Last night, I started playing Amalfi. As we expanded a little, I realised I was going to come to blows with one of the major powers in the area... So I, the greek orthodox Doge of Amalfi swore allegiance to the King of Italy, who promptly lost his title to the massive blue blob of West Francia, and Amalfi became independent as part of the struggles. About three years later, I swore allegiance to the Byzantines. Reasoned they would treat me better than the westerners. I managed to get my chosen heir as the next doge, but his staunch enemy and family rival was the heir after that. Each of them was 52 at the point he took on the dogeship, and I thought neither would stay the course... Boy was I wrong. I expanded my families holdings, and kept a close eye on the competition. By the time we were each 73, I was swearing at my rival's vitality, and praising my Doge's fitness. In his late 70's, my doge died, smacked by a mace in a territory war, leading his army into battle.
My Patrician was too young to even hope to get into office, and a Miaphysite to boot. I decided to convert to my leiges religion, taking the 500 prestige hit. And realsied afterwards that I'd become catholic. The leading lights in AMalfi were catholic. Hell! So I rebelled for independance, settled down as the count of Cagliari, and was given the Duchy of NEapolis by a 75 year old Basileus. (Oh, yes, I kept a close eye on my rival, who had become Doge. He finally died aged 90). I reconverted, this time to Orthodoxy, loosing all the prestige I'd gained in my independance war.
The big blue blob seems to have grownand managed to become the EMpire of Francia... Two vast EMpires, east, and west, meeting on either side of Rome. My young count sets about forging himself a sure footing, and does rather a good job if it, quickly gaining the duchy of Benevento. At the age of about 85, the basileus dies, leaving the ERE to his 2 year old son. I was having kittens. All I'd done, was sure to go down the pan... But no, the empire stayed stable, and as the boy passed 6, I realised I had an opporunity to improve my families fortunes. I engaged my five year old daughter to him.
And then, the Good Lord smiled on my Duke, and the Emperor of Francia died, leaving the Empire to his ten year old son. So I engage my 11 year old daughter to him. In one three year stretch, two of my daughters are primed, on the edge of becoming brides to the two most powerful men on the planet. The emperor of Francia is assassinated, but his younger brother inherits, so I renew the engagement with him. And as he reaches 15, on th edge of becoming the most powerful duke in the western hemisphere, I am killed in battle against the Muslims. My son dies less than a year later, leaving my once powerful duchy with an eight year old boy, whose aunts are engaged to the two Emperors. Nooooooooo! Not even an alliance to show for it.
I was sobbing into my laptop. I'm going to go back to it later, to see what the boy is capable of.
