The Closing Gates of Waelhall: A Richfriding AAR.

[ragnarrahl]

Never done an AAR before, and haven't been paying attention to Monks and Mystics, (overwhelmed by Stellaris Utopia hype), all I know of the new expansion is comedy patch notes from Reddit (which in this case can be summarized as Satan Satan Satan).

To distract myself from said hype, figured I'd look at the expansion with fresh eyes in a format I haven't tried before.

We begin as Chief Richfrid of Bremen, a Saxon chief of Germanic faith in 769, of 28 years, , founder of his house, a man unknown to history (more or less, a Paradox-created ruler to fill in blanks). With this position, we could be forced to change faith at any time, which could be a fairly broad sampling of the expansion if we get anywhere-- and starting in a currently poor but potentially very very rich duchy leaves a lot of possibilities open.

I'm not setting goals, because setting goals, especially with Germanic religion, tempts me to restart-scum-- so they will be made up as I go along, and no such scumming will be permitted. Suggestions from the readers, if they should exist, will be considered, for provisional goals. Between gameplay sessions, that is-- I will be writing the thread as I play, but not reading it as I play, only between sessions. We could die out entirely before I finish the first post and thus make this extremely short, this could be a mega-campaign, I know not. My intent is to keep this going until it is unviable or unfun, and to somewhat roleplay rulers, although early rulers are in a desperate situation and need to seize power at all costs--part of which means that early rulers will not be too picky about maintaining culture, the Norse tribe of Slesvig is a short fishing trip away, and their culture is flowering with ours suffering from being the buffer that allows them to flower.

All DLC enabled through Monks and Mystics. I bought Sunset invasion along with Monks and Mystics, so I haven't played with that one either.

Game settings: Ironman, Dynamic major epidemics, fewer minor epidemics, Charlemagne historical events are very specifically on as they are the primary conceit of the threat to our cultural universe, supernaturalism is unrestricted, all else default.

Chapters thus far:
I. 8 years of quiet.
II. The Mystery of Karl the Terribly Quiet. (Long chapter)
III. Engelbert, Second of the House
IV. Ludolf-- the diplomat? Who needs one of those?
V: Richfrid II
VI. Gelder One-Eyed
VII. Withgils the Quick.
VIII: Gelder II, Duke Of Holstein, and the Holsteinian Subjugation of Saxony.
IX. Barid hears of Aztecs
X. Adalgod the Weak
XI. Ordulf the Benedictine and Isidor the Unready
XII. Gelder III who thinks himself Gelder II

Table of contents continued on next post due to a technical issue.

 

[ragnarrahl]

XIII. Engelbert the Indebted
XIV. Holger the Scarred

I. 8 years of quiet.

Richfrid, selected at a village Thing 8 years ago when the old chief died with no preferred successor, is an underhanded words, a man of bronze tongue but not quite silver. He is arbitrary, too stubborn to realize that he is weak and no man in his chest, thinks well, and thinks big. Of course, when he talks too long, people tell him to put the drink down.

For the last 8 year of Richfrid's rule of Bremen, nothing has occurred. This will have to change-- wondrous things are whispered by our brothers in the north, and those worshippers of weak gods to our south and west are growing in number, and have much steel. The witches to the east are a mystery as always.

We tell as much to our unimpressed and unimpressive (with the exception of our steward, who we paid a bit to educate) council.

Our one vassal who runs the local temple is related to the chief of Lubeck, and is rather annoyed that we don't think him a worthy Chancellor. Unfortunately, he refuses to be our Seer.

Theoretically, we are loyal to this guy:

who is loyal to this guy:

In practice, we have no strong feelings about that.

Which they try to improve.

We marry a commoner, who shares our ambition, is as clever as we think we are, and is rumored to get rather freaky.

We also take our shoddy seeress as concubine-- who promptly
thinks she can get away with something:

So she can be concubine in the dungeons instead. We name our wife as spymaster and appoint a slightly better seer.

Our sovereign has decided to pick off the east frisians-- hell, even we considered doing that, but we didn't really have the men for such a thing. We did have enough men to gain a little bit of glory mopping up though:

Participation in the subjugation of Obotritia is entirely beyond us:

We get a bit desperate to avoid missing out on oppurtunities, and decide to make a move when our steward raises us a small host of warriors, subjugating Sorbia, despite still having slightly inferior numbers. We hedge our bets by hiring some decent commanders, and maneuvering into a defensive position behind enemy lines

First contact is successful. Meanwhile, our sovereign is off fighting more eastern witches.

Unfortunately, the break us on their second assault, so we regroup. They break us again and start chasing us down-- and then all Germania forgets such silly wars as Karl the Terrible rouses from his slumber.

We have no love for the soft churchmen, but we are a broken tribe and will not be much aid to our sovereign-- and doubtless are about to be forced to bend the knee. Meanwhile, we decide to take out our frustrations on that imprisoned concubine.

She lives a few weeks longer, and that is all she lives. The 100 coins she stole from the temple are located and acquired, we decide to invest them in a market and walls for the church from which she stole.

We are now cruel, and I'm not sure where, but as some point we acquired patient. At this point we also have a 1 year old son, about whom there is nothing whatsoever remarkable.

Since we're lying low in war, we take the time to set that son a match with a strong bloodline-- and decide our parenting philosophy toward him will be one of making him fight for the scraps.

The Werlians, who our sovereign was picking at earlier, jump in on the war hoping to beat Karl to it. They get caught by one of the eastern saxon armies and bow out, as another wholly unremarkable son is born, and another match made, this time for no better reason than cuteness:

Our immediate liege dies, and is replaced by a child, but no easy advantage is found in this.

We get another gathering of adventure seeking lads, and attempt another subjugation-- no luck, and we go into debt. Mostly because a goldsmith had just come around and created these for us:

But good news: for whatever reason, Karl offers white peace, which is accepted. An opportunity to skim a little off the top of a coin minting puts us back in the black, and gives us enough reknown to make us exalted, somehow without ever really accomplishing anything. Time to start spending some of that political capital getting the tribe to put up better buildings. Meanwhile, we've got a lot better council:

The house of Richfriding has yet to win a war, but things are still looking up, if only because it's a total mystery why Karl backed off.

 

[stnylan]

Who knows why these Franks do things?

At least Saxony can be independent for a little while longer.

 

[ragnarrahl]

II. The mystery of Karl the Terribly Quiet.

One of our traders brings the following from Wales: More good news, gold, and a friend.

Our low piety allows us to whisper interest in the Fellowship of Hel. We do so. And all too quickly, there is an answer, albeit not too dramatic for now.

I affirm, and he offers some sort of trinket, which is also accepted despite my complete lack of concept what it is supposed to be.

Next step in the conversation gets real:

Turning back now would just be silly.

And now we wait:

Not long though:

I await the messenger, says a messenger. This is starting to feel a little repetitive.

The messenger herself banishes those thoughts:

So, naturally, till the field while everyone watches, and then I guess it's official. Kind of a pale color to sign a document with though, really.

Apparently being in the Fellowship of Hel is kind of like being a redneck:

We gonna burn something on their lawn?

Apparently boil:

Which gets me trusted with further tasks:

Continuing to go full redneck for Hel gets me a demon owl. Unfortunately, no demon sheep option.

Meanwhile, we've got an heir who reached adulthood. Rather more suited to this fading age of legends than we are, if nothing else.

We acquire some fellow of no particular competence from an unimportant land for that mission we were given, which it seems is made easier by the Fellowship's willingness to participate in abductions.

Which means we should get rid of them. Although he is a coreligionist, disposing of such incompetence is really a service to all the gods, not merely Loki.

Nothing too dramatic though, I get as much for doing this as the "low risk" option running through town with the good ol boys (100 dark power).

Their next mission is to desecrate a temple. My vassal's temple. Is this a threat to my income? best to find out while it's a shabby temple.

At least initiative brings extra rewards:

No short term threat to my income at least. I can have money or more standingin the fellowship, but I am but a poor chief, so the answer is obvious.

Apparently desecrating temples isn't good for the international standing of a religion. I'm sure it will recover long before anyone needs the religion to have good international standing for any bold new ideas.

My second son is a far higher quality of man than my first: I might say he's higher quality than me, but my pride would never alow it:

And I find a higher quality match for him too, and make him marshal:

The man we abducted and sacrificed? We abduct his son too-- and it wins us a war for tribute (paradox dis OP plznrf)

There are orgies? Of course there are orgies, what kind of silly fellowship of Hel wouldn't have orgies?

I don't think there are even 6000 people in Wirlia, but somehow they managed to find that many troops for a subjugation on us. Boys, Saxony is probably about to be Pomeranian.

Or not, I guess. Somehow it ends again. I'm really getting suspicious of these weird conquerors that should have us easily.

My worldly power isn't much, but I'm now at the top of the Fellowship. Unfortunately, I am also Possessed and Dull as a result of the sacrifices. Little matter.

Not too long after, and certainly before I find anyone I can try that "unholy impregnation" action on, someone chops off my leg in battle, soon leading to death:

But my heir is more suited to the age, let us see what will become of his reign.

 

[stnylan]

So to Hel and back

 

[ragnarrahl]

III. Engelbert, Second of the House.

We inherit the iron crown from our father, but not his sword-- I am uncertain of the rules for such things. With our strong martial abilities, we are soon named the Marshal of the duchy of Holstein. As of yet, we are ignorant of the dark activities of our father, though we knew his dreams.

And when the series of revolts and wars of our lieges mostly calms down, we take an opportunity to try to enact one.

They get 2000 bonus men from god knows where, damned eastern witches, and win the first few battles.

But... they can't afford to sustain that, and do not go on the aggressive over some distance. We manage to wait them out until they are down just to numbers we might expect. Their vassal county breaks free in the meantime, but we end up chief of Brennaburg-- and then declare a conquest of the chief who wriggled free:

You may notice a war we've been in a while. It is of no concern-- some accidental alliance with an unimportant northman who wants to subjugate another. We formally joined the war, but do not actually care what the result is.

Our conquests include another temple-- this one ruled by an eastern witch. We must, of course, fix that somehow:

'


Our new holdings are not immediately economically useful, but they do provide a wonderful position to launch raids from, albeit to poor lands. We find something rather pretty in one of those lands:

I may be no Norseman, but nevertheless a Viking.

Our sovereign decides to provoke a revolt at the wrong time, rather slowing down our raids:

And alas, the reign of Engelbert proves fairly short, and we are back to merely 1 holding, though with claims on our brothers. Long live Ludolf.

 

[ragnarrahl]

IV. Ludolf-- the diplomat? Who needs one of those?

Immediately, we set about trying to clean up the mess of succession

We conquer the other brother while this plot finishes out. Success, if you don't mind the fact that we're not much of a diplomat anymore.

Unfortunately the Pomeranians quickly conquer Brennaburg right off us, with our sovereign distracted at the whole Swedish subjugation thing, so we're stuck at two counties.
In fact, whole realm is getting picked apart:

My wife contracts syphilis, and is dealt with accordingly:

In fact....

And, there goes this reign as well:

 

[ragnarrahl]

V: Richfrid II

My heir is nothing special, but i marry him off to his cousin, who is:

You call it adultery, I call it a good reason to upgrade:

Yanno, I was confused about who was the aggressor in that Saxon-Svidjod war:

Richfrid II shares more than a name with the founder of his house:

'

A weaponsmith visits this time:

Hopefully no more wars tear the realm up too much before my troop count recovers.

Richfrid should probably not have been trying to duel anyone with that shiny new axe. His heir has no claim to the one remnant of Engelbert's conquests. Lausitz is still Richfriding territory, but as far as personal demense goes, Gelder is back to square one:

 

[ragnarrahl]

VI. Gelder One-Eyed

I manage to fabricate a claim on Lubeck, since the eastern witches are such hard targets.

Success!

Conquests and scholarship have not been good for our budget:

But I seem to remember us having a valuable asset:

Syphilis cuts life short... if Withgils lives long, he has the potential to really be the future of this House:

 

[stnylan]

My goodness you have been burning through them at a fair clip haven't you?

 

[ragnarrahl]

My goodness you have been burning through them at a fair clip haven't you?

Just imagine if I hadn't set minor epidemics to "fewer."

 

[ragnarrahl]

VII. Withgils the Quick.

It occurs to me to reflect on the absurd luck of the Karlings shattering the one run I planned to be eaten by them.

The Necromicon, of course, is entirely wasted on such a quick-dying ruler, and is gone.

Momma's been kissing servants in the hallways... Yuck!

She didn't want my opinion.

Cousins are fun:

Factions change my immediate liege... I have a claim on the only holding of the new one ...

Withgils reaches adulthood... More content than is fitting for his capabilities, but we can work on that...

The chief of Hamborg is trying to forcibly inherit the duchy, so we decide to invade a bit early, hopefully the revolters don't bother us:

Mid battle, I end up in a Helish orgy:

Soon enough, I've taken the whole duchy by claim-- but I can't usurp the title cause it's held by a same kingdom guy.

My bride comes of age, not too educated, but good blood... and I convert to my liege's Norse culture:

I decide it is time to extend significantly abroad for something vulnerable:

Though it has no holdings I am really compatible with, I can use it as a base to raid from.

Which gives me enough prisoners to host a good blot

Lets see if we can get some real clay:

Best legitimize this daughter:

I steal an axe from the enemy, but it is inferior to my own.

Withgil is the first of our dynasty since Richfrid I to rise to the top of the Fellowship.

Which permits me to cull an inferior specimen from the flock

Our subjugation was costly, but we end it as the independent duke of Pomerania.

Since I have so many temporary troops, I demand tribute from Curonia:

Independence makes usurping Holstein doable:

Time to be da king:

A good way to truly learn the ways of war:

Our great king dies in battle, losing us Pomerania. Long live Gelder II.

 

[ragnarrahl]

VIII: Gelder II, Duke Of Holstein, and the Holsteinian Subjugation of Saxony.

I really wish I spent that prestige before dying. But I had big plans. Oh well.

Let's see if we can restore Pomerania to the realm. For some reason they took our chunk of Brittany with:

We don't even get caught doing it:

The loss of our great ruler and his prestige proves fatal to the subjugation of saxony:

And Gelder II dies fighting rebels. Long live Barid.

 

[ragnarrahl]

IX. Barid hears of Aztecs.

Barid reaches age, gets a good education. And notices that England, Spain, and Morocco are owned by the Aztecs.

As usual, we need to restore some holdings

A wandering Catholic Pilgrim comes along-- without thinking, I make her a concubine, and then she turns out to be an assassin-- I can fight, or challenge her to a game of chess, and I do the latter. She wants me to risk the life of a child on the game for a returned queen... Which I do, the child sucks.

But... the game is lost nonetheless.

Long live Adalgod, perhaps, the weakest of the line-- but our blood has been rent so thin there is no succession crisis.

 

[ragnarrahl]

X. Adalgod the weak

Oh, I guess we are going to be forced to convert. It's just not going to be a Karling.

So, long story short, we're Catholic now.

Which results in losing a little land to rebels... but some cash to seize:

The result is excommunication.

But food poisoning ends his reign and thus the problem.

 

[ragnarrahl]

XI. Ordulf the Benedictine and Isidor the Unready

The moment I reunite the Pomeranian territories under Ordulf... this happens, losing me those territories again. Such a very short reign:

After reuniting the territories yet again, Isidor reaches adulthood:

Not too bad.

My pict allies are invaded by the Aztecs. In theory, I am a participant. In practice, no.

The Dominicans have a gift for me. And you thought the Fellowship of Hel were gruesome.

\\

The Aztecs reform their religion:

Really rough part of the world to be Christian this early-- Isidor lived a while, but accomplished little.

 

[ragnarrahl]

XII. Gelder III who thinks himself Gelder II.

We have a few nice claims-- such as this one...

We get them... and get murdered...

 

[stnylan]

I feel I ought to go back and count just how many rulers you have had. I don't think I have ever read so many changes.

In this timeline future historians are going to have lots of fun trying to work out what was happening.

 

[ragnarrahl]

XIII. Engelbert the Indebted.

Engelbert has a lot of little claims, and it's a bit of a mess. While I'm trying to sort all that out, the Abbasids collapse due to decadence:

Engelbert is the first member of the house to ever be considered any sort of Holy:

Apparently I have dreams that dispute my place in the world:

Holy as I might be, this results in me listening sympathetically to a strange girl from faraway India who speaks of Buddha:

Alas, I pay the price for all this, becoming depressed and rather stupid, and the child disappears

The route out of depression makes me sinful, and I turn to the path of Lucifer. Apparently high learning skill does really good things with secret societies:

Poison doesn't though:

 

[ragnarrahl]

XIV. Holger the Scarred:
Holger appears to have become feudal and won out the succession, ending the tribal ways of the Bremeners. The Castle Stade quickly rises where had been a mere village:

And... a new record for shortest Richdfriding reign?