During my standard start-of-year checkup, I notice I am paying 3.7 gold to my liege monthly.
My other expenses only amount to 0.4 gold, but between my duty to liege and church donations I am profiting a meagre 0.4g monthly.
My outrage can hardly be expressed in words.
I send my second son, Nephon, to be raised by a local noble.
He is already a clever budding diplomat, a noble can only help that.
But, I will note I am annoyed by my choice to name him the same as my ungrateful Marshal.
Ahh, this is better:
It seems little Ramonos no longer feels the need to strip me of all my income.
My duty to liege is equivalent to his scutage- so the higher my duty is, the fewer troops I can field. Ultimately that leaves me with less money and weaker defenses.
So paying less duty goes beyond financial issues and even touches on security...
I feel like I have been ruling well. Things seem to have stabilized in my realm:
Stability is important. It has little affect on a day-to-day basis, but during crisis, it can be a realm saver.
My dear Natalija has birthed me a son. Wonderful.
Little Dorotheos further secures my family's future.
In general the more sons the better- but no one wants unlanded children. When my boys come of age, should I not be able to provide them with land and titles, it will look poorly of me. My prestige will suffer.
At the moment I can grant Severin to my eldest when he comes of age, but that will leave me with only one province and still with two unlanded sons.
The Synadenos dynasty will
not be a weak, pathetic dynasty. I
will find honor and prestige for my sons.
...eventually.
Things are looking even worse for the empire.
The Prince of Thracesia desires an alliance with me. My clerks say he is rather disloyal to the emperor.
He is in a precarious position and engaged in war against the Seljuk Turks.
I decline his offer. I hope to avoid the eastern conflict as long as possible.
The Severin tile factory is completed in August. I am not financially able to build another improvement yet, though.
I have decided to modify my realm's laws. My father adjusted our inheritance laws to Salic Primogeniture many years ago. It helped secure my inheritance of his title, and it will help ensure Sabas takes my title(s) when I pass on.
But now I am taking a closer look at our government and administration laws.
We currently practice Royal Prerogative. A law almost exclusively followed in Byzantium.
It is of my opinion that this law is contributing to the downfall of the empire.
As much as I hate to admit it, the empire
is failing. Internal strife and Muslim invaders are collapsing Byzantium.
In an attempt to prepare for Belgrade's future, I will change the law to more closely follow the trend of the rest of the world: Traditional Custom.
Another miracle worker has offered to heal my wife.
I refuse to be scammed again and send the oaf off. I put my faith in god.
And it workers.... kind of.
Natalija's condition improves from consumption to plain illness.
While she is still sick, she is just
less sick.
As the year comes winding down to an end, I am presented the opportunity to round up some extra taxes.
This situation is one I do not take lightly.
I
could walk away with an extra 180 gold at the expense of negative traits and a stability drop.
I
could walk away with 80 gold at the expense of stability.
Or,
I can take no extra tax and be known as generous.
With 180 gold I could start
two new constructions in Belgrade and Severin. Or, I could build one more expensive construction, like a training camp for extra troops...
Even 90 gold would be a financial blessing.
Under most different circumstances I think I would take the tax. But right now things are far from good. Byzantium is failing. Muslims are encroaching west from the east. Vassals are rebelling left and right. Soon I fear I will be forced into a war- but I cannot be certain against who...
I choose to let the peasants keep their spare cattle. I do so not for the generosity trait but for the stability. I feel that stability may be worth more traded in at a later date- and I do not want to risk not having it when I need it most.
As the year comes to a close I take a moment to reflect on how I am doing personally...
I feel well regarded amongst my peers- my prestige is rather high.
But my piety is far from impressive. This is mostly due to my treatment of Marshal Nephon in October '82.
I suppose it was cruel of me to imprison him, but I still stand by my decision. That man was out of line, declaring me as having a bad reputation...
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Topic: Let's Play Crusader Kings Deus Vult (Read 137861 times)