Challenge - Adelgundis d'Oriola (769)

[Lingvort]

Challenge threads are no novelty around here, so I thought I'd chime in.

So, you've figured you're kind of a big deal when it comes to playing CK2. You've figured that you're quite awesome, beating Abbablobs, fighting Byzzies, building Chuguyev pyramids...

And how about playing as a countess of Denia? Sounds rather easy, eh?

NO.

She's 69, has no living relatives of her dynasty, and her only son is her adult (!) Arabic (!!) Sunni (!!!) liege Emir (!!!!). Beyond that, your top liege is Sultan Abdul-Rahman of the Asturian Steamrollers, a.k.a. the Umayyads.

As such, I propose all of you, my fellow forumites, a challenge.
Play as this countess (no Ruler Designer, please! ), and attempt to go as far as you can, whether it be the date (although simply surviving is not fun, nor is it the goal here) or the eventual rank, amount of land or whatever.

My operative strategy (even though I lack the required DLC) would be to head straight for the Immortal quest chain. Good luck and remember to post pictures!

 

[jwalche]

That sounds too much like a test of luck rather than test of strategy. The char can't have an heir and will die soon unless a random rare event occurs.

 

[Karlington]

My operative strategy (even though I lack the required DLC) would be to head straight for the Immortal quest chain. Good luck and remember to post pictures!

You can't head for that event chain - it's a random event with modifiers out of your control, and even with the right modifiers it has almost no chance of occurring.

 

[Tapio]

Convert to liege culture and religion, pilgrimage and hope for health bonus, borrow from Jews for mercs, use conquest CB, pray for good luck with events. It's too bad that she will probably die of age at any point so you will be rerolling all the time.

 

[Dragatus]

Well, it may be possible to extend her life by religion flipping. When you do a hajj you can gain +1 health and if you convert to another religion and then go back to Muslim you can do another hajj. But it will require a fair bit of prestige and piety.

Easiest would be to falsely adopt liege's religion as you can go back to your secret religion for free.

If you stack enough health you might end up being functionally immortal, but it still requires a degree of luck with RNG.

 

[Lingvort]

You can't head for that event chain - it's a random event with modifiers out of your control, and even with the right modifiers it has almost no chance of occurring.

Well, excuse my ignorance, I did just say that I don't have the associated DLC, so I had no real way of knowing.

 

[LeChacalPuant]

No real difficulty here.
Just being lucky not dying of old age.
Even with martial education, artifacts adding health etc. which can pretty easily make your character near 10 health it is not unusual to die in the 60's, though you can also get to 100's.
Playing as a vassal of another religion from your liege, even when he is very powerful, just requires a good chancellor to keep good relations and never having to be worried about your title being revoked. When you get a few counties you're basically in line for WC.
Maluses for being a woman ruler is quite trivial, even for muslims.
And anyway, there's always a mean to win a war or at least getting a white peace.

Most difficult start I had was duke of Simien in 769, cause you're the only jewish noble out there, and it does require a strategy to get lands from your neighbors, even if your strategy is just exploiting AI dumbness. And it was difficult only because a mistake or a lost battle will make you lose some time in safe conquests.

The difficulty of the game comes from what you're trying to do. I had much more pain taking Roma with the count of Napoli in 769 before the Pope builds another temple than playing jewish duke of simien (basically because it all stands on RNG). So basically playing as the 69 years old countess of Denia is pretty easy if you intend to die without an heir of your dynasty.

 

[Karlington]

Well, excuse my ignorance, I did just say that I don't have the associated DLC, so I had no real way of knowing.

Yes, lucky you have friendly forumites who do have the DLC and are willing to share the knowledge, then.

 

[manager2525]

Ok, just one question is there a way to save the illustrious house d'Oriola and continue its lineage? Meaning can you somehow produce children as a 69 year old woman?

Satanist cannot use unholy impregnation on self.
Fountain of youth will only get you 10 years younger.
Best bet would be some weird lesbian shenanigans???

 

[Audoucet]

You could technically have a child. Hint : you'd need to get altaic culture...

 

[manager2525]

You could technically have a child. Hint : you'd need to get altaic culture...

I think that i have missed this event.
So how does one goes about it?

 

[Audoucet]

I think that i have missed this event.
So how does one goes about it?

Wolf child found and adopted, if you don't have 2 children already.

Now that I think about it come on immortality chain could be a solution too, not through immortality, but reincarnation. A newborn spawns out of thin air.

 

[Karlington]

You could technically have a child. Hint : you'd need to get altaic culture...

Wolf child found and adopted, if you don't have 2 children already.

You can't be Khitan, though. For some reason Khitan are excluded from all wolf child events even though they are Altaic. I have no idea why.

 

[Heiliges Thüringens Reich]

Hardest char in the game

 

[mrinku]

So, the son isn't her dynasty? The other details don't matter so much.

I had the thought that she might be able to have the demon child, but to be eligible she needs to either be aged 16-44, or immortal. And if she has the latter, she doesn't need it. Still, a deal with the devil does give dark healing. Might be worth trying.

Being old WILL increase the chances of the immortality chain firing, I guess.

 

[Lingvort]

So, the son isn't her dynasty? The other details don't matter so much.

He isn't. She's also the only living member remaining of her dynasty.

 

[mrinku]

Ok, just one question is there a way to save the illustrious house d'Oriola and continue its lineage? Meaning can you somehow produce children as a 69 year old woman?

Satanist cannot use unholy impregnation on self.
Fountain of youth will only get you 10 years younger.
Best bet would be some weird lesbian shenanigans???

Actually unholy impregnation CAN be used on yourself if female, but she's too old to be eligible (16-44) unless immortal first.

The centaur seduction event for male attracted lunatic Seduction Focus characters also checks for age.

Might there be something in Holy Fury's religious events?

Edit: Further thought. As far as I can see the "Son of the Buffalo Woman" event can impregnate without age checks (but only has a 10% chance). I *think* she could make it happen by marrying a West African Pagan, but would also need an ugly trait (Ugly, Hunchback, Harelip, Clubfoot or Dwarf). Some of those (hunchback and clubfoot at least, and I *think* Ugly?) can be earned through devil worship. Or resetting until you get a start with her having one of those. I have an idea that some Hermetic results can backfire that way, too.

She also has to have no kids, so will have to arrange for her son to die (again, Devil worship can get you around the usual "can't kill my kids" checks.) Unless num_of_children includes dead ones, in which case this won't work.

 

[Tapio]

You could technically have a child. Hint : you'd need to get altaic culture...

Do you have any realistic way of getting said culture in 769 Hispania? I can't think of any at least. Time seems quite limited for her in this case.

 

[Audoucet]

Do you have any realistic way of getting said culture in 769 Hispania? I can't think of any at least. Time seems quite limited for her in this case.

Actually did it in IM yesterday ! I found a husband, I became a duchess, I gave him most of my counties, and my liege eventually took my title away to give it to him. Being his vassal, I could adopt his culture.

My only problem is turns, you must have no children. I'm not sure if dead ones count.