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Not The One At The Top, Not The One That Writes History... Yet: Part VIII - GeminEyes on the Prize (1134 - 1141)
Nothing much has changed in the realm since Manass?s took over - we've gained some more holdings and I think a duchy has reintegrated some counties, but that's about it, discounting the rebellion shenanigans that had been ongoing during the last realm check.
Now, let's talk factions. As an independent ruler, factions can be your worst enemy. Factions are when vassals get together and plan to fuck with their liege - as we can see, we've got the option to create factions for different succession types, lowering crown authority, and there's also demanding that the liege abdicate to some other claimant. All three of those can be useful given the right circumstances, but right now, we're still busy with internal expansion, as the AI is a fickle thing and I don't know if it's just me, but I have real problems getting the AI vassals to support my factions, in which case the only solution is to become stronger than the liege.
On the plot side of our plans, we have a new plot available now that we own more than 50% of a de jure duchy - we can directly fabricate a claim on it, which is much more effective than trying to do the same thing with the Chancellor.
With us plotting to take over Champagne, our Chancellor goes to work fabricating a claim on one of our vassals' holdings. Why would I do that? Because M?con is the best county in the game, and I only realized it after giving it out. Not in terms of power or something like that - the seven-slot-counties still are better in that regard, mostly when they're coupled with a powerful duchy like Flanders or Baghdad, but as far as bang-for-your-buck goes, M?con is a serious sleeper when it comes to counties to hold. And why is that?
The Bishopric of Cluny, or as I like to call it, the First Bank of Cluny.
You remember that "A Visitor" event? It was added with Sons of Abraham. You can either tell that guy to piss off (which doesn't do a thing) or you can pay 100 gold to get 100 piety. However, this event doesn't work like other "pay money for things" events, in that the money is not simply removed from the player, oh no.
It's actually given to the bishop. And this event can fire for any Catholic ruler. With the exception of the Pope, the Bishop of Cluny is the richest man in the game, and he can pretty much never spend the money, so it just keeps building and building and building. You know how people call the Jew gold their "emergency gold"? Fuck that noise! Now this, this is an emergency war chest. Given some time to allow the Bishop to accumulate the money, the count of M?con can easily take on the king of France simply by hiring a massive merc stack and maintaining it for a long time. Once we get that county, we'll always have that option - thousands of gold coins directly at our disposal for a measly 60 tyranny. That might sound like much, but if you're at the point where you need that money, you're past caring.
With our plans in motion, it's time to wait again. Meanwhile, the king takes on Brittany to get back a county we lost to England and then Brittany somehow won from England.
The plot quickly gets enough people to go through with it, except we have to wait for the duchess to get out of the war she's in right now.
Seems like we're not the only one that's eating her holdings up - this shouldn't take all too long, she seems pretty outnumbered.
Then this guy shows up. Did I tutor him? It doesn't seem like it - diplomacy is his strong suit, whereas Manass?s isn't too great with that. It doesn't help that he apparently got the shit luck option where he just gets a random education trait. Still, he'll make a great Chancellor.
Marriages are made mostly for their own sake...
...Pope money is requested...
...more assholes want my land...
...and in '35, the war the duchess of Champagne was in finally ends. Alright, now let's fabricate that claim!
Oh you son of a bitch. Fucking probability can go and suck it.
However, there's nothing stopping you from just retrying the plot, and most of the folks that helped you before will still help you again, so it doesn't even take a month and we've got the claim together.
Now that we have a strong claim and more than 50% of the provinces, we can simply usurp the title and knock her back down to countess level.
And since we knocked her down to that level, that means that the Bishop of Reims is independent now, so let's rectify that situation.
Roger does great work and manages to fabricate the claim I need in '36.
So now that we have the claim, taking the province is only a formality.
...he revolted? Well then. It's not like he's got a shot anyway, but this might take a while because I have to siege his holdings.
This isn't going to stop, it seems.
The Bishop is smacked down effortlessly...
...and the revolting count's army is smashed and his holding is being besieged.
I can't remember if G?raud here was gay before I married him away or if he picked that up in the meantime. Either way, that's kind of a pain. I'll have to see what I can do about that.
In '37 I try and go for another duchy coup through fabrication.
The rebellion is smacked down eventually and the title is revoked, and as I'm now over the demesne limit again, some random Content guy gets another county.
Quick Cluny update - the guy made about 500 bucks in those few years. If we eventually have to smash that piggy bank, we're going to be SO rich.
A claim is fabricated, but only one on the county, which isn't really worth it.
Instead, I decide on a change of plans - time to fabricate on the duchess of Berry's realm. Now why would I try to attack the duchess I set up with my heir?
Well, because she only has one county and no count vassals. If I can just take that county, I can just usurp the duchy anyway, which is a lot easier and makes it easier for me to pick a better heir.
In '38, it's time to open up a faction for Gavelkind succession. The plan here is to eventually force the crowns to split, which would greatly increase my relative power in the realm and would probably make it possible to make a play for the kingdom of France.
Roger once again comes through quickly, although I would have preferred a county claim, since they're exactly the same in this case, except the county claim would have cost me less money at the end of the day.
Oh well, no use crying over getting a duchy claim, let's get going!
The army sizes are hilariously lopsided...
...and the war is just a formality.
After that, I officially make Roger my heir, and my vassals easily go along with it. This guy's going to make a lot better ruler even if he's no Genius (which makes his incredible stats even more incredible).
While I start working on the duchy of Orleans, there's a bit of a lull in the action, as gardens are grown...
...requests are made and quickly denied...
...more assholes want my shit...
...and de jure vassals are brought into the fold.
And in '40, the entire thing is brought to an abrupt stop. HE'S BACK! The dethroned king is making one last play for the title, and shit is about to go down!
He's got a fuckton of soldiers and is outnumbering our liege hard. He could very well be fucked here.
The year is '41, and the host armies have descended on France. No idea how our liege is going to deal with this...
...and me picking that exact moment to push my faction demands didn't help either.
Next time: Stabbings? We're definitely going to try and split the crowns here, but I think it'll also happen if Philippe wins his war, so we might want to sit this out. After that, we'll try to make a play for the kingdom somehow.