In the hands of the All-Father: A Norse Megacampaign
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Chapter II - Nordland's Expansion
The trek through the mountains to reach Jamtaland took nearly three months to complete, and it was the middle of June by the time we managed to reach our destination. Once we arrived however, the first task was to meet the opposing "army" in battle. As if less than 300 men could be regarded as an army, as it transpired however, 300 men can do a lot of damage.
The battle of Mjalleborgen was the first real experience of tactical combat for myself and Grimr, we were warriors at heart, not commanders, and the enemy had the advantage of high ground. Despite that setback, the day was ours and the remaining half of Jamtaland's men fled to the east. For three days we recuperated and buried those who died in the battle, over 100 men from Røst had met their end that day, may the Valkyries guide them to Valhall forevermore.
Despite the great loss, good news came in the form of Grimr's wife Gerdr, who was to return to Røst upon the discovery of her pregnancy.
On the 1st of July, we set out in pursuit of what was left of the army defeated at Mjalleborgen, a task easier said than done as by some sorcery, the Men of Jamtaland managed to slip past us and returned to Mjalleborgen! The trickery of these men would not help them when we met again at the 2nd Battle of Mjalleborgen. This time, Grimr learnt from the mistakes of the previous battle and gained the high ground advantage, becoming an expert of battle in rough terrain.
With Jamtaland's army all but destroyed, our men settled in for a long, grueling siege. From September to the end of April we waited for the inevitable surrender of Mjalleborgen. Not much occured until the end of January when we received two important pieces of news from Røst. The first was that the king of the Greeks had formed a bodyguard of Norse warriors known as the Varangians, and was extending offers to the Norsemen to travel to Greece to serve under him.
The second piece of news was of more personal importance to Grimr, Gerdr had given birth to twins, a girl and a boy named Bothildr and Bragi.
The siege continued until the 3rd of May, when the weakened defenders of Mjalleborgen finally surrendered, giving Grimr his second county. The day did not hold entirely good news for Grimr however, as a messenger reached him in the evening with the news that Gerdr had died of a high fever a few days prior.
Grimr was strangely quiet when he learnt the news, I never knew if he mourned for the loss of Gerdr or not but when we left for Røst a week later, he immediately made Freyja his new wife. The year 870 dragged on with very little activity until the end of November, when Grimr embarked on raids to Ireland, a prime target for frequent raids as the various lords of the isle were too divided to offer any real resistance to us.
We spent two years in Ireland and during that time, I noticed that Grimr's resolve to unite the Norse only grew stronger. The Irish had been divided since the death of the last High King ten years ago, and it seemed unlikely that they would reunite any time soon, if at all. Grimr seemed determined to make sure that his people never suffered the same fate as the Irish and upon our return to Røst in December 872, war was declared upon the bordering lands of Naumadal.
The two counties of Naumadal and Halogaland were ruled by Grotjard Lade, an elderly warrior nearing the age of 83.
In a way, we were lucky to have attacked the Lades during the winter, as their huscarls had been raiding on the coast of Iberia for several months. Our 550 men were able to gain a foothold in Halogaland, taking the main hold in the county before Grotjard's men returned, by which time we were ready for them.
Grimr hired a force of 1400 Lappish mercenaries to deal with the 840 men under Lade's control. Upon learning this, Lade's men fled, leading the mercs on a wild chase until the beginning of August, after several months of pursuit when the two armies met on the fields of Sveg.
Many praises were sung of the might of the Lappish mercenaries that day, numerous tales were told of how they slayed three quarters of the Lade army whilst only losing 40 of their own men. One of the most well known stories was that upon seeing the army that outnumbered his by two to one, Grotjard promptly had a fatal heart attack, keeling over dead just before battle was met. The sheer power of the Lappish mercs was only tempered by their lust for gold however, and with our gold quickly running out, the mercs were promptly dismissed.
Whilst the mercenaries were battling the Lades in the east, our men were busy sieging the holds in Halogaland and by the 21st of September, we captured the town of Sømna, capturing Hakon Lade, Grotjard's son. Hakon possessed a rather strong will however, and did not surrender until the remnants of his army was destroyed on the 13th of October. Upon his release, Hakon spat at Grimr's feet, swearing that he would reclaim his father's lands and bloody his axe upon Grimr's skull. Naturally Grimr laughed in his face before punching him in the gut.
October and November passed without incident, but Grimr prepared for another expedition to raid the south during this time. When he embarked on the 5th of December, he did so with the knowledge that Freyja was with child.
But bad news naturally follows good news and five days later he left, dire news reached us, the messenger that brought it told us that Hakon Lade was aiming to make good on his promise to his dead father and was gathering an army of mercenaries, bandits and adventurers to reclaim his father's lands. Troubling thoughts swarmed within my mind as I wearily sent word to Grimr regarding what could potentially become a serious threat to his rule...
Chapter II - Nordland's Expansion
The trek through the mountains to reach Jamtaland took nearly three months to complete, and it was the middle of June by the time we managed to reach our destination. Once we arrived however, the first task was to meet the opposing "army" in battle. As if less than 300 men could be regarded as an army, as it transpired however, 300 men can do a lot of damage.
The battle of Mjalleborgen was the first real experience of tactical combat for myself and Grimr, we were warriors at heart, not commanders, and the enemy had the advantage of high ground. Despite that setback, the day was ours and the remaining half of Jamtaland's men fled to the east. For three days we recuperated and buried those who died in the battle, over 100 men from Røst had met their end that day, may the Valkyries guide them to Valhall forevermore.
Despite the great loss, good news came in the form of Grimr's wife Gerdr, who was to return to Røst upon the discovery of her pregnancy.
With Jamtaland's army all but destroyed, our men settled in for a long, grueling siege. From September to the end of April we waited for the inevitable surrender of Mjalleborgen. Not much occured until the end of January when we received two important pieces of news from Røst. The first was that the king of the Greeks had formed a bodyguard of Norse warriors known as the Varangians, and was extending offers to the Norsemen to travel to Greece to serve under him.
The second piece of news was of more personal importance to Grimr, Gerdr had given birth to twins, a girl and a boy named Bothildr and Bragi.
The siege continued until the 3rd of May, when the weakened defenders of Mjalleborgen finally surrendered, giving Grimr his second county. The day did not hold entirely good news for Grimr however, as a messenger reached him in the evening with the news that Gerdr had died of a high fever a few days prior.
Grimr was strangely quiet when he learnt the news, I never knew if he mourned for the loss of Gerdr or not but when we left for Røst a week later, he immediately made Freyja his new wife. The year 870 dragged on with very little activity until the end of November, when Grimr embarked on raids to Ireland, a prime target for frequent raids as the various lords of the isle were too divided to offer any real resistance to us.
We spent two years in Ireland and during that time, I noticed that Grimr's resolve to unite the Norse only grew stronger. The Irish had been divided since the death of the last High King ten years ago, and it seemed unlikely that they would reunite any time soon, if at all. Grimr seemed determined to make sure that his people never suffered the same fate as the Irish and upon our return to Røst in December 872, war was declared upon the bordering lands of Naumadal.
The two counties of Naumadal and Halogaland were ruled by Grotjard Lade, an elderly warrior nearing the age of 83.
In a way, we were lucky to have attacked the Lades during the winter, as their huscarls had been raiding on the coast of Iberia for several months. Our 550 men were able to gain a foothold in Halogaland, taking the main hold in the county before Grotjard's men returned, by which time we were ready for them.
Grimr hired a force of 1400 Lappish mercenaries to deal with the 840 men under Lade's control. Upon learning this, Lade's men fled, leading the mercs on a wild chase until the beginning of August, after several months of pursuit when the two armies met on the fields of Sveg.
Many praises were sung of the might of the Lappish mercenaries that day, numerous tales were told of how they slayed three quarters of the Lade army whilst only losing 40 of their own men. One of the most well known stories was that upon seeing the army that outnumbered his by two to one, Grotjard promptly had a fatal heart attack, keeling over dead just before battle was met. The sheer power of the Lappish mercs was only tempered by their lust for gold however, and with our gold quickly running out, the mercs were promptly dismissed.
Whilst the mercenaries were battling the Lades in the east, our men were busy sieging the holds in Halogaland and by the 21st of September, we captured the town of Sømna, capturing Hakon Lade, Grotjard's son. Hakon possessed a rather strong will however, and did not surrender until the remnants of his army was destroyed on the 13th of October. Upon his release, Hakon spat at Grimr's feet, swearing that he would reclaim his father's lands and bloody his axe upon Grimr's skull. Naturally Grimr laughed in his face before punching him in the gut.
October and November passed without incident, but Grimr prepared for another expedition to raid the south during this time. When he embarked on the 5th of December, he did so with the knowledge that Freyja was with child.
But bad news naturally follows good news and five days later he left, dire news reached us, the messenger that brought it told us that Hakon Lade was aiming to make good on his promise to his dead father and was gathering an army of mercenaries, bandits and adventurers to reclaim his father's lands. Troubling thoughts swarmed within my mind as I wearily sent word to Grimr regarding what could potentially become a serious threat to his rule...
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Enjoying this a lot so far! Lets hope Hakon meets an unfortunate end... maybe with a knife to the back.
Thanks! Hakon's story is gonna be a rather interesting one to follow in the coming chapters.
Getting the northlands put together, that's good. Though Hakon is going to be trouble, it seems.
Chapter III - The Lade Invasion
My warning to Grimr did not go unheeded as the reply to my message contained orders to make preparations for the inevitable attack. Grimr himself however remained with his raiding fleet for the next two years raiding in the Baltic and the lands south of Rurik's domain.
The North did not remain very peaceful in those years, to the south of us the Kingdom of Ostlandet dissolved into civil war as the Fairhair fought against his own kin.
The war was excellent news for us, as the Fairhair had been expanding his land for the past 8 years, and now had a good part of central Scandanavia under his rule.
In June, a single longboat returned from raiding with Grimr. It contained Homlfrid, one of Grimr's new concubines, who was visibly pregnant.
I could easily sense her worry over the issue, so I asked my wife Bodil, who gave birth to my first daughter Svanhildr not eleven days earlier, to support her during her pregnancy.
On the 7th of July, Grimr's second son was born to Freyja, a healthy lad named Torolf
Grimr's men spent an entire year raiding in the lands of the Severian tribe, just north of Konugardr. During that time, Holmfrid gave birth to a girl, Maer.
After successfully looting and pillaging all across the county of Chernigov, Grimr's men found a strange metal chest in the burnt out remains of the village of Kozelets. Try as they might, they could not manage to open the chest whatsoever, so the chest was to be left in the treasury upon Grimr's return.
On the 9th of December, Hakon Lade had gathered over 1500 men for his campaign against us, hearing that the bulk of Nordland's forces were still raiding in Eastern Europe, Hakon took his chances and immediately declared war to reclaim his birthright.
Fortunately, the mountainous terrain that Hakon's army had to cross delayed him by several months, thus allowing Grimr the time to return to Nordland. With the money gained from the raids, Grimr hired the same Lappish mercenaries he had previously employed against Hakon's father, bringing his forces up to 1900. The two armies clashed at Halogaland and, despite a surprise charge from Hakon, the battle was ours.
The combined Norse and Lappish army chased Hakon's fleeing troops to Mjalleborgen, where Hakon's men were all but decimated. The remainder of his forces attempted to withdraw to the west, but were run down as Hakon himself was captured and imprisoned in the dungeons for a month until he finally caved in and surrendered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4th December, 876
The dungeons of Røst
The dank grime coating the walls of the dungeon underneath the hall of Røst seemed even more depressing to Hakon on the inside of the cells than they did without. He had been there before of course, spending roughly three weeks in the dungeon when the Hjalti halfwit stormed his lands and kept him prisoner whilst his men died for nothing. This time however, Hakon did not wait to surrender upon his capture, in truth he had known the war was lost when he was humiliated by the same Lappish mercenaries who caused the death of his father.
Glancing up at the small barred window that provided the cell with at least some light, Hakon pondered on the question of how long he had been sitting in the dungeon. A week? A month? A year? He had no way of telling. A door unlocked at the end of the corridor, and faintly echoing footsteps drew near. Hakon stood and faced the cell door as Einarr Kráka entered. Hakon glared at the other man and spat on floor.
"What do you want Nordlander? Come to take me to my execution?"
Einarr gave a quick wave of his hand to the guard behind him, sending him away before turning back to Hakon and approaching him slowly.
"Nay Hakon, I do not, for there will be no execution."
"Then I am to stay a prisoner? A pity, I had hoped that oaf you call a master would grant me at least some mercy."
Einarr smiled kindly
"Oh don't worry, Grimr leaves the negotiations with prisoners to me you see. He might prefer that you were made a Blood Eagle right now, I however wish to give you a choice."
Hakon stared at red-haired man in confusion.
"A choice?"
"Yes, a choice. I give you two options, the first is to be executed, your daughter Hafrid will become Grimr's concubine when she comes of age and you will be remembered as the fool who led 1500 men to their deaths for nothing. Not a very proud end to House Lade I think you would agree."
Hakon shook his head with sheer disbelief as Einarr continued to speak.
"The second is to be renounce your claims to Naumadal and Halogaland, hand over the gold stored for your war against us and leave Hafrid here to be brought up under this very roof. You would be utterly humiliated and penniless that is true, but you would be a free man. You would be able to redeem yourself and gain a new land to call home, but you must never return to these lands or your daughter will suffer for it."
Einarr held his hands open as he stepped back towards the door.
"The choice is yours Lade. Death or Banishment?"
Hakon sat upon the floor as he weighed his options. Death would be much more preferable for someone who had been as utterly defeated as he was, but resigning his daughter to the fate of a concubine was something he could not do and leaving his family's name in tatters was simply too much.
On the other hand, banishment may have been utterly humiliating, but he would at least have a chance to redeem his family's name. He still had the prospect of gaining a new holding as well through his connections in the Kingdom of Svíþjóð to the south-east. With this thought heavy in his mind, Hakon made his choice.
"Gods damn it then, I pick banishment."
Einarr smiled as he helped Hakon to his feet.
"Follow me, we will get you a decent outfit and enough money to get as far away from these lands as possible, after that you are on your own."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I suppose that banishing Hakon was not exactly the best idea considering he had deliberately warred against Grimr, but it has been many years since then and I have not heard much news of him. Regardless of whatever Lade's fate will be, I must continue this journal as to clear my old mind somewhat.
Hakon was banished on the 4th of December, and Grimr received the 400 gold that Lade had gathered for his reconquest. We pondered for two weeks on what to do with this money until I came up with a solution. The lands that Grimr owned were mostly, with the exception of Jamtaland, considered as a larger area known as the Trondelag Coast. This area extended from the county of Trondelag, an inedpendant land ruled by the Tronde clan, up towards Finnmark just north of Nordland. Grimr ruled such a large area of this realm that he was considered a King in all but title.
I decided that we could use some of the gold to create the Kingdom of Trondelag. Grimr readily agreed and so we went ahead preparing for a mighty feast on Yule to celebrate. When the 21st cof December arrived, Grimr gave a great speech to all the guests of the feast. He spoke of how the the great Norse people had expanded across the known world, holding land as far east as Konugardr and as far west as the recently settled island of Garðarshólmi. He claimed that this was the age of great men such as Rurik the Varangian and that if his people would let him, he would lead them as the newest addition to those great men.
The guests cheered with pride and joy as I handed Grimr a steel crown and he crowned himself King of Trondelag. It was indeed a grand day for all who watched the once simple huscarl become our very first King.
Chapter III - The Lade Invasion
My warning to Grimr did not go unheeded as the reply to my message contained orders to make preparations for the inevitable attack. Grimr himself however remained with his raiding fleet for the next two years raiding in the Baltic and the lands south of Rurik's domain.
The North did not remain very peaceful in those years, to the south of us the Kingdom of Ostlandet dissolved into civil war as the Fairhair fought against his own kin.
The war was excellent news for us, as the Fairhair had been expanding his land for the past 8 years, and now had a good part of central Scandanavia under his rule.
In June, a single longboat returned from raiding with Grimr. It contained Homlfrid, one of Grimr's new concubines, who was visibly pregnant.
I could easily sense her worry over the issue, so I asked my wife Bodil, who gave birth to my first daughter Svanhildr not eleven days earlier, to support her during her pregnancy.
On the 7th of July, Grimr's second son was born to Freyja, a healthy lad named Torolf
Grimr's men spent an entire year raiding in the lands of the Severian tribe, just north of Konugardr. During that time, Holmfrid gave birth to a girl, Maer.
After successfully looting and pillaging all across the county of Chernigov, Grimr's men found a strange metal chest in the burnt out remains of the village of Kozelets. Try as they might, they could not manage to open the chest whatsoever, so the chest was to be left in the treasury upon Grimr's return.
On the 9th of December, Hakon Lade had gathered over 1500 men for his campaign against us, hearing that the bulk of Nordland's forces were still raiding in Eastern Europe, Hakon took his chances and immediately declared war to reclaim his birthright.
Fortunately, the mountainous terrain that Hakon's army had to cross delayed him by several months, thus allowing Grimr the time to return to Nordland. With the money gained from the raids, Grimr hired the same Lappish mercenaries he had previously employed against Hakon's father, bringing his forces up to 1900. The two armies clashed at Halogaland and, despite a surprise charge from Hakon, the battle was ours.
The combined Norse and Lappish army chased Hakon's fleeing troops to Mjalleborgen, where Hakon's men were all but decimated. The remainder of his forces attempted to withdraw to the west, but were run down as Hakon himself was captured and imprisoned in the dungeons for a month until he finally caved in and surrendered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4th December, 876
The dungeons of Røst
The dank grime coating the walls of the dungeon underneath the hall of Røst seemed even more depressing to Hakon on the inside of the cells than they did without. He had been there before of course, spending roughly three weeks in the dungeon when the Hjalti halfwit stormed his lands and kept him prisoner whilst his men died for nothing. This time however, Hakon did not wait to surrender upon his capture, in truth he had known the war was lost when he was humiliated by the same Lappish mercenaries who caused the death of his father.
Glancing up at the small barred window that provided the cell with at least some light, Hakon pondered on the question of how long he had been sitting in the dungeon. A week? A month? A year? He had no way of telling. A door unlocked at the end of the corridor, and faintly echoing footsteps drew near. Hakon stood and faced the cell door as Einarr Kráka entered. Hakon glared at the other man and spat on floor.
"What do you want Nordlander? Come to take me to my execution?"
Einarr gave a quick wave of his hand to the guard behind him, sending him away before turning back to Hakon and approaching him slowly.
"Nay Hakon, I do not, for there will be no execution."
"Then I am to stay a prisoner? A pity, I had hoped that oaf you call a master would grant me at least some mercy."
Einarr smiled kindly
"Oh don't worry, Grimr leaves the negotiations with prisoners to me you see. He might prefer that you were made a Blood Eagle right now, I however wish to give you a choice."
Hakon stared at red-haired man in confusion.
"A choice?"
"Yes, a choice. I give you two options, the first is to be executed, your daughter Hafrid will become Grimr's concubine when she comes of age and you will be remembered as the fool who led 1500 men to their deaths for nothing. Not a very proud end to House Lade I think you would agree."
Hakon shook his head with sheer disbelief as Einarr continued to speak.
"The second is to be renounce your claims to Naumadal and Halogaland, hand over the gold stored for your war against us and leave Hafrid here to be brought up under this very roof. You would be utterly humiliated and penniless that is true, but you would be a free man. You would be able to redeem yourself and gain a new land to call home, but you must never return to these lands or your daughter will suffer for it."
Einarr held his hands open as he stepped back towards the door.
"The choice is yours Lade. Death or Banishment?"
Hakon sat upon the floor as he weighed his options. Death would be much more preferable for someone who had been as utterly defeated as he was, but resigning his daughter to the fate of a concubine was something he could not do and leaving his family's name in tatters was simply too much.
On the other hand, banishment may have been utterly humiliating, but he would at least have a chance to redeem his family's name. He still had the prospect of gaining a new holding as well through his connections in the Kingdom of Svíþjóð to the south-east. With this thought heavy in his mind, Hakon made his choice.
"Gods damn it then, I pick banishment."
Einarr smiled as he helped Hakon to his feet.
"Follow me, we will get you a decent outfit and enough money to get as far away from these lands as possible, after that you are on your own."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I suppose that banishing Hakon was not exactly the best idea considering he had deliberately warred against Grimr, but it has been many years since then and I have not heard much news of him. Regardless of whatever Lade's fate will be, I must continue this journal as to clear my old mind somewhat.
Hakon was banished on the 4th of December, and Grimr received the 400 gold that Lade had gathered for his reconquest. We pondered for two weeks on what to do with this money until I came up with a solution. The lands that Grimr owned were mostly, with the exception of Jamtaland, considered as a larger area known as the Trondelag Coast. This area extended from the county of Trondelag, an inedpendant land ruled by the Tronde clan, up towards Finnmark just north of Nordland. Grimr ruled such a large area of this realm that he was considered a King in all but title.
I decided that we could use some of the gold to create the Kingdom of Trondelag. Grimr readily agreed and so we went ahead preparing for a mighty feast on Yule to celebrate. When the 21st cof December arrived, Grimr gave a great speech to all the guests of the feast. He spoke of how the the great Norse people had expanded across the known world, holding land as far east as Konugardr and as far west as the recently settled island of Garðarshólmi. He claimed that this was the age of great men such as Rurik the Varangian and that if his people would let him, he would lead them as the newest addition to those great men.
The guests cheered with pride and joy as I handed Grimr a steel crown and he crowned himself King of Trondelag. It was indeed a grand day for all who watched the once simple huscarl become our very first King.
That's a good chunk of gold from banishing Hakon. It would be interesting if he or his descendants made trouble again in the future, though. Any clue where he is now?
I'm pretty far ahead when it comes to the game itself, but around 877 he's somewhere in the Swedish lands.
Chapter IV - The Spymaster Queen
25 August 880
A warm summer evening was a rare thing so far in the north, the local peasantry were taking full advantage of a thoroughly decent fishing season as King Grimr held a festival in honour of the Gods. Commoner and Noble alike intermingled as the day drew to a close and all present felt that they could leave behind their troubles at least for the day.
For Einarr however, the duties of a Chancellor dictated that he would not be spending time at the festival. Instead he was meeting with a source from the Fairhair's court, whos task was to disrupt relations between Fairhair and his subjects as much as possible.
As the hour that Einarr had scheduled the meeting for drew near, a hooded figure approached. Einarr moved to greet what he thought was his contact, only to discover once he was close enough that the wearer of the cloak was none other than Queen Freyja. Einarr drew back in surprise before composing himself as best he could.
"Lady Freyja? You are my contact?"
Freyja gave a slight chuckle.
"Relax Einarr, I am not your contact. I've delayed your contact for an hour so I had time to speak to you privately. It has been three years since i've been in Røst after all."
"A warning could have been preferable, I had no idea that you'd even returned from Miklagard!"
"I returned this afternoon with Torolf. You didn't stop to check why a festival was being held a day early?"
Einarr gave his queen a dumbfounded look. It seemed rather obvious when he thought about it, but then again, his duties kept him more or less preoccupied for weeks.
"I apologise my lady. What did you wish to speak with me about?"
"I wish to have the full story of what's happened in my absence. I know the rough story, but i've heard that there is much more to tell."
"Indeed there is my lady, you remember that Clan Tronde pledged themselves to the Kingdom on the 18th of April 877?"
"The day before I departed for Miklagard, taking Torolf with me, yes."
"If you do not mind me asking quickly, how is young Torolf?"
Freyja gave a warm smile as the question was asked.
"Torolf has grown extremely well, five years old and he's already beginning to learn his letters. But anyway, continue."
"Right, well after you left, the Kingdom went to war with the county of Hordaland and the Isle of Fareyar to expand our borders."
"Hordaland did not last for long, and by February the following year they surrendered."
"The conquest of Hordaland did not go without wearing our troops down, so a band of mercenaries were hired before we sailed for Fareyar."
"We managed to defeat what little resistance the islanders gave us and started a long siege on the town of Skansin."
Einarr cleared his throat before continuing on.
"I trust you heard about the big event from that November?"
"Everyone heard, Bjorn Ironside elevating his kingdom to the level of the Franks to the south. There was much talk of it in Miklagard."
"Well it certainly motivated Grimr to do the same, its half the reason why I've been trying to dirupt relations in Fairhair's court. But regardless, last April, we captured Skansin and gained the fealty of Fareyar in a fell swoop."
"It didn't last in peace though, that much I know."
"Indeed, both Rikulfr of Hordaland and Sigurdr of Fareyar petitioned the King for their independence not two months later."
"Which started a war that ended not two weeks ago. I know."
"One thing I haven't mentioned is that one of the concubines, Linda, is with child. But that is the entirety of the events during your absence. Was there anything else my lady?"
Freyja paused, looking around her before moving close, keeping her voice at a low level.
"There is one thing yes, I need to speak to you about Bragi."
"Ah yes, the Prince, I trust you know about his... problems?"
Freyja gave a harsh bark of laughter.
"Problems? Save the sensitive talk for Grimr and the Huscarls. You and I both know that the lad's thicker than a boulder."
Einarr stood shocked.
"You would insult the heir to the throne?"
"Oh he won't become King, I can tell you that. You really think that a child like that could hold together his father's works?"
"He's no different from his father in many ways my lady."
"True, he has his father's cruelty and pride. But Grimr relies on the council to rule in his place, he's a warrior not a steward. Bragi is a bully, he steals from his siblings and tortures dogs."
"The council would reign him in, regardless of what he could become, if he's like his father then he will listen to reason."
Freyja turned her gaze out to the nearby hall, Grimr could be seen with his children sitting alongside him. Little Maer sat in her father's lap as Bragi, Bothildr and Freyja's own son Torolf sat around him in a circle, listening to Grimr's tales of his days as an mercenary. Turning back to Einarr, he could see the sorrow on her face even as she attempted to mask it. Freyja was an impressive Spymaster, able to manipulate and trick with the best of any men, but her feelings could never be hidden when it came to Torolf.
"The only people Grimr truly takes council from are yourself and me. Who's to say that Bragi will listen to the words of an old Huscarl and a woman who isn't even his mother?"
"Then what do you suggest we do my lady?"
"I 'suggest' that we ensure that Bragi never gains the throne. We can't simply disinherit him for Torolf, he could return at the head of an invasion fleet."
"So we kill the son of my closest friend? You are a treacherous witch Freyja."
Einarr turned to leave, but as he did so, Freyja grabbed him by the shoulders
"THINK Einarr, if Bragi gains the throne it could ruin everything that has been worked for over the last ten years. But if Torolf were to take the throne, he could usher in a new age for the Norse."
"I do not like this Freyja... The Gods don't exactly look kindly towards murder."
"They will understand if it is for a good cause. A weed has to be pulled up by the roots before it grows yet larger."
Einarr looked towards the hall, focusing especially on the young boy Freyja was asking him to kill. Bragi was nine and still hardly capable of reading and writing, could the kingdom be brought to ruin by one simple child? Einarr weighed his options heavily. On the one hand, murdering his best friend's first born son was a heinous crime. Grimr trusted Einarr with his life, and had recently asked him to take Bragi on as a ward. On the contrary however, Torolf would be much more popular with his subjects, indeed Einarr could not see how the King would make Bragi his heir with such a more desirable son in the limelight. He swallowed hard, before taking the first step on a road he doubted he would ever turn back on.
"Gods damn me for this, but I will do it. But I will need time."
"It's one life for hundreds of others Einarr, it will be worthwhile I promise you."
"For Torolf's sake, I hope you are right."
Chapter IV - The Spymaster Queen
25 August 880
A warm summer evening was a rare thing so far in the north, the local peasantry were taking full advantage of a thoroughly decent fishing season as King Grimr held a festival in honour of the Gods. Commoner and Noble alike intermingled as the day drew to a close and all present felt that they could leave behind their troubles at least for the day.
For Einarr however, the duties of a Chancellor dictated that he would not be spending time at the festival. Instead he was meeting with a source from the Fairhair's court, whos task was to disrupt relations between Fairhair and his subjects as much as possible.
As the hour that Einarr had scheduled the meeting for drew near, a hooded figure approached. Einarr moved to greet what he thought was his contact, only to discover once he was close enough that the wearer of the cloak was none other than Queen Freyja. Einarr drew back in surprise before composing himself as best he could.
"Lady Freyja? You are my contact?"
Freyja gave a slight chuckle.
"Relax Einarr, I am not your contact. I've delayed your contact for an hour so I had time to speak to you privately. It has been three years since i've been in Røst after all."
"A warning could have been preferable, I had no idea that you'd even returned from Miklagard!"
"I returned this afternoon with Torolf. You didn't stop to check why a festival was being held a day early?"
Einarr gave his queen a dumbfounded look. It seemed rather obvious when he thought about it, but then again, his duties kept him more or less preoccupied for weeks.
"I apologise my lady. What did you wish to speak with me about?"
"I wish to have the full story of what's happened in my absence. I know the rough story, but i've heard that there is much more to tell."
"Indeed there is my lady, you remember that Clan Tronde pledged themselves to the Kingdom on the 18th of April 877?"
"The day before I departed for Miklagard, taking Torolf with me, yes."
"If you do not mind me asking quickly, how is young Torolf?"
Freyja gave a warm smile as the question was asked.
"Torolf has grown extremely well, five years old and he's already beginning to learn his letters. But anyway, continue."
"Right, well after you left, the Kingdom went to war with the county of Hordaland and the Isle of Fareyar to expand our borders."
"Hordaland did not last for long, and by February the following year they surrendered."
"The conquest of Hordaland did not go without wearing our troops down, so a band of mercenaries were hired before we sailed for Fareyar."
"We managed to defeat what little resistance the islanders gave us and started a long siege on the town of Skansin."
Einarr cleared his throat before continuing on.
"I trust you heard about the big event from that November?"
"Everyone heard, Bjorn Ironside elevating his kingdom to the level of the Franks to the south. There was much talk of it in Miklagard."
"Well it certainly motivated Grimr to do the same, its half the reason why I've been trying to dirupt relations in Fairhair's court. But regardless, last April, we captured Skansin and gained the fealty of Fareyar in a fell swoop."
"It didn't last in peace though, that much I know."
"Indeed, both Rikulfr of Hordaland and Sigurdr of Fareyar petitioned the King for their independence not two months later."
"Which started a war that ended not two weeks ago. I know."
"One thing I haven't mentioned is that one of the concubines, Linda, is with child. But that is the entirety of the events during your absence. Was there anything else my lady?"
Freyja paused, looking around her before moving close, keeping her voice at a low level.
"There is one thing yes, I need to speak to you about Bragi."
"Ah yes, the Prince, I trust you know about his... problems?"
Freyja gave a harsh bark of laughter.
"Problems? Save the sensitive talk for Grimr and the Huscarls. You and I both know that the lad's thicker than a boulder."
Einarr stood shocked.
"You would insult the heir to the throne?"
"Oh he won't become King, I can tell you that. You really think that a child like that could hold together his father's works?"
"He's no different from his father in many ways my lady."
"True, he has his father's cruelty and pride. But Grimr relies on the council to rule in his place, he's a warrior not a steward. Bragi is a bully, he steals from his siblings and tortures dogs."
"The council would reign him in, regardless of what he could become, if he's like his father then he will listen to reason."
Freyja turned her gaze out to the nearby hall, Grimr could be seen with his children sitting alongside him. Little Maer sat in her father's lap as Bragi, Bothildr and Freyja's own son Torolf sat around him in a circle, listening to Grimr's tales of his days as an mercenary. Turning back to Einarr, he could see the sorrow on her face even as she attempted to mask it. Freyja was an impressive Spymaster, able to manipulate and trick with the best of any men, but her feelings could never be hidden when it came to Torolf.
"The only people Grimr truly takes council from are yourself and me. Who's to say that Bragi will listen to the words of an old Huscarl and a woman who isn't even his mother?"
"Then what do you suggest we do my lady?"
"I 'suggest' that we ensure that Bragi never gains the throne. We can't simply disinherit him for Torolf, he could return at the head of an invasion fleet."
"So we kill the son of my closest friend? You are a treacherous witch Freyja."
Einarr turned to leave, but as he did so, Freyja grabbed him by the shoulders
"THINK Einarr, if Bragi gains the throne it could ruin everything that has been worked for over the last ten years. But if Torolf were to take the throne, he could usher in a new age for the Norse."
"I do not like this Freyja... The Gods don't exactly look kindly towards murder."
"They will understand if it is for a good cause. A weed has to be pulled up by the roots before it grows yet larger."
Einarr looked towards the hall, focusing especially on the young boy Freyja was asking him to kill. Bragi was nine and still hardly capable of reading and writing, could the kingdom be brought to ruin by one simple child? Einarr weighed his options heavily. On the one hand, murdering his best friend's first born son was a heinous crime. Grimr trusted Einarr with his life, and had recently asked him to take Bragi on as a ward. On the contrary however, Torolf would be much more popular with his subjects, indeed Einarr could not see how the King would make Bragi his heir with such a more desirable son in the limelight. He swallowed hard, before taking the first step on a road he doubted he would ever turn back on.
"Gods damn me for this, but I will do it. But I will need time."
"It's one life for hundreds of others Einarr, it will be worthwhile I promise you."
"For Torolf's sake, I hope you are right."
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Ah, the greatest part of CK2: murdering little children. (Not actually that great, but you know...)
Chapter V - A Necessary Evil
My fears about Freyja's plot were put to rest at least for a while when I learnt of important news from my informant, the Fairhair was dying of a wasting illness. Regardless of the severity, he held on for another week before meeting his end on the 1st of September, leaving Ostlandet in the hands of his 13 year old son Solvi.
At the end of the month, Røst was greeted with both joy and tragedy as Linda gave birth to a healthy girl named Kraka, but sadly died in the process.
Just after the turn of the year, a "priest" of the White Christ arrived in the Kingdom to spread his false beliefs to proud Norse men. Grimr told him the tale of the last priest who tried the very same thing, then promptly threw the Scotsman into the dungeons.
By Midsummer, Holmfrid became pregant for the second time.
In order to better manage the land that the Kingdom encompassed, Grimr divided the more southern lands under his rule between his council, Fareyar went to the Marshal Bard, the county of Jamtaland went to the Steward Ofeig and the county of Hordaland was given to me. It was a great honour, one that would make the evils I would later commit that much more difficult.
Where to start with these evils? Of course, the plots against Ostlandet. Freyja had been corresponding with the spymaster of Ostlandet, a cold-hearted witch by the name of Bjorg, to undermine the kingdom's hold on the south. How? By assassinating the two eldest children of the deceased Fairhair, leaving the throne in the hands of the youngest girl. Not only that, but Freyja invited me to join in the plots to "harden" me for my eventual role with our plot to deal with young Bragi. The first plot was to murder young king Solvi, the only son of the Fairhair.
By the end of the year, Solvi was dead. He died during the Yule festivities from a fall off of a high tower, the people were none the wiser and promptly crowned Solvi's twin sister Gudrun as Queen.
Just after the year 882 began, Holmfrid gave birth to a healthy boy. In honour of his most trusted friend, Grimr gave the child the name of Einarr. This act alone almost forced me to tell Grimr the plot on Bragi's life even just to aleviate my own deep shame. I confronted Freyja to tell her that I wanted the plot to end, that we could possibly frame the lad for a grevious crime and get him exiled from the Kingdom. Freyja disagreed, telling me that if he were to be exiled, what would stop him from returning after his father's death with an army at his beckon? To ensure that stability would be maintained, the boy had to die.
To that end, Freyja and the Spymaster of Ostlandet formed a plot to kill Queen Gudrun.
The plotting took much longer this time, with Gudrun being the only person convinced that her brother was murdered, paranoia had burrowed deep into her mind and she rarely ventured outside of the royal halls. During this time, at the beginning of the spring, Grimr set out with just under 1000 men to raid the Isles to the west.
Spring and Summer passed as Gudrun frustratingly avoided each and every attack we made.
In November, after months of failures, another assassin made an attempt on Gudrun's life and succeeded. It was told that he took no chances, poisoning the girl before throwing her off the very tower her brother fell from. The assassin was supposedly captured, but vanished before he could be interrogated.
Just after Yule, more worrying news arrive in Røst. Another Kingdom rivalling the likes of the Karlings had risen. The youngest son of Lodbrok, Sigurdr "Snake-in-the-eye", had reformed his lands in Sjaelland into a Kingdom now known as Denmark. The kingdom was already threatening its neighbours in Jylland and the Baltic Coast, as well as Svíþjóð. It alrady seemed at the time that no good would come of there being two kingdoms so close to one another.
In the August of 883, the treasury was empty, the king was still raiding in the west, and Robber Bandits had begun to ambush travellers on every road leading too and from Røst.
And that... that was when the plot was sprung into action.
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28th October 883
The forests of Hordaland
Bragi followed his Guardian as they silently stalked through the forests, tracking a male elk. It was the young prince's very first time hunting, and he made his nervousness clear.
"I don't see why we have to do this, can't the peasants hunt for food? Isn't that what they're there for?"
Einarr glanced back at the boy before watching for any sign of movement.
"Because hunting a full grown Elk is one of the biggest accomplishments for a lad of your age. I did the same at your age, as did your father. Tradition is a big thing for the Norse my lad."
"I understand, but aren't there bandits around?"
"Nonsense, any bandit worth his salt wouldn't dare attack the heir to the throne. Besides, my guards chased any local bandits away a few days ago. Now be silent! These tracks are getting fresher."
Bragi was quiet after this, and after another ten minutes of searching, they found the Elk standing in a small clearing. Einarr motioned to Bragi to draw his bow.
"You have the first shot lad. Aim well and your shot will find its mark."
Bragi slowly drew back an arrow, aiming directly at the Elk. He focused heavily on it, too heavily to notice the bandits aiming at him with their own bows on either side of the clearing and too heavily to notice Einarr nocking a bandit's arrow before silently nodding at the clearly visible bandits. His focus was solely on the Elk, and thinking of the glory its death would bring, he fired. The arrow hit the Elk straight in the lungs, causing it to stumble before collapsing. Bragi cheered loudly before walking towards the Elk to finish it off.
After ending the Elk's slowly fading life, he turned back to Einarr with joy in his eyes. That joy quickly turned to dumbfounded fear as he saw Einarr aiming directly at him with his bow drawn. Looking to his left and right, he could now see nearly ten bandits also aiming at him. Bragi blinked, slowly realising what was going to happen as Einarr nodded again, signalling the bandits to fire as he did.
Einarr fired, whispering "I'm sorry Grimr." as he did so.
The prince was dead. Einarr paid the bandits, ordered one of them to fire an arrow into his shoulder as planned before rushing off to find the other members of the hunting party to alert them of the supposed ambush.
Chapter V - A Necessary Evil
My fears about Freyja's plot were put to rest at least for a while when I learnt of important news from my informant, the Fairhair was dying of a wasting illness. Regardless of the severity, he held on for another week before meeting his end on the 1st of September, leaving Ostlandet in the hands of his 13 year old son Solvi.
At the end of the month, Røst was greeted with both joy and tragedy as Linda gave birth to a healthy girl named Kraka, but sadly died in the process.
Just after the turn of the year, a "priest" of the White Christ arrived in the Kingdom to spread his false beliefs to proud Norse men. Grimr told him the tale of the last priest who tried the very same thing, then promptly threw the Scotsman into the dungeons.
By Midsummer, Holmfrid became pregant for the second time.
In order to better manage the land that the Kingdom encompassed, Grimr divided the more southern lands under his rule between his council, Fareyar went to the Marshal Bard, the county of Jamtaland went to the Steward Ofeig and the county of Hordaland was given to me. It was a great honour, one that would make the evils I would later commit that much more difficult.
Where to start with these evils? Of course, the plots against Ostlandet. Freyja had been corresponding with the spymaster of Ostlandet, a cold-hearted witch by the name of Bjorg, to undermine the kingdom's hold on the south. How? By assassinating the two eldest children of the deceased Fairhair, leaving the throne in the hands of the youngest girl. Not only that, but Freyja invited me to join in the plots to "harden" me for my eventual role with our plot to deal with young Bragi. The first plot was to murder young king Solvi, the only son of the Fairhair.
By the end of the year, Solvi was dead. He died during the Yule festivities from a fall off of a high tower, the people were none the wiser and promptly crowned Solvi's twin sister Gudrun as Queen.
Just after the year 882 began, Holmfrid gave birth to a healthy boy. In honour of his most trusted friend, Grimr gave the child the name of Einarr. This act alone almost forced me to tell Grimr the plot on Bragi's life even just to aleviate my own deep shame. I confronted Freyja to tell her that I wanted the plot to end, that we could possibly frame the lad for a grevious crime and get him exiled from the Kingdom. Freyja disagreed, telling me that if he were to be exiled, what would stop him from returning after his father's death with an army at his beckon? To ensure that stability would be maintained, the boy had to die.
To that end, Freyja and the Spymaster of Ostlandet formed a plot to kill Queen Gudrun.
The plotting took much longer this time, with Gudrun being the only person convinced that her brother was murdered, paranoia had burrowed deep into her mind and she rarely ventured outside of the royal halls. During this time, at the beginning of the spring, Grimr set out with just under 1000 men to raid the Isles to the west.
Spring and Summer passed as Gudrun frustratingly avoided each and every attack we made.
In November, after months of failures, another assassin made an attempt on Gudrun's life and succeeded. It was told that he took no chances, poisoning the girl before throwing her off the very tower her brother fell from. The assassin was supposedly captured, but vanished before he could be interrogated.
Just after Yule, more worrying news arrive in Røst. Another Kingdom rivalling the likes of the Karlings had risen. The youngest son of Lodbrok, Sigurdr "Snake-in-the-eye", had reformed his lands in Sjaelland into a Kingdom now known as Denmark. The kingdom was already threatening its neighbours in Jylland and the Baltic Coast, as well as Svíþjóð. It alrady seemed at the time that no good would come of there being two kingdoms so close to one another.
In the August of 883, the treasury was empty, the king was still raiding in the west, and Robber Bandits had begun to ambush travellers on every road leading too and from Røst.
And that... that was when the plot was sprung into action.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28th October 883
The forests of Hordaland
Bragi followed his Guardian as they silently stalked through the forests, tracking a male elk. It was the young prince's very first time hunting, and he made his nervousness clear.
"I don't see why we have to do this, can't the peasants hunt for food? Isn't that what they're there for?"
Einarr glanced back at the boy before watching for any sign of movement.
"Because hunting a full grown Elk is one of the biggest accomplishments for a lad of your age. I did the same at your age, as did your father. Tradition is a big thing for the Norse my lad."
"I understand, but aren't there bandits around?"
"Nonsense, any bandit worth his salt wouldn't dare attack the heir to the throne. Besides, my guards chased any local bandits away a few days ago. Now be silent! These tracks are getting fresher."
Bragi was quiet after this, and after another ten minutes of searching, they found the Elk standing in a small clearing. Einarr motioned to Bragi to draw his bow.
"You have the first shot lad. Aim well and your shot will find its mark."
Bragi slowly drew back an arrow, aiming directly at the Elk. He focused heavily on it, too heavily to notice the bandits aiming at him with their own bows on either side of the clearing and too heavily to notice Einarr nocking a bandit's arrow before silently nodding at the clearly visible bandits. His focus was solely on the Elk, and thinking of the glory its death would bring, he fired. The arrow hit the Elk straight in the lungs, causing it to stumble before collapsing. Bragi cheered loudly before walking towards the Elk to finish it off.
After ending the Elk's slowly fading life, he turned back to Einarr with joy in his eyes. That joy quickly turned to dumbfounded fear as he saw Einarr aiming directly at him with his bow drawn. Looking to his left and right, he could now see nearly ten bandits also aiming at him. Bragi blinked, slowly realising what was going to happen as Einarr nodded again, signalling the bandits to fire as he did.
Einarr fired, whispering "I'm sorry Grimr." as he did so.
The prince was dead. Einarr paid the bandits, ordered one of them to fire an arrow into his shoulder as planned before rushing off to find the other members of the hunting party to alert them of the supposed ambush.
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