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I like Loup, not good at military matters or intrigue, fits in pretty well. The dark past we can skip though. :p You want to avoid the duke of Mercia becoming king though: he would be far too mighty.
 
I like Loup, not good at military matters or intrigue, fits in pretty well. The dark past we can skip though. :p You want to avoid the duke of Mercia becoming king though: he would be far too mighty.

The thing there is that if one can get the duke of Mercia to become king it then allows the OP to get his hands on more of southern England. On top of exposing and chipping away at least a duchy or two of the Mercian realm. Also if you really want to grab and hold Normandy I find Brittany an absolutely necessary strategic land to hold or else you'll end up flanked and destroyed so I suggest you look to seize Brittany first then seize Normandy.
 
Once you become king, I doubt you'll have any trouble with conquering, France doesn't look too powerful, and Scotland shouldn't be an issue. The hardest part seems to be actually becoming king.
 
France and Spain are a mess. They could get conquered if things don't stabilize. It's interesting how unclear succession is right now. Who knows who will inherit the duchy.
 
Chapter 12 - 1149 to 1159: New Rulers

Upon hearing of the death of Ralf III, King Wulfgar of England sends a letter to the new Duke Attalus. The letter contains his condolences to Attalus at the passing of his father and also requests his appointment as Commander of England. Attalus is by no means a great military leader, knowing very little about war, but it is obviously the King's way of keeping Attalus happy. After all, East Anglia is now the second most powerful Duchy in England, behind Mercia.

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Attalus accepts the appointment. The next step is to rearrange the council. The Chancellor is a talented man named Gouesnon, who is sent to fabricate a claim on Oxford. The new Marshal is chosen as Imre, a reasonably talented soldier and leader. The Steward remains as Morhaetho, an adequate administrator. Ealdmund is made Spymaster, after he proved himself a brilliant spy. Finally, Beorhtsige of Ely is made Court Chaplain, charged with improving East Anglia in the eyes of the Pope.

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Next, a wife is found for Attalus' son and heir Ralf, princess Gerberga of the Holy Roman Empire. She is 13 years of age at the moment, so the marriage is scheduled for next year. At the same time, Densley Blair and his wife have their first child, a boy named Cearl.

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In October, more good news arrives as the King appoints Attalus the position of Chancellor of England.

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In 1150, Chancellor Gouesnon sends word that he has managed to fabricate a good claim on the county of Oxford. The county is a wealthy one controlled by the vassal of the Duchess of Hwicce, a two county Duchy. She is allied with the Duke of Wessex, but is otherwise unprotected.

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In August, Ralf and Gerberga are married. Although it does not result in any new East Anglican allies, it is a very prestigious choice on Attalus' part.

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In 1151, eager to seize glory of his own, Attalus declares war on the Duchess of Hwicce for the county of Oxford., pressing his new claim. He places Marshal Imre in charge of the war efforts. Immediately, Imre raises the nearly 4 thousand East Anglican troops and rallies in Northampton. He also sends messengers to both Northumbria and Mercia, requesting aid in the war. They both accept the call to arms. On the other side, Wessex joins the war.

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The army is sent to Oxford, where it is joined by allies, and destroys an enemy army of 2 thousand.

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It then moves to engage the remainder of the enemy army in Wessex. After a quick battle there, siege is laid upon the Castle of Reading, Oxford.

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As the year turns to 1152, Spymaster Ealdmund is killed while working in Wiltshire, capital of the Duchy of Hwicce. His replacement is Gottfried, the husband of Attalus' sister The Anguished One.

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In March of 1152, Wiltshire, capital of Hwicce, falls to a Northumbrian army. Shortly afterwards, Reading falls as well. The stubborn Duchess fights on for Oxford, although it will do nothing to help her Duchy.

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Attalus becomes a grandfather with the birth of Ralf and Gerberga's son, whom they name Attalus.

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In June, Hwicce finally capitulates, ceding the county of Oxford to East Anglia. The war was flawless, and Attalus, although he had little involvement with the actual war, gains much prestige over it.

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Now comes the matter of who will rule Oxford. He awards the county to his son and heir Ralf.

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The next year passes uneventfully, until Breselueu comes of age. He is very skilled in diplomacy, like his father, but is lackluster in all other areas.

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(NOTE: It says 15 because I realized the screen I took just after he turned 14 hadn't taken his education into account when calculating his diplomacy. This screen was taken a year later)

In a surprising twist, Loup is now heir to the throne of England. Of course, Attalus prefers that he himself is heir, but Loup's kingship will still mean a de Gael on the throne. At the moment, the King of England is 55 years old, so it seems likely that Loup will be King.

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Nothing of interest happens other than the passing of Chancellor Gouesnon and the Court Chaplain. Densley Blair becomes the new Court Chaplain.

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In 1159, King Wulfgar of England dies a sickly cripple. Loup ascends to the throne of England.

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The house de Gael is now ruler of England!

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Now, guys, we are going to have our first vote, although I am pretty darn sure I know what the outcome will be.

Should I continue playing as Attalus, or should I switch to Loup? Since Loup is de Gael, so I wouldn't count it as cheating. Playing as Attalus would feel more appropriate, but I don't know whether you guys would rather I just play as the King of England so we can get into some bigger picture things. Up to you guys.

Vote (Please just comment either A or B):

(A) Play as Duke Attalus

(B) Play as King Loup

This vote will end Tuesday, 10:00 EST

NOTE:
-Because I am fairly about which will win, I guess this is kinda a 'test run' vote, see if you guys are up for voting.
-Loup took the county of Bedford with him when he became king, so the Duchy is one county short :/
-Attalus lost his Shy trait and gained a few that put most of his skills up. His diplomacy is now 25 and nearly all of the rest of his skills are 8 or more.
 
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I knew that Loup had a prestigious destiny! He is also an interesting RP guy to play, and offers a weaker king position than the one Attalus & sons might be able to attain. Therefore it would be an interesting playing choice. Also offers some variation.

My obvious vote:

(B) Play as King Loup
 
(A) Playing as a duke seems more fun. :)
 
Another successful war, making the duchy of East Anglia even stronger! Also, I love that Attalus' heir Ralf named a son after his father, assuring the AI will use some of the unique names you picked. Nice to see my husband ended up Spymaster too.

I love how Loup was overall unimpressive as first and now he's a competent king. Which brother do I support...? Sorry Attalus!

(B) Play as King Loup
 
My vote goes for A, carry on with Attalus. Maybe swap to Loup upon the death of the Duke, though. Also, poor Densley, still without a county.
 
I vote for option DB. The only sensible choice. :p

Playing with Loup now would be very interesting, I reckon; with perks and power, but not irreversibly so. Ensuring a Gael succession would present an interesting challenge, I dare say. Never mind the problem of coming from a cadet branch of the family.