Chapter II: Kunos, the Unfortunate
After the death of King Palemon in 886, his Council divided his lands and titles between his three sons, as was the custom. Fiercely competitive and ambitious, the brothers - Kunos, the eldest, Borkus, and Spera - had never been close. Each thought themselves the true heir to their great father's Kingdom and each was willing to act for their claim. As the eldest, the crown went to Kunos, while both Borkus and Spera received a Royal Duchy each.
Kunos had never been the brightest or the most popular of the brothers. Exceedingly average in every way and prone to bouts of paranoia that alienated most of his court, his only saving grace was perhaps his commitment to learning. As a scholar, atleast, Kunos enjoyed more respect than as king. Both of his brothers were widely thought to be far more capable to rule than himself. At the coronation of Kunos in July 886, though, no such concerns were raised. The brothers remained civil, seemingly united by the death of their father. This was not to last. But the ambitions of his brothers and unhappy nobility would have to wait, as Kunos had a much more pressing issue to face when he took the crown.
The Kingdom was in the middle of a war to place Kunos' daughter as High Chieftess of the Yatviag tribe. Kunos continued his father's war with determination. From it, he would gain an ally in the nobility in the form of his own daughter, an ally that he desperately needed - though historians have claimed Kunos remained blithely unaware of the mounting unhappiness at the start of his reign, his actions show that the new King was always eager to expand his own powerbase. Shortly after his coronation, Kunos took the lands of Trakai, previously held by his uncle.
The Yatviags fell shortly. Kunos had little time to celebrate, however, as his vassals were getting ready to make their move. There is some evidence Kunos tried reconciliation with Spera through his able chancellor, but such efforts were in vain. The first rebellion began with a message from the Count of Podlasie in March 887. It was a simple ultimatum. The rebels knew the king would not accept it. Both sides raised their forces and prepared for war.
As the Kingdom was thrown into bloody civil war, the northern counts of Narva and Kalevan, frustrated for years by religious and cultural differences, seized the moment and declared their independence from the Kingdom. It seemed Kunos' days were numbered. He was outnumbered by the combined forces of the rebels even after mercenary reinforcements. The vast majority of his lords had thrown their support behind Prince Borkus.
It quickly became clear, however, that Borkus and his allies had problems of their own. Internal disputes and strained relations between nominal allies led to a splintering of the rebel force - easy pickings for the organized army of the King. In addition, Borkus had no intention of letting the northern counts leave the kingdom. Clashes such as the Battle of Vilnius in December 888, resulting in countless deaths on both sides, weakened them before the Royal host.
Despite this, the war threatened to drag on for years, perhaps decades. Protracted civil war would have left the Kingdom easy prey for invaders. In late 889, however, Prince Borkus fell ill and died suddenly the following January. Just like that, the rebellion dissolved, the King granting amnesty for a cessation of hostilities. Though many of his vassals, even his brother Spera, had been openly fighting for Borkus, Kunos was pressured to absolve them of their crimes. The smaller independence rebels fell quickly after this, replaced with new lords trusted to be more loyal.
Only a year later, however, Prince Spera moved to stake his own claim. History paints an unfavorable picture of Kunos' decision to absolve the rebels (
read; the rebellion disappeared after Borkus died and I couldn't even imprison them), as the Second Rebellion brought them back into arms in even greater numbers. In addition, the north revolted for independence again - led by the
new Count of Narva.
All eyes were on Kunos - if he could defeat this rebellion, he would be free to purge the land of the rebels and secure his kingship. But only a year into the war, the King, as suddenly as his brother had earlier, passed away in his sleep, leaving the kingdom to his young son.
King Povilas the I, who was to inherit a kingdom in the middle of a savage civil war. Could he do what his father had not, or would he join him and be swept away into the dustbin of history?
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Topic: Crusader Kings II: The Old Gods succession game (Read 37366 times)