SirFozzie: *bows* Your wish is my command.
March 3rd 1073: County of Agder
"I have news both good and bad, Your Lordship." The doctor's face was grave as he made this announcement to his noble patient, noble in title only.
Count Lodin of Agder grunted and sat up in bed, gesturing for the physician to continue.
"You are recovered from your illness and you shall live. This is the good news. Unfortunately, I must tell you that you have a parasite residing in your stomach. Therefore, you will not live as long as you might once have hoped to. The advice I can give Your Lordship is to make the most of your health while you still have it and do your best to avoid stress, which will only make the worm more active."
The count bowed his head, nodding after a few moments of thought, "Very well, Doctor. I thank you for your aid and counsel. You may depart now."
After the royal physician left, Lodin got out of bed and walked to the window, staring at the lush view afforded by the high-placed, open arch. So his lifespan was now cut short... and he had not the power needed to manufacture any claims. The treasury was almost recovered, but he did not want to bankrupt it again by going to war against the Eastern heathens. Too, King Olaf would simply steal land before he could get there.
No, the only thing he could do was to once again wait. He only hoped that the tide would turn soon enough that he could become a Duke somehow, somewhere, before he died.
Anything else, and Lodin would have considered himself a failure.
May 20th 1073
There would be no happiness on this day for the aristocracy.
Black flags flew on every parapet in both Agder and Mide, the minor nobles sunken into the utmost of grief and despair.
Lodin, Count of Agder and Mide, was found dead that morning in his bed, the worm having murdered him in his sleep.
Now a regency was established, for the new dual Count, Torstein of Agder, was just three years old. No one knew just what would happen as a result of this perilious power transition, but the barons feared for the survival of their extensive authority.
Meanwhile, the peasantry, clergy, and burghers all privately cheered Lodin's death. Perhaps now they would be more valued and perhaps now they would be able to grow in strength and prosperity.
It was shortly after this that a young knight, the third son of Baron Orm Ingebrigsten, named Svein Ingebrigsten, wrote a short piece on Lodin's reign. The entry is presented in full below:
Lodin the Lesser of Agder, Count of Agder and Mide (b. 1039 d. 1073 r. 1066-1073)
"Lodin the Lesser of Agder's reign was very brief, lasting just seven years. Due to suspicious claims on counties throughout the Bergen region and on County Mide in Ireland, by the time of his death, he had become one of the least influential counts in the Kingdom of Norway in spite of his increased domain.
On March 8th, 1067, he married Cundo of Eu, the daughter of Count Robert Hastings, ruler of Eu, who until her marriage was a courtier in King Phillipe Capet of France's court.
Highly ambitious, Lodin was able to double the size of his demense by carrying out a prolonged war against Murchad O'Neill, then Count of Mide. The conflicted lasted from October of 1068 to September of 1070 and was concluded by Murchad's ceding Mide to Lodin in the Treaty of Mide on September 29th.
Lodin's reign was also marked by dramatic upheaval in the domestic scene, as he reintroduced the law of feudal contract, changed the order of succession to salic primogenture, and angered the Papacy by declaring royal supremacy over Church affairs. He also repeatedly backed the nobility in several clashes between the aristocracy and the peasants and burghers.
Though he longed to become Duke, Lodin of Agder contracted an intestinal worm in October of 1072 and died seven months later, just twelve days after his son and successor Torstein's third birthday."
The child-count Torstein
(OOC Note: Just wanted to add this real quick-like. What do you guys think of the synopsis of Lodin's reign after his death? It's something I plan on including with everyone in this AAR... It might seem redundant, but I figured a recap of everyone as we go along would help people remember things (like me
) and keep their of Agder rulers straight)