Imteresting characters in the East

[OrdepNM]

Usually when I start a campaign I like to pick the "big name in a small place" kind of character, you know, the Habsburg count, the Knytling in Toulouse, the vermandois count, the first Ottoman in the game, etc. And thanks to the great community here, I've been able to find interesting characters that fit the bill all around the map, except in the eastern end of the map, specially in nowadays Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, where no characters tend to be mentioned. Now I understand that from the start almost all titles are in the hands of the Rurikovich dinasty, and towards the end the mongols show up paint the whole region gold, but there must be someone, somewhere. Ive heard the ancestor of Alexander Pushkin is somewhere in the game, but I dont know if theres any truth to that...

So I'd like to ask iif someone with a bigger knowledge of the russian history has some interesting propositions for important russian characters and dinasties present in the game, togheter with where and when they can be found, any start works for me. To anyone who can help thank you very much.

Edit: I realise theres a typo on the thread title *facepalm*

 

[A_Dane]

Does it strictly need to be Russians? If you got Sword of Islam, there's the Dulo's in Volga Bulgaria

Otherwise, There's some of the Cometopuli dynasty (last rulers of Bulgaria), in Bulgaria proper, and a Cometopuli duke in Armenia

 

[OrdepNM]

I was mostly looking for russians or characters from nowadays russia/ukraine/belarus yes, the bulgar Dulo guy I already knew of (did they actually do anything important or did you suggest him just for the bulgar culture?) but I'll take the Cometopuli dinasty as a good pick when I decide to play a bulgarian game. thanks

Edit: I should also establish that even courtiers/barons are welcomed.

 

[A_Dane]

I was mostly looking for russians or characters from nowadays russia/ukraine/belarus yes, the bulgar Dulo guy I already knew of (did they actually do anything important or did you suggest him just for the bulgar culture?) but I'll take the Cometopuli dinasty as a good pick when I decide to play a bulgarian game. thanks

Edit: I should also establish that even courtiers/barons are welcomed.

Well, they were (in theory atleast), the founding house of Bulgaria

 

[fargoniac]

Someone should upload a list of interesting characters.

 

[cywang86]

There was a thread about a list of interesting characters, but it got buried under all the Aztec rage posts.

 

[fargoniac]

Could you post a link?

 

[Ithvan]

I think the first Romanov(s) are in the game as well, if you want to recreate Anastasia.

 

[OrdepNM]

There was a thread about a list of interesting characters, but it got buried under all the Aztec rage posts.

http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?643149-Intriguing-Starts

There were a few more I was able to dig out using the search function, but as I said in the OP, none of them ever mentions characters from the russian region of the map, ence why I decided to make a thread asking specifically about that.

I was hoping there was some truth to the Pushkin ancestor at least, but Im starting to think its bogus.

I think the first Romanov(s) are in the game as well, if you want to recreate Anastasia.

Yes, he's in Samoyed, but its been established that theres no relation between that guy and the imperial Romanovs.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

I think the first Romanov(s) are in the game as well, if you want to recreate Anastasia.

No, thy are not in the game. They are just a random dynasty with that name.

 

[leksu]

There is also the leader of the Khazars as the vassal of Cumania. He is listed as Orthodox, so you can play as him (even though Khazars were historically Jewish).

 

[OrdepNM]

Hey Veldmaarschalk, I was half hoping you at least knew of someone important in the russian region, since 3/4 of the characters Ive played were on your recommendation in various threads

The khazar is an interesting (if very challenging) game on CK2+ as he's actually jewish in there

 

[fargoniac]

I found the de Trastamara (Kings of Castile) in Galicia.

 

[ASPGolan]

Usually when I start a campaign I like to pick the "big name in a small place" kind of character, you know, the Habsburg count, the Knytling in Toulouse, the vermandois count, the first Ottoman in the game, etc.

Before LoR, I picked Alexios Komnenos, without knowing his true story. It's difficult enough if you start prior to 1081 and the challenge is to make him an emperor by 1081 or to prevent your land from going to the Seljuks or any other muslims. He's just a child doux in a crazy empire, yes his father is also doux, he's older brother is also a doux, and his sisters are married to dukes in other regions - yay free allies. But not that easy. With good intrigue, you can make him emperor (or not). If you go martial/hero as I did, things escalate slower.

Of course, now other will do this, since its a new start point in the picker.

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Another game I want to try, is to start as the Ottomans as soon as they are in the game and see if I can dominate Asia Minor / Constantinople by the end of the game, or at least unite a lot of the muslim world and kick the Europeans arses.

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Want a challenge, pick any culture already on the land with no kingdom but with a de jure kingdom assigned, and gain independence / create the default de jure kingdoms -> or more: serbs - an interesting choice, bulgarians, vlachs (its not the same with greeks since they dominate the BE administration and aristocracy). Galicia is an interesting starting point: pressed by catholics and having to face cumans, mongols, brother russians (the challenge is similar for vlachs, adding the BE if they survive and gather strength).

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Another interesting challenge, recreate the Armenia kingdom as an armenian. This is especially hard if you start when Seljuks or other muslims have a head start.

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Playing Georgia is too hard IMO.

-> Its not really about the characters, there's a lot of challenges, and the choice in families / dynasties is whatever you can get when the scenario allows it. They are all known in history to some degree.

 

[OrdepNM]

I found the de Trastamara (Kings of Castile) in Galicia.

Theres alot of interesting houses all around the map, for example, you can find the descendents of McBeth in, I believe Moray, in Scotland, but Russia seems to be very sparse in interesting famlies besides the Rurikovich, which is really sad. I guess the mongol hordes remove much of the possibilities, as does the novgorod republic

 

[Comradebot]

The problem with Russia is that nearly every character there is a Rurikovich, which makes for serious wonkiness and inheritances (which, they were all connected, so it makes a bit of historical sense). I've had some fun personally with House Voiteh in Naissus, as one of the few Bulgarians around. The downside is, thanks to the newer revokation rules there, its very hard to stay a Doux as the Emperor despises your foreign ways.

If you go Russian, the Duke of Cherson might be a fun choice, as you're isolated from your brothers and surrounded by Byzantines and Cumans. And if you want a unique challenge, go with one of the later start dates and start as a Russian vassal of the Golden Horde. Maybe see if you can't recreate the Grand Duchy of Muscowy and free it from Mongol hands. And if you go even later with the start, you could always start off as a Orthodox Lithuanian in the primarily Pagan Kingdom, and either try to overthrow the heathens or convert and try to keep the old faith alive.

 

[OrdepNM]

Another game I want to try, is to start as the Ottomans as soon as they are in the game and see if I can dominate Asia Minor / Constantinople by the end of the game, or at least unite a lot of the muslim world and kick the Europeans arses.-

I can save you some trouble if you dont know it already and tell you to start in 1266 in Ancyra, thats when they first show up

 

[fargoniac]

House af Bjalbo are courtiers in Sweden in 1066.
EDIT:And the Zengids are courtiers in the Seljuk Sultanate.

 

[OrdepNM]

If you go Russian, the Duke of Cherson might be a fun choice, as you're isolated from your brothers and surrounded by Byzantines and Cumans. And if you want a unique challenge, go with one of the later start dates and start as a Russian vassal of the Golden Horde. Maybe see if you can't recreate the Grand Duchy of Muscowy and free it from Mongol hands. And if you go even later with the start, you could always start off as a Orthodox Lithuanian in the primarily Pagan Kingdom, and either try to overthrow the heathens or convert and try to keep the old faith alive.

The duke of Cherson was my Rurikovich game Now Id like to play a non-Rurikovich russian family that has some name to it to wrestle russia out of Rurikovich's hands. A few non-Rurik lords startpopping up going into the 12th center but I couldnt tell you if theres any important family there. But a russian golden horde vassal does indeed sound interesting, I didnt think of that. Is there any distinguished family from that era? Maybe the family who later took the throne of StPetersburg is already around?

 

[OrdepNM]

House af Bjalbo are courtiers in Sweden in 1066.
EDIT:And the Zengids are courtiers in the Seljuk Sultanate.

Can you point me to the right courts on those 2? I was also craving for a Seljuk game at some point

Edit: sorry mods, completely forgot to just edit my previous post