House Godwinson

[Rebaltion]

@ Cecasander: No, but it will have short guy with a need to overcompensate for his, ah, short stature.

@ Lord Valentine: Whaddya talking about, I just updated! Leading doctors show that more than two updates a day can cause spleen damage, loss of hair, and, in many cases, death by stairs. (Don't worry about that last part, it'll make some more sense tomorrow after I update.)

 

[Rebaltion]

I'm going to be out of town starting tomorrow, and coming back on Thursday. So in an effort you appease my readers from the lack of updates, I'll be posting two updates today. Here's the first of them, enjoy.

-----------

The following is taken from The New Vikings: England and the Viking Revival:

“With the war in Brittany won and trade with northern Europe finally possible once again, Gyrth returned home in glory. England rejoiced, and from the highest nobility to the lowest peasant, every citizen felt assured that England’s future was bright. Of course, with fame and glory also came a price, which Gyrth found out about quickly. It seemed that one of Harold II’s sons was not happy with his small county. Count Magnus Godwinson, one of Harold’s bastards and ruler of Devon, called the northern dukes to his small estate and asked them to join him in a revolt against Gyrth in order to claim the throne for himself. The greedy dukes saw a chance to grab power for themselves and quickly promised support to Count Magnus. What followed was a civil war that would consume England until Gyrth’s death in 1087.”

The above paragraph was taken from A History of England, the standard history textbook provided in most English and Scandinavian schools. While the text is mostly true on the surface, A History of England completely avoids going deeper into the causes of Magnus’ Revolt and how Magnus was even able to gather so much support among the northern dukes.

To fully understand what the cause of Magnus’ Revolt, one must understand that Harold II had three bastard sons and no legitimate heirs upon his death. Of these bastards, Magnus was able to later legitimatize himself in the eyes of the Witan based on his strength, valor, and prestige among his peers. Wit Magnus now recognized as a legitimate heir to the English throne, he and his kin were entered into the line of succession. Gyrth, who had only won the throne because of his brother’s recommendation, felt threatened by a legitimate son of Harold II’s, realizing that it may have knocked his sons down in the line for the throne. On several occasions, Gyrth made attempts to create claims on Devon, but it quickly became clear that no one would recognize them as true. Next he tried to force Magnus to give up his title, which would’ve effectively taken him out of the line of succession. Again, Magnus was able to resist because of support from several dukes and the Witan. When it became clear that Gyrth wouldn’t give up until Magnus was out of the line of succession, Magnus contacted several northern dukes and invited them to his estate to discuss Gyrth. Thus Magnus’ Revolt was born.

But what would cause the northern dukes to side with Magnus in the first place? It all started, once again, with Harold II. Harold II’s policy of centralizing the English government did not go over well with the northern dukes, who were use to certain amounts of independence. When Harold II died and Gyrth took the throne, the northern dukes assumed that their independence was safe. Instead, Gyrth continued Harold II’s plans, only on a more rapid and aggressive scale, greatly angering the dukes. It all came to a head during Gyrth’s Crusades. Normally, troops would be lead by their liege lord, but Gyrth insisted that all troops be commanded by generals from his court, all of which would then answer to him. Revolt was widely discussed, but nothing came of it because the dukes couldn’t agree on a leader. When Magnus invited them to feast with him, they saw the perfect pawn: someone with no guile, but with a legitimate claim on the English throne.

The participants in Magnus’ Revolt.

Magnus and his backers rose against Gyrth in 1082, with Magnus declaring himself the legitimate king of England. As Magnus’ forces entered England, Gyrth scrambled to put up some sort of defense, but the troops had not yet refreshed themselves from the wars in Iberia and Brittany, and Gyrth’s cause seemed lost. For two years, Gyrth was forced to fight several small battles where he was greatly out numbered just to delay an attack on London.

With the rebels nearly to London, Gyrth’s forces made a desperate attack on York. The mix of Anglo-Saxon and Breton troops, lead by Gyrth’s second son Wulfnoth, were able to defeat a superior rebel force lead by Magnus himself. The Battle of York was a turning point for Gyrth’s side, as Wulfnoth caught a fleeing Magnus, who was taken to London and executed the following week.

With Magnus gone, the rebels could no longer legitimatize their war against Gyrth, nor could they decide on a new leader. The arguing and infighting that plagued the rebels was the advantage that Gyrth needed, easily sweeping up the rest of the rebels in just two more years of fighting. By 1086, England was whole again, though small-scale revolts in the north against Gyrth would continue until his assassination in 1087.

Magnus’ Revolt had left Gyrth a different man, where there once was a man sure of himself and his policies, there was now someone who saw daggers in every shadow. It is here, in this last year of his rule, that Gyrth would start to be called “the Cruel,” though English textbooks never mention the moniker. During his last year as king, Gyrth never left his castle in London, and instead let his court rule the kingdom. Taxes were raised, peasants and serfs were forced into debt and money frequently disappeared from the treasury. Corruption was everywhere and a new civil war was threatening to break out, when, in 1087, King Gyrth I fell down a flight of steps. Though there is no proof that his son Harold had hired an assassin to kill him, it is widely regarded as the most likely explanation for his death by stairs.

 

[Lord Valentine]

So there is something rotten in the state of England. Looks like you've set the scene for some wonderful drama coming up.
God I hope you don't give us a cliffhanger to brood over while your gone.

~Lord Valentine~

 

[Rebaltion]

Sorry if this update is super short, but I'm sorta busy packing. Oh, and if this looks like filler, you can consider yourself wrong. I never write filler, just space occupiers.

-----

Anno Domini October 18th, 1087

Harold was enjoying the breeze coming off the Channel as he waited for his brother Wulfnoth. With the death of their father, there was much to be discussed.

There were soft footsteps behind him. Harold only knew one person who could walk like that. “Hello, Wulfnoth.”

“Brother,” said Wulfnoth in a near whisper.

“I’m sure you don’t need to be told what a strange situation England is in right now, what with our father dying so suddenly without choosing his preferred successor. The Witan could select anyone of our kinsmen, or perhaps a completely random duke. We must stick together to keep the English throne in our family’s possession. Don’t you agree, brother?”

“Yes, Harold,” said Wulfnoth in his quiet voice, “What do you suggest?”

“If you were to back me, brother, the Witan would probably choose me. I mean, with your amazing victory over the rebels in York, you have some pull with them.”

Wulfnoth considered this. It was no secret that he, Wulfnoth, was probably the better choice, but he had no desire to enter the limelight. But Harold was dangerously close to their father when it came to how to rule the realm, and Wulfnoth had no desire to see England thrown into yet another civil war.

Harold’s eyes starred at his brother, searching for his answer. Goodness knows, Wulfnoth could throw a wrench in his plan if he didn’t side with him, and getting rid of their father had been such a dirty business, and he had always like Wulfnoth…

After several long minutes, Wulfnoth said, “I will back you brother, but do not forget you owe me and mine a favor.”

“Of course,” said Harold, smoothly, trying to hide his feelings of triumph. “Together, brother, you and I will create an empire father would’ve been truly proud of.”

 

[Rebaltion]

I'm back from Kentucky, so here's an update for you all.
------------------

The following is taken from A History of England:

Harold III Godwinson, the Empire-builder.

When King Gyrth the Pious passed away on October 14th, 1087 without making his preferred successor known, the Witan was forced to choose the next king based on their wants alone. Gyrth’s son Wulfnoth was the leading candidate; mostly because of the prestige and respect he had gained from fighting in Magnus’ Revolt and his victory at York that had won the loyalist the war. But, a day before the Witan convened, Wulfnoth suddenly threw his support behind his brother Harold, duke of Hampshire. Duke Harold wasn’t the most qualified for the job, but with Wulfnoth’s support, he was able to push his candidacy through the Witan and win enough votes to become king of England. A few days after the Witan had gathered, Duke Harold was crowned King Harold III Godwinson at Westminster Abbey.

In France, something had been bubbling since Harold’s election. Duke Robert of Normandy saw a chance to make good his claims on the English throne, and petitioned the king of France to join him in a war against England. The weak-willed Philippe agreed, and less then a month after Harold was crowned Harold III, Normandy declared war on England, with France and Flanders joining in on Normandy’s side.

As it turned out, Flanders, France, and Normandy were woefully under prepared for war against England’s battle hardened Anglo-Saxon and Breton troops. Perhaps hoping for revenge against the Bretons for handing them a humiliating defeat during the Trade War, France eagerly met a Breton force just outside Maine. Under estimating the Breton’s numbers, Marshall Robert demanded surrender. When Duke Clement refused, Robert charged, only to be met with a force that was double his size. The Battle of Maine was the bloodiest battle in terms of deaths; Robert refused to retreat, even in the face of Breton numbers and reinforcements. In the end, Robert’s own men killed him and surrendered to Duke Clement, effectively ending France’s willingness to attack Breton troops.

When news reached Duke Robert about the results of the Battle of Maine, he desperately tried to make peace, but Harold refused any peace offering. And so, the war continued, this time with a desperate Norman defense of Eu, the capital of Normandy. What Duke Robert had realized earlier, the Norman troops now realized: England had better and more troops than Normandy or France could ever hope for. Nearly twenty five thousand Anglo-Saxon troops flooded into Eu, pillaging the coastal city and capturing Duke Robert. With Robert in his hands, Harold was able to dictate terms. Robert was forced to give up his claim on the throne of England and become Harold’s vassal. Perhaps surprised by such a mild peace, Robert agreed. Now Norman troops flooded the ranks of England’s armies, and they were sent to march on Paris and Flanders.

When word reached the duke of Flanders that Robert had surrendered, a desperate plan was put into action: Flanders’ army was sent to siege London itself. While the move was admirable in that it was completely unexpected, the duke was soon facing uprisings from his vassals; it seems that none of them were too happy to be sending their citizens over the seas where disease would do more harm than arms against them. Among this bickering, Harold himself marched into Flanders, pillaged its major cities, and then demanded what he had demanded from the duke of Normandy: the duke of Flanders swear loyalty to him. The duke of Flanders, his cities in ruins and his people angry at him, agreed.

England and her continental holdings after peace is signed with Flanders.

With his army now bolstered with Flemish and Norman troops, Harold marched to Paris, where he joined his brother Wulfnoth in his siege of Paris. Paris will be sacked several more times in the near future, but this historic even marks the decline of the kingdom of France and southern Europe as a whole, and the rise of the north. With Paris under his control, Harold ask for a white peace. The king of France wisely chooses to accept such a generous offer.

Harold returns home in glory, having taken the first steps necessary to fulfill the promise he made to the Witan upon being elected king, “I shall make an empire that even Caesar would be jealous of.”

 

[Lord Valentine]

That's a nice continental empire you have there. Always good to see the French humbled.

~Lord Valentine~

 

[Enewald]

The world is not enough.
And France has no right to exist.

 

[Lord Valentine]

Congratulations Rebaltion you are WritAAR of the Week! So head on over to the thread and enjoy your fair share of praise and congratulations.

~Lord Valentine~

 

[Rebaltion]

To all: Sorry, I got Fable II and have been a bit preoccupied with it. That and marriage seems to be screwed up in my game, so I've gotta find my copy of CK and reinstall everything. But, you can expect an actual update tonight about Harold III's campaigns to civilize the Lowlands.

 

[Rebaltion]

Sorry for the shortness of this post; I usually have some planned material, but with CK going wonkey and me trying to fix it, I haven't written any updates. If you're just starting to read this AAR, please, oh please, don't judge it by this update. I swear, I can write better stuff!
----------------------------------

The following is taken from The New Vikings: England and the Viking Revival:

With his crushing victory over Flanders, Normandy, and France, Harold III was riding a wave of popularity unknown since Gyrth’s Crusades. His people had taken to calling him Empire-builder, and he could do no wrong in their eyes.

Further increasing Harold III’s popularity was his newly born son, Aethelstan, heir to not only England, but also Norway-Denmark. Harold’s first act as king was to marry himself and Wulfnoth into the Yngling line, which had controlled both the thrones of Norway and Denmark. Under the current inheritance laws, any sons Harold or Wulfnoth would be eligible for the throne, though the king’s sons would be first in line. This problem was easily solved, as all the king’s sons suffered death by stairs, or in once case, death by falling onto a knife after falling down a flight of stairs. Though it could never be proven that the old king of Norway-Denmark’s sons were assassinated, historians widely agree that only Harold and his line benefited from the untimely death of the Yngling line.

Aethelstan, the future king of England, Norway, and Denmark.

With the prospect of England soon ruling both Norway and Denmark, Harold started to take a more interventionist stance towards the continent. The first steps in his new policy were to tame the Lowland duchies.

The Lowlands during this time were mostly ruled by the wild, half-savage Friesians, a people who had been ruled by the Romans, Franks, and Germans, but had recently formed several independent duchies. Under the guise of attempting to civilize them, Harold III fabricated claims on several of the duchies and prepared for war.

While Harold enjoyed public backing for what would become called the Lowland Wars, he struggled to gain the backing of his vassals, particularly his Norman and Flemish ones. During the Lowland Wars, Harold’s vassals watched his exploits, waiting for him to slip and fall, always at the ready to seize their chance to take the English throne. Unfortunately for Europe, Harold would provide his vassals with no such chance, going from victory to victory. While it is no doubt that Harold was an aggressive warmonger, it should be noted that Harold knew when to put down his blade. Harold’s treaties were always just: he would give up his claims in exchange for vassalage, and even allowed the Friesian dukes semi-independence.

The Lowland Wars are divided into two major phases: the invasions of Holland and Lower Lorraine, followed by the invasion of Luxemburg and the remaining Friesian counties.

The Lowland Wars kicked off in 1089, when Harold claimed the throne of Holland. British historians insist that Harold had discovered an old claim on the throne of Holland, and leave it at that, but in actuality, the causes for the invasion of Holland go much deeper. The plans for an invasion of Holland started not in a dusty library, where Harold discovered an ancient claim, but at a jousting tournament in London, where both the duke of Holland and Harold were in attendance. Harold, having just finished his conquest of Flanders and Normandy, had invited several neighbors to London in a show of wealth and strength, one of whom was the Duke of Holland. What started as a show of English might quickly turned into a bitter feud between Harold and the Duke, as during a jousting competition, a drunken Friesian noble challenged Wulfnoth to duel over the matter of ten gold pieces. Wulfnoth refused and Harold backed him, while the Duke of Holland backed the Friesian noble and demanded Wulfnoth answer the challenge. Instead, Harold banned the Friesian noble from ever setting foot in England again. The Duke was none too happy with this, and told Harold so, challenging Harold’s courage and integrity. Harold, in a few words, told the Duke where he could head in, and had guards escort the Duke out of London and back to Holland. From that moment on, Harold had his eye on Holland.

Nine months passed, and Aethelstan was born, and the king of Norway-Denmark’s sons had their terrible accidents. Now England stood to inherit Norway and Denmark, and Harold had his excuse for war against Holland. He played his cards right, gained public backing, and “found” an ancient claim on the throne of Holland. War was declared shortly after.

The invasion of Holland was short and to the point. From England came nearly twenty thousand troops, while Flemish, Breton, and Norman troops attacked from the south. In the end it was a foregone conclusion who would win, and the Duke of Holland committed suicide by falling down a flight of stairs, out a window, and onto a waiting dagger, leaving his son to make peace with England.

With Holland under his boot, Harold turned his attention to Lower Lorraine, which was busy with a war against pagan Prussia. The chance to add more of the Lowland to his domain was too good for Harold to pass up, and a claim was once again "found". Lower Lorraine, without any troops, quickly fell to English troops and was made an official part of the Kingdom of England in 1090.

England’s Lowland territories after the invasion of Lower Lorraine.

But Harold had gotten more than he’d bargained for when he’d accepted the vassalage of the Duke of Lower Lorraine; he’d gotten a war with Prussia in the Baltic. Not wishing to loose face, Harold declared war on Prussia in support of his vassal and sent troops to defend Lower Lorraine’s Baltic territories. While in the short term, this caused unrest and debt, in the long term, it gave England a launching point for it’s invasion of the pagan Baltic tribes, and greater trading access to the Baltic Sea.

 

[Enewald]

Ancient claims?
Sounds like freshly forged claims.
But that's realpolitik.

 

[Rebaltion]

@ Enewald: Well, half of it is true. They were found in a library... after Harold planted them there.

Also, I've changed up the format a bit to make A History of England fell more like a text book. It now has questions for the class and section and chapter headings! Hundred word essays at the end of class for everyone!
-------------------------------------------------------

The following is taken from A History of England:

Chapter 5, Section 6: England Under King Harold III
By 1090, the north’s power was on the rise, while the south’s power steadily decreased. The cause of southern England’s rapid loss of power was none other than England under Harold III, whose recent victories over Holland and Lower Lorraine gave the north greater access to continental trade, as well as providing England with miles of coastal territory, giving Harold exclusive say so in who could trade with France and the German duchies and the ability to control the prices of several goods.

Areas in red are northern trading ports. Areas in blue are southern trading ports.
Questions for the Class: Why would southern Europe feel threatened by northern control of such a large amount of coast? Do you think their feelings are justified?


Of course, not every nation approved of northern hegemony over important centers of trade, and several took steps to prevent northern goods from getting into their country. France was probably one of the biggest proponents against English trade, and created the League of Paris to oppose northern trade.

The League of Paris was formed in 1092, when king Philippe invited the king of Leon, and several of the Rhineland duchies to Paris for talks on the increasing English presence in southern Europe. The invited nations were suffering from an economic downturn caused by the loss of prime trading ports to England, or, in the case of Leon, from the Anglo-Saxon settlements in southern Iberia, which controlled the majority of trade going through the Straits of Gibraltar.

Talks went on for weeks, and in the end, the nations agreed to a trade agreement and a defensive alliance against England, whom they saw as their biggest threat. King Harold III, upon hearing of the League of Paris, took actions to cement England’s hold on trade by placing an embargo on the League’s member nations, as well as sign an alliance with Norway-Denmark and Sweden, calling it the “north’s answer to the League of Paris.”

Chapter 5, Section 7: Baltic Conquests
With the addition of Lower Lorraine to England’s holdings, Harold III also inherited a small, but important war: the Conquest of Prussia.

In the early 1080s, Lower Lorraine had become embroiled in several wars with the pagan Baltic states, going so far as to call their actions in the Baltic equal to Gyrth the Pious’ crusades in southern Iberia. Unfortunately for Lower Lorraine, the small duchy didn’t have access to any ports, and were forced to bribe their way through central Germany to reach their goals. Their troops suffered terrible attrition, and more than half of the brave souls who marched off to free the Baltic from the pagans died from various diseases or lack of food and water. Despite these set backs, Lower Lorraine was able to conquer several Wendish tribes, gaining access to the Baltic Sea and the valuable ports of Danzig and Settin. When Harold forced the Duke of Lower Lorraine to call him liege, he was forced to join in on Lower Lorraine’s botched attempt at invading the tribe of Prussia.

Harold III generously donated ten thousand troops to the cause, landing them in Marienburg to take on the main Prussian force, while the Duke of Lower Lorraine pushed out from Danzig, attacking the small Prussian force left to guard the border.

The Battle of Marienburg has gone down in English history as one of the bloodiest battles ever seen. The Prussian force, realizing that if they lost Marienburg, they would lose the war, but up a stunning defense, despite the fact that they were out numbered ten to one. It was at Marienburg that Marshal Wulfnoth suffered a devastating groin wound that would leave him infertile for the rest of his life. Wulfnoth almost called a retreat, but Lower Lorraine troops from the south arrived just in time to reinforce Wulfnoth’s force, giving the injured marshal the force he needed to finally defeat the Prussians. With Marienburg won and captured, Wulfnoth broke his normal routine and burned the city to the ground, letting his men loot, rape, and pillage to their heart’s content.

Above is a picture of the invasion and main battles of the Conquest of Prussia. Yellow arrows indicate troop movements, while red spots indicate English victory.
Questions for the Class: Why was the Conquest of Prussia so important to English trade?

From there, they marched north and occupied the last of Prussian territory, officially annexing it a few days later, setting up the Prince-Bishphoric of Prussia under England’s Diocese Bishop, in an effort to bring the One True Faith to the heathen Prussians.

Now with Prussia under England's control, Harold III suddenly had several trading ports into the Baltic Sea, allowing the Catholic north to finally trade with the Orthodox and Catholic east, causing England to experience another economic upturn. Trade with the north also helped convince the pagans that England wasn't so bad, as they were allowed to continue living in peace and roads and mines were commissioned by the Prince-Bishop, providing jobs that paid well.

England’s Baltic holdings after the Conquest of Prussia.

 

[Enewald]

The more vassals, the better.

 

[Lord Valentine]

Oh man thats truly a Saxon empire! And I am truly looking forward to the day it will become a Nordic empire, when you inherit Norway and Denmark! Great updates!

As to the question: The importance of the conquest of Prussia lies in the fact that it opened up the Baltic See to English trading, providing a number of ports not under the control of foreign princes or vassals of dubious loyalty such as the recently conquered duke of Lorraine.

~Lord Valentine~

 

[Rebaltion]

@ Enewald: Yeah, until the little buggers decide to revolt. Thankfully, my stability's +3, so everyone seems happy.

@ Lord Valentine: You are absolutely correct, good sir. You've just earned ten points of Gryffindor!
As for Norway and Denmark, today's update actually deals with them, and the rather... disturbing story of how I got them.
--------------------------

The following is taken from The New Vikings: England and the Viking Revival:

Chapter 3: The New Caesar, Page 156
Harold III returned home from Prussia riding yet another wave of victory, much to the chagrin of the League of Paris, hoping that Harold Empire-builder would finally slip up. Instead of giving them what they wanted, Harold III would experience success after success, finally giving credit to his nickname Empire-builder.

Upon his return home, Harold III returned to matters of the state, temporarily putting off the Lowland Wars. Harold’s first order of business was rebuilding relations with the Papal State. During the reign of Gyrth I, relations between the Pope and England were close, as can be seen from the Pope giving Gyrth a free pass at southern Iberia. But, as soon as Harold III took the throne, the policy of Papal friendship was quickly scraped, as the new, French controlled Pope, gave limited support to the French and Normans during the Norman War, even going so far as to threaten Harold III with excommunication, though nothing came of it. But, the French pope had died, and a new one was brought into power, one that was close friends with the Prince-Bishop of Prussia as well as Harold III. Harold III’s first act was to stop commerce in church squares, as a sign that Harold was willing to forgive and forget the transgressions of the dead French pope. Harold also commissioned a new cathedral to be built in honor of Saint Gyrth the Pious, as well as for the glory of the Papacy and England, just outside of Norwich.

St. Gyrth’s Cathedral, also known as Norwich Cathedral, is a strange mix of Gothic and Norman styles, which can be attributed to its architect, who was most likely a Norman.

With the Papacy and England back on good terms, Harold III turned his attention back to the Lowlands, making short work of the county of Loon and the duchy of Luxemburg, completing what he had started nearly four years ago. With the Lowlands secure for England, Harold and his brother and marshal Wulfnoth began to draw up plans for an invasion of Saxony, terrible news reached London: Harold’s first son and heir to the throne, the current king of Norway-Denmark had been assassinated by rebels. The news threw Harold into a dark rage, as Aethelstan’s body was transported back to London for a proper funeral and burial. Aethelstan was laid to rest next to Harold II and Gyrth I, despite the fact that he was never crowned king of England.

English history books gloss over Aethelstan’s rise to the throne of Norway-Denmark, his two-year rule, and then death at the hands of assassins, despite the fact Aethelstan’s death accelerated the creation of England’s northern empire. Perhaps it is because by the time Aethelstan was seven, he had fallen in love with his younger half-brother Ceowulf. In any event, Aethelstan came to power after the death of the last male Yngling, King Olaf Kyrre, in 1092, at the age of five. Young Aethelstan proved to be quite the diplomat, despite his young years, and it was whispered that God had gifted him with the wisdom of Solomon himself. Under him, Norway-Denmark enjoyed a year of peace and prosperity. Aethelstan’s down fall came when his half-brother Ceowulf came to Norway-Denmark to visit. Rumor had it that Aethelstan enjoyed the company of boys his age a bit too much, but no proof had ever been presented, until Aethelstan was caught doing inappropriate things to Ceowulf. Ceowulf was returned home and sent to learn with the monks, while Aethelstan was forced to deal with the nobility. But the nobility wouldn’t stand for it, and revolts against the seven year-old king became quite common, until in 1094, Aethelstan was killed in his bed by an unknown assassin. The news of his son’s death would reach Harold III a week later.

With the death of Aethelstan, Harold III inherited the throne of Norway-Denmark. Harold’s blind and dark rage, now had somewhere to focus: the rebels that had killed his son. In a bloody rage, Harold III scraped his plans for an invasion of Saxony, and sets about returning the wayward counts to England proper. For a year, Harold III fought the rebels, conquering their lands and burning the rebels at the stake, sending a clear message to them: mess with England at your own hazard. By late 1095, England had regained the land lost under Aethelstan and was ready to reclaim Iceland and the other islands lost under Olaf Kyrre. It promised to be a long and costly task.

England and her holdings by 1095.

 

[Rebaltion]

I feel that Aethelstan warrants a little side note: While it is completely possible that Aethelstan could get the Homosexual trait (it's included in TASS), he didn't actually have it. Here's how it actually went down: My son Ceowulf got the event "Your Son Falls In Love With A Young Lady," and I thought, how sweet, so I chose the first option. As it turned out, Aethelstan was that lucky lady. Aethelstan then inherited Norway-Denmark (the king died of old age. For once I had nothing to do with it). Some how, don't ask me how, he got realm duress with a +3 stability, which led to him getting assassinated and a score of 5 diplo (he was a prodigy). So, I was looking for reasons how someone with such great stats could screw up so badly as to get himself killed, until I remembered the glitch. So, I rolled with it.

EDIT: A friend of mine brought it to my attention that Ceowulf and Aethelstan could've just been friends, and the love event didn't work. Stupid of me to miss that, but it's too late. Oh well.

 

[Enewald]

Lol, anything is possible. :rofl:

 

[Lord Valentine]

Now thats truly a nordic empire! Looks like your in a good position to punch Scotland from several sides and unite the isles.

~Lord Valentine~

 

[Rebaltion]

@ Enewald: I guess my game is a testimony to that.

@ Lord Valentine: Yeah, I hear that Scotland can be pretty hard to conquer if you don't make a giant effort (according to a friend of mine who had to reload five times to grab Scotland in an England game), so my whole plan was to grab Norway so I could attack from the north and the south. I have no idea if it will work, but it should be fun to watch.

 

[Rebaltion]

The World in 1100 and How it Got There

Northern Europe:

England: King Harold III, nephew to Harold II, had ruled England for nearly twenty years, and under his guidance, she has grown from a backwater power to an empire that spans much of Europe. In the late 1080s, Harold III assassinated his father, king Gyrth I, to gain the throne of England. Mere days after he is crowned, Duke Robert de Normandie attempts to seize the English throne from him, calling on his allies, France and Flanders. The Norman War was a defining moment in English history, as it expanded England's continental holdings from just Brittany to Normandy and Flanders, giving it control to important trade routes.
From there, Harold III fought several small wars in the Lowlands for control of yet more continental coastline and of the Friesian duchies, opening more trade up to northern Europe.
Tragedy struck Harold III when his son, Aethelstan, king of Norway-Denmark, was assassinated by rebels. Harold III inherited Norway-Denmark and set about crushing the rebellious vassals that had killed his son.
After taming Norway-Denmark, Harold III turned his focus to gain back the islands that had been lost during King Olaf's reign. Following the reincorporation of Iceland and the surrounding islands into England, peace reigned until 1100, when Harold's historians "found" a claim on the throne of Scotland...

Scotland: Scotland experienced nearly a decade of peasant uprisings against it's throne, as the lower classes tried to overthrow the monarchy in favor of an Italian style republic. These revolts finally came to an end in the late 1090s, but at the cost of half of Scotland's lower class. Now, as the Scottish economy tries to restart itself, it finds a hungry England ready to pounce.

Southern Europe

The Holy Roman Empire: After nearly being wiped off the map in the early 1070s, the HRE is making a comeback. After a series of small wars against some of it's break-away duchies, the HRE is fighting a war with Saxony, in the hopes of regaining some of it's lost glory. Harold III has warned the Holy Roman Emperor against war with Saxony, as Harold III has his own designs for it, but the Emperor has refused to listen.

France: After the sack of Paris in the late 1080s and the loss of much of it's coast line, France has been in a state of decline. Perhaps inspired by their Scottish counterparts, the French peasantry have started demanding an Italian style republic. Unlike in Scotland, the nobles also favor a form of republic: the noble republic. The only thing keeping both parties in check is King Phillipe's iron grip on France.

Bavaria: When the Holy Roman Empire collapsed, Bavaria made the most of it, quickly absorbing its neighbors. Now Bavaria under the von Nordheims is the only thing standing in the way of an expansionist Hungary.

Iberia:

Leon: After Gyrth's Crusades, Leon merged with Castille, and conquered the last remaining Berber emirates, ridding Iberia of their influence once and for all. Now, instead of looking gratefully at the Anglo-Saxon settlements to her south for holding back the Muslim hordes, she looks at the with envy for their control of Mediterranean trade. Leon was the first to sign on to the League of Paris and now waits for her chance to finally destroy the Anglo-Saxons to her south.

Aragon: Greatly influenced by the Italian way of thinking, Aragon had adopted a noble republic not long after being formed in the late 1090s. Europe watches with curiosity, and a little fear, at this new form of government.

Beja: One of the remains of Gyrth's Crusades, Beja and Andalucia have created a strong alliance dedicated to continued Anglo-Saxon domination of Mediterranean trade.

Andalucia: Ruled by the nephew of king Harold III, Andalucia saw a brief period of civil war that nearly removed the House of Godwinson from the throne. Now, with the Grand Duchy of Beja, they make sure that Anglo-Saxon dominance in the Mediterranean goes unchallenged.

Italy

Pisa: Currently the controllers of the central Mediterranean, Pisa acts as the bridge between the Muslim and Catholic worlds, importing and exporting goods for both sides. As one of the few republic in the world, Pisa acts as the model for which all republics should aspire to.

Sicily: The Normans in Sicily have fared better than their brothers in France. When the Holy Roman Empire's Italian vassals rebelled, Sicily was quick to add them to their nation. Their current king dreams of an united Italian state, under Norman control, of course.

Balkans:

The Eastern Roman Empire: The undisputed ruler of the Balkans and Anatolia, the Eastern Roman Empire is the richest nation in all of Europe. With the collapse of the Seljuk Turks, the ERE has expanded into the Middle East slowly, playing each emirate against each other, always to their advantage. The only snag came when Alexios Komnenos was crowned emperor. A known sodomite and heretic, Alexios was one of the worst emperors the ERE had ever seen, driving the nation into civil war. Eventually, Alexios was overthrown, and peace was returned to the Empire.

Eastern Europe:

Hungary: In the early 1070s, Hungary won a smashing victory against the Pechenegs, annexing most of their territory. Hoping to gain some more land, they turned to the remains of the Holy Roman Empire, only to be confronted by Bavaria. Now they wait for their chance to dismantle Bavaria and then conquer the rest of Germany.

Cumans: The Cumans received massive amounts of immigrants when Pechenegs was destroyed by Hungary and Kiev. Using these new warriors, they went on to dominate the Steppe, mastering all the other pagan tribes and the Russian principalities with their allies the Mordvins, stopped only by the combined forces of Bjarma, Kiev, Polotsk, and Georgia. They are currently fighting a civil war.

Georgia: Early in 1070, they annexed Alans, greatly increasing their size. Capitalizing on the Seljuk's collapse, Georgia expanded into the Middle East, before turning their attention to the Cumans, where they grabbed yet more land. Now they wait for the next war against the Cumans, ready to expand yet again.

The Khazars: These guys are the only Jewish nation in Crusader Kings. The fact they're still around is amazing.

The Middle East:

The Seljuk Turks: A bloody civil war in 1066 ripped this once mighty nation apart, leaving only a rump state. They can only watch as the Eastern Roman Empire slowly expands into their old lands.

The Archbishphoric of Mesopotamia: Set up by the Eastern Roman Empire as a buffer state between them and the rest of the Middle East, Mesopotamia is currently on it's way to bringing the Orthodox faith to the heathens in the Middle East.

North Africa:

Nothing much of any interest has happened here, though it remains a strong hold for the Muslim faith.