The Pendragon Chronicles (A Chronicle of the Pendragon's Rulers of Wales)

The Reign Of Rhys Pendragon Chapter I






The first years of Rhys’s reign were a struggle, not least because he inherited his father’s throne in difficult circumstances. At the age of 18 he took the throne,during the early years he was not loved by his vassals, especially the Duke of Isles who would be a problem during the early years of his reign. In March 1012 his uncle began hiring men in an attempt to usurp the throne. He was brutally murdered several days later, after Rhys was forced to expel the Jews in order to gain enough money to arrange his assassination. By July 1012 Rhys has dealt with the count of Derby’s rebellion allowing him to take control of the county.



By the end of the year Rhys decided to press his mother’s claim on England. It was a long war but in truth the Welsh struggled owing to the fact that the lack of English armies for the Welsh to fight limited the war swinging in their favor. Rhys sent most of his army to siege the county of Middlesex, while allow his retinue to deal with any forces before they formed into a coherent force. The King of East Francia also joined the war, but his forces were limited to roughly 2000 men due to problems at home. The English could do little better due to the civil war occurring during the period and the fact that their levies had got little rest since their last war with the Welsh. By 1015 after 3 years of bloody fighting it was over, England was a wreck but Rhys has placed his mother on the English throne now only a little intrigue was needed for him to claim England and form Britannia.

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Well chapter is done. Out of material for now which is why some information is missing at the top (I'll fix that soon) I'll play some more soon to get more material. Rhys image is different due to the fact I took the bio image a few years into his reign (he took the throne at 18) Stay tuned my friends...

I like what you did there.

Another enjoyable few updates. Rhys looks promising – and his current effort to pacify England makes me think he'll be the one to form Britannia. It'll be interesting to finally see it happen

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Yeah Rhys might form Britannia in the next few years, but that all depends on the success of some Assassinations

Actually if you're Welsh it's Prydain you'll be forming.

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True but I live in a county in England so I shall call it Britannia.

DensleyBlair said:

And yet you don't call him King Rees...

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Indeed as I side note I have just played a few more years of Rhys reign, I shall just say that many interesting things happened.

The Reign Of Rhys Pendragon Chapter II



Now that his own mother sat on the throne, one would think that Rhys would get some peace and respite. It was not to be, Rhys spies in his mother court discovered that England followed the Gavelkind succession law, as such Rhys was pushed out of succession in favour of his brother Ysfael. Furious at the fact that his chance to form Britannia could be foiled. Rhys arranged for his brother to be murdered in his bed in early March 1017.





The next year, in July 1018 Rhys traveled to Santiago on a pilgrimage. It was a chance for him to find spiritual enlightenment, while also allowing his spies in England the chance to formulate a plan to slay his own mother. Days after his returned from Spain she was found dead in her bedchambers with a dagger in her throat. Rhys now inherited England and now the Pendragons owned the whole of the British Isles.

Before plans could be made to form the Empire several things needed to be done. The English lords despised both Rhys and the power of the monarchy in England, to counter this Rhys quickly weakened the power of the monarchy to appease these rebellious vassals. Other problems however quickly showed themselves, the former King of England Godwine who was now Duke of Cornwall and was a major threat in terms of his claim to England. After several bowmen failed to kill him he was brutally murdered by bandits while travelling in the Cornish forests or so official sources claimed...


However by February 1020 after asking for a sizable sum of money from the Papacy the Empire of Prydain could be created. The Pendragon Dynasty had finally achieved their main goal but could they hold on to their newfound power…

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Well we now hold Pydain. once all the consolidation is done I shall move onto other Kingdoms to conquer. Feel free to leave suggestions about where I should head to next. Also I head back to school next week so I am putting this AAR on hold for the next few days, until I get back into the Rhythm of Schoolwork.

eliaspays said:

Nice.
I'd go for Brittany.
Are you going to keep the kingdom titles or hand them out?

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The opinion Malus was huge so I have given away Scotland and Ireland

bkj123 said:

Well, that's one goal done.....
Just saying, but you could concentrate on Scandinavia.

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Norway is a major powerhouse in the region I really do not want to tick them off.

Congratulations on forming Prydain! It will be interesting to see where you strike next. I'd also say Brittany would be an apt conquest.

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Brittany seems like a viable option they are not even a Kingdom at this point.

Asantahene said:

Killing his brother and then his mother? Did that tally with his traits and how much he liked them or did you do that for gamey purposes? I only ask because it doesn't seem that realistic. Unless you can indicate differently of course.

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In truth I did it for gamey purposes I admit it, I just did not want to wait for his mother to die for Rhys's brother to inherit and then have to go to war again, I'll give rhys's son an diplomacy education however and make sure he gets some intrigue traits. Besides just played some more and controlling an empire is much more fun then controlling 3 Kingdoms

Asantahene said:

Thought so...no worries-just bear in mind that in a story that rings pretty true things like that jar a bit. Just my 2 pennies worth

Look forward to next update

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Next update won't be for a few days due to school starting again, but fear not traits will play a key role in how the emperors act from here on out.

The Reign Of Rhys Pendragon Chapter III





The next 3 years for Rhys was troublesome, controlling an empire was more difficult then controlling 3 Kingdoms. He was forced to give away the Kingdoms of Ireland and Scotland they were given to loyal lords. Gerallt Caereinon the Duke of Munster was given control over Ireland. Duncan Dunbar, duke of Moray a fierce solider in his younger days who had fought under Meilyr and Lylr was given control of the Kingdom of Scotland. Rhys also formed two shock retinues and one cavalry retinue with the money left over after creating the Empire bring his total retinue up to 5500 men.





In December 1021 Sif Rhys wife was once again with child. By June 1022 days after having arrived in Brittany to forge a claim on the county of Leon, King Gerallt had forged a claim on the county begin the Pendragon Brittany wars. On the 6th of July Cadfan, Rhys’s third son was born.

In the following months, Rhys pressed his claim on Leon and gathered his retinue and Welsh levies forces and set them on ships with the intention of sailing to Brittany. The Bretons however had a similar idea and sailed their forces to Winchester laying siege to the county. Rhys quickly landed his forces back in Wales sent the ships back to port and marched his forces over land to Southampton where they engaged the Breton forces.





The battle of Southampton was a decisive battle, not just because the Welsh inflicted severe damage to the Bretons, but they captured the King of Brittany as he fled the field ending the war at a stroke and so Leon passed into the control of the Prydain Empire.



However peace was not to last, in July 1024, Rhys attempted to imprison Duke Merfyn III, after finding out that he was planning to arrange for the duchy of Northumberland to be granted to a new ruler. (The current ruler was also the Duke of Mercia) however the guards failed to capture Merfyn who raised his flag in rebellion beginning civil war in Wales itself…

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Okay I was lying. This will be the last update before school starts and indeed for a while, simply put I am burned out. I have written 10 chapters over the last two weeks and need a major break from CK2. (1 or 2 weeks maximum) Stick by me and I'll see you guys in a few weeks.

Saxon

Asantahene said:

Nice update Saxon! Listen don't burn yourself out-post when you feel you are ready to post not because there is a slavering band of readers wanting the next chapter

See you when you get back and enjoy your break

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Cheers For that. I will still reply to comments, but I have posted a ton of chapters over the half term So I feel entitled to a bit of rest.