Snape kills Dambledoor.
In any case, I decided to do a Targaryen playthrough to see how long I could keep the Iron Throne.
It was only 150 later that I realized how amazingly boring it becomes: a human can hold on to an empire indefinitely once he has figured out how CK2 works. Even when you're deliberately trying to ruin your realm (throwing people in the oubliette to become Cruel, sleeping with your vassal lord's wives at feasts to make them hate you), you can still keep the Seven Kingdoms together with a bit of effort.
Fortunately, CK2 gives you an option to switch characters, so you can try to take down the monster you spent so long building.* And of course, we have the console to add to the challenge. We will make our heirs new Mad Kings, hell, we will make them new Charles II's. Oh, and I'll legalize the right of first night if I can (though changing crown laws is near-impossible in an entity as large as the Seven Kingdoms), it adds to the fun.
So without further ado, let's step into a world of war, intrigue, love affairs, and political upheaval, as the Targaryens fight to keep the Iron Throne, but without the help of the dragons who made it.
We open with Rhaegar (me) assuming the supreme command of the loyalist armies, and telling us about his abduction of Lyanna.
I immediately plot to kill Aerys II: he's too craycray to rule, and a pale shadow of the king Rhaegar will be. Varys/Queen Rhaella/Pycelle take care of him. And yes, I know Rhaegar probably wouldn't plot-kill his own father (deposing him, OTOH...), but I think it is something Pycelle might do, or that Rhaella might do after Aerys II raped her for the thousandth time.
From a gameplay perspective, I wanted to do something a bit new. I've already won once as Mad King Aerys II, and shown the pics of what happens (Aerys burns the rebels alive). It's pretty difficult, and it's easier to win as Rhaegar, who is an excellent ruler that inspires loyalty and love.
A poisoned snake was the method of choice.
Rhaegar forms up the Crownlander forces, in time to stop the Riverland armies.
The resultant victory, but the war is still far from over.
Eddard Stark has arrived, and his forces in this area outnumber ours significantly. Rhaegar needs to back up to rejoin the Tyrell armies (who are off in the Stormlands chasing Robert Baratheon around at the moment).
The Rebel and Loyalist forces collide, at a hill near King's Landing. Rhaegar and Eddard both lead their armies from the center. The Tyrells are on the right flank, but they are falling before the Stark and Arryn forces. Rhaegar and his Kingsguard will need to carry the day to win the battle.
And the battle is won, although Eddard Stark escapes, and one of our loyalist lords is dead.
The Rebels reform. Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn prepare for another massive, evenly-matched battle. This time, the Martells are reinforcing the Loyalists.
Gerold "The White Bull" Hightower, leader of my Kingsguard, kills Eddard Stark in single combat, and the Rebel forces rout upon seeing the death of their leader.
With Eddard gone, Jeor Mormont refuses to follow the baby Robb, and defects to the Loyalists.
True to his character, Tywin Lannister only joins the Loyalists after the war is basically won.
Rhaegar and Elia enjoy each other's company as the war winds down to a close.
(I did not expect this event to fire, it doesn't make too much sense from a book perspective. Sure, Rhaegar may have loved Elia, but he lusted for Lyanna).
Robert, who was soundly defeated and lost his best friend, unconditionally surrenders to Rhaegar. In short, he will be taken prisoner, and have to pay indemnities to the crown. All the rebels will lose their titles, to be replaced by more loyal lords.
Because Rhaegar is kind (he has the "Kind" trait in-game), he will not sentence anybody to death or the wall.
But first...
This ain't good
Noooooooooo...
(I believe there are 3 possible event chains for Rhaegar at the Tower of Joy. In one, which I showed earlier on this blog, Rhaegar+Lyanna's child, "Jon Snow," dies, but Lyanna lives, and Rhaegar can decide what to do with her. In another, which I've seen fire once, "Jon Snow" lives, but Lyanna dies. In the third, which is this one, they both die. I have a save file at the point where Rhaegar wins the war, so I can reload it a few times to see if there's a 4th option where both Lyanna and "Jon Snow" live, but I don't think there is.)
We'll end here for now.
*Assuming I can stop the AI from going retard-mode and completely destroying my empire. Bah, that's not fair, and I know it. I rag on the AI all the time, but let's be honest, the AI acts as a real medieval ruler would have. We humans are not amoral, detached, omniscient creatures. We're only human. The AI's performance reflects those limitations. A human-controlled dynasty, on the other hand, must look to the AI like a string of Tywin Lannister-level genius statesmen.
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