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I know that. I just didn't know how to take a screenshot on steam without the "Screenshot taken" thing showing up.
Oh, I misunderstood you then. Although some thing does show up with Steam, but it is convenient as it is not in the centre.
 
Oh, I misunderstood you then. Although some thing does show up with Steam, but it is convenient as it is not in the centre.
And the thing that does show up for steam is not captured in screenshots, even if taken right after the first one.
 
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I have just stumbled upon this AAR. Good writing! Very much enjoying it!

Keep it up

(plus I hope to see a new son named BPM before too long!)
 
Chapter 23 - 1239 to 1247: A Feeble Adversary

The year 1239 is a very uneventful one, and it passes with little to no notable occurrences, save the coming to manhood of Andrew de Gael and his marriage to Princess Romilda of the Holy Roman Empire. As a man, Andrew commits himself fully to the art of warfare; he is a skilled tactician and a competent administrator, even a Commander of England.

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In December of 1240, Gèrard declares war on England for the Duchy of Kent. He immediately assembles his host to the coast of Normandy, intent on transporting it to England. Thus starts the second Norman Conquest of England.

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Upon hearing the news of the host's approach, King Æthelstan orders the raising of all levies of England, over 26 thousand in all. With no clue what number of enemies they are facing, he orders then to group and organize in Warwick. At the same time, Pope Anastasius V declares a Crusade for Sicily, which has long been controlled by the infidels of the Fatimid Sultanate.

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After the troops arrive in Warwick, they are split into four armies of roughly 6 thousand each. Each army is headed by a commander, with the exception of the one led by King Æthelstan himself. The other commanders include Raynaud, husband of Ryudraga, Duke Tegwyd of Munster, and Prince Andrew. The four armies are sent to southern England to await the arrival of the Host of Gèrard.

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It is not until July of 1241 that the first army arrives from Normandy. Surprisingly, the army is only 3 thousand strong. Perhaps England has overestimated its new adversary.

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Æthelstan and Duke Tegwyd together lead their combined armies of 13 thousand to Kent to rid the lands of the invaders. It is a simple victory, with nothing of the enemy army remaining.

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In December, Æthelstan comes down with an unknown illness. Unable to stand for very long, he steps down from leading the army, giving the position instead to Duke Eadfrith of Mercia. It lasts until the end of 1242.

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In April of 1242, a further 3 thousand men land in Kent. It appears that Gèrard, while able to sway men to his cause quite sufficiently, knows next to nothing about war. The armies of Raynaud and Andrew move in and destroy this next wave of invaders, yet the war continues. Gèrard is a stubborn Norman.

To the south, France has devolved into chaos. The death of the former king in 1240 meant the division of Aquitaine from France. In response to this weakend France, the dukes of Normandy, Champagne, and Anjou, have together risen against their king, demanding the abolition of many crown laws prohibiting their actions. In the middle of this decent from order, the Duke of Berry also revolted against his king, demanding the installation of a long lost relative of a former king.

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As the war carries on, Princess Manuela reaches the age of 14. She is a Grey Eminence, considered the exemplary speaker. She also is unusually strong. She is married, much like her sister Ryudraga, to a German soldier named Benes Kounic. He is an intelligent soldier, known as a brilliant strategist who is a welcome addition in England.

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The final army of Gèrard arrives in January of 1243. Like its predecessors, it numbers only about 3 thousand. It is quickly defeated by the armies of Raynaud and Tegwyd.

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As the last of his men fall, Gèrard surrenders to King Æthelstan. It was a long and pointless war the accomplished nothing more than several thousand dead Norman soldiers.

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In July, the Crusade for Sicily is announced to be successful.

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In September of 1244, Prince Andrew approaches his father with a request. Being a very zealous man, Andrew wishes to leave England and join the Knights Templar. Being a kind man, and losing his cynicism some years ago, Æthelstan accepts.

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In October of 1246, ZZZ reaches majority. while she lacks a silver tongue (more like a lead tongue), she makes up for it in her stewardship. She is married quickly to the young King Guichard of Aquitaine, thus forging an alliance between England and the former French-controlled Kingdom.

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As the year turns to 1247, the Kingdom is ready for another war with Scotland. Several claims have been fabricated in Ireland and southern Scotland, and Æthelstan, now 54, is eager to accomplish more before his life is over.

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(Red counties are the current English claims in Scotland and Ireland)

NOTE:
-I lost the screenshot of the 2nd battle in the war, my mistake.
-The next update will be the last one before the half way intermission. For the intermission, I will put up some questions I want you guys to answer, as well as give an overview of the status of the known world. I have some pretty interesting developments to show then!
-The Kingdom of Jerusalem is now solely based in Brittany. The Kingdom of Brittany, however, still owns its part of the Holy Lands.
 
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-I lost the screenshot of the 2nd battle in the war, my mistake.
Happens, I know I feel like I miss screenshots in mine. That said, if the second battle was anything like the first and third, likely not missing out on too much :)

Also, quite the quick appearance for Andrew de Gael. Comes of age, gets married, and... off to the Templars! Here's hoping he eventually wins some renown in service to them!
 
The Second Norman Invasion was... kind of pathetic. In a history book, it'll be a single paragraph.

Seems like Brittany, Jerusalem, and France all have some terrible borders. If France doesn't pull itself together, the territory will be conquered by opportunists or the region will be very weak in the EU4 era.

Alright, time for another war with Scotland!
 
Chapter 24 - 1247 to 1255: King of Two

Far away from England, the city of Rome lies in the middle of the Italian Peninsula. There the Pope Anastasius V resides. For many years, Court Chaplain Maelhuedoc of England, who happens to be son of Blitz the Dragon and Assiucc, has stayed in this holy city, communing with the Pope and improving the religious relations between the Papacy and England. In the past few years, relations have been better than ever before, and King Æthelstan III presses his advantage in the matter. In March, an envoy arrives from England to Rome. Maelhuedoc brings them before the Pope, where they deliver Æthelstan's message. He wishes the Pope to excommunicate the Scottish King, for his greed and lust. The Pope, after some convincing, accepts the notion, and declares the Scottish King excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

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In April, as Scotland tries to repair the diplomatic damage the excommunication has brought upon it, King Æthelstan declares war on Scotland, pressing all claims. In this war, he hopes to conquer the Duchy of Connacht and the counties of Kildare, Dublin, and Clydesdale. England's only kingly ally, Aquitaine, answers the call to arms.

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The levies are raised, with 5 thousand of them grouping in Leinster, readying for an Irish offensive, while 21 thousand head for northern England to prepare a Northern Offensive.

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The army of Ireland launches its attack in September, defeating the small garrison of Scottish troops in Kildare.

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To the north, attrition kills thousands of troops in the Northern army as they march to engage the large Scottish force. It is a close victory, with 10 thousand English men either dead or wounded. The 5 thousand of the Irish army moves to pursue the remaining enemies.

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It was a mistake for Æthelstan to have invaded Scotland at the start of winter, and the troops feel it as hundreds die every month to cold and starvation. At the same time, epidemic Consumption has spread throughout Scotland and into England and Ireland, killing still more. In the north, 10 thousand Aquitaine troops land and besiege Moray. By Spring, the number is down to less than 7 thousand.

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The first siege of Clydesdale ends in January of 1249. The Irish army is then ordered to return to Ireland and lay siege to Kildare.

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As Kildare's castle of Knockaulin falls in March of 1250, the Scottish King resigns to surrender.

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It was a costly war for both sides. Scotland lost nearly 15 thousand men in combat, while England saw the loss of even more to combat and attrition combined. In the end, the war, while expanding its borders by 5 counties, cost England its strong army. It will be years before the levies are back to regular levels.

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As most of Ireland is now controlled by England, King Æthelstan declares to the world that he is the true King of Ireland, usurping the title from the head of the King of Scotland.

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In addition, he gives his son Æthelstan IV the title Duchy of Galloway, along with the new county of Clydesdale. The Duchy of Connacht he gives to his son-in-law Commander Raynaud, husband of Ryudraga, in honor of his leadership in the last few wars.

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King Æthelstan of England and Ireland returns to Norfolk after the war. He is now 57, and is ready to live the rest of his life peacefully.

In November of 1251, Prince Must Love Cats, the youngest child of the King's, reaches maturity. He has some of the administrative brilliance of his father and grandfather, but nothing else is remarkable about him. He is, however, well liked as a very kind and charitable young man. He is betrothed to a young princess of the Holy Roman Empire.

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On New Year's day of 1255, King Æthelstan III holds a feast with all his vassals in Thetford Castle. There, at the age of 62, he announces his abdication of the thrones. He steps down as King of England and Ireland, passing the crowns to his son and heir Æthelstan IV.

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Long live Æthelstan IV, King of England and Ireland!

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NOTE:
-There ends the first half of Crusader Kings II. Tomorrow will be an intermission then a break, probably until 2016.
-I'm super excited to show off the rest of the world in the intermission. Some very interesting things have happened.
-I abdicated the throne because Æthelstan III was content (so he would be fine living out the remainder of his life on some estate in Norfolk), and because 1255 is exactly halfway between 1066 and 1444 and I wanted to make it a milestone.
 
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Abdication? Is this a new feature that I've missed because I haven't played CK in months, or have you got it from a mod? Either way, this will set an interesting legal precedent; in our world, the very concept of abdication didn't enter English law until the 17th century.

I'm also intrigued to see the world at the half-time break. Not too many hideous borders, I hope. :p
 
Abdication? Is this a new feature that I've missed because I haven't played CK in months, or have you got it from a mod? Either way, this will set an interesting legal precedent; in our world, the very concept of abdication didn't enter English law until the 17th century.

I'm also intrigued to see the world at the half-time break. Not too many hideous borders, I hope. :p

I think there is a mod on the workshop that allows abdication.
 
Abdication? Intriguing, I see that you are giving out more details of what you have been modding.

And that war truly affirmed you as the king of the British Isles, now you are definitely unchallenged, and your vassals are also satisfied, given the few rebellions you have had.
 
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King of England and Ireland at the halfway point. Soon, Emperor of Britannia!

From a roleplay perspective, the abdication makes sense. I look forward to the world update.
 
Abdication? Is this a new feature that I've missed because I haven't played CK in months, or have you got it from a mod? Either way, this will set an interesting legal precedent; in our world, the very concept of abdication didn't enter English law until the 17th century.

I'm also intrigued to see the world at the half-time break. Not too many hideous borders, I hope. :p

It is from a mod. I've never actually used the decision before, and I was not sure whether I would ever use it in this AAR. I have some plans that follow this unprecedented event... :)

I think there is a mod on the workshop that allows abdication.

Righto!

Abdication? Intriguing, I see that you are giving out more details of what you have been modding.

And that war truly affirmed you as the king of the British Isles, now you are definitely unchallenged, and your vassals are also satisfied, given the few rebellions you have had.

I was always very good at keeping vassals happy. I once played a game from 1066 to 1453 as emperor of hre and had at most one or two revolts.

King of England and Ireland at the halfway point. Soon, Emperor of Britannia!

From a roleplay perspective, the abdication makes sense. I look forward to the world update.

I'm glad the abdication went over so well. I was afraid it would be too ahistorical.
 
I was afraid it would be too ahistorical.

There are some interesting implications for the idea of Divine Right, which you may wish to consider later on.
 
I find it amusing that our dear prince Must Love Cats is both kind and generous, true to his name. Either way, eagerly looking forward to seeing how Æthelstan IV fares as king.
 
Intermission - 1255: Half-Time

January 7th, 1255...

BORDERS

-Britannia-
The British Isles are split between England in the south and Scotland in the north. The northern coastal islands (Orkney) and the islands that lie far north of Scotland (Hjaltland and Færeyar) belong to the Kingdom of Norge and have for centuries now.

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-Western Europe-
Brittany continues to be divided between the Kingdom of Brittany and the Kindom of Jerusalem. Jerusalem, having lost all of its holdings in the Middle East, is now exclusively located in Brittany. The Kingdom of Brittany is ruled by the Jerusalem King's cousin, and they remain allied. A small portion of the Holy Land is still controlled by Brittany. France and Aquitaine's borders remain in shambles. Paris is owned by Aquitaine, and several counties inside of Aquitaine are owned by France. The queen of Aquitaine happens to be Princess ZZZ of England, half-sister of King Æthelstan IV.

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-Iberia-
Iberian Christianity is in danger of being eradicated from the peninsula. The only remaining enclave of Catholicism is in the north east of the peninsula. Most of Iberia is ruled by the Aftasid Dynasty, which has conquered up to the border of Aquitaine. At this time, Galicia is defending itself from a jihad led by the Fatimid Sultanate, and the war is not going well for Galicia. It seems likely that the rest of the Christian kingdoms will fall in the next 2 centuries. The rest of Christian Iberia is split between Leon, Castille, and Navarra, while a single county in central Iberia is still controlled by Brittany. The very south of Iberia is controlled by the Abadid Sultanate, which is currently winning a war of conquest against the Aftasid Sultanate.

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-Central Europe-
Central Europe is dominated, as for the last 2 centuries, by the Holy Roman Empire. Since 1252, when Emperor Ludolf of the HRE conquered it as a claimant, the HRE and the Byzantine Empire have been united into one realm. Amazingly, Ludolf 'the Just' is an extraordinarily supported and liked emperor of both empires, with next to no dissenters among his vassals. Both empires also have Primogeniture inheritance, so, as long as the empires together remain stable, it appears they will stay as one entity. There are small parts of Europe owned by Sunni and Shia Muslims. Sicily is controlled by the (Sunni) Bektashi Order, which is the Muslim's equivalent of the Teutonic Order. Croatia is controlled by the expansive (Shia) Fatimid Sultanate. The Kingdom of Croatia, meanwhile, was pushed back to inland Europe, based in Slavonia and Hungary. Pomerania in the north, split on either side of Poland, has long ago converted to Orthodox Christianity.

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-Scandinavia-
In 1246, the last Germanic county fell to Norge. Now, Scandinavia is divided between the Catholic Kingdoms of Sweden, Norge, and Danmark, and the Suomenusko chiefdoms. Sweden is currently in its 2nd war with Norge over the county of Vermland.

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-Eastern Europe-
Eastern Europe is ruled by mainly kings of small realms, with the exception of Rus, Poland, Hungary, and the Mongol Empire. Nomadic Cumania, which recently converted to Christianity, rules much of Wallachia. Crimea is controlled by the HRE.

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-Asia-
The Suomenusko chiefdoms of Yugra, Ugra, and Bjarmia still control much of northern Asia, but the Mongol Empire still dominates the lands not owned by Seljuk. Interestingly, Khagan Jochi, leader of the Mongol Empire, converted to Hinduism since taking over from his father Temujin. Hindu is no longer exclusive to the Indian Subcontinent. Next to the Mongol Empire is the Christian Kingdom of Cumania. To the very east is the Khaganate of Udur, which also converted to Christianity in the 13th century.

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-Middle East-
As ever, the Middle East is dominated by the Seljuks and the Fatimids. The Seljuks have expanded from the very tip of the Arabian Peninsula and Anatolia to west India and Central Asia. They currently control Jerusalem. The Fatimids have, over the last few decades, finished conquering the Monophysitic lands of Abyssinia. The Knights Hospitaller has also emerged, taking the county of Jaffa, and, curiously, it is now led by King Æthelstan IV's younger brother Leofheah, who left England to become a knight in the 1240's.

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RELIGION

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-Christianity-
Christianity, which has done surprisingly well in Asia, what with the conversion of Cumania and Udur, is struggling in Iberia and Anatolia. There is no religious strife currently in play, other than the sudden Catholic takeover of Orthodox Byzantium.

-Islam-
Despite a serious rift down the middle of the Islamic world between the Shias and the Sunnis, Islam has spread far and wide, encompassing most of Iberia and large tracts of Asia (though here it is challenged by Catholicism and Hinduism).

-Hinduism-
While Hinduism was generally never practiced on large scales outside of India, the conversion of the Mongols to the religion has helped introduce it in Asia and Eastern Europe. For now, it poses a threat to the already present religions in the area.

Extra

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Notice that House Billung currently rules HRE. Remember that name from anywhere? Also note that House of Udur rules both Bektashi Order and the Udur Khaganate to the east. Brittany and Jerusalem also are ruled by the same house, as they were split between family members several decades ago.
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For you guys

Please, please, please give me some honest feedback; tell me what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong, what you like, what you hate. Tell me what you think of the way I implement screenshots, what you think of the pace, and so on and so forth. Please keep the criticism helpful, not hateful. I really want to get better at writing and making my AAR. Remember, this is a learning experience. This is my first AAR that has gotten past its first chapter!

If you guys would like any more information on the world, let me know and I'll update with more screens.

NOTE:
-I didn't cover too much of India or West Africa because, frankly, I don't find them to be all that exciting in CK2...
-This is a 'world' update, so I didn't include very much about the various de Gaels throughout the world. It is pretty exciting how Æthelstan's brother is leader of the Hospitallers!
-I've never seen the Mongols convert to Hinduism. I thought they were stuck with converting to one of Catholic, Orthodox, Sunni, or Shia.
-Next update may not be until 2016
 
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I think your AAR has so far been great, but what I could recommend is perhaps doing some area-specific updates across the worlds, relating events from a historybook perspective? I love additional background info and stories emerging. :) But that is just a sidenote, because in my opinion this AAR is good as it is now, and I believe you are already working a lot with it. Also, having published no real AAR here myself, I don't have much to come with.

The Mongol conversion to Hinduism is interesting. I wonder if it will last. That and the HRE-Byzantium union, perhaps Rome is getting restored? If those two things survives, it will be interesting in EU4. Otherwise (sadly) France getting partitioned between Aquitaine and the HRE is common.

Happy New Year in that case!
 
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I have to agree with Loup, the AAR is fine as is. Some regional updates outside of Britannia would be nice though.

The HRE and the Byzantine Empire are one... if that remains the case by EU4, they'll probably be the strongest nation in the world. A Hindu Mongol empire is really cool to me. The faith spreading outside of India could make for some tension.
 
I'd be interested to know the dynasties of some of the major powers in Europe :)
 
Looks like France has descended into a hot mess.