The Fifth of the After Action Reports (AAR) following my direction of the Irish Empire, tracing the dynasty of the Briain dynasty through the Middle Ages. The previous AARs can be found here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.

As remembered in the previous AAR, King Donn ascended to the Irish throne roundly disliked and hated by most of the population and vassals. In the new High King, others saw a no-good womaniser and seducer who had ascended to the throne and was not worthy. After a number of rebellions which were brutally put down, the vassals and population fell in line... however, some of the vassals would need to be appeased with the transfer of rights and lower level vassals to please them. The rebellions were defeated... but only just, and High King Donn and the Irish crown would not likely survive another round of rebellions or defections.

... of course, there would be some who would better persuaded by the stick instead of the carrot. So, some imprisonments and a handful of executions would be in order to remind the vassals and court that rebellions would have consequences.

Reforming the Council meant that some of the positions would have to be occupied by former rebels. Unfortunately, King Donn was so hated that pretty much all of the powerful vassals decided to form up against him. Gutting them all or banishing them would leave a hole in the ability to govern the kingdom.

Interestingly enough, the best candidate for the all crucial spymaster position was Duke Trengus... who had a disturbing habit of appearing in court clothed in his original birthday attire! Ah well, if he stays good at his job, he can wear whatever the hell he likes!

As always, there is nothing better than an external enemy to focus the will of the rabble and the potentially rebellious court. The Kingdom of Danelaw still occupies the rest of Britannia that doesn't stand under the Irish crown, and this would need to be rectified to unify the Great Isles. So, a war... to bring us all together in a unified goal.

High King Donn, before ascending to the throne, was a notorious Seducer and Tempter... with many "conquests" over mainland Europe. Now, sitting upon the throne, it would be better to focus the trickery and intrigue skills towards less personal battles and more towards a lifestyle that would allow him to destabilise the surrounding kingdoms.

Despite the fact that King Donn was universally reviled and responded in a somewhat ruthless way, he does have a soft spot for his eldest daughter and heir, Princess Cellach. Like all parents, King Donn has the hope that his child will end up being a better person than he was...

...despite his best intentions, King Donn finds his eyes distracted by the females in his court. One in particular catches his eye, the Court Physician Scathasch. It was an inadvertent slip back to old habits... but the deed was done, and it might be true love!

... there appears to be a pandemic of fashion sweeping through the court. Is this something to worry about? After all, the Cathar religion is much more forgiving than the Catholics that we splintered away from... but...

Looking down to the mainland, we see that the two gigantic kingdoms of the Holy Roman Empire and Francia are consolidating the smaller lands that surround them. The Holy Roman Empire is too strong to take on.... but it might be interesting to destabilise Francia with the skills of assassination and intrigue that High King Donn has refined over his lifetime.

Emperor Valeran the Third of Francia... no offence, but this is statecraft by a different name. Your empire grows too strong, and it is my sad duty to remove you from the mortal coil.

Poisoned at a banquet... with the fortunate luck of having a bone lodged in his throat at the same time! Death by accident? At least he died what he enjoyed doing... eating like a glutton, surrounded by his sycophants.... with the knowledge that no one would realise that it was NO accident!

His daughter Empress Helewisa ascends to the throne after the untimely death. The Empress is only 15, not quite of age.. but already betrothed. Little does she know that she sits on a cursed throne... her reign will be short.

... an ambush by bandits, an old favourite way to knock off a Head of State. Thankfully, the bandits who caused the carnage were all slaughtered by the Royal Guard, so no witnesses and no way to trace the orders back to the Irish throne!

Princess Aubrey ascends to the Francia throne at only 6 years of age. At this point, it should be becoming obvious that the Francian line is cursed, with two accidental deaths in such a short time. King Donn has a pause... the child is only 6 years old. However, this is not personal... the Kingdom of Francia MUST be destabilised. He signs the order to slaughter a child... but pays the price in Stress.... but it MUST be done!

The young Empress was lured away from a hunting party... and left to fend for herself in front of a hungry predator. It was the most vicious way to leave the Earth...

After the Irish wars of conquest upon the Danelaw and the widespread embrace of the Cathar religion in the British Isles, it appears that the Kingdom of Ireland has become the focus of a Catholic Crusade! The Irish had taken successful roles in the implanting of the Catholic faith in the Middle East when it was still part of the Papal Church, however, since the splintering away with the Cathar faith... the two sects have pretty much ignored each other.

However, now the might of the Catholic world will now be focussed upon bringing it's heretic faith to the green isles of Brittania! It is clear that the Cathar world is completely outmatched in terms of armies....

King Donn, as the leader of the Cathar world, agrees to a quick surrender... there is no need for a long drawn out war with no chance of winning. Total and unconditional surrender with no battles.... battlefield conquest is not the forte of King Donn.

Ireland lost a good chunk of the new English holdings to the Catholic Danelaw Kingdom that was carved out of the lost lands. This is but a temporary setback... one that will be remembered and repaid with interest.

... the King of the Danelaw shall be the first to pay with his life....

... by dying in his sleep, poisoned in the night by a venomous spider. Unfortunately, this had the effect of reuniting the Danelaw and Catholic Danelaw kingdoms under a single throne... perhaps a misjudged and hasty act of vengeance!

Hmmm... it appears that the dalliance with the Court Physician has left a human present. King Donn is known for the amount of bastards that he has sired throughout his life... but this one is different, King Donn is in love! Hopefully, the High Queen will never find out...

It has been a humiliating moment for King Donn, so.. a glance over to the mainland might provide some relief. Yes, we start to see Francia start to fracture and lose grip of it's holdings.... Lyon and Syria have started to rebel in in the de Jure region... meanwhile, the Moors and native Spanish have rebelled and begun to force the Francia out of the peninsula. It is a comforting thought that know that the assassinations have started to take effect.

At this stage of life, King Donn is a Master of Skullduggery and Seduction. Able to strike from the shadows at will to remove almost any Head of State. It has been a bit of an exercise in self control to resist the urge to remove every person who looks at him funny...

Towards the end of his life, the High Queen passes away... she was never interested in the King. The High King Donn, after all the bloodshed that is on his hands and conscience, finally marries the love of his life and soulmate, the low-born Court Physician... his prestige takes a hit, but he doesn't care. He is at peace...

... and very soon after, he passes... content in the legacy that he leaves his daughter, Cellach, and in the arms of his true love.

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