Valour of the North Star - Chronicles of the Hvide Clan

phargle said:

I hope your D&D was awesome.

The scene of the two arguing is interesting because of how blunt everyone is being -- what passes for Northmen intrigue appears shallow, with the moves being apparent and the voices being clear. Very argumentative -- and it feels authentic too. I belong to an organization that uses the Althing as its deliberative body, and it's interesting to see the maneuvering, the mild tantrums, the undercurrent of politics, the way votes unexpectedly slip away (as Harald senses his might be, despite Jens weakness.) It's amusing as well seeing how CK2 (and CK1 did this too) makes is regard characters; Erik speaks and acts like an adult at the age of sixteen, an age where established men are unlikely to take him too seriously. I wonder if the game would make us see the characters differently if there was a portrait that made the under-20s look more like teenagers, less like rugged bad-asses, which is how Erik looks.

Nicely done, and nicely continued.

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It was pretty awesome, yes. Nice to see a phargle comment on my AAR again, I'll need to insert something you can twist into innuendo at some point and it'll be just like old times. The Nordic government is definitely different to your usual European politics, and the plotting is nothing like the scheming backstabbing of the Greeks, for sure. Still, one can't and shouldn't underestimate a good scheme even in this environment.

I agree Erik and the others look way too old, but I promise Erik isn't quite the badass that he looks. Everyone gets lucky, now and again.

aldriq said:

Very true, Erik doesn't quite look 16 in that portrait, though in those times people were considered adults much earlier than nowadays.

I'm guessing the prologue will end with the resolution (or not) of this council...

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Not 16 at all, although at his age he would be considered an adult, albeit an unproven one. You may be guessing right.

Sematary said:

Consider me subscribed. So far a great start.

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Glad to have you onboard, welcome!

Uaronain said:

It took me a little while to read everything from CK 1 and now in CK 2, but just wanted to say wow! I love this story, I felt like I was sitting right there in the Hvidesting. The characters feel really well developed! My only gripe is how GOOD Harald Audensen is at 18 stat wise (strong etc) he almost seems too perfect, no weaknesses trait wise.

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Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it. Harald is ridiculously good, but that was just CK1 giving me ridiculously good luck. I have seen stronger characters in CK2, but never a character in my own house that strong in CK1. For some reason the game keeps adding on random traits when I start up the mod so I'm going to have to figure out a way to get around that before his stats are in stone, but he should look like this:



I don't intend to change his stats from that because, honestly, I'm trying to play the game fairly, which means taking the bad and the good as it comes. I'm trying to use the Hvidesting as an opportunity to show that, regardless of what Harald's stats say, he's far from perfect, as I don't want him to be superman.

Soon™

In all seriousness, I expect it to be ready either tonight or tomorrow morning, barring any unforseen obstacles.

General_BT said:

Superman or not, those stats are akin to the Kwitsach Haderach! He'd beat my Basil in a standup match probably.

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Agreed, Harald's a beast of a character. My jaw dropped how good he was getting in CK1 and I changed my succession law to elective as soon as possible in order to get Auden in charge instead of Skjalm's toddler of a son Odon. I wasn't exaggerating when I said that Harald is the best character I have ever had in CK, even though I have seen slightly better now. I intend to make the most of his reign, as any successors he has are guaranteed to be a disappointment.

AlexanderPrimus said:

Oh dear.

I guess I can safely say that Things are getting out of hand.

At least your family's prestigious enough to even have a Thing, I guess...

(Go Harald!)

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grrroooaaannnn (that was an appreciative groan)

The Hvide should certainly be happy with their prestige. They worked hard to get this far and now they get to reap both the rewards and the consequences of it!


"You're back!" Harald grinned widely from ear to ear.

It was the first time the young man had experienced genuine happiness since his return to Søborg. The woman before him was not young, her face showed deep lines and her hair was beginning to turn grey, but he cared little for her appearance. In two long years of his Baltic adventure, it was the comfort and advice of his tutor that he missed the most.


The small figure peered back at Harald, looking up and down the lordling's figure. She seemed to judge him for a moment before speaking. "Well Harald, I see you haven't gotten yourself killed. That's good, I'd hate for all of my lessons to have been for nothing!"

There was a moment of silence as the two locked eyes, before Cecilie finally broke a smile and started to laugh. "Welcome home Harald, it's wonderful to see you back."

Harald didn't wait a moment longer to embrace the little woman in a grateful hug. He had missed her more than he would admit to anyone else. Cecilie was an enigma to him, a woman shrouded in mystery, but she had been his nursemaid, his tutor and his mentor. In many ways, she had been a surrogate mother and was more of a parental figure to him than his real mother, who had always been away on business or too occupied to have time for her children.

He finally released his tutor and looked down at her. "It's wonderful to see you again Cecilie, I'm glad to see you in good health. Where have you been? I was surprised to see that you were not present."

She shook her head. "I did not know that you were planning a return to Søborg so soon, or I would have been here waiting. I was busy...visiting family."

Harald's eyebrow raised in curiosity. Cecilie was a very coy woman about her family and past, and he could never quite make sense of exactly who she was. "Your family?"

"Yes...but that's not important now." His tutor said quickly. “We have business to discuss, I believe.”

'Changing the subject...again.' Harald repressed a chuckle. Normally he would try to pry into her past, but he required her advice in the short term.

"I'm guessing you heard about last night’s arguments?" Harald poured a cup of mead for each of them, not much caring that she was just a servant.

Cecilie gladly took the mead and a long drink of it. "I did, and everyone else on the island will have heard about it before long. It sounds to me like you've forgotten some of your basics, my boy."

Harald opened his mouth to speak, but she gave him the stern look that said she knew better. Normally he would have protested more vigorously, but he knew deep down that she was right. He both could have and should have handled the Hvidesting better and now he was going to have to fight an uphill battle to regain their support.

"What do you think I should do? I need your help." He said nervously.

"No." Cecilie folded her arms. "This is serious, I can't hold your hand forever, Harald. I may not be around much longer, I'm an old woman now and you have a long life ahead of you. You tell me what you think you should do, and then I'll tell you my opinion of it."

The young man emptied his cup and sighed. "Erik says I was too loud, too angry. I think he surprised everyone with that outburst, he's got quite the sack on him to take that up. Still, he's just a boy, he shouldn't push his luck like that...Magnus could have taken offence and we'd have even more problems.”

"You are still just a boy, Harald." Cecilie pointed an accusative finger.

"I am not!" He protested, seeming offended at the lack of faith in his abilities. "I proved that to my men throughout the Baltic, they know exactly who I am! I proved my manhood at war!"

"Stories are one thing, Harald, but the Hvidesting can only judge what they see, and although your clothes and your stature are impressive your face is still young. You have not done anything to prove to them that you would be a good ruler, regardless of your deeds in battle. War alone does not impress, not even here in the North."

He sighed deeply, clearly not wanting to listen to the criticism of his mentor. There was another awkward silence, and he finally spoke up. "I know what I have to do. I have to show to them that I'm directly involved and able to address their interests. I also need to control my temper, make it clear that Ernst's attempts to get under my skin aren't working. A rational leader is more convincing than a passionate one sometimes."

"Mm..." Cecilie didn't seem impressed by his answer.

"What, you think I'm wrong?"

"Your points are fair, Harald. But there's something you're missing...something important. The Hvidesting addressed it, you said so yourself."

Harald thought hard. He needed to figure this out, and he had very little time to do so...this could be a matter of life and death. Suddenly, it dawned on him: not just what they wanted, but also something his brother had said. Erik had requested land from Harald when the opportunity came, preferably land in the Baltic where he could make his mark as a frontiersman. This was his chance to win back the Hvidesting's favour and to ensure his control over their realm.


Clans of Denmark reassembled within the hall of Søborg. The drinks and fanfare were not as grand this time, and many of the collective nobility seemed impatient for a decision. They had spent much of the past day discussing and debating the merits of Harald and Ernst, but none of the Clans had come to any solid decisions – or at least if they had, Harald himself had not heard of it yet.

The young would-be-Chief took his place at the Hvide tables and looked across the meeting again. The gathered Clans had many different motives and fears, and not all of them were internally unified. He could count on the support of some, yet the support of others might be shaky. There was a fundamental problem in his attempts to unite the Hvide Realm under his hand, though, something all the Clans were worried about. Tonight he would have to put his plan into action in order. Jens Knýtling would not get his way.

Listening as Old Magnus greeted them all once again, Harald's foot began to tap the floor impatiently. He needed to concentrate, he needed to focus. The young noble's heart pounded heavily against his breast and his jaw was set into a stern grimace as his eyes wandered across the faces of the Clans. It was time to make the decision, it was something he hoped he would not regret. As Old Magnus finished the introductory statements, Harald himself stood.

"Clans of the Realm, I thank you for your return to the Hvidesting!" Harald called out. "I thank all of you for the concerns you have brought forth to this gathering regarding the appointment of your respective future rulers."

The young Hvide cleared his throat, his eyes moving briefly towards Jens and Ernst to see their reaction. Nothing so far. "You have aired your grievances and seem to perceive instability in the future if I am made Chief. Rest assured, I do not seek instability and this perceived rivalry between Jens and I is one-sided. The prosperity of our realm is of the utmost importance and I will pursue it at any cost."

He looked over at Erik tentatively. His brother nodded back, as if in silent agreement.

"That is all well and good Harald, but how will you bring us prosperity over the support of the King's man himself?"

Harald eyed up the man who spoke out, Olaf Skarsholm. The Skarsholm were a young clan, founded only during the Baltic Crusade and based primarily in Galindia, he believed. Although the youth was immediately frustrated at the question, he forced a slight smile and seemed to shrug off any concerns as inconsequential.

"A good question." Harald walked into the centre of the room. "Tell me, what is the greatest concern to your people, is it garnering the support of a King whose control is so fragile that he has to fear its rightful heir taking the throne, or is it the Poles? Is it the Rus? What of your own subjects, people who still see us as hated conquerors and who still actively resist Danish rule?"

Olaf seemed a little taken aback by Harald's response. He muttered to his brother, then looked back to Harald. "While we respect our King, you are correct that the Baltic Territories are in a state of turmoil. Raids by the Russian Princes have weakened our strength on the border and a pagan uprising west of Kaunas devastated much of Bragde's territory. If we become isolated from the Homeland..."

"You won't." Harald smirked. "In fact, I guarantee you won't be isolated from the homeland if I have anything to say about it. How many of you fear your new, fragile territories will not last in the face of impending aggression by all sides. This fear is justified, for we are few and our enemies are many, but let me remind you that the King came here not to serve your needs, but out of fear of Hvide's growing strength. If you select his man to be your ruler, you will be cast aside and forgotten, left to be picked apart by the encroaching enemies of our land."

Skarsholm frowned deeply, and began talking to themselves in hushed voices. The next to speak was instead Clan Memel, or more specifically their leader Ragnar Rødsværd. "You may be correct, Harald Audensen, but this does not take away the issue of your...relationship with the King. If you two escalate this, would you see our lands as simply a fief to feed your own feud with him? We cannot be responsible for feeding your war with that boy just because he doesn't like you."


"This is ludicrous, I will not stand by and listen to this any longer!" Jens himself finally spoke, standing and straightening his crown. "You speak as if I am not here, yet I am the King! This man accuses me of abandoning my subjects and plotting against him!"

"Your complaints are noted, Jens." Old Magnus said with a sigh. "Please return to your seat. Ragnar, show your respect to the King."

"The Baltic Territories are an important part of this Kingdom, and I for one will not see them abandoned simply because Harald says so." The King continued, ignoring Magnus' request.

Harald raised his hand, a calm and dispassionate look on his face. "With all due respect, Your Majesty..." He put a slight emphasis on the words. "The Lagmand asked you to be seated. Or would you rather display your love of the Baltic Territories instead? Tell me, what do you actually know of the Baltic beyond Riga?"

"Riga? I..." Stuttering slightly, the King looked lost for words.

"Where, for example, do the Bragde make their seat? What plans have the Hvide been executing over the past five years, what are the people like and where do we face the greatest levels of resistance?" Harald spouted these things off.

Jens sat down slowly. "I'm sorry Harald, the Lagmand has asked me to be seated. I have said my piece."

The young Hvide barely contained his grin; Jens had obviously seemed shocked and unsure what to say at the question. Harald shrugged and turned back to Ragnar. "You bring up an important issue: that of the precise status the Baltic Territories will hold. I will not demand tribute of the Clans, nor expect them to play puppet in power struggles here in Denmark. Power struggles are a waste of all our collective time and resources, and the Baltic has enough problems without being sapped of resources. Regarding safety, I have already made plans to improve the security of our realm. My expedition to Ladoga was not without reason: the aid I brought to the Prince of Novgorod has bought us incredible favour. He has promised us not only favours of trade but also support and protection from his brothers and cousins for as long as is possible."

"The Rurikids are hardly a unified lot." Olaf scoffed. "But at least that would get one of the largest bears off our backs. Kiev could still be a problem, though; they have not forgotten their loss of Podlasia. I assume our King has made arrangements of some kind as well, however, to ensure the Kingdom's safe future?"

Jens swallowed heavily. He had, in fact, not made any diplomatic arrangements or alliances yet and under his reign Denmark was mostly without friends. "This is besides the point, anyone can make alliances, but that says nothing about defending a realm!"

"Indeed." Harald gestured with his hand a little as he spoke. "Yet it would be of interest to all of you, I suppose, that I have conducted and received diplomacy with other leaders of some importance on my trip. I have also secured a marriage with the Princess of Norway, King Olaf's only heir, and he has agreed to support us if another Kingdom should direct their aggression onto us. Perhaps it might interest you all to know that I reminded King Boleslaw the Bold of my aunt Jadwiga and the ancestral alliance between Hvide and Piast. He remembers the promise he made to Skjalm and is very interested in meeting me to discuss future relations. I have not been idle these past two years, but I have spent this time building up the foundations of Hvide's future."


"What of the Brandenburg question?" A female voice spoke up. He immediately recognized the heavy German accent: Elizabeth von Stolzenberg, the Countess of Werle. She had sworn allegiance to his father for protection from the Slavs to her south, and that worry still remained.

"No incursions into Vendland will be tolerated. I will lead a response personally should it happen again, just as my father did." Harald looked to Jens briefly, then back. "I will keep these lands united at all costs. Be it Vendland or the Baltic, Sjælland or Jylland, with faith in the Hvide Clan my leadership will lead you all to a better place. I give you my word as a man that I will never let the Clans go wanting. I, or should I say we, have made plans regarding the administration of the Baltic.”

Behind him, Erik stood up. A slight nod was exchanged between the brothers. "My brother is a strong and capable leader, and the family has full faith in him as the future Chieftain of Hvide, but I can see in your eyes that there are still doubts. I have spoken to many of you already on this matter, and many of you are amenable to the idea of myself as a compromise ruler of sorts."

Harald swallowed, a twinge of bitterness rising up inside him. He tried to repress the pained feelings rising up inside; now was not the time to be overzealous, he needed to put his faith in Erik.

“A compromise ruler?" Jens interrupted. "What the hell does that mean?"

"The Hvide are the traditional rulers of the Baltic now, Jens." Harald folded his arms. "Our family have proven themselves capable already, but we cannot be everywhere at once, is what my brother is trying to say. He is offering himself as an alternative to rule the Baltic."

"Yes, that." Erik looked very nervous now, speaking in front of so many, but he was keeping it together. "I...I am proposing that Harald should be Chief of the Hvide, but that I should be appointed as Hertug of the Baltics, not him. We would act as brothers, as allies, but with our own focus and our own goals for the regions. Independent rule, in essence."

"He is rather young to be Hertug!" Jens complained.

At long last, the most important Chief of the Baltic Clans stood. Harald Audensen had only known him as a young teen but he had grown hairy and strong, with a host of children and a proud-looking Danish wife. This man was also named Harald, and he was the leader of the powerful Bragde clan who ruled much of the central and eastern lands of Lithuania. It was likely that once he had made his decision, the other clans would begin to fall into place.

"And you are rather young to be King, Jens Haraldsen." Bragde said simply. He looked to Harald then to Erik before continuing: "We here of the Baltic Clans owe everything to your father and uncle. Hvide made us the men we are today. I was partly responsible for shaping Harald Audensen into the man he is today -- now I say I shall be partly responsible for continuing the legacy and showing faith in the family who made us great. Independent rule of the brothers should indeed help to guarantee the security of our realms, as each brother shall rule their own piece for their own gain. The Bragde Clan would be honoured to accept a Hvide as our Hertug, and Erik seems as worthy a young man as any. He has a way with words, by my reckoning, that will be most welcome in calming our neighbours."

Harald Audensen breathed a sigh of relief. The Bragde were the Clan he most desperately needed the support of. "I thank you for your show of support, Harald Bragde."

"If Erik is good enough for the Bragde, he's good enough for me." Olaf Skarsholm shrugged and took a swig of mead. "Galindia shall accept Erik's rule, then!"

One of the Lithuanians of the Aukshayts Tribe, the last native rulers in the Baltic, stood and saluted with one fist. "We are satisfied with the arguments made by the family. The Hvide spare our lives and even granted us land that none of us expected. We served Skjalm and Auden loyally, so too will the Aukshayts serve Harald and Erik Hvide!"

"Bah, you're all a bunch of sentimental fools." Ragnar Rødsværd spat. "So be it, Memel pledges her allegiance to Erik Hvide. If you let us down, boy, I promise there will be a price to pay for it.” He glared.

Harald Audensen looked to the Clans of Denmark expectantly, waiting for a response. "And you?"

First was Jarl Rosenkrantz af Roskilde. "We were mostly convinced as of yesterday. Sjælland is Hvide's ancestral home, you have every right to rule and have earned that right. You have our full support as Hertug, Harald."

Next stood Thorgil Persson, the Geatish jarl of Nørrejyske. "Jylland feels that we have more to gain under Hvide leadership than as another Knýtling fief. The King did us few favours before, perhaps under Hvide reign we can see a stronger future." From the other representatives of Jylland came a chorus of confirmations.

"Vendland recovered from a great many troubles under Auden." The Bishop of Rostock, Jakob of Trusø, nodded. "I owe a great debt to your father, as do all the common folk of Vendland. I am sure Elizabeth and Irmeltrud agree with me when I say that we cast our support in favour of Harald Hvide."

Jens stood, incensed. "This man is a rash, foolhardy child who seeks to tear this kingdom apart! You cannot possibly give him and his puppet of a brother so much land, and give Ernst nothing!"

"The word of the Hvidesting is binding, Jens Knýtling. Your input as a guest has been valued, but this is a place of Hvide, not of the King." Old Magnus frowned. "Please control these outbursts, or I will see you removed from this court immediately. I will not let a repeat of yesterday occur!”

"You're all making a huge mistake, all of you! I promise you will pay for this!" Jens angrily picked up and threw his chair against the wall with a crash.

Before anyone could say anything more, the young King stormed out of the Castle. Ernst stood there dumbfounded, as if unsure what to do. As all eyes turned on him, the young bastard gave a seemed to panic. With a single glare in Harald's direction, Ernst fled after his lord. Harald frowned, but did not react at first. He wondered to himself, quietly, if Jens would attempt anything foolish such as an immediate attack on Søborg. Attempting that course of action would likely provoke a civil war, but if he was successful, Jens would seize the Hvidesting by force.

Old Magnus shook his head slowly in disappointment. "The young are so brash, so foolish. So be it, by the laws of our people, the Clans have chosen their Lords to be Harald and Erik Hvide, respectively. Let all present know and hear that this decision has been made lawfully in the presence of the Clans, and that the Clans representing the territories are satisfied with their choices. We shall begin the appointment ceremony at once."


AuthAAR's Note: This concludes the Prologue of Valour of the North Star. I hope you've enjoyed the introduction so far. I've got plans for the reign of Harald Audensen, big ones, but there's a lot of modding to get done before I can get started in earnest. To keep this story going, I have plans to write a series of brief interludes as told from the perspective of Harald, regarding the last 20 odd years of history and what's going in Denmark itself and abroad. These updates will probably be brief, but should highlight some of the work I'm doing on the mod and help to give a better impression of the world at large and North Star's history while I'm working. Oh, and to be perfectly clear, even if you've already read Piety, there will be plenty in here that you won't know anything about. I very briefly touched on the world with Piety, but that's it.

That's that, then. Off to the mod grind with me, I hope to have the first Interlude out before too long!

Sematary said:

An excellent update. Though what exactly does Jens control directly?

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Not nearly as much as Hvide. You should be able to see roughly on the map in the first update, but I'll be bringing attention to the State of the Realm in my first interlude.

Ilyavania said:

As strong an update as always. I'm seriously impressed by your writing, Sai. It's very strong and immersive, and I'm glad to be reading such a wonderful story.

As far as the story goes, I always had faith Harald would find a way to get what he deserved, even if that means sharing his rule with his brother. It won't matter anyway, I'm positive he will get the chance to depose Jens and become King of Denmark, and rule them all. That day will be so glorious. In the mean time, I'll enjoy his struggle to get there, the silly feuds with Jens and Ernst and his hot love-affair with his soon-to-be wife Astrid.

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I'm glad you enjoyed it. Harald might have with some finagling been able to rule both halves himself, but he would have had to deal with the Ting better from the start. Using Erik as an ally and a brother was easier in the end. If Jens tries something to earn Harald's true animosity, fighting will most definitely occur.

RGB said:

Ah, and so it concludes.

You know, we talked about it briefly but it never made sense to me why Erik may be important in the future and why his place was in Prussia. Now it does. Well done.

Nice to see Cecilie make an appearance again, as well.

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I couldn't let the AAR pass without Harald's mentor showing up!

----- -=-=- ----- -=-=- -----

On a more serious note, I'm sort of unhappy with the last update. I rushed it out too quickly, feeling under pressure to produce results for readers. While I don't think there's any single major thing wrong with it (bar perhaps the length/wall-of-textyness of it) and it's not bad, there's lots of little things that I'm just displeased about and want to do better on next time. I think in the future, I will take more time when I'm unsatisfied with the state of the update, rather than posting it just because it's complete and had a draft or two. This might cause my updates to take a little longer, but I feel it will be worth it for the improvement in quality.

If anyone has any comments or input, please don't hesitate to drop by and let me know! I'm definitely a comment-driven writer and every comment fuels my writing passion to write better and faster!

Uaronain said:

You are you own worst critic, I think it is human nature to always want it to be better, but to be honest it was pretty damn good. For being quick it still had depth to it and again I felt immersed at the second meeting. Keep up the good work!

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You are very right! I have been my own worst critic for a long time but it's also important to know when you can do better. I'm not unhappy to the point where I'd rather throw the chapter out, like I said, it's just little things that bother me.

JuvenalianSatyr said:

I think the only thing I could maybe find as a criticism is a matter of continuity. I am left curious as to what Erik and Harald discussed when the former took the latter aside at the end of the last update. It is a bit unclear whether that was when Erik made the request for land mentioned (which to me seems like an inopportune time to make such a request, considering Harald's mood), or whether something else was discussed.

That was very nit-picky, but I know I have the same problem. It's less of an issue when you're immersed, it's more of a sort of aftertaste sort of thing, when you're thinking about the narrative in a detached way and you're like "Oh and what happened with so and so".

Also damn Cecilie and her being a Saxon enigma.

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I was unsatisfied with how I handled Erik and Harald's discussions, but I didn't really realize I was until the end. It's a small thing, but something I wish I had elaborate on more. It is nitpicky stuff, yes, but I'm interested in removing as much of the nitpicky stuff as I can!

Cecilie is very much the mystery, but that might not be the case forever!

aldriq said:

Satisfactory result for the council, though I was expecting a bit more of a fight from Jens – rather than just the 'I'm your king, what more do you need?' line. Then again, he might be delaying the fight for a time when he has a genuine advantage over Harald.

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It should definitely seem odd that Jens has decided to back down so easily, although to some extent you can argue he has achieved a small victory. The Baltic Territories may still be under Harald's influence, but they're no longer under his direct control. The Hvide demesne has been broken up somewhat and that can't be underestimated. Also Jens is smart but he's got surprisingly low skills outside his martial ability.

Sematary said:

I thought it was a very good update, the only nit pick I had we talked about and that was just simply a slight case of awkward wording.

As for the story I think Jens didn't fight because he had no real support in the Ting while enemies were abound.

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Yeah, simple mistakes do happen. There's more little nitpicky issues I can make but there's no point muddling about with them. The real purpose of my post was just to warn everyone that I might take a little bit of extra time sometimes when I'm not happy with the update. I'll try to give people a warning when that happens.

Jens indeed had very few friends, being in a court full of men put into power by Harald's uncle, Skjalm. He also didn't exactly captialize on the opportunities he had to make friends, focusing less on building Ernst up as a great candidate and trying to break down Harald's legitimacy. This can only work for so long, if your opponent realizes and adapts.