NavAARra: A little kingdom modestly refusing to go down

(Space for an index)

... and thanks for the welcome .



Sancho IV Jimenez, the Restorer (1039-1089)
The red flag of desperation (or at least permanent anxiety)

(Intro) Playing the Jiménez Stakes.

• December 1066. Introducing the Grand Strategy (or, how to shock the Magpies).
• December 1066-January 1067. The launch of the Grand Strategy (or, I love it when a plan comes together. Sort of).
• 1067. Navarra on the brink (or, the year we shaved a bit too close).
• January 1068-November 1068. Marriages and consolidation (or, when you're in luck, don't leave the table).
• November 1068-February 1071. Preemptive all the way (or, please don't notice I'm attacking you).
• 1071. Settling claims (or, don't step on my brand new vassal).
• May 1071-September 1072. Faith moves mountains (or, what happens when you pray, scheme, and fail).
• September 1072-December 1073. From the pan into the fire (or, the price of avoiding the family).
• 1074. The war against the Turks (or, how did this happen again?)
• November 1074-February 1076. The War of the Two Sanchos (or, Family get-together).
• February 1076-January 1077. Nation building (or, Baby, I'm home).
• January 1077-December 1077. By right of conquest (or, The outrageous expenses of foreign travel).
• January 1078-August 1079. The controversy of the three rites, part I (or, Treason, lies, and monastic scrolls).
• August 1079-November 1080. The controversy of the three rites, part II (or, a Gordian solution to every trouble).
• November 1080-August 1081. Cautious expansion (or, the pleasures of "low-intensity war").
• August 1081- May 1082. Pirates! (or, a blue year).
• May 1082-July 1083. The Controversy of Provence (or, allies are for sissies)
• August 1083-February 1084. The Eastern Franks (or, clipping the wings of the white eagle).
• March 1084-August 1086. A kingdom consolidated (or, days of wine and weddings).
• August 1086-March 1088. Crusader wars (or, I'm on a mission from God. Or two. Or three. I think).
• March 1088-March 1089. Stormy weather and unintended diplomacy (or, nice new vassals and a sinking feeling).
• The chains of Navarra (or, the monk's story).

Luis I Jimenez
One chain to bind them all

• August 1089. Payback time (Intro).
• August 17th 1089. Given at the Royal Tent, before the walls of Infa.
• August 28, 1098. Given at the Royal Monastery of Santa María of Nájera, Rioja, by Queen Cristina.
• October 1098. Given on the road to Burgos, by King Luis.
• January 1089. Given at the Royal Palace, Burgos, by Queen Cristina.
• July 1090. On board the Royal Navarran Ship “Subjugator”, Mediterranean Sea, by King Luis.
• Year of the Hégira 482, month of Shawwal. Given in the desert of Tharasset, near Azougui, by King Ali of the al-Murabitids.
• July 1090. Given at the Royal Palace of Burgos, by Queen Cristina
• November 1090. Sent from Jaffa Castle, Outremer, by King Luis.
• June 1088. Given at the Keep of Monte Carlo, and sent to be kept by the monks of St Bernard in Schwyz, for the eldest son of King Sancho IV of Navarra, if there is any that wears a crown, by Dowager Queen doña Muña Mayor of Castilla.
• June 1091. Given at the Royal Castle of Burgos, by Queen Cristina.
• October 1091. Given at the old Ptolemaic Palace in Alexandria, on the western Terrace, by King Luis.
• October 1091-August 1092. The story of the Welshing counts (and dukes).
• September 1092. Sent by pigeon to the Royal Palace in Burgos, by secret agent Annacletus.

Sancho IV - Playing the Jimenez Stakes

Hello there, I'm Sancho Jiménez and I'll be your host tonight. Just sit around and make yourselves comfortable. No, not on that rug. It's got family history on it, and it won't wash off.



I just became king of Navarra. Which is nice, I suppose. We have two provinces, both poor (although the wine's nothing to scoff at... but most of it is at my cousin and vassal's province, not mine). And just about everyone has a right to my land. You see, grandad Sancho the Great, Sancho the Third, Rex Hispaniarum... was king of all the Christian lands around here (and "suzerain" of Gascony beyond the mountains) and then he split the kingdoms, so my cousins and I have been raised with the back to the wall. Just in case a knife-shaped accident happens and someone starts the reunification.

Ah, yes. I have to explain a bit. This "split the kingdom" ploy was an idea of my granny Muña Mayor of Castille. See, she wanted to make sure that the moorish invaders would be "pushed back to the sea and christened in it" (before drowning, you understand - ever so humane and thougthful, granny is), and that required a strong, war-like christian kingdom to do the pushing. So she got grandad to divide the kingdom and set everyone to fight for it. I think her words were "there can be only one". Ain't she sweet. Those castilian highlanders have that sense of humour.

She's living with me at the moment. Says I'm "dumb but sound", whatever that means. Won't tell me how the betting is going (yes, she'll keeping a book on the Jimenez kingdoms).



Because we're a heap, now. Muña's sons just kept splintering on general principles, and now we're all too weak to take on the moors.

So - to the west, yellow Castilla. Hostile Jimenez cousin with a great big madman as head of his army. You may have heard of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, AKA the Cid, AKA moor-slayer and general about-pusher. Further west is light-mauve León, another Jimenez cousin who enjoys plotting more than fighting, and his (light-brown) Galician duke brother who went independent to join the fun. Nearby you can see their (gray) Portuguese friends, doing their best to ignore the Jimenez squabbles. To the East, (Jimenez) blue Aragon with a claim on my throne. Beyond, the (gray) catalan duchy (we ought to be friends, with my mom a sis of their duke... but for some reason they kind of look down on me).



To the north, the sea... and France, the nearest thing to an elephant that we have in Europe these days. To the south, an assorted roomful of infidels, all of them stronger than I am.

If you think Navarra's looking like toast, we're thinking about the same lines. The question seems to be: will it be the family or the infidels?

But I have Plans. And Schemes. Oh yes. Navarra may not win the Jimenez Stakes, but I'll not be the first one to fall.

In half an hour, I'll be having my first Council meeting. All family, none too bright, but hey, at least they're brighter than me. You'll like them.



... OK, you can say it now. Yes. I have a weird haircut. I fell into a cauldron when I was a kid, and they couldn't get it off my head for days. They tried everything, including a potion granny made that ate away all the hair that stuck out. It hasn't grown again since. Everything clear now?

Let's go to the council...

And stop sniggering, will you? It's just a haircut.

Just time to paste the first real instalment (and a very merry new year to you all ).

December 1066 - Introducing the Grand Strategy (or How to shock the Magpies)

The Council files in, looking sombre. I do my best to put them at their ease. It's a bit difficult, since my chancellor, my steward and my spy master are all three called Urraca (that's Spanish for "Magpie" - go figure) Jimenez. I try a couple of word games but they don't rise to the fun. Granny's taken up a chair by the fireplace and is knitting away, trying to look like she's not listening but fooling nobody. She's brought her notebook, too.

Indeed, I have a hard time getting their attention at all. They seem more interested in deciding whether we should try to ally ourselves with Castilla or with León - both being apparently the shortest way to avoid being lunch.

Eventually, I get fed up. This is not a fit Royal Council, I tell them. This sounds more like a liquidators' meeting. And we're not done yet, I thunder.

García (he of the massive jaw) perks up a bit. The Magpies just raise an eyebrow at me, in synchronized unbelief. Granny drops her knitting.

I proceed to explain my Grand Strategy. Which will be our Grand Strategy now. I spread a great big map on the table and we all look at it.

"The key", I expound, pacing the Council chamber and tripping on my cape, "is size. We need size to be able to escape our cousins and the moors..."

One of the Magpies interrupts: "And where can we get size? We only have claims on Aragon and they're fortified to the hilt".

I try to eyeball her down. It doesn't work. So I resume pacing. Yes, we can't take Aragon yet. But in order to do it...

"As I said, we need size. We don't need claims to grab muslim lands. Our closest Muslim neighbour is Zaragoza. They are bigger than us but their provinces are separate. If we launch a surprise attack with everything we've got..."


In green, the current Kingdom of Navarra. In light brown, barred in green, the proposed expansion of the Grand Strategy. Yes. Seriously.

"They've got two provinces, and they have a nasty brute of a vassal here. If they pile in, we're done", says García, drawn in in spite of himself.

"But if they don't arrive at the same time, we'll beat their forces separately. It can be done", I say.

"Just suppose we fail...", says one Magpie. I round on her, and this time I manage to eyeball her into looking submissive. Temporarily, but hey, it's a first.

"Then we won't fail. Now get on your jobs, everyone. By the way, Urraca, I want you to find me a nice heiress somewhere. This time we're going to gather land in, not split it away."

They trundle out. When I turn to the fireplace, Granny's vanished too.

That night I snatch one of her couriers in passing, and I hear that the bets are going against Navarra. Well, I'll show them yet.

December 1066 - January 1067. The launch of the Grand Strategy (or, I love it when a plan comes together. Sort of.)

December 26th 1066. Our armies depart to Rioja, to gather with my vassal's. Sundry protests at not being able to spend the rest of the holidays with the family, which I ignore.



January 10th. I marry García the Massive Chin to a Nordic stewardess. "Ingeborg" is a mouthful, so I decide to call her "the Borg". I had planned to pry Urraca from the steward's office, but she cries and I just can't do it.



But I learn. I send Urraca (the diplomat) to the shop for some vegetables. While she's away, I substitute her with a frenchie by the name of Adelaide whom I married to Raimundo. I gather she'll do the job as told and not remind me of how silly I looked as a toddler in golden hose. Now am I a ruthless planner or what?



January 14th. The emir of Zaragoza sends a bugger to ask me for an alliance. He's probably heard everything through granny's bookies. I turn him down. He sulks and mutters moorish things.



January 26th. I call in The Borg for a meeting on research. It seems we're lagging behind the moors in every field. She suggests we research schools and siege weapons. Smart girl. About the siege weapons, I mean. You never know when you'll need a ladder.



Jan 29th. I marry Fernando to a nice Italian candidate for spymistress... There goes another Jimenez Magpie off the council. This Urraca had Definite Opinions about it, but I can be statesmanlike when I have to. The best for the realm, I say. The wheels turn, she says. Leaves me feeling strangely uneasy.





The new spymistress is off to an impressive start. She's already found me an heiress: let me introduce Agnes d'Aquitaine. Nothing much to look at, but now look at her father's provinces. Laura says we'll have to wait a year or so, since she's a minor, but we agree she's the one.



Ah yes. Almost forgot. I declared war on Zaragoza. For the record, they do have more troops than us. About a fifth more. I learn that from one of Granny's bookies.



And (ahem) I did forget to check if the Emir had any new alliances before sending the declaration. So now we're at war with Zaragoza... and with the Emir of Mallorca. See all those provinces in light brown? They're the enemy now.



Yeah. Oops, indeed. We're in the soup.

Now if you'll kindly leave me a moment, I have to talk to Granny. Apparently she's started packing or something.

@ Rivus, in the case of Sancho, it's going to become a habit...
@ Saithis, yes, luck will have to play a part indeed .
@ Kurt, thanks .

@ all, a very merry new year to you all. Having so many small children about the house makes for very little partying... and having already sketched several chapters ahead makes for the next update being already in the works.

@Doctor Zoviet, thanks.
@ Kurt, He has to try.

I wonder what the general feeling about Sancho's survival would be now . It'd be interesting to track it. But we'll be going too fast for that, I hope.

1067. Navarra on the brink (or, the year we shaved a bit too close)

I see no way back, so I decide to just go forward...

February 26th. We engaged the Zaragozan troops on their home turf. As I hoped, they have only been able to gather a small army, so I buckle up my armor to lead the charge.

Here, keep the steed steady and lend me hand. And a back. Should have brought the ladder. One, two... here we go!



They scatter. And regroup. And scatter. And regroup again. For some reason they just won't stand put and be mowed down by our solid front of armoured knights. The battle drags on and on... I weary and go back to the royal tent for some refreshment. Let García do the yelling and heroicking.

I hope he can get on with it fast, because we need to clear the field before the rest of the enemy armies arrive or we're toast.

March 9. Cousin Urraca the steward chose today to drop dead. After seeing how I wanted her off the Council, some people look at me in a curious way. As if I'd spend precious coin in bumping her off. Honest!



On the other hand, a cunning, ruthless reputation is worth having. Especially if it comes free.

And now I have a Magpie-free Council. I put The Borg on it so I can ogle at her for strictly professional reasons. Let's hope we win the war and I get to keep ogling...

March 12. We manage to beat the Zaragozan armies and make a proper slaughter. They retreat beyond the city walls and haul abuse and stones at us. As García points out, they're sitting pretty: they have three armies coming our way.



But, I retort, that's not the same as having one big army on the spot. As long as he keeps doing his job, we can win.

He seems to buy the idea and goes to make preparations. I close the tent flap, kneel, and pray.

March 16th. The Calatayud army arrived from the South trying to pin us agains the walls of Zaragoza, but we were expecting them and have fortified the camp (that is, García did, but he says he was acting on my orders). The seas of moorish flags crash onto our ramparts, the cries and the arrows fill the air, and a good time is generally had by all.



March 29th. Ah, Spring. Sweet spring. Smiling spring. Soft and pleasant and so very enticing in that half-dozen layers of clothing and... and... what the hell, my bride-to-be is not yet even aware of her role in my Plans. Not to mention The Borg is just as cold as usual. I'm only human, as my Magpie cousins kept repeating. I book a weekend off at my mountain hunting lodge to relieve the tensions of battle and statecraft.



Oops. Ahem. Well, a bastard's not a bad thing to have handy, is it. I just hope he doesn't interfere with the sucession... if I get to have one.

April 3rd. We manage to beat the last of the original Zaragozan armies. It's a close shave, very close, and (as García feared) their numbers are telling on us. All we can do now is dig in and keep hoping the moors send their armies scattered...



April 9th. Yet another refusal in my campaign to limit the war. The emir of Mallorca just can't be fobbed off with good words. And I've got plans for every coin of my money (like, paying off the Zaragozan armies if my Grand Strategy falls as outrageously as it looks like), so any of those modern strategies like the "Grigor Defense" are definitely off.



Our troops are running out faster than expected. I was counting them on my fingers and realizing that we couldn't hope to sustain and win the siege...

... when out of the blue there comes this spectacular, brand-new (or hardly-used) mercenary company. One thousand eager fighters. Just the ticket to turn the scales.



Now we can dig in, and put the mercenaries in the front rows.

April 12th. The Galician Duke says OK to a plan to link our families. Loosely, of course: we're already second cousins. This is also the time that the Emir chooses to divide his realm, giving the coast to his son. That does improve the look of things... if we can capture Zaragoza.



May 6th. I receive another enquiry after one of the Urracas. They're proving easy to marry away. I mean, royal blood, lots of talent and all that, they should, but then I have to be thankful the suitors haven't actually met them, you know...



June 22. We win against the emirate's troops. Again. They've been coming in more and more ragged groups these weeks.



I think now they're really beaten, but we have hardly one thousand soldiers able to stand on their own limbs. So we settle down for a nice long cozy siege. Granny's come over to the camp with some crone friends and a load of bookies. Pats me on the head when I ask her how I'm doing.

I try not to think of what would have happened if the mercenaries hadn't turned up. Of course, I'm passing it off as cunning advance planning and wheels within wheels. You can't have the populace thinking we've won through sheer outrageous good luck.

I take a bit of time off to woo the Catalans. They're off to the beach and can't be bothered.



July 28th. The siege goes on.

December 4th. Zaragoza falls (finally) to the might of my troops and my careful planning.



And... another bit of luck. Since he gave half his domain to his son, the Emir's domain is just Zaragoza, which gives me a huge negotiating position. So after a very short negotiation, the emir accepted my kind proposal. I don't want any of his provinces or his wives. I just want him as a vassal, so my cousins will think twice before attacking me... and maybe my granny will raise our chances in the Jimenez Stakes.

Of course I don't tell him any of this. He's a moor.



Oh, and I take every bit of gold I can. This warmongering thing is expensive.



Well! That makes five provinces in the Kingdom. I'm already up to my León and Castilla cousins in size. If only I can finish off the war without losing it all again, I expect granny will start to take me seriously. I can tell you she's looking at me in a different way these days. Or maybe she's just got cataracts. Could be, at her age. I start licensing my armies... before I remember about the Emirate of Mallorca, still at war with us even if they haven't showed up yet.

December 18th. The Mallorcans refuse my latest peace overtures. I should have sent them those little round golden sweets that are all the rage in diplomatic circles these days. I wonder what they're up to. They can't reach me, since they would have to cross the lands of christian lords who are not at war with them (like my own vassal in Rioja, yes).



December 19th. Now I understand: the Mallorcans have sailed around the peninsula and are planning a landing in Navarra! Now that's cunning planning. My main army is too far to arrive in time. And they have almost more troops than I have left.

But they may just get a surprise...



Yeeeeees. Remember about that demobilization I started? Let's pray enough troops are already back home...

The Pope sends a curate to fill slot of the court bishop. Can't say I'm happy, it's expensive and I'm beginning to be hard up. That said, we do need every bit of divine intervention we can get...

Well... the pictures were a bit slow in arriving , but then I had to take care of the new year meal .

So, what do you think? Will the good luck hold? What will happen with the invasion? How may provinces will Sancho have in a couple of years? Or to make it more interesting, in (say) 10 years?

Any bets on the end of the Mallorcan war? Granny Muña is going to be disappointed if no one bets .

Next chapter, coming up in a few minutes... and it's a long one . The screenshots will be here a few minutes later.

Any comments or suggestions on the storytelling will be welcome, you know I'm new at this.