Crusader Kings Chronicle, part 1: 1066 - 1076 A.D.

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A decade in

Since my Spymaster did his job this time (instead of dying), I had the option to demand that Sigrid abandon her current plot (goals that work like Ambitions, but are more private.) As far as I know, she will be forced to do so. A thought did strike me, however. Given that Sigrid has consistently targeted my Spymasters, I could one day use the position as a covert, fully deniable means of execution. Unlike the in-game "plot" mechanic, no NPC would ever be able to prove that I appointed the deceased Spymaster specifically to have them targeted for death by Sigrid. Something to keep in mind...

August, 1075: Duke Murchad's son Amalgaid and grandson Murchad grow old enough to be educated. They are sent to the Duke's long-time Marshal and the greatest fighter in Munster, Tadg macDiarmait, to be trained in the ways of war.

September 27, 1075: William the Conqueror, the first and last Norman King of England, is dead at 48. His end came at the sword of Brian macMurchad's father-in-law, King Svend II of Denmark. The Norsemen look poised to take England.

Say goodbye to actual history. We have officially gone off the deep end.

July, 1076: By now, a vast majority of England has fallen to 61-year-old King Harald the Conqueror of Norway. Only Gloucester and Northumberland remain under Norman rule.

August, 1076: All of England has fallen to Harald, and most of Great Britain is now the lawful domain of the Kingdom of Norway.

Wulfryth, wife to Earl Muiredach of Desmond, dies under suspicious circumstances.

She probably gave Sigrid a dirty look at a feast.

September 15, 1076

I have reigned for 10 years. My 50th birthday is nearing, and I am hardly a young man anymore. My son Brian has grown into a capable man of 28, while my youngest Amalgaid is a boy of 7 whom I expect will be a great warrior someday. My wife and I still grieve for Donnchad, taken from us in his fourth year. My... dutiful Chancellor, Toirrdelbach, has yet to "come across" any workable claim for me on Connacht, halting my ambitions of becoming king for a time. We cannot say what the future holds, however. If I have anything to do with it, it shall hold a united Ireland. At the very least, I will make sure the histories note that I died trying.

Check back next week to see what becomes of me in the latter years of my reign!

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.