Siberian Prosperity - an Economic CK2 AAR

[Midnite Duke]

Thank you for the update. What speed do you play on?

 

[Sanvone]

It's ironic that a saint was possessed, but it looks like he dealt with those demons. That'll be a fascinating episode for the inevitable hagiography.

Let's hope that grace with China proves useful.

Also, Robin Hood and co. are in the Arctic Tundra? I guess that fits the AAR's economic theme...

How will you attempt to stop Orthodoxy's MA from falling to ridiculously low heights? Or will you give up and bail on Orthodoxy in favor of a different religion?

Robin Hood proves that we are doing something right when it comes to economy

At the moment I have no intention of giving up longterm on Orthodoxy (beside occasionally converting to Catholicism to participate in Crusades). I think I'll have to tag team middle east together with China and create some Greek Orthodox multi kingdom in Levant. Problem being I need not too old ruler to conquer enough before those territorries become independent due to my game rules on exclaves.

Thank you for the update. What speed do you play on?

Usually speed 2 with pausing for screenshots and noting down. Speed 3 rarely if nothing is going on.

 

[Sanvone]

Part XXXII (1026-1033)​

Year 1026
======================

New start of yet another playing session - you know the drill and so do I. Some checkup on realm is in order. I spot some dull vassal plotting to kill our Emperor but struggling with finding any accomplices (just 32% plot power). Few more intrigue hobby vassals are marked but because our MA fallen below required level (27% at the moment) we will have to wait. I look up the wide world and spot that Byzantines started picking up on Egypt in Sicily, and Serbia reunited 2 out 3 parts that it splitted into after recent succession. I also do imprison few courtiers that had it coming from long time. Some order must be imposed!

Our journey slowly moves towards it's final stages. Time to make the best impression possible​

I also do replenish our court offices with 5 new people. All of them are clean inheritances and we even have 1 spare. During search I found some Egyptian lowborn marshal with 4.000+ gold but had no way of giving him spouse or inviting him. Still it is at least average haul.

We have to make up for game cheating us out of some previous investors upon succession​

It doesn't take long as in just 2 months our fresh Saxon investors dies, giving us his riches. He was fan of dueling and had rivals to duel with. You know... The usual harmless fun with boys His money were secured though so that one spare will come in handy . Also one of our vassals becomes beatified upon commiting suicide.

Not having opportunity to throw Summer Fair for prosperity gain, I do monitor our raiding force. Turns out my hunch was correct - raiding the same temple does not confer another +1% for religion MA. Meaning for years I was under false assumption of helping Orthodoxy by haunting Vladimir kingdom. We did ravaged it completely though. To the point that it is currently in defensive wars against 7 attackers. It slowly trickles down, as each attacked took something which wasn't their war-goal. I suspect upon death of current old Vladimirian King it will split and desintegrate rapidly.

Not much but it is something. We have at least around 15 years ahead of emperor Kezhay, which means +360 grace not counting that +100 we got now. If someone wondered prestige income hit is neglible as currently we get around +290 prestige every year.​

Finally our kowtow ends. We get once again 2nd level of trait. Not bad, not great. We still can start summer fair in June and we do. We also visit some Monastery to check on some gardening feats, but sadly fail 77% roll and get -1 Learning instead of +1 Learning.

In July we get visited by 2.300 khazarian raiders in southern Mordva. Our men are moving out at once (3.000 men with really great leader - I just hope for no narrow flanks). Upon realising that my cheaating concubine and spymaster is not doing anything productive, I procure Jewish courtier with 26 intrigue, shrewd, diligent, Schemer trait for that office. Then he is sent to Thrake to steal technology. I have great expactations of him alongside our Jewish steward Baboi of Mena.

Luckily both Feint tactic and no narrow flanks! Thanks God! We will slaughter those fools!​

Battles proceeds smoothly and we win with 330 men lost for 490 men killed. That should calm them down for next few years . Also with advent of September we finish our prosperity ambition, netting us another +1 Stewardship (which currently on Business focus gives us 28) and nickname - "Gentle". The only ambition to pick is now "Groom an heir", which I'm happy to pick due to it's +20% Fertility Bonus. Not only will it offset monastic society -15% fertility but together with Fortune Buildier put us at +15% Fertility total. Kezhay can also change his focus. We could wait for gardening event for some extra reputation and prestige but it is so miniscule that I would rather spent that time on something else. Learning isn't also highly needed (more technology point's are always welcomed but we aredoing fine). Not too keen on losing patient thanks to War focus, and Hunting/Theology can serve us later. I'm mostly deciding between Family, Seducing and Scheming. We still don't have genius heir - let's change that. Seducing it is as we have 3 concubines and our genius ward is perfect target for seduction! Focus itself grants another +25% fertility, which I totally forgot about.

I like that nickname. "The Gentle" tribal kinslayer ;D.​

We start moving our retinues (that came back from raiding), onto few problematic vassals. One of not-excommunicated schemers is pinpointed as slandered thanks to imperial agents. That gives me excuse to deal with him. Monks from Mount Athos ask us for money and we donate 300g in exchange for 100 prestige and piety. Also Uyghurs tried raiding our north-eastern vassals in Cumania, but we chase them off. Finally our descendant of Attila the Hun, Bolgharian Master of the Horse dies, allowing us to inherit his funds. With that treasury reports rising above 21.800 ducats.

Autumn starts worryingly. We receive information that both Emperor and his daughte are targets of some schemes we are not aware of. Well that's ominous. Our character is both Paranoid and Deceitful though so we have 14 intrigue, which should provide some passive protection. Permo-Siberia can also prepare and send another eunuch to China. Search is arranged for perfect Iranian candidate. Not many great candidates I'm afraid. Two are invited let's see what we will get for them. In the middle of month our Marshal Robin (Hood) initiates another recruitment drive in Kudymkar. Easiest +6 prosperity points . Few days later our Spymaster generates us +50 military tech points thanks to 'Jewish only" event.

The feast goes on, some seduction attempts fail and I invest a little into next perfect gift for china but it results in nothing. Seems will have to keep scrolling down that character search tool.

Year 1027
======================

I was trying to catch Uyghur raiders in North-eastern Cumania for months. Bloody nomads! Finally i catch them after assigning commander that improves movement speed. Then I proceed with extracting those excommunications.

One is weak administrator, one is schemer and one is too big for my liking.​

Meanwhile Kezhay was busy with new plot idea. Found some Afghani Buddhist guru. He would make a fine gift for China, if we can invite him. To do this I sent him our old quality 1 crown putting us high enough to favour invite him. Then we will convert him to avoid penalty for Buddhist that current Chinese emperor dislikes. Great use for old items . Sadly my 5.500 retinue suffered nasty attrition losing 1/3 of their men, while moving onto Hlynov in winter and before I could react. Was also throwing out some random courtiers that could be a potential plot backer and had no business staying in our capital. Quite a team of Lunatics I had going on!

Few more seduction attempts are succesful but we get caught. No pregnancy yet. Emperor Kezhay suspects his concubine of infidelity, but lacks proofs. On other hands our courtiers have proof of our own affair. At least our spymaster once again generates us military techpoints thus reminding me we want him to go back for plot detection. In few days my strategy works and we can ship off newly arrived guru off to China for quite a lot of currency

Carefully selecting your gifts for emperor allows for muuuch faster grace accumulation.​

By end of April we are done with wars. We can only revoke single county from our biggest vassal, as our glory hungry council doesn' want to weaken him (powerful vassal) too much. All 3 tribes get new rulers with some starting funds. But I'm not done yet. I can imprison one of remaining schemes and luckily fail at that, and I spotted heretic chieftess to whom we send revocation demand as well.

We send our troops off to deal with schemer, meanwhile seducing our target (acquiring amateur secuder modifier) but no pregnancy yet. On other hand one of our concubines birthed another daughter (this time with Strong trait). Welcome Unzhutka Permyakid!

It takes up to autumn before I'm done with that traitor. After that only single scheming vassal remains. I do realise there still is quite a few excommunicated rulers. Must have forgotten previous work toward extracting lands in southern Cumania (to speed up culture conversion and technology spread). I also do administer some justice ending plethora of plots.

Revocations continue and now last few pagan vassals are our targets. I'm done with them at this point and they don't necesarilly provide me with winter specialist via warrior lodge as I hoped. Before december our Norse investors dies, our 10 years old daughter (bethrothed to Byzantine emperor) gets monastic events for maximum +3 Intrigue and Learning (should help in greek court) and we start our plot to extract Turgay county in southern Cumania. It does contain temple, which should help with technology spread tremendously and hey we have plenty of demense limit to spare (10/13).

Year 1028
======================

We proceed with criminal cleanup at home. Soon what was a list of 20 potential arrests, shrinks to just 5. With further 2 pending to be resolved. This is much better. I also replace my 15 diplomacy feudal chancellor with 24 diplomacy courtier, who likes me better and thus adopts loyalist stance on council voting. He is sent to Tripoli to acquire claim. Sadly as I'm still dealing with 3 vassals, this happens;

Remnants of Karluks and even fewer Nestorians rise up.​

Will have to let vassals deal with that, while our forces deal with Naberezhnye (Bolgharia) + Boqtybay (Turgay in south-western Cumania). They rised up in north-eastern part of our realm. Also if you wondered if finally our MA improved - it didn't. We rised up to 37% but still have 3 heretic revolts for whooping -15%. Also my derpy vassals keep losing holy wars against Vladimir that started recovering despite onslaught. Luckily remaining scheming vassal commits a mistake and we get informed that he is a heresiarch and thus now we have legal reason for arresting him . In just a week that reason vanishes though :<. Really quick timer it seems. Decision is made to plot-kill him instead, as we can get up to 340% plot power and we have nothing to lose as we are already known as murderer.

I set aside my cheating concubine (that developed cancer) to replace her with event spawned Attractive+Quick 16 year old lover. Then I start seducing our old concubine. We get lustful trait that puts Emperor Kezhay "the Gentle" over the soft limit. Then it finally happens. Our seduction pays off, as we receive our first Genius son. Permyakid brilliant rule is thus secured - as long as I deal with 2 older sons.

This seems like a long reign if I play my cards right. By the time current Emperor becomes old, Setyamka will come out of age.​

When it comes to rest of children, they are educated properly. Soon we lose trait due to having too many and it is... Deceitful. Acceptable I guess. Also previous rumours of our abrupt demise to happen seem to be unfounded, as our spymaster was searching and found nothing. We sent him back to Eastern Romans, while his collegue generates us 50 economic techpoints from the same Ashkenazi source.

By summer we are done with dissidents. Rebelion is put down and after another drama involving 41 years old cheating concubine, we replace her with previous concubine (that now loves us truly). With that we have 3 lovers as concubines and one more love interest on the side. Gentle Emperor also reached seducer modifier rank, granting him additional +15 sex appeal and +1 Intrigue. We also manage to murder last schemer only to... find another schemer on the other side of empire. We proceed with assasination once again. We are also still within season for summer fair.

Byzantines won their war and continue with holy warring weak targets nearby. Good. Orthodoxy MA abruptly recovered to 47%. Current Basileus is still young and physically strong - he might do a lot of good for Christianity. On that topic - we receive mission from Community of Saint Basil - penance this time. Nice. Occasion for extra devotion and maybe even Erudite trait for that extra 2 learning. I started buying cheap (80g) favours from my councillors, whose wealth I will inherit later. Need to give away few holdings with blessing of my council. After bribing I can start working - the Bishopric in Veliky-Ustug is granted to Bishop of Perm. Then the county is given away to new chief. We take another county from vassal in Vladimir who is still locked in our dungeons. Sadly he did inherit something in Nenetsia so he still owns 3 counties. With freed demense limit we revoke last county in duchy of Turgay in southern Cumania to culture convert it. That leaves me at 12/13, and will let me pass at least one more bishopric into bishop from our personal demense for future.

As we try to figure Bible out on our own (60% success chance) our Greek wife seems to have an affair. We leave it in the hands of our lackeys and focus on more Godly matters. Our backers still try killing that scheming vassal but we did not succeed yet, even after 3 attempts. But at least rng smiles on me and soon I see this:

Together with finally getting positive modifier from gardening it puts me at exactly 20 learning. It will also prevail no matter what.​

Thus beside seduction attempt and more penance progression (we got humble trait from previous success) nothing happens. Oh and our MA rised to 49% for moment. Still at -15% penalty from revolts though.

Year 1029
======================

New year starts with difficulties in overcoming loneliness during penance. We talk with some courtier to relieve our emperor at the cost of progress. I think we will be ok, cause we already had tremendous success and I would rather not roll 50% for stressed now with our current heir situation. Pechenegs do visit us in Bolgharia so it is only proper to meet them in arms.

I usually don't mind rebellion but with how long the travel time is in this part of world it is a pain.​

Well we were due for some time problem with heretics. It just happened as Greeks won their holy war putting us at exactly 50%, which is ironic (there is no connection between those factors). Well retinues from Irtysh tribe are moved out and vassals called. We also have further religious trouble, as we are required to do something about Emperor Kezhay weakness towards women:

Well can't exactly risk failing whole event chain and 40% chance at overcoming vice is not enough. Will take longer but it will still be quicker than not getting devotion from penance upon failure.​

As we show raiding Pechenegs the exit from our lands, on 8th of May 4th daughter (named Ruzava) is born to Emperor Kezhay. Good. More alliances. Right now Permyakid rulling family has 3 sons and 4 daughters. Sadly Byzantine Empire devolved into civil war and it seems like our daughter my not become the wife of fellow Orthodox empire ruler.Also Uglich converts from paganism to christianity

Slowly we progress even though it seems like pointless work with low MA​

As our forces fortify their position against incoming rebel heretics, news from China arrive. Son of heaven died and now instead of Li Xuanzong we have Li Xingzong to make deals with. The new Emperor likes wealth and dislikes Indo-Aryan cultures. We can definetely make use of that preference. I wonder, if now won't be the best time to send them Mjollnir. It is 10.000 grace at base so while doubled it would give us up to 20.000 grace.

Notice how different our realm is even in it's southern reaches. We do deal quickly with both dangers.​

After putting effortlesly bogomilists down, our MA reaches 58%, as another "heretic revolt victory penalty" timed out. Finally we are at level that is operable. Then by August we finally finish our penance, putting us at 750 out of 1000 devotion needed for next level within monastic society. As for trait reward we also lost Lustful. That diminishes our fertility and as you might not noticed we were rocking +60% fertility, which now drops to +40%. Still want few more kids and it seems feasible with wife and 3 concubines/lovers.

By September our "Out of patience" penalty times out, improving our attributes by +2 each. Then new problem is discovered. Because my character is no longer busy, I checked "China screen". Turns out we will get not 20.000 but 15.000 grace. Requesting invasion cost 5.000 instead of 10.000 so while I was working with wrong assumption it isn't tragic. So not too bad so far. The problem is that China only invades realms of kingdom/empire size with 40+ counties. I was planning to use it against Sultanate of Jerusalem, to carve out Orthodox Greek kingdom of Syria+Jerusalem. But now we will need to wait for Zikri Levantines to become bigger, as of now they do not fall within chinese invasion requirements.

Interestingely it opens up new opportunities. After getting annoyed with religious mess I was planning to not participate in next Crusade that should start next year. Instead of helping christian cousins in the west I wanted to rampage in holy land. But now that this isn't happening I can safely embark with retinues towards west to liberate some material wealth.

At this point I took a week break and was weighting my decision. Wasn't really liking options presented. After it turned out Chinese invasion won't provide us with really swift conquest of holy lands, I lost my previously picked plan for immediete future.It will result in further problems with heresies and low conversion chances. On other hand embarking on Crusade traumatized me due to problems with vassals that converted to Catholicism making them resistant to being excommunicated by us and possibly secceding upon succession. We still haven't dealt with single county in Kazakh duchy, that refuses being vassalised and we have another Catholic within borders. That said probably should embark on next crusade to keep accumulating wealth.Waiting for middle east to become ripe for the taking seems like the prudent choice. So search for catholic concubine begins.Must also confess to having some mental blockade - whenever I hit 20.000 gold coins in treasury I kind of lose interest in accumulating more. In my defense it wasn't problem so far as I kept spending on Great Works. But will have to brace myself and keep on course to make new records.

The Catholic concubine is found in the court of our Kazakh break-away vassal. She replaces our Norse 37 y.o. lunatic concubine, which isn't Kezhay's lover and had cheated on him several times. Before I convert I would like to replace my Patriarch to younger and more skilled one, so we can keep converting while crusading. It would be a waste to not utilize favors I purchased some time ago too. So onto reforms we embark.

Maybe this will help me with stuffing various offices with more optimal characters. Also would like to think this will make Bogomilist heretics chill out as we granted some of their desires in some capacity​

After that the Patriach is retired with Chichayka - 24 y.o.Scholarly Theologian, Diligent Scholar sporting 21 Learning. Then after moving him from last Nestorian province to heretic province near silkroad his conversion chance rises from 10% to 25%. That's actually nice.Instantly after unpausing he achieves not single but double success - he first converts one courtier and on the same day the whole province of Saur flips as well. Damn that was fast! Down to 5 Bogomilist counties within realm.

New Concubine - Tundava Rategid arrives. She is 16 years old and is quick, so she will serve beside enabling conversion. Then on 7th of October the monastic ward events fires for oldest prince Kudym-Osh Permyakid. He rolls Stewardship and Learning, which is the best combination. In-game roll results in him getting +3 Stewardship (highest) and +1 Learning (lowest). That's A-ok, because we want him to take over one of our Bishoprics and for that more Stewardship means more money.

As I hawkishly await 1st November I get pranked by game. Zikri Rebels prepare me feast I wasn't counting on in Ubagan tribe >.>. There is only 2.500 of them but this will prevent me from feasting twice this winter... Gosh darnit!

So we walk slowly towards Zikri rebels. Emperor converts to Catholicism in December and gets thrown out of Monastic Society. Well that's one cost, that will sting. Mostly hurts because we will miss on monastic ward event.But I can and do find some monks/nuns within realm to take care of it. Soon new court tutor is appointed.

Year 1030
======================

Orthodoxy (as we leave it) remains stable with 63% MA and biggest number of provinces in the game. Catholicism is also not doing too bad (53%) so now we just await for Sir Pope to announce most holy war. The cooldown ends, but current Pope Caelistinus II isn't too eager at the moment. Having nothing better to do I decide to spent some of my banked prestige to further enlarge our retinues. Then I move my Orthodox Realm priest to convert Bogomilists in Khantia. Still 25% yearly conversion chance! We also re-vassalise that single county in Kazakh. So the whole realm is finally reunited.

At best it will help us in our Crusade in western Europe. At worst it will replenish back home while acting like police force.​

Our retinues from eastern reaches, finally rich Zikri rebels from Ubagan, who moved after conquering it westward.Our prestige income halts but on the bright side it only reaches -0.55/month and we still have 1.223 in the bank. So we will have some room to spare for some reinforcing to replenish losses during crusade. In may we beat Zikris. Forget about feast - we skipped straight into Summer Fair >.>. Also as I moved my forces, raiders arrived where those retinues originally were stationed. Pechenegs from new Karaidid khaganate try something with 1.000 troops in the south Cumania. My 3.900 retinues, that just beat down locals - are literally next door. So let's kill them too!

Our Empress complains about former ward and lover of our Emperor, but we have intrigue high enough that we can just lie our way out of this predicament. Soon we inherit some tribe in Nenetsia and I almost play myself through muscle memory of generating characters via intrigue menu. I do realise in time and instead use character ledger to not appoint Catholic as ruler.

Having nothing better to do society-wise I decide to join Champions of Pierun (Slavic Warrior Lodge). We might get at least commander trait in the meantime, assuming Crusade will last 5-7 years. But first we do lose initiation duel with our 32 Personal Combat Score and got wounded. Shouldn't kill us.

Summer starts with repelling raiders in Irgiz. I also do sort out inherited retinues from Ugra tribe (retaining single hunting and trapper parties, moving them to bulk of respective retinue forces).

That skin color is sick Wish we will encounter as many nice looking nomads trying to pillage us to kill boredom.​

Sadly in July our Jewish steward Baboi from Mena dies due to Pneumonia. Oh boy was it dissapointing - he achieved nothing. I also run out of jewish stewards so our Taoist Han takes over (18 stewardship + Ambitious).By end of Summer our wound heals, leaving scar. We still have swollen ankle till march 1031. Beside that nothing happens. Seems like because Pope is involved in defending some Italian duchy against holy wars, it might prevent crusade from firing. Italy is winning slowly 3 out of 4 holy wars so I'm optimistic.

In October we get issued first lodge mission: to loot one of Suomi provinces across border. No problem. We almost reach our eastern border where 2 nomadic hosts are pillaging our vassals.

Finally November that we can organise feast. Our Spymaster also steals 50 economic tech points.Sadly raiders scramble. Our Genius Lover and mother of our Genius heir Setyamka informs us that she is pregnant. We finish first feast on 31st of December and thus narrowly are able to held 2nd one.

Year 1031
======================

Year starts with me recruiting additional retinues to even out the numbers . As the feast is ongoing, our lover Megurka Megurkid gets a rather interesting nickname - "The Understanding". Never had seen it before. Our Retinues in Irtysh catch one of previous raiders, trying their luck again and kill most of their 500 strong host. There is also other adventuring host that keeps moving through our eastern realm, but as long as they don't bother us I won't bother them. Orthodoxy MA somewhat plummeted to just 53% (and with that our conversion chance from 25% to 19%).

In March our Levantine Senechal dies, and his gold is passed down to his son (who replaces father in office). Then month later our rival chief of Miass finally dies inside our dungeon.The new tribe leader doesn't hate us, so that issue is resolved. Then we fire yet another summer fair (prosperity ftw!), as our retinues are finally moved towards Finnish tribe target for warrior's lodge sacking mission (I remembered to not move out during severe winter for once ;D).

One of our councillors asks for our forgivness, using his favour on us. It is A-ok. Better for them to spend it on that, instead of any other use (like forcing me to grant them random county). Emperor Kezhay soon get's rid of one of negative province modifiers in Turgay tribe, Then he accuses his Empress of infidelity, while legitimizing his newest bastard daughter from Megurka. Talk about double standards .

In August our young and talented Patriarch manages to root out heresy in Shish county (Khantia) and is thus moved to root out the same heresy province eastward. Currently just 4 Bogomilists counties.

During September our Master Engineer Di Xinyue build Paper Mill in our capital. I think it is the first time we got it. Will be of great use to us

Extra +6 prosperity and nice technology spread modifier for our capital that is currently leeching from Thrace.​

With start of October we do manage to sack Finnish province and that earns us +90 gold on top of +200 Renown. Renown won't allow us to advance any time soon (our passive gain is abysmal) but at least it is the beggining. We are also eligible once again to change our focus. Seduction isn't needed anymore, so onto Scholarship hobby we go. Soon sad news arrive - our Genius 39 y.o. concubine Nyayka succumbs to Cancer. She was the mother to our daughter Nyayka, who is bethrothed to Armenian prince. May God have mercy on her lunatic soul. Vacant concubine position is filled with Megurka "the Understanding". Our only remaining lover.

As Autumn arrives, Pechenegs (the regular ones) try raiding Bolghar, so our troops move out to meet them. Preparation for yet another feast are underway. That reminds me - that Paper Mill also added +6 prosperity point in our capital. The same with Spymaster stealing tech. Now that we are on Scholarship focus, our jewish agent is expected to fire those events more often. Soon my prediction come true as on 17th of November spymaster generates 50 military tech point from jewish event. Which also benefits from current focus .

Year 1032
======================

Feast finish, feast start. Our ruler gets opportunity to flirt with someone but opts not to. We also figure out who was slandering us with vicious rumours, but at the moment there isn't much we can do about it. Week later daughter from our legal marriage is born - Genius named Oshama Permyakid. Sadly - Catholic but we will make it work somehow.

Original Pechenegs from Pecheneg Khaganate remind us of themself. Inter-Pecheneg rivalry for coolest nomad on the steppe ?​

At last possible moment, we catch besieging Pecheneg force. We roll Feint tactic but one of enemy flanks secured chokepoint, which might be a serious issue if after dealing with opposing center our center attacks them. And it exactly that happens. Turns out that their numbers weren't big enough to win even with that advantage. Still we lose few hundred troops more than was needed. Win is a win and it forces hostiles out.

Soon - raiders act up on eastern border. Adventuring host 1.600 men in strenght arrives in Saur. Wisely my stationed retinues in Irtysh can intervene immedietely to prevent any lasting damages to prosperity. On topic which - our Tynea county reached 2nd level. We also did finish observatory (+1 Learning). Our steward also wants to suprise us with monument (and we let him).

Before summer - adventurers are halved in size and sent packing. Our newest retinues reinforced towards 2.000 out of 3.000 maximum size but there is no news on Crusade. After some consideration I spend 500 prestige on Warrior Gathering IV in Burtasy and Warrior Gathering I in Irgiz.

Buildup outside Perm duchy continues. Those border provinces become harder to crack with every troops increasing building.​

As I surveil my lands I realise that last Khanty culture province assimilated into Komi. Nice! Next on the chopping block is either Mordvin, Kirghiz or Karluk as each of those cultures have 1 province as well. Then year ends calmly with another feast, Orthodox MA holding around 53% and Emperor Kezhay choosing culture event chain route for observatory. We probably won't get much in the ways of Monasticism so +5 Learning from Necronomicon will be really great. I also want Mystic trait but what for - I will explain later.

Year 1033
======================

We start the year with starting feature construction in Hagia Epimoni.

Extra levy won't hurt, but won't much either. Better than most other modifiers I suppose.​

In February not small Uyghur adventure host arrives in recently sacked tribe of Zaysan. There are 2.500 of them, so I make a detour to not fight them while suffering river crossing penalty. Soon disease outbreak culls 100 of them. Then bandits cull another 100 but their reinforce to max anyway with monthly tick. During all that time our Emperor proceeds to next step in scholarship event chain and it makes me realise that he isn't diligent. But we get that trait now. Granting us our 8th trait (Patient, Humble, Temperate, Diligent, Paranoid, Greagrious, Lustful). Well expect Kezhay to lose something. We also get offered (but decline) mission to duel fledgling from other Warrior Lodge. Won't risk dying.

Our steward finishes his monument, providing me with another 200 prestige. Decide to spent it on Warcamp III in Irtysh. Then as Spring approaches I get ready to organise another Summer Fair. Our chancellor reports getting claim for which we are happy to pay, and move him onto other catholic vassal within our realm.

What's up with that recent rise in adventurer activity among nomads? We will trash them asap to avoid further complications.​

We swiftly deal with that army, and reduce it down to 960 men. There is still no news on Crusade. On the plus side our forces are ready. Have around 27.000 warriors to throw at whatever the target will be. The immortality event also fires. I'm not sure what to do at first. I don't plan on this character and prolonging his live. On other hand can't decline as it will give us "content" messing our trait limit even further. I will accept for now but then bail out.

Huh. Already 2nd time it fired in this playthrough. Shame that I still have to collect some books and they are limited per life.​

Also our oldest daughter - Styaka is finally married off to Basileus Porphyrios (which I realised hails from the same dynasty holding Trade Republic of Amalfi to which Empress belongs), thus cementing our alliance. Byzantines are in the middle of civil war that was ongoing for quite few years but Strong 38 y.o. Basileus was winning. At least until this moment, when 2 more small revolts fired. I hope he finishes the bigger one first. That pull us into war but it more than desired - if we help Basileus put down rebels it will cement his rule in empire and allow him to focus on conquering fragmenting Serbia to strenghten our religion . So our 8.500 retinues are moving into Anatolia via Caucasus. First time we use that avenue.

In August our spymaster steals another 50 economic point . Means another +6 Prosperity in capital. Then we lose patient due to being over the soft trait limit. While it sucks at least it wasn't diligent (that counts for prosperity events) and we are still at higher than enough stewardship (28) and learning (26).

In November as we are in war we can't feast. Instead we get informed that our Marshal fired massive recruitment drive in Kudymkar (so it is kind of feast for prosperity reasons). Earth Hillfort I finishes in Turgay (which is located on border) to be followed with War Camps II.

Seems they didn't apprecieated our gesture in increasing women rights. Bloody heretics!​

December starts with Orthodoxy plummeting down to 38% and Bogomilists appearing in Thisageta (Ural). Oh boy... Didn't take them long, did it? I think some responsibility is on our derpy vassals that kept holy warring weak Vladimirian kingdom and losing. It is dangerously close to our core demense, which is not great :/. That's why I wasn't happy with inability to conquer middle east - it will most likely force us into this cycle of having to keep fixing Orthodoxy after each crusade (during which, Orthodoxy becomes garbage), Well but that will be for another parts.

 

[HistoryDude]

Congrats on completing penance and defeating the heretic revolts. When will the heretics learn that their revolts are doomed to failure?

How will you deal with your other sons? Assassination?

Do you plan on trying to complete the immortality event chain? It would mean that you don't have to deal with your succession...

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thank you for the updates. Good Luck with the Crusade.

 

[Sanvone]

Congrats on completing penance and defeating the heretic revolts. When will the heretics learn that their revolts are doomed to failure?

How will you deal with your other sons? Assassination?

Do you plan on trying to complete the immortality event chain? It would mean that you don't have to deal with your succession...

Assasinations are wasteful. We can make them great at creating wealth in Bishophrics for free.
As for Immortali the answer is no - I want one extra Book that I still miss. Also it would make game go kind off on autopilot once successions are out of pictures. Kind of boring with much less difficult decisions to make.

 

[Sanvone]

Part XXXIII (1034-1042)​

Year 1034
======================

Our work continues. First order of business - we raise levies in duchy of Perm to oppose Uralic Bogomilists. Local forces numbering over 8.000 will be more than enough to stop rebelion. Especially when our vassal levies are buying us time by getting ambushed (but fighting with Hills advantage).

Our quest for Immortality gets an update. Our Patriarch struggles to find anything in holy scriptures and suggest hiring him more scribes. I refuse - he is more than capable enough to do this on his own . And I don't want to be immortal to be honest so this is a perfect way out (I think). Funny enough this topic will continue in different way later in this playthrough but everything in time.

Finally on 13th of January Pope proclames preparation for Crusade. And the target is France. Uh wow! I like this boldness. France is quite big, so we will make difference. The worst that would happen would be to fight for some few counties to only lose that weak country after few years. But securing France will change power balance in Europe.

Pope knew who to ask first. We alone make for 150% target strenght​

Soon we get another Crusade related event in which our Emperor is so excited to fight infidels in France that he gets Zealous. It is his 7th trait though... Probably something will fall off. Given low Orthodox MA I decide to swap task our Patriarch is occupied with - he will try to raise zealots (48% chance yearly). I will gladly accept event troops as reinforcements for Crusade. I also replace our Chinese steward with another jewish expert that I fished out. He will be raising warriors too .

Sadly soon I get expelled from Slavic Warrior Lodge. And we were so close to reaching 2nd rank there! Well shame! Before we get thrown out, we manage to participate in the last event that ends in success netting us another +100 prestige. Rest of winter is spent on managing logistic of various armies (retinues marching through Caucasus mountain into Anatolia, levies in Perm moving while avoiding winter attrition and eastern border patrol on long march to Burtasy tribe before setting off towards France).

On 15 of April Burtasy finish last level of Warrior's Gathering Ground, just as our close to 9.000 levies locked onto Uralic heretics.For once I remember and check on our mercenary band. They are fine and accumulated almost 10.000 gold coins. Captain needs replacement, but they can keep going for the time being. Soon our 12.000 warrior fall on 4.000 rebels and it is a slaughter. By mid May whole rebelion is a thing of a past. But there is another campaign that needs my attention.

Our troops arrived. Time to help our brother-in-law. Republic of Amalfi is doing it's part in squashing Italian rebels, and we should quickly conclude this war.​

Immortal event chains comes to an expected end (uff!). One worry less on my mind. More important - prosperity did increase in Irgiz, Udmurts (both reached level 2) and our capital - Kudymkar (max level meaning we are eligible for prosperity events). Finally no more summer fair's and feast to spam each year. Out of curiosity let's calculate our MTTH for those events.

===================================

Modifiers:

===================================

0.9x - Fortune Builder,

0.9x - Genius

0.9x - Diligent

0.729x - 18+ Stewardship

0.729x - 18+ Learning

= 0,387420489x



Basic MTTH:

Empty Holding Slot - 65 years

Province modifier - 45 years



Current Emperor Kezhay "the Gentle" MTTH:

New Holding Slot - 25,18 years

Province Modifier - 17,43 years

===================================​

Not too bad! I only lack lifestyle trait but it will do. By Summer our expeditionary forces in Anatolia reach enemy capital and start besieging. It goes slowly (6% per tick) and mountainous terrain isn't exactly welcoming for attacking superior quality enemy troops. We risk getting narrow flanked into oblivion. I do set up a trap by leaving 3.300 host province above Seleukia, but AI (probably due to having vision) doesn't bite. Well then we will besiege with 8.000 troops. On the positive note Basileus squashed other pretender that rised up and peasant rebels reducing amount of his enemies from 3 to 1. Meaning soon we probably will be able to expect his assistance, while we hold the front..

There are still 220 days till Crusade but I started moving newest retinues toward Italy as staging point. Sadly our old ally probably won't participate as they have a regency council for young Queen Valentina. Emperor Kezhay decides to visit some hermit in order to acquire Necronomicon. Maybe it will contain secrets of Immortality ?

In Autumn I raise my levies to start marching them. Soon they are joined by event troops created by my Steward. Wow. Did not expect 6.000 of them in one go. Most of them (4.000) is light infantry but there is good chunk of Archers (1000+) and the rest is split among Heavy Infantry and Light Cavalry.

Nothing better for technological progress that good old Necronomicon (+5 Learning). Don't tell the Pope ​

Till the end of year we look at Seleukia slowly ticking down. We also do acquire Necronomicon! That boost Emperor's Learning up to 31! Did not realise it didn't even used book slot, so we can keep all other good books .It gives us tremendous technology point gain especially in economic category (cause we have 28 stewardship + 31 learning). I also decide to spent some of accumulated technology points on Siege Equipment V (+12.5% siege speed might be handy in Crusade), Cities and Temples V (+5% taxes for both and some buildings) and Majesty V (mostly for +6.2% prestige/piety gain, which we can turn into buildings).

Year 1035
======================

Few days after end of year 1034 we take over castle in enemy capital. It did not give us much war score though. So it is time to move out against enemies, that kept taking attrition and now number slightly over 2.800 men, I think we can take them with almost 9.000 troops after assigning commanders and meddling with flank composition (infantry in center and cavalry on flanks). Soon rebels are on the run.

At the start of February our Catholic concubine Tundava dies of dysyntery. Few days later unexpectedly this pops up:

Last Holding slot that I really wanted before feudalising. Each following is saucy extra!​

We hunt down escaping Greek rebels and they lead us into most defensive terrain they can find (river+mountain). They also cheekily reinforce before we move onto them so now it is 9.000 vs 5.000 troops. Might be tricky.

Last act of support we can offer to Greeks with impending Crusade.​

Battle goes far better than expected. Feudals lack skirmishing power so we wrap it up nicely before melee. We lose only 250 troops but kill 1.600. That should do it. It is high time to start moving those troops now towards Italy and further France. Crusade starts in 16 days. I moved out too late and only first contingent of 3.000 light infantries and cavalry is nearby. I have close to 16.000 troops just moving out od southern Volga-Ural and another 4.000 just passing Perm itself.

Our oldest son - Kudym-Osh comes out of age. He is nice - Midas Touched, Shrewd, Patient. High Stewardship (20) but meddling Learning (11). He is bethrothed to our Armenian Miaphysite niece with claim on Daylam Shahdom. Maybe he will sire some children before we order him to take vows. Also both our Marshal and Spymaster report successes meaning +50 military techpoints and some prosperity. Now that I think about it I can use Marshal for something different. Organizing Army isn't too bad - it will maybe improve some of our commanders while cutting retinue reinforcing cost by -20%. Useful with Crusade fighting soon to happen.

On 6th of May Crusade for France begins. Child heretic king stands alone. Let's hope our side doesn't wrap it up before we can arrive in force. Also if you wonder what we are fighting for - there is 7.100 gold in crusade war chest as well as 14 artifacts. Whole war starts by Knights Templars going straight for Paris with 10.000 troops. French consolidate their 16-17.000 troops nearby. Good to know Holy Orders are on our side as I didn't check that before.

Seems I didn't have to worry about Catholic manpower. We are more than enough to match defender advantage.​

I watch as big Crusader armies start the onslaught but French suprisingly wisely start tackling them. First they attack one 16.000 Crusader stack and upon reinforcing it win first battle. Knight Templars are in hot pursuit to avoid defeated brethren.

Battle of manouvering commences but soon locals run out of luck. They get themself embroiled in bad battle in Amiens against numerically superior Catholic troops. This seems to be it. And we still haven't entered France. Their army gets trashed and now there is nothing preventing crusaders from taking kingdom apart (23% warscore so far). For all purposes - France has been cracked open.

In the meantime we decide to not delve deeper into Necronomicon, arrest one scheming vassal (was risky because it was only 70% arrest chance but paid off!) and get another +50 military techpoints from spymaster. Oh and there is ongoing drama that our lover is suspected of infidelity but I think it is just paranoid Emperor speaking. We also get another son - Mosheg Permyakid that came into this world last month.

Year 1036
======================

By February occupant of Apostolic capital changes. Pope Eugenius will continue our most holy efforts started by retired Caelestinius II. Our troops start pouring into north-eastern France. I need to take control of as many sieges as possible to get anything from that expedition.

Late to Crusade. Let's hope I can somehow recover and not make this terrible time investment after all.​

At the start of spring we take over first holding in Troyes. Luckily AI likes to deathball so we get opportunity to spread ourself to begin besieging many counties at once. Only problem being there is still 11.000 strong defenders roaming. Let's hope other Crusading armies will deal with them. But at the moment we take up whole 1% of war contributions, so we have to hurry up and change that by any means neccessary. Of course as I emptied my lands, nomads sniffed blood in the water. We have first raiders on our vassal's tribes and nothing to remedy it. At least our character finished writing his book and here are the results:

Wasn't on the topic we wanted but at least we can trade it with China for 375 grace. I doubt this emperor will live long enough to write second.​

We manage to besiege 5 counties while rest of crusading armies combined sieges just 3. We are at 60% warscore but 13.000 French Waldensians keep deleting smaller armies in Southern France, thus making space for our contribution to grow. We are currently at 3% so it is rising.

By Summer I manage to push single army onto Paris and give Crusader to every single commander and vassal in Perm (it is nice that Orthodox vassals get it without any problem). That will make our realm stronger for some time, even though it was time consuming with our 86 vassals (but not everyone was able to get it). Still that's an old habit and hey +10% realm levies thanks to extra +2 Martial doesn't stink. Byzantine revolt ended (without our Basileus winning), our daughter is close to giving birth and Kudym-Osh became a father (for dumb son but well...).

French army came back and pushed us out of Paris - they catched us but I instantly run thus getting still war contribution but lowering warscore from 72% to 68%. We are actively getting contribution (up to 15% currently). The longer it takes the better. After that enemies retake their capital, which works for me as I wasn't the one to capture it.

Then they move out and I sneak to recapture capital for plenty of war contributions. Meanwhile heretics push onto one of my armies. After assaulting several Paris holdings we are up to 98% warscore and 24% Permo-Siberian contribution. Now it is time to end it with one big battle thus I move all of my troops to squash heretics.

And thus Crusade concludes. Our numbers when we combine everyone are impressive.​

I didn't catch how much contribution we ended with as I was furiously assaulting at the end. We got at least 3.000 gold and 1 new artifact. As I previously checked we had over 24% contribution and we were 2nd biggest participant. We lost to some Occitan rebel king (with close to 40% contribution). Yet he decided to let Pope decide what to do with Kingdom of France, which resulted in this:

Well that will give Catholics and Pope especially fighting chance x] I suspect from now on Catholicism will start rolling over Europe.​

Time to pack things up. First I disband levies (we still will retain half of them. Then I map out 2 routes for our retinues to return home. I also convert back to Orthodoxy only to be welcomed with 6% MA thanks to -66% from lost holy wars. Gosh darn it I left them for less than 7 years x]. We also rejoin Community of Saint Basil (mostly for becoming celibate at this point).

First time in this playthrough - not Scholar option!​

During last month of year we conclude culture variant of scholarship event route with Mystic lifestyle trait (+2 Learning, +1 Stewardship).

Year 1037
======================

After week break I sit again to this AAR. After refreshing my memory, I commit to building another feature in our 'Primal Taiga' (Magnificent Gardens). That's what I needed Mystic trait for, because we build Fountain of Youth. It will allow us to de-age our character with decision every 10 years for -2 years. That's theoretically 20% longer reign at best. Might come in handy, given how often I'm stressed that we might not live long enough to finish some crucial task (book writing, sorting out succession etc). It is also best moment, as our current Emperor won't be ruling for long, we just regained max prosperity levels so no much of event MTTH loss either due to lack of Scholar (we have Mystic trait).

Somehow this character continues his search for immortality! It works for me as we might make great use of that unique feature.​

After that as I'm still waiting for our retinues to come back from Crusade some pondering on "what to do" is in order. We have the ability to change Kezhay's focus (currently Scholarship). Both Stewardship and Learning are high enough (29 and 33), we have diligent, did trade expedition, have way more than enough heirs (4 sons and 6 daughters). We ideally want to live for another 8 years maximum to pass the torch to our chosen heir. Minimum 3 years so second oldest son comes out of age. So I think we can remain on our focus for now and if situation demands we then make our change, without commiting prematurely.

More problematic is total garbage that is current Orthodoxy MA. With that we can't use excommunications. Which are needed to arrange succession. So we will embark on "Strenghten the Orthodox religion" ambition. If we manage to fulfill 3 special tasks, we will get another +2% for another 50 years. Those task most likely for us will be Holy Wars. So 3 Holy wars will give us +9% for 20 years. That's +11% with ambition. And I can still raid temples. So reaching 40%+ to unlock excommunications again seems doable within few years.

It is also time to spend some of our newly earned prestige.Burtasy tribe gets 2nd level of Training Ground, Turgay Practise Range II, Irghiz War Camp III, Boqtybay Practise Range II, Osha Practise Range IV and Irtysh War Camp IV. That's cost us 1.700 prestige total and leaves with 4.410 left.

The more prestige we spent now, the less it will cost us after conversion. During editing I realised 1 tribe is missed from screenshots​

After unpausing our spymaster steals +50 military techpoints.Time passes and our MA once again hits rock bottom (0%). Seems like I'm being forced into conquering my neighbourhood to prevent my vassals from kamikazing into other realms :/. I see no other way to avoid this degeneracy that is taking place.

By Summer my retinues are in Slovakia/Croatia respectively. We have been visited by 2 raiding armies, so I at least gather my demense levies to repeal one of them. I also bribe my spymaster for support in Voting on final level of Church taxation (+70% Tax, -100% Levies) and with that at least Temples are optimised.

Thus our temple taxes are done. We really are well optimised for non-feudalised realm ​

I notice that Papal France is already in civil war with Pope+Catholics on one side and non-catholics on other ". I wish them God speed.
As month turns into August, Turgay tribe (on the southern Cumania frontier) already finished Practise Range so War Camp III to bolster garrison follows. Our Spymaster steals technology again (+50 economic tech points). That's lucky - twice in single year .

Syrt Tribe in Bolgharia get's sacked in September (our warriors didn't reach it in time). Month starts with Saint burial site flavor event. Many pilgrims visit Kolva and we get opportunity to utilize it somewhat. I can make 100g donation for 50 piety (thanks to Zealous trait), ask them for gold (50 gold for -10 piety) or talk with them (+10 piety and 50% for Greagarious). I already have Gregarious so I will gladly ask for their money .

Another prosperity update arrives - both Pilva and Irtysh tribes reach 2nd level, 3rd Raiding host (Pechenegs) arrive in Yaik high chiefdom. Our retinues still haven't returned (they travel through Polish kingdom of Galicia-Volhynia). It is somewhat bad, as I just started building up our own tribes closeby so now we risk losing prestige and buildings there as those garrisons (500 strong) won't stop 1.250 Pechenegs :/.

Finally in November my warriors catch raiders that moved onto Burtasy from Bolgharia. I did split my troops at least into 2 columns to avoid being memed with "Narrow Flank" but luckily no such modifier occured for enemies. So it is a stomp!

Time to clean up the home from nomadic looters. Order will be restored.​

We repel at least some nuisance on this side of Ural mountains. Nothing else than to start marching those levies east to maybe get Pechenegs. I doubt I will arrive in time to prevent sacking of my eastern border. Distance is just too great and well - that's the cost of participating in Crusades with all our forces.

In December few more buildings finish up but I only order another level of Training Ground (III) in Burtasy. Rest of places aren't safe and while we have plenty of prestige it would be a waste to just instantly lose it. Our victorious Crusaders also enter Permo-Siberian borders . I start reorganizing them and sending single 3.000 strong army consisting Light Infantry and Light Cavalry towards our eastern border.

Year 1038
======================

Our Mosad agent is on fire - he completes the hat trick by stealing 50 cultural techpoints. With such luck we really make ways in technological area. All of our retinues are also back home (they still need to replenish as currently we have 2/3 of them - 6.000+). My Levies also keep replenishing and we reach 9.000 out of 15.000.

February starts with us losing Zealous trait. Such a shame that we got it in the first place (as it catapulted us out of Warrior's Lodge). Down to 6 traits. Still a lot. Orthodox MA suprisingly jumps to 14%, yet heresy spreads in Ural from Thisageta south to Bashkiria.

Spymaster keeps working hard, netting us another 50 cultural techpoints by mid March.

Pechenegs start to run after besieging another tribe in Yaik, not going straight into my tribes. But we have different problem - Bogomilist rised up in Thisageta so I have to direct my levies (that were marching to greet Pechenegs) back towards Ural. There is 7.250 of them so this ain't nothing. Luckily almost all my forces are on this side of Empire. Also Hagia Epimoni finishes 'Watchtower Network' feature. At once another feature begins.

We need extra features but it isn't important what kind of bonus they do confer anymore, as there is nothing really great among Great Temple unique options.​

But with all that another round of construction can start: Practise Range II in Boqtybay, Warcamp IV in Irgiz and Training Ground II in Irtysh. Soon our forces join together and 11.000 in strenght start the pursuit of Bogomilist. My Chancellor dies and I replace him with the best local candidate, making use of our new Gender laws - Chieftess Sezhay of Katun has 17 Diplomacy and is a loyalist . She continues working on Kremenchuk Tribe (catholic vassal) with 11.71% yearly chance of generating claim.

We learn that our Greek Empress Kyra is cheating on us with our Vassal Chief Uchva of Vasyugan (in Khantia). We can and do punish this with arrest and... succeed. Well not bad but if that chief rised up, we could confiscate his titles. By end of May another Bogomilist center appears in Annuy county. Ugh :/...

With summer arrives mission from Community of Saint Basil - penance. Not great, as I already have Erudite trait, but sure. At least it doesn't demands us to change our focus.Nothing to do anyway as we still pursue heretics that keep escaping towards northern Ural.

Getting Feint proves more and more difficult.​

Heresiarch Pyera career ends, as his troops get trounced by our forces. It wasn't even close as we were dealing them twice to three times as many casualties in skirmish. Then they broke and we ended with 300 losses for 3.000 heretics. Another +1% MA. Then I realise I can't select "Strenghten religion" ambition as I no longer have Zealous. Was waiting to not be spammed with "special occasions". And missed it in result. Well I forgot about that requirement. Lesson learned. But beside that - our retinues parked in Vladimir duchy are set on "Raid ON" and start visiting temples of rulers that we will conquer soon.

Hoping to repeat what we did previously with sacking of Vladimir. We really need to strenghten Orthodoxy.​

In September our 10 years old Setyamka gets monastic ward event - rolls +2 Stewardship and +2 Learning. Nice. That's the minimum. Let's hope it fires again .He has already 11 of both stats. Then I raise all of my personal demense levies and move them towards our eastern border, as one of hosting armies belonged to adventurer and balooned in size to around 3.700 men. Which is too much for my retinues that march there to deal without assistance.

By October Osha tribe finished Practise Range building chain, so continues upgrading Warcamp II and Turgay tribe starts Warcamp III. Some update on our penance - after succeeding in bible interpretation once again we fail 65% roll to deal with Lustful vice >.>. That's twice in a row...

We routed defender retinues in Rostov and started siegeing to get to temple located there and also move another force south to start opening provinces there. This time I won't waste time on additional sackings of temples that we already sacked within 20 years time frame. Sadly there are some local wars between pagans, so we might not be able to sack everything we want. Also Pechenegs reappear in Yaik county.

December gives me interaction with 2nd son Kezhevat Permyakid, while doing penance. I decide to show him the Bible which result in him becoming Idolizer (but not Shrewd sadly). He is already Zealous so he can become Erudite. That would make his planned career in clergy smoother . We also get event success that grants us Charitable.

Year 1039
======================

By end of January we finish penance with enough devotion to rank up in Monastic Society next month. Nice. Most of our warriors travel through Siberia to deal with 2 adventurer hosts that raid us in eastern Siberia. Our Mercenary company passed 10.000 gold in their pockets, and one of our retinues accidentally attacked Tverian army in Vladimir. We won despite lower numbers. One wing got damaged though.

In February society removes Lustful from our character (leaving us at 7 traits with probably Paranoid and Gregarious that we can still lose) and turns out while I do have society currency we still are barred from ranking up due to 3 years in society requirement (will happen in December of this year). On the flipside - for some reason I can select "Strenghten the Orthodox religion" ambition so I do! Our retinues that were traveling east also take a detour and catch those 1.250 Pechenegs that I mentioned earlier.

We slowly restore order and remind our less civilised neighbours who is the top dog in the vicinity.​

Swiftly order is restored for the price of 70 men lost but 300 nomads killed. We get offered ambition opportunity to liberate some Orthodox inside some nomadic realm but I decline - they are most likely very weak and will only generate us further losses in religion authority department.

On 13th of March Kezhay's concubine Megurka "the Understanding" Megurkid dies of Cancer. She was the mother of our Genius heir. May she rest in peace. Week later Boqtybay tribe finishes Practise Range II so we order basic Earth Hillfort. I also need to swap 2 raiding armies, as tribe of Tver is really well build up and has 2.900 defenders thus our forces damaged by local retinues can't start the siege (they number 2,790/3.000 men). If you wondered at the moment we are looking at +3% from temples looted and 14.8% MA overall. And siegeing 3 counties with temples (Torzhok, Tver, Pronsk).

By June I can order the last prestige building in Burtasy Tribe. Leaving me with 1.669 prestige. How quickly it was spent . At least now even withing levies, the remaining garrison numbers 1250 men so it should be enough to offset whatever anyone close can arrive with to raid. Our cavalry retinues also split in Irgiz tribe after dealing with Pechenegs: 2.700 of them will remain here while 3.000 will travel to guard the eastern border. Border on which I'm still amassing troops (we have over 7.200 men in Saur). Want to deal those adventurers hideous losses.

By Autumn our daughter Nyayka is married off to Prince Trdat of Armenia (heir to Kingdom of Armenia). I also notice, that our daughter that we married off to Byzantines has 2 children (all born in Purple) with Porphyrios "the Missionary" - Prince Leon and Princess Georgia. Greeks are winning defensive holy war so soon they might start picking on Serbia and other kingdoms that it splitted into. On other hand - Pope is sitting at 100% warscore in civil war against Duke of Champagne. Good sign of things to come . Once he replaces heretic vassals with Catholics we are into some serious business.

We make steady progress on sacking Vladimir kingdom but I have to assault 0 fortification temple in Tver, because huge 7.000 strong Vladimir host is coming. Can't run away but correctly suspected that AI didn't take into consideration that attached armies from their conquest war against Tver won't join them so we fight near-pear 3.000 vs 2.760 with river advantage. I also consolidated all light infantrymen and archers into center under 22 Martial Light Foot Leader, Aggresive Leader commander. Sadly we miss Feint (62.9% chance) and roll with Volley (23.5%) but still win easily. Also our Fountain of Youth in Primal Taiga finishes

First time I use this decision. Funny that finally our Emperor attained some form of "immortality".​

Want to start building 'Herb Garden" feature at once, as it gives bonuses to health but can't. For some reason game thinks we are not member of Monastic Society. Maybe it requires at least 2nd rank? Will check it in December and January (after recalc). I also decide to use our new feature - 2 extra years lowers risk of sudden death and give me little more time to restore religion so we can start excommunicating again. Also after a while I do realise my mistake - it is Hermetic not Monastic society that is needed for that. So scrap that idea for now - we build Hanging Gardens (+0.1 prestige/month, +5 Gardener opinion).

Meanwhile my levies in the East started moving to repel some small 700 strong regular nomads. Can't attack adventurers yet cause they parked in Mountains. Giving them Narrow flank with Mountain modifier is recipee for costly battle. Not that it matters what I plan.

Uprising again :I. Well at least I'm well positioned to deal with that nonsense.​

With Octobers comes another Bogomilist uprising. This time in Bashkiria - 13.700 men strong oO. Will have to quickly recall those Permian levies. Gosh dangit! Cautiously also pause feature in Hagia Epimoni as there are 4 months left and I don't want to miss the timing for extra holding slot.

In November Boqtybay finishes another building but I don't order anything yet. Have only 1.370 prestige and I want to spend it somewhere else. Also some savings might be needed. Our 11.000 strong force catches and kills every single one of 750 nomads that were rampaging. Now I can disband and re-raise them back home (saving us precious time on marching). That's over 8.500 troops to defend Perm itself. Vassals should reinforce us in time.

In December we succesfuly rank up and take vows of Celibacy (thus finally ending potential unexpected heirs). We are also looking at 17.2% Moral authority with 7% from Temples looted, as one of our forces is preparing to defend against some 2.700 raiders from south.

Year 1040
======================

Year start with father of one of our investors (Hasan Hasan) being pushed out of windows. Thus his fortune (over 3.000 gold) falls into pockets of his son and our Keeper of the Swan . Wonders of gravity! Our raiders in Serpukhov tribe repel relief force easily (it was tribal army - not nomadic as I feared) so the "missionary" work continues on our western border.

Takes me up to March to catch Bogomilist "doom stack" in Bolgharia with 11.700 of our troops. They will have river crossing to their advantage but we have Heavy infantry so it should be fine. I do consolidate into 2 columns.

Unlucky roll on center - 4.9% chance at Gen. Skirm >.>.​

The battle goes not well. We take not unsubstantial losses (100 men per day). Till we reach Melee that takes time. We win and kill 5.400 of them thanks to melee phase but lose 2.300 of our own warriors. From our personal demense that stings :/. Another +1% to MA I guess. We didn't get even "crushed major revolt" modifier. I was quietly expecting it cause that was quite a lot heretics to deal with. At least the extra rebelion risk timed out in Bashkiria. But it is stil lthere in Belaya and Thisageta.

During May I decide to reasumme construction of features in Hagia Epimoni. Four months left - if another rebelion pops up within first 3 months I can always stop it again. As most of Vladimir is occupied I move my retinues onto Novgorod to continue sacking. We managed to reach 21% MA with 11% from temples. So slowly it rises. Also Irgiz finishes latest construction so Warrior Gathering Ground II is ordered (for additional Heavy Infantry there). Turgay get's Weaponsmith I for 100 prestige. Also realise I did mess up and by accident clicked in Hagia Epimoni to start constructing 3rd stage of that wonder so few thousand gold coins were spent. After realization I stopped it to not lose monthly upkeep atm. We can reasume it later. We just paid for it in advance I guess.

Unexpectedly my forces in Luka get defeated but not by locals but by Novgorodians that are also raided in province next to this army. I move relief at once but don't arrive in time thus one of my retinues gets cut down to 1.700 men. We swiftly arrive to take revenge on battered Novgorodians under their Romuvans Warrior Lodge Hero.

We safely finish feature in Hagia Epimoni on beggining of September. Without any nuisances! Now I'm not sure if I just needed 2 features or one more but we can wait a little. The event should arrive soon. Most important is to finish feature while in peace. And surely we manage just that does.

Turns out even if you mess up 2nd feature to get this event, you can remedy it on each following feature.​

After rumble in Novgorod confusion ensues. We don't get prohibited from raiding bigger Novgorod but smaller Luki. Works for me as instead of 3-4 temples, we get barred from just 1.Still need to evacuate that damaged army (1.500) cause it won't help with sieges for some time.

In December our Master Enginer Di Xinyue construct administrative outpost in... Irgiz again! It grants +1 Economy/Culture technology points, so Irgiz once again has +1 of every type of technology income purely from Chinese province modifiers.

Year 1041
======================

Year starts with heresy appearing in Kol'va tribe - the burial site of Saint Varaka :/. I dislike that it happens once we are on the rise with MA - not when we were at bottom. Well not much I can do about it I suppose. Soon Osha tribe also reaches 2nd level of prosperity. In the middle of January previously seen adventurers re-apper in Saur. They must got trounced by Tibetan empire as there is less of them. So we move against them with retinues as we hold numerical superiority. Then our spymaster steals another 50 cultural point from Byzantines.

During next month I spend 200 prestige on Weaponsmith II in Irtysh (to speed up replenishment if needed) and 100 on Training Grounds in Osha Tribe. Then another 100 hype points on Boqtybay Weaponsmith I. Then our retinues handily deals with adventurers - killing another 400 of them (droping them down to 1.100 raiders).

With spring Warrior Gathering Grounds I ends in Irgiz, which result in total of 1.470 men, if levies are not raised. Enough to resist any sacking . Slowly but surely we do fortify our borders. Meanwhile my remaining 6.000 raiders in Novgorod slowly finishes work there. We have just single province to open there, currently at 26% MA with 15% coming from looted temples. Then Burtasy tribe reports finishing last prestige building (giving us close to 1.400 garrison withou levies).

On the 1st of June Hanging Gardens finish in Primal Taiga (Pilva county). That's our 2nd feature there. In 17-teen years it should result in "town is born" event popping off.

With August we are done sacking for now. As we no longer have to be aware of being in war, we can start some wars of our own. Time to Holy War Orthodoxy towards victory. But first I must return raiders from Novgorod. But given my current council (bunch of glory hounds that want to fight strong realms + bunch of Pragmatist that want to fight weak realms 1 by 1) we have to start already due to being limited to 1 war at the time. Time to get Rostov into the fold.

Objective of this offensive is to secure as much easy wins as possible and give some territorial consistency to lands we will give away. Probably should also make future marcher lords strong enough to not keep losing.​

Assault goes without any problem as we just sacked this county not so long ago. Then in December our Master Engineer Di Xinyue dies out of old age. She was 60 years old. Before year ends, we conclude first holy war (getting 1/3 task for ambition), getting another +3% MA for 20 years and start holy war for whole duchy of Murom with Ryazan (who just won other county in the war against Vladimir).

Year 1042
======================

The onslaught continues. With our siege technology we siege tribes with 41.2% of progress per tick. So we conclude occupation within month.Our emperor buys some trinket for his empress and soon Investor Hormoz let's us inherit his riches. We bump up to 19.900 gold from 18.800 (we were at above 22.000 before unfortunate click on Hagia Epimoni).

Heresy appearing out of nowhere really likes me in this playthrough. By late February Saur county experiences this phenomenon. It is already culture converted so it is low priority but still . Eight heretic province in realm. Ouch!

We proceed to spread the word of Christ at steady pace Marked duchy in question with yellow border.​

Our war goes swiftly - we reach up to 74% warscore before enemies decide to give us a battle. We time their arrival with our reinforcements on their capital. And soon we defeat them quickly, thus reaching 100% warscore before end of May. Then the usual administration follows of appointing high stewardship characters there. Retinues are hurried up north to prepare them for another 2 holy wars against last northern 1 province nomad and Suomi Kingdom (to clean up the borders).

As I have a moment this is a good moment to mention something I was delaying till this point. At the start of this part I did found a fantastic investor with over 3.000 gold. He is old and hates us but we can and do procure his only son to join our court .

Another personal win when it comes to monetary gain Will take some time but it is worth to wait.​

By Autumn I do buy council support from our spymaster to start 2nd war against Suomi for single missing province of Rostov (Belo Ozero). This will add some territorial integrity to future kingdom of Nenetsia with lands in Vladimir. Our spymaster not only takes bribes but also is busy stealing. Since beggining of this year he stole greek technology twice (both times military) . If only my steward would have a modicum of spymaster succes in his own mission.

Our invasion goes nicely. We will have to wait on Novgorodian county because of ongoing civil war but if we do - we can generate another holy war quickly. As our heir Setyamka grows up, we finally get to decide on our intervention trait. I also must explain why I'm fighting for Veps and not that last Nomadic county. I thought they were a vassal but they are only a tributary. Well will correct that mistake in next part. As this comes to a close with Emperor Kezhay ranking up again in Monastic Society .

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thanks

 

[Rensslaer]

@Sanvone congratulations my friend! You've been awarded the AAR Weekly Showcase Award for this AAR!

I've been enjpying reading through parts of it (some of the beginning and some of the end, though it looks like you've posted again since I started reading the end). You've got quite an epic AAR going on here, and I've invited folks to come read it.

I'll see if I can catch up on the whole thing soon.

Great work!

Rensslaer

 

[HistoryDude]

How many times can this Fountain of Youth be used?

Papal France is great! I wonder how large the new Papal Empire shall become...

Hopefully the Necronomicon doesn't cause issues later. While it looks like it won't be an immediate issue, a future emperor could still be interested in its contents and invite disaster...

 

[TheButterflyComposer]

How many times can this Fountain of Youth be used?

Forever, but there's a few years limit, which is longer than the tike it ages the character back (and it literally ages the character back, as in changes their birth date and age). So you won't live forever with it, but could live quite a long time, esepcially if you drink it from 16 onwards.

 

[Sanvone]

@Sanvone congratulations my friend! You've been awarded the AAR Weekly Showcase Award for this AAR!

I've been enjpying reading through parts of it (some of the beginning and some of the end, though it looks like you've posted again since I started reading the end). You've got quite an epic AAR going on here, and I've invited folks to come read it.

I'll see if I can catch up on the whole thing soon.

Great work!

Rensslaer

Welcome to our business venture Take your time catching up - this AAR isn't going to vanish all of sudden. Also thanks for nomination!

How many times can this Fountain of Youth be used?

Papal France is great! I wonder how large the new Papal Empire shall become...

Hopefully the Necronomicon doesn't cause issues later. While it looks like it won't be an immediate issue, a future emperor could still be interested in its contents and invite disaster...

As mentioned 2 years every 10 years. So at most +20% lifespan. But realistically less. I'm probably not clicking it before coming out of age (why would I want to prolong regency) and given average lifespan I think it is around 10 extra years? I'm mostly happy for it as emergency button to allow closure of each reign if something pops up.

Pope's France managed to already partially secede before end of last part. Weirdly it was French Catholics that got independent while rest of heretics got replaced with pious Italians. Which probably means uniting France got so much harder for anyone attempting.

Necronomicon surely is a risky item to possess (or be possessed by I guess). Especially if character is within Monastic Society. Now that I think about it, there was a tremendous lack of "Steal holy relic" events from societies in this AAR so far. So far it's funny how story wrote itself - first Emperor asked his council, then found hermit in Middle-East, only to end on building most impressive royal Taiga with some rejunevating defrosted water.

 

[LancelotRS]

If I remember it well from previous playthroughs, the fountain of youth sometimes can add 2 years to your lifespan. So be careful.

 

[Sanvone]

Part XXXIV (1043-1050)​

Year 1043
======================

Coming back to our trans-syberian realm, I spend some time on administrative checkup. To my suprise things are suprisingly good despite our lack of ability to excomunicate. We have like 2-3 Scheming vassals to cull and 2 vassals of wrong religion (1 Catholic and 1 Nestorian) among 100 vassals. There is huge portion of adolescent rulers so it might change. It works currently, as I have excommunications to order for Emperor Kezhay's own family (pressing matter of sorting the heirs out). We are rapidly encroaching this possibility as Orthodoxy stands at 29% Moral Authority with 2 ongoing holy wars, which will fullfill ambition of "Strenghtening the Religion" for extra +2%. To sum it up - soon it should rise up to 37%. Some mistake from previous part was recognised - the last northern khaganate isn't part of Khazarian khaganate to the south - they are only tributary. So they will be Permian next target as we can delete that 1 county realm and conclude the war without ever fighting more numerous nomads. Investor search to replenish emperor's court is also underway. Soon I find several candidates as well as some spares (I have few old investors, so for ease of use I prefer to have them bookmarked already).

Over 2.500 gold in 3 appointed court officials.Another 1.750 in spares. We are looking at good financial near-future as more and more funds are secured.​

Coming back to topic of war. Both holy war targets are already secured, but because our enemies are in the middle of huge clusterf*ck of civil wars, the score trickles slowly. One hostile army moves into Vladimir so one of my armies is recalled there to chase them off. Rest is holding the line in Rostov and Veps. Sooner or later we will get them.

Few days into February we get confirmation of advancing rank within Monastic Society. Soon Celibacy is picked and thus we prevent any unforseen problems from arising in the future. More local co-religionist join kingdom of Suomi in their attempt to withstand our onslaught. It doesn't change the unavoidable outcome, as we outnumber enemies heavily (no matter how many realms of that religion will they throw at us). Our Finnish adversaries press onto one of allied armies north of Rostov with 7.000 strong host so I reinforce defending 3.000 with extra 10,000 warriors on top of terrain advantage.

AI to my suprise decides to retreat from fight, leaving mostly intact. Second fight soon follows. Notice that both armies employ some more advanced mounted troops.​

Well we damaged their morale at least. I also spot that Pomorye to the north has 5.000 event troops locked into another 3.300 allied forces. So we move there to reinforce as well. I have time - those just routed enemies will take a while to regain combat readiness. Using that I decide to press with attack onto remains of northern Khaganate in quick holy war for single county. It helps that my levies are still unraised (we are fighting with retinues) and some of council members are still bribed. Battle with Pomorye's forces goes through (probably by AI banking on their limited heavy cavalry to win the day). The melee ensues and the day is won with 1.300 men lost and 3.500 enemies killed. That takes care of around 40% of enemy heavy cavalry, There is no time to lose as we once again have to move south to reinforce previously routed enemies (who really reorganized quickly). In the meantime we do get call to war from Greeks in their holy war for... Ascalon. Which is nice. If Byzantines would take over most of Levant that would not only help with moral authority, but also enable them to create and vassalise Orthodox Holy Order - Brotherhood of Holy Sepulchre. This works for me just perfectly, as they would remain for exclusive Byzantine use and would not help my Vassals in expanding too much. The only problem being that Greeks with their armies besieging Levant suffer currently not small (33.000 strong) Paulician uprising in Adrianopolis. I do call in my vassals and will help them later. Week later Basileus complains about some Komi petty nobles there so I have to eat 100 prestige penalty to upheld our alliance.

Halfway through march our spymaster steals yet another 50 cultural technology points. Our northern retinues catch up with Suomi main force that crashed against our vassal armies. Our chiefs did turn things around by reinforcing each other thus it soon devolved into 5.000 Finn against 8.000 Komi (before we joined thus turning it into lopsided 3.200 vs 15.000 "). It diminishes them from 4.000 to 2.000 warriors. Our Spymaster notifies us about succesfully using his jewish contacts to generate another 50 military technology points. Emperor himself finally finds time to convert his youngest son religion from Catholicism to Orthodoxy. This will help as we probably will push onto him Kingdom of Nenetsia. That would finally streamline whole inheritance.

By 9th of June we conclude annihilation of last nomad in the neighborhood. There wasn't much opposition, county already had tribe (= wasn't fully nomadic) so we also do not have "nomadic agitation" penalty to deal with. New administrator is generated(Orthodox Komi with 17 Stewardship to speed up culture conversion to conquest flag), funded with 30 gold and assigned there. End of this holy war marks also the 3rd required task performed to strenghten our religion. We fulfill our ruler personal ambition, getting Religious Champion modifier for 30 years (confering +10 opinion from co-religionist) and extra +2% of Moral Authority. Which put's Orthodoxy at 31.2%. With ongoing 2 Komi holy wars and 1 Byzantine one, which we can support we are looking at just above 40% we desire. Not bad!

During rest of summer Kezhay "the Gentle" losses Gregarious trait due to being over the trait limit (7/6), which doesn't affect us much. Some Novgorodian rebels come back to liberate the county we captured so our forces move first to crush them and then to move onto some of their holdies further west that just were liberated.

We rapidly break enemies and conclude yet another war .​

From one victory to another I press onto main Novgorod army. We also do declare yet another holy war (this time on Novgorod itself) for last county in Veps (nice way to create extra holy wars for more MA is to attack realms that split due to civil wars). Gotta use that bribed council as much as I can. Almost forgot but I did replace one of advisors, who just died of old age. I do get confused while giving orders and advance with only half my retinues so soon have to fix that mistake. And well my other 3.000 infantry retinues north get catched by bigger Suomi force. I do micromanage a little - we will be defending in Forest so I change commader with bonuses to leading center flank to one with terrain advantage as well as some extra defensive one.

While risky, operating with just 3.000 strong armies speeds things considerably. We also do snatch a nice victory with some clever commander choice​

Fight with Novgorodians goes smoothly even with half our forces. I'm more concerned with Suomi, as with 99% warscore it can seal the deal. We do get narrow flank but unlucky roll of 23.5% for volley instead of 62.7% for Feint means it could be better. Our center does rapidly route enemy center. But then we can't tear through another segment of hostile army and battle proceeds into melee. Just as war reaches 100%. As enemy rolls with charge making use of their remaining heavy cavalry I decide to stop the fighting by enforcing demands. We are not winning that battle and will only sustain more casualties. Not even mentioning it will prolong the war. So we take the victory at once .

Meanwhile in Levant, our Greek son-in-law managed to push the war up to 94% of warscore before deciding to move back to deal with heretics. Defenders don't have obvious way out, so it only prolongs the inevitable and I surely wouldn't want another MA penalty (especially as heretic victories are associated with huge -5% swings ). Our oldest son (Kudym-Osh) suffers Dysyntery but our Court Physician succesfully treats his sickness. Was wondering if I should let him die, but this would be bad decision - he has son, who we won't be able to disinherit for another 8-9 years.

Year 1044
======================

Someone Orthodox, somewhere managed to lose holy war, which sets us back down to 32% MA :/. Meaning we won't reach 40% with just finishing ongoing holy wars. At least our friendly Basileus takes over duchy of Ascalon . Let's hope he continues taking into holy lands. We also quickly (despite minor annoyance in shape of winter) conclude our last holy war by middle of February. Kept assigining new chiefs to newly acquired lands, so we are in the clear. By the end of month we get informed that heretics in Thisageta tribe (Ural high chiefdom) were converted away.

All in all, we expanded in nice clean way. Finally I won't have to keep highlighting the borders in problematic way. Also it does eliminates some risk from nomads in the north.​

My retinues are called back and set on raiding stance. And booy will I need to raid a lot as just in few days another -3% from lost holy wars arrives. Turns out it was Orthodox Pecheneg realm in Transoxiana that kept attacking everyone around while having sub 1.000 troops itself =.=. We are looking at -66% from Holy Wars and just 45% from won wars...So we are still around 7-9% away from getting excommunications back. I can raid both Finland and Polish Galicia-Volhynia, if I need to.

By March our Genius son Setyamka finishes his education, but turns out mediocre - just Thrifty Clerk (2nd level of stewardship education). While it is still fixable it is dissapointing. We do also catch up with raiding Pechenegs, that were returning after sacking some tribe in Bolgharia last year. Weird story - they arrived on the end of June and the same day they were 80% done with the siege, while their progress was only around 12% per tick. Maybe some other force was besieging and the game didn't inform me? Well at least we squashed them.

It's the third time we provoke this same vassal to rebel, to get legal claim on his lands. And won't be last as he has 3 titles.​

Bad Luck continues because Greek heretics win, which drops Orthodoxy MA once again below 30%... Ehh! Meanwhile I proceed with what I can do to tackle some too big for my liking vassal. 4 retinues are also raiding temples. On 3rd of July our firstborn dies out of Dysyntery. Which puts his younger brother (Kezhevat) claim to the front and our grandson just ahead of Setyamka. We can and do start plotting to get rid of dumb grandson, because it seriously blocks our ability to let Setyamka inherit. Still have to deal with lack of excommunication and our leader is already 53 years old. I decide to pick Theology focus for extra health and fulfilling Monastic Society mission. Who knows - maybe we will reach final rank in this society during Kezhay reign. He is getting +294 devotion/year, currently has 600 and needs 2.000. That's around 5 years of passive income. Probably will get at least 1 more mission during that time. So more likely we can reach final rank within 4 years. Not that it is my important objective but at this point I will take anything to make current ordeal less annoying.

Some investors died and I replace them, leaving me with just 1 spare. And 20.934 gold in treasury. Soon our plot to kill grandson Nuyaksha fires (it was 1090% plot power so...) and he is swiftly removed (probably not the wiser to why, as he was well.. dumb). We once again get associated with this murder but Kezhay already was Tribal Kinslayer so nothing changed. Now it only remains to force our current heir to take the vows and we will have clean succession.

Our civil war is ongoing but as you expect leaving it in the hands of vassal AI leaves much to be desired. Then the locals rise up against our traitorous chief. Those are Kazhar Sunni rebels. If they take over Vladimir I will be able to holy war them to clean whole duchy at once. We will lose MA though as lost infidel uprising is -5% but won holy war is just +3%. So much for that idea I guess. Scrap that!

By the autumn as I keep monitoring Orthodoxy the MA value changed rapidly as some older Holy wars penalties time out. Once again we are looking at 39% when just few in-game days ago it was 27%. Quite the rollercoster! We also get ability to seclude our ruler (theology focus) and with no single reason to not use it we take that opportunity. Sadly it does not gives me chance for Temperate only +100 piety.

Year 1045
======================

With coming of new year we finally do grind down the Vladimirian Khazarian rebels. I rushed them with small force and vassals kept reinforcing. As it reached melee phase and we had some heavy infantry, we just were lucky enough to keep battle going until Sunni's lost. We also rapidly kept getting warscore on our vassal thus enforced our demands sooner. We then strip our vassal 2 out of 3 titles, starting another 10 year peace (we probably won't survive till the end of it). Both Vladimir and Suzdal are granted to our youngest son - Mosheg. I want our dynasty future rulers of Nenetsia to have strong demense far from danger. Vladimir duchy does have 5 counties so with little patience it can make for stable foundation of power.

Soon our last remaining great work construction reaches 2nd stage. Uralic Walls are ready and so the timer for extra holding slot keeps ticking away. Should be ready by year 1075. I also do manage and move around raiding retinues in the Novgorod further west towards Estonia. We keep fluctuating with MA still (currently 38%).

Well at least Great Works are done for this century. More and more of preparations for Feudalising are done.​

Event pop-up - Emperor figures out some new passage in bible (+100 piety). Upon checking on military tab we find out our retinue limit allows for huge expansion of such forces. We were at only 20.000 out 26.000 of our limit. So 20x Trapper Parties are ordered for exactly 1.000 prestige, which upon replenishment will provide further 2.000 light infantry and 1.000 archers. Decided on it, as Feint is still fantastic force multiplier for tribal armies and I want to give that tactic to our numerous levies. We still have room for another 10 of such retinues, but for now let's preserve some of that prestige.

Thanks to previous succeess in seclusion event chain we get another virtue - Chaste. This improves our devotion gain up to +308/year. Then on 3rd of April our religion MA finally breaks through 40% treshold and I instantly request our Patriarch to excommunicates Kezhevat Permyakid. After setting Marshal on "Supress Revolts" to increase our arrest chance by +17% I take my 100% success rate chance shot.

Thus our succession is resolved relatively cleanly.​

There is only one issue - Setyamka suffers chest pains, and my court physician never tried to treat it. I also did not have option on it. The only thing that I can and do is to transfer any +health artifact I have onto him. Thus Holy Prepuce is gifted to our heir to improve his health and reduce old Emperor remaining lifespan. Soon our Gentle ruler finds in himself to teach his 2nd youngest daughter (Tokshayka) something from the Bible and it goes so well that she gains trait "Idolizer" and Shrewd .

We do continue to administer our lands. One scheming vassal is imprisoned and thrown into oubliette, other chieftess that also likes skulldaggery too much rises up. There is also fellow crusader that became heretic, is possesed theologian that claims to hear "Voice of Jesus", seeing Holy Comet and is suspected of being Werewolf. Can't have that going on ".

That Bogomilist vassal has great chance of becoming Heretic saint. If Bogomilists can even have one (probably not, cause they lack Religion Head)​

As we move towards Permo-Nenetsian border in the north, news from our Greek extended family arrives. They want us to help with attacking Tengri Serbia in another holy war. I would rather they start with cleaning those Paulicians in Adrianopolis but hey - expansion is expansion! Also much happier with Byzantine Empire that fields 35.000 strong army rather than 20.000.

Soon our penance mission finishes, we get Patient virtue and another 200 devotion (putting us at over 1.100/2000). Our passive gain is currently +336/year. Never had I so many successes in single event chain. We even became friends with our youngest son - Mosheg! Good luck doesn't seem to leave us just yet - we also get one of those most desirable events:

Did not expected another one of those but hey I will take it . We are behind overall as for huge period of time after Black Death we were not making progress with holding slots.​

After we assembled our mighty demense army (over 15.000 from Perm alone!) and embarked on long march towards Anatolia, the holy wars against Serbs ends abruptly. They converted to Catholicism! Well maybe at least it will make Byzantines deal with another 30.000 Paulician uprising.

We continue rest of cleanup until autumn and the last scheming enthusiast lands in our dungeon cell. As I keep raiding with retinues (3 counties at the time) our MA keeps slowly rising (48% atm). Now that I have seen to most urgent matters I can start less important schemes. For example executing that big Vladimir vassal (still excommunicated thus no tyranny), for his son to take over. This removes truce and we can excommunicate him too to redo whole extraction process. Seems AI knows what's going on as it instantly declares holy war against Tengri Russian kingdom next door. But we will try to outrun them and completely wipe them out before they give themself some breathing room.

Year 1046
======================

This year doesn't seem to be lucky. Just look at this pop-up

PLEASE GOD NO. NO. NO. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!​

So now we should start a business of taking bets if it will arrive to us. I hope not. We just recovered from previous Black death not too long ago. I like my rolls for prosperity events to occur. We also conclude extraction of last county of targeted chief in Vladimir to pass it onto Mosheq. Now I can start working on getting him another 2 tribes belonging to duchy of Vladimir . Then we start our pilgrimmage as we were just tasked with going onto one by Community of Saint Basil. Before our Emperor leaves his home, he orders the assasination of single Nestorian vassal in north-eastern Sibieria to avoid any problems with seccession. His son is Orthodox so it will solve everything.

On April as Emperor starts his traveling, Bogomilist rise up in Snopa (Northern Nenetsia; heresy spread from adjecent province). Talk about good timing .We will let our vassals deal with it, as it is only a 5.000 strong rebel army. Back to our pilgrimmage. It is a brief one. We only get 2 popups - one allowing us to risk crossing old bridge for chance of wounded (that I welcome as it could help us hasten succession) and other with chance at permament +1 Martial/Learning. Then one more - this time chance for permament +1 Intrigue/Learning. Matters not as I miss every roll. But hey - whole travel to Constantinopole took only 45 days! And provided us with Pilgrim trait and +300 devotion (putting us at 1.700/2000).

In July our chancellor gets murdered while fabricating claim on catholic chief of Kremenchuk tribe. We pick another skilled vassal and send him there again. I also utilize this brief period of peace to pass some legal reform as we have many loyalist in council.

Thus last of our obligation machinations is made . Who needs vassal levies anyway x]​

Another uprising is provoked in Vladimir high chiefdom. Our border patrol in south-western Cumania has to greet brown Pechenegs once again in Yaik and does so way before defenders run out of time. Soon our steward finally succeeds in his task and culture converts border tribe of Turgay, thus increasing local garrison.

Had to count new empire size after recent conquest :/. Will have to again after giving independence to Nenetsia.​

On other (religious) front we have less luck. Bogomilists are popping off left, right and center. They appear out of nowhere in Bolghar tribe and Kerzhenets. And just as we slowly built up MA up to 53%. In the last few years we climbed from +16% Looted temples to +31% Looted Temples modifier. We slowly snake around Baltic coast, ruining any encountered temple. The more MA the higher our conversion chance (especially above 50% mark). Our Patriarch currently rocks 8.5% chance to convert. And we need as good chance as it gets as heretics have at the moment 11 counties in their power.

Till the end of year I observe as my vassal swarm slowly overtakes rebel with occasional pause for moving raiding retinues around. Emperor embarks on yet another of his medidation session for another +100 piety (he sits at 6.727 - still won't become Saint due to "Tribal Kinslayer" trait).

Year 1047
======================

After concluding yet another internal war and gifting new lands to our youngest son, I do check on black plague development. Seems so far it only spread to coastal counties on western side of Italy. I hope it won't go through whole map again. One of our investors died and last spare character is used to fill vacant position at court.

By end of Winter we do rank up in monastic society towards final rank. Now every 3 years we should be able to use society power to instantly convert some county to Orthodoxy (at the cost of increased rebelion risk for few years). Not that it is our aim - more of consolation price for not dying. I do continue extraction and consolidation of Vladimir duchy under our son.

Which we finish in May, making our son High Chief with 5 out of 6 counties under his direct control. Our plan is coming together . What is not planned is yet another Bogomilist uprising (while we are fluctuating around 60% MA). I decided to move my realm priest from converting muslims in Irtysh to dealing with heretics. It increased conversion chances from 8.5% to 19%. Probably due to both same culture and some religion group modifiers. Not bad! Might be worth it to combat spread of heresy, as it seems faster than converting different religious group provinces.

I don't know why do rebelion sizes vary so much. Probably some RNG is at hand. Still this is one BIG uprising!​

Situation becomes more complicated at the beginning of September, when another mob of heretics rises up in Kerzhenets. Another 23.000 of them. Well that's a number! Just as I was talking about it, my Patriarch converted heretics inside Perm.

The Burial site of Saint Varaka goes back into Orthodox fold. Also funny how every single heresy that pops up is Bogomilist, while Paulicianism and Iconoclasm are also possible.​

Our levies finally merge into 18.000 strong fighting force and set out to hunt rebels. While we are numerically inferior, remember that we have heavy infantry, while enemies have not. By December we catch first 9.000 strong rebel army. They are not concentrating their forces so it seems Permo-Siberians loyalist will have even easier time picking them off.

But our Celibate Emperor learns that his concubine is pregnant. Eeeeh!

Year 1048
======================

As investigation into suspicious pregnancy starts, our warriors chase main rebel army across river. Thanks to sacrifice of some vassals to hold enemies in the place, we finally catch them

Great engagment. Even if others heretic armies decide to help, they will march right into our melee meatgrinder .​

We win big battle and the last thing left to do is to wait for last enemy army to lock movement onto Kremenchuk tribe to catch them there. This way another rebelion is dismantled . But I might have commited mistake - during all that warring the situation with concubine resolved - she was cheating. But without thinking much picked option to remain silent and now I'm not sure if the child won't be assigned to our ruler. Which might prove bad.

Before end of winter some interesting news from wide world arrive. Poland converted from Slavic to Paulicianism (Orthodox heresy). Most likely from Bohemia, that is the only big realm in the vicinity of that christian denomination. Even more curious is that one spreading up to Baltic Sea Bohemia was contracting in the last decade. Not the best advertisement for their religion.

With advent of April we get another penance request. We are making some progress - we finally get Malnourished trait . That should help in dying quicker. Ah nevermind! It only has penalty for fertility. Reminded myself to move Patriarch onto different county for converting and decide on bogomilist population in Annuy. It is next to last Nestorian province and I would hate if after society converting it, flip to heresy would occur (as it is eligible) thus wasting our devotion for nothing.

We once again go through penance event chain, picking the same options and hoping for the same results. Our raiders advanced all the way up to Polish Baltic coast and one of our Vassal priests converted one of pagan tribes in Perm towards Orthodoxy . Upon checking MA and conversion chances I think it might be quite common in the near future - with near 70% MA and 33% conversion chances per year of heretic Komi provinces.

By Summer sad news arrive - Basileus Porphyrios dies due to Black Plague and our alliance with Greek is severed. He did a lot of good for Orthodoxy so I was hoping he would reign few more years. He was 53 years old, so 4 years younger than our Emperor Kezhay. Sadly our 11 years old grandson did not inherit other Orthodox empire. I checked out epidemics and Black Plague did not reach Constantinopole. Most likely due to some courtiers from Italian lands under Greek rule spreading the sickness, our ally croaked. The new Basileus Germanos is 42 years old, has plenty of Martial prowess but sadly not many holdings. Let's hope he does not screw us. It also goes without saying but we no longer are allied with Greeks.

Concubine issue resolves itself. Not only she births daughter but the game assigns her real father dynasty, not ours. Thus we do not get additional complications in the old ripe age of 57 .

In August news from our Chinese friends arrive

Humm. I hope they prevail over nomads. I have quite a lot of grace banked and I need China to be in Golden Age in the next 50 years ideally.​

Soon we get informed that our Jewish steward dies due to old age. So I spend 130g to bribe and favor-invite some jewish courtier from mercenary band - he has 22 stewardship, so he will do. With being just 32 years old he also should be able to work for quite a while.

Another nomadic incursion occurs in Bolgharia.This time it is Arsalan clan under Chernigov Khaganate. Whole 1.500 raiders. I move my 2.000 infantry retinues from capital (bolstered by many allies) to deal with them.

Rest of year is spent on another land extraction. This time I target Tura county in the middle of our eastern realm. It is next to our county with temple, and it has temple on it's own. Want to take over it to speed up technology spread .So once again we excommunicate local chief, keep imprisoning and releasing him until we fail and thus we provoke another uprising. With that I move one of eastern border patrols to start siegeing.

Year 1049
======================

As our retinues march to chase off nomads, we conclude another penance. Thanks to having "Modest Measures" book we get better option for dealing with vice (70% success). We do and finally prevail. It offers us getting "Temperate" again, which we lost just few months ago. We don't get it on 50% chance, but after that due to success in event chain, game gives us it anyway x]. Probably because it was the last virtue we were lacking on top of having no sins. So once again our character has exactly 30 Stewardship and 37 Learning. Well that's definetely a high values for those!

Even with river penalty we convincingly defeat intruders Thus order is restored and no prosperity is lost​

By the start of Spring we do conclude recent provoked vassal uprising. I carefully keep raiders in Poland on the move, thus achieving 43% Infidel Temple looted bonus for 71% Orthodox MA total . Those numbers are more like things I would love to see. Soon after flavourless penance updates about doing steady progress, our Society head informs us that he is happy with our results (gifting further 200 devotion). That means now I can county convert something. I decide to get rid of last Nestorian province within our borders (while Patriarch works on adjecent heretic province). Also due to having most if not all currency giving traits, Kezhay earns 481 devotion/year putting him at 2.5 years per county conversion power usage .

Well every time heresy pops up or spread the county gets a rather nasty +revolt risk modifier. Which all of sudden results in what you see above.​

So we once again marshal our warriors to deal with yet another armed uprising. On the flip side - another vassal province (Ishim) converted from Sunni to Orthodoxy. Unfortunetely our newest retinues get caught as they were just traveling back around heretic hot spot. I tried to back them towards Burtasy but 12.000 red troops were trailing them. We also have rather nasty fight in Poland as locals mustered just enough troops for near-peer battle. Luckily I noticed it in time and send reinforcements. We won but one of our 3.000 strong armies suffered 800 casualties.

In August another rebelion occured - this time peasant one in Chuvash. That's extra 6.000 troops. Let's hope they won't assist heretics as they are under Orthodox leadership. Then month later in September we can drink from Fountain of Youth again. I opt not to. Instead I change focus from Theology to Rulership to lose +1 Health bonus and maybe get either stressed/depressed to retire current character faster.

Sadly in meantime our troops get trounced once again in Burtasy, This time I order them on long retreat to not repeat this whole ordeal. Hope this is the last setback as our main force is closing on enemies already

Somehow we baited them into attacking bigger force across river and then defeated them in detail .​

In first battle we get a jump on enemies by entering directly into melee. The fight goes for so long that other 18.000 enemies lock onto us. But we finish moping up their friends just after they locked up movement. So we will defend with river penalty advantage Enemies also enter the battle as two armies within 5 days of each other. That's enough to seriously damage the first 9.000 rebels. We end with around 3.000 losses having inflicted 8.000 casualties onto enemy. Good thing all those rebelions do not depopulate our realm, as otherwise this AAR would be night impossible x]. On other hands we would be done with heretic problem already.

At the begginign of December both rebelions are over. Not gonna lie - those constant fights kind off eat into our levies as we are now on 12.000 out of 16.000 max levies. Beside that - Emperor Kezhay was developing symptoms as the battle was ongoing: fever, diarhea, abdominal pains. Dysyntery perhaps? But before our medic can tell us (he also fails treating most symptoms) our chancellor procures us claim on Kremenchuk. So now we can clean up that last vestige of Catholicism within Permo-Siberia for clean succession.

After relieving our Catholic vassal of burden associated with rulership I press on with another excommunication for schemer in Bjarmia. Simultaneously our 3 raiding armies move from central Poland south. Orthodoxy MA kept falling a little, as some of won holy wars started timing out. But our "Infidel Temples looted" contribution kept steadily climbing up to 43%. Not raiding the same temple really makes the difference.

Year 1050
======================

Start of new year is spent on some more ambitious administrative project. Given our Emperor advanced age I arrived at conclusion, that it won't hurt to start preparing youngest son inheritance. Thus he is gifted Kingdom of Nenetsia and then I start transfering vassalge to him for nice and clean divide between Perm and Nenetsia. After landing him in rich Vladimir duchy, he is granted all of our recent conquest on the western border. Really hoping that all of Nenetsia with huge chunk of de jure Kingdom of Vladimir and Novgorod will give our dynasty just enough steam to not only preserve their borders but maybe even help us with upholding Orthodox authority. Not everhing goes smoothly. Some vassals acquired extra tribes outside their de jure duchies so I will have to work a little to transfer High Chiefdom of Vologda, single Kerzhenets tribe in Nenetsia and last Rostov tribe to Mosheq Permyakid. It should just be enough as our adolescent son has currently 28/30 vassal limit as king.

That seriously lowers our over the vassal limit. In Orange few counties that I have still transfer under Nenetsia Kingdom.​

We start by plotting to revoke high chiefdom of Mari from our kin in Yaroslavl. Then we will excommunicate chief of Kerzhenets and plot to kill current ruler of Vologda High chiefdom, so vassal under Mosheq inherits it. And what do you know. Just after starting this endeavour, our sickness is diagnosed as "Slow Fever" (-3 Health) with "Bedridden" intensity (-2 health). Time to speed things up! We throw excommunication and after checking plot power turns out we are little short (73%/80% required to send the demands).

Our Court Physician performs per Emperor wish regular treatment that ends in success (conferring +2 Health, which offsets Bedridden modifier), while we still can and do provoke Kerzhenets rebelion. I recall our Spymaster to "Build Spy Network" in Mari for extra +11.5% plot power in Mari. But for it to apply I need to release our vassal kin from dungeon. As soon as every part is in it's place we send the demand for high chiefdom of Mari.

Thanks to all of those machinations we start spring with 2 internal wars. Our Retinues sadly get barely beaten by Kerzhenets troops but soon our vassals relieve us. Then this happens

Not exactly what I had in mind...​

Well this removes problem of suddenly dying. But still I would like to not prolong this reign too much. Well at least we will clean the internal borders up. Not without any hiccup as on 1st of June county of Bolghar get's Bogomilist uprising - 9 thousand of them. Not as easy as you might think because during recent regency our demense levies got slashed down to 7.000 (as no one has as amazing stewardship that grants him 14 personal holdings limit). At least 2 weeks later Kerzhenets tribe itself is captured by our forces. Also the Black Plague vanished, not spreading much further. Not sure whether it was due to limited outbreak or it being blocked by outbreak of Slow Fever on other side of Italian penninsula. Either way the danger dissapeared for now.

As Mosheq grows, our character get's opportunity to influence him. I really like option to make him diligent (thus improving his chances at good education) by getting stressed trait on Emperor Kezhay (-1 Health). Works both ways . Week later we get assigned another Monastic mission (penance again). It should put us at just enough currency to county convert again but I need to sort out current situation first.

In August we catch smaller heretic army in Bilyar. There is only 1.400 of them and more is moving to reinforce, which is perfect. If the fight turns tough it will definetely reach melee thus securing our victory. Everything goes even better than planned because we beat initial army before other arrives (but is locked into attacking us). Soon we conclude war with vassal from Mari. We get his high chiefdom title and request his last tribe for being filthy traitor. It also allows us to scheme again - this time to kill young chief of Vologda. In the meantime Eccumenical Patriach Maximos II dies (he was murdered at 54 years old) and our religion MA plummets, as he was personally contributing a lot (8 Diplomacy, 17 Learning and around 700 piety). New Patriarch in Constantinopole has only 7 diplomacy and learning but on the plus side he is young and is focusing on theology (which will in time give him few virtues and well piety). For now we plummeted from 68% to 58.5%. At least we get Temperate trait back thanks to this (because we lost in in the meantime again):

Flavour Saintly event! Nice to have it, especially after we cleaned up Emperor's father resting place off heretics.​

Soon our wars are concluded and all of Nenetsia is united under Mosheq rule. Not long later plot claims another life and High Chiefdom of Vologda changes ownership. But Mosheq vassal becomes our vassal, thus escaping from under Nenetsia. Can't transfer him. Seems I will have to put more work. Well for now it is excommunication time and provoking him. At least I can revoke Vologda high chiefdom and grant it to Mosheq. Crude but quick. With that I can send our Emperor on penance duty.

So as we once again marshall our warriors, this part has come to an end. But at least there is another Economic Report to follow!

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thanks for updating. What type of murder on Ecumenical Patriarch? I have seen a red head murder that lists no murderer. I have only seen this on Popes and Emperors,

 

[HistoryDude]

These Bogomils are persistent. When will they learn that they have no hope of defeating your mighty empire?

A Byzantine Holy Land would be nice...

Is Adrianople an independent Paulician realm now?

Maybe your current ruler will die of the Black Death? It could be good for something...

 

[Sanvone]

Thanks for updating. What type of murder on Ecumenical Patriarch? I have seen a red head murder that lists no murderer. I have only seen this on Popes and Emperors,

He was assasinated by someone. But the game doesn't list who. Not that he was saint himself as most of his reign was spent on Scheme focus. Seems he played with fire but still lived to old ripe age of 54. New Ecumenical Patriarch Leon probably has long reign ahead of him as he is only 38 years old.

These Bogomils are persistent. When will they learn that they have no hope of defeating your mighty empire?

A Byzantine Holy Land would be nice...

Is Adrianople an independent Paulician realm now?

Maybe your current ruler will die of the Black Death? It could be good for something...

Probably never. They truly came to love those Siberian lands. We can say it is our own version of Iconoclasm crisis .

Yes. Duchy of Adrianopolis is in the capable hands of Paulician peasant leader Symeon "the Undready" .

He won't because Black Death pittered out already without ever leaving Italy. Basileus croaked because some vassals from Italy spread the disease into his court. Luckily it seems simultaneous outbreak of Slow Fever blocked the advance of Black Death (as province can't be afflicted by 2 plagues at the same time). I still hope Emperor Kezhay will pass down his Emperorship to Setyamka, before next ruler turns 30.

 

[Sanvone]

Economic Report: Permo-Siberia Year 1050​

Realm size: 151
Yearly Income: 58,45 (mercenary band hired)
Treasury: 22.547 (+2.784 in currently held investors, +11.782 in mercenary band)
Number of Cities in Realm: 2
Number of Cities in Personal Demense: 0
Number of Prosperity Province Modifiers: 7
Number of Holding Slots Generated: 8
Number of Great Works: 4
- Far North Scriptorium in Udmurts (Great Library; Stage 2; Keeper of the Tomes, Scribe Room, Architecture collection)
- Hagia Epimoni in Tynea (Grand Cathedral; Stage 2-3; Grand Basilica, Watchtower Network)
- Primal Taiga in Pilva (Magnificent Garden, Stage 2; Hanging Gardens, Fountain of Youth)
- Uralic Walls (Great Walls, Stage 2; -)
Global Construction Speed modifier: 68,4% (Tang Sculpture, How to Build Well, Bones of Saint Peter,)
Global Construction Cost modifier: 81% (Dragon Amulet, Bones of Saint Peter,)

5 Highest Income Realms (Yearly Income)
1. Byzantine Empire (442,70)
2. Tibet Empire (365,32)
3. Kingdom of Ireland (317,97)
4. Sin Kingdom [Kingdom of Gujarat] (307,81)
5. Kussilid Sultanate [Sultanate of Maghreb] (300,8)

Honorable Mentions: Republic of Amalfi (657,98) (the richest Merchant Republic, under Byzantines), Kalyani Chalukya Kingdom [Kingdom of Karnata] (256,33), Nolamba Kingdom [Kingdom of Telingana] (241,33), Republic of Venice (240.61), Sultanage of Egypt (235,63), Masudid Sultanate [Sultanate of Jerusalem] (234,57), Farukid Sultanate [Sultanate of Iraq] (233,37), Kingdom of Valencia (220,39), Kingdom of Jayarajaia (218,3),

5 Wealthiest Counties Worldwide (Province Wealth)
1. Amalfi (304,75),
2. Venezia (270,93),
3. Cholamandalam (265,7)
4. al-Iskandriya (254,6)
5. Mazar (215,5)
Honorable Mentions: Constantinopole (207,25), Jabal Qufs (204,5), Multan (199,9), Esfahan (197), Basra (171,6),

Additional Comment on worldstate: Once again some powers rise, some fall. After folloup of Abbasid fragmentation it seems, that Middle east is divided between big Sunni Egypt and several mainstay Zikri Sultanates. Byzantines strenghtened themselves and started reconquering parts of Balkans, utilizing the divide in Bolgharian Khaganate. After splitting into 3, it failed to merge together and one of two remaining successor states converted to Catholicism. Our distant family in Armenia and Daylam starts loosing grip but on other hand further north-east, previously Hindu Persian Bogazid Satrapy embraced Orthodoxy, thus cemented itself as mix of both religions, shielding weakened nomads to the north. Tibet after long period of civil war is ruled by new dynasty and dealt with previous islamic great conqueror. On topic which, there are currently 3-4 Great Conquerors. First to mention is King Jayaraja "the Great", which is Miaphysite Ethiopan owner of Alexander Bloodline that took over most of Abbysinia and started eating smaller Muslims in Yemen. He still has 30.000 troops and is posed to tackle more Zikri realms deeper in Arabian peninsula. Next is Andalusian Cathar Emir Utman, that spawned with 100.000 troops but already grinded them down to 76,000. Seems he will either unite Iberia or move onto Maghreb. He does not have Alexander bloodline. Third on our list is Slavic Adventurer turned into Anglo-Saxon King Niezamysl of Ireland (from Polish Dynasty) that took huge part of Ireland and all of Wales. Welsh rulers are still present though in Scotland and generation ago they had Welsch Jewish king. Last is King Ubbe the Liberator of Denmark, who just spawned with his 30.000 troops. He starts taking over Denmark. He will have to contest Suomi unification of Scandinavia effort though. Beside that we have quite big Polish Galicia-Volhynia, Italy that is stuck in the North, still Lollard French Austrasia in the middle of western Europe with fragmenting Papal France. Sadly despite our efforts Catholics can't get the upper hand. We had small outbreak of Black Plague in Corsica and Sardinia again but it was only local problem.

P.S: I gave up on updating map for parts of empire that I plan to secede relatively soon in this report. Not only smaller provinces make for graphical clutter with all the info I keep track of (prosperity level, number of holding slots, number of province modifiers) but there isn't world in which I decide to develop them in this playthrough. Also with newest addition it simply started getting overwhelming to write down.

 

[HistoryDude]

There's an Iberian Cathar Emir? How did that happen?

What parts of Ireland remain independent from Niezamysl?

 

[Sanvone]

Starting from last inquiry here is screenshot to illustrate the scope of Polish-Adventuring in Ireland:

Regarding first question it is quite a connundrum. I'm pretty sure it was due to some Revolt because even the heir of mentioned Emir still has those event troops:

But the game lists his ascension to power in such bizairre way: