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The High Kings of Alba - A Scots MegaCampaign

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Sorry about the lack of updates but preparing a world update is quite a tedious task. However I think I will be able to post the update on the world situation today and continue with Gospatrick II reign tomorrow. :cool:

~Lord Valentine~
 
Looking forward to it.
 
JimboIX said:
Looking forward to it.
Click to expand...

Me too. LV, I've just read your aar to date and I'm enjoying it very much. :cool:
 
The World in 1100 AD:​


Iberia:


Iberia1100.png

The period between 1066 and 1100 was dominated by the fight between the various Muslim lords for supremacy. The Kings of Castille took advantage of this, using their resources to unite their kingdom with that of Leon and to expand into North Portugal. Due to this however they where caught off guard when the Emirate of Zaragoza overran their border provinces. They themselves where driven into this war through pressure from the Emirate of Mallorca which would in the end become the one and only Muslim super-power on the peninsula. The Emirate of Sevilla on the other hand is struggling to survive the constant attacks of the Castillian Christians and the Muslims of Mallorca. The kingdom of Aragon and Navarra on the other hand has been reduced to the status of a satellite state of Castille and faces a bleak future after the fall of the Duchy of Catalonia to the Emir of Mallorca unless protected by foreign aid. A minor crusade in the 1080s lead to the creation of various smaller English counties in Spain. Unless the power of Mallorca is restrained however their survival is doubtful.


France:


France1100.png

In France the situation hasn't changed much since 1066. The only change in fact was the great expedition of king Robert I of England in 1093 which lead to the conquest of Brittany and thereby straightened England's position on the continent.

Italy\Western Balkans:


Italy1100.png

In Italy the Normans have slowly but steadily expanded, taking all of southern Italy except the Lombard county of Salerno. As a reaction to this growing power the Muslims of Sicily united under the banner of the Sheik of Syracuse.
In northern Italy the Duke of Krain refused to pay homage to the Roman Emperor without being in the position to endanger his power in Italy. Both sides would show little interest in changing the status quo by force over the next decades.
On the Balkans the duchy of Serbia annexed the free city of Ragusa. This would lead to an increase in trade but also to conflicts with Venice and the (eastern) roman Emperor in the future.

The Middle East:


MiddleEast1100.png

In the Middle East the Seljuk expansion has reached it's climax with the (temporary) conquest of Constantinople. The (eastern) Roman Empire although weakened is far from being dead. Emperor Heraklios II, son of Alexios I Komnenos, commands the undying loyalty of all Greeks in face of this invasion and the Turkish lines of communication are greatly overstretched while Roman raiding parties operate as far away as Persia!
In the north Norwegian crusaders preferred to carve out lordships of their own along the black sea coast rather than continuing on to the holy land.

In the holy land itself Fatamid Egypt has reached it's greatest expansion in history ever. However it is a giant on shaky feet. Many nobles and areas have separatist tendencies and German crusaders winning their first substantial victories are pushing towards Jerusalem and it won't be long until they will be joined by their French brothers in Christ. The Emirate of Edessa which has moderately expanded it's influence might profit from this gigantic struggle.


The Land of the Rus:


Russia1100.png

In the land of the Rus three major powers have established themselves. The greatest one is the so called "Duchy of Greater Rus", a number of Duchies under a "Grand Duke" ruled by the Rurikovich dynasty. They claim to be the sovereigns of all Rus but have up till now failed to impose their claims by force. The second mightiest realm is the Duchy of Moscow (brown), ruled by a native Moscow family. They considerably expanded their power by conquering the eastern pagan and Muslim lands. The religious homogeneity of their duchy however might prove a disadvantage in the fight for total control of Russia. The Duchy of Ryzan situated in central Russia currently plays the role of the kingmaker in the conflict between the Grand Duke and the Dukes of Moscow. The rulers of Ryzan however have to be careful not to let either of the two get too powerful or else their independence will be greatly in danger. The Duchy of Novgorod has been fighting the pagan tribes on it's borders for most of the last decades and although able to withstand them was unable to expand. The mercantile nobility in Novgorod is growing increasingly wary of this interruption of trade and might turn to the "Grand Duke" or the Hungarian king for protection if the native rulers don't soon stabilize the situation.
The Kingdom of Hungary (grey) has considerably expanded into the Baltic area. With only a few Baltic and Finnish pagan tribes in it's way and the Russian duchies disunited it stands good chances of establishing itself as the hegemonic power in eastern Europe in the long run.

The Baltic States:


Baltic1100.png

The three scandinavian kingdoms are in almost constant war at the moment. Although the coalition are constantly changing a long term co-operation between Norway and Denmark against Sweden seems very likely. The Roman Empire in the meantime has gained acess to the Baltic Sea leaving only one major western baltic tribe independant. Most other pagan tribes up to the city of Memel have been destroyed and absorbed into the kingdom of Hungary which blocks any further polish advance to the east. Polands situation with a powerfull neigbhours like the Roman Empire, Hungary and the newly formed kingdom of Bohemia under the ambitious Premyslid dynasty is generaly difficult. Only by allying itself with one of these nations can it secure it's long rerm independance.


The British Isles:


Scotland1100.png

The hegemonic power on the British isles clearly is the kingdom of England. Scotland stands out as a second major power while Ireland and Wales remain divided in petty "kingdoms" and duchies. Norway also remains present in northern Scotland and on some isles.

~Lord Valentine~
 
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Looks good for Scotland, if you can unite the Gaelic peoples of Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to your banner you'll be a formidable forcre- although England with Brittany and Normandy will probably still dominate.
 
Gospatrick II​
Born 1062 - Died 1125
Ruled 1105-1125​

GospatrickII.jpg

Part One: War, Vikings and Treason​


The Cast:
Gospatrick II, son of Gospatrick I and King of Scotland
Lord Malcolm Dunkeld, Duke of Atholl and enemy of the Atholl dynasty
Prince Ferteth, son of Gospatrick II and Duke of Berwick
Prince Alexander, son of Gospatrick II and Duke of Mar
Engerruand I, grandson of Robert I and King of England
Lord Offa Leofricson, saxon rebell and Duke of Lancaster
Arnvid I, King of Norway and ally of Lord Offa

​

Gospatrick II was quite different from his father. Whereas Gospatrick I had been a shrewd politician devoid of any military virtue or talent Gospatrick II was a absolute war machine. His high stature and powerful body made him a legendary warrior in his own lifetime and together with his considerable understanding of tactics a highly feared opponent. Just like his father he was an ambitious man of action, but never reckless or hasty in his decisions. Another more negative characteristic was his lack of trust in people in general. He had lived to see how king Duncan II had tried to destroy him and his father out of pure malice and he had not forgotten this lesson. Later events would increase this trait even further.

Gospatrick II first action was to secure a quick coronation. Avoiding a Tànaisteachd he was lifted upon the stone of Scone and crowned in the presence of several magnates, but without partition of Malcolm Dunkeld, Duke of Atholl and highest ranking member of the Dunkeld family. His power thereby secured Gospatrick then took steps to provide for his two sons. His eldest son and heir was granted the title Duke of Berwick while the other son Alexander was granted the forfeited estates of Gratnach, former Duke of Mar. By doing this he hoped to form a counter power against the Dunkeld dynasty which still controlled almost the entire Scottish Lowlands.

2-1.jpg

Alexander, Duke of Mar. The great hero of the upcoming war​

Where the foreign policy was concerned a new situation had arisen after the death of Robert I of England in 1103. Since Robert's son Herman had been declared a heretic and excommunicated for calling the pope "a petty bishop with no authority to rule Christianity" the crown had passed to Robert's grandson Enguerrand, who was still a minor. Gospatrick II sent a writ to London informing his "most beloved liege" of his coronation and accession. At the same time he informed the English that he was not willing to pay homage to the king before he had reached his majority.
The same year Gospatrick II made his first attempt to expand Scotland influence and power on the British isles. In northern England, especially Lancaster and Northumberland, Saxon power and influence had stayed strong even after the Norman invasion. During the chaos after the death of Robert I one of these Saxon magnates Offa Leofricson, duke of Lancaster, had seized the opportunity and declared himself independent. What better opportunity could there be to enlarge the glorious realm of Scotland? Lancaster was weak and normally would have been quickly reabsorbed into the kingdom of England but with the king being a minor there was some time left to act. By November 1105 the royal army was assembled and the war began.
The whole campaign was ill fated from the start. Only days after it's beginning the king of Norway declared war upon Scotland, determined to secure his Scottish possessions by placing a puppet king on the Scottish throne. Believing the Norwegian declaration of war to be an empty gesture Gospatrick continued south and by May 1106 had overrun both Lancaster and Derby. Nevertheless the Duke, who as it later turned out had fled to some distant possessions of his in Iceland, refused all offers of peace sent to him. Thus the months passed without any result and in August disaster struck. Emissaries of the duke had managed to strike a deal with the minority council of Enguerrand I, in which the accepted to return into the realm of England against a full pardon and protection against the Scots. Thus Gospatrick was ordered by his liege to end his occupation of Lancaster at once or he would be condemned as a traitor and all of his possessions forfeited. Although Gospatrick II was a proud man he knew that he could not risk a war with England and backed down. Humiliated he returned to Scotland.
Just now as all of his war aims had become unreachable king Arnvid I landed in Scotland and laid siege to Gospatricks residence Edinburgh. A relief force under the command of the kings son Alexander was quickly assembled. It consisted of some 500 men of Alexanders personal household and retinue and 1.200 men supplied by the Dunkeld family, mostly Malcolm Dunkeld the duke of Atholl. When the two sides meet for battle on October 29th 1106 king Arnvid I had some 1.300 men at his command but was later joined by another 300.

3-1.jpg

The forces line up for the legendary "Traitors battle".​

The "Traitors battle" was perhaps the last fought in traditional Nordic fashion. No mounted knights and only limited light cavalry was involved so that the battle was mainly fought between both sides heavy infantry and some men-at-arms. Though both sides where fairly evenly matched Alexanders superior military skill began to show quickly. The Scottish forces fought in perfect coordination. The light cavalry harassing the enemies archers and lighter forces in quick "hit and run" attacks while the bulk of the Scottish heavy infantry attacked the vulnerable piece of the enemy line between the Norwegian peasant militias and heavy forces. Total victory seemed near, 2/3 of the Norwegian army had already been routed when one of the most despicable acts of treachery in Scottish history was performed.

4-1.jpg
The betrayal that could have costed Gospatrick II life and kingdom.​

Malcolm Dunkeld, Duke of Atholl, had fled the field, taking with him all forces of the Dunkeld family. But it was not cowardice that drove him of the field but lust for power. Just the night before the battle the Norwegian king had offered him to restore him to his "rightful" kingdom. Already thinking about his accession he abandoned the noble kings son Alexander to his fate.

BattleNorway.jpg

A modern depiction of the "Great flight of the Dunkelds" in the "Traitors Battle".​

Alexander now was in the dangerous position of having to face over 650 remaining Norwegians with less than 300 men at his own disposal. Alexander knew that the Norwegians where almost routed but if they where given time to regroup they would crush him. He therefore rallied his troops for a final assault himself dismounting and joining his men-at-arms for the last stand. Reminding every soldier of his duty towards his country and pointing out that they where fighting "Vikings", who would destroy everything they held dear he rallied his men for the attack. The still disorganized Norwegians where absolutely shocked when the Scots, inspired by Alexander and love of for their home country fell upon them like a heavenly plague. King Arnvid was the first to run for it and those who stayed behind where piteously slain.

Main1.jpg

A 18th century painting showing the charge of the Scots lead by the Duke of Mar.​

Victory was complete. In spite of the Dunkeld treachery the kingdom was saved!


Note: I have decided to split the reign into two parts because otherwise the update would have become a bit long. I will probably post part two tomorrow.
~Lord Valentine~
 
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Congrats for that epic victory! What a pity the near-thing of Lancaster...
 
Looks like you're consolidating and expanding, good, the time is right for it.
 
Death to traitors! And more power to your dynasty :) Would you try to retake Orkney or Western Isles from Norway?
 
Congrats on your victory in the Traitor's Battle. That was a well-written account, I really enjoyed it. I look forward to the rest of this Mega-Campaign! :cool:
 
That was close! But finally Scottish valor prevailed...

Looks like Alexander played the largest part on the victory, and making him a hero. What did the heir do? Did he joined the war or sitting in safety at Berwick. I foresee the rise of King Alexander, hopefully with much conquest but not a short-lived age.

We want Alexander as king! Break away from England! LOL
 
I have a feeling that Gospatrick’s paying homage to the king of England will cause severe trouble in the years ahead if England finally gets itself an ambitious king.
 
Wow what a huge amount of feedback! :eek: I must say I feel honoured. Unfortunately I am a bit slow at updating at the moment. Although my school term ends on wednesday I am busy preparing a 1 1/2 hour talk on Roman history from the cities foundation to the reign of Emperor Diocletian for my history class since no ones got a clue about that subject. Anyway with the holidays ahead I will manage to do both. :)

Bad Santa:Welcome to my humble AAR. I hope you enjoy it. :)

Kurt_Steiner:Thanks! And yes that with Lancaster was a pity. Just because I didn't realize that that Saxon bastard had another province in Iceland. :mad:

JimboIX: Consolidating was in this update. Expansion will follow in part two of Gospatrick II reign. However I have to expand quickly. Who knows when my English liege might decide to impose a more "direct" form of rule?

thrashing mad:Driving those Norwegian dogs from the British isles will definitely be one of my long term goals. When I will achieve it. Only god knows.

crusaderknight:Thanks a lot. I could hardly believe it myself that I actually won that battle. But I had just watched a TV adaption of Shakespeare's "Henry V" so I felt like some dramatic final battle.

Severance:Your right insofar as that calling the HRE Roman Empire might cause confusion but it's actually more historically accurate. The adjective "holy" was not added until the mid 12th century.

Raden Shaka:Yes Alexander has been the grand figure of this campaign. I just love characters with the "brilliant strategist" trait. :p Anyway the heirs men where still in North England marching home when this decisive battle took place. Perhaps this will full rivalry between the two brothers...

Fulcrumvale:That's the problem when playing Scotland. You can't just rely on your own strength and expand you also have to hope that England itself is either weakened by war abroad or inner strive.

~Lord Valentine~
 
Ah yes, Henry V, a very inspirational play. Anything inspired by that play is bound to be amazing, as your battle account was. Good job. :)
 
What graphics mod are you using?
 
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