Caradog had a glorious but sad end ,reminds me of the quote : with great power ,great responsibility should come along.Lets hope Grygor has not such a bitter and haunted reign
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Most of Grygor's traits are from the base game, although they might have changed visually a bit. Going from left to right:
Tough Soldier, Lover's Pox (a slightly less debilitating version of Great Pox), Deceitful, Brave, Diligent, Humble and Lustful.
The latter definitely explains the pox, seduction focus and the two bastards for sure.
Ah, thanks. Lover's pox was the one I was uncertain of. Don't think I've ever had that come up before.
Another thing of note regarding the appendix, there's a rebellion in Guendoleu in the screenshots I took. That happened as when I went back to an earlier save to take them (being about 20 years ahead or so), I only had a save from just BEFORE Caradog's suicide. As soon as I hit unpause to get that out of the way to do the screenshots, a peasant rebellion immediately happened as Grygor became king.
So to quote Jonathan Frakes: "It never happened."
So to quote Jonathan Frakes: "It never happened."
I think it was added when they revamped the way diseases worked in Reaper's Due but that's just off the top of my head.
Crikey, looking back on his life it seems quite clear that fate did not like Caradog one bit.
A sad end for a noble ruler. Sorry to see Caradog go out like that, but it seemed like it was his time.
From left to right after his education trait it seems to be; Lover's Pox, Deceitful, Brave, Diligent, Humble, and Lustful. Not a bad selection overall, but I may have misidentified one or two!
From left to right after his education trait it seems to be; Lover's Pox, Deceitful, Brave, Diligent, Humble, and Lustful. Not a bad selection overall, but I may have misidentified one or two!
Oh undoubtedly so. I think in his heart, Caradog never wanted to be king. He grew into it eventually to be sure, but with all the sorrows that happened, he would have much preferred a simple life.
Well written. Sad other half of life for Ol´Caradog. Fitting end! Collapsing close family, really!
Long live Gryger "The undefeatable"!
(Did he just lose the Tribal Kinslayer when inheriting a feudal title or you think he has paid the pope to get rid of it? )
Long live Gryger "The undefeatable"!
(Did he just lose the Tribal Kinslayer when inheriting a feudal title or you think he has paid the pope to get rid of it? )
Storywise, I'll refer to that off-handedly in the next chapter. In regards to the game itself? I have no idea. Either it wiped because Grygor went from tribal courtier to feudal duke or whilst he was still in Powys, he had the event where the pope offers to absolve the kinslaying.
Chapter IX - Revolving Revolters (834-838)
Chapter IX – Revolving Revolters (834-838)
A recording of a history lecture of the early years of the reign of Grygor I, held at Eidyn University in the year 1987 by Professor A. Powell.
So, I'm sure that a few of you are wondering why exactly we are spending an entire lecture on the first four years of the reign of Grygor I in the part of the curriculum that focuses on early Medieval Feudalism. It's a very good question, but I will leave answering it until the very end.
Now then, Grygor I succeeded his father in Alcluith following the latter's death in 834, although he had already ruled his mother's domain in Powys for three years at this point. Early records speak of him as a courageous, hard-working and interestingly humble ruler given his exploits, especially after Pope Honorius II absolved him of his kinslaying. Although foreign correspondence in particular tended to warn dignitaries to ensure their wives and daughters remain at home due to his intense lust.
Outside of a few internal records, little is known of Grygor and Alt Clut the year 835, not for any fault or boon of his own doing at least. It is understandable, given that most if not all historical records of the end of the year speak solely of the collapse of the Hessing Fylkirate.
Since the sudden death of Dago the Fox a decade prior, his only son Hulderic had inherited the Fylkirate's vast domain. Through the work of his father and great grandfather Hesso, the boy Fylkir nominally ruled all Asatru from the southern Scandinavian Peninsula, down through Denmark and Saxony before stretching eastwards into Pomerania, Poland and Prussia.
That changed when Hulderic was found in his quarters one October morning, led in a pool of his own blood with a dagger in his gut. The murderer and their benefactors were never identified, but the effect was instant and the heirless Fylkirate shattered.
Southern Sweden declared independence, taking Prussia with them as Holmger Holming became their first king. Denmark followed suit as both the Danish and Norwegian Jarls swore fealty to Svend af Aarhus. Saxony itself was claimed by Floribert Theodericing, grandson of the Grand Chief that Hesso 'the Cruel' slew in 777, who also held on to the southern Pomeranian and Polish holdings. The Pomeranian coast however remained under the control of local slavic chieftains.
Now whilst that crisis dominated the mainland, King Grygor was faced with one of his own as Elisedd of Guendoleu raised his flag in rebellion in November.
One thing of note regarding what we now know as the "Son's Vengeance" is that no one scholar can agree on an exact cause. The prime reason for this is that both Grygor and Elisedd were plotting against one another, Grygor to kill the Chieftain for slaying his father and Elisedd to lay claim to Gododdin. Which plot was discovered first and by whom has been debated for centuries, but the general consensus for the aftermath is that Grygor ordered Elisedd's arrest only for the Chieftain to escape and rebel.
Whatever the cause, Grygor's reaction was swift. His army fell upon the eight hundred men mustering in Guendoleu, slaying almost a quarter before Elisedd was able to retreat. For all intents and purposes, as Grygor's men focused on capturing Elisedd's holdings, the rebellion looked to be over by Midsummer.
That of course changed in January when Cydifor, the Chieftain of Eppidant who was married to Elisedd's sister, pledged his men in defence of his brother-in-law.
Cydifor's treason had very nearly tipped the scales back into balance. Whilst Grygor still held the numerical advantage, that had waned to a mere two hundred as Eppidant and Guendoleu led a combined siege upon The Rock with twelve hundred men. Grygor led his army back northwest, forcing the rebels to engage them at Cydern Sant.
There was massive praise for Grygor's martial genius as his centre smashed through the rebel lines at Cydern Sant, capturing both chieftains and ending the war in one swoop. And that praise seemed to affirm that genius to Grygor himself, as a marked change came over him as from the Son's Vengeance onwards through the rest of his reign, Grygor is spoken of as intensely prideful. Not that he had no reason to be, the war was indeed won before Midsummer after all.
The punishment of the two rebels was also notable, as in spite of having very justifiable reasons to have both men executed, Elisedd especially, Grygor was remarkably merciful. Of course, the stripping all their titles followed by three days in the stocks and eternal banishment from the lands of Alt Clut does not seem very merciful by today's standards. It could be that Grygor wanted no more bloodshed, or that his newfound pride made him feel that he was above them. Either way, history has little to say of Elisedd and Cydifor after they left the border.
Although the banishment may have proven the final sign for one Ulfcytel of Carlisle. Ulfcytel was the son of an Anglian Housecarl, a landowner in Cumbria who had been using the distraction of the rebellion to rile up the peasantry. And he was very good at it, becoming the symbol of Anglian pride to the commonfolk and minor landholders alike in Carlisle.
When Grygor first heard that the peasantry were revolting on the first of May, he would have had little idea of how many they numbered. Early reports mentioned a mere thousand only for panicked messages from the de Inglewoods in Cumbria stating a number three times that. At any rate, the battle weary levies had barely begun to demobilize before the call came to muster again.
By June, the revolt had swelled to sixty five hundred strong. Grygor's own beleaguered men numbered a mere twenty five hundred by comparison, so he was left with few options but to call upon the alliances his father had established.
Of these, it seemed as though only Ui Maine would answer. Burgh, Carlisle and Penrith all fell to Ulfcytel's army. And as he marched on Guendoleu at the turn of December, Grygor met them at Mailrhosan.
Mailrhosan is recorded as more of a minor skirmish than an outright battle in the Chronicle, however the mention of the loss of eight hundred men before Grygor withdrew from the battlefield is more indicative of Grygor's descendents trying to save face in the wake of his long standing reputation.
Nonetheless, it was doubtlessly a poor sign of things to come. But Grygor's bad fortune began to reverse as his army returned to The Rock, where they were met with two thousand Franks. Theoderic IV had received a request for aid at the same time as Ui Maine. The Merovingian king was however, preoccupied during the summer as he oversaw an expansive construction project in the Frisian borderlands, but as the leaves began to fall, the Frankish levies were summoned.
While the king himself did not travel to Alt Clut, he had sent his finest commander. Count Autbert of Lyon, the Paragon Knight of French folklore. Now to debate the accuracy of the folk tales is another lecture, if not a different course entirely, so we will focus on the historical importance of the proto-knights of the 830s.
The Franks had long relied on mass infantry backed by an elite mounted force that rode to battle. However during most of the Early Medieval Period, -any- well equipped horseman was considered a knight. It was not until Autbert's time and the arrival of the stirrup in Western Europe that the image of the eponymous heavily armoured noble of the High Medieval Period began to take shape.
It was with two hundred heavy cavalry men that Autbert and Grygor formulated a plan to defeat Ulfcytel. Allow the revolting army to seperate and wear themselves down taking Guendoleu and Din Baer, wait for Ulfcytel to move on either Din Eidyn or Nofant and then engage them before reinforcements can arrive.
This was the plan for the Battle of Abercarnedd at least. Of course, the reinforcements were already enroute to aid Ulfcytel, but Grygor had planned for this too. As the centre began to struggle, the king ordered a retreat in the hope that the Anglian would take the bait.
It was fortunate that Ulfcytel charged after the seemingly fleeing Britons, as by the time Autbert's cavalry charged towards his unguarded right flank, it was too late to recover. The peasantry almost immediately panicked and fled, becoming easy sport for the horsemen. While Ulfcytel's more professional core held firm, Grygor's centre had aborted their retreat and quickly clashed with them. The day was won.
Twenty five hundred men were dead by the end of the day, but Ulfcytel was not among them. His personal guard had been cornered, quickly giving the rebel leader up to save themselves. A year after it begun, the revolt was well and truly over, as was Ulfcytel's life once he was drowned as punishment.
Peace returned to Grygor's kingdom, although Cumbria and Guendoleu had suffered greatly. At any rate, it was not until the following summer that the calm was once again disturbed.
Now, to go back to my question at the start of this lecture. Why are we focusing on Grygor I's early reign? How does this king factor so strongly into the beginning of the Feudal Age? The answer will be the subject of my next lecture, the Saxon Conquest of Overjssel and the early Castle.
A recording of a history lecture of the early years of the reign of Grygor I, held at Eidyn University in the year 1987 by Professor A. Powell.
So, I'm sure that a few of you are wondering why exactly we are spending an entire lecture on the first four years of the reign of Grygor I in the part of the curriculum that focuses on early Medieval Feudalism. It's a very good question, but I will leave answering it until the very end.
Now then, Grygor I succeeded his father in Alcluith following the latter's death in 834, although he had already ruled his mother's domain in Powys for three years at this point. Early records speak of him as a courageous, hard-working and interestingly humble ruler given his exploits, especially after Pope Honorius II absolved him of his kinslaying. Although foreign correspondence in particular tended to warn dignitaries to ensure their wives and daughters remain at home due to his intense lust.
Outside of a few internal records, little is known of Grygor and Alt Clut the year 835, not for any fault or boon of his own doing at least. It is understandable, given that most if not all historical records of the end of the year speak solely of the collapse of the Hessing Fylkirate.
Since the sudden death of Dago the Fox a decade prior, his only son Hulderic had inherited the Fylkirate's vast domain. Through the work of his father and great grandfather Hesso, the boy Fylkir nominally ruled all Asatru from the southern Scandinavian Peninsula, down through Denmark and Saxony before stretching eastwards into Pomerania, Poland and Prussia.
That changed when Hulderic was found in his quarters one October morning, led in a pool of his own blood with a dagger in his gut. The murderer and their benefactors were never identified, but the effect was instant and the heirless Fylkirate shattered.
Southern Sweden declared independence, taking Prussia with them as Holmger Holming became their first king. Denmark followed suit as both the Danish and Norwegian Jarls swore fealty to Svend af Aarhus. Saxony itself was claimed by Floribert Theodericing, grandson of the Grand Chief that Hesso 'the Cruel' slew in 777, who also held on to the southern Pomeranian and Polish holdings. The Pomeranian coast however remained under the control of local slavic chieftains.
Now whilst that crisis dominated the mainland, King Grygor was faced with one of his own as Elisedd of Guendoleu raised his flag in rebellion in November.
One thing of note regarding what we now know as the "Son's Vengeance" is that no one scholar can agree on an exact cause. The prime reason for this is that both Grygor and Elisedd were plotting against one another, Grygor to kill the Chieftain for slaying his father and Elisedd to lay claim to Gododdin. Which plot was discovered first and by whom has been debated for centuries, but the general consensus for the aftermath is that Grygor ordered Elisedd's arrest only for the Chieftain to escape and rebel.
Whatever the cause, Grygor's reaction was swift. His army fell upon the eight hundred men mustering in Guendoleu, slaying almost a quarter before Elisedd was able to retreat. For all intents and purposes, as Grygor's men focused on capturing Elisedd's holdings, the rebellion looked to be over by Midsummer.
That of course changed in January when Cydifor, the Chieftain of Eppidant who was married to Elisedd's sister, pledged his men in defence of his brother-in-law.
Cydifor's treason had very nearly tipped the scales back into balance. Whilst Grygor still held the numerical advantage, that had waned to a mere two hundred as Eppidant and Guendoleu led a combined siege upon The Rock with twelve hundred men. Grygor led his army back northwest, forcing the rebels to engage them at Cydern Sant.
There was massive praise for Grygor's martial genius as his centre smashed through the rebel lines at Cydern Sant, capturing both chieftains and ending the war in one swoop. And that praise seemed to affirm that genius to Grygor himself, as a marked change came over him as from the Son's Vengeance onwards through the rest of his reign, Grygor is spoken of as intensely prideful. Not that he had no reason to be, the war was indeed won before Midsummer after all.
The punishment of the two rebels was also notable, as in spite of having very justifiable reasons to have both men executed, Elisedd especially, Grygor was remarkably merciful. Of course, the stripping all their titles followed by three days in the stocks and eternal banishment from the lands of Alt Clut does not seem very merciful by today's standards. It could be that Grygor wanted no more bloodshed, or that his newfound pride made him feel that he was above them. Either way, history has little to say of Elisedd and Cydifor after they left the border.
Although the banishment may have proven the final sign for one Ulfcytel of Carlisle. Ulfcytel was the son of an Anglian Housecarl, a landowner in Cumbria who had been using the distraction of the rebellion to rile up the peasantry. And he was very good at it, becoming the symbol of Anglian pride to the commonfolk and minor landholders alike in Carlisle.
When Grygor first heard that the peasantry were revolting on the first of May, he would have had little idea of how many they numbered. Early reports mentioned a mere thousand only for panicked messages from the de Inglewoods in Cumbria stating a number three times that. At any rate, the battle weary levies had barely begun to demobilize before the call came to muster again.
By June, the revolt had swelled to sixty five hundred strong. Grygor's own beleaguered men numbered a mere twenty five hundred by comparison, so he was left with few options but to call upon the alliances his father had established.
Of these, it seemed as though only Ui Maine would answer. Burgh, Carlisle and Penrith all fell to Ulfcytel's army. And as he marched on Guendoleu at the turn of December, Grygor met them at Mailrhosan.
Mailrhosan is recorded as more of a minor skirmish than an outright battle in the Chronicle, however the mention of the loss of eight hundred men before Grygor withdrew from the battlefield is more indicative of Grygor's descendents trying to save face in the wake of his long standing reputation.
Nonetheless, it was doubtlessly a poor sign of things to come. But Grygor's bad fortune began to reverse as his army returned to The Rock, where they were met with two thousand Franks. Theoderic IV had received a request for aid at the same time as Ui Maine. The Merovingian king was however, preoccupied during the summer as he oversaw an expansive construction project in the Frisian borderlands, but as the leaves began to fall, the Frankish levies were summoned.
While the king himself did not travel to Alt Clut, he had sent his finest commander. Count Autbert of Lyon, the Paragon Knight of French folklore. Now to debate the accuracy of the folk tales is another lecture, if not a different course entirely, so we will focus on the historical importance of the proto-knights of the 830s.
The Franks had long relied on mass infantry backed by an elite mounted force that rode to battle. However during most of the Early Medieval Period, -any- well equipped horseman was considered a knight. It was not until Autbert's time and the arrival of the stirrup in Western Europe that the image of the eponymous heavily armoured noble of the High Medieval Period began to take shape.
It was with two hundred heavy cavalry men that Autbert and Grygor formulated a plan to defeat Ulfcytel. Allow the revolting army to seperate and wear themselves down taking Guendoleu and Din Baer, wait for Ulfcytel to move on either Din Eidyn or Nofant and then engage them before reinforcements can arrive.
This was the plan for the Battle of Abercarnedd at least. Of course, the reinforcements were already enroute to aid Ulfcytel, but Grygor had planned for this too. As the centre began to struggle, the king ordered a retreat in the hope that the Anglian would take the bait.
It was fortunate that Ulfcytel charged after the seemingly fleeing Britons, as by the time Autbert's cavalry charged towards his unguarded right flank, it was too late to recover. The peasantry almost immediately panicked and fled, becoming easy sport for the horsemen. While Ulfcytel's more professional core held firm, Grygor's centre had aborted their retreat and quickly clashed with them. The day was won.
Twenty five hundred men were dead by the end of the day, but Ulfcytel was not among them. His personal guard had been cornered, quickly giving the rebel leader up to save themselves. A year after it begun, the revolt was well and truly over, as was Ulfcytel's life once he was drowned as punishment.
Peace returned to Grygor's kingdom, although Cumbria and Guendoleu had suffered greatly. At any rate, it was not until the following summer that the calm was once again disturbed.
Now, to go back to my question at the start of this lecture. Why are we focusing on Grygor I's early reign? How does this king factor so strongly into the beginning of the Feudal Age? The answer will be the subject of my next lecture, the Saxon Conquest of Overjssel and the early Castle.
A tantalising note on which to end the update for sure. Intrigued to see how exactly Grygor’s early reign comes to bear upon his age.
So I had the great fortune of having my computer completely die on me a few weeks ago, which erased the 100 years worth of gameplay I had gone through since the last chapter. I was very nearly about to cancel the AAR, but I managed to get onto my steam account and find a cloud save from 40 years ahead of the story. I also remembered that I backed up the screenshots to very nearly at this save, so luckily I can actually keep this train going.
I'm borrowing a laptop until I can buy a decent computer at the end of the month, so I'm going to work through the material I have until then (roughly 8-9 chapters worth). Chapter 10 is finished bar the screenshots I need to edit and 11-13 are in the process of being written.
The former should be up tomorrow, hope you'll enjoy.
I'm borrowing a laptop until I can buy a decent computer at the end of the month, so I'm going to work through the material I have until then (roughly 8-9 chapters worth). Chapter 10 is finished bar the screenshots I need to edit and 11-13 are in the process of being written.
The former should be up tomorrow, hope you'll enjoy.
Chapter X - Motte and Bailey (838-842)
Chapter X: Motte and Bailey (838-842)
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Cwrig: More wine Bishop?
Edylfred: I will be fine for now thank you. Is it merely us in the meeting today?
Servant: Announcing her Royal Grace, Queen Regent Eiliwedd.
[The other councillors stand and bow]
Edylfred: Ah, good afternoon Your Grace. How are your youngest faring today?
Eiliwedd: That depends on if you refer to my son or my daughter. Annest is growing fast, she will reach her second year next week. And I have half a mind to begin Neithon's education a year early, only four and yet he seems smarter than his brothers were at that age. Ah- With no offense intended toward your person Marshal.
Owain: I- It was in jest, so I shall take it as such. Would you care for some wine my lady?
Eiliwedd: The Frankish stock? I am surprised that there is even any left of the small supply Grygor returned with.
Cwrig: Just about the only good thing that came from that folly in Overijssel.
Edylfred: Come now Cwrig, surely the salvation earned through defending your fellow Christian was reward enough?
Cwrig: I never said I had an issue with the righteousness of that war, merely the way it was conducted. I mean, we arrived on the coast just before the new year and moved for Deventer having been told that the Franks were enroute to join us. And what do we find? Nine thousand Saxons bearing down on us. It was a miracle that we only lost half of the expeditionary force rather than all of it.
Owain: And who's fault was that?
Cwrig: It certainly wasn't the army of five thousand Franks that crossed the Rhine only to immediately go back across it again.
Eiliwedd: They'd learned that their capital was captured by the Saxons, can you blame them?
Cwrig: I cannot fault them there, but they should have warned us in time. It's just frustrating to expect a bunch of axe wielding pagans who should be reeling from the loss of half their "Fylkirate", only to find that they outnumber both us and the Franks combined! I mean look at the Second Battle of Deventer. Scouts told us that the Saxons had around six thousand men sieging Friesland to the north, we get there and suddenly there's nine thousand yet again. Small wonder that we were there a year and the war was lost. That is why I feel like the sole benefit of that war is this wine.
Eiliwedd: I am surprised that you do not consider your own project one of those benefits, considering that the king had inspiration from the Franks.
Cwrig: The Castles we are building not only here at The Rock and Din Eidyn are more out of necessity. Nearly every lord in Western Europe has started building them and it would be foolish to not take note. That said, while the new "Motte and Bailey" design will secure our holdings against Viking raids, I doubt they will be able withstand a protracted siege indefinitely.
Edylfred: Fear not, while these "Asatru" heathens may have been bolstered as of late, they are merely another enemy that the true faith shall surpass.
Eiliwedd: Alongside the Moslems and the surge in heretical practices yes? And how goes your efforts to remove our own heretical preachers in Ternyllwg?
Edylfred: I- Not well I am afraid. The commonfolk are holding firm. Without aid from the Vatican, there is little I can do to stamp the heretical beliefs out.
Cwrig: The Pope is now being ignored by Patriarch and Peasant alike. Truly a sad state of affairs.
Edylfred: Such talk is highly contentious my lord...
Cwrig: I am merely stating the truth of the moment. The Asatru were an obvious threat from the start, but did anybody expect them to spread as far? First Burgundy, then that barbarian invader in Southern Ireland? What was his name again? Borid?
Owain: Barid Veøy, King of Hlymrek, Conquerer of Gaels as his own men proclaim him.
Cwrig: Indeed, four thousand men chanting his name as they marched into Ui Maine two years ago and the only ally of Tuireann mac Carthaigh to answer his pleas for aid was us.
Owain: We may have been little help even had we arrived soon enough.
Eiliwedd: Perhaps... The Mac Carthaigh's have a home here at least. Well, the children do. It was a great tragedy that Tuireann took to apostasy in his frustration.
Edylfred: I felt great sorrow exposing it. But it had to be done. I feel only pity for poor Marared, rest her soul.
Cwrig: As loathe as I am to end this conversation, should we start the meeting?
Eiliwedd: Not until the King and Chancellor arrive.
Cwrig: W- The King is back? I thought his ship from Lombardy was due next week?
Eiliwedd: We received a messenger this morning who told us that the ship docked in Nofant yesterday. Grygor should be enroute already.
Edylfred: You must be excited to see the King my lady, two years away fighting pagans in the name of our Lombard allies.
Cwrig: Another folly if you ask me.
Edylfred: I was not, but I am certain that you shall tell us anyway.
Cwrig: I have a problem with the fact that the Picts are weakened, the Gaels bicker with each other too much to pose a threat and the Angles are fighting off an invasion from Saxony and yet half our men have spent two years on the other side of Europe fighting in a war that we have absolutely no stake in. We should be strengthening our own position here.
Edylfred: "Our own position" being Westmorland I presume?
Cwrig: I-
Servant: Announcing his Majesty, King Grygor the First and Chancellor Cadog of Nofant.
[Grygor and Cadog enter, the other councillors stand and bow.]
Grygor: Ah good, we're all present. Means we can get straight to business instead of idly nattering like those Lombards.
Eiliwedd: Lombardy was not good to you then husband?
Grygor: Lombardy? I barely visited the actual country. Spent most of the last two years sat by the Dneiper waiting for some idiot Moravians to show up. Only fought one battle in all that time.
Owain: I-It had little chance for glory then father?
Grygor: Utterly pointless even being there in the first place. I look forward to fighting a war that actually has benefit to my kingdom. Which incidentally is the first thing I bring to this meeting. Cadog?
Cadog: Thank you sire. On the off chance that any of you have forgotten, I was sent to Westmorland to confirm the de Inglewood claim over Old Rheged. I return with news, both good and bad.
Cwrig: By all means Chancellor, go ahead.
Cadog: The bad first. The Norseman, Barid, has launched a full scale invasion of Mercia.
Edylfred: By God...
Cwrig: How on earth did we not know of this?!
Eiliwedd: Because I never brought it to the attention of the council. Hlymrek saw a chance when the Saxons invaded Kent, so for the last two years they have been preparing to take the whole kingdom.
Cwrig: You've known this for two years and never bothered to tell anybody?
Eiliwedd: I did, because it did not affect us directly. Mercia being so heavily occupied means that they will not interfere with Cadog's other news. Continue Chancellor.
Cadog: How did- Very well. But yes, the good news outweighs the bad. Northumbria has refused to send aid to Mercia, meaning we should suffer no potential backlash from the church when we press our good Steward's claim on Westmorland.
Cwrig: You mean-
Grygor: He does. Twenty long years ago, our fathers swore an oath to one another. Caradog would fight to see the kingdom of Rheged in the hands of Robin de Inglewood on the condition that when all of Yr Hen Ogledd was again in Briton hands, Robin would acknowledge Caradog as High King. Of course, that oath was only partially fulfilled before Robin's tragic murder. I for one am not a man who would leave such an oath behind. Are you?
Cwrig: I... I was a mere child when my father died, but I swear on his memory and legacy that I will uphold my part of the oath. Rheged will respect the right that the House of the Rock has upon the High Kingship from this day forth.
Grygor: Spendid! Then we declare war upon the New Year.
Edylfred: My lord, surely defending your fellow Christian is more important than a single county. Should we not aid Mercia first?
Grygor: Pictland and Gwynedd have already pledged themselves to Mercia and I am certain the Irish chieftains will gladly take advantage of Barid's absence. I have done more than enough fighting in the name of God for the last four years. It is time to fight in the name of my bloodline.
Edylfred: But the last war with Northumbria ended wi-
Grygor: I am well aware of how the last war ended and if you wish to keep your place in this council *Bishop*, you will say no more of it. Now, all in favour of continuing Owain's work by reclaiming another county from the Anglian usurpers?
[Grygor and every councillor bar Edylfred raise their hands simultaneously. Edylfred looks around unhappily and also raises his hand.]
Grygor: Then we are agreed. Owain, send word to all settlements within our borders that the peasant levies are to be called up on New Year's Day.
Owain: Y-Yes Father.
Grygor: Now then, on to other matters.
[The transcript continues on with more mundane issues and discussions.]
Meeting of the Royal Council of Alt Clut on the third day of December in the year of our Lord 842. Transcription recorded by Dairon the Scribe.
Council members in attendance -
Marshal: Owain ap Grygor
Steward: Cwrig de Inglewood, Count of Cumbria
Court Chaplain: Bishop Edylfred of Abercarnedd
Spymistress: Queen-Regent Eiliwedd of the Wilds
Absentee members (At beginning of transcription) -
His Majesty, King Grygor I
Chancellor: Cadog of Nofant
Council members in attendance -
Marshal: Owain ap Grygor
Steward: Cwrig de Inglewood, Count of Cumbria
Court Chaplain: Bishop Edylfred of Abercarnedd
Spymistress: Queen-Regent Eiliwedd of the Wilds
Absentee members (At beginning of transcription) -
His Majesty, King Grygor I
Chancellor: Cadog of Nofant
Cwrig: More wine Bishop?
Edylfred: I will be fine for now thank you. Is it merely us in the meeting today?
Servant: Announcing her Royal Grace, Queen Regent Eiliwedd.
[The other councillors stand and bow]
Edylfred: Ah, good afternoon Your Grace. How are your youngest faring today?
Eiliwedd: That depends on if you refer to my son or my daughter. Annest is growing fast, she will reach her second year next week. And I have half a mind to begin Neithon's education a year early, only four and yet he seems smarter than his brothers were at that age. Ah- With no offense intended toward your person Marshal.
Owain: I- It was in jest, so I shall take it as such. Would you care for some wine my lady?
Eiliwedd: The Frankish stock? I am surprised that there is even any left of the small supply Grygor returned with.
Cwrig: Just about the only good thing that came from that folly in Overijssel.
Edylfred: Come now Cwrig, surely the salvation earned through defending your fellow Christian was reward enough?
Cwrig: I never said I had an issue with the righteousness of that war, merely the way it was conducted. I mean, we arrived on the coast just before the new year and moved for Deventer having been told that the Franks were enroute to join us. And what do we find? Nine thousand Saxons bearing down on us. It was a miracle that we only lost half of the expeditionary force rather than all of it.
Owain: And who's fault was that?
Cwrig: It certainly wasn't the army of five thousand Franks that crossed the Rhine only to immediately go back across it again.
Eiliwedd: They'd learned that their capital was captured by the Saxons, can you blame them?
Cwrig: I cannot fault them there, but they should have warned us in time. It's just frustrating to expect a bunch of axe wielding pagans who should be reeling from the loss of half their "Fylkirate", only to find that they outnumber both us and the Franks combined! I mean look at the Second Battle of Deventer. Scouts told us that the Saxons had around six thousand men sieging Friesland to the north, we get there and suddenly there's nine thousand yet again. Small wonder that we were there a year and the war was lost. That is why I feel like the sole benefit of that war is this wine.
Eiliwedd: I am surprised that you do not consider your own project one of those benefits, considering that the king had inspiration from the Franks.
Cwrig: The Castles we are building not only here at The Rock and Din Eidyn are more out of necessity. Nearly every lord in Western Europe has started building them and it would be foolish to not take note. That said, while the new "Motte and Bailey" design will secure our holdings against Viking raids, I doubt they will be able withstand a protracted siege indefinitely.
Edylfred: Fear not, while these "Asatru" heathens may have been bolstered as of late, they are merely another enemy that the true faith shall surpass.
Eiliwedd: Alongside the Moslems and the surge in heretical practices yes? And how goes your efforts to remove our own heretical preachers in Ternyllwg?
Edylfred: I- Not well I am afraid. The commonfolk are holding firm. Without aid from the Vatican, there is little I can do to stamp the heretical beliefs out.
Cwrig: The Pope is now being ignored by Patriarch and Peasant alike. Truly a sad state of affairs.
Edylfred: Such talk is highly contentious my lord...
Cwrig: I am merely stating the truth of the moment. The Asatru were an obvious threat from the start, but did anybody expect them to spread as far? First Burgundy, then that barbarian invader in Southern Ireland? What was his name again? Borid?
Owain: Barid Veøy, King of Hlymrek, Conquerer of Gaels as his own men proclaim him.
Cwrig: Indeed, four thousand men chanting his name as they marched into Ui Maine two years ago and the only ally of Tuireann mac Carthaigh to answer his pleas for aid was us.
Owain: We may have been little help even had we arrived soon enough.
Eiliwedd: Perhaps... The Mac Carthaigh's have a home here at least. Well, the children do. It was a great tragedy that Tuireann took to apostasy in his frustration.
Edylfred: I felt great sorrow exposing it. But it had to be done. I feel only pity for poor Marared, rest her soul.
Cwrig: As loathe as I am to end this conversation, should we start the meeting?
Eiliwedd: Not until the King and Chancellor arrive.
Cwrig: W- The King is back? I thought his ship from Lombardy was due next week?
Eiliwedd: We received a messenger this morning who told us that the ship docked in Nofant yesterday. Grygor should be enroute already.
Edylfred: You must be excited to see the King my lady, two years away fighting pagans in the name of our Lombard allies.
Cwrig: Another folly if you ask me.
Edylfred: I was not, but I am certain that you shall tell us anyway.
Cwrig: I have a problem with the fact that the Picts are weakened, the Gaels bicker with each other too much to pose a threat and the Angles are fighting off an invasion from Saxony and yet half our men have spent two years on the other side of Europe fighting in a war that we have absolutely no stake in. We should be strengthening our own position here.
Edylfred: "Our own position" being Westmorland I presume?
Cwrig: I-
Servant: Announcing his Majesty, King Grygor the First and Chancellor Cadog of Nofant.
[Grygor and Cadog enter, the other councillors stand and bow.]
Grygor: Ah good, we're all present. Means we can get straight to business instead of idly nattering like those Lombards.
Eiliwedd: Lombardy was not good to you then husband?
Grygor: Lombardy? I barely visited the actual country. Spent most of the last two years sat by the Dneiper waiting for some idiot Moravians to show up. Only fought one battle in all that time.
Owain: I-It had little chance for glory then father?
Grygor: Utterly pointless even being there in the first place. I look forward to fighting a war that actually has benefit to my kingdom. Which incidentally is the first thing I bring to this meeting. Cadog?
Cadog: Thank you sire. On the off chance that any of you have forgotten, I was sent to Westmorland to confirm the de Inglewood claim over Old Rheged. I return with news, both good and bad.
Cwrig: By all means Chancellor, go ahead.
Cadog: The bad first. The Norseman, Barid, has launched a full scale invasion of Mercia.
Edylfred: By God...
Cwrig: How on earth did we not know of this?!
Eiliwedd: Because I never brought it to the attention of the council. Hlymrek saw a chance when the Saxons invaded Kent, so for the last two years they have been preparing to take the whole kingdom.
Cwrig: You've known this for two years and never bothered to tell anybody?
Eiliwedd: I did, because it did not affect us directly. Mercia being so heavily occupied means that they will not interfere with Cadog's other news. Continue Chancellor.
Cadog: How did- Very well. But yes, the good news outweighs the bad. Northumbria has refused to send aid to Mercia, meaning we should suffer no potential backlash from the church when we press our good Steward's claim on Westmorland.
Cwrig: You mean-
Grygor: He does. Twenty long years ago, our fathers swore an oath to one another. Caradog would fight to see the kingdom of Rheged in the hands of Robin de Inglewood on the condition that when all of Yr Hen Ogledd was again in Briton hands, Robin would acknowledge Caradog as High King. Of course, that oath was only partially fulfilled before Robin's tragic murder. I for one am not a man who would leave such an oath behind. Are you?
Cwrig: I... I was a mere child when my father died, but I swear on his memory and legacy that I will uphold my part of the oath. Rheged will respect the right that the House of the Rock has upon the High Kingship from this day forth.
Grygor: Spendid! Then we declare war upon the New Year.
Edylfred: My lord, surely defending your fellow Christian is more important than a single county. Should we not aid Mercia first?
Grygor: Pictland and Gwynedd have already pledged themselves to Mercia and I am certain the Irish chieftains will gladly take advantage of Barid's absence. I have done more than enough fighting in the name of God for the last four years. It is time to fight in the name of my bloodline.
Edylfred: But the last war with Northumbria ended wi-
Grygor: I am well aware of how the last war ended and if you wish to keep your place in this council *Bishop*, you will say no more of it. Now, all in favour of continuing Owain's work by reclaiming another county from the Anglian usurpers?
[Grygor and every councillor bar Edylfred raise their hands simultaneously. Edylfred looks around unhappily and also raises his hand.]
Grygor: Then we are agreed. Owain, send word to all settlements within our borders that the peasant levies are to be called up on New Year's Day.
Owain: Y-Yes Father.
Grygor: Now then, on to other matters.
[The transcript continues on with more mundane issues and discussions.]
Great to see this return! And with an action packed update. Strathclyde really looks to be at the heart of European affairs, in a way. I’m sure the constant calls for assistance on the continent are perhaps a little tiring after a while, but it must be gratifying to have your influence extend so far.
Sorry to hear about your pc, but happy to hear this will continue.
The British shenanigans are most definitely ongoing, but this is certainly a most welcome opportunity against the invaders.
The British shenanigans are most definitely ongoing, but this is certainly a most welcome opportunity against the invaders.
Oh absolutely. The best part about the war in Lombardy is I didn't even need to be there, but of course I preferred to not have to deal with losing nearly all of my prestige so I had little choice.
As for my pc, to be honest it was nearly on it's last legs anyway. I've had the same one for nearly 5 years now so it was bound to kick it eventually. Luckily I've got plenty of material for the time being.
Chapter XI - Oathkeeper (842-845)
Chapter XI - Oathkeeper (842-845)
The renewal of the oath between Caradog and Robin greatly strengthened the bond between the Alt Clut and the de Inglewoods, one that, in spite of a few unfortunate moments, remains strong to this day.
It was on this bond that The Oathkeeper's War was declared, although one of it's chief architects perished almost as soon as it had begun. Cadog of Nofant died in his sleep one February morning, it is said that he seemed content in his last few days.
Regardless, with the armies of Alt Clut mobilising, there was only time for a hasty funeral before a new chancellor was chosen. Sulien, the second bastard son of Grygor, was chosen for the role. The new Chancellor quickly sent out a missive to the Franks. But no help would come from Theoderic IV, who's attention was focused firmly on the moslem invaders to the south.
Grygor's determination was not dampened by the lack of allies, Northumbria's forces were already marching on Din Baer. A plan was made to intercept the Anglians at Pistylltref.
Although the Anglians fought valiantly, they were eventually forced to retreat. One of their commanders was unable to escape however, Earl Beorhtmaer of Amounderess was eventually cornered and defeated in a duel by Grygor.
As the Briton army settled in to siege the holdings of Westmorland, things grew more dire to the south in Mercia. Hlymrek was winning the invasion in spite of the efforts of the Christian kings and chieftains. Even Barid's death at the hands of Old Queen Ælfgifu of East Anglia came during a total rout for the defenders. The regent of his only son Dyre pushed onwards as Mercia crumbled.
Back in Appleby, scouts reported that the Northumbrian army had regrouped, marching towards the undefended county on Pengwern. A wrathful Grygor marched his men south, intercepting and once again utterly routing his foes near the town of Lancaster.
Of the next twelve months, little can be said of the Oathkeeper's War. Appleby is said to have capitulated in December, but nearly all historical records from that era focus solely on the Fall of Mercia. Overwhelmed by Norse and Saxon invaders, Queen Eadhild was forced to first surrender Kent to Saxony (see footnote) and then her whole Kingdom to Hlymrek.
The Anglian Pentarchy was shattered. Mercia was the strongest of all five kingdoms and with no guiding hand, the remaining Anglian kingdoms were divided. The boy king Dyre was given the epithet of "the Great". Not by his own men but by his detractors, there is little greatness that a four year old child could gain on his own after all.
In July of the same year, Little Owain came of age. Many contemporaries wrote of him as decidedly average in many ways, almost underwhelming in comparison to his father and grandfather. Grygor himself seemed to believe such, as he never formally nominated Owain as Tanist.
Regardless, the betrothal between him and Cwrig's sister Morien was honoured, and the two married in Cumbria a few weeks later.
It was at his son's wedding that Grygor met a young man named Cairell Burke, the son of a bastard of the late Gruffydd Brycheniog. He had travelled to Cumbria to seek his fortune, but had found little of it in Cwrig's court. Eiliwedd, having met the young man and used his services in her role as spymaster, spoke of how she wished to resign as spymaster and recommended him as a replacement.
With the wedding done, Grygor's forces marched back south to Westmorland, where the Northumbrians were feebly attempting to liberate their captured holdings. By the time the Northumbrians learned that the Britons were marching on their camp at Cartmel, it was too late. Three quarters of their men routed and fled as a mere one hundred tried to fight on in vain. The Battle of Cartmel lasted a mere thirty minutes.
The war should have ended there, but the Northumbrians who fled the field at Cartmel made a desperate gamble and marched on Din Baer, stubbornly digging in for the winter to weaken the Briton forces.
It failed.
With Northumbria utterly spent, they surrendered unconditionally. Westmorland was finally back in Briton hands, more directly that of Cwrig's. The de Inglewoods were not the only family that gained a county in the Spring of 845 either, Cairell Burke was given control of Pengwern, one of the two Powysian counties.
Cairell Burke was given the county of Pengwern, directly on the border with the now Norse-controlled Mercia.
Bar a minor scandal with Chancellor Sulien, who was hastily fired and sent to a monastery, Alt Clut was at peace.
The same could not be said of it's King.
Whether it was a lifetime of battle leaving it's mark on Grygor's mind, that same lifestyle beginning to affect his physical prowess or just frustration at his age in general is unknown. But post-Oathkeeper's War, Grygor is said to have indulged in alcohol so frequently that it became an addiction. Whenever he was sober, he was highly cynical of almost everything around him, from the new Castles being built to his own children.
The fire that had burned fiercely for nearly fifty years began to wane as Grygor realised that for all his victories, he was his own worst enemy. An enemy that he could never defeat.
King Grygor is said to have suffered from heavy alcoholism after the Oathkeeper's War, which is said to have persisted for the rest of his reign.
Footnote - Saxony's conquest of Kent was the first in a series of invasions over the latter half of the 9th Century. These invasions left a profound impact on the Anglo-saxons to the point that almost all of their records from 850 onwards refer to themselvesas purely Anglian or Anglish.
From 'The Chronicle of The Old North - Book III (written by Gerallt Crowther in 1603)
The renewal of the oath between Caradog and Robin greatly strengthened the bond between the Alt Clut and the de Inglewoods, one that, in spite of a few unfortunate moments, remains strong to this day.
It was on this bond that The Oathkeeper's War was declared, although one of it's chief architects perished almost as soon as it had begun. Cadog of Nofant died in his sleep one February morning, it is said that he seemed content in his last few days.
Regardless, with the armies of Alt Clut mobilising, there was only time for a hasty funeral before a new chancellor was chosen. Sulien, the second bastard son of Grygor, was chosen for the role. The new Chancellor quickly sent out a missive to the Franks. But no help would come from Theoderic IV, who's attention was focused firmly on the moslem invaders to the south.
Grygor's determination was not dampened by the lack of allies, Northumbria's forces were already marching on Din Baer. A plan was made to intercept the Anglians at Pistylltref.
Although the Anglians fought valiantly, they were eventually forced to retreat. One of their commanders was unable to escape however, Earl Beorhtmaer of Amounderess was eventually cornered and defeated in a duel by Grygor.
As the Briton army settled in to siege the holdings of Westmorland, things grew more dire to the south in Mercia. Hlymrek was winning the invasion in spite of the efforts of the Christian kings and chieftains. Even Barid's death at the hands of Old Queen Ælfgifu of East Anglia came during a total rout for the defenders. The regent of his only son Dyre pushed onwards as Mercia crumbled.
Back in Appleby, scouts reported that the Northumbrian army had regrouped, marching towards the undefended county on Pengwern. A wrathful Grygor marched his men south, intercepting and once again utterly routing his foes near the town of Lancaster.
Of the next twelve months, little can be said of the Oathkeeper's War. Appleby is said to have capitulated in December, but nearly all historical records from that era focus solely on the Fall of Mercia. Overwhelmed by Norse and Saxon invaders, Queen Eadhild was forced to first surrender Kent to Saxony (see footnote) and then her whole Kingdom to Hlymrek.
The Anglian Pentarchy was shattered. Mercia was the strongest of all five kingdoms and with no guiding hand, the remaining Anglian kingdoms were divided. The boy king Dyre was given the epithet of "the Great". Not by his own men but by his detractors, there is little greatness that a four year old child could gain on his own after all.
In July of the same year, Little Owain came of age. Many contemporaries wrote of him as decidedly average in many ways, almost underwhelming in comparison to his father and grandfather. Grygor himself seemed to believe such, as he never formally nominated Owain as Tanist.
Regardless, the betrothal between him and Cwrig's sister Morien was honoured, and the two married in Cumbria a few weeks later.
It was at his son's wedding that Grygor met a young man named Cairell Burke, the son of a bastard of the late Gruffydd Brycheniog. He had travelled to Cumbria to seek his fortune, but had found little of it in Cwrig's court. Eiliwedd, having met the young man and used his services in her role as spymaster, spoke of how she wished to resign as spymaster and recommended him as a replacement.
With the wedding done, Grygor's forces marched back south to Westmorland, where the Northumbrians were feebly attempting to liberate their captured holdings. By the time the Northumbrians learned that the Britons were marching on their camp at Cartmel, it was too late. Three quarters of their men routed and fled as a mere one hundred tried to fight on in vain. The Battle of Cartmel lasted a mere thirty minutes.
The war should have ended there, but the Northumbrians who fled the field at Cartmel made a desperate gamble and marched on Din Baer, stubbornly digging in for the winter to weaken the Briton forces.
It failed.
With Northumbria utterly spent, they surrendered unconditionally. Westmorland was finally back in Briton hands, more directly that of Cwrig's. The de Inglewoods were not the only family that gained a county in the Spring of 845 either, Cairell Burke was given control of Pengwern, one of the two Powysian counties.
Cairell Burke was given the county of Pengwern, directly on the border with the now Norse-controlled Mercia.
Bar a minor scandal with Chancellor Sulien, who was hastily fired and sent to a monastery, Alt Clut was at peace.
The same could not be said of it's King.
Whether it was a lifetime of battle leaving it's mark on Grygor's mind, that same lifestyle beginning to affect his physical prowess or just frustration at his age in general is unknown. But post-Oathkeeper's War, Grygor is said to have indulged in alcohol so frequently that it became an addiction. Whenever he was sober, he was highly cynical of almost everything around him, from the new Castles being built to his own children.
The fire that had burned fiercely for nearly fifty years began to wane as Grygor realised that for all his victories, he was his own worst enemy. An enemy that he could never defeat.
King Grygor is said to have suffered from heavy alcoholism after the Oathkeeper's War, which is said to have persisted for the rest of his reign.
Footnote - Saxony's conquest of Kent was the first in a series of invasions over the latter half of the 9th Century. These invasions left a profound impact on the Anglo-saxons to the point that almost all of their records from 850 onwards refer to themselvesas purely Anglian or Anglish.
From 'The Chronicle of The Old North - Book III (written by Gerallt Crowther in 1603)
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