It seems that whatever Sigward does, he screwes it up totally. Good luck with Norman bear.
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EvilSanta: I wouldn't say it's that he screws it up. It's more like that he has the most awful luck of anyone on the planet. 
Veldmaarschalk: I know, I know but I couldn't help myself.
Veldmaarschalk: I know, I know but I couldn't help myself.
Situated as it was as the easternmost province of the Kingdom of Norway, Kalmar Lan appeared to have little to fear from the Norman lion. With that in mind, Sigvard summoned his troops and set sail for Slesvig.
Unfortunately, upon landing on the shores of Skane, Sigvard and his army were set upon by Count Benedikt Svendson Knytling's forces. Although outnumbered, the Count of Kalmar Lan was winning the battle when Duke Harald himself arrived with fresh troops. The combined forces were too much for Sigvard's troops to bear and they were forced to retreat back home in March.
Later that month, Danish soldiers arrived in Kalmar Lan and began seiging the Count's residence. Marshal Sigurd's death in mid-April only added to the court's woes. Bereft of any truly talented fighting man, it was with heavy heart that Sigvard appointed Sigtrygg as Marshal, old man Inge Trolle reappointed as Spy Master.
Yet, even these indignities were not enough, for in early May, the King of Denmark himself, Svend I, arrived to lend his 3000+ plus troops to the siege of Kalmar Lan and none other than the Bishop of Bergenhus, fresh off of adding the heathen land of Memel to his ever-swelling bisophoric territory, marched through the county without offering even so much as a single man to aid in Sigvard's defense.
In June, Kalmar Lar fell, the county ransacked and plundered of all value by the Danish troops. Sigvard's influence fell to almost nothing, all of Europe laughing at the foolish little Swedish count under the infant Norwegian king's banner.
But then an avenue of hope opened up. King Svend I, feeling flush with his easeful handling of the Norwegian front, declared war on the pagan kingdoms of Mecklemburg and Pommerania, intent on expanding his domain in the same manner that Norway had only a year before.
An avenue of hope that quickly shut down when King William I of England arrived and spent all of the fall rampaging through Norway, even plundering the crown province of Askerhus. A new Pope came into power in late November, but William stayed the most influential secular man in all of Christendom.
The ghastly war for the Norwegians continued well into the spring of 1075, when a new menace threatened Kalmar Lan.
A force of 1300 strong Pommerian pagans, viewing the county as Danish lands as it was controlled by the King of Denmark, attacked with the intent of conquest.
Tragedy continued when three-year old Erik, the heir to the county, took ill in May.
The child-king Arnvid I died in June, leading to his even younger brother, Svein, to assume the throne, though the regency council's rule continued unabated. The council made peace with England and Denmark at a cost so high, it would cripple the Norwegian royal treasury for years to come.
Despite the peace, the county of Kalmar Lan was still too crippled to raise the troops they needed. The land was also still under the provisional rule of the Kingdom of Denmark.
And so it was that on August 17, 1075, with King Svend's forces just about to break the borderline into Kalmar Lan and free the county, the Pommerian horde broke through the doors of the manor.
Sigtrygg and Inge were the first to be executed. Then the diocese bishop, who no one remembers.
They were the lucky ones.
Sigvard of Kalmar was forced to watch while the laughing heathens violated his wife and his cousin in front of him, his children and Sophia and Sigtrygg's children shackled in chains, to be sold in some far-off market as slaves.
Only when all the men that wanted to had spent themselves on the women were Sophia and Mariam likewise put in chains, the sobbing girls forced to watch as the Pommerian commander's axe swung up in the air.
On the downswing, Sigvard of Kalmar's head fell from its shoulders, a flood of blood staining the floor.
And so the House of Kalmar's dreams died that very day, in the same manor that it'd been born, where independence for the county was granted. Its descendants were sold into slavery, to become in the end no one ever knew.
What is more, no one cared.
In the whole of the known world, only an old King, whose lands bordered on Muslim territory wept.
King Bagrat of Georgia had lost his only beloved daughter.
***End***
Unfortunately, upon landing on the shores of Skane, Sigvard and his army were set upon by Count Benedikt Svendson Knytling's forces. Although outnumbered, the Count of Kalmar Lan was winning the battle when Duke Harald himself arrived with fresh troops. The combined forces were too much for Sigvard's troops to bear and they were forced to retreat back home in March.
Later that month, Danish soldiers arrived in Kalmar Lan and began seiging the Count's residence. Marshal Sigurd's death in mid-April only added to the court's woes. Bereft of any truly talented fighting man, it was with heavy heart that Sigvard appointed Sigtrygg as Marshal, old man Inge Trolle reappointed as Spy Master.
Yet, even these indignities were not enough, for in early May, the King of Denmark himself, Svend I, arrived to lend his 3000+ plus troops to the siege of Kalmar Lan and none other than the Bishop of Bergenhus, fresh off of adding the heathen land of Memel to his ever-swelling bisophoric territory, marched through the county without offering even so much as a single man to aid in Sigvard's defense.
In June, Kalmar Lar fell, the county ransacked and plundered of all value by the Danish troops. Sigvard's influence fell to almost nothing, all of Europe laughing at the foolish little Swedish count under the infant Norwegian king's banner.
But then an avenue of hope opened up. King Svend I, feeling flush with his easeful handling of the Norwegian front, declared war on the pagan kingdoms of Mecklemburg and Pommerania, intent on expanding his domain in the same manner that Norway had only a year before.
An avenue of hope that quickly shut down when King William I of England arrived and spent all of the fall rampaging through Norway, even plundering the crown province of Askerhus. A new Pope came into power in late November, but William stayed the most influential secular man in all of Christendom.
The ghastly war for the Norwegians continued well into the spring of 1075, when a new menace threatened Kalmar Lan.
A force of 1300 strong Pommerian pagans, viewing the county as Danish lands as it was controlled by the King of Denmark, attacked with the intent of conquest.
Tragedy continued when three-year old Erik, the heir to the county, took ill in May.
The child-king Arnvid I died in June, leading to his even younger brother, Svein, to assume the throne, though the regency council's rule continued unabated. The council made peace with England and Denmark at a cost so high, it would cripple the Norwegian royal treasury for years to come.
Despite the peace, the county of Kalmar Lan was still too crippled to raise the troops they needed. The land was also still under the provisional rule of the Kingdom of Denmark.
And so it was that on August 17, 1075, with King Svend's forces just about to break the borderline into Kalmar Lan and free the county, the Pommerian horde broke through the doors of the manor.
Sigtrygg and Inge were the first to be executed. Then the diocese bishop, who no one remembers.
They were the lucky ones.
Sigvard of Kalmar was forced to watch while the laughing heathens violated his wife and his cousin in front of him, his children and Sophia and Sigtrygg's children shackled in chains, to be sold in some far-off market as slaves.
Only when all the men that wanted to had spent themselves on the women were Sophia and Mariam likewise put in chains, the sobbing girls forced to watch as the Pommerian commander's axe swung up in the air.
On the downswing, Sigvard of Kalmar's head fell from its shoulders, a flood of blood staining the floor.
And so the House of Kalmar's dreams died that very day, in the same manor that it'd been born, where independence for the county was granted. Its descendants were sold into slavery, to become in the end no one ever knew.
What is more, no one cared.
In the whole of the known world, only an old King, whose lands bordered on Muslim territory wept.
King Bagrat of Georgia had lost his only beloved daughter.
***End***
Veldmaarschalk: Kalmar Lan can be quite easy, I'd imagine. If Sigvard'd listened to his first hunch, nothing would've stopped him from eating the northern heathens and expanding from there. But he decided to go for the quick kill and in game terms, that opening move more or less dictated everything else that followed.
And yes, quite the tragic ending. But also quite fitting, given the extraordinarily bad luck Sigvard had.
phargle: Thank you! It was fun to play, even though I realized I was probably doomed when the Pommerians started seiging. When I saw the Danish making their way to liberate me, I allowed myself to hope.... and then they -just- missed getting there in time to drive the pagans away.
Specialist290: Man, you aren't kidding! I swear, I think just about every bad turn of luck that could've hit me this game did. I'm still burned about Chelminskie, in fact.
Fortunately, I already have an idea for a new AAR in mind and am starting up the game now.
If Sigvard'd listened to his first hunch, nothing would've stopped him from eating the northern heathens and expanding from there. But he decided to go for the quick kill and in game terms, that opening move more or less dictated everything else that followed.And yes, quite the tragic ending. But also quite fitting, given the extraordinarily bad luck Sigvard had.
phargle: Thank you!
It was fun to play, even though I realized I was probably doomed when the Pommerians started seiging. When I saw the Danish making their way to liberate me, I allowed myself to hope.... and then they -just- missed getting there in time to drive the pagans away.Specialist290: Man, you aren't kidding! I swear, I think just about every bad turn of luck that could've hit me this game did. I'm still burned about Chelminskie, in fact.
Fortunately, I already have an idea for a new AAR in mind and am starting up the game now.
