Bastions
Chapter Forty Six: Loss and Inheritance
Part 4
Prelude:
Frandism found it hard to move farther north, though it was gradually making gains. The Norse were relatively recent converts to Christianity, and they had always had their own blend of the religion, especially in the far reaches of Norway and Sweden. When Catholicism ended, the Norse took matters into their own hands. The preached a gospel that made sense for them. Old topics, once left for the pagans, slowly crept back in. Like Revisionism, the Norse Rites was a warrior religion. They preached that heaven was divided into provinces, or Shires. Each had a purpose, but the one all men aspired to was to get into the Shire of Warriors; a Christian Valhalla. Gabriel, with an entourage of angels (usually shown as female, though their gender is never mentioned in the main books of the Norse Rites) would bring the souls of slain crusaders up into this special realm within heaven to live forever and become Christ's warriors when judgment day finally arrived. Known officially as the Church of Christ, Victor; the Norse Rites spread throughout Scandinavia, Iceland, Scotland, Ireland and Northern England. But many followers, especially in the British Isles, eventually turned to Revisionism. Even today, the Norse Rites are an important part of the Christian landscape. They are not the largest or loudest group, but almost a point of interest. Their suffering at the hands of many occupiers both foreign and domestic moved many to support the protection of dying practices and minority groups.
June 23rd, 1381
Had he cried when he heard his mother had died? Like he had when his father had passed? Caliph Ramon thought about it, trying to remember that day, so many years ago. It had almost been a passing gesture. All he remembered was the sorrow in his father's eyes. When his father had died, did he understand the dynamics of death better? Or had he just felt the weight of everyone's expectations on his back? His life had fallen apart around him, but the Caliphate stood strong. The rebellions had been crushed, the plans foiled, his enemies left ruined in the wake of everything. The Caliph had sacrificed everything to the cause of peace. The stress had been too much for his wife, it was becoming too much for him. And so, he chose to make a change: to do something; to fix it all. He stood out on his balcony and looked down at the ground below him. The air was filled with the singing of children. He took a deep breath and sat down.
He lifted a glass to his mouth and enjoyed a drink of sweet fruit and the sharp bitterness of alcohol. He smiled. Life was good when you locked your problems on the other side of a stone wall. A gentle breeze wafted over his face and brought the smells of the city: baked bread, cooked meat and fresh fish. A serene grace had come over the city, and the people rejoiced in their leader's victory. To them it was not about the Caliphate, it was about national pride and safety. There was also something to be said about victory. The states in the Caliphate turned their attention back to Barcelona as the center of the Empire. For all their saber-rattling, the Germans and French had yet to gain a strong victory against their rivals within the Caliphate. They were looking weak, while Barcelona looked strong. They knew that the Caliph would defend his situation and honor. What had the Germans accomplished: defeating weak and depopulated Christian states like Sweden or Bohemia?
"Bah," Ramon said aloud. With the warm sun above him, he just relaxed in his chair and slipped off into a well-deserved nap. For the first time in many years he didn't have a single care in the world. He knew that had Txomin been here, he would have approved. And so, it was in victory and the defense of the Caliphate that Ramon had honored his friend, his mentor, his Peer. "Good bye, Txomin," Ramon said. Sleep came to him easily. And for the first time it was a still dream filled with happy people and rolling hills. The Caliph did not know what tomorrow would bring, but today was for happiness and he left it at that.
***
In the north, King Tomas von Zähringer-Schweden had watched the events in the Caliphate carefully. He was at a crossroads: he could either move south or he could continue to push for domination of Scandinavia. The idea of uniting Germany from a position outside of the Caliphate had crossed his mind before, and as a legal successor of the Zähringer Kings of Germany, he believed that the German people would have flocked to his banner. But with the Caliph's victory, the King was worried that Germany had slipped from his grasp. So be it, he thought. There was still Scandinavia and the biggest fish to fry: Prussia.
The 'petty' Baltic Kingdoms. Prussia's dominance over the Baltic left the other Baltic states under a constant watch. At its height in the XIV and XV Centuries, Prussian became the court language for both Christian and Frandist Sweden. It was the only language understood by both the foreign monarchies and the native nobles and merchants.
Despite being German and despite only recently actually moving to the nation he ruled; Tomas was quick to pick up on the rivalries of his people. The Swedes had once ruled the Baltic, but for the last century or more had been marginalized by the expanding Prussian state. They were a warrior people and Tomas was interested in harnessing their talents and using it for the expansion of Frandism and his own authority in the northern reaches of Europe. But it meant making himself seem like less of a foreigner, which was hard. But what he could do was adopt the same enemies, convince the natives that he was on their side in some epic and noble struggle. He knew there was a huge risk involved as Prussia had invaded Sweden for less in the past. If this was truly the path he had been forced, Tomas knew that he'd have to unite Scandinavia. As three states they were weak. Only he had the strength to unite them all. He controlled the populated south, all the major cities and trading ports.
The Sweden and Norse were left in the same spot he was in: foreigners ruling a strange land. Norway was the best off with a slim Christian majority. Sweden on the other hand saw a handful of Swedish nobles ruling over mostly Sami pagans. They were just as weak as his fragile state. But they had each other; he on the other hand was isolated. He had played his cards the best he could. Trading isolation from neighboring states like Holstein and Prussia to help placate the locals. Now his sons would be forced to marry the daughters of lesser nobles or even Christians. He was in quite the situation. What now?
"My lord, the envoy from the Sami has arrived," Tomas turned to see his man-servant standing at attention.
He looked unhappy which prompted Tomas' question, "What is wrong?"
"I am not happy that we are bargaining with such barbarians."
"We are not bargaining. I have my offer for them; they can take it or be conquered. There is no reason to make the conquest of the Christians any harder." Tomas walked out of his office and into the throne room where the envoy waited. He saw several large tribal men and their sons waiting. They seemed not to notice the King as he entered; instead they talked amongst themselves and seemed not to care. "Gentlemen, I am happy to see that you've heeded my call."
With this they turned around and looked Tomas up and down and seem to lose interest once again. But the envoy stepped forward and started, "My lord, you have contacted the Sami with promises of land and rule. But how do we know that we are not simply trading Christian masters for Muslim ones?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the Prussians have offered to fund our resistance and we play an important role in the politicking of free Finland."
"Wait... the Prussians?" Tomas asked, disheartened.
"You didn't honestly believe that Prussia didn't already have an interest at stake in Scandinavia?"
Tomas cursed under his breath, "They want to see us divided! They want to see us weak!"
"No," the envoy said, "they want to see you divided and they want to see you weak. They don't give a rat's ass about what us Sami do. They just pay us to make your life miserable. And they pay well. So? What are you going to do to convince us to work for you?"