Toggle Background Color
Miaphysite Tutorial
Part 13: It's Unlucky For Everyone (949-955)
I'm trying to expand as rapidly as I can before the next Jihad comes around. Our new strategy is pretty similar to our old one: conquer independent Muslim Emirates. But during this phase the Abbassids showing up are no longer 'White Peace' material. It's 'fight for it' time.
I decide to marry back into the line from the Georgia branch. It's a bit icky, but I'm praying I can put a Miaphysite member of the dynasty on the throne and she has Attractive - a positive genetic trait I want bred into my line that gives a boost to diplomacy. I'm coming up on age 60 at this point so it's a long shot.
The Monophysites celebrate my marriage by revolting. Unlike previous revolts, this one will prove to be an issue.
Because the event for MORE revolters to join up fires, the heresy spreads, and they're now at a third of the levies I can call - all of whom are in Outrejordan. Making things worse is that when they take the county, they kill my heir's Genius wife he never had kids with.
I'm trying something new by combining images through the power of free image editing websites. The Bulgarian front involves letting the revolters take all of Tyrnovo so they move onto other land. Tyrnovo has defensive properties while all the surrounding counties do not, and I'm already a thousand men short of the revolters.
The Outrejordan front does what I always do - hunt, seige, win.
It takes half my manpower in Bulgaria but I pull it off. I take a risk by sending everyone to Outrejordan to finish that war before anyone else arrives.
The risk pays off, and my ruler gets a new choice! Desert Combat will be very handy considering I'm now fighting in the Levant.
The Abbassids are off dealing with revolts in the meantime. Unfortunately the revolt is nowhere near as big as I thought; one of them is a Tyranny war while the other is Independence.
The Monophysites are now within manageable limits, and the Revolt Response Squad proceeds as normal. Check out how much gold he ended up acquiring, it'd be a real shame if anything happened to it...
The Abbassid Independence revolt enforces their demands. The Emir on the top immediately has his own revolt break out, meaning that the Emir of Syria (it's a duchy in this case) will be my next target. A quick sidenote, I now own most of the Kingdom of Syria.
Friends and rivals - a longtime thing mods added to the game - finally got into vanilla at some point. We attempt to convert our friend to the Miaphysite faith, but we part ways.
The departure is too much for Smbat II's already strained heart, and he passes away without his best friend at his side at the ripe old age of 65. Smbat II is the longest ruler Armenia has yet had, his reign nearly lasting half a century. He adds 10K to the dynasty's score alone.
Smbat II has also earned the right to be called 'The Great'. He beat back the Caliph in both an invasion and the world's first Jihad. His war against the Byzantines was the opportunity his vassals needed to put a decades-long plan to seize the throne into action, ensuring his line now held the Empire in their hands. He ensured Bulgaria's conversion to the Miaphysite faith, in spite of the heresies running about, reaped the rewards of his predecessor's investments.
Our new ruler, King Ivan. We immediately convert to the Armenian culture again because fuck Bulgarian retinues. We're going to have to do a lot of things before hitting the 'Play' button again, because I just took control over the Duchies of Moesia and Karnuva. That's pushing me way above my demense limit.
I give it all to my heir, the new Mega-Duke Ljutomsl. Luckily he's already in the Armenian culture and will make a decent king someday.
I also take the opportunity to consolidate the Duchy of Moesia by retracting the Count of Nikopolis from the Duke of Wallachia. It's a risky move but if he's going to revolt then better I ensure he has less vassals.
Finally I move my capitol once more, this time to Damascus. The downside is that the culture there is Levantine and not Armenian. If I have an issue with heir culture again then it won't be as easy as I've made it so far.
The realm is now large enough that vassal factions are a serious problem. One particularly problematic vassal is the Duchess of Moldeau. She's Zealous and Orthodox, making her hate my guts as the lone Orthodox in a sea of Miaphysites. I decide to eliminate her because I don't want an Independence revolt going off and it will be easier to convert her heir.
The religion map for Bulgaria, Wallachia, & Transylvania. Proof that she's the lone standout in my entire kingdom. Also note: after getting repeatedly hit by Lotharingia and myself, Hungary finally converted to Catholicism.
Even with troublesome vassals this is as good a time as any to pick off Muslim Emirs. Time to take Syria.
New problem. My heir decided it would be a good idea to get sick and die. This is a problem because...
The new heir, Vladislav, is still Bulgarian. I make him my ward as I off-load all of Lj...Lj... however you spell his name's holdings onto him.
The factions aren't going away this time, even with a war on. Luckily, the plot for the Duchess's assassination is about to trigger.
Aaaaaaw no. My plot is out in the open. The Duchess uses my attempted assassination to rally her fellow dukes into open rebellion. Now I'm the one dealing with revolts.
Next Time: More Than One Way to Skin a Cat