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Dohaeris

Maleficus Babylonis
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Jun 13, 2014
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Let the Sun Rise

A Kurdish Megacampaign


Hello everyone, and welcome to the first installment of my Grand Campaign, Let the Sun Rise!

This segment will detail House Ankooshi's journey through the Middle Ages, from the ninth century to the fifteenth, about six hundred years worth of alternate history. We'll follow them as they rise against their oppressive liege, fight to secure independence for themselves, then struggle against millenia-old powers to seize dominance of the Middle East.

If you're interested in that kind of thing, I will say that this AAR will be modded. I had a couple mods active from the start, like Your Personal Castle, but I may add/change/remove mods over the course of this AAR, simply because it's a long game and I want to stay interested. Also, every now and then, I might write up a couple events to add some more flavour. This will be rare, however, because I'm not too great at modding.

Anyways, now that the introduction is over, let's get into bones of this campaign:


What will the format of this AAR be?

Mostly history-book, I imagine, chiefly because of the pain that it is regularly update a story-based AAR. If it feels right, however, I might do a couple narrative interludes between chapters.


Who will I be playing as?

As I said, I'll be playing as House Ankooshi, a Kurdish noble family that rules over a rather small stretch of land near Mosul. It is a custom dynasty, but only because I like to think of this AAR as a reincarnation of Songs of the Goat, my previous AAR.


And because the game can get a bit easy, I’ll be placing a couple restrictions on myself.

Firstly, don’t grow too much beyond the de jure borders of Mesopotamia and Syria. I probably won’t form any empires, unless a character manages to gain enough prestige to form a custom empire.

Secondly, mainly due to the great dislike I have for the lack of Muslim succession mechanics, I’ll be splitting all kingdoms I gain in a lifetime between my sons whenever a character dies. The eldest son gets my primary kingdom, the second will get the next-largest, and so on. In this way, I’ll try to imitate gavelkind succession to make sure that any character I play won’t have more than one or two kingdoms.

This will ensure that, when the save is converted to EU4, I will most definitely not be the most powerful nation in the world. It should keep the campaign interesting, hopefully. Speaking of the converter, after porting this save over to EU4, I'll be editing a bunch of stuff by hand to make the world in EU4 more realistic, such as government types. I'll be doing the same for V2, and beyond. I imagine things will get really interesting then, trying to deal with European powerhouses as a technologically inferior Muslim nation.


So that’s pretty much it, I think. Leave a comment if you're enjoying this, and if you have any questions, fire away.




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The Kurdish Sun.




Mild interactivity granted by Qorten.

 
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Prologue


The Kurdish People


The word Kurd was used throughout the Islamic Golden Age as a generic term for the Persian nomadic tribes, and though this might have been the case during the early eighth century, the Kurdish would grow to become ethnically and culturally distinct from the Iranians.

There are many stories that detail the origins of the Kurdish people, of which the most popular is them being descendants of the Djinn. According to legend, the djinn were sent from Europe to escort five hundred maidens to the court of King Solomon, where they would serve in his harem. By time they had reached his court, however, the Prophet-King had died. And so these Djinn settled in the nearby mountains and married the women themselves, and the offspring of their offspring became known as the Kurds.

Fabulous origin stories aside, however, Kurd does exist as a social term in historical records as early as the third century (Christian reckoning). In a prose written during the Sassanid era, the Persian Emperor Ardashir I was said to have fought the Kurds in the field, though he'd been defeated several times before finally subjugating them.

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Ardashir I, founder of the Sasanian Empire.
As the Islamic conquests began, the Kurdish identity began to solidify into a unique ethnicity. During the 630s, when the invasion of Persia reached its peak, a Sasanian general called on the Kurds to aid him in the defence of the empire. Despite their superior numbers, however, the Sasanian armies suffered a string of defeats that left them near collapse, chiefly due to the ingenious strategies of Khālid ibn al-Walīd, and a new empire rose to dominate Mesopotamia.

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Typical Kurdish warrior, circa 700s.

As Islam spread its ideals through Africa and Persia, thousands of people embraced the fledgling religion. With time, most of the Kurdish also converted, often being incorporated into the armies of the various Islamic empires.

As empires are wont to do, however, the Abbasids quickly peaked and began to decline soon after. The Romans constantly harried at their northern border, and the vastness of their empire resulted in strained relations between vassals. The extent of the Abbasid power shrunk further and further as the years dragged on, until they ruled over little more than Mesopotamia.

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This is where our story begins. The Ankooshi rule over a small sheikhdom in Kurdistan, holding sway over the region known as al-Jazira. Though they’ve served as loyal vassals to the Caliphs for generations, the decline of the Abbasids must surely be taken as a sign from God. After all, when empires fall, it is the catalyst of their collapse who takes the reigns.

It is time for the Kurdish Sun to rise again.


You've bitten off more than you can chew
and you have brought death to yourself.
O son of a Kurd, raised in the tents of the Kurds,
who gave you permission to put a crown on your head?

 
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Well, I started up my game, and began playing as the Emir of Mosul. A couple years into the game, I haven't been able to get rid of my wounded, and to add to the worries, I gain the ill trait. Dangerous times, but I manage to ride through the storm. Five years into the game, and I get presented with an offer to convert to the Hurufi sect (a Shia heresy). It seems pretty interesting, so what do I do? Accept, obviously.

Not a good choice. Literally a week later, the Caliph unlocks the 'Revoke Title' law. A couple tense months pass, and I begin to hope that I can escape his wrath. Again, not gonna happen. He presents me with an ultimatum: give up your possessions, or face me in battle. I choose the latter.

A week passes, I borrow a bucketload of money from the Jews, and prepare to fight an already-lost war. Then my character dies due to the 'wounded' and 'ill' traits, and the game ends.

That was fun.

So, that didn't go as planned. Don't worry, I saved just before I hit play, so I'll be re-starting. It'll just take longer than I intended to post the first chapter.
 
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Sad to see yet another AAR of yours die...

Are you talking about this one? Don't worry, nothing much happened during those first few years :) I'll just start it again, make sure I don't convert to another sect, and hopefully things will go a bit more smoothly.
 
Are you talking about this one? Don't worry, nothing much happened during those first few years :) I'll just start it again, make sure I don't convert to another sect, and hopefully things will go a bit more smoothly.
Oh good.
 
I admire your multiple efforts ! And playing as the Emir of Mosul sounds like an excellent plan. Looking forward to the new start !
 
Another thing I'll add is, every 100 or so years, I'll go on a 'cleaning spree,' of sorts. I really dislike how messy the map gets the longer you play, so whenever it gets so bad that I begin to fear the horrendous bordergore, I'll be editing the map so to make it look a bit cleaner. I'll try to avoid making unnecessary changes, though, so the balance of power isn't altered too much.

Also, if I end up converting this save to EU4, it will look way prettier.
 
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Nice AAR so far. Good work on becoming independent. Your restrictions should make things interesting, though I am hoping you manage to become a local powerhouse.
 
Nice AAR so far. Good work on becoming independent. Your restrictions should make things interesting, though I am hoping you manage to become a local powerhouse.

Thanks! I do have the 'Your Personal Castle' mod enabled, making a lot more buildings available for construction. Hopefully, that'll be a way of increasing my levy sizes without blobbing like mad, while also not giving me any advantages when I port over to EU4.
 
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Thanks! I do have the 'Your Personal Castle' mod enabled, making a lot more buildings available for construction. Hopefully, that'll be a way of increasing my levy sizes without blobbing like mad, while also not giving me any advantages when I port over to EU4.

Sounds fair. I do hope this goes the distance, it's always nice seeing an empire change throughout the alternate history.
 
Hussein's short reign made his kingdom stronger, but such a short time on the throne may mean Godarz will have to quickly adjust to ruling. Hopefully Godarz's youth will make up for his lack of expertise.
 
Hussein's short reign made his kingdom stronger, but such a short time on the throne may mean Godarz will have to quickly adjust to ruling. Hopefully Godarz's youth will make up for his lack of expertise.

It's quite unfortunate, Hussein would have made a good ruler if he'd lived longer. It should all be good though, Godarz will hopefully have a long life ahead of him, and strengthen the Kurdish hold on the Middle East.
 
Hussein strikes me as one of those kings who, in later generations doesn't get all that much attention from the common folk, but who tantalizes the historians who come across him with ideas of what could have been had illness not taken him when it did.

Best of luck to Gorarz in his coming reign; he might not have fully lived up to his father's expectations, but judging by his stats and traits he could have been much worse.

Also, I've always had a soft spot for the history-book style. Count me a follower of this one as well :)
 
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Hussein strikes me as one of those kings who, in later generations doesn't get all that much attention from the common folk, but who tantalizes the historians who come across him with ideas of what could have been had illness not taken him when it did.

Best of luck to Gorarz in his coming reign; he might not have fully lived up to his father's expectations, but judging by his stats and traits he could have been much worse.

Also, I've always had a soft spot for the history-book style. Count me a follower of this one as well :)

Glad to have you on board!
 

Chapter 4

927 - 940

God's Help


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After Shah Hussein's sudden and tragic death, his firstborn Godarz ascended to the Kurdish throne. Staying true to Hussein's final wishes, however, Godarz did not inherit all of his father's titles. The most important titles passed to him were the Shahdom itself and the Emirate of Kurdistan. The Emirate of Tabriz, a rich and highly populated region, was given to Godarz's brother, Mirza.

Few know why, as the young man was a cripple at the time of his father's death. He could not raise a spear or ride a horse, the two fundamental tenets of Kurdish society, so how could he ever lead his people? Perhaps Hussein felt guilt, in his last moments on this earth, guilt for causing all that had happened during Mirza's short life.

Regardless, Mirza left for Tabriz just days after his father's death, where he would take up his holding. He was a cunning man, spending his days reading books and writing treatises. Despite what the court thought, he would rule well.

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The Ankooshi realm, upon the death of Shah Hussein.
Shah Hussein left his realm a mess. By the time of his death, he was steeped in debt, fighting wars on three different fronts, and suffering heavy losses while doing so. Godarz immediately set about fixing these problems, primarily by borrowing from the Jewish community in Ankharos to acquire mercenaries. Though they were very expensive, Godarz managed to hold onto them for long enough to push the sheikhs from Kurdistan, and smash them in open battle.

The first few years of Godarz's reign were blighted by famine and constant war, with Kurdistan very nearly descending into bankruptcy. The Shah, however, was able to decisively defeat the Sheikh of Asas in the Battle of Sarmin. In a tactic that Godarz himself formulated, though it was a bastardization of a similar strategy used by Khalid ibn al-Walid, the Kurdish Army managed to encircle and completely crush their enemy.

Over the course of a day, Gordaz's infantry in the center slowly edged backward, allowing the infantry on the flanks to form a semi-circle around the opposing army. The famed Kurdish horsemen had managed to defeat the Sheikh's cavalry, wheeling about to then strike his infantry in the rear. Completely surrounded and with no route to escape, they were utterly crushed, with minimal losses on Gordaz's end.

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Godarz had already been well-trained in the art of war, but these early battles helped mould him into a more complete battlefield commander. He learned how to take advantage of terrain, where to deploy his cavalry to achieve the best results, and how to cut off, encircle, and completely an army.

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In that, at least, he was like his father.

There are, however, many historians that question whether Godarz was actually as devoted to the sword as he might have seemed. Some even say that he was always on the march just to get away from his wife, who held Ankharos in a tight grip, her spies everywhere.

Supplanting this theory are the rumours that surrounded the Shah during his lifetime. He would spend months at a time away from the capitol, reluctant to return home because, according to the whispers, he didn't want to leave his lover. Though it wasn't a strange occurence when a Shah decided to take a lover, the gossip led to tantalizing details circulating the court, mostly saying that Godarz's lover was, in fact, a male.

The man, whose name was never known, remained at Gordaz's side day and night, his bodyguard and friend. It was recorded that, on the day that Gordaz died, the mourning man murdered three of his comrades for talking ill of Gordaz.

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Despite his preferences, however, the Shah understood the importance of his lineage. And so, almost five years after his marriage ceremony, his wife finally gave birth to an heir.

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With his duty done, Shah Godarz took the first opportunity to get away from Ankharos. He turned his eyes north, where the last independent Kurdish settlement resided. The Satrap of Azerbaijan, Sina, was a man famous for his ambition. It was reported that he had aspirations to unite all of Armenia and Anatolia under his dynasty, and form a stalwart state for all Zoroastrians.

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Godarz laughed these claims away. The Shah did, however, covet Sina's lands. Azerbaijan was not rich in resource and commanded a relatively small levy, but most importantly, the population was predominantly Kurdish. Shah Godarz could never legitimately claim to rule all Kurds when another man at his very border did the same.

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So in the year 1035, Godarz declared war on Azerbaijan. He marched north, anticipating an easy victory.

Despite Godarz possessing superior numbers, however, the Azeri were easily able to handle the invasion. They were trained in war from childhood, and this, coupled with the harsh mountains that dominated Azerbaijan, meant that successfully pinning down and defeating Sina's army was a tough ordeal. The war stretched into the new year... then past Ramadan, then another half-year...

Four years of constant warfare later, and Godarz had gained almost nothing, except loss of life. By now, unrest in his home provinces was growing rampant, with local lords demanding that the Shah give up on his foolish desires.

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And to make matters worse, the Romans were causing trouble at his border. The Basileus of Constantinople had managed to conquer huge swathes of Upper Mesopotamia, posing a very real threat to the newfound independence of Kurdistan.

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In response to this Christian aggression, Gordaz met with the Sultan of Egypt to discuss the terms of a possible alliance. The Kurdish had not been allied to the Egyptians since the days of Shah Hashim, almost twenty years past. Since then, the old Sultan had died and his son risen to the throne. Sultan Farhan was a warlike ruler, uniting almost all of eastern Africa under his empire. He proved to be a very desirable ally.

So a month later, the two powers agreed to publicly announce their pact. This, at least, would make the Romans pause before thinking to declare on Kurdistan.

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The Egyptians grow to be ever more powerful.
While all this commotion reigned, Mirza quietly plotted in Tabriz. He had bribed, threatened and murdered his way to becoming a powerful lord in his own right. A few weeks before declaring on Azerbaijan, Godarz had heard rumours of his brother trying to gather followers in a faction to usurp the Kurdish throne, but he had dismissed them in disbelief.

Never a wise thing to do. With the Shah in such a volatile situation, his invasion faltering and the Romans at his border, Mirza decides to strike.

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Godarz, feeling angry and betrayed, immediately calls off the invasion of Azerbaijan. He turns his army south in preparation to march on his own brother. Godarz's army is battle-hardened and better equipped than Mirza's, and much of the eastern regions comprised of lowlands, where attacking would prove advantageous. There is even a large influx of men into the Shah's army, bolstering it to twice the amount of what Mirza could scrounge. This, surely, would go smoothly.

Not so.

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It seems as though God might have favoured Mirza after all. The very night before battle was to be met, Shah Godarz fell ill with fever. The symptoms were markedly similar to those that had driven Godarz's father, Hussein, mad by the time he died. Hussein had been fighting man, however, and managed to survive for weeks before giving in.

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Godarz, on the other hand, didn't last the night.

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Shah Gordaz, who had such massive potential when he first ascended to the throne, now leaves Kurdistan in an even bigger mess than when he'd inherited it.

Naser, a mere child, now has a swarm of problems to deal with. The Azeri have begun raids into Kurdish territory, refusing any mention of white peace. The fiery rebellion has flamed into a Civil War, fracturing the nation and thrusting it's people into uncertainty. And lastly, the Roman infidel secure their border and prepare for war, posing perhaps the greatest threat of all.

It seems as though the Kurdish Sun will never dawn at all, much less rise.
 
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Ouch! Child regencies are never fun, and entering one in the middle of a civil war is even worse. I have this feeling that even if Naser doesn't lose his seat to his uncle, he's going to have a long, hard ride ahead of him.
 
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Ouch! Child regencies are never fun, and entering one in the middle of a civil war is even worse. I have this feeling that even if Naser doesn't lose his seat to his uncle, he's going to have a long, hard ride ahead of him.

Yep, it's going to be difficult for a child to win the war with Azerbaijan whilst also fighting for his own crown. Not to mention the fact that, because he was educated in someone else's court, I had no control over what direction his education took. Things are going to be interesting, to say the least :p