In The Beginning....
I have waited for this time for my entire life. My family has planned and waited centuries for it. Waiting, plotting, amassing wealth and power…..and now it has finally arrived. A place to call home. But let me start from the beginning. I am Aethelhere of Hampshire.
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Our faith’s adherents, the Messalian faith of those who pray, have roamed the sands of Arabia and Africa for centuries after the demon emperor Constantine and the evil Nestorius proclaimed us as heretics and anathema for our speaking of the truth, that which is plainly obvious to those who have seen the light. But we were ignored and cast out, almost forgotten, lost to the sands of time. Almost. But we waited, amassing lands in the guise of others, never revealing where the money flowed. We hired mercenaries, we introduced men into our faith, we survived and bided our time. Even the coming of the Crescent did not stop us. Eventually we found a place to carve out and call our own. My own father went there secretly, a small Germanic pseudo-kingdom, a place wracked with conflict, weak and ripe for the picking. I was baptized on that soil and given a name suitable to my new land. For we would take this land and tame it, making it ours, a place where we could be safe and secure. I led an army of 5000 warriors, hidden under various mercenary companies that converged on the shores of England. It was only a matter of time until this land was mine. Sadly my father was heroically cut down in the battles, but his soul will be with Lucifer soon. Unfortunately he never sired any children so I could not perform the divine marriage.
[URL=http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Youngeric123/media/cyril_zpsac577bc1.jpg.html][/URL] (A possibly slightly mythologized picture of my father) But my masterstroke was soon to come. At the final battle, my opponent, Alfred of Wessex, came to me with a proposition. If I let him keep some of his lands in the West, he would lay down his arms and become an Emir under me. The titles may confuse some readers if they are not of our culture. (We did take on a few things from the Muslims.) I accepted his offer, and took the throne as Aethelhere of the Hampshire Emirate.
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I then distributed my titles among my men, however I saw an opportunity to make a useful ally. In exchange for giving him back his former capital and another piece of land, he become part of the True Faith. I then set to work on looking for a wife, and I found one in a Hildegard Karling, Princess of West Francia. Her family ties were a strong advantage, along with her…knowledge of the carnal senses which were quite stunning for one who is not a sister of the faith. She was also a reasonably competent administrator. So I married her and claimed she was a long-lost relative, and for some strange reason my vassals believed it. ((I'm not sure why it gives me the divine marriage modifier but I'm not complaining!))
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To the north, the lost souls were at the mercy of the Northmen, who even raided us, albeit not as harshly as others, and not nearly as harshly as they subjugated East Anglia, and eventually Mercia. It was during their invasion of the latter that almightly Lucifer brought my lovely boy into the world, Boutrous ibn Aethlhere, a vastly intelligent boy. The light in his eyes reminds me of me when I was his age. Ahh the memories. Although he is much more energetic than me, but that's always been one of my flaws, it's just so much work!
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It also seems I am making my mark here, debating with courtiers and nobles left and right, even converting Alfred’s youngest brother.
Even my subjects are beginning to tithe to their proper lord, even if not all of them have converted yet. Even my recent bout of illness cannot help to contain my enthusiasm!
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I even converted the older brother of Alfred!
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I have also been assisting my father-in-law in putting down various rebels, at least in spirit.
[URL=http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Youngeric123/media/2014-06-03_00006_zpsea9c428a.jpg.html][/URL] Unfortunately he is also allied to my neighbor who I have designs on the territory of. I even went to the trouble of….arranging a claim on his territory.
[URL=http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Youngeric123/media/2014-06-03_00007_zps13d3dce4.jpg.html][/URL]But it seems there is hope after all! For the Norsemen have exhausted themselves attacking Mercia, and while they were successful, I believe my 2000 men along with some mercenaries could easily take care of their combined 3500 men with the right strategy. And on top of that, my wife is pregnant once again, after which I converted her to the true faith! Even my catholic subjects have saw fit to submit unto me a tithe!
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[URL=http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Youngeric123/media/2014-06-02_00011_zps89c1bb90.jpg.html][/URL] Ahh happy days are upon our faith, we may finally have a homeland, Lucifer be praised!
[URL=http://s113.photobucket.com/user/Youngeric123/media/2014-06-03_00009_zps6da53447.jpg.html][/URL] Hopefully my new child is an equally bright daughter so I may arrange a divine marriage between them. But, I need to confer with my advisors very carefully to see if this is wise. I will end this entry in my diary here, I will begin again when I have decided.
((First chapter over! I actually would like your input on this one. In addition to the two screenshots I got, my enemies have an additional 1500 troops roughly. I have not expelled the Jews or borrowed from them. Should I take a chance for rapid expansion? If I grabbed a good duchy I’d be very close to forming England.))
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