Chrobatian Tales

[valentino]

CHROBATIAN TALES


Hello folks, this is going to be mine attempt of After Action Report (or shortly, an AAR), with starting point as Duke of Chrobatia. This AAR is going to follow the fate of (not so) noble House of Valentinovic, their ups and downs while trying to preserve their (Croatian) culture and to spread their (Christian) faith.
In The Old Gods expansion, starting in 867, Chrobatia is (though briefly) independent duchy of Croatian culture, located in the north of Carpathian mountain chain, surrounded from all sides ( north by Slavic and south by Tengri) by pagans. Even two of three its starting counties still have majority of population believing in Slavic gods. It is one of the most challenging starting points in the game, as in most of games Magyars settle in the Carpathian basin, forming the kingdom of Hungary and forcibly incorporating Chrobatia inside of their realm, imposing their own culture in process.


I'm going to establish a few of, let's call them house rules, just to make this story more interesting and this gameplay more challenging:
1. no save-scumming
2. preservance of Croatian culture at all costs
3. preservance of Catholic faith and conversion of newly-gained territories
4. prevention of extinction of the House in the male line (if possible)
5. unite with the rest of Croatian lands (if the opportunity arises)
6. gain of royal title(s)

Just to note I'm not a native English speaker, so forgive me for possible grammar mistakes. Also, this AAR is going to have more screenshots and less storytelling, of which I am a fan otherwise, but sadly I don't have too much free time to spare. Welcome and I hope you will hop on this journey with me. Feedback is much appretiated.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PROLOGUE - Humble beginnings
Reign of Filip I Valentinovic (867-?)
Chapter I - Times of change
Chapter II - New major threat
Chapter III - A new allegiance
Chapter IV - Blessings
Chapter V - Actions and consequences
Chapter VI - Playing with fire
Chapter VII - First months of the Khanate
Chapter VIII - Protector of the realm
Chapter IX - Change of perspective
Chapter X - Centennial dream​

 

[stnylan]

Welcome to AAR writin gand our corner of the forums. I hope you enjoy yourself.

As for not being a native English speaker, please try not to worry too much about that. We have quite a few people in similar situations.

 

[Bullfilter]

Good luck and I salute you doing it in a non-first language. It’s more than I could do. Hope you survive against those marauding Magyars!

 

[DumBMan]

Croatians in the Carpathian, sounds like an ambitious project! With good planning and little bit of luck, I hope we'll see rise of house of Valentinovic to greatness! Subbed.

 

[Specialist290]

Well, this certainly sounds ambitious. I'll be keeping an eye on it

 

[valentino]

PROLOGUE - Humble beginnings


Many years have passed since he left a monastery high in the mountains, came with his guardian down a narrow steep path and entered a court of Gostomil, Duke of Chrobatians. Back then, nobody saw in a ten years old more than he was, just an orphan boy left at the door of the monastery and raised by the monks to become one of them and fill their ranks one day. No one knew who his parents were or why he was left in front of the monastery. It was only clear that the person who brought him up there wanted him alive, because the climb to the monastery requires hours of ardous walking on a narrow and dangerous road.
Years passed rapidly at the court and Filip was raised together with Gostomil's sons who soon accepted him as a brother. His mentor and guardian, Mihael, served as newly appointed court chaplain and Bishop of the Chrobatian most prosperous county (and only that accepted Christianity so far), the County of Abauj. Filip was designated as his successor to both those functions.

As an adolescent, he showed great interest and potential in military affairs, much to Mihael's concern. He grew taller and stronger than his peers. The only things that mattered to Filip during that period of life were daily prayer and exercise. It went so far that he sneaked out of the keep and secretly joined army of duke's oldest son and heir Hrvoje in the war campaign against Lendians and participated in several battles. Although the military campaign proved to be unsuccessful, Filip has gained respect among the military as a fearless warrior. Soon, many of the common folk talked glorified stories about this particular young brave priest from the court of their Liege. However, Mihael did not survive his return home, he died of sorrow and concern for him mixed with a large quantities of Sacramental wine. His death was quite a blow to Filip.

Barely seventeen years old and left without a father figure, Filip assumed the function of his late mentor and started to preach amongst the common folk. At that time, he was rarely seen at the court. Filip ate and slept among commoners, not staying longer than a few days in the same village. It was assumed that he has already acquired the first ones of many connections that will later prove to be of a great importance to his accumulation of power.
At that young age, he had already shown signs that he would not simply be reconciled with the fate he was given to, but It is believed he was still finding a greater purpose for himself. He had not yet fully tasted power and allowed it to corrupt him. All his previous actions were in a higher purpose and for eternal glory of Christ.
Couple of years later, the plague broke out in Abauj and took away many lives. Duke Gostomil and his two youngest sons were among the casualties. These boys did not live up to their adult age. Filip was absent, preaching in the mountains of Bereg at that time, trying to proselytize another region of Chrobatia to Christianity. People of Bereg were harsh people of the mountains, who persisted in worship of the Old Gods.

Hrvoje, being the oldest son of late Duke, took the title of duke and control of most populated Abauj; but Karlo and Tvrtko, two remaining sons, left the court and fled to Bereg and Spis, two still pagan regions of Chrobatia. There, in cover of hills and mountains, they raised an army to oppose him and declared themselves enemies of Christianity. They have promised to local chieftains to eradicate this new faith from Chrobatia in exchange for their support. As they could only be supported in this way, they gave up on Christ and embraced Perun the Thunderer and the rest of Old Deities.
Bloody civil war lasted for the next three years and brought great suffering to both sides. It finished with Tvrtko's death in the final battle of the war, at the fields outside Abauj ( the keep bears the same name as the region). His skull was broken under height of Filip's warhammer. The rest of the army was forced to flee, but Hrvoje's guards managed to capture wounded Karlo.
But at the same time, unknown to the participants of the battle, the carriage left Abauj through postern gates and was ambushed in the woods by the rebels; a carriage carrying Hrvoje's pregnant wife along with their three young children to safety. It seemed the defeat was certain as the fierce battle approached the very walls, and instead of allowing the infidels to lay harm on her children, Duchess Nada rode straight into the trap. Nobody was spared. The great victory ultimately became even greater sorrow.

Karlo was thrown to dungeon where he died shortly after of his wounds. The crisis over succession ensued. The only surviving heirs were the younger brother of Gostomil, Miroslav, incompetent man deeply in his fifties; and Petar, infant son of Karlo.
Hrvoje has never overcome the death of his wife and children. He persistently refused to marry again. His grief was too great, only comfort he found was in mead. The Duke of Chrobatia was never the same man as before, the overconfident man who was fond of joking. Rare occasions when he could be seen again with a smile onto his face were the late hours of some feasts, after three emptied jugs of mead before him. Although even then his smile resembled a grimace of pain more than a smile.
Filip wanted to distract him from dark thoughts, so he organized feasts on a daily basis. Only what these feasts really helped was to have awakened his own desires for earthly pleasures. Soon, the company of young women of questionable morale and large quantities of food and alcohol become his only concerns. Once known as a holy warrior and defender of faith, now turned into a gleam of how a true Christian should not look. Disappointed with faith, he left his positions in Church to fully pursue his pleasures.

After couple of years of constant feasting, Hrvoje did not wake up in the morning after one feast, he eventually drank himself to death. It was also a moment when Filip come back to his senses, a moment of his sobriety. Though, not literally. His love for feasts remained wide known throughout his later reign.
Miroslav became a new duke. He was socially awkward man who never got married, not suited for any kind of government. New factions on the court were immediately formed by opportunists who wanted to seize power through loyalty to young Petar. Filip took over the function in the ruling council as Miroslav's spymaster and formed a network of spies through former acquaintances throughout the Duchy. Underrated as a drunkard and a failed priest, not many found a real threat in him. It was a mistake that will cost them dearly. Filip took care to ensure the Miroslav's rule is stable.

After receiving the trust of the conspirators and having them caught by his men in the right moment, thus preventing an open rebellion, Filip siezed all of their gold and properties to himself. Doing so, he effectively got rid of enemies and climbed a lot on the scale of power in Chrobatia. In the following decade he has gained even more power and influence. Accidentally or not, young Petar never lived up to his adulthood. At the age of twelve, he suddenly got sick and died a fortnight later. Some men will say he was poisoned, but it has never been proven.

When the Council of chieftains was convened while Miroslav lay on his deathbed, discussing should they accept Filip as Miroslav's proclaimed heir, nobody dared to oppose Filip's rule. It was clear to everyone who the next duke of Chrobatia is, that he would get that position either peacefully or by war. And as the orphan grew up among monks became a new Duke of Chrobatians, he took a name Valentinovic for his House. It was the name taken from the patron saint of the monastery in which he grew up, Saint Valentine. He never forgot his humble beginnings, nor did he want his descendants to forget it. Therefore he did not founded a dynasty that will carry his name, as was customary among the Croatians ( in that case, the dynasty would be called Filipovic)..


__________________________________________________________________________________________
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you guys by warm words of welcome, it means a lot to me.
Also, don't get used to this quantity of text, I just had urge to introduce this character and his motives properly. Cheers!

 

[DumBMan]

Great opening and insight of Filip's character! Croatian AARs are pretty rare (or any South Slavic AAR in that matter) so I'll definitely follow this, considering I come from neighbouring Serbia. I wish you welcome to the AARland and good luck!

 

[stnylan]

Quite an active life so far I think. A good grounding no doubt for the challenges ahead.

 

[Specialist290]

Filip may not quite be a paragon of Christian virtue himself, but he seems to be the man the Chrobatians need to reunite them after a long and arduous period of strife -- especially with the threat of hordes from the East on the horizon.

 

[valentino]

Great opening and insight of Filip's character! Croatian AARs are pretty rare (or any South Slavic AAR in that matter) so I'll definitely follow this, considering I come from neighbouring Serbia. I wish you welcome to the AARland and good luck!

Oh, glad to see fellow South Slav here! In fact, your AAR is one of the first I read after I joined the forum community. What a pleasant coincidence!

Quite an active life so far I think. A good grounding no doubt for the challenges ahead.

Filip's past experience and unscrupulousness will be a powerful tool in the management of the Duchy. His life story is a constant climb on the ladder of power, but I think it has not yet reached its peak.

Filip may not quite be a paragon of Christian virtue himself, but he seems to be the man the Chrobatians need to reunite them after a long and arduous period of strife -- especially with the threat of hordes from the East on the horizon.

Yes, we can say that Filip is a type of leader Chrobatia needs at this point.


Thank you for feedback guys, expect Chapter I soon enough.

 

[valentino]

CHAPTER I - Times of change


That evening he was leaning against the railing of the high balcony of the fortress, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance, which minute by minute got bigger. In the valley under Abauj there was a carriage approaching, surrounded by knights from his household. All of them wore a distinctive red plate armour and rode on strong black horses. Filip decided to use plate armour painted in red as a symbol of his reign, so he put it on the coat of arms of his House. Since the establishment of his rule as a Chrobatian duke, he already brought some changes, but his main focus was on strengthening a newly established dynasty by producing heirs. A legitimate heirs.
In order to achieve this, he sent his most competent man, Ioan od Ungvar, a man talented in diplomacy, to arrange him a marriage at the court of the Frankish rulers. Filip aimed at the daughter of some duke at best, but reliable Ioan surpassed himself again this time. He brought him home the top prize, Ermentrude Karling, a seventeen-year-old daughter of King Charles "the Bald", ruler of West Francia. Apparently, he represented Filip as the sovereign ruler of distant duchy in the east, as a pillar of Christianity in the sea of pagan states. Hearing this, like a real devout Christian, Charles had been accommodating them for a fortnight, preparing them magnificent feasts that lasted until late in the night. Obviously, the impressive appearance of knights in their red armour played a small role in convincing Charles that every spoken word was a truth.

Although he laughed later at this little hoax and to Frankish naivety, Filip knew in the heart that it was not so far from the truth. Confederation of Magyar tribes, united under Almos, fought with Bulgarians for lands under Chrobatia. There was only a matter of time when the Carpathian basin would get a new overlord. Bulgarian King Boris "the Lionheart" fought the battle he could not possibly win, the Magyars had an enormous numerical advantage. As the Magyars were known as warlike people, Filip did not doubt that he would have to confront them sooner or later. They lived in difficult times, times of change and it was a good thing to have such a powerful ally as the Franks.

If the Princess was disappointed with the choice of her new husband, twice her senior, she successfully hid her disappointment. Ermentrude was a well-educated girl who knew her duties well. About twenty servants accompanied her from Paris, they were sent to serve as her personal entourage.
Filip was relieved, his young bride was beautiful as how the alliance with her family was useful. Truthfully, she had no curves as some women in local brothels, but she had a beautiful face with bright green eyes and finely coherent body. On the other side, Filip was a boulder of a man, his once well-defined body pushed buttons on his tight classy vest to the breaking point. Frequent abundant feasts have left a toll on him, but he could not care less, he enjoyed them as much as before. Nevertheless, he was still agile, he went hunting in woods surrounding Abauj whenever he had a chance. Filip thought the real man should be able to hunt down his own meal. Although his face was covered with a thick black beard, the same could not be said for his hair. There was already a big bald spot that merged with his forehead. If he had no blue childish eyes, his appearance would left a striking impression.

​

In order to weaken the influence of the local chieftains, who got too much influence during the fragile Miroslav's rule, Filip founded the Ruling council that answered directly to him. Some of the chiefs from the borderlands on the mountains reached such a degree of autonomy that they were exempt from tax payment by decree. Their only duty was to provide military support in times of danger, otherwise they had no other connection with the rest of the Duchy.
The Old Deities were still largely celebrated in such places. Although he was a cynical man who was disappointed in God, Filip knew that it will be easier to control his subjects if they are united in faith that promotes peace and gives hope as Christianity. He thought of polyiteistic religions as warlike and harmful. Therefore he issued a proclamation that entire Chrobatia has to convert to Christianity in the following couple decades. Besar, decently educated bishop of Satoraljaujhely and newly appointed court chaplain was in charge with the process. He immediately left for geographically more accessible Spis to proselytize.

The following members of the council were Ioan od Ungvar, who served as a chancellor regarding diplomatic questions; Mayor Radomir of Esperjes, who served as a marshal for military and Ermentrude. Filip appointed her as a spymaster and gave her access to his spies in order to comfort her and give her a sense of importance for being a member of the council. Of course, spies still answered directly to him. It did not mean that the Princess ( as Filip called her ) in her work was completely incompetent, he just did not want to leave anything to chance.
Radomir, who was mayor of the small town of Eperjes, was a man blindly loyal to Filip. He was the man who provided Filip with the required manpower when he disarmed and arrested the conspirators during their infamous meeting in Eperjes a decade ago. Filip never forgot that favour. He returned the service immediately by appointing him for the town mayor ( as then mayor was among arrested conspirators ), and now by making him a member of his council. Radomir's first task was to take care of training of the troops stationed in Abauj.

The last remaining member of the council was Stjepan, a stunted courtier with a thin whiskers over the upper lip and sleazy face. Stjepan secretly did not liked Filip for his forced attempt Christianization ( as he was of pagan belief ) and served as a steward in council. Although Filip did not liked him either, and openly, the man was good with coin. A prominent courtier his whole life, Stjepan was infamous for his open love of pagan customs of torturing of prisoners by impaling them on stakes. Obviously it was his way to intimidate, when it already could not be based on his strength or appearance. Filip sent him on a suicidal mission to collect taxes from the chieftains in the mountains of Bereg. He left with a stamped decree that says all the previous agreements about the exemption of payment of taxes are annulled. It was a win-win situation for Filip; if he gets his tax, well; if Stjepan dies in the process, excellent! He certainly can not miss the coin he never had. After his death ( Filip actually hoped he would die ), he would just send someone else to finish his work.

How the summer was close and at Ermentrude's initiative, the council started making plans about organization of a summer fair in order to animate the peasants and the rest of the common folk.

​

 

[DumBMan]

As we all know, you gotta start the story by introducing the characters first. New Duke of Chrobatia is a cunning one indeed, securing a princess of West Franks for himself! He seems to be on a good way of strenghtening the realm, although I have a feeling that there is much that depends on the war between Magyars and Bulgaria.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

Now this may make me feel moderately guiltly for killing so many croations in my venice game...

Good start.

 

[Specialist290]

A good slate of skilled councilors there.

A marriage tie to the Franks is a boon indeed, especially with the steady advance of the Magyars. Hopefully the Karlings will be able to tear themselves away from their petty dynastic intrigues long enough to spare some aid for their fellow Christians among the Carpathian Mountains.

 

[Bullfilter]

On the Prologue: good backstory. Valentinovic? Nice touch.

Not a bad council to start with, though Filip already has a few improvements in mind, I see. First thing needed is an heir to carry on the glorious Valentinovic name! Let’s hope the conversion process goes quickly - it can take time. The Magyars may arrive before it can be done!

 

[stnylan]

Like the othres, that looks a pretty decent slate to start out with.

 

[valentino]

As we all know, you gotta start the story by introducing the characters first. New Duke of Chrobatia is a cunning one indeed, securing a princess of West Franks for himself! He seems to be on a good way of strenghtening the realm, although I have a feeling that there is much that depends on the war between Magyars and Bulgaria.

True, the stakes are far bigger than Filip can afford to pay at the moment. But if he plays his card right, he could get the best outcome out of the situation.

Now this may make me feel moderately guiltly for killing so many croations in my venice game...

Good start.

I just must say this. Out of sheer curiosity, I opened your "The Empire of Albion" the other night, and I must say sir, it's easily one of my personal favourites now. Though I haven't finish reading it yet.

And thank you.

Like the othres, that looks a pretty decent slate to start out with.

A good slate of skilled councilors there.

A marriage tie to the Franks is a boon indeed, especially with the steady advance of the Magyars. Hopefully the Karlings will be able to tear themselves away from their petty dynastic intrigues long enough to spare some aid for their fellow Christians among the Carpathian Mountains.

Filip was fortunate enough to surround himself early with capable people willing to help him to strengthen and hopefully expand his rule. What are the consequences of his ambition and constant hunger for more power, we will find out soon enough. For now, everything is going fine for him.

On the Prologue: good backstory. Valentinovic? Nice touch.

Not a bad council to start with, though Filip already has a few improvements in mind, I see. First thing needed is an heir to carry on the glorious Valentinovic name! Let’s hope the conversion process goes quickly - it can take time. The Magyars may arrive before it can be done!

Thank you very much!
They are not glorious yet, but we will try our best to make them that way.

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

I just must say this. Out of sheer curiosity, I opened your "The Empire of Albion" the other night, and I must say sir, it's easily one of my personal favourites now. Though I haven't finish reading it yet.

Hah, it is an interesting creature I suppose, once you realise how biased the author is. Not sure if it will be finished any time soon but thanks for the compliment and for reading.

 

[Leandor]

Chrobatia, huh? Aren't you a little far from home, Croatian? Trapped between Moravia, Bulgaria and the Magyar, you surely are playing a challenge.

Let's cross our fingers so the Valentinovic can prosper on those turbulent times!

 

[valentino]

Chrobatia, huh? Aren't you a little far from home, Croatian? Trapped between Moravia, Bulgaria and the Magyar, you surely are playing a challenge.

Let's cross our fingers so the Valentinovic can prosper on those turbulent times!

Factually, I may be far from duchies of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia ( jointly known as "Red Croatia" at that time), but I am still ruling the rest of Croats who had not moved to the south and who remained in Chrobatia ( "White Croatia" or Chrobatia, according to Porphyrogenitus, was a land previously inhabitated by all Croats.) But as you have guessed correctly, one of my goals will certainly be to bring all the Croats under my control at one point.
Also, thanks a lot, friend.