10 longships = 1 ship in game
Forming an empire - the dream of a madman?
Jon Loftsson the Womanizer had used the first years of his reign to do nothing but sharming the ladies of the powerful men of Iceland, causing feuds and conflicts. The landowners and lawmen were tired of him and the people spoke of a re-election.
"We need a new law-speaker, one who takes care of the laws, instead of chasing our wimen!" was the words on the minds of the important people. However, in his fourth year of office, in 1150, Jon decided to do a little change of things in Iceland. He started by expanding the trade and eventually taking control of much of the trade in Bjørgvin, alongside the Norwegian traders. After King Inge of Norway had defeated his brothers, he was ready to sign a trade agreement with Iceland, effectively managing the control of the northern trade alongside the Icelanders. The expansion of Iceland had begun, at least economically.
The next step Jon Loftsson did was to improve relations with the Norwegian court, he was known for his sharming effects on wimen and when he traveled to Norway to "drink in" the christmas with King Inge in 1152 his hidden flirting with the wimen led them to affect the king in his diplomatic decicions.
A royal marriage was soon arranged too, some noble woman, King Inge's sister had probably been taken by Jon's sharm during his short stay in Norway, and she followed him home to Iceland.
When he returned, the lawmen frowned upon him. They questioned his decicions in making a so called royal marriage, Iceland did not have any royal family did it? Was this his own personal suit for glory? Would he abolish the Allthing and make himself a king? All these questions were asked.
Jon Loftsson responded to them to relieve them of their worries, his speech at the Allthing was recorded by a contemporary saga writer, Hvamm-Sturla, let us see what he said:
"My fellow freedom loving countrymen, if you think I do this to undermine this great free people of ours and turn them into serfs like the despots of Europe? I say not my friends. Let me ridden you of your burdens and tell you my real intentions. I wish nothing but freedom, in fact I wish to expand our freedom to other men and wimen of Europe. Should only we be the ones that enjoy just laws and free elections? Should only our people have the right not to be executed without a fair trial on the Thing? I say not, I wish we could free the whole of the Christian world from their threlldom, starting with Ireland. I have married a Norwegian noblewoman, why does it worry you? In fact, it should un-worry you as I will no longer chase your beloved daughters."
Laugther came from the crowd, he paused and continiued:
"An alliance will be signed with Norway and their vassals in Orkney, do not worry, for we shall retain our independance, my hope is that in the far future, it will be the Norwegians that join our rule and that our brothers of blood there become as free as we are. Remember that we were those who left Norway to escape the tyranny of the king and become the free people we are today. Those who remained in Norway were not so lucky, it was not their fault that they were held back in chains and prevented from leaving Harald's despotism. I shall hope that one day they become free from the rule of any king. Countrymen, in the name of honor and freedom, let us gain a hold on Europe and liberate Ulster!"
Thus began "operation Ulster freedom". It was an intervention necessary to free the people of Ulster from their despot ruler. Norway joined the side of Iceland, but Orkney dishonored the alliance. A move that was not so smart by Orkney, since they had no allies when Scotland declared war, invaded them and annexed them the month after.
Troops had been recruited, 6,000 brave Icelanders volunteerely had joined to fight for the cause of freedom under the leadership of Thorvardr inn Raudi. The Icelandic fleet of sixty longships landed on the shores of Northern Ulster and defeated the army stationed there. The people of Ulster were soon liberated from despotism, but an ongoing war between Connacht-Munster alliance and the Meath-Leinster-Ulster alliance caused our roads to be blocked from taking Meath, it had been taken by Connacht, while Leinster had been taken by Munster. The entire alliance that Iceland fought against was gone, the lawdom could have gained two more provinces in the war, but that might had been hard to keep.
Norway was expanding in Scandinavia, they declared war on the Danish-Swedish alliance and rode swiftly troughout the Swedish countryside, defeating the Swedes in every battle until finally taking Skara, Sweden was reduced to one province after a few months of battle. Soon after followed the invasion of Denmark when the Danes were ripped off from two provinces, Skåne and Jylland.
Things were going great for Jon Loftsson, until he got sick in december 1155, no-one could say what it was, but a new law-speaker had to be elected, his name was Snorri Hunbogasson, and was more of a moderate leader than Jon Loftsson the Womanizer. During wars, he would not administrate them at all, since his knowledge of war was more on the level of the common Icelander, none. However, the lawdom had a good general named Thorvardr inn Raudi, whom himself would take care of the wars and the administration of future gained provinces. When Norway declared war on the Novgorod-Vladimir alliance in 1160, Thorvardr landed his army in Ingermannland. Then he moved his horde swiftly through Olonets and into Arkhangels, forcing Vladimir to sign a seperate peace and cede 50,000 silver sterling. Novgorod was besieged by joint Norwegian-Icelandic forces and Novgorod was defeated in a battle in Pskov until they finally agreed to cede the province of Ingermannland and hand over 50,000 silver sterling to Iceland for a seperate peace in January, 1163, one more province was then liberated from opression.
Norway was at this time still at war with the Russian alliance and also at war with the Holy Roman alliance, consisting of at least ten different kingdoms and principalities, including the Empire itself. Iceland of course, honored their alliance and were too, at war with the Holy Roman alliance. During these years, Norway had fought a seperate war with Sweden, where they had annexed them after the last capture of Skara.
The liberation of Europe had begun, it was time for the Icelanders to show the world of Christianity the true meaning of freedom!
See the results of me giving Norway 500 starting ducats to prevent them from getting ganged up by Denmark and Sweden
25th of March, 1163:
http://groups.msn.com/ScreenshotsforGames/screenieseuii.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=17
