Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[NRDL]

I see they really toned down the death rate in this game.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

[EuchreJack]

Perfect opportunity to Matrinellaly marry your daughter, provided her child sees fit to return her.

[Goron]

July 11, 1071
I have received word that Santiago fell. My small garrison held out as long as possible but could hold no longer. I pray they were treated well in their surrender.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Mayor Hermigio and Mayor Pero are both waiting in Castelo Branco with a reported 227 men. I am still two days out with my force last counted at 290. When I arrive I will combine forces and consider my options. I may stay put or re-strike into Evora...

September 5, 1071
My uncle has gathered a bonus tax for me in Porto while I have been in Castelo Branco.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Excellent news during troubled times. I have decided I will return to porto soon. I will disband my levies for the time being and wait to see what happens north in Santiago.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

September 21, 1071
I have arranged the marriage of my uncle. He married Emisu Hermigues de Ribadouro. She is the daughter of the mayor if Covilha in Castelo Branco. I met her and her father last month when I was camped there with my army.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He has served me well and deserves his reward. He is also old enough that he likely will not present much of a threat to my rule.

1072

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

March 23, 1072
The Aftasid Emirate has fifteen hundred men marching through Coimbra. We suspect they will continue through Porto to aid the siege of Pontevedra in Santiago.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I have considered raising my own troops to try and hurt them some; once they join with the force in Santiago they will be unstoppable (by me alone). But... I will stand down. The risk and potential loss of life is too great. Hopefully I do not regret this decision to not act.

April 20, 1072
They stormed the castle.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I can be thankful they did so for it knocked their force down a good bit, but with thirty-four hundred men remaining I am still unable to act out against them.

May 17, 1072
Tuy has fallen.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

May 27, 1072
...and Vigo.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

I now have no leverage over Garcia II.

August 14, 1072
Garcia made peace. He gave up Santiago and Coruna, retaining only Soria to the east... Unfortunately this peace was with the Muslims...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

This spoils all my plans. What good is my war to put Nuno Alfonsez on the throne now? I acted in order to protect and preserve the Kingdom... King Garcia II just gave half the kingdom away!
I have instructed my lords to raise their levies. Time to end this conflict with Garcia II. I will march to Soria immediately.

September 18, 1072
We are just about a month out from Soria. I expect my time there to be short. Garcia II only controls the capital castle, with the Calatayud’s in control of the rest of the province.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Hopefully I can take the castle quickly and force a regime change in an expedited manner.

October 21, 1072
We arrived in Soria just a couple days ago and have set up our siege. Garcia II only has between four and five hundred men garrisoning the castle. That is good news, but better news has come to my attention.
My wife, the good Duchess Goncinha of Portucale, is pregnant!

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

May god bless us with a son.
This is why I bring my wife on the easy campaigns...

December 22, 1072
Oh dear.
Today I learned that King Alfonso VI of Castille has become the greatest threat to my mission yet.
He has declared war on Garcia II, claiming Galicia. He is now doubly hostile to me; he is hostile to me in his war against my ‘liege’ and he is hostile to me due to our conflicting wars for the throne of Galicia.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

He has a lot of men at his disposal.
I am not sure what to do... I could attempt to storm the castle and end this siege quickly, securing victory and the throne for Nuno Alfonsez before the Castilian forces can arrive...
Or...
I could retreat. Pull back to Porto, defend if necessary and let King Alfonso VI win. I believe he would become my new lord as a result, and possibly with no loss of love. It would unify much of northern Iberia too and bring with that unity a greater sense of security for the kingdom...

I have no real love for Nuno Alfonsez, I owe him nothing... I could abandon my attempt to put him on the throne and let King Alfonso VI take it..

I have summoned my away council. We have much to decide.

[NRDL]

Will having this new guy make Galicia stronger, against the Moors? 

[EuchreJack]

Having Alfonso as your liege would make a stronger realm, which you would have much more difficulty in obtaining indendence from.

So if you want Alfonso as a strong liege lord to (maybe) watch your back, go Alfonso. 

Otherwise, you should storm the castle, then either force peace with victory or white peace if the storming fails. 

At this point, you are not going the vassal route, you just want the war to end so you can start up an independence war.  If you are going the vassal route, you need Alfonso as your liege.  Otherwise, now is the best time for independence.

My opinion: Lieges are dicks who never lift a finger to help you.  Go independent.  If you're really scared, marry a daughter into Alfonso's or some other big dog's family, then you can actively call them into your wars, and even see whether or not they are likely to help you out (and bribe them if they aren't).  Remember that alliances require both parties to be independent lords or vassals to the same liege, and the marrage must be between close relatives (children or siblings I think, although I'm no expert on forging alliances; which means yourself or your children or siblings marry the other lord or their children or siblings, and I'm not sure about the siblings part).

Oh, and did you notice the heart profession mark in your new aunt's profile.  That boosts fertitlity.  I hope you like your new nephew...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I would have done the same exact thing.  The guy really does deserve a good wife, and the more I think about it, the more I actually want him to have a child to raise into your next steward.  While possible pretender status is a problem, with each generation they get further and further from the throne.  And when the plagues start to occur, you'll be thankful for all the potential heirs you can get.  I also trust blood relatives over others, generally speaking.  Relatives tend to like their ruler better, provided said ruler isn't a proven kinslayer.

Finally, good job knocking up the wife!

[NRDL]

Independence war, then.  Even if you get crushed by Muslims, at least you'll die free. 

[Gantolandon]

The situation in Iberia is a huge clusterfuck and will probably remain such until it's either conquered by Catholics or Muslims. Most wars there will be Holy Wars, which means that most Catholic lords will support you anyway. It doesn't matter so much if you have a lord, or not. At least against invaders, you probably will be able to defend yourself.

However, I believe that the war won't end with Nuno Alfonsez being crowned. I don't think claim wars end if the title in question goes to someone else. Even if they do, there is nothing that prevents Alfonso from attacking the new king afterwards, as he has a claim to the kingdom. If you think you can pull it off, you could try to murder the king of Castille, which should end the war and at least give you some time to breathe. However, if you don't have a great Spymaster or some potential plot backers, don't do this - unless you can make it quick, he will be your liege and it's generally not wise to make him hate you.

[Goron]

Will having this new guy make Galicia stronger, against the Moors?

I believe so, yes. He already has the most powerful Christian army in Iberia, so to add the one province (plus my levies) of what is left of Galacia will only augment that. I think...

Having Alfonso as your liege would make a stronger realm, which you would have much more difficulty in obtaining indendence from.

This is true... but honestly independence right now doesn't seem all that enticing. By myself, without family ties to *all* the Iberian Kings I am not like to fare well. Sure, I could marry into/from one of the kingdoms for an alliance but that is still not foolproof.
I am glad to have another kid on the way, I hope it is a son. But like you say, my uncle may bring some spawn of his own... which I actually want, at this point. My family is not very well cemented in history yet and I fear I will need offshoot heirs to play some time down the line:-)

However, I believe that the war won't end with Nuno Alfonsez being crowned. I don't think claim wars end if the title in question goes to someone else. Even if they do, there is nothing that prevents Alfonso from attacking the new king afterwards, as he has a claim to the kingdom. If you think you can pull it off, you could try to murder the king of Castille, which should end the war and at least give you some time to breathe. However, if you don't have a great Spymaster or some potential plot backers, don't do this - unless you can make it quick, he will be your liege and it's generally not wise to make him hate you.

Yeah, I am not 100% sure what happens should I win this war. I doubt I can get a solid plot going in time, and I doubt I can afford a good assassin... like you say, I don't want him to hate me if I can avoid it.



I am really not sure what to do right now... I am excited to see how it plays out, whatever I do, though!

[Gantolandon]

This is true... but honestly independence right now doesn't seem all that enticing. By myself, without family ties to *all* the Iberian Kings I am not like to fare well. Sure, I could marry into/from one of the kingdoms for an alliance but that is still not foolproof.

Yeah, that.

I don't get why so many players seem to rush to independence as soon as possible. Maybe it's because of the first game, where being a vassal was a exercise of patience (and your liege would attack you for land anyway). Still, it's no longer the case and there are many advantages of having a liege. You're safer, his vassals will be more receptive to marry into your family, you can educate your children anywhere in your country, you can become a member of his council. And if you want the kingdom, there are countless ways of claiming it from inside:

• marry the king's heiress with your heir and inherit the kingdom straight away
• marry the king's daughter with your heir and, after her father dies, she gets a claim you can push
• plot yourself a claim
• consistently gain de iure land from other vassals (easy with Limited Crown Authority or less) and usurp the kingdom
• become a regent and force the late king's daughter to marry yourself

[EuchreJack]

This is true... but honestly independence right now doesn't seem all that enticing. By myself, without family ties to *all* the Iberian Kings I am not like to fare well. Sure, I could marry into/from one of the kingdoms for an alliance but that is still not foolproof.

Yeah, that.

I don't get why so many players seem to rush to independence as soon as possible. Maybe it's because of the first game, where being a vassal was a exercise of patience (and your liege would attack you for land anyway). Still, it's no longer the case and there are many advantages of having a liege. You're safer, his vassals will be more receptive to marry into your family, you can educate your children anywhere in your country, you can become a member of his council. And if you want the kingdom, there are countless ways of claiming it from inside:

• marry the king's heiress with your heir and inherit the kingdom straight away
• marry the king's daughter with your heir and, after her father dies, she gets a claim you can push
• plot yourself a claim
• consistently gain de iure land from other vassals (easy with Limited Crown Authority or less) and usurp the kingdom
• become a regent and force the late king's daughter to marry yourself

• plot to change ruler's succession laws to Elective, then win the election
  

[Goron]

I don't get why so many players seem to rush to independence as soon as possible.

This.

I enjoy playing vassal, for several reasons.

• plot to change ruler's succession laws to Elective, then win the election
  

Ohhh, don't tempt me...


Well, I think in the short term I will let Castile win. Hopefully he doesn't attack me at all in the process... I WILL break his sieges against me if I can, not gonna let him kill my people needlessly.. I hope h will just take Garcia's only holding and end it there; that will end the war and make him my new King, right?
I just hope he doesn't try to put one of his family in my place once it is all done.