Norgesveldet – A history of the Norwegian kings

[Nikolai]

Thordr I
(1046-1067)

Thordr I’s reign was apart from his many wars, pretty uneventful. He did however finally reinstate feudalism in the Norwegian realm. His reign in the end lives in the shadow of his impressive son and heir.


Family
Thordr was married to Sunniva, reknowned in her time as one of Europe’s big beauties. Together, they had four children, among them one son, who would later succeed his father:
Alfridr
Alvör
Halla
Ragnarr


His reign
Soon after Thordr’s takeover, Sigurd, serving no need for his captors, was freed. Thordr decided his brother is too much of a threat and plotted to kill him, but before his plot could be set in motion, it was discovered that Sigurd was plotting the same to him. This gave Thordr the excuse he needed to imprison his brother and remove him as a threat.


In 1049 the first of many wars were initiated by Thordr. He declared war on the much weakened Suomi for the control of the county of Länsipohja, and the Finnish realm stood no chance. Not the one to rest on his laurels, Thordr then in 1052 declared holy war on Uppland for the control of the duchy of Uppland. This war proved to be a long one, as Uppland gave stiff resistance and their lands was discovered to have been greatly fortified over the last few years. In 1057 the war was won however, and when the beaten petty king died the year after, Thordr assembled his host and declared renewed war, this time for the duch of Östergötland. The lands and armies of Uppland already weakened; this war was over in merely a few months.


Following this war, Thordr gave his armies a well-deserved rest and worked on finalizing his administrative reform, formally reinstituting feudalism in 1060. A warrior at heart, four years later he again declared war on Suomi and the Suomi rebels for control of the province of Hälsingland and Lappi, respectively. In 1067 both wars were decisively won, but Thordr, being old, infirm and bedridden at this point, had no involvement in the doings of the war, nor peace. Later that same year, he died in his bed, making his only son Ragnarr king at the age of 15.



The state of Norgesveldet at the ascension of Ragnarr I.


Aftermath
With his wars, Thordr I greatly enlarged Norway’s territory, and his reinstatement of feudalism would prove to be final. His most important legacy would prove to be his son and heir Ragnarr I, however, one of the great kings of medieval Norway.

[Nikolai]

Ragnarr I the Cruel
(1067-1116)

Under Ragnarr I a second golden age for Norgesveldet began, the first being the rise under Haraldr I Fairhair. With the extent of the empire growing and the economy booming, Ragnarr is considered one of the really big Norwegian kings.


Family
Ragnarr was married to Leontia, with whom he had four children. He would be succeeded by one of his grandsons. The children were as follows:
Glodr
Sigrid
Ã…ke
Sofia


His reign
After a consolidation period, stabilizing the realm and taking charge of government after a brief regency, Ragnarr I declared holy war on Uppland for the control of Småland. This was the last lands held by the heathen in Sweden, and when the war was won a year later, the only parts of Sweden not under Norwegian control, was the small holdings of Sweden in the south east.


During the war, a charismatic preacher turned Helsingland to the Lollard heresy and shortly after rebelled. The rebels stood no chance however, and lost to the armies of the king mere monhs later.


The next few years were spent improving the royal demesne and increasing the throne’s powers, by increasing crown authority. The improving of the royal demesne would be a focus on the king through all his reign, greatly improving the economic and military power base of the kingdom.


In 1072, a second Lollard uprising happened, only to be quelled within months. After the rebellion had been taken care of, Ragnarr declared war on the duke of Sjælland for the control of the county of Sjælland, and the war proved easy for the Norwegian armies.


The next few years were realitively quiet, Ragnarr continuing the build-up of the royal demesne. A royal claimant assembling a host died tragically when a lone bowman shot an arrow to his knee and neck, and in 1080 two rebellions happened. One was another Suomonesko revolt, which was quelled the year after. The other was a peasant rebellion that was over fast, as its leader was captured in the first battle between the peasants and the Norwegian army.


The same year the Suomonesko rebellion was quelled, another piece of Denmark was acquired, when the duke of Sjælland was again declared war on, this time for the control of the county of Fyn. In 1085 total control of Denmark was achieved, when the count and duke of Jylland, both independent, was declared war on, and soon both nobles surrendered.


Soon after Denmark was secured, Ragnarr declared a holy war on Sakakunta, the now independent rebels of Suomi, for the control of the duchy of Sakakunta. No lands were acquired however, as on the verge of victory; the chief of Satakunta declared his intent to convert to Catholisism and the war ended with his baptism.


In 1092, the king’s bastard nephew assembled a host with the intent of taking over Norway. With his new found power due to the buildup of his demesne and strengthening of the crown authority, Ragnarr had no problem setting an end to the rebellion within short time however, and little over a year later, the nephew was forced to bend the knee.


In 1095, both the Norse pagans of Orknö and the Suomonesko pagans of eastern Sweden rebelled, but within months both rebellions were crushed. Following the war, Ragnarr continued his buildup, until in 1001, another holy war, this time for Kola, was declared on the last big stronghold of Suomonesko paganism in Finland. Within months, also this war was won.


In 1103, disaster struck the king, when after years of pain after being maimed in an accident as a child, the king’s sole son and heir dies of complications. The king’s underage grandson Sveinn was now the new heir.


The next few years, Ragnarr intensified his buildup of the country, founding the city of Kinsarvik in western Norway and a new castle in western Sweden. In 1115, Ragnarr’s last was was declared, when he claimed a de jure claim war on Suomi for the province of Kola. With this war won, the Suomi, once the masters of Finland, only owned one province, way down in the Baltics. Shortly after this war was concluded, Ragnarr I died peacefully in his sleep, an old man with an impressive list of accomplishments behind him.



The realm of Norway at the death of Ragnarr I.


Aftermath
Ragnarr I is remembered as a mighty king, one of the major ones to rule Norway during the Middle Ages. Why he got the nickname of “the Cruel” is lost to history however, the nickname is found several sources, but no explanation is made to why he was known as this. His expansions were big, but the lasting and most important legacy was his improvement of the Norwegian economy. Sources show that the economy under his reign increased more than six fold, giving him and his successors a much needed economic base to project power with.

[Nikolai]

Sveinn I the Fat
(1116-1146)

Sveinn I was a consolidator, who also did his share of expansion. His marriage to a Byzantine princess helped him secure his position internationally, while his skill at administration meant much for the state of the realm after he died.


Family
Sveinn was married the the sister of the Byzantine Emperor in power under most of his reign, Sofia. Together they got four children, one of which would follow him on the throne. A curious fact is his two daughters were named the same:
Karin
Karin
Øysteinn
Ã…ke


His reign
The first two years of Sveinn’s reign was spent consolidating, creating dukes where his predecessors mostly had ruled over counts. This reorganizing was at its height in the early years of his reign, but would continue all the way through it.


In 1118, Sveinn made his first offensive war, securing Bornholm from the pagan chief of Weligrad. This war was to last for two years of mostly sieges, but the one battle that happened severly wounded him, and in the aftermath he was seen wandering around camp, speaking and hissing in weird tongues against invisible foes. This irrational behaviour would follow him to his grave. Modern historians speculate that he suffered from mental illness, but the contemporaries of his were sure he was possessed. Whatever the reason, the wound was healed a year after the war was concluded, but his mental problems would never quite disappear. In 1124, the king was involved in an accident, severing his hand, but while being one handed for the rest of his life, he survived without any further complications.


The same year, he declared war on Satakunta for the control of the duchy of Satakunta. With his victory in 1126, he was in control of almost all of Finland, and his prestige soared, giving him the opportunity to rise the crown authority, and ultimately reinstate succession by primogeniture in 1130. At this time another Suomonesko revolt happened, but it was quelled within months, his armies well organized and large much thanks to the reforms and development made by his father.


The same year primogeniture was reinstated; Sveinn also let himself be crowned as king of Denmark. Immediately after getting crowned, another war was declared on Sweden, and shortly later on the Swedish rebels, continuing the slowly absorption of Sweden into Norway. Both wars were won within a year.


1133 would see another Suomonesko revolt happen, and then quickly being quelled, and in 1134 the king almost died when he got pneumonia. He didn’t recover before the year thereafter. He then quickly went back to the quest to unite Scandinavia, declaring war on Suomi for the county of Suomi. The war was won within a year.


Having all but united Scandinavia under the Norwegian crown, Sveinn set his eyes on his neighbour in Russia. Gardariki was suffering under a civil war, and calling in his brother in law in Byzantium, he declared holy war on the reformed Slavic kingdom for the duchy of Pskov.


At the same time the second crusade for Jerusalem was declared. The first crusade was a disaster, but the second actually succeeded in securing the Levant for Christianity, and the kingdom was handed into the care of the Knights Hospitaller in 1141. The new kingdom would survive for a few decades before being reclaimed by the resurgent forces of Islam.


In 1142, the holy war against Gardariki was won, and Sveinn returned his focus on Sweden, attacking for the control of the county of Gotland. The war was quickly won. Then disaster struck, as some of his vassals declared war to enforce a lowered crown authority. The king led his forces against the rebels, and during the heat of the battle he and his guard was lost in a pocket, slain to the last man. The reign of the tragic figure of Øysteinn I was at hand.



The state of Norgesveldet at the death of Sveinn I the Fat.


Aftermath
Sveinn I is remembered as a solid king who greatly reorganized the realm to the benefit of his successors. His erratic behaviour makes modern historians suspect he had mental issues to deal with, issues that would seemingly be inherited in a different way by his son and successor. His accomplishments were definite however, and he is generally seen as a good king.

[N35t0r]

Wow, look at that England!

[Nikolai]

Yeah, it's a mess. *Someone* needs to get over there and fix it.

[Nikolai]

Øystein I
(1146-1154)

The reign of Øystein I was a short one. The king was a tragic figure who continued on his father’s consolidation efforts and accomplished the unification of Scandinavia in all but name, but was cut short by his own inner demons.


Family
Øystein I was married to Aino, a woman history know little of, and had three children, one of which would succeed him:
Sveinn
Gudrrun
Sturla


His reign
Øystein I inherited his father’s war against the rebels who demanded reduced crown authority. He started his reign by assembling his host, but had to crush a peasant revolt in the heart of Norway before he finally succeeded in getting the nobles to bend the knee and recant their demands.


The same year, in 1148, he went to war against Sweden, demanding Öland, their last holding. The war was won within months, and the kingdom of Sweden was officially abolished. A few weeks later, however, Øystein assembled his Swedish nobles and officially reformed the kingdom, this time under agnatic primogeniture inheritance, like his other kingdoms.


It was at this time that the king’s inner demons, perhaps a result of weak psyche inherited from his father, came to light. Øystein became severly depressed, feeling he could never manage to fill the shoes of his great predecessors. He also felt deeply sinful, and it was reported he followed the time period’s flagellants in whipping his sins away, until his back was bare and blood flowed from his wounds. The king asked his holiness the Pope for absolution for his sins, which was granted, but he still felt unworthy and sinful. As a result, in 1050 he donated 300 gold bullions to the Knights Templars, to further the work of God they were doing.


The same year he created the kingdom of Suomi. The Norwegian kingdom now encompassed all of Scandinavia except a couple provinces, and the king was monarch of four kingdoms. Around in Europe, people were speaking impressed about the might of Norgesveldet and some even suggested the pope should crown the king as emperor of the North. Before this could be done, however, the king was found dead in his quarters, much pointing to a suicide. The king departed the world in 1154, succeeded by his oldest son and heir, Sveinn II.



Norgesveldet at the end of Øystein’s short reign.


Aftermath
Øystein I is regarded as a tragic figure by modern historians. Accomplishing a lot in his short reign, and showing much promise during his time in power, he is ultimately remembered for his mental instability and squandering of said promise.

[Nikolai]

Sveinn II of Norway
(1154-1172)
Sveinn I of Scandinavia
(1160-1172)

Sveinn II’s reign saw the proclamation of the Scandinavian Empire, and a switch in focus for the realm.


Family
Sveinn was married to the German princess Hildeburg, the daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor. Together they had two children, one of which would inherit the Empire:
Hafrid
Gudrfridr


His reign
Where his predecessors had built an Empire in Scandinavia, in the process losing most of their overseas possessions on the British Isles, Sveinn turned his focus back towards these lost lands. His first action as king was to send his chancellor to Britain to underscore his rightful claim to the lands in the west. His second action was to begin a massive upgrade of his royal retinue, more than tripling the size of his standing army. At the end of the buildup, it was a huge army in itself, constituting about a third of the total Norwegian forces available. This was not cheap, but his father had left a big treasury, and by banishing imprisoned rebel leaders and ransoming captured nobles, his treasury swelled.


In 1156, Sveinn declared war on the duchy of Gwrturio for the province of Catnys in Northern Scotland. During this was, the negative legacy of his father and grandfather haunted the king, as he fell down in a deep depression, afraid of not living up to his forefather’s greatness. When the war was won a year later however, he got out of the negative loop and regained confidence in his own abilities.


Not long after, he declared holy war on the last Suomonesko ruler in Scandinavia, finally uniting the peninsula under the total control of Norgesveldet. The war was won within months. Having united all of Scandinavia and beyond, on 27th July 1160 the Scandinavian Empire was proclaimed, the pope arriving in the capital and personally crowning the king as Emperor of Scandinavia. Sveinn’s prestige soared as a result and dignitaries from all over Europe arrived to witness the occation.


Sveinn’s time in the sun however was cut short by a massive peasant revolt and his contraction of the Great Pox, today known as syphilis. The rebellion was short-lived, as the rebel leader luckily was captured in the first battle. But the Pox was to plague the Emperor for the rest of his life.


In 1163, documents was found that proved that Sveinn had a right to rule the county of Northumberland, and was was quickly declared to press this claim. The local ruler was chanceless in the war against the might of Scandinavia, and surrendered when his castle was captured a year later. Sveinn celebrated this by building a new and mighty castle in his Swedish province of Uppland, and visiting his wife. This last encounter resulted in a healthy boy and heir nine months later.


In 1167, Kettilmund, a distant kinsman, assembled a host, claiming the kingdom of Svithjod for himself. Against the might of Scandinavia, he was chanceless however, and was forced to bend the knee merely a year later. Immidiately after, Sveinn declared war to claim the county of Jorvik, which he had discovered he had a claim to through family ties dating a long time back. The war ended with total victory two years later. This would prove to be his last hurrah, as the Great Pox finally claimed his life in 1172. The Empire of Scandinavia’s future now rested on a five year old babe.



The Scandinavian Empire at the start of five year old Gudrfridr I’s reign.


Aftermath
Sveinn II of Norway and first Emperor of the Scandinavian Empire is remembered with pride by modern Norwegians. His reign marked a turning point in the history of Norgesveldet, seeing the focus moved from the East towards the divided island of Britain in the West. He is in the however in the end overshadowed by his son Gudrfridr I in many regards.

[C0ckney]

good going, i don't think the british isles stand much chance.

[Nikolai]

No, you are right there...

[Nikolai]

Gudrfridr I the Young
(1172-1213)

The reign of Gudrfridr I started out bad, with land lost, money thin and shaky stability. However, his adult reign ended up being a time of great success and expansion for the Scandinavian realm and won him great fame.


Family
Gudrfridr I was married to the Irish princess Selbalith, an alliance that proved to be of great importance in his reign. Together, they had five children, the oldest which would inherit the throne:
Klas
Ingibjørg
Nils
Sigrid
Elisabet


He also sired one bastard:
Arni


His reign
The first three years of his regency, the regency council of Scandinavia wisely let the realm stabilize and have peace. However, in 1175, the regent got greedy and declared holy war on the small heathen realm of Obotritia in Northern Germany. The armies they mustered proved to be bigger than anticipiated, and well led, and the heathen army was beated at a great cost of men.


In the middle of this war, the duke of Brunswick, Holstein, Köln, Saxony and Brandenburg, easily the most powerful force in the HRE except the Emperor himself, declared war for the control of the county of Slesvig in southern Denmark. Suddenly sandwitched between an army four times their size, and a heathen army of equal size, most of the Scandinavian host fell in the bloody battles that ensued on the coast of Germany. Hastily, peace was signed with both parties, a white peace with the heathens, whose land was already partially occupied, and a peace signing over Slesvig to the Germans.


The realm’s army decimated, the throne was in danger and the regent quickly sent most of the realm’s treasury to the nobles, securing their loyalty to the crown. He also forced through a lowering of the crown authority to appease the restless nobles. Shortly after it was discovered that he had also been embezzling money for himself, but the young Emperor was powerless to do anything. A big peasant revolt happened in these troubled times, but luckily the realm’s armies had replenished enough to quell it within a year.


In 1183, the regency was over, and the young Emperor did not waste time, declaring his intent to continue his father’s incursion into the British Isles. A war was declared on Northumberland for the county of Dunholm, and at the same time Jorvik got a war declaration for the county of Lincoln. Within two years, both wars were won decisively. The next year, the kingdom of Alba was attacked, the prize being the county of Ros. Two years later, all of Alba was under the Emperor’s control, and peace was made, enlarging the realm yet again.


Not a year later, the chancellor reported he had dug up evidence that the petty kingdom of Mercia was rightfully Scandinavian, and the Emperor immediately sent his armies toward the small kingdom. However, this war would last longer than the others, as the Irish prince AmlaÃb assembled a host and attacked the Empire at this point for the control of all the Scandinavian kingdoms, which he had a claim to through his mother. The invasion was repelled a year later, but this meant focus had to be removed from Mercia, which ravaged the English country side while this invasion was repelled. Afterwards however, they didn’t stand a chance, and in 1192, Mercia was incorporated into the Scandinavian Empire.


After this war, Gudrfridr let the realm rest, building a new city, named Gudrfridholm, in the province of Jorvik. In 1197 however, he again went to war, this time for the province of Djuraby on the Scottish-Irish-Scandinavian border, owned by the small county of Djuraby. The war was quickly won, and Gudrfridr sent his armies onwards towards Cumberland and Worchester, for the control of the two independent counties. These wars were quickly won.


His armies seeming invincible, the Emperor then sent his armies towards the petty kingdom of Hwicce, which his chancellor had recently discovered the Scandinavians had a rightful claim to. The war was won three years later. At this point, the Emperor was visited in court by a distant relative. This relative told the Emperor he had a claim on the kingdom of Lithuania, and promised to swear fealthy if the Scandinavian armies would press his claim. The Emperor was all too happy for this opportunity, and less than two year later the kinsman was the new king of Lithuania. However, when civil war inside the new won kingdom ensued, the Emperor flatly told the relative that he had got what he was promised and now he had to prove his worth, or lose the kingdom to the pretender. All the Emperor cared for was that whoever was king, swore fealthy to him. A few months later, a new king was installed, and the kinsman was a lowly count.


While this civil war raged inside his realm in the east, the Emperor turned his focus back to Britain. The Welsh king of Brythonaiaid was forced to cede the duchy of Powys, but he hid behind impressive walls and it took half a decade to force him to surrender. In the meantime, no less than two major peasant revolts forced the Emperor to divert forces to the mainland.


In the middle of the war with the Welsh, luck struck, as the jarl of Hwicce inherited the jarldom of Kent, peacefully incorporating it into Scandinavia. This was not only a welcome thing however, as the jarl now controlled a lot of wealthy land, making him the most powerful vassal in the Empire spare the king of Lithuania.


As soon as the war with the Welsh was over, the Emperor, hungry for glory as always, declared war on the kingdom of Alba for the control of the province of Innse Gall. The war was quckly won. The last three years of his reign was peaceful however, now focusing on rebuilding lost strength. Of note in the greater sphere of politics in Christian Europe, in 1213 the kingdom of Jerusalem, which had been won by the Knights Hospitallers and then lost again decades before, was regained in a new Crusade. The Knight Hospitallers were again given the kingdom to rule in the name of Christ. Weeks after these news arrived, the king fell gravely ill, and after a few months of agony, died of the complications. Sources do not tell which disease the Emperor died of, but his son and heir quickly assumed power. A reign of excellence was over, and the heir was eager to prove his worth.



The realm at the time of Emperor Gudrfridr I’s death.


Aftermath
The reign of Gudrfridr I was celebrated by his contemporaries, as well as modern Scandinavians. He is regarded as one of the most important men of his time, and one of the greatest rulers of Norgesveldet. His heir had a lot to live up to, and as history showed, this he was not able to do.

[Nikolai]

Klas I
(1213-1217)

The reign of Klas I was short and troubled. Outside civil war and rebellions, nothing of worth happened.


Family
Klas I was married to the Byzantine duchess Riciberga of Achaia, something that would eventually result in Scandinavia getting a nominal vassal in the Mediterranean. Together, they had four children, two of which would eventually become Emperor:
Asa
Gudrrun
Niklas
Sigurdrr


His reign
Klas I’s reign started with a demand by his Finnish, English, southern Swedish and Icelandic vassals for independence. Not willing to give them this, and thereby losing half his Empire, the Emperor met the rebels in the field. In the middle of the rebellion, a peasant revolt also happened. The Emperor’s forces and the rebels’ were close to equal, and the pushback was slow, so the civil war dragged out and eventually wouldn’t end before he was cold in the earth for two whole years.


During this time, the first rumors of what would later haunt the Middle East and Europe, began circulating. The Khan of Khans was rumoured to assemble a huge host, bent on subjugating the world. For the time being, this was of no concern for Klas however. He met the rebels yet again in 1216, and the battle went his way for a long time. Then he found himself cornered, and a rebel jarl cut deeply into his left leg. The Emperor was rushed off the battle field, almost bleeding to death, but he recovered enough to linger on for another year before succumbing to his wounds some months later. Before he died, he ordered a white peace with the peasant rebels and got his loyal vassals to swear they would secure his nine year old son’s throne after he was gone.

The realm at the unfortunate early death of Klas I.


Aftermath
The short reign of Klas I saw little change in the realm of Scandinavia. His reign was dominated by civil strife, and only luck saw no territorial losses to outside forces. The Emperor is not really remembered outside historical circles.

[Nikolai]

Niklas I the Hammer
(1217-1230)

The rather short reign of Niklas I was a time of struggles for the Scandinavian Empire. It started badly, but in the end saw large territorial gains for the Empire.


Family
Niklas I was married to princess Aragonte of the Byzantine Empire, the sister of the reigning Basileus. Together they got one child, who by the nature of her gender was denied inheritance:
Elisabeth


His reign
The beginning of Niklas’ reign was a troubled one. The realm’s finances were in a dire shape, and while his forces were advancing on the rebels, it happened at a slow pace. The same year he took over the Empire, news arrived of the Mongols of the Ilkhanate arriving, quickly gobbling up most of Persia and threatening his allies in the Byzantine Empire. The immediate threats were closer however.


In 1218 the Slavic High Priest declared a Great Holy War for the kingdom of Lithuania. The kings of Europe, and soon also the Holy Roman Emperor, declared their intent to come to the rescue, but as the regent saw Lithuania being swarmed by infidels, he decided to sign a white peace with the noble rebels. The rebels were allowed to return to their lands, and obligated to raise their armies in defence of the eastern parts of the Empire. To placate them, the regent a few months later forced through a lowering of the crown authority of the Empire.


As the Great Holy War was fought, the peasants in Finland decided to raise their flag in rebellion, but when the Great Holy War was finally repelled a year later, they quickly got crushed by the returning armies of the Empire. Not long after the Emperor came of age, and wishing to prove himself, he quickly pressed his claim to the province of Moray in northern Scotland. The kingdom of Scotland was unable to withstand his battle hardened armies, and gave up the province less than a year later.


A couple months later, however, war was renewed. The old king of Scotland died, and a claimant to the throne arrived in the Emperor’s court, offering fealty if the Emperor installed him as king. Quickly landing the man in a county in England, the Emperor declared war on the new Scottish king. For a few months, the campaign was delayed as a huge peasant revolt happened in England, but after the peasants were beaten, the king of Scotland was unable to withstand the Empire. Renamed Skotland in honor of the Empire’s Norse roots, the northern parts of the British Isles were incorporated into the greater Scandinavian Empire.


Not a man to rest on his laurels, Niklas went to war with the Welsh kingdom of Brythoniaid, to press the claim of his vassal Ranald. Again the English peasants rose in rebellion, but the armies of Niklas quickly beat both them and the small army the Welsh could muster. In 1227 the kingdom, now renamed Wales, was claimed for Scandinavia.


His territorial appetite in Britain satisfied for now, the Emperor turned his attention to the heathen lands of the Slavic faith. Declaring a holy war for the jarldom of Livonia, the Empire again went to war. This was a war the young Emperor would not see the end of, however. Catching a cold that quickly got worse, the king lingered in his bed for a week, before succumbing to the sickness. His brother was now the new Emperor.

The realm at the ascension of Sigurdrr I the Bold.


Aftermath
Emperor Niklas I got his nickname the Hammer for his lightning campaigns, greatly enlarging the realm he inherited. His reign was short, much shorter than his successor’s, but his accomplishments means he earned a legacy as one of the great what if Emperors of the Medieval time.

[Bereta_Eder]

I didnt know there were marriages between scandinavia and the byzantine empire!
Nice stories Nikolai
(And the peasants sure are rebelious )

[Nikolai]

I actually have married into the Byzantine ruler family for some time. Whenever the opportunity arises. It saved me in one of the earlier eastern wars. And yeah, tell me about it. Peasants really are revolting.

[Dinner]

You know, if you wait about 30 years the recent conquest revolt penalty goes away.