Last Chance at Valhalla
- Thread starter Dunaden
- Start date
-
We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
Yes, trying to understand when the book physically came to be as well as the content will help authenticate it. Yeah Ingrid is getting a little too invested in the story, not judging the manuscript solely on the facts.
That is the central mystery Karl and Ingrid are trying to solve, where did Grip come from? He just appears at a singular moment and changes history without any information on his background or family history. This manuscript may hold the key to that mystery or it may be someone's historical fiction filling in that lost piece.
There will be some clues as to the fate of the Norse faith in text of the manuscript itself and in the framing discussions.
Everyone used started the same, brought into the world naked and awakened with a slap, (the slapping no longer is done, but it is still a rude awakening to be forced from the comfort of the womb and forced into a bright and cold world).
- 1
Thord Manuscript, Page V
Thord Manuscript, Page V
Ingrid is still upset with my reluctance to be optimistic, but she still shows up on time with the next translated page. Unfortunately, I have more bad news to give her so I was not looking forward to this meeting.
She comes into to my office and offers the manilla folder with her latest translation. I accept it and then put it down on the desk.
She is surprised, and looks up at me, “What? What’s wrong?”
I sigh, “My people are continuing the cleaning process and been able to scan more of the book,” I pause.
Ingrid growls, “And?!”
I spit it out, “There appear to be only four more pages with any text. The last two thirds of the book appear to only contain blank pages, nothing written on them.”
Her whole body sags, “Only four more pages.”
I begin to reel off the things to soften the blow, “If this is genuine, it is one of the largest intact works in Younger Futhark runes ever found, nine pages of text! And the story it contains is historic, literally. This find is unprecedented for its historic value. Our academic standing is assured, we will be lauded.”
She scowls, “If it is ‘genuine’ you said.”
She stood up and walked out of the office. I started to rise, but knew I had nothing to say that would help. Instead, I sat back down and reached for the manilla folder on the desk.
With the new year comes word of changes to the south, Erik ‘the Heathen’ has forsaken the Old Gods, and has taken up the Cross of the White Christ. The most powerful Norse ruler has surrendered to the Christians, even worse he has delivered Uppsala to them. I don't have the strength to free that holy place, but I will punish the traitor if I can. I call my raiders together and we sail south. I have avoided raiding Sweden until now, going further afield, but this isn't a raid, this is retribution.
We attack Erik’s capitol at Hauna and lay siege. We are wearing them down, but his liege, the Swedish King, is gathering his forces to drive us out. We breach the walls, but have no time to thoroughly loot the place, we must flee before we are trapped here by the Christian army. We leave much wealth behind as we flee to our ships, but we have managed to escape with Erik's greatest treasure, Princess Alfridh. The granddaughter of a King and the daughter of Jarl, no matter how weak-willed he has turned out. Finally, I have a someone who will be worthy to sit at my side, once she is of age.
I take my prize back to Ångermanland and show her new home. Anna delivers me another son, Torbjorn. The raid on Uppland has brought me much glory, but not much gold, so soon I set sail again, leaving Anna already pregnant with another child. We first stop in Danzig and Słupsk and then head for England. The Bastard still rules, the revolt against him has failed and the leaders are rotting in the Bastard's dungeons. I circle the island, raiding England, Scotland and several of the petty Kingdoms in Ireland and Wales. My ships are soon full and we head for home.
I return to find my Steward dead, a new daughter, Ingfrid, and my own bastard full grown. Orvar understands strategy, but he is weak and lacks any spark of wit, the best that can be said is he is kind, but not what I hoped for in a son. I still have high hopes for Grip.
Emund, my steward, had died of a chill, no glory for him in the next life. I make Anundr the new steward, he is not very good with people and has a temper, but he is learned, fair and a devout believer in the Old Gods. He will make good use of the treasure I bring to him. We start with improving our fort, building a new hall of stone, it will be ready by the time Alfridh is old enough to marry.
I will try again to find any mention of Thord’s raids in British Isles, but do not have much hope. In a land ravaged by decades of war, they will not take much notice of a few more scattered attacks each year. Thord’s fleet are not large enough to gain attention and one fleet raiding sporadically along the coast is not as memorable as fleets from a hundred Norse villages descending on England every summer as they did during the peak of the first Viking Age.
I will also look for any information on Erik ‘the Heathen’s daughter.
Ingrid is still upset with my reluctance to be optimistic, but she still shows up on time with the next translated page. Unfortunately, I have more bad news to give her so I was not looking forward to this meeting.
She comes into to my office and offers the manilla folder with her latest translation. I accept it and then put it down on the desk.
She is surprised, and looks up at me, “What? What’s wrong?”
I sigh, “My people are continuing the cleaning process and been able to scan more of the book,” I pause.
Ingrid growls, “And?!”
I spit it out, “There appear to be only four more pages with any text. The last two thirds of the book appear to only contain blank pages, nothing written on them.”
Her whole body sags, “Only four more pages.”
I begin to reel off the things to soften the blow, “If this is genuine, it is one of the largest intact works in Younger Futhark runes ever found, nine pages of text! And the story it contains is historic, literally. This find is unprecedented for its historic value. Our academic standing is assured, we will be lauded.”
She scowls, “If it is ‘genuine’ you said.”
She stood up and walked out of the office. I started to rise, but knew I had nothing to say that would help. Instead, I sat back down and reached for the manilla folder on the desk.
With the new year comes word of changes to the south, Erik ‘the Heathen’ has forsaken the Old Gods, and has taken up the Cross of the White Christ. The most powerful Norse ruler has surrendered to the Christians, even worse he has delivered Uppsala to them. I don't have the strength to free that holy place, but I will punish the traitor if I can. I call my raiders together and we sail south. I have avoided raiding Sweden until now, going further afield, but this isn't a raid, this is retribution.
I return to find my Steward dead, a new daughter, Ingfrid, and my own bastard full grown. Orvar understands strategy, but he is weak and lacks any spark of wit, the best that can be said is he is kind, but not what I hoped for in a son. I still have high hopes for Grip.
Emund, my steward, had died of a chill, no glory for him in the next life. I make Anundr the new steward, he is not very good with people and has a temper, but he is learned, fair and a devout believer in the Old Gods. He will make good use of the treasure I bring to him. We start with improving our fort, building a new hall of stone, it will be ready by the time Alfridh is old enough to marry.
I will try again to find any mention of Thord’s raids in British Isles, but do not have much hope. In a land ravaged by decades of war, they will not take much notice of a few more scattered attacks each year. Thord’s fleet are not large enough to gain attention and one fleet raiding sporadically along the coast is not as memorable as fleets from a hundred Norse villages descending on England every summer as they did during the peak of the first Viking Age.
I will also look for any information on Erik ‘the Heathen’s daughter.
- 1
A child has been captured to become a wife. Do you have to go concubine to wife or can you make her wife directly? It is hard enough to get accurate history a century later and we are trying authenticate a millennium old records. The records are also in a 'dead' language that has not been spoken for over eight centuries. While Thord was a large fish in his pond, among the neighbors he was still very small fry. Thank you for the update.
I'm surprised that Grip inherited over any children that Thord had Erik's daughter. Did they even have any children? Granted, I know that CK3's inheritance rules can be weird (Samanid game - I'll turn into a narrative AAR eventually).
Why is Erik still known as the Heathen if he converted?
Why is the text cut off? Did Thord die prematurely? Did you lose your save?
Why is Erik still known as the Heathen if he converted?
Why is the text cut off? Did Thord die prematurely? Did you lose your save?
- 1
You can't marry directly from the dungeon. If they aren't married and not the direct heirs to their liege's titles, you can sometimes recruit them to join your court first and then marry them without all the negative hits of how they and their family feel about you by first taking them as concubine's to get them out of the dungeon and then marrying them. I think Thord was able to recruit her (once she became 16) since she wasn't in line for titles.
Yes not easy to corroborate much of the text and a written record was sparse in the region and so much has bee lost in 800+ years. Also as you say, Thord was not as famous amongst his contemporaries as he might have believed he was.
Among the Norse in CK2 whether you were born to a concubine or the actual wife didn't effect your inheritance, the eldest child of an official companion was the primary heir. Grip is the oldest legitimate son, the only older boy, Orvar, was a bastard, so not counted unless Thord had chosen to legitimize him. Alfridh did give Thord at least one child, but he was much younger than Grip.
Erik spent most of his life as a pagan in a Christian country, so even though he converted later in life, he was still stuck with the nickname.
This was an older story that I started a long time ago, and finding it after all this time inspired the framing story of a lost text being unearthed. If I remember correctly, a new expansion did break the save and rather than reloading an early version of the game to continue this playthrough, I just started a new game to use the features of the new expansion. So for this AAR, I decided to just use what material I had to take the story to a good climax.
- 1
Thord Manuscript, Page VI
Thord Manuscript, Page VI
It is my turn to be excited as I wait for Ingrid to show up for our meeting. As my research after reading the last page has found results.
Ingrid comes in to the office on time, she greets me pleasantly, not as subdued or as upset as I last saw her.
“Welcome Ingrid, I have some interesting news regarding the last page which will help our case.”
“Really? What?”
“Alfridh Eriksdotter.”
“What about her?”
“She existed.”
“Really? Nothing I have seen mentions her, they only talk about his two sons, but then again that is not too surprising many women are ignored unless their marriage secured some important alliance or they were the mother to someone important.”
“I found an obscure text by a monk who witnessed the conversion and baptism of Erik the Heathen, it talks about the baptism of Prince Erik as well as the baptism of all his household, including his children, ‘his two sons, and even his eldest child, his daughter, Alfridh…’.”
I paused to see if she had any comment, and then continued, “This text and other sources put the conversion and baptism of Erik around 1080 AD, which matches with approximate timeline we are looking at in our text, which would put the birth of Grip sometime in 1070’s.”
Ingrid chuckled, “You’re right about that.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled, holding up her latest manilla folder, “Our author finally mentioned another date… the spring of 1085.”
Impulsively, I started to reach for the folder and then stopped. “My second point goes along with your own research. After her baptism, Alfridh just vanishes, disappears from any written record, even though her brothers are discussed in several other texts. So she either died…”
“Or she was abducted by someone who never even considered ransoming her back.” Ingrid finished.
I smiled and held out my hand and Ingrid returned the smile and placed the folder in my hand and said. “There are a few more names and events here we will need to research.”
She went on, “Also, I have been thinking about the all the blank pages at the end of the book.”
“Yes?” I urged her on.
Then this spilled out of her rapidly, “If this book was being used as an active journal, then it started as a bound book of blank pages that have been filled in as time went on which would support the indication’s that this is a contemporary chronicle of events, not something written or imagined after the events took place.”
I thought about it for moment, “That is certainly one valid interpretation of what we see.”
“One interpretation?”
“Many authors used bound journals to handwrite their first drafts novels, before formatting them and sending them to publishers, though with computers it is less common today.”
She sighed, “I guess there may be more than one interpretation.”
I nodded and opened the folder.
Spring of the Christian year, 1085, I set sail again for the Waddenzee to thumb my nose at the Emperor. 1,400 Vikings descend upon Zeeland, I am looking for a wedding present for Princess Alfridh, we will marry when I return.
We sack Middelburg and capture most of the Count of Zeeland's family, including his wife, his son and heir, his son’s family, his daughter and two other noble girls. The port city of Vlissingen and the Bishopric of Tholen fall next. The Holy Roman Emperor does nothing to dislodge us as we burn one of his provinces to the ground.
I ransom the old woman and the baby, Zeeland's wife and grandson, back to the old Count, and take the rest with me as I sail for home. We are back in Ångermanland as the snows begin. The Count of Zeeland's daughter did not survive the journey. A pity, she was an attractive girl. The Count's daughter in-law I marry to one of my men, Asbjorn. I take the older van Gent girl, Luitgard, as a concubine. The younger girl, Jutte, will serve as Alfridh's maid.
Alfridh and I are married as the new year dawns. I hold a Great Blot in celebration of my marriage. Robrecht van Vlaanderen, the heir to Zeeland, is sacrificed to Odin, hanged from the holy tree. He dies well, a worthy sacrifice, Odin will be pleased. The blot was a success, Ångermanland will be blessed by the sacrifice and honors shown to the Gods.
I ask my Spymaster of the fires I saw as we sailed home along the Swedish coast. He tells me Erik ‘the Heathen’ is fighting the Swedish King, and losing. I shake my head, Erik is learning that rejecting the Old Gods comes with a price, then I retire for the night with Erik's daughter to warm my bed.
When I set the page down mind was racing, “A Great Blot, wow.”
Ingrid nodded.
Then I was struck by a thought, “I need to talk to Professor van Hooten, she is an expert history of the Netherlands, including the medieval period, she may recognize the van Vlaanderen or the van Gent families and any connection to Zeeland.”
It is my turn to be excited as I wait for Ingrid to show up for our meeting. As my research after reading the last page has found results.
Ingrid comes in to the office on time, she greets me pleasantly, not as subdued or as upset as I last saw her.
“Welcome Ingrid, I have some interesting news regarding the last page which will help our case.”
“Really? What?”
“Alfridh Eriksdotter.”
“What about her?”
“She existed.”
“Really? Nothing I have seen mentions her, they only talk about his two sons, but then again that is not too surprising many women are ignored unless their marriage secured some important alliance or they were the mother to someone important.”
“I found an obscure text by a monk who witnessed the conversion and baptism of Erik the Heathen, it talks about the baptism of Prince Erik as well as the baptism of all his household, including his children, ‘his two sons, and even his eldest child, his daughter, Alfridh…’.”
I paused to see if she had any comment, and then continued, “This text and other sources put the conversion and baptism of Erik around 1080 AD, which matches with approximate timeline we are looking at in our text, which would put the birth of Grip sometime in 1070’s.”
Ingrid chuckled, “You’re right about that.”
“What do you mean?”
She smiled, holding up her latest manilla folder, “Our author finally mentioned another date… the spring of 1085.”
Impulsively, I started to reach for the folder and then stopped. “My second point goes along with your own research. After her baptism, Alfridh just vanishes, disappears from any written record, even though her brothers are discussed in several other texts. So she either died…”
“Or she was abducted by someone who never even considered ransoming her back.” Ingrid finished.
I smiled and held out my hand and Ingrid returned the smile and placed the folder in my hand and said. “There are a few more names and events here we will need to research.”
She went on, “Also, I have been thinking about the all the blank pages at the end of the book.”
“Yes?” I urged her on.
Then this spilled out of her rapidly, “If this book was being used as an active journal, then it started as a bound book of blank pages that have been filled in as time went on which would support the indication’s that this is a contemporary chronicle of events, not something written or imagined after the events took place.”
I thought about it for moment, “That is certainly one valid interpretation of what we see.”
“One interpretation?”
“Many authors used bound journals to handwrite their first drafts novels, before formatting them and sending them to publishers, though with computers it is less common today.”
She sighed, “I guess there may be more than one interpretation.”
I nodded and opened the folder.
Spring of the Christian year, 1085, I set sail again for the Waddenzee to thumb my nose at the Emperor. 1,400 Vikings descend upon Zeeland, I am looking for a wedding present for Princess Alfridh, we will marry when I return.
We sack Middelburg and capture most of the Count of Zeeland's family, including his wife, his son and heir, his son’s family, his daughter and two other noble girls. The port city of Vlissingen and the Bishopric of Tholen fall next. The Holy Roman Emperor does nothing to dislodge us as we burn one of his provinces to the ground.
I ransom the old woman and the baby, Zeeland's wife and grandson, back to the old Count, and take the rest with me as I sail for home. We are back in Ångermanland as the snows begin. The Count of Zeeland's daughter did not survive the journey. A pity, she was an attractive girl. The Count's daughter in-law I marry to one of my men, Asbjorn. I take the older van Gent girl, Luitgard, as a concubine. The younger girl, Jutte, will serve as Alfridh's maid.
Alfridh and I are married as the new year dawns. I hold a Great Blot in celebration of my marriage. Robrecht van Vlaanderen, the heir to Zeeland, is sacrificed to Odin, hanged from the holy tree. He dies well, a worthy sacrifice, Odin will be pleased. The blot was a success, Ångermanland will be blessed by the sacrifice and honors shown to the Gods.
I ask my Spymaster of the fires I saw as we sailed home along the Swedish coast. He tells me Erik ‘the Heathen’ is fighting the Swedish King, and losing. I shake my head, Erik is learning that rejecting the Old Gods comes with a price, then I retire for the night with Erik's daughter to warm my bed.
When I set the page down mind was racing, “A Great Blot, wow.”
Ingrid nodded.
Then I was struck by a thought, “I need to talk to Professor van Hooten, she is an expert history of the Netherlands, including the medieval period, she may recognize the van Vlaanderen or the van Gent families and any connection to Zeeland.”
- 1
More pieces. One Christian is no more than an ink blot on a page. Thank you for updating.
Why is Erik revolting if he's Christian now?
Did Alfridh ever reject her baptism? Is she Asatru now?
Did Alfridh ever reject her baptism? Is she Asatru now?
- 1
Adrift in a sea of enemies, the Last Viking is not going down without a fight.
- 1
Just following the clues. His name was Robrecht not Rorschach.
Not sure, could be Erik was pressing his claim to Sweden, as the son of a former King or possibly the Swedish King tried to revoke Uppsala for him as it is the traditional capitol of Sweden, and he refused.
Alfridh was too old to change her focus, so she remained Catholic until she came of age, she may have converted back once she married, as she was raised under the Old Gods until her father made her accept baptism.
Yes, Thord had no intention of kneeling to the Christian God and chose to follow the old ways no matter the cost.
- 1
Thord Manuscript, Page VII
Thord Manuscript, Page VII
Ingrid came bustling in to my office, pulling not one, but two manilla folders from her bag as she sat down, “Test results are in for the carbon dating, and the dates are stranger than expected, the parchment dates to around 1000 AD, give or take 50 years. I don’t understand how the book can be older than the events discussed. This over 50 years earlier than the story being told.”
She set one of the folders on my desk. It was thicker than what she normally gave me. I opened it up and found a cover letter with test results attached from a laboratory that I was familiar with. I started scanning the results.
Ingrid continued, “And the other results show the cloth of the book cover is much younger, closer to 1225 AD. I’m so confused.”
I answered her distractedly, “The book may have been rebound at a later date if the original cover was damaged.”
“Oh…right. That makes sense.”
I finished reading the report. Everything seemed to be in order, the processes they used in preparing the material prior to testing to remove any impurities that may skew the results seemed to have been followed. The dates should be as accurate as modern science could determine. So why did the physical book seem to predate the actual events described in the text.
I shook my head, “ I will need to look at this in more detail later. Can I see the latest page.”
Ingrid looked frustrated but she handed me the latest page without hesitation and I began to read.
I take all the of loot from Zeeland and use it to build a temple to Odin in thanks for my good fortune these past 20 years. I also expand the training grounds to accommodate the warriors that continue to come join me, drawn by my fame as a raider. The sack of Zeeland is being compared to the great raid on Lübeck all those years ago. My fame and loot are making Ångermanland prosper.
I sit in the great hall in midwinter, hearing the wail of my new son, Birger, who is also the grandson of Erik ‘the Heathen’. I am 50 years old, my hair no longer deep red, but gray, like an old man. Erik is dead, he was born a Prince, ruled as a Jarl, and died a Count. He will never see his grandson or Valhalla.
I realize, with Erik the Heathen's death, I am the last great lord who follows the old ways. My neighbor, Chief Botulf of Westrobothnia is the only other independent Norse lord, but he is a failure as a raider and lacks fame and prestige. When I die what will become of the Norse? I have been content for years, raiding the Christians during the summers and then spending the winters in the comfort of my fort with my wife and concubines and growing children. I fear that cannot last, I must think to my family's future, or I will end up like my father, reliving old adventures and dying of old age.
Even as this restlessness grows, the pattern repeats and life goes on, once more I set sail in the spring and raid first Pomerania, landing in Danzig, and then head further west. But I am distracted and we are almost caught by the Pomeranian army which would have ended the raiding early.
My daughter Gurli comes of age, where will I find someone worthy of her? The Norse are a dying breed. An embassy from the Khagan of the Pechenegs has crossed vast distances to ask for the hand of my daughter for his son and heir. I accept, after renegotiating that any children will be raised as Norse and follow my family's Gods. The Khagan is a Christian but he agrees and a betrothal is made. Kegen Golovin soon arrives in my court. An alliance is sealed on their wedding between I, Chief Thord, and Khagan Boru ‘the Mutilator’. His lands are far to the southeast on the shores of the Black Sea, but he swears he will come if I call.
I try to wrap my head around what I had just read, but the carbon dating report is still nagging at me, something I missed.
I tell Ingrid, “Now, it says there is a temple at Thord’s home in Ångermanland, as well as a strong stone hillfort and enough housing for thousands of men. This is turning into a sizable settlement; we may have to take another look at the archaeological record in that area.”
Then I remember I hadn’t told her of my discussion with Professor van Hooten, but before I can say anything a sudden thought hits me, I am so stupid.
Parchment was often recycled.
Ingrid came bustling in to my office, pulling not one, but two manilla folders from her bag as she sat down, “Test results are in for the carbon dating, and the dates are stranger than expected, the parchment dates to around 1000 AD, give or take 50 years. I don’t understand how the book can be older than the events discussed. This over 50 years earlier than the story being told.”
She set one of the folders on my desk. It was thicker than what she normally gave me. I opened it up and found a cover letter with test results attached from a laboratory that I was familiar with. I started scanning the results.
Ingrid continued, “And the other results show the cloth of the book cover is much younger, closer to 1225 AD. I’m so confused.”
I answered her distractedly, “The book may have been rebound at a later date if the original cover was damaged.”
“Oh…right. That makes sense.”
I finished reading the report. Everything seemed to be in order, the processes they used in preparing the material prior to testing to remove any impurities that may skew the results seemed to have been followed. The dates should be as accurate as modern science could determine. So why did the physical book seem to predate the actual events described in the text.
I shook my head, “ I will need to look at this in more detail later. Can I see the latest page.”
Ingrid looked frustrated but she handed me the latest page without hesitation and I began to read.
I take all the of loot from Zeeland and use it to build a temple to Odin in thanks for my good fortune these past 20 years. I also expand the training grounds to accommodate the warriors that continue to come join me, drawn by my fame as a raider. The sack of Zeeland is being compared to the great raid on Lübeck all those years ago. My fame and loot are making Ångermanland prosper.
I sit in the great hall in midwinter, hearing the wail of my new son, Birger, who is also the grandson of Erik ‘the Heathen’. I am 50 years old, my hair no longer deep red, but gray, like an old man. Erik is dead, he was born a Prince, ruled as a Jarl, and died a Count. He will never see his grandson or Valhalla.
I realize, with Erik the Heathen's death, I am the last great lord who follows the old ways. My neighbor, Chief Botulf of Westrobothnia is the only other independent Norse lord, but he is a failure as a raider and lacks fame and prestige. When I die what will become of the Norse? I have been content for years, raiding the Christians during the summers and then spending the winters in the comfort of my fort with my wife and concubines and growing children. I fear that cannot last, I must think to my family's future, or I will end up like my father, reliving old adventures and dying of old age.
Even as this restlessness grows, the pattern repeats and life goes on, once more I set sail in the spring and raid first Pomerania, landing in Danzig, and then head further west. But I am distracted and we are almost caught by the Pomeranian army which would have ended the raiding early.
My daughter Gurli comes of age, where will I find someone worthy of her? The Norse are a dying breed. An embassy from the Khagan of the Pechenegs has crossed vast distances to ask for the hand of my daughter for his son and heir. I accept, after renegotiating that any children will be raised as Norse and follow my family's Gods. The Khagan is a Christian but he agrees and a betrothal is made. Kegen Golovin soon arrives in my court. An alliance is sealed on their wedding between I, Chief Thord, and Khagan Boru ‘the Mutilator’. His lands are far to the southeast on the shores of the Black Sea, but he swears he will come if I call.
I try to wrap my head around what I had just read, but the carbon dating report is still nagging at me, something I missed.
I tell Ingrid, “Now, it says there is a temple at Thord’s home in Ångermanland, as well as a strong stone hillfort and enough housing for thousands of men. This is turning into a sizable settlement; we may have to take another look at the archaeological record in that area.”
Then I remember I hadn’t told her of my discussion with Professor van Hooten, but before I can say anything a sudden thought hits me, I am so stupid.
Parchment was often recycled.
- 1
Oh. That makes more sense... but, then, why wasn't the parchment used when it was made? There was too much? In this small Swedish area? Unless Thord got the parchment from raiding...
Of course, it's also possible that it's a forgery from closer to the 1200s, given that the parchment date is useless.
It looks like Thord is thinking of the future... but will he do anything about it?
Of course, it's also possible that it's a forgery from closer to the 1200s, given that the parchment date is useless.
It looks like Thord is thinking of the future... but will he do anything about it?
- 1
The people of the steppes are perhaps a distant prospect for an ally, but sometimes the most unlikely of gambles can pay off.
The ink! Test the ink, you fools!
The ink! Test the ink, you fools!
- 1
You can often focus on the wrong part of a puzzle you are trying to solve.
The parchment may have been used when it was made, and then scraped and bleached to be re-used at a later date. At some point, a bundle of this cleaned parchment was bound together as a ledger for recording this account, but the account didn't end up using all the pages of the ledger. It's not clear where Throd got it, he may have looted it during one of his raids on a monastery or a counting house.
It may not be a forgery but it may be a fiction written at a later date rather than a true account.
You will see what Thord decides to do on the next page.
Tribal people are all about prestige, and more prestige comes from marrying some distant Khagan prince that a local nobody.
The ink can be tested, but it is a tougher call to make. First, the ink may not be carbon based, so carbon dating won't work. But to determine its properties you need a sample and if it is shown to be carbon based you need another sample of the ink to test for a date, but the only ink is making up the text you want to preserve and translate, so you have to destroy a part of the document in order to get enough of an ink sample to test. So there is some reluctance to test the ink if it can be avoided.
Parchment is easier to test as you can cut a strip from a page where there is no text.
- 1
Thord Manuscript, Page VIII
Thord Manuscript, Page VIII
Ingrid was waiting at my office door, the familiar manilla folder clutched in her hand.
“Something good I guess.” I said with a smile, masking my own rising excitement.
As I unlocked the office door, she opened up.
“The Invasion of Sweden! It’s in here! This ties directly to the Rebirth Saga, the Rebirth of the Old Gods, the religion that Christianity had almost exterminated!”
I snatched the folder from her hand and began reading, not even bothering to remove my coat and hat.
Even with a young wife and several concubines, I still occasionally stray. One such weak moment has led to Anezka, the wife of Asbjorn, becoming pregnant with a daughter who is named Drahoslava by her Bohemian mother when she is born. Asbjorn doesn't suspect the child is mine, or is wise enough to turn a blind eye.
But having another child was the final straw. I must do something to preserve my children's future. Ångermanland alone cannot hold out forever, and I have been lucky that the Christians have not yet traced 20 years of raiding back to its source and wiped us from the Earth.
I look south to Sweden. It is time to return the Old Gods to these lands. I challenge Odin himself. He must support me in this plan, or I may be last warrior he will ever receive in Valhalla. I send out a call to all true Norsemen, now is the time to fight, for great glory or for a good death, in an invasion of Sweden.
As I wait for men to answer my call, Grip comes of age. He is all I had hoped, a brilliant strategist and a blunt and honest man. I take him on a short raid down to Pomerania to give him a taste of the war to come. We return to find warriors and adventurers from all over Scandinavia descending on Ångermanland to join my invasion. They bring news of the larger world, the Pope of the Christians has called a great holy war, a Crusade, to take back their Holy Land from some infidels. I can relate to this, as that is exactly what I am doing.
Ingeborg, my bastard daughter, also comes of age and she has a rare talent for war and makes me proud. She is married to High Chief Vaisvilkas of Samogitia who also agrees to an alliance.
In the Spring of 1095, it is the time for the war to see if the Norse have a future. The Pechenegs and Samogitia both honor their alliances and promise aid. Some 2,000 adventurers have gathered in Ångermanland, I raise my levies and send out a call to the tribes, 5,000 warriors answer the call. Over 8,000 warriors set sail for Uppland. The invasion of Sweden has begun.
The war goes well, we have defeated everything King Halsten Stenkilling has sent against us and march steadily south, the road to Uppsala lies open before us.
Uppsala has fallen and two of King Halsten’s children, Stenkil and his twin sister, Ylva, have been captured. King Halsten himself is coming to meet us, coming to fight for his children as I fight for mine. We will meet him at Borganäs.
I sat back, as I kept rereading the last line over and over.
The Battle of Borganäs. One of the most important moments in history. A victory at Borganäs by King Hallsten would have cemented the Christian hold on Europe for all time and ended the last gasp of Norse power forever. This would have spared the world of century after century of bloodshed as Grip ‘the Victorious’ started his own Crusade to spread the Norse faith across the whole world. But instead, King Hallsten died at Borganäs.
I looked up at Ingrid and she looked back.
She said quietly, “It all fits together like the missing piece in a puzzle, it feels true.”
I nodded. “According to this book, Grip was not the author of the world’s destruction, it was a man named Thord who was only striving to give his children one last chance at Valhalla, but why is Thord never mentioned in all the stories and legends, only Grip?”
She shook her head and shrugged.
Ingrid was waiting at my office door, the familiar manilla folder clutched in her hand.
“Something good I guess.” I said with a smile, masking my own rising excitement.
As I unlocked the office door, she opened up.
“The Invasion of Sweden! It’s in here! This ties directly to the Rebirth Saga, the Rebirth of the Old Gods, the religion that Christianity had almost exterminated!”
I snatched the folder from her hand and began reading, not even bothering to remove my coat and hat.
Even with a young wife and several concubines, I still occasionally stray. One such weak moment has led to Anezka, the wife of Asbjorn, becoming pregnant with a daughter who is named Drahoslava by her Bohemian mother when she is born. Asbjorn doesn't suspect the child is mine, or is wise enough to turn a blind eye.
But having another child was the final straw. I must do something to preserve my children's future. Ångermanland alone cannot hold out forever, and I have been lucky that the Christians have not yet traced 20 years of raiding back to its source and wiped us from the Earth.
I look south to Sweden. It is time to return the Old Gods to these lands. I challenge Odin himself. He must support me in this plan, or I may be last warrior he will ever receive in Valhalla. I send out a call to all true Norsemen, now is the time to fight, for great glory or for a good death, in an invasion of Sweden.
As I wait for men to answer my call, Grip comes of age. He is all I had hoped, a brilliant strategist and a blunt and honest man. I take him on a short raid down to Pomerania to give him a taste of the war to come. We return to find warriors and adventurers from all over Scandinavia descending on Ångermanland to join my invasion. They bring news of the larger world, the Pope of the Christians has called a great holy war, a Crusade, to take back their Holy Land from some infidels. I can relate to this, as that is exactly what I am doing.
Ingeborg, my bastard daughter, also comes of age and she has a rare talent for war and makes me proud. She is married to High Chief Vaisvilkas of Samogitia who also agrees to an alliance.
In the Spring of 1095, it is the time for the war to see if the Norse have a future. The Pechenegs and Samogitia both honor their alliances and promise aid. Some 2,000 adventurers have gathered in Ångermanland, I raise my levies and send out a call to the tribes, 5,000 warriors answer the call. Over 8,000 warriors set sail for Uppland. The invasion of Sweden has begun.
The war goes well, we have defeated everything King Halsten Stenkilling has sent against us and march steadily south, the road to Uppsala lies open before us.
Uppsala has fallen and two of King Halsten’s children, Stenkil and his twin sister, Ylva, have been captured. King Halsten himself is coming to meet us, coming to fight for his children as I fight for mine. We will meet him at Borganäs.
I sat back, as I kept rereading the last line over and over.
The Battle of Borganäs. One of the most important moments in history. A victory at Borganäs by King Hallsten would have cemented the Christian hold on Europe for all time and ended the last gasp of Norse power forever. This would have spared the world of century after century of bloodshed as Grip ‘the Victorious’ started his own Crusade to spread the Norse faith across the whole world. But instead, King Hallsten died at Borganäs.
I looked up at Ingrid and she looked back.
She said quietly, “It all fits together like the missing piece in a puzzle, it feels true.”
I nodded. “According to this book, Grip was not the author of the world’s destruction, it was a man named Thord who was only striving to give his children one last chance at Valhalla, but why is Thord never mentioned in all the stories and legends, only Grip?”
She shook her head and shrugged.
- 1
How long does the Old God renaissance last or is Scandinavia still Germanic in this Time Line? Is this the last page? Thank you for this intriguing mystery.
Well, now I can say I learned something today. I had an inkling that they'd need to take a sample from the page itself, but I didn't realize they'd need to actually cut it out -- I guess a surface swab wouldn't get enough material to properly test?
On the update itself: "Author of the world's destruction" certainly sounds ominous enough. I assume it's not too literal, otherwise there'd be no one telling the story, but at the same time, it indicates we're right on the verge of a quite titanic shift indeed.
- 1
"Author of the world's destruction" could be literal, if demons exist here (do you have Monks and Mystics?).
The irony of the Crusade occurring at the same time as the Norse Resurgence is delicious.
Will you reform the Norse faith? And why isn't Thord remembered?
The irony of the Crusade occurring at the same time as the Norse Resurgence is delicious.
Will you reform the Norse faith? And why isn't Thord remembered?
- 1