The Diaries of Zicenian Royalty (A Random World Narrative AAR)

[Centurial]

Chapter 16: Back to the Start






March, 1048

King Shila still sees me as a threat, and tries to slander my name. If he can’t play along, I’ll just listen to the Dukes who are eager to have him killed. Doesn’t matter to me – if they want me back, I’ll be more than happy to don the Crown again, but I’m not going to fight for it.

> June

The King’s dead – now the only one left in the way of my ascension is the 3-year-old Ezekiel. I’ve even been appointed his regent.

Seems the vassals are coming around to me after all – I’m the one who got all the demons killed, after all, and all I want is to bring Zicenia back together. These weak usurpers descended from the Devil aren’t going to bring our Kingdom back – I will, along with my son.

To make matters even easier, the new boy-king is a damned Orevi. Whoever the hell managed to raise him that way is beyond me, but in case it wasn’t already obvious enough he had to go, that sealed the deal.




> July


And just like that, it’s done.

After all this chaos and hell, it was this easy to take back my throne. No war, just agreement among all the vassals that I’m not so bad compared to these incompetent Devil-spawn.


Now, my job will be gaining support for the invasion of Croatia, and preparing the men. In the meantime, I think it’s time to deal with the raiders that have been annihilating the coasts this last decade, while gaining money for war chest in the process.

Also, I can finally resume construction of Shahlufa’s mausoleum, which has been months away from completion ever since the Devil’s revolt first began.

> August

I’ve also destroyed the title of the northern “Kingdom” that Tomarsa tried to legitimize – Zicenia is the only Kingdom in these lands, and it will never be split in two.

February, 1049

We managed to sail out at the same time the raiders were on the way for us. Now their home is being destroyed, and if their army chooses not to flee, it’ll be destroyed too.

> May

The Jaenian heretics have been stirring up trouble all over – including in the holy burial site on Corsica, where an entire army of rebels has risen to try and secede.

July, 1051

I’m preparing the Kingdom for the Invasion of Croatia, though the going is slow. We’ve been decimated by all this war, and my allies are distracted with their own fighting in the meantime. Were it not for Vogakny’s protection, I’d invade right now, but that complicates the matter. In the meantime, I’m training an elite guard using the funds I’m raising, so that we can avoid relying on mercenaries more than necessary.

August, 1052

The preparations go well, but I want this to be decisive. In the meantime, we’ve been killing off the raiders. I am healthy for now, but I am 62 years old, and my son Laszio may need to pick up the torch soon. He’s been doing a fantastic job so far with all the tasks I’ve given him, and together we are holding enough power to keep everything stable for the first time in ages.



April, 1053

Now is the time. Croatia is in widespread revolt, and several local Italians have already seized independence. Gojia is at peace for once, and the army is recovered. It’s time to take back what was thrown away.

> August

Several of the revolting lords already pledge their support to my side, most being either former vassals or their sons. Our army is stronger than Croatia’s, should it come to battle, but it’s very possible we will win back our lands without needing to fight. Volgakny has surprisingly stayed out of this as well – it turns out Musnia’s been giving them a beating up north.

> October

The Croatian armies are busy battling the Dukan revolters, so we’re making for their capital.



January, 1054

The vassals are scheming once again, which is a big reason I don’t want to waste men on battle. The council’s power was butchered under the Devil’s reign, and now it seems they want it back to how it was when I was first King.

They need to at least hold off until I’m done here, and then I’ll either deal with them or just give them what they want, so long as what they want is just more influence, rather than yet another bid for the throne.



> May

We did it!

The Kingdom’s been restored, and all is well – without even needing to fight a proper battle either, thanks to the Italians.

For a while there, I really thought the Kingdom was doomed, especially during the Devil’s revolt. Now though, we’re whole again, and at peace. The Dukes still hold too much power, but now they are just men – not demons. I’ve done my job.

The most powerful of the dukes, as always, is Transjurania. Though the realm itself is weaker, Duke Balsag has many vassals under his control, as well as many allies. It seems I’ve come full circle at this point – just as I did at the start of my reign, I must maintain peace and grow my army so that these men can’t seize control.

With all the loyal Italians back on my side though, I should be able to make some allies. For the rest of my life, I will maintain the peace and heal this Kingdom that has seen so much pain.

Historian’s Notes: In a surprising flip of allegiances, the vassals of Zicenia sided with Lazaro in killing the two Kings, placing the deposed man back on the throne they had been instrumental in taking from him.​

​

His pessimism, unsurprisingly, seems to have receded at this point, particularly after he managed to retake the lands of Duka which had fallen under Croatian control in the civil war.​

​

However, there was a noticeable delay before the war actually started – though his cited reasons were mainly related to Volgakny, it is also worth wondering if the internal situation stayed his hand – even at its reduced size, the vassals of Zicenia quickly turned back against Lazaro. That being said, it was good for him that he did manage to reconquer Duka, as the grateful Italian counts would prove to be some of the only vassals that actually remained loyal to Lazaro and his son.​

 

[stnylan]

Well he put the Kingdom back together really quite efficiently, if with a large dose of skullduggery. Now comes the real trick of keeping it together which, ... well it sounds like that is a good deal more difficult.

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 17: Recession






January, 1055

That damned alliance with Gojia has been nothing but trouble – they’ve tried to rope me into countless wars already, and now one of them is trying to seize the damn throne.

I can’t escape these stupid revolts. But I sure as hell can win them.



> March

Well, this is complicated. Turns out the Gojian alliance wasn’t so bad – the King himself is actually going to help me with the revolt trying to put his own son in power.

I don’t know what’s going on in that family, but I appreciate the help.



> November

They’re just too strong. I don’t think I can bear to lose my throne twice. Gojia’s army is busy fighting in yet another war, and somehow this coalition of vassals has an army larger than the entire rest of the Kingdom.

I don’t even know what to say anymore.

October, 1056

I think Zicenia really has gotten too big for its own good. It’s impossible to control so many vassals who own so much land from my home in Ivrea, short of some sort of Imperial authority like the Umarids. If I somehow make it out of this, I feel we need to downsize.




February, 1057

I almost liked it better as a Duke. My whole life I’ve been dealing with these vicious bastards, and I had a part to play in rooting out the demons, but with that problem long gone, I think it’s easier to just worry about my own lands and leave getting backstabbed to whatever poor fool gets put on the throne in my place.




>March

The politics of Gojia are even more overwhelming. Ardit, the man trying to take my throne, became King after the murder of my former ally, his father. Then, he himself was just shot to death by assassins earlier this month – thankfully ending the war that likely would’ve put him in charge of Zicenia, alongside Gojia.

Now, both the Kingdoms of Gojia and Musnia are ruled by kid grandsons of mine. Maybe this Kingdom can be salvaged with their help. Or maybe it’s our destiny to combine into one greater Kingdom, as nearly happened already.

Anyways, with the war over, I can get back to growing my own army and worrying about vassals yet again. I’m just going to let some of them go free if they start making a fuss again; see how they like it when they they have nobody to revolt against, and stronger powers all around them.





> April

Already, I hear of new schemes. I’ll let the frontier lands go – they’re the least valuable anyways.

Transjurania to its south is pacified at the moment thanks to the death of its Duke, which will leave it in regency for quite a while. In the meantime, the money I’m bringing in continues to fund the expansion of my personal army.



I’ve also let a few Italian counties go in the east – they’ve been corrupted by the Orevi and are a known part of the factions trying to undermine my rule. The one exception is Treviso, led by an Orevi traitor – he’s going to be imprisoned for going after my daughter, after we put down his little revolt.

> September

Though I hate to do it, the Duke of Forcalquier has been nothing but trouble for me, and the territory in general has been a threat ever since Shahlufa tried to conquer them in the first place. They’re less of a problem as an independent Duchy than they are within Zicenia.

> Late September

The King of Amaigh now demands the insignificant province of Amous, at threat of war. I never thought a fellow Siorach would go to war over something so petty, but apparently his reputation for being rash exists for a reason.

I’ll just give him the province. It’s on the frontier and a hotbed for heretics anyways.

January, 1058

Finally, I’m going to release the eastern coasts originally conquered by Verona – though its Duke lacks control the Italian city itself.

These lands have been raided nonstop for years, and are magnets for Orevi invasion.

As much as the prideful Zicenians may balk at these moves I’m making, I’ve lived long enough to know it truly is the only way we’re going to be able to get anything done without constantly worrying about these far-fledged traitor Dukes undermining and revolting at every step. The Crown just isn’t strong enough on its own with all this extra land. Maybe Shahlufa could’ve created a great empire, as he probably dreamed of doing, but he never managed it, and his conquests haven’t done us any good since beating back the Dyamarian Invasion.




> March

I seized Treviso in the east from its Orevi count, since he can’t be trusted not to undermine the county. It’s nice to have some good land in the east as well for the crown – easier to keep control.

I’ve forced him to convert as well, though that matters less now that he’s only in charge of a minor city.




> May

We’ve formed an alliance with Musnia – that should keep out any invaders.

I’m starting to think that Sabr-Ishu had it right all along – if Zicenia’s stable, then collecting tribute without giving any sort of power to the foreigners is the best way to go about it. Not that I’ll probably get a chance to prove that theory at my age, but it’s worth considering.

Another plague spreads through Ivrea as well – it might be my time already if this one manages to catch me.



> September

The fever comes on, as expected. If I die, I have great faith in Laszio to bring Zicenia to prosperity.



May, 1059

My physician has been doing a good job, and I still feel well enough. Maybe our blood really is blessed, given how long my two ancestors lasted on the throne.

The work to finally pacify Corsica has been going well too, I am told. Half the county is now considered loyal once again.

> July

The Royal Guard is coming along well, though it takes a while to find so many experienced men. I hope one day they will be large enough to always be on guard against these raider scum.

February, 1060

Construction on Shahlufa’s Mausoleum is finally completed – a great monument for our Kingdom. A ceremony is being arranged to hold a formal funeral and rebury him in the main chamber, as well as several great generals and soldiers from the war.





> June

The release of disloyal provinces seems to be working – the internal threats to my rule are no longer a major concern, though they do still exist.

Now, we should make use of this peace to grow the heart of the Kingdom stronger, so that it will be impossible for any ambitious Duke to threaten the King again.



January, 1061

We’ve formed an alliance with Musnia, which should discourage the Vogaks from trying to push west. I won’t get involved with Gojia though – their politics are too complicated, and their possessions in Greece are just begging for conflict – and currently, revolting.

> August

Musnia has declared war on the faraway Kuyavia – we will join them, though I doubt it will take much to destroy them unless the other Orevi get involved.

November 27, 1061.


​

In November, King Lazaro finally died of Measles after a protracted battle with Measles. He was 71 years old, and had reigned as King twice: ​

first for seven years, and then for twelve.​

​

​

To call his reign chaotic would be putting it lightly. Lazaro’s personal delusions had gone a long way towards the collapse of his reign early on, and the constant infighting both during and after his first reign weakened Zicenia considerably, leading to the loss of Duka to the Croatians.​

​

Later on, thanks to the inability of the usurpers to actually secure a dynasty following the civil war, Lazaro managed to take the crown once again, and through luck, avoided losing it to the Gojian King. The rest of his reign was ultimately one of resigned stabilization – Duka was reclaimed from the Croatians, but then several territories were granted independence in order to avoid revolt. Ultimately, the Kingdom was left more or less equal in strength to how it had been at the start of his reign – more stable, but less powerful.​

​

A more competent and stable King might have seen the consolidation of Shahlufa’s conquests without civil war and secession, but instead Lazaro had nearly destroyed it. His own military competency had managed to help him prolong a second civil war against a stronger opponent into a bitter stalemate, but also helped recapture Duka and avoid any further foreign invasions. Overall, it was a complicated and tumultuous reign, though by the end the Kingdom was left with dynastic ties to two of its equals, a powerful army, and general stability internally. The crown was passed to his long-groomed son, Lazsio, who had ruled as the powerful Duke of Sardinia for over a decade already and entered the throne as a well-experienced 35-year-old man. Incidentally, Lazsio was also the first direct son to inherit the throne since the ascension of the Mirza dynasty, as well as the first to be actually selected and groomed for the job by his predecessor.​

 

[stnylan]

That is actually a fascinating reign. Really fascinating, the wars yes (the royal family of Gojia sounds just delightful) but also the "realm stabilisation measures" as it were.

 

[Zamarak500]

I think that's the first random world AAR I ever saw. You got my attention. Sub.

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, the dynasty is back to power. That's something...

Also, for some reason I wasn't my notifications for this stopped, but this comment should fix that...

 

[Midnite Duke]

This has well exceeded my expectations. What a roller coaster ride! @HistoryDude, I have found that I stopped getting notifications because I would read to the end of the page and quit without realizing that there was more read to on the next page. No new notifications, because I had "old material". Score 1 for notifications, 0 for dumb me. @Centurial, the diary style, with closing remarks by a historian, is unique and wonderful. May Duck religion reign supreme. (Scrooge MacDuck could be a temple moneylender. Are Donald and Daffy prophets?)

 

[stnylan]

This has well exceeded my expectations. What a roller coaster ride! @HistoryDude, I have found that I stopped getting notifications because I would read to the end of the page and quit without realizing that there was more read to on the next page. No new notifications, because I had "old material". Score 1 for notifications, 0 for dumb me. @Centurial, the diary style, with closing remarks by a historian, is unique and wonderful. May Duck religion reign supreme. (Scrooge MacDuck could be a temple moneylender. Are Donald and Daffy prophets?)

If you like @Centurial 's AAR here I can thoroughly recommend his megacampaign - Baltic Lightning. Well worth your time.

 

[Centurial]

That is actually a fascinating reign. Really fascinating, the wars yes (the royal family of Gojia sounds just delightful) but also the "realm stabilisation measures" as it were.

Yeah, I'm suprised it ended as (relatively) well as it did, given how many opportunities for disaster there were.

I think that's the first random world AAR I ever saw. You got my attention. Sub.

Thanks, hope it continues to interest

I am curious if the mentioning of country names etc. is hard to keep track of while reading - I try to have the images correspond several times when mentioning countries/religious groups but of course I know the names better from playing.

Well, the dynasty is back to power. That's something...

Also, for some reason I wasn't my notifications for this stopped, but this comment should fix that...

Yeah, it definitely could've been a ducal period without the luck of succession.

This has well exceeded my expectations. What a roller coaster ride! @HistoryDude, I have found that I stopped getting notifications because I would read to the end of the page and quit without realizing that there was more read to on the next page. No new notifications, because I had "old material". Score 1 for notifications, 0 for dumb me. @Centurial, the diary style, with closing remarks by a historian, is unique and wonderful. May Duck religion reign supreme. (Scrooge MacDuck could be a temple moneylender. Are Donald and Daffy prophets?)

Thanks a lot, I'm glad that it's coming across well - it's really hard for me to judge my writing in an unfamiliar style often. The historian's notes are partially me regressing back to my previous style because I can't help myself and partially a good chance to fill in the blanks that a character wouldn't mention or to give a bit more context.


Oh, and that silly duck picture for the religion cursed my last attempt at this style too - couldn't find an easy way to change it when I was editing the names of everything to become legible.

If you like @Centurial 's AAR here I can thoroughly recommend his megacampaign - Baltic Lightning. Well worth your time.

That one starts off pretty rough, but I'd say at least by Vic2 I'd hit my stride - probably halfway or 2/3 through EU4. Either are a good starting place if you're not sold

 

[Centurial]

King Laszio Bar Lazaro Mirza, 35 years old.

Temperate, Kind.

Fortune Builder, Greedy.​

Chapter 18: The Crisis Ends






November, 1061


It’s finally time – my father lived a long life, and both he and I had been preparing for his death for years. He wasn’t a great man, but we stuck together and managed to make it to where I stand today.

The first matter of my reign is his burial, and it’s a very complicated situation. My father was not a popular man.

After some discussion with my advisors, we decided it would be best to bury him in private, rather than a lavish ceremony that could upset the vassals. It also saves money, which we will need for the war we just got involved in.



Aside from that issue, there’s also my living family to worry about. First and foremost is my brother Lazaro the Younger, who is now the most powerful vassal in the Kingdom. We are on good terms, but I still need to make sure he stays close.

I’ve given him a Ducal title, a position on my council, and the role of Food Taster to make sure he is happy. I expect he’ll work alongside me well, but I’ve witnessed enough infighting in this land to know it’s worth making sure.



The second consideration is my wife and son – I only have one son, aged 13, and if he were to die it would make succession a mess. However, my wife is religiously minded and chaste – it’s going to take a lot of work to have another son with her.

That aside, there aren’t any big problems for me to deal with, and that’s a blessing. The war up north will be my first priority for now.





> December

Back when I was a Duke, I had been negotiating with a Queen far to the east: one of the religious Tyians who have been pushing back the Orevi from their other flank. With my ascension, our discussions over trade became much more impactful, and I plan to strike a deal soon.

Learning about their long trade caravans stretching farther east than any map is fascinating, and the goods they are valuable.





March, 1062

We won a great battle in the north against a massive enemy army, but the treasury is running dry. I’m recalling the army – Musnia should have no problem ending what they started now that we’ve helped out.

> July

It turns out that my general took his own initiative during his return to attack two small enemy armies nearby, rather than coming directly home. Ultimately, he seems to know what he was doing, because the enemy surrendered this month. I’ll let it slide.

> August

I’ve learned of a plot to place a woman on the throne while my army is away. The Chancellor is already at work trying to sway its supporters, and I’ve ordered the arrest of the ringleader.

The army needs to come home soon though, and funds must be raised for mercenaries should there be such a need. I spent the trade profits trying to improve our cities and develop more wealth, but it seems that might have been premature. It's time to teach these ambitious fools what Kingdom they are living in.



> Mid-August

The plot is weakened, but there is still the matter of its ringleader, the Duke of Milan, whose wife is the woman claiming the throne. It will probably be necessary to fight him as soon as the army is home, though I will have to wait to strike until then, given Milan’s proximity to the capital.

> October

The army is in Zicenian territory and marching for Milan – though more Jaenians are revolting in the east. These religious revolts have been such a plague; and not just for Zicenia, but all of the Siorach lands. I had a hell of a time dealing with them in Corsica beforehand, and they always seem to pop up somewhere new.

> Late October

We tried to arrest the Duke and he revolted as expected, but we caught him by surprise, and his fellow conspirators are nowhere to be seen, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

> December

I guess I spoke too soon; Transjurania has joined the revolt as well. Either way, the army was well-prepared and Milan is already being seized, so I’m not too worried. Half of the army has been keeping them from touching my cities, while the other seizes Milan itself – it’s very important the Crown lands aren’t damaged in any way.

Conveniently, Transjurania was the site of the Jaenian revolt, so we no longer need to deal with that.



I’m trying to balance the needs of the other vassals as well, including my brother. I’m now starting to truly understand the reason my father granted independence to the frontier territories –the extended Kingdom is difficult to manage even for myself.



> June

The Duke I was negotiating with in Raetia - the only territory which managed to gain independence from the greater Transjuranian Duchy - died today, and his son is much more amicable. Our efforts against the revolt are going fine as well – the surviving enemy armies have stayed away from the valuable lands in Northern Italy, instead hiding in the mountains or attacking my unimportant vassals in the Italian peninsula.

It’s important we don’t let them lay a finger on my personal lands – they are already the richest in the Kingdom, and I want them to grow to be the centers of trade in the entire region soon enough.



April, 1064

Everything goes well – though this is taking a while, we’ve made great gains without losing any significant number of men at all. I had hoped the era of revolts had died with my father, but either way, putting these men in prison should do the job well enough.

I’ve also been sure to keep the raiders out of our coasts during the war, as we can’t afford to lose any of our strength in the meantime. Under my directive, the occupying forces in Milan have been seizing all the wealth they can and shipping it west – this serves the two purposes of robbing Milan of its wealth to keep it weak in the future, and to compensate us for the costs involved in quelling this revolt.



April, 1065

The revolt continues as it has been, which is good. We’ve also finally managed to finish rooting out the heretics in Corsica and moved on to the east where the Croatians held.

However, more important is the fact that my brother managed by himself to vassalize the entirety of Forcalquier, placing it under his Duchy of Savoy instead of the crown directly. This is quite a foolish move for the Kingdom as a whole, and it’s likely that at some point they may even revolt against him – it’s in their nature, after all.

> November

We’ve thoroughly looted Milan in the meantime for good measure – the Duke can’t revolt if he can’t even pay an army. Meanwhile, Transjurania has been pretty much useless in this revolt, between dealing with their heretic rabble and raids from Vogakny.



> December

Great news – we managed to have another son. That’s one more problem resolved – the succession should be secure should something happen to my eldest.

The finances have been rolling in as well, thanks in part to the fact the armies are sustaining themselves off the loot. I’m going to work on expanding the hospital in the capital, and later in the equally important city of Cremona – another set of protections to ensure the cities prosper. Especially with news of another plague in the peninsula, it’s important to get this done sooner rather than later, and even with these costs we will still have enough backup funds in case there is an emergency.



March, 1066

My Chaplain has been doing a fantastic job of dealing with the heretics – since finishing up in Corsica, he’s already made great progress in the eastern lands formerly conquered by Croatia. Hopefully that problem will be resolved within the decade.



> December

Eastern Transjurania seems to be in chaos ever since the revolt started – the Jaenians spread throughout the whole region, and now Vogakny invaders are being once again pushed back by the blessed Umarids alongside Amaigh. Our ties with the Umarid Empire are strong – I’ve even arranged a marriage between my niece and one of the King’s relatives, though the Emperor isn’t fond of formal alliances. Still, they’ve been a stalwart protector of Zicenia from the Orevi, all while still having the Dyamarians on the other side of their walls.

July, 1067

Finally, the Milanese revolters have surrendered.

We’re now left stable once again, except for Transjurania, which will be dealt with soon enough. Once everything is secure at home, I hope to begin seeking tribute from our neighbors, including the Croatians, and perhaps in the future we will go and raid the homelands of the pirates that I’ve been repelling, just to drive in the message that Zicenia is off-limits.



> October

I’ve issued a decree ordering all of the vassals to avoid fighting each other – something long overdue in our Kingdom. All internal plots for assassinations or title theft are being stopped as well – the vassals should stay exactly as they are.

Milan’s Duke is already imprisoned (and his land is useless anyways), the revolt has been put down in the west, and now I’m marching on Transjurania to deal with the final problem before looking outwards.



March, 1068

Even better – the Duke of Milan died in my dungeons from wounds sustained during the war, leaving the Duchy in the hands of a child’s regency for the next twelve years.

Historian’s Notes: In many ways, the first seven years of Lazsio’s reign were a continuation of the troubles faced by his father – fighting against revolts, dealing with Orevi invasions and raids, and worrying about conspiracies within. Regardless, his rule during this period shouldn’t be perceived as similar to that of Lazaro – the new King was vastly more shrewd in this management of the Kingdom, and began laying the foundations for long-term stability: allowing and forcing the rebellious Dukes to suffer the devastation of war, building up the Crown-controlled heartlands of Zicenia, and ending the many pockets of heresies that dotted the Kingdom. ​

​

These actions would set the stage for the rest of his reign, which would see Zicenia move back towards the prosperity and stability that it hadn’t seen since the later reign of Sabr-Ishu, nearly 90 years ago.​

 

[HistoryDude]

Well, it looks like Zicenia is being stabilized, which is very good.

Nice to see this back!

 

[stnylan]

Sounds like he has managed to keep a lid on things, and tidy up the mess he was left with.

 

[Centurial]

Well, it looks like Zicenia is being stabilized, which is very good.

Nice to see this back!

Thanks, sorry about the delay.

Sounds like he has managed to keep a lid on things, and tidy up the mess he was left with.

I would imagine it's not only the ruling family that was exhausted by the last few decades - especially after the Croatian scare.

 

[Centurial]

Chapter 19: Back on Top





July, 1068

My brother, Lazaro the Younger, continues to try and expand his territory, this time going for Verona. Meanwhile, my Chaplain continues to do a fantastic job of rooting out heretics. As soon as Transjurania is pacified and he can go to work there, the entire Kingdom will be restored to normal - A great turnaround from the constant pockets of resistance that were causing trouble all over Zicenia before I hired him.



July, 1070

I’ve been handing out several previously-ignored honorary titles to several vassals to keep them pleased. The revolt goes on slowly, but with no issues for us as the rebels are restrained to the mountains of Transjurania while we loot their castles.



> September

Between the wars and plagues, the crown lands have never truly had the opportunity to prosper. Though our castle and military is well-fitted, the cities dim in comparison to some of the great trading hubs abroad. Of course, I’m already protecting these lands from the damages of war, but we also need to invest in hospitals to contain any future plague – it’s only this way we may begin to actually grow our great cities.





March, 1071

The Transjuranian revolt has been dealt with, though Vogakny has expanded into Tyrol in the meantime. At some point, we will need to deal with them and push them out permanently, but for the time being we will be better served by maintaining our strength.

>July

In the meantime though, we might as well use what we have – it’s time to start grabbing tribute from our smaller neighbors, beginning with Sicily. Later, I hope to extend this to Croatia and the independent counties my father released, if they’re still around.

>September

My brother Lazaro’s effort to expand his personal territory has no limits – he’s now declared war on the entirety of Croatia. He remains friendly though, so I’m not too concerned – if he reckons himself another Shahlufa, that’s his problem to deal with. Besides, it is best our family as a whole controls the power in Zicenia, rather than usurpers like those who caused so much trouble for our father.



January, 1072

The finances are doing great at this point – my project has been Noli, which has great potential as a center of trade close to the capital. Both the hospital and the cities have seen the bulk of my investments.




>December

The Sicilian refuses to pay tribute, but the army’s been taking plenty on their own in the meantime. The ban on internal wars has been a great boon as well – several conflicts have been averted, giving everyone more time to flourish, or at least focus on external enemies.



February, 1073

Ever since imprisoning the Transjuranian Duke, the realm has collapsed into several independent duchies, robbing it of the power it once held. At this point, the Kingdom stands much stronger than any of the vassals on their own, short of my brother’s expansion of Savoy.

1 June, 1074


At the start of June, King Laszio unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and died – reportedly attributed to his heavy workload. He was just 47 years old, and had ruled for over 11 years.

​

Laszio’s reign as King was relatively uneventful by intention, but it was not unimportant. A diligent administrator and expert economic mind, Laszio managed to bring the Kingdom back together after the several near-collapses of his father’s reign, and aside from an initial revolt, he maintained the peace for the entirety of his reign. In the meantime, he initiated a period of growth in Ivrea, the heart of Zicenia, particularly in his favored coastal province of Noli.​

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In war and revolt, his focus had always been on maintaining Ivrea’s eminence over all other territories within Zicenia – the early revolts saw great wealth drained from the cities and castles of Milan and Transjurania, all redirected towards the capital. At the end of his reign, the Sicilian holdings in Central Italy also suffered extensive looting during the war for tribute, which likely was funneled directly into the expansion of Noli - though his plans for a new tributary network never came to fruition due to his early death.​

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Overall, his shorter reign saw a remarkable return to stability in Zicenia, securing the Kingdom once again from danger within and without. Much can be speculated about what might have been had he lived to be as old as his predecessors, but there is no doubt that he helped transform Zicenia away from the fractured free-for-all of his Father’s era and back to prominence as a prosperous regional power.​

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Laszio was succeeded by his first of two sons, Raca, who was just 23 years old. While Laszio was known for his temperance and patience, Raca was quite the opposite – he would come to be known as “Raca the Cruel” for a good reason. Laszio’s legacy would continue in his son, but the power his predecessors had worked so long to restore to the Crown was no longer going to be simply fostered, but truly wielded.​

 

[Centurial]

(Sorry about the shorter chapter - a result of poor planning as a result of the forgetting where I was after my break. Will try to get the next chapter(s) up fairly quick, especially as work winds down)

 

[Midnite Duke]

An apology for the short chapter is neither needed nor desired. The succession screen is always a convenient ending as it sets up three possible chapters. 1) A respective on the life on the deceased. 2) An introduction to the new leader and major players (his family, council, vassals). 3) Realm/world overview (what is owned, the neighbors, major happenings) and upcoming strategies. Thank you for updating and please be safe, my captain.

 

[InvisibleBison]

the power his predecessors had worked so long to restore to the Crown was no longer going to be simply fostered, but truly wielded.

That's somewhat ominous.

 

[Centurial]

An apology for the short chapter is neither needed nor desired. The succession screen is always a convenient ending as it sets up three possible chapters. 1) A respective on the life on the deceased. 2) An introduction to the new leader and major players (his family, council, vassals). 3) Realm/world overview (what is owned, the neighbors, major happenings) and upcoming strategies. Thank you for updating and please be safe, my captain.

Thanks, and I like all of your points there. I love writing up the retrospectives, partially to satisfy the craving for writing in the history-book style I'm much more used to

That's somewhat ominous.

Indeed - though if it's any consolation, he at least has the 'perk' of not being mentally insane as well.

 

[Centurial]

King Raca Bar Laszio Mirza, Age 23.

Charismatic, Diligent.

Frail, Uncouth.

Stubborn, Paranoid, Wroth.​

Chapter 20: A Renewal of Power





June, 1074

It’s very sad to see my father go this early – he hadn’t been around for long enough, and things were going well. I didn’t see him often, but he left me a great Kingdom and I plan to keep it that way.

The first order of business is going to be titles – I need people on my side. Half of the council will need to be replaced, particularly Uncle Lazaro the Younger of Savoy, who will want all the power for himself.

I also need to give away my old Sardinian titles now that I’m in charge of the Kingdom – they will go to my Steward, who is young and agreeable.


In terms of how I lead the Kingdom itself, there are a lot of options. My father’s development was a sight to behold, and I’d like to keep that going. The looting of Sicily was also going well, so I’ll start that war back up once everything settles. In the long run, we will need to deal with Vogakny as well.

With a loyal council, I also hope to work on laws that will make the Crown stronger and lessen risk of revolt.



> July

The funeral is complete, and father now rests in Noli. I’ve announced my intentions to keep things moving forward as he did, which should placate everybody as they get used to their new King. The armies are assembling again to move into Sicily, and the new council is already working on changes to the Kingdom’s administration. I’ll be watching Uncle Lazaro closely too – he’s not happy about being snubbed, and it’s only a matter of time before he makes a move.

> August

With our new legal framework, I should be able to fix the bloated and oversized Duchy of Savoy myself, taking most of the power away from my uncle as well. I’ll get this done some time next year, after we’re finished with Sicily. As much as I want to get it out of the way now, such a move this early in my reign could spike a revolt, and I already promised to keep the looting in Sicily going.

January, 1075

I’ve been hearing of a great war going on between the Umarid and Dyamarian empires – so far, our Umarid friends are winning.

I don’t plan on getting involved in any way, but anything that weakens or distracts our greatest threat is welcome. It’s been a long time since the Dyamarian Empire tried to attack us, but we Zicenians have never forgotten – a simple trip through the Mausoleum of Noli during my father’s funeral was enough to remind me of that. If they were to attack our Kingdom at the same time as Vogakny to our north, it would be nearly impossible to stop them.



> March

My spies have discovered that Uncle Lazaro is already seeking out allies for a claim to the throne. So far, he hasn’t been able to get anybody on his side, but that could change very quickly. Once we’re finished with our current siege, I’m going to pull back the armies to deal with Lazaro – not an end to the Sicilian war, but a small pause.

> November

It’s a good thing I decided to assemble the armies near Ivrea – Sicily landed a whole army at Genoa, and raiders are attacking the west. We’ll deal with them quickly, and then after I’m done with Lazaro, I’m going to go give those raiders hell in their own lands.

In other news, the Umarids were pushed out of Iberia and gave up their invasion – a disappointment to be sure. The two Empires seem destined for a greater war some day, but it seems that day hasn’t come yet.




January, 1076

I’ve sent my intention to revoke Savoy, with no reply yet. The army’s ready if Lazaro tries to resist.

In other news, my discussions with Marshall Saros as part of the ongoing legal reforms ended with the idiot shouting insults at me – he’ll be replaced by tomorrow.

> Late January

Uncle Lazaro wisely decided to give in to my demands rather than revolt – now the man is left with only two counties to his name.

The funny thing about these vassals taking foreign land is that it can just as quickly be taken out of their hands – Lazaro has been trying to seize power his whole life, and with a single act I have taken it all away.

I went ahead and wrote the Duchy of Savoy out of the law after that – any future man to take the title of Duke will be based firmly in the counties Savoy actually belongs to.



Now, there are no seriously threatening vassals (on their own, at least). The strongest is the Duke of Provence, my new Marshal, who will be loyal – plus, his strength comes from his own vassal in Forcalquier, who could just as easily turn against him in a moment of weakness.

> October

I can’t believe this!

The sheer gall of that bastard! They already stole land from us during King Lazaro’s chaos, and now they try to take more. It’s not going to work this time – I’ll show them that Zicenia bows to no foreign King.

The first step is to pull the army out of Sicily – we’ve already taken enough from them, and I don’t particularly care about their land anyways.

It also gives me an opportunity to deal with my Uncle – he was caught trying to claim neighboring land and I took the opportunity to order him imprisoned, but he decided to revolt with his two puny counties this time, so we will need to mop them up on the way north.



June, 1077

We’re almost finished with my Uncle, but the army of Amaigh is quite large. I’ve been saving up the development funds for this kind of issue – we’ll hire enough mercenaries to flatten that fool’s army when we show up.

> December

We took back our land in short order, though the Amaigh army is holed up in the mountains. Our army is pushing into the King’s own territory to punish him until we’re able to engage his army.

February, 1078

That was easy! They came straight for us as soon as they released they were trapped, and we crushed ‘em. I’ll keep driving into Amaigh until the King agrees to surrender his treasury – they’ll never try to rob us again after this.



> April

I’ve managed to set up the council exactly as I like it – full of loyalists. Our spies report no major threats inside Zicenia, and now some vassals in Amaigh have taken this opportunity to revolt. Overall, it’s going quite well, I’d say.

November, 1079

The King of Amaigh finally surrendered after we captured his capital. The funds are less than expected, but I’m not surprised about his shortage of cash, given he’s probably about to be overthrown after my decimation of his army.

Now, it’s time to punish the raiders in Constantinople. In the meantime, the war funds can go back into improving Noli now that everything is well.

Historian’s Notes: Raca ascended to the throne at a young age, and his early years of rule reflect this – internally, he mirrored the policies of his father for the first several years, which likely led to the continued stability within, particularly after his Uncle was removed as a threat. Similarly, surrounding himself with loyalists helped Raca to move forward with his plans of cementing crown authority over the Kingdom, though these would continue to evolve over many years.​

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Externally, the war in Sicily ultimately went nowhere, but the King of Amaigh was undoubtedly taken by surprise at the full-scale resistance he faced while trying to encroach further into northwestern Zicenia. Earlier Kings had avoided major conflicts in order to preserve their army for the many threats they faced, so Raca’s full commitment to the defense of a single county was a true signal that the Kingdom that had twice defeated the Dyamarian Empire was now back on its feet and unafraid of conflict.​

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It was at this point that King Raca’s confidence and sense of security truly became some of the defining traits of his rule – the powerful and unchallenged King would push hard to get what he wanted, in a trajectory that would increasingly alienate his vassals and develop his reputation as a cruel bully of a man.​

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[Centurial]

Chapter 21: Raca’s Will





September, 1080

We’ve made good work on the Crown’s legal reforms, and everything at home remains stable while the army is off looting the thieves in Constantinople.



April, 1081

The raiders are definitely going to be broke after this – we’ve taken everything we could from Constantinople and continue to ravage the nearby cities. We’ve taken plenty of prisoners as well, including the count’s own wife – most will be ransomed, but I think executing his wife sounds more fun.

> June

Using all the connections of a King, you can arrange quite a few accidents – my cousin Chuma was caught organizing a potential coup, but rather than try to arrest him and go through the pains of revolt, it’s much easier to just direct a bit of our raid money into the hands of my spymaster to arrange a quicker solution.

2

Though I have no issue putting down anybody who needs to be, I won’t tolerate interruptions. Once the raiding is concluded, we’ll need to go after Vogakny – just as the great Umarid and Dyamarian empires are in constant threat of each other, Vogakny has grown to become our great rival. They’re not exactly endeared to their neighbors either – a marriage between my young son and one of Musnia’s ruling house could go a long way towards knocking them down a peg in the future.



> Late June

Another idiot cousin, a woman named Chasina, was trying to organize a plot to kill my son. She was caught straight away, though in some ways I wish she had plotted long enough for me to catch anybody dumb enough to join her. Either way, we dragged her off into prison – I considered leaving her locked in a hole and having the child in her womb taken from her once it was born, but decided to make a painful example out of her instead. Let’s see her give birth in this state…

> November

Zicenia is truly a sight to behold – I don’t believe we’ve ever been so blessed with wealth as we are now. My father’s realm continues to generate great taxes, which I’ve been funneling into the growth of Ivrea as a whole - the raiding spoils have been a great help as well. To make matters even better, the Baron of Savona, Noli’s richest independent city, failed to produce an heir before dying, granting me the tremendous fortune he had somehow accrued. At this rate, the crown will never be challenged again, and neither will our Kingdom soon enough.

April, 1082

My plotting cousin Chuma still lives after our first assassination attempt failed, joined by another cousin and another traitorous vassal. Together, they’ve amazed quite a force, but they still stand no match against the wealth of Ivrea should they revolt before they meet their ends.


> June

Finally, Chuma is dead. We’ll get to work on the next cousin, but in the meantime, their plot is too weak to even attempt. There are now no distractions in my way.



March, 1083

The raiders are finally finished – the entire strait is ruined, which should make those raiders think twice about bothering us for a while. Either way, we’ve taken more than they ever could. The men even managed to demolish an entire castle in the final siege!

Now we can prepare to tear up those Orevi savages to the north.



> October

We managed to catch a whole band of bastards trying to organize a pathetic conspiracy to have me killed. My half-brother leads the crew, along with the next cousin we were working on having killed and the duke allied with the previous coup. This gives a great opportunity to lock them all up quickly so we can move on.

February, 1084

My cousin in Milan revolts, but we can crush him quickly. The other conspirators are already sitting in the damp hole that we refer to as a “dungeon” to anybody who asks. Of course, ask is all anybody will ever do from now on - these fools are as good as dead.



August, 1085

The plotters are all rotting in the pit – my half-brother who tried to organize the murder came begging for forgiveness, and I pretended to give it to him – but of course, he’s next on the list of accidents.



We have the justification to launch an invasion of Vogakny at any time – some of the land we would be claiming was ours to begin with. Next spring, they’re going to get what’s coming to them, and Zicenia will grow once again.

> September

Though little time has passed, I just wanted to take this moment to laugh at how weak my Milanese cousin was – he died in my dungeon not two weeks after being defeated.

July, 1086

We were delayed by an impressively massive heretic revolt, but now the invasion begins. The Orevi live in squabble – their large land matters little if they can’t even raise a proper army with it. The alliance with Musnia never materialized, but I imagine they’ll be happy to jump in for their own reasons after we’ve killed a few thousand Vogaks.

> August

It turns out the Vogakny army was already near Rome – one of my vassals was invading a nearby Italian territory held by what remains of Croatia, and the foolish Vogak King’s army came to help save their failing ally. Now they’re trapped far from home, and once we kill them there will be nobody to stop my flood of warriors charging across the border.

July, 1087

Everything is great – my enemies continue to disappear, the Orevi continue to fail as a whole, and the money rolls in. Those vassals not involved in the early plotting are now too terrified to cross me, and the same should be true for all men soon enough.



> December

Though nothing has changed in regards to the Kingdom, I’m no longer so confident of its future. A few days ago, my eldest son died of disease, putting my other idiot son in line for the throne. We’ll have to have another son fast, because I’ll be damned if I ever let that imbecile ruin all that I’m creating.

February, 1088

The coward Vogakny King surrendered today, pushing the Orevi all the way back across the mountains. We will strike again for good measure later, but for the time being we shall move elsewhere.

> July

With a few replacements, I’ve managed to secure the votes to abolish the council’s ability to vote on anything of substance – though they’ve dared not challenge me, the fact anybody could have the ability to deny me a war is absurd and will no longer be an issue. From what I’ve heard since, the vassals aren’t happy about this - but I’ve developed quite a good system of dealing with mouthy vassals.

> December

With our newfound dominance, it only makes sense to exercise it. There’s a weak little kingdom across the Adriatic practicing their own strange heresy, and I’m going to force them into permanent servitude: Not as a vassal, of course; that would be a headache… but a permanent obligation of money and men should do the trick.

October, 1089

I’ve been holding onto our recent Alpine conquests in hope of giving them to a new son, but my wife hasn’t delivered anything. Reluctantly I have to pass them on to my other son, who is now of age… but I think it’s time for a new wife.



June, 1090

The council’s conspiracy grows, as more and more vassals grow bold while the army is off in the east. The treasury is nearly empty too – there might be a fight on our hands soon. Heretics run rampant in Provence in the meantime, but we can’t deal with them at the moment.

August, 1091

The uprising in the west has gotten out of hand – I figured with how many men we had killed in the revolt a few years ago that they would’ve all been dealt with, but that was definitely not the case. Forcalquier wasn’t even supposed to be part of Zicenia in the first place, and they’re not my vassal anyways. Let’s see how long they last on their own before another vassal swallows them up again.

Historian’s Notes: This period of Raca’s reign was characterized by simple momentum: He quickly managed to dispel the only large conspiracy against his reign through a combination of arrest and assassination, securing internal politics well before any major threat could even begin to form. Externally, the dramatic sacking of Constantinople and nearby realms brought significant wealth home to Ivrea, while also causing such damage to the local rulers that their days of foreign raiding were definitively finished. The invasion of Vogakny quickly pushed the Orevi back north of the Alps before they had a chance to truly entrench their position, exposing a critical weakness in the last great Orevi stronghold that would lay bare their vulnerabilities to the entirety of Europe.​

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From this point on though, Raca’s opponents would never be so docile again – his aggressive policy towards Zicenia’s vassals increasingly invoked fear into those that remained, drawing them together like a cornered pack of wolves. Meanwhile, the Jaenian Heresy of Forcalquier and Transjurania (among many other realms across the Siorach world), which had been nearly extinguished by his processor, would come back stronger than ever and in a much more geographically centralized form, beginning a heavy period of religious conflict and revolt in the affected regions to the detriment of all involved.​

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