Feldimid! We have an heir (had already switched to Primogeniture), so such a plot is senseless! Fortunately she submits to our demands...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FBmyc7.jpg&hash=4a6779e331c03e87b09ab8ec7f5aff93f0f4e674)
And later, Constantin and Deirdre make up, falling into genuine love when he buys her a new, magnificent black horse (women are such suckers, even lesbians).
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FsiKbLh.jpg&hash=50fb37d99d8814870bf1daa8c6ff5b183b20e2be)
But strife between the Twin Kings would not end...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FfVyH3.jpg&hash=64df51ae69f044bafde6605b3eb77defe3245349)
Fortunately nothing ever would come of Feldimid's claim on the Irish throne.
Tragedy! On 15 April 1126, King Constantin I passes away(though falling asleep in the Lord sounds rather comfy)...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FfH1tB.jpg&hash=998902f2bedaff3d6cca3681b6b4509b30f77559)
And his only son, Gilla-Ruad (I hate that name...and his beard) becomes the new King of Ireland. The nation worries as he has no children, and an elderly wife.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fm3Ctq.jpg&hash=4e07b060da37d330377e9efde437c0a7bf6b8ff9)
And one even worries too much, as the Earl of Oriel starts a futile rebellion against the King...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FZvX46.jpg&hash=4b55c405510bfca36a2872bf92f84cfc8f4da2ed)
...the rebellion is promptly crushed, only increasing King Gilla-Ruad's control.
But then, more treachery! The wife of our uncle, Prince Mael-Martin plots against the life of the King! But as my guardsmen close in, she manages to flee back to her home in England....craven English wench!
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3Ttbk.jpg&hash=4dad04fb98308194e8f8940018eaef8fbed16dd4)
Though she still lives, things return to relative calm in Ireland. The lords of the Emerald Isle seek only a quiet, peaceful reign, and hold no glorius ambitions of conquest abroad (even if England is rather ripe, seeming locked in endless civil wars).
The World, Christmas Day 1127
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FAnH4Oh.jpg&hash=abb06cb3117bcd8ceee24f53249c4947542328c2)
- England remains in turmoil.
- Denmark fights off moves for independence in Pomerania.
- Sweden strikes back against Norway.
New Year's Day, 1142 A.D.
The last of the Twins finally passes, and King Gilla-Ruad's rule is now absolute.
But he is saddled with an old maid of a wife, and no heir.
Seeking to appease the Pope to grant a divorce, King Gilla-Ruad joins the Crusade for Alexandria. At first intending to just play lip-service to the crusade, he ditches his old broad and finds his new young wife, who would eventually give him three sons in a short time.
But eventually, God speaks to our King, and he leads the united army of Ireland on a long journey to Egypt. And with the help of the Hungarians (and some Swiss mercenaries), a little bit of Ireland comes to the shores of the Pharaohs...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJDH1uh.jpg&hash=93ca59aab6e0443c9a0e9747467b715203e240d1)
With three sons and a fertile wife, King Gilla-Ruad's reign over Ireland has brought prosperity and peace. Despite infirmity and a maiming received while quashing rebels in Alexandria, he has another child on the way. The future looks bright.
The World....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FyPFQXh.jpg&hash=ebb488066928999719d3dfc5552b6ba7f1788ecd)
- The young, beautiful Danish Queen wraps up another crusade against pagans in the North on the road to domination of the Baltic.
- France eases out of another civil war against Aquitaine.
- Saxon England remains a cauldron of instability, with the Scots seeking to take advantage of their weakness.
- Tuscany leads a fresh, but likely doomed revolt against the HRE.
- Sweden and Norway begin yet another in an endless series of wars.
QuoteI hate that name...
I loathe the retard names that pop up. BAR BAR BAR BAR.
So I name the King's kids after hockey players, snack foods and cats.
I always have to laugh at Ramon-Berenguer of Barcelona and his twin sons Ramon-Berenguer and Berenguer-Ramon.
After being named "the Great", our dear King Gilla-Ruad would become incapable, and pass away in his early 50's, leaving his first son Brian II to ascend to throne at the age of 11....
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FT86KK.jpg&hash=f35f10f7c09336cbcd1cd2aa127d4d8d5ca3a77f)
His mother, Queen Cathan, would be regent. Due to the delicate fragility of the current leadership, it was decided that our new holding at Alexandria should be relinquished, and they were donated to the Knights Hospittaler (who, of course, we promptly Jihaded and smashed by the Emir of Egypt).
When Brian II came of age, it seems he would become a good, and noble King...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIzn3d.jpg&hash=d23fe3f823b069cd80e5b556bd00080ec707389c)
...helping in raising his younger siblings himself with the help of his new bride, the daughter of a Norman Duke.
Not everything would be serene, however...the new heir to the Duchy of Leinster, one of Brian's distant cousins, initiated a plot to reduce the authority of the Crown of Ireland. Choosing not to be lenient, King Brian II ordered him imprisoned, but he would evade the Marshal and initiate a rebellion.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3zeW7h.jpg&hash=9bb6233719bac0f9bcd4bc54909020d27ed08d28)
The rebellion stood no chance, and was soon crushed. The hapless rebel's fate was to be banished from Ireland, King Brian seizing the Duchy of Leinster for himself (and turning over the Duchy of Ulster to his younger brother).
And being the cynic that he is, King Brian would bring back Free Investiture of priests, which had been relinquished back to the Pope under the previous king to gain Papal favor. King Brian would become well known for his cynicism...
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fd23Im.jpg&hash=b3a4d7a1c42ad37757caf505acaaef41908c8480)
The Knowne World, New Year's Day, 1154 A.D.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FnjBB8h.jpg&hash=6f78d7f7b2b91d8fa16f8fb5192cab1f5b0e5494)
- Denmark recovers from a brutal rebellion that nearly brought an end to it's empire. A duchess in Finland, also bride to the Polish King started a revolt to create the Kingdom of Finland (and had the support of a number of prominent Danish counties), and the pagan tribes rose up to seize back their lands. However, Denmark's warrior queen would ultimately prove victorious.
- Sweden's own warrior queen continues to fight off Norwegian aggression.
- The Aquitaine again strives for independence from France.
- As does Tuscany from the HRE, this time joined by the powerful Duke of Osterreich.
- Hungary recovers from a bitter civil war.
- Byzantium crusades for Sicily.
- Several Orthodox states in the east, grown from the splintering of Byzantium, continue to show unusual success in fighting off the Muslim hordes.
- A new Persian Empire seems to be on the rise, however.
Cool.
Osterreich is in Saxony? :huh:
Quote from: Solmyr on February 26, 2012, 06:19:58 PM
Osterreich is in Saxony? :huh:
I assume Saxony and Austria has been united with Austria being the primary title.
Quote from: Solmyr on February 26, 2012, 06:19:58 PM
Osterreich is in Saxony? :huh:
That kind of stuff happens with duchal titles all the time. In my game the Duke of Novgorod and Moldavia were the same dude so Novgorod was labelled 'Moldavia'.
Revived in honor of St. Patrick's Day!
Brian II's reign would be mostly uneventful, and alas, would die young in mid 30's.
Originally, his son was to be heir...but seeing that his eldest child, Princess (Leia) Caitlin, seemed a more immediately capable heir, King Brian II had decided before his death to switch Ireland's succession to elective*, and the Dukes rallied behind the future Queen.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fmx6aIh.jpg&hash=19e46e2ddab3f5811de5aaf3819b2af198c7b73a)
Caitlin would rise to power at the young age of 21 (for some reason I keep getting powerful, lesbian queens in my games :P ), and despite their previous support, some of the local lords rose up in rebellion. Brian II having died young, Queen Caitlin took the initiative in raising most of her younger siblings, allowing her to use them to replace the rebellious dukes of Connaught and Ulster.
By age 36, Queen Caitlin would already be known as "the Great". Her first husband only managed to contribute to having two daughters before dying...and Caitlin has refused countless offers of marriage from the kings of Scotland, England and France. The current heir is her younger sister Rose, until it is known how capable her own daughters might become.
(https://languish.org/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FnJsl3h.jpg&hash=d42aa6c22f1a082506bc8e098947de7b2732bdea)
*for small, relatively stable realms...it seems like elective succession is the obvious best choice...allowing you to select more highly skilled daughters when they come along.