Good day everyone, and welcome to my first ever AAR.
As you may have noticed from the title I will be playing in Finland, a region in CK2 that, atleast according to my observations, hasn't had all that many AARs based on it. So, I decided quite a few years ago that ONE DAY I will make an AAR about this wonderful land I call home. After Holy Fury was announced I decided that I will definitely make it after HF is released, but then I got a bit carried away with all the new mechanics (and some other games too) and then the Great Works patch came around and I decided that there was no way I could leave such a patch out of the AAR, so I waited some more.
And here we are, I am finally starting to write my AAR here in Paradox Forums and I already have couple first chapters ready, just in need of some polishing and final check-ups before posting them.
Now I will be starting the game in the 867 bookmark as the High Chief of Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia in english) with a custom character. I will not be playing in ironman, because I intend to possibly add some custom CoAs to the game, at least for Finland since the historical one is somewhat based on the CoA of house of Bjelbo and from what I know ironman can make this difficult or even impossible without breaking the save and I don't intend to let the Swedes take over Finland like they did in our timeline But, who knows what might happen when you start with Björn "Ironside" of Sweden and Rurik of Novgorod as your neighbors. I've seen them do some crazy things in northern Europe sometimes, and other times they fizzle out early, leaving their kingdoms to the vultures. But we shall see.
But I have blabbered on long enough. I'll post the settings for my games as spoiler, since the list of settings for CK2 is LONG as anyone here probably knows (and it just keeps getting longer with every DLC) and I'll leave out some of the settings, such as "generate families", "Story events for Charlemagne" or multiplayer rules since they aren't relevant to this playthrough.
With that out of the way, few other things.
GOALS: Form Kingdom of Finland | Reform Suomenusko religion | Maybe form an empire (Scandinavia, Volga-Ural, Custom, we'll see where the game takes us) | Build a wonder, maybe two, if time and money allows | Establish a bloodline, maybe two, we'll see what the game gives and takes |
This AAR will also be text heavy, since I'm not much of a screenshot taker so I might not remember to take many, if any. I will also try to roleplay my characters as much as possible and try to avoid being too gamey. That also means I'm not going to aim for world conquest or something. To try to keep it a bit realistic at least.
Mild interactivity approved by @Qorten . So I might hold some polls as the game/story goes on, but no guarantees about that. (One that I might quite surely hold is about one of the doctrines if/when I manage to reform the Suomenusko faith, maybe even one on the nature of the faith too.)
That should be all. I hope you will enjoy my first ever AAR.
Table of Contents
As you may have noticed from the title I will be playing in Finland, a region in CK2 that, atleast according to my observations, hasn't had all that many AARs based on it. So, I decided quite a few years ago that ONE DAY I will make an AAR about this wonderful land I call home. After Holy Fury was announced I decided that I will definitely make it after HF is released, but then I got a bit carried away with all the new mechanics (and some other games too) and then the Great Works patch came around and I decided that there was no way I could leave such a patch out of the AAR, so I waited some more.
And here we are, I am finally starting to write my AAR here in Paradox Forums and I already have couple first chapters ready, just in need of some polishing and final check-ups before posting them.
Now I will be starting the game in the 867 bookmark as the High Chief of Pohjanmaa (Ostrobothnia in english) with a custom character. I will not be playing in ironman, because I intend to possibly add some custom CoAs to the game, at least for Finland since the historical one is somewhat based on the CoA of house of Bjelbo and from what I know ironman can make this difficult or even impossible without breaking the save and I don't intend to let the Swedes take over Finland like they did in our timeline But, who knows what might happen when you start with Björn "Ironside" of Sweden and Rurik of Novgorod as your neighbors. I've seen them do some crazy things in northern Europe sometimes, and other times they fizzle out early, leaving their kingdoms to the vultures. But we shall see.
But I have blabbered on long enough. I'll post the settings for my games as spoiler, since the list of settings for CK2 is LONG as anyone here probably knows (and it just keeps getting longer with every DLC) and I'll leave out some of the settings, such as "generate families", "Story events for Charlemagne" or multiplayer rules since they aren't relevant to this playthrough.
Major Epidemics: Delayed Dynamic Minor Epidemics: Default
Mongol Invasion: Delayed Random Aztec Invasion: Off
Exclave Independence: Limited (naval) Chinese Invasions: All
Chinese Interactions: Within Range Border Dispute Wars: On
New Casus Bellis: On Devil Worshippers: Default
Secret Religious Cults: Default Turkic Conquerors: Random
Non-Epidemic Diseases: Default
Shattered Retreat, Army Movement Lock, Siege Assaults, Siege Events, Defensive Pacts: All On
Gender Equality: Default Supernatural and Absurd Events: On
Dynamic De Jure Drift: Restricted De Jure Assimilation Duration: Default
De Jure Requirement: Required Nomad Stability: Unstable
Culture Conversion: Default Religious Conversion Speed: Default
Raiding: Historical Adventurers: Normal
Interfaith Marriages: Restricted Matrilineal Marriages: On
Custom Realms: On
Vassal Republics and Vassal Theocracies: Restricted
Diplomatic Range: On Provincial Revolts: Rare
Provincial Revolt Streangth: Powerful Defensive Attrition: On
Pagan Reformation: Allowed Assasinations: Plots Only
AI Seduction and Intrigue: On Regencies: On
Dueling: Default Release Prisoner After Punishment: On
Titles Named After Dynasties and Cultural Title Names: On
Demesne Size and Vassal Limit: Default Grant Indenpendence: Unrestricted
Crusader States: Default All Crusades and Reconquista: On
Child Of Destiny: On Great Works: On
Hellenic Revival: On (right, like that's gonna happen)
Mongol Invasion: Delayed Random Aztec Invasion: Off
Exclave Independence: Limited (naval) Chinese Invasions: All
Chinese Interactions: Within Range Border Dispute Wars: On
New Casus Bellis: On Devil Worshippers: Default
Secret Religious Cults: Default Turkic Conquerors: Random
Non-Epidemic Diseases: Default
Shattered Retreat, Army Movement Lock, Siege Assaults, Siege Events, Defensive Pacts: All On
Gender Equality: Default Supernatural and Absurd Events: On
Dynamic De Jure Drift: Restricted De Jure Assimilation Duration: Default
De Jure Requirement: Required Nomad Stability: Unstable
Culture Conversion: Default Religious Conversion Speed: Default
Raiding: Historical Adventurers: Normal
Interfaith Marriages: Restricted Matrilineal Marriages: On
Custom Realms: On
Vassal Republics and Vassal Theocracies: Restricted
Diplomatic Range: On Provincial Revolts: Rare
Provincial Revolt Streangth: Powerful Defensive Attrition: On
Pagan Reformation: Allowed Assasinations: Plots Only
AI Seduction and Intrigue: On Regencies: On
Dueling: Default Release Prisoner After Punishment: On
Titles Named After Dynasties and Cultural Title Names: On
Demesne Size and Vassal Limit: Default Grant Indenpendence: Unrestricted
Crusader States: Default All Crusades and Reconquista: On
Child Of Destiny: On Great Works: On
Hellenic Revival: On (right, like that's gonna happen)
With that out of the way, few other things.
GOALS: Form Kingdom of Finland | Reform Suomenusko religion | Maybe form an empire (Scandinavia, Volga-Ural, Custom, we'll see where the game takes us) | Build a wonder, maybe two, if time and money allows | Establish a bloodline, maybe two, we'll see what the game gives and takes |
This AAR will also be text heavy, since I'm not much of a screenshot taker so I might not remember to take many, if any. I will also try to roleplay my characters as much as possible and try to avoid being too gamey. That also means I'm not going to aim for world conquest or something. To try to keep it a bit realistic at least.
Mild interactivity approved by @Qorten . So I might hold some polls as the game/story goes on, but no guarantees about that. (One that I might quite surely hold is about one of the doctrines if/when I manage to reform the Suomenusko faith, maybe even one on the nature of the faith too.)
That should be all. I hope you will enjoy my first ever AAR.
Table of Contents
Prologue Homecoming
Chapter 1 First War and Books
Chapter 2 Victory, Family and Mother Bear
Chapter 3 Widow and Giant
Chapter 4 Declaration!
Chapter 5 Rise and Fall of the Giant (Part 1)
Chapter 6 Rise and Fall of the Giant (Part 2)
Chapter 7 New Beginning
Chapter 8 Pohjanmaa VS. Savo(nia), round 2
Chapter 9 Like Father, Like Son
Chapter 10 Victory and Heartbreak
Chapter 11 Confrontation
Chapter 12 Visiting Viena
Chapter 13 Securing the Hegemony
Chapter 14 Allies, Banners and a Realized Dream
Chapter 15 Crown and Grudge
Chapter 16 Stone Walls and Duels
Chapter 17 Lessons Learnt...
Chapter 18 The Mess That Is Bjarmia (Part 1)
Chapter 19 The Mess That Is Bjarmia (Part 2)
Chapter 19.5 Side Story: Nabtiko
Chapter 20 Kingly Negotiations
Interregnum
Chapter 21 Haunting Memories and a Dragged Out War
Chapter 22 Hero's Tributaries
Chapter 23 Deaths and Legends
Chapter 24 Wolverine, Wolf and Fox
Chapter 25 Grandchildren and Kings
Chapter 26 A Journey of Legends (Part 1)
Chapter 27 A Journey of Legends (Part 2)
Chapter 28 The Ones They Leave Behind
Chapter 29 The Right Opportunities
Chapter 30 Long Live the Kings
Chapter 31 Vultures Over Kiev
Chapter 32 Warfare and Loggers
Chapter 33 A War on the Field and a War in the Shadows
Chapter 34 The Great Bear
Chapter 35 Final Legacy
Chapter 36 Civil War and Plotters
Chapter 37 Traitors and the Mill of Fortune
Chapter 38 Armored Chariot, Coins and an Ambitious King
Chapter 39 Long Live the (Ambitious) King!
Chapter 1 First War and Books
Chapter 2 Victory, Family and Mother Bear
Chapter 3 Widow and Giant
Chapter 4 Declaration!
Chapter 5 Rise and Fall of the Giant (Part 1)
Chapter 6 Rise and Fall of the Giant (Part 2)
Chapter 7 New Beginning
Chapter 8 Pohjanmaa VS. Savo(nia), round 2
Chapter 9 Like Father, Like Son
Chapter 10 Victory and Heartbreak
Chapter 11 Confrontation
Chapter 12 Visiting Viena
Chapter 13 Securing the Hegemony
Chapter 14 Allies, Banners and a Realized Dream
Chapter 15 Crown and Grudge
Chapter 16 Stone Walls and Duels
Chapter 17 Lessons Learnt...
Chapter 18 The Mess That Is Bjarmia (Part 1)
Chapter 19 The Mess That Is Bjarmia (Part 2)
Chapter 19.5 Side Story: Nabtiko
Chapter 20 Kingly Negotiations
Interregnum
Chapter 21 Haunting Memories and a Dragged Out War
Chapter 22 Hero's Tributaries
Chapter 23 Deaths and Legends
Chapter 24 Wolverine, Wolf and Fox
Chapter 25 Grandchildren and Kings
Chapter 26 A Journey of Legends (Part 1)
Chapter 27 A Journey of Legends (Part 2)
Chapter 28 The Ones They Leave Behind
Chapter 29 The Right Opportunities
Chapter 30 Long Live the Kings
Chapter 31 Vultures Over Kiev
Chapter 32 Warfare and Loggers
Chapter 33 A War on the Field and a War in the Shadows
Chapter 34 The Great Bear
Chapter 35 Final Legacy
Chapter 36 Civil War and Plotters
Chapter 37 Traitors and the Mill of Fortune
Chapter 38 Armored Chariot, Coins and an Ambitious King
Chapter 39 Long Live the (Ambitious) King!
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