In the Shadow of Certain, Painful Doom: Abyssinia
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Gotta love Melesse's subtle approach to plotting. How does Sennar manage to pluck the best and the brightest from the world over?
It seems odd that Tesfaye would have moral qualms about killing a fifteen-year-old, but not about killing a sixteen-year-old. Methinks either he has a skewed moral compass or that Monophysite God has some very odd rules.
Now we just have to wait a year. With your luck, Tesfaye will immediately die and somehow everyone in Armenia will end up loving the little girl Douxess.
One final question: Where is the One Knucklebone of Power? (You thought we'd forgotten about that, hadn't you?)
It seems odd that Tesfaye would have moral qualms about killing a fifteen-year-old, but not about killing a sixteen-year-old. Methinks either he has a skewed moral compass or that Monophysite God has some very odd rules.
Now we just have to wait a year. With your luck, Tesfaye will immediately die and somehow everyone in Armenia will end up loving the little girl Douxess.
One final question: Where is the One Knucklebone of Power? (You thought we'd forgotten about that, hadn't you?)
I had never thought of that: revoking the city + bishopric makes sense for a one-county ruler. Great idea!
Your scheme of transforming your goat-infested wasteland into a base for a plundering warband is quite interesting. It's what people from goat-infested wastelands used to do in medieval times. Unfortunately the game doesn't represent the appropriate mechanics. If you could press besieged settlements for ransom this could be incredibly profitable (it's how the companies operated in the 100 Years War), but capturing enemy characters is too rare to make this profitable.
Moreoever Sennar lacks a fleet. With a fleet you can do some Viking style coastal raiding: disembark, beat up weaker foes and embark before stronger enemy armies can catch up with you (somehow getting on/off ships is always faster than crossing land borders).
Making your 2 points intrigue wife spymaster is particularly nasty. Why don't you just admit that you want a divorce.
Your scheme of transforming your goat-infested wasteland into a base for a plundering warband is quite interesting. It's what people from goat-infested wastelands used to do in medieval times. Unfortunately the game doesn't represent the appropriate mechanics. If you could press besieged settlements for ransom this could be incredibly profitable (it's how the companies operated in the 100 Years War), but capturing enemy characters is too rare to make this profitable.
Moreoever Sennar lacks a fleet. With a fleet you can do some Viking style coastal raiding: disembark, beat up weaker foes and embark before stronger enemy armies can catch up with you (somehow getting on/off ships is always faster than crossing land borders).
Making your 2 points intrigue wife spymaster is particularly nasty. Why don't you just admit that you want a divorce.
I never really looked at that picture before, but it looks like he's giving the other guy the thumbs up. Makes you think. Or something.
Keep it up!
Keep it up!
That's one hateful mayor. Out of curiosity, did he end up being the regent for the minority duchess of Armenia? He seems a dangerous man.
Whom he's gonna ask for divorce, the monophysite.... Patriarch? Pope? God? Or can his own bishop do it? I never tried divorces as a heretic xD
You'll need to get rid of that duchess sooner or later though. If she marries, and has children, your claim will be gone
As someone who has just murdered a kind and humble 9 year old to prevent a super duchy from forming, I think that times like these are bad times for roleplaying. Unless you happen to play a cruel, arbitrary madman
As someone who has just murdered a kind and humble 9 year old to prevent a super duchy from forming, I think that times like these are bad times for roleplaying. Unless you happen to play a cruel, arbitrary madman
Rulers are harder to assassinate than courtiers, so if possible kill the others before they themselves become rulers. On the other hand, who wants to plot to kill some nobody? I mean, other than people in my court who apparently are like kittens (who as we all know think of nothing but murder all day).
Great stuff, as always.
Love this AAR! Reccomended to my friends .
I love the dry sense of humour. Everything from the goat in the hidden tunnel to the 2 Ethiopian Councillors trying to appear as Greek as possible during the trial
.I love the dry sense of humour. Everything from the goat in the hidden tunnel to the 2 Ethiopian Councillors trying to appear as Greek as possible during the trial
Yes, obviously he doesn't know Tesfaye that well. LOL
Oh don't worry, the knuckle bone is still out there, lurking...
Regarding assassinating fifteen- versus sixteen-year olds (never thought I would be writing *that*...)--yes, you're right that there's not much of a difference. She has not yet become an adult, which changes her status in society. In the Middle Ages that happened earlier than in modern times. Not that murdering adults in cold blood is especially right and proper, mind you, so Tesfaye's position here is a little odd.
And of course the fifteen-year old in CK2 has that cute picture of a little girl. I had a hard enough time getting over it when I assassinated my Spymaster wife as King of Polish-Hungary in order to produce an heir and stay in the game. I don't want to add to my psychological baggage
So yes, I admit it, it's more my hang up than Tesfaye. I had never thought of that: revoking the city + bishopric makes sense for a one-county ruler. Great idea!
Your scheme of transforming your goat-infested wasteland into a base for a plundering warband is quite interesting. It's what people from goat-infested wastelands used to do in medieval times. Unfortunately the game doesn't represent the appropriate mechanics. If you could press besieged settlements for ransom this could be incredibly profitable (it's how the companies operated in the 100 Years War), but capturing enemy characters is too rare to make this profitable.
Moreoever Sennar lacks a fleet. With a fleet you can do some. Viking style coastal raiding: disembark, beat up weaker foes and embark before stronger enemy armies can catch up with you (somehow getting on/off ships is always faster than crossing land borders).
Making your 2 points intrigue wife spymaster is particularly nasty. Why don't you just admit that you want a divorce.
It's funny that you say that about the 100 Years War, because I'm reading A Distant Mirror, and that's where I got the idea from of
briganding for plunder. It can work in some circumstances, but I don't think Sennar will be able to crush resistance quickly
enough to make it cost effective. (Or be mobile enough, as you point out.) I have heard that the devs might add tribute into the
game at some point, which might connect up with this.
Thanks! Yes, it is a weird picture. The guy on the right seems to be saying, "You will die here," while pointing to the ground. Maybe the person on the left is doing a "Et tu, Brutus."
No, that honor went to the second place for worst regent possible: the lying, ambitious, paranoid, drunkard, wroth Count
Kvirike of Ani. And then the duchess dies after her sixteenth birthday. Now I'm feeling even guiltier.
Wow, good question. I just checked and it turns out that heretics cannot get divorced. There is no one to authorize it.
You'll need to get rid of that duchess sooner or later though. If she marries, and has children,
your claim will be gone
As someone who has just murdered a kind and humble 9 year old to prevent a super duchy from forming, I think that times like these
are bad times for roleplaying. Unless you happen to play a cruel, arbitrary madman
Yes, Tesfaye will need to make sure it happens soon after she turns sixteen or the problems multiply... in this case literally!
Thank you! And thanks for the point about assassinations. That makes sense to do it in that order. They will have a greater
chance of success and cost less, too, I believe, if you go the straight assassination route.
Love this AAR! Reccomended to my friends
I love the dry sense of humour. Everything from the goat in the hidden tunnel to the 2 Ethiopian Councillors trying to appear as
Greek as possible during the trial
Thanks!
That's funny about the goat in the tunnel--I was thinking to myself... "I put a goat in a hidden tunnel? That's kind of
strange." And then I remembered. Thanks for the flashback!
Chapter 39
At the end of life stripped of his mayor title and position of spymaster, Kaleb dies a natural death. He will be remembered as the one spymaster that survived the scourge of Sennar, although in actuality he didn’t really do anything to help catch Anatolios.
At the court of the new Duchess of Armenia, people are hesitate to back a plot. They seem to like this girl. I still only need Mayor of Tercan, though, to make it an instant success, and he isn't too particular. To be safe, however, I send my chancellor, chaplain, and wife-spymaster to all work the county hard sowing dissent, improving religious relations with the bishops, and creating spy networks.
Melesse is looking vaguely man-like in the view on the right. Dear God, does she think spymasters must wear a disguise?
After a few long months, the duchess turns 16 and becomes an adult. The mayor joins my plot after a bribe. Since he has recently had practice, he is quite confident that we will be able to bring it off easily. Hearing that someone said such a thing about anything that the Zagwe Dyanasty has taken part in chills my blood with foreboding. Does the fool not know that nothing can come easily for Zagwe?
In this case, however, the natural order must have missed a step, because the young duchess dies as planned.
The happy couple.
My grandson’s wife is now a duchess, and any children they have will inherit her holdings and remain in my dynasty because it was a regular marriage. Teophano doesn’t know what steps I took behind the scenes to elevate her to power, so she just hates me as her husband’s creepy grandfather from that horrible place with the baboons. Now everyone needs to stay alive for just long enough to solidify our dynasty's grasp on this duchy with some children.
No sooner does Teophano become duchess than rebels take control of one of her counties. Her own vassals mistrust her still and don’t seem obliged to provide enough troops to put down the rebellion. Unfortunately for the rebels, I have been waiting a long, long time for this opportunity to save my dynasty. A few mountain rebels like these are not going to stand in my way. My army is Teophano’s army.
I raise my levees, exhorting them to march with discipline and fight with courage, to show the world what the fury of Sennarian warriors is like. It is just such a rare moment of articulate oration that I myself am swept up and announce that I will march at the head of my army into combat.
Once we leave town the novelty wears off and I rethink my plan. I have some courtier named Iskinder lead the army and I stay home.
At the end of life stripped of his mayor title and position of spymaster, Kaleb dies a natural death. He will be remembered as the one spymaster that survived the scourge of Sennar, although in actuality he didn’t really do anything to help catch Anatolios.
At the court of the new Duchess of Armenia, people are hesitate to back a plot. They seem to like this girl. I still only need Mayor of Tercan, though, to make it an instant success, and he isn't too particular. To be safe, however, I send my chancellor, chaplain, and wife-spymaster to all work the county hard sowing dissent, improving religious relations with the bishops, and creating spy networks.
Melesse is looking vaguely man-like in the view on the right. Dear God, does she think spymasters must wear a disguise?
After a few long months, the duchess turns 16 and becomes an adult. The mayor joins my plot after a bribe. Since he has recently had practice, he is quite confident that we will be able to bring it off easily. Hearing that someone said such a thing about anything that the Zagwe Dyanasty has taken part in chills my blood with foreboding. Does the fool not know that nothing can come easily for Zagwe?
In this case, however, the natural order must have missed a step, because the young duchess dies as planned.
The happy couple.
My grandson’s wife is now a duchess, and any children they have will inherit her holdings and remain in my dynasty because it was a regular marriage. Teophano doesn’t know what steps I took behind the scenes to elevate her to power, so she just hates me as her husband’s creepy grandfather from that horrible place with the baboons. Now everyone needs to stay alive for just long enough to solidify our dynasty's grasp on this duchy with some children.
No sooner does Teophano become duchess than rebels take control of one of her counties. Her own vassals mistrust her still and don’t seem obliged to provide enough troops to put down the rebellion. Unfortunately for the rebels, I have been waiting a long, long time for this opportunity to save my dynasty. A few mountain rebels like these are not going to stand in my way. My army is Teophano’s army.
I raise my levees, exhorting them to march with discipline and fight with courage, to show the world what the fury of Sennarian warriors is like. It is just such a rare moment of articulate oration that I myself am swept up and announce that I will march at the head of my army into combat.
Once we leave town the novelty wears off and I rethink my plan. I have some courtier named Iskinder lead the army and I stay home.
I was getting worried at things going Tesfaye's way, but then I saw the rebellion and I knew there was still a Monophysite God.
Another instance of uncharacteristic competence from Tesfaye. I think he's been replaced by an imposter.
Great job!
Now let's hope she can bear children.
Seeing as Teophano kinda sounds like a guys name. Given the luck of Tesfaye so far, it wouldn't surprise me if you caught yourself the very first CK2 transvestite
Now let's hope she can bear children.
Seeing as Teophano kinda sounds like a guys name. Given the luck of Tesfaye so far, it wouldn't surprise me if you caught yourself the very first CK2 transvestite
Excellent. Let's hope nobody else in the Duchy realizes how valuable assassinations can be.
This can never work. If it does you've broken the trend of Abyssinian Bad luck. Which cannot happen with out potentially grave consequences for someone else Possibly the Caliph of the Shia Caliphate.
So many murders and yet they have had a happy ending. Tesfaye's grandson has freed himself from the wastes of Sennar.
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