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Thanks for the further clarifications and explanations, @filcat . You are welcome anytime to comment. And thanks @The Kingmaker for your continued support.
Not backward, no. You’re telling a story inspired by a game that you love. Nothing wrong with that. Play what you like and write about it! That’s what this place exists for.
Some of us are very passionate about CK2, but the more I read around the Forums I appreciate the passion for Age of Wonders, EU4 and others too. Gets me interested in those games possibly too. Not sure how I'd wedge in another game though at this point. Don't know how some folks like @Bullfilter or @HistoryDude juggle multiple games and AARs at once.
It is not about being a fan, that is irrelevant; having no curiosity for the subject is exactly what is meant. History of Bantu expansion, or tales written in Sumerian cuneiform tablets, or a Navajo story, or etymology of the name of Achaeans in terms of Hittite and Egyptian, or Vietnamese creation myth is infinitely more interesting for personal preference.
And that's why I appreciate the effort behind your reading and showing up here @filcat . I get it. The Danes are too pedestrian from your perspective. Everyone has their areas of interest. Yes, some AARs are a tough sell for me too because they don't have the era or area I like (and I get into trouble in eras where I have little experience).
If speaking in game terms, specific to ck, then playing any mongolian or steppes-character else any character from africa or india or asia is the personal preference. Yeah, never crusaded in crusader kings, and that is the beauty of the game, its wide range of possibilities.
If specific to eu4, the karaman-tag is more preferable than the otto-tag.
High hopes. And lucky, having only one bug to be annoyed with.
Not saying you need to come back and try CK2 with Holy Fury as you have moved on to CK3 (at some point, yes, due to your avatar). From your AAR, I see your debates about AI in general for Paradox games (or at least one of your narrators' debates). But I have to say for at least the near term the Danes have captured my attention, and there are too many of their stories to tell at the moment for them to turn me loose.
I think The 13th Warrior must be a cult favorite now, because you are one of several who has recommended it recently. However, when it came out it was considered a flop. Interesting how audience tastes change or sometimes how hard it might be to find the right audience.
Thanks for hanging in there, LD. I'd say the stylistic changes are really finished now. By the holmgang, the AAR is well into its stride, and then other challenges await on page 6.
Chapter XIII The High Council Meeting
(King Þorolfr’s Partial Reign 790)
Besides this new track, the full AAR soundtrack can be found here.
(Years later, a Norse artist carved this woodcut to commemorate the council meetings of King Þorolfr's era. This image is imagined by the DALL·E image generator provided via Bing.)
>>> WARNING: This post includes coarse adult language and discussions of sexual practices. Please be advised before reading further. <<<
King Þorolfr came out of the marathon of religious sacrifices that made up the Great Blót of 790 feeling repurposed and reinvigorated. He was determined to find new discipline in fighting off many of his newer questionable habits. He felt that he had managed to find some triumph at the end of the blót by blunting the schemes thought up by his half-brother Prince Magni. Now, he felt it was time to take the political steps necessary to strengthen his own political position.
That meant dealing with the high council.
The day after the blót ended, Chief Tryggve “The Moaner” Flod of Burgundaholmr, the Chief Advisor to the king, paid a personal visit to each member of the high council before they left Hleiðra. He asked them to adjust their travel plans. The king wanted a meeting of the council a week after the blót ended, in the king’s holding. This would give council members some time to recover from the nine days of determined feasting and celebrating but also they would have an interval to get their affairs in order and send out whatever messengers necessary before the important meeting. That week also meant they would not need to rush to resettle themselves in the king’s holding on the other side of Sjælland.
As Tryggve put it to the council members:
“Do you really want to travel long distances before the thaw? Also, it is not unusual for the council to meet in early March to discuss campaigning season.”
The king’s strategy in announcing an unexpected meeting was aimed directly at Prince Magni, to keep him from heading back to Nidaros and Noregr (Norway) immediately. Of the council members, Magni had the longest distance to travel, so Tryggve put it to him that the king was doing him a favor. Magni didn’t buy that explanation and immediately began wondering what the king was planning.
Also, keeping the prince and his delegation from Nidaros in Sjælland aligned with the needs of Jarl Alfr “Irongrip” af Vendel, the Spymaster of Denmark. He wanted to question those from Nidaros and Årus about the plotting of Chief Ulfr Mikli and his wife, Chieftess Kraka.
Many of the council members wondered why they were holding a session not only so soon after the blót but to seemingly reconsider a conquest of Käkisalmi in the independent Finnish provinces, a plan they had already approved. They wondered if the king was changing his mind about campaigning in the east in the coming year.
The king and the council assembled mid-morning, a week after the blót in the alcove of the king’s longhouse, the area cordoned off for the group, and where they traditionally met. Unlike the controversial meeting of late last year, no food or drink were present except for pitchers of water and cups. Security was still high after the blót, with twenty guards stationed outside the council’s alcove and throughout the king’s audience chamber that the alcove adjoined.
The king began with his usual greeting:
“May the Æsir bless you all. Thank you for extending your trips to those who are not really local or close to Sjælland. I appreciate your flexibility. We have important matters to discuss.”
“If I may, King Þorolfr,” Jarl Sigurd “Ring” af Munsö, the Field Marshal of Denmark, piped up immediately. “I would like some assurances that we will continue to look at conquest in the Finnish lands after the thaw.”
“The king has his agenda. I’m not sure campaigning is at the top of that agenda.”
“What is more important than campaigning?”
Sigurd growled a bit.
“Let the king answer for himself.”
“Indeed, Tryggve, but I appreciate you trying to keep order with this unruly bunch early in the meeting.”
The king chuckled. He felt relaxed and confident, seeing this meeting as the natural next step after how he had handled the end of the blót.
“I can assure you, Jarl Sigurd, I am looking forward to returning to Käkisalmi. We have left them in a severely weakened state after our raids last year and I hope our forces will make quick work of them.”
“Thank you for the reassurances.”
Sigurd nodded.
“No, we have no need to discuss the campaigning season unless there are details we have missed in our planning. But what may be more important than campaigning are the foundations of the institutions that make up the kingdom, and by that I mean the make-up and actions of this very council.”
Some of the council members began looking at each other, wondering just what the king meant.
“Are the actions of the king, especially his controversial actions at past council meetings also going to be reviewed during this discussion?” Godi Styrbjörn of Hleiðra, the Seer of Denmark asked pointedly.
“Perhaps the question, Styrbjörn, should be why council members have the temerity to show disrespect toward their liege during these meetings by asking accusatory questions and furthermore why they would fail to aid their liege when he was in need of medical help?”
The king snarled at the godi.
“You see, this is why we need a lawspeaker for these sessions,” Prince Magni jumped into the discussion. “Someone needs to facilitate these meetings. Especially, if the council is to have a true voice and counter the outrageous actions and errors of the king. Indeed, if we are to temper the king’s rule as a representative form of government, then these sessions must allow for the free flow of debate and, aye, the criticism of the king, if necessary.”
“Eloquent as expected, but wrong-headed. And if you ever are lucky enough to warm this chair, you’ll regret making such statements. I personify the kingdom. I am the state. The council is for giving advice. I have seen no need to have a lawspeaker. We have not missed having a lawspeaker. One might argue we have functioned much more efficiently without one.”
“It is tradition though, and a way to keep you from abusing and bending the laws of the kingdom.”
“Well, that is not the topic at hand, having a lawspeaker, but the shape of the council and the actions of my advisors is the topic. To that end, I have invited my cousin, Margareta Þrándrsdottir Skjöldung and Chief Emund av Alfheim of Vingulsmark to attend this council session. I am looking forward to their contributions.”
The king then waved at the captain of the guards who was standing in the doorway of the council’s alcove. He in turn waved at a guard at the far end of the audience chamber and soon guards were escorting the king’s guests to the session, after their wait in the king’s private meeting room.
“You’ve invited teenagers to give us advice for how the council acts?” asked Eirikr “the Just” Borg, the Steward of Denmark, who had served on the council longer than anyone else. He had worked almost a full decade in his position, even before Denmark had formed officially as a kingdom, and he had been appointed by King Hrœrekr II.
“Watch out, old man,” Prince Magni snapped. “It might be good to hear what young people have to tell us and I say this as the only young person at this table and also the favorite of the council of chiefs, by the way. Better than hearing you snore through the meeting.”
“That was uncalled for. I was not trying to insult you.”
“Even if you were, I’d never feel it. Your skills at flyting are like a fly trying to wrestle a bear. My hide is too thick for your words, old man.”
“Please! Do you really want our guests to see this type of behavior.”
The king chortled and then he stood as Margareta and Emund entered the room. He pointed the guests toward two additional seats that had been brought up at the foot of the long table.
“I think many of you know my cousin, Margareta and if not perhaps you saw her on the last day of the blót. And many of you know Emund, my former squire. Some might remember Emund sitting outside these meetings not too long ago.”
Both Emund and Margareta bowed a bit and then took their seats at the far end of the table away from the king.
“Prince Magni seems to be in the mood to tangle this morning. So let’s start there with the prince and the godi’s plans to embarrass me at the blót.”
“The only embarrassment was brought about by yourself. Your obvious public drunkenness at important ceremonies. Your disorganization. Your incompetence, really!”
Godi Styrbjörn listed out his accusations with a rising voice.
Now, it was time for Jarl Alfr “Irongrip” af Vendel to insert himself into the conversation. He had been twiddling with his large hunting knife as he liked to do during meetings. He chose this moment to slam it hard, tip first into the wooden table to get everyone’s attention. The knife wobbled after he let it go, with it’s tip stuck deep into the table.
“Can we cut through the bullshit here, please,” Alfr snapped. “I’m sick of sitting through all this posturing.”
He pointed at the godi.
“You and the prince were meaning to cause a riot at the blót or even something worse: destabilize the kingdom. Perhaps even overthrow the king. I have a witness who heard one of your planning sessions. So let’s all deal with that for a moment.”
“This is outrageous!”
Magni threw up his hands.
“The king is dispatching spies to keep members of the council under control and under surveillance.”
“What do you think I do as the spymaster?”
Alfr asked this sarcastically.
“If only there wasn’t so much disloyalty, I might actually be able to pay attention to what my spies are telling me about the independent lands in Finland and Noregr. Instead we are dealing with the egos and aggressions of our own people.”
“Plotting against the king is treason.”
Jarl Sigurd made this statement with menace in his voice.
“You’re lucky I’m not king. I’d have you in jail already awaiting execution. You’d be warming a cell right next to your mother.”
He pointed a finger at Magni.
Magni spat.
“You’ve invited guests so you can stage a little political theater. I’m insulted, and I see through your manipulations.”
“Who are you to make accusations? Given what your mother has told me about her plots, it seems you came awfully close to aiding and abetting an assassination attempt.”
“That is a lie. I have gone over this with my brother, already.”
Magni said this with an edge in his voice.
“I never stepped over the line. It’s as the godi has said, the problems at the blót were due to drunken incompetence. I am above reproach.”
“That’s laughable. Above reproach. In many minds you are still suspect and I wish I had the definitive proof. No, your reputation is stained. And remember, you are my half-brother, not my full brother. There’s a distinction. Don’t forget that. Finally, because we are sorting through proper titles, you are now the former chancellor too!”
The king said this tersely.
“Our little experiment into attempting familial peace is over. Emund is here now to take your place.”
“Talk about plotters!”
Magni said this with his voice raising loudly.
“I think I recall a meeting of this very council late last year where we were told about Emund’s plotting. That he wanted to make our brother Eysteinn the king. By that logic, why isn’t he in jail?”
“Emund has renounced all plots and plotters. He did so at the blót.”
Emund now stood up at the foot of the table.
“I am here to publicly pledge my support to fighting against all plotters,” Emund stated. “It is time Noregr has someone else to represent them here in the capital, someone who is loyal and not looking out for his own affairs first. I am looking forward to representing my king in the diplomatic missions necessary to further build this kingdom.”
“So he bribed you with my job.”
“You can look at it that way.”
The king shrugged.
“Or you could say Emund saw his opportunity to take advantage of the political situation after you and the godi sowed disorder at the blót.”
What the king didn’t admit was indeed, he had agreed not only to give Emund the job of chancellor if he stopped plotting and creating dissent, but he also gave him a minor honorary title to boost his ego. In addition, the king gave him 15 pounds of gold in exchange for his public pledge and an agreement to hunt down other plotters so they could be dealt with by the king. Finally, the king had offered to send his seven-year-old half-sister Kolfinna to Emund’s household in Vingulsmark as a ward. Having the king’s half-sister in his household was regarded as a special honor by Emund and further worked to create a new bond of trust between him and the king. Such deals were not the usual way Þorolfr had operated in the past but he saw it as the best way to outflank Magni in both Noregr and on the council. All of this had been discussed at the blót, followed by further negotiations during the intervening week.
“Well, I don’t need to stay here and be insulted further. I should have left for Nidaros days ago.”
He struggled to stand, and got his crutch aligned so he could hobble out of the room.
“Fuck you all,” he yelled as he thumped out of the meeting area.
“You’re lucky you haven’t been thrown into jail for good,” Jarl Sigurd called after him.
“Well, I can see which way this is going and I don’t need to stay either. You are going to replace the preeminent religious authority of the kingdom with a wet behind the ears girl.”
“She’s a member of my family so I advise you to be careful with your insults.”
The king snarled.
“She’s just someone you can control.”
The godi said this as he started to stand up.
The king barked this out.
“Please keep the godi in his place at the table.”
Two guards rushed into the room. Styrbjörn looked around, his eyes widening. The guards took hold of his arms. The godi, who hated being touched by strangers, let alone being pushed or manhandled by guards, relented and sat back down in his chair.
“My half-brother is free to go back to Noregr and pout. But you are going to sit there and hear what I have to say. That’s a pretty mild punishment for your actions. Just remember, I could be meting out the punishment that Jarl Sigurd and Jarl Alfr have advised.”
“I really had hoped the king would throw you in his jail.”
Alfr nodded and looked menacingly at the godi.
“Then I might have a go at you.”
That’s when Margareta stood up next to Emund. She leaned on the table with one hand and gestured at the godi with the other.
“You should stop showing so much disrespect to the king and to my family,” Margareta shouted. “I will show you that you have under-estimated what I can be. We Skjöldungs are the descendents of Odin. Please tell me what god sired your kind. Or are you one of the spawn of Loki?”
Because the spawn of Loki included the giant wolf Fenrir, which was due to return during Ragnarök, the giant world serpent called the Jörmungandr, and Hel, the ruler of Helheim, that was quite the insult to toss at a godi. He was rocked emotionally by those words and what was transpiring around him. Styrbjörn started to look forlorn.
(This is an edited version of the illustration “Loki’s Brood,” by German artist and illustrator Emil Doepler. In the illustration, Loki’s mistress, the Jötunn called Angrboða is on the far left, then l-r: the giant world serpent called the Jörmungandr; Hel, the ruler of Helheim; and the giant wolf called Fenrir. The illustration is in the public domain.)
“I am tired of putting up with your self-aggrandizing ways and your push for greater political power. You have done nothing since I became king except leverage my interest in our religion to your own ends. I admit here today, I made a mistake when I not only appointed you as Seer, but when I made you the Regent of Denmark. Henceforth, Margareta will hold both those titles.”
“You are compounding your errors.”
The godi muttered this but what he said was so under his breath that some at the table weren’t sure what had come out of his mouth.
“What’s that? Speak up, godi. Have the gods forsaken you today?”
Alfr asked this sarcastically.
“Some at this table know how much I have actually defended you in the past, and those were the real mistakes. My belief in you was paid back with plotting and deception. But you are now going to reap the punishment for those actions. In the past, I disagreed with my father’s method of using embarrassment to discipline wayward council members. But that ends today with this public sacking.”
“I hope you will consider locking him up.”
“We will see, if that is necessary, based upon what the godi does from this day forward. But some here know that I rejected sound intelligence about you Styrbjörn. Perhaps I didn’t want to believe it. But now I am going to encourage everyone in this longhouse, the guards and servants included, anyone who can hear this meeting, to know of your sexual deviancy.”
“My what?”
The godi asked this with some panic in his voice.
“We know all about how your wife Gunnhildr whips you bloody in the bedchamber.”
The king said this calmly while staring menacingly at Styrbjörn.
“We all know how she impales your body including your testicles and other private parts. We all know about the foul practices of your bedchamber.”
“These are fabrications and lies!”
The godi shouted, as his stomach flopped internally from one side to the other at the truth being laid in front of the council.
“What proof do you have of these allegations?”
Styrbjörn asked this, almost wailing because he was so distraught.
“We have witnesses, believe it or not.”
The king chuckled menacingly.
“I know that is unbelievable. Frankly, I can’t believe I am saying this, but Chief Ingjald Bleik and others know of your deviancy and they are willing to testify before us about your foul practices. So if there are inquiries about why you were dismissed from this council, the word will be not only due to your plotting but also because of your deviancy.”
“No! You can’t be spreading rumors like that. You don’t know what that will do to those who worship at the temple, or by the gods, my reputation.”
“You were willing to make me out a fool!”
The king thundered.
“Now, you can walk in those same shoes.”
“I will make sure my network begins gossiping about the godi immediately.”
Alfr said this with a wicked smile.
“So easy to spread such gossip when it is the truth.”
“This is excessive! Abusive!”
Styrbjörn shouted.
The king said this and clapped his hands.
“Guards, escort the godi out of my holding. And Styrbjörn, I will warn you that you are no longer welcome in this holding or in this longhouse. Also, I expect that when I come to the temple that you will remain out of sight. Otherwise, I will have my escorts remove you. Now, leave us so we can continue to have this meeting without your foul presence.”
At that, the guards seized the godi and removed him from the room. The godi was not struggling with them but they took the opportunity to rough him up nevertheless, pushing and shoving him so he almost lost his balance and fell.
The king clucked happily as they made their exit and Alfr pulled his knife out of the table. Those who were standing seated themselves.
Then the king smiled and said:
“Let’s get down to the business of remaking this council now that all the pestilence has been removed.”
Afterward, some felt that both the prince and the godi came away with minor penalties for their plotting and how they had tried to use the blót for their own political ends. For the prince, there would be many more opportunities and challenges ahead. He was young and would find ways to rebound.
But the outcome of the rumor campaign would have a major impact on the godi. He would slip into a major depression as he was shunned, ridiculed, and became the center of derisive gossip. He would never sit at the high council table again, and his days as a political and religious force within the kingdom were over.
(The images included in this chapter are all from accounts linked to @Chac1 where he holds the copyright. They are primarily from Playground AI, but some are from Bing, including the Lost Seasons of the Danes logo. In addition, the LunaPic image editor was used to alter some images.)
Though I'm not very familiar about OTL Sigurd except that he was the father of his more famous son Ragnar. Was he prone to executions and imprisonments?
I have to agree with Magni here. Thorolfr, Alfr, and Tryggve have definitely done some maneuvering of their own to get rid of Magni like this. But since Magni was playing with fire, he should've been willing to get burnt.
I wonder if this is truly the last we'll see of him. Grudges can be held for a long time. Especially if Styrbjorn is mocked daily and reminded of his former power.
Oh Godi! You have received a major smackdown. How long does the new chief diplomat stay bought? Margareta has claws and deep loyalty to the king. Thank you for the update.
Thanks for your support @jak7139 and @Midnite Duke . Good to have you both here (and the silent readers too). Glad you liked this as we try to wrap up some of the narrative loose ends.
The king and Jarl Alfr will have other troubles before Emund has any ideas of not keeping his end of the bargain. At this point, I don't see Emund developing into a major character (although perhaps I'm not seeing something). However, as several have requested, Margareta is about to get many new adventures. Yes, the king can count on her.
Though I'm not very familiar about OTL Sigurd except that he was the father of his more famous son Ragnar. Was he prone to executions and imprisonments?
Well, that's the great thing about the OTL Sigurd: we don't know if he was real! Or like Ragnar, is he one person? Three people? More? Lots of texts that disagree about him. However, none that I've seen that mention executions and imprisonments. (Perhaps I'm not researching enough?) Because we have departed from the OTL with Sigurd sublimated by the Danes (in the debatable historic record it was the other way around). Given all that, this AAR imagines Sigurd as the great general the Sagas tell us he was, and given how aggressive his AI character tends to be, he is written that way. A few of Sigurd's notable exploits lie ahead in this revamped timeline too.
I wonder if this is truly the last we'll see of him. Grudges can be held for a long time. Especially if Styrbjorn is mocked daily and reminded of his former power.
Well, it is always difficult to put good rivals in their place, especially if you don't kill them off. Actually, I can't promise this is the last of the godi for good, but I don't think we will hear from him for a very long time. And as indicated, he will be in a very dark place....
As we await the next chapter, a look ahead for the loyal readers.... After the triumphant meeting of the high council, King Þorolfr and Jarl Alfr retire to the king's private meeting room to discuss the meeting, espionage, and perhaps have an uncommon mid-day meal.
“I’m sure Chief Ingjald in Lapland will be pleased we finally took his advice regarding Styrbjörn,” Jarl Alfr noted.
“I’m not sure, after almost two years of waiting,” the king nodded, “but we kept that tucked in our cloak pocket for just the right time. And they do measure time differently in Lapland. But I remember you mentioning there was something more to discuss regarding Ingjald.”
“Yes, you should know even though he wasn’t at the blót and sent his regrets that his wife was spying there.”
“Interesting.”
“And she teamed up with the queen’s spy, Borkvard.”
“I’m not sure what to make of that or Borkvard….”
Find out the details of Jarl Alfr's espionage plans in the next chapter of Lost Seasons of the Danes....
(As is our custom, sharing the suggested soundtrack for Chapter 13 below: “Myrkviðr” by Danheim.)
(Lost Seasons of the Danes will return in about two weeks.)
That was a good chapter. Þorolfr is learning more of intrigue, though...
Wait, who did Magni want to make lawspeaker?
How can Þorolfr trust that Emund won't turn cloak if someone gives him a better offer? He did it once, after all...
Also, the king might be the state, but he still has a lot of vassals. How much land does he directly control anyway? If all (or even most) of his vassals betrayed him, could he keep his realm?
Starting page 11. Alllllmost therrrreee... Had to laugh at @The Kingmaker's posts as he started, caught up and bypassed me as I was reading page 9 and 10 . Talk about dedication.
I've developed a fondness for Alfr. Between him and the women, they're keeping the country sane. Well, with the exception of that spoiled little brat the Queen.
And it doesn't matter how many times I read "Half-brother. He's my half-brother", I get a chuckle.
Thanks for the compliment @HistoryDude . Indeed, this does reflect the king's growing intrigue numbers in game play, and, yes, that means he's likely to land in more trouble. (Which in the end, is a benefit for this AAR, but not so much for the king.)
(Quibble all you want, King Þorolfr. It's hard to hide the facts from the readers.)
Well, we never really said did we? That's up for speculation. He might have suggested Godi Styrbjörn as part of their alliance but the king was not going to ever approve that due to their new rivalry. The truth is the king and his allies quashed Magni's growing influence on the council before it could become even more problematic. Not to say Magni won't be back for more eventually, but this has knocked him back three steps, at least. He'll need to find new allies. If he had developed more allies at this stage, I might have thrown them into the plot. He's got a lot to learn even with his half-brother hobbled by his vices.
Something for me to consider as the writer of plots, I suppose. Yes, that possibility exists. But immediately ahead the king will face other challenges.
Also, the king might be the state, but he still has a lot of vassals. How much land does he directly control anyway? If all (or even most) of his vassals betrayed him, could he keep his realm?
That is a very intriguing hypothetical question. Not to give too much away, but luckily this king will not face a revolt of that size during his rule.
The king's direct demesne is pictured above in 790, C.E. He directly controls three provinces and can raise about 1750 troops from those provinces, including his retinues. This includes the islands of Sjælland and Lollard, and Hordaland in Noregr. He has 21 vassals (including the two powerful Swedish jarls) who can raise an additional 12,000 troops. I see I edited out much of this in Chapter IV as we covered the transfer of power, although some of this is alluded to in Chapter VI when the king travels for an official visit to Hordaland, although many of these details were lost to editing in that chapter too.
Starting page 11. Alllllmost therrrreee... Had to laugh at @The Kingmaker's posts as he started, caught up and bypassed me as I was reading page 9 and 10 . Talk about dedication.
Yes, we very much appreciate our dedicated readers, especially @The Kingmaker . He was all caught up, but not sure if he has had time for the latest chapter, so perhaps you will pass him, LD.
Yes, we very much appreciate our dedicated readers, especially @The Kingmaker . He was all caught up, but not sure if he has had time for the latest chapter, so perhaps you will pass him, LD.
Thanks, just caught up, actually. (It's been a busy week.) Very glad to see those troublemakers ousted from the council. Even so, the king was rather more magnanimous than I would have wished. No need for torture or anything gruesome, but their treasonous acts absolutely warrant imprisonment. They’re way too dangerous to be permitted to run amok in Scandinavia.
Well ahead of his time - he has aspirations of becoming an absolute monarch? Needs to be careful of being seen as a tyrant in a time where knocking one off was a blood sport in the Viking lands!
I think Magni must be the only one who feigns to forget it.
It is good to have those two poisonous troublemakers off the counc at last. Of thetwo, Magni is the real long term threat. Alfr will need some good sources in Noregr.
Well, that's the great thing about the OTL Sigurd: we don't know if he was real! Or like Ragnar, is he one person? Three people? More? Lots of texts that disagree about him. However, none that I've seen that mention executions and imprisonments. (Perhaps I'm not researching enough?) Because we have departed from the OTL with Sigurd sublimated by the Danes (in the debatable historic record it was the other way around). Given all that, this AAR imagines Sigurd as the great general the Sagas tell us he was, and given how aggressive his AI character tends to be, he is written that way. A few of Sigurd's notable exploits lie ahead in this revamped timeline too.
It's interesting how Ragnar is essentially a legendary figure due to his exploits, there being no solid proof of his life beyond what various chroniclers surmised. Was the Ragnar who allegedly died in a snake pit the same Ragnar that attacked Paris? And yet his sons were indeed historical figures. Even then, there's no real consensus on who exactly were his sons. Bjorn, Ivar and Sigurd are commonly mentioned. Then there's Halfdan and Hvitserk, but they could have been the same person. Ubbe is mentioned as a brother, but also as a half-brother (he's my half-brother).
Curious. Chieftess Kraka doesn't happen to be a pseudonym for a certain daughter of Seigfried and Brunhilda, does she?
The way I see it, based on her personality, the Queen may be a wild card, but at best she'd be an unwilling dupe.
It seems most of the commenting crew has left their analysis and comments. However, I know a few silent readers are still working their way through too. All the commentators and readers are appreciated!
Thanks, just caught up, actually. (It's been a busy week.) Very glad to see those troublemakers ousted from the council. Even so, the king was rather more magnanimous than I would have wished. No need for torture or anything gruesome, but their treasonous acts absolutely warrant imprisonment. They’re way too dangerous to be permitted to run amok in Scandinavia.
It is good to have those two poisonous troublemakers off the counc at last. Of thetwo, Magni is the real long term threat. Alfr will need some good sources in Noregr.
Indeed, good have that done, although as the writAAR there goes the opportunity for more court intrigue.
I can recall how frustrated I was during this part of the play-through with them blocking me on the council and Magni forming a faction while the blót had just started. So the effort to get rid of their annoying political ploys reflected that.
I will say if the king had been farther into his reign he might have made different decisions regarding imprisonment. But that would invoke a tyranny penalty at this stage (see @Bullfilter and his comment below).
Well ahead of his time - he has aspirations of becoming an absolute monarch? Needs to be careful of being seen as a tyrant in a time where knocking one off was a blood sport in the Viking lands!
It's interesting how Ragnar is essentially a legendary figure due to his exploits, there being no solid proof of his life beyond what various chroniclers surmised. Was the Ragnar who allegedly died in a snake pit the same Ragnar that attacked Paris? And yet his sons were indeed historical figures. Even then, there's no real consensus on who exactly were his sons. Bjorn, Ivar and Sigurd are commonly mentioned. Then there's Halfdan and Hvitserk, but they could have been the same person. Ubbe is mentioned as a brother, but also as a half-brother (he's my half-brother).
Oh, no, LD, watch out. You'll get the king started again.
Yes, I find the uncertainty of that period and the era before it intriguing in that we don't really know how this went. Something for the true historians to debate, no doubt.
Thanks again for your efforts, LD. Yes, the queen has a lot to learn about how to manipulate matters at court. But what happens when she learns and is a bit older? The strength of the wild card grows over time. Just something to think about for all those who want the queen to go jump in the fjord.
Thanks for all the comments. More coming later....
@Chac1 I'm doing that "thing" I do -- reading from the beginning, and trying to keep up with later posts, so that I'm kind of circling around the middle of the story until the two halves meet. lol
So this relates to page 3. Two questions...
1) We've discussed elsewhere how the CK II gameplay is in the background of your story, and yet here and there we can see it. I'm interested in CK II gameplay, particularly the battles. I've never played CK, so I have no knowledge of it really. How do you find the combat system, where you apparently assign commanders to each wing in a battle and it proceeds from there? Do you find it realistic and helpful?
2) You have images of Astrid which I suspect are not from CK II, but my understanding of AI artwork is that if you ask for two different portraits it can't re-image the same person. Am I not correct in that? There's a "headshot" of Astrid with her head looking in one direction, and then there's the image of her pregnant, with her looking in another direction. Can the AI literally create an image of a character for you and change the image slightly, retaining the basic character's image in 3D? Fascinating, if so.
Still a fascinating story. Sorry I'm taking a while getting through it.
@Chac1 I'm doing that "thing" I do -- reading from the beginning, and trying to keep up with later posts, so that I'm kind of circling around the middle of the story until the two halves meet. lol
Thanks for dropping into this and attempting to catch up, @Rensslaer . There are some folks in my family who read this way. I can't say that as an authAAR I'm prepared for this though. Not sure how the story unfolds being read from both directions, but whatever works. However, given some of the flashbacks (planned and unplanned) in this version of the story, perhaps your system is best. Just appreciate your efforts, Rens.
1) We've discussed elsewhere how the CK II gameplay is in the background of your story, and yet here and there we can see it. I'm interested in CK II gameplay, particularly the battles. I've never played CK, so I have no knowledge of it really. How do you find the combat system, where you apparently assign commanders to each wing in a battle and it proceeds from there? Do you find it realistic and helpful?
This is an interesting question, as we really don't delve into gameplay much. I'm guessing the combat system has evolved a bit over the years (and of course stopped evolving when CK3 started). As I've been playing this game (not the current playthrough!) for nine years, I haven't noticed the changes much. But numerical superiority isn't a winning strategy by itself, although it helps most of the time. Others are likely real experts on the combat function. Having good leaders is key, but sometimes you don't have generals for all the flanks. I have learned the AI will set up the Norse with everything massed in the center. If you don't redistribute to the flanks, only a great general will pull you through. So when I am sloppy or tired, I lose some battles. Lose some even when everything seems right. Also, the mix of troops is important. I think gameplay experts will tell you I'm not doing it completely right. However, the Norse don't have good horse-mounted troops (realistic) and not many of them. I like those on the flanks. I also have built some retinues that lean on mounted troops. Having a good shield wall (of course) is essential, but you don't get pikes as the Norse until later, so huscarls or heavy infantry are essential especially in your center. Plus, I like archers. Many a battle can be won with the first volleys. But you have to protect those archers. So this type of distribution is important. When I am not playing late at night (which is when I get to play these days!) I pay a lot of attention to getting the troop mix right. I like the system.
To fully answer your question, let's tease apart this graphic from Page 3 and the Norwegian independence war. The first interesting item is that as I play the Danes (top of graphic) I DON'T control the configuration and command of all the troops! This too may be realistic as we know Norse sometimes did not fight in coordinated fashion but followed their tribal leaders in some instances. This grouping of 3800+ includes allied vassal troops that the player doesn't control. The AI has decided that General Yngvar of Blekinge takes command of the Danish center; he is always controlled by the AI. The Danish right flank is controlled by Jarl Sigurd "Ring" af Munsö of Finland, usually the best commander on the board in all of Scandinavia (but not the case, in this instance). I did plan for Jarl Sigurd to command this flank. The weak left flank is commanded by Þrándr Skjöldung, King Þorolfr's uncle. The Danes have superior numbers, and, importantly, twice as many heavy infantry and archers. The Norwegians, led by General Gunnarr of Vestfold, are clearly outmatched from the start. However, they outnumber the Danes by more than 6:1 on one flank. This image is from early in the battle. The Danes are using their archers in the center and on Sigurd's flank, but on the other flank both sides are charging forward, likely throwing spears. The Norwegian center is using a shield wall defense but actually moving forward slowly. Likely archers and spearmen are responding to the Danes in the center. But outnumbered, the Norwegian left foolishly charges forward against the superior foe. They are slaughtered and broken quickly by Sigurd's flank which then quickly outflanks the Norwegian center. The Norwegians aren't helped here in that they don't have enough generals to help on the flanks. The Danes sacrifice their weak left flank and destroy the main part of the Norwegian force. If I had more screenshots of this battle, you could see how this progresses. Notably, there are no mounted forces and most of the combatants are light infantry. This is pretty common for the 8th Century Norse in the game.
2) You have images of Astrid which I suspect are not from CK II, but my understanding of AI artwork is that if you ask for two different portraits it can't re-image the same person. Am I not correct in that? There's a "headshot" of Astrid with her head looking in one direction, and then there's the image of her pregnant, with her looking in another direction. Can the AI literally create an image of a character for you and change the image slightly, retaining the basic character's image in 3D? Fascinating, if so.
Still a fascinating story. Sorry I'm taking a while getting through it.
On Page 3, this AAR is still evolving visually. That page is a mix of CKII graphics and outside graphics. These days, I am using as many as four different platforms to try to get what I envision. Those images of Astrid are from Playground, which is the platform I use the most these days. I am still a dabbler in all this though. There are some newer programs that I'm told will allow you to control the continuity of image features, especially facial features. However, I have learned AI has a lot of issues with faces and hands. But what can happen is that as you are creating batches of images, many are similar. So some are Astrid twins, some are Astrid sisters, some are Astrid cousins, and some are very different. But in my experience you need to grab the images in the same creation batch because recreating similar images later is difficult. Again, there are programs out now that stabilize that but I have yet to try those. Also, another caveat: I'm working with the free programs and offerings. No budget for this. Many AI systems now allow you to feed the image generator a base image, but they make no guarantees about matching faces.
(Oh, so good to see you, Astrid. It's been awhile. Practice, my dear. It's all practice, to answer your question.)
Take your time, Rens. So good of you to drop around with some deep questions. And before the king is roused to try to dominate the conversation, I will say the next chapter will be dropping soon.....
Very informative post about those graphics, @Chac1, something I was originally meaning to ask you about. I like the Playground app. If I ever decide to try another AAR I'd take a serious look at using it.
