The Last Lombard Princes of Italy

[unmerged(48100)]

It is not that weird, being a neighbour of the Papal Controller leads to that, and in the game the duchess of Toscane, Mathilda starts as Papal controller.

She was my neighbour and she excommunicated everyone, around her, but she didn't claim any of the titles.

But that may have to do with the agressitivity level at that moment o

It definatly has. The aggressivity determines the way the AI grabs most.

 

[angryclown]

Only just read this new AAR. Well done! Nice buildup towards the unification of Italy

Have you had any problems with conflicts bewteen SMACK and the new version? If not, I might use it for my next AAR too

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Only just read this new AAR. Well done! Nice buildup towards the unification of Italy

Have you had any problems with conflicts bewteen SMACK and the new version? If not, I might use it for my next AAR too

Untill now, I never have had problems with SMACK, not during the public beta and not during 1.05

 

[VILenin]

I just saw this Veld and I must say it is very nice work. Looking forward to a Lombard Italy once more.

 

[the_hdk]

Again a great AAR, I'll be reading this one.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Saxo I
Born 1113 - died 1137
Ruled 1136 - 1137 ​

The man:
Saxo I showed a lot of promise, he had good martial, diplomatic and intrigue skills, only his administrative skills were of de Salerno level. But alas, Saxo I rule lasted only for a period of some ten months. He will mostly be remembered for giving the bastard-brothers of his father, and their wives prominent positions in the ducal court. Birinus was made the court-chaplain and Landulf ‘the Bastard’ became the marshall, a postition that would suit another bastardbrother, Hermenfred, even better. But before Hermenfred and Saxo I could show their skills, Saxo I was already dead.

Saxo I, marriage with Elisabeth von Nordheim, produced two daughters, Ereleuva born in 1131 and Gaitelgrima born in 1133.

His deeds:
We can be short about his deeds, Saxo I, who saw himself as a great crusader, decided to invade the sheikdom of Tripolitana on the north African coast. But in the battle that started after the succesfull landing in february 1137, Saxo I was mortally wounded and died on the battlefield. But the Lombards didn’t give in and won the battle and the town of Tripolitana was taken by the marshall of the count of Trapani, who named himself as count of Tripolitanata.

In Italy, Saxo’s uncle, the brother of duke Landulf II, Unigild I, count of Parma was now the new duke.

 

[unmerged(54696)]

This is a great AAR. Just a few questions, what graphic mods are you using? I noticed the event pics look different, and a few COA's aren't the same as in vanilla.

I enjoy the way you are seperating their rule with different aspects. looks great.

 

[unmerged(48100)]

I somehow feel sorry for Saxo, he seemed as he would be a rather good ruler. Except of his de Salerno level stewardship (I love this metaphor). But he was too ambitious in the end.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

This is a great AAR. Just a few questions, what graphic mods are you using? I noticed the event pics look different, and a few COA's aren't the same as in vanilla.

I enjoy the way you are seperating their rule with different aspects. looks great.

Thanks !

The Coat of Arms are from this thread
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212175
and this thread
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228849

The event pictures are from this thread
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=212181

Various GFX files are from this thread
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199315

New and more faces are from this thread
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215713

These are about it I believe, maybe I have forgotten one

Oh, yeah this one

new traits.bmp
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?t=233684

 

[stnylan]

Short and sweet!

 

[coz1]

Not much to say about that reign except that it's over. Let's hope his brother can last a bit longer...and perhaps choose his crusades a tad better.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Not much to say about that reign except that it's over. Let's hope his brother can last a bit longer...and perhaps choose his crusades a tad better.

I mixed the family up there, it wasn't Saxo's brother, but his uncle. o

Sorry, changed it now.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Unigild I
Born 1115 - died 1153
Ruled 1137 - 1153 ​

The man:
Unigild I was an energetic, zealous man. Like all de Salerno his martial skills were good and he even had reasonable administrative skills a combination not yet seen in the de Salerno family. In contrast to his brother Landulf II, Unigild could get along well with all his brothers and sisters, he made his halfsbrothers Landulf ‘the Bastard’ count of Parma, Birinus count of Urbino and Sinibaldo bishop of Piombino. After Sinibaldo’s death he made his eldest son Liutward count of Palermo. So slowly but steadily all the important titles in the realm came in the hands of the de Salerno family. When a title was granted to someone from outside the family this mostly led to bad things.

What his halfbrothers and sisters thought of Unigild I was uncertain, but the two poisoning attempts on him might give us an idea.

Unigild I was married to Uallach de Barcelona, a cousin of the duke of Catalonia. Uallach proved to be one of the best stewards the realm had ever had, and de Salerno families become one of the richest in all of Italy. The marriage brought one son, Gamair born in 1140 and three daughters, Hunila, born 1134, Kriemhild, born 1136 and Matilde, born in 1137.
Uallach died in 1148 and Unigild married for a second time, this time with Beatrice de Hauteville.

Beatrice was a granddaughter (!) of his late brother Landulf II, this marriage brought no childern.

The political situation:
The 1130’s were often called the years of the childrulers, the duchies of Toscane-Spoleto, Lombardia and Verona were all ruled by childern and even at the head of the great merchant republic of Venice there was a child. Only in the south, the duchy of Apulia-Calabria-Capua, there was a mature ruler, Henry de Hauteville. But Henry had other troubles, he had been excommunicated by the Pope and his cousins who were his vassals rebelled against him splitting the the great realm of Robert de Guiscard in two parts. Henry de Hauteville, became duke of Calabra and Capua, while the Herman de Hauteville, became duke of Apulia and with that all the vassals that belonged to it.

These years also saw the end of the Seldjuks in central Italy, they had already been driven away from Orvieto and now they also lost Ancona, which was conquered by the Greek prince of the Aegean Islands. Now only in the Savoye were there still muslims.

The Holy Roman Empire also fell in to a civil war, the duchies in the north and south-east all broke away and started acting independently.

In the far north the muslims were also almost completely driven out of Denmark, but they held a foothold in Holstein and sat up some new lands in southern Sweden.

On the British Isles a new kingdom had emerged, that of Wales, which led to a war between England and the Welshmen, the Welsh were supported by the king of France. The king of England, Godfrey de Montgomery who started as an excommunicated ruler ended his life as the Papal Controller.

In Iberia the kingdom of Castilla and Leon had a hardtime against the muslims in the south who were supported by their brothers in North-Africa.

In the northeast, Poland also fought the muslims, but the king of Poland made a complete fool of himself, he conquered large parts of muslim lands in the Balkans and Lybia, but was unable to hold his own capital of Krakow, which became a sheikdom. The kingdom of Hungary was one of the few stable factors in this time of turmoil. Russia was now a patchwork of Turkish and Finnish pagan tribes, only the Russian king of Lithuania was able to withstand the pagans.

In the middle east, the christians in the Holy Land were able to defend themselves succesfully, The knightly Order of the Temple even conquered Alexandria from the Fatamids.

His deeds:
Unigild I, alltough an energetic man, decided that what the realm needed first was rest and peace, so it wasn’t untill 1144 he was ready to make his first move, this was against the duke of Lombardia, Cosmo d’Este. The war was short and quick and after it the de Salernos now could also call themselves dukes of Lombardia.

Then the realm of the de Salerno’s had another long period of peace, quit in contrast with the lands around them. Unigild and his first wife Uallach used this time to improve the condition of their realm, building roads, castles, libraries etc.

In 1146 a first assasination attempt was tried against Unigild I, but he survived the attempt alltough he stayed sickly after it.

In 1149, Unigild I took advantage of the civil war in Apulia and conquered the county of Tarento, which was given to Gaimar Mocenigo, but this Gaimar soon broke away and declared himself independent.

In 1152, Unigild I started another war, this time against the prince of the Aegean Island about Ancona, this war was also won and Unigild was now also the duke of the Marches, Then a year later,Unigild I was poisoned again, this time the attack against him succeeded and he died of the poison. Thirtheen year old Gaimer V was now the new duke.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

De Salerno family
1010 - 1140

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Gaimar V
Born 1140 - died 1157
Ruled 1153 - 1157 ​

The man:
Or rather the boy, Gaimar V, became duke at the age of 13. He was considered a wise young man, but he never proved his wisdom, since in financial affairs he was a hopeless spender. He was married with Felicia de Cournaille, this marriage brought no childern.

His deeds:
Only two noteworthy things happend during his reign. A marriage between the bastardson of duke Ludolf II, Erlembald and the countess of Brescia, Adela von Franken. The de Salerno family hoped that through this way, the county of Brescia would come in their hands, sadly enough, young Erlembald died soon after his marriage, without producing an heir.

Gaimar V, himself married in 1157 with a cousin of the duke of Brittany, Felicia de Cournaille. Gaimar, who loved to spent the money his father had accumulated, gave a big feast where all kind of extra-vagant food and drinks were served, in no less then 60 courses. This exquisite banquet proved to much for Gaimar, who fell ill and died only a couple of weeks later. Leaving a young widow behind.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Landulf III
Born 1116 - died 1161
Ruled 1157 - 1161 ​

The man:
Landulf III, formerly known as Landulf ‘the Bastard’ was a brother of Landulf II (there identical names confusing quite a few future historians) and Unigild I. Landulf had been legitimized by duke Unigild I a few years after he was made count of Parma. As most de Salerno men, Landulf had good martial skills, but he wasn’t brave at all, he also lacked diplomatic and administrative skills.

Landulf III was married two times, his first marriage was with Agnes von Habsburg, she gave him three daughters, Gaitelgrima born in 1134, Giso born in 1136 and Amalfrida born in 1139.His second marriage in 1140 was with Berengaria Jiminez, she gave hime two sons, Artavasdas born in 1141 and Gaimar in 1142 she also gave him a daughter, Ita born in 1147. Landulf also had a bastardson, Radoald, born in 1158.

Political situation:
The civil war in Apulia also flared up again, this time duke Henry de Hauteville lost his duketitle of Benevento, which went to the new duke of Apulia, Silvester, a son of Herman de Hauteville.

The civil war in the Holy Roman Empire had ended, the new emperor Leopold von Franken had restored the peace in the empire and soon most of the disgruntled vassals were back in place, only the Italians kept their independence. Leopold also had conquered the duchy of Slesvig.

In Iberia, the king of Castille and Leon Alfonso Jiminez, had now almost completed the Reqonquesta, only in the southwest of the peninsular there were muslims left. Alfonso now found it time to attack his fellow catholic king, that of Aragon-Navarra and after a war took the title king of Aragon.

Both emperor Leopold and king Alfonso, seeked out Landulf III for an alliance, Landulf who was flattered by this accepted both offers.

In France the kingtitle had been inherited by Richard d’Avranches, former count of Orvieto.

The war between the kingdom of England and that of Wales had let to nothing.

In the north-east, the last bulwork of Russian independence, the kingdom of Lithuania had fallen to the pagans. While the king of Poland had setup his new capital in the Kabylian mountains of North-Africa.

In the Holy Land a kingdom of Jerusalem had been created, but this didn’t strengthen the christians there at all, Alexandria and other counties in Egypt were all lost.

His deeds:
About Landulf’s III deeds we also can be brief, in 1158 the bishop of Orbetello revolted against his liege the Pope, Landulf decided to ‘help’ the Pope get rid of this rebellious vassal and conquered Orbetello in 1159, but he didn’t give it back to the Pope, but kept it for himself.

Landulf III will best be remembered for his ‘de Hauteville crazyness’ he arranged no less then 6 marriages between his childern and a de Hauteville.

Gaitelgrima was married to duke Henry de Hauteville of Calabria, Giso was married to count Demetrios de Hauteville of Lecce, Amalfrida was married to Roger de Hauteville, the eldest son of the count of Benevento, Artavasdas was first married to Zoe de Hauteville and Gaimar was married to Valdrade de Hauteville, both those girls were sisters of duke Silvester de Hauteville of Apulia. When Zoe de Hauteville died, Artavasdas was married to Amburga de Hauteville, a cousin of duke Silvester.

Landulf III decided to bypass his oldest son, Artavasdas and make his second son, Gaimar the first heir, by making him count of Salerno in 1160.

Landulf III died of old age in november 1161 and his titles were inherited by Gaimar VI.

 

[crusaderknight]

This a very good AAR, Veld.

Two questions, though.

1) How did you get their names to have numbers after them "Landul III" for example?

2) How did you make your second son inherit instead of your first son? Consanguinity?

- Crusaderknight

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

This a very good AAR, Veld.

Two questions, though.

1) How did you get their names to have numbers after them "Landul III" for example?

2) How did you make your second son inherit instead of your first son? Consanguinity?

- Crusaderknight

1) Open the save game file with wordpad, find the character and rename him. I also then write down the characters ID to make it easier to find his sons, so I can change their name, once they inherit.

See here the lines from the save game file.

character = {
id = { type = 4712 id = 263649 }
dyn = 100336
tag = ROMA
name = "Gaimar VI"
home = 58
date = "11420819"
gender = male
religion = catholic
culture = "iberian"
score = { gold = 685.341 prestige = 61.670 piety = 2.700 }

2) Yes, consanguinity, as you will see in my next update, Gaimar VI doesn't have superstats, he and his brother Artavasdas had about the same stats, but since the second son had the name Gaimar, I choose him, since that would make him the 6th ruler with that name, which is cooler then Artavasdas I.

I had to start over again with Gaimar V by the way, I had been playing him for almost 20 years and he was quite succesfull with better stats, then after a safe and reload I found out that the AI agressiveness was again 'weakling' I didn't like that, so he restarted as Gaimar V in 1153, this time his stats were worse and he died much sooner than in the first time. But now at least I am playing with a more aggresive AI.

 

[stnylan]

Progressing very nicely. I always like additional details thrown in about what is happening in other parts of the gameworld.

 

[Veldmaarschalk]

Gaimar VI
Born 1142 - died 1164
Ruled 1161 - 1164 ​

The man:
Gaimar VI, again a great warrior of the de Salerno family, he was energetic and valorous. Some people would call him naieve, and Gaimar would certainly agree with them, he didn’t like intrigue at all. Gaimar had most of all a great trust in his elder brother Artvasdas who was his marshall.

Gaimar VI was married to Valdrade de Hauteville, this short marriage brought 3 sons, Audoin born in 1162, Aripert born in 1163 and Ahthari who died in his infancy. Gaimar in his short live also produced two bastard sons, Atenulf and Waldipert, both born in 1160.

Political situation:
Not much changed during his short reign, duke Silvester de Hauteville of Apulia had died, leaving his duchy to his young son, Henry de Hauteville.

His deeds:
Gaimar’s wife Valdrade was a sister of duke Silvester and when she saw that there was now a boy of nine years old on the throne, she convinced her husband to attack her nephew to make the duchy of Apulia his. Gaimar VI, had some objections against this, but he because he didn’t want to argue with his wife he decided to give in. And so in 1164, Gaimar and his brother invaded Apulia. Gaimar, valorous as he was, led the attack himself, not a very wise move as it turned cause he was shot of his horse by an arrow and died on the field of battle.

His troops, led by bis brother Artavasdas, won the battle none the less and after count Liutward de Salerno of Palermo had conquered Messina, the de Salerno’s were now also dukes of Apulia. Or to be more precise, Gaimars young son, Audoin I, was the now duke of Apulia also.