Thankmar's Rebellion - An Iron Century Mini-AAR
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+1 so true - and i hope the AI might be able to start a germanic pagan reborn run too.
It's either divine punishment or a trial from the gods, depending on who you ask.A punishment for this sin of apostasy!
Well, this is certainly going to be quite a crisis for the "Romans" to manage. First a Saxon usurper casts aside the Imperial crown, then he boldly proclaims a return to the Old Ways that threatens to undo the work of centuries. I sense a crusade coming on...
(Incidentally, it might just be down to several hours of playing Skyrim, but I keep hearing the "Old Man" speaking with Max von Sydow's voice.)
(Incidentally, it might just be down to several hours of playing Skyrim, but I keep hearing the "Old Man" speaking with Max von Sydow's voice.)
Granting all the Stem Duchies IMHO shouldn't be a choice. Either you become the next King of the Germans, or the kingdom dissolves on your succession and you get the appropriate succeeding kingdom.
Another note, AFAIK the Christian* Sachsenross* is white, whereas the Pagan Sachsenross* was black. (*- the (literally saxon) horse on the dynastic shield of the Liudolfinger, nowadays used by Niedersachsen and Twente; the pagan variant was a black horse on gold) .
Also the HRE becoming defunct, I'd also disagree with that, without Otto the Great, it's likely that powerful kings of Italy will continue to get this honour.
Chapter 5
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Chapter 5: Born Again
Thankmar rode back into Braunschweig with a hero's welcome. Many of the peasants had heard of their king's conversion and took up the old faith themselves. In many ways, they still recognized it in their superstitions, old traditions, all the little quirks that they were taught growing up to never show the priests. The tale of his miraculous return from the frozen waters of the Mälaren had run ahead, mixing with tales of a natural rebirth, baptism by the wild. He reveled with his subjects and welcomed ambassadors from the lands to the north.
The revelry died down, and people filed out of the banquet halls, until only two remained. Two who were never there to celebrate.
"Adaldag, Adolf, good to see you. Have you come to pay your respects?"
The two archbishops looked at each other. Adaldag, as usual, spoke for them both. "Your majesty, we have come in the hope that you would pay your respects."
Thankmar narrowed his eyes. "Preposterous. You are my vassals. Why do you have a need that I pay respects to you?"
"It is not to us, your majesty, but to the King of Kings. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Thankmar drummed his fingers on his armrest. He let the pause grow stale before responding, "Indeed?"
Adolf blurted out, "Don't you think all this devotion to false pagan gods has gone on long enough?" Adaldag reflexively grabbed at Adolf's vestments.
"False pagan gods?" Thankmar hung the words in the air like a fresh woodlands kill. He turned his head slightly to stare at them with his ruined, sightless eye. Even if he could not clearly make out their expressions, he could feel their souls squirm underneath his gaze. "No, I don't think it has gone on long enough."
Adaldag recovered. "Then I must inform your majesty that it is the opinion of the church that your choice of your brother, who has also turned to heathenry, is unfit to be king, and we have agreed to choose Gero, Margrave of the Eastern Marches, as the preferred candidate."
Thankmar inhaled deeply, slowly, and smiled in a rictus of bridled fury. "Well, I suppose if Jesus requires it, it must be so, after all. Thank you for your wise counsel, good sirs."
He saw them out, and sent word to Heinrich, in his role as spymaster, to see to their continued well being.
The Viking dignitaries brought a young woman, Gyrið, to serve the king as handmaid and concubine. They further stated that although their godis are interpreting the signs of Mälaren favorably, there was still too much arrayed against the Old Faith. The godis beseeched Thankmar for further signs that Odin was smiling upon them more strongly than before. That chance occurred quicker than he expected.
The Kingdom of Thuringia suffered a revolt it could not possibly contain. Soon afterward, the King of Swabia died. The Duchy of Hesse, originally Franconian, then inherited by the king, declared its independence as a collection of small counties. It was as if lambs were brought before the lion to feast. He gathered his troops to invade, satisfied that he no longer needed proof that the lands were his by right; his might was all the right he needed.
Furthermore, Strezislava gave him the gift he was needing all this time:
She suggested he be named Liutbrand; he said no, he will be Widukind.
The archbishops, still, could be occasionally convinced to keeping the kingship in the family, but not consistently. Still, the simple solution was to no longer require their opinion.
Yet until that time, Thankmar continued to demonstrate the greatness of Wotan, and insisted that the godis come to Zeeland to oversee the construction of a greater monument there, at the spot where Thankmar first met the All-Father.
It would take decades to complete, but it would endure.
As a show of further strength, he staged a Great Blot. His first. From all over Midgard people came to the Zeeland Altar. From all over Christendom, rulers sent their chaplains to the sacrifice.
Adaldag was aghast at the growing strength of Wotan. Adolf, on the other hand...
Throughout the construction, pausing only for the Blot, Saxons stormed the lands of Hesse and Thuringia, and one kingdom fell to the Saxons.
And this is all the godis needed to see to agree: as a Christian kingdom fell, so does Wotan's chosen kingdom rise.
In Franconia, they had lost Hesse and had minor rebellion, but Eberhard's son Ludwig held the kingdom well.
Hesse managed to secure a non-aggression pact with Saxony and were allowed to live, for now.
In Swabia, the kingdom held their boundaries, and remained stable.
Bavaria was held by the same king, but was wracked with rebellion and had already lost its east to settling Pecheneg and Magyar marauders.
Otakar's son, Eberhard, continued to lead Kärnten through challenges, but remained capable.
The godis agreed with the signs: Thankmar was the Son of Wotan on Midgard, here to lead his people in defense against infidel faiths.
His son Widukind, and his sons after that, would carry the mantle in future years.
Thankmar came to visit his brother Otto one final time, bringing fierce Saxon warriors with him.
And so, returning to Aachen, Thankmar showed Otto what true power means.
And thus ends this AAR. May you all find stories as varied as these throughout your exploration of The Iron Century.
Thankmar rode back into Braunschweig with a hero's welcome. Many of the peasants had heard of their king's conversion and took up the old faith themselves. In many ways, they still recognized it in their superstitions, old traditions, all the little quirks that they were taught growing up to never show the priests. The tale of his miraculous return from the frozen waters of the Mälaren had run ahead, mixing with tales of a natural rebirth, baptism by the wild. He reveled with his subjects and welcomed ambassadors from the lands to the north.
The revelry died down, and people filed out of the banquet halls, until only two remained. Two who were never there to celebrate.
"Adaldag, Adolf, good to see you. Have you come to pay your respects?"
The two archbishops looked at each other. Adaldag, as usual, spoke for them both. "Your majesty, we have come in the hope that you would pay your respects."
Thankmar narrowed his eyes. "Preposterous. You are my vassals. Why do you have a need that I pay respects to you?"
"It is not to us, your majesty, but to the King of Kings. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
Thankmar drummed his fingers on his armrest. He let the pause grow stale before responding, "Indeed?"
Adolf blurted out, "Don't you think all this devotion to false pagan gods has gone on long enough?" Adaldag reflexively grabbed at Adolf's vestments.
"False pagan gods?" Thankmar hung the words in the air like a fresh woodlands kill. He turned his head slightly to stare at them with his ruined, sightless eye. Even if he could not clearly make out their expressions, he could feel their souls squirm underneath his gaze. "No, I don't think it has gone on long enough."
Adaldag recovered. "Then I must inform your majesty that it is the opinion of the church that your choice of your brother, who has also turned to heathenry, is unfit to be king, and we have agreed to choose Gero, Margrave of the Eastern Marches, as the preferred candidate."
Thankmar inhaled deeply, slowly, and smiled in a rictus of bridled fury. "Well, I suppose if Jesus requires it, it must be so, after all. Thank you for your wise counsel, good sirs."
He saw them out, and sent word to Heinrich, in his role as spymaster, to see to their continued well being.
The Viking dignitaries brought a young woman, Gyrið, to serve the king as handmaid and concubine. They further stated that although their godis are interpreting the signs of Mälaren favorably, there was still too much arrayed against the Old Faith. The godis beseeched Thankmar for further signs that Odin was smiling upon them more strongly than before. That chance occurred quicker than he expected.
The Kingdom of Thuringia suffered a revolt it could not possibly contain. Soon afterward, the King of Swabia died. The Duchy of Hesse, originally Franconian, then inherited by the king, declared its independence as a collection of small counties. It was as if lambs were brought before the lion to feast. He gathered his troops to invade, satisfied that he no longer needed proof that the lands were his by right; his might was all the right he needed.
Furthermore, Strezislava gave him the gift he was needing all this time:
She suggested he be named Liutbrand; he said no, he will be Widukind.
The archbishops, still, could be occasionally convinced to keeping the kingship in the family, but not consistently. Still, the simple solution was to no longer require their opinion.
Yet until that time, Thankmar continued to demonstrate the greatness of Wotan, and insisted that the godis come to Zeeland to oversee the construction of a greater monument there, at the spot where Thankmar first met the All-Father.
It would take decades to complete, but it would endure.
As a show of further strength, he staged a Great Blot. His first. From all over Midgard people came to the Zeeland Altar. From all over Christendom, rulers sent their chaplains to the sacrifice.
Adaldag was aghast at the growing strength of Wotan. Adolf, on the other hand...
Throughout the construction, pausing only for the Blot, Saxons stormed the lands of Hesse and Thuringia, and one kingdom fell to the Saxons.
And this is all the godis needed to see to agree: as a Christian kingdom fell, so does Wotan's chosen kingdom rise.
In Franconia, they had lost Hesse and had minor rebellion, but Eberhard's son Ludwig held the kingdom well.
Hesse managed to secure a non-aggression pact with Saxony and were allowed to live, for now.
In Swabia, the kingdom held their boundaries, and remained stable.
Bavaria was held by the same king, but was wracked with rebellion and had already lost its east to settling Pecheneg and Magyar marauders.
Otakar's son, Eberhard, continued to lead Kärnten through challenges, but remained capable.
The godis agreed with the signs: Thankmar was the Son of Wotan on Midgard, here to lead his people in defense against infidel faiths.
His son Widukind, and his sons after that, would carry the mantle in future years.
Thankmar came to visit his brother Otto one final time, bringing fierce Saxon warriors with him.
And so, returning to Aachen, Thankmar showed Otto what true power means.
And thus ends this AAR. May you all find stories as varied as these throughout your exploration of The Iron Century.
Great mini-AAR - it really did its job in getting me hyped for Iron Century! Cant wait to have my own adventures in the new bookmark.
This is a great style of AAR, well done. Would like to see it continue..!
I wonder why Thankmar went for Divine Marriage.
I wonder why Thankmar went for Divine Marriage.
An excellent story！
Though in fact I hope the AAR to continue.
[Expecting a possible Crusade for Saxony]
Edit: Of course Ivar should have his priority!
Though in fact I hope the AAR to continue.
[Expecting a possible Crusade for Saxony]
Edit: Of course Ivar should have his priority!
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Dogmatic + Divine Marriage + Temporal = I am the high god. Honestly, that's the only reason. Saxony doesn't really need the Sons of Ragnarok because they're already feudal and border rich lands for all their raiding needs. Religious Tax instead of Divine Marriage would have been sufficient.
As for any continuation...
- I did originally plan this with Chapter 5 being Saxony gets crusaded to oblivion, but since that wasn't forthcoming, I focused on Thankmar becoming Son of Wotan instead.
- Of course, I'm sure the crusade would be forthcoming (I did a play run and yes, a few years later the First Crusade for Saxony gets anounced).
- What keeps me from continuing too far is that this and other 936 testing was already preventing me from making much progress with Ivar the Bönless so I'm wondering if I should go back to that story instead.
Great mini AAR and as previously mentioned, my next campaign might start in the 10th century. It looks like an ideal Christian start.