Road of Queens - CKII India AAR

[Midnite Duke]

The Mongols and the Aztecs may have seen their apexes. Thank you

 

[Bullfilter]

And, no, we won’t be counting any Duck Kingdoms.

A pity!

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Two : Poland And Germany

Western Europe : The Combat Zone​

This chapter opens in late May, of the year 938 AD, with Poland seeming to be even larger than before.

The Ruler of Poland, King Sulislaw of the House Slezanie, also known as the “Bewitched”, was in charge. And seemed to be a good Ruler. Kind of.

I mean, he was fat, but besides that he seemed to be Brave and good at Dueling. And had a lot of kids. A Queen and three Concubines.

And he was winning a war against the Khan Paval “The Cruel” who was trying to subjugate Poland. And he was helping in the war against the Mongol Empire. So that was good.

On the other hand….

He had killed a LOT of people.

And out of the four women who produced kids for him only one, his wife, the Queen, seemed okay with him. Which was kind of weird as she was more interested in women. At least she had produced four kids for him.

While the others were not so happy with him. As he had kidnapped them and humiliated most of them. Such as Birute of Zemaiteje who hated his guts.

And Saule of the Houe Palemonaitis who hated his guts.

And Svajone of the House Zemaiteje who also hated his guts. Though, not as much as the other women did.

One of the reasons Poland was doing so well was because Germany, to the west, was acting like a buffer against the waves of Aztec warriors who were trying to move eastwards.

Grand Chief Wigebert of Germany wasn’t a man who feared getting his hands, or face, dirty. In fact the Grand Chief had taken a few Aztec woman as his own Concubines.

The Aztec Empire was having problems against not just the Germans. The other Pagan Tribes that made up much of central Europe acted like rocks on a sandy beach. Strong points that the waves of Aztec warriors slammed against but could not over come.

The Christians Kingdoms may have fallen but the Pagan Tribes were made of sterner stuff. As were the Muslims who were pushing back in Africa. Then there were all the Christian Vikings and Hosts who kept raiding the Aztec Empire. Had all the Aztec enemies become stronger?


Or maybe it was just that the Aztec Empire was starting to weaken?

 

[Midnite Duke]

How many of the event troops do the Mongols and Aztecs have left? Thank you

 

[Eurasia]

How many of the event troops do the Mongols and Aztecs have left? Thank you

Interestingly enough the Mongols Empire still had event spawned troops while the Aztec no longer do. Much of the Aztec's troops come from vassals. Which means the Aztec can replace the soldiers they have via recruitment/training.

While much of the Mongols' troops once gone are gone forever as event spawned troops can't be reinforceed to my knowledge. So the Aztec are in a more stable military position because their soldiers can be replaced from their populace. Once the Mongols lose those forty-plus thousand event spawned troops that's it - unless more events trigger more troops to be spawned.

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Three : Back To Normal

This chapter opens in late May, of the year 938 AD, with the Basilissa Eulalia “The Unfaithful” becoming pretty bored.

Don’t get me wrong dear readers. Things were still a mess. But most of the mess was other people’s problems. Not the Empress’s problem.

The Empire even bad a clean bill of health. No illnesses roamed the countryside.

Too bad about Great Britain. But that’s Europeans for you. They love to roll around in the mud, wipe their dirty hands on their pet dogs after a meal, eat soup with a knife, and take a bath only once a month.

Then there was Todogen’s Host which was being chased by the Empress’s Imperial forces. They were so hot on the Raider’s tail that the two symbols overlapped on the Throne Room’s Wall Map.

Interestingly enough Todogen WAS one of the brothers of the Empress of China and a member of the Borjigin Dynasty. Buddha Damned Mongols could not control their own offspring!!!!

“Maybe a Tiger Hunt,” murmured the Empress with a tilt of her head. “That will take my mind off of things.”

Next chapter - a Tiger Hunt!

 

[Midnite Duke]

By tiger hunt, do we get to watch a tiger chase a Borjigin through the royal forest preserve. The Borjigins do create a large dynasty. Thank you for the update.

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Four : Tiger Hunt

This chapter opens in late May, of the year 938 AD, with the Empress paying about 25 gold coins to organize a tiger hunt. The Imperial Court complained that this amount was about ten percent of the Treasury but the Empress ignored them.

She also sent out the invites to her Vassals to join her in her tiger hunt.

As the Empress stared to pick out the fashion she would be wearing on her little hunt she started to receive replies. Mostly Vassals making excuses to NOT join her on her hunt. The Mayor Eirenaios of Dibarumukh was the first to turn her invitation down.​

But other refusals soon followed. The Baron of Banan turned her down. As did the Countess of Lhoyu and the Count of Kotivarsa. Too busy with business Indeed!

In June, as she was picking out the wines, she was also brought some news. Seems the Manichean Faith had overwhelmed the Zoroastrian Faith. It seemed to interest the scholars within the Court but she cared nothing about the news. She knew nothing about either faith and cared not about learning about them.

She was also told that the Count of Midnapore wished to kill Amrapli of the House Kaivarta. Who seemed to be his Sister-In-Law.

“Tell him not to kill her,” ordered the Empress. “She is married into my family after all.”

A few days later the elephants and mules were ready. The Hunters had picked a spot and the servants had packed everything needed. Or wanted.

The Hunting Party was off. And soon arrived at the camp site selected.

As the Empress enjoyed riding on top of her favorite Imperial Elephant she received news about the war between the 9 year old Duchess of Tirabhunkti and the Great King of Ayudha. Seems she was winning.

Or maybe her Commanders were winning. Either way it looked like the 9 year old might be the victor in the long run.

To be fair the Great King was also involved in a war with the Mongols. So it could be most of his troops were already engaged elsewhere.

Also the Mauryan Army was still chasing down the Host. Which seemed to be something it did a lot of lately.

So we end this chapter with the Empress enjoyed chilled wines while riding her Elephant and reading news from home.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Refusing to go with the Basilla on the tiger hunt, are you sent ahead and tied to a stake so that you do not get lost? Feed the tiger. Thank you for updating (twice?).

 

[Bullfilter]

Time for Lord Meow Meow to once again look down in furry fury at the hunt of his feline friends. Also, it looks like there was an accidental double post of the last chapter.

 

[Eurasia]

Sorry about that but my mouse is acting up and the left button is getting stuck. Really annoying when trying to play the games or work on the images.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Time for Lord Meow Meow to once again look down in furry fury at the hunt of his feline friends. Also, it looks like there was an accidental double post of the last chapter.

I am going with feeding bad vassals to tigers, but that could lead to indigestion.

 

[Bullfilter]

Sorry about that but my mouse is acting up and the left button is getting stuck. Really annoying when trying to play the games or work on the images.

I can imagine. I lashed out and bought a new premium mouse (part of a package discount) when I bought my new rig a few months back. Oh, so much better for that precision image editing work. Luxury.

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Five : Trouble Makers And Failure

This chapter opens in late June, of the year 938 AD, with the Empress riding about on top of her Imperial Elephant, enjoying fine food, and waiting for a tiger to show up to be murdered.

Her enjoyment was halted for a few minutes when she received bad news via a flying fox. Seems Bjorn Kettilmindsson of the House Haripaladevid was plotting to kill Dharmapala of the House Vijaya. Who was a new born baby.

The Empress sent a letter via the flying fox to her Spymaster to tell the man to stop plotting. The cooks were upset because they had planned to roast the bat.

“The boy is a member of a large and powerful House,” the Empress explained to her servants as the bat flickered away. “I am not sure what Bjorn thinks he will gain from killing the baby and becoming an enemy of such a House.”

Then she received good news via a monkey. Count Hektorios of Kotivarsa, a member of her own Dynasty, had disbanded his Faction to bring Gavelkind Succession to Kamarupa.

“Why would he even want that in the first place?” grumbled the Empress. She gave the monkey a pastry and went back to enjoying her wine.

Sadly that still left plenty of movements still causing problems within the Empire.

The Count still had a movement to bring Gavelkind Succession to the Empire!

And there was also one Faction that wanted to put Rajkumar Jhotisena of Lambakanna Kingdom as the King of Bihar. Funny enough Rajkumar had secluded himself for no reason. As there were no illnesses within the Empire. Maybe he was just an idiot.

The Empress was also alerted to the fact that the Host was still being chased by the military.

In July, as the Empress was starting to get bored, she received a letter from her Spymaster via a very tired humming bird.

Seems the Spymaster believed that the Count of Gauda could be made to stay out of trouble. But he wanted to know how to approach the man. The Empress suggested being polite about it. Waiting would just be a waste of time. The man didn’t like the Empress and might do something dangerous if not told to behave ahead of time.

By now the Hunters came to the Empress and pointed out that there were no signs of tigers. The hunt was a failure. So the tents were packed up, the cooking fires put out, and the Hunting Party started on its way back to the Capital.

Even as the Empress rode her Imperial Elephant on the journey home she received news from the Council and the Spymaster. Seems Rajamati of the House Mustangid was plotting to kill Count Akakios of Kundina. Who was a vassal of her husband.

It was unknown why Rajamati was trying to kill the Count. But she was Lunatic and Wrathful. Which might have something to do with it. Either way the Empress requested that the Spymaster get the woman to stop as the Count was a member of the Imperial Dynasty.

Then she received a somewhat well mannered letter with a nasty reply. The Count of Gauda refused to be under her control.

She pondered taking away his County Title but decided against. Such an action would cause more damage than help.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Next tiger hunt, let tigers hunt faction-joining vassals. Thank you for updating

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Six : Time To Get Married

This chapter opens in late July, of the year 938 AD, with the Mauryan Army still chasing down the latest Host.

Hosts seemed to be a problem throughout Eurasia to be honest.

It also seemed that the Empress had been exchanging letters with Bhikkhu Shurapala of Zholhun. Seem they had been writing to each other about religious topics. And had developed a friendship.

Around the same time Duchess Eupraxia II of Varendra not only finished her training in stewardship but she was now old enough to get engaged.

Now it was time to get her unmarried Heir married.

“BRING ME THE LISTS OF AVAILABLE SINGLE MEN WITHIN THE EMPIRE!” shouted the Empress.

“You don’t have to shout,” complained one of the Archivists. “We’re right next door to the Throne Room. Remember you moved the archives there so you could have more access to the adult section?”

“Shhhh! Don’t tell everyone! Now bring me the lists!”

To be honest the list wasn’t very impressive. Many were of the wrong Religion. Many were of the wrong Culture. And even those who were Buddhists or Greeks had issues. Like they were smelly. She had to search the list for few whole minutes before finding somebody worth breeding her daughter to.

​

In the end she picked and sent a request to Serapion of Kamaripanagara who was a Buddhists, Greek, and kind of liked the Empress. Also he was not a member of her own family, so no inbreeding, and he had some good skills when it came to intrigue. Which meant, when it came to the game of cloaks and daggers, he might survive long enough to knock up the next Empress.

Then the Spymaster, Mew, brought the Empress news that Count Akakios of Kundina had tried to kill HIM to ! So, cover up one of his own plots! of course, the Empress ordered the Spymaster to expose the Count’s evil scheming. Also the Count didn’t like the Empress so she was happy to toss him under the public passenger wagon.

“Oh well, not only do I not like the Count but he has so many claims he could threaten my daughter when she becomes the next Empress.” She grinned. “So he can go [CENSORED] himself.”

 

[Midnite Duke]

I am setting the over/under as four years for Princess Eupraxia to produce with someone besides her husband. The killing spymaster mechanism is BAD! Thank you for updating.

 

[Bullfilter]

waiting for a tiger to show up to be murdered.

she received bad news via a flying fox

Lucky she also didn’t receive some nasty virus.

The cooks were upset because they had planned to roast the bat.

No - avoid the wet markets and any ‘bush meat’!

good news via a monkey

Again, better than getting rabies or having them tear up a feast.

Rajkumar had secluded himself for no reason. As there were no illnesses within the Empire. Maybe he was just an idiot.

Not trying to avoid a rumoured murder plot?

very tired humming bird

You know, I was genuinely thinking about a hummingbird (with a very small micromessage) when this popped up next!

there were no signs of tigers. The hunt was a failure.

Good.

 

[Eurasia]

Crusader Kings 2 - The Road of Queens
Chapter Nine Hundred-Fifty-Seven : Inheritance

This chapter opened in early August, of the year 938 AD, with some news from the Mongols Empire.

Seems the wife of the Commander of the Khazar Band had been released. How she had gotten captured was unknown. Had she been in the fighting?

Then the Empress received a request from Rajkumar Vinayakapala of the Kingdom of Guhilot to have a arranged marriage with Melissa Dysnomia.

As he was the Ruler of his own Realm the Empress agreed to this request.

Now to be fair he wasn’t independent. He was under the boots of the Great King of the Kingdom of Chawda. The boy wasn't an outright vassal as much as a Tributary to the Great King.

Then the Doux of the Kumanchal Duchy, the Imperial Magistrios, was killed in a horrible way. Seems while he had been trying to find some documents that would allow his Empress to claim something in Kalinganagar he was turned into a mangled mess. So…murder or a very interesting accident.

The son, Vasudeva II, took over the titles and the lands. Seems he inherited everything. Could the boy have murdered his own father in such a weird way?

Of course the Empire now needed a Magistros, or Chancellor, and the Empress decided to pick one of her favorite Vassals. The Exarchessa Jodhabai of the Patola Sahi Kingdom.

The new Magistros was sent to Kalingangar to continue the work of the dead Magistros. Hopefully she survived.

Near the end of August the Spymaster reported a plot. Seems the Countess of Shigatse was seeking to kill Vasudeva Visvarupa. Her father.

“I guess you have to tell her to stop,” grumbled the disappointed Empress. “Even though I don’t like him.”

So we end this chapter with the Empress in a mixed mood.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Sulleisoc Leon has had a very interesting life. An Irish Catholic married (not concubine) to a Khazar mercenary commander before being captured by the Mongol Khagan. Was Doux Vasudeva (I refuse to posthumously add I's. Queen Elizabeth was dead for three and a half centuries before her name change. ) in battle? Mangled mess is usually associated with battle injuries with suspicious circumstances for captured Magistros/Chancellors. I have to wonder what Vasudeva Visvarupa did to his little girl for her to go after him instead of the easier target of her little brother. Did daddy call her stinky? Thank you for the update.