Crusader Kings Chronicles: Lords of the North, Chapter 1

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On the 7th of February, 869, Þórólfr's first son was born, named Ragnarr.

Some two months later, the raiding fleet finally arrived home with their ships loaded full of plunder. The chieftain saw his son for the first time, and called a great celebration to mark the good fortune the gods had granted to his house. There was much feasting, singing, and drinking... but as Þórólfr retired for the night, his mind returned to thoughts of vengeance on King Haraldr.

I've brought home enough gold to hire some mercenaries, but not for very long. My plans also have to change now that I'm a vassal of the Ynglings. I can still subjugate other rulers in Norway, but I won't be able to form a Duke-level title, since my liege is a Petty King (which is equivalent to a Duke). This means that I can't give away land to any vassal counts, as that would make them the same rank as me and release them from my service.

So until Haraldr forms Norway (making him a proper King), or I win a bid for independence, I'll have to rule over everything I conquer directly. This can be problematic, as having more direct holdings than my Stewardship skill can support means I won't be able to tax them efficiently, and my vassals will get annoyed with me for not spreading the wealth around.

For now, I'll continue to raid until I can support a mercenary army in the long-term. When my coffers are full and my armies mighty, the time to break free from Fairhair's fetters will come...

Return next week to see the continuing saga unfold!

Len Hafer
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.