The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR. Interlude 1: 1071

(Source: http://www.heritagedaily.com/2014/08/top-10-deadliest-volcanic-eruptions/104313)
200 years has passed since the Great Unravelling, the simultaneous series of successions, rebellions and divisions of lands that resulted in many petty rulers and local lords becoming their own masters. Since then the world has rebuilt, new kingdoms have formed and new houses have risen to become their master.

The young ruler of the nation was a man of slight build, who unlike his father, would not be a towering juggernaut on the battlefield. Instead his arena of war would be the court, where his troops would be diplomats and his weapons would be quills. He was not, however, blind to the needs for the realm to have the ability to defend it borders, or to push them further.

The major nations of the world were documented and catalogued for the new Fylkir. It was becoming apparent that the mainland would become the stronghold of the Christian nations. Despite this, there were few unified realms, as many rulers had holdings in many places, preventing any one from becoming a vastly credible threat. Even the Balkans had seen the former Tengri nations abandon their old ways of the Sky-God and take up the Cross, the staff of travelling missionaries succeeding where the swords of crusaders had failed. Beyond the straights however, was the realms of the Muslims. From here and into their holy lands, the Catholics and the Christians had lost.

Beside the Catholics, the Muslims and the followers of Odin, the other faiths were either regional powers or were subservient to followers of different gods. Even then, the Germanic faith was barely worthy of this description, with their conquests in Skotland and Pomerania the only areas where the faith had been pushed. The Christians of Anatolia were under the rulership of Muslim lords, the only independent rulers of that faith being less than half a dozen counts and dukes in the Greek lands, the Italian peninsula and the Mediterranean Islands.

(Source: http://www.realmofhistory.com/2016/10/26/10-facts-medieval-crusader-state-armies/)
The major victor since the Great Unravelling was the Catholics. Never before had their faith reached so far, eclipsing even their eastern brethren. The great schism between the two factions had now all but ended, not because of a resolution but because one would soon cease to exist. There was even a Catholic Kingdom of Greece, although to call it a Kingdom is a farce, just like the Kingdom of Germany. To the west the Muslims had been pushed out of the Iberian peninsula, although they waited on the other side, viewing the lands of their forefathers.

(Source: http://www.knightstemplarorder.org/muslim-chivalry-templars)
Across the straights of Gibraltar and the Bosporus stood the Muslims. Pushed back to the former and advancing to the latter, these narrow stretches of water was all that stood between the worshipers of the cross and the moon. Compared to the bickering Dukes and Kings in Europe, the Muslims were reported to be unifying faster, although not a lot of accurate information was able to be gathered at this time by the agents of the Fylkir.

(Source: https://dmichaelmay.wordpress.com/category/medieval/page/2/)
Realms were not the only focus of the information gathered, of interest to the new Fylkir was also the leaders, those who wore the crown and those that make the decisions. It was often these people who would change the course of history. Of particular interest to the Fylkir were the rulers of the faith, and those that surrounded the children of Odin.

Brother to the Fylkir was King Kettilmund of Skotland. Not even an adult and now in command of the highlands, he would have to fend off Catholic advances from the Irish and the machinations of his vassals. Which of these that would prove to be more deadly would remain to be seen. A shrewd and ambitious boy, he had a way with the people in his court and afar, despite his age.

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Next in line was King of Pomerania, King Gnupa. Barely able to grasp the concept of rulership, his position was even more tenuous, surrounded Catholics to the west and south, and the Slavics to the east. His realm was smaller and the foes more powerful, his survival would be the ultimate test for the Germanic faith of endure and expand.

The last of the Starkadrson’s, Jarl Hodgar’s realm fell under vassalship of his older brother King Kettilmund. A cleaver boy for his age, his lands were on the northern coast of the mainland. Whether his liege-brother would have the ability or inclination to defend his subject would be what would determine the Jarl’s survival.

The one of the other two major Norse nations, the realm of Svipjod included the whole of that kingdom and much of the eastern lands, although their grip here had loosened in recent decades. Alternating between allies, foes or just neighbours, the relationship between Noergr and Svipjod had taken many turns.

The last of the major Norse nations, although the smallest of that title, was the Grand Republic of Danmark. Since its creation, more trade had flowed north, as was the original intent for its creation. This had allowed for the northern kingdom to progress technologically. Up until now, the central islands had been controlled by thy Fylkirs, with that being changed to the Kingdom of Skotland, would this be enough of a temptation for the Prince Mayor to make a move?

Directly to the south of Norse lands was Duke Pelagio of Thuringia. Together with the Duke of Bourbon, he was the true Catholic power in the northern lands, it was his armies, rather than that of the so called King of the Germans. Between the two they had constantly held back the other Norse advances south by the other nations around Noregr. Endowed with a large physique and intelligence, the state of his grasp on reality left a lot to be desired in a ruler.

The newly crowned Duke Rainer of Bourbon controlled segment of the southern French lands, however his power was due to his almost complete control of the Frisian coast. Along with the aforementioned Duke of Thuringia, he was the major Catholic power in the area. This is where the similarities ended though, with the young Duke having neither the mental acumen or the hatred of the Norse.

Ruling from a castle on the banks of the Rhine was the King of Castille, Nicolas. With numerous holdings scattered across the lands of the French and the Iberian and Italian peninsulas, his was the most divided lands. This division extended to matters of faith, with the Catholic Pope having rejected the man from the rest of the faith. The real power in this realm was the Duchess of Luxemberg, controlling the majority of the land in the kingdom.

King of Lithuania and Poland was the man known as Vaisvilkas ‘the Young’. The now incorrectly named ruler was not long for the world, and with his death the two realms will divide. Ruler of the lands of the Romuvan faith, the boundaries of these gods did not extend far from its borders, and to the south, did not even reach that far.

Controlling a full third of the remaining Catholic lands on the main isle. The King of Hwicce was the main obstacle of the Great Reavings. It was his ancestors that had united the isles against the Great Norse Army. Their gift at rulership, it seemed, had not passed to him and he was generally seen as a poor ruler. The time would come where he would be tested like his forefathers, whether he would be able to stand amongst them as a defender of the Catholics would remain to be seen.

Internally, the lands swore allegiance to the Crown of Noergr were controlled directly by the Fylkir. Beneath him were the Jarls of Vestlandst to the south, Ostlandet to the south-east, Samaland to the east and Halsingland to the far east. Beyond that, on the isles was the Arch-Priest of Lothian and the Jarl of Northumberland, both of which would have to be released from the direct rule as per the council that determined the Great Reaving. Whether the house of af Glen Dochart would release their lands to the Jomsvikings would remain to be seen. Beyond this were the rulers of the small islands off the coast, however their power and influence were of no interest in the circles of rulers.