My game got very?interesting last night. I started out as the Earl of Shrewsbury, a large province bordering Wales that was part of the Duchy of Lancaster, which was itself part of the Kingdom of England. I was a proud, brave, martial man, and I worked myself into the Duke?s favor and earned a position as his marshall, which seemed to involve him having me train his troops and raise his levies. Unsatisfied with this existence of servitude, I had my Chancellor draft up fake documents giving me a claim on the neighboring Duchy of Gwynedd, which included the large landlocked region of Powys, and a smaller quieter province to the north. With the aid of mercenaries, I was able to seize it, thus becoming the Duke of Gwynedd. Moving on up! So that was the start of my game.
Well, the Duke of Lancaster didn?t think much of my defection to the Welsh provinces, and since Shrewsbury was still a ?de jure? province of his Duchy (meaning, it was traditionally under his control, so he maintains a perpetual claim on it), he had cassus belli (which seems to more or less mean ?an excuse?) to declare war on me. Now, my little four provinces, much of which was Welsh and therefore totally unsatisfied with my Saxon heritage, was completely insufficient to stand against the might of Lancaster, so he rolled right over me and I was forced to surrender Shrewsbury. My ancestral home, gone! But, still a duke.
The only problem was my military was now decimated, so the Earl of Gwent decided he would exercise his own claim on Powys, and marched on me. I was out of money (those mercenaries were expensive) and out of troops from fighting Lancaster, so he was able to quickly subdue me and started rampaging through my lands, sieging my holdings. I would muster up small armies of levies to try and hold him off and whittle him down, but it was going BADLY.
And then the 8 year old Duchess of Deheubarth ALSO exercised her claim on Powys, and raised her OWN army, and started marching around my lands (under the advice of her regent, no doubt). And then, joy of joys, Debeubarth and Gwent started FIGHTING ONE ANOTHER OVER MY LANDS! They were roughly equivalent in size, and managed to fight each other to a standstill, allowing me to scrape myself back onto my feet and raise a small army, which I used to claw back the holdings they were occupying. With none of us able to fight a three way war, we all agreed to a ?white peace?. Which is kind of like a tie.
So for years after that, Duke Eadric ruled in relative peace. He gave birth to a litter of children, maintained his stoic, pragmatic, militaristic views on the world, went hunting, became a falconer, and generally, over time, earned the respect and admiration of his Welsh subjects. He only had to put down one peasant rebellion, and it was short lived. His first born son, Andred, was a gregarious and well liked lad who showed incredible aptitude for both diplomacy and stewardship, and appeared well able to inherit the Duchy. His second son, Eiselwynd, was an exceptional warrior and hunter. Eadric granted Eiselwynd the position of Earl of Powys, with Andred set to inherit Gwynedd. Probably the only real intrigue during this time was when Eadric?s eldest daughter, Eawin, plotted to have Andred killed to move her up in the line of succession, but she was caught and imprisoned, and later released, because Eadric had a soft heart where his daughters were concerned.
In his dotage, Eadric lapsed into drink and indulgence, and became known as ?Eadric the Drunkard?. He found himself allured by some of the pretty young courtesans vying for his attention, and took a couple for a tumble, siring two Bastard children, and?stupidly?choosing to legitimize the first?a girl named Gilly, which outraged his wife, who later had the girl?s mother killed.
Eadric passed away at a ripe old age, and Andred inherited the kingdom.
Although he was a new ruler, and Eadric had been much respected, Andred had been well groomed for succession, and was perfectly positioned to manage the Duchy. With his brother Eiselwynd as Marshall, he established a claim on Deheubarth, and easily overcame their forces, bringing Deheubarth into the kingdom. His Duchy was now in a position to establish itself as ?The Kingdom of Wales?, although he lacked the prestige and funds to claim the title. His wife had given birth to two fine sons and a daughter, the first of which, Eadric the 2nd, was a little disappointing, but still a fine lad?if a bit bookish. He stood poised to guide the Duchy of Gwynedd into a new golden age.
And then he suddenly died.
It was very suspicious! He was in perfect health. But I could prove nothing. So Eadric the 2nd inherited the kingdom as a fresh faced lad of barely 20. Unfortunately, he did not have nearly the cache that his father or grandfather had, and there were almost immediate rumblings of discontent throughout the realm. His spymaster brought him all kinds of disturbing rumors of plots against him, but he didn?t know which to trust and which not to. There were even rumors that his Chancellor, with the aid of a secret backer, was looking to overthrow his rule! He had the option of imprisoning the Chancellor, but he was an influential man with important connections, and Eadric the 2nd lacked the political capital to be so bold. So, he withheld, hoping to earn the man?s affection through the quality of his rule.
But the plot was real! The provinces rose up in rebellion! And?horror of horrors?the secret backer was his uncle, Eiselwynd! Pushing his claim on the duchy! He demanded Eadric?s immediate surrender. Eadric could not bring himself to do it, and hired mercenaries to assist him in putting down the rebellion. But his uncle was the finest soldier in the realm, and he outfoxed Eadric?s forces in battle after battle, whittling down their superior numbers. Things looked hopeless, when Eiselwynd was struck down by chance in a battle in Deheubarth, ending the rebellion in a single stroke.
It wasn?t over there though. Powys would rise up again, this time under the command of Eiselwynd?s son and heir. As Powys is the largest province in the duchy and commands the most levies, it was again a devastating rebellion, and again was barely contained.
Currently slowly established Eadric the 2nd?s rule. He?s much more popular now?he?s a wonderful diplomat, and a solid steward, and he has an excellent council, and now that the rebellious Powys has been somewhat settled, things are more under control. He put his eldest son, Andred the 2nd, in as Earl of Powys after Eiselwynd?s son Eaderic was deposed and stripped of land and titles, but Andred the 2nd myseriously died mere months after taking the seat, leaving Andred?s newly born son Eadric the 3rd as the heir to the Duchy of Gwynedd, so the unrest and plotting in Powys may not be over yet. Sadly, Eadric the 2nds quality spymaster also died under mysterious circumstances, leaving an idiot in his place, so his hopes of uncovering the plotters are thin.
