Crusader Kings II Succession Game 2: Electric Boogaloo

[OrcusMcP]

Oh man, I was really hoping that Byzantium would splinter. The independence war seems to be going their way during my reign.

But Onwards to Jerusalem!

If I may make a proposal to whoever plays next, if we win the crusade, Jerusalem should be an independent de Vasconia kingdom and be the next place to play.

[Sallera]

Well, things seem to be going more or less as expected for the German branch. :3 I do hope we can set up a Vasconia crusader state; that would be fun to play with. I'll pass on rolling for this round, though, bit busy.

Edit: I see we had the same thought at the same time. Onward to glory bloodshed!

[Grif]

Oh man, I was really hoping that Byzantium would splinter. The independence war seems to be going their way during my reign.

But Onwards to Jerusalem!

If I may make a proposal to whoever plays next, if we win the crusade, Jerusalem should be an independent de Vasconia kingdom and be the next place to play.

Byzantium never really seemed like in danger of splintering, to be honest. They have blobbed to the point where only a seriously inbred and incompetent Emperor would actually spark a real civil war that would pose a threat.

[Flickerdart]

Any more people rolling?

[Cristo Meyers]

Any more people rolling?

Not this round, I'm still coming down from being sick all weekend.

Though if we do end up with a de Vasconia Jersualem I'm all over OrcusMCP's idea.

[Flickerdart]

Are there even any non-Vasconia Catholic powers left (aside from Rome itself, obviously)?

[OrcusMcP]

Are there even any non-Vasconia Catholic powers left (aside from Rome itself, obviously)?

There's a few in England, but I think that's it. Everyone else is either Vasconia, becoming Vasconia or about to be swallowed by the HRE.

[Grif]

Looks like Flickerdart gets to play our child kaiser.

Try not to get murdered by your ambitious uncle.

[Guancyto]

Hmm, was it a RoI thing or a patch thing that foreigners will accept children to raise?

Because it would be hilarious to turn the Holy Roman Empire into the new Islamic terror.

[Grif]

There's a few in England, but I think that's it. Everyone else is either Vasconia, becoming Vasconia or about to be swallowed by the HRE.

I believe Aquitaine remains staunchly non-de Vasconia. Lotharingia as well, but they somehow accepted overlordship of the Byzantines, so Iunno.

Hmm, was it a RoI thing or a patch thing that foreigners will accept children to raise?

Because it would be hilarious to turn the Holy Roman Empire into the new Islamic terror.

That sounds like a patch thing.

[OrcusMcP]

I believe Aquitaine remains staunchly non-de Vasconia. Lotharingia as well, but they somehow accepted overlordship of the Byzantines, so Iunno.

Yeah, but I included Aquitaine and Lotharingia in the "About to become part of HRE" category.

[Flickerdart]

Everyone hates poor little Hugo. He's almost an adult now, and can start murdering people he hates instead of just bribing them.

Also, we have an 18K retinue cap and 4K of retinues. Who's been forgetting to make them?

[OrcusMcP]

Everyone hates poor little Hugo. He's almost an adult now, and can start murdering people he hates instead of just bribing them.

Also, we have an 18K retinue cap and 4K of retinues. Who's been forgetting to make them?

I died before I could build up enough money to fill it.

Didn't we learn anything about Germans and murder? Why tempt fate?

[Flickerdart]

Didn't we learn anything about Germans and murder? Why tempt fate?

I thought we got over the threat of regicide when the Queen Mother became the regent, but then someone murdered her.

[OrcusMcP]

How has our young Emperor been doing?

[Flickerdart]

Wrecking prodigious amounts of heathen face. I'm away on an on-site interview but I'll post an update on Friday when I get back.

[Grif]

Here's to hoping Hugo inspires some good stories.

[Flickerdart]

Crusade for Jerusalem

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The Kaiser is dead. Long live the Kaiser! The mechanisms of government quickly churn to instate the young lord, removing those who would do him harm and reaffirming the Empire's commitment to the holy cause of the Crusade.

Note: The game hasn't had a chance to create a regency. Looks like I can fire whoever I want from the council, hahaha! I kicked out the -57 opinion Spymaster, because that would never have ended well.

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Sadly, while the child is shielded from the plots and schemes of his own court, foreign agents conspire to destroy the fledgling realm forged by his ancestors. Karlos of Hispania – a true Catholic and blood relative – now seeks to tear away the rightfully Roman Duchy of Berry.

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The dynasty's ancestral homeland, once celebrated by Vasconia everywhere, now turns its unimaginable strength against their rivals. The second mightiest Christians in the world march against a nation that cannot afford to lose either face or soldiers, lest schemers and claimants press the advantage of numbers.

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Hugo's regent has no choice but to cede Berry to the enemy. Curiously, it slips from Vasconia jurisdiction altogether – a Capet woman rules there, though no one has ever heard of this insignificant and puny dynasty before. One doubts that they will ever amount to anything. She inherits a war led by one of the realm's dukes; perhaps we will bring Berry back into the fold soon enough.

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While German soldiers march towards the shores of the Adriatic to take their ships to the holy land, courtly life is as turbulent as always. A series of dukes meet untimely deaths, leaving two strong candidates – neither of them Vasconia – for the throne of the Empire. The Kaiser's nannies jump at every shadow, worried that the sinister forces at work will come for them and their ward without waiting for Hugo to meet a more natural end.

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Sensing weakness in the German realm, the other great Christian Empire comes to take its own pound of flesh. The Byzantines are even mightier than Hispania, and the plot of land they want is both distant and insignificant. While the regent is loathe to leave Rome surrounded entirely by heretic Greeks, he can do nothing about it for the time being.

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The realm's soldiers have finally assembled themselves on the shore, but the murmurs of discontent at home grow louder. A coalition of powerful dukes is unhappy with the new empire and its child ruler, and have made it no secret that they intend to break away.

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The regent diverts some of the realm's war chest to silencing these murmurs. The faction's leader is named Seneschal, a position with a massive signing bonus that he is only too happy to accept. It goes without saying, of course, that a man of such esteem can never stoop to talk of treason. Meanwhile, troops make landfall in Jerusalem, though many had to stay behind due to a shortage of boats. This advance guard, made up of some of the Empire's finest, will have to hold its own until reinforcements can arrive.

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Many men fall to heat and thirst long before they cross swords with the Moslem, but at last battle is met! The glorious German army (minus a few thousand still on the ship) descends on their foes like an avalanche, forming an impenetrable shield wall against which wave after wave of mounted archers break.

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The enemy is routed all the way to Jerusalem itself. Christian morale is wavering – this has been a long war, and the enemy still holds the sacred city. It is only right that the Holy Roman Empire will breach its walls and drive out the heathen, both inspiring their allies and hopefully convincing the Pope to grant the kingdom to Hugo once it is liberated.

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Just as the Germans are about to take Jerusalem, a message arrives from home – the French, taking advantage of the Imperial army's absence, have risen up. The coffers, once capable of meeting such a betrayal with a mercenary group, have been all but exhausted bribing various dukes not to overthrow Hugo.

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As if that wasn't enough, the great successes of the Kaiser's army in Jerusalem have thrown the Sunnis into a panic. Against the Caliph's better judgment, he has allowed a powerful religious order to take up arms as an agent for hire, allegedly against infidels. With the Caliph's own army crushed repeatedly, these warrior mystics are all he can hope for if he wishes to retain the Holy Land.

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The Caliph does not wait to send these madmen against the crusaders, along with a healthy contingent of Egyptian warriors. They outnumber the Kaiser's soldiers, but the rocky terrain that surrounds Jerusalem makes for an excellent defensive advantage. Truly, the Lord always provides for his faithful.

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Glory to the Almighty! All seemed lost against the Muslim attack, but God in his wisdom brought the army of the Knights Hospitaler to help turn the tide of battle. This is not an ideal development, as the Knights compete with Hugo for the Pope's favour, and any victory of theirs diminishes the Kaiser's relative prestige. Still, a victory is a victory, and the Holy Father still believes rightly that Hugo is the driving force behind this crusade.

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The war progresses well, with many Muslim castles being captured by the crusading alliance. However, the war at home is a cruel mirror, with many Holy Roman castles sacked by French nationalists. Hispania finally caves in and promises to send aid; with their help assured, the Kaiser's army retreats from Jerusalem and heads home. Hopefully, their exploits will remain on the lips of the people long enough for the Pope to grant Jerusalem to Hugo.

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Of course, no Spaniards show up to aid against the French threat. Hugo's rattled and war-weary army lands on the shores of Normandy and comes to blows with the rebels, who are bloated on the easy spoils of their banditry.

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The fight is all but won through valiant German arms when reinforcements arrive for the rebels. Where did they all come from? Where was this force where it was needed, crusading for the glory of Christ?

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Hugo's army is crushed and disbanded. The French take many casualties, and as German stragglers try and make their way to Nassau, they pray that their weakened foe will find defeat on Spanish pikes.

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At last! The noble Spanish eagle flies north to help its sister empire against would-be French kings. It seems that they remember the nuisance that the West Franks made of themselves in the old days when the name de Vasconia did not inspire its due share of fear and admiration.

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Two letters come to Nassau bearing welcome news – both wars that have plagued the Empire are over. The Franks have been vanquished by Hispania, and Hugo has been granted the crown of Jerusalem by the Pope. Can any doubt that this empire is truly Holy, and that Hugo is destined to lead it to greatness?

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[OrcusMcP]

Jerusalem success! I wait with baited breath for the next chapter!

[Sange]

I put my name up for next.
Edit: I don't hve te needed DLCs. May I start another Succession Game?

[Flickerdart]

Jerusalem success! I wait with baited breath for the next chapter!

We're getting a little bit wrecked, I'm trying to find a positive note to end the next update on.

Speaking of Jerusalem, how do you guys want me to hand it off? Grant the Kingdom title to a kinsman right now, or wait until Hugo dies and then stay on the next Kaiser only long enough to give it away?

[Rockphed]

We're getting a little bit wrecked, I'm trying to find a positive note to end the next update on.

Speaking of Jerusalem, how do you guys want me to hand it off? Grant the Kingdom title to a kinsman right now, or wait until Hugo dies and then stay on the next Kaiser only long enough to give it away?

Surely you can give have 2 different heirs...

[Grif]

I put my name up for next.
Edit: I don't hve te needed DLCs. May I start another Succession Game?

If you want to.

@Flickerdart
Hand it over now.

[Cristo Meyers]

Edit: I don't hve te needed DLCs. May I start another Succession Game?

Go ahead, man. We don't have a monopoly or anything.

Might want to wait about a week, though. Charlemange's coming out next Tuesday and the patch'll change things. I'd be interested in maybe taking a turn or two, though.

@Flickerdart
Hand it over now.

Same here. Let's see how well they do on their own for a while. Makes things interesting when we take over.

[Flickerdart]

Alright, I'll put up an update and some interesting candidates for King of Jerusalem in a bit, and let you guys pick a favourite. Sadly, the uncle/heir that wanted to murder me has died (and it wasn't even my fault), so we can't make his dream of independence come true.

Also, whoever left all the kingdoms on Gavelkind, I shake my fist in your general direction. The last thing Hugo needed was "outraged by succession law change" maluses.

[Grif]

Alright, I'll put up an update and some interesting candidates for King of Jerusalem in a bit, and let you guys pick a favourite. Sadly, the uncle/heir that wanted to murder me has died (and it wasn't even my fault), so we can't make his dream of independence come true.

Also, whoever left all the kingdoms on Gavelkind, I shake my fist in your general direction. The last thing Hugo needed was "outraged by succession law change" maluses.

Huh. I was pretty sure it was all on primogeniture. Oh wait, maybe I didn't live long enough for it to matter anyway. (Can't change law before 10 years of rule after all.)

[Sange]

So? Who shal be the King of Jerusalem?

[Grif]

So? Who shal be the King of Jerusalem?

A very pertinent question. *pokes Flickerdart*

[OrcusMcP]

Yes, we need more succession!

Also, we will need to know if the save is compatible with the new patch or if we need to revert to an older one.

[Sange]

*pokes Flickerdart some more*
Grif, you need to update the ruler list.