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
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