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Varyar

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Sep 8, 2002
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Welcome!

This AAR, my first, will follow the adventures of the English kings through the ages. As a part of the ambitious Kings, Emperors and Statesmen MP game, this first part will be about the Crusader Kings era, and hopefully following parts will come for EUII, Victoria and HoI2. Since this AAR is based on a MP game, updates will likely be few and far-between. I have no particular style in mind for the AAR, most likely it will be a mix depending on my mood when writing the updates. Also, with this being my first AAR, and english is my second language, criticism will be MUCH appreciated, from grammatical nit-picking to more general suggestions.

That being said, it's time to begin. And what better way to begin, than with voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse?
 
Chapter I 1066-1079

At the Battle of Hastings, the Duke of Normandy defeated the recently elected King of England, Harold Godwinson, and established himself on the throne. He had his norman kinsmen established as rulers throughout the realm, he had rebellious saxon noblemen exiled or put to death. His name was William the Bastard. Descending from a long line of fierce warriors, he had now managed to amass enough power to rival all but the strongest kings of Europe, and beyond. The future lay open for the dynasty of de Normandie.

William's early years on the throne were peaceful. Discontent in the saxon population seemed to have vanished, and his norman vassals remained loyal. Not even his new neighbours, the Scots and the Irish, gave him any trouble. Instead, disturbance was to rise from a rather unexpected source. In the year of our lord 1068, William's loyal spymaster shoved the following document into his face:


Thanks alot.

Suspicious as he was, William wasn't completely surprised but the revelation still angered him. However, he decided that in the name of justice, he would give fate a chance to save the life of the wretched woman he called wife.

*

The King entered his bedchamber. Matilda, busy with her embroidery, greeted him simply with a smile. William smiled back. In his mind, he knocked her unconscious with a clog. He talked to her casually, asking about her "pilgrimages" to scottish "monasteries", but her relaxed behaviour and carefree responses revealed nothing of guilt. So be it then, William thought. It would seem that fate was thirsty for blood.

Thus, as he rose and started to walk to the door, he let the document slip out of his hand onto the floor. Matilda saw it and picked it up. About to call William's attention to it, her voice stuck and her opened mouth failed to utter a sound as she glanced at the document. Her face went pale as she read it through, and then her anxious stare caught William's eyes, darkened by fury.

Suddenly she turned and ran for the stained-glass window. She jumped. Glass was shattered, but the iron bars repelled her shoulder and she fell back onto the floor. Bewildered, she got up and looked at William. The keys to the window hung from his hand. She ran to the fireplace and grabbed one of the swords hanging beside it, but found herself with only a hilt in her hand. William pulled out a small cup of glue from his pocket. Matilda threw the hilt towards him and headed for the crimson drapery hanging beside the bed. She grabbed it, tied it around her neck and let her own body fall backwards. A tearing sound was heard, and she fell to the floor. Brushing aside the fabric, she saw William hold a pair of scissors in his hand. Matilda's eyes narrowed. With a defiant look on her face, she fetched a stool, tied a noose out of the torn-off drapery, and tied the other end to a beam in the roof. She got up on the stool and tightened the noose around her neck. Then, with a hint of a smile on her face, she kicked away the stool. Her body fell. The beam cracked and fell to the floor beside the Queen of England. King William was just about to pull out the saw when part of the roof collapsed with a crash. Something heavy hit the floor, and when the dust cleared the monarch found himself staring at a bathtub. In it, in the foam, sat prince William Rufus, his third son, with a sponge in his hand. In front of him sat his personal page.**

Later that day an old fisherman from Kent would tell his wife of the strangest sounds, almost like curses, that he had heard in the wind.

*

Given the course of events, there was only one way for Matilda to go.


Chop chop!


What on earth did she see in this man?

With business taken care of, William would have to wait for an appropriate time to exact the pleasure of vengeance on the petty scottish count who had humiliated him.


**The attentive reader will have noticed a certain amount of glaring inaccuracies in the scene, be they historical, architectural, technical or of other nature. In response, the author wishes to reserve the right to manipulate reality in favour of artistic freedom.***

***If Mel Gibson can do it, so can I.
 
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Varyar said:
Given the course of events, there was only one way for Matilda to go.


Chop chop!

:rofl:
 
Yay, first comments! :D

angryclown said:
Interesting start!

Next update will be more straightforward since I have to write both chapter 2 and finish chapter 1 within this week.
 
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Chapter IV

The rise of the Polish-Russian Empire had not passed unnoticed. It had come as a surprise when the prince of Kiev, after having been soundly defeated in the field of battle by Poland in 1090, chose to become a polish vassal. It had come as a shock when the mighty prince of Pronsk chose to do the same. Then, when the king of Poland turned on his catholic neighbours Hungary and Bohemia, devouring them, it struck fear and distrust into the hearts of the kings of Europe. As his xx-year reign were coming to an end, Wszebor Piast had managed to multiply both his lands and his enemies.


The Polish-Russian Empire. Or most of it.

The kings of Europe had not sat idly by watching. Among themselves they had met and discussed the threat from the east. Emissaries from the russian princes spoke of the lies and deceit of the polish king. Slowly a consensus of determination grew among them, to deal with the polish threat once and for all; to liberate the russian princes, and restore the catholic realms that had been destroyed. Having decided the terms, an ultimatum was issued, which was followed by negotiation. The proud king of Poland was angered, for he saw nothing but an attempt of pettier kings to dominate him, and was adamant in his refusal to give anything to his treacherous russian princes. He vowed to defend his empire on the battlefield, and that those who contested his right to rule would meet their end at the walls of Cracow. His trusted friend and ally, The Holy Roman Emperor rushed to his aid.

Thus it came to happen, that all over Europe arms were forged, swords were sharpened and men gathered to serve their lords. No coffer was left untouched, no church was without prayers for God's grace in what was to come. A whole continent braced itself for the gathering storm.

*​

December 1124. Hampshire, England.

Young king William II was inspecting the troops. His eyes revealed the interest and fascination one would expect of an eleven-year-old boy. The eyes of chancellor Gilleasbuig Dunkeld, his guardian and master of the ruling council, expressed more concern. Concern for how much it all would cost, concern for how many of these young men who would not return. Thousands had already been shipped across the channel and were forming up in northern France under the guidance of marshal Godfrey d'Audley. Thousands more were and would be loaded on the english fleet, repeating the journey. Gilleasbuig's mind drifted, his thoughts wandering away to future events, to blood-soaked and muddy battlefields, to german fields and polish cities. He sighed, the words of the polish monarch still fresh in memory; "I go now to war, and to the slaughter of men".


A boy...


... and his chancellor. A cousin of king Conchobar of Scotland, no less.

- Why can I not go?
Gilleasbuig regained his senses. William was looking at him.
- You know why, mylord. he replied. You are still too young to fight and were you to, God forbid, die over there your kingdom would be in grave danger.
William frowned, as his chancellor continued.
- Your inheritance was contested, and there are too many of your vassals who would take delight in seeing you cast off the throne. Who can imagine what treachery they would consider if their king left the island! He spat on the ground, mumbling. Filthy saxons...

William said nothing. He had heard it many times before, and he knew the source of his chancellor's bitter hate against those who ruled the island before his family. The boy gazed at a regiment of bowmen marching towards a waiting ship. How much did he desire to walk among them, to lead them onwards to battle, to order them forward with a sword in his own hand! His young heart was beating faster at the thought of battle, not like those mock battles he experienced in his training, but real battles where steel clashes with steel and the fallen do not rise again. If only he were a few years older! But William had great trust in his chancellor, and thus had no choice but to heed his advice and remain. As the two continued their walk, he smiled to himself. At least he had forced marshal Godfrey to take a cleric with him, who would write down all the exciting details of the events of the war.


Who better to lead your troops than a reckless coward? Had been amusing, had this not been the by far best choice from the court of England.
 
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I like the AAR so far. Very interesting. Especially the grand Polish Empire -- is that another human player?

Now for the grammatical nitpicking. You (litterally) asked for it. ;)

Varyar said:
He woved to defend his empire on the battlefield, and that those who contested his right to rule would meet their end at the walls of Cracow. His trusted friend and ally, The Holy Roman Emperor rushed to his aid.
"Woved" is not a word in English. I'm guessing you meant that Poland 'wove' a plan to defend his empire.

If that's what you meant the English phrase would be "Wove a web to defend his empire on the battlefield."

Varyar said:
Thousands had already been shipped across the channel and was forming up in northern France under the guidance of marshal Godfrey d'Audley.Thousands more were and would be loaded on the english fleet, repeating the journey.

You got it right the second time. [thousands] were forming up in Northern France.

Varyar said:
How much did he not desire to walk among them

Ditch the 'not.'

William II desires to walk among them.

Nick
 
Grammatical tips are certainly much appreciated by any non-native speaker. However, I beg you to do this by PM next time, just for the flavour of this thread. :)

Nice AAR btw. :)
 
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Nick B II said:
I like the AAR so far. Very interesting. Especially the grand Polish Empire -- is that another human player?

Yep, good old Sterkarm. To add to the intrigue, the two rebellious russian princes are human too :D

Now for the grammatical nitpicking. You (litterally) asked for it. ;)

I did, and I'm grateful that you take the time to actually point these things out. It's never bad to polish your language skills.

"Woved" is not a word in English. I'm guessing you meant that Poland 'wove' a plan to defend his empire.

If that's what you meant the English phrase would be "Wove a web to defend his empire on the battlefield."

Actually, the word I was looking for was vowed :D I knew I should've looked that one up in a dictionary before using it...

You got it right the second time. [thousands] were forming up in Northern France.

:eek:o should've seen that.

Ditch the 'not.'

William II desires to walk among them.

While I'm sure it's grammatically correct, it feels like the sentence loses something important when I remove it. Hmm, maybe I'll rephrase it later. Anyway, many thanks :)

Jape said:
I like this AAR
Keep it up.

I'll try my best :)

Jens Z said:
Grammatical tips are certainly much appreciated by any non-native speaker. However, I beg you to do this by PM next time, just for the flavour of this thread.

Nice AAR btw.

Danke :D

I don't mind having comments in the thread, but if the average reader disapproves it might be good to use PM's instead.
 
Nick B II said:
Why'd they accept his overlordship in the first place?

Nick
One was beaten into vassalage, while one was brought in accidentally if you ask some.
 
Nick B II said:
Why'd they accept his overlordship in the first place?

The story as I'm told:

Kiev was soundly beaten by Poland in war, and apparently agreed to vassalage based on an agreement to bash the other russian player. Kievan player was quite unhappy at the time.

Pronsk was "accidentally" vassalized. Poland had sent numerous propositions to Pronsk asking it to become vassal, but the latter didn't reply, busy as he was. So Poland simply sent an official vassalization offer. Pronsk, thinking it was an alliance offer, clicked yes. Confusion ensured, until the Pronsk player agreed with the situation and recognized the vassalage. I can only assume that he didn't realize the consequences(king-titles of Bolgar and Rus to polish player).

Not a very good start for a game that's supposed to last through 3-4 games, if you ask me.