When Charlemagne died in 814 A.D. his son, Louis, took the throne. His reign oversaw three civil wars, and in the end the Carolingian empire was split into West Francia, Middle Francia and East Francia at the treaty of Verdun in 843 by his surviving sons. Lothair, the oldest, received the central portion of the empire that consisted of the low countries, Lorraine, Alsace, Burgundy, Provence and Italy as well as the title Hole Roman Emperor; Louis received the lands east of Lothair’s, the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire and Charles received the Western part, what later became France.
In 844 Lothair retired Italy to his eldest son Louis II, making him co-emperor.In 855 Lothair died, and so his kingdom was split. Louis II kept the part he already had, the old kingdom of Burgundy was given to his son Charles, and the remaining lands were given to his youngest son, Lothair II, and in his wake the territory was called Lotharii Regnum; Lotharingia.
Lothair II’s period as regent was marked by wars with brothers, cousins and uncles, and when he died in 869 without legitimate heirs Lotharingia was divided between his uncles Charles and Louis. The kingdom lasted for only fourteen years.
But from beyond the grave Lothair II’s ghost is still walking his old lands, in the form of an idea – an ideal! – born in the mind of a duke since long written off as incompetent and repulsive due to his disfigured body. With Godfried d’Ardennes, the start of the Lotharingian Quest, the quest for Lothair’s old kingdom’s freedom, would begin.
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In 844 Lothair retired Italy to his eldest son Louis II, making him co-emperor.In 855 Lothair died, and so his kingdom was split. Louis II kept the part he already had, the old kingdom of Burgundy was given to his son Charles, and the remaining lands were given to his youngest son, Lothair II, and in his wake the territory was called Lotharii Regnum; Lotharingia.
Lothair II’s period as regent was marked by wars with brothers, cousins and uncles, and when he died in 869 without legitimate heirs Lotharingia was divided between his uncles Charles and Louis. The kingdom lasted for only fourteen years.
But from beyond the grave Lothair II’s ghost is still walking his old lands, in the form of an idea – an ideal! – born in the mind of a duke since long written off as incompetent and repulsive due to his disfigured body. With Godfried d’Ardennes, the start of the Lotharingian Quest, the quest for Lothair’s old kingdom’s freedom, would begin.
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Favourite Crusader Kings Narrative, 2008 Q2
I started this mainly as a side-project to my other AAR, A Golden Lion Rampant Queue-Fourché, to get some more practice in strict narrative-writing; I wanted to keep on switching styles with the other one. Now, just a few weeks after I got going with Lotharingia, the other one died due to that I dropped interest. So from now on, until next project, this is what I am focusing on. I know I've been absent for a while, and I sincerely apologise and hope that I have not scared away all readers yet. If so, I'll try to win you back.
The game will start out with Godfried, Duke of Lower Lorraine -- peculiarly situated north of Upper Lorraine -- and will then, hopefully, continue with his bloodline into the creation of the Kingdom of Lotharingia.
Comments and criticism are of course always wanted, and the more of them, the faster the updates will come. Before starting, I also want to pay tribute to crusaderknight, whose AAR The Morea, A Palaeologid AAR has inspired me to start this project, and to Alfred Packer for his ever so eminent The Adventures of the Crovan Clan.
Also, as of the 24th of March 2008 A.D. I can mention that a good friend of mine, name of Meng will help me with this little project by making some illustrations! These will mainly be of characters, although occasionally there might pop up an easter egg. This far, they have been published in Chapter I.
And so now, without further ado, the story starts. I sincerely hope you will enjoy it.
Godfried d'Ardennes
1045 -
Duke of Lower Lorraine 1066 - 1092
Chapter I - Chapter II - Chapter III - Chapter IV - Chapter V - Chapter VI - Chapter VII - Chapter VIII Chapter IX - Chapter X - Chapter XI - Chapter XII - Chapter XIII - Chapter XIV - Chapter XV
Chapter XVI - Chapter XVII - Chapter XVIII - Chapter XIX - Chapter XX - Chapter XXI
Dietrich de Lorraine
1055 -
Duke of Upper Lorraine 1091 -
Duke of Lower Lorraine 1092 -
Chapter XXII - Chapter XXIII - Chapter XXIV - Chapter XXV
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