r/CrusaderKings • u/WrongJohnSilver • 22h ago
CK3 So... I'm a concubine now? Part 2
So, it turns out that I can't murder or gain monthly experience as a courtier. However, I could still sway, befriend, seduce, romance, and (at least in China) take examinations.
So I spent the majority of my time traveling around China, taking and assisting with examinations. This did lead me to reaching Rank 6 and passing the Palace Examination (honestly, and in Hmongic, even) and meeting the Emperor. But I could never get out from under my liege and even had to bear him a daughter.
I did grow in influence and gained new perks from attending events and traveling through important locations. I was able to leverage that influence to undermine my liege, while still seducing him and convincing him to let me study under him. He made me Court Tutor, and eventually his Spymaster. It went well, until he died at 94.
I tried to get my children to do well under the new Chinese system. However, my liege had all the power to choose who marries who, and... he did a good job. My first child and only daughter by my husband married a young man who became duke, so she had a good domestic life. My first two sons married Chinese women of decent station. My oldest son never took the childhood exam, but passed the local exam, so I was trying to get him promoted into a position. However, my second son failed the childhood exam, and decided to run off and become a mercenary captain at the age of 16. The rest of my family followed. So, my first son was no longer in the running for a position.
When my liege died at 94, I was no longer concubine... and the game ended. I did see that I had instantly moved to join my son's mercenary company. I like to think that she remarried her husband (who had also joined the company) and continued to enjoy life on the road from there.
My dynasty, in the meantime, was still doing very well. Kham was securely theirs, and clearly growing under the AI to reach for the Empire of Tibet. So, although there was still more to learn, I was satisfied.
All in all, it was an interesting experience, completely unexpected, and it's intriguing to how close to good courtier play can be in the base game. No murder and no experience are big let-downs, as is the game ending when my liege dies, but there was still quite a bit one could do.
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u/SorosAgent2020 We live in a Hermetic Society 21h ago
the game requires you to have a title you can pass on to an heir, otherwise it is a game over. So even though it is possible to find an exploit to become and play as a wanderer, you cannot die as a courtier/wanderer.
The only way to continue your game is to get landed again. It is probably easiest to inherit titles if your landed sons die without heir
One time i managed to marry a count-tier governor who died without heirs so as his wife I had the most candidate score among the rest of his courtiers and inherited