Playing as the count that owns the South West corner of France.
Starting count's woman eventually has a genius son. Excellent! He has a second son who, while no genius, does wind up being a force all his own. It was the first time I had two children to split my lands between that I both liked. My heir eventually has a son of his own, and he turns out to be a genius as well. Joy! My counties were ruled with a gentle but firm hand, and there were none in my court who disliked me.
Then my spymaster died. And his replacement months later. And then his replacement. By the fifth death in only a couple years I decide, as the best candidate now anyway, that my wife would serve. If anyone acted upon her, then they would be drawing my full wrath upon them. Within two months my wife was murdered, and the culprit's name know. It was my heir's wife! I make my heir Spymaster to avoid further loss of life while keeping a spymaster while my own plot for revenge builds. One summer night my Daughter-in-Law went out for a walk and was ambushed by bandits who left her body lifeless.
My heir and I remained on good terms up until a few years later, when my new spymaster came to me with news that my Genius Grandson, now 16, was planning to kill his father. I did nothing to act against it. I'd be dead soon anyway, and my Grandson would prove himself a more capable ruler than his admittedly powerful father. That plot was foiled when, on my deathbed, I get news that my son was assassinated. This meant that my younger son would inherit all my lands. It was good for unification, but that branch of the family tree was strong diplomatically and educationally, but fell very short everywhere else. Two months after the assassination I died.
The Genius Idiot who managed to ruin his chance at inheritance actually became friends with his uncle. I like to imagine that Genius with No Sense of Timing knew he dun goof'd, and was happy serving as Marshal, knowing that it is his fault he does not have the throne. The Uncle had an Heir, and he now rules. West Francia stretched through the Germanic East before a succession crisis split the kingdom into four, each king a child. I maintained my sovereignty to West Francia and the True King, though I was cut off by the newly independent Aquitaine Kingdom. Surrounded by power-hungry lords to the North and East, the Norse raiding from the western shores, and the nearly unified Muslim Iberian peninsula to the south I decided to make a few power-plays to ensure my dynasty's survival. After two years, my king took the crown and throne and immediately invaded Middle Francia. While he took their lands, my plot to assassinate the child-king of Burgundy came to fruition (I targeted him due to being older than the Aquitanian King), and so most of France was unified before my king turned 18. My attempts to kill the Aquitanian king were put on hold while I took care of some lords fabricating claims on my lands. The Aquitanian King became an adult, but died in a manure explosion before producing any heirs.
If you can't tell by now, I love being the little guy using the big guys as pawns in my game of thrones.
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Topic: Crusader Kings 2 is released. (Read 2121780 times)