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FYI, family health emergency, will be largely off line for a while.
Unfortunately, the health emergency I mentioned earlier has become a bereavement, so my full re-engagement will be further delayed as my brother and I make the necessary arrangements for our mother, may she Rest In Peace.

But please feel free to continue any AAR comments in the interim, as I’ll still be looking at those when I can and will get around to replying in due course. They remain a pleasure and by no means any kind of unwelcome distraction or burden.
 
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Following an inquiry from the Þing, clerks confirmed in mid-October that the current English succession was by agnatic seniority, all from the Hvitserk dynasty. King Guðmundr was the current ruler, his deposed brother Hysing ‘the Noble’ was heir and then a series of other men next. It was a rather chaotic and not easily conducive to Russian dynastic marriage stratagems to gain influence.
That's over my experience grade, unfortunately no further advice wrt English succession. What's the next best target for a peaceful annexation?

Ch164 Q1: Hemming’s Inheritance. I can never quite remember this stuff. If I was to make him a baron or some such and he inherits Noregr, then can I keep him as a vassal? Or does it have to be an equal level title (which I could do easily enough, with small or not yet created kingdom titles within the empire)?
As far as I know it should at least be an equal level title, but refer to more experienced commentators

Then in late March 1034, a way was devised to persuade Chief Aimo of Kemi, who Hroðulfr had installed after the recent claim war, to bend the knee: the Jarldom of Kola was created and this was enough to clinch the deal without any further bloodshed.
For peaceful vassalization being the de jure liege helps somewhat

The same would have been done to Zyrane, now an independent (from Denmark) county in the north-east of Russia that left the pact on 17 April, but the Council would not endorse it (3-5 against).
Not Germanic?

More holdings in Amalfi fell on 3 December and 9 January of the new year of 1035. As it happened, this was enough to force Hypatios to capitulate, without the need for another major battle. The rich county was bestowed on Hrodulfr’s uncle Prince Borkvard, raising him from Baron to Count.
One of the few single county titular kingdoms by the way, or I might be very mistaken

Unfortunately, the health emergency I mentioned earlier has become a bereavement, so my full re-engagement will be further delayed as my brother and I make the necessary arrangements for our mother, may she Rest In Peace.

But please feel free to continue any AAR comments in the interim, as I’ll still be looking at those when I can and will get around to replying in due course. They remain a pleasure and by no means any kind of unwelcome distraction or burden.
What to say, may she rest in peace and may your pain lessen.
 
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In Paris, the apparent good news that the county had become Norse in culture that November was tempered by the fact it made the expensive jousting lists in both the baronies of Paris and Meaux redundant.
A shame, Norse jousting is a fun idea, much like regular jousting id imagine, with a copious amount of mead.

A good wife for the emperor, however she is lowborn, hopefully the vassals of the realm dont take that as an insult.

The third of the Second Three Wars was launched on the rich Italian coastal county of Amalfi. After Doux Hypatios of Lukania unwisely left the Christian Pact, Hroðulfr pounced. It was at this stage that the Russian professional army ended its short raid in northern Spain to realise the Russian ambition of a base in the central Med.
The empire expands to new lands! The oppurtunities this new base brings are great, however it also does add a border to what looks like the Byzantine empire with the color...perhaps there is the oppurtunity for other, less favorable events for the empire.

My thoughts to you and your family.
 
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Thanks for the well-wishes. The service has been held and we're on that road out now.

Time for me to get things going again, thanks for your patience. Next chapter out soon, some comment feedback first.

I think that he has to hold an equal or superior title to stay. If both are vassal, definitely has to be at least equal (if equal rank, senior holding rules), both if second is independent I am unsure.
Farewell Empress Beata! Role play element is gone. (I am not a genetics chaser. It just leads to heartbreak.)
Yes, checking since I'm sure that's the case. Though the next update will show what happens next with Hemming. In this case, seeking out bright spouses has kinda become an RP thing for Rurikid rulers - when they can manage it and aren't saddled with dull wives due to my inattention! :D All matches lead to heartbreak, so my guys will try to do it with bright women! ;)
That's over my experience grade, unfortunately no further advice wrt English succession. What's the next best target for a peaceful annexation?
Had me cross-eyed too. There are a few targets and you will see how that goes in the next chapter.
As far as I know it should at least be an equal level title, but refer to more experienced commentators
Yes, I'm sure that's right after some more reading up. It will be filed for possible future use.
For peaceful vassalization being the de jure liege helps somewhat
Yes indeed. We've used that a bit recently to create titles and win over otherwise reluctant targets.
Not Germanic?
I think they are, just some other reluctance. They will be worked on.
One of the few single county titular kingdoms by the way, or I might be very mistaken
Interesting.
A shame, Norse jousting is a fun idea, much like regular jousting id imagine, with a copious amount of mead.

A good wife for the emperor, however she is lowborn, hopefully the vassals of the realm dont take that as an insult.
I know, a real pity. I think the Normans showed how effective that could be! Mead and vicious mercenary ruthlessness. The vassals don't seem to be too worried about Ylva.
The empire expands to new lands! The oppurtunities this new base brings are great, however it also does add a border to what looks like the Byzantine empire with the color...perhaps there is the oppurtunity for other, less favorable events for the empire.
Yes, surrounded by the Byzantines. We'll see if anything comes of it. It could always be sacrificed if necessary. But a later Norse (OTL Norman) presence expanding in southern Italy could be tempting if the opportunity presents. Or indeed north to ... Rome! Taking the Pope's could be fun - even if it proves to be a hot potato!
 
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Chapter 165: A Lesson in Diplomacy (September 1035 – June 1039)
Chapter 165: A Lesson in Diplomacy (September 1035 – June 1039)

Previously, on Blut und Schlacht … Fylkir Hroðulfr’s early reign saw a succession of small wars fought to expand the borders of the realm and build the ‘German bridge’ between Father Russia and its French-centred holdings. While this went on, the raiding program was maintained mainly in the Mediterranean: by September 1035, Amalfi had been secured as a Russian outpost and raiders were in the lands of the Tulunid Revolt at Bizerte. King Þorolfr’s Holy War for Franconia had started in April 1034 had started to swing against the Swedes as the enemy’s allies brought their superior numbers to bear. Meanwhile, a few remaining invading hosts were being chased across Sweden.

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1. Swedish-Franconian War – September 1035 to December 1037

The Fylkir had sent a large force to assist the Swedes in what to that point had been a losing war. Unable to participate directly, this assistance would be in the form retaking lost holdings, raiding enemy ones and engaging Duke Szilveszter’s troops and allies as they were made hostile to the Russian raiders, led by the formidable Jarl Frirek of Lothian.

A series of four successful assaults on enemy occupied Swedish holdings in Pfalz and Trier from 5 to 24 September 1035 saw 268 attackers killed [and the warscore reduced from -70 to -42]. In October Frirek moved over the Rhine towards Leiningen via Mainz and would arrive on 25 October, where the Swedes had defeated a similar sized force from Spoleto.

But around 7,000 hostile Bavarian and allied troops were on their way from the east by then. While the Swedes stayed behind to besiege Leiningen, the Russians and Bavarians began to converge on Baden to the south. The first major Russian battle of the war was fought there when Frirek and Count Landolf both arrived on 22 November, ending in a major Russian victory on 18 December.

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A small force of Brandenburger troops was destroyed in Vestergautland in January 1036 after unluckily landing near the passing army of Vechkas as it finished chasing hosts and was heading through Sweden to Germany.

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Frirek headed back to Mainz next, taking Eppstein in an expensive assault on 10 March (879/10,973 killed, 88 gold looted). He then moved to Leiningen, where the Swedes used the Russian raiders to support a series of four assaults from 4-20 April (602 total Russian & Swedish losses, warscore to +1%). A similar exercise was conducted in Mainz, with three more Swedish-led assaults from 1-11 May (281 total Russian & Swedish losses, warscore to +32%).

After Mainz was fully occupied, Frirek swung south to destroy a small force that had slipped in Pfalz at the Battle of Kaiserslautern (29 May-6 June) before swinging back towards Leiningen to confront the returning main enemy allied army, still led by Count Landolf.

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Vechkas’ army, down from Sweden, was diverted to the ships on 2 June to confront a peasant revolt that had broken out in Kent (the rebellion will be covered later). This left Frirek’s gradually shrinking army to fight the Battle of Lorsch in Leiningen against the Bavarian Alliance from 20 June to 2 August 1036. The enemy were reinforced on 1 July by around 1,200 troops but Frirek also got help by around 3,000 friendly passing raiders from Brugge, with another heavy Russian victory resulting.

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About 7,500 fresh Russian levies took ship in the Gulf of Finland on 19 July to reinforce the war effort as the latest battle raged. After his victory at Leiningen, Frirek took his 8,300 remaining men east to reinforce the Swedish siege of Bamberg, arriving there on 30 August. The Swedish war effort was riding higher [+35% warscore].

Leaving the Swedes staying to besiege Bamberg, Frirek swung back towards Leiningen where a smaller Bavarian army had arrived to start liberating its holdings. Another battle was fought at Lorsch over December 1036, resulting once more in a big Russian victory. But by then the Bavarian Alliance had started to retake ground in Mainz, where a fresh force under Ulfr (now commanding the army returned from Kent) had arrived assist. He would win a quick skirmish there from 9-12 December, wiping out the enemy company.

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The Franconian War dragged into 1037 with no immediate end in sight. Another victory was won by Ulfr in Leiningen on 12 March (Russia 72, Bavaria 520 killed) as Frirek tried to regain strength by resting in Trier. By that time, Thüringian troops had retaken all the holdings in Mainz and Ulfr was forced to march north to their home county to trigger (as raiders) the hostility Russia needed to be able to attack them. Meanwhile, Frirek had travelled to Bar, both for plunder and to trigger hostility with the Burgundians (who also had men in Mainz).

Hrane (a new commander who had replaced the incapacitated Prince Hemming) took over from Ulfr in Thüringen on 7 April and prepared to head back south, as the 7,500 newly arrived Russian levies followed them. Hrane destroyed a Bavarian regiment in Leiningen on 17 June as they returned to the fray (Russia 14, Bavaria all 619 killed). In early July a detachment under Vechkas tangled with another Bavarian army at Landshut in Neiderbayern, while Hrane tidied up another enemy incursion in Leiningen on 4 July (Russia 9, Bavaria all 595 killed).

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Hrane was back in Mainz again on 16 July, completing another ‘wipeout’ against a Venetian force there (Russia 5, Venice all 502 killed). But the Swedes were having trouble holding onto their gains, and the war was in stalemate again [warscore +1%]. A detachment under Sigbjörn assisted a Swedish army investing Bamberg as four Russian and two smaller Swedish armies tried to plug all the gaps that would open up to the Bavarian Alliance.

With the fall of Ansbach in Bamberg on 21 August, the balance shifted again in Sweden’s favour [+11% warscore]. Later that month, Hrane joined an extant battle being fought at Heidelberg in Leiningen, helping the Swedes to a victory that did contribute to the war’s balance.

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But by November the Swedes were being beaten in Mainz by an Alliance field army of almost 4,000 as Hrane rushed from Leiningen to try to assist. He was delayed by a Burgundian company, which was soon beaten while another contingent arrived in Münster on 5 November to provoke hostility with Russia. When Hrane arrived in Mainz on 18 November, the Swedes had been defeated and he could only engage the small Bavarian part of Alliance army, because the bulk were from Venice who remained neutral to Russia. All 200 Bavarians were wiped out within two days.

On 20 November, another Russian contingent arrive in Kleve to provoke Luxemburg. Those raiders ambushed an Alliance force in Nassau on 18 December as they headed back south, for another easy Russian win (Russia 13, Alliance 301 killed).

But over three years of active Russian raiding support were not enough to see Sviþjod to victory. Though at least it had prevented a defeat. King Þorolfr concluded a white peace with Duke Szilveszter on 28 December 1037.

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The four Russian field armies were then directed to a range of ‘ordinary’ raiding targets in the vicinity. They would also see if any opportunity arose to help Jarl Hrörekr of Brabant in his conquest of Weimar (which was going quite well). But Hrörekr was by then also engaged in a nasty internal war again the former Jarl Bertil, who had support from the powerful Jarl Öysteinn of Champagne. This led the Fylkir to make a declaration of enforced realm peace, that would take effect in three months. He wanted those lords fighting to expand the realm, not each kill other. More will be said of the Brabantian Troubles later.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

2. ‘Policing’ Operations – November 1035 to August 1036

During the Franconian War, a large peasant revolt (over 3,600 strong) broke out in Kent in November 1035. Meanwhile, an earlier revolt in Novgorod Seversky saw its main castle fall on 8 November, just before a relieving column could relieve it. On 3 December, in Sweden Åke’s Host was run down and destroyed by Vechkas at the Battle of Kalmar in Möre (Russia 19/4,313; Åke all 800 killed). Vechkas would later wipe out a small invading force before heading to Holland overland.

The peasants in Novgorod Seversky were defeated on 23 December after a two day battle, ending the revolt and seeing those levies stood down.

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It took until 26 June for Vechkas’ army to be assembled, reinforced, put on ships and sent over to Sussex, where Ulfr took command and Vechkas retained a wing. They recovered organisation in Sussex after landing on 7 July 1036. They were ready to go by August, where they hit the rebels on the 11th and were later joined by around 1,000 Brabantian reinforcements. After a single sharp battle, the revolt was extinguished.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

3. Raiding – September 1035 to December 1037

From its start on 11 March until ending on 23 December 1035, five holdings in the Tulunid Rebel county of Bizerte were sacked by the mainly Retinue and Jomsviking raiding army of around 14,500 men led by Sigbjörn. The raiders lost 1,269 men and plundered 263 gold plus a large number of prisoners, some ransomable.

But pickings in Africa were getting slim, so the raiders took ship and turned to more lucrative targets in the Kingdom of Italy, starting at Orvieto, just north of Rome, on 1 February 1036. In Orvieto, then Orbetello and Pisa a total of 11 holdings had been plundered for 586 gold and the loss of 1,404 men by the end of 1037. Of greatest note was the finding of the Crown of Lilies during the sack of the castle of Livorno in Pisa in September 1037. It was soon lodged in the Imperial Treasury.

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The raiders then hopped across to Venice in November to provoke their hostility for the Franconian War. That aspect was rendered moot the next month, when that war ended. But the Doge’s lands should provide rich loot in any case as the fleet sailed around Italy to be able to load it.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

4. General Events – September 1035 to December 1037

Prince Hemming of Norway, earlier recruited as a Russian commander, was no longer the heir to Noregr by September 1035. And he was suffering from a disfiguring case of leprosy. Given this, nothing further was ever done to advance his cause. He would become incapable just over a year later and disappear from the Russian chronicles.

Of more impact was the death of the Fylkir’s ‘Great Uncle’ Prince Alfr, Jarl of Polotsk, at the venerable age of 75 in September 1035. This brought his long-cultivated son Eilif to power, adding his own granted lands to those of his father. The plan was for him to become a very loyal and increasingly powerful marcher lord.

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But ruling took its toll on Fylkir Hroðulfr, so that by January 1036 he was showing all the signs of depression, taking the edge off his health and many of his leadership abilities.

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His mood would have been further worsened by the murder of his kinsman and Spymaster Jarl Gandalfr in April. His successor Refr may one day make a good Chancellor, but Hroðulfr sought for a skilled man from outside the court to replace him. The murderer could not easily be imprisoned and the existing murder plot against Suni ‘the Seducer’ meant that avenue was not open either.

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One Ottarr Væni of Sjaelland was recruited [Intrigue 39], considered the greatest intriguer of his generation, after a small encouragement of 15 gold was offered. Ottarr was clearly also a merciless man, having had one of his wives burnt at the stake some 13 years earlier. But thoroughly loyal to the Fylkir from the start on a Council that was skilled and pliable.

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Crown Prince Toste turned 12 in August 1037 and continued his education in stewardship, where he was a conscientious student.

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Around a month later, Empress Ylva gave birth to a daughter, Vigdis, the Fylkir’s fifth child (one son and four daughters).

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

5. Interbellum – January to August 1038

Following the inconclusive end of the Franconian War, raids were begun in Lorraine (13 January 1038), Köln (14 January), Münster (29 January) and Kleve (10 February) by the four raiding armies. The previously announced realm peace came into force on 1 May. At that time, it was noted that Yatvingia (in northern Germany) was the only remaining member of the Pagan Pact. Thoughts turned to adding it to the German ‘land bridge’.

Good news came in May, with Chief Þorolfr of Stolp, a Brabantian vassal, adding Posen to the empire.

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From mid-May, the four raiding groups began to disengage and return to Russian soil when they finished their first sacking in each county, for the levies to be disbanded. The last would be from Kleve in mid-July. Including the efforts in Bar and Saintois during the Franconian War, from Mar 1037 to Jul 1038, 10 holdings would be sacked, 1,559 men lost and 548 gold looted in these border raids.

Meanwhile, Jarl Bersi Rurikid proved very active in the east, earning the appellation ‘the Brave’ following his victory in the invasion of Turkestan against the Shah of the Afrighids in May 1038, adding five counties to his expanding holdings.

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Two political acquisitions were made in the north in June, with Nordland and Zyriane added peacefully to the empire, allocated to Jarl Eilif and King Þorolfr to continue the development of loyal marcher lords. And make the borders less gory.

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A non-aggression pact was negotiated with Denmark in July to force them out of the Pagan Pact, which they had just joined, to keep Yatvingia isolated. By mid-July, 750 retinue troops left over from the recent levy demobilisations were in Osnabrück and heading towards the border with High Chief Bozydar ‘the Unready’ of Yatvingia. In Venice, the levy component of the raiding force – about 2,500 men – was split off and sent back to Amalfi with the loot, to also be demobilised on Russian territory.

A new Jomsviking Warchief, Surt af Hålogaland, was elected on 20 July, after Kettil died a natural death at the age of 62. Surt was deemed a lunatic and a coward, was unmarried at the age of 36 and indeed preferred the company of men. None of which should preclude a successful career in the Jomsvikings!

Another new cavalry retinue was raised in Holmgarðr on 28 July and a month later, the levy raiders landed back in Amalfi to be disbanded and 1,345 gold deposited in the treasury. The decks were now cleared for war with Yatvingia.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

6. The Brabantian Troubles – May 1037 to January 1040

But before we come to that conflict, we will deal with the latest phase of the Brabantian Troubles and the festering conflict between Jarl Hrörekr Yngling and the man he had overthrown, the former Jarl Bertil Skáld ‘the Sword of the Thunderer’. The latter was a notorious pox-ridden madman and cannibal – but had also proved a great conqueror of new land during his time as Jarl.

On 3 May 1037, Hrörekr could take the provocations of Bertil no more and launched a war to revoke Brabant on his disaffected vassal. Bertil resisted – of course – and would have been badly outnumbered if not for the fact he was able to bring the powerful Jarl Öysteinn ‘the Great’ of Champagne on his side nine days later to even the score.

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As we saw earlier, it was primarily this internal conflict that eventually led to the Fylkir declaring enforced realm peace, which came into effect on 1 May 1038, ending the revocation war. Chief Hysing of Liege would subsequently attempt to declare a revocation war to reclaim the Jarldom of Brabant against Hrörekr seven times between February and November 1039, but each time was immediately forced to desist by the enforced realm peace.

Bertil was not to be stopped, however. On 30 November, he staged a successful ‘bloodless coup’ to reclaim his ancestral title. By that time, the Fylkir did not reciprocate Bertil’s good opinion of him but he was given the vacant advisor position thus freed up, while the realm peace protected Bertil from another revolt war on Hrörekr’s behalf on 7 January 1040.

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Naturally, this was not the end of the Troubles, with a new player Hroðulfr, Hrörekr’s younger brother, launching a successful counter-coup on 5 February to usurp the Jarldom once again. The Fylkir, now completely sick of the whole mess, granted the advisorship to Jarl Öysteinn instead.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

7. The Yatvingian War and Aftermath – August 1038 to June 1039

A Holy War was declared on Yatvingia for Obotritia on 24 August 1038. Two councillors voted against it, for reasons they thought obvious but didn’t speak up loudly enough about to sway the decision [That is in my haste, I looked at the comment about nearby co-religionists joining rather than the enormous set of red flags below. Oops.]

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At first, the Fylkir guffawed at the joining of King Giselbert of East Francia on Yatvingia’s side. It was only when the Chancellor pointed out the full list of participants (all the current pact members of all religions) that the rest of the Council paused uneasily. There was only one choice, the Emperor’s view: ignore all other attacks on Russian soil while concentrating as many troops as possible on crushing Yatvingia quickly and thus ending a war with poor long-term prospects for Russia.

Around 27,000 levies (all those who could be safely or usefully deployed) were called out across the Empire. But in essence, Russia was now at war with almost all the rest of the world.

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The main Retinue-Jomsviking army raiding in Venice had its ships returned from Amalfi in late September. They would finish off its current raid in Padua before starting the long voyage home. By the end of October they were aboard and would sail to the east, via the Russian river system, to the Baltic.

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In early October, Yatvingia had around 5,000 men in the field and crossing the border into Russian territory after calling up a tribal host, while their allies began to make their way to the front through Germany.

A skirmish was fought in Livland against a small Brandenburger detachment attacked by marching Russian levies from 26 November to 13 December in the first battle of the war (Russia 4, Brandenburg 150 killed).

On 12 December, the main Russian Army of the West (around 8,300) was in Holstein and making for Weligrad, where they would arrive on 25 December. The eastern levies were ordered to gather in Stettin, where the Cavalry Retinue detachment had set up camp behind a river, two provinces east of the siege of Werle by Yatvingian allies (around 3,200), while 6,000 Yatvingian troops besieged Rügen to its north. Frirek soon built a siege fort and settled into his work.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

By early January 1039, three Byzantine armies of around 24,000 men in total were ranging around Crimea and southern Russia. They were ignored and left to cause whatever mischief they could. In the main theatre, forces on both sides were gathering in a race to see who could bring the biggest numbers to where they mattered.

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The Victual Brothers (3,600 men) were hired on 12 January ‘just in case’, for 600 gold and a monthly fee of 25 gold and started marching to Stettin from Holmgarðr. On 21 January, the main Silesian army (now around 10,600 men) broke their siege of Werle and began marching east towards Wolgast and another Silesian-led army of 3,000 was just to the south of Stettin (which only had around 2,600 Russian troops by then) in Posen. But the Russian kept to their plans.

The main Silesian army, now with 13,700 men, attacked a friendly local Pomeranian army of 5,000 in Wolgast on 2 February. This was a useful diversion, but the Russians in Stettin (now about 4,100) were still not in sufficient strength to aid Jarl Hroðgar of Pomerania, a Swedish vassal. Around this time, Byzantine sieges in Crimea and Amalfi and by others in France began but were ignored [warscore -5%].

The castle of Weligrad fell to Frirek on 23 February [warscore +7%], by which time the raiders were disembarking after their long voyage back from Venice. The Pomeranians fought on grimly in Wolgast, but only had 1,700 men left, while the Silesians now numbered 22,000, with at least another 10,000 allied troops approaching from the south.

The Silesians had won in Wolgast by 6 March and began a siege of the castle there with over 26,000 men, while another 7,500 had settled to besiege Werle. Frirek now had 19,500 men, including most of Russia’s elite troops besieging Weligrad and Vesimer fell to him the next day after a quick assault that cost on 53 men [warscore +30%]. Further assaults followed on 11-12 and 14-15 March (only 112 more total casualties, warscore +58%] to see Weligrad fully occupied. Frirek moved next on the other Obotritian county of Rastokú, while Ulfr took the army now gathered in Stettin to advance on Wolgast, in an attempt to distract the enemy between them and ensure Frirek was not hung out to dry.

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This seemed to work, as an army led by Mayor Boguchwal of Silesia moved to attack Ulfr from Wolgast three days later. Ulfr stood to take advantage of the river defence and await more reinforcements, as another army under under Duke Odon of Silesia broke their siege of Werle to join Boguchwal in Silesia. Together, this meant over half the enemy armies in the area were diverted east, while Frirek advanced north try to finish the war quickly.

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Frirek arrived in Rastokú on 24 March, the enemy having withdrawn to the north, avoiding a pitched battle. Another siege fort was constructed to avoid attrition in the tribal lands. Over in Stettin, Ulfr’s 11,300 men now faced an enemy force of over 20,400, due to arrive between 30 March and 9 April. He made to retreat west to Stolp where more Russian levies were heading but would not be able to avoid battle.

The first phase of the Battle of Stettin saw the initial enemy force out numbered and attacking across a river and soon at a tactical disadvantage as Ulfr fought a delaying defence. Meanwhile, Frirek began successive assaults of the Yatvingian holdings in Rastokú at some cost, to hasten the end of the war. By 12 April, when Pentzellin fell, the second enemy wave had arrived in Stettin and Ulfr was now under enormous pressure. But if he could hold on, the war might be won soon.

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A fierce melee was under way in the centre at Stettin, as Ulfr’s men inflicted heavy casualties on their attackers, holding their own well despite the large disadvantage in numbers. But yet another enemy reinforcement of over 8,400 men was due to arrive in just three days. To win, it was clear the last stronghold in Rastokú would need to be assaulted, but the attempt could not be launched until 18 April. By then, Ulfr faced over 32,000 enemy assailing his lines.

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Frirek successfully stormed Malchin on 19 April 1039 and it was enough to force a Yatvingian capitulation to end the war. Ulfr had only lost around 1,400 men in 20 days of desperate defence, having bought the time needed to win the war and staged a deliberate withdrawal when the last enemy reinforcements had arrived on 15 April.

The peace saw the German land bridge almost completed. The spoils were given new Germanic names and distributed to the two most powerful regional landowners – the King of Sviþjod and Jarl of Brabant. And a diplomatic lesson had been taught that fortunately did not cost Russia too dearly.

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Once more, all the levies were disbanded and so too the Victual Brothers, who had never been needed in the end. The Jomsvikings were also dismissed, to be immediately re-mustered in Holmgarðr where they could take on their new reinforcements more quickly. The Retinue troops spread through north Germany began to gather in at the newly renamed Rostock while the Jomsvikings headed to Livland, where ships would be sent to pick them up. The Russian threat level was again at its greatest height [100%].

On 21 April part of the fleet docked in Rostock to deposit the last loot from Italy (72 gold). By 19 June, the rest of the Retinue (around 7,100 men) had gathered there, conducted a Sacred Raiding Toggle ceremony and began boarding the ships, heading into the Baltic to pick up Warchief Surt’s Jomsvikings as they headed to Livland. The Russian Empire had spread even further in the last few years. More was to follow.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

8. General Events – November 1038 to June 1039

Empress Ylva gave birth to another child in November 1038, this time a boy, Hroðulfr’s second son. And from an early age, young Helgi’s brilliance was acclaimed.

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And despite being the reputedly most brilliant spymaster of the time, even Ottarr the Shadow fell victim to a murder plot by a disgruntled courtier in late June 1039. He would eventually be replaced by a loyal and competent intriguer who had served as Spymaster in Finnmark.

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8a. Builds

The steady influx of both tax and raiding income kept the Russian building boom going in Imperial demesne counties throughout the period. In Rouen, jousting lists (Level III) were completed on 8 October 1035, bringing that holding to its then maximum infrastructure capacity in technological terms.

Other constructions completed included stables (III) in Toropets (November 1035); now redundant jousting lists (III) in Meaux (Paris, October 1036) and an improved keep (III) in Torzhok (November 1036). In March 1038, extra funding allowed the commencement of a new keep (I) in Chudovo and castle walls (II) in Okulovka (Holmgarðr); an improved keep (III) in Toropets and stables (II) in Tana.

In July 1038, work started on expanded housecarl training grounds (III) in Torzhok. A month later, Paris saw housecarl training grounds (I) completed in Meaux and training grounds (II) commenced, while in Melun new stables (III) were completed and housecarl training grounds (II) commenced.

By April 1039 the county of Holmgarðr was one of the richest and most developed in the known world. The capital of Nygarðr had also reached its maximum technical level of development with the construction of expanded housecarl training grounds.

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In May 1039, the new stables (II) in Tana were complete, with work starting on bigger barracks (II).

8b. Religion

After a couple of quiet years, conversions to Germanicism came in Trier (June 1037), Kandalax (January 1038) and by the Imperial Seer Ale of Jamborg to purge the Waldensian heresy from Évreux in March 1038, from where he was sent to do the same in Auxerre. Bourgogne converted in June 1039, so see the True Germanic Faith spread as widely (in some places further) as the Empire that promoted it.

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AuthAAR’s Note. The next few years of the session were played through, so the next chapter will bring us up to date again.
 
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[Intrigue 39],
:eek:

Meanwhile, Jarl Bersi Rurikid proved very active in the east, earning the appellation ‘the Brave’ following his victory in the invasion of Turkestan against the Shah of the Afrighids in May 1038, adding five counties to his expanding holdings.
Ha! In Turkish the saying "You were the Shah, you became the Shahbaz" when something not particularly well has become even worse. And the Afrighids are run by one Shah Shahbaz :D

At first, the Fylkir guffawed at the joining of King Giselbert of East Francia on Yatvingia’s side. It was only when the Chancellor pointed out the full list of participants (all the current pact members of all religions) that the rest of the Council paused uneasily. There was only one choice, the Emperor’s view: ignore all other attacks on Russian soil while concentrating as many troops as possible on crushing Yatvingia quickly and thus ending a war with poor long-term prospects for Russia.
So this day is the day

The peace saw the German land bridge almost completed. The spoils were given new Germanic names and distributed to the two most powerful regional landowners – the King of Sviþjod and Jarl of Brabant. And a diplomatic lesson had been taught that fortunately did not cost Russia too dearly.
This has been both a show of force, and a very close call

And despite being the reputedly most brilliant spymaster of the time, even Ottarr the Shadow fell victim to a murder plot by a disgruntled courtier in late June 1039.
what a shame, he was able to serve for so short. I think I've never seen a 39 intrigue person before.
 
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Thank you for the comment! I think the forum has been pretty quiet the last few months in general. And I'm not getting that much feedback or new reading hits on this AAR either, so I really appreciate your continued support :)

I'm considering winding up this part of the AAR soon, as I'm worried it has slipped into a bit of obscurity of late. I'm wondering whether a few things may be contributing to that:
  • CK3 taking over more of the new AARs and viewing at last (apart from the big spike in CK2 AGOT themed AARs that have come out after Fire and Blood came on streaming).
  • The sheer length of the AAR now discouraging new readers from leaping in.
  • The title/theme: not sure if the 'Learner's Saga' bit may now be a bit of put-off, or has become a bit superseded now its over five and half years old! Though it's still my first and only CK2 game :D.
  • Maybe the more detailed format and chapter length and the time it takes to get through the sweep of history may be a bit too much for many readers. I've tried to push it along a bit, but there's only so much I can do there while staying broadly with this format.
  • Or even that people may be put off a bit because it is Russia-themed (even though they are Norse Viking and not Slavic Russians)! :eek:
So one option is to finish off the Learner's Saga part at some point soon and continuing the game (and story) in a new part. I'd call it something like "Blood and Empire: A Clash of Civilisations" or some such. It would pick up directly in the current story, but as if it was a new AAR with the current Rurikid Empire as its start, so new readers could just leap in. Then if they wanted to check out the back-story in more detail, they could flick back to Part One.

I would also jiggle the format a little, making it a little more strategic and history book in style with shorter updates, while still retaining a central gameplay component (but not in as much detail). The 'clash of civilisations' foreshadowed will be not only the current picture, but the future arrival of Mongol and Aztec invaders to upset the whole applecart.

What do you or any other readers think? Stick with the current AAR and format or try a new angle?

Ha! In Turkish the saying "You were the Shah, you became the Shahbaz" when something not particularly well has become even worse. And the Afrighids are run by one Shah Shahbaz :D
That's very good! :D
So this day is the day
Yes, a basic oversight and it's Ironman, so no taking it back. :eek:
This has been both a show of force, and a very close call
Yes, and it was quite educational. And showed if we can make it a quick enough war against a smaller adversary, we can get away with it.
what a shame, he was able to serve for so short. I think I've never seen a 39 intrigue person before.
I know - I thought he'd be really tough to take out with such a boss intrigue score, but alas no. I'll now make sure to give the Spymaster position just to skilled but unimportant appointees - or people I want rubbed out! :D
 
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So one option is to finish off the Learner's Saga part at some point soon and continuing the game (and story) in a new part. I'd call it something like "Blood and Empire: A Clash of Civilisations" or some such. It would pick up directly in the current story, but as if it was a new AAR with the current Rurikid Empire as its start, so new readers could just leap in. Then if they wanted to check out the back-story in more detail, they could flick back to Part One.

I would also jiggle the format a little, making it a little more strategic and history book in style with shorter updates, while still retaining a central gameplay component (but not in as much detail). The 'clash of civilisations' foreshadowed will be not only the current picture, but the future arrival of Mongol and Aztec invaders to upset the whole applecart.

What do you or any other readers think? Stick with the current AAR and format or try a new angle?
This makes sense. Also I think as the Empire got strong challenges became easier. Once Mongols and Aztecs show up it'll draw more attention. Continuing the story from a brand new AAR though is a great idea. Also, moving from more tactical to strategical level might make it more digestible.
 
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Restarting it as it is now, a fully formed Empires, would be interesting. OR you could start a new AAR as a Ruler looking at it from the outside! And watch what the AI's ruling your empire do on their own.
Because the game is Ironman, I don't think I'd have the option of letting it go 'AI'. In any case, I want to see how Russia goes dealing with the twin (whether simultaneous or not) threats of Aztec and Mongol invasions as the game unfolds. :)
This makes sense. Also I think as the Empire got strong challenges became easier. Once Mongols and Aztecs show up it'll draw more attention. Continuing the story from a brand new AAR though is a great idea. Also, moving from more tactical to strategical level might make it more digestible.
I agree. After the next chapter (which was played through previously and is ready to go) is published, I'll be away for a couple of weeks doing various things, then will sit down to work out the new format start 'Part 2' of this chronicle.

All: As can be seen by the slowing down of comments for this venerable AAR, I think the vehicle has probably now run out of gas, though I can always hope that some new readers attracted to the new AAR my return to this one to see how it got to where it did. Time to move on to a greener pasture now, I think.
 
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Chapter 166: A Sliding Door (July 1039 – November 1041)
Chapter 166: A Sliding Door (July 1039 – November 1041)

Previously, on Blut und Schlacht … Russia had fought a series of direct conquest wars and provided proxy raiding support for the efforts of its expansionist marcher lords, where practical as Hroðulfr’s reign as Emperor and Fylkir matured. This was all put in some danger when an incautious declaration of war on the small north German state of Yatvingia triggered most of the known world to intervene against Russia through a linked system of defensive pacts. But the danger had been dodged and Russia’s land bridge through Germany almost completed. With the levies disbanded, the ball was now in Emperor Hroðulfr’s court …

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

1. Vassal Wars – July 1039 to December 1040

King Þorolfr ‘the Bold’ of Sviþjod, one of the Emperor’s most powerful and active vassals, soon launched a new war to tidy up some particularly messy border gore left over from recent conquests. He sought to acquire a range of holdings within the County of Trier that were still held by Duke Foulques of Luxembourg.

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This was followed a few weeks later by a clash of the Holy Orders: the new Warchief of the Jomsvikings aimed to wrest the important county of Plock (which included Warsaw) from the rival – and previously much-feared Teutonic Order. It was (suitably) a holy war that the Emperor could not join directly. It will be described in detail in the next section but is mentioned here so it can be noted that it was concurrent with other conflicts that had or may arise, such as Swedish-Luxembourg War over Trier.

Next cab off the rank was the ever-active Jarl Bersi of Bolghar, who now made war on Cumania to see if he could link his newly enlarged eastern enclave with the rest of his demesne (and Father Russia).

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The new Jarl of Brabant, Hrörekr, won the war he had inherited for Weimar in December 1039, further building the German Bridge.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

As February 1040 drew to a close, the Swedes were coming out on top in a major battle they had been fighting in Trier against Luxembourg and their allies from Savoy, Normandy (Metz) and Verdun.

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It looked like they could look after themselves for now, but the Emperor still diverted half the troops that had been supporting the Jomsvikings in Poland by raiding, to head west in case more allies came to Foulques’ aid.

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The Swedes had won their battle after a reinforcing army boosted their numbers, with Þorolfr in a strong position by mid-March.

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The next marcher lord to jump on the bandwagon was the latest new Jarl of Brabant (the story of whose Troubles were outlined in the previous chapter), Hrörekr. In early May 1040 he made a useful bid to chip away at one of the enclave counties in France by seeking to conquer Verdun, where Countess Ermessinde fielded quite a powerful army. And may call in allies to help her. The Fylkir was happy he had already sent additional troops to the region earlier.

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Hakon’s raiders arrived in Kleve (a Luxembourgian holding) on 7 July to assist Þorolfr with his task. And the Swedes soon took advantage of the extra numbers, taking the main holding of Kleve by assault two days later. It would be enough to force Duke Foulques to the capitulate. The surrender was made six days later. Trier was now fully occupied by Russia.

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The mix of small wars and raids with varying and sometimes intersecting participants made the next run of actions in Sticht complicated. When Hakon’s army arrived on 16 August, he found a small Brabantian army being out-muscled by one from Verdun, but could not intervene. But when that was over three days later, he was attacked in place by a Luxembourgian army commanded personally by Duke Foulques.

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In any case, by the time all fighting was over on 6 September, Foulques had been comprehensively beaten and the separate Gelrian holy war for Cologne was making progress.

Hakon then moved onto Kleve, wiping out a small Luxembourgian company there from 14-24 September (all 293 killed for 6 Russians). Hakon then made his way over to Verdun, arriving there in mid-November. The Vermandois besiegers immediately used the raiders to launch a successful assault on the castle walls, moving the war more heavily in Freya’s favour.

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That done, Hakon then marched north towards Holland, where an army from Verdun were causing problems, while another was encamped in Kleve.

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As 1040 ended, Hakon had arrived in the north as Jarl Hroðulfr considered the Fylkir’s offer to join the war for Verdun. It was accepted a few days after battle had been joined at Dorestad in Sticht. The subsequent routing of the enemy gave a massive boost to the Brabantian war effort by late January 1041.

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ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

2. The Jomsviking-Teutonic War – August 1039 to December 1040

As mentioned above, Warchief Surt made his play against his mortal enemy, the Hochmeister of the Teutonic Order, in August 1039.

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Sigbjörn’s raiding party of Imperial Retinue troops happened to be sailing nearby at the time and alighted at Danzig ten days later, soon heading south to assist the Jomsvikings.

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When they arrived in Plock a month later, they quickly destroyed a Teutonic company they found there and laid siege to the castle, with Jarl Frirek of Lothian taking command.

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Hakon’s raiding party consisting of the Jomsvikings hired under Russian control) arrived in Plock on 6 November and the first separate Jomsviking contingent of 530 men under Valdemar got there four days later, making a combined besieging force of well over 14,000 men.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Frirek followed Valdemar west to Kulm with his half of the army, arriving there on 4 January 1040 while Hakon moved down to Kujawy to deplete its garrison for the Jomsvikings. When Inowroclaw fell to Hakon at the end of February, the recent heavy raiding conducted in Hroðulfr’s name saw him elevated from ‘Raider’ to ‘Ravager’ in Viking folklore.

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It was at that point that Hakon was sent west to assist the other Russian vassals’ efforts. On 12 April Loza in Kulm was looted for 41 gold by Frirek, who then marched south to attack a Teutonic army that had incautiously set up camp in Kujawy. The following battle was predictably one-sided, with the whole Teutonic force of over a thousand men completely wiped out.

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After the success of a renewed Jomsviking siege of Plock, Surt’s holy war had finally started to make tangible progress, while the Russian raiders protected his flanks, weakened Teutonic garrisons and assisted with sieges.

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It was in that capacity that Frirek arrived back in Plock in late June, facilitating the securing of Plock after Warszawa was assaulted.

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And an allied army from Upper Lorraine was heavily defeated in August at Inowroclaw when it arrived to help the Teutons.

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Briesen in Kulm fell to Jomsviking assault on 11 October after Frirek arrived to support them followed by Loza on the 14th [warscore +77%]. The dose was repeated to the south in Kujawy at Inowroclaw on 30 October and then Radziejów on 3 November [warscore 91%]. The road show then moved south to Schieratz with the castle falling on 20 November, Radomsko on the 22nd and then Leczyka on the 24th. This was enough to secure Surt’s victory when the Teutonic Hochmeister surrendered on 1 December.

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Frirek’s army would then march back to Danzig, where they took ship on 10 January 1041 and began sailing for the west.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

3. Domestic Matters – July 1039 to November 1041

This period was a fairly quiet one domestically. The plot to kill Suni ‘the Seducer’ gained another plotter in November but was running at only about 57% plot power. Even so, Hroðulfr persisted.

Empress Ylva gave birth to another son in October 1040 but the young boy was sickly at birth, with the Court Physician called in to see if he could assist.

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Alas, no remedy proved effective and the infant would die the following year, before his first birthday.

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In better news, Crown Prince Toste came of age in August 1041, doing quite well in his stewardship studies. Hroðulfr had successfully groomed his heir and now set out to gather more wealth for the Empire. He was not yet quite ready to find a wife for Toste, but would need to do so soon.

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3a. Building

It was another busy period of construction for the Imperial demesne as funds from tax and raiding was once more used to ‘build high’ in the Emperor’s own counties. In the capital, castle walls (II) in Okulovka and a keep (I) in Chudovo were completed in July 1039, while an improved housecarl training ground (III) was finished in Ladoga the next month. Again in Chudovo, new castle fortifications (I) were finished in December.

Okulovka – the least developed of the Holmgarðr baronies – saw a new militia training ground completed in May 1040 and expanded barracks (II) built in Tana in September. New stables (I) were finished in Okulovka in April 1041 and a new militia training ground (I) begun.

Over in Paris, new stables (III) were started in Meaux in July 1041 after the upgrade of its training grounds (II) in May, while concurrently in Melun housecarl training grounds (II) were finished and a barrack (III) upgrade begun.

Starya Russa in Toropets completed its keep upgrade in August, bringing its infrastructure almost to the limit of its current technical capacity. Finally, in September Chudovo’s new castle fortifications were constructed (I), with an upgrade (II) begun straight away, to cap of a very busy period of construction.

3b. Religion

The Waldensian heresy spread to Gelre in September 1040, as the moral authority of Catholicism continued to languish. Vilnius (November 1040) and Essex (January 1041) both converted to Germanicism in this period.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

4. Vassal Wars and Rebellion – January to December 1041

With the Jomsviking-Teutonic War won by the end of 1040, Russia concentrated fully on operations in the west as 1041 began. The liberation of Haarlem in Holland in early February by a Gelrian-led assault following Hakon’s arrival the day before brought their war to the brink off success.

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Hakon then moved onto Kleve, where another Luxembourgian army was easily defeated in March.

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King Þorolfr was the next to take advantage of the vulnerable Christian enclave in France with another holy war launched for Lower Lorraine (owned by the Duke of Normandy) in early March. Meanwhile, Verdun’s armies were active again against the forces of Vermandois.

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But it was the Jarl of Brabant that would emerge as the winner in the war for Verdun after the decisive Battle of Grandpre won by Frirek’s raiders on 13 May and then the siege of Verdun on 13 July.

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However, as the war for Verdun was being closed out, a massive Frisian peasant revolt broke out at the start of May, where 12,500 rebels were ambushing an unfortunate Luxembourgian contingent that happened to be in Gelre as the time.

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This prompted the French-based levies – vassal and Imperial – to be called out. By mid-May, Hakon’s army was heading north to engage the rebels, aiming to pick up levies along the way. The Frisians had split their army after defeating the Luxembourgians on 7 May, with the bulk besieging Gelre and around 4,100 heading down to the much fought-over Sticht. Frirek remained in Verdun to help finish of the siege that would end the war there in July.

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The folly of the rebels’ tactics was exposed when a Russian army of 15,600 men struck the 4,000 rebels in Sticht on 21 July, heavily defeating the Frisian force by 2 August.

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The rebellion was defeated with little fuss by mid-September at the decisive Battle of Westfriesland. The rebel leader was summarily executed on the field of victory, with no-one to lament his passing.

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All the levies were dismissed, leaving just the two professional armies in the field. In Holmgarðr, a new Retinue company was raised – this time a defensive one (250 x pikemen and 50 archers). Around a week later, the raiders in Holland, back under Sigbjörn’s command raiders took ship in the Waddenzee and began sailing to the Strait of Dover on 30 September.

As they did this, a messenger reached the capital with good news from the east. Jarl Bersi had won yet another major war of conquest, linking most of his recent steppe gains together.

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Back in France, in early November 1041 the second ‘professional’ army, now under the siege master Hrörekr, boarded the raiding fleet and began the long voyage to the Mediterranean. It was time once again to eschew the ‘small wars’, leaving that expansion entirely up to the vassals while the treasure chests of Russia were once again filled in accordance with the Fylkir’s current ambition.

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At that time, Europe was largely dominated by the Russian Empire in the West and east, while the East Romans of Byzantium controlled most of the Balkans, up into Croatia, all of Anatolia, most of the Caucasus and a large swathe of the south-central steppe lands. A variety of Islamic sultanates and caliphates ruled from Hispania through to Persia. The Samanids ruled most of the eastern steppe lands.

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India was dominated by 4-5 large states, the largest being the Pala kingdom, which at that time was embroiled in a civil war.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

End of One Era, Start of a New One

So stood the world as it approached the middle of the 11th century. The Chronicle of the Rurikids would now change in nature. It would move from being a detailed recollection of events that had started with the Petty Kingdom Holmgarðr, founded by Rurik in 867 AD, to a broader imperial perspective.

There had already been hints of a new civilisation encountered across the Atlantic Ocean by Norse explorers some years previously. Unknown to the ‘Old World’ leaders of this time, these ‘Aztecs’ would one day come to threaten Europe with a mighty invasion.

The seeds were also being sown for a new steppe nomad storm that would break upon the Old World from the east, in the form of the rise of the Mongols.

The precise dates for neither of these likely events was known then, of course. Together with the current empires, dominated by Russia and the Romans (Byzantium) in the central Eurasian landmass, these would no doubt grow into an age of empires.

For Russia, the Learner’s Saga was over: the Clash of Civilisations was just beginning.

ᚔ ᚱᚢᚱᛁᚲᛁᛞ ᚔ

Author’s Notes

And so ends this part of the Rurikid Chronicle. A second part, presented in a new AAR but continuing the game from where it has left off here, will begin in a couple of weeks’ time. The format will become more strategic, episodes shorter and the time span covered longer, as we still have just over 400 years to cover until 1453.

The game will be the same (and still Ironman) and the detailed background will reside here. But for the new readers who I hope will tune in to part two of this long-running story, there will be a short summary in the new AAR.

Basically, as hinted at previously, it will be like a new starting point for an AAR but with the detail there for those newcomers whose interest may be piqued. The game is set to historical Mongol arrival (1210-18 AD) while the Aztecs are set to arrive from the 13th Century onwards, so there is a good chance these two challenges will be concurrent, or at least overlap.

Thank you to all who have supported this AAR over the last five years. It will live on at its new home, for which I will add the link (Blood and Empire: A Clash of Civilisations) once it is ready.

The End of Part 1
 
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In better news, Crown Prince Toste came of age in August 1041, doing quite well in his stewardship studies. Hroðulfr had successfully groomed his heir and now set out to gather more wealth for the Empire. He was not yet quite ready to find a wife for Toste, but would need to do so soon.
What is the next biggest Norse realm who doesn't have crazy inheritance laws like England? Or if there aren't any what is the biggest duchy inside them with inheritable titles?

Author’s Notes
It was a great AAR from start to finish, and I'm already looking forward to the next part! Don't forget to put a link here as well! Thank you for all your countless hours writing this great story for us!
 
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This was fun and useful, and I'm looking forward to the next part.
 
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That Countess of Verdun looks like a Nun...did the Church change the laws and allow women to become Priests and allowed them to marry?
Interesting. When I get a chance I’ll see if I can check her background
 
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All: Am on the road at the moment and have a few days of travel and ‘family work’ ahead, but will respond to all posts and set the new AAR up in due course.
 
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Just got COVID too, a bit unwell, so return delayed further! :eek:
 
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Gameplay Note: I do not think that the intrigue values of the spymaster and the killer matter in the elimination of spymasters doing their job. Was the spymaster scheme searching? (I rarely see murdered spies while tech procuring.)

AAR ending: Thank you very much for this AAR. It was the first CK2 AAR that I ever read and it came when I was depressed because of COVID restrictions. (I went to the list after discovering CK2 was free and wanted more info on the game. This was first on the list. After I caught up, my next two trips to the top of the list were jabberjock's pre-Plantagenets and @Eurasia's Greek Buddhists in India. (My first three were three year old masterpieces.) @Bullfilter encouraged me to make my first comments. (Blame him, if I upset anyone with a comment. I was content to be a lurker.)

I am glad to see a change from the tactical to the strategic. Most major learning questions have been answered and reporting every battle and raid for a superpower can get a little monotonous, but it was a perfect teaching tool. (Probably very few newbies now.) I thought ,that CK was like EU, HoI and Civ, and was a game of conquest. But after 1700 hours and reading dozens of AARS, I realize that CK2 is a game of people and history. The developers have created thousands of character screens (may be greatest screen in gaming for the volume of information that each contains and number in game at any one time). No one except maybe @Thaiga will ever look at more than a fraction of the screens. The game also produces a history that can be checked of the characters and realms for hundreds of years. EU and HoI only allows you to learn the current game info. I am hoping that you will introduce the immediate family, extended family and interesting people (inside and outside realm). Sometimes the basic skeletons will need to be fleshed, but that is writing. Examples from my current game are an AI Sunni Caliph (as Baghdad Emir) who wins a Jihad for the Holy Land, forms Iraq Sultanate, is deposed and dies within the game's first decade. Also a player Duchess who wants to reclaim a de jure county from a larger neighbor, seizes the county after ruling over six decades and dies within a week of the seizure.

If I can put a call to the Þing, I have a situation that I have never seen. I was an Orthodox Duke of Meissen (grew up with Orthodox countess mother who lost her county and I inherited grandmother's property) with a Sunni HRE Kaiser (secret society probably) liege. Independent Catholic King of Bohemia declares Holy War for my two county duchy on the Kaiser. My three possible outcomes were: a) Kaiser wins and life continues b) King wins and I become a Bohemian vassal c) King wins, seizes my land and game over. The actual outcome was d) King wins, land seizure and I continue as my wife (inter dynastic marriage with second cousin), the Catholic Countess of Brun (Bohemian vassal). How did this outcome happen?

Whatever you decide, I will read and enjoy. My thoughts and prayers are for a mild COVID and a speedy recovery.

BTW, it appears that Paradox recognized the greatness of this AAR and changed the Rurikid dynasty shield to a bull's head.

Thank you for everything that you have done to improve my quality of life over the last three years. Please get well soon. This has been a tough quarter for you, hopefully 2023 will be better.
 
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