Crusader Kings Chronicle, part 5: 1112-1128

Affairs of a kingdom

March 16, 1115: King Brian's Grand Tournament begins!

Over the course of the next two months, Sir Muiredach, son of the Earl of Desmond, will be maimed. Men over 50 end up taking the top three prizes, with the oldest, 59-year-old Earl Áed of Tyrconnel, being named Grand Champion. The young men of Ireland hang their heads in shame.

May 12, 1115: King Brian discovers that his granddaughter, Dubchoclaigh, seeks to kill his grandson and heir, Máel-Sechlainn. He tells her not to do that.

June 24, 1115: After King Brian passes the Medium Crown Authority law, Domnall of Leinster usurps his former title of Duke of Leinster and raises his banners in rebellion.

Man, I love it when that happens. Since the last war I fought against this guy was a conquest, I couldn't strip him of his titles afterwards without pissing everyone off. Now he's officially a traitor to the realm, and after I step on him, I can take his titles and put him in jail until he rots. Meanwhile, my new crown authority law will give me tighter controls over my loyal vassals at the price of a small reduction in public opinion.

January 21, 1117: Ireland has been re-unified after what can hardly be called a war, and Domnall of Leinster is imprisoned. Scotland has also been restored under the rule of King Duncan II, son of Malcolm the Cruel.

August 21, 1117: King Brian aids his aging brother-in-law (by his late first wife) King Erik of Denmark once again, against the Mazovians. It is the first time he has sailed to a foreign war as King of Ireland, and his 1000 men arrive just in time to rescue a faltering Danish battalion at the Battle of Lyek. They turn the tide decisively and go on the offensive.

January 8, 1118: Queen Thorborg is found to be pregnant, though the announcement is darkened by the widely spreading folklore that the children of Brian ua Brian are doomed to die young.

April 5, 1118: Lyck falls, and with it the hopes of the Mazovians. Denmark's borders expand once again, and the Irishmen return home less 391 men and one prince.

August 9, 1118: King Brian's first son by Thorborg is born, named Cennétig after the father of the first Duke Brian.

Contributor

Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.

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