The Grand Old Dukes of York

[geddesmck]

Hi, this is my first attempt at making an AAR. I'm new to not only writing AAR's, but also to Paradox interactive games in general. I'll be creating an AAR based on my third playthrough of Crusader Kings 2, playing as Morcar Hwicce, the Duke of Northumberland and York and starting on 15th September 1066. I have very little knowledge about this particular period of history (except a small amount about William the Conqueror) and so I'll be pretty much making everything up as a I go along.

The AAR will be presented as if it's a journal found many years after the fact, with a few notes added on occasion where the player character is either unable or unwilling to provide important details. This particular method was inspired by the Journal of Aed MacArt Ua Ruairc by Nate90909 on these very boards. Although my AAR will probably be quite light on screenshots.

One warning: This will be a slowly updated AAR. I am extremely busy at the moment and I really shouldn't have started this at all; but I needed to take a break and this was the result. I can't justify doing much more again until at least next week (5th March).

I had no goal when I started this play through beyond surviving as long as possible, a difficult task considering Morcar starts besieged, without an heir and a with brother that is looking for an opportunity to off him. Without further ado, let us begin.

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Part 1: The War for England

My name is Duke Morcar I of Northumberland, Duke of York, Earl of Westmorland, Lincoln and York. Of the Lords of England I stand below only King Harold I himself.

And I am doomed.

The date is 15th September 1066 and I write this journal so I may be remembered. The great force of Harald of Norway lays siege to my castle in York and I am trapped inside its walls. I fear it will not be long until I am defeated.

As I write a small number of loyal soldiers fight outside my walls, but their numbers are dwarfed by Haralds’ hordes.

I have no heir, I have no wife to provide me one even if I had the time and, now it seems, I have no hope.

I pray that my king and my brother, the Duke of Lancaster, can bring their armies to my aid and lift this siege, but I fear the rumours that the Bastard of Normandy is preparing an invasion of his own will convince them to stay in the south.

If it is to be my last day, my only thought is one of regret. I know I could have made the house of Hwicce a great name, if only I had more time.
Duke Morcar I of Northumberland, Duke of York, Earl of Westmorland, York and Lincoln

16th September 1066 –

I have decided to take the Duchy of York as my primary title. If I am to die in York, I shall be remembered as its Duke.
Duke Morcar I of York

6th November 1066 –

I hear the sound of battle outside my walls. The armies of England have arrived to deliver York from the invaders!

Perhaps the Lord does listen to my prayers.
Duke Morcar I of York

3rd December 1066 –

The battles for York continue, but King Harald’s army have been forced to lift the siege from my walls. I invited Eadwin, my older brother and the Duke of Lancaster, to my castle to thank him. Eadwin and I have never pretended to have any brotherly love, but after saving me I was willing to forget all our past quarrels.

He had been here but a day when my cook came to me. He had caught a member of kitchen staff attempting to poison my wine. When questioned thoroughly he admitted he had been paid by Eadwin.

As we drank together that night Eadwin smiled at me and played the part of the loving brother. I attempted to drop hints that I knew of his treachery, the word of the attempted assassin were evidence enough, but I wanted him to admit to his crimes. The man stubbornly refused to acknowledge his crime and angered by his refusal to react to my hints, I confronted him about the attempt on my life. He merely shrugged and said, “It seemed easier than going to war with you.” I threatened to have him arrested, but he merely laughed. "Unlike you brother, I lead my armies in battle. Our dear king will not see me imprisoned." He left that night.

I will see him dead.
Duke Morcar I of York



11th December 1066 –

Our forces are triumphant; King Harald’s armies are scattered. Yet I can find no joy in the victory. The Bastard of Normandy has already landed in England. As I write my armies are gathering to follow King Harold I and my brother into yet more battles for the defence of England.

I was saved from death at the hands of Harald of Norway, but I fear I have merely traded one headsman for another.
Duke Morcar I of York

14th December 1066 –

Before my gathered forces could join with the main army in Derby, we received news of a fresh Norwegian force preparing to arrive by ship in my area. The Norwegians cannot be allowed to gain another foothold, so I took my men and forced a hard march to the coast to repel these invaders.

I will admit to nervousness; Eadwin was right to say I have never before led my armies in battle, but now my little force stands on the coast, waiting for the Norwegians to attempt their landing.

I will not need my brother’s aid this time; death would be a less bitter fate.
Duke Morcar I of York

3rd February 1067 –

I have much news since my last entry. My battle had ended in a decisive victory; the Norwegians will no longer be a threat to my lands, although I will have to be wary of any further attempts at invading my territory.

More importantly, a matter I have left unmentioned came to fruition. After Harald of Norway’s siege of York was broken, I resolved to fulfil the great destiny God seemed to have in store for me. The first step I had to take was securing an heir and for that I needed a wife. Upon hearing that Adelheid Salian, sister of Kaiser Henrich IV of the Holy Roman Empire, was unmarried, I sent a letter of proposal.

She accepted.

Following her arrival in York by mere days was the news that Heinrich IV had died in ‘mysterious circumstance’. This news meant that my new wife is now the Duchess of Franconia. Should we have a son, he may inherit a substantial amount of land.
Duke Morcar I of York

A letter dated 1st February 1067 and sent from a man known as Æthelmær of Louth, who is believed to have been Morcar’s spymaster may be related to this event. It says:
“My Lord, the task with which I was entrusted has been fulfilled without flaw.”
It says nothing more, and may be of little significance, however, Heinrich IV died of a sudden illness of 1st of February 1067.

23rd April 1067 –

The battle for England’s future started today in the county of Shrewsbury. The forces I sent, the forces of my brother and the forces of the King battle the gathered armies of Duke William of Normandy.

I fear we will lose. Duke William’s armies outnumber ours greatly. The only hope I can hold onto is that I will be allowed to retain my lands and titles when the Bastard comes to power.

My dear wife Adelheid must return to the Holy Roman Empire to run her estates, but before she left we were thorough in our attempts to produce an heir. I find myself admiring the woman for not only her beauty, but her character also. Unfortunately I fear that however much she likes me, she does not find me attractive. If it were not for the fact that we need an heir, I have the feeling she would rather have a bed separate from mine.
Duke Morcar I of York

18th May 1067 –

The armies of England were crushed by the Bastard. King Harold will, of course, not admit defeat, but it must come now.
Duke Morcar I of York

1st June 1067 –

Harold called for more troops and I sent what I was obligated to, but no more. The remnants of the Norwegian armies are taking the opportunity provided by the Norman victory to try and gather once more and I am preparing for a long campaign to stop them. I fear most of the fighting will be left to me alone. Harold’s insistence on continuing this war only wastes the lives of soldiers and the money of his vassals.
Duke Morcar I of York

10th December 1068 –

Every few months Adelheid returns from her lands for a couple of weeks and we try for an heir, but the distance is great and I am beginning to lose hope of her producing an heir.

The fool Harold, my king still, fights against the Bastard in the south. I myself have spent the time since my last entry repelling further attempted landings by the Norwegians. The individual battles pose little threat, but they have been constant and I am exhausted, while the Norwegians continue to arrive, each new wave fresh and eager.

I was prompted to look at this journal once more, a journal that I find provides me a method for dealing with my powerlessness over events, when something happened this morning that stunned me. My Court Chaplain, a man of great learning by the name of Beornwulf, approached me and tried to convince me to embrace Catharism! The man was proposing heresy!

Needless to say, I had the heretic arrested and thrown in the dungeon. I cannot help but wonder though; if such a learned man can succumb to these lies, what may happen to the weak minded masses that I rule. When I appoint a new Court Chaplain I will have him organise an Inquisition in my lands.
Duke Morcar I of York

31st July 1069 –

I write this as my army marches to Northumberland to put down a peasant revolt. The inquisition failed to find a significant number of heretics, but their methods apparently upset the people. This news however, is unimportant.

My wife is pregnant! She visited me a month ago and finally the Lord rewarded my faith with her pregnancy. I continue to pray that it will be a son.
Duke Morcar I of York



31st August 1069 –

The rebels are put down, but now I march to Lincoln to lift a siege by the remains of a Norwegian army.

Two years ago I had never fought a battle. It seems that its all I've done since.
Duke Morcar I of England

12th February 1070 –

I am under siege once more. The Bastard of Normandy is camped outside my walls.

There will be no intervention this time. York will fall and with it, I foretell, England.

If the Bastard, or William as I am sure I must get used to calling him, allows me to live, my best hope is that he lets me keep most of my titles.
Duke Morcar I of York

1st March 1070 –

We remain under siege, but a messenger was allowed through the siege lines to approach me. He handed me a letter with news I could not help but rejoice at; I had a son. The message asked for a reply and with it, a name for the child.

I pondered for a moment, thinking of possible names I could give him. I could name him Morcar for myself, or perhaps Ælfgar for my father. I looked outside as I considered and all I could see were the armies of the Norman Duke and I laughed mirthlessly. Best to start gaining favour early.

I told him to name the child William.
Duke Morcar I of York

19th September 1070 –

York, St Peters, Scarborough and Richmond have fallen. The county of York is in Duke William of Normandy’s hands. I fled York for Westmorland, where my wife met me to deliver my son to me. She had to once more return to her Duchy, but before she left we spent a single night together; out of love, not obligation.

This all happened some weeks ago and now I have received word that my wife is once again pregnant.
Duke Morcar I of York

18th November 1070 –

My brother will die and burn in hell for eternity. I received news this morning that he had attempted to see my infant son dead.

I was willing to wait until this damn war ended to get my revenge for his attempt on my life, but he is too much of a threat for me to delay. My have begun to make preparations.
Duke Morcar I of York

25th November 1070 –

King Harold, or Duke Harold I should now say, finally saw reason today.

King William is already being called ‘the Conqueror,’ a title more flattering than ‘the Bastard’ to be sure. I lost the county of York to the King himself, but I still hold the Duchies of York and Northumberland and the counties of Westmorland and Lincoln. I have a feeling this day will mark the beginning of a new and great future for the House of Hwicce.

But first, my brother must die.
Duke Morcar I of York, Duke of Nothumberland, Earl of Westmorland and Lincoln

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Next: Part 2: Bloody Knives

[General di tuti]

I like it so far. Always had a thing for the northern English dukes. Played them many times in CK1 as well. Keep it up.

[Estonianzulu]

Naming your kid William was probably the right call, at least untill he bites it and you can reclaim York.

[Saithis]

Sometimes giving in is all you can do. I like the cold, calculating way of naming your son William. I do hope you'll see his namesake thrust from England in due time.

[geddesmck]

Part 2: Bloody Knives

30th January 1067 –

My name is Æthelmær of Louth, Spymaster to Duke Morcar I of York. By tradition, the Spymaster for House Hwicce holds the title of Master of the Hunt, a title I do indeed claim. I am Morcar’s Huntsman. If you are reading this know that I write not out of disloyalty, merely a desire for self preservation. If Duke Morcar knew these words were being put to paper, my life would be forfeit, yet, these very words may one day prove a useful tool to bargain with my lord.

I have been given an order of utmost secrecy; I am to kill Kaiser Heinrich IV of the Holy Roman Empire so that his sister, Adelheid Salian, the soon-to-be wife of my lord can inherit the Duchy of Franconia, among other lands.

My mission is complete, this morning I paid Heinrich’s cook to poison the Kaiser’s meal. The poison is not fast acting, it may take Heinrich days to die, but die he will. I must credit Duke Eadwin of Lancaster with this idea, his own attempt to take the life of my liege in a similar fashion was only averted by a stroke of luck.
Æthelmær of Louth, ‘The Huntsman’

2nd March 1070 –

Duke Morcar is under siege in York, but his wife and new born son are safely away from battle in Westmorland. Or they would be safe if it were not for Eadwin Hwicce.

Should Duke Morcar die in the siege at York, most of his lands would have passed to Eadwin, but now that Morcar’s son is born, he stands to inherit them, as well as the lands of his mother when she passes. Eadwin is furious. Last night he made the first of what I am sure will be many attempts on Morcar’s son. The attempt was rushed and unsubtle; a man attempted to sneak into the rooms of Duchess Adelheid and kill her and the child. Needless, he did not come close to achieving his goal; the guards stopped him before he stepped within a hundred yards of the child. However, Eadwin will only grow more cunning and desperate as time goes on. I must be way.
‘The Huntsman’

18th November 1070 –

I am ashamed to say that I almost allowed Duke Morcar’s son, William, to be slain tonight. I have kept Eadwin’s many attempts on the child from my liege for fear he would rashly act in retaliation, but tonight it could not be kept from him. The child’s wet nurse herself had been paid by Eadwin to kill young William. One of my spies brought the rumour to me as the sky began to darken and in an instant I was rushing towards the boy.

As I burst in the door I saw the woman, tears staining her face and pillow in her hand standing over William. She seemed to be singing him to sleep, but she turned to me as the door opened. She backed away slowly, the tears streaming still from her eyes and her mouth moving wordlessly.

“I’m sorry,” she began, “but he promised me... he said that...” But she did not finish, she burst into tears and collapsed on the floor. I needed no more evidence. I drew my dagger and plunged it into her leg.

“Who paid you to do this,” I questioned as I drew my dagger out and plunged it into the other leg, “Tell me woman, you are dead already, but it can be made quick if you speak.” Again I withdrew the blade and sliced her shallowly along the stomach.

The whole time she was screaming, in pain and horror I imagine, but as I continued to question her, she managed one word: “Eadwin.” With that, I relieved her of her misery and slit her throat, even as Duke Morcar and his guards entered the room.

To his credit, the Duke asked only if the child was okay before dismissing his guards and telling me to clean the room. He took the boy himself.

I expect a summons tomorrow. He will want revenge.
‘The Huntsman’

19th November 1070 –

I had expected Duke Morcar to instruct me to prepare a retaliation immediately, but as he met me this morning in his bed chamber he managed to surprise me. “I want people close to Eadwin, our people. They are not to kill him or any of his family, in fact, they are to be the most diligent and loyal of servants. I don’t want my brother to even be aware how many daggers are at his throat.”

He dismissed me then and since that moment I have been planning. I have decided to move to Lancaster for the duration of this new mission; I will build my army of spies and assassins from within Eadwin’s own home.
'The Huntsman’

17th December 1070 –

I am beginning to wonder how necessary a king is.

I am a Duke; I command the loyalties of my vassals and I am control my land with my knowledge and experience. Knowledge and experience only someone who really know these lands can possess.

William ‘the Conqueror’. I think that says something important. Our new king is a conqueror; a man I would follow to war. But he’s not a ruler.

He calls for all the great lords of England to approve new laws that will increase the crown’s authority. He shall get no response from me.
Duke Morcar I of York



25th March 1071 –

As the new year arrived, so did my wife. She, heavily pregnant with our second child, has spent the days since with me. She told me that we would have a daughter, that she has seen it in a dream.

I shall have to listen to her if she ever foretells things again! Today my second child was born; a daughter. We had not spoken of names, but Adelheid had obviously been thinking. She suggested we name the baby Ecgwynn, a name suggested to her by one of her maids here perhaps. I was pleased with the thought, but I had another name in mind.

I named her for the most beautiful woman I know. Her name is Adele.
Duke Morcar I of York



2nd June 1071 –

The more I think of it, the more I am convinced. A king cannot have the power that King William desires; it is too much. Perhaps the king really is ordained by God; King William’s rise certainly marks him as above most men.

But he is still a man, and man can err. The Dukes of England need to be there as a balance, as an extra level of protection from rash decisions.

I fear that the laws King William proposed to increase his authority are gaining more support that I would hope. I believe it falls to me to defend the rights of the Dukes and, by extension, the very ideals by which this kingdom is made great.
Duke Morcar I of York



30th June 1071 –

The Duke has fallen ill. He fears that Eadwin may still be attempting to take his life. As a precaution I have placed guards near the Duke’s chambers and I have made sure loyal men supervise the kitchens at all times.

My own belief is that Eadwin’s efforts are too concerned with preservation to worry about attacking Duke Morcar. I have made sure there are constant rumours of impending assassination attempts, all the while building my network. The right word now might be enough to end Eadwin’s life, but Morcar will not give the order. He claims that, for once, Eadwin could be useful to him. He would not tell me in what way, but I can only assume he means to try and gain support for his plot against the king from his brother.
'The Huntsman’



9th August 1071 –

I have recovered from my brother’s cowardly attempt to take my life through poison. I will have my revenge, but it does not serve me to seek it yet. Eadwin has his uses at the moment.

I have hired a personal food taster, Eadwin’s reliance on poison at least makes him easy to defend against.
Duke Morcar I of York

1st February 1072 –

A messenger arrived today to invite me to a Grand Tournament held by King William. I am unwilling to attend, but I fear I must for two reasons. If I do not attend it will be seen as an insult to the king, which I do not intend to suggest, he may be mistaken in some of his actions, but I do not wish to see anyone but King William on the throne. Secondly, it gives me a chance to make personal contact with many of those great men who I believe will aid me in my attempt to guide the king into making better decisions in the future; starting with the issue of his authority.

I have no illusions about my skill. It is true that during the war I came to be used to leading men in battle and, on occasion, be involved in the thick of the fighting myself, but it is not a skill of mine. Besides, the thought of all those people watching me makes me feel somewhat... flustered.
Duke Morcar I of York

26th February 1072 –

I fear that at some point I have made a grave error. After this entry I will send this small journal back to York for my Lord to see; I fear I no longer need what little protection it offered me.

I have spent the last week carefully visiting the allies I have planted in the court of Duke Eadwin of Lancaster, to assure myself of their loyalty and to assure them of their safety. However, two nights gone I discovered some troubling news. Three of the men I had planted in Eadwin’s guards had been arrested, all on the same night. The reasons for their arrests seemed unconnected to my work; but the timing is too convenient. I feared my network had been compromised.

Now I know that, to some extent, it has. I was followed today as I returned from a visit to Eadwin’s castle. The stalker was good; I never saw him or even heard him, but I could sense his presence, just one step out of sight at all times. I will try to escape tonight and, if I do, I will reach Duke Morcar before this journal. If I fail, I want you to know one thing my Lord; I was always loyal.

And I was always skilled. My network might have been discovered, but I doubt the other two networks have.
'The Huntsman’

28th February 1072 –

I received a journal sent from Lancaster, which informed me of a great deal of dangerous information. I have decided that, for now at least, it shall remain locked away from those who may use the information in its pages to harm me or my family.

My Master of the Hunt, Æthelmær of Louth, died yesterday morning. He was on one of his many hunts on my behalf, but I fear he found himself in the sights of a more dangerous predator.
Duke Morcar I of York

21st May 1072 –

The following is a letter sent to Lincoln by an unnamed knight in Duke Morcar I's service on 21st May 1072:

"I send dire news. The Duke was caught discussing his intentions to reduce the authority of the crown today while attending the Grand Tournament that King William is hosting. There is little reliable information available at the moment, but what is clear is that the king has been informed and now the Duke is in the dungeons."

19th August 1072 –

The Duke died today. I had learned of the plot through the contacts my predecessor, the previous Master of the Hunt, had set up, but I could not stop it.

Duke Eadwin of Lancaster, the brother of Duke Morcar, travelled to London with the stated purpose of formally approving King William’s plans to increase the authority of the crown. Yet, while he was there he decided that he should visit his ‘unfortunate, but treacherous brother’.

The details of what followed are unclear, but the story my contact in the dungeons, a gaoler who shall be unnamed, has presented me with paints a vivid picture.
Eadwin descended into the dungeons and bribed the gaoler to take a short break and leave the keys to Duke Morcar’s cell unattended. The gaoler did as asked, but did not go far. He claims to have heard a heated argument from the Duke’s cell. He claims to remember few of the actual words, except for some of the last her heard.

“So it comes to this. We spend so long using gold to buy the death of one another and, in the end, your own stupidity gifts this opportunity to me. Was it desperation that led to this foolish plot of yours? We found all the spies you planted in my court, and not once did I ever even get ill. You failed completely.” Some of these words, the words of Duke Eadwin, are provided by myself. The gaoler heard most of what was said, but due to his unfamiliarity of the circumstances, he made obvious mistakes. These may not be the actually words spoken, but they are close.

Reportedly, Duke Morcar’s only reply was to chuckle and respond, “I never even attempted to get my revenge. No, brother, when I have my revenge, it will be complete. I do not wish just you dead, but your entire rotten branch of our House.”

The gaoler reports hearing the sound of an impact and a grunt of pain; he suggested that Eadwin may have struck my lord. “Your family is the one that shall be wiped out. Now die brother, and know it was I who defeated you in all that you ever attempted.”

The gaoler found Duke Morcar’s body shortly afterwards; his throat slit and his body collapsed forward, pulling the chains attached to the wall and his wrists taunt. It is not a death befitting such a man; there is little dignity in dying in such a place, to such a man.

Once I have disposed of the remains of the gaoler, I shall travel with haste to my new lord’s side, to make sure Duke William I of York does not suffer the fate of his father.
Sieghelm of Lincoln, Master of the Hunt for the Duke of York

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Next: Part 3: The Little Duke

[spinoza013]

cool

[Estonianzulu]

Looks like our Duke bit off more than he could chew. Hopefully young William will get his Hamlet on.

[General di tuti]

Hopefully young William will restore the honour of House Hwicce. Looking forward to your next chapter.