Tycoon Gelbin of the Miami Valley is Duke James' #1 rival for the entire Ohio. His duchy is compact, and includes the town of Dayton in its demesne, a Rust Cultist stronghold that sits next to an ancient 'air shrine'. Luckily for Duke James, Tycoon Gelbin's own drive for expansion has gotten him embroiled with the Revelationists south of the Ohio River, who seek to free their fellow worshippers in Scioto.
Kind of a lucky break for us, lets two pagan forces we would normally fight whittle each other down. As you can see, other Pagan leaders have joined in since it's a declared Holy War, further drawing pressure off us.
With the Ohio pagans distracted, Duke James decides the time is right for another round of conquests. The Countess of Mahoning Valley, Grimhilt has sided with Tycoon Gelbin, and so her forces are on the wrong side of Ohio to defend her lands. An attack now could seize her lands before any allies can come to help her. Vassalizing the Mahoning Valley would also nicely secure the Eastern border.
All these new Cassi Bellas have really changed the way to conquer Pagan lands for a Christian ruler. In older versions, the only option was Holy War, which led to you getting dogpiled. Now, I can pick them off one-by-one, but have to keep the old pagan ruler in charge. Small price to pay for easier expansion.
Cuyahoga levies flood into the Mahoning Valley, and quickly lay siege to Countess Grimhilt's steadfasts. The Countess' army detaches from the Miami forces and quickly heads East as soon as they hear of the war, but Duke James sits astride their path with a superior force.
The two sides meet outside a small enclave of Anabaptists called Akron, and Duke James' force quickly flanks and throws back the Mahoningers. The Duke's skill at fighting on wide-open plains improves, a type of terrain where maneuverability is key to victory.
Yay for combat bonuses
Cuyahoga soldiers finally force Mahoning to capitulate from starvation, and the Countess' family are taken prisoners. With that, the Countess capitulates to Duke James, bending the knee for release of most of her kin.
With the war over, the Duchy now has a direct border with the only other Catholic power in the land, the County of Yohongia, where the city of Pitt is located. The Count is an underage child of the house of Ashur, and in desperate need of allies. Since he's the only Catholic ruler who could realistically support Cuyahoga in times of war (Without having to cross tons of borders and attrition), Duke James offers the hand of his eldest daughter, Mary, in exchange for an alliance.
Yay, Fallout 3 References, I always like to see if I can help the Ashurs survive in the Pitt
Arduenna, pregnant again with the Duke's 4th child, is feeling uneasy, and writes to James while he is on campaign. James orders his servants to but his wife the finest jewelry in Cleveland to take her mind off of things.
While the peasants of Cuyahoga have found the one truth Faith, the Rust Cultists in other areas of the Duchy are not so easy. Bishop Vincentz has caused the pagans of Ashtabula to riot and cause trouble. Knights are sent out to quell the disturbances, but the pacification of the Cuyahoga will take some time.
Our chance to convert our lands depends on the Faith Authority of the Catholic Church, which right now is pretty low due to all the lost holy wars against the Norse, and lack of Holy Sites controlled. AtE is much harder to play a Catholic than vanilla.
Duke James knows however that the key to converting the people is converting their rulers. While Countess Grimhilt is obviously no friend of Duke James, the Duke has sent Count Allen of Chillicothe, his new Chancellor to start building relations. Count Allen, a former Pagan now Catholic, is an ideal choice to help the Rust Cultist Countess see the benefits of her new vassalage, and reasons to convert. Over time, Grimhilt softens.
In April of 2680, a grand announcement comes from the Holy Columbian Confederacy. Their Evangelical Missionary pastors have managed to convince the High Chief of the Tenesi to give up his semi-pagan ways and submit to the theology of the Evangelical President. The Tenesi Tribe is the most powerful of the Revelationists in the Uppland region. It seems the days of the Revelationists are numbered, as more and more return to Christ.
Too bad a Catholic ruler couldn't have gotten the Tenesi to flip, they're right on the border of the Papacy. The HCC is doing very well this game
With the multitude of faiths in the Duchy of Cuyahoga, it's inevitable great change would take place here. The Anabaptists in the County of Licking have broken away from the Church of Hudsonia and the Deitsch, and have embraced a more violent form of theology. These 'Batenburgers seem intent on attacking Rust Cultists, Catholics, and even their fellow Anabaptists alike. For now, Duke James must keep a close eye on them.
New Anabaptist heresy introduced in the latest mod patch. Anabaptists I don't think had many heresies before, this one actually lets them fight Holy Wars. Anabaptist rulers usually can't, but in exchange get a huge loyalty bonus from all vassals due to the Anabaptist-reputation for peaceable-ness.
In mid 2680, a new infectious outbreak hits the duchy. Measles. Duke James quarantines his steadfast, intent on keeping his family's health safe.
[/I]Great Lakes region is always getting these diseases. Very annoying. As soon as one abates, another one arrives. Lakes, I tell you![/I]
Despite his precautions, Duke James and Arduenna's youngest son, Joseph, comes down the measles. His Court Physician does what he can for the young boy. Meanwhile, food stores run low again. Duke James must really look into what his steward does before these outbreaks. He can't be that much of a heavy eater, can he?
Every time I seem to have these health scares immediately. With diseased people inside the Castle, it's very annoying.
Even secluded as they are, news filters in to the Von Bedfords from the outside. Other Christian faiths, the Ursulines, and the Mormons, are going on the offensive, to reclaim former lands. In Duke James' mind, any Christian advance is a good one, but he wonders when the Catholic Pope in St. Louis will issue his own summons to reclaim lost land like Chicago.
In early 2681, tragedy hits home. the Duke's close friend and valuable vassal, Count Donovan of Columbus, dies from measles. He is succeeded by his new son, Count Whitfield, an untalented man who takes no note of his father's old friendship, but demands his father's old seat, despite his unsuited-ness. For the time, Duke James ignores the younger Carter's advances.
May of 2681 brings another surprise. Another group of pagans, this time some Norse living north of Chicagoland decide to come to the light of Christ. But it is not Evangelical missionaries who have brought this about. Instead it is Anglicans from the Kingdom of Ontario! The Pope really must step it up, there's no reason why pagans close to St. Louis should decide to join a farther-away Church.
These conversions of the Norse are actually counter-productive, these new Christian states become easy targets of their still-Norse neighbors. The Badgerlings will get eaten up quick.
While the Von Bedfords are still secluded, this gives plenty of time for Duke James and Duchess Arduenna to spend together. While they have always been friendly, all this time in the castle lets love truly blossom between them. A little miracle.
Yay, I'm always a sap for these events
It also gives Duke James more time to focus on his children's educations, especially his heir, little James. Little James is given the run of the Castle, while being trained in all manners of warfare. While his Father is at best a competent warrior and commander, Duke James wants his son to be an unmatched military leader. He knows that in order to unify the Ohio and force the pagans to submit, brute force will be the swiftest method. His son future descendants will have to finish what he started.
His eldest daughter Mary receives her share of attention too. She will be educated in the fields of diplomacy. Being able to defuse situations and reach understandings will be very important when she goes to marry her future husband, the Count of Yohogania, who has already built a reputation for unruly and unpredictable behavior. Rumor has it he even had his own mother put to death for claims of apostacy. While Duke James considers breaking the betrothal, the alliance is too good to reject.
A kinslayer and a lunatic, eh? Young Vincentz hasn't turned out too well. But his levies are over 1,000, we'll need them in the next war.
Count Allen's work with Countess Grimhilt has paid off. Between diplomatic overtures and personal letters, Duke James has gotten the Countess to realize her lands are much better off a part of Cuyahoga then by themselves, and that the Catholic Faith offers much more than her Rust Cultist practices. Countess Grimhilt has her and her family baptized, and soon enough, priests are in her lands trying to convert her peoples.
Duke James congratulates the young Count Allen for his work helping bring the pieces of the Duchy together. Count Allen in response asks for a boon; the county of Scioto, ruled by Miami Valley, was once his father's, and is now ruled by his younger brother. Count Allen has a claim on it, and if Duke James would be so inclined, he could wage war for it, weaken Miami, and expand his own realm at the same time. Duke James sees the wisdom in the request, and goes forth with the war declaration, calling in the Count of Yohogania as an ally.
I apologize but I did not save a picture of the war declaration. My bad. But we did declare war using Count Allen's claim for Scioto. Since the territory is still Revelationist, I won't suffer any pagan attrition in it because it is ruled by Rust Cultists, and the pagan religions don't match.
Duke James' army is raised and marches down to Scioto, but before it can arrive, it sees the Miami host already laying siege to Columbus. Duke James engages, their forces are even and it will come down to which leader has the superior skill.
But in this case, the pagans of Miami prove the better warriors. Duke James' army is flanked and rolled back, forced to retreat with a 1/3rd of their host cut down. They pull back to Cleveland, to lick their wounds, while Tycoon Gelbin marches his forces North, to take advantage of his victory.
Ouch, sometimes the battle numbers just don't go your way. Duke James, a military master he ain't
Back at his steadfast, James calls the local merchants together and takes a loan from them to secure mercenaries. His own forces are too depleted to finish the job. As the mercenaries arrive and his soldiers prepare for the next stage of the campaign, Duke James has time to contemplate all that has happened since he first took the Duchy. He acknowledges that all he has done is only because of the great majesty and mercy of God, and in order to win this war, he must not trust in his own skill, but in the Lord. Only that way will lead to his dream of a unified Ohio, loyal to the One True Church.
[/I]Duke James becomes humble.[/I]
The pagans arrive and attempt to attack Duke James' smaller force outside of the village of Parma. But unbeknownst to them, James' heavy infantry mercenaries have hidden themselves away in nearby woods. When the two sides meet in battle, the mercenaries spring their surprise, and slam into the Miami rear. The result is a route.
Duke James' army move back down to Scioto, where his ally, Count Vincentz, has been laying siege since the war began. The Miami host follows, attempting to find some way to force the invaders away from the contested territory. Instead, once the steadfast is secure, Duke James turns his army back North, intent on crushing the Miami forces once and for all.
At the 2nd Battle of Reynoldsburg, the smaller Miami host is pushed around by the Cuyahogans. But at one point, Duke James is separated from his men in the heat of battle, and his waylaid by a much stronger and wilier pagan. Rather than strike him down and end his dream here and now, the Pagan however finds amusement in embarrassing the Duke in arms, and falls back with his warriors, after taunting the Duke. The battle is won, and Duke James is rescued by his men.
Our ally captured the Tycoon of Miami Valley in the Battle, auto-win
The war is officially over, with the Tycoon handing Scioto over to Duke James, to be held by his vassal Count Allen. Allen's brother, dispossessed, comes to live with his Christian brother.
The war produces a new conflict however. Count Whitfield of Columbus, angered over his continued exclusion from Duke James' council and the destruction brought upon his lands from several battles and raids, tries to use intrigue to get his way. Our Spymaster, a Jewish man named Chelbo, discovers the plot and is nearly killed by hitman sent by Whitfield to silence him. With an attack on a Duke's man, Whitfield has made himself an enemy to Duke James. James issues a warrant for his arrest, to which Whitfield responds by revolting.
The revolt is short-lived though. With far fewer troops than Duke James, Whitfield's men are put to flight, his steadfast is besieged and captured, and Whitfield is brought in chains to Cleveland. Duke James strips the young man of his fiefdom, but out of respect for his father, lets him languish in the dungeons rather than be executed.
I kind of skipped over the pictures of imprisoning him too, sorry, getting back into the swing of writing an LP, forget which pictures are important, and which aren't, especially with so many pop-ups to snap pics of.
And with that, the Duchy of Cuyahoga has been greatly expanded. It now controls one half of all of the Ohio. Yet Duke Jame's true goal, a Kingdom, still lays out of reach, for now.
Map of all countries in 2688
https://imgur.com/SxghHvL
Religion in 2688
https://imgur.com/eQEZ7lI
