The saddest thing to happen in a campaign

[Zarky]

My worst was "Sultan Al-Mustali the Ugly Queen" actually just Queen because it came afterwards but anyways how can someone be born ugly and still become freaking transsexual!?!?!?!
Specially when i lost my heir to Byzantine fleet while i was takin Cyprus, i just stared to emptiness for 5 minutes after i see my great fleet falling so easily, and then i look at new heir and i stare to emptiness for 15 minutes until i save game and quit... Last savegame was 10 turns ago...

[Don Esteban]

My best General who has been systematically destroying the Danish empire finally forces the Danish king into battle on an open field. the armies are matched in numbers although the English are far better equipped.

This should be the crowning moment of the campaign, the Danes finally wiped out. Instead the first catapult shot of the battle kills my general instantly and although the English struggle to a somewhat Pyhrric victory i couldn't help feeling dissapointed.

[DVX BELLORVM]

I was fighting the Aztecs, in a highly dense jungle. The battle was total chaos. I manage to broke their line, and their units scatter all over the battlefield.

Somehow their archer appeared on my right flank, and since there were none of my cavalry nearby (in fact I didn't even know where my cavalry was ), I sent my general's bodyguard after them.

The archers were taken care of, but I didn't know that there was a unit of Aztec's spear throwers nearby. And they threw their spears. Only one person was killed, unfortunately it was my general, one of the best I had...

[Didz]

I have quite a sad story developing in my current Scottish campaign.

Summer 1120 and Prince Morgunn the only son of David Canmore comes of age.

Ok! he's not brilliant but he's only 16 so he gets placed in the Korbavelli Prince Training Scheme along with all the other up and coming Princes. He was doing fine for a while then an interfering diplomat called Roy Randall decided that he'd found the lad a perfect wife.

Mahault de Valence was a bit of high class French totty with +5 Charm and she cost Scotland 5,600 florins to drag to the alter. Despite her obvious reluctance to marry Morgunn it looked like she was going to be an asset.

Morgunn immediately got 'Wife is Fair' and 'Wife is Admirable' which should have given him the chance of a large family and a significant boost to his popularity.

Unfortunately, as soon as Mahault got her feet under the Prince's table she began playing footsie with any man who caught her fancy.

Before long Morgunn gained the 'Trouble at Home' trait and since then the situation has steadily deteriorated. He has since acquired 'Shameful' (-2 Authority), 'Trusting' (-2 Security) , 'Lacks Manhood' (-4 Authority)and 'Unconcerned' (-1 Security)

Basically, his personal life has gone down the toilet, thanks in no little measure to an overzealous diplomat and an attractive wife who's interested in everyone else but him.

[FactionHeir]

Erm that suggests Morgunn probably started off with Arse which basically doubles the chance of getting Cuckold.
Starting with Trusting also predisposes to getting LaxPersonalSecurity.
Don't think he was that good to start out with.

[John_Longarrow]

My Byzantine princess who I'd carefully worked up to 8 charm started coming down with things. Secret lover, then the whole "Deperate" chain. Wound up at 4 charm before I could marry off the "Man hunter".

[Didz]

Erm that suggests Morgunn probably started off with Arse which basically doubles the chance of getting Cuckold.

As I recall he never had any obviously negative traits when he first came of age. Are you suggesting that some characters are born with a hidden predisposition towards self-destruction?

I assumed that Morgunn's problems arose due to a bad marital match as most seem to be related to this event. As you can see below there was no doubt that Princess Mauhalt was not happy about the deal at the time, and I assumed the game was reacting to that initial female angst.

[Kobal2fr]

As I recall he never had any obviously negative traits were he first came of age. Are you suggesting that some characters are born with a hidden predisposition towards self-destruction?

Of course !
I call those booby-trapped generals : gens born with 1 point in a bad, self-updating trait. The trick is : most of those traits have a base threshold of *2* points before having any adverse effect and showing up in the trait list. So you think they're clean, and you adopt/marry/let the runt live.

But they *do* have the trait, meaning they'll probably never get any antitraits to said bad trait, and it can start chain reactions (like that Arse => Cuckold thing) even if you can't see them.