300 Years a Prince
Table of Contents
An introduction to the AAR follows the prologue.
The Astrologer
January 1337
The astrologer uneasily paced back and forth across the castle's antechamber. His woollen robes did little to keep out the chill of the Stuttgart winter and the antechamber's fireplace remained unlit. He glanced toward the window, the comet clearly visible in the evening sky, and he once again mentally cross-referenced its position, ensuring his calculations were correct. His audience tonight with the count was undoubtedly the most important of his short career and he could not afford to be wrong.
The heavy doors to the count's audience chamber swung open and a castle guard appeared to usher him through.
The astrologer entered the audience chamber with a small bow, acknowledging the count, seated behind a stone table, and the elder of his two sons standing beside him.
The count looked up from the scrolls he was reading. "So astrologer, you know why I've summoned you today. My courtiers speak of dire omens; my chaplain proclaims it a sign from God; and my son dismisses it as just another unexplained phenomenon of the heavens. But phenomena of the heavens are your business and I would know the truth of it. What does this blood-coloured heavenly visitor portend?"
Summoning up as much gravitas as he could, the astrologer began his prepared exposition. "The body in the sky is, as I'm sure you're aware, a comet, though you don't dare say it for it is a long-held belief that comets are omens of noble deaths or coming catastrophes. But I have studied the texts of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, learned from the students of Guido Bonatti, and received secret knowledge from wise men in the Levant. From all this I can safely proclaim that a comet is not such a simple thing to be feared out of hand. Yet the most important thing that I've learned is that this comet has come before, three hundred years ago, and will certainly come again, three hundred years hence. Any fortune associated with this comet are not tied to one man who lives for a mere twinkle on the celestial timescale, but will surely direct the destiny of that man's descendants for three hundred years.
"So I've studied your chart, and that of your good wife, the countess, and those of your sons. In three hundred years the world will be much changed, but your dynasty can be a rock, enduring all the troubles the world can throw at it and emerge the better for it - becoming a beacon of strength and hope for your neighbours. No one man can forge such a dynasty, but through the collective will of each von Württemberg adversities can be overcome and a legacy of greatness established."
His speech finished, the astrologer took half a step back, bowing again, this time with more of a flourish.
Rising from his seat, the count turned to his son. "On the morrow I leave to join the Emperor's armies marching on Istria. I hope you paid heed to the astrologer's words. If disaster should befall me on the battlefield, you will be taking on the mantle of the dynasty and must work towards ensuring its greatness. Our family comes before all else." Then turning towards the astrologer, "Thank you for your wise counsel. You may leave."
As the astrologer departed the castle, he pulled his robes tighter against the cold. But he shivered not just from the chill, but from all the things he left unsaid in his brief meeting: three hundred years of disasters and tragedies foreseen in his charts. But nobles didn't pay good coin for such pessimism. There were also three hundred years of triumphs and celebrations. The wisdom he'd learned as an astrologer was in knowing how to present hard truths to his patrons. For that family's sake, he hoped that tonight his message had indeed been understood.
About this AAR...
This is a narrative AAR covering approximately 300 years starting with Ulrich von Württemberg, a Catholic count in the Holy Roman Empire. The first 107 years or so will be played in Crusader Kings 2; the remaining years will be played in Europa Universalis 4. I will start the CK2 portion on patch 2.3.4 and will be using the following expansions: Sword of Islam, Legacy of Rome, The Republic, The Old Gods, Sons of Abraham, Rajas of India and Way of Life.
The focus of play will be on roleplaying the characters and protecting the dynasty. Don't expect a game about continuous expansion. Characters will be played according to their attributes, traits and focus. Heirs will not typically be educated by the player character, so should result in a good amount of variability in characters.
In the event of a "game over", I will switch to an appropriate character, typically another member of the von Württemberg dynasty. Otherwise, no cheating. Well, I did trigger the comet event for the prologue using the console, and I reserve the right to tweak the converted EU4 save to better fit the ongoing narrative.
Chapters will only be written for interesting events or time periods. I will skip large chunks of time if nothing noteworthy occurs. The point-of-view for each chapter will vary between the player character and other interesting or noteworthy characters.
Table of Contents
Part 1
- Prologue - The Astrologer (January 1337)
- Chapter 1 - Count Ulrich of Württemberg (June 1337)
- Chapter 2 - Count Eberhard of Württemberg (April 1339/June 1342)
- Chapter 3 - Baron Hans of Waiblingen, Steward of Swabia (October 1342)
- Chapter 4 - Ulrich von Württemberg, Marshall of Swabia (October 1349/August 1352)
- Chapter 5 - Duke Eberhard of Swabia (September 1353)
- Chapter 6 - Adalhard von Württemberg, Heir to the Duchy of Swabia (July 1362/December 1362)
- Chapter 7 - Duke Eberhard of Swabia (December 1369)
- Chapter 8 - Trude de Luxembourg, Princess of Bohemia (October 1376)
- Chapter 9 - Duke Eberhard II of Swabia (March 1380/January 1382)
- Chapter 10 - Bishop Franz of Zweifalten (March-May 1390)
- Chapter 11 - Mayor Heinrich of Heiligenberg (March 1391/August 1391/February 1395)
- Chapter 12 - Duke Eberhard II of Swabia (December 1395)
- Chapter 13 - Mayor Heinrich of Heiligenberg, Spymaster for Swabia (November 1400)
- Chapter 14 - Trude von Württemberg, Daughter of the Duke of Swabia (April 1404)
- Chapter 15 - Duke Eberhard II of Swabia (June 1414)
- Chapter 16 - Giselbert Niklotid, Chancellor of Swabia (January 1417)
- Chapter 17 - Helene von Wittelsbach, Duchess of Swabia (June 1420/December 1420)
- Chapter 18 - Duke Albrecht of Swabia (August 1423/October 1423)
- Chapter 19 - Giselbert Niklotid, Chancellor of Swabia (October 1428/September 1430)
- Chapter 20 - Eberhard von Württemberg, Heir to the Duchy of Swabia (November 1435)
- Chapter 21 - Duke Albrecht of Swabia (January 1438/July 1441)
- Chapter 22 - Baron Lambert of Hohenberg (January 1444/February 1444)
- Interlude - The Emperor (November 1444)
- Chapter 23 - Helene von Wittelsbach, Countess of Brandenburg (July 1449/December 1452)
- Chapter 24 - Heribert Kuno, Chancellor of Swabia (July 1459)
- Chapter 25 - Beatrix von Württemberg, Queen Mother to the King of England (September 1464)
- Chapter 26 - Landolf Sofie, Swabian Diplomat (June 1471)
- Chapter 27 - Duke Eberhard III of Swabia (October 1475/June 1476)
- Chapter 28 - Duke Konrad of Swabia (March 1477)
- Chapter 29 - Duke Gunzelin of Skåne (August 1486/April 1487)
- Chapter 30 - Ulrich von Württemberg, Heir to the Duchy of Swabia (July 1495/November 1496)
- Chapter 31 - Bishop Josef of Ulm, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church (July 1500/March 1501)
- Chapter 32 - Konrad Michael, Swabian Officer (February 1506/May 1507)
- Chapter 33 - Duke Konrad of Swabia (June 1507/February 1508)
- Chapter 34 - Duke Ulrich of Swabia (October 1508/April 1511)
- Chapter 35 - Dietrich Bastel, Swabian Councillor (January 1518)
- Chapter 36 - Duke Adalhard of Swabia (September 1519/June 1520)
- Chapter 37 - Duke Adalhard of Swabia (March 1522/December 1523/August 1524)
- Chapter 38 - Bishop Josef of Ulm, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church (November 1526)
The Astrologer
January 1337
The astrologer uneasily paced back and forth across the castle's antechamber. His woollen robes did little to keep out the chill of the Stuttgart winter and the antechamber's fireplace remained unlit. He glanced toward the window, the comet clearly visible in the evening sky, and he once again mentally cross-referenced its position, ensuring his calculations were correct. His audience tonight with the count was undoubtedly the most important of his short career and he could not afford to be wrong.
The heavy doors to the count's audience chamber swung open and a castle guard appeared to usher him through.
The astrologer entered the audience chamber with a small bow, acknowledging the count, seated behind a stone table, and the elder of his two sons standing beside him.
The count looked up from the scrolls he was reading. "So astrologer, you know why I've summoned you today. My courtiers speak of dire omens; my chaplain proclaims it a sign from God; and my son dismisses it as just another unexplained phenomenon of the heavens. But phenomena of the heavens are your business and I would know the truth of it. What does this blood-coloured heavenly visitor portend?"
Summoning up as much gravitas as he could, the astrologer began his prepared exposition. "The body in the sky is, as I'm sure you're aware, a comet, though you don't dare say it for it is a long-held belief that comets are omens of noble deaths or coming catastrophes. But I have studied the texts of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, learned from the students of Guido Bonatti, and received secret knowledge from wise men in the Levant. From all this I can safely proclaim that a comet is not such a simple thing to be feared out of hand. Yet the most important thing that I've learned is that this comet has come before, three hundred years ago, and will certainly come again, three hundred years hence. Any fortune associated with this comet are not tied to one man who lives for a mere twinkle on the celestial timescale, but will surely direct the destiny of that man's descendants for three hundred years.
"So I've studied your chart, and that of your good wife, the countess, and those of your sons. In three hundred years the world will be much changed, but your dynasty can be a rock, enduring all the troubles the world can throw at it and emerge the better for it - becoming a beacon of strength and hope for your neighbours. No one man can forge such a dynasty, but through the collective will of each von Württemberg adversities can be overcome and a legacy of greatness established."
His speech finished, the astrologer took half a step back, bowing again, this time with more of a flourish.
Rising from his seat, the count turned to his son. "On the morrow I leave to join the Emperor's armies marching on Istria. I hope you paid heed to the astrologer's words. If disaster should befall me on the battlefield, you will be taking on the mantle of the dynasty and must work towards ensuring its greatness. Our family comes before all else." Then turning towards the astrologer, "Thank you for your wise counsel. You may leave."
As the astrologer departed the castle, he pulled his robes tighter against the cold. But he shivered not just from the chill, but from all the things he left unsaid in his brief meeting: three hundred years of disasters and tragedies foreseen in his charts. But nobles didn't pay good coin for such pessimism. There were also three hundred years of triumphs and celebrations. The wisdom he'd learned as an astrologer was in knowing how to present hard truths to his patrons. For that family's sake, he hoped that tonight his message had indeed been understood.
____________________
About this AAR...
This is a narrative AAR covering approximately 300 years starting with Ulrich von Württemberg, a Catholic count in the Holy Roman Empire. The first 107 years or so will be played in Crusader Kings 2; the remaining years will be played in Europa Universalis 4. I will start the CK2 portion on patch 2.3.4 and will be using the following expansions: Sword of Islam, Legacy of Rome, The Republic, The Old Gods, Sons of Abraham, Rajas of India and Way of Life.
The focus of play will be on roleplaying the characters and protecting the dynasty. Don't expect a game about continuous expansion. Characters will be played according to their attributes, traits and focus. Heirs will not typically be educated by the player character, so should result in a good amount of variability in characters.
In the event of a "game over", I will switch to an appropriate character, typically another member of the von Württemberg dynasty. Otherwise, no cheating. Well, I did trigger the comet event for the prologue using the console, and I reserve the right to tweak the converted EU4 save to better fit the ongoing narrative.
Chapters will only be written for interesting events or time periods. I will skip large chunks of time if nothing noteworthy occurs. The point-of-view for each chapter will vary between the player character and other interesting or noteworthy characters.
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