The Rise of Asturias - a CKII fictional AAR

[undercovergeek]

** I recently surrendered to KyzBP in our WitP AE game - the main reasons being my laptop is in many bits in a carrier bag under the stairs and my PC is in storage awaiting its new home (the whereabouts of which are still to be negotiated with the GF). In the nail biting gaps between turns i started a CKII game, due to work, home, life and family commitments its been a sporadic project but i managed to write a few notes and piece together an AAR of sorts and will continue to do so when my immediate situation is resolved. I felt it terribly unfair to KyzBP to suspend the game for what will be months and months and chose to surrender the game to a brilliant opponent, it was in no way so that i could play and write about something else! I'm copying and pasting from my saved notes direct into the forum from a tablet so there will be an absence of pics for a while. I hope its as much fun reading as it was playing **

[Sir Slash]

I'm in man. Any Aircraft Carriers in this game?  ;D

[JasonPratt]

Glad to hear it!

[undercovergeek]

Obeko exhaled slowly, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, it had been a long night. He thought he'd finished with the dramatics of court, served his time and hung up his sword. Munia was still meekly beating her fists against him, sobbing with some occasional wailing, she threw herself into his arms and started a fresh round of tears. The King, Munia's husband, Obeko's son in law, was dead, murdered, his lifeless body found at the bottom of the grey, flinty cliffs of Oviedo amongst the shattered timbers of his carriage and twisted bodies of the horse team. The coachman was nowhere to be found, rumours of his loyalty to Veromondo, the pretender to the throne began to circulate around the castle.

'There, there' soothed Obeko without much feeling as another wave of sobs erupted from Munia.

'You dont care!!' she howled, 'what will become of me? I was meant to be Queen, and what of Adelfonso? Your grandson! The assassins' knives are surely out for him next! I was meant to be QUEEN!!'

There was never any doubting her lineage. Her ruthless ambition had come from him, the beauty and constant craving for gold had come from her mother. Her accusations were not wholly wrong, he'd smiled and nodded at all the right parts of the Royal wedding, but in truth he hadn't really been listening. He was thinking about the prestige the partnership brought him, it gave him access to the King's ear, a bit more kudos with his court, it put his grandson on the throne, a thought that put such a smile on his face he wondered if he might be the first to be questioned by the King's Marshal. And he now had the largest army in Northern Iberia at his back door should the Muslims decide to venture further north.

His closest neighbour and cousin had been the King of Navarre, now the entire region was awash with Muslims and under the control of the Hakamid Emirate. Viscaya and Asturias had absorbed the sea of refugees fleeing the area, the King had promised them the return of their homes but that had been a long time ago and the feeling was that Navarre would never be in Catholic hands again.

A messenger, almost unheard, crept up to his side, wincing and recoiling at every wail that escaped Munia. 'The Lord Chancellor is here with an important message my Lord'

'Manrike! Some good news at last, send him in'.

The long suffering, long serving Chancellor entered the room. 'What news Manrike?' and right then Obeko knew the news was not good. 'What is it?'

'The King's nephew has taken the throne for himself, your grandson is missing'

[Boggit]

Great narrative 'Geek. O0

[JasonPratt]

The largest army in Northern Iberia -- NOW HAS A TARGET!!  >:D

[undercovergeek]

Obeko scanned the corners of the grand hall, he even pretended to cough and turned away to clear his throat, so as to furtively glance over his shoulder and check the shadowy corners behind him. Aurelio's master of spies was notorious for making his audience feel as if someone or something was about to step out of the darkness and steal one's soul. Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz struck fear in the heart of everyone. Some said it was the different coloured eyes, some said it was the unsettling scar across his face, rumoured to have been caused when his mother threw him down a well as a small child, herself petrified by his unwavering stare and sinister aura. Only one person had ever asked if the rumours were true, and the Spymaster had had the man tied to a boulder and thrown down a well to make his point. Some said it was the emotionless, expressionless white face encased in a black cowl, not for nothing the people of Asturias named him 'La Parca' – the Grim Reaper, but only when they were sure he was at least two towns away.

And here he was, in the grand hall of Viscaya castle. Never quite sure if it was safe to meet his gaze or not Obeko glanced to and fro from the Spymaster to his ward. Stood silent, oblivious of his proximity to the most feared man in Northern Iberia was his grandson, the long tapered, white hand of the Spymaster resting almost paternally on his shoulder.

'He is returned' said Diego Ruiz, and smiled. A smile that suggested it was a close run thing as to whether Adelfonso had been returned on his own two feet, or in small packages. Obeko nodded, understanding everything that the smile was meant to convey.
'His majesty King Aurelio the First regrets the unfortunate set of circumstances that has led to the boy's claim to the throne been usurped, and hopes he can rely on the continued loyalty of the insignificantly small county of Viscaya?'
Obeko bowed slowly, feeling the sting of the put down, hating the man, hating the new King. His grandson was safe, but was his land?

The entire court breathed a sigh of relief when the Spymaster left. Munia burst into the hall and hugged her son tightly, she had been confined to her chambers whilst Diego Ruiz was in the castle lest she start a war that could not hoped to be won by way of her quick temper and foul language.

'What of us now father? What will become of me?'

Obeko nodded to Manrike, "A Karling", he said "fourth son of the King of Bavaria", he added proudly

"My husband is still warm! You cannot pass me around the courts like a cow at the market......what? Fourth? Fourth!! I was the Queen of Asturias, Christ and all His Saints, is he a hunchback? A cripple? How dare you" she threw a plate at Manrike

"My little calabaza" sighed Obeko, "listen to me, shhhhh, listen. I should not have to explain this to you. Your mother has not given me a son, just you my coliflor, love her as much as I do if she cannot give me a son then the bloodline passes to you, and then you must have a son my darling. But a son of our heritage, not some son of Bavaria or Castille or Navarre, a Viscayan son. No King or Prince is going to give up his own bloodline to our family by giving us his first or second born heir is he? We must sow our seeds a little lower down the ladder my angel. But if we find the right one, we can plant the seeds of a great dynasty and your children's children will rule Asturias one day, do you see?'

Munia nodded tearfully for her father, but inside she raged with a fire that only the blood of Kings could extinguish.

[undercovergeek]

Lopez watched the engineers from behind one of the great pillars in the construction yard. He scribbled tiny diagrams and made encrypted notes in his book. Some of the machines were a complete mystery to him but he recognised others and their purpose, the Byzantine siege weapons were far in advance of anything Viscaya could put in the field, and his master would be pleased with his notes and drawings.

'Senor Lopez?', a hand descended on his shoulder, and he snapped his book closed instantly and thrust it in the folds of his cloak. 'Si', he said turning to meet the man, only then realising no one here should know his name.

'My Lord would like a word in private Senor Lopez'

Lopez was about to suggest he was otherwise engaged until two much larger men stepped around the pillar and nodded to him.

'I see my choices are limited on the matter'

'You see correctly Senor, please follow me' the man set off towards the far side of the yard, and the two larger men stepped in behind Lopez. He was escorted to a large wooden door with an iron grille in the centre, the first man opened the door and stood aside.

'After you Senor', Lopez hesitated, squinting into the blackness beyond the door, the two men shoved him hard from behind and he tipped forward and stumbled into the room. The door slammed behind him and he felt his arms pinned to his side by a great strength, he looked behind him to see a huge bearded man who calmly ignored him but held his arms in a vice like grip. Looking around the hot, little room he could now make out a second man who had his back to him and who was busy at something Lopez could not see

'Ahhhhhh Senor Lopez, a pleasure to see you', he said cheerfully without turning around, 'My master tells me you have been stealing our secrets'

Lopez struggled but the grip only became tighter, and the second man finally turned around revealing a burning brazier, the reason for the stifling heat in the room, and in his hands he held a glowing poker. Lopez struggled harder, glancing around the room for a means of escape

'Take it all in Senor Lopez, these are the last things you will ever see'

[Sir Slash]

Lopez is screwed.

[undercovergeek]

'Both eyes?'

'Both eyes' confirmed Manrike.

'Savages. These men are supposed to be advanced, their thinking and skills beyond our own. Where is he now?'

'He is been tended to by one of our tradesmen over there, he found him in the alley and took him in'

'Let me see the list again', Obeko reached out for the list of Viscayan agents ready to send to Constantinople. 'No, no, no, possibly, no. Is this all we have?'

'This is not the court of Asturias my Lord, Viscaya has few skilled spies available'

'Go see the steward, take a purse of coins and go find me a man that would frighten the night itself. We need better than this'

'As you wish. What of Lopez?'

'When he can walk again, send him back out'

'My Lord, he has no eyes'

Obeko brandished the list in Manrike's face, 'and he is STILL our best spy!!'

[KyzBP]

'As you wish. What of Lopez?'

'When he can walk again, send him back out'

'My Lord, he has no eyes'

Obeko brandished the list in Manrike's face, 'and he is STILL our best spy!!'

;D
Keep it up, UCG.  This thread motivated me to fire up CKII again.

[JasonPratt]

Now Lopez is a man without fear; a man who can frighten the night itself. A Spaniard who would dare the devil.

>:D

[Airborne Rifles]

Lopez the blind spy. I like the ring of that  :).

[undercovergeek]

Lopez gently put his cup back down, swallowed slowly and savoured the wine. He gave a slight nod of his head towards the child that was sat next to him on the ground, a sign to continue. The two of them, blind old man and small child were sat cross legged on the floor disguised as beggars, not by chance outside a small tavern where two engineers from the construction yard were discussing their work. The boy whispered the translated conversation to Lopez who would nod and murmer and move his hands in a rolling motion to hurry the boy along. His bandages itched insufferably and he had to pull his hood so far over his face to hide them the heat inside was stifling, he wanted to be back in the shade of the traders home

The boys voice caught in his throat, but just for a second, Lopez put his head to one side to hear better

'Are you well boy?' he whispered

'Yes, my Lord' the boy replied

Lopez frowned, the conversation amongst the engineers had stopped and it felt to the spy like there was another, unknown presence at hand.

'Que pasa?' whispered Lopez quickly, nervous of the sudden silence

'Nada mi senor' said the boy, but to Lopez it sounded like through clenched teeth, 'here, take a drink, you look hot' and the boy placed the cup into Lopez's hands. Lopez gulped the rest of the wine, thirsty and annoyed

'Where are the builders?'

'They went inside'

'Come, lets go home, our work here is done for the d....', he slurred the last word, his tongue like a heavy weight in his mouth.

'Senor?'

Lopez made to rise but his legs were unresponsive, dead weights beneath him. He tried to move his arms to feel his legs and they too would not move. Instinctively he tried to look down at this legs, forgetting his stolen eyesight, but his head was a heavy, immovable block. Lopez could feel the rush of panic surging through him, he was paralysed, sat in darkness like a Viscayan gargoyle in the dirt of a dusty alley in Constantinople and realised here was where he was going to die. He heard the boy being dragged away, and then in the loneliness of the alley waited for the posion to finish its work, no other sounds but his heartbeat getting slower and slower....................

[Staggerwing]

Great Storytelling 'Geek!

Lopez the blind spy. I like the ring of that  :).

Like Blind Pew from Yellowbeard