Hello there folks. I wanted to try something totally different. I've recently been reading loads of Alternative History Games, but the problem is that its hard to get into those which have already been running for a while and interesting new ones pop up rarely. So i thought: Why the hell not? Let's see if we can get people on bay12 on board with this.
Our point of Divergence is the year 1000, the Althing in Iceland has by a large majority decided
against adopting Christendom, despite the threat that King Olaf Tryggvason posed to them. You the players (of which there will be an unlimited number) can lay claim and play any number of countries you please, with the exemption of a few special cases, like Iceland. You can claim and abandon a country at any point you wish, so you are not forced to continue playing the Duchy of Swabia when really you want to play Sicily. Turns proceed on an action limit, with each player getting between 2 and 5 Major Actions per turn to move their country ahead.
But before we go deeper into the Mechanics lets look at the major players of the time:
The Emperor of the World
If only my German Subjects were as Cultured as the Greeks are...now back to replacing Popes
Otto III. self-styled Emperor of the World, a purported Genius and all-time Overachiever has finally given up on his Quest to Re-Imperialize and Christianize the German Territories East of the Elbe. The Local Slavs and Germans were able to repulse him and the Emperor was distracted by the Happening in Italy...which in any case seemed to interest him more than anything. In previous years he had repeatedly put down Roman Rebellions and not replaced one pope, not two popes but three popes so far. With his Cousin Gregory V as new pope he moved the administrative Capital of the Empire to rome, reviving ancient roman traditions and the byzantine court style. Currently he is tinkering with reestablishing a roman senate while being on a pilgrimage to Aachen to rob the tomb of Charlemagne of its relics and bring them back to Rome.
The Pious King with too many Wives
What are you talking about marrying your own cousin is not pious? I reintroduced burning of heretics doesn't that balance it out?
Robert II. also called the Pious, is the current King of France. A man with few friends, one too many wives who are too closely related with him and a penchant for hating the Jews. He is currently in a state of Excommunication after trying to keep the Marriage with his Cousin, Bertha, the Daughter of Conrad of Burgundy going. Simultaneously he is eyeing up the currently weak Kingdom of Arles/Burgundy and its ruler Rudolph III. also callzed the Idle.
The Lazy One
i'd much rather do something else
Rudolf III. the Idle is a relatively weak King. Ruling over the Kingdom of Burgundy, he has to suck up to Emperor Otto, while at the same time staving off attempts by Otto-William the Count of Nevers and Burgundy and unbeknownst to him basically everyone around him would rather have his Kingdom be gone.
The Slayer of Bulgars
I have killed more men in my lifetime than you have seen boy.
Basil II, Emperor of the Byzantine Empire, Slayer of Bulgars, the Young, is a man who is not to be trifled with. Now 42 years old his early reign was characterized through various rebellions which he put down personally. He weakened the Great Land Holding Families of Byzantium, putting down their revolts with the help fo the Kings of Georgia and most importantly by marrying his sister Anna to Vladimir I. of Kiev, who in return gave him 6.000 men. The original six thousand who would later become known as the Varangian Guard.
After his successfull weakening of the great landholders, he persecuted a 9 year long war against the Fatimids which just now ended in a Truce.
During all those Civil Wars and the War with the Fatimids, Basil II was also in a night-endless struggle with the Bulgarian Empire, which now, with this truce he could finally exclusively concentrate on.
The Boy who would be King
Can't i have a single year of peace? Please, just one year...
Aethelred the Unready is probably one of those Historic Figures who turn out to be bad rulers by sheer dint of bad luck and circumstance. Crowned King at the tender Age of 13 after his closest familymembers where murdered in front of his eyes, by his own supporters, losing his ownly confidante a few years later, Aethelred had to deal with Viking Raids since he wwas fourteen years old. Now at the Age of 33 he has had finally enough. After paying outright extortionous amounts of Danegeld which did nothing to assuage the Viking Raids, the unlucky King has decided to do unto others as has been done unto his own. Strathclyde is his target, and the King will have his due.
Nobody expects the Tryggvason
And if i have to burn a thousand more, you will kneel, you will call me king and you will pray to my god.
Olaf Tryggvason is a former Viking who found the light of Christendom, turned back home and started burning his own people instead of English Farmers. Ostensible King of Norway, he is currently on a Campaign against the Wendish King Burislav (which will be assumed here is king of the Lutici), to retake the lands of his Wife.
Deep in the Lands of the North...
You see, we have been there before anyone else, we will be there when you are gone, nobody rules here if we do not want him to rule.
Erik Haakonson, Jarl of Laade, is the strongest man in Norway. Yep you read that right, the Jarls of Laade are the most influential and powerful gentlemen who dwell in this country. A fact Olaf Tryggvason has so far gleefully ignored. Erik is a proven warrior, staunch believer in the Old Gods, and basically the epithome of Viking Ideals.
Family holds together
No sister, you see i had a Deal...and i will make you honor that deal
Sweyn Forkbeard, King of the Danes, is a staunch pagan...who builds churches. But mostly he is part of the Anti-Tryggvason alliance because the Bugger ran of with his sister, who was married to his Ally Burislav...
The Man who would be King
Look at me. I am King now.
Stephen I. is another one of those men who convert to christendom and start killing relatives and fellow countrymen. After a lengthy Civil War with his Relative Koppany, he has finally defeated them. And sent his pieces to each of the various independent Lords of Hungary to make clear who is the King...or will soon be king. For he is not yet crowned.
The Great King of a Little Country
I am apparently pretty Great
Sancho III, by Historians referred to as the Great, has recently inherited the Kingdom of Pamplona (Navarra and Aragon). With the Reconquista finally gaining ground he might soon become a really important lad.
The Evil Vizier, who is actually a great ruler
Look, i might have usurped Power, but the Country was never in a better shape
Almanzor, is the Regent of Al-Andaluz, the Cordoban Caliphate and de facto ruler of the Country. Hisham II. is not yet of Age or ready for his rule. So it is up to the Ageing Regent to lead the country.
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
Trust me this Manifesto will hold back the Fatimids, and the Ghaznavids and Seljuks and the Buyids...
Al-Qadirs rule as Caliph of the Abbasids marks a return of Abbasid power and the waning of the Buyid influence. The man is a rather studious creature, more interested in the Struggle of the Shiites versus the Sunnites rather than worldly struggles.
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Okay that handles the most important lads currently bumbling about. As you can see there is a lot of them about, you can play any of those gents or any other Country. Due to the Maps, in all probability constantly shifting borders i have left of putting labels and names on it, so if you are unsure as to who is what simply ask.
As for signing up. It's quite simple, give me a list of three countries in order of priority you would like to play. Why three? Because i don't want to hand out countries ala first come first served, otherwisse those who see the thread later might find the interesting countries for them to be already taken.
This game will largely rely on RP and freeform actions from you the players. I will advance history forward and adhere as closely as i am able to to historic events, but things are in large part driven by you, there will be no sudden sunset invasion just to keep you on your toes. That aside there is more than enough going on in Medieval Europe.
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But Ghaz, this is and that is ahistorical, that map is horrendous! - I am no Historian, just an Enthusiast, i have been poring over a variety of maps for hours to piece this one together, so if you find things that are ahistoric, incorrect or find that you could fix them feel free to come forward, i would be especially happy about someone who is good at map-making and can fix the clusterfuck that is the Balkans/HRE/Caucasus. I have done the best i could with my meagre abilties, if you think its wrong, improve upon it and i will immediately take your map instead.
Same goes for Historic Facts, there is so many conflicting informations that sometimes i have to go with something just to fill up the Blanks. Example King Burislav of the Wends. Who will be portrayed as the King of the Lutici, mostly for the reason that no ruler of the Lutici is mentioned and there is no Wendish Kingdom...but the Wends are vaguely the Obotrites, Lutici and Pomeranian Region. If you find something that is outright wrong, please tell me i will endeavour to fix it where possible.
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Mechanics and Rules go here.
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Topic: 1000AD - The Raven, The Cross and the Crescent (An Alt-History Game) OOC-Thread (Read 2327 times)