Started up my first game for ages, picked a random start (well, clicked random a few times until I found one that appealed) and started off as a count in Lombardy in the Old Gods start. Fair enough, bit of politicking, bit of snatching other counties up within the duchy, all sounds good.
Twenty years later, Lombardy fragmented. Significantly. Three rebellions all at the same time. So while my king and my duke (liege) are off fighting the wars with the troops they've raised, I decide to perform a little house-reordering and a) revoke the second barony in my home county then b) use the additional levies this provides me with to grab the county next door, which my (amazing) chancellor has managed to fabricate a claim on.
I didn't quite have the initial levies to siege the barony successfully...but, forming a brief alliance with county #3 next door (ruled by my brother in law), suddenly I have more troops on the horizon and seize it successfully. Then, after a brief respite to allow the levies to rebuild, launched my claim attack and managed to get the second county under my banner.
All this while massive rebel army stacks are circling around besieging counties left and right. Fortunately mine didn't appear to be appealing.
Next: fabricate a claim on a third county in the (five-county) duchy, get it...and then try and get the duchy, I guess. I can't just usurp the title from my liege, can I? I have to actually get a claim and then press it, correct? It's been so long since I've played this game.
Also, my character went seduction focus initially and proved to be entirely useless at it. Pretty much the entire female population of the kingdom (not county, kingdom) now hates him due to "Refused Seduction" modifiers.
Is seduction success based on Intrigue? That would explain a lot.