28 December, 1081:
Much has occurred since the last time I picked up this dusty old journal. I endeavored for nearly a decade to take the duchy of Luxembourg from within, but circumstances did not favor me. Despite Konrad's death, his line was perpetuated through his brother's unlikely progeny and his own son, unborn at the time he succumbed. His daughter, the young Duchess Alberade, proved to be difficult to remove from the mortal coil - apparently the courtiers were too attached to a young and innocent girl to act against her best interests.
Even so, perhaps I would have continued to bide my time, but any such aspirations were dashed when Thibauld declared war for Reims. The bastard was successful, and my land now suffers his banners upon its soil. One day my line shall reclaim it.
Fortune did not entirely cast us entirely aside, though. When the war was lost I realized it was time to part from Luxembourg. The war for independence was easily won, and the victory helped to restore my prestige. Guilhem, performing beyond any expectations, secured claims upon both Amiens and Luxembourg itself for me. Amiens was easily taken with the assistance of Duke Dirk of Holland, whose sister is wedded to my brother Eudes; though Count Simon was allied with Thibauld, the old goat did not intervene in a fight which would have tested his forces against the combined might of my own land and Dirk's. Luxembourg shall soon fall prey to us - the young Duchess has no allies to speak of, save for the ones she has retained at court.
Guilhem has informed me that I have claimed enough of Valois to proclaim myself a Duke, given the appropriate amount of bribes and fanfare. The recently completed village at my holding of Rethel in Vermandois shall supply me with the necessary funds, and soon the name of Karling shall be elevated beyond the lowly title I have borne for the better part of my life.
As age creeps over me and reminds me of my mortality, I find myself considering the future of House Karling more and more. Eudes, my oldest, is... not ideally suited to bear the mantle of head of the family. He is too content with his meager position, he has a terrible temper, and - I have come to recognize that he shares my own cynicism, despite a professed interest in matters of the church. I fear my inexperienced fathering bestowed more of my negative qualities upon him than my few graces. My young son Benoit, however, is shaping up to be a better man than myself.
(Updated: After a few more years, Benoit now has Attractive, Cynical, Kind, Proud, and Ambitious, and his stats are awesome.)
