YMMV / A Scotsman in Egypt

---

• Designated Hero: For all their bravery, the Scots are still capable of some seriously dickish behavior. The very first city they took was allied to them.
• Heartwarming in Hindsight: When he returns to Scotland, Alexander Canmore wonders if his descendants will take the throne. The story ends with his grandson Kirk becoming ruler of the Scottish Empire..
• Hilarious in Hindsight: The name of the last stubborn leader of the Egyptian faction? Mubarak.
• Magnificent Bastard: Aodh Canmore, the devoutly religious younger brother of King Domnall, proves to be one of the king's greatest assets. Starting out inexperienced and unsure of himself, he quickly grows into his own, repeatedly using underhanded means to solve problems he faces and advance what he considers the interests of the Scottish Empire. Through diplomacy, intrigue and military force, he plays a major role in defeating multiple nations in Europe and the Middle East, manipulates his older brother in order to keep him as an object of fear, puts the Catholic Church under the permanent control of the Scottish monarchy, and wipes out a Timurid invasion by luring it into a trap. As one final gambit, he manipulates his cousin Kirk and some of Kirk's friends into discovering new lands for Scotland to conquer. Supremely intelligent and very persuasive, Aodh Canmore plays a key role in cementing Scottish domination over much of the world.
• Memetic Badass: Angus the Mauler. A Danish commander is perfectly sure that they can put up a good fight against the Scots... and then learns who their general is.
  • Fearghus Campbell, the first of Scotland's spymasters, is still feared despite being dead.
• Moral Event Horizon: Likable the protagonists may be, several of the Scotsman and their enemies perform acts that go beyond dickish into truly appalling crimes, although given the Grey-and-Gray Morality and Protagonist-Centered Morality on all sides, what constitutes the horizon will depend on the reader.
  • Cassandra being miffed at being cast aside as Adam's mistress is understandable. Trying to goad and threaten Robert the Younger into not only killing his nephew and Adam's newborn son, but rape and murder Adam's wife for ignoring her, isn't.
  • Aodh forges documents framing Denmark for causing the excommunication of Scotland, incensing Domnall enough to start a war with Denmark. He does this because he felt that the newfound peace was weakening Domnall and making him lose respect amongst his people. For the record, this act leads to an unmitigated, one sided genocide of the Danish people, and he did it because he felt his King was getting soft without a war to fight.
  • Domnall's decision to engage the Danes as above, and perform a genocide in the name of revenge can be seen as one. There is a very good reason he goes from being Domnall the Lewd to Domnall the Merciless.
• Shocking Moments: The Timurids bring nine thousand troops into Scotland, totally dwarfing any army that could be assembled against them. Except the fifteen thousand Scots waiting for them.

---