Crusader Kings Chronicles: Lords of the North, Chapter 1

On his way home with his new bride, Þórólfr stopped at the various holds along the fjords to meet with their chieftains. Word came to him that raiding was good at the mouth of the Daugava River, where weak tribes of Balts left their loot poorly protected.

The chieftain brought this news to his home, where some 317 loyal men stood ready to set sail with him for riches and glory. Axes were sharpened, and ships readied. Þórólfr meant to make a name for himself among the great Vikings of legend.

I've taken the ambition “Become King of Norway,” which allows me to declare war on and subjugate other chieftains in the realm with impunity... as long as I have the strength to back it up. Since Nordland is so poor, however, I don't have the manpower to best any of my neighbors in a stand-up fight. I'll need mercenaries, which means I'll need gold.

And I aim to make this gold the Viking way: raiding the coasts of Europe. Some research has revealed that the Baltic tribe of the Lettigallians are a prime target, with few men to their name and a chieftain that doesn't know his head from his handaxe on the battlefield. I, on the other hand, am a very skilled commander.

Contributor

Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.

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