Tales from our Faarthers

[loki100]

Vladimir 1133-1137: Waxing the Realm

[voices approach … “pssst Vladimir”]

Oh its just you two

[look we’d like to get on with this without Gabi and Harry squabbling … there’s still quite a lot to get through … and there is a lot we really don’t understand]

Oh that’s fine, well in the chaos of stomping out her rebellion, Elisaveta, my second daughter, died. So I handed her titles to my brother Yurii.

And then Pentti, my heir died. Luckily even without Emelyan and Svetozar, I still had a few offspring left.



So I gave Kettu all of Pentti’s lands – and hope for the best. I had had 5 sons (ok 2 were bastards), two have now died, Vseslav back in 1121, and both bastards are being well … so Kettu is the main hope. Oddly at this time, neither Anna nor Predslava were around the court that often.

In amongst all this, I start trying to sort out the ongoing loyalty problem in Moskva, so decided to build a church:



[oh that’ll please Gabi, we’ll highlight that in the report]

Naturally the two bastards carried on nagging



And then throwing hissy fits when they didn’t get their way:



Is he surprised that I refused to include him in the inheritance?

Svetozar joins in:



and then moves from unreasonable demands to paranoia, probably was feeling threatened by Emelyan




and trots off to Denmark.

Emelyan then finally hears I’ve got some extra cash




Fortunately, I kept it out of his hands

So to take my mind off my local troubles, I decide to look at other people’s problems. Well by 1133, the Kingdom of the Assassins has arrived in Northern France, and was trying to expand:




But by 1137 they were vassals of the King of England. I do hope he knows what he was doing but he should try my family if he wants a bunch of maniacs running around the court:

In another part of the world certain traditional customs are being followed:



The less refined members of my court carry on as usual



So he’s now known as Ukko-bambi-murderer. It seems this random act of violence perked Anna up:



Finally, Svetozar chooses to return, and keeps on about being threatened, some tale of being stalked by a blond female – it was bad enough with Emelyan doing his weekly fertility reports, before he became a homicidal, profligate, messiah.

[hallo … oh Harry bit of a surprise … you’re not trying to cut me out of this are you? … oh no wouldn’t think about … so what do we have {flicks through the file} built a church – usual domestic things and ha ha, Vladimir, this time when Svetozar annoyed you, just what did you do?]

Well I was pretty fed up with them all by this stage so



And no evidence was ever found as to who did it,

[see Harry, no evidence … ho ho he’s mine all mine, my first Rurikovich in 4 generations]

Of course, Anna got started on the rumours almost immediately



In an attempt to escape all this, together with Yurri, we carried on the slow reconquest of Estonia, Narva was next on the list:



I should have wondered a bit more where all those men they claimed to have would come from. Well they were allied to Poland.

I impressed everyone (except my family):



And that was just the start.

Meanwhile at home, the Ukko-the-deer-molester seemed to be having second thoughts



Of course it wouldn’t have been a proper Rurikovich war without an injured marshall



What can Vladimir do to impress his family? Even if he has now joined in the family sports of murdering each other and the other one of having injured marshalls? Has Harry got the evidence he’s been looking for?
​

 

[iain_a_wilson]

Thanks for the nod to Suenik

Ukko-the-deer-molester - you have to mod it to include that as an honourific!

I think this AAR perfectly shows just how wonderful CK's dynastic aspect is - proof if any is needed that this is not simply some kind of medieval strategy game!

Great update!

 

[unmerged(174159)]

Does this mean my Honourific is due to be changed in KoA? <.< By the way, still loving this loki!

 

[morningSIDEr]

Of course it wouldn’t have been a proper Rurikovich war without an injured marshall
​

How very true. I just find it quite brilliant that Rurikovich marshalls always come a cropper.

Very good update!

 

[naggy]

Wanted: Marshal
See the world, meet interesting people. Pay is commisserate with experience. Slgiht injury risk - you must carry your own insurance...

 

[Stuyvesant]

The Assassin vassals of England are conquering France?!? If I didn't know CK just a little bit better, I'd say that now I've seen it all.

I'm glad to see Vladimir starting to conform to the Rurikovich mould - clearly, even if the genes are willing, the environment is just too strong for anyone to escape (to wit: his crazed offspring, the incessant family killings and the epidemic of marshall mutilation. Courtiers like Ukko-the-deer-buggerer are just the icing on the cake).

Especially given Vladimir's earlier protestations of utter innocence, I believe Harry's claim can't be denied. Vladimir choose to be evil: to his predecessors, it was just human nature.

 

[loki100]

Ukko-the-deer-molester - you have to mod it to include that as an honourific!

after the damage AP has wreaked on the boar hunting events, I'm not sure I'd dare.

I think this AAR perfectly shows just how wonderful CK's dynastic aspect is - proof if any is needed that this is not simply some kind of medieval strategy game!

very much so, I hadn't really realised just how much depth it adds to the game, you spend far longer checking your lunatic 'family' than worrying about wars and things

Does this mean my Honourific is due to be changed in KoA? <.< By the way, still loving this loki!

take that one up with the man ... just make sure he doesn't let Enewald slip in any more untranslated Finnish

How very true. I just find it quite brilliant that Rurikovich marshalls always come a cropper.

Very good update!

well another (2) coming up ... I've not played CK enough to know if this injury rate is normal, or if I really am just very careless with Marshalls

Wanted: Marshal
See the world, meet interesting people. Pay is commisserate with experience. Slgiht injury risk - you must carry your own insurance...

Quite a few updates down the line, I do, briefly, almost run out of candidates

The Assassin vassals of England are conquering France?!? If I didn't know CK just a little bit better, I'd say that now I've seen it all.

I'm glad to see Vladimir starting to conform to the Rurikovich mould - clearly, even if the genes are willing, the environment is just too strong for anyone to escape (to wit: his crazed offspring, the incessant family killings and the epidemic of marshall mutilation. Courtiers like Ukko-the-deer-buggerer are just the icing on the cake).

Especially given Vladimir's earlier protestations of utter innocence, I believe Harry's claim can't be denied. Vladimir choose to be evil: to his predecessors, it was just human nature.

Well your judgement had a major influence on the next update ... such is the power of the reader in aarland

 

[loki100]

Vladimir 1137-1143: Hero for our times?

[sounds of a struggle … “right boys wrap him up in the carpet … you got the right address … Circle IX, outer edge” – checks –

“yep traitor to his kin, Stuyvesent was pretty clear on that” … muffled yells in the background …

“ah Harry … oh Gabi nice to see … why are you looking so guilty … me nothing no reason … and where’s Vladimir? I was so looking forward to another chat with him? … Vladimir, Vladimir??? oh he was around earlier …

that’s surprising I wanted to hear more about his brilliant military exploits … and of course the poor man had to put up with this sort of nonsense



Whilst he just got on with winning battles so heroically



Of course he had the usual family problem with irresponsible Marshalls



And he was so restrained in what he demanded at the end of the war, just adding this to Beretsky, so as to smooth out the edges of the kingdom



Of course his bishop suffered appropriate punishment for distracting poor Vladimir with his silly duel



And then someone sneaked into his tent and hit him on the head



Anyway where is our hero? … Dunno Gabi, search me …. Ummh I’d rather not … whats that racket … oh just a couple of my lads filing one of the damned … that’s ok, oh hang on according to my schedule no one has been damned recently … you two, unroll that carpet

Harry do you have explanation? … ach just saving time … Vladimir are you ok? Can we carry on?]

What oh yes, just a bit bruised and dusty, but then us noble warriors are used to that from our campaigns

[the bishop?]

It seems as if he’d made some enemies, but oddly the assailant was in disguise as a woman – very strange.

Having won the accidental war with Poland, I gave some thought to serious matters of state. Here’s the realm:



The richer lands were to the west, so I started putting in place a long term plan to expand into the Baltic region --, this sort of alliance could be very useful



I was able to indulge in some father-son bounding with Kettu when a vassal in the Ukraine rebelled, and I was able to show just why I was King when we met this bunch … that’s the way to do it:



[see Harry what a noble hero ... how dare you try to kidnap him ... huumph]

Anyway in the war proper, I won another of my battles-despite-being-badly-outnumbered



Having made the point, we took his money and let him go …



That nicely paid for the Polish war.

In the meantime, Ukko-the-deer-slayer has a varied family in the making:



But the opportunity then came up to add both Minsk and Odessa to the realm, which I did, so it now stretches from the Baltic to the Black Sea.

However, Anna was back to her old tricks, this affair had been going on so long I’d forgotten it was adulterous



And about this time my sister, Predslava died



lovely pink shield you've got to say

Which did nothing to stop the wave of deaths. First my cousin, Fedot, who had succeeded Yurri in Estonia, in turn died, and was succeeded by his rebellious little son, Mikita




And at much the same time, the loyal Mikula of Karelia also died – and his son too was showing early signs of disloyalty – younger generation obviously had no proper respect



And of course all this meant trouble in the near future, in the meantime more people were dieing, this one may have been an attempt to kill my loyal marshall:



[voices go off squabbling … Harry how could you? … what are you going to do about it, punish me? … anyway after that incident with Svetozar he’s mine … that has yet to be decided]

If Predslava is dead, who is doing the murders? Why are most of the dead loyal to Vladimir? How can Gabi punish Harry?​

 

[Stuyvesant]

Whoops! If my opinion actually carries weight here, I'd better start thinking things over before I open my mouth...

Valiant effort by Harry, the carpet was a nice touch, shame he couldn't quite pull it off.

It's nice to see how a slight difference in perspective makes Vladimir's character appear to veer from outright evil to kinda nice, in a befuddled way. Of course, I still stand by my earlier indictment: he choose, first not to kill his bastard, then to do it after all.

Looking forward to see where Vlad will end up - in the end.

 

[iain_a_wilson]

Heroic warriror? What sort of heroic warrior takes the money and runs? He should have annexed Novogord Seversky!

 

[morningSIDEr]

younger generation obviously had no proper respect

With such brilliant role models you have to wonder how they are turning out so shockingly (of course, shockingly brilliant for an AAR). Regarding your marshals, I have never seen anything like the casualty rates you seem to experience in all of my own CK playing!

Very good update!

 

[loki100]

Whoops! If my opinion actually carries weight here, I'd better start thinking things over before I open my mouth...

Valiant effort by Harry, the carpet was a nice touch, shame he couldn't quite pull it off.

It's nice to see how a slight difference in perspective makes Vladimir's character appear to veer from outright evil to kinda nice, in a befuddled way. Of course, I still stand by my earlier indictment: he choose, first not to kill his bastard, then to do it after all.

Looking forward to see where Vlad will end up - in the end.

I was initially playing Vladimir as quite decent as that reflected his character (& the realm needed a break after Boris), but he picked up a few nastier traits over time -- but I sort of think, the murder aside, he was more put upon than actively evil ... especially given whats coming up next, so I think ... dunno but I rewrote the ending 4 times

Heroic warriror? What sort of heroic warrior takes the money and runs? He should have annexed Novogord Seversky!

one who is very broke and having to sell off all the improvements he built in the more peaceful years ...

With such brilliant role models you have to wonder how they are turning out so shockingly (of course, shockingly brilliant for an AAR). Regarding your marshals, I have never seen anything like the casualty rates you seem to experience in all of my own CK playing!

Well, as above, after the next one, there will be few depths left for anyone else to plumb

so onto the final acts of Vladimir's case review:

 

[loki100]

Vladimir 1144-1146, reigning in fear

[strange banging and thumping noises are heard … “ok Vladimir, maybe you can take us through the events at the end of your reign”]

Fine, but it’s a bit hard to concentrate with all that noise

[oh don’t worry about that, its just Harry – trying to open the door]

Well, shortly after that there was another murder, my (loyal) marshall, who had only just escaped a previous attempt on his life was implicated:



But again the evidence was a bit weak, same tales of a blond woman (must have been a wig) being seen at the same time

All these unexplained deaths, had an adverse effect on mental health in Novgorod, as my chancellor, Songul, got worse, so did my Bishop



Fortunately, Songul’s son made an excellent replacement



Anyway my crazed bishop then gets paranoid and toddles off elsewhere



Well he threatened to, but was then too scared to travel



And all this seemed to stress out Prebana, the wife of my next bishop – suppose she was afraid her husband would end up going insane too



And it all got too much for Prebana, well it looked like a suicide in any case:



[crashing sounds, as door splinters open … “oh hi Harry, we were wondering if you’d make it … you weren’t trying to exclude me were you? … no no, anyway Vladimir as you were saying]

Well amongst all this Anna had started to make more trouble – given her disloyalty there was no way was I going to let her get her hands on the finances, so I temporarily exiled her

[so to be clear, you were unfaithful to her, you made her stressed, and now you exiled her?]

Yes



And then the wave of murders got a bit too close

[ah she was always my favourite … what do you mean Harry … oh nothing just a slip of the tongues]



As you can see, there wasn’t much left of my immediate family by this time. Now this, not surprisingly got me to thinking back over all the odd deaths and wondering who was really behind it all?

However, before I could work it out, Mikita of Estonia took advantage of my illness and chose to revolt – not surprising but annoying as I’d sent him 2 bribes to keep him in line



Ukko the deer-slayer carried on turning out more or less useless kids:



However, whilst on campaign in Estonia, he sort of redeemed himself, so Ukko-the-deer-slayer then became known as Ukko-mongol-slayer:



So we finally retook most of Estonia and Anna came to visit, for the victory feast, which was unusual



and then I arrived here

[and you are very welcome too, Vladimir]

Oh thank you Gabi

[oi, what we have here is a self-confessed kin slayer, who was unfaithful … that makes him mine … ah but Harry you are forgetting about redemption ... no I’m not, he’s never said he was sorry … must have whilst you were away … did you?]

No sorry

[see Harry, he’s too honest for you … well what do you suggest … clearly Second Spur- late repentant, there is a special corner for Kings … if I give in do I get Kettu … oh yes Harry no doubt about that]

Just why is Kettu already on his way to Harry? Does anyone care who carried out all the murders? Was that a fair judgement?
​

 

[iain_a_wilson]

so to be clear, you were unfaithful to her, you made her stressed, and now you exiled her?

Ah... Crusader Kings at its best...

Reflecting the "good old days"...

 

[naggy]

if only my TiVo would record CK games...every night would be movie night!

Of course, no one would dare share popcorn...

 

[morningSIDEr]

Why anyone would want to assassinate one of the highly competent, intelligent, honest and trustworthy members of the Rurikovich family stumps me. Oh wait, thinking of another family altogether...

Excellent update!

 

[naggy]

Why anyone would want to assassinate one of the highly competent, intelligent, honest and trustworthy members of the Rurikovich family stumps me.

Jealousy, obviously.

 

[loki100]

Jealousy, obviously.

well the logic was that the murderer(ess) started out with the traits of chaste, temperate and just, then caught her husband playing away ..., somewhere after that she picked up vengeful, and using that I ensured that all the deaths attributed to her were people who were loyal to Vladimir. So, indeed, it was a sort of 30 year long revenge/jealousy spree. Sort of aimed at him but also at his kingdom - remember she's a Greek from balmy Trebizond and having to endure Northern Russia.

She also has a role to play in the activities of bad king Kettu.

Good thing with CK is you get both the narrative provided 'x does y to z' and a whole lot of non-attributed events that you can play around with.

 

[iain_a_wilson]

she's a Greek from balmy Trebizond

My (CK) experience of women from that part of the world bears out this fact - they're all unstable psychopaths.

My real life experience of women from that part of the world is non-existance. I hope there's no correlation between the two!

 

[loki100]

My (CK) experience of women from that part of the world bears out this fact - they're all unstable psychopaths.

When they get around to CK2 I think this basic insight should be included both in the province stats and the bride finder - this is the second one my lot had from there and yep, unstable, murderous and cunning seems to be the hard wired traits.