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*Enters the room with a bunch of Highlanders as bodyguards*
So here is the update before you find out where I live and burn down my house. :rofl:

Malcolm IV "the Great"​
Born 1117 - Died 1140
Ruled 1134-1140

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Part One: The Vikings return


The Cast:
Malcolm IV, King of Scotland, Ireland and Wales
Lord Kenneth Loarn, Duke of Argyll
Lord Roger, Duke of Strathclyde and Atholl, nicknamed "The Kingmaker"
Sir Gillepatrick Johnston, war hero and Marshal of the Royal Army
Sir Aslak Kamp, commander of the Norwegian forces in North England​

After the deposition of Guthred I there was much discussion about who should succeed him. Quite a few believed that Lord Roger Dunkeld would take the opportunity to seize the throne. For the time being it was decided that the most important nobles of Scottish blood should gather in Edinburgh and decide the issue. The meeting would be headed by the most distinguished barons in Scotland Lord Kenneth Loarn and Lord Roger Dunkeld. Whatever plans and illusions the two might have had quickly evaporated when they entered the capital on July 3rd 1134. They where met by a delegation of the commons of Edinburgh and envoys of the nobles of Ireland and Wales, both stating that they would accept only a member of the Atholl dynasty as new king. Naturally this bothered Lord Roger more than Lord Kenneth who proposed Alexander, son of the same poor Alexander of Mar whom he had forsaken only months earlier, as new king. To this Lord Roger could not agree and there was some bitter quarrel until news reached the capital on July 21st that king Guthreds son Malcolm, who had been tutored at the French court for the last ten years, had just landed near Berwick. There was panic amongst the gathered nobles. Had Malcolm come to avenge his fathers deposition? Rumors where about that he had an army of 30.000 welsh and Englishmen at his disposal and he would destroy anyone who opposed him. Lord Kenneth and his supporters fled the city heading northwards.
Lord Roger took a different approach to the situation and ordered the city into a state of festivity to celebrate "the arrival of our lord sovereign Malcolm IV" and set out with all dignitaries still present to meet the king. Malcolm was clearly moved by the affection of his people that was shown to him everywhere on his way to the capital and without hesitation received Lord Roger and all other present into his favour. Then setting up a president he had to Stone of Scone moved to Edinburgh and implemented into a throne in Edinburgh Cathedral. After being the first Scottish king to crowned in Edinburgh on August 8th 1134 the king presided over his nobles sitting on the said throne. His aim clearly was to move to coronation rituals away from Scone and the province where the influence of the old Scottish families was still strong into the capital and heart of royal power.

In general the young monarch was highly talented and quickly won acceptance from all nobles. Fluent in Gaelic, various Saxon dialects of English, Latin and French and with a firm and highly modern grasp of economics he was perhaps the best administrator the kingdom had ever had. One of his first acts of was the redistribution of the crowns land. The king granted the Duchy of Mar and some manors in Ireland to his younger brother Gilleroth and also made extensive grants of land in Ireland to the Church. By giving away these fairly poor lands Malcolm could concentrate on the exploiting his richer possessions in southern Scotland and Lancaster. The number of officials in the various provinces was increased and a special office the "High Royal Treasury " with a "Lord Treasurer" at its top created to co-ordinate the collecting of taxes, tolls and other sources of income to the crown. All in all it can be stated that Malcolm IV had no difficulty to establish his royal authority, which is quite extraordinary if one considers the way his fathers reign had ended. In no small part this was due to the support that the young monarch, he had only turned 16, received from Lord Roger. To many it seemed that it had been this mans actions alone which had brought down one king and placed another one on the throne and so Roger went down in history as "Roger the Kingmaker".

The kings situation was further enhanced by the birth of his son Ranald, future Ranald I. It was however not for his family life that Malcolm IV would come to be regarded as "the Great". Already in 1135 he had his mind on war. Just a few years earlier the Saxon Leofricson dynasty had died out in male branch and the Earldom of Northumberland had been inherited by a Norwegian dynasty. Malcolm was determined to use this opportunity for expansion and in March 1136 a great invasion took place. While the Earldom was invaded from the north by an army lead by the king himself the kings Welsh armies under Viscount Seisyll and Lord Cynfin invaded from the West. At the same time a expeditionary force under Lord Kenneth of Argyll invaded the Orkney Islands. The Norwegians where taken completely by surprise and within a week whole of Northumberland was under Scottish rule. By now however the Norwegians had gathered all forces available to them and confronted Malcolm near the small village of Northampton.


1.Northampton1136.jpg

The battle of Northampton is remembered as one of the greatest victories in Scottish history. Occupying a higher ground Malcolm quickly realized that his best chances lay in a cunning defensive plan. The Norwegian army he faced was very different from the forces his great-grandfather Gospatrick II had fought. The Norwegians on the British Isles had by now also adopted feudal warfare, dominated by heavily armed and mounted knights supported by men-at-arms. Since Malcolm had far fewer knights he had to place greater faith and hope in his pikemen. The battle of Mar during the First Scottish Civil War 1113 however had demonstrated that no infantry formation of the day could withstand a fierce charge from the heavy cavalry. Malcolm therefore figured that against an enemy charging uphill his men might stand a chance. Since Malcolm had forced marched his army to the battlefield there was enough time to prepare the battlefield with stakes and other obstacles before the Norwegians arrived.
At the same time Malcolm placed a small detachment of soldiers in a nearby wood on his right flank. It consisted of 500 men-at-arms, 350 light cavalry and 60 knights. They where commanded by the by now living legend Sir Gillepatrick Johnston. He had been marshal under Gospatrick II, Ferteth I and Guthred I and in spite of his age of now 60 years was regarded a brilliant soldier and leader.
Malcolm's battle plan therefore rested on three assumptions.

1: His infantry formation in defensive positions on the hill would not be broken by the initial charge of the enemies cavalry
2.The weight of his men-at-arms, superior both in numbers and quality, would fight the enemy to a standstill before he was able to completely ascend the hill
3.The surprise attack of his secret reserve would brake the fighting will of the enemies rear thereby more than equalizing Malcolm's numerous disadvantage.


The battle began, just as anticipated by Malcolm, round about 7 A.M. with the Norwegians storming uphill in force. They where meet by massive volleys from the Scottish archers and many, especially the lightly armored riders, fell victim to the stakes Malcolm's army had so skillfully created. Nevertheless the Norwegians continued to press on and the knights, headed by their commander Sir Aslak Kamp, reached the first Scottish infantry line round about 7:50 A.M.. These forces where mainly composed of light auxiliary troops. Malcolm had decided to slow down the thunder of the initial charge by sacrificing these fairly worthless troops. After annihilating this first resistance the Norwegians prepared for another attack but before being able to reform back into formation where hit by the joint attack of the Scottish pikemen and knights. Malcolm did not take part in this charge but rather observed the whole situation from afar, since he figured that if he were to die with an infant heir the whole kingdom and dynasty might be in peril. Nevertheless this unchivalrous behavior was interpreted as cowardice by his enemies.
By 8:20 A.M. the Norwegian knights where under considerable pressure and slowly being pushed back down the hill. They now called for the support of the main part of their infantry. However the joint light cavalry and infantry attack which began round about 8:45 failed to break the Scottish lines, whose core consisted of battle hardened men-at-arms from the Highlands. Around 9:30 A.M., 2 1/2 hours after the battle had started, the Norwegians had already suffered considerable casualties (probably some 2,000 dead compared to ~ 800 Scots) but where however still pressing on. At the same time Malcolm's battle lines where growing ever thinner and more and more overstretched. His advisers urged him to give the signal for the secret reserve to enter the contest, but Malcolm resisted this temptation. Instead he ordered his troops to make a orderly retreat into the fortified position they had set up in the center of the hill. While the infantry retreated both archers and cavalry where to harass the Norwegians, thereby preventing them from effective pursuit.
Once the Scottish retreat began around 9:45 A.M. the Norwegians believed they had won the day and pressed on with all power. Quickly their formations began to get loose and considerable gaps opened between cavalry and infantry and heavy and light infantry. Not surprisingly since the Scottish retreat had been an orderly and tactical retreat the Norwegians where repulsed when they tried to storm the Scottish camp. It was at this point where the Norwegians where as spread out and disorganized as they could possibly be that the king via a complex system of flag and fire signals ordered his secret reserve to advance.
Facing close to no resistance Sir Gilllepatricks men smashed into the close to non exsistante enemy rear around 10:15 and quickly routed it. At the same moment the main Scottish host sallied forth from their fortified camp and pressed on against the enemy once more. Completely disorganized, tired by fighting over three hours, mostly uphill and shocked by major attack from an enemy whom they had thought to be beaten, most of the Norwegian auxiliary forces threw away their weapons and ran. The stronger Norwegian units fought on a little longer but where quickly overwhelmed by the two pronged attack. It was now that Malcolm IV joined the fight and rallied his tired men for a final pursuit of the beaten enemy.


battle2.jpg
A modern painting depicting Malcolm the Great pursuing the beaten Norwegians at the battle of Northampton. Note the unhistorical equipment which seems more suitable for the 16th than for the 12th century.​


This pursuit turned the Norwegian defeat into a disaster. While the actual fighting had probably claimed some 2,800 Norwegians over 3,200 where killed in the bloody aftermath of the fighting and at least 5,000 captured. The few survivors fled in whatever direction seemed to promise safety and poor Sir Aslak was unable to bring them into order again. For this failure he would later be executed by the Norwegian king.
The Scots however had won a total victory at the cost of only 2,000 dead. However the war was far from over and would be decided on yet another battlefield...


I hope it was worth the wait. :)

~Lord Valentine~
 
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Definitely was... keep 'em coming! :)
 
As usual, medieval battles had more cusualties inflicted after the battle itself than during the actual confrontation. Well, let's see how the war ends. I don't think that Norway has any chance but... have you considered conquering them? :D
 
At last :D

Thanks for this great update....

*hopes we won't wait as long to get a new one...* ;)
 
General_BT: Thanks! The same applies to your AAR. I can't wait for the next episode!

Spothisto:Well very often great kings only have a short time to fulfill their great deeds. Just think of Henry IV of England. Anyway wait and see what Malcolm will do with the time that is given to him.

Kurt_Steiner:Yes the bloody middle ages. :cool: Fighting might have been allright if you where a knight and could rely on the common code of chivalry but if not... well God bless you.
Invading Norway would be an interesting retaliation for all of those Viking invasions but probably (economically speaking) not worth it.

gigau:Don't worry the next update is already in the making.

Which brings me to my next point. Get ready for part two of Malcolm IV reign. I will probably post it tomorrow but if I don't manage it you will have to wait another 48 hours since Tuesday is a really busy day.

~Lord Valentine~
 
All Hail the Conquering Hero!
 
Ephiron said:
how do you get those "numbers" behind names of kings? ...btw. excellent AAR :)

One needs to edit the save file
 
Sorry about having to let you people wait for once again but being social in real-life usually being anti-social towards the online community. :p
Tonight I am going to the Hamburg State Opera to see Puccini's "Tosca" (I have already got the pine-stripped suit one :cool: ) with a few friends from school and will probably remain in Hamburg afterwards and take the first train home at 6 am next morning.
Quite naturally I will be out for the count on Saturday. Therefore the earliest possibility to update will be Sunday or Monday.

As always I apologize for any inconvenience, that my unsteady lifestyle and laziness might cause to the reader. :p

~Lord Valentine~
 
We are still waiting....

Peti, give me the axe... yes... the battleaxe...
 
How are you making the wiki-style battle summations? They look amazing!
 
Kurt_Steiner said:
We are still waiting....

Peti, give me the axe... yes... the battleaxe...
Battleaxes?! :eek:
In that case I'll better hire the Varanguian Guard! :p

Anyway I am sorry that you are still waiting. I had some issues with my internet connection so I was basicaly there and gone depending on the current status.
Anyway it's solved now and I hope to finish Malcolm IV reign today or at the absolutely latest tomorrow.

General_BT:
Quite simple actually. I looked for a Wiki-article with a battle summary in it, edited it to suit my own needs, then previewed it (very important since you don't want to ruin the good work someone has done) and made a screenshot.
I thought it might be a bit more stylish than simply writing down the battle statistics.

~Lord Valentine~
 
So here is the long awaited update. Don't stone me or I won't be able to write more of them. :D

Malcolm IV "the Great"​
Born 1117 - Died 1140
Ruled 1134-1140

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Part Two: Scottish Glory, Power and Wealth


The Cast:
Malcolm IV, King of Scotland, Ireland and Wales
Lord Brychan Cynfin, Duke of Gwynedd and supreme commander of the southern levies
Sir Brychan ap Seisyll, Viscount of Dyfed, second in command
Sir Gillepatrick Johnston, war hero and Marshal of the Royal Army
Oluf I, King of Norway
Julia Arpad, Queen of Norway​


After the great victory of Northampton the Scottish forces where quickly able to seize most of Norwegian Britain. In the North the troops of the Duke of Argyll had seized the Orkney Islands. But far more importantly Malcolm IV was able to seize York, "the crown of the North". After hearing of the outcome of the great battle the city council had expelled all Norwegians and called for "the true Briton, most pious and virtuous King Malcolm" to "liberate" the city. On April 15th Malcolm entered the city in triumph with Lord Cynfin, Duke of Gwynwedd, bearing the sword in front of him. After giving thanks to God for his great victory in the York Minster Malcolm confirmed the cities liberties and privileges and granting it the right to collect taxes for the crown in the whole area. In May the King and his army once again left the town. Malcolm headed north to inspect his new conquests in this area while his Welsh commanders Lord Cynfin and Viscount Ap Seisyll lead the their regiments south to destroy what remained of Norwegian resistance.
The campaigns where so successful that most warriors and nobles could return home before the beginning of the summer and participate in the great festivity held by the king in Edinburgh on July 28th to celebrate both the victorious campaign and the creation of his only one year old son and heir as Duke of Galloway. It was into these celebrations that the news arrived that King Oluf I of Norway had landed with a great host and was advancing with great speed to besiege York. Malcolm's marshals in the south had already been beaten and where retreating north. All the great spoils of the recent victory where about to be lost once again! In spite of this the king did not cancel the proceedings and the feast continued for another week as planned. It was on the 6th of August that the king finally called the personal retainers of the crown to assemble in Westmoorland until the 28th of August. At the same time royal officials where sent south with the authority of raising the local levies in service of the king. Furthermore 250 mercenaries where hired on the crowns expense to do "service of war" for 3 months.

The king himself arrived in Westmoorland as early as August 18th and was joined by the remaining forces of his marshals Viscount Brycan and Lord Cynfin. When the army set out on August 28th it numbered some 10,000 men. Malcolm had deliberately mobilized only a small amount of troops in order to advance quickly instead. The army advanced at a great pace sometimes covering 30 miles a day. Upon entering Lancaster the king split his forces in three. While the majority of the knights and men-at-arms and light cavalry (some 4,300 men) remained with the king the rest of the forces where given to the kings Welsh marshals. Malcolm's plan was risky and adventurous. Malcolm would directly advance on the Norwegian army. From his spies and informers he knew that the Norwegian host numbered at least 15,000 men. Malcolm would therefore by heavily outnumbered. However that was exactly what the king counted upon. He hoped that Oluf I would abandon the siege of York to destroy the tiny royal force in his rear. If Oluf did so the two other royal forces would shadow him over a certain distance. Malcolm would then pick a battlefield which favored an ambush and the Norwegians would suddenly be faced with an attack from three sides, by an enemy far stronger than anticipated.

And indeed on September 2nd the two armies made contact just 20 miles west of York. Malcolm was highly worried since his two other armies, although they had avoided being identified by the Norwegians, were still quite far away. But to the kings surprise the over 15,000 men strong Norwegian army did not seek battle but rather encamped two miles away from the Scottish host. Through means of bribery Malcolm quickly found out the reason. Oluf I was commonly known to be a flamboyant, extravagant person and so he was accompanied by his entire court including the Queen Julia Arpad, daughter of the King of Hungary. Julia, being not only beautiful but also forceful, had forbidden her husband to fight a battle on September 2nd, the day of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, the founder of the Christian Hungary and her royal dynasty. Instead the whole court including the king where to take part in the festivities in honor of the saint and not resume the conduct of the war before the 4th of September.

Having heard this Malcolm immediately changed his plans. He sent messengers to his two commanders and ordered them to advance with the great possible secrecy and speed and attack the enemy camp at night. This effort was helped by the fact that the Norwegian camp was surrounded on both sides by woods of considerable size. At midnight of the 5th of September everything was ready. The king lead his knights and other soldiers in a frontal assault on the Norwegian camp. The confusion among the Scandinavians was great. King Oluf just couldn't believe that Malcolm could be so foolish to attack a fortified position while being outnumbered more than 3:1. At the same time traitors within the camp, payed by Scottish gold, had begun laying fires adding to the chaos. Just as the Norwegians where beginning to organize a stiffer resistance two more forces of unknown size suddenly appeared out of the dark, attacking the camp from two further sides. Soon the rumor spread that the King of England had come to the aid of the Scots with 40,000 men. Resistance collapsed as most soldiers tried to fight their way out of the camp instead of defending it. Many where massacred and even more captured. When Malcolm inspected what was left of the Norwegian camp on the next morning he had won a total victory. The "Battle of York" would forever be remembered as the perhaps most splendid victory in Scottish history. A "British Cannae".


2.York1136.jpg

So total was the Norwegian defeat that most of the Kings closest associates including his marshal, chancellor and even confessor had fallen while the royal couple itself had been seized. Malcolm payed them a visit and treated them with reverence and kindness, allowing them to lodge in his royal tent while the king stayed in more humble lodgings with his soldiers. Oluf had clearly not expected this and both monarchs rode side by side as the army left the battlefield on September 8th for Edinburgh. In the capital after much celebrating, feasting and jousting the two monarchs formally concluded peace and friendship. Oluf renounced all claims on British lands except for the small county of Durham for which he swore fealty to Malcolm. Furthermore Oluf swore not to ally himself with any other power on the isles. Thus ended the Norwegian history in England after over 300 years. Malcolm was now at the height of his prestige. His royal estates now stretched from central Scotland to central England, making him the man with the greatest revenues in all Britain. This gave him a greater independence from the realms magnates than any other king before him and consequently the influence of such illustrious figures like Lord Roger Dunkeld visibly decreased. Never again would the clans rule the Scottish kingdom!
The next two years where marked by Malcolm's continuous efforts to forge his conquest into a realm in the true sense of the word. The monarch traveled around the realm presiding over law cases and optimizing the administration to that it took into consideration both the rights of the crown and the needs of the common people. When the legendary Sir Gillepatrick died aged 62 in 1138 Malcolm gave him a funeral worthy of a great noble, even erecting a statue of him at Scone, which irritated the magnates, who had always regarded Gillepatrick a parvenu who had usurped royal favor, but pleased the simple knights and common people.
In general due to the conquest and stability Scotland experienced a golden age in these years with both economy and art flourishing. Artists and minstrels from everywhere for the first time turned to the Scottish throne and not to London to provide patronship for them. Who knows how long it might have lasted for on February 20th 1140 King Malcolm fell seriously ill with dysentery. For months the king fought against the sickness with the same energy that he had fought the Norwegians but in the end he lost this final struggle. On June 27th 1140 the Lord called back Malcolm IV King of Scots.

His reign had been short but it is hard to overestimate. Malcolm had inherited a Kingdom on the brink of civil war and anarchy and not only lead it into prosperity but turned it into the strongest power on the British Isles. For the first time it was possible to speak of a "Scottish Hegemonia", for the first time the King of England felt true fear and respect when the name of a Scottish king was uttered. Malcolm's administrative and military genius had transformed Scotland forever and he therefore was the first of the kings of Alba to gain the nickname "the Great". Like so many great rulers he died young and left his enlarged kingdom to his 5 year old son Ranald.


ScotlandMalcolmtheGreat.png
Dark Blue: Scotland 1134
Lighter Blue: Scottish conquest till 1140
 
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Great Victory indeed!

I wonder how you managed to win this battle in the game. I personally find it hard, if not impossible, to win battles where enemy outnumbers myself. Maybe only if they have just lost a battle and have a crappy morale.

And please don't wait so long with you next update..

And also I hope something disastrous will happen to your kingdom now, otherwise you get too powerful. Another civilwar would come in handy.. ;)
 
I love the Wiki formatted battle summary. :)
 
Fulcrumvale: Really? Then I shall consider making them a regular institution. :)

Spothisto: Well like so often this war in CK consisted not of one or two decisive battles but rather 12-18 smaller battles. I therefore out of reasons of realism and style summed them up in a single battle. And a brilliant marshal like Gillepatrick of course helps to make up for inferior numbers. :)
Where the next update is concerned I don't want to make false promises (again ;) ) but tomorrow is a national holiday in Germany to commemorate the reunification of Germany and so I might find the time to update that very day.

And come on Scotland has just escaped the constant risk of being crushed at the whim of the English king and you already want it to disintegrate again. :eek:
Well wait and see what happens.

Anyway thanks to all you readers out there. This AAR has passed the 3,000 views mark. A truly great number I would never have dreamt of when I started writing. So thanks again for all the feedback, support, interest and especially patience you have shown so far. So let's keep on rocking through the ages! :D

~Lord Valentine~