The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR. Chapter 6: The Boy-King (Part 2)

As stated before, fate can be a fickle friend. In the first part of the life of Fylkir Starkadr, he had been brought low by the defeat of the Great Norse Army at the hands of the Christians. Dejected and defeated, the Great Reaving had been halted and the growth of the Norse lands stopped. But fate can change for the good as quickly as it had turned for the worse, and out of defeat can come the seeds of victory.

He who use to be called the boy-king was no longer a child. Years of war with the Catholics over the highlands of Skotland had hardened him into a vicious warrior. His rough life had not hardened him towards those that were in his care however, and he was known as a wise and kind ruler. The loss of his son however had put a scar in his soul, and he was prone to angry outbursts over the failures of men, and a sceptical outlook upon the gods themselves. [This is actually a screenshot from a couple of months after the start, as I had forgotten to get one earlier, which may make the next slide a little confusing].

After returning to the court, the Fylkir shared what he had learned from his time alone in the mountains. They had fallen because they had failed to fully convert the highlands before proceeding to the lowlands of the main isle. Leaving the heretics in their mist had weakened their push south, giving them an area to rally behind the main front and dividing the attention of the generals. Therefore, this had to be resolved before they would be able to remount the offensive.

As if to counteract the Fylkirs proclamation, news reached the Germanic kingdoms of a new order of Catholics. Although they claimed to be guardians of the pilgrims in the contested lands considered holy by the Christians and Muslims alike, there was no doubt amongst the Norse that they would be found on the battlefield against the Northmen.

A minor illness had swept through the lands, and the number of people at the hospital in the capital has increased. With the supplies stretched thin, the Crown assisted the Jomsvikings in the discharge of their other sacred duty. Initially not declaring where the aid had come from, it was eventually known by all that Fylkir Starkadr had been involved.

(Source: https://dinosaurcowboys.com/2016/01/11/)
Fylkir set about the task of slowly expanding the realms borders, not in grand sweeping demands for territories in the name of the gods but one holding at a time, slowly creeping the border forward. Every now and then the Catholics would start to draw together, but the Fylkir would wait and eventually their talks of another grand alliance would die down and the borders would be pushed again.

During these battles the Fylkir lead from the front, often leaving the armies behind as he advanced forward seeking new foes to destroy. Such reckless abandon would have surely lead to his early death but those that fought alongsfide reported a figure who was untouchable to the weapons of his enemies. No blow could reach the Fylkir and it seemed to all that it was more than armour or shield that protected him.

With the final part of the highlands captured, Fylkir Starkadr named himself King of all highland Skots. The creation of the title was for more than just the ego of a ruler however. The laws of his fathers demanded that they Fylkir divide his lands amongst every male child, and with three sons and three crowns, the lands would be divided between each. Documenting the divisions of his lands and how each son was to undertake the holy mission given to them, they Fylkir hoped that his house would grow more powerful, and that his sons would remain focused on external foes rather than internal machinations.

The need for this was simple, the Fylkir was a sick man. Although many spoke of a divine protection from his foes, there was no such reprieve from the infections that plagued him. Once a hansome man, the great pox that had overtaken him had riddled his body and tested his mind reduced him to a shadow of his former self. Help was sought from every physician and Godi, but none could heal him.

Perhaps it was through the fear of losing him, or maybe at how the lands were divided between him and his siblings, but court records from the time reported a rift between the eldest son and father. Where once they had been close, more and more often courtiers reported arguing between the two. This would be a habit that would repeat with the other sons as well.

As his rule neared its end, the Fylkir approached his goal, the whole of the Skotish highlands had been incorporated into the Crown of Skotland, to be inherited by his second son. In the lowlands, only one castle held out against total victory there, which by rights of the original Council of the Great Reaving, had declared that would go to the Archpriest. Progress had also been made towards the capture of the lands for the Jomsvikings, although the merchants to the north claimed one of these coastal cities as their own.

So close to seeing his quest completed, Fylkir Starkadr succumbed to an infection caused by one of the few strikes to make it past his guard. As he laid dying, the realm which had never stood as large and united as it had now, looked to fracture between three brothers. Would they be able to put aside their petty squabbles and unite to force the world to become as they saw fit? Or would their petty feuds allow their enemies to strike back against them.