The session of 20101113 was an eventful and stable one. Well, the session as a whole was stable - even if I dropped out for a long time and the realms of others weren't neccessarily stable, either.
Again, I present you with The State of the World According to Andalusian Historiographers, In Order of Somewhat Objective Power Level as Measured by Manpower.
So, how did things go with...
All the Russias (manpower around 550k, including Finland's), played by Von Rundstedt.
God-King or no, Russia is still the king of the hill, and this session that was underlined by the Mongol Invasion. Well, more like the Mongol Nuisance, as Golle's and Runny's posts show, their threat was short-lived indeed. All the Russias quashed the poor horsemen immediately and mercilessly. Personally, I wouldn't have minded horsemen running amok in the far eastern reaches of the game board. I am, after all, in the extreme west and there are no barbarian invasions from the Atlantic.
Germany / Western Roman Empire, played by Jakalo, formerly by Fasquardon.
(manpower around 380k)
Jakalo was the big winner of this session, by dint of conquering the boot of Italy from King of Men. How that was possible will be elucidated at King of Men's entry, way below. German and French armies stormed down the boot and carried all before them, the hapless Eastern Emperor having no choice but to accede to German demands. Rome is once again in the hands of the Catholic infidels.
Germany is now a major power once again. He owns the game's biggest concentration of rich provinces in Northern Italy and has a decent, but not brilliant, king - the manpower number given here will only rise as he leaves warring behind and gets a better king.
Let us hope he doesn't overstretch his bounds - it is time for peace in Western Europe.
Denmark (manpower around 360k), played by Michael.
Denmark becomes Great Power #3 by virtue of non-collapse. Whereas most other large realms save Jakalo's were beset by misfortune of some kind, the Danish realm was quiet and the Knautschling emperor inactive, save for bravely nicking Danzig off the Poles, who are still lodged in civil war (thuogh I believe it will be exchanged for some province in Bohemia). Silliness aside, Denmark is looking good and can afford to consolidate a bit.
The Fatimid Caliphate / Egypt (manpower around 330k), played by FrozenWall.
The Fatimids drop in the pecking order, as the long-lived Calipha dies and is replacved by his son, who has trouble keeping the realm together. Unfortunately for Frosty, he was absent for the first part of the session. Small comfort for him was that he was ghosted - that is, OrangeYoshi kindly logged in as Fatimids on his laptop so the realm wasn't wrecked by the AI. Everyone agreed, since the AI is only likely to expend oodles of prestige in accruing useless claims (and the accompanying badboy) and Jihad'ing people who are not exactly keen on being Jihad'ed by an AI with little capacity for reason and limitless coffers (and in Frosty's case, significant manpower levels, too), so everyone was happy with the ghosting.
In the end, Frosty showed up anyway, somewhat mitigating the disaster of the bungled succession. The Caliphate will rise again, that much is certain.
Take care that the manpower level is misleading, as Egypt is currently at war with the (AI-played) Eastern Roman Empire and has been rather busy subduing breakaway vassals.
Persia, played by Foelsgård.
(manpower around 280k)
Peace brings rewards, but so do collapsing neighbours. Foels is playing a dangerous game: while things are going badly for the Fatimids, the Persians can't help vassalising breakaway Fatimids. A dangerous proposition, to be sure: when the Fatimids are back at normal strength, this can only be detrimental to stability.
Bavaria, played by Fivoin.
(manpower around 250k)
There is a new Goldstrand on the throne, and this one is not as awesome as his predecessor, unfortunately for Fivoin. As a result, he has been keeping rather quiet - one wonders what adventures the Goldstrands are planning!
Loire / Neustria / Normandy (manpower around 230k), played by Carillon.
Loire has helped the Western Empire regain Italy.
Al-Andalus / Asturias (manpower around 125k), played by me.
I am now officially biggest of the small fry. Yay, go me.
Croatia, played by OrangeYoshi.
(manpower around 100k)
Croatia's ordeal is far from over: they may have captured Byzantion, the richest province in the game, but their Catholic God-King is excommunicated and in Realm Duress.
Finland (manpower around 45k), played by Golle.
Golle is not the only Duke any more - indeed, in some ways, his situation can be considered superior to that of the Komnenids.
Poland, played by Ike.
(manpower around 30k)
Poland is still struggling for stability, and manages to have even less manpower than Finland. Undoubtedly, though, Poland will rise again.
Charsianon (manpower around 24k), formerly Bulgaria / Eastern Roman Empire, played by King of Men.
Lo and behold, the dangers of assassins coupled with elective law! The desire for a God-King is a powerful thing, and there is little doubt in anyone's mind that King of Men succumbed to this desire. To get his desired dynasty member on the throne, he switched to elective law. Unfortunately for him, he did not unload quite enough titles on his chosen heir, and at a certain point a rival duke was first in line of succession, not a Komnenid, but Thomas Palaiologos, an elderly, chaste prodigy. Of course, this was the precise moment the Emperor chose to croak. KoM was relegated to playing the duchy he had selected as successor. In the mean time, the vultures descended, and through the smoke which has still not cleared we can see the following wreckage:
* Italy in the hands of the Western Empire;
* The elderly, non-Komnenid Emperor still going strong at 70 years of age;
* Byzantion under a Croatian flag;
* The Mediterranean islands under Fatimid rule;
* Most of Greece divided among foreign powers.
Indeed, this session has been disastrous for the Eastern Empire.
What will the next session bring us? Stay tuned for the next exciting episode of Children of the Fatherland!
[AAR reward: making my wife pregnant]