A bit more Out Of Character today. For your reading pleasure and my own reference, I am going to chronicle the current players hanging around in the Children of the Fatherland game and what relations I have managed to forge with them, if any.
As for last session, it was mostly memorable because of Epic Broken Save Rehost Issues (damn you Pskov, damn you!) and waging a war of desperation against AI Germany/Gothia/Rome2.0 with massive demense regiments for which it does not have to pay upkeep while the Andalusian treasury is significant only because of its cavernous emptiness. Yay, FUN.
I will now address my fellow players in my perceived order of powerfulness.
All the Russias, played by Von Rundstedt.
Widely acknowledged as the cloutiest kid on the block, Runny, also known as Von Slowstedt due to his tardiness when rehosting, much to everyone's chagrin, is very important to me because he is precisely on the other side of the map. Not having him on our doorstep is a continued source of pleasure in the court of Al-Andalus. Actual in-game dealings with him have been limited to my assassination of my wife's lover, who happened to be in the court of one of Runny's vassals, for which Runny, ever pleasant, saw fit to threaten me with discontinued existence. Additionally, he sponsored the Fiat, which has quite a lot to do with the fortunes of Al-Andalus, though I am unsure about his motives. In spite of his constant claims that 'Russia is complete', I do not think there is a single player, even at the extreme Western end of the map, who does not eye him with some measure of suspicion, possibly due to the fact that Runny as a player is not very talkative. Not that we would have much to discuss, obviously.
The Fatimid Caliphate / Egypt, played by FrozenWall.
My former liege in game terms, Frosty rules a sprawling empire from the Atlantic to Persia and Anatolia, taking up all of the North African Mediterranean coast. While King of Men tries to contest it, Frosty continues to be the main Mediterranean power. He also continues to be my patron. It is a mutually beneficient arrangement, though I retain the niggling feeling I am somehow getting too good a deal and I am wondering at which point it was that I sold my soul. More importantly, I am wondering whether that deal is worth it - so far it certainly seems to be true, and if anything, Frosty can count on a trusted friend to his Northwest. The Med suits us both just fine as a border; a delineation more naturally defined one is not likely to find.
Denmark, played by Michael.
As the mupdate shows, Denmark also rules most of the British Isles and Scandinavia. So far Michael seems to be a pretty low-key player; he is by no means vocal and seems to be reasonable in his inter-player dealings. It makes one wonder, though, where he got that big-ass empire of his, and I have suspicions about the way Britain ended up in his possession. Still, interaction with him has been even more sparse than with Runny, so there's really little to base any opinion on.
Bulgaria / Rome1.0, played by King of Men.
King of Men is better off doing his own propaganda. He is the secondary Mediterranean power, slowly shifting West from his former base of power in the Levant. He recently acquired the most contested tag in the game, BYZA, though the reason why this would be important is lost on me. I feel he would to better with less posturing toward Frosty, but as the runner-up in the theatre I suppose he feels has something to make up for. Unnecessary, in my view, as he seems to be doing quite well, with nicely spaced, slow expansion and a stable realm. One is unlikely to do better than that in Crusader Kings.
Germany / Gothia / Rome2.0, played by Jakalo, formerly by Fasquardon.
Al-Andalus has two human-played neighbours; one is looking to give me land and helps me, the other is a kaleidoscope of shifting power, alignment and stability. I am, of course, talking about Germany, the brown blob who is competing for the title 'land with the largest number of hostile neighbours,' in no way helped by the large number of players successively playing and subbing it. When Fasquardon last left it, Germany was possibly the second or third most powerful country, stretching from Iberia to Croatia, and having core lands in Germany and Italy. The times (and the Fiat) have not been very kind to Germany, and its power has waned somewhat. Germany is handicapped by its varying rulers, its large number of neighbours eyeing its wealthy provinces, and its reputation as a tottering superpower. It does, however, still control some of the richest provinces in the game, and certainly the richest concentration (in Southern France and Northern Italy).
As for my own relation with Germany, I have been troubled by its inconstant administration and our shared interests in Northern Spain. I have repeatedly stated that I have no ambitions outside Iberia. Germany, unfortunately, is the one power with interests which overlap with mine: it has designs on (and usually owns) Northeastern Iberia, as well as owning a number of King and Duke titles with land in Iberia.
Where in the past I had no choice but to abide the Fiats, I am slowly coming into my own power and with the decline of Germany comes my chance to contest his claims in Iberia. However, I feel a confrontational policy is not the way to go here. The Pyrenees seem a far more natural border between a realm of Germany's political nature than the muddle we are dealing with here. Eventually, a stable border is in both our interests - but only in mine as long as that border is the Pyrenees.
So far communications with Jakalo have not really taken off - it is time I did something about that.
Bavaria / Lotharingia, played by Fivoin.
Germany's decline has been Bavaria's ascent. Formerly a Northern German power only, Bavaria as expanded Southward, now approximating the geography of modern-day Germany, including the Lowlands (which he managed to Germanify, culturally speaking - it pains me to see my culture go, but good on Fivoin, one must admit). His base of power are the wealthy provinces in the Lowlands and the Rhineland. He does not seem to have any ambitions on the other side of the Channel - one supposes relations with Denmark are good.
My relation with Bavaria has been good to excellent, so far. Interests are shared, communication works, mutual support given - this could turn out to be very good to both our nations.
Persia, played by Foelsgard.
Foels seems a decent sort of chap, but Persia is so far away from me that I initially forgot to include him in this list. The fact that he appears to be on the wrong end of the guy who is my main benefactor makes me myopic when it comes to Foels' plight. Well, plight - he does play one of the more powerful countries on the map. He and Frosty should sort out their differences and go partition Russia already.
Loire / Normandy, played by Carillon.
Northern France, most of Ireland, and Cornwall - that is the Gallic realm of Loire. So far communication has been sadly sketchy, but Carillon seems to do well for himself as a medium power. Pretty much the same thing to which I aspire.
Croatia, played by OrangeYoshi.
Another medium power, the Kingdom of Hungary and Croatia is Austria-Hungary avant la lettre. OrangeYoshi is in an unenviable position: a middling power stuck between heavyweights Russia, Bulgaria and Germany. On the plus side, he stands to gain when one collapses. On the minus side, without intervention of the others, any one of them could quickly squash him.
His dynasty happens to be the first foreign dynasty in my line of inheritance. So far, this has not strained relations in any way: his monetary contribution in dealing with AI Germany is much appreciated and will not be forgotten.
Poland, played by Ike.
Pretty much the same story as Croatia: middling power, stuck between heavyweights. Scratch KoM and Germany and replace Denmark and Bavaria. Undoubtedly, their cavalry will be their saving grace.
So far Al-Andalus has had little to do with Poland. Perhaps that will see changes in the future.
Finland, played by Golle.
Once my brother in arms of sorts as Golle and I were the only players who were another player's vassal, Golle is now the only player who is someone else's vassal: Russia's, to be exact. Golle is more important through his (recently discontinued) assassination racket and vocal contributions to overall merriment than by any worldly force.
Which would, of course, completely change when he takes over all of Russia just before the port to EU3.
[AAR reward: upping my ruler's education one notch, to Grey Eminence (yay!).]
