Obotrite Blood and German Coins

[Austregisel]

A Crusader Kings 2 AAR

Obotrite Blood and German Coins



- INDEX -




​

 

[Austregisel]

A Crusader Kings 2 AAR

Obotrite Blood and German Coins

- PROLOGUE -​

The Obotrites (in German: Abodriten; in Polish: Obrodyci), also known as Obodrites, were a medieval confederation of West Slavic tribes that inhabited the region of the current territory of Mecklenburg and Holstein, in northern Germany. For decades they were allies of Charlemagne in his wars against the Germanic Saxons and the Slavic Veletos. In 798 the Obotrites, led by Prince Drożko (or Draško, originally Thrasco) defeated the Saxons at the Battle of the River Swentana; the still pagan Nordalbingian Saxons were dispersed by the emperor, and part of their land in Holstein, north of the Elbe, was granted to the Obotrites in 804 as a reward for their victory. This situation, however, was reversed with the invasion of the Danes.​

The Bavarian Geographer, an anonymous medieval document compiled in Regensburg in 830, contains a list of the tribes of central Eastern Europe, east of the Elbe. The list includes the Nortabtrezi (Obotrites) - with 53 civities. Adam of Bremen referred to them as reregos (Reregi), after their profitable trading center of Reric. Along with other Slavic groups, they were often described by Germanic sources as Vends.​

 

[HistoryDude]

And... subscribed. I want to see how they deal with the Carolingians and the Danes... let's hope they don't get conquered.

Are they Christian yet?

Will we see the Obotrites become a prosperous trading kingdom?

 

[Chac1]

Very good start. Very interested in this, along with @HistoryDude and I'm sure others too.
Like @HistoryDude interested in how the Danes will factor into this story, as my CK2 AAR featuring the Danes is currently set in 790 C.E., not too far behind your timeline. In that AAR, Mecklenburg has yet to be mentioned but, of course, it is recognized as quite strategic.
Also, just curious, which version of CK2 might you be using or which mods, as your first map looks a bit different than the frontiers in my game?
Good luck to you in this endeavor. Seems you have a lot of expertise in this region.

 

[Austregisel]

A Crusader Kings 2 AAR

Obotrite Blood and German Coins

Chapter 1​

In February 867, a preacher in the service of King Lothaire V of Lotharingia arrived in Liubice to spread the gospel of his foreign faith, Catholicism, which the Obotrite tribe had known for a long time due to commercial interaction with the west. High Chief Tabomuysl decides to leave the preacher named Aldéric in his lands, perhaps this will improve relations with the lords to the west.​

​

Without taking long, just a few months later, Aldéric's continued preaching increasingly convinced a large audience in Liubice who listened to his daily sermons, even a larger contingent of other foreign Catholics came to Liubice. Tabomuysl after much deliberation decides to convert to this foreign faith, together with his wife, Vikele Pomedi. On the other hand, the various chiefs of the Obotrites do not follow Tabomuysl in this decision, greatly deteriorating their relationship with the chiefs of the tribes under his leadership.
It was with his friend, Chief Strasz Drevani of Dannenberg, that High Chief Tabomuysl managed to convince him and his family to submit to the wise advice of converting to the Catholic faith.​

​

From 880 onwards, all the chiefs of the Obotrites were successfully converted, with only the vast majority of the local people still unconverted, but this would take a long time and require a great effort.
Taking advantage of Norwegian success in the war against the Luticians to the east, High Chief Tabomuysl declares a Holy War on this tribe, calling on all the chiefs of the Obotrites to raise their banners in the name of the Lord. In command of the troops of the Obotrites was appointed Chief Gawel Wangria of Kiel.
With the victory in the battles of Rostock and Werle mainly, only a few skirmishes remained to be fought, while the army conquered the border settlements. Several other tribes would join in the defense of the Luticians, from Polish tribes and the Czechs, but their vast majority would not arrive to stop the forces of the Obotrites who would win the war in 10 months.​

​

With the wealth from the looting, Tabomuysl would be able to invest in its capital, over the following months Liubice would become a market city in the region.​

​

In 881, King Karlmann of Germany and Duke of Bavaria, founder of the Abensbergian branch of the Carolingian Dynasty, died. His son Arnulf just 4 years later in 885, would unify the lands of Germany, Bavaria, Lotharingia, Burgundy and Italy and be crowned by Pope Boniface as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at Bar-le-Duc in the County of Bar.​

​

With the coronation in the Holy Roman Empire, High Chief Tabomuysl of the Obotrites decides to swear allegiance to Emperor Arnulf, such a decision is accepted by the majority of the tribe's council, the gains of being defended by the Emperor is very advantageous for such a border territory close to a region where the majority is hostile and pagan.​

​

It was in the year 901 that High Chief Branimir officially came to power, after turning 16, 5 years after the death of his father, High Chief Tabomuysl. He and his brothers had been educated abroad, spending much of their youth in the courts of the imperial nobles of the Holy Roman Empire, receiving a Catholic and Low Saxon education. His brothers also became chiefs of the Obotrites; Chief Trantisek in Mecklenburg, Chief Aleksander in Ratzeburg and Wlodzislaw in Werle.​

Branimir Tabomuyslssunu Obodriti​

It was at the Emperor's Tournament in 916 that High Chief Branimir began an affair with Clara von der Wetterau, wife of Gunnarr Udalrichsson. The two have their romance in secret throughout the tournament, Clara openly favors Branimir in her jousts, even though High Chief Branimir did not reach the finals of the tournament.​

​

In 921, High Chief Branimir participated in the imperial campaign to the north in the region of Denmark against King Ivar of Norway and Denmark, until the following year he would participate in the siege of several settlements and fight some skirmishes against pagan armies, he would not be the main imperial commander in important battles such as Nyburgh, Hetheby and Hiaelm, in which the most important commanders responsible for the victories would be Count Lutwig Welf, Emperor Ortolf Abensbergian and Duke Hiltebrant Welf.​

 

[Chac1]

Very glad to see this AAR back! Was hoping that more would drop as it has a stylish start.

However, I must note that my favorite, the Danes are already taking it on the chin! Ouch!

In 881, King Karlmann of Germany and Duke of Bavaria, founder of the Abensbergian branch of the Carolingian Dynasty, died. His son Arnulf just 4 years later in 885, would unify the lands of Germany, Bavaria, Lotharingia, Burgundy and Italy and be crowned by Pope Boniface as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire at Bar-le-Duc in the County of Bar.

The HRE is impressive (although what happened in France?) so it makes sense that once your ruler converted you needed to link up with them.
How did the HRE get Scania (Southern Sweden)? More conversions?

Looking forward to the next update. Would love to hear a bit more about some of the adventures of these characters. (For instance, what motivated Branimir to have an affair? Or what else of significance happened at the tournament?)

Cheers and good to see this opening chapter!

 

[HistoryDude]

That conversion was quick, but it was a wise choice... as was your oath of fealty. Will you play politics in the HRE, trying to gain power among your fellow vassals?

Does the HRE follow elective succession, or is it still subject to primogeniture or partition?

Will you attempt to expand by attacking your pagan neighbors to the north or to the east?

I look forward to more!

 

[Midnite Duke]

Good looking AAR. Good luck and thanks for giving it to us.