CK2 succession game

Inheriting the throne on April 15, 1204, Ultra Magnus I's world looked as follows:



Only the Almoravid Sultanate and the Byzantine Empire, and farther east, the Seljuk Empire, came close to the glory of the HRE. Life was, on the surface, easy. Yet, there were still some things to be righted. Now that the game of Emperorship was his, Ultra Magnus, as a Game Master, donned his Crusader Kings shirt, and prepared to make the most of the opportunities.



The first order of business was securing a more appropriate ward for his eldest son and heir, Gerard. He was currently being trained by an unskilled, lowborn, deceitful courtier who wasn't even Dutch - clearly a dangerous proposition all around.



The choice of who to raise Gerard is not easy. Amongst the options considered are an excommunicated possessed man with 30 Military points and 77 overall, a French genius whose main flaw was not being Dutch, a cruel Dutch bastard who lost out due to character flaws, and self-teaching. Finally, the winning candidate was a minor noble Dutchwoman living in England with both good character and good skills.



Next up is shaking up the Council. It is not the greatest currently.



The Count of Plauen is the first to go, replaced by the Baron of Oostende, a talented yet depressed man who could use an improvement in life. For Mashal, a gamble is made, and the excommunicated possessed man chosen... risky, but who can turn down 30 Military? The Stewardship is left alone for now. A Dutch bishop is drafted for Theologian, and the man with a claim to Croatia made Spymaster. Once it's all done, the table looks much better.



The next adventures are up north. This young chap is invited to our court.



Why would the Heir to Norway move to the HRE? Why, because he wants the throne sooner. And why would we care about that?



Ah yes, a matrilineal marriage. True, it's not as good as if Norway were not Elective, but it's still a promising prospect, and better than marrying her off to the Croatian dude with a claim to a smaller, war-ravaged country, who's twice as old.

We also hope that this, indirectly, fulfills her ambition to Marry a Ruler.

Throughout the year, factions form, the most threatening being Lower Crown Authority and Independence. Not wanting things to come to conflict, Ultra Magnus decides to dole out some territories. The first to go is Lausitz, to my youngest brother Edouard, who is on good terms and not considered a threat. He is then given the Duchy of Brandenburg as well, solving most of the duchy/demesne problems.

Out of curiosity, Ultra Magnus wonders if his father left any works on how he acquired the Kingdom of Great Moravia. It is purely titular, and somehow passed into the family. Ultra Magnus considered giving this to his brother as well, as a sign of goodwill, but kept it for the time being.



In the summer, the Emperor finds his ward fighting. How he ended up with an heretic ward, I know not... it is not a seemly thing for an Emperor.



Less than a year into his reign, Ultra Magnus gains the epithet "The Wise" - far quicker than expected. He can't even be considered an old man yet!



And what should a wise ruler do but scheme and plot? A plan is quickly hatched to "dispatch" of the least friendly of the Holy Roman vassals. Alas, the victim's spymaster wife will not join, but more than a few people will.



The winter of 1204 sees Ultra Magnus's first war. The target? The heretics in Pisa. The reason? Money. Pisa's income equals the HRE's, yet they are tiny... surely they should pay tribute to us?

Less than a year in, they agree to do so:



This helps the treasury considerably, composing fully a sixth of our revenue.



The fall brings both good and bad news. On the positive, the Croatian Dude has not only inherited a bishopric I appointed him to, but also become a Cardinal.



On the downside, Godila died of illness... but not before leaving her Norwegian husband a young, van Vlaanderen infant son. However, I soon realize that as he has passed out of the top three in votes, I'm no longer able to press his claim . Oh well, maybe later... the gold from Pisa is a nice consolation prize nonetheless.

So instead, I decide to press my Cardinal's claim to Croatia.

I also get some good news after awarding my loyal vassal near Moravia the Duchy of Moravia - he decides to take care of my least happy vassal - who's only been all the more troublesome since my attempt to weaken the supports on the castle balcony failed.



Thank you sir! With actions like that, I deem him worthy of being Cupbearer.

Another true ally is Deirdre of Scotland - for the first time ever, someone joins me in a war without my even asking!



As the war winds down, I notice that Borijov (formerly known as the Croatian Dude) is actually not only a Cardinal, but next in line to be Pope. King of Croatia and Pope at the same time? Could it be possible?



I also decide that this is the time to betroth Gerard, the heir to the throne. After considering a Byzantine princess with a weak claim, I instead settle on a Casillian princess with strong claims to both Castille and Leon, who also is the current heir to Leon. Less land, perhaps, but a much better chance of pressing the claim.



1209 begins with victory in Croatia - the Theocracy of Croatia is now part of the Holy Roman Empire!



We celebrate by improving the economic strength of the Empire:



This brings in over 100 ducats per year of income. True, it doesn't improve feudal vassal opinion, but that is a minor price to pay!

Around the end of the year, I fail to kill an unhappy duke, a daughter is born, and the duke rebels when I try to imprison him for his own plot. Oh well - that will give me an opportunity to weaken him while he doesn't have allies!

Deirdre of Scotland dies of illness in 1210, giving my son Rodulf the Kingdom of Scotland. But... what is this? It is not Gerard the eldest! For Scotland has Gavelkind! Well, no bother. Gerard has a claim, if a weak one... something can surely be made of it.

Yet all the same, the loss weighs on Emperor Ultra Magnus.



Magnus falls into depression, then illness, but then recovers from illness... and flies into anger at Anatolian raiders carrying off gold from the Turkish provinces.



The revolt must come first, but those Anatolians should not think we don't care about our Turkish provinces!

I decide to grant my first viceroyalty in late 1210... and it lasts only a couple weeks!



Well, so much for that... I'm back at significantly over my vassal limit!

The next year starts... poorly.





The war is not easy. Losses are high, and the warscore swings to -40%... but then back to +15%. Superior local numbers gave the initial edge to the rebels.

Meanwhile, we hear news of some skilless horsemen in the East.



What could we possibly care about that?

Finally, after three years, the civil war ends with success. It's at this point I realize I have an 85% levy penalty due to being at 55/41 vassal limit . And while I'd planned to wait it out until a change of laws could occur, there are three factions with 80% of my power... meaning something must be done posthaste.

I decide the first of all to grant the Kingdom of Aquitaine to the loyal, content, friendly Duke of Toulouse. To lose the Kingdom any other way would be more dangerous. And it should solve the vassal count issue there once and for all, while not creating too powerful of a vassal, either.



Next, I create the Kingdom of Burgundy, to give to a loyal Duke-level vassal.



This takes me down to 48/41, after reassigning a few duchies from the rebels, and much better vassal force contribution.

Shortly thereater, Castille asks us to help them conquer Barcelona, due to our marriage alliance. We accept, as we anticipate that land being ours someday.

Unfortunately, the war with Barcelona was a mistake - it was for a usurper, not a Castillian !

Meanwhile, my older brother became elected Grandmaster of the Knights Templar in 1215. I guess that loan I took to create the Kingdom of Burgundy paid off!

Still struggling with my vassal limit, I create the Kingdom of Italy and give it to the Duke of Tuscany in 1216. That takes me down to 41/41.

It is at this point, at the end of 1216, that I declare war on my son, to secure Scotland for my other son.



Meanwhile, Emperor Ultra Magnus is still depressed. That won't do, so he marries a Swedish duchess.



And Viceroy Rollo dies. Rather than dole out France again, Ultra Magnus decides it's time to increase the vassal limit, and attempt to implement Absolute Crown Authority, with an aim to enact Imperial Administration after that. Alas, it stalls out at 48% support.

In 1218, a Crusade for Anatolia is called.



I willingly join - this is an excellent opportunity to extend our holdings in the region.



BY 1219, the war for Scotland is won. I do feel somewhat sorry for my second-oldest son, but on the plus side, he did manage to marry the heir to Wales - so not all is lost for him.



At this point, I redirect all my troops to the Crusade, some travelling overland, and many by sea. Tens of thousands pour into the countryside, quickly making us the largest contributor at that time, if not yet over the course of the entire war. The infidel is being pushed back, but victory is not to be had during Ultra Magnus's reign, for before it can come, he goes to meet his maker at the age of 54.



Gerard II will have some interesting choices to make. Although our progress in the Crusade was lost, there are enough HRE troops in the area that we can likely become the top contributor again nonetheless. There also will be decisions to make at home, as we're at 53/39 vassal limit currently. Making France a viceroyalty again would help with that; my guess is that going to Absolute Authority and Imperial Administration will not be as feasible early in a reign as it looked like it may be a decade into Ultra Magnus's reign. And I'm sure at least a few vassals will be unruly.

As for Italy, Burgundy, and Aquitaine, I did make them regular Kingdoms. It should solve the doling-out-kingdoms issue once and for all if we keep them happy, and feels a bit less gamey than continually re-giving them out and sidestepping a lot of the challenge. I did not get around to creating our home kingdom of Frisia; that decision can be made or not made another day.