The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR. Chapter 6: The Boy-King (Part 1)
Game: Crusader Kings II
Published: 2017-03-30, edited: 2017-03-30
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The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR
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The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR. Chapter 5: The Corpse-Snatcher
The twists and turns of fate are fickle indeed, an individual may believe that they have been blessed by the Gods, only for all that they have achieved to be turned to dust and lost to the winds. One may also find that, after being subjected to the cruelties of life, that they are rewarded for their suffering. The fates were most fickle for the next Fylkir.
The next in line for the crowns of the Kingdoms of Noregr and Pomerania, defender of Scotland and Fylkir of the German faith was but a young boy of 11 years. In times past, he would not have survived to adulthood and the realm would have been sundered, broken up between the various powerful. The Boy-Kings rule looked to be a short one and his survival can be traced to one person ….
Queen Mother Ingrid, Regent of Noregr. The opposite of her late husband, Ingrid was an honourable person and a cunning warrior, and a Shieldmaden. Not the most beautiful of women, she knew battle better than most but was now in the greatest she would see: the defence of her son.
Not all the courtiers and vassals were against the young Fylkir in his time of need. The regent had the Chancellor of Noregr spent the majority of the years speaking to the Jarls, putting down revolts before they began.
The hopes of the conquests of the Isles suffered a major setback when the Grand Republic lost a full half of their lands. Despite the conquests of the north, the centre was falling, something would need to be done. The kingdom adopted a stance for support for the republic, coming to their assistance as the Christians tried to extinguish the first Norse nation of the isles.
Towards the end of the regency, the north of the mainland and the Danmark lands were subjected to Typhus, the dreaded Camp Fever. Preparations were made for the diseases arrival should it venture north.
The Jomsvikings were given control of a newly completed castle on the islands approaching the seat of power, on the provision that they manage the small settlement nearby that was created for the people who had suffered from the recent infectious outbreak. It was believed that these men, hardened by war, would be resilient to the illnesses from the march.
Finally, after 6 years of fighting of advances of those that had sworn him loyalty, the Queen Mother stood aside: The Fylkir was old enough to rule. Summoning all his vassals to re-swear their oaths of loyalty, histories was repeated once more when the young man called on them …
… They would once again march and reave the lands of the Catholics.
Once again the Great Norse Army marched over the lands of the Christians. As new travelled back of the glorious fights led by the young Fylkir, more and more of the Jarls joined and sent men over. More and more warbands joined in the offence.
But the Jarls were not the only ones joining the fight. Hoping to preserve their hold on the south of the main island, every Christian raised their levies to counter the Great Norse Army. Fearful of continued Germanic gains more than death, the peasants of marched in waves against the shieldwalls of the Northman.
The Fylkir struggled to clean up the cults that had sprung up over the previous decades. It appeared that the infection from these groups spread to the nobility and even to the close friends of the former ruler. None were safe from the newly formed HelHunters.
(Source: http://avaldsnes . info/en/viking/vikingkvinner)
In battle, the Fylkir was always at the head of the vanguard. Flanked by his royal guard, led by Shieldmaiden Ingrid, the Queen Mother, they would cut their way through the peasants that made up their foe. But this was not to last. Advancing further ahead than what was safe, thy Fylkir and Shieldmaiden fought like living legends, touched by the divine. But the life of the warrior is measured by many successes, and one failure. For Ingrid, that was the Battle of Winchcombe.
In battle, the Fylkir was always at the head of the vanguard. Flanked by his royal guard, led by Shieldmaiden Ingrid, the Queen Mother, they would cut their way through the peasants that made up their foe. But this was not to last. Advancing further ahead than what was safe, thy Fylkir and Shieldmaiden fought like living legends, touched by the divine. But the life of the warrior is measured by many successes, and one failure. For Ingrid, that was the Battle of Winchcombe.
Seeing his own mother, the only parent he had really ever known drove the Fylkir into such a rage that, to the men standing before him, he appeared more monster than man. He fought any who would dare come close to him, standing over the wounded body of the Queen Mother. Once the rest of the army advanced and they were able to retrieve her, Fylkir Starkadr unleashed his retribution on any Christian within the reach of his great Foe Hammer.
The battle was a success, but for the Fylkir only one thing mattered to him. The Shieldmaidens injuries had scarred her whole body, and cost her an eye. Summoning the Court Physicians, he made sure that her every need was attended to.
(Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0 . pinimg . com/564x/cb/da/6c/cbda6c49d1b20d94e408a0bb56993c1e . jpg)
As if this was not enough of a blow to the Fylkir, the ruler of lands that were being fought for had played her last advantage. Where the lowborn of both armies had fought, the Norseman had proven better than his counterpart, able to best many times his number. However, they were no match for the heavily armoured Holy Orders of Christ, and their foe had summoned all of them. Distracted by the near loss of his mother and the rout of the Great Norse Army at the hands of the Templars, the Fylkir did the only thing he could do.
As if this was not enough of a blow to the Fylkir, the ruler of lands that were being fought for had played her last advantage. Where the lowborn of both armies had fought, the Norseman had proven better than his counterpart, able to best many times his number. However, they were no match for the heavily armoured Holy Orders of Christ, and their foe had summoned all of them. Distracted by the near loss of his mother and the rout of the Great Norse Army at the hands of the Templars, the Fylkir did the only thing he could do.
The 2nd Great Reaving was called off. White Peace was declared, claiming that both parties were to withdraw to their lands, and that there would be no hostilities between them for many years. Although on paper a tie, to the Germanic people and the Fylkir, it was a great loss.
The embarrassment this caused the young Fylkir was immense, and the damage to the prestige of the Kingdom of Noregr, the de-facto leader of the northern realms, disastrous. Many of the Jarls began to question whether they should always swear their loyalty to whichever man ruled Castle Lade. With the previous Fylkir a rumoured heretic and the current one a failed commander, they argued that they should be able to choose their leader. Their leader, the Jarl of Mecklenburk and Brandenburg rebelled, although none of his supporters followed his lead.
(Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/1403131/orris-storm-final-hope)
Weakened from the failed Great Reaving, the armies of the Fylkir marched on their brethren. Many of the men had fought together and to have to fight them as foes was damaging to the moral of both armies. It ended like most rebellions do, the Jarl was stripped of lands and titles, reduced to a Thane and placed under vassalage of his former subject. With the threat over, the Fylkir dismissed his armies, bidding them to return to their homes.
Weakened from the failed Great Reaving, the armies of the Fylkir marched on their brethren. Many of the men had fought together and to have to fight them as foes was damaging to the moral of both armies. It ended like most rebellions do, the Jarl was stripped of lands and titles, reduced to a Thane and placed under vassalage of his former subject. With the threat over, the Fylkir dismissed his armies, bidding them to return to their homes.
The next year though the Fylkir was able to banish the harsh memories of his defeat in the British Isles when his wife bore him a son and heir. Until this point the crown of Noregr would have passed to a different family as the Fylkir Starkadr was the last male member of the House of Herja. A son meant that line of the Odin-touched would continue.
Emboldened by their victories against the Norse in the British Isles, the Christians were able to marshal their forces and push the Tengri sky worshipers from the Kingdom of Greece, granting the lands to the Duke of Venice.
(Source: http://awoiaf . westeros . org/index . php/Sack_of_King%27s_Landing)
With its defender beaten back, there was no force left capable of preventing the sacking of the Welsh Republic. The first stronghold of the Germanic faith and the cause of the Great Reaping lay burning, its citizens slain by zealous Catholics seeking retribution for Norse agressions. It was said that the smoke burned so thick and black that it was seen as far away as the lands of Scotland, where their brethren looked on with impotent rage and grief.
With its defender beaten back, there was no force left capable of preventing the sacking of the Welsh Republic. The first stronghold of the Germanic faith and the cause of the Great Reaping lay burning, its citizens slain by zealous Catholics seeking retribution for Norse agressions. It was said that the smoke burned so thick and black that it was seen as far away as the lands of Scotland, where their brethren looked on with impotent rage and grief.
Yet for the Fylkir, an even greater loss befell him. Shrouded in the darkness of night, a band of men broke past the guards of Castle Lade and stormed the keep. Able to sneak in and out without raising the alarm, their acts not discovered until the next day when Prince Eilif was found murdered in his bed, drenched with the blood from the killing blow. Beaten by the armies of the Catholics, outmanoeuvred by his opponents in the Isles and crushed by the deception of those around him, Fylkir Starkadr retreated from the court, to the caves that his ancestors had gone to seek the truth of the Gods. There he hoped to find the answer to all that had befallen him, and the way forward for the Sons of Odin.
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Game: Crusader Kings II