Apulia (1066)

From Crusaderkings

Starting Character: Robert Guiscard de Hauteville

Historical Background: A Norman mercenary and adventurer, Robert came to southern Italy with his brothers in the middle of the 11th century. He became Count of Apulia and Calabria in 1057, and inherited the title of Duke upon his brother Humphrey's death in 1059. A brilliant warlord, Robert Guiscard went on to consolidate his base of power in Naples (southern Italy) and then conquered Sicily from 1064-1072. He eventually took on the Byzantine Empire itself, defeating the Empreror Alexius Commenus at the Battle of Dyrrachion, before returning to Italy to come to the aid of Pope Gregory VII, besieged by the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV. His descendants would go on to found the Norman Kingdom of Sicily in 1130, which had a unique blend of Norman and Arab culture.

Practical Background: You have a number of relatives at your disposal, and if there is one trait that is deeply embedded in the de Hauteville DNA, it's martial ability. A ridiculous number of your kin have scores over 10, enabling you to field effective armies. Recreating Robert Guiscard's conquest of Naples and Sicily is well within your grasp and should be your first goal. Most of Sicily's provinces are rich and lie along multiple trade routes, which will boost your technology advances and allow you to raise significant armies. Sicily also makes for a convenient jumping-off point for forays against Egypt, the Balkans, or Provence. Long-term, you will want to decide how to deal with northern Italy. You can side with the Pope and attempt to confront Germany and hope to pick off provinces in repeated wars, or ally with Germany and attempt to conquer Italy for yourself.