So lets me start this of by saying (and don't take this personally): Fuck the Irish! Despite them being the tutorial island. Also I love this game! So I started a few little games, watched probably 20+ h on youtube people playing this (e.g. quill18). Now lets do this! There was some saving and loading involved, to lean stuff I admit. I am also playing with all DLC.

I started as the Count (or actually Sheik) of Granada (so a single province). Mainly for personal taste/role-playing reasons, since I visited Granada and the Alhambra one. Pretty impressive. And I wanted a kind of trade focussed game with some conquest, and also play as a Muslim since they are so under-represented in games. This went pretty well actually. I killed my neighbour to the east, created the duchy (emirate) just before my liege could. Gave my cousin a mosque.

Question 1: As a Muslim ruler I apparently can have more than castles. Mosques seem great as they give a lot of money and piety. Any limitations to that (except the demesne size)? So I want the castle AND the mosque of every province I control directly?

I was also killing my other neighbour, and could complete my emirate. Then I just went on improving for the rest of my first rulers life. Including shipyards (I had none. For that I had to also improve a town. Speaking of towns: Question 2: I want a university how can I get it?

So my ruler died then. I had a son, but he was a little kid. My cousin became my regent and wanted to "dethrone" me, but in a single nailbiter battle I fended him and his ally off, imprisoned an banished him, giving me a lot of gold.Question 3: How to get rid of males in a smart way to reduce decadence? Banish them?

Now I became of age and got "Midas Touched". I also got a first wife with 23 intrigue as my spymaster. Both of us are super young. My court is mostly ok with me (its small so most of them have council positions), but my council is not the strongest. I got 2 provinces in sardinia the conventional way (fabricate claims, followed by muslim conquest casus belli). I have tons of sisters, my only brother died an early natural death. I am steward for my liege. So I am actually losing decadence over time. In great shape actually.

My liege actually has become a monster controlling most of the Iberian peninsula and north-west Africa. Mostly due to tha fact that he is very onld (76 or so).

Ok. I have saved this position and played from here. In one game he, and that included my lands, was overrun by a decadence revolt (80%). In the other he died and the empire kinda fell apart but not enough for me to become independent.

So how do I go about to become either independent, or become "king"? Of course I do not want to become independent and then be a prime target. I want my liege's kingdom to shatter in a thousand pieces, and then gobble up a few.

Ideas?