-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Eúrnil to Calimmacil
18 Ninui, in the year 1965 of the Third Age (10305 IGY)
Peace be to you brother,
We both heard the rumors about the King - that he recently has been babbling nonsense, behaving in an erratic manner and even assaulting family, physicians, and royal staff.
After the recent council session, I am afraid that all must be true. Throuought the session the King appeared disoriented, sitting in some sort of stupor. He did not answer most questions that arose during the meeting and when he once spoke out, the statement was entirely unrelated to what was being discussed.
I fear the worst. Woe to the realm whose King is mad or a child!
In this state and given his advanced age, it is doubtful Aldamir could father a new heir with his second wife.
Should King Aldamir die, the throne would go to Minohtar. Minohtar himself has but a daughter, thus no further eligible heirs of his line.
Which, as we both know, makes our father to be second in line to the throne of Gondor. Me being third in line.
The King's ilness brought out the worst demons of our father's mind. I am afraid that he has convinced himself that only some spectacular and costly action will be the remedy to all current problems. If found out, this could cost him his head. Or all of our heads.
What we need now is simply patience. We can wait for the ill king to die, then for Minohtar to die childless and the crown will one way or another pass into our line. That is of course assuming that Minohtar will not father any further male heirs after he takes the throne. Now I'm afraid it had come to this: fate of all the Men of the West rests in the loins of some dunlending wench. Oh how far had we fallen!
Regardless, I beseech you to write to our father and try to convince him to err on the side of caution. Else his schemses might spell doom for our family. Especially since all the princes of the kingdom are on edge. The last thing we need is a failed coup'd etat followed by some sort of civil war like they have in Arnor (...)
Eúrnil is exaggerating, it is a small rebellion in Arnor and not a civil war.
Last edited:
- 2
- 1
That is unfortunate for Gondor ... these are not good times for the ship of state to be ill-captained.
- 1
With all his intrigue skills, I would not be surprise if Aldamir is just playing the fools to not get in trouble. At least it seems that his madness didn't turn him in a new Radovid
- 1
Beautiful! Definitely one of the best AAR i evet read. Please kindly continue.
- 1
Dear all,
Just to clarify: The reason this AAR was discontinued is pretty simple - I can't run this savegame file anymore.
When I started the playthrough in 2018, this mod was using CK2 version 2.8.X. CK has been updated since, so has been the Middle Earth mod. The Middle Earth mod now runs on CK2 3.3.3
What is the problem? Well, the save game that this playthrough was using will not run anymore on the current version Middle Earth mod. And the old version of the mod requires CK2 2.8.X and Steam allows me to rollback my CK2 version only to 3.0.1.
So the save game cannot be accessed.
EDIT: I was wrong, it can be accessed. AAR thus is restarted. More fun in Middle Earth awaits!
Just to clarify: The reason this AAR was discontinued is pretty simple - I can't run this savegame file anymore.
When I started the playthrough in 2018, this mod was using CK2 version 2.8.X. CK has been updated since, so has been the Middle Earth mod. The Middle Earth mod now runs on CK2 3.3.3
What is the problem? Well, the save game that this playthrough was using will not run anymore on the current version Middle Earth mod. And the old version of the mod requires CK2 2.8.X and Steam allows me to rollback my CK2 version only to 3.0.1.
So the save game cannot be accessed.
EDIT: I was wrong, it can be accessed. AAR thus is restarted. More fun in Middle Earth awaits!
Last edited:
- 1
Afaik there is possibility to unlock all betas builds for CK. I used it myself it's described somewhere on the forum
- 1
You stand correct my good sir. Indeed, I have achieved great success in unlocking these save games.Afaik there is possibility to unlock all betas builds for CK. I used it myself it's described somewhere on the forum
Last edited:
- 2
Excerpt from "Memoir of the old days" by Captain Thurin Redhelm of Kirithgal
29 Nerbeleth, of the year 1965 of the Third Age (10305 IGY)
And thus we rode out of the northern gate, all in all some 28 000 men. War is upon the land. The orcs in the north have risen against us once again, supported by the brethren from the mountains. There are wild rumors that the Nazgul from Barad-Dur would support them with whatever ghostly host he could muster.
Volodar rode at the front of the column, just before me and the queen. Clad in heavy armor of sauronic steel and with his great helm and face-visor shaped like a face of a demon, Volodar looked ready to strike fear in the hearts of the orcs. Both me the queen and the rest of the royal entourage were equipped in the same fashion as Volodar.
I took some strange comfort knowing that our mordor-steeds and our black sauronic steel will now be used again against the underlings of the Enemy. His own weapons turned against him by his former slaves. How will they like their own medicine?
Vengeance is indeed sweet. Ironically, vengeance was the driving force behind the actions the old fusspot himself. In a sense, we are giving him even more of his own medicine.
I heard the queen pass on a letter to one of the messengers. There goes another letter to the King of Gondor. We can now talk with the mightiest empire in Middle-Earth like equals. Something big has been put in motion. How proud I am of my own country!
I could now see the towers of Nurn start to fade in the distance. Suddenly I remembered an old farewell song that my mother taught me years ago.
I closed my eyes and began to sing an old song from Numenor's days of glory:
O glimmering island set sea-girdled and alone -
A gleam of white rock through a sunny haze ;
O all ye hoary caverns ringing with the moan
Of long green waters in the southern bays ;
Ye murmurous never-ceasing voices of the tide ;
Ye plumèd foams wherein the shore and spirits ride ;
Ye white birds flying from the whispering coast
And wailing conclaves of the silver shore,
Sea-voiced, sea-wingèd, lamentable host
Who cry about unharboured beaches evermore,
Who sadly whistling skim these waters grey
And wheel about my lonely outward way -
For me for ever they forbidden marge appears
A gleam of white rock over sundering seas,
And thou art crowned in glory through a mist of tears,
Thy shores all full of music, and thy lands of ease -
Old haunts of many children robed in flowers,
Until the sun pace down his arch of hours,
When in the silence fairies with a wistful heart
Dance to soft airs their harps and viols weave.
Down the great wastes and in gloom apart
I long for thee and thy fair citadel.
Where echoing through the lighted elms at eve
In a high inland tower there peals a bell :
O lonely, sparkling isle, farewell !
As I ended my song, Volodar in a deep voice sang in answer a Nurniag marching song:
Meadow, meadow, meadow green!
Who this meadow will now mow?
Whilst I carry my longbow
Meadow, meadow, meadow green!
Field, field, field ploughed deep!
Who this field will now harrow?
Whilst I fight with bow and arrow
Field, field, field deep ploughed deep!
Garden, garden, garden bright!
Who this garden will now tend?
Whilst my country I defend
Garden, garden, garden bright!
Bullock, bullock, bullock grey!
Who will take you out for grazing?
Whilst enemy lands I am razing
Bullock, bullock, bullock grey!
Cows, cows, cows red-and-white!
Who will bring you grass and hay?
Whilst I'm marching far away
Cows, cows, cows red-and-white!
Pipe, pipe, pipe of clay!
Who will smoke you day and night?
Whilst the enemy I shall fight
Pipe, pipe, pipe of clay!
Beer, beer, beer red!
Who this beer will be drinking?
Whilst of warfare I am thinking
Beer, beer, beer red!
Wifey, wifey, wifey dear!
Who my wifey will console?
Whilst in the army I enroll
Wifey, wifey, wifey dear!
While the tune was merry, the ending felt in some sense as wistful and melancholic as that of my Numenorean song.
And then suddenly a third singer joined us. A warm, melodic alto sang a third farewell song. A nostalgic song of faraway lands and times long gone. A song far older than mine.
The army held its breath.
The queen was singing.
In caverns deep a crystal clear pond
Shines underground in Nargothrond
The chambers wide, the columns grand
Fashioned like those of Elvenland
Tall walls carved with great finesse
Resembling those of Elvenesse
Three great halls and a silver dome
Bringing forth memories of Elvenhome
Yet only the echo shall respond
When I sing my song in Nargothrond
Silence now fell
Where the dragon used to dwell
Silent is our home
Where the dragon used to roam
Silent is the cavern deep
Where the dragon used to sleep
Silence shall reign
And only the ruined halls remain
In darkness now lies Nargothrond
With silence within
With sorrow beyond
Darkness without moon or star
Forever lost like Valimar
Even though the weather was gloom and the song sad and nostalgic, I felt refreshed, strong, proud and elated. I am again in the saddle, again able to serve the queen and country, I feel alive again!
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
- Please thank the poster @NarcomancerPL if you enjoy this AAR being reborn.
Middle earth is literally built out of songs. It started as poems in Tolkien's mind, it was created as music by Eru and the Ainur. It is natural that its characters will communicate with songs. It just felt right to restart the AAR with songs.
Who is the "old fusspot"? Well, that's a Nurniag term for Sauron. Not everyone is comfortable with calling him by his real name.
The first song is a poem called "The Lonely Isle" written by Tolkien himself, which he wrote in 1916 while sailing across the English channel to fight in ww1. I always felt like Numenor is in some sense a distant reflection of the British Empire, hence I made it a Numenorean song within Middle Earth.
The second song is a Polish soldier's song, ironically also created in 1916 during ww1. The author remains unknown. The translation is mine, I made some stylistic changes to create English language rhymes and keep the theme (replaced rifle with a longbow etc). But the gist of the song was not changed. Like the original, only the two middle verses of each stanza rhyme. The Nurniags in this mod have a somewhat slavic-flavor, so using a Polish song felt right.
Last edited:
- 4
- 1
Nendëwen, Lady of the Lake
To Governor Minohtar of Lossir, successor to the throne of Gondor
29 Nerbeleth, of the year 1965 of the Third Age (10305 IGY)
Dear Friend and neighbor,
The mounted patrols of the White Tower now brush elbows with the pickets of the Land of the Lake. In the wastes of Mordor, the bough grows thicker, the leaves green, the flowers reach out towards the sun. My country, like my garden, is becoming more bright and brilliant each day. How is your garden?
I come to you with a message of joy and sincere congratulations upon the birth of your first son. Please accept this humble messenger as my sworn representative, so that he can take part in the traditional and solemn ceremony that will follow. Alas the matters of state require me to stay here and I am unable to pay my respects in person.
Here is the newborn, who one day might rise to be king of Gondor.
Think of me as one more soul who cherishes your friendship and wishes for you the tranquillity and rest that you might find in the faces of your children. I believe, because of your studies, you might have had forgotten the world, and had begun almost to believe that academic pursuits are the only thing that was true. Yet the world had not forgotten you. The only immortality that man has been awarded is the one he can see when he looks in the eyes of his children. I look into the eyes of the people of the Lake and see all of them as my children. Our peoples are not as different from one another as they might believe in their mind's enclosures. The tone of our tongues, the colors of our armor and banners may differ. Yet the same fate has been awarded to both, the same sun shines on the White City and on the Great Lake.
I bid you well. I bid your family well. I bid your people well. I bid your land well. May there come a day when you gaze into the eyes of the people of Gondor and come to see all of them as your children. May the line of Elendil endure and may the sun's reflection forever shine bright in the fountain of Minas Tirith in the land of Gondor, as it shines bright on the waves of the Lake of Núrnen in the land of Nendënórië.
Hara máriesse
Author's notes:
- This is the same letter Thurin mentioned in his entry in the previous post. Of course he was wrong in his assumption. She was not writing to the King, she was writing to his successor.
- Nendënórië - The Lake Realm in quenya. Nendë = Lake, nórië = land/realm/country.
- Hara máriesse - "Stay joyful" in quenya.
- "In their mind's/wit's enclosure" - I captured this term from Old English poetry. Probably my favorite Old English expression of them all.
Last edited:
- 2
- 1
Linda To Toby
11 Hithui, of the year 1965 of the Third Age (10305 IGY)
(...) and that is at the root of all problems: Hobbits should be doing what befits them.
Big men do what befites them.
The dead should do what befits them and by that I mean lie content in their graves and barrows, instead of riding horses and stirring up trouble.
Orcs and highlanders should be doing what befits them - by that I mean bothering one another high in their mountains, instead of harassing the good people right on the other side of Brandywine.
Yes, you got that right: The Hobbits now border Angmar on the other side of the Brandywine. Shame, shame!
Fathers should act like fathers, daughters like daughters, thanes like thanes, kings like kings.
And yet just make three steps out of your burrow and you will see the world turned upside down. Good, reputable Hobbits with pots on the heads, running around like march hares and pretending to be the Kings Own Militia. I guess maybe they will all come to their senses once the planting season starts and the King's men will *finally* push these mountain Ruffians back where they belong. I wouldn't count on it though, he probably expects the Shire militia to win back his crown and his seat in Fornost. What kind of a big man is he? Ever since he dissolved the thanedome of the Periannath, I kept telling everyone: "He's good for nothing!". And would anyone listen to me? 'Ohhh no, who would listen to Linda? She's out of her wits!' Let them tell that to me again, I dare them!
And this mayor of ours! Always out and about telling everyone how "everything is fine, everything is good, nothing to worry about". I'd like to see him go to the banks of Brandywine and tell that to the ruffians on the other side. Let him see with his own two eyes how 'fine' everything is. Two peas in a pod that king and mayor! They never do anything about anything, I swear. They just sit on their hands twiddling their thumbs in their...
...eh! Enough.
Yesterday a big woman stopped here on her way south, she had dark hair, a piggish-pink complexion and a wild look in her eye. She played songs on a rude harp and sang a song about Eadwaccer, his wife and a wolf. Then she begged for food. When asked where she came from, she told us she came from Menghirost, that the King's men took her son into the army and then had her roof burned because she would not give up her horse. Now the hill-men and orcs are ravaging her lands, so she fled and now begs. All of this was quite unseemly. Aren't the big men supposed to protect the kingdom and the shire? They can't even protect their own daughters and wives.
The world turned upside down.
I trust, my dear Toby, that this letter will find you well.
Linda.
Ask and ye shall receive.
Author's comments:
- Have to say, it was an interesting experience to write as a cynical Hobbit woman who is seeing Angmar inch towards her home.
- Then again, I had to create a Hobbit roundel. And drat was that hard. First thought: "Ok, smoking pipe right?". Guess what? Pipe smoking was not yet invented at the time this AAR takes place. Pipe weed cultivation is still some 700 years in the future!
Last edited:
- 2
- 1
Ar-Ardamin of Umbar to his son Eadur,
3 Girithron, of the year 1965 of the Third Age (10305 IGY)
Son,
In my leisure I await tidings from other lands, I can think of these things, and wonder.
Something is rotten in the state of Gondor.
My envoy is secretly in Minas Tirith, where he met with the successor Minohtar and that that red-haired harridan who is his wife. Minohtar intrigues with everyone, our friends and enemies alike. He is poised to become the mightiest man in Arda. Now that he has produced a male heir his line appears to have prevailed over the others. The current King is ill and his end is nearing. His vassals have grown confident and arrogant, especially that one in Dol Amroth. Watch that one closely, because if he won't make a bid for the throne, he is bound to go south and cause trouble. King's permission or not. Last time he wrote to us he claimed that he wants "everlasting peace and friendship". I'm sure he will be saying the exact same thing when he comes to slit our throats, the sanctimonious pig that he is.
Naturally I sent my best wishes to the potential future King Minohtar... with regards to the birth of yet another potential future King. Of course either of them can get murdered before my letter reaches them. With Gondor you can never know, right? I can't but notice that the current King's wife was murdered, his youngest (and last) son 'disappeared' without a trace. Choosing between living in a den of Trolls and the court of Gondor, I'd go with the Trolls. That would be the safer place. By all evidence, Gondor has more daggers than spades.
That is somewhat fishy, isn't it?
I advise you to pay greater attention to the Dunlending woman who will soon be queen of Gondor. She will be a powerful force behind the throne and in many debates her voice will prove decisive. The armies of Gondor are vast, with a more energetic and capable King at the helm they could crush us like a steel warhammer crushes a walnut.
Meanwhile, our 'oh-so-lovable' Witch of Nurn sent another of her overbearing and pompous green cursive letters. As 'always' she mentioned that she desires nothing but 'good relations' with the descendants of Numenor. After the fashion of Ar-Pharazon, she ended her letter enumerating all of my titles and all of her own titles. And of course hidden in that thicket of Adunaic, nurniag and easterling titles was the most khandish one of them all: "Sera Tûmrakhi". A most familial title indeed - neither, "speaker", nor "mouth of" nor "successor". Simply "sister of". It almost sounds quaint until one understands who these Khandish names refer to. How it is possible to fit that much megalomania in such a small woman I shall never know.
She also mentioned that yet another uprising by the Orcs has been crushed by her goons. Two lines below that, using the most diplomatic words, she laid claim to all the people of Khand (to the people mind you, not to the land). Maybe the Witch wears clogs and speaks softly, but she also carries a long spear.
I also received yet another letter from my agents in the North. The shadow of Angmar grows longer, they are now barely a few miles of Annuminas. Should they launch a new campaign against them in the next two years, then I reckon there won't be much the Dunedain can throw against them. Once they are done with Arthedain, the Witch-King will go over the mountain against the Eotheod and the Browlands.
The problem of this world is that we have too many idiots and madmen.
Idiots and madmen with swords.
Author's note:
I guess after the previous post, I wanted a "brutally honest" evaluation of the situation in the South. Who better than our old friend from Umbar? And with whom he will be more frank than with his son?
Last edited:
- 1
- 1
Gondor, as described by Ar-Ardamin, is giving me the mental image of a pit of vipers; and those vipers seem to have a plethora of daggers. Hopefully Minohtar is careful enough to watch his back. and his front. In fact, it would probably be in his best interest to guard all of his most easily stabbable bits.
- 1
His view is a bit skewed, due to him being a good Umbar patriot. He's not exactly rooting for Gondor.
But his jeers originate from a solid foundation. Gondor has recently had a series of high-profile assassinations and there is a lot of plots going on.
- 1
Governor Minohtar of Lossir to Gandalf the Grey
3 Narwain, of the year 1965 of the Third Age (10306 IGY)
Dear friend,
I received what must be tens of envoys and dozens upon dozens of letters congratulating me upon the birth of my son. Yet I can't escape the feeling that the more the current King's madness is apparent, the more kind-hearted and warm the congratulations become. Everyone appears to be waiting for the crown to fall of his head and I' m not sure if being the heir apparent is such a good thing to be in this day and age.
So of course the first to write was of course old Siriondil. Envious had he always been of the King and proud of his own heritage and being part of the ruling dynasty. He must see himself and his line as better and more worthy than mine. He married a Gondorian noblewoman, so did his oldest son, while I just married a woman from Dunland. He was steward of Gondor, I was just a scholar. Deep down he is a cynical and ruthless man, I'm afraid that he would be chief among those who will conspire against the king and conspire against em should I become king. If both me and my newborn son would die, he will be next in line to the throne.
Then there was a letter from his hunchback younger son, Calimmacil. Greedy and envious as he is, I doubt he has the ruthless tenacity of his father. He alone would not do anything rash, but she would surely back his father and brother should they make some sudden move.
Next there was a sweet, gentle and overall heart-warming letter... that nevertheless came from Thurendur of Andras. Cruel, deceitful and ruthless he is even now shceming to overthrow the mad king. So in fact is prince Breor of Anorien. The mad king truly has very little friends left and I fear that on the slightest pretext, the flags of rebellion might swiftly come up across the realm. The only thing that the barons agree upon is their disdain for the mad king.They all would like the crown for themselves, but neither would allow the others to take it, so that would leave it in the hands of the house of Anarion. Which would mean... myself. How strange are the plans of men, how crooked the paths of fate. Just a few years ago if I had told any of them that they might themselves plotting to make me king, they would have called me insane. Strange indeed are the plans of men.
Then of course came the letter from Turmacil the prince of Lebennin. Greedy, deceitful and proud like he is, he could very well have an even contest in treachery with Siriondil. He did send me a very fine sword as a gift.
I also received a friendly green ink letter from Nurn. The curious thing was the language as well as the name of their Kingdom that they used in written diplomatic correspondence. Why quenya? None of the Elves speak aloud the tongue of the Noldor in their daily uses, not even Elrond in the halls of Imladris. My wife was quick to point out that using the old tongue might simply be a boastful challenge to Sauron - mocking the master of mockery. I tend rather to believe that it is a deliberate decision to use it as a tool of secreacy in a latter sent to me. Who else in Gondor but the loremaster can read quenya fluently?
But that begs the question: Who over there deep in the lands of the East would know quenya well enough to begin with? I dug out the original account of our first meeting with them and sure enough, even back then they tried opening the discussion in quenya. Curious.
The news from Arthedain was less upbeat. After Fornost had flalen to the Enemy, the King has been travelling around the countryside, he wrote to me from a small village called Bree. His thoughts seem to be dark and he is thinking about giving the ring of Barahir and the scepter of Annuminas to his son. While he did not write that openly, the idea of giving up these two would imply that he feels his death is approaching. I am not sure what we can do to aid him and his kingdom, but if there is someone who could come up with a plan then I imagine it must be you. (...)
Last edited:
- 2
- 1
Very happy to see the AAR reborn, I really liked your style and was sad when it looked that it was discontinued !
The situation looks dire in Gondor, who knows for how long "peace" will stay before brothers fight their own brothers?
The situation looks dire in Gondor, who knows for how long "peace" will stay before brothers fight their own brothers?
- 1
I'm happy to have brought it back. It is refreshing to go and make the John-Williams-style letter-driven narration again.
There are going to be some major events and pretty strong plot-twists coming. I'm not as fast with the updates, as it is a bit challenging AAR for me to write. No way in heck am I able to provide the same beauty of language and richness of rhyme and song that Tolkien does, but I do try my best to convey the 'spirit' of Middle Earth, instead of doing the more casual CK2 AAR in the sense of "This year kingdom 1 attacked kingdom 2 and took a province".
While Gondor remains clearly the most powerful entity on the map, having an insane king and all these ambitious and deceitful powerful vassals... I think we all know that it makes for a bad mix in any CK2 game.
- 1
A REPORT:
FROM:Agent "Artanel"
TO: Necromancer of Dol Guldur
UNDATED
The meeting with the Loremaster Minohtar was most productive and insightful.
He is not a sharp dresser, but that might be another facade. Another brick in the image of a detached sage. He is trying to present himself as a bit of a disorganized researcher more detached and more socially clueless than he is. This is deliberate deception, perhaps a survival strategy. He is trying to make the barons think he will be a weak king and easy to manipulate. But his mind is sharp, and his past interactions make me think he knows quite a bit about the hearts of men and politics in general. He is a fighter and the barons and princes are all for a very, very rude awakening should he take power.
Have already I mentioned how much he uses deception? And how good is he at hiding that? Despite his public image as a calm well-mannered manner, he did meet with many very exciting women recently. Both my research and my personal observations would seem to support that. He did look at me with some interest, if I managed to discern his intentions in such a brief moment. I do trust my capacities when it comes to discerning the intentions of men though. This is something we can use.
But there is also a bitterness he carries in him - both towards women and towards the court in general. He was spurned for too long, too long considered meaningless. People suddenly catapulted from obscurity into the limelight tend to have that resentful streak, especially intellectuals. This too is something we can use.
I have not personally seen much of that in my meeting with him, but according to my research and some witness accounts, he really does seem to put a lot pride in his intellectual capacities. That may lend itself to overconfidence, this trust in the hard-logic power of his mind. But he does have a beautiful mind.
As always, I remain you loyal, obedient (and I trust useful) servant.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Sauron can never have too many spies and agents. Here's one very different in style and personality than agent "Zagar".
- 3
- 1