Carmina Tolosarum

[Lucius Sulla]

Scenario: County of Carcassone - 1066
Dinasty: Trencavel
Dificulty: Difficult - Coward, subject to change in either direction after judging AI Behaviour (I want stable kingdoms) and Grabbing-Usurping costs (I don't want cheap or too incredibly expensive costs)

This AAR will be 'written' just in images, so I can use proper fonts for it.

I will apply an extensive set of rulings (my rules of 'CK self containment' as I posted them in the Spanish CK Forum). Basically those are:RULES HERE (in Spanish)

I. Weddings:

I.1 No obvious genetic program. My tittle holder or his first three direct heirs will only marry correctly (with relatives to tittle holders of comparative importance to mine).
I.2 No marriage to Agnes of Aquitaine.

II. 'Supply' Rules:

II.1 I will always keep a minimum of personal domain of 50% (round up) of the counties relative to my main tittle, if possible. This will not apply if you already control in your personal domain 66% (round up) of the provinces of your main tittle.
II.2 Will only keep in my domain or as a vassal provinces to which I can trace a route of 'supply' as in Mad King James proposed supply rules, but restricted to a sea distance of 1 per docks level (including as 1st level dock the fishing thingy). Land-wise, no distance applied.
II.3 If a county is not possibly supplied though this rules I will grant it independce in any way.
II.4 This rules are suspended temporarily on muslim provinces during crusades.

III. Tittles Rules:

III.1 The first ducal tittle my family will be able to claim is: Languedoc, Tolouse, Provence or Spanish Marche.

III.2 I will only grant appropiate ducal tittles to vassals (that is, they will need to have at least one province of that tittle), that is, if I ever manage to be king.

III.3 Inherited provinces and tittles will also be subjected to the supply rules.

IV. Crusading:

IV.1 Unless I can 'supply' the conquered territories, I will give create an independent noble lord with the appropiate tittle or give the provinces back to him if he already exists (for example: giving back Jerusalem and any other province of this kingdom to the kingdom of Jerusalem if it already exists).

IV.2 The previous rule is suspended while there is the appropiate crusade active.

V. Murdering:

V.1 A maximum of 1 assasination target each main tittle holder of the family per each the following conditions (this means any number of attempts to that target):

* Cruel Trait
* Arbitrary Trait
* Liar Trait
* Vengeful Trait
* Lustful Trait (only applicable for a target that would be husband of a woman you want to marry, or to murder your own wife).
* Intricate Webreaver education trait
* Illusive Shadow (this grants 2 instead of 1)
* Grey Eminence education trait

I will review the savegame extensively each 5 years to apply my supply conditions to each main independent kingdom or duchy.

As you will understand, for this and the fact I will have to build my 'pages' it will take LONG for each update.

Anticipated thanks to any kind reader that would follow this story.

[Lucius Sulla]

HEADS OF THE TRENCAVEL DINASTY:

Lords of the Spanish Marche:
Raymond-Bernard ( b. 1036 a.1060 d.1092 )
Matias ( b. 1068 a.1092 d.1136 )
Pèire ( b. 1087 a.1136 d.1138 )

Kings of Aragon:
Bertrand I ( b. 1114 a.1138 d.1163 )

TRENCAVEL COAT OF ARMS:

Barry du Six, D'Or et Ermine

PROVINCES HELD BY THE TRENCAVEL:

Montpellier: circa 900
Carcassone: 1066 (Inherited through Wedding)
Roselló: 1084 (Conquered from the Taifa of Zaragoza)
Urgell: 1084 (Conquered from the Taifa of Zaragoza) -> To Pèire Trencavel, brother of Bertrand I
Empuries: 1085 (Conquered from the Taifa of Zaragoza)
Barcelona: 1085 (Conquered from the Taifa of Zaragoza)
Narbonne: 1087 (Inherited through Wedding)
Navarra: 1123 (Conquered from the Zirid Moors) -> To Severo of Cagliari, brother-in-law of Bertrand I
La Rioja: 1123 (Conquered from the Zirid Moors) -> To Severo of Cagliari, brother-in-law of Bertrand I
Génova: 1131 (Conquered from Hammadide pirates)
Niza: 1133 (Conquered from Hammadide pirates)
Provenza: 1136 (Inherited through Wedding)
Fourcalquier: 1136 (Inherited through Wedding)
Venaissin: 1136 (Inherited through Wedding) -> To Raymond Trencavel, brother of Bertrand I
Mallorca: 1140 (Conquered from the Emirate of Majorca)
Valencia: 1140 (Conquered from the Emirate of Majorca)
Almansa: 1140 (Conquered from the Emirate of Majorca) -> To Castille through the Treaty of Almizra
Tarragona: 1141 (Conquered from the Duchy of Zaragoza)
Albarracín: 1141 (Conquered from the Duchy of Zaragoza) -> To Pèire Trencavel, brother of Bertrand I
Zaragoza: 1141 (Conquered from the Duchy of Zaragoza) -> To Pèire Trencavel, brother of Bertrand I
Cuenca: 1155 (Conquered from the Shiek of Cuenca) -> To Castille through the Treaty of Almizra
Castellón: 1155 (From Castille through the Treaty of Almizra)

[the_k]

I will keep an eye on this one

[Pirate Z]

Yep, looks like a lot of care went into this one.

[Mike von Bek]

Ooh, this looks like its gonna be purty!

[Lucius Sulla]

CHAPTER I: VITA COMES

[Lucius Sulla]

CHAPTER I: CHRONICA BELLI

The war against Zaragoza:

PHASE I: Aragonese-Catalan attack



PHASE II: Muslim counterattack



PHASE III: Capet/Trencavel attack

[Lucius Sulla]

CHAPTER I: CHARTA EUROPAE

As you can see, France had experimented a period of prosperity under the starting reign of Philip the first of his name. During 25 tears not only the realm has expanded, but the pairs have been kept in check by a strong monarchy.

But, black storm clouds are seen in the future, as the mood of the king will sour and turn violent and unstable.

The reconquista has indeed advanced in this 25 years. Alfonso of León not only has practically rescued his elder brother from the moors (but keeping the fortress his brother Sancho had lost against them) but has also helped him to gain the lands south of the Duero River. The Kingdom of Navarra and the Duchy of Bragança lie quiet, cut landwise from the aim of the reconquista.

The future may hold surprises, though, as the younger generation of the Jimenez family shows a switch of characters... the heir of León seems a lazy and capricious character, not seemingly suited for government, while his cousin of Castille is starting to show a great strength of character.


The aragonese debacle was fortunately saved by french and occitaine intervention. The only two surviving Taifa muslim Kingdoms, Sevilla and Mayorca, have thrown themselves like wolves to devour the remains of his former brethen as they were defeated by the Christians, and still look at each other more warily than at their northern neighbours.

Dinastic war has engulfed Germany. In a quite characteristical way, the salian german emperor has defied again papal authority... tensions escalating until breaking point, beyond repair, as Pope Urban II has excommunicated the emperor himself.

Immediately, the pope crowned in Rome as true successor of Charlemagne de Duke of Toscana, Boniface of Canossa. The Rheinfeld of Swaben, the Ardennes of Lorraine and his allies of Bayern have already proclaimed their support to the new candidate.

The salian trooops have indeed obtained some initial success, but things are turning grim for the house of Otto the Great as old enmities and envy against them are resurfacing quickly, conspiring against them.

[Lucius Sulla]

As you might have noticed, my chapters will come in three parts.

The first part (VITA COMES), will narrate the life of the head of the Trencavel family himself.

The second part (CHRONICA BELLI), will try to show diagrams to military actions in which he would have take part.

The third and final part (CHARTA EUROPAE) will be maps of significative parts of Europe in the year of his death, and how things have reached that point.

[the_k]

very impressive AAR!

[Alhazen]

Very nice work. Impressive!

[Jestor]

The graphics work on this is absolutely incredible.

[bigdan]

Well looks like I've just been showed up. Not that I mind if it's by an excellent writer. Looks like we're taking different routes anyway especially with crusading and writing styles. Good luck.

[Lucius Sulla]

@Jestor, the_k, Alhazen

Thanks for the critics I try yet to improve the graphical aspect. I wanted to ask anybody who might be reading this about the readability. Is it good enough or should I move to a more gentle font? Do you get tired reading the chapter?

The bad part in all this, of course, is that it gets me a long time for an update. Not only because of the fact it takes some time to prepare the pages (far less time now that I have all the steps to generate them fixed), but because each 5-10 years I usually track 'non supportable demesnes', modifying the saved games so the maps will be coherent.

About the next update, I have just finished to play the next Trencavel family head (Matias Trencavel), and I hope to put it up by next monday/tuesday.

@bigdan

Uh... what do you mean showed up? (obviously not English native speaker here)


...

After next chapter, I will do a new chapter that will not belong to the main series. Like another 'book' inserted in the main story (which would be the lifes of the Trencavel family heads). It will be around the IA french crusade to take Jerusalem. Once the IA had conquered Acre, Jaffa and Jerusalem on its own, I occasionally logged as France to direct the declarations of war so the crusade would actually carve space enough to create a viable crusader kingdom, then when the crusade actually ended, I could modify the saved game extensively so I could create the kingdom in the person of the most successful noble of the crusade (which would be the duke of Anjou, moving to Holy Land to be king, and leaving his little brother in France as duke of Anjoy).

I hope this will not be too disruptive to the main read, but I think it will be worth it.

[Lucius Sulla]

CHAPTER II: VITA COMES

[Lucius Sulla]

Mmm... just curious, is anybody actually reading the story? I always fear it's just too tiring to read.

[yourworstnightm]

Great stuff so far, the book format and all that scrolling back up with the mouse is tiring though.

[Fall of Stars]

Originally Posted by yourworstnightm

Great stuff so far, the book format and all that scrolling back up with the mouse is tiring though.

This story is actually a delight, and I think the format adds to it. I was lucky to discover it - good job, Sulla!

Waiting with bated breath for the other parts ofChapter 2.

[Lucius Sulla]

Well, that's the bad thing of doing it all via images... if people replied more and added some comments, then the chapters would spread more and it would be better .

The font is the best I could find (and I consulted several forums) that was still fitting for the mood. The damn page took hours to find.

Ok, I hope I will start doing chapters 2.2 and 2.3 soon enough, during this week, weekend maximum, I hope.

Chapter 3 will be a lot briefer and will not have 3.2 and 3.3, since my third family head only lasted 2 years and a half... quite a change after 40 something years with the second one.

Ah, sorry for the typos in the story, but it's a hell to redo the pages. I just noticed too late that my word editor tried to 'correct' some words on his own :P.

[the_k]

excellent AAR, I ve never seen anyone put so much care into his story