Hey guys, I'm a long time creeper/lover of the CK2 AAR forum and now I'm finally having a proper go at doing one. I've seen enough to keep my goals modest, hoping to post a good amount while balancing my real life responsibilities. I've found some inspiration in this After the End game of mine and I've been playing it quite frequently. I'm also a medieval history enthusiast/student so hopefully this should have some sort of quality to it. Without further adieu, I hope you guys enjoy. Dystopian.
In April 2700, the Year of our Lord Vance Rusk decisively struck down the Mexicano hordes of the Alamo on the fields called Carrizo Springs. The left flank had been led by his friend, Baron Lefty of Helotes, a small Keep in County Bexar. The right flank had been led by his brother Wyland. Wyland was a good warrior, and some claimed he was even the better of Lord Vance. In battle it had looked that way. Lord Wyland Rusk had come to the rescue of his brother the Lord Duke in the middle of the fray, charging forth with his contingent of cavalry on the right.
The war had been started by his father, the honorable Duke Mack "the Bold" of the Longhorns. Lord Mack had spent the past thirty years uniting the Texan clans of eastern Texas. First came the Americanist Stinsons that had long inhabited the ruins of San Antonio, initially they came as tributaries, then later on they were rightly subjugated in the name of God for their idolatry. The handsomely profitable land of Bexar then came into the possession of the Duke, and was then wisely made the new capital of the Longhorns. A trade post was swiftly constructed to reap the profits for his house, but Lord Mack and his sons set his eyes on all opportunities at hand. Young Lords Vance and Wyland first shewn their military prowess in these conquests, leading the troops alongside their father. The fame of the trio was such that, in 5 years the banners of House Rusk were adorned with three red boars upon a white field. Lord Rusk struck east and conquered a county from the cajun devil-worshippers of Lousiane in their moment of weakness, and struck south in the name of the Almighty to conquer an upstart "King of the Rio Grande," who was less a King and more like a simple Lord of the Rio Grande Valley. These lands were split among a skilled commander who set up a House in Duval, and Lord Wyland.
By 2700, Duke Mack of House Rusk had no enemies. His lands now stretched from the Oklahoman frontier in the north down to the Rio Grande river and the Gulf of Mexico, barring lands on his western border still occupied by the Duchy of the Alamo on the Texan side of the river. To his northwest lied the vast Kingdom of the Comanches, colloquially known as "Comancheria." For now, they were his staunch Christian allies. The fact that they controlled a large population of ethnic Texans however put a stop to any further entreaties with their kind. It was now that the present war had been started, Duke Mack needed more land to assert his claim as King of All Texans.
Lord Rusk's sons had grown wary of their father's ambitions, for now they were grown men with families of their own. Their father was in his mid 60's, having lived far longer than either Rusk man had wished. One question that Lord Rusk seemed oblivious too was the matter of the newly conquered southern lands, of the so-called "Kingdom of the Rio-Grande." House Rusk would pay for his slothfulness. It would happen, as it seems God wills, that Duke Mack would pass from the world shortly before the battle of Carrizo Springs.
It did not take long for Wyland to make his move. In June 2700 he rallied the southern Lords to his cause, including the only Stinson to have peacefully surrendered to Rusk rule. With haste Duke Vance called his remaining banners to Ruskhold, the keep of Bexar. The lowborn Lord of Duval had stayed loyal to Duke Vance. His loyalty was of great importance to Lord Vance's cause for his lands were the marches that separated the lands of the Rusk brothers. While between them the Duchy had been effectively split in twine cleanly, Wyland had seemingly been preparing for some time. Perhaps through a connection he had made during the Wars in the Rio Grande and the Alamo, he had hired some cheap but numerous Mexican clansmen to supplement his already sizeable army.
Alas Lord Vance soon shewn his true wit. While Wyland had started to move into the marches of Duval to lay siege to her lords, the band of mercenaries under Captain Antonio "the Noble" were thirsty for loot and headed north through the marches into the heartlands of Bexar. Throughout June and July Lord Vance chased the Mexicans into northern Texas until they were no more than 400 strong by the time the Battle of Zorn took place.
In lands directly east of Ruskhold in county Cobal the fate of House Rusk was decided. Instead of fighting beside each other the brothers now faced each other in the center with roughly equal forces at the onset. The mercenary contingent of Wyland's forces were easily recognizable, making up the left flank of the rebel forces. The armies stood off all morning, neither man wanting to make the decisive move. But at one o'clock the forces ran forward and smashed into each other. Baron Lefty controlled the loyalist left as he had faithfully for years and with his heavy infantry managed to push a deep wedge between the rebel center and right.
Lord Vance saw his opportunity and led his cavalry much in the way he had seen his brother Wyland do the previous year in the battle of Carrizo Springs and smashed into the rear of the rebel right. Seeing his brother's standard above his panicked right, Wyland let loose a chilling battle cry which roused his retinue to follow him against his brother's position. For a while it seemed Lord Wyland might almost reach his brother, slaying the bishop of San Diego in his berserk. However, Baron Lefty completed the maneuver and crushed Lord Wylands remaining men in the center. Seeing this, Lord Wyland left the field with what remained of his bodyguard and fled south in defeat.
Lord Lefty of Helotes leads the pursuit in the aftermath of the Battle of Zorn
The general situation surrounding the rebellion of Lord Wyland Rusk
God smiled upon Vance Rusk. In their pursuit of rebel forces his men caught up to Captain Antonio of the at the Rio Grande River. He surrendered without a fight, as well as Wyland and his young family. The war was over. Rusk blood had not been shed. For now, Wyland's three sons would be kept as hostages while he himself would stay under arms in the Ruskhold dungeon. While many of Lord Rusk's baseborn soldiers, many of them ranchers and farmers who had personally suffered when the Mexicans had savaged Longhorn lands, called for the Mexican's head. Lord Vance however had other ideas. The war had cost House Rusk much of the wealth Duke Mack the Bold had gathered, and if House Rusk was ever to rise as Kings, they would need gold.
While the Texan Lords were ready to return to their lands in peace to finally begin the reign of Duke Vance, Lord Rusk had one last decree to make before he officially disbanded the army. Up until now, men of House Rusk had not had reason for a law making it legal to punish traitors by title revocation. It was all too obvious to Lord Vance that now was that time. While he did not think of kinslaying lightly, he knew some sort of action would need to be taken if House Rusk was to not only survive, but thrive. At least for now, the realm was at peace.
The Black Boar
The war had been started by his father, the honorable Duke Mack "the Bold" of the Longhorns. Lord Mack had spent the past thirty years uniting the Texan clans of eastern Texas. First came the Americanist Stinsons that had long inhabited the ruins of San Antonio, initially they came as tributaries, then later on they were rightly subjugated in the name of God for their idolatry. The handsomely profitable land of Bexar then came into the possession of the Duke, and was then wisely made the new capital of the Longhorns. A trade post was swiftly constructed to reap the profits for his house, but Lord Mack and his sons set his eyes on all opportunities at hand. Young Lords Vance and Wyland first shewn their military prowess in these conquests, leading the troops alongside their father. The fame of the trio was such that, in 5 years the banners of House Rusk were adorned with three red boars upon a white field. Lord Rusk struck east and conquered a county from the cajun devil-worshippers of Lousiane in their moment of weakness, and struck south in the name of the Almighty to conquer an upstart "King of the Rio Grande," who was less a King and more like a simple Lord of the Rio Grande Valley. These lands were split among a skilled commander who set up a House in Duval, and Lord Wyland.
By 2700, Duke Mack of House Rusk had no enemies. His lands now stretched from the Oklahoman frontier in the north down to the Rio Grande river and the Gulf of Mexico, barring lands on his western border still occupied by the Duchy of the Alamo on the Texan side of the river. To his northwest lied the vast Kingdom of the Comanches, colloquially known as "Comancheria." For now, they were his staunch Christian allies. The fact that they controlled a large population of ethnic Texans however put a stop to any further entreaties with their kind. It was now that the present war had been started, Duke Mack needed more land to assert his claim as King of All Texans.
Lord Rusk's sons had grown wary of their father's ambitions, for now they were grown men with families of their own. Their father was in his mid 60's, having lived far longer than either Rusk man had wished. One question that Lord Rusk seemed oblivious too was the matter of the newly conquered southern lands, of the so-called "Kingdom of the Rio-Grande." House Rusk would pay for his slothfulness. It would happen, as it seems God wills, that Duke Mack would pass from the world shortly before the battle of Carrizo Springs.
Alas Lord Vance soon shewn his true wit. While Wyland had started to move into the marches of Duval to lay siege to her lords, the band of mercenaries under Captain Antonio "the Noble" were thirsty for loot and headed north through the marches into the heartlands of Bexar. Throughout June and July Lord Vance chased the Mexicans into northern Texas until they were no more than 400 strong by the time the Battle of Zorn took place.
In lands directly east of Ruskhold in county Cobal the fate of House Rusk was decided. Instead of fighting beside each other the brothers now faced each other in the center with roughly equal forces at the onset. The mercenary contingent of Wyland's forces were easily recognizable, making up the left flank of the rebel forces. The armies stood off all morning, neither man wanting to make the decisive move. But at one o'clock the forces ran forward and smashed into each other. Baron Lefty controlled the loyalist left as he had faithfully for years and with his heavy infantry managed to push a deep wedge between the rebel center and right.
Lord Vance saw his opportunity and led his cavalry much in the way he had seen his brother Wyland do the previous year in the battle of Carrizo Springs and smashed into the rear of the rebel right. Seeing his brother's standard above his panicked right, Wyland let loose a chilling battle cry which roused his retinue to follow him against his brother's position. For a while it seemed Lord Wyland might almost reach his brother, slaying the bishop of San Diego in his berserk. However, Baron Lefty completed the maneuver and crushed Lord Wylands remaining men in the center. Seeing this, Lord Wyland left the field with what remained of his bodyguard and fled south in defeat.
Lord Lefty of Helotes leads the pursuit in the aftermath of the Battle of Zorn
The general situation surrounding the rebellion of Lord Wyland Rusk
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