Another Succession Game AAR

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Inspired by the Finland Succession AAR. But that one already has a full list of players.

Basically we start in 867 with a scenario that we agree on. I play the first ruler, when he dies I send the save to the next person. They play the next ruler. When their ruler dies they send the save to the next person on the list, and so on.

Rules:

1. No savescumming
2. No cheats, but the console commands to change culture and religion may be used if reasonable (for AAR purposes, see scenarios).
3. Once your term begins you have 72 hours to confirm you know your turn has begun and a week to post AAR and send save.

Each player has to write a brief description of their reign, more detail is good but not necessary.

If you're interested, say you want to participate. We start with Rurik in 867.

List of reigns:
Xwarq: Rurik I of Holmgardr / Rurik I of Ruriksland (867 to 897)
Rozmarzony: Hrolfr I of Ruriksland (897 to 907)
Dovahkiing:
Figus:
Zerois:
cholliman:
drSandworm:

 

[Rozmarzony]

In.

Bulgaria.

 

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In.

Bulgaria.

Alright. Choose two, unless you really dislike all the others.

 

[Dovahkiing]

In. Rurik of Holmgardr or Duke of Castille. Be warned I don't have SoA or SoI but I do have TOG and Republic.

 

[Figus]

Count me in. As for the scenarios: Rurik and the Sunni Mandean.

 

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Anyone else want to vote or should I start with Rurik?

 

[Zerois]

In with Rurik.

 

[cholliman]

I'd love to join in as well! Rurik and Boris both sounds like interesting starts.

 

[drSandworm]

If you're still looking for players, I'd like to give this one a try. I don't have SoA yet though.
Both Rurik and Mande seem like good places to start.

 

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You don't have to do your AAR in the same style, it doesn't have to have as many pictures and it can have more or less detail.

Rurik “the Holy” (867-897)

“I am Rurik, founder and protector of Ladoga and Holmgard. I have many good qualities: I am a brilliant strategist, a quick thinker, charismatic, a man of great purpose destined to rule great lands… I have a keen understanding of justice, and I am the bravest man east of Scandinavia. Best ruler on Earth. And I’m humble.”

In 867, Rurik found himself ruling a confederation of Norsemen, Slavs and Finns. But his position was precarious. Norse settlement was new, and most of his vassals were of a different culture and religion.

A man of great ambition, his first action on the morning of January 1st was to declare his intention to become the King of Rus. His advisors were puzzled, as there had never been anything called Rus before. But they went along with it.

Only a few months later, in May, the king invaded a Slavic tribe to the southeast, ruled from Tver. He conquered them within two years.

Another tribe, the Meryas, was much more powerful than the first tribe. But according to Rurik, it was still rightfully part of “Rus”. So it was invaded. Rurik assembled the levies of his kingdom, and sent them to attack Merya itself. At first, a thousand Vikings, sent before the rest of the army found themselves tricked by the defenders, and were whittled down to nine men. But reinforcements led by the king himself totally reversed the battle and destroyed the Merya army and their ability to wage war. They were defeated, and absorbed.

Rurik had achieved his goal. He was king of Rus. His advisors suggested calling it Gardariki, because no one would understand what Rus was. Rurik countered by noting that Gardariki was even more confusing. After a night of drinking, Rurik and his advisors eventually decided to name the kingdom Ruriksland.

At this point, the Varangian decided to subjugate the rest of Rus, starting with the Muromians, in the name of the new Kingdom of Ruriksland.

This was a mistake. Not only did he no longer have a reason to invade the realm of Dyre the Stranger and unite the Vikings of the East, but his army was now embroiled in a foreign war while a league of Finns and Slavs declared their independence. Among their list of grievances was that Rurik named the kingdom after himself. Also, he may or may not have taken their wives as concubines earlier, which may or may not have angered them.

To make matters worse, traitors and mercenaries flocked to the rebel cause and Bjorn Ironside, officially Rurik’s ally, refused to assist.

Despite these challenges, Ruriksland was only slightly disrupted. The king conquered northern Muromia and used his veteran army to squash the rebels one by one. After the Battle of Spaso-Yakovlevsky he ran down deserters and sieged a few holdings until he achieved victory.

The rebels’ lands were confiscated and given to proper Vikings.

At this point, Rurik decided to remain at peace. All of his vassals were angry at him for using up their manpower and levying troops almost every year. To break the tension and provide a celebration to unite the new nation of Ruriksland, he hosted a great Blot and feast.

The traitors were sacrificed, and crowds cheered. The realm was at peace.

Then Rurik got bored, and invaded the Muromians again. His vassals, angry at further usage of their levies, rebelled…

...and one leader, Gradimir of Vyazma, enslaved the King’s wife and made her his concubine. This was cause for total vengeance. Rurik brutally crushed the rebellion, conquered Murom, banished Gradimir, and had him assassinated. Rurik reunited with his wife shortly afterward, holding a ceremonial second marriage to represent the reunion of Ruriksland as well as his own family.

Another period of peace ensued. Rurik raised a stone to commemorate his bravery. While the Kingdom of Ruriksland prospered and remained at peace with its neighbors, the surplus warriors of the land were gathered together, and Rurik sailed them around the Mediterranean, trashing settlements throughout the Byzantine Empire.

Rurik conquered Zaozerye from the Veps tribe, and was pleasantly surprised to find that his wife had inherited Sweden.

With this new naval base, and learning that a descendant of the exiled Haestein of Nantes ruled in Cornwall, he assembled the Varangians once again and conquered Devon from Wessex. The Vikings in Britain had been defeated and Christianized.

Rurik, deemed “The Holy” in the last years of his reign, died in 897 shortly after conquering Polotsk.

Kingdom of Ruriksland:

House Rurikid:

 

[Rozmarzony]

I got pretty short reign (around 10 years), so there's list of things what happened.
-Defeating some independence faction.
-Freeing vassals from Sweden
-Incorporation of Mordvins
-Pillaging entire border of Jewish Khazaria
-Getting wife of emperor as concubine and converting to jewish religion

Map few years before the death of the king:

Save:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fyv3apiazc4drf2/SUCC.ck2

 

[Zerois]

He formed... Tartaria? The AI Khazaria?
Okay, they are sort of overpowered now, but, wow...

 

[Dovahkiing]

Sorry to say, guys, but apparently Rozmarzony converted us to Judiasm, which means I can't play now because I don't have the Sons of Abraham DLC. Could the next guy on the list play now and maybe convert back to Paganism or Christianity?

 

[tnick0225]

lol roz always converting peoples lol

 

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Sorry to say, guys, but apparently Rozmarzony converted us to Judiasm, which means I can't play now because I don't have the Sons of Abraham DLC. Could the next guy on the list play now and maybe convert back to Paganism or Christianity?

During my reign I placed a Rurikid as Duke of Cornwall. If they're still there, and pagan, you could switch to them.

If not, then Figus plays this slot and you do the next one.

 

[Rozmarzony]

lol roz always converting peoples lol

convert now repent later lol

During my reign I placed a Rurikid as Duke of Cornwall. If they're still there, and pagan, you could switch to them.

He isn't there. He lost one war during rebellion against Welsh, and after beating him I revoked his last county.

 

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Figus goes next. If it's impossible to convert to pagan or Christian by Dovahkiing's turn, use the religion console command but come up with a backstory.

convert now repent later lol


He isn't there. He lost one war during rebellion against Welsh, and after beating him I revoked his last county.

Is there a Rurikid in Sweden?

 

[Rozmarzony]

Figus goes next. If it's impossible to convert to pagan or Christian by Dovahkiing's turn, use the religion console command but come up with a backstory.

Is there a Rurikid in Sweden?

Probably yes, well, you can always download save and check it.

 

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If Figus does not confirm his turn has begun soon then it will be Dovahkiing (either play a pagan Rurikid that isn't King of Ruriksland, or use console to convert religion to pagan or Christian).

 

[Athalcor]

Oh man, why always Pagans :/.

E: Now Jews. Even Better .