Crusader Kings II: The King in Dublin

[Hood]

September 15th, 1066. The world looks something like this.



I am Hood, Lord of Dublin, proprietor of the speck of land outlined in yellow on the eastern coast of Ireland. You, dear readers, are my rivals. You are my Anglo-Saxon neighbors in England, the Moorish infidel emirs on the Iberian Peninsula, the squabbling dukes of the Holy Roman Empire, those goddamned Norwegians, and so on and so forth. Choose your empire wisely, spammers, and I shall track your kingdom's progress as it grows or declines. Personally, my recommendation would be to take one of the more relevant domains, those of the Irish petty kings and counts as shown below. You will be featured prominently over the course of this tragic tale as I carve out a kingdom on this wretched island. Keep in mind, of course, that in the Irish game of thrones you may win or die, but you'll always suffer the misfortune of being Irish.



For those of you who want to be something other than an Irish lord, I commend you on your good taste and assure you that I would be happy to tell you which territories belong to which states if the writing is too small. Either way, "post" your choice in this "thread." I will keep this post updated with the roster.

Roster

• England - The Nexerus


• Denmark - Vortex


• Scotland - Richard III


• Gwynedd - Gowi

[The Nexerus]

King of England. Which would make me William the Conqueror, I believe?

[Vortex]

Gotta go Denmark!

[Hood]

The Nexerus said
King of England. Which would make me William the Conqueror, I believe?

Indeed.

Vortex said
Gotta go Denmark!

Done.

[Richard_III]

Scotland.

[Hood]

Richard_III said
Scotland.

You have been added.

[Hood]

Year One
September 15, 1066 - September 15, 1067

Let the games begin. We are currently following the County of Dublin (Hood), the Kingdom of Denmark (Vortex), the Kingdom of England (The Nexerus), and the Kingdom of Scotland (Richard III), most of which provided compelling entertainment over the course of '66-'67. Scotland was a huge letdown, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You could be England, and that would be terrible.

The County of Dublin
It's been a good year for Dublin. My dear father, the Earl of Laigin, passed away on October 24, 1066. I inherited the county of Laigin and became earl of both counties, moving me up in the world with footholds in the de jure duchies of both Mide and Leinster. With two provinces, Dublin is now on the same level as the petty kings of Mumu and Connacht, and as soon as I can get around to fabricating some claims on my neighboring territories the expansion will begin. Unfortunately, our chancellor, Aedh Ua Flaithbertaigh, who we'll simply call the Chancellor from now on, is less than stellar at his job. In fact, he's kind of terrible at it. It might be a long time before we get around to taking over other territories.

More excitingly, I found a wife for my heir, and what a gal she is.



Sigrid Svendatter, the nubile, eighteen year old Princess of Denmark, was in the market for a husband, and upon hearing that the lass had a penchant for the dick (the Lustful trait) I signed my son up for a wedding. Being a legitimized bastard and evidence of the Danes' natural inclination for sexual deviancy, her father, King Svend II, was happy to marry her off to an Irish earl apparent, and young Sigrid arrived by boat with a chest full of gold in the way of a dowry. Excellent all around. I'll put the proceeds toward bribing a better diplomat to come over to Dublin.

Denmark
As discussed, King Svend II married his daughter off to my son. Additionally, he involved himself in one of the first wars of the era, invading the independent county of Liubice by way of a de jure claim on Holstein. Liubice, as shown below, is a small territory southeast of Denmark, and didn't stand much of a chance against their larger northern neighbors. There's no kill like overkill, however, and King Svend II flexed the might of what analysts have come to call "the Scandinavian Block." Upon declaring war, King Svend II called his allies in Sweden and Norway into the war, and both countries responded accordingly. The result was a devastating victory for the Scandinavian Block, and the Lubeckers were forced to capitulate after only seven months of war.




Scotland
Reports show King Malcolm III to be a fair and just ruler, and his lands were quiet for the duration of the year.

England
King Harold II of England was at war for the entirety of the year, fighting off both the Norwegian invaders led by King Harald Hardrade and the Norman invaders led by Duke William the Bastard of Normandy. While King Harold II managed to drive Harald Hardrade and his armies back to sea, William the Bastard proved a tougher nut to crack, and as September 15, 1067 arrived and the year ended King Harold, the English army, and his Welsh allies were fighting a losing battle against William the Bastard's forces on the fields of Oxford. It seems only a matter of time before King Harold II is sacked and replaced by William the Bastard, who stands to claim England for himself.



Lesser News from Elsewhere in the World

The Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Sultanate traded blows along their borders, the Iberian Peninsula is a battleground dominated by roving armies of Moors and Catholics, and the Holy Roman Empire and the Kingdom of France go to war as House Salian of the H.R.E. presses a claim on the county of Gent.



Next Time on Crusader Kings II: The King in Dublin
More attention will be paid to genealogy, marriages, politics, and more. Feel free to ask any questions or claim any unclaimed factions and lordships.

[Gowi]

You can throw me in with Powys/Gwynedd, since Wales always gets conquered and things so could be neat to see how you do this. Though I was tempted to pick the ole fatherland Poland.

[Hood]

Gowi said
You can throw me in with Powys/Gwynedd, since Wales always gets conquered and things so could be neat to see how you do this. Though I was tempted to pick the ole fatherland Poland.

Welcome to the game. Keep arms and legs inside the vehicle for the duration of the ride.

[Hood]

Hot DP (Double Post) action.

[Richard_III]

Hurray I've done nothing with my country much alike what i've done with my life.

[The Nexerus]

Good old William, letting the Danes and Saxons kill each other like old times.

Soz Philip I I'm a king now, kthxbi

[Hood]

And now, a special report by Godric Goddwinson of MSNBC England.

#WilliamTheConqueror Pronounced Dead
October 17, 1067

Good morning England, this is Godric Goddwinson of MSNBC England reporting live from the internet, where only a month ago #WilliamTheConqueror was trending on Twitter in the wake of King Harold II of England's defeat at the hands of the Norman invaders. The Last Alliance of English and Welshmen gave battle to William the Bastard's army for over half a month before ultimately routing in the face of the Duke of Normandy's superior numbers. Within hours of the battle's resolution the peasants took to the twittersphere, and #WilliamTheBastard became #WilliamTheConqueror. But as flu season came around, it became apparent that while the Duke could conquer the armies of England and Gwynedd, he could not overcome the deadly disease which kills tens of thousands each winter. Duke William of Normandy was pronounced dead at 7:44 this morning.

He is survived by his son, Robert, who has inherited his demesne. A regency council established to rule in the young duke's name until he comes of age has announced the end of the Norman Invasion, and has vowed that all Norman soldiers will withdraw and return home by November 5. This shocking turn of events has given King Harold II breathing room, and he and the princes of Gwynedd have turned their attention toward regrouping their forces and purging England of the Norwegian invaders under the command of Harald Hadrade, who still leads some four thousand soldiers across northern England and across the border in Scotland itself.

Again, this Godric Goddwinson of MSNBC England. Tune in next time as we delve into the Scotland Crisis, where a rebellion has erupted with the stated intention of replacing King Malcolm the Cruel with a previously unknown rival claimant.

[Richard_III]

Hood said
Tune in next time as we delve into the Scotland Crisis, where a rebellion has erupted with the stated intention of replacing King Malcolm the Cruel with a previously unknown rival claimant.

HOLY CANNOLI THINGS WENT FROM NOTHING TO WORSE SO QUICKLY

[The Nexerus]

Exciting.

[Vortex]

Pics or GTFO!

[HollywoodMole]

So is this basically a game where you observe selected countries?

[Hood]

HollywoodMole said
So is this basically a game where you observe selected countries?

Sort of. I'll be updating the style for the next update to more closely follow the themes of CKII, primarily in that instead of following a country you follow a bloodline. The Nexerus, for example, is following the Duke of Normandy. Now that William the Conqueror is dead, we'll be following him in the form of William's son, the new Duke of Normandy.

[HollywoodMole]

Hood said
Sort of. I'll be updating the style for the next update to more closely follow the themes of CKII, primarily in that instead of following a country you follow a bloodline. The Nexerus, for example, is following the Duke of Normandy. Now that William the Conqueror is dead, we'll be following him in the form of William's son, the new Duke of Normandy.

Oh, in that case could you maybe follow the bloodline of Brittany (If they haven't been eaten) for me?

[Hood]

September 15, 1067 - January 4, 1069

Roster

• Hood - Earl Murchad Ua Cheinnselaig of Dublin


• The Nexerus - Duke Robert de Normandie of Normandy


• Vortex - King Svend II Estrid of Denmark


• HollywoodMole - Petty King Konan de Rennes of Breizh


• Richard III - King Malcolm III Dunkeld of Scotland


• Gowi - King Blydden of Gwynedd

Welcome back to Crusader Kings II: The King in Dublin, which is a terrible title because the Earl in Dublin is still a very long ways away from being king in or of anything. Tonight we'll be focusing on Scotland and England as one descends into chaos and the other reaches peace. As reported by Godric Goddwinson of MSNBC England, Duke William of Normandy, called "the Conqueror" after his victory over King Harold II of England and Earl Rhiwallon of Wales, had the standing regime in Westminster by the throat before succumbing to the flu in October of 1067. This turn of events allowed the English and their Welsh allies to regroup before tackling Norwegian king Harald Hadrade once more. Meanwhile, earlier reports of King Malcolm III Dunkeld of Scotland portraying the king as a fair and just ruler were largely inaccurate, as it was revealed that the man is prone to fits of anger and is reputed to be avaricious and slothful, a toxic combination of personality traits that earned him the moniker of "the Cruel" and gave birth to open rebellion.

The Scottish Crisis

The territories of Earl Murdoch of Strathearn (Green) and King Malcolm III of Scotland (Red)

The Earl Murdoch of Strathearn's rebellion began in mid October of 1067 while Duke William de Normandie lay dying in his sickbed. Declaring his intentions of deposing King Malcolm III Dunkeld and replacing him with the hitherto unknown Prince Malsenanct, a distantly related but suitably plausible rival claimant to the throne, the rebel Murdoch rallied over three thousand soldiers to his cause and launched a lightning war against King Malcolm III. While Strathearn is but a single county, Murdoch's forces were able to swiftly cut off and destroy Malcolm's gathering levies before launching an assault on Gowie itself. By January 2, 1068, Murdoch and his army had lain siege to Gowrie while King Malcolm's battered forces regrouped in the province of Fife. While King Malcolm III found significant support from the Duke of Lothian, those two thousand soldiers were forced to tackle another foe.

In a strange twist, King Malcolm's brother and the Earl of Atholl, Malmure, declared his own revolt against the Scottish crown and called some 1600 soldiers to form a small but significant army. While Malmure's forces were destroyed by the Lothian and Scottish forces, between suppressing the new rebel and fending off an untimely arrival of Viking raiders the Lothian-Scot forces were taxed beyond hope of confronting Murdoch in battle. Gowrie fells by Christmas of 1068, after less than a year of siege. It seems that King Malcolm III's capitulation is no longer a question of if it will happen, but rather when it will happen.


Scottish forces engage Viking raiders from Vasterbotten.


Murdoch's rebel army lays siege to Gowrie while the Lothian-Scot coalition defeats Malmure in the field.

England and the Scandinavian Bloc
With the fall of William the Conqueror, King Harold II of England was nearly out of the woods of war. The Norwegian invaders had been largely dealt with, but while the King Bleddyn of Gwynedd and he allowed their armies to regroup and reinforce themselves, Harald Hadrade called in reinforcements. The Scandinavian Bloc is a web of marriages centered around Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but reaching as far as King Gudrod of Soreyar (an independent kingdom on Scotland's western coast) and the High Chief of Kiev. Any one of the three Scandinavian kingdoms can pick up their marriage-alliance batphone and call in reinforcements from across Europe, and this is precisely what Harald Hadrade did. Fortunately for England, the Bloc's response was limited to a few hundred soldiers, and the combined forces of King Harold II, the Earl Rhiwallon of Wales, and the Earl Hacon of England were able to prevent the Scandinavians from regaining any ground.


The Earl Hacon smashes the Scandinavians laying siege to Westminster.


Peace reigns in England, at long last.

On a related note, an interaction between Gowi and Vortex's houses came to pass when Asbjorn Ulfrsen, brother to King Svend II Estrid of Denmark, was captured in battle by Welsh forces and imprisoned in the dungeons beneath King Blydden of Gwynedd's castle. The war ended before the year's end, with the Scandinavian Bloc pulling out of England and leaving the island altogether. Asbjorn Ulfrsen was returned to Denmark soon after, which is well and good because another war swiftly reared its ugly head. The Scandinavian Bloc is facing its most dangerous opponent yet in the form of anarcho-heathen warlord Erik the Heathen, a Swedish rebel who has rallied the northern half of the country against its reigning king. The Scandinavian Bloc has rushed to end the civil war and suppress Erik the Heathen's rebellion, but only time will tell what becomes of Erik and his rogue kingdom.


Erik the Heathen and Northern Sweden in open revolt against their King.

Measles in Ireland
If you needed any further convincing that Ireland is a terrible place to be, here it is. An outbreak of measles has emerged, starting in the southernmost reaches of the island and slowly advancing north. The Kingdom of Mumu is taking the brunt of the infection, but it seems to be only a matter of time before the disease sweeps the entire island. We Dubliners will weather any storm. Other than this, however, nothing of note took place in Ireland.


Measles spreading across Ireland.

All Quiet on the Southern Front
The realms of King Konan de Renne of Breizh (proto-Brittany) and the young Duke Robert de Normandie were both quiet this year. The Duke of Normandie provided two thousand soldiers from the province of Rouen alone, and several thousand more for the King Philippe's Grand Army, which, it is hoped, will turn the tide of the war against the Holy Roman Empire. The H.R.E. and its armies has maintained its foothold across the border on French territory, and a ten thousand strong army of Germans and their Hungarian allies has planted its many boots in the province of Gent. Without the centralized army to defeat the forces of House Salian, it seems to be only a matter of time before the castles of Gent fall and the territory falls into German hands.


The combined forces of Hungary and the Holy Roman Empire lay siege to Gent.


The world as it stands.