How to up piety stats.

[Ludens]

What do you mean when a king in a crusade can "count towards being cut off" Olaf?

If provinces do not have direct contact with the King they tend to have low loyalty, because they do not benefit from the King's influence. Sending your King on crusade can result in him being cut of from his entire kingdom, making all those provinces are likely to rebel. This can cause a chain revolt, ruining your kingdom, not to mention your game.

Piety can be gained by having your heirs stay in high zeal provinces. Inquisitors can be used increase zeal, though do take care that they do not spin out of control. Also, trying your generals for heresy with an inquisitor usually gains a piety-virtue. There is, however, a risk that they become atheists as a result of the trail, which dramatically lowers piety. Crusades are off course the best way to increase your King's piety, though they do need to be completed before the heirs come of age for it to have effect on the heir's stats.

[mfberg]

Take your king on the crusade! Take all your troops on your crusade to Volga-Bulgaria and leave no garrisons. Let the rest of your provinces rot. The challenge is to start with your troops in the backwoods of Russia and make a new kingdom for yourself. After all your rebellions you will have no income until you take a few decent lands, low influence, decent piety, and the Mongols (if you choose the Volga-Bulgaria Region as your new homeland) will make things a little harder when they come with armies much larger than yours.

mfberg

[IrishMike]

Another thing that I have found to help is just spam churches or mosque into all your provinces. Then go on a world wide conversion quest. I did this with the eggy's once. Had Kings with 5-7 piety regulary. Crusades do help to, but i'm not to big of a crusade fan unless I put the troops in the Crusades.

[Hold Steady]

Take your king on the crusade! Take all your troops on your crusade to Volga-Bulgaria and leave no garrisons. Let the rest of your provinces rot. The challenge is to start with your troops in the backwoods of Russia and make a new kingdom for yourself. After all your rebellions you will have no income until you take a few decent lands, low influence, decent piety, and the Mongols (if you choose the Volga-Bulgaria Region as your new homeland) will make things a little harder when they come with armies much larger than yours.

mfberg

Yeah, plan to get there, say, 1228!