Charactor skill loss

[Rhyfelwyr]

1. Priests that had 8* piety and could fry 4 * heretics now struggle against even a lowly 1-2 *

No idea - bad luck?

2. My 10 skill spies suddenly cannot get into settlements and stacks that where accessible are now very risky, say 30-50% even though captain led.

The AI only tends to get many spies later into the game, and by around turn 100 usually has enough £ and a high enough agent limit to put a spy in most settlements and armies, making it much harder for your spies to get in.

3. My 10 skill assasins that would carry a hit out every turn cannot even take out captains. 1-2 merchants are too difficult and even sabatage is now risky. Howver in assassinate mode there are no targets in town, ie spys which are supposed to keep out charactors like this, and my spys as above.

I don't think you always detect any spies in enemy cities. You need to use your assassins in combination with you own spies to see them. So otherwise see above.

4. towns that where in the yellow suddenly have gone to red. They show 10-20 % religous unrest yet the region is 99% catholic. general unrest is evident yet I know there are no local spies around.

Most likely due to rising squalor you see around turn 100. Low piety governors cause high religious unrest if the region is mostly your religion, while high piety governors cause high unrest if the region is mostly another religion to you own factions. Unrest can be caused by a bad reputation, which unless you are a saint you tend to get by turn 100.

5. Mid league merchants cannot take out novice ones.

No idea, sorry.

6. generals are now starting to get crappy ancillaries and traits, but the kitty is only 30K and i thought when at sea they didnt get any.

Bad traits are often caused by buildings such as inns, taverns etc. Later in the game, they soon give your Generals negative traits if you have built any of these buildings in your settlements.

Remember - if you play on H/VH, all your agents are put at a disadvantage to the enemies.