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That was quite the eventful trip out on the high seas… Perhaps best if I stick to land for a bit now :D
Thank you for replying. My advice is to stick close to Duchess Milka! She has a personal combat of 40 and the Dragon Blade (sword from heaven). Also, she is not real fond of her intended. While she is low 60s Mastermind Theologian (L4), he will become a low 20s Naive Appeaser (D1). Even his father is less than impressed as he was raised in Bulgaria and shifted to Bulgarian. The boy calls himself a Prince of the Revolt, but after being raised by her grandmother Milka knows what a true prince/princess is. He is also chaste and his duchy only allows male rulers!
 
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1325 #1 Holy Roman Empire
4 May 1325 London

The largest public event of King Anselm II's young reign would be bestowing public honors for defeating Jack Sparrow. Jack is still hanging at the end of London's wharf as a warning on the perils of piracy. (According to the Fleet Street BroadSheets, a hundred English lads had braved the Sparrow's curse to steal one of Jack's fingers.) Medals would be awarded to @Nikolai, @Bullfilter, @Cora Giantkiller, young Laura, @diskoerekto, @Wraith11B, Royal Marines, Viking crewmen and Green Berets. But for the crowd and the king, the two biggest moments would be the induction of three into the Order of Saint George and the awarding of a Queen Teuta Cross. Joining the Saint George Order would be Speedy and his crew (guider @Tsar Monarchist and sniper @Macavity116). Earlier in the day, Speedy and @Tsar Monarchist had given the king a short ride. Among the visiting dignitaries would be members of Castille, Denmark and Sweden's royal families including King @BonniePCharlie of Castille. From the Alps, Heidi (no longer a young miss, but a world renowned businesswoman and mother of twins) brought the dragons Ebony and Daffodil (Speedy's parents) and a trade deal. (Thousands of British residents would claim that they had paid for their first cup of hot chocolate by petting a dragon on the nose.) A blushing King Anselm II would drape a Queen Teuta Cross around the neck of Duchess Milka. While the Plantagenets are held in disrespect in England, Queen Teuta is still held in great admiration and is viewed as an innocent victim of King Fulk. The fact that Milka is the great niece of Queen Teuta just adds to the tribute. King Anselm has a big crush on the Duchess as Laura has been reading him the exploits of the mountain girl and according to Fleet Street, Milka either beheaded Sparrow with a pocket knife or received her sword from a bolt of lightning.

18 May 1325 Lotharingia

King @RedTemplar comes to Duchess Milka with a delicate problem. It seems that Thomas had followed the double Dees (Delilah and and Delyth) to the creek. The King wonders if the Duchess would administer Greek justice. Milka says that only the Basileus has the power but that she would be happy to take Thomas to the Basileus. Laura asks Milka if she is really going to give Thomas to the Basileus. Milka replies that as we get away from Lotharingia, only a light guard would be posted. @Cora Giantkiller asks if she can borrow the DragonSword if Thomas glances at Laura while she is washing her hands. Milka states if that happens you may use the bloody blade for the second Greek justice.


1 June 1325 Meissen (forest, otl eastern Germany; bordering independent Bohemia) Holy Roman Empire

The Holy Roman Empire
is #1 for the sixth consecutive check. The HRE has gained forty-four holdings during the 14th century's second quarter to 690 in 179 counties (up eight). The HRE's rulership timeline for the quarter century:

26 November 1299 62yo Philipp Saarbrücken is elected Emperor.​
1 December 1320 83yo Kaiser Philipp dies naturally. 69yo Friedrich von Hohenzollern is elected Emperor.​
14 October 1322 70yo Kaiser Friedrich dies naturally. 61yo Humbert Rapotonen is elected Emperor. (Oldest current top five ruler.)​
63yo German Catholic Kaiser Humbert is a Scholarly Theologian (2-8-9-8-15) focusing on Theology. He rules the empire, a duchy and two counties (can support four more holdings). His vassals include two kings, forty dukes and five counts. Kaiser Humbert and the Empire's fifty-seven thousand man army (largest among top five) is engaged in an offensive war.

12 April 1321 Kaiser Friedrich declared an Embargo War on Duchess Ilud of Rashka (otl Serbia). She is leading a revolt for the Byzantine throne. Anne Howe has Kaiser Humbert with a ninety-four point advantage.
1325 Top Twenty-One Realms with a Catholic Ruler:

#1 690 Holy Roman Empire
#3 211 León Kingdom (largest kingdom)​
#5 161 England Kingdom
#11 100 Sweden Kingdom
#13t 95 Byzantine Empire
#15t 93 Egypt Sultanate
#18 87 Denmark Kingdom
NEXT: Wrap up 1225. @Kage265 correctly guessed that Queen Urraca II will be alive in 1250. But what realm drops out of top five and which joins the top five?

THANK YOUs: @BonniePCharlie for Santiago! This is a CK2 AAR that begun last Sunday and is still on page 1.

@Nikolai for running the ACAs. Everyone, please vote!​
Everyone, for reading and commenting.​
 
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1325 Wrap Up
30 June 1325 Dyrrachion

The happiest AAReader to be back in Dyrrachion is @Kage265 for he is reunited with his beloved WayBack Machine. When he declares that it will be a week before flight can happen, an audible sigh can be heard from the duchy's children. By that afternoon, children are three deep washing the WayBack Machine. Inside, children have formed a line to give @Kage265 tools and water. As the sun starts to sink in the sky, @Kage265 leads a group to the candy store where many of the children, like their parents and grandparents, would be able to trade an shiny copper penny, that was earned from working on the WayBack Machine, for a sack of candies. Many AAReaders would spend the week purchasing souvenirs. @Kazanov would caution newcomers that items stamped "Made in Albania" are poor knock offs from east of the Black Sea that will break before the WayBack Machine reaches 1400.

7 July 1325 Dyrrachion

The AAReaders conclude Duchess Milka's twenty-first birthday party by boarding the WayBack Machine. Laura presents Milka with a notebook titled Adventures of the Mountain Queen. @Cora Giantkiller hugs Duchess Milka telling her that she has arranged with Dragon Express for a wedding present to arrive in December. Captain @Cora Giantkiller tells Captain @DensleyBlair to set coordinates for the Emerald Institute.


1325 Top Five Realms

#1 690 Holy Roman Empire led by 63yo German Catholic Kaiser Humbert
#2 368 Rajasthan Empire led by 25yo Hindustani Sunni Samrat Hamir
#3 211 León Kingdom led by 13yo Castillian Catholic Queen Urraca II
#4 172 Iraq Sultanate led by 27yo Bedouin Sunni Caliph Qaward II
#5 161 England Kingdom led by 6yo English Catholic King Anselm II
Top Five Ruler's Top Stats
10 Diplomacy Samrat Hamir
17 Martial Caliph Qaward II
9 Stewardship Kaiser Humbert
8 Intrigue Kaiser Humbert and Samrat Hamir
15 Learning Kaiser Humbert
42 Total Kaiser Humbert
2 August 2021 Emerald Institute for Time Travel

@Cora Giantkiller smiles as she opens a letter marked Dyrrachion. She is shocked that instead of a letter outlining plans for the 1350 world check, there is a letter from Duchess Jelena informing her that Duchess Milka had died on 21 June 1349 of poor health.

Like with Doux Konstantin, I was planning for two world checks and hoping for a third with Duchess Milka. Doux Gjin remains my only ruler with two world checks. In an ironic twist Doux Gjin would be older at his first world check than either Konstantin or Milka would live to be. This shows how extraordinary that Sultan Saladin of Syria was in being involved in four world checks.

NEXT: 1350 Preview where the drop out will be revealed.

THANK YOUs: @Cora Giantkiller for serving as WayBack Machine captain. You may see @Bullfilter, @diskoerekto or @Kazanov for a key to the Admiral's Lounge.

@DensleyBlair for agreeing to be the next captain and spearheading the 1250 tour with Duchess Jelena and her husband.​
To whoever volunteers to replace @DensleyBlair as the commander.​
To everyone for reading and commenting. We are over half way (six of eleven checks complete). We have passed the 10K view mark. Thank You!​
 
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Can I volunteer?

commander of an armoured division just sounds cool
Thank you for volunteering. See @Kage265 about armouring the WayBack Machine. You also will assume the captain's seat when something happens to Duchess Jelena.
 
Poor Milka! May her memory be a blessing to us all. And poor Jelena losing her mother.

But onwards we must go!
 
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Poor Milka! May her memory be a blessing to us all. And poor Jelena losing her mother.

But onwards we must go!
Thank you for replying. Milka had the longest reign of my five rulers but the second shortest lifespan. I do not think that she a super affectionate mother but her mother and sister will miss her greatly. Poor Houlikhan to lose her husband when she was 21 and now lose one child to death and the other to the bottle.
 
Arabia 1349
21 June 1349 Arabia Kingdom

After the small two kingdom Abyssinian Empire, we move to the five kingdom Arabian Empire. The Arabian Empire consists of the Kingdoms of Arabia, Egypt, Jerusalem, Syria and Yemen. The Kingdom of Arabia has most of the Arabian Peninsula in five duchies: (Borders begin in north and go clockwise.)

Al Bahrein Duchy is in the north bordering the Persian Empire , Persian Gulf, Oman and Nefoud Duchies and inhabitable desert. 5 Counties: Desert Al Hasa, Kuwait and Qatif; Plains Bahrein and Uwal.​
Arabia Duchy is in the west bordering the Egypt, Jerusalem and Syria Kingdoms, inhabitable desert, Hijaz Duchy and the Red Sea. 5 Counties: Mountain Al 'Aqabah, Al 'Ula and Tabuk; Desert Al Jawf and Maan.​
Hijaz Duchy is in the south bordering Arabia Duchy, inhabitable desert, Nefoud Duchy, another inhabitable desert, Yemen Kingdom and the Red Sea. 6 Counties: Mountain Jeddah, Khaybar, Medina and Tihama; Desert Asir and Mecca.​
Nefoud Duchy is in the center bordering inhabitable desert, Al Bahrein and Oman Duchies, another inhabitable desert and Hijaz Duchy. 5 Counties: Desert Dariya, Hail, Hajr, Halaban and Rafha.​
Oman Duchy is in the east bordering Nefoud and Al Bahrein Duchies, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, Yemen Kingdom and inhabitable desert. 4 Counties: Mountain Muscat and Suhár; Desert Nizwa; Plains Julfar (strait crossing to Persian Empire).​
Arabia Kingdom consists of five duchies and twenty-five counties (thirteen desert, nine mountain and three plains).​
Unlike Nubia Kingdom which had eleven rulers (none higher than duke rank) in seventeen counties; Arabia Kingdom has only four rulers (all at least king rank) in twenty-five counties:

1K 3D 15C 36yo Levantine Sunni Sultan Isa of Syria Arabia Kingdom; Arabia Duchy (5 counties of 5 in duchy), Hijaz Duchy (6 of 6), Nefoud Duchy (Dariya, Hail, Hajr and Halaban Counties of 5)​
1D 8C 32yo Bedouin Sunni Caliph Alim of Iraq Al Bahrein Duchy (5 of 5); Muscat, Rafha and Suhár Counties
1D 1C 33yo Egyptian Sunni Sultan Musa of Yemen Oman Duchy (Nizwa County of 4)​
1C 28yo Hindustani Sunni Samrat Ayeshah III of Rajasthan Julfar County
I add a duchy to my database every ten years or ruler change. Instead of starting with Count Progon, I did not start until death of Doux Konstantin thus I had to catch up and present kingdoms instead of individual duchies. I should have finished Abyssinia Kingdom on 27 January 1270 (Doux Alek 20 years) and Nubia Kingdom on 22 December 1306 (Doux Konstantin death). Egypt with nine duchies will take about 80 years and 3 rulers. I will present each duchy singularly but the ninth will contain full kingdom breakdown. I am going to add a look at my ruler's family with each ducal check.


Duchess Jelena (Progonovic) of Dyrrachion, 17yo Serbian Catholic, 6-6-12-5-3 Fortune Builder (Shy, Honest, Patient, Cynical, Aspiring Poet)

in Dyrrachion Duchy (Byzantine Empire): her husband Chaghagan Agai, 49yo Mongol Orthodox, 6-10-13-7-6 Fortune Builder (Attractive, Ambitious, Gregarious, Brave, Gluttonous); Dyrrachion Sakellarios. He is the son of the last Khagan of an united Mongol and Tartaria Empire. His father and Jelena's grandmother were first cousins.​
her maternal grandmother Houlikhan Agai, 63yo Mongol Orthodox, 11-2-8-7-6 Amateurish Plotter. She would die naturally 7 October 1349, age 64.​
in Zeta County (Dyrrachion Duchy): her aunt Countess Dubravka (Progonovic) of Zeta, 43yo Serbian Catholic, 15-4-1-7-7 Charismatic Negotiator (Celibate (after six children), Drunkard)​
in Epirus Duchy (Byzantine Empire): her father Doux Dorotheos II (Komenos Doukas) of Epirus, 39yo Bulgarian Catholic, 4-3-5-3-11 Naive Appeaser (Chaste). His duchy has Agnatic Succession.:mad:
her paternal grandmother Antonia Kontostephanos, 72 Greek Catholic, 4-6-3-8-6 Dutiful Cleric; Epirus Mystikos​
in Chernigov Kingdom (independent, OTL Ukraine): her aunt Queen-Consort Boša (Progonovic) of Chernigov, 62yo Arberian Catholic, 14-7-7-5-9 Detached Priest. Her first marriage (matrilineal) was to a Byzantine Prince (dynasty no longer in power) over twenty-five years her senior. She would be a childless widow in her teens as her Prince would become a one man Plague Epidemic. Her brother arranged a betrothal for her with King Vasilko (Rurikid) of Chernigov (eight years her junior). Boša would spend the time waiting for her trip north by plotting to kill her mother, Princess Georgia (at least she did not get pregnant and have the betrothal scrapped). Boša's first child would be fathered by one of her husband's counts (another Rurikid). The Count would be married to the Queen (another Rurikid) of a larger kingdom. King Vasilko would father three children with Queen Boša. King Vasilko would start a war with the Byzantine Empire to make Boša Byzantine Basilissa. King Vasilko would be captured in first battle and Boša would spend five years in the Constantinople dungeon. King Vasilko would add three mistresses and three children. Among the mistresses was his eldest son's wife, Princess Emma (Plantagenet) of Ireland. (@Bullfilter, Please Make Your Family Behave.)​
My biggest shock while looking at my new leader was to learn that she was in LOVE with her older husband. But she is a shy girl overshadowed by her star (60 point) mother with a weak father. She finds herself married to an attractive, gregarious, ambitious older man with common interests (both are Fortune Builders).

 
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(@Bullfilter, Please Make Your Family Behave.)
Haha - the Rurikids will never behave. You've seen what the latest one has got up to as the leader of the Fellowship of Hel! :p
 
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whoever unites the empires of Arabia and Persia would rule the world
 
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Dropping in to let you know I've been reading thru this. Love the style and unique feel. Looking forward to catching up as much as I can.

Cheers!
 
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All right.

Read for the second time. Now reading for the third time in order to fully grasp this massive work.

(About re-reading multiple times: Slow reader. Even slower to understand. To give some examples, had to read four times The Histories of Herodotos to get it. Had to read six times Iliad of Homeros to understand the nuances finally. Still reading the tolkiens for the nth-time -for some personal absurd reasons-. Had to read Aircraft Engines and Gas Turbines of Kerrebrock twenty-six times, still on the twenty-seventh reading, excluding the occasional quick-checks for countless times.
Anyways, you get the idea.)


This is -once again- a massive world report, but coming from an enormous delight of enjoying the game, and it is delivered with INCREDIBLE effort, labour, and dedication, and only to share its joy with everyone. Not even mentioning the arduous detailing on its style, with all its colour-fonts, lists, statistics, but notes of details that go into the atoms of the run to picture the world completely with the magic of words. All this praise does not even include the wacky (TM word specific to monkey island, until now - this work is also wondrously wacky) adventures in the later episodes; they deserve another - their own post to praise.

This is a remarkable and incredibly fun work. Kudos.

Will comment properly to catch up the roller-coaster after finishing the third read (two pages finished; still on the third page). Once again, kudos.



A bit of necro-comment, but cannot stop self to mention it; from the initial reports, wanted to say this: Dat Golden Horde tho
 
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Haha - the Rurikids will never behave. You've seen what the latest one has got up to as the leader of the Fellowship of Hel! :p
Thank you for replying. The Rurikid have got around and have had a Very Good game. I have had two marriages in family with Rurikids. The Rurikids have journeyed to Ireland find Plantagenets and to Mongolia to find Ajais (Genghis Khan dynasty in this game). Slight spoiler for future, the Rurikids have a top 21 realm in 1250 and two in 1275 (played to January 1275). One of 1275 top 21 is led by King Vasilko and Queen Boša's daughter. But King Vasilko having daughter-in-law for long time mistress is a bit much.
 
whoever unites the empires of Arabia and Persia would rule the world
Has anyone since Alexander ruler the majority of both areas (CK2 de jure empires)? Ruling any two of the empires in this latitude would be enormous. My personal faves would be de jure Byz with either Arabia or Persia or Persia and Rajasthan. Raj has gobbled a lot of eastern Persia empire to be at Hormuz (the Arabian Peninsula county is not isolated as basically everything between Hormuz and Delhi is Raj controlled) with massive amounts of central Asia. I keep expecting Raj to move east into India but Hastinapura after a hundred years is STILL a border capital.
 
Dropping in to let you know I've been reading thru this. Love the style and unique feel. Looking forward to catching up as much as I can.

Cheers!
Thank you very much for reading and replying! To have you reading is one of my highest honors. Reading Rise and Fall was like taking a upper level college, it was hard word but extremely rewarding.
 
@RustyHunter posted on my aar to inform me of his nominating me for writAAR of the week, so I figure I should do the same for you.

consider yourself the new writAAR of the week
Thank you very much! I hope that I can live up to your praise.
 
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1350 Preview
11 August 2021 Emerald Institute for Time Travel

@DensleyBlair exclaims, "Laura, What are you doing here?"
Laura answers, "She needs Me! And I . . . Need . . Her."
"But Laura, You can not run away and join us whenever you want."
"I am not running away. My Pa brought me. He is unloading my stuff and a box of my latest books for me to give to anyone who wants one."
Hearing the commotion, Director @volksmarschall enters, listens and pronounces. "Captain @DensleyBlair, you will have a Newbery Award winner traveling with you. She will act as an official observer and hopefully a tonic for Admiral @Cora Giantkiller. Commander @37th Armoured div, you will personally see to the safety and welfare of Miss Ingalls. Mr. Ingalls, would you like to accompany your daughter?"
"Oh no, the thought of riding a camel gives me saddle sores." Charles answers good-naturedly.
Before the WayBack Machine took off, Laura autographed her entire box with a promise that two more boxes would be autographed and sent to the Institute after her voyage. Laura was amazed that so many of the Institute shared a name with their child or grandchild.

22 December 1349 Dyrrachion

The AmazingAdventurousReaders were asked to participate in Dyrrachion's final winter Day of Remembrance. In 1350, the Day of Remembrance would be held be on 21 June. Inside the Progonovic family crypt, the Admirals left wreaths; @Eurasia for Count Progon, @Bullfilter for Doux Gjin, @diskoerekto for Doux Alek, @Kazanov for Doux Konstantin, and @Cora Giantkiller for Duchess Milka. Laura left a copy of Adventures of a Mountain Queen on Duchess Miilka's tomb. No, not the one with the embossed Newbery Award seal on the cover, that she had carefully gotten each member of the AAReaders to sign (that one goes to the Dyrrachion treasure room); but rather the ragged notebook that had graced Duchess Milka's nightstand for a quarter century. Bishop Grgur led the family and AAReaders to the village church where he and @Kazanov would speak. While all AAReaders were warmly greeted by the village, the most enthusiasm was shown when @Kage265 casually mentioned that he would be staying in Dyrrachion and doing minor maintenance on the WayBack Machine. He added that he would appreciate a helper or two to help wash the WayBack tomorrow.


1350 Top Five Relgions:

Catholic 749 counties (up 63) 9 top 21 realms have a Catholic ruler. (The Pope is living in a cottage on the outskirts of Rome. By 1375, he will find a run down church (Bishopric). Would anyone like to guess what realm owns the county? The Pope is independent.)​
Orthodox 354 counties (down 25) 3 top 21 realms have an Orthodox ruler.
Sunni 243 counties (up 14) 7 top 21 realms have a Sunni ruler.
Hindu 125 counties (down 1) 1 top 21 realm has a Hindu ruler.
Buddhist 102 counties (down 8) 1 top 21 realm has a Buddhist ruler.
Top 21 Realms with an Orthodox ruler:
Tartaria Empire #11 117 holdings
Galicia-Volhynia Kingdom #15 102 holdings (Rurikid ruler)​
Mongol Empire #19tie 84 holdings
Top 21 Realm with a Hindu ruler:
Tamilakam Kingdom #18 86 holdings
Top 21 Realm with a Buddhist ruler:
Orissa Kingdom #9 125 holdings
1350's Drop Out:

León/Maghreb loses 135 holdings to 76 dropping from #3 to out of top 21. The rulership timeline for León/Maghreb during the 14th century's second quarter:
12 July 1317 5yo Urraca d'Ivrea inherits León/Maghreb kingdom.
8 March 1329 17yo Queen Urraca II is deposed. Her 38yo father Guillermo d'Ivrea becomes king of León and Maghreb. (Princess Urraca currently resides in Maghreb Kingdom with her husband, heir to Marrakech Duchy.)
12 March 1330 39yo King Guillermo is killed in a battlefield duel. His sons inherit, 13yo Lope d'Ivrea León Kingdom and 3yo Suero d'Ivea Maghreb Kingdom.
2 January 1338 21yo King Lope is conquered by claimant 35yo Count Gutierre (d'Ivrea) of Taghaza (11 March 1338 21yo Lope died in King Gutierre II's custody. Currently, 47yo King Gutierre II of León is in the Maghreb Kingdom's dungeon.)​
15 April 1349 22yo King Suero dies suspiciously. His 5yo daughter Isabel d'Ivrea inherts Maghreb Kingdom.
NEXT: We voyage west to meet #5. Guesses are being accepted for our newcomer and where the Pope will be in 1375.

THANK YOUs: To Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert for Little House on the Prairie.


To @volksmarschall for The Decline and Fall of Roman Civilization. I read this when I was lurking on the EU4 forums not even liking much less commenting. @volksmarschall, please forgive me. His current work on the Victoria II forum is Empire for Liberty.
To @Macavity116 for All Our Sins Remembered on Stellaris. I listened to this while writing.


 
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