The Reign of King James II of Ohio 5/20/2747 - 12/1/2756: Wroth (pt. 2)
Yet the revolt is still crushed, over time. and Zackquill is brought to the King in chains. On the one hand, the King wants to rip and tear this pagan apart with his bare hands. On the other, every time he looks in Zackquill's eyes he begins to sweat and feels as if he is about to soil himself. The feeling enrages him all the more and he orders the man to be confined to the smallest crow's cage his army has, to be brought back to Cleveland for a worse fate.
Marching back up north to finish his Toledo war, King James cannot bear to look out at his men-at-arms training, each time his mind flashing back to the snowy hill in Appalachia where Zackquill speared the last of his men before humiliating the king himself. When he closes his eyes, all he can see is Zackquill, and burning bushes wishing to consume his flesh. He wants to weep, but instead takes out his sword and starts to hack savagely at a training dummy. Eventually, he learns that Zackquill, stripped and left to suffer in exposure, has perished. King James has his NEW personal guard go and gather the body of the pagan, before he is buried in a pauper's grave.
In his command tent, King James takes liberty with the corpse and his sword. His personal guard balk at the King's frenzied mutilation of what was once a man.
Back up North, the Occultists are attempting to lay siege to Ohio-held Toledo. The King's host shows them the error of their ways.
The Occultists, utterly outclassed, sue for peace, and Toledo is taken by its rightful owner.
As a reward for his long years of service, and because King James does not want the responsibility of administering even more pagan land, he hands off "The Strip", to his brother, Benjamin.
One responsibility the King cannot ignore is the tradition of greeting noble families in mourning, from those who lost loved ones in the King's latest war over a strip of territory many of them will never see. Faced with quite a number of local landed families who have lost a father, son, or brother in service to the King, James finds himself at a loss for words to justify their deaths. He instead leaves court in a fury. Who are these families to blame him? Is he not the King, and are vassals not supposed to obey unto death?
He takes his anger and frustration out on the few prisoners still left in the Cleveland dungeons from his father's Crusade. Elderly women, they do not last long.
In 2753, one such local noble, who was wounded in the King's service, passes, Baron Walter of Hilltop castle. Since he has no male heirs, by Ohio law, his lands and peasants pass to the King's control. However, he does leave behind a wife and two twin daughters by his first marriage. As King James has inherited the land, it would be a grave crime to not offer than hearth and home until he can marry the daughters off at least.
The King's mood continues to deteriorate. Where he was once patient and thoughtful, he now flies into rages at the very least provocation, and is rude at the drop of a thimble. He also begins to neglect his wife and young son Daniel.
One bit of good news. The King's former spymaster Duke Edgar is assassinated on the orders of the local count of Scioto, via poisoned wine. King James suspects that while the Musbach dynasty swears vengeance, Edgar's last surviving brother must be secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
The assassination is also a boon to the Von Bedfords. Duke Edgar has no sons but a daughter, who has inherited the duchy. While he might not want to spend any time with Daniel, the King knows a great marriage opportunity when he sees one, and 'suggests' Duchess Ann's regents accept a betrothal to the Kingdom's prince as opposed to one of Duchess Ann's cousins.
Despite finding God in the desert, King James never could let go of old habits. Never maintaining fidelity to the Queen, James had known a number of women, serving wenches, camp women while on campaign, but now in his keep is one of high station that he greatly desires, the elder Hilltop daughter, LaBrenda. Only one problem, LaBrenda has been married to his younger brother Adam, with the promise that Adam may get Hilltop Castle. Brushing aside concerns about his wife, or cuckolding his brother, the King takes what he wants, and sends a courtier to summon LaBrenda.
Getting bored in Cleveland, King James takes a small entourage from his court to go visit his uncle, Duke Luke. It is a good idea to keep the eldest living member of the Von Bedford Dynasty on your side. And it gives him more opportunities to be away with LaBrenda.
Returning home, the King's spies report to him his brother Adam is looking to hire a poisoner. Immediately thinking he and LaBrenda have been found out, the King is assuaged when he learns his own self is not the target, but their middle brother Benjamin, for reasons unknown.
He summons Adam to him and demands his youngest brother swear to never again threaten life or limb of any other family member, no matter what. He also takes time to liberally berate him on the importance of family loyalty.
I always forget to turn on auto-stop plots
From the Far-away West, the coasts of California, come strangle tales of outlandish invaders.
These events fired but I have seen zero evidence of actual invasion success
That's new.
Far more serious news to the King is that his lover LaBrenda is pregnant. All evidence seems to point to the King being the father, and not her own husband Adam, who she has shunned as much as possible without suspicion. The King encourages her to keep quiet.
But it seems divine justice has a way of coming back to King James. His spymaster reports that now there are attempts in the works on his son Daniel's life, his only heir. He doubles his household guard and tasks several spies with watching his brother Adam for disloyalty.
A curious thing has happened in Rome on the Mississippi. The old Pope, Cruxipher, has finally passed on, and with his body barely cold, it has been put on trial. The Catholic faith has suffered numerous trials and tribulations under Cruxipher, and the new Pope, He-Has-Heard, declares it was the sinful lifestyle of Cruxipher that brought them on. His body is desecrated and tossed in the river outside the city.
Speaking of Catholicism under siege, the Occultists from Vermont are attempting to conquer Superior up North. Feeling some responsibility for them since the Vikings had converted under his father, King James decides to help them in their struggle.
The troops are called and King James II is ready to march off to war once again. But will the plots against him and his son follow them up North? Will his brother, campaigning with him, find out about his wife's infidelity with his brother? Or perhaps the campaign will provide a nice distraction from the King's issues.
We shall see.
0 Updates to the World 2766 update, will be coming in a few days.
Marching back up north to finish his Toledo war, King James cannot bear to look out at his men-at-arms training, each time his mind flashing back to the snowy hill in Appalachia where Zackquill speared the last of his men before humiliating the king himself. When he closes his eyes, all he can see is Zackquill, and burning bushes wishing to consume his flesh. He wants to weep, but instead takes out his sword and starts to hack savagely at a training dummy. Eventually, he learns that Zackquill, stripped and left to suffer in exposure, has perished. King James has his NEW personal guard go and gather the body of the pagan, before he is buried in a pauper's grave.
In his command tent, King James takes liberty with the corpse and his sword. His personal guard balk at the King's frenzied mutilation of what was once a man.
Back up North, the Occultists are attempting to lay siege to Ohio-held Toledo. The King's host shows them the error of their ways.
The Occultists, utterly outclassed, sue for peace, and Toledo is taken by its rightful owner.
As a reward for his long years of service, and because King James does not want the responsibility of administering even more pagan land, he hands off "The Strip", to his brother, Benjamin.
One responsibility the King cannot ignore is the tradition of greeting noble families in mourning, from those who lost loved ones in the King's latest war over a strip of territory many of them will never see. Faced with quite a number of local landed families who have lost a father, son, or brother in service to the King, James finds himself at a loss for words to justify their deaths. He instead leaves court in a fury. Who are these families to blame him? Is he not the King, and are vassals not supposed to obey unto death?
He takes his anger and frustration out on the few prisoners still left in the Cleveland dungeons from his father's Crusade. Elderly women, they do not last long.
In 2753, one such local noble, who was wounded in the King's service, passes, Baron Walter of Hilltop castle. Since he has no male heirs, by Ohio law, his lands and peasants pass to the King's control. However, he does leave behind a wife and two twin daughters by his first marriage. As King James has inherited the land, it would be a grave crime to not offer than hearth and home until he can marry the daughters off at least.
The King's mood continues to deteriorate. Where he was once patient and thoughtful, he now flies into rages at the very least provocation, and is rude at the drop of a thimble. He also begins to neglect his wife and young son Daniel.
One bit of good news. The King's former spymaster Duke Edgar is assassinated on the orders of the local count of Scioto, via poisoned wine. King James suspects that while the Musbach dynasty swears vengeance, Edgar's last surviving brother must be secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
The assassination is also a boon to the Von Bedfords. Duke Edgar has no sons but a daughter, who has inherited the duchy. While he might not want to spend any time with Daniel, the King knows a great marriage opportunity when he sees one, and 'suggests' Duchess Ann's regents accept a betrothal to the Kingdom's prince as opposed to one of Duchess Ann's cousins.
Despite finding God in the desert, King James never could let go of old habits. Never maintaining fidelity to the Queen, James had known a number of women, serving wenches, camp women while on campaign, but now in his keep is one of high station that he greatly desires, the elder Hilltop daughter, LaBrenda. Only one problem, LaBrenda has been married to his younger brother Adam, with the promise that Adam may get Hilltop Castle. Brushing aside concerns about his wife, or cuckolding his brother, the King takes what he wants, and sends a courtier to summon LaBrenda.
Getting bored in Cleveland, King James takes a small entourage from his court to go visit his uncle, Duke Luke. It is a good idea to keep the eldest living member of the Von Bedford Dynasty on your side. And it gives him more opportunities to be away with LaBrenda.
Returning home, the King's spies report to him his brother Adam is looking to hire a poisoner. Immediately thinking he and LaBrenda have been found out, the King is assuaged when he learns his own self is not the target, but their middle brother Benjamin, for reasons unknown.
He summons Adam to him and demands his youngest brother swear to never again threaten life or limb of any other family member, no matter what. He also takes time to liberally berate him on the importance of family loyalty.
I always forget to turn on auto-stop plots
From the Far-away West, the coasts of California, come strangle tales of outlandish invaders.
These events fired but I have seen zero evidence of actual invasion success
That's new.
Far more serious news to the King is that his lover LaBrenda is pregnant. All evidence seems to point to the King being the father, and not her own husband Adam, who she has shunned as much as possible without suspicion. The King encourages her to keep quiet.
But it seems divine justice has a way of coming back to King James. His spymaster reports that now there are attempts in the works on his son Daniel's life, his only heir. He doubles his household guard and tasks several spies with watching his brother Adam for disloyalty.
A curious thing has happened in Rome on the Mississippi. The old Pope, Cruxipher, has finally passed on, and with his body barely cold, it has been put on trial. The Catholic faith has suffered numerous trials and tribulations under Cruxipher, and the new Pope, He-Has-Heard, declares it was the sinful lifestyle of Cruxipher that brought them on. His body is desecrated and tossed in the river outside the city.
Speaking of Catholicism under siege, the Occultists from Vermont are attempting to conquer Superior up North. Feeling some responsibility for them since the Vikings had converted under his father, King James decides to help them in their struggle.
The troops are called and King James II is ready to march off to war once again. But will the plots against him and his son follow them up North? Will his brother, campaigning with him, find out about his wife's infidelity with his brother? Or perhaps the campaign will provide a nice distraction from the King's issues.
We shall see.
0 Updates to the World 2766 update, will be coming in a few days.
