It is the year: Very future, allegedly the 4th of July 2666 but I suspect this calendar is somewhat more apocalyptic than the normal one. At least in North America, the Miroslav World Order must have vanished about 1,000 years ago or else have collapsed so spectacularly that all historical records were erased. Which is entirely possible, as there are signs of nuclear war having taken place.
For reference:
Miroslav World Order in the 1800s, notably North America displayed the greatest resistance to the Miroslav dynasty.
All of this meant that Earl Vukan Miroslav of Dodge was likely the last vestige of Miroslav hegemony in the North American continent; Constantinople in a sea of usurpers, barbarians and conquerors. An ugly Constantinople. Nevertheless, Vukan was an excellent commander, and determined to put Dodge back on the map - through the great evils of investment banking. Banker Vukan turned Dodge into quite the usurious Christian Fortress with a steadily growing force of Gusars; the surrounding revelationist nomads all passed over Vukan's lands considering the riches within not worth fighting the Gusars over. In the span of a few years the Gusars began conducting raids upon Vukan's hapless neighbours. Vukan had considered limiting raids to pagans and heretics, but then Countess Ana of Wichita was caught preparing an invasion of little Dodge.
Vukan burnt down all of Ana's holdings and then had her pay tribute to Dodge, it seemed fair. Vukan continued his great strategic planning by seeking more funds for more gratuitous banking, and another such opportunity presented itself when some sort of 5 way war between Catholic barbarians, Native Nomads and Revelationist Nomads ended with this:
Invasion by Vukan :
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And the civilizing of barbarians to proper Miroslav ways. The subjugation of the Pueblo Texans and Indians unintentionally led to a massive expansion in Miroslav influence, as Duke Dwight the Lewd began greatly expanding into the Amarilo tribes in northern Mexico. It did reach the point where most of the tributaries under Vukan were of higher ranks and had more power than Vukan, but they all balanced each other out. Duke Dwight the Lewd could never topple Countess Ana the Quarreler and vice versa.
The brilliant strategist, the shrewd banker - the warrior of thunderous horses and iron artifacts, Vukan!- Between his own efforts and Lewd Dwight, much of the central plains was loosely what all else considered Dodge's land. Vukan sent forth marriage proposals to the boy-King Ned III Brasge the Unready and another proposal to the King of Commancheria. Whilst Ned the Unready was agreeable and united Miroslav with Brasge, the Commancherian King was considerably more proud and refused to marry into the family of a lowly warlord. Understandable yes, but it didn't hurt proud Vukan any less to be rebuked so brutally.
Luckily for Vukan, his efforts to marry off one of his kids into Commancheria would result in an interesting encounter with someone seeking him.
Megan was a lowly countess of the minor Haanegan house within the Commancherian Kingdom. She was also an ambitious master of intrigue, who saw Vukan as useful to her, and Vukan saw her likewise. Perhaps most amusing was how Megan's first husband disappeared under suspicious circumstances shortly before Megan approached Vukan!
With tributary tribes and states surrounding the Miroslav core all ways but south, the Miroslavs turned south with Megan sowing discord from within. The Commancherians were facing the greatest threat to their independence since time immemorial. They were cracked proper smashed and dashed with soldiers pouring down their throats in a deluge of angry multicultural armies, demonstrating the full violence of the power of friendship. Well, for a while. Vukan died of poor health at the age of 38 and the Commancherian war stopped entirely in its tracks.
The first Miroslav Empire was broken. Liberal went to little Teodosije Miroslav, younger brother of Radoslav Miroslav who now ruled over the sole county of Dodge. Dwight the Lewd and Ana the Quarreler abandoned Radoslav to his own devices alongside many other new Dukes and Counts, the Miroslav Empire turning into Pueblo, New Mexico, Amarilo, Wichita and a few more middling states. Sensing newfound weakness in the central American plains, northern hordes and river pirates started getting drawn to the feast like crows to the fishpile.
Radoslav was in quite the pickle. Megan supported little Teodosije Miroslav, not him, and the Kings of Platte had too many internal struggles of their own to be of use.
As they say, some things happen for a reason.
Deus Vult!
With uncharacteristic impatience Radoslav joined the Crusade for Lakotah before even finding out where Lakotah was. He had seen the Ursuline warrior Popess's crusade for Ohio fail, and knew it would take a Miroslav touch to succeed elsewhere.
The Commanche King, quite depressed, agreed to an end to the war, not wishing to fight any further to secure victory. The Gusar host, having not yet lost a single battle (or indeed, fought in any recent major battles) arrived in Lakotah with full strength and very quickly turned the tides of battle.
With just two battles the brilliant cavalry commander Radoslav became King Radoslav Miroslav the Great, King of Lakotah and Earl of Dodge. The Crusade was easy, much too easy - what Radoslav in his impatience had not seen was that Lakotah was undergoing a massive rebellion, one he had just stumbled into headlong.
Had Radoslav been given a few days to rout the rebel armies, he may have stood a chance. Unwittingly, by destroying the Lakotan King and taking his place, Radoslav had unleashed the rebellion upon himself. The rebellion against the former King was now found with quite the unusual situation, with Lakotah having just deposed two Kings in the span of days and rebel armies and crusaders encamped in two halves of the nation. Mother Megan may have had some role in guiding the outcome; all rebel lands were to remain in rebel hands, all conquered lands were turned over to the sons of Miroslav 1, and Radoslav was given one county to dwell with and grow his own family.
Radoslav was instantly promoted to Cavalry Commander and Minister of Defence, the great hero conqueror undefeated in battle. The master of intrigue, King Teodosije, Earl of Dodge and Liberal would be in dire need of all of his brothers soon.
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Topic: Crusader Kings 2 is released. (Read 2122479 times)