Jens asks to follow the proud service of noble sons to serve as a warrior in either Mikklagard or the Order, being of a more zealous nature he decides to serve Odin and Thor in defense of the entire Norse faith instead of some catholic stranger with a fancy hat. In most cases Kirstens move to establish code of conduct in the presence of a court and raising the nobles status among he common men as part of the
Skånske Lov. However the old Syphilitic Jarl of Pommerania and Finland do not agree with this Queen trying to say that she is better than other men and starts try and gather support to claim the throne from her. Luckily her spymaster catches it before any damage is done and she orders his immediate arrest o make an example of him....
Their armies march towards each other and they face battle in the lands of Rostock but the battle is over in a mater of days with near no losses to the Scanian army.
Another Fylkir dies to join with his peers in Valhalla and he Allthing elects as predicted Queen Kirsten as the new leader of the Norse faith. Inheriting with that title are the responsibilities of the Fylkariate and the administration of Uppland and Uppsala. Kirsen decides that Gotland has finally come back on their feet so she hands it out to her son Valentin. Prince Ludvig aims o go on the same path as his big brother and asks o join him in the Order.
The war with Pomerania doesn't last as long as the Jarl of Pomerania dies and his heir takes over but also our dear Fylkja succumbs to her advanced age. The new Jarl Karl seeing his fathers empire crumbling at the might of the Royal forces he agrees to a white peace with the Regent council of the royal court. However he Allthing was not happy with having a leader who could barely remember her own name.
The Catholics seems to not want to give up on their Crusader States just yet in the Levant and Africa. And with the Catholic world looking south some Jarl's of the Scanian Kingdom decides to be fortune seekers and aim to take the kingdom of Arymôr. A Jarl of Milsarikí decides to follow suit and wish to carve a Kingdom for himself in Lithuania, bu he is unlucky and the Hochmeister of Prussia joins in defense of the cross.
Time pass, war rages on all around the world but in Trelleborg it stands still as Kirsten's body slowly dies as her sickness worsens. One morning her dear son Helge finds her pale and cold in her bed. May the Queen rest in peace. With the curse of having lost her mind and soul some of the border vassals had lost faith on the administration but when it came forward that King Helge was a competent king to replace her they swore their loyalty. However having to pick up the pieces of his families empire did put a lot of pressure on him.
With an old and infertile wife Helge has taken a young girl into his bed to make sure to produce a good heir. He loves his two girls dearly but with the current state of the Kingdom he feels safer if he could pass on everything to a male heir.
A strange message arrives to the royal court of Trelleborg demanding the presence of every lord who adhere to the only true faith of Midgard. A vote at the Allthing is to be held and it has been organized by Tegwyd with permission granted by his most Holiness Fylkir Lennart af Blekinge. Fittingly the Masters proposal was as mad as the Fylkir was rumored to be.... So a motion is made by the Zealous Warchief of the Order and the Mad Leader of the Norse faith describing in detail of how they are going to exploit the fact that the Chaliphate is struggling against the very might of the Popes Hammer. That they would do what the Catholics could not do, take Jerusalem their most holy city and keep it.
It is a big subject and not something that will be decided upon quickly. In the meantime the court at home is busy trying to improve upon the situation and with King Helge's blessing they decide to raise the city taxes as they are slowly recovering from the many wars in the baltic. And with Milsarikí having established and outpost in Prussia more trade became available for the merchantmen in Trelleborg and Copenhagen.
But then the votes are counted of the largest and most powerful landowners of the entire North. 29 votes are counted the last seat being the Fylkir himself. Its a close vote with a lot of heated debate with arguments being thrown that this is pure mad ramblings by a man who has lost his pride. Others love the idea of proving the strength of the northern man, to show that our golden age begins now. The results are 16 for, 13 against. King Helge rises as the votes are declared and exclaims to the Thing: "This will show Midgard of our strength, how we prove of our Gods might, the start of our Age. Hel shall have her halls filled with our offerings for decades to come!"
The Kingdom raises 45 000 men to the cause, all over the realm young men enlist to do Odins will and fight next to him and to later be picked up by he Valkyries as they fall.
It took a full year organizing the armies, during that time scouting forces of the lesser nobles have already reached the Fatamids and are engaging them. Half a year later an armada of ships arrives outside the coast of the holy land flying the Scanian Raven. However the troops are not used to the harsh climate in the Levant and the first task quickly becomes to make sure each man is fed. But King Helge can't let his fellow brothers die alone against the Moslems slaughtering them in Beersheb and rushes there at all haste but when he gets there it is too late. He will insead avenge hem by showing them the true strength of the Vikings. The morale of the various armies scattered around is revived and the flock to the banners of the Scanian king to lead a glorious charge against Sultan Malik he Great trying to defend his home.
King Helge becomes known as brave by his men as he leads them into a hard won battle. But the terrain and the fighting style is something completely unknown to both the warriors and commanders of the crusade and they are struggling to even outmaneuver their much weaker prey infront of them. The battle lasts for weeks and in the end it turns out to be a victory for King Helge, but a Pyrrhic one. Thanks to the climate as well they lose even more soldiers.
