• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
AWWWW YEAHHHHHHHHH!YOU CONVERTED!I'M SO HAPPY :D I think my head will explode,OMG I love your AAR


WOW,I lost too many posts :(

Thanks! I'm glad you are still following this AAR :). I'm afraid I'll be delaying the update for this AAR. I will need to play ahead for a bit so I can have contents to last me for awhile. With my old laptop, it may take awhile for me to get through the years which means that I might not update this AAR for two weeks or so.
 
Thanks! I'm glad you are still following this AAR :). I'm afraid I'll be delaying the update for this AAR. I will need to play ahead for a bit so I can have contents to last me for awhile. With my old laptop, it may take awhile for me to get through the years which means that I might not update this AAR for two weeks or so.


Ok :D Also,focus a bit more in your national internal conflicts (like the religious one :3 )
 
Chapter 108

In 812 AD, the Romans once again struggled to keep their territories under control. While the Romans were bloodthirsty, they were hesitant to attack their own people. This was the case in the Iberian peninsula where a small nation has gained its independence through peaceful means. Because the new nation's capital was located in Barcelona, the nation declared itself as Barcelona. With another nation breaking free, the Roman's control over the Iberian peninsula was further weakened. Barcelona had a few provinces in her control with one that was thankfully coastal. This nation immediately began to improve relations with Leon as both nations were in similar situation. While both nations gained independence, the fact that they bordered Rome meant that their independence isn't guaranteed to last forever. The Barcelona ruler, following Leon's lead, improved relations with the Langobards, the only superpower that can take on the Romans. The Langobards welcomed the birth of the new nation with open arms by arranging marriages. The act to befriend the newly formed nation didn't go unnoticed by the Romans. The tension between the two nations risen further.

In Asia, the Langobards still needed to cut the Romans off from further expansion eastwards and an opportunity presented itself near the Persian Gulf. One of the newly captured Kangju provinces gave the Langobards knowledge of a coastal province that bordered the Romans. It was imperative that the Langobards take the province to delay the Romans from discovering anymore provinces eastwards. The province was under the control of the Japanese who, from the many coastal provinces they control, had proven themselves as a naval power that expanded steadily along the coast. The Japanese were already occupied with many of their wars in the East which meant that their ruler wasn't happy when he learned of the new war. Therefore, a few months passed and the Japanese province was ceded only days after its occupation. It was only months later that the Langobards ruler learned, to his surprise, that Funan, a Roman ally, was east of the newly conquered province. Should the Romans take the new province, it would link the two nations and result in a tougher encirclement of the Romans.

By the end of the war with the Japanese, the Langobards learned of a region called India. It was said that there was great wealth in the area and it wasn't that far from the Persian Gulf. Unfortunately, the Romans heard of the news as well and prepare to do the same. The Roman emperor asked the ruler of Funan to deliver accurate maps of the region to aid his expansion in the area. The Funans, while thankful for the liberation by the Romans, weren't too thrilled to learn of the Romans wanting to expand into their region. The Funan ruler chose to refuse the request which nearly sparked a war between the two nations. What stopped the war from taking place was the vital decision that would take place in Rome. The Romans were prepared to take a national idea to move their nation further ahead. After much debate, the Romans took an unexpected choice. With the centuries of warmongering, the Romans were expected to take a military related idea to further boost their military capacity or simply improve the quality of their troops. Instead, the Romans took the idea of National Trade Policy which would increase the ducats entering the Roman treasury. Many nations found the development very interesting. The fact that the Romans picked a financial idea meant that their economy wasn't as great as they boasted it to be.

In 825 AD, another peaceful fight for independence resulted in the nation of Zeta breaking free in West Balkans. With five provinces under their control, Zeta appeared to be in great shape. There were two things that worked against this new nation. First, this nation didn't have great relations with Rome which meant that their independence wasn't guaranteed. Secondly, the Zeta wasn't a Catholic nation. Their independence was quickly shortlived when the Langobards declared war. At the time, the Romans were rumored to be preparing in the retaking of Zeta. The Langobards chose to strike first to deny the Romans from reclaiming their former territory. The action proved to spark further tension along the Langobards-Roman border with people from both sides bracing for another war. While the war with Zeta was taking place, worrying news arrived at the Langobards court. The people of Great Moravia wanted recognition as a nation and formed many claims in Eastern Europe near Warsaw. As soon as the war with Zeta ended, Langobards troops were immediately relocated into Eastern Europe to quickly respond to possible rebellion. As expected, the people of Great Moravia, following the Langobards king's denial to their independence, chose the bloody path of war to achieve their goals.

On the January of 829, the people of Great Moravia rose up in rebellion to fight for their independence. The rebels were estimated to be five hundred thousand strong. Some cities fell instantly as the rebels overwhelmed the garrisons. The Langobards troops sent by the king, garrisoned in nearby provinces, were immediately sent into the area. Bloody battles would ensue as both sides suffered heavy casualties. The king, upon hearing the slow progress of the battles, ordered more reinforcements into the area. Unfortunately for the rebels, they didn't have the same luxury. Some of the provinces they occupied still haven't been converted to Catholic yet. As all Catholics, the rebels chose to slaughter those that followed a different faith. As such, the rebels lost support of the locals. To make matters worse, the locals began their own resistance to fight against the rebels. With enemies on both sides, the rebel numbers began to dwindle and many of their headquarters were retaken by the Langobards troops. One year later, the rebellion had more or less been successfully put down. The Langobards king, taking no chances, ordered his troops to clean up the remaining pockets of resistance.

Tech:

Government: 11
Production: 28
Trade: 13
Naval: 19
Land: 62

Map of Langobards in year 830:

MGKxJAZ.png


Religious Map of Langobards in year 830:

ZVZi76r.png
 
Chapter 109

In 832 AD, a different branch of the Pieronis family had risen to power in Rome. This branch was banished from Langobards because they had attempted to overthrow the ruler many times. The branch, with nowhere to run except Rome, found themselves entering Roman territory for the first time. When the Roman officials learned of this, they made a decision to aid the Pieronis instead of banishing them as well. The officials believed that these people could provide important intelligence for the Romans. The head of this branch, his name long forgotten, used the opportunity to put his family into government positions. Using intrigue, the head managed to remove all the oppositions that stood in his way to control of the throne. Unfortunately, the head died a month before he could carry out the plan. His son would take over and successfully became the new Roman emperor.

Their struggle for power, however, hadn't ended when one of them took the throne. The internal struggles had destabilized the nation by creating chaos. Many of the people that were killed in the struggles had great influence in their regions. Their death led to fracture of the people in those regions. As such, internal battles across much of Rome took place and the new Roman emperor struggled to restore peace. The Roman treasury was nearly empty at the time which meant that raiseing armies to restore order was an impossible task. The new emperor needed more ducats to maintain control of the throne and he only saw one solution. To solve this problem, the new Roman emperor turned to the Langobards king for aid. The Langobards king saw this as an opportunity to secure peace for both nations in the long run. Thus, he didn't hesitate to provide financial aid to ensure that his family would control Rome as well. The financial aid proved to stabilized Rome and guaranteed that the throne remained in the hands of a Pieroni. This development would secure a peace treaty between the two nations. Neither nations would attack each other for petty gains and citizens from both sides celebrated to the news. It would appear that Europe would finally be relieved all of its tensions.

In Iberia, a small nation known as Andorra would break free from Roman control. Like Barcelona, they broke free by peaceful means and thus bloodshed was avoided. Barcelona, with a new neighbor, vowed to protect their new friend by guaranteeing the independence of Andorra. Just when the new Roman emperor thought the fight for independence would end there, he was in for a surprise in the Balkans. Another non-Catholic nation, Raska, broke free just north of where Zeta originally broke free at. The Langobards were quick to act and annexation of the nation soon took place. The two annexations in Western Balkans had further strengthened the control of Langobards in the region. The Langobards king knew that, despite having a family on the Roman throne, he could never be too cautious with the intentions of the Romans.

In 842 AD, the Langobards began taking part of the Western Arms Trade. The Romans were making much greater advances in their weaponry and that would give them an even greater advantage against the Langobards. The generals hoped the arms trade would bring their soldiers up to speed to effectively combat any enemy they may face in battle. The arms trade would bring in better swords and siege weapons. The generals were amazed by the advance made by the Romans and feared for their safety had they lacked the knowledge provided by this arms trade. However, the generals failed to keep the participation a secret and the neighbors of Langobards despised them for it. Thus, the Langobards took a prestige hit and the Langobards king wasn't too happy about it. While the king did attempt to shut the arms trade down, the generals were able to convince him of the greater good. Like the generals, the king feared that his nation would lose a war against Rome due to their backwardness. Thus, the king, in the public, maintained his opposition to the arms trade while providing aid to those maintaining the operation.

In 844 AD, the Scottish broke free in the Northern British Isles. The Scottish had planned the uprising for nearly a decade and they carried out their plan perfectly. They first got their own people into the positions with power in the region. Next, they quietly convinced the people to support their ideas. When the preparations were completed, they took over the region literally overnight and declared their nation Scotland. The Langobards court was caught off guard and didn't even react to the uprising until it was too late. Because the Scottish didn't use force to ensure their independence, they also ensured that they would bypass a war for independence which spelled failure for the Moravia people. The garrisons and regiments in the region also defected over to the Scottish which put the Langobards in a dire situation. The expansion eastwards meant that there weren't many troops situated in the British Isles. With the defection of more than half of all the troops in the British Isles, the Langobards needed to quickly recruit on the mainland and ship the soldiers to British Isles. The king knew that he needed to act fast before the Scottish secure an alliance with the Romans. Should that happen, they have no hope of retaking the region without a bloody war.

Tech:

Government: 11
Production: 28
Trade: 13
Naval: 19
Land: 62

 
Last edited:
Ha you got one of your family onto the Roman throne! :rofl: Also your Land tech is -way- to advanced compared to the rest of your tech. You should invest in the other stuff now, it should be a whole lot cheaper thanks to it being much later in the game.
 
Try to form a PU with Rome.:laugh:
 
Ha you got one of your family onto the Roman throne! :rofl: Also your Land tech is -way- to advanced compared to the rest of your tech. You should invest in the other stuff now, it should be a whole lot cheaper thanks to it being much later in the game.

The problem is that the other tech aren't cheaper. They are still expensive and I have no choice but to focus on my land tech. Rome has better tech rate and I'm quickly falling behind. If my land tech isn't close, I'm afraid I have no chance of beating Rome in an actual war :p.

Try to form a PU with Rome.:laugh:

If I formed a PU, where's the fun for the AAR? I'm trying to last until 2010 and I prefer that the AAR ends with our two nations fighting each other.

Chapter 110

The Scottish were foolish to believe that the Langobards wouldn't take any actions. The Langobards king, taking advice from his closest advisers, appeared to be friendly towards the Scottish on the surface. It was unacceptable for the Langobards to allow Scotland to remain independent and the king knew his honor was on the line. However, the lack of forces on the British Isles meant that the king needed to buy time to get the necessary forces to the soon-to-be battlefield. The Langobards fleet was still active in the English Channel while a Langobards division, numbering 12 thousand men, was available in the Holland region. Luckily for the Langobards, the Scottish weren't able to take possession of any ships when they declared independence. Construction of ships took a long time and that time was what the Langobards needed to sneak their forces to the British Isles. Taking no risks, the Langobards fleet would carry the division to a fair distance from the Langobards-Scottish border. The division would then march to meet with the other division that was already waiting in the region. The two divisions would merge and carry out the assault of Scotland.

The Scottish ruler was a fool when he thought the Langobards backed away. With no immediate declaration of war, he thought he had a chance to form an alliance with the Romans to guarantee his nation's independence. Before he can tackle diplomacy abroad, there were more pressing matters in the nation itself. First and foremost, the newborn nation had economic struggles and needed improve infrastructure. While the Langobards did have many building projects across the nation, British Isles was one of the few locations that was neglected. This would hurt the Scottish in maintaining their army. Thinking that there wasn't immediate threat from his neighbor, the Scottish ruler disbanded the entire military and used the ducats to strengthen his nation as a whole. The disband proved to be great news for the Langobards. The division from Holland still needed time to arrive and the king needed to act fast before an alliance can be forged between Scotland and Rome. The king had nothing else to do except wait for the news of his divisions meeting up south of Scotland.

When the fleet first set out, the weather was less than ideal. A storm was starting to form and there were doubts whether the ships can even make it to the Holland region on time. The admiral, a young and daring man, chose to tackle the storm head on. While some saw the move as childish, the admiral knew exactly what he got his ships into. Seeing the wind direction, the admiral realized that the storm may actually aid his ships in his journey to Holland. As predicted, the ships arrive a week before schedule and the division was prepared for their trip across the channel. The admiral was faced with a challenge getting the troops back to the British Isles. The winds that aided his trip to Holland would hinder his trip back. The admiral took a daring decision by ordering his ships to make a journey through the North Sea. The North Sea was, at the time, a place that all ships avoided. The unpredictable weather in the area often resulted in sunken ships. As for the ships that do make the journey, those ships would never make it out to sea ever again. When the crew under the admiral learned of the bold move, they threatened to desert him if he was going to go ahead with the plan. It would seem that Scotland would indeed earn her independence with the Langobards defeated by mother nature herself.

The admiral was unfazed by the reaction of his crew. On the day of the departure, the admiral made a speech that was rumored to have made every man cry. While the exact words were long forgotten, the meaning behind them were forever remembered:

We are faced with a difficult task. A task that may end our lives. However, we had no choice but move forward. Our success would mean that a lot less men would die because we would prevent a war between Langobards and Rome. The men that serve Langobards never backed away from a challenge. No one retreat in the face of defeat. If maintaining the peace between the two great nations meant the death of a couple of thousand men, then we would gladly give up our lives. There's a storm in the channel that stops us from moving forwards. We can, however, still move forward by heading into the North Sea. The North Sea has been a graveyard for ships. So what? We have survived bitter winters with no food and shelter. We overcame the odds by defeating the Magyars and the Romans. We have proven that we are a force to be reckoned with. We fail if we dared not to try. That's why we can, and will, travel through the North Sea. We will arrive on time and we will reconquer Scotland!

 
Serves those scots right.

Yup, they must be idiots if they think they can survive without my protection :p.

Chapter 111

On the February of 844, the Langobards fleet set sail for the British Isle. The ships sailed right into North Sea and began their journey to the expected location. The ships were in tight formation so that none of the ships would get lost. Halfway through the journey, the great storm began unexpectedly. The crews aboard the ships were terrified but they continued to man their post. A lightning strike struck one of the ships and flames quickly engulfed it. The admiral reluctantly ordered his other ships to abandon the sinking ship because he knew that the men aboard the sinking ship were already doomed. Stopping to help the ship would only put more men at risk. However, the lightning strike was only the beginning. The waves were growing larger with each passing hour and it didn't take too long before the waves rose higher than the ships. The admiral read the pattern of the waves and signaled his ships into a new formation. Slowly, but steadily, the fleet got through the North Sea following the orders of the admiral. In more than one occasion, it looked as though the fleet was doomed. The admiral came through every time and the sailors began to respect the admiral more. The major casualty was the 1000 men and crew of the ship sunk by the lightning strike. The remainder of the 11 thousand men, many of whom were weak from seasickness, weren't in best conditions but at least they were still alive. It had appeared that the admiral had done his job and got the soldiers across.

The next challenge for the general awaiting for the fleet was mobilizing the soldiers. Nearly all of those soldiers were seasick and only a few could walk on their own strength. This was troubling news since the soldiers needed to arrive at the front lines in time. The general decided to let the soldiers rest on the day arrived and hoped that they would be in better shape the next day. Meanwhile, the general, taking advice from one of his officers, sent men to gather horses around the city. The horses would serve as the transportation for the men. Each horse would carry two men and the 3000 horses that arrived with the soldiers would take care of half of the division. The general hoped that he could get enough in the nearby areas while sending word to the other division to send some of their horses as well. By the very next day, 6000 horses were assembled to carry the men to their destination. Most of the men, still at their primes, recovered quickly and were fit enough to ride. The progress to the front lines was slow at first but, by the end of the day, all 11 thousand, along with 1000 men recruited locally, met with the other division. War was declared on Scotland on March 20, 844.

The declaration of war on Scotland took the king of Scotland by surprise. He doubted that the Langobards had enough men to defeat him with the storms in the channel. The division wouldn't pose a great threat once he recruited his soldiers. He laughed at the hasty choice made by his enemy and vowed to teach the Langobards a proper lesson. Every Scottish province began recruiting and training men for the upcoming battle. The Langobards, knowing that Scotland was temporarily defenseless, began to split up into regiment to start sieges all over Scotland. It wasn't until a month after the declaration of war that the king of Scotland noticed something was wrong. The Langobards were splitting up but each regiment was still capable to taking on the new recruits. It wasn't a week later that he learned of the secret landing by a Langobards admiral. The 24 thousand men that had assembled were more than enough to began sieges across all of Scotland. By then, the Langobards navy was sent to patrol the seas to take out any Scottish ships. It was only a matter of time before all the sieges were completed and Scotland became a part of Langobards once again.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 112


Prior to 845 AD, the Langobards were viewed by all, including the people within it, as a barbarian state. To the Romans who were the only people considered to be civilized, barbarians were uncivilized brutes that populate the lands east of them. Thus, all neighbors excluding Rome were barbarian states like the Langobards. When the Langobards first began their story in Western Europe, they, like many of their neighbors, were exactly as the Romans had described them to be. However, the centuries of interaction with the Romans had began a change. Slowly, but surely, the Langobards were going through a series of changes that would change the nation as a whole. That change came in 845 AD but we will tell the story of their past first.

The Langobards lived a simple life when they migrated into Western Europe. The people formed small villages and relied on hunting and gathering for food. The ancient forest that cover the lands of Langobards was filled with many prey and vegetation that can serve as food. In addition, the Langboards never learned of agriculture that has suited the Romans so well. Therefore, the limited access to food had kept the population of the Langobards low. While the population of Rome grew steadily, the Langobards population was virtually constant year after year. The Langobards people were a peaceful lot that wanted no trouble from their neighbors. Unless something important came up, there was basically no communication between the villages. Despite being viewed as a nation, each village within the nation was practically isolated and governed by its own sets of rules and people. This lifestyle went on for a century or so before the influence of the outside world interrupted the lives of everyone in Langobards. The people of Langobards began to realize that they shared dangerous neighbors. Neighbors that strive on warfare and blood spill. Neighbors that aim to take land for themselves to grow stronger. The Langobards needed to act before they were forever erased from history.

The biggest threat among their neighbors was the Romans. With incredible discipline and advanced weapons, the Romans had conquered all the lands west of Langobards. The invasion of the Romans had forced people to escape to the east and Langobards became one of their destinations. When a huge surge of people entered Langobards, the elders in each village were overwhelmed by the sudden unexpected problem. Previously, the hunting and gathering was enough to feed the local population while still building up a small surplus. The arrival of the displaced people was putting a massive strain on the food supply. While other barbarian states refused access to these people and, in some cases, killed the people to steal whatever loot they can get, the Langobards people were peaceful people that welcomed the people in need with open hands. From these new people, new ideas began to flow in Langobards. The locals learned of agriculture and instantly utilized this method. Despite the first few years being tough, the people got through and their farms were producing enough to support the entire population. With the constant wars between Rome and the minor states west of Langobards, the number of people migrating into Langobards rose dramatically. The villages that were once common in the state became small towns. The formation of towns began to increase the interactions of the towns. As a result, more communication between the people was made possible and this was the first sign of the Langobards becoming a state.

The Langobard's first great leader finally 'unified' the state by giving its people an identity. They were no longer the tribes living throughout the land with no connections. They have became the people of a state with a common goal: To survive in a cruel world and carve their names into history. The Langobards weren't builders. They never accomplished the many engineering feats that the Romans had accomplished. They only had survival on their mind and only through warfare can they come out on top. The interactions between the towns had risen rapidly but there was still little to no interaction with the outside world. The Romans were too busy with conquest to bother with diplomacy with those they considered barbarians. The other barbarian states, like the old Langobards, were isolated villages that had no unity or identity. It was during this time that the Langobards realized that they can only rely on themselves. The elders of Langobards learned that they must learn of their neighbors first. With its previous isolationism view, trade, a main source of income for the Romans, never did flourish in this barbarian state. However, that was about to change...
 
Last edited:

:)

Chapter 113

The word merchant was a foreign term for the Langobards. Small scale trading within the nation was rare, let alone trading abroad. However, the elders of Langobards had heard the riches trade brought to Rome. If Langobards were to survive in Europe, they would need a stronger economy to support a stronger military. Thus, the Langobards sent merchants elsewhere hoping to establish a presence there. After a while, it became obvious that the Langobards continued to struggle in establishing trade elsewhere. When it got to the point that the Langobards were losing money when they sent merchants, they were forced to abandon the idea of trade altogether. At least, they abandoned establishing trade elsewhere.

At that point, the elders of Langobards began to juggle around a different idea. The difficulty in establishing trade elsewhere was partly due to the poor relations with foreign states or nations. The Langobards merchants were driven away with all their possessions confiscated. There was only one option the Langobards can take and it would, coincidentally, suit their agenda perfectly. Growing their military would open more options in trade. If their merchants were expelled from states that dislike them, then the Langobards would conquer the state. With the center of trade under their control, they would guarantee the protection of their merchants. As a result, more income from trade would start trickling in and the Langobards treasury would be less empty than before.

To strengthen their military, the Langobards made a series of reforms. Learning of the military of their neighbors, the elders picked reform that would suit their state best. Living in Germany where forest was abundant, their armies would be comprised of infantry. Even after the introduction of cavalry, the Langobards continued to form the bulk of their army with infantry. With heavy focus over infantry, the resources that were invested in infantry would soon bear fruit. The mass production of infantry armor and weapons meant the maintenance of infantry was a lot lower than before. Next, the Langobards set an age range for soldiers. They wanted men to join the army at their prime to ensure only the best fight for their state. While this limitation did lower the overall manpower available to replenish or recruit troops, the soldiers that do join would be of better quality. Not only would these soldiers have better morale but they were also capable of surviving in harsher conditions. Meanwhile, cavalry weren't very popular with the Langobards still. Horses were expensive commodities that the Langobards couldn't afford. With hardly any provinces in Western Europe raising horses, the Langobards never bothered introducing cavalry into their ranks.

It wasn't until the contact with Magyars did the Langobards realized the potential of cavalry. Following their defeat to the Magyars, both Langobards and Rome began to explore cavalry as a tool in warfare. While both nations had lost against Magyars, their loss had opened up trade between themselves and nations to the far east. Traders in the far east saw the potential profits with trading horses with Western European states. The Langobards welcomed the traders with open arms and began to purchase large number of horses to raise and breed. While the horse population was growing steadily, the Langobards began to train cavalry. However, the Langobards elders were disappointed when they discovered that the cost of cavalry remained high. Their breeding grounds for the horses weren't the ideal environment and the gear needed to equip cavalry were expensive. Overall, cavalry never did became a key part of the Langobards army. While there were some cavalry supporting the infantry, cavalry would never became a core within the Langobards ranks until much later in history.

By the time the Langobards began their quest to conquer Eastern Europe, the elders learned that war aren't won solely on winning battles. Small towns and even villages had fortifications that were meant to keep out invaders. With no actual way of breaking through the fortifications, the attackers must rely on sieges to break through the defenses. Thus, the leaders within the army must learn of how to speed up sieges. What helped the Langobards was the fact that their eastern neighbors, like the old Langobards, only had small surplus of food stored every year. The surplus ran out quickly and the defenders were forced to surrender quickly. Before these sieges can take place, a battle must take place in which the victor would gain the upper hand. Thus, the Langobards ensured their soldiers had a morale advantage while their state maintained a larger army than her neighbors. In addition, the Langobards focused all their remaining resources on researching better weapons.

With the main focus on military, the research on other aspects of the nation was greatly hindered. Thus, the military of the Langobards was matching the quality of those in Rome. In other aspects such as trade, government and production, the Langobards were falling behind year after year. Their backwardness in those aspects would hurt the Langobards greatly in the long run as they lost a lot of income and other benefits had they kept up with the Romans. The Langobards finally realized their losses by 845 AD and began a series of reforms that would turn them from a Barbarian State into a Settled Civilization.

 
Im a bit late but i have to say that AAR is amazing good job!

Thanks a lot :)! I'm happy that this AAR got another reader. The only downside of being late as you are is that you must get through all those chapters, some of which I admit could've been better. Luckily, there will be more interesting updates coming up as we move forward from here.
 
Thanks a lot :)! I'm happy that this AAR got another reader. The only downside of being late as you are is that you must get through all those chapters, some of which I admit could've been better. Luckily, there will be more interesting updates coming up as we move forward from here.

Another benefit of being conquered early in an AAR! Athough I still wish my AAR hadn't took that route, though.
 
Another benefit of being conquered early in an AAR! Athough I still wish my AAR hadn't took that route, though.

Haha, not everyone is willing to write an AAR recording a defeat. Still, I took on the challenge of playing this Mod knowing that it would take a long time to finish the AAR. After all, I, assuming that I can get to the end of the game, still haven't gotten to the halfway point yet.

Chapter 114

As a settled civilization, the Langobards were heading into a brighter future. Rome, the example of a successful settled civilization, had existed for far longer than anyone can remember. There were many benefits a nation obtained by settling down and, for the Langobards, these benefits would soon move Langobards forward at a rate no one thought was possible. The transition from the old ways to the new ways weren't always smooth. Unlike the old days, the people living in the nation weren't isolated in small villages with little interaction outside one's home. Towns and cities began to sprout out across the nation to accommodate the growing population. The growing population was the result of the agricultural boom that was made possible by government projects across the nation. Thus, the towns and cities would begin a new chapter for the Langobards.

The towns and cities offered more opportunities which was alluring to the newer generations. The cities created new routes for trade which was beginning to take place in Langobards. Not only was trading becoming an easier way to make wealth but it also aided the local industries. In the old days, production was kept at a minimal because small population had low demand. If someone needed something, the local craftsman would dedicate a few days making it. There was no reason to make more when one doesn't have to. The opening of new trade routes and interactions with merchants saw a growth in the production industry. More products were made to meet the high demands across the nation. When the Langobards finally broke free from its old ways, the government realized the potential of trade. In a large nation like the Langobards, the number of products that can be created was incredible. However, the products were usually native to a certain region. Thus, the trade routes were the solution as different products were transported to different regions where it would be considered a luxury. Slowly, but surely, trade was flourishing across the nation. The king even ordered the creation of armed escorts for merchants and travelers to ensure that they were safe on the road.

Being settled, missionaries also benefited from the changes. They had an easier time reaching the people who followed the incorrect faith. At the time, there were still many regions that still followed the old ways. The lack of infrastructure and interactions has hindered the progress of conversions in the past. With the new roads built and armed escorts, missionaries traveled across the nation with more ease and could perform their duties more effectively. Bringing the people under one faith, the missionaries were playing their part in bringing more order to their nation. On the topic of order, the growing population was beginning to result in more crimes and the king wanted to keep those problems under control. Gathering the elders, the king made a set of codes that would form the foundation of the Langobards Law. The codes would, in theory, bring about justice to the victims while punishing the offender. While the codes hadn't always achieved their goals in its early stages, order was maintained in Langobards more efficiently than it was in the past. It would take several centuries before the Langobards Law was created (but that will be a topic in the future).

The biggest change brought about was research. In the past, the Langobards only know of survival and war. To them, only breakthroughs in weapons and tactics were worthwhile. However, the centuries began to change their view. The flourishing of trade and production saw the king wanting to improve those aspects of his nation as well. There were many areas that the Langobards were lacking at the time. Compared to the Romans, the Langobards were still barbaric. Other than being equals in the art of war, the Langobards had nothing else that even came close to rivaling the Romans. Thus, the king ordered many schools and academies built across the nation to not only aid scholars but to educate the population overall. To catch up to the Romans, the king knew that he needed the future generations to be capable to guiding the nation down a brighter path. The future generations must be better educated so they would make informed decisions. The predecessors of Langobards had brought about survival by defeating the enemies of Langobards. The future descendants of Langobards must not only defeat the enemies but also make the Langobards the role model of all other nations. Achieving greatness was the ultimate goal for the Langobards. Anything less would be considered unworthy. Faced with the rapid changes, what will the future bear for this great nation?



 
Well, I didn't start out to record my grusome defeat. I had already started the AAR before it happened, and I figured it would be better to finish it off than to just abandon it. I still liked how it ended, though.
 
Chapter 115

On September 1st, 845, all of Scotland was occupied by the Langobards. A war that lasted more than a year has finally concluded with the Langobards coming on top. The Scottish were foolish to challenge the Langobards in the first place. The Langobards were people that were determined to overcome any obstacle to achieve their goals. If their navy must travel through treacherous waters to transport troops to a battlefield, one was sure the Langobards wouldn't hesitate in the face of danger and possible death. The Scottish learned the lesson the hard way as they suffered many losses once their nation was annexed. The Langobards king didn't tolerate betrayal and ordered harsh punishments for those that dared to oppose him. Children under the age of 10 were all forced to get on ships to be transported elsewhere. These children would never see their families ever again and the king wanted this to be a warning to all. However, the Langobards king wasn't a cruel person. He wanted to make an example with the separation of children but he never meant any harm to those children. The children would have new caring families and start a good life elsewhere. As time passed, the anger towards the king, like the fight for Scottish independence, would be forgotten among the other events in history. It seemed as though that the war never even happened.

While the Langobards were preoccupied with Scotland, Rome had her own problems. Following the financial aid from the Langobards king, the Pieroni family in Rome did, briefly, stabilize the situation in Rome. Rebellions were put down and, for a brief period, peace appeared to have been restored. However, the discontent between the citizens of Rome and the Roman government has risen to an all time high. The average citizen wanted reforms. Of course, these demands weren't without any reasoning. The Roman government has, for centuries, been mistreating its citizens. Since the death of the Roman emperor Augustus, the lives of an average Roman began to get worse. The Roman emperors following Augustus only had conquest on their minds. To them, the greatest achievement one can accomplish as the emperor depended on the number of land one conquered in his lifetime. War wasn't cheap but those emperors didn't care. At first, the Roman emperor raised the taxes of those they considered Barbarians. This group of people included everyone that lived outside of Italy. At first, the taxes were acceptable since those people still made a living with their earnings. During the defeat against the Magyars, it was said that the Romans were forced to give a tribute of 25 thousand ducats under the table to persuade the Magyars to agree to the peace deal that was known to all the nations at the time. The tribute was a huge sum of ducats and the Roman emperor at the time took drastic measures to get the sum. The taxes on Barbarians tripled overnight and even those living in Italy weren't spared, though they only got a minor increase. The sudden increase of taxes for the Barbarians made the lives of those people unbearable. There were many instance of revolts but the Roman military put them down without any trouble.

In the centuries following the loss to Magyars, the Barbarians living in Rome were living in substandard living conditions. An average family could barely guarantee everyone 2 meals a day. The local officials, hoping to prevent revolts, made laws that made it mandatory for Barbarian children, ages 14 and up, to join the Roman military. Being part of the Roman military was once an honorable profession. Not only were the soldiers paid well but the soldiers could earn citizen status. Since the death of Augustus, the Roman emperors, fearing that the Barbarians would become too powerful, removed the benefit of becoming a citizen. However, the pay was still decent and many were eager to join. When the taxes of an average Barbarian was raised, the pay for Barbarian soldiers began to drop as well. By the time of the failed revolts, a Barbarian soldier could barely get by with his pay and that's assuming he survives the battles. The Roman army has been reorganized in a way that would put the Barbarian soldiers at the front. The Barbarians were the ones that were supposed to take the brunt of the enemy charge while the Roman soldiers stood in the rear and deliver the killing blow to their enemies. To those that wondered why these soldiers didn't rebel, it was simply that the lives of their family was at stake. The Roman made sure that the Barbarian soldiers were sent to a distant region where, should they rebel, they had no way of protecting their family. Unlike the Romans, the Barbarians talked about honor and sacrificing family members for one's well being was out of question.

As the centuries went by, the hate between the Barbarians and the Romans grew. The Barbarians especially hated their powerlessness to stop the Romans. However, that didn't meant they stopped plotting their freedom. As luck would have it, the situation was beginning to shift in their favor. The defeats to the Langobards resulted in an empty Roman treasury. The Roman emperor began to implement high taxes to Roman citizens that resided in Italy. The Roman citizens were beginning to get a taste of what the Barbarians got over the centuries. As time passed, it even got to the point where the loyal Roman citizens were forced to rebel. They were put down as well but the gap between the Roman citizens and the Roman government began to widen. The average citizens within Rome began to blame the nobles and the emperor. While they struggled to make ends meet, the nobles and the emperor still lives a life of luxury and bliss. The wars that would follow soon after didn't help the situation either. The Roman Emperor implemented war taxes to fund his troops. Instead of taxing from the wealthy nobles, the average citizens were forced to fund the entire campaign. The breaking point came in 834 in an event that would be known today as the Crimson Revolution.

Tech:

Government: 11
Production: 28
Trade: 14
Naval: 19
Land: 62

Map of Langobards in year 846:

p9PdhXc.png


Religious Map of Langobards in year 846:

eOy1QAC.png

 
Chapter 116 (Crimson Revolution [part 1])

The Crimson Revolution was a period of radical changes in Rome from 834 to 846. The resentment of the privileges amongst the nobles and royal family was growing over the centuries since the creation of the Roman Empire. The massive debts, bad harvests and unfair taxation were accelerating the average citizen's desire of reform within the government. The recent struggle for power within the Roman court only further destabilized the nation. The chaos that ensued would result in one of the greatest, if not the bloodiest, revolutions in world history.

Since the Pieroni family's rise to power in 832, the Roman Empire was a shadow of its former self. When Augustus first declared Rome as an empire. Rome was at its golden age. A series of changes made the Empire more unified than previously. The government introduced fair taxes and an average person can usually make a good living on the lowest paid jobs. The constant expansion brought more wealth into the nation which were used to fund building projects and other government led projects. The wealth brought in by expansion was so great that, had the Rome Empire removed its taxes all together, it would have still functioned normally. In other words, the reign of Augustus was also known as a Golden Age for the Roman nation. Like all nations, Rome had its chance to rise to glory while not being spared from a chance to fall into chaos.

Ever since the death of Augustus, Roman Emperors were determined to follow in his footsteps. Expansion, and only expansion, was the only path they believed would lead their Empire to glory. However, times have changed and the Roman Emperors would soon learn that they must play with new sets of rules. Rules that would result in the decline of the Roman Empire. Unlike the past, the Roman Empire no longer shared border with easy targets for expansion. In other words, the previous Roman Emperors had already picked the low hanging fruits. In 14 AD (the death of Augustus), Rome shared border with nations/states that didn't have profitable lands. The lands south of their North African possessions were deserts that no one wanted. To their east, the Barbarians lived in dense forests that were unsuitable for agriculture. In the southeast, the Romans share a border with Parthia which was an equal match to them. The British Isles, at the time, didn't offer much wealth. Thus, the Roman Emperor should have changed their policies to development within instead of expansion outwards. When they decided to pick expansion over all else, the Empire was doomed to fall.

The expensive wars it has experienced over the centuries had not only depleted its treasury but the nation was accruing massive debts it cannot pay off. Roman emperors had raised taxes in hopes of alleviating the problem. Those actions would later prove to do little with the economic situation within the nation worsening decade after decade. By the time the Pieroni family rose to power, the Roman Empire has amassed a debt so great that one cannot even put it in records. The economic situation was so terrible that the Pieroni family actually needed financial support from the Langobards government to maintain order for a brief period. The financial support was a short term solution that had no impact on the overall situation. The high taxes has already taken its toll on an average Roman inhabitant (citizens and Barbarians). A family had a tough time surviving within Rome because they hardly got any income after taxes. The family was barely making enough to get by on a good day, let alone a bad one. In the years leading up to the revolution, the bad years came without warning and not a single province within the Empire was spared. A series of bad harvests were driving the food prices through the roof and many families starved to death. Even for those that didn't starve, the families usually had only a meal every two or three days.

There were riots in major Roman cities but the military brutally put them down. The people has been beaten down at the time but they still weren't giving up on the fight to survive. Suddenly, these families were given hope when they heard of power struggle within the Roman court for the crown. Believing that the people attempting to overthrow the previous government were helping them, the people did what they could to help the Pieroni family. If the Pieroni family didn't have the support of those people, their rise to power may have failed despite the financial aid from the Langobards government. The rise of the new government has, however, soon became a disappointment for the average inhabitant within Rome. Not only had the new government not made any changes to improve the lives of everyone but they even increased taxes. The people, disappointed by their new government, decided to take matters into their own hands.

 
Last edited:
It sounds like Rome is in dire need of revolution. Let the rise of the 2nd Roman Republic begin!