Crusader Kings Chronicle, part 5: 1112-1128

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The Lords of Ireland

At 64, I've met all the conditions and paid the costs associate with creating a kingdom. That doesn't automatically make me sovereign over all of the lands that are considered Ireland, however. Six counties remain independent, and I'll have to secure the vassalage of their liege lords by contract or conquest.

February 25, 1112: King Brian assembles the lords of Ireland before his coronation pavilion, and asks each who would accept him as their rightful liege to step forth and kneel. Earl Donnchad of Ossory and Duke Domnall of Leinster stand firm. Earl Áed of Tyrconnel, who fought alongside Brian in the Crusade for Jerusalem, is the first to kneel. His northern allies, Earl Indrechtach of Tyron and Earl Eógan of Oriel, follow suit. The last of the northern Ulster lords, Earl Indrechtach of Ulster, hesitates.

Three immediate acceptances is not bad. At this point, now that I had more support, I went back to those who initially refused to ask again.

Seeing three of the four Ulster lords kneel, Donnchad of Ossory reconsiders and steps forth to kneel. Indrechtach of Ulster and Domnall of Leinster depart as the sole dissenters, clutching to the independence of their realms.

Well, it looks like I'll need to deal with two of the most powerful lords in the land before I am the undisputed king. Luckily, the armies of my four new vassals should make it an almost trivial task.

April 16, 1112: The Norwegian King Magnus II of England dies. His newborn son, Magnus III, becomes king. King Brian is dismayed to learn that Magnus managed to have a male heir just before his death, having hoped that his marriage to Princess Thorborg would produce the next King of England. He mentions some completely hypothetical solutions to this problem in a casual chat with his spymaster.

Murder a baby? I have no idea what would give you that crazy idea. Sure, Crusader Kings' plot mechanic supports it. And some powerful nobles such as Duke Åle of Oxford and Duke Ealdræd of Somerset seem willing to see such an awful deed done. I will even give you that little Magnus' own half-uncle, Prince Sigurd, and Sigurd's mother, Ragnhild, seem warm to the idea. But I only know that from rumor. It's not like I discussed it with them or anything.

Why are you looking at me like that?

April 17, 1112: King Brian names himself Duke of Ulster, adding to his existing titles as Duke of Munster, Connacht, and Meath. This effectively makes him not only king, but also direct liege of every duchy in Ireland but Leinster.

My vassals are starting to get annoyed with how many potentially giftable titles I hold, but I'm also getting a lot of prestige and, more importantly, more leverage over Earl Indrechtach of County Ulster, one of the two lords who have yet to proclaim me king.

Under the auspices of his new title, King Brian sends Earl Indrechtach of Ulster a gift of gold, and gives him one last chance to kneel before the throne and prevent war. The once reluctant lord accepts, leaving Domnall of Leinster alone in his defiance of the king.

July 18, 1112: Earl Indrechtach of Tyrone requests to be made Duke of Ulster. King Brian obliges, having only claimed the title to aid in bringing County Ulster to heel.

Len Hafer
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.