Wahh you could have vassalized Argyll and Lothian before ending the war with Scotland. =\
Song of Eire :: a Dublin AAR
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Apologies for missing the weekly update - I'm kindda busy these few days... will get back to writing soon.
I think the peace terms were reasonable. I've had it in for CK that it can easily become either too easy or too difficult as it comes to getting claims or grabbing land. As it pbly is even if the Scottish king dropped his claims to Irish conquests, his heirs or vassals still hold such claims; don't they?
Understandable. RL has its demands.
Understandable. RL has its demands.
I, for one, am glad you missed a week - I had fallen behind, but with that extra week I'm all caught up. Good war against the Scots - shame the king died, though. 53 and dying of old age? Oh, twelfth century medicine...
03.05 Interlude
The wind wended through the reeds shimmering in summer light. Leaves whispered, as if in snatches of hurried conversation, disembodied. Amongst the Old Stones, a small party of horsemen shielded themselves from the gust and waited. Armed with hunting gear, the riders looked to the return of their scouts.
Their leader was a man in his middle years, flaxen hair crowning his head, left untied but well-kept to reflect his wealth and position. The man studied the weathered runes that covered the megaliths, fingers running through the deep ruts still evident despite years of wear. The stories tell of how his grandfather received his Vision to unite the island from this very spot. Idle times like these made him wonder if legend was more fact than fiction.
“So, Your Highness, I imagine that you have some plan against the Scots?”
“Hmm? What plans?” The pause was a bit too long to be convincing.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I’ll be defecting to the Scots now…” Seisyll uttered, catching the slip almost immediately. “No point wasting time. Maybe there will still be a piece of land to call my own in Albain.”
Trian sighed. Sometimes – just sometimes – he wished he hadn’t appointed advisors smart enough to wisecrack.
“Fine. Yes, we have a plan,” Trian muttered, “but one does not simply walk into Atholl.”
“We did it the last time…”
“You know what I mean; in the movements of the world, the Gaellic Wars were nothing but a petty family squabble… attempting something as drastic as to claim the crown of the Scots would be… frowned upon.”
“A squabble? But, we’re attacked! Twice!” Trian would have believed his companion’s indignance, if he didn’t know him better. Or if he didn’t know that Seisyll was born a Welshman first, and sworn Irish general second…
“And how did Eire fare in these wars, Seisyll? Lost any territories, have we?”
“…”
Trian scanned the horizon. Damned scouts. What’s taking them so long?
“If we are to prevail against the Scots once and for all, we’ll need more than the strength of arms. We need the velvet of diplomacy as well.”
“Then I guess the Scot horsemen that called on the royal keep have something to do with that?”
Trian cast a glance at his marshal. Seisyll shrugged. “In times of war, a general relies on his scouts; in times of peace, his spies.” The marshal at least had the decency to look chastised. “Sometimes.”
“Best see to it our Spymaster doesn’t know about this… he’s taken the utmost care – and pride, I might add – to keep those arrivals secret.”
“As you command, Your Highness. Feradach will not know of this.”
Trian breathed, “And no doubt that just makes it all the worse. But you are right – the riders do have a part to play.” No point keeping the plans from Seisyll now. “You may have heard – Robert has been taking out his frustration from the past failures in the battlefield on his liegemen. Annexing territories he had little claim to, enlarging his demesne at the expense of other houses.”
“Aye, a dark deed, that.”
The real reason both knew, of course – Robert’s demesne has become so bloated that he could take on the Irish forces alone if need be, without the support of his vassals. Faced with dwindling commitment for his war against Eire, the Scottish King now prepares to fight alone...
“There are those who would agree with you, Seisyll. Those in the high places of Albain, who fear they would be next on Robert’s list of... acquisitions.”
“Those who will send messengers to Robert’s enemies in Dublin, perhaps?”
The High King smiled. “Indeed. Alone, we won’t convince Roma that the invasion of Albain is just. But with the agreement of the lords of that land itself, we may yet have a chance.”
“Well, it seems that I will have to put off packing for another court for some time yet.” The welsh general nodded to the path ahead – a thin thread of dust on the road suggested that the scouts have returned.
It’s about time. “Your loyalty is appreciated, Seisyll of Cynfyn. Keep with me and I will yet see you rewarded.” Trian smiled. Seisyll for all his cunning is a man of simple needs.
“How do you know the riders were Scots anyway?”
The marshal returned a wry smile to his King, “I don’t, but I thank your Highness for telling me anyway.”
The wind wended through the reeds shimmering in summer light. Leaves whispered, as if in snatches of hurried conversation, disembodied. Amongst the Old Stones, a small party of horsemen shielded themselves from the gust and waited. Armed with hunting gear, the riders looked to the return of their scouts.
Their leader was a man in his middle years, flaxen hair crowning his head, left untied but well-kept to reflect his wealth and position. The man studied the weathered runes that covered the megaliths, fingers running through the deep ruts still evident despite years of wear. The stories tell of how his grandfather received his Vision to unite the island from this very spot. Idle times like these made him wonder if legend was more fact than fiction.
“So, Your Highness, I imagine that you have some plan against the Scots?”
“Hmm? What plans?” The pause was a bit too long to be convincing.
“Well, if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness, I’ll be defecting to the Scots now…” Seisyll uttered, catching the slip almost immediately. “No point wasting time. Maybe there will still be a piece of land to call my own in Albain.”
Trian sighed. Sometimes – just sometimes – he wished he hadn’t appointed advisors smart enough to wisecrack.
“Fine. Yes, we have a plan,” Trian muttered, “but one does not simply walk into Atholl.”
“We did it the last time…”
“You know what I mean; in the movements of the world, the Gaellic Wars were nothing but a petty family squabble… attempting something as drastic as to claim the crown of the Scots would be… frowned upon.”
“A squabble? But, we’re attacked! Twice!” Trian would have believed his companion’s indignance, if he didn’t know him better. Or if he didn’t know that Seisyll was born a Welshman first, and sworn Irish general second…
“And how did Eire fare in these wars, Seisyll? Lost any territories, have we?”
“…”
Trian scanned the horizon. Damned scouts. What’s taking them so long?
“If we are to prevail against the Scots once and for all, we’ll need more than the strength of arms. We need the velvet of diplomacy as well.”
“Then I guess the Scot horsemen that called on the royal keep have something to do with that?”
Trian cast a glance at his marshal. Seisyll shrugged. “In times of war, a general relies on his scouts; in times of peace, his spies.” The marshal at least had the decency to look chastised. “Sometimes.”
“Best see to it our Spymaster doesn’t know about this… he’s taken the utmost care – and pride, I might add – to keep those arrivals secret.”
“As you command, Your Highness. Feradach will not know of this.”
Trian breathed, “And no doubt that just makes it all the worse. But you are right – the riders do have a part to play.” No point keeping the plans from Seisyll now. “You may have heard – Robert has been taking out his frustration from the past failures in the battlefield on his liegemen. Annexing territories he had little claim to, enlarging his demesne at the expense of other houses.”
“Aye, a dark deed, that.”
The real reason both knew, of course – Robert’s demesne has become so bloated that he could take on the Irish forces alone if need be, without the support of his vassals. Faced with dwindling commitment for his war against Eire, the Scottish King now prepares to fight alone...
“There are those who would agree with you, Seisyll. Those in the high places of Albain, who fear they would be next on Robert’s list of... acquisitions.”
“Those who will send messengers to Robert’s enemies in Dublin, perhaps?”
The High King smiled. “Indeed. Alone, we won’t convince Roma that the invasion of Albain is just. But with the agreement of the lords of that land itself, we may yet have a chance.”
“Well, it seems that I will have to put off packing for another court for some time yet.” The welsh general nodded to the path ahead – a thin thread of dust on the road suggested that the scouts have returned.
It’s about time. “Your loyalty is appreciated, Seisyll of Cynfyn. Keep with me and I will yet see you rewarded.” Trian smiled. Seisyll for all his cunning is a man of simple needs.
“How do you know the riders were Scots anyway?”
The marshal returned a wry smile to his King, “I don’t, but I thank your Highness for telling me anyway.”
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Well we're back in business. Let's start with a warm-up run with an Interlude!
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hoi2geek - To spread culture and keep a connected string of territories, I will need demesne in south England, then Nantes, then Saintonge, and then Galicia... that means attacking England and dropping by France. Not impossible, but it'll take awhile, mate...
Magmaniac - Let's just say I agreed to the peace deal a bit too hastily... and also because I was taking the role of Trian, who's Forgiving. If it's any comfort I reloaded to continue the war, and it dragged a good 2 years more and Eire went into horrible debt after that... and England invaded quickly after that. I'm not very happy with the peace deal, but I'm contented to focus on strengthening the kingdom first.
gabor - I'm checking the save file and it seems the children don't hold the claims. Robert still has some claims on Eire though (must have annotated wrongly)
Serek000 - I think given the stress Donnchad was under throughout his reign, 53's pretty good. I mean, ulcers and what not...
Well we're back in business. Let's start with a warm-up run with an Interlude!
-
hoi2geek - To spread culture and keep a connected string of territories, I will need demesne in south England, then Nantes, then Saintonge, and then Galicia... that means attacking England and dropping by France. Not impossible, but it'll take awhile, mate...
Magmaniac - Let's just say I agreed to the peace deal a bit too hastily... and also because I was taking the role of Trian, who's Forgiving. If it's any comfort I reloaded to continue the war, and it dragged a good 2 years more and Eire went into horrible debt after that... and England invaded quickly after that. I'm not very happy with the peace deal, but I'm contented to focus on strengthening the kingdom first.
gabor - I'm checking the save file and it seems the children don't hold the claims. Robert still has some claims on Eire though (must have annotated wrongly)
Serek000 - I think given the stress Donnchad was under throughout his reign, 53's pretty good. I mean, ulcers and what not...
One of things your interlude made me think is that the game could do with more interaction between characters, but how this can be achieved? when you fully control not only one character (your ruler) but also your whole court...
Sorry for the long slience... PC problems... I'm in the midst of rebuilding it. (Mainboard's crashing randomly, so I've been on a mad dash to backup everything)
The good news is that all the CK savegames and screenshots are intact and I'll start the updates again once I get everything in order...
The good news is that all the CK savegames and screenshots are intact and I'll start the updates again once I get everything in order...
Feedback
gabor - I actually think these little relationships writers can build up in their AAR are possible because the game left a lot to our interpretation. I think having more titles/positions in court would help, though it may complicate the game too much. A good way to track a character's relationship to the family would be good too... right now we need to do some tracing to remind us who this person or other is in court. CK2 seems to be addressing these, so I'm keen to see what the end product would be.
mGraham - Welcome and thanks! Hopefully I'll keep a constant pace again.
Zzzzz... - As much as I want to do that I'm worried I'll lose momentum with all these pauses... gotta keep at it... committed to finish this AAR!
And now with a brand new Sandy Bridge powering the game, Avante!
N.B. You may also note that I'd updated the Interlude, more to beef up the writing a bit as it was posted without (IMO) enough review.
gabor - I actually think these little relationships writers can build up in their AAR are possible because the game left a lot to our interpretation. I think having more titles/positions in court would help, though it may complicate the game too much. A good way to track a character's relationship to the family would be good too... right now we need to do some tracing to remind us who this person or other is in court. CK2 seems to be addressing these, so I'm keen to see what the end product would be.
mGraham - Welcome and thanks! Hopefully I'll keep a constant pace again.
Zzzzz... -
As much as I want to do that I'm worried I'll lose momentum with all these pauses... gotta keep at it... committed to finish this AAR! And now with a brand new Sandy Bridge powering the game, Avante!N.B. You may also note that I'd updated the Interlude, more to beef up the writing a bit as it was posted without (IMO) enough review.
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03.06 :: The Habit of War
The High King’s decision for a quick peace would remain a contentious issue, and historians would debate over the implications of the peace treaty for generations to come- critics cited Trian’s inability to make the most out of the war, while defenders pointed to the weak economy of Eire being unable to support a long, drawn out campaign.
Regardless of the actual circumstances surrounding the end of the war, in Laigin, at least, the clement High King celebrated the newly forged peace by consecrating the new Small Castle in Laigin.
Behind the festivities of the founding of a proper castle in his ancestral home, the chief worry on the High King’s mind was that his kingdom was broke.
And peace by the borders often spell conflict elsewhere within, for trouble soon came to courtin the form of scandal. When children from an orphanage set up by the Queen went missing, rumours were quick to accuse the Queen of witchcraft and child sacrifices. The High King was greatly disturbed by these accusations for there was genuine love between them, and Trian was wont to see his court lose a talented advisor. He held a fair trial to settle the matter – and successfully cleared her name beyond a sliver of doubt. Sadly, investigations did not reveal who was responsible for the missing children.
Abroad, France declared war on Suenik. The High King was invited to join his ally, but he saw no reason to indulge in attacking a beleaguered domain so far away (especially with the coffers still recovering).
In winter, news arrived from the Monastery that Cormac’s health continued in a downward spiral.
1127
Spring saw the Crown Prince Lugaid coming of age, taking after his father in his life focus. Lugaid was the only son to the High King, and assumed a position of responsibility early as the kingdom’s bishop, much as his father was in his own time.
Trian immediately arranged for a marriage for his son and future heir, and found the ideal bride in Fionghulla, an Irish-minded daughter of the Duke of Albany. The High King thought that stronger ties with the kingdom of Scotland would perhaps heal the wounds between the two kingdoms; or at least help him find allies within his rival’s court…
However, the realities in Scotland was that King Robert was already on a mad quest to seize titles in a bid to bolster his forces. The Duke of Albany had lost much of his holdings as the result of this; and the Duchy of Moray was already annexed completely into the royal house of Dunkeld. The remaining dukes in Scotland fretted over their own fate, and eventually looked to Eire as a balancing force.
Even as the High King entertained these secret messengers to his court, Trian’s own realm was not without problems. In Laigin, the peasants revolted to the surprise to everyone in court, as the High King had the support of many of the subjects. The revolt was nonetheless brutally crushed by the local garrison.
There was also rebellion in the winter of the same year, as Count of Mayo rebelled against the Duke of Connacht. The King duly supported his duke in the conflict, for Connacht had been a peaceful and loyal region of the kingdom throughout the troubles of the Gaelic Wars.
1128
With a cleric king on the throne, the ways of the land slowly change to reflect the gradual increase in clergy power.
The start of the year also saw Trian’s daughter rising to maturity. Princess Siobhan was a natural at court intrigue, and her king father was pleased to appoint her as the new Spymaster.
With the coffers finally recovered to a semblance of health, Trian renewed his focus on infrastructure within the kingdom – a civilian harbor was built in Gwynedd to encourage Irish settlement of the royal enclaves across the Irish Sea.
Trian’s supportive attitude with the church also saw some returns as stability improved with the church’s reciprocal support for the High king.
In court, Adele, the High King's sister-in-law (Trian’s brother, Feradach’s, wife), was found dead on a cold morning. Common belief was that the Frankish princess dismayed at not gifting her husband with a son. Further rumours whispered that her inability to bear a son had cost Feradach the throne - rumours that were strictly dismissed by official accounts, but often hinted at in the manuscripts from Donnchad’s later years.
Regardless of such speculations, Trian’s own ability to return the kingdom to stability firmly emplaced him in Eire’s history.
Stability does not make Eire immune to disaster, however, as fire struck the Fishery in Cumberland.
1129
In the spring of 1129, France declared war on rogue Sens. The High King supported his ally again against the rebels, but send no troops to the mainland.
By now the kingdom was truly recovered from the ruinous periods of Donnchad’s rule. Trian felt that Eire was ready for new challenges, and the events of the world would provided a ripe opportunity.
The despotic reign of King Robert had come to a head. A dark fate befell the Angus family (which had martial ties to Crown Prince Lugaid), which was dispossessed of all titles by Robert. Spies even report of how the King of Scots had secretly massacred the scions of that house, leaving no challenger to the King’s claims on the territory. All titles in Scotland are now in the hands of House Dunkeld.
King Robert’s actions were reprehensible, and even the Scottish King’s own house members who ruled Strathclyde and Lothian were fearful of losing territories, for King Robert was noted to have many sons. The incident with the house of Angus would become the catalyst.
Trian believed that a strong response is necessary. Years entertaining messengers from the peerage in Scotland provided the support needed to petition the pope against the despotic House Dunkeld, rulers of the Christian realm of Scotland.
As a sign of renewed tensions between the two kingdoms, the High King claimed ownership of Scot-held Strathclyde.
The High King’s decision for a quick peace would remain a contentious issue, and historians would debate over the implications of the peace treaty for generations to come- critics cited Trian’s inability to make the most out of the war, while defenders pointed to the weak economy of Eire being unable to support a long, drawn out campaign.
Regardless of the actual circumstances surrounding the end of the war, in Laigin, at least, the clement High King celebrated the newly forged peace by consecrating the new Small Castle in Laigin.
1127
1128
1129
The despotic reign of King Robert had come to a head. A dark fate befell the Angus family (which had martial ties to Crown Prince Lugaid), which was dispossessed of all titles by Robert. Spies even report of how the King of Scots had secretly massacred the scions of that house, leaving no challenger to the King’s claims on the territory. All titles in Scotland are now in the hands of House Dunkeld.
King Robert’s actions were reprehensible, and even the Scottish King’s own house members who ruled Strathclyde and Lothian were fearful of losing territories, for King Robert was noted to have many sons. The incident with the house of Angus would become the catalyst.
Trian believed that a strong response is necessary. Years entertaining messengers from the peerage in Scotland provided the support needed to petition the pope against the despotic House Dunkeld, rulers of the Christian realm of Scotland.
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Woo, an update! Take the battle to those dirty scots!
I feel a little awkward saying that as someone who has a good deal of scot blood but so be it.
I feel a little awkward saying that as someone who has a good deal of scot blood but so be it.
03.07 :: Lowland March
In the summer of 1129, Lugaid’s first son was born in Dublin, securing future succession.
Even as Eire’s emissaries eloquently argued her case to the pontiff in Roma, plans were under way to bolster the defenses for an impending war with Scotland. The High King commissioned the construction of a small castle in Carrick – the land having seen enough battle in the two Gaelic Wars to justify better defenses.
1130
Trian continued to foster relations with the Scottish nobles during this period. A marriage was arranged between his nephew Aengus (son of the tragic Prince-Marshal Mathgamain) and a minor daughter of Duke William of Lothain, Gormflaeth.
The High King had previously promised his father to grant Aengus the lordship of Cumberland, which borders the Duke’s realm of Berwick. If all went according to plan, young Aengus would find himself a neighbour to his father-in-law.
Months of waiting finally bore fruit as Eire’s emissaries to Roma returned to Dublin with the Pope’s blessings to intervene in Scotland. The blessing came with unexpected barbs, however – the pontiff had required that Eire take action against Scotland together with her ally, France.
Yet the pope had spoken, and it is the duty of the High King to follow. Plans were quickly drafted to safekeep the Scottish vassals from Robert’s annexation by establishing Irish control of the Lowlands and the Hebrides. French presence in the theatre would be inevitable, but also out of the control of the Irish.
Concluding that he could only achieve the aims of the war and form a quick peace to give Robert any chance against the French when they eventually land at their foothold in Lothian, levies from Wales set sail for Carrick in advance of the declaration of war...
A contingent from Mann was also sent. This would be the first time that Mann liegemen were deployed in the Gaelic wars outside of their island.
With their bases covered by the Welsh and Mann reinforcements enroute, the full muster of Galloway marched confidently for Lothian.
A week later, war was declared on the Duke of Lothian, and Strathclyde (having an alliance treaty with Lothian) came to Duke William’s defense. Predictably, King Robert of the Scots also declared to defend his vassals.
A week after the declaration, Trian’s own contingent – made up of levies from within Ireland proper – gathered in Ulaid for the crossing into Carrick.
By the end of Autumn, the levies from Galloway engaged the Lothinians at Berwick. As conspired, Duke William put up a meager defense of his realm before eventually also surrendering his castle.
By October the High King’s commanders were in control of Lothian-Berwick, solidifying the Irish grasp of Lowlander Scotland.
Meanwhile, levies from Mann landed to attack the Scots as they were attempting to siege the fort in Carrick.
Though outnumbered, the punitive Mann forces were soon joined by the levies returning victorious from the front at Lothian-Berwick. The tide of war is not so easily turned, however, as Robert’s main force had also entered the fray.
Just as the Irish despaired at being outnumbered again by the Scots, Crown Prince Lugaid led a brave sortie against the highlanders that held the spirits of his men until reinforcements arrived...
And by the end of November, the long drawn out defense for Carrick was finally relieved as Trian finally landed with the main force of Irishmen.
The defense of Carrick was costly for both sides. Eire lost more men, but in the Irish prevailed and Robert was in retreat.
With the lowlands firmly under control, the only direction forward is north. At the threshold of Strathclyde, an intercepting force led by the Duke of Argyll – also in secret communication with Trian – turned away to allow the Irish access into the Hebrides proper.
Meanwhile, the levies from Gwynedd finally approached Carrick. Commander Cadell had missed the defense of Carrick, and now moved to reinforce Trian’s main force marching on the Hebrides.
In the midst of bloody war, Gofraid Trian’s second grandson was born.
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Here's the map for the campaign thus far...
1130
The High King had previously promised his father to grant Aengus the lordship of Cumberland, which borders the Duke’s realm of Berwick. If all went according to plan, young Aengus would find himself a neighbour to his father-in-law.
Yet the pope had spoken, and it is the duty of the High King to follow. Plans were quickly drafted to safekeep the Scottish vassals from Robert’s annexation by establishing Irish control of the Lowlands and the Hebrides. French presence in the theatre would be inevitable, but also out of the control of the Irish.
Concluding that he could only achieve the aims of the war and form a quick peace to give Robert any chance against the French when they eventually land at their foothold in Lothian, levies from Wales set sail for Carrick in advance of the declaration of war...
Meanwhile, the levies from Gwynedd finally approached Carrick. Commander Cadell had missed the defense of Carrick, and now moved to reinforce Trian’s main force marching on the Hebrides.
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Here's the map for the campaign thus far...
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BTW it takes thousands of prestige to seize the King of Scotland title. Short of excommunication, we don't have nearly enough to do this...
Zzzzz... - We aim to take the Lowlands and the Hebrides... that's all that's left of Robert's vassals, sadly. I'm pulling in about 50 pounds a month.
Magmaniac - Well the Irish and the Scots share much. (not that there's and Irish blood in mine...) This isn't the first time the Dunkelds seized everything from their vassals... seem to happen in almost every game. Shame about the Angus family though - I was hoping they'll end up in Dublin so we can champion their 'restoration' but nobody did.
BTW it takes thousands of prestige to seize the King of Scotland title. Short of excommunication, we don't have nearly enough to do this...
Zzzzz... - We aim to take the Lowlands and the Hebrides... that's all that's left of Robert's vassals, sadly. I'm pulling in about 50 pounds a month.
Magmaniac -
Well the Irish and the Scots share much. (not that there's and Irish blood in mine...) This isn't the first time the Dunkelds seized everything from their vassals... seem to happen in almost every game. Shame about the Angus family though - I was hoping they'll end up in Dublin so we can champion their 'restoration' but nobody did.
Seems this war is easier to wage, now that the enemy has been weakened before.
The heir is very promising too. You got lucky with the 'black magic accusations' event, would be such a waste to lose such a competent steward, I mean wife
The heir is very promising too. You got lucky with the 'black magic accusations' event, would be such a waste to lose such a competent steward, I mean wife
This has been a very interesting read so far. I'm envious of your ability to write good characters. :3
By the way, how far ahead of the posted updates are you actually in the game itself? Certain interludes seem to "predict" many of the elements of each kings reign and all, so I'm curious.
In semi-related news, I've been listening to Brian Boru's March while reading the Song of Eire, and they sometimes seem to complement each other quite nicely. XD
By the way, how far ahead of the posted updates are you actually in the game itself? Certain interludes seem to "predict" many of the elements of each kings reign and all, so I'm curious.
In semi-related news, I've been listening to Brian Boru's March while reading the Song of Eire, and they sometimes seem to complement each other quite nicely. XD