The most dominant feature of the 867 map is the crumbling corpse of the Carolingian Empire. While the 1066 start shows a recognizable Western Europe of fledgling kingdoms (France, England, the Holy Roman Empire), 867 presents a fractured and contested landscape. The Treaty of Verdun (843) has already split the empire into three parts: West Francia, Middle Francia, and East Francia. However, these are not stable entities. They are plagued by weak kings, ambitious brothers, and constant civil wars. For a player in Western Europe, this means no great power acts as a hegemon. Instead, the map is a checkerboard of independent duchies and counties, ripe for the conquest of a savvy Norman, Breton, or Aquitainian. The opportunity for ahistorical empire-building is immense precisely because the traditional powers are still trying to find their footing.
While technically a superpower centered in Baghdad, it is beginning to suffer from internal "Anarchy at Samarra." Powerful vassals and regional governors are increasingly independent. ck3 map 867
: Basil I has just seized the throne, his hands stained with the blood of his predecessor. He looks at the crumbling Roman borders and dreams of restoration. The Steppe The most dominant feature of the 867 map