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Second Lieutenant
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***UPDATE***

I will be away from a week. Next 4 chapters should in by next week.

***Introduction ***

Hello all,

I am an avid strategy and RPG gamer but new to the world of Paradox games. Just started playing on CK-DV 2 weeks ago and I am loving it. It was and still is a steep learning curve, but thanks to all the help from the guys in the CK forum, I am getting the hang of it. Into 2 concurrent games at the moment, but i'd like to tell the story of my fourth game.

It is story of the d'Albon dynasty, starting in the County of Dauphine Viennois in 1066. Difficulty is on easy, with AI aggressiveness set to normal. Speed is set to very fast, and I set to normal speed when fighting battles and sieging.

Chapter 1 - Guigues, 1st Duke of Dauphine
Part 1: The growing of a man
Part 2: The maturing of the man
 
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Second Lieutenant
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bad.jpg


Chapter 1

Part 1: The growing of a man


On the day he turned 21, Guigues d'Albon's life changed. No more was he just plain Guigues. He was now Count d'Albon of Dauphine-Viennois, vassal of the Duke of Provence, vassal to the King of Germany.

Dauphine-Viennois was a part of the Kingdom of Germany, a large and resource-rich province. But because it was so far south of the Imerial court at Franken, and its rulers the d'Albons were Occitan rather than German, it was considered a backward and minor county.

So it was that court of the d'Albons was rather informal, and Guigues being the sole heir had much freedom doing the things he loved; horse riding and hunting, fishing in the River Rhone. And he believed he would continue to enjoy these same pursuits as Count as well. Which he did, for awhile.

The d'Albons themselves had come from peasants and then merchants; and because they never forgot their roots, they had always ruled wisely and with an even hand. When Guigues married a girl from a Danish court, the people truly celebrated with Guigues (It helped that he did not collect any duty and instead threw a simple but lavish feast).

It was a beautiful start to his reign. Then things changed.

Revolts began to erupt across the kingdom. The duchies of Swabia, Toscana and Brandenberg broke away first. His uncle Humbert the faithful court chancellor passed away. His pregnant wife had to step in as the chancellor. There was no one else. It got worse for the young Count. His half-brother and army marshal, also named Humbert, unsatisfied at Guigue's lack of ambition, defected to his neighbour the breakaway Count of Forez and Lyon.

Chaos was everywhere. Guigues' days of idyllic living had become a fading memory. He determined to stand strong; for the sake of his father's memory, for the sake of his young family, and for the sake of his people. Now he saw an opportunity to kill three birds with one stone, and he took it.

Before the King's army could arrive to quell the rebellion, Guigues led his army into Forez county (where Humbert now served as just another courtier) and forced the Count of Forez to recognise his claim on Lyon.Not he only did he gain gain Lyon, his ownership of Dauphine-Viennois and Lyon allowed him to create himself the Duke of Dauphine. And he also showed his half-brother his 'lack of ambition'.

With a growing sense of opportunism, he now offered another breakaway Count, Pietro of nearby Savoie and Piemonte, a chance to serve him. The young Count Peitro, of same age and probably like-mind, agreed.

So the Duchy of Dauphine was formed. Young Duke Guigues d'Albon, still only 23, was learning to be a man in an uncertain world.

In the next chapter, a death in the family and the prodigal son returns.


*Duchy of Dauphine formed in the aftermath of the first revolts*
1086edit.jpg


*d'Albon family state of affairs not very good*
1086GuigedAlbon.jpg
 
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Second Lieutenant
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Thanks, guys, for the input and enouragement :)

Every two chapters will see the life of a ruler told. The first part shows his beginnings as he takes reign of the dynasty, the second part shows what he has achieved (or not) in the second half of his reign.

Going to recreate the Kingdom of Arles?

The Kingdom of Burgundy u mean?

It was not something I was role playing my ruler to aim for, but it seemed as time went by, that ultimately his dynasty had to establish a kingdom.

Ah, county of Dauphine, one of my favorite targets. I hope this young men will achieve what he is aiming for.

I'll let you know more soon. His son is now the current ruler and this dynasty was the most fun so far for me :)

It was crazy how fast Germany just broke up. I found myself on the edge of my seat a lot and as events came and went, I started taking screen shots to remember them.
 

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Field Marshal
Jan 5, 2004
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looks good ! ! :)

i'm in ! !
:cool:
 

Veldmaarschalk

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Good luck with your first AAR, would be cool indeed if your first kingtitle would be that of Arles (Burgundy) !
 

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Second Lieutenant
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Part 2 – The maturing of the man

Now young Guigues was nowhere a man of prodigious talents. He was in fact distinctly unremarkable except in one area. As a youth and the heir, his father had tasked him to manage some of the family holdings in liaison with the court stewards. This he did admirably (in spite of his frequent hunting and fishing trips), and he even gained a reputation among the local merchant community as someone with a shrewd eye for striking deals and making money.

He next laid a claim on yet another breakaway province – Geneve. Just north of his growing domain, it was a day's march for his troops and no match for his army. With Geneve in his grasp, together with his vassal Count Pietro's domain , he forged the Duchy of Savoie, and added a second Duchy to his name.

His army was then called to serve his liege in putting down the rebellions. During his time away, and it was the better part of a year, Guigue's father pass away. The old count had been taking care of his son's domains as the court chancellor, but his passing in the already depleted court made for some trying times for the duchy. The passing away of Guigue's father was unknown to him. His troops was constantly on the move with the king's armies, and in the chaos no messenger from Dauphine Viennois was able to find him

Guigues finally returned home. Weary and missing his family, but most of all, heart broken that he was not able to be at his father's passing. He swore never to be a pawn again. So despite regular calls from the king, the Duke of Dauphine and Savoie never acceded again. He bade his time as the kingdom crumbled around him, and waited for the next opportunity to expand his realm. The next one to come his way was the county of Forez, and it was noteworthy for a reason. At the fall of Forez, his half-brother Humbert surrendered to him and sought his forgiveness, and was not only forgiven, but reinstated to his old position of marshal. The return of the prodigal brother, the reconciliation of kin had perhaps salved the wounds from the death of their father. Humbert was said to have served Guigues and then his son Loup faithfully as well as ably until his death, his loyalty unquestioned.

In view of his occitan roots, Duke Guigues was less loyal to Germany,and pragmatically so too. He pledged allegiance to France, added the the provinces of Auxerre and Macon to his personal demesne, and the counties of Auvergne, Nevers, and Vendome under his vassalage. With an eye on the rich counties of Piemonte and Savoie under his vassal Count Pietro, Guigue's heir Loup was married to Pietro's oldest daughter. It was never said publicly but years later many believed the good Duke of Dauphine was behind the death of Pietro's sole son and heir in an innocuous hunting incident.

In 1101, thirty five years after he took reign, Duke Guigues d'Albon passed away. From humble beginnings in the Dauphine Veinnois, he grew his domain to eleven provinces. His son, Loup, became duke in his place.


Guiguesfulllife.jpg
 
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Second Lieutenant
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Thanks, Ghostwriter, Veld and Enewald, for your encouragement. The rise of Guigues was the easy part, fortunately. His son had a bad start, managed to come out out of it less tangled, but died younger. His grandson whom I'm playing now is having a nightmare because the King of France the family's growing nemesis, is still going strong and holds 4 king titles - France, Italy, Germany and the all important Burgundy title. I'm in a quandary if i should pledge to England or remain in subterfuge in France :X

I've also switched the game to DVIP and am playing it on normal-weakling mode now.
 

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Field Marshal
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cordia75: ...Duke Guigues d'Albon .. grew his domain to eleven provinces.

splendid results ! ! :)

excellent update ! !
:cool: