I have decided to give a try at doing an AAR. I have loved reading the AARs on the forum here and CK2 completely surpassed all my expectations for a game. Having played a bunch of both Islamic and Christian nations I think I have enough grasp of the way the game works to give a run at it. So I am going to be doing a custom character run. I will be playing as Emir of what is historically the Hashimid Emirate. Set on the western shore of the Caspian Sea with the Byzantine’s to the west, the powerful Seljuk’s to the south, the Caspian Sea to the east and various minor lands to the north it should be interesting to see if I can carve out a Persian Empire of my own while in the shadow of major powers.
I look out from my bedroom window upon Derbent and the Caspain Sea. My name is Fereedun Samanid and through circumstances that I will not speak of in this journal I have risen from unknown to rule over the territories of Derbent, Semender, Albania and Shemakha. The year is 1066 and at 24 years of age I am a man of the true Sunni faith who can trace his descent to our Prophet himself. Truly Allah must favor me to put me in this place for I would never have sought it myself. Though it shames me to admit it I care more for women and gold than I do many other things. Still I have the teachings of my father, the teachings of the holy Qur’an and a great faith. Though I did not seek this position I shall not shirk my duties.
My arm still stiff from a wound earned in battle, still wrapped and bandaged I turn from the view to the papers upon my desk. The first is a map of the area. Mountains to the west and south, the Caspian Sea to the east and some fertile plains to the north. The next is a map of the nearby lands. The large Byzantine Empire not far to the west. So called Orthodox Christians. I do not hate these misguided men. It is not their fault that they do not understand the truth that Jesus was merely a prophet of Allah and not his son. They have been deceived by their greedy priests and leaders. Even my own people here in Derbent have not come to fully embrace the true ways. To the south are the Seljuks. A powerful nation. Other nearby lands are the Kingdom of Georgia, the duchy of Alania, and the counties of Dwin, Suenik, Kartli and Kakheti.
I look over the collected information about the Emirate. Wali Fariburz governs Albania and Shemakha for me. A good man and like me a bachelor though he has seen only 16 years to my 24. Something I must rectify for myself immediately. I must have sons to continue on my line and govern the Emirate after I have passed on. I cannot help but smile a little at that thought. For surely a man of my position deserves no less than four wives. In fact that shall be the first thing I attend to. The appointment of a council can wait. I speak with those in my court and though I admit I am tempted to invite the most beautiful in all the known world to marry me I am convinced to seek out those who will give me strong sons to carry on my line.
Those of my court must be well travelled for they tell me of a woman called Dorothea von Alba-la-Romaine. They speak in glowing terms of her. She will be my first wife and I write to her liege Prince Bishop Girard of Vivarais. A strange name for a Persian land and a strange name for a Persian woman... well no matter. The important thing was that I was assured that while she would not give me lands or great allies she would give me strong sons. Did I need much else? Within days my proposal is accepted and she arrives at my court. It would seem that while my court was assuring me of the beauty of her eyes and the charm of her smile they neglected to mention she was a Catholic from Germany! Well no matter her figure was appealing enough and she proved brilliant and charming as was told to me so I let the matter slide.
With that done I quickly set up a council of my best and brightest. They were quickly set to work converting the people of Derbent to the Sunni ways and other matters to ensure the lands prosperity.
I quickly set out to invite more to join me in marriage. None of these women live in the area and so I only had the stories from my court to advise me. Khaterah Dubaid a fellow Sunni from distant Tabuk. A shy woman with a taste for falconry.
Then there was Magdelene af Itzehoe! I swear some people have strange names. A blonde haired woman from distant Denmark. I found myself leaning over to speak to my Grand Vizier as she entered my court dressed in her foreign attire of far off lands. “I had heard the stories of men and women with hair like gold but dismissed them as myths. Do you think it true what the tales say? That their land spends months at a time without the sun?” Whatever he said to me in turn I cannot recall my attention drawn to the woman who would be my third wife. I permitted her to keep her Catholic cross from the time being while she learned the language and adjusted to her new life, I was not a cruel husband afterall.
Finally there was Beset Saqqarid who came from distant Egypt. A wonderfully charming woman her only fault was she was Shia and not Sunni. Well as they adjusted to life in Derbent they would leave their Christianity and Shia ways behind I was sure. They were all strangers to each other and to this land though and I was confident that without other ready friends or distractions they would get along well in time. Perhaps a bit optimistic of me we would have to see what the future brought.
Days seemed to pass like seconds before Fariburz reminded me that I should make my Hajj to Mecca. I admit I was quite content to stay in the palace with my new wives but as much as I might privately wish otherwise Allah before the pleasures of the flesh. I wisely left a series of instructions to be followed while I was gone before I set off for Mecca.
I look out from my bedroom window upon Derbent and the Caspain Sea. My name is Fereedun Samanid and through circumstances that I will not speak of in this journal I have risen from unknown to rule over the territories of Derbent, Semender, Albania and Shemakha. The year is 1066 and at 24 years of age I am a man of the true Sunni faith who can trace his descent to our Prophet himself. Truly Allah must favor me to put me in this place for I would never have sought it myself. Though it shames me to admit it I care more for women and gold than I do many other things. Still I have the teachings of my father, the teachings of the holy Qur’an and a great faith. Though I did not seek this position I shall not shirk my duties.
My arm still stiff from a wound earned in battle, still wrapped and bandaged I turn from the view to the papers upon my desk. The first is a map of the area. Mountains to the west and south, the Caspian Sea to the east and some fertile plains to the north. The next is a map of the nearby lands. The large Byzantine Empire not far to the west. So called Orthodox Christians. I do not hate these misguided men. It is not their fault that they do not understand the truth that Jesus was merely a prophet of Allah and not his son. They have been deceived by their greedy priests and leaders. Even my own people here in Derbent have not come to fully embrace the true ways. To the south are the Seljuks. A powerful nation. Other nearby lands are the Kingdom of Georgia, the duchy of Alania, and the counties of Dwin, Suenik, Kartli and Kakheti.
I look over the collected information about the Emirate. Wali Fariburz governs Albania and Shemakha for me. A good man and like me a bachelor though he has seen only 16 years to my 24. Something I must rectify for myself immediately. I must have sons to continue on my line and govern the Emirate after I have passed on. I cannot help but smile a little at that thought. For surely a man of my position deserves no less than four wives. In fact that shall be the first thing I attend to. The appointment of a council can wait. I speak with those in my court and though I admit I am tempted to invite the most beautiful in all the known world to marry me I am convinced to seek out those who will give me strong sons to carry on my line.
Those of my court must be well travelled for they tell me of a woman called Dorothea von Alba-la-Romaine. They speak in glowing terms of her. She will be my first wife and I write to her liege Prince Bishop Girard of Vivarais. A strange name for a Persian land and a strange name for a Persian woman... well no matter. The important thing was that I was assured that while she would not give me lands or great allies she would give me strong sons. Did I need much else? Within days my proposal is accepted and she arrives at my court. It would seem that while my court was assuring me of the beauty of her eyes and the charm of her smile they neglected to mention she was a Catholic from Germany! Well no matter her figure was appealing enough and she proved brilliant and charming as was told to me so I let the matter slide.
With that done I quickly set up a council of my best and brightest. They were quickly set to work converting the people of Derbent to the Sunni ways and other matters to ensure the lands prosperity.
I quickly set out to invite more to join me in marriage. None of these women live in the area and so I only had the stories from my court to advise me. Khaterah Dubaid a fellow Sunni from distant Tabuk. A shy woman with a taste for falconry.
Then there was Magdelene af Itzehoe! I swear some people have strange names. A blonde haired woman from distant Denmark. I found myself leaning over to speak to my Grand Vizier as she entered my court dressed in her foreign attire of far off lands. “I had heard the stories of men and women with hair like gold but dismissed them as myths. Do you think it true what the tales say? That their land spends months at a time without the sun?” Whatever he said to me in turn I cannot recall my attention drawn to the woman who would be my third wife. I permitted her to keep her Catholic cross from the time being while she learned the language and adjusted to her new life, I was not a cruel husband afterall.
Finally there was Beset Saqqarid who came from distant Egypt. A wonderfully charming woman her only fault was she was Shia and not Sunni. Well as they adjusted to life in Derbent they would leave their Christianity and Shia ways behind I was sure. They were all strangers to each other and to this land though and I was confident that without other ready friends or distractions they would get along well in time. Perhaps a bit optimistic of me we would have to see what the future brought.
Days seemed to pass like seconds before Fariburz reminded me that I should make my Hajj to Mecca. I admit I was quite content to stay in the palace with my new wives but as much as I might privately wish otherwise Allah before the pleasures of the flesh. I wisely left a series of instructions to be followed while I was gone before I set off for Mecca.