The Saga of Langbarðaland

[zomeguy]

Ubbe ‘The Dragon’ of Sardinia
In the late 860s AD the sons of Ragnarr went on a warpath to avenge their father’s death at the hands of the English. The great Hvitserk of York and Ivar of the Isles were sung of by poets for centuries, but often forgotten is their younger brother Ubbe. Had Ubbe not chosen to follow his brothers and instead sought out riches in the Mediterranean he could have had songs as well…

By 870 Ubbe had carved himself out an island kingdom off the coast of Italy where he could forge a name for himself and raid from an easily defensible base, the locals called it Sardinia and knew him as a dragon to be feared. Meanwhile in the Northern isles, the other brothers had claimed revenge and Hvitserk named himself King of Northumbrya. Ivar tried to take the Kingdom of Alba on his own but only accomplished the capture of his first born son and his own forced conversion to Christendom. What sort of future did the gods have planned for Ubbe in the Mediterranean? Would he be overthrown by the forces that now surrounded him or would he carve a new history with his axe?

 

[zomeguy]

- Saving for a table of contents in case this playthrough goes my way

Will post updates as time allows, possibly adding a new melting pot culture for myself as well

 

[stnylan]

So, Ubbe seeks out his fortunes on a rather different island.

 

[Specialist290]

An unconventional start, to be sure. The Med should offer plenty of access to quick and easy loot.

Following with interest

 

[Bullfilter]

Will have a look to see how you go.

 

[zomeguy]

Thank you all for your support! This is my very first AAR even though I've played the game since release. I shipped my event troops over from England and it looks like they reinforce so I should be able to get something fun going, the real trick is going to be learning how to mod in a melting pot culture before I get too far into it so we can see some Greco-Norse or Arab-Norse !!FUN!!
I'll be playing and updating as time allows, but I just started a new job and I'm unsure of my schedule so far

 

[zomeguy]

Chapter 1: The Reign of Terror​

“I am not a man to be spoken down to!”, Ubbe said to his vassals even though he needed the help of a translator to convey the message. The Bishops feared this new brute of a man they now called King but could not see past the difference of religion so they attempted to convert him by shouting at him in Latin which only made him angrier.

“The Blood of Ragnarr flows through me and if that doesn’t command your respect then I will at least have your fear!”, Ubbe’s yell echoed through the Great Hall. He didn’t need their taxes for he could just replace them as he planned to regardless of his reception. There were rich defenseless lands everywhere and the bishops happened to be the closest. Nobody needed this last statement to be translated and the war for control was started. All of his advisors told him this was not the correct course of action, but the wrath of Ubbe had been tested and they would soon see why he was known as The Dragon.

Two were captured immediately to be dealt with later, but the rest of the Christian vassals openly declared war on their new King. This was a grave mistake on their part; their carpenter God may be merciful but Ubbe’s plans did not include mercy for those that stood in his way.

By the end of the year, Ubbe had all of the vassals that declared against him brought to him in chains. Not a single battle occurred, all of these Christians had simply locked themselves inside their homes and waited on their God to help them. He did not come for them, instead they were offered up to the Old Gods in a Great Blot and all three of Ubbe’s wives birthed him children by the time the celebrations were over. His position as King of Sardinia was secured with 2 sons, Haraldr and Knut, as well as the troublesome Christians titles being given to strong worshippers of his culture and religion so he would not need a translator at court.

 

[zomeguy]

I think I'm gonna put this on hold until I can sort out my culture map problems. Norse culture currently has maybe 1 or 2 melting pot cultures and for this play-through to go the direction I'm foreseeing I'll need at least 10 simply because of how unpredictable adventurers can be especially in the North Germanic culture group. I'm struggling along making the cultures and event chains because HIP has sooo many different csv files for localisation and it's difficult to sort thru what goes where but I have gotten some good tips from some experienced modders in the community. I'll be back with a bunch of updates by the end of the month hopefully and if I still can't get it to work then I'll proceed with the AAR regardless of melting pots.

UPDATE #1 : Good news, my first and most important melting pot is done and appears to be compatible with my save, going to work on the other 2-3 I have planned tomorrow. The real trick will be having my adventuring sons create the other melting pots on their own so it might take some overnight observe games, but things are looking up right now

UPDATE #2 : I actually have an interview tomorrow so I used my day off today to write what I was putting off until tomorrow. Any suggestions on what melting pots you guys would like to see? I'll probably throw my mod up for download once I really kick off this play-through, but the three melting pots I have so far are spreading themselves nicely on my observe game since Ubbe ended up having more sons than land to give away.

 

[stnylan]

No worries

 

[Specialist290]

Ubbe's reign is off to a bloody and chaotic start -- which, I assume, will set the pattern for how much of the rest unfolds.

Also: Take all the time that you need

 

[zomeguy]

Chapter 2: The Conquest of Langbarðaland​

Cagliari, Sardinia 869

“I want to propose something more than a raid”, said Ubbe to his council.

“I know we haven’t raided Rome as I promised you but I have a better idea, the King of this Langbarðaland rules in the North of his country in a place they call Pavia so I suggest we gather warriors and take the Southern end of his country from him.”

“I hear this King Louis II was crowned in a barn even though he lives less than 2 days away from their Seer’s castle in Rome, perhaps the other Christ-men don’t like him.”, Offered Skuli the Marshal.

“I wouldn’t count on it too much, his brothers are the Kings of Frankia; though I have heard that he is missing a leg so he surely would have trouble leading his army in the field”, Arnbjorn the Master of Spies reminded them.

“I will put out word that we are planning to invade but not say where publicly just yet.”, Ubbe decided.

For nearly 2 years more and more warriors gathered to attack this King Louis of Langbarðaland until there were 25,000 of them spread all across The Dragon’s island of Sardinia. The winters were very mild compared to home and he supported all of them rather easily. By the Winter of 870 the warriors began to grow restless as did the famous Dragon of Sardinia and they sailed off to attack Louis’ castles in Taranto and Roseto on the Sea.

The Army Split in two, the first led by the Dragon sacking Taranto and the second led by Skuli sacking Roseto. Skuli lost nearly half his army in the attack mostly due to his incompetence as a marshal. Only 18000 men came back to relieve his capital of Cagliari from the combined 15000 men of the brothers Karling currently sieging it.

The fighting on Sardinia lasted for 6 months until Louis of Langbarðaland had only 3000 men and their leader Duke Lamberto was captured and sacrificed.

Once again the Northmen sailed off to retake the castles on the sea, but this time only 12000 went off to take them for the fighting on Sardinia was so fierce that funeral pyres littered the island.
The castles of Taranto were easily retaken, but tragedy struck and Louis ‘the legless’ inherited all of East Frankia and committed its men to Sardinia in an effort to take the island and force The Dragon to return home to protect his own castles.


Taranto, Langbarðaland 873

“I grow tired of constantly sailing back and forth to hold both Sardinia and Langbarðaland”, Ubbe complained to his councilmen. “Because of this I have decided to leave Langbarðaland in the charge of my dear friend Knut who has helped me to win all of these battles against the Christ-men, I feel as though I have started a war with the whole world.”

“If you leave me just 2000 men we can defend Taranto from the brothers Karling until your return, these walls are 10 feet thick and the harbor is great. If I accomplish this feat I expect to be named Marshal over Skuli; can you promise me this, Dragon of Sardinia?”

“But I am Marshal!”, started Skuli.

“Yes, I can promise you that for I am King” finished Ubbe.

Ubbe sailed with his 10000 men back to Sardinia once more to fight the men of East Frankia that now followed the commands of Louis the Legless. Ubbe the Dragon landed and easily dispatched the 3000 holding his castle of Cagliari and moved forward to fight the other 7000 in the fields of Oristanto to the Northwest. The Frankians lost 4000 men in the battle and retreated to their boats near Corsica, their morale battered and broken fighting for this legless foreign King.

A great many were captured and sacrificed to the All-Father and they all told the same tale. “Charles ‘The Bald’ of West Frankia has come to join his brothers cause and was likely marching to take Taranto from Knut.” On this news Ubbe sailed with his 8000 to help Knut. He truly was at war with all of the Christ-men in the world.

Charles of West Frankia had underestimated the Northmen and fielded a mere 6000 to face the 8000 of Ubbe and Knut. The men had awarded Knut the moniker ‘Lord of the Mountains’ for he had held out six months atop the Mountain of a castle that was Taranto. Not expecting the force to arrive before he had taken the castle, Charles was captured after losing the battle and all of his men.

At this point Ubbe and Knut knew the lay of the land and used it to their advantage while Charles knew nothing of the territory his brother held. Instead of sacrificing the King of West Frankia, he was used to broker a peace deal. Three long years of fighting may have come to an end, but Ubbe dreaded the day he would have to defend his new territory. Not even his father was able to hold two vast Kingdoms separated by a sea…

 

[stnylan]

Beating up the Franks never gets old.

 

[Specialist290]

Ubbe has scored a great victory over the Franks. Now let's see if these new lands are as easy to keep as they were to take.

 

[zomeguy]

Something tells me it won't be, but some good old fashioned raiding will definitely push my gold and prestige up. Might just have enough for mercenaries help next time Sardinia gets invaded while Im out killing the Christians. I feel like I got really lucky on the prepared invasion because I've never had more than 12-15k show up for it and pretty much the whole 25k was event spawned. My 7k from desmense got crushed on Corsica as soon as the 25k sailed off.

 

[zomeguy]

Chapter 3: The Spoils of Peace​

Cagliari, Sardinia 874

Ubbe was now more than just a Jarl, in his mind he was at least King of Sardinia if not all of Southern Italia or “Langbarðaland” as his men called it. Ubbe was a good battlefield general and an even better viking raider, but he had no skill for management of a Kingdom. He would have to delegate, luckily he had no shortage of men who would follow him to Valhalla. He had already led them to a place no Norseman even knew existed a decade prior.


“Knut, now that you are known as a Lord I would like to give you enough land to claim that title. I can’t be Jarl of two places at once and without you I never could have prevailed over the Franks. I wish to make you Jarl but I have a condition.” Ubbe said to his friend Knut. “I need you to make war. Cause discord among the ranks of the neighbors in all the surrounding Empires so they cannot band together and push us off the peninsula. I will be leading a raid to seek wealth in all directions, but it can’t succeed unless you’re actively making war against these Christians.”
“War is what I do best”, grinned the Jarl of the Mountains.


Knut went to his new home in Langbarðaland and raised an army to seize border provinces from weak men while Ubbe raised his men to finally raid Rome. They were lucky and everything went according to plan, the Jarldom of Langbarðaland grew in size and Rome’s riches were taken by fire and sword. Ubbe’s ships were so full of treasure they had to return home without the men that won the day. Rome hadn’t been sacked for 450 years, all that meant to the Vikings was that Rome had four centuries worth of loot in its walls that now belonged to them.

While awaiting their transport home Ubbe decided to move south to Amalfi, by all accounts it was another place that housed much treasures and was a trading hub for the Christians. There wasn’t nearly enough men to guard it and the cities there hardly even put up a fight, his father would leave for 5 years at a time on a raid and had never come home as rich as he was now after just 1 year so he would continue. When the ships did come they came en masse, only 26 left for Sardinia and 80 returned. Ubbe swore to return home with these 80 ships filled to the brim with unimaginable amounts of treasure.

Raguia, Dalmatia 878

“Today we will be returning home to see our families.”, said Ubbe to his followers. “We have been away from home long enough that our sons may have forgotten our faces and we must remind them exactly why we live in this hot place among the Christians. After four long years our ships are filled once more and our army is even greater in number than when we left. Today boys, we’re going home.”

 

[Specialist290]

Sacking Rome -- the pastime of many conquerors

 

[stnylan]

Ubbe is certainly making a name for himself

 

[darkhaze9]

Interesting premise, and great progress so far - subbed!

 

[zomeguy]

Thank you all for your support on my first AAR, anything you guys might want to see? I haven't played too far ahead and I'm not so sure which direction I want this to go just yet. I'm gonna have to reel in Knut because he's out conquering instead of raiding right now haha

 

[PEnglish82]

Oh to be a pagan in the med.

Do you have any idea what you’ll be using your boats of gold for? Maybe a great temple for the All Father, then renaming the island to sODINia?

I’m enjoying the AAR and looking forward to seeing what you get up to next.