Viet Long: A Border Gore AAR

[eugene171]

Viet Long
A Border Gore AAR

Main Length: 61 provinces

It's hard to get away from the concept of "Long" in the nation of Dai Viet. The capital is "Thang Long", the history is rich and long, and the nation itself is rather long, relative to width.

Since my last AAR was about indiscriminate conquest with a powerful nation, I'm returning to the roots of my AAR career: weird and impractical. There is only one rule for this AAR:
No province of Dai Viet must border more than two other provinces of Dai Viet.

The New World is randomized, the patch is starting in 1.5, and the mode is sudo-Ironman. This AAR is directly inspired by "Long Korea" from EU3.


Table of Contents
A Prophetic Dream (1444-1454)
Let's Try This Again (1444-1458)
The Wiggle (1458-1477)
Knit and Mend (1477-1486)
Westward (1486-1498)
The Other Way (1498-1513)
The Way Out Is Through (1513-1536)
Snip (1536-1550)
West by Northwest (1550-1563)
Skipping Stones (1563-1588)
Western Squiggle (1558-1606)
Low-Hanging Fruit (1606-1614)
"One Inda, Please" (1614-1628)
The Gujarat Shuffle (1628-1646)
The Nogai Shuffle (1646-1659)


​

 

[eugene171]

A Prophetic Dream

The sun rises on the kingdom of Dai Viet. King Bang Co Le feels that today is a day of great importance, and consults his advisers and the nation's prophet on the significance of this day.

"My King", says the prophet, with a drawn out speech pattern to build a sense of wonder, "It is known that our nation is without peer in its prestige and wealth, but all nations crumble under the test of time"

This angers King Bang. Responding in the way expected of a man with such a name, he hides his anger and asks the prophet to continue with her explanation. Swift on the recovery, the prophet adds "All nations, my king but this. The legacy of this nation shall be long."

"Long?" King Bang mutters. "I like the sound of that. Prepare the army: I have a plan."


The king is not a military genius, but he is far from incompetent. with a compliment of great men to guide him, he sets out the staging of the invasion of the unpopular Hindu neighbor directly to the south of Dai Viet: Champa

Spoiler

With a fresh claim fabricated on the border territory, the path for King Bang to lengthen his nation greatly is clear. This bold move to secure the legacy of the nation secures it in another way as well: A new heir is born.

The prophet examines the heir, and proclaims that he will be a prolific breeder, and the father of many nations. Thus, Phuc Hi Le is brought into the world.

Spoiler

King Bang spends every waking moment organizing the war from his throne room, or tending to his son. The stress wears on him, causing him to fall ill. The war has sufficient momentum to be won by the brave troops of Dai Viet, but King Bang falls ill and does not survive. He knows that he will be leaving his prized kingdom in the hands of an inept reagent for the next 14 years, but his dying thoughts are of his son.

In the last minutes of his life, he was heard to be calling out for his son, yelling "PHUC! PHUC!" over and over again. Such a tragic end. Champa is vassalized, and the king is mourned.

Spoiler

Due to the volatile environment the kingdom finds itself in, the reagent chooses to arrange marriages with nearby Ayutthaya and Shan, followed by military alliances. This divides the region into two alliances: The heroic ASD alliance, and the villainous PeguLan Axis of Evil.

Spoiler

Shan engages in a few foreign conflicts, but they are too far to be of interest to Dai Viet. Internal matters turn to gaining control of Champa's land, and raising the little prince. In under a decade's time, the Age of Phuc will come about.

Spoiler

​

 

[jdeska]

Your recent aars have been great, I'm excited to be here from the beginning for this one!

 

[GreatUberGeek]

Same as jdeska! A fun goal indeed, and I love the King's son's name.

 

[eugene171]

Let's Try This Again

"King Bang!"
"Hmm?"
"King Bang, wake up!"
"It's... You're... What year is it?"
"1444, my king"


King Bang awakens to find his sheets soaked with sweat, covers thrown about, and with a pounding heart. It seems he was having a nightmare. "What was it, my king?" asks the royal prophet.
"It was... terrible" replies the king. "I overworked, and left the nation in the hands of incompetents for 14 long years. Then, the Ming attacked and annexed our great kingdom!"
"Tell me every detail, my king" implores the prophet.



After much retelling, the prophet says "It is clear what went wrong in your dream: You overworked yourself and died. Take it easy. The general plan was a success, but your death proved to be devastating. Proceed with the plan, but don't die this time.

And so it was: The plan was proceeded with as before, with a little more antagonizing China, and a MUCH better son being born. A glimpse at the newborn showed he would be a great administrator, and competent overall. All who heard of his potential were like "DAAAAANG!"

Thus, Prince Dang was brought into the world.

Spoiler

Champa was vassalized without much loss of life, just as the prophecy foretold. As soon as peace came, an alliance was forged with Ayutthaya. King Bang looked out upon his neighbors: One vassal, the Ming, and one weak nation of Lan Xang. The path was clear: War

Spoiler

"Pegu rallies to the defense of Lan Xang, King Bang", reports a diplomat at the beginning of the war. "Let the Elephant Warriors to the south take care of them" declares the king. Lan Xang is vassalized easily, but brings up an important question: What is to be done with them?

King Bang is a strong believer that the power of a nation is measured in its length, and nothing else. "Lan Xang shall forever be a vassal" he declares "until such time as they are useful as leverage in a peace deal." The prophet commends his wise decision, saying "Longevity is the key to success. Bloat will lead only to stagnation and death."

Spoiler

With the southern expansion stalled with the annexation of Champa in the future, King Bang looks north. the Ming are too strong to attack for now, but having claims for the future ensures that when they falter, Dai Viet will be there.

Shan is added to the alliance, fulfilling the King's prophetic dream in full. From here, thing remain unclear, and full of potential

Spoiler

Shan is attacked, and King Bang sends his promises to defend them. With no military access into Shan, this is an empty promise.

Meanwhile, the King has been watching, and pondering. He calls a meeting of generals, and explains the next phase of the plan. "Pegu is a very long nation at five provinces" he says. "Let us attack them and gain their land, consequences be damned."

The generals advise caution. "The people will be upset" they say, but these protests fall on deaf ears. It is time to attack!

Spoiler

A terrified emissary arrives from Brunei. "For your crimes against the international community, the nation of Brunei bans your merchants from our markets, and declares an official embargo on all goods from Dai Viet" He is executed on the spot, obviously.

King Bang pays these insults no mind, and mulls over the possibility of invading the island nation. That which is not connected by land may be separate from the main "longness" of a nation, while still being long in itself. Their navy is too strong for now, but the king keeps it in mind.

Pegu is vassalized without difficulty. This pleases the king.

Spoiler

At the next meeting of the generals, King Bang holds his victory over the doubters. He also brings the prophet along, and reveals the first parts of the "master plan"

"Old allies may become new enemies" he says, "But in the long run, we will prevail"

​

 

[SirKaid]

What's the plan with Panda and Tenny? Culture flip the other provinces then release Champa and Pegu as vassals once the other cores fade?

Also, subbed.

 

[eugene171]

The Wiggle

Ayutthaya sends a diplomat to see the king. "Our time together as allies must come to an end" says the diplomat. "The vassalization of Pegu interferes with our interests, and I suspect we will be enemies soon."

"Sooner than you think" replies King Bang. "Sooner than you think...

Spoiler

The subjects of Champa have grown accustom to the rule of King Bang, so he puts out the order to annex them diplomatically. Ayutthaya has just done the same with their vassal Khmer.

Spoiler

The kingdom of Shan calls for aid in another war with Kachar, and assisting nets the king some additional funds. during the war, Champa is peacefully annexed, bringing the nation to a length of 7 provinces.

Spoiler

The diplomat from Champa barely has time to see his family in Thang Long before King Bang sends him off to annex Pegu.

The king brings his troops to the southern border with Ayutthaya. He makes a declaration:

"Panduranga is a waste of space in this great nation: we shall sell it to Ayutthaya. Then, we shall claim all the land that is rightfully ours!"

Spoiler

King Bang leads the charge of battle personally. The prophet warns him before he leaves for battle "This war will be the death of you, my king." The king hesitates, but only for a moment. "My son is strong, and old enough to lead this nation." he says with pride. "Men die, but Dai Viet will live forever."

A comet appears in the skies over the battlefield, and the news comes shortly thereafter. King Bang is dead, long live King Dang!

Spoiler

King Dang does not adventure out into the battlefield like his father: his place is in the palace, tending to the official business of the lands. His younger brother Y is always there, pestering him with questions but rarely comprehending the answers. 'Something will have to be done about him' thinks Dang.

Pegu captures enemy land, netting a large sum of ducats for their overlord. Their reward will be glorious annexation. The nobles clamber for a cut of the gold, which causes sufficient disruption of normal activity that the country is destabilized yet again.

Spoiler

King Dang is unshaken by mere numbers. The war progresses well, so there is no need to panic. A circulation of publications convinces the public that the conquest of Prey Nokor is the most important thing in the world, and taking it will help stabilize the nation.

In total, four provinces are taken from Ayutthaya. Dai Viet is now a healthy length of 10.

Spoiler

As soon as the war is over, King Dang surveys the maps and nation's reserves. He writes up a very strongly worded letter to the king of Lan Xang, stating that their time as a vassal of Dai Viet has come to an end. The diplomat tasked to deliver the note asks "My king, won't this news destabilize the nation?" King Dang replies "you cannot destabilize that which is already at its least stable. Be on your way, and be swift" Dang then begins drafting the paperwork for the coring of the captured land, and a series of programs to stabilize the nation again.

Pegu is annexed shortly thereafter, and Aech takes notice of both Dai Viet's strength and their hatred of Ayutthaya. The kig declares that all land in that direction is of no interest, so they will be suitable allies.

Spoiler

"The southernmost province of the former state of Pegu is worthless to us" declares King Dang, as he sells it to Ayutthaya. "Let us focus our eyes on the land of our former vassal."

Long Live Dai Viet!
​

As a nuts-and-bolts address of the AAR, the devs seem to have made it much harder to sell your provinces to other nations. Instances where the console must be used are sure to arise, but will be done for zero money.

 

[McGrey]

Were did you alway get your crazy ideas from? Granted, english world domination is "normal" (by some definitions of that word) but the rest is utterly crazy and realy fun to read.

 

[Legolas]

Great, another one of your AARs. As if I didn't have enough AARs to read. Subscribed

 

[Topsy Cret]

I've been wanting to do something very similar to this, but as Great Britain instead of Dai Viet, and to mainland Europe instead of southeast Asia. Good luck!

 

[jdeska]

Bang, dang, Y! Great job so far

 

[eugene171]

Were did you alway get your crazy ideas from? Granted, english world domination is "normal" (by some definitions of that word) but the rest is utterly crazy and realy fun to read.

Usually the 'strange screenshot' thread on the EU4 main forum page. As mentioned in the main post, this is based off of an EU3 "Long Korea" map. Long Korea is Long.

Great, another one of your AARs. As if I didn't have enough AARs to read. Subscribed

All of this is a ploy to delay the release of EvW, I swear.

But seriously, this AAR will be a little slower on the update than my usual, due to grad school picking up something wicked.

I've been wanting to do something very similar to this, but as Great Britain instead of Dai Viet, and to mainland Europe instead of southeast Asia. Good luck!

Who says we're staying in SE Asia

And go for it! Map painting is an art: Some people use a roller, and some people use a brush.

Bang, dang, Y! Great job so far

This is truly a treasure trove for great names. RIP dream-sequence Fuch Hi Le

Knit and Mend


King Dang continues his bureaucratic rule as one would expect: Where there is territory to be taken, first a claim must be filed. An influenza outbreak is fixed with ruthless efficiency: The dead cannot spread disease.

Truly, this man was born to be a bureaucrat.

Spoiler

The people of Lan Xang are stomped swiftly, and with minimal loss of life. Prince Y led the charge into battle for his brother gleefully, but was perplexed with the small land grab."Brother", asked Y, "For what reason are we taking only one province? We should force them to bend a knee in allegiance to our kingdom!

"Y, are you that eager to forget the destiny that our father laid out for us?" inquires King Dang. "He set us on the path to become the longest nation in the world, and we must follow that path. Those nations that will not directly aid us, or do not have land to take are of no interest. We must mend our fractured nation and continue our journey to greatness in a linear fashion"

This speech causes everyone in the room to stand an applaud, state-of-the-union style, except Y. He storms out of the throne room, muttering something about having nationalist rebels to kill.

Spoiler

King Dang assesses the threats at hand: Shan, Ming, and Ayutthaya.

"Shan is currently an ally, but an enemy soon. Ming is a constant threat, but their isolation will be their undoing" thinks Dang. He sends a diplomat to Tibet to forge an alliance to combat these future threats.

Ayutthaya is a different matter. They would be swiftly defeated, and have no allies of consequence, but Lan Na is currently in a coalition with them against Dai Viet. King Dang spends countless hours studying the problem, running numbers, and thinking of potential solutions. Then it comes to him: Make these enemies into allies!

Spoiler

All the claims have been fabricated, all the alliances have been forged, and all the troops have been readied. King Dang declares war! Shan declines to participate, and soon encounters their own troubles.

"Let them waste away" suggests Y in his letter from the front lines. "When they are weakest, we will strike"

Spoiler

"Under the advising of King Dang and the field leadership of Prince Y, yet another nation falls to Dai Viet. The Eastern and Western sections are united, forming a glorious chain of destiny that will stretch from ocean to ocean, and from age to age"
-Headline from Thang Long Weekly

Spoiler

Shan is in a state of chaos. Their army is a fraction of full strength, and they are embroiled in war with several powerful neighbors.

King Dang ponders the situation. He does not have claims to any more than the border province with Shan, but when will the lives-lost-to-property-gained ratios be higher? Likely never.

Spoiler

During the war, King Dang decides to leave his own legacy on the nation: Colonization. He consults with the prophet.

"Wise Prophet, I've questions about the destiny of the nation" Dang says.
"Yes, my king?" replies the prophet
"This nation is to be the longest in the worlds, but what is to be done of the ocean? Surely a mere barrier of salty water cannot stop the expansion of might such as ours."
"I have foreseen one great stretch of land across the known world" replies the prophet "but this is not an exclusive vision. The mind cannot perceive prophecy about things is knows not. I shall meditate on this"

King Dang hires an explorer to discover the foreign lands yet unknown to Dai Viet. With this knowledge, an clearer interpretation of the prophecy may be made.

Spoiler

Standing at a stately 18 consecutive provinces, Dai Viet is getting to be rather sizable.

Rather sizable indeed.
​

 

[McGrey]

Wouldn't it be great, if Dai Viet would in the end have the shape of a Lóng spanning the eurasian continent?

 

[eugene171]

Wouldn't it be great, if Dai Viet would in the end have the shape of a Lóng spanning the eurasian continent?

I might have to steal that from you <_<

Westward


An angry diplomat storms into the palace, declaring that "Kachar will not stand for this bloodshed!" and telling King Dang to "prepare for war". It is dismissed as pointless threats. King Dang is aware of his enemies, and he does not fear them.

Spoiler

Prince Y dies suddenly, while valiantly protecting the realm from potential threats in captured territory. King Dang declares a national year of mourning, to recover the manpower of those lost in addition to his dear brother.

The Ming eventually catch wind of the death of Y, and publish a very offensive and inaccurate "biography" about the late prince. "This insult to our nation will not go unanswered" swears King Dang.

Spoiler

The nation of Bengal lies to the west of the furthest reaches of Dai Viet. King Dang, somewhat emboldened by previous conquests and strong allies, attacks with the intent to capture a large stretch of land.

"My king, the gods are pleased by this new boldness. You would do well to seize the moment" says the prophet, shooting the king a sly wink. "I'll be in my chambers, with my wife and concubines" replies Dang.
Nine months later, Prince Trang was born. Wise men and prophets across the land speak of his bright future and mastery of all things.

With the help of Tibet and Lan Na, Bengal is totally defeated. King Dang claims three of their richest provinces for Dai Viet.

Spoiler

King Dang gets a report from the newly occupied provinces of revolt. He sends in the troops, thinking that this will be an easy victory: This is not the case.

"The enemy is armed with new and previously unknown weapons!" Reads the report from the general of the now defeated army. "We are on our way back to Thang Long to discuss this matter with Your Majesty".

King Dang dismisses this report, and orderes the troops to wait for reinforcements and try again. This does the trick, but he is now both aware and wary of the new technologies of the West.

Spoiler

Lan Na's king dies, and with it the dynastic dies with Dai Viet. The new king immediately cancels the alliance with Dai Viet, declaring that King Dang is "The Devil Incarnate"

King Dang's reply is short, but says much: "Lan Na is too small and weak to consider conquering."

Spoiler

The prophet returns to King Dang, with a verdict on colonization. "That which is long is that which is good" he states. "Any lands of Dai Viet must be long, even if they are not connected by land. If this is true, then we shall be victorious"

King Dang takes this under consideration, and begins colonizing small islands to test this theory. "The Philippians will be colonized as well" he declares "But in a way that is long"

At a primary length of 21, Dai Viet is now between the powers of India and of the Ming. One of them will have to make way for the greatness of the Viet Long.

​

 

[Almdudeler]

Oh how I love it :laugh:

Do you plan to eat like a snake through Ming, or just go along the coast?

 

[McGrey]

I might have to steal that from you <_<

Feel free to do so!

 

[Saintrl]

I can't believe I just read the whole thing sniggling to myself at the kings' names. They are all priceless! XD

So far:

Bang Co --> Phuc Hai --> gameover simulation completed
Bang Co --> Dang Doanh --> Trang Tong

I'm such a terrible person for laughing the whole time.

 

[eugene171]

The Other Way

New land is discovered to the east, so far away that it must be drawn on the other side of maps. It appears uninhabited, and is too far to colonize. King Dang marks it down in his ledger for future consideration.

Spoiler

"The lands of India to the west are getting to be too powerful to invade outright" muses King Dang. "This leaves one clear course of action: we must grow longer from the other end. Rally our allies, we make war on the Ming!"

King Dang's most capable general, Kinh "Cung" Vu leads forces to the south, while the Ming attacks the Horde to the north. Vu's tactics employ a mastery of jungle terrain, and a unique form of martial arts; They prove to be highly effective.

Spoiler

Scouts and messengers report crushing defeats of the Ming by the steppe nomads to the north.

Prince Trang, almost of age, interrupts his father during one of the war cabinet's meetings. "Father, a message came for you today! A man with a fuzzy hat said to give it straight to you!"

"Thank you, my son" replies the king, proud to have such a strong and independent son. King Dang reads the letter, and his face goes white. He drops the scroll and utters only one word.

UZBEKS!

Spoiler

A convoluted shifting of alliances follows. The Oriate Horde is a valuable ally in the fight against the Ming: They fight the good fight but eventually pull out due to a two front war. King Dang sends his thanks and a vow to assist in their war effort whenever possible.

The cowards of Shan ask for assistance in their war after opting out of the war on the Ming. The emissary is laughed out of the throne room. King Dang tells him that "Shan may go about in its petty wars and squabbles, but it only exists because it is not in the way".

Spoiler

The bulk of the Ming army meets with the forces of Kinh Cung in the jungle: a fitting place for their demise.

King Dang claims three of the Ming's riches provinces for Dait Viet. He explains the reasoning to his son.

"Trang, We must grow in both directions. Westward expansion is coming to a standstill, so the Ming must be weakened as much as possible, and as soon as possible." Dang says.
Trang seems to understand, but asks for extra clarification: "Father, will we be taking over the Ming entirely? Is that not the best way to eliminate the threat?"
"No, my son. They are not a threat, just an obstacle to greatness. There are many riches beyond the Ming, yours for the taking"

Spoiler

"But for now", Dang says, "It is time to rest our nation. They are a divided people, and we must mend this."
"Father, why is our nation's name all... squiggly on this map?"
"That... is a good question. I'll have to look into that"

Spoiler

The king knows his time at the helm of Dai Viet is coming to an end. He goes to consult the prophet one last time.
"What is in store for my son?" he asks
The prophet takes a long time to consider. "I see new lands, and armies greater than anything this nation has ever seen. Giant stone triangles and men dressed as animals. Men with round eyes and faces full of hair of all colors. Not all of these may come to your son, but they are coming."

"And Dai Viet will be ready for them"

With that, the king lies down one last time. He is surrounded by loved ones in a nation that adores him. His death is peaceful.

Spoiler

King Trang surveys the nation his father has left him. It spans a great length, and pushes ever eastward out to sea. This will be his kingdom now, and he will make it great.

​

Thanks again for the comments! I'm suspecting that Dai Viet is a goldmine of name-based humor, so look forward to many more bangs, dangs, trangs, and the like.

 

[Saintrl]

Thanks again for the comments! I'm suspecting that Dai Viet is a goldmine of name-based humor, so look forward to many more bangs, dangs, trangs, and the like.

Don't forget the lost king, King Phuc! :happy:

 

[petrocksteve]

Heh, longevity.

You are taking the Vulcan saying to a whole new level.