I've finished setting up my first buffer state, a land gifted to my son Konstantine, dubbed Konstantina in his honor. The lords are wholly russian at the moment, though save three disparate provinces the land itself is largely bedouin culture. However, as I holy warred the region of the then-Khiva, I noticed that the forts there were absurdly fortified; I don't fear for ky sons land.
I also somehow inherited Georgia. This is something of an unexpected problem, since I would like to have a dynasty member on the throne, both to extend the arms of the ilemensky family and to allow me to protect my buffers with no personal risk to my own demesne. A buffer against the byzantines is significantly less effective if not backed by another significant power.
In western Europe, a pair of empires emerge as a sword of Christ crumples. The kindom of Eire is slowly but steadily conquering Britannia, and is the only credible threat to Francia besides the distant poland. The rivalry of the channel seems fated to happen yet again, as in every history to never be. What's odd is that the empire of the isle is largely Pictish, despite being ruled by a Irish king.
Time will tell if England becomes anything more than spud growers. Doubtful; the irish have bigger and better hats.
Seville has been broken, and Leon conquered. Islam in Ibera seems crushed, finally, with only a few small counties left to the reconquista. The Teutonic Order has been less successful, slowly crumbling as time passes. Europa should prove to be a very interesting time to be andalusian. Or german, since the teutons have been importing their own people.