As can now be seen by my beautiful new signature (for which I marshalled all of my insignificant skill and mocked up something vaguely reminiscent of what the talented creators in the artist's studio create) I am writing a new AAR:
The reign of Charlemagne is long past, and with it, many would say, France's moment in the sun. The Capetian dynasty is still young, and even before Charlemagne's Carolingian line ended, the nobility were essentially ruling the kingdom. Originally given autonomy in the hopes of easing tension and lessening the crown's burden, many of France's Counts and Duke's hardly even remember they have a king any longer. With the royal demesne near an all-time low, it seems that the King of the once-greatest empire in the west is just another equal among his own noble subjects. One would of course be forgiven then, for assuming that France's greatest glories were behind her. However there are those remaining who do not wish to see France fade away gently, and who will pay any price in gold and riches, or steel and blood, to see her rise again.