Freya I

  • Female
  • Thief
  • Street Urchin
  • Game Poacher
  • Lust for Money and Power

Lusty Lords

Lords who profess their ardent admiration when they meet me:

  • Ghulassen
  • Reichsin
  • Delinard

Year 1257

March to July

Running around looking for companions, armor, horses, and weapons. Introducing myself to the various lords.

August

I now have almost 200 renown and businesses in all the towns, so it’s a good time to become a mercenary for one of the factions. As a female, I won’t be bothered by kings wanting me to join their faction until 700 renown, but it’s customary to become a mercenary at this point.

I will start by signing up with the Sarranid.

October

Left the service of Sarranid and joined Vaegirs.

November

Switching to Swadia as a mercenary, they’re struggling. By mid-December I’ve taken back four or five castles and we’ve held them against the Vaegirs.

Year 1258

January

Nords are on the back foot, with only 10-12 centers (two towns, two castles) left. Swadia has recovered enough that I’m going to switch sides when my contract runs out. I have about 450k denars in my pocket, not quite enough to go looking for a claimant. I want about 1500 renown and 1 million denars before I go hunting a claimant.

March

Joined Swadia again as they are the weakest faction. Retook Dhirim for Swadia.

Rhodoks and Vaegirs are the current top of the pile. Swadia is at war with Vaegir and I should push to take 1-2 more castles.

Peace with all factions for now. Which is a boring thing for a mercenary. About 510k in my pockets and 850 renown.

One important thing to do is to constantly visit cities of other factions, hit the tavern and buy a round of drinks. That costs 350-375 or so and gives +1 with the town. The goal is to have +10 to +20 with all towns, that way you can run a “collect taxes” errand without going into negative territory. It’s also a lot cheaper when you’re unaffiliated.

Since we’re at peace, I go hunting sea raiders and tundra bandits and sell them to the ransom broker for 4k to 5k per batch. All the companions have blunt 1H weapons, which results in a high proportion of slave candidates if I hold back the calvary.

April

Back with the Nords, at war with Vaegir and Swadia.

Up to about 880 renown and 600k funds.

Steppe Bandits (in Khergit territory) are a good source of peasant women prisoners. These can be recruited and trained up into sword sisters (light calvary).

June

Have about 1000 renown and 750k funds. I should switch from Nords to some other faction soon. Vaegir have taken a pounding at our might and now only have Curaw and Rivacheg. I may go ahead and wipe them out so that I can use their troops to take Sarranid territory for Arwa the Pearled One.

On the other hand, let’s get this party started.

I have taken up the cause of Arwa the Pearled One. First steps, get her some good gear.

Rafarch defects from Vaegirs and joins us. Unfortunately, he’s reputed to be bad-tempered, so we will not trust him.

July

Took Shariz, stocked it with about 500 troops of varying strength, then gifted it to Arwa.

Plais has joined us too. He’s pitiless.

Rafarch has been exiled from our little rebel faction.

Took Weyyah Castle for myself as a base of operations next to Shariz.

August

Vaegirs declare war on us.

We stood off an attack of 750 against Weyyah Castle, leaving us with only 65 ready to fight.

Did it again a week or two later.

Took Caraf Castle from Sarranid.

Fudreim has joined. Reputed to be upstanding, I have a +84 with him.

Took Durquba from Sarranid, granted it to Fudreim.

September

Meriga joins. He’s bad-tempered and unlikely to remain long.

Rhodoks declare war on us.

Took Durrin Castle from Sarranid. Delgan joins the rebels, he is cunning.

Khergit took Ahmerrad from Sarranid.

Took Teramma Castle from Sarranid.

We have a total of six lords.

Sarranid have zero centers (Khergit took the last castle), but 13 lords (10 in captivity).

October

Sarranid lords are starting to defect to other factions. There’s only one lord roaming free, the other nine are in captivity somewhere. We’re still at war with Rhodoks, so I’m defending the western flank while we wait on the rest of the Sarranid to make up their minds.

Success, I’m now a king-maker.

I have gotten betrothed to Fudreim. He’s upstanding and owns two towns (Durquba and Bariyye).

Took Uxkhal from Rhodoks right after they took it from Swadia. I’ve filled it with 800 troops and requested it from my queen.

Spending the rest of October running around with 120-150 heavy calvary and messing up any Rhodok parties.