The Lion of Flanders - Chapter VI: La Danse Macabre

Hello everyone and welcome to my Megacampaign called The Lion of Flanders.
It is heavily inspired by Kingdom come, one of the most amazing playthroughs I have ever seen or read. (Link:https://lparchive.org/Paradox-Games-Kingdom-Come/)
The campaign starts in CK2, will be exported to EU4, continued in Victoria 2 and either be completed in one of the HOI games.

Norway understands the might of Flanders and immediately tries to use it to his advantage. Officialy Flanders joins the war, but sending troops so far North is a risk, one I am not prepared to take.

Judith, my firstborn child, once the heir of Flanders, has finished her education. She is skilled in the art of diplomacy, truly a good addition to the van Vlaanderen family.

Measles has left Flanders and we can finally allow people back at court again.

The city of Brussel has fallen into Flemish hands, the trade capital of Brabant is now unable to provide resources and coin to the enemy.

My daughter and her children will keep the van Vlaanderen name. With this marriage, The Holy Roman Emperor will not act against us.

England is once more in revolt as the war against Brabant continues.

People try to kill me and while my Spymaster has not found truth in any of these rumours, I fear them to be the truth.

The court is crowded already, I can't be anywhere without walking in on somebody. I turn down his offer and give him a letter of recommendation so he might find work at another lord's court.

My mother was a woman of the word, I'd prefer to be a man of the sky. I saddle my horse and go for a hunt.

I've been liking the bird and the hunting has been amazing. I spend more time training with the bird.

The rumours persist and I fear my Spymaster is in on the plot.

Richard makes the van Vlaanderen's proud, he has risen to the rank of Grandmaster. I send him a letter of congratulation.

More technology has been secured from foreign countries. It is immediately spread for further use.

Hunting is a fun sport, and more and more people have been joining me too. People often refer to me as a falconer.

He already has half of the spies, i can't leave Flanders completely unprotected against foreign agents.

Another city has been taken.

Factions and division will destroy our great Kingdom. I will use any means necessary to prevent that from happening.

Such a monument would surely improve the value and prestige of our lands.

Another fight in Breda, the war for Breda has been dragging on for too long now. I have to end it soon!

I read the entire thing, truly a marvelous description of such a far away land.

She has got to be kidding me. I was thinking about a statue of our brave national heroes, who fought for our independence. I ordered to take it down and sell the materials. The people of Brugge were overjoyed when they saw it being torn down.

A fight in near Aarschot, a city taken by the Flemish. After a gruesome slaughter, the remained of the army has fled to Breda.

The army has been pursued and is slaughtered in Breda. The dead, both Flemish and Brabantian, have been properly buried on church grounds, captives have been taken, and the peasants have been sent home.

I have to improve relations with the Hansa after the Swedish-Hanseatic war. I accept his proposal and of course the three hundred sixty nine talents are a nice extra?.

Raiders have arrived in Brugge and an splinter force is quickly sent to deal with the savages.

The raiders are killed and the remainder runs back to their few ships.

At long last the war has been won. It's over, the Brabantian usurpers have been destroyed.

More raiders have arrived and are immediately killed or captured in Yperen, the goods from their ships taken away to compensate the families who were raided.

This is bad, real bad, how could she do that? Perhaps it was evil but it was a necessary evil.

It hurts, so much.

A plague, unlike any we have seen before. it is the scourge of the east, the killer of men. We must be wary...

France is split and in revolt, Brittany has been absorbed by Castille and Ireland grows weaker and weaker. Even with news of a coming plague, they continue their petty squabbles among each other.

Woman's right have been increased in Flanders, they are now allowed to hold more titles and soon they will be considered equals.

They are plagued by nightmares, I find it doubtful that any man can accomplish that. Nonetheless, I'll throw him in the dungeon to please the papacy. In secret I apologised for the fact that I had to imprison him for such a trivial reason.

Count Theodolf has been trying to block me for far too long now. I send him an ultimatum, give up all titles now and live in peace, or refuse and face war and imprisonment.

He refused, of course he would. Luckily, he is the only one to go in open rebellion. A loyal vassal collects his own men and leads the war but is soon faced with annihilation as the Royal army assembles. We will avenge them.

He should be proud of his heritage and family.

The battle at Fauquembergues begins and after a clear show of disorganisation, the army is destroyed.

The revolt grows bigger and now England and Castille are in revolt too.

Invading English homeland is a daring move but with the advantage in numbers I fear the English will lose.

As I once said, I will not allow the clerics to make the peasants belive those superstitions. I refuse to do it.

Luxembourg has a lot of land and fertile grounds, in order to make Flanders be able to feed its own people alone, we will have to take it. The claim is pressed and soon we will expand Flanders.

He knows more about strategy than I ever will, he has become a brilliant commander and the soldiers respect him.

India has been hit by the dreaded plague. It spreads like wildfire according to the stories. I hope it is not as horrible as they say it is.

More rumours of assassination, the people I've been so good to keep betraying me. I can't be kind anymore.

The Holy Roman empire has suffered a defeat in England. They still outnumber the English at least two to one but perhaps there is hope.

The battle of Kent begins and while the English put up a good fight they have been defeated.

Our war begins and Luxembourg shall be ours.

The Battle for Luxembourg begun and defeat is imminent for them.

Persia, it is next to the so-called Holy Land. I send a courtier East to discover the truth behind The Plague.

While we can defenitely use the extra population, their tales are horrible. I immediately send out a rider to recall my courtier and when he returned he tells me it's more of the same: people fleeing. But how far can one run? I can not leave my homeland.

Awaiting The Plague, I order The Order of The Claw is immediately dispatched to aid in hospitals and burn any dead. In the meanwhile I announce to my courtiers that the royal Palace, Lady Isabella, will be closed off.

My commanders and soldiers risk themselves in the open field while my loyal vassal in Boulogne takes up arms against the Luxembourgian armies.

This is bad, no man can end a war in three months! This is most unjust, he can wage war in England while we have to do nothing?!

I avenge my Boulognese allies.

The war has been ended by the Holy Roman Emperor. One day, We'll have Luxembourg, one day...

The pain has faded away, just in time as the dreaded plague creeps on all of us.

Asia Minor, how much longer must we suffer?

The first family member has died. The Plague has taken his life, he is no longer Grandmaster.

The Middle East, The Holy Land...

My Physician is a talented man, I hope he will find a cure.

An artifact has been lost. Where does it end?

Italy, Spain, Southern France... It's a flame burning through a dry forest.

A strategic Fort near Bruges is what we need. We can't leave our beautiful city vulnerable.

My son and heir, He can't become a mere monk. He is destined for greater things. He will be King of Flanders!

At least he managed to finish his education. He will govern Flanders well.

A county has been added to our domain. A great gift and compensation for the county that was ripped from us.

Flanders has been struck by The Plague. People don't know what to do anymore. Death has come for all of us.

With this bethrothal, my son will have many children.

Of course we should have crown jewels, are we not as prestigious as other countries?

Only the best jewels will be good enough for us.

My son can't leave, not with this plague hanging around. I prohibit him from leaving the castle and instruct my guards to watch him.

He should not have defied me!

I smacked him, does he not realise how dangerous it was?! I expelled this woman he calls his love. He is angry with me, I'm saddened it has to be liket his.

The Plague has taken him and now no one can continue his work. Luckily I retrieved some of the money.

Amidst all the disease and turmoil, my beautiful wife has died of natural causes. This morning I woke up in bed next to her dead. She laid there, dead and peaceful. I immediately arranged her burial, it was beautiful. A woman I loved with all my heart had died.

I can't let my country down. Despite my grievances, I have to remarry. I decide to marry a Byzantine princess, Byzantium has held out surprisingly long.

It is custom for the Heir of Flanders to rule over Gent, I send my son Gerolt to Gent, both as a punishment and as a sign of trust.

Africa is now too struck by Plague.

We can't risk it, not while our court holds out the Plague. I send her to one of my properties where she will be safe.

Must I really lose another wife? Is that my punishment for my early sinful ways? No, it's a disease and like all diseases it will go away. It will...

The Plague has left Flanders. Brave knights from The Order of The Claw have fallen to disease. The remainder is now sent to deal with its effects. The dead are burned and their ashes given to their families, if they have any left.

Above all wonder, my wife survived. And now she bears our child, or does she?

I start to feel for her, she has so much similarities with my dear Isabella. She manages to make an old man happy.

Everyone lies, all day long, it's what people do.

Some people just can't handle the truth. It's not my fault.

While the plague is burned out in Western Europe, it now has our Eastern neighbours in their grip. I send monks to help the sick over there.

I have to know the truth. It might not be honourable but I have to knw the truth!

I'll trust her, if the spies say she isn't cheating on me...

Rus, Fnland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,... They now suffer The Black Death. More monks are sent to help the people.

Zeeland holds the the mouth to an important inland river. Conquering it means securing trade. Flanders needs this.

My dear father, King Balderik of Flanders, has passed away. I inherit the Flemish Crown and all lands under it. I read his diaries and the diary of my Great-Grandmother. They were good people, good rulers. I hope I can rule as just and fair as they have. With the expansion war started by my father, I inherit a realm in turmoil. We must finish the war, sooner rather than later.

Thanks for reading chapter six of The Lion of Flanders!