A Deal with the Devil: The Rise of the Kingdom of Aragon

[Scarhart]

The twentieth day of November, in the Year of Our Lord, 1130.
Valencia

My father made a deal with the Devil, it seems. It was the only way to survive.

Sancho Jimenez, King of Aragon, saw what the fools in Christian Iberia could not—that God helps the strong and the Christian Kings had no hope against the Moslem hordes on their borders. When the kings in their pious arrogance arrayed themselves, one by one, against the Emirs of Badajoz, Cordoba, Sevilla, and the others, my father turned away.

A king in name but not in power, with but lonely, mountainous, and starkly beautiful Jaca as his demesne, Sancho allied with Umar al-Aftasid when the Emir took the throne of Badajoz in the Year of Our Lord, 1067, and helped the Moorish Devil crush the Christian Kings: Navarre, then Castille, and then León; only Spanish Galicia survived that first cataclysm, but greatly weakened.

Each king begged my father for help as his Holy War turned into Unholy Hell, but my father let his heart grow cold as a Jaca Winter. As God did not come down from Heaven to save them, Don Sancho would not bring his House to ruin with a futile lurch into the Abyss of war with his Moslem neighbors.

And so Aragon survived; I confess that she even thrived, dining on the ripest fruits of the Spanish Kings. First Rioja, then Soria fell to my father, enriching the Kingdom of Aragon. And Aragon learned much from the Devil, from farming to weapon-making.

The peace of the dead fell upon Iberia then, for all the kings—save Galicia and Aragon—lie rotting in the brilliant Spanish sun. And when Don Pedro Ramon of Barcelona became Duke of Catalonia in 1074, he saw wisdom in the path of Darkness my father had chosen. He offered his sword to Aragon.

My father lived nearly 71 summers, hated by the Church and cursed by those few who survived to remember in Castille, León, and Navarre, but his last card was not yet played.

There were but two of us, you see, my older brother Pedro and myself, Guzmán. Pedro trained for war and to take the Crown when father died. I entered the Church, to support my brother and my family in times of spiritual need. Why my father set me upon that path I do not know. Perhaps some hope that his soul would find peace with God when came the time of Reckoning.

But something happened on a fine Spring day in 1112, a fortnight before his death, when the flowers bloomed sweetly along the Jaca mountainsides. Father changed his mind. He risked open war with his vassals, Duke Pedro Ramon, who wielded far more power than father ever would, and his son Pedro, Count of Jaca. Father changed the laws of succession so that I, and not my brother, would be King upon his death.

So be it.

I am King now and my father’s long shadow has passed from o’er the Kingdom of Aragon. And I know why.

The very humble beginnings of the House of Jimenez, in 1066

[Oliver Guinnes]

Nice start. Well written and fine gameplay. I am looking for to the next update.

yours sincerely,
OG

[A trooper]

Looks promising.

[Scarhart]

Thanks for the feedback! I'll post more hopefully this evening.

[Marco Oliverio]

Excellent start -- I'm really looking forward to seeing this evolve!

[Carbiner]

A bit quick, but great start, its always good when you ally yourself with El Satan, the moors. What provinces specifically did you take from Castille and Navarra?

[Paranoid Tsar]

This is really good writing so far. Iberia is a tough place to play but it seems that selling your soul might give you a chance. I'm waiting for more.

[stickman]

Nice writing style, should be interesting to see how Aragon survives and prospers.

V.

[Scarhart]

I remember it well.

It was a cold spring day in Jaca, the castle walls brooding beneath a darkening sky. Pedro and I sparred in the courtyard while Don Xavier, our teacher, barked commands, corrections, and encouragements:

"¡Bloquea, Guzmán, bloquea!"
"¡Combinaciónes, caballeros! Diestra, siniestra, diestra. ¡Siniestra, diestra, y siniestra otra vez!"
"Par de asnos. ¡No, no, no!" ***

I was getting frustrated, as I usually did when sparring with Pedro. My brother was but a year older than I and was about to take the belt of a squire, yet he towered over me in skill. He seemed to know before I did how I would attack and as I thought of the next counter, he would hit me again.

I remember stepping back to catch my breath and noticing, to my shame, that father had been watching from a balcony that o'er looked the courtyard; watching me lose fight after fight; watching Don Xavier correct me again and again.

My face burned, but when I raised my eyes to meet those of my father---I am an Jimenez, after all, and would not cower or try to hide my failure---he smiled at me. Father pointed to his forehead and shook his head, no. Then he pointed to his heart and smacked his fist on his chest.

Something broke free in me at that moment, something that lay hidden and strangled by the thoughtful teachings of the Church that I had mastered so well already. The warrior sings in my blood, in my heart, just as it does in Pedro's heart. I must give reign to it!

I renewed my hitherto futile assault on my brother's defenses and let my sword go where it willed; where I willed in my heart and not my mind. The combinations flowed, the sword alive in my hand like never before.

I watched my brother's face turn from the faint sneer of superiority that seems to be the unique preserve of older siblings schooling younger ones, to one of surprise; then to stern determination as he met my attacks with greater and greater displays of skill.

My brother had been toying with me all this time, I realized, holding back to keep me learning but not crushed. And so my heart exulted when I knew he need toy no more.

At last, as my sword struck him for the fifth unanswered point, Pedro threw his sword to the ground.

I became aware then of the unearthly silence that had fallen upon the courtyard. Normally a place where courtiers, soldiers, and ladies met in a swirl of business, conversations, and flirtations, the crowd had stopped to watch the sparring between Pedro and I. The tension was so palpable that it seemed as if a swarm of bees droned within my head. I saw when Pedro noticed the crowd as well, and I held my breath.

I will always love my brother for what happened next. "¡Guzmán!" he cried, and threw open his arms with a laugh that sliced through the assembled courtiers like cold water on striplings. "You have done it. ¡Madre de Dios! You have thrown off those silly teachings and come to fight like the brother I knew as a child." And he smiled again, a true smile of love and affection—a memory that I cherish to this day. "Welcome home, little brother."

"Such a testament to my teachings that he finally learned, eh?" exclaimed Don Xavier loudly. I glanced at my father and caught his wry smile and slow shake of the head. When he caught my eyes he nodded his head and placed his fist firmly over his heart.

Yet this was not the final reason that father chose me to follow him as king. That was to come on the morrow.

A knight arrived in the morning, Sir Isadore de Bordeaux, upon a dappled charger of eighteen hands and with a shield bearing many dents. He came seeking fortune, perhaps, but gained much more, becoming a mentor to my brother, the Crown Prince of Aragon. Pedro listened enraptured to his every story, as if Sir Isadore had conquered the Holy Lands in his days as knight errant. And Sir Isadore's hatreds became those of my brother as well.

It took but a few months before Sir Isadore’s poison brought my brother down. "Father," Pedro said one day while we supped together. "Why do you ally Aragon with Satan? Why must you sully her good Christian name by lying with the dogs of Islam?"

I thought father would kill Pedro at that moment and I swear I saw his hand hover over the hilt of his sword for just a moment before answering in a level tone. "My son, you know naught of what you speak. Our allies in Cordoba and Badajoz have as much honor as any Christian king. You will speak of them with respect."

Father’s temper had risen quickly, as it was wont to do, but Pedro was blind that day. "Father, that cannot be, for they follow a false god and must thus be bound for Hell. Surely we must turn our might upon the enemy and rend Badajoz and Cordoba like the lion rends the jackal? With God, we shall prevail."

“Enough!” Father stood up abruptly. “I have heard enough from you this day. I am King, Pedro, and until I die my will shall prevail in this.” Pedro stood up as well, then, and stalked out of the room.

I had studied to take the cross and mitre one day rather than the crown and scepter and thus Pedro should know better than I the art of statecraft, but I knew my brother erred in this. For I had ridden throughout Aragon, from Navarra and Jaca in the North, to Rioja, Soria, and Valladolid in the West; and I had seen the might of Islam encircling her.

My gaze met that of my father then, mine pensive, his smoldering with anger. And I shook my head so he would know that at least one son understood: to survive, one sometimes must deal with the Devil himself.

*** Translation: "Parry, Guzmán, parry! Combinations, gentlemen! Right, left, right. Left, right, then left again! Idiots. No, no, no!" [Thanks to Kaiser Ludwig for the corrections in my Spanish! Much appreciated.]

[Scarhart]

Thanks for the kind words, folks, on my first AAR post. They were definitely appreciated! I'd have gotten this second post up earlier if a friend hadn't dropped off a copy of World of Warcraft last week.

Aragon was the first game I played and I made lots of fun mistakes. Giving my second son who had a natural 9 Martial attribute an ecclesiastical education was definitely one of the better ones.

I started the game in version 1.3 and patched after surviving for some time with the "Deal with the Devil" strategy.

As far as conquests go, Sancho, the first king, didn't do that well. Aragon took Rioja early from Navarra and scooped up Soria from Castille a little later. Valladolid fell in the last gasp of the Kingdom of Castille and Sancho briefly held the County of Navarra. Navarra was lost very shortly thereafter because the count made war against one of the Moslems nearby. The Moslems rolled up with several thousand troops and Sancho wisely opted to rest his several hundred horsemen!

Here's a screen shot from 1102, when Sancho was 60 years old and about to change the laws of succession to favor Guzmán.

Aragon in 1102

[King Of Nines]

I ran a game as Aragon in EU2 and had conquered much of North Africa by the end of the game. I haven't played CK in a while but maybe I'll start as Aragon and try to unite Spain by the beginning of EU2.

[Kaiser Ludwig]

IIRC Catalan and not Castilian was spoken by the Aragonese. Nowadays we hold Castilian (Castellano) and Spanish (Español) as equivalent.

"Parry, Guzmán, parry! Combinations, gentlemen! Right, left, right. Left, right, then left again! Are you idiots? No, no, no!"

"¡Bloquea, Guzmán, bloquea!"

"Para" is stop as in "stop the car", or "stop hitting your brother"

"¡Combinaciónes, caballeros! Derecho, siniestro, derecho. ¡Siniestro, derecho, y siniestro otra vez!"

Derecha-Izquierda is Right-Left
Diestra - Siniestra is Right-Left as well

It's good as is, but if you have the more appropiate pairings it would be better

"¿Estan-se idiotas? ¡No, no, no!"

PERHAPS in older spanish... modern "Estan-se" is not even a word. "Estanse" might be used in some countries...

Here we would say "Son idiotas". Actually, we would say something less formal like "Par de asnos"... "pair of donkeys/asses"

But good Spanish regardless.

[Scarhart]

A History of Aragon in the Early Middle Ages

“My father made a deal with the Devil, it seems. It was the only way to survive.”

Thus begins one of the most remarkable manuscripts of early Spain and Portugal, recently discovered in a family archive in Valencia. As an historian, I can only rejoice that we would stumble upon an hitherto unknown historical source to give us rare insight into the society and activities of early medieval Iberia.

The Christian reconquest of Spain in the Middle Ages enjoys an extensive body of scholarship, and the history has seeped into the mainstream consciousness of most European and North and South American cultures. El Cid, for example, has transcended the realm of history and graced the stage, film, and fiction. What school child does not know of the marriage of Ferdinand and Isabella and the unification of Spain, the final defeat of the Moors in Granada, and the expulsion of the Jews in 1492? And then there’s the intrepid Genoese explorer who sailed across the Atlantic, backed by the king and queen of Spain…

In contrast to the culmination of the Reconquest, the earliest periods remain shrouded by the mists of time. The source material is sketchy and spread throughout Spain and Portugal. Monastic chronicles make up the bulk of the extant early sources, supplemented by some epic poetry in the vein of the “Chanson de Roland,” Church records of birth, marriage, excommunication, and death provide a lot of details. A few records have been found in family archives, but most deal with harvest and vintage.

The dearth of sources that get to the personal lives of people who fought in the Reconquista makes the discovery in Valencia of the journals of the Kings of Aragon—dating back to Guzmán Jimenez, who ruled from 1122-1140—of profound importance. Even more remarkable, many of the records seem to have been written by the kings or by their scribes, and they contain a level of personal detail at which an historian can only marvel.

From the opening passages, written by King Guzmán himself, through the many kings and courtiers who added to it, the Chronicle of the House of Jimenez presents a fascinating tale. I’ve translated the manuscript from medieval Spanish and Latin and included details from monastic and Church records to supplement the Chronicle, especially to fill gaps left by damage to the manuscript or when some king lacked the time, inclination, or skill to add to the family history. The story continues with King Guzmán describing the success of the first part of his reign.

Valencia, 1130

My father might rest easy now, though ‘tis most likely in the fires of Hell. For I saw the Truth in his path and have ever allied Aragon with the Scimitar and the Crescent. I came to blows with His Holiness himself and have been excommunicate for many years now. So be it.

Aragon is strong, for when one Moor turned against another, Aragon willingly traded her swords in exchange for land. We destroyed Murcia; fought back against Badajoz, Cordoba, and Almiera; and have crushed Seville. I hold nine provinces in my demesne and have three dukes as my vassals: Miguel, the insane and foolish son of Pedro Ramon of Catalonia; Pedro Jimenez, my son, Duke of Mallorca and Count of Alcantara, Jaca, Mallorca, Cadiz, and Algeciras; and Pedro my brother, Duke of Castilla and the Spanish Marche.

Aragon holds a third of Iberia now, and, God or the Devil willing, I’ll see more in my lifetime. But I am old, nearly as old as my father was when he died; as is my brother.

Perhaps it is just then that I too, like my father, have risked my family on the throw of the dice. My father chose me as king, and I have been a good king, I think, wise and cruel. But my sons have withered on the vine while those of my brother have flourished.

My beautiful Sofia gave me but a single daughter. Holmfrid proved more fertile, granting me four sons and two daughters. But Pedro has been ravaged by illness. Aznar died, so beautiful a baby. Diego has been weakened by the constant wars; the same wars that took my Enrique, my favorite. Yet none of my sons has strong sons.

I cannot wait any longer for Ramon, son of my lovely Amina de Cornouaille, to come of age, so I too have changed the law. Let the nobles elect the strongest to succeed me! And I have granted six provinces and two duchies to my brother, Pedro, that, should I die before him, he will be king. May God bless him and his strong sons.

Guzmán in 1130

[Scarhart]

Hi folks,

My apologies for going so long between posts in this AAR. I had catastrophic PC failure on my main computer -- so bad that, even though I could boot into Safe Mode and get on the Internet, I couldn't move or copy any files off the drive. So my save games were stuck until I rebuilt. Which I just did last week.

I've also decided to write more of this AAR as a modern-style history book, which gives me a chance to add more game-specific detail in the form of contemporary chronicles and modern analysis, interspersed with the journal of the kings of Aragon.

Hopefully it'll be interesting for you. I've enjoyed writing some of the new parts, which I'll post in the next day or so.

[Fall of Stars]

Originally Posted by Scarhart

Hi folks,

My apologies for going so long between posts in this AAR. I had catastrophic PC failure on my main computer -- so bad that, even though I could boot into Safe Mode and get on the Internet, I couldn't move or copy any files off the drive. So my save games were stuck until I rebuilt. Which I just did last week.

I've also decided to write more of this AAR as a modern-style history book, which gives me a chance to add more game-specific detail in the form of contemporary chronicles and modern analysis, interspersed with the journal of the kings of Aragon.

Hopefully it'll be interesting for you. I've enjoyed writing some of the new parts, which I'll post in the next day or so.

Well, good to see you back. I remember your AAR from before: was surprised to see it so high on the list, when I thought it'd disappeared.

I'd like to see where you're going with this, though I'm curious how you'll reconcile if you manage to reconquer spain _before_ Ferdinand and Isabella? (which is almost easy in CK. )

[Scarhart]

Originally Posted by Fall of Stars

Well, good to see you back. I remember your AAR from before: was surprised to see it so high on the list, when I thought it'd disappeared.

I'd like to see where you're going with this, though I'm curious how you'll reconcile if you manage to reconquer spain _before_ Ferdinand and Isabella? (which is almost easy in CK. )

Thanks! Not sure what I'll do if that happens. Probably simulate the conquest of the New World by invading England. It might be tough in this case to accomplish, though, because France has numerous provinces in Iberia and I'll have to go to war against them as well as the remaining Moslem powers. It should prove to be interesting. I've never fought a major war against a Christian opponent and have no idea about how tough or not tough they are.

[Scarhart]

Aragon became embroiled in a war with one of the minor Islamic sheikdoms shortly after Guzmán changed the succession laws to elective, according to both the monastic chronicles and his journal. This war proved to be far worse than anything Iberia had seen since King Sancho of Aragon had helped Badajoz destroy the rest of the Christian kings in the 11th century. One of the most dynamic Moslem powers at the time, the Kingdom of al-Murabitids, quickly joined in the fighting against Aragon and for nearly a decade rebuffed Guzmán’s requests for a truce. In the end, Aragon defeated the al-Murabitids Kingdom, but the cost of nine years of war proved very high to the Jimenez family. In his last entry into the Chronicle of the House of Jimenez, King Guzmán records the aftermath of war.

September 3, 1139
Valencia

Weary. I am so very weary of war, war that even in victory has cost my family too much. My son has gone mad. My nephews are broken shells of men, not fit to rule Aragon. Pedro, my brother, lingers still, but sits in his splendid palace in Spoleto, his Italian courtiers tending to his wounds and failing health.

Only two who are not children stand tempered and not crushed beneath a decade of war with the cursed al-Murabitids. Laín my nephew, Pedro’s second son—so worthy a warrior is he! And Diego, my third son, who proved himself in battle after battle.

Would that I could grant my crown to Laín, but I am powerless in all my might to do so. He is my vassal’s vassal. I cannot grant titles to such a one to build his prestige and power that he might inherit.

I dare not change the law of succession again.

And so, Diego it must be, for I am not long for this world, I fear. I am strong still and have my young Amina to please an old man’s fancy, but I am weary of life and cares and the vicissitudes of Fate. Diego will become Duke of Morocco and Mallorca tomorrow and so displace my brother in the eyes of the peers of Aragon.

I take no pleasure from my choice, but feel a great sorrow in this last betrayal of a great man. Perhaps one day Pedro will forgive me.

But I must honor our father’s deal with the Devil and leave my family strong.

Guzmán in 1139

King Guzmán died shortly after this entry. An unnamed monk of Jaca records his passing in 1140, granting a unique glance into the internal politics of the day.

The Good Lord has finally seen fit to rid Iberia of the Excommunicate King of Aragon. For too long have the good people of Jaca toiled under the taint of Satan resplendent in the garb of a King, their hearts crying out to the One True God for Mercy and Deliverance. May God bestow Strength and Grace to Pedro, Duke of Castilla and the Spanish Marche, whom the peers selected to become King after his brother.

The rather vitriolic chronicle entry by the unnamed monk of Jaca, far to the north of the royal palace in Valencia, should be taken with a very large grain of salt. It seems clear from the Church records in Valencia and other counties Guzmán held in his demesne, that he favored Church supremacy, especially at the expense of monastic privilege. This quite possibly stems from his early ecclesiastical training, but the record makes his motivations unclear. The many churches built during his 18-year reign as king and the fact that he was buried in the cathedral in Valencia, rather than in the family palace in Jaca, next to his excommunicate father, speak of a rapprochement between Guzmán and the Church in the latter half of his life. And although I could find no record of it, his excommunication must have been rescinded at or shortly before his death.

King Pedro Jimenez ruled for a very short time and left but one entry in the family chronicle. It is in a frail and spidery hand, with some words faded beyond recognition. I’ve added replacement words in brackets that represent my best guess on meaning.

September 11, 1140
Valencia

I sit beside the great hearth in Valencia and [reflect] on my brother’s journal. I journeyed from Spoleto to this hall when Guzmán died and I see his things all around me. I miss him, but perhaps we will play together again, as we did as [children].

Though my wounds are serious and I’ll follow my brother to the grave soon, I hope he understands that I too saw need and hope and opportunity. Laín might yet have Aragon.

King Pedro, brother of Guzmán

[Kaiser Ludwig]

Originally Posted by Fall of Stars

Well, good to see you back. I remember your AAR from before: was surprised to see it so high on the list, when I thought it'd disappeared.

I'd like to see where you're going with this, though I'm curious how you'll reconcile if you manage to reconquer spain _before_ Ferdinand and Isabella? (which is almost easy in CK. )

Ditto here, nice to see you back




EASY?!?!?!?! Are you out of your mind?!?!?!? To deal with the Devil is virtually the only way to survive in the peninsula, let alone thrive. However, by the point which you have appeared to have reached in-game, it should be easy to win through in Iberia... rest, replace your troops, and then pit one emirate against another.

If you can claim the crown of france, however, I would advise to do that... France is one of my favourtie kingdoms to take out as it has the tendency to stay with its 2 provinces only as his demesne, and even if it does have lands in Iberia those can be occupied quite easily.

When you occupy the entire demesne the war score will rise through the roof, and you can take the Crown of France and a MASSIVE number of troops will go to your side.

Cute

[Scarhart]

I'm leary of tackling France, but as a bit of foreshadowing for the next entry, vassals took the choice out of my hands...

[A trooper]

Great stuff.