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Review of backstory

Gurkhal

Auror
Ok, I've building up a backstory for a current situation but for that I would ask for some help. And its intended to be morally grey so some dirty acts from all sides are expected. The setting itself will be a European Medieval northern kingdom under a Christianity-copy, just so that you know what kind of things one could add and use.

I'm mostly looking for potential holes in it or things which seems illogical like "if X is like X, why did he act like Y here?" that I have missed. As well as other things that might have been spotted.

Present Situation

The realm is divided between two factions; the king Childoric and his brother prince Alfgrim. The issue with this is that tensions are high between the two due to personal dislike and because on one hand the king sees Alfgrim as a threat to the realm while Alfgrim sees Childoric as an unworthy and untrustworthy king.

The effects of this is that its kind if building up towards a major civil war with many skirmishes and minor clashes between the two sides across the realm, which leaves the king almost powerless and nobles can act with impunity. Childoric will decide that its better that he strikes first and so takes the initiative and basically the realm starts to bleed.

Background

The background to this situation I have envisioned to be the following.

Years back king Kolfrith ruled as a weak king dominated by his vassals through the royal council. Driven by contempt for his weakling nephew the king's uncle, Sigbert, staged a coup to capture the king and the council and make himself king. This worked half-way because not all council members were captured and so they raised their men-at-arms for war across the realm to reinstall their favored puppet-king.

Some of the council members were however taken and their families were forced under threat to provide soldiers to Sigbert's armies, but he also gained support from many families looking for a chance to advance themselves under a new king or who have been slighted by the former powers-behind-the-throne.

During these wars both Childoric and Alfgrim, sons of Sigbert, fought for their father along with their elder brother Orwyn. In battle Orwyn was slain, which left Childoric as the heir but as a ruthless leader his hands were stained with much blood, including the known destruction of the male line of Sigbert's youngest brother Unwith, who followed his heart to side with his wife's family, and being suspected of being behind a bandit attack on the monastery where Kolfrith and his line was in house-arrest and which left them dead. Alfgrim on the other hand was known as a very chilvarous knight, although for every 100 foes that Alfgrim defeated, Childoric laid low 130.

In the end Sigbert conquered the rebels but without his most favored son, Orwyn, he took a middle approach between Childoric's hard and Alfgrim's soft lines. His tragedies were added to when his wife passed away in childbirth shortly thereafter, which left him depressed and so did nothing while the realm gathered itself in two factions to Childoric and Alfgrim.

In Childoric's corner and many of those seeking to gain more from a new king while Alfgrim has gathered many of those appeled or hurt by Childoric's brutality and almost all the former rebels who fought against Sigbert and his son. This last addition to Alfgrim's case is something which cause great alarm in Childoric and makes hiim suspect that Alfgrim is aiming for the throne, or will be made a puppet like Kolfrith. Alfgrim on the other hand sees Childoric as unworthy, and with the blood of their kin on Childoric's hands Alfgrim feels that in no way does he dare to lower his guard against his brother.

What I want to achive with the background
1. Explain why there are tensions in the realm through personal differences between Childoric and Alfgrim and why these problems haven't been solved already by their father and predecessor
2. How these tensions are something which affects characters personally and are not just impersonal political stuff
3. Through the war have a chance to give examples of why grudges and famous warriors are relevant here and now. If two families feuded a 1000 years ago that's not really relevant here and now. If one family killed another's son five years ago, that can be relevant here and now. If a warrior is considered great but has never swung a sword in anger, then how can be know he's a great warrior?
4. Explain why the realm is fairly chaotic with nobles clashing on and off, yet at the same time why the realm is still standing if people can fight almost at will without much fear from the king
 
Try not to make the characters seem unrealistic in their combat skill. The story sounds great, but I was a little taken aback by the body count between the two brothers being high enough for them to compare it by the hundreds.
 

Gurkhal

Auror
Try not to make the characters seem unrealistic in their combat skill. The story sounds great, but I was a little taken aback by the body count between the two brothers being high enough for them to compare it by the hundreds.

Thanks. :)

True, although I didn't mean that they killed all these people themselves but rather that it was the result of their participating, as higher ups, in the war. I'll try to clear it up. Kind of like general Patton didn't kill or captured many enemies himself, but under and thanks to his command a significent number of enemies were indeed killed or captured.

EDITED: But it seems that I can't edit the post. Damnit.
 

shangrila

Inkling
Perhaps fleshing out exactly what Childoric has been doing while he's been king that's so bad would give a little more insight. As it reads, I don't understand why noble families would go against him without a strong reason and without them it seems Alfgrim has little more than rebels and outcasts on his side, which wouldn't be enough to stage a successful civil war.

I'm looking at it from this perspective; civil wars are bad for everybody. Nobles and merchants stop making money as their fields, supplies and workforce are shoved into the war, while the citizens either tear themselves apart or are caught in the crossfire. Considering that the country JUST went through a civil war, it's tough to think many people would be keen to start another without significant reasons.

Also, now that I think of it, how has the country been doing since the last war? Are they still rebuilding/feeling the effects?
 

Gurkhal

Auror
Perhaps fleshing out exactly what Childoric has been doing while he's been king that's so bad would give a little more insight. As it reads, I don't understand why noble families would go against him without a strong reason and without them it seems Alfgrim has little more than rebels and outcasts on his side, which wouldn't be enough to stage a successful civil war.

Very good idea. I don't think its that Childoric has been doing a bad job as opposed to conduct policies which are hard on the former rebels, unpopular with many who fought for his father and by ruthless methods and reputation from the war many consider him an bad or unworth person, as opposed by his chilvarious brother.

The idea is that Alfgrim will have both former rebels, but also many of those who he befriended, or his brother alienated, during the last war.

I'm looking at it from this perspective; civil wars are bad for everybody. Nobles and merchants stop making money as their fields, supplies and workforce are shoved into the war, while the citizens either tear themselves apart or are caught in the crossfire. Considering that the country JUST went through a civil war, it's tough to think many people would be keen to start another without significant reasons.

Its true that civil wars are destructive and that might also be why neither Childoric or Alfgrim have taken initiative to start a conflict despite that both of them are warriors and live in a martial society which tells them that violence is a good way to settle conflicts.

However while wars are also bad, there are also good things about them in the eyes of some people. Most noteable is that its the only way for social advancement into the nobility and so both sides have plenty of people who would love a new war to win wealth and lands for themselves. And to this the problem is that with the current situation of two camps there is no real central authority and so the realm is pretty much bleeding already from a hundreds feuds and private wars. Not to mention the chance to win fame, glory and wealth, which are the primary motivational forces for the feudal aristocracy.

And at the end of it, it is the nobles who have most of the power to start a war and then most everyone else will just be kind of swept up in it. But its certainly a reson as to why, for example, many burghers will support Childoric as they seen no gain in a new civil war.

Also, now that I think of it, how has the country been doing since the last war? Are they still rebuilding/feeling the effects?

I would say they've been doing ok. The commoners have been rebuilding their lives while the nobles are looking for gain and glory, or to avenge slights.
 
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