This is the beginning of what I hope to be an epic covering the various time periods of the Paradox games from Crusader Kings to Hearts of Iron II or III. My goal is to tell a story of influential men and women in the fictional history of England that will be played out by me. Honestly, I have no idea if this will be complete or if my writing ability is up to par with any of the other aarthors but i'll never know unless I try. I'm quite new to the game, i've only played Europa Universalis 2 so I might not do very well but I plan on roleplaying with the game and not "winning". So without further delay I present to you...
Robert de Normandie felt little for his dead father whose corpulent body laid stuffed in a stone coffin buried hastily in the church of St. Stephen within the city boundaries of Caen. The funeral had lacked the expected pomp of a royal affair and instead had been little better than a commoner's burial. So intense was the stench of his organs which had burst out of his belly that the monks had spoke the last rites with a quickness so that the body could be thrown under the earth once and for all. It was a macabre display which created an atmosphere of eeriness which even Robert felt, he hoped that his funeral would be different.
His father, known by many names to his enemies and friends alike, had risen from a bastard's position in his father's court to being the King of England and Duke of Normandy among other titles through ruthless brutality and immense bloodshed. "In those days.." his father began, preparing one of his harsh lectures on life, "..the garden was rife with snakes and the floorboards had many unhammered nails..you can never trust another man my son..." William the Conqueror had cut away the garden and hammered down the floorboard in the almost fifty years of his reign over England. But the stability of the realm had been slowly crumbling as William grew older and less vigilant. The war with the Scots and French didn't help matters either, those conflicts had drained the treasury and produced no gains in territory or treasure. His relationship with the Church was frail and badly injured from years of apathy from the crown, "I need vassals with men and swords not the prayers of old men, God I believe, favors those who make their own destiny." he once said to the Bishop of Oxford who later would rebel against the throne cementing William's distrust of the Church.
"Our father had few friends it seems." Richard de Normandie spoke with a solemn tone to his older brother
Robert glanced at his brother for a moment before turning away again before replying, "Its fitting don't you think? Life coming full circle, as in life with his death he is surrounded by nobody and yet even as a corpse he still finds a way to be a pain in the ass." he recovered his nose with a linen cloth
"You speak ill of our father but you're here?"
"Only to make sure the tanner's son is dead and that my throne is secure. The kingdom is rife with snakes."
Richard sighed to himself and took a look around the room. He saw nobody of importance except for Alan Bruce, the retired Count of Oxford and Robert Bruce the Count of Shrewsbury. He was not surprised to see them here for they and the Bruce family owed his father their lives of wealth and power. Alan had fought at Hastings as a teenager along with their father and Robert had helped dress their father and brother for battle as a young boy. It was on that cold October day that Robert Bruce senior had taken an arrow for the dead king, a wound he would eventually die from two years later. In return for saving his life, William, made Robert a noble and Alan was made marshal of the realm years later. For nearly fifty years the Bruces had held the position of marshal and for decades ruled Shrewsbury and Oxford being among the most loyal of William's vassals. The two men were gray and wrinkled now but even as old men their eyes were full of tears. Richard noted the contrasts between his brother and the Bruces with a heavy heart.
He could understand his brother's disdain for it was he who had been sent to rule Normandy years ago which possessed a virulent court full of plots, murder, and death. William wanted his heir apparent to know the aura of death and to be comfortable with it because England was without a doubt unstable, held together by the sword and an appeal to the nobles sense of order. All those years of family gatherings, frivolous affairs with beautiful courtier girls, and smiling pleasantries that Richard, William, and their sisters remember was nonexistent in Robert's memory. His memories were of midnight plots and bloody uprisings. Knives being drawn to his throat and severed heads sent to the estates of would-be usurpers. Beautiful courtier girls hid daggers in between their breasts and smiling pleasantries disguised murderous intent. Normandy was effectively a separate realm whose new generations of nobles saw William as a distant ruler more interested in his foreign kingdom than his homeland. Sending his teenage son to rule on his behalf had been an insult to the plight of the nobles in Normandy.
"I have to return to London post haste, Agatha, has taken ill." Richard waited a moment for a reply of goodwill but received only silence, "..well until the coronation, i'll see you soon brother." Robert only nodded, he too was leaving but to his camp outside of town. Tomorrow he would board a transport to England and ride to London to be coronated King of England.
The Lives and Times of Giants - A Story of England
The Church of St. Stephen in Caen
June 18th, 1101
Robert de Normandie felt little for his dead father whose corpulent body laid stuffed in a stone coffin buried hastily in the church of St. Stephen within the city boundaries of Caen. The funeral had lacked the expected pomp of a royal affair and instead had been little better than a commoner's burial. So intense was the stench of his organs which had burst out of his belly that the monks had spoke the last rites with a quickness so that the body could be thrown under the earth once and for all. It was a macabre display which created an atmosphere of eeriness which even Robert felt, he hoped that his funeral would be different.
His father, known by many names to his enemies and friends alike, had risen from a bastard's position in his father's court to being the King of England and Duke of Normandy among other titles through ruthless brutality and immense bloodshed. "In those days.." his father began, preparing one of his harsh lectures on life, "..the garden was rife with snakes and the floorboards had many unhammered nails..you can never trust another man my son..." William the Conqueror had cut away the garden and hammered down the floorboard in the almost fifty years of his reign over England. But the stability of the realm had been slowly crumbling as William grew older and less vigilant. The war with the Scots and French didn't help matters either, those conflicts had drained the treasury and produced no gains in territory or treasure. His relationship with the Church was frail and badly injured from years of apathy from the crown, "I need vassals with men and swords not the prayers of old men, God I believe, favors those who make their own destiny." he once said to the Bishop of Oxford who later would rebel against the throne cementing William's distrust of the Church.
"Our father had few friends it seems." Richard de Normandie spoke with a solemn tone to his older brother
Robert glanced at his brother for a moment before turning away again before replying, "Its fitting don't you think? Life coming full circle, as in life with his death he is surrounded by nobody and yet even as a corpse he still finds a way to be a pain in the ass." he recovered his nose with a linen cloth
"You speak ill of our father but you're here?"
"Only to make sure the tanner's son is dead and that my throne is secure. The kingdom is rife with snakes."
Richard sighed to himself and took a look around the room. He saw nobody of importance except for Alan Bruce, the retired Count of Oxford and Robert Bruce the Count of Shrewsbury. He was not surprised to see them here for they and the Bruce family owed his father their lives of wealth and power. Alan had fought at Hastings as a teenager along with their father and Robert had helped dress their father and brother for battle as a young boy. It was on that cold October day that Robert Bruce senior had taken an arrow for the dead king, a wound he would eventually die from two years later. In return for saving his life, William, made Robert a noble and Alan was made marshal of the realm years later. For nearly fifty years the Bruces had held the position of marshal and for decades ruled Shrewsbury and Oxford being among the most loyal of William's vassals. The two men were gray and wrinkled now but even as old men their eyes were full of tears. Richard noted the contrasts between his brother and the Bruces with a heavy heart.
He could understand his brother's disdain for it was he who had been sent to rule Normandy years ago which possessed a virulent court full of plots, murder, and death. William wanted his heir apparent to know the aura of death and to be comfortable with it because England was without a doubt unstable, held together by the sword and an appeal to the nobles sense of order. All those years of family gatherings, frivolous affairs with beautiful courtier girls, and smiling pleasantries that Richard, William, and their sisters remember was nonexistent in Robert's memory. His memories were of midnight plots and bloody uprisings. Knives being drawn to his throat and severed heads sent to the estates of would-be usurpers. Beautiful courtier girls hid daggers in between their breasts and smiling pleasantries disguised murderous intent. Normandy was effectively a separate realm whose new generations of nobles saw William as a distant ruler more interested in his foreign kingdom than his homeland. Sending his teenage son to rule on his behalf had been an insult to the plight of the nobles in Normandy.
"I have to return to London post haste, Agatha, has taken ill." Richard waited a moment for a reply of goodwill but received only silence, "..well until the coronation, i'll see you soon brother." Robert only nodded, he too was leaving but to his camp outside of town. Tomorrow he would board a transport to England and ride to London to be coronated King of England.
Second, you write extremely well! In a few short paragraphs I've already got an indication about a whole slew of characters, and I love your description and dialogue.
