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Urcules

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Nov 20, 2003
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The VikINg League
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Introduction
Chapter 1: Prince and Principality
Chapter 2: Nob and Nobility
Chapter 3: The Eriksey Lockup
Chapter 4: Huron who-ron?
Chapter 5: Native and Nativity
Chapter 6: The Great War
Chapter 7: Something Inbetween or How The Miðvestr was won
The Civil War - Part One: Decision Time
The Civil War - part Two: The set-up
The Civil War - The Battle Plan
The Civil War - part Three: Skræling opportunists
The Civil War - part Four: Supremacy
The Civil War - An Alternative (Eikland) point of view
Chapter 8: Funerals and Maniacs
Chapter 9: Aztec Gold
Chapter 10: Gold Rush
Chapter 11: The Great Divide
Chapter 12: The Iberian-Viking Conflict
Chapter 13: Diamonds'R'us
Chapter 14: Les bricoleurs de Vinlande: prelude
Hawaïan presence in Pacific and Indian Ocean: map
Chapter 15: Trois Couleurs
Chapter 16: The Great War (1711-1729) (requiem) - Phase 1-2-3
Chapter 17: The Great War (1711-1729) (requiem) - Phase 4: Cease-fire
Chapter 18: The Great War (1711-1729) (requiem) - Phase 5: Le Royaume de Farce en paix
Chapter 19: A Lo Kubano
Chapter 20: Insubordination
Chapter 21: Insubordination (2)
Chapter 22: The Castillian Wars (1746-1757)
Chapter 23: Insubordination (3)
Chapter 24: The Age of Domination (1)
Chapter 25: Home



Welcome to the New World, as known since 1000 a.d.
Vinland is on the brink of extinction, will it prevail? (would there be an AAR if it wouldn't?)

*This is my second AAR, my first was the old Vinland, which perished in the Great Crash of 2008.
I'm playing In Nomine 3.1 with Terra Nova 9.56, and the home-made Vinland add-on (grandmother's recipe)

*Vinland starts at war with Inuït, who own Grønland, and control Hvalvik (original 'Innu' province). This gives them a 12% war score already. Hvalvik is a colony about to develop into a city.
*Vinland has a few island colonies south in the Vinland Bay, which is actually draining income, rather than generating it.
*Vinland is catholic, and is ruled (for now) by a noble-republic.
*The scenario for the first few years should create a completely different, more challenging game, a game where the feudal, medieval Viking way of thinking is never far away. Thanks for the recommendations made earlier, they have certainly inspired me.
 
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Introduction

In the 14the century, Norsemen living around the fjords of Grønland were living under harsh conditions. The climate that had been fairly generous around 1000 a.d. had been cooling down since. In the late 14th century the Inuït skrælings were attacking settlements on a regular basis and the last few thousand Norsemen saw no other way than move to more hospitable lands. Markland and Vinland, to the west, had vast resources of wood, and lots of fertile meadows respectively.

The Vinland Vikings were devote catholics, and the nobles ruled the nation. They had elected a noble Prince at the thing (assembly) every eight years, for the last 32 years. Since crops had not been very successful that many times, smaller land owners were forced more often than not to sell their land to bigger landproprietors and enlist as clients of that land owner. That way, most of the land got concentrated in the hands of the merry few. The nobles' basis of power was this factual injustice.

However, although that the new colonies were thriving, it seemed that the northern area of the Vinlandic sphere of influence was threatened by Inuït skrælings aswell. In fact, Hvalvik and its surrounding area was plundered and ransacked by them.

The rivalry between the nobles over who should be the next prince had already damaged the country. None of the nobles felt like supporting a rival for the throne. That's how the Wermund II Leifsson got to power. He was an economical failure and had lost more of his possessions to the skræling lootings than any other noble. His economical insignificance and thus non-existing political incluence was the main reason for the other nobles to let this compromise figure to govern.

Wermund.jpg

Wermund II Leifsson

His only apparant quality was his military leadership. He had the insight of keeping the skrælings at bay , while the small fleet of a few ships guarded a safe retreat over the Hvalvik Channel to Vestr Vinland.
In order to take the initiative successfully, structural changes to the state of Vinland were needed, because once the skrælings could find a way to get rid of those four ships blocking the way, the Norsemen were on the brink of extinction.


vinlandstartingposition.jpg

 
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Enewald said:
Ohho, the inuits have united against you!
Btw, what you use as cash?
There can't be much gold in Vinland. :rofl:

Iron bars actually, canada has Iron ore :), iron, tin, copper coins things like that
(Greeks used to use it aswell :D this is what was found in sunken ships:
bars.jpg
 
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Urcules said:
In the 14the century, Norsemen living around the fjords of Grønland were living under harsh conditions. The climate that had been fairly generous since around 1000 a.d. had been cooling down since.
And they say global warming isn't cyclical... ;)

Nice start.
 
Didaa said:
As a silent reader I will see if you are going to do better than the other time (With this I mean, NO CRASH PLEASEEEEE!!!)

hehe, thanks for joining, don't spare your comment or remarks, they're very welcome.
At least this time I have my latest mod-folder stashed in a safe place, including the save. (With this financial crisis going on, I've opted for a sock, a very popular stashing place these days. :p )
 
Prince and Principality

The crisis-Thing of October 1399 was one that would forever change the face of what came to be known as Vinland. Wermund II Leifsson, the ruling prince had just returned from the Hvalvik Channel where he had guarded over the retreat of the few armed men Vinland had at its disposal. With the winter coming he had bought a few months time to recover from the skræling attacks on Hvalvik and the surrounding area. This whole region was the only resource of wood for Vinland and extremely important economically. Military speaking Vinland was now an outkast on the continent, with skræling Innu to the north, and Abenaki to the south. Once the latter found out that the fleet was no longer able to protect the straits of Leifsey and Eriksey, these two settlements would be lost within a few weeks.
It had taken these extreme circumstances that cornered Vinland and its whole Viking/Norse way of life to bring the most influential landowners to their senses.

Wermund II refused to continue organiseing the defenses as Prince if he could not control the full military force. Every noble should make horses and men they had available for a common army dealing with skræling dangers. This was a gamble. He could have lost his position, but Wermund was counting on rivalry between the factions to create an opportunity for his compromise.
The Prince would hold full military control, and centralise more political power, the nobles would have more freedom economically. Elections of a new Prince would be held at the end of his life, instead of every four years. Unable to agree on any other alternative one noble after the other agreed. Wermund II was as of this moment Prince-for-life.

EU3_1.jpg

By March every able-bodied man was under the command of Wermund, who also had a band of horsemen available, provided by the nobles.
The fleet transported the 3000 men in 4 days north of Hvalvik, while the Innu stationed at the settlement were prepared for an attack from the south. They had obviously no experience with the raiding tactics, and were surprised to say the least. Hvalvik was liberated without an actual fight, as the small Innu garrison fled in the night of the 23rd of March. Wermund marched north after taking care of securing supply lines. Keeping close to the coast, the ships could supply the men of resources.
In April he arrived near the Innu capital, where the Innu chief resided. Using the information they had beaten out of Innu warriors that were caught outside of Hvalvik before the liberation, he was able to foresee an ambush and force the Innu to an open battle. Although being outnumbered, Vinland overtook the Innu by using their small sturdy horses attacking and faking a retreat, luring the enemy, making them break their ranks.
After the battle, 60 miles south of the Innu capital, Wermund left a small force to besiege the rudimentary defensive structures. He could not afford to go after the fleeing Innu while not taking the capital, that would cut off his supplies.

Going north took time as conditions were harsh. After another skirmish in which a few hundred skrælings were taken out, the cavalry was sent north to cut off the retreating Innu by putting a garrison in the larger settlements of the Nunavik area before November. After more hardship and defeat, the Innuit retreated more inland, into unknown territory.
EU3_3.jpg
The entire Markland area was open to pacification. This process of taking down Innu resistance in remote places took until the summer of 1402, and supplying was draining Vinland’s resources. Wermund II had to take a loan.
In March Abenaki declared war, but with the Innu threat almost gone, a few ships had already been sent south to Leifsey and Eriksey to guard the straits.
Two ships were filled with 300 men and set of to Grønland in the summer of 1403. By early July Eiriksfjord was reached. The former Viking settlements were already destroyed and the men took revenge and killed off any resistance, survivors were taken as pow’s. They would fill ranks of the army, or be relocated. Vestrybygd was a minor stronghold but the raid in the fjords was swift enough to discourage the skræling warriors to put up a real fight rather than negotiate surrender.

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By January 1404 a peace was signed that would end the bloodshed. Innu gave up their struggle and agreed to a life within Vinlandic borders. Hostages would be sent to Vinborg to be re-educated and a lot of the Innu would be recruited later in the Abenaki wars, and some would mix with Vinlandic population.

EU3_11.jpg
With the conquest of Innu, Wermund had a huge area under Vinlandic rule that was neigh-on-impossible to control efficiently. That and the empty war chest, with debts to pay, probably instigated his next move …
 
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Mattabesta said:
Víg eller deyjer?
oss frekar deyjum? would probably be the corect form.

my english-old norse dictionary is far from perfect, It should say fight or die or something heroic like that.
Oss frekar deyjum ? I'll try and change that much obliged!

Blimey! Who would have thought there were scandinavians on this forum! :rolleyes:
Would you mind if I pm you the next time I have to make a conjugation?
 
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Nob and Nobility

Half a year after the conquests of Innu territory, Vinland had been recovering nicely from the years of struggle, what had been Vinland’s ‘finest hour’. Soldiers were granted extended leaves to go home and attend their families. When needed they would be called upon.
Still, no decision about the territory had been made.
As it turned out, the creation of the principality had been a great success. Vinland had triumphed in the war, and any opposition was proven wrong. In July an interesting occasion occurred. It seemed that nobleman a few noblemen were quite ambitious characters and Wermund ‘leaked’ that he was thinking about creating Jarls (duchies). Again the nobles were more occupied with their own ambition and tried to convince the prince to grant them the title, instead of forming a united opposition and stating that the Prince was out of bounds.

EU3_12.jpg
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With the institution of the two Jarls; Ragnheidur of Markland (succeeded by his son Magnus two months later) and Erik of Grønland (succeeded by his son Yngling in 1406); Vinland had truly become a feudal monarchy, with a prince at the head of state. The Jarls swore obedience as worthy vassals and joined an eternal alliance with Vinland, a Viking League.

The war with Abenaki ended in a stalemate as Wermund II blocked the passage to Leifsey and Eriksey. The next few years were used to rebuild the country.
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In 1409 and 1410 war with Abenaki seemed inevitable. (they had a mission to conquer one of my provinces)
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The earlier conquest of Markland, renowned for its think forests, provided plenty of wood to build more drakkars and they were put to good use.
2000 veterans and as many new recruits embarked and sailed south in 1413 to besiege the Abenaki capital. The 8000 skræling warriors on the other side of the Leifsey Straits would have to either give up their position to lift the siege, of stay and risk losing the war without a single battle.
With the drakkars supplying the troops and relieving men from the siege, replacing them with fresh troops, the siege was finally ended in April 1414, after a long winter in which the Vikings had finally managed to starve the city to surrender. Not once an assault was attempted, in order to preserve valuable lives. After the siege a garrison was left behind and defenses were reorganised. In June the siege party was shipped to Leifsey. The Abenaki warriors seemed oblivious and did not leave their positions. During the remainder of the year and 1415, forces were built up to a decent size, compared to the opposition. In Januari, during a calm spell in winter 6000 men landed a few miles west of the Abenaki, luring the warriors away from their stances. Meanwhile another 1000 disembarked after the Abenaki had turned to fight off the invaders.

Being outnumbered and on enemy turf, the Vinlandic Vikings had a hard time keeping ranks closed, but the reserve 1000 men that had outmanoeuvred the Abenaki, broke enemy morale and they were defeated although taking only a fraction of the losses that Vinland had suffered.

Later sources however agree that most of the armies newest recruits were of Inuit origin, and the Vinlandic veterans took close to no losses at all.

The Abenaki army retreated to their capital, trying to recapture it. After a year of neglect, however, they found the defences to be well organised and a hard nut to crack.

The town was besieged and captured in February 1416, a month in which winter had brought the defenders to their knees. The Abenaki capital was still standing tall in Vinlandic hands, being successfully supplied from the sea. The internal disarray that had followed the defeat and territory loss created a very beneficial basis for peace negotiations, from a Vinlandic point of view.
EU3_20.jpg
The captured territory was rebaptised Sigrland or land of Victory. The settlement, newly named Sigrkastali after the newly erect castle, was populated by a few retiring soldiers, and a few colonists, and the subject skrælings of course.
The peace offering from Abenaki also provided enough means to sponsor priests from Vinborg to preach the name of Christ in Sigrland.

By 1420 a few settlements had emerged in Skalí, but the whole region was sold to the Jarl of Markland (writer’s note: colonist was 19° and sold for 40°)

This is the situation around 1420:
1420map.jpg

ooc: In game terms Grønland and Markland are vassals and allies. For some reason they were not involved in the Abenaki war, I think because of not having discovered something. I recolonised Eiriksfjord and sold it to Grønland, unfortunately they couldn't hand over much money, and the colony is losing people every year. It's locked at 10 people now and can't go lower. Seems pretty accurate to me. :D
 
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Kami - thanks for taking such an enthousiastic interest :D I created the vassals mainly for narrative reasons, and also because some of those provinces are dreadfully poor.
last time I conquered and vassalised some indian nations (a bit USA style), but this time creating vassals of my own culture gives a whole different perspective of story. Now I'm leader of a Viking alliance.
It has also opened the possibility of a civil war and such.