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NewbieOne

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Dec 4, 2011
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LAND'S END

'Earl' Kadoc of Cornwall


Now 'earl', two months ago it was 'ealdorman', who cares. The less they speak about me in London, the better I feel. I am the lord of Tintagel:




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And of the city overcliff from the ocean and the monastery nearby. Land's End is our home. We proceed from the House of Cornwall, aptly so named for while the official founder was my father, we are last vestiges of the kings and kingdom of Dumnonia. As much 'we' as the fishermen who live down at the pier, one of whom was my current wife.




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Due to the gory happenings of this autumn, London is messy place right now, more so than ever, which is a tough feat to achieve in this century:




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...But we are very, very far from there. So much so that sometimes you could believe, for a while, that the time has stopped and the Kernew Kelts live here their difficult but simple and peaceful lives undisturbed like they always have. Always, bah. I'm getting nostalgic. Fact is, for the last two hundred years we've been struggling constantly with the Saxons and it was even worse before. Now are coming and I wonder what they will bring. As much as I prefer they'd never let me find out.
 
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PICTURES (7 DEC 2013): THERE HAVE BEEN SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE PICTURES RECENTLY. IF A PICTURE SEEMS TO BE MISSING FROM THE TEXT AND YOU CAN'T SEE IT, DON'T WORRY, IT'S NOT LOST. EVERY PICTURE IS A LINK TO ITS SAME-SIZE OR LARGER VERSION (DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE PICTURE), AND THE PICTURES ARE PHYSICALLY STILL PRESENT ON IMAGESHACK. IT'S JUST THAT LINKS DON'T ALWAYS WORK. TO VIEW THE PICTURE JUST RIGHT-CLICK ON THE MISSING PICTURE ICON (AS SOON AS YOU SEE IT, WHICH IS WHEN YOUR BROWSER GIVES UP TRYING TO LOAD THE PICTURE), AND OPEN THE PICTURE IN A NEW WINDOW. THE PICTURE WILL THEN SHOW ON IMAGESHACK. YOU SHOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO VIEW OTHER PICTURES FROM THE SAME AAR THERE EASILY.


[Editorial note: This will be a light-hearted AAR (or not, in depends), something to fill in while I'm waiting out the time-frames between updates on the more serious Lives of the Saints, especially due to the fact that managing a gameplay AAR narrated mainly with screenshots forces pauses in the game, as it's only so far you can go without losing the memory of whatever background surrounded the particular moment recorded by a sreenshot. And when an important king's lifetime can easily produce about 2000 screenshots, this is something to take into account. Needless to say, also here do I have a certain number that are queued and waiting but here I won't be waiting so long with the updates. If I feel like posting, I will. There will not be that much suspense, except maybe when I feel I can deal with the wait. Otherwise I might post even five updates overnight, depending how much work I have to do. On the other hand, I'll try not to let it fall behind. So while this is a light-weight AAR, you can be sure that it will be carried to the end (the end being 1 Jan 1453) and your hopes will not be disappointed. Well, they won't be as long as you like what I'm posting. And that will tend to be what I feel like doing. Due the nature of this AAR as I described, I might be trying various things and this is going to be a freehand project. Nope, nothing drastic like reloading as a different ruler or doing anything like that to the game, absolutely not. But depending on the day, an update may contain a long narrative and just a few screenshots or, on the contrary, it may be just a screenshot chronicle with a precious couple of words in between to guide the flow. There are no ambitions set for this AAR (win this, achieve that, score an award etc.) and it's going to be free of such constraints. It's going to be free, free, free.

Bonus: If you however the mouse cursor over the text or if you have particularly sharp sight, you will notice wikipedia links. Like in my other AARs, they're supposed to provide some background if you're interested and suggest something to read if you're bored. Also, they represent background that I don't particularly feel like rewriting at length in my own words.]
 
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Reigning in Tintagel

So, this is my humble person. Being an idle lordling ruling the last piece of a decaying civilisation, I have grown into what people refer to as an 'Indulgent Wastrel'. Except there is not so much to indulge here, unless beautiful views and activities like fishing or singing count. As for the girls, I've only ever been interested in one and I married her. I also have a... rather avoidant personality. In fact, I might be somewhat battle-shy, especially because I've never really had the opportunity to practice it, but I wouldn't call myself a coward. Although, admittedly, 35 years of age is high time to man up. Also, my title seems to be 'count' now. I believe I've let you on how much I care about that.




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And this is my wife that I've told you about already. Twice.




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The fisherman's girl. We didn't really grow up apart. I know most people by name and I played with every other child at the harbour. She's somewhat paranoid, probably no wonder having to handle all the secrets of this rock, and somewhat greedy by nature (she grew up in poverty) but temperate of character, always knowing when to hold it back. And her kindness further keeps it in check.

My younger brother Bleddyn was trained in theology, although never meant to become a priest. He is the more skilled of us two and also a better person in terms of virtues. He has a zeal for his faith, a patient and charitable disposition and a thoroughly honest personality. I wish he were the count here in the place of our father but I doubt he does. Sometimes I wonder which one of us is older, except it's quite clear I have three years on him. We both have a daughter each but unlike me, he has three sons. Along with his wife, another simple girl, this is all the family I have.

However, I am not old yet and certainly my wife isn't either, and it unlikely that the 8 years old Bronwen will eventually by my heir.





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And these are my vassals: the Mayor and the Bishop:



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The town further down the road from the castle pier actually has a mayor. There is even a small port there. And a cathedral. Parish churches in large cities are probably bigger and more ornate but we have our own bishop. He answers to the English province but at least we don't have Saxon clerics. Or Norman. Actually, we had one. Father Aldwyn, he was a wonderful guy. He always made toys for us children and actually baked cookies. And he could make such beautiful drawings in the church books that the bishop occasionally had copied. They had to make a living somehow. In Tintagel, you don't say a bad word about Father Aldwyn, bless his memory, or you're no longer welcome here. But otherwise we don't care for Saxons much.

There are only two things to do around in these parts: find a goal in life, or form the Duchy of Cornwall.





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...Which basically means more formally elevate our title one level closer to what it had been. At least if the stories are true for no one knows if we're really descended from the old kings but we all readily accept the claim. It unites us, gives us a sense of continuation. In both meanins, actually: as in, it also gives it a sense to continue. I don't know how much longer we can defy the times.

The sole other county in the Duchy of Cornwall is Devon. It still houses a Breton populace, or rather Brython but basically Dumnonian anyway, people like us.





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Devon is currently ruled by Baldwin, a Norman lord who, appropriately, has a boat in his shield, which is basically where they all spawn from.



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As for a shorter-term goal, finding a purpose in life has a surprisingly wide range of options. Do I want to become a councillor... and serve William in London? No chance. It's rather time to focus harder on the administration of this place and turn it into a more robust economy for a bit more comfortable living for all in whatever time is left to us.




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My council is composed of my wife, my brother, both of my vassals and the guy who serves as chancellor. The mayor is actually a capable warrior and the bishop is surprisingly good.




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There is a third thing I would like to do, actually:



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Well, 'would like,' would normally be an exaggeration but I'd rather be under the independent princes in Wales than under the King of the Saxons. Or Normans. But as none of the princes is a proper king, there would be nobody to accept my pledge. Neither a duke of Gwynedd nor a duke of Deheubarth can act as the de iure liege of Kernow. They need to sort it out among themselves first, which they are busy doing, to the probable enthusiasm of the coming Normans.
 
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Good AAR so far, fairly straightforward, I like it! I'll be following!
 
Hopefully the Normans are too busy with Saxon rebellions elsewhere for them to worry about your loyalties to the Bastard in London.
 
The Race

It seems Baldwin has 41.6 gold and makes 0.79 a month:



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Whereas we have 41.6 gold and make 0.78 a month:



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This is why I'm working on my stewardship, remember?

One day when I drop on my back on the snowy hill with my arms folded under my neck and head and count the stars after helping the innkeeper with the first day of winter repairs, a stranger sits down next to me and a conversation ensues. Turns out he's some kind of writer. From Wales, no less. It has been a long while since someone last made the trip.

'What brought you here, noble bard?'
'I'm as much of a noble bard as you are of a king of Dumnonia.'
'Ricatus...'
'I know. It says rex Ricatus on the memorials, not more than seventy years ago. And Conan was more of a real king. Already after Donyarth drowned from whom you proceed. But let me tell you of your more ancient ancestors.'



The prince and warrior Gorlois, he that held
Tintagil castle by the Cornish sea,
Was wedded with a winsome wife, Ygerne:
And daughters had she borne him,—one whereof,
Lot's wife, the Queen of Orkney, Bellicent,
Hath ever like a loyal sister cleaved
To Arthur,—but a son she had not borne.
And Uther cast upon her eyes of love:
But she, a stainless wife to Gorlois,
So loathed the bright dishonour of his love,
That Gorlois and King Uther went to war:
And overthrown was Gorlois and slain.




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He proposes to write it all down. I feel a twinge of humility (not to mention that I need to count every penny right now, fractions included) but he says, 'If not you then who else? Ancestors are to be revered, to inspire, not to be idly relished in. If not you, then who else will carry the fame of Gorlois of oppidum Tintagol in littore maris?'



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There is no way Baldwin will earn 25 prestige any time this century. We will make it up somehow, three months worth of our income. But this is precisely how much time it took the old bard. He conscientiously got up every morning before dawn and wrote until it was late. Too late for me to keep up. And then he left.

At the same time, the blood of -shrink- Wessex is stirring in the Saxons.




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Big Politics

Let me check something...




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...Nope. Oh well.

But...:





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He's Brave, Diligent, Gregarious and Kind... it's not like I'll find better anyway, so:




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[At the last moment.] No, I can't do it. It's not like I actively hate Saxons or even the line of Wessex but that would just not make sense.

Events begin to flurry like snowballs this winter.

19 January:





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26 January:




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4 February:




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6 February:




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6 February (again!):




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18 February:




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Looks like William's plate is full right now (he's Temperate, by the way). But why am I getting a nudging feeling that he's going to be able to handle it?




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Truth be told, he is the ablest king we've seen in these parts in many, many years. Well, not exactly these parts. In these parts, nobody has seen a king in his lifetime. This is a strange thought but I'm beginning to feel a hint of sympathy towards William. I would be the last person to call him the 'Bastard', given that people could question if I am even that, myself, in relation to the old kings of Dumnonia. Or 'tanner's son'. There is nothing wrong with honest work. My father-in-law fished for a living. And sometimes I did with him. I know how to gut a flounder. I assure you the getty can smell worse than a tanner's shop. In either case cat's don't mind (cats can swim, by the way).


On 21 May the big news hits everybody like direct sunlight to the head:



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Marared is pregnant! I drop my flounder scraper at the pier, wipe my hands (on my jacket) and run up the cliff to give her a big hug. Can it be a son?




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But, for all the fuss, those factions aren't particularly strong. As of the end of June, only the founder remains a member of the 'Eadgar for England' faction with 634 men to command and he provides more than a half of the manpower of the other faction, the one that wants to lower crown authority in England. Looks like my intuition was correct. Which is strange, since I know nothing about such things [OOC: his Intrigue is 0]. There are no factions on this rock. We just talk about things at the tavern down at the port.




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I look for a future husband for Bronwen but all of them are mediocre at best.




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Inevitably, I can't but compare them to Eadgar.

In mid October, William goes after Gospatrick (which does mean, 'servant of St. Patrick,' but that guy is definitely not Irish; he's half Saxon and half Scottish, and holds a county that William believes to be his). The Harrying of the North begins. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that Edwin (the faction leader) and Morcar and are next.





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As you can see, he seems to have forgotten about our levies. Does it mean he has forgotten about us?




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[3 November] Unfortunately not.

But on 14 December, Waltheof makes up his mind and all but officially declares himself for Eadgar.

That is big. Something is brewing. I can feel it. I can't tell you what or why, but I can feel it.





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And I have a son!




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Konan of Cornwall is born three days before Christmas of 1067.
 
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A good edition - I'm liking the frequency (although, in my case frequency only seems to lead to a lack of comments :)) If you haven't chosen a son-in-law, yet, I'd go for Prince Erik. He may be a bastard, but he is strong, and would give an (admittedly unusable-for-now) alliance with Denmark...
 
Very nice work so far. I like the low-key, almost down-to-earth style - it suits a small-fry Cornish Count married to a fisherman's daughter like Kadoc. :)
 
A good edition - I'm liking the frequency (although, in my case frequency only seems to lead to a lack of comments :)) If you haven't chosen a son-in-law, yet, I'd go for Prince Erik. He may be a bastard, but he is strong, and would give an (admittedly unusable-for-now) alliance with Denmark...

Thank you! And don't worry, a lot of people read but just don't comment. This can be discouraging but perhaps looking at the number of the views in the AAR subforum should sweeten it a bit! :) I think I might be giving this AAR a little more living today and morrow, as I need to keep more careful timings on updates in the main project (The Lives of the Saints, of course) to avoid making it too fast. Here I will be caring less about that.

Very nice work so far. I like the low-key, almost down-to-earth style - it suits a small-fry Cornish Count married to a fisherman's daughter like Kadoc. :)

Thank you. :) He's trying his best not to die a count. ;)
 
NewbieOne said:
Thank you! And don't worry, a lot of people read but just don't comment. This can be discouraging but perhaps looking at the number of the views in the AAR subforum should sweeten it a bit! I think I might be giving this AAR a little more living today and morrow, as I need to keep more careful timings on updates in the main project (The Lives of the Saints, of course) to avoid making it too fast. Here I will be caring less about that.

Thanks - I do tend to look at views more often to get a better idea of readership :)

Looking forward to more of Kadoc's adventures :)