This is my first attempt at an AAR for any game. I know there's a forum for AAR's specifically, but strangely I don't seem to be allowed to post there.
Some things to note:
I'm not only inexperienced at writing AAR's, I'm an inexperienced player. I've probably logged a total of 250 years of play time. I'm also timid, partly because I feel clueless about combat and partly because I got my butt kicked playing Spanish Galicia and Catalonia in my first two games. So this is not going to be a great "how I conquer the world" thread. But the character aspect of CK is so much fun, I'm enjoying compiling a history of my dynasty, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it.
Diary of Duke Robert de Hauteville of Apulia (1066-1092):
December 26, 1066 – Another year comes to an end, and reflecting on the past ten years of hard campaigning, I have decided some changes are in order. I have carved out a substantial realm, but it is poor and underdeveloped and far too much power is in the hands of the clergy. I will consolidate the power in Apulia court in my hands of those of my resourceful relatives, the glorious de Hauteville family. My younger brother Roger was an obvious choice for Marshall. My flair for grand strategy combined with his sensational tactical savvy has made us a formidable team for years. My twin William will handle our negotiations with rival courts, his wife Judith will be steward, and his devious son will be spymaster. I was uncertain of what to do with my other nephew, Serlo. If anything should happen to my son, Roger Borsa, he could wind up heir to Apulia. The boy has the makings of a fine leader of men, but Roger is still in his prime. Besides, I want to keep an eye on him. In order to persuade him and his father that they are very much a part of my plan for the duchy, I promise to find him a wife. I should have done this years ago, but I was so busy with the campaigns.
January 8, 1066 – I am so pleased with the bride I have found for Serlo at the court of the King of Aragon. Sancha Jimenez is a serious and knowledgeable girl, and a member of the most powerful family in Christian Spain. Indeed, I am so impressed with her that after a short apprenticeship with Judith which will familiarize her with our kingdom’s inner workings, she will become steward. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten rid of Sikalgaita and married her myself. Sikky’s been a crafty partner for many years , but has given me only one male heir and since she went to Salerno to work as spymaster for her father, has not even provided any companionship.
January 10, 1066 – I was flattered today when an envoy from the King of France proposed an alliance. I had not thought to consider an ally so far away, but perhaps Philippe has designs on the German holdings in Northern Italy. If so, this could be much to our advantage.
July 18, 1066 – The bitch! I should have known she was up to something when she went off to Salerno last year. My nephew has discovered that she’s been having secret trysts with the Count of Parma. How dare she! Ah well, she has paid for her crime now, and I have laid claim to Parma as compensation. Who knows? If France gets active up north, I might have an opportunity to make something of it. At least it spares me finding an excuse to get rid of Sikky.
August 13, 1066 – Some young cleric has been inciting the peseantry in Bari with wild talk. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I decide to lower taxes a bit just in case. I was trying to fill the coffers quickly to support my public works projects, but we’ll just have to go a little more slowly.
September 6, 1066 – It didn’t take long to find another wife. Sancha mentioned that she had an unmarried sister, just a little older than herself, at the court of the King of Navarre. She’s a little older than I had intended, but I don’t need an army of children, merely a bit of insurance.
February 8, 1068 – My advisors have finally worked up the fortitude to tell me about the revolt in Bari that was stirred up by that young firebrand a year and a half ago. Further reductions in taxes are recommended and I build a Court of Justice to punish the ruffians.
May 3, 1070 – My wife Hermesinda has given birth to a son. I shall name him Lain. Sweet fruit from the bitter flower of Sikilgaita’s betrayal.
March 12, 1072 – Everyone in the court is up in arms over my “cruelty”. So what if I flayed that boy who was stealing grapes from my orchard, had his sister gang-raped by my soldiers, and burned down his parent’s house? There’s no shortage of peasants and they have to be kept in their place or the whole duchy will wind up like Bari. My eldest son (well, other than the Bohemond the bastard) needs to be shown how a real ruler behaves—he’s becoming way too soft.
April 15, 1072 – Against my better instincts, I have come to an agreement that should quell the rebels in Bari. Sancha urged me to sign it, citing the uproar over those stupid peasants last month as a sign the revolt could spread, and noting that we would be able to greatly improve our tax revenue. Much as I hate to admit it, the girl has a good head on her shoulders and is usually right about such things.
May 23, 1072 – My eldest daughter, Mathilde has lost it. Her tutors in court have been reporting odd behavior for some time now. At first, I was pleased thinking that her heightened interest in military matters could lead her to a fine career in assassination much like her mother, but apparently she thinks she’s going to lead men on the battlefield. Preposterous. She actually claimed she’s been called by God to unite Italy and free it from the evil kingdom of Germany. I slapped her several times in an attempt to bring her to her senses, but only succeeded in persuading her that she had been captured by an agent of the German King and was being tortured. Damn! Most girls at least have the sense to wait until after they’re married to lose their minds.
March 13, 1073 - I found an excellent marriage for my 16-year-old bastard son, Bohemond. I felt it was best to treat him with dignity, to keep him loyal—we wouldn’t want him getting any ideas about claiming the ducal seat. The Duchy of Provence had a girl, the same age as Bohemond, who was so precocious that she was actually serving as their chancellor. The duke was reluctant to part with her, but I persuaded him by promising to grant Bohemond a title—henceforth he is Count of Consenza. I was trying to administer too much land directly anyway.
August 22, 1074 – A thieves guild has formed under our very nose in Apulia. Outrageous! The burghers suggest that building a Court of Justice in town might help us bring the evildoers to justice. Well, I have had a lot of success providing swift justice, and it seemed to do little to help the revolt in Bari, but I’ll go along with them, this once.
April 7, 1075 – I managed to pawn off Mathilde on the eldest son of the Count of Pecs. He seems a bit sickly, but I’m happy to be rid of her and I shall now have funds to build that library in Lecce—the first of its kind in all of Italy! I thank my lucky stars that the court tutors are inept in teaching geography. She thinks the marriage is to a rebel leader in the Kingdom of Germany. Ah, well, the nutcase is off my hands, now.
November 19, 1076 - France has laid claim to the county of Rosello, part of the Duchy of Catalonia, and declared war and the Duke of Catalonia has responded in kind.
November 21, 1076 – After discussing it with Roger and Sancha, I have decided to support my ally’s war efforts in Spain. It will be expensive to run an overseas campaign, but Catalonia is weak and we need not send all our forces. I do not call on my vassals for support—I want to have an army ready should the Saracens attack from the south.
April 8, 1077 – Roger and I have defeated the armies of the Duchy of Catalonia in Barcelona. The mere sight of our ships landing caused the Count of Rosello to quake in such fear that he paid us 69 gold for peace. I wasn’t even headed that way. Ah, how I’ve missed battle! I am so looking forward to a good siege after ten years of boring peace.
May 19, 1077 – Philippe is an idiot. He has just signed a white peace with the Count of Rosello and the Duke of Catalonia. A white peace? The Duke has barely 1000 men left to his call. Well, he may have bought off Philippe that easily, but I intend to get something worthwhile out of this effort. I have over 3000 men besieging Barcelona and his forces are scattered.
November 20, 1077 – Barcelona has fallen to my forces. I manage to persuade a monk to forge some documents demonstrating that my son Lain should posess the title Count of Barcelona through some obscure ancestor of Hermesinda’s. Poppycock, of course, but who cares? Barcelona is a rich city, and while I doubt we’ll be able to hold it indefinitely, the revenues it generates should pay for the cost of this war in only a few years. I quite like the castle here, too. I should inquire with my architects about building some of these in Italy.
November 21, 1077 – Just before boarding the ship back to Apulia, I receive word that William has found a possible match for Roger Borso, who has come into his maturity while I was on campaign. I approve the match with Ludmila, the 2nd daughter of the Duke of Bohemia. She’s said to be a good Christian woman, demure, pious and forgiving. William tells me he’s sure I’ll despise her, but he’s a good match for Roger and I planned to grant him a title and get him out of my hair as soon as he was married. Let’s see how his Christ-like ways deal with the unruly peasants in Bari, his new county seat.
January 24, 1077 – We have succeeded in destroying the Thieves Guild. Maybe that Court of Justice was a worthwhile investment. The last of the villains was hanged this morning.
February 16, 1079 – Apparently, there is a shortage of madwomen in the County of Pecs. How else to explain the Count’s desire to marry another of my kin to his second son. This time it’s Roger’s mopy daughter Mathilde—perhaps the Count has a fetish for the name?
April 2, 1079 – It has been a great season for matchmaking. I succeeded in pairng my second daughter Emma to Stjepan Tripimirovic, the heir to the throne of Croatia. He’s an older man with one son already, but this is still a great marriage for the House of de Hauteville. Emma’s a clever girl and might find a way to dispose of the elder son, in which case one of my own blood could become King of Croatia.
February 3, 1080 – Married off my niece Emma (creative naming of children is one talent our family appears to lack) to the second son of the Count of Gent.
February 18, 1081 – My niece Adelisa has displayed a truly remarkable mind. I had heard something of her schemes in the past, but was nonetheless startled when she observed a carved dagger in my study that was clearly of Saracen make and asked if it had been a gift from Tayyib Ismail, the Sheikh of Siracusa. His visit to Apulia last week had been a closely guarded secret. I was trying to stir up some trouble for the Saracens in Sicily, and as he had claims on Palermo, I had invited him to visit and suggested we might have some common interests. In any event, Adelisa just happened to overhear me and William discussing him while exploring the secret passages—from what she knew, it was clear that she had “just happened” by the thin wall behind the bookcase in my study several times. Young as she is, it’s clear she knows more about what’s going on in the Duchy than my spymaster, Robert, and I decide to replace him. I’ve been fielding a lot of marriage requests for her from all over Europe. Even the Governor of Iceland inquired about her, but this one I think I want to keep in my court.
July 21, 1082 – William’s sickly son Robert has been a nuisance ever since I replaced him as spymaster. Since he was educated in a monastery and the papal envoy has been after me about the spiritual life of my duchy recently, I decide to install him as diocese bishop.
September 15, 1082 – Sancha has uncovered proof that I have a legitimate claim to the Duchy of Milan! While I have no intention of taking on the mighty Kingdom of Germany to press it at this time (though I might if Philippe hadn’t shown himself such a coward in the Catalonian campaign), I want it known. Some day, the House of De Hauteville will dominate the peninsula.
October 13, 1083 – Robert’s wife, Judith, died peacefully today. It reminds me that I still have much to do to complete my legacy.
June 24, 1085 – Roger Borsa’s wife died in childbirth this year, and he actually inquired about Adelisa. His first cousin! Simply unacceptable, I told him, and anyway, I need her at court. He ends up finding a good Norman girl named Umfreda—we could use a fresh infusion of that strong norse blood in this family.
November 19, 1085 – I have had my eye on the wealthy city of Salerno for many years. The count—Sikilgaita’s brother—has only one son, and he is a Bishop in Denmark. I have pressed him to become my vassal in the past, but he has always resisted. I think he may still bear me a grudge for beheading his treacherous sister. Imagine that! Anyway, I have decided to use the old papal title to “Southern Italy”, as well as my connection to the family, to lay claim to the city. The Duke of Pisa is his ally, but I have more troops and can deploy them faster than he can. I doubt he will contest the matter.
January 1, 1086 – Roger and I lay siege to Salerno.
February 28, 1086 – I capture Salerno. Its rich volcanic soils and scenic seaside cliffs are mine at last. As my demesne is getting rather large to administer directly, I decide to grant Foggia and Apulia to Roger Borso. He needs experience in governing a larger area and I’ve never really liked Apulia. My new capital in Lecce, is a more progressive and prosperous place.
April 17, 1086 – Sancha has been complaining of her husband’s odd behavior of late. Apparently, she caught him instructing a statue of the Virgin Mary on how to polish silverware the other day. It’s a good thing Roger is still around—otherwise that loon would have been my marshall.
May 18, 1086 – My youngest son Lain wants to be Marshall. It was obvious from the Salerno campaign that the boy has inherited my strategic talent, but as long as Roger is healthy and wants to retain command, I’m certainly not going to push him out. How could I show ingratitude after nearly thirty years of successful service?
March 22, 1089 – As I age, I feel in more of a hurry to complete my projects. I have spent much of my energy over the past twenty five years building roads, sawmills and libraries, but I think Roger and I need one last capaign. In preparation, I lay claim to the county of Capua.
May 14, 1089 – Having got Roger’s army in position, I declare war. Capua is poorly defended and will not take long to defeat.
June 11, 1089 – The siege of Capua begins.
August 12, 1089 – Sancha is depressed. I realize there is a lot of stress in her life, but she is my chancellor and needs to hold it together better than this. Yes, she and my nephew never did have children, so she has to deal with his lunacy by herself. Yes, I understand it’s hard to accept that the muslims have destroyed the Kingdom of Aragon, where she spent many happy years in her youth. But she herself crunched the numbers that showed that I couldn’t possibly spare enough troops and ducats to fight the Emirate of Zaragoza without leaving Italy vulnerable to attack. Railing against me, she claimed the Duchy is headed for bankruptcy though we could sustain the small force besieging Capua for 20 years if needed. I repressed the urge to beat her senseless only because I do not have a good replacement for her as steward.
November 5, 1089 – Just as Roger’s troops are storming Capua, I receive terrible news. The County of Taranto has been held by my cousin Abelard for many years, but upon his death, his son has refused to swear fealty to me. I gather my forces in Lecce and prepare to punish his foolishness.
December 3, 1089 – My troops besiege Taranto where the traitor lies holed up in his fort.
February 1, 1090 – Taranto falls. Unfortunately, the cowardly Thomas managed to flee the fortress and escape the traitor’s death he so richly deserves. Rumor has it that he is at the court of Reims, trying to stir up trouble against me. No true de Hauteville would be so craven. As this will no doubt be my last campaign, I decide to allow Roger to retire from service and grant him the title Count of Taranto. The rather poor province might seem a small reward for a lifetime of such distinguished service. However, I know that he prizes the wine Aglianico del Vulture that comes from an estate there above all others, claiming it the greatest of all the wines of Italy. Contrary to Sancha’s dire financial predictions, I note that the treasury is actually in slightly better shape now than it was last year. Capua I add to the holdings of Bohemond, who has shown his loyalty now for seventeen years. How time flies.
May 13, 1090 – I may have to alter my plans for quiet retirement. After all my years of fruitless negotiations with Siracusa, the sheikhdom of Malta has rebelled against the Kingdom of Zirid. Having just signed off on building great road networks connecting our glorious cities I am not financially well-positioned to fight a war at this time. But I have hungered for the muslim sheikhdoms of Sicily and Malta for decades, and it has only been fear of the Fatimids, the powerful ally of the Kingdom of Zirid that has kept me from going to war. Now, now there is an independent sheikhdom that I can assail without too much fear of reprisal. If I can get a large enough force there quickly, I should be able to seize it before the King of Zirid can reply and dare him to try and dislodge me. Malta is small, but its location is very strategic. When I broach the matter with Sancha, however, she comes up with a number for transporting the troops there that is simply astronomical—just getting the troops in place will use up 75% of our treasury. I am not to be denied, however. Sancha threatens suicide.
July 3, 1090 – My regiments arrive in Malta, where Lain has already been ably leading the siege using troops called up from Messina for over a month. This siege had better be over quickly as my treasury is rapidly dipping into the red.
August 17, 1090 - The siege of Malta is over. The Kingdom of Zirid arrived, but had too few troops to contest the issue, so Malta is now part of the Duchy of Apulia. My realm has grown large enough that I really think it should be considered a kingdom. However, I can’t afford a grand coronation at the moment. It will take five months simply to pay off the debts incurred by this unpremeditated war, and then another year beyond that to build the treasury up to a reasonable level. The Pope assures me, however, that this victory over the heathens will bring me rewards in heaven.
May 3, 1092 – I am so tired. It has been thirty-five years now since I succeeded my brother Humphrey. However, I feel that I can rest having both expanded the domain of Apulia and greatly bolstered its prosperity and infrastructure. The house of de Hauteville has strengthened its grip on the duchy, and my son Roger Borso will be King of Naples. I worry that his soft-hearted, pious ways may betray him in the coming years, but with Lain’s leadership skills and Adelisa’s fiendish mind, I have left him the tools to become a power in Italy. I’ve done what I can. The fate of our house is in his hands now.
Some things to note:
I'm not only inexperienced at writing AAR's, I'm an inexperienced player. I've probably logged a total of 250 years of play time. I'm also timid, partly because I feel clueless about combat and partly because I got my butt kicked playing Spanish Galicia and Catalonia in my first two games. So this is not going to be a great "how I conquer the world" thread. But the character aspect of CK is so much fun, I'm enjoying compiling a history of my dynasty, so I thought I'd go ahead and post it.
Diary of Duke Robert de Hauteville of Apulia (1066-1092):
December 26, 1066 – Another year comes to an end, and reflecting on the past ten years of hard campaigning, I have decided some changes are in order. I have carved out a substantial realm, but it is poor and underdeveloped and far too much power is in the hands of the clergy. I will consolidate the power in Apulia court in my hands of those of my resourceful relatives, the glorious de Hauteville family. My younger brother Roger was an obvious choice for Marshall. My flair for grand strategy combined with his sensational tactical savvy has made us a formidable team for years. My twin William will handle our negotiations with rival courts, his wife Judith will be steward, and his devious son will be spymaster. I was uncertain of what to do with my other nephew, Serlo. If anything should happen to my son, Roger Borsa, he could wind up heir to Apulia. The boy has the makings of a fine leader of men, but Roger is still in his prime. Besides, I want to keep an eye on him. In order to persuade him and his father that they are very much a part of my plan for the duchy, I promise to find him a wife. I should have done this years ago, but I was so busy with the campaigns.
January 8, 1066 – I am so pleased with the bride I have found for Serlo at the court of the King of Aragon. Sancha Jimenez is a serious and knowledgeable girl, and a member of the most powerful family in Christian Spain. Indeed, I am so impressed with her that after a short apprenticeship with Judith which will familiarize her with our kingdom’s inner workings, she will become steward. In retrospect, I wish I had gotten rid of Sikalgaita and married her myself. Sikky’s been a crafty partner for many years , but has given me only one male heir and since she went to Salerno to work as spymaster for her father, has not even provided any companionship.
January 10, 1066 – I was flattered today when an envoy from the King of France proposed an alliance. I had not thought to consider an ally so far away, but perhaps Philippe has designs on the German holdings in Northern Italy. If so, this could be much to our advantage.
July 18, 1066 – The bitch! I should have known she was up to something when she went off to Salerno last year. My nephew has discovered that she’s been having secret trysts with the Count of Parma. How dare she! Ah well, she has paid for her crime now, and I have laid claim to Parma as compensation. Who knows? If France gets active up north, I might have an opportunity to make something of it. At least it spares me finding an excuse to get rid of Sikky.
August 13, 1066 – Some young cleric has been inciting the peseantry in Bari with wild talk. I’m sure it’s nothing, but I decide to lower taxes a bit just in case. I was trying to fill the coffers quickly to support my public works projects, but we’ll just have to go a little more slowly.
September 6, 1066 – It didn’t take long to find another wife. Sancha mentioned that she had an unmarried sister, just a little older than herself, at the court of the King of Navarre. She’s a little older than I had intended, but I don’t need an army of children, merely a bit of insurance.
February 8, 1068 – My advisors have finally worked up the fortitude to tell me about the revolt in Bari that was stirred up by that young firebrand a year and a half ago. Further reductions in taxes are recommended and I build a Court of Justice to punish the ruffians.
May 3, 1070 – My wife Hermesinda has given birth to a son. I shall name him Lain. Sweet fruit from the bitter flower of Sikilgaita’s betrayal.
March 12, 1072 – Everyone in the court is up in arms over my “cruelty”. So what if I flayed that boy who was stealing grapes from my orchard, had his sister gang-raped by my soldiers, and burned down his parent’s house? There’s no shortage of peasants and they have to be kept in their place or the whole duchy will wind up like Bari. My eldest son (well, other than the Bohemond the bastard) needs to be shown how a real ruler behaves—he’s becoming way too soft.
April 15, 1072 – Against my better instincts, I have come to an agreement that should quell the rebels in Bari. Sancha urged me to sign it, citing the uproar over those stupid peasants last month as a sign the revolt could spread, and noting that we would be able to greatly improve our tax revenue. Much as I hate to admit it, the girl has a good head on her shoulders and is usually right about such things.
May 23, 1072 – My eldest daughter, Mathilde has lost it. Her tutors in court have been reporting odd behavior for some time now. At first, I was pleased thinking that her heightened interest in military matters could lead her to a fine career in assassination much like her mother, but apparently she thinks she’s going to lead men on the battlefield. Preposterous. She actually claimed she’s been called by God to unite Italy and free it from the evil kingdom of Germany. I slapped her several times in an attempt to bring her to her senses, but only succeeded in persuading her that she had been captured by an agent of the German King and was being tortured. Damn! Most girls at least have the sense to wait until after they’re married to lose their minds.
March 13, 1073 - I found an excellent marriage for my 16-year-old bastard son, Bohemond. I felt it was best to treat him with dignity, to keep him loyal—we wouldn’t want him getting any ideas about claiming the ducal seat. The Duchy of Provence had a girl, the same age as Bohemond, who was so precocious that she was actually serving as their chancellor. The duke was reluctant to part with her, but I persuaded him by promising to grant Bohemond a title—henceforth he is Count of Consenza. I was trying to administer too much land directly anyway.
August 22, 1074 – A thieves guild has formed under our very nose in Apulia. Outrageous! The burghers suggest that building a Court of Justice in town might help us bring the evildoers to justice. Well, I have had a lot of success providing swift justice, and it seemed to do little to help the revolt in Bari, but I’ll go along with them, this once.
April 7, 1075 – I managed to pawn off Mathilde on the eldest son of the Count of Pecs. He seems a bit sickly, but I’m happy to be rid of her and I shall now have funds to build that library in Lecce—the first of its kind in all of Italy! I thank my lucky stars that the court tutors are inept in teaching geography. She thinks the marriage is to a rebel leader in the Kingdom of Germany. Ah, well, the nutcase is off my hands, now.
November 19, 1076 - France has laid claim to the county of Rosello, part of the Duchy of Catalonia, and declared war and the Duke of Catalonia has responded in kind.
November 21, 1076 – After discussing it with Roger and Sancha, I have decided to support my ally’s war efforts in Spain. It will be expensive to run an overseas campaign, but Catalonia is weak and we need not send all our forces. I do not call on my vassals for support—I want to have an army ready should the Saracens attack from the south.
April 8, 1077 – Roger and I have defeated the armies of the Duchy of Catalonia in Barcelona. The mere sight of our ships landing caused the Count of Rosello to quake in such fear that he paid us 69 gold for peace. I wasn’t even headed that way. Ah, how I’ve missed battle! I am so looking forward to a good siege after ten years of boring peace.
May 19, 1077 – Philippe is an idiot. He has just signed a white peace with the Count of Rosello and the Duke of Catalonia. A white peace? The Duke has barely 1000 men left to his call. Well, he may have bought off Philippe that easily, but I intend to get something worthwhile out of this effort. I have over 3000 men besieging Barcelona and his forces are scattered.
November 20, 1077 – Barcelona has fallen to my forces. I manage to persuade a monk to forge some documents demonstrating that my son Lain should posess the title Count of Barcelona through some obscure ancestor of Hermesinda’s. Poppycock, of course, but who cares? Barcelona is a rich city, and while I doubt we’ll be able to hold it indefinitely, the revenues it generates should pay for the cost of this war in only a few years. I quite like the castle here, too. I should inquire with my architects about building some of these in Italy.
November 21, 1077 – Just before boarding the ship back to Apulia, I receive word that William has found a possible match for Roger Borso, who has come into his maturity while I was on campaign. I approve the match with Ludmila, the 2nd daughter of the Duke of Bohemia. She’s said to be a good Christian woman, demure, pious and forgiving. William tells me he’s sure I’ll despise her, but he’s a good match for Roger and I planned to grant him a title and get him out of my hair as soon as he was married. Let’s see how his Christ-like ways deal with the unruly peasants in Bari, his new county seat.
January 24, 1077 – We have succeeded in destroying the Thieves Guild. Maybe that Court of Justice was a worthwhile investment. The last of the villains was hanged this morning.
February 16, 1079 – Apparently, there is a shortage of madwomen in the County of Pecs. How else to explain the Count’s desire to marry another of my kin to his second son. This time it’s Roger’s mopy daughter Mathilde—perhaps the Count has a fetish for the name?
April 2, 1079 – It has been a great season for matchmaking. I succeeded in pairng my second daughter Emma to Stjepan Tripimirovic, the heir to the throne of Croatia. He’s an older man with one son already, but this is still a great marriage for the House of de Hauteville. Emma’s a clever girl and might find a way to dispose of the elder son, in which case one of my own blood could become King of Croatia.
February 3, 1080 – Married off my niece Emma (creative naming of children is one talent our family appears to lack) to the second son of the Count of Gent.
February 18, 1081 – My niece Adelisa has displayed a truly remarkable mind. I had heard something of her schemes in the past, but was nonetheless startled when she observed a carved dagger in my study that was clearly of Saracen make and asked if it had been a gift from Tayyib Ismail, the Sheikh of Siracusa. His visit to Apulia last week had been a closely guarded secret. I was trying to stir up some trouble for the Saracens in Sicily, and as he had claims on Palermo, I had invited him to visit and suggested we might have some common interests. In any event, Adelisa just happened to overhear me and William discussing him while exploring the secret passages—from what she knew, it was clear that she had “just happened” by the thin wall behind the bookcase in my study several times. Young as she is, it’s clear she knows more about what’s going on in the Duchy than my spymaster, Robert, and I decide to replace him. I’ve been fielding a lot of marriage requests for her from all over Europe. Even the Governor of Iceland inquired about her, but this one I think I want to keep in my court.
July 21, 1082 – William’s sickly son Robert has been a nuisance ever since I replaced him as spymaster. Since he was educated in a monastery and the papal envoy has been after me about the spiritual life of my duchy recently, I decide to install him as diocese bishop.
September 15, 1082 – Sancha has uncovered proof that I have a legitimate claim to the Duchy of Milan! While I have no intention of taking on the mighty Kingdom of Germany to press it at this time (though I might if Philippe hadn’t shown himself such a coward in the Catalonian campaign), I want it known. Some day, the House of De Hauteville will dominate the peninsula.
October 13, 1083 – Robert’s wife, Judith, died peacefully today. It reminds me that I still have much to do to complete my legacy.
June 24, 1085 – Roger Borsa’s wife died in childbirth this year, and he actually inquired about Adelisa. His first cousin! Simply unacceptable, I told him, and anyway, I need her at court. He ends up finding a good Norman girl named Umfreda—we could use a fresh infusion of that strong norse blood in this family.
November 19, 1085 – I have had my eye on the wealthy city of Salerno for many years. The count—Sikilgaita’s brother—has only one son, and he is a Bishop in Denmark. I have pressed him to become my vassal in the past, but he has always resisted. I think he may still bear me a grudge for beheading his treacherous sister. Imagine that! Anyway, I have decided to use the old papal title to “Southern Italy”, as well as my connection to the family, to lay claim to the city. The Duke of Pisa is his ally, but I have more troops and can deploy them faster than he can. I doubt he will contest the matter.
January 1, 1086 – Roger and I lay siege to Salerno.
February 28, 1086 – I capture Salerno. Its rich volcanic soils and scenic seaside cliffs are mine at last. As my demesne is getting rather large to administer directly, I decide to grant Foggia and Apulia to Roger Borso. He needs experience in governing a larger area and I’ve never really liked Apulia. My new capital in Lecce, is a more progressive and prosperous place.
April 17, 1086 – Sancha has been complaining of her husband’s odd behavior of late. Apparently, she caught him instructing a statue of the Virgin Mary on how to polish silverware the other day. It’s a good thing Roger is still around—otherwise that loon would have been my marshall.
May 18, 1086 – My youngest son Lain wants to be Marshall. It was obvious from the Salerno campaign that the boy has inherited my strategic talent, but as long as Roger is healthy and wants to retain command, I’m certainly not going to push him out. How could I show ingratitude after nearly thirty years of successful service?
March 22, 1089 – As I age, I feel in more of a hurry to complete my projects. I have spent much of my energy over the past twenty five years building roads, sawmills and libraries, but I think Roger and I need one last capaign. In preparation, I lay claim to the county of Capua.
May 14, 1089 – Having got Roger’s army in position, I declare war. Capua is poorly defended and will not take long to defeat.
June 11, 1089 – The siege of Capua begins.
August 12, 1089 – Sancha is depressed. I realize there is a lot of stress in her life, but she is my chancellor and needs to hold it together better than this. Yes, she and my nephew never did have children, so she has to deal with his lunacy by herself. Yes, I understand it’s hard to accept that the muslims have destroyed the Kingdom of Aragon, where she spent many happy years in her youth. But she herself crunched the numbers that showed that I couldn’t possibly spare enough troops and ducats to fight the Emirate of Zaragoza without leaving Italy vulnerable to attack. Railing against me, she claimed the Duchy is headed for bankruptcy though we could sustain the small force besieging Capua for 20 years if needed. I repressed the urge to beat her senseless only because I do not have a good replacement for her as steward.
November 5, 1089 – Just as Roger’s troops are storming Capua, I receive terrible news. The County of Taranto has been held by my cousin Abelard for many years, but upon his death, his son has refused to swear fealty to me. I gather my forces in Lecce and prepare to punish his foolishness.
December 3, 1089 – My troops besiege Taranto where the traitor lies holed up in his fort.
February 1, 1090 – Taranto falls. Unfortunately, the cowardly Thomas managed to flee the fortress and escape the traitor’s death he so richly deserves. Rumor has it that he is at the court of Reims, trying to stir up trouble against me. No true de Hauteville would be so craven. As this will no doubt be my last campaign, I decide to allow Roger to retire from service and grant him the title Count of Taranto. The rather poor province might seem a small reward for a lifetime of such distinguished service. However, I know that he prizes the wine Aglianico del Vulture that comes from an estate there above all others, claiming it the greatest of all the wines of Italy. Contrary to Sancha’s dire financial predictions, I note that the treasury is actually in slightly better shape now than it was last year. Capua I add to the holdings of Bohemond, who has shown his loyalty now for seventeen years. How time flies.
May 13, 1090 – I may have to alter my plans for quiet retirement. After all my years of fruitless negotiations with Siracusa, the sheikhdom of Malta has rebelled against the Kingdom of Zirid. Having just signed off on building great road networks connecting our glorious cities I am not financially well-positioned to fight a war at this time. But I have hungered for the muslim sheikhdoms of Sicily and Malta for decades, and it has only been fear of the Fatimids, the powerful ally of the Kingdom of Zirid that has kept me from going to war. Now, now there is an independent sheikhdom that I can assail without too much fear of reprisal. If I can get a large enough force there quickly, I should be able to seize it before the King of Zirid can reply and dare him to try and dislodge me. Malta is small, but its location is very strategic. When I broach the matter with Sancha, however, she comes up with a number for transporting the troops there that is simply astronomical—just getting the troops in place will use up 75% of our treasury. I am not to be denied, however. Sancha threatens suicide.
July 3, 1090 – My regiments arrive in Malta, where Lain has already been ably leading the siege using troops called up from Messina for over a month. This siege had better be over quickly as my treasury is rapidly dipping into the red.
August 17, 1090 - The siege of Malta is over. The Kingdom of Zirid arrived, but had too few troops to contest the issue, so Malta is now part of the Duchy of Apulia. My realm has grown large enough that I really think it should be considered a kingdom. However, I can’t afford a grand coronation at the moment. It will take five months simply to pay off the debts incurred by this unpremeditated war, and then another year beyond that to build the treasury up to a reasonable level. The Pope assures me, however, that this victory over the heathens will bring me rewards in heaven.
May 3, 1092 – I am so tired. It has been thirty-five years now since I succeeded my brother Humphrey. However, I feel that I can rest having both expanded the domain of Apulia and greatly bolstered its prosperity and infrastructure. The house of de Hauteville has strengthened its grip on the duchy, and my son Roger Borso will be King of Naples. I worry that his soft-hearted, pious ways may betray him in the coming years, but with Lain’s leadership skills and Adelisa’s fiendish mind, I have left him the tools to become a power in Italy. I’ve done what I can. The fate of our house is in his hands now.
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