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they say Adelise wept on her death bed, for there were no more lands left to conquer, her conquests have far surpassed that of alexander the great's wildest dreams, you should continue this into eu 4 when it comes out so you can lead roman armies into the far indus
 
Well, all summed, it will be a tall task for future Norman rulers to even be comparable to Adelise, and this is not even thinking on surpassing it... The only way I can imagine it going would be becoming Khan of both mongol hordes ( 3 if you count the Timurids to come ) :D That ,or irony of the ironies, grabbing the HRE crown in a election ( they are not elective any more, I assume, but if they were ... ) :p

Anyway, as for suggestions for Sayer, he can always get his bragging rights of being the first christian ruler of Mecca *hint*, but before that, there is a plethora of small states between you and the golden horde that should be cleaned up, not mentioning Leon and Orkney if it still is a de jure part of Scotland. BTW norway looks to be in a civil war or something, so you probably can grab something out of there too ...
 
Sayer and the Holy Roman Empire

Holy War for Franconia


As already traditional, Sayer begun his rule with the attack on the Holy Roman Empire. Kaiser Leopold was about to lose his royal seat in the province of Franconia. 4-province Duchy in the heart of the Germany lost- that was quite appropriate for new Augustus to conquer.

War begun in August 1304, almost as soon as Sayer became the Emperor. This war actually had two goals- kick the Kaiser and take his beloved Duchy and protect Leon in their fight for independence. The first clashes actually took place near the Leonese borders- in the province of Bourgogne, where in September 1304 Normans attacked 16 000 soldier strong German army marching towards Leon. Battle of Vesoul was a Norman success, but the amount of Germans killed was way too low. Normans followed the enemy though and in the next battle in Geneve, Germans were almost decimated.

Next was in December 1304, once again in Bourgogne, when 15 000 Germans were caught by Norman forces. In the battle of Besancon, 10 000 Germans were killed once again and in follow-up battle, Normans destroyed another German invasion army. For now, Leon was safe and Kaiser was on the run. And again, with the destruction of the German armies, Kaisers vassals started to raise their heads.

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Normans protecting Leon

Meanwhile, in Franconia, two Norman armies were busily sieging and assaulting the provinces. All was quiet for a half a year, until in January 1305, Danish came. Kaiser Leopold had asked for the help and masters of the Baltic Sea heard their plea. They gathered their forces and marched down to Germany, where in January 1305, they met Normans outside Mainderheim. Normans used their normal tactic: two-three nearby armies so one could help other in case they became overpowered. Soon, Danish found out that they were in for more then they bargained for- 28 000 Normans against 20 000 Danish soldiers. In the end, there were 11 000 Danish less.

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Crushing the Danish

When the Normans chased the Danish, they met yet another force, this time a combined unit of Danish, Germans and Teutonic knights. Outside Arnstadt, Normans encountered a superior enemy force. Normans reigned supreme, but... the losses were just too damn high. Two combined Norman armies were reduced to size of one Norman army. Still, Normans pushed on, dealing another blow to retreating enemies near Weimar. Then, Sayer decided it was enough. Normas were ordered to pull back to already conquered lands and hold their position while another army that had been in reserve through this time took over.

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... and meeting the unexpected resistance

By the end of July 1205, most of Kaiser's armies had been destroyed, Holy Roman Empire in chaos once again and Leon more or less safe. It was time to end this. Sayer signed a peace with Kaiser Leopold (now known as unready), forcing the poor Kaiser to give up his Imperial capital and the rest of Franconia.

More Imperial Lands, Please!

Meanwhile, while Kaiser's troops were slaughtered by Normans, Duke Rudger of Brunswick decided to press his claim on the Empire. Seems like Rudger was always ready to kick the enemy while he is down, but this time, it wasn’t such a good idea. Even better, Duke Bernhard of Pomerania, one of his co-conspirators, held lands from Baltic Sea down to south. Including Duchy of Dauphine, so beautifully near Norman territory.

Both Rudger and Bernhard got declaration of war as soon as the war with Kaiser Leopold ended. Another co-conspirator, Duchess Hevis of Baden, was attacked by Duke Simon of Upper Burgundy.

Nothing much to write about the two wars- the forces of the Holy Roman Empire were already bled dry and there was not much resistance. Bernhard gave up in December 1305 and Normans gained yet another Duchy. Brunswick turned out to be a tougher nut to crack- mostly because of the size of the Duchy. Brunswick was one of the biggest Duchies in Germany, with total of 6 provinces. Still, by March 1305, the war was over and Brunswick Norman. Baden was already taken.

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Sayer's first conquests. The one outline in blue was done by Duke Simon

These three wars resulted in total 13 province and with enough lands for Sayer to create two Kingdoms- Burgundy and Germany. It was in 1241 when Emperor Turquetil took Provence from Germans and gave it to Randolf de Hauteville. Now, Sayer raised the descendant of Randolf to higher level, making Tancred de Hauteville, grand-grand-grand-grandson of Randolf, the new King of Burgundy.

As for Germany, Duke of the newly conquered Franconia, Oswulf de Hauteville, became the first King of Germany.

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New Kings of Burgundy and Germany

Personal Matters

In September 1304, it was joyous event in Palermo. A son was born to Sayer and Judith. It was their firstborn, called Fernant. Ferant was the first Hauteville ever to be born in the Purple Room (recently built in Palermo, not the old one in Byzantion though).

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First Purple Hauteville
 
Thus, Sayer begins his rule. So far, so good :)

DensleyBlair- well, she can rest in peace seeing that the Empire is in quite capable hands!

The pkrmgc - There is nothing much else to achieve, but there is still plenty to conquer. Mongols are here, Holy Roman Empire could use some asskicking and the area around Baltic Sea is still depressingly non-norman. As for EU- when i'm finished, i'm way too powerful to make EU even look like a challenge, so i'd rather start something new when EU4 comes out.

Ricardo Rolo- yes, surpassing Adelise is an impossible task. Yes, if some ruler managed to destroy all the remaining enemies, then yes. But that is not that likely. And yes, Mecca is on my todo when there is quiet list, but there is still much left to conquer in more closeby lands. But Sayer will most likely invade Arabian peninsula as well.
 
The traditional Smack The Germans war went quite well this time. Did the Kaiser have any holdings outside of Franconia or did he have to beg and revoke to get a new home?
 
They're some good conquests in Germany. Will you be cleaning up in the HRE, or do you plan to go for places further north (Scandinavia, for example?)

I'm sure Ferant Porphryogénnētos will turn out to be a fine ruler one day - if he doesn't become the emperor.

I'm looking forward to the next one. Sayer certainly seems competent.
 
Bring Out Your Dead!- Interlude

The streets of Palermo, usually full of noise, were silent. One could hear the people crying or praying or even screaming in pain, but the usual city-noise was gone. No longer could one hear laughter, loud voices, other sounds of thousands of peoples do living their everyday life. No more haggling near merchant stalls, selling products from all over the world and sometimes getting into quite loud arguments with their clients. No more quick, thumping footsteps of a thief and no more cries of the owner just relieved from his valuables. No more captains barging into seaside taverns and try to get their sailors abandon alcohol and come back to their duties. No more students deciding that the best way to settle a dispute they had with the most convenient methods- fists, bats and rocks. No more whores loudly trying to get the attention of bypassers and loudly mocking these who didn’t like their services.

Silence filled the streets. Occasional bang of church bells livened up the silence, or a procession, bringing some life to the streets. And the stench... like a living being, the stench had slowly conquered Palermo. Stench of death, decay and rot had slowly conquered the city. Even the fresh breeze coming from the sea drowned in the sea of stench and failed to blow it away.

The most common sight in Palermo were men with carts, slowly moving from one door to another, yelling “Bring out your dead!”. And dead, there were plenty of them. Corpses littering the streets, piling up in the corners. Some houses with extensive stench- meaning that there would be no-one left to bring out the dead. Carts filled quickly and then were carried outside the city, to mass graves. There was no time left for proper burials.

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Streets of Palermo

It had begun less then a month ago, when Norman trade ship returned from the Norman holdings in the Black Sea. Almost everyone on board were either dead or really ill- it was a miracle that the ship even reached Palermo. Unfortunately, it did. Then, there were next outbreaks, then the next, then even more until the once lively city became a graveyard, filled with despair. The plague, they called it...

Citizens did the wisest thing- they fled. Of course, only the richest ones did- the poor were destined to die where they were born and if lucky, finding a spot in the communal grave. But the roads leading from Palermo were packed with refugees, the ships were filled to brim with people paying insane amounts of gold to be granted right for a spot so small they can’t even lie down.

It is inevitable that when people run like hell, some of them are already sick or at least disease carriers. So, wherever the refugees arrived, they brought disease with them. That resulted more refugees, fleeing further away and bringing disease with them. Soon, almost all of the Mediterranean basin was filled with disease. Normans, Greek, Italians, Bedouins, Egyptians, Croatians, Serbians, all Iberians and further on, all became ill. Almost all life stopped in the Roman Empire.

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Victims of the Plague

The rich always have a better chance of survival. They live in less crowded conditions. The air they breathe is of a better quality. Their food is of a better variety, they eat more often and they don’t starve. They have money to pay the doctors. They can flee more easily. But when the plague hits, they die just like the poor. Alone.

de Hautevilles were not left untouched by the disease. They died in swarms, just like common folk died. Even the highest rulers, the Kings and the Dukes, were not spared from the ravages of the plague. King Roscelin of Croatia was the first one to fall. King Ranulf of Serbia was the next great ruler to fall. Then, there were Dukes and Doges, too numerous to count. Plus, normal Hautevilles- Black Death thinned the great Norman family. But Hautevilles were far too numerous to be wiped out- and the survivors would breed again.

Perhaps the most tragic was the death of a newborn. Stephanie, a daughter of Sayer and Judith, was taken by a plague. The doctors tried their best, Sayer and Judith prayed to the gods, but alas! Nothing help as the Grim Reaper reached his bony hand and took small life away from his loving parents.

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Some of the plague victims from Hauteville family

Eventually, everything comes to an end. Even the plague. It ravaged the Hauteville lands for a year or so, and then just disappeared, leaving behind empty villages, desperate people and of course, countless dead. Later it was estimated that about fifth of the population died in the outbreak. But life, as it always does, went on. The survivors coped, the Empire didn’t fall and though the rule of Sayer begun with this black event, Normans moved on.

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After the Great Plague, Danse Macabre or Dance of Death became common motive in Europe. This one is is made by Bernt Notke and is located in St. Nicolas Church, Tallinn
 
Nice.:) Good update on such a horrible event.
 
Surprise! I am still alive! Though been terribly busy with work (and well, let's be honest, spring has finally arrived too!), finally got time to get an update through. Just an interlude, the Great Plague finally arrived and naturally kicked right in Palermo.
But let's be fair- you lost some of the courtiers/family and watch as the plague spreads all over Europe (no disease mapmode unfortunately), but then that's it. The plague leaves, you still have your income, your soldiers, nothing had changed... One fault of CKII, it doesn't really simulate decline and disasters...

SirkTheMonkey- Kaiser had some holdings, so no revocation. But the holdings were in Scandinavia, so poor Kaiser is being happily kicked back into land of the Swedes.

DensleyBlair - cleanup first. Leon waits it's turn. But the Danish will have some nasty Normans coming up- they have interfered in one too many wars. As for Ferant- no genius, no Emperor- but i'm sure he will be King of Something :p
 
Nikolai- unfortunately not that horrible gamewise. As i ranted on the post above. But thanks! :)
 
"I don't want to go on the cart!" ;)

A rather macabre tone for the update - though I don't imagine the plague is a barrel of laughs...

I'm looking forward to seeing what's next for those who have survived.
 
That update was quite bleak and depressing. Imagining the new Queen of Cities brought low by the miasma has put me in a downcast mood. It's somewhat of a shame that the game doesn't represent it's world-breaking effects but by the same token I would be rather annoyed if my great empire was ultimately undone by random bad luck.
 
Not even the Black Death can slow the Normans down. Time for a spot of conquest back in the ancestral homelands. I think Sayer must be having a fling with the Queen of Leon for the Normans to leave that kingdom alone.
 
End of Leon

The Price of Freedom is Norman Invasion


In July 1306, the Leonese war of independence was finally over. Kaiser Leopold was forced to recognize Leon as independent state and King Guichard de Captet had finally managed something his predecessors had been trying to do for so long- he was free. In addition, Holy Roman Empire lost all it’s lands west of Burgundy. What is left of France, Iberia and even some holdings in Africa were now officially part of Leon.

Of course, the new Leon was much smaller then original, for Normans had their time to make things more their way. Still, it was something Normans had been waiting for a long time. The first one to actually take advantage of the new Leonese independence was not Sayer, but King Robert of Castille, who attacked King Guichard, claiming Duchy of Toledo in July.

Sayer was next- in September 1307, Roman Empire declared war on King Guichard, claiming the Duchy of Leon. The target was actually deemed unimportant enough that only one Norman main army plus local vassals were used for the conquest. Rightfully so- Capets were exhausted from their war with Germans. Plus, the power of the Capets was not what it used to be on their peak. Without countering much resistance, Sayer won the war in January 1307. Duchy of Leon was Norman.
In March, Robert of Castille also won the war and Guichard was forced to give up the Duchy of Toledo. The same day, Sayer usurped both the Duchy of Leon and Kingdom of Leon. Clemenza, former Duchess of Asturias, was now granted both Duchy and Kingdom of Leon. Asturias had been Norman Duchy since 1241, still conquered in Turquetil’s time. Clemenza was the granddaughter of the first Norman Duke.

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Leon torn into small pieces

With that, Leon ceased to exist. Country was divided into series of Duchies, with former King Guichard, now Duke of Badajoz, being the most powerful of the rulers. Rest were Bourbon and Auvergne. Basically, one could say that with that war, the French nation ceased to exist. Normans had finally won.

Picking up the Pieces

Of course, with the fall of Leon, the wars were far from over. Norman lords descended like vultures upon the remains of the former Kings of Leon. Queen Maud of Aquitaine attacked Bourbon, King William of France attacked Guichard himself, claiming Paris and Sayer took on Auvergne. None of the remnants were able to fight back and in March 1208, Auvergne fell to Sayer’s troops. Bourbon had already been conquered by Maud and Guichard had weaseled out of the war with William, becoming Cathar. Fall of Auvergne and Bourbon still left out free counties that had to be picked up, but overall, only holdings of Badajoz remained.

In quick series of wars, Normans destroyed the freshly liberated Kingdom in just two years.

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Norman gains from Leon. Sayer's gains are outlined in red while vassals have their gains shown in blue

Other Wars

Of course, the Leonese war was not the only one fought by Normans in the time period. Several other wars were fought while Leon was destroyed. First one was fought in Summer of 1306. Normans expanded north from Crimea, conquering county of Chortitsa, currently rebelling from the Golden Horde. It was the first conquest Normans made to the lands of Rus.

In September 1306, alongside with Leon, Normans also attacked Prince Vojtech of Bohemia, currently ruling county of Anhalt and rebelling against Moravia, current rulers of Brandenburg. Also, Silesia, the last independent Duchy of Poland, was attacked (rest belonging to Golden Horde). Both wars offered no surprises, though Danish came to the aid of Vojtech, resulting in biggest battle of the war: 20 000 Danish versus 30 000 Normans outside Stendal in March 1307. Silesia was conquered, while Vojtech ended his rebellion, thus invalidating the war.

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Anhalt and Silesia, plus the biggest battle in this campaign

Time of Troubles

Kaiser of the Holy Roman Empire and King of Denmark were the only strong independent rulers left in Europe. Plus, to some extent, Golden Horde- they held the lands in Poland and Russia, after all. In spring 1308, all of them were in disarray.

Kaiser Leopold IV had died in summer 1307. His successor and son, Gebhard II was soon facing not one, but two wars of succession. First was for Dietmar, a 52-year old man who was a grandson to Kaiser Leopold II the Great, on whose time Holy Roman Empire reached further then never before. Second was Gebhard’s uncle, Prince Michael. Result- Imperial lands were few in between and most of the Empire was engulfed in rebellion.

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Poor Gebhard, with two civil wars, there will be a new Kaiser soon

In Denmark, King Johann the Old also died back in 1306, at impressive age of 83. His son Ture took the throne, soon to be overthrown by his nephew Valdemar I, who died suspiciously, leaving his 1-year daughter in Maren I to rule. Now, Johann, Duke of Polotsk and son of Ture, grandson of Johann, took up arms and most of the Denmark with him.

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Old king died in 1306 and by 1308, Maren was the third ruler after him.

As for Golden Horde, one claimant war and one war for independence. Plus, Norway, currently undergoing civil war, demanding elective monarchy. Basically, Europe was either Norman on in turmoil. Norman forces gathered near the borders of Germany, preparing to take full advantage of the situation...

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Europe in flames- no other nation left where there is no civil war or two
 
Next time, all-out-war with the Holy Roman Empire! Though i must admit, it is curious how every other nation but Normans rebels. Must have something to do with Normans killing off their soldiers...

Athalcor - heh, always a classic!

DensleyBlair - as you said, plague is a bit too serious to be made fun of. As for what next- this is currently what Normans did during the plague, what next next time.

SirkTheMonkey - plague just happens sometimes. Can't help it unfortunately. But some random event of bad luck breaking the Empire would be interesting at the point though!

Chief Ragusa - homelands will come! As for Leon- I was just waiting a perfect time to strike. With one blow, i cut HRE out of Iberia, splintered the realm and now it needs just a bit more sweeping to be mine. It's all about timing!
 
The map would look so much better with the independent parts of France and Germany in purple.:D
 
I can't remember the last time I saw that many different colours on a CK2 map. Strike fast and hard you mighty Normano-Roman legions, before they come to their senses and unite against the common foe.
 
Well, I told you that your vassals would jump on top of Leon ;) And really, your map looks like a painting palette in the end of this update. I assume tha you will do your best to make monochromatic fast, though :D it would ne nice if your vassals would clean up those bits of Italy and Hungary still left, because you have far more to do ...
 
Is that an Irish Shetland I see? Does Norway own Orkney, or is is independent?

I looking forward to seeing how Sayer can take advantage of all of these revolts. I imagine the map will be a much a much nicer colour once he's done ;)