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SSL x CK3 Chapter 3 : "At the crossroads of History" - norththegreatestshowman - 2026-03-19
The years 878 to 895 were marked by numerous conflicts across Europe, as well as the first major epidemics experienced by the historical figures we are following.
In Ireland, the now High Chief Pyro of Connacht continued to help his neighbors repel the many Viking raids. In 878, he brilliantly defended the Duchy of Leinster against the Varangian adventurers of Chief Sverker. Realizing the many advantages a group of chieftains would bring, he was one of the founding members of the Irish Confederation in 881. A year later, he led this new national identity to victory by defeating the Scandinavian invaders of Chief Sigurdr at Munster and Mayo. However, the region experienced a difficult period due to numerous acts of pillaging, carried out in part by Jarl Hasteinn of Montagu, who would become, over the years, the Kirkpatricks' rival in power. Pyro is now also the father of no fewer than six children. Besides Duinsch, the young Barddub (F, 879), Sloban (F, 881), Pyro (M, 883), and the twins Flannchad and Emer (M and F, 886) were born. However, at the birth of these last two, the great chieftain Eithne died in childbirth, leaving her husband alone to fight against the foreign invaders and raise their children.
Artoria of Cornwall decided to relinquish her role as Queen of Cornwall to unite with the other southern chieftains of the British Isles as Duchess and found the Kingdom of England. There, she served as Marshal for King Alfred Æthelwulfsson, leader of the fight against the Vikings in Europe. In addition to two decisive victories at Dover (880) and Portsmouth (888), she blessed the world with four more children for House Poher. Thus were born Primarhoc (M, 879), Guennguar (F, 882), Rozenn (F, 886), and Blethin (F, 890).
King Roquefort II waged war against the Kingdom of France for over ten years, a conflict that ended in a truce in 890. During this time, his wife bore him two heirs, Gueldin (878) and Aimery (880), as well as several daughters, all of whom bore a striking resemblance to their father. Throughout this long conflict, he forged a strong friendship with Count Bernard of Auvergne, with whom he fought against the king in the hope of winning back his beloved Alix. However, Bernard died in 885 of consumption (also known as tuberculosis), which isolated him politically and weary him of the conflict. Upon learning of the death of his soulmate Alix in childbirth in 889, he withdrew from the war to cultivate magnificent gardens in La Rochelle. After the kingdom's division in 894, he became King Carloman's spymaster, assisting him in the assassination of Count Bernat of Auvergne.
The life of the now Count Billy of Oviedo continued to be difficult. He did have a third son, Gomez, in 879, but fate continued to conspire against him. After losing the Duchy of León in 878, he lost several dear friends, such as Burgomaster Manuel in 883. This event marked him forever, and he was seen on several occasions speaking to ghosts in the corridors of his home.
Bohemia, meanwhile, crumbled under the rule of King Lukas Delucka Bisonball. Attacked by Arnulf "the Bastard," the now King of Bavaria of the House of Bogen, he fought for nearly ten years (882-892) against the man who, a few years earlier, had executed Duke Crtomir of Kranj. However, a series of defeats forced the representative of the Fatballhand family to abdicate, which shattered Bohemia into half a dozen counties now at war with one another. He also lost his third daughter, the young Mlada, who died at the age of 14 in the attack on the fortress of Cieszyn. From then on, Lukas was only Count of Prerov, and the future of his House, although secured by the young Velen, looked uncertain.
In 878, thanks to the prophecies of his wife Saga, Jarl Stellan secured a decisive victory at Skane against Jarl Lukas of Sjaelland, whom he then vassalized. In 882, he declared himself chosen by a glorious destiny, the worthy heir of Ragnar Lodbrok, after killing two white wolves while hunting in Aalborg. In 890, he officially founded the Kingdom of Denmark, making him the most powerful man in the region. After further expanding his territory northward, a smallpox epidemic struck his capital, Roskilde, in December 894. He died of the disease on January 1, 895, while almost all of his heirs also appeared to have contracted it. Had the destiny of House Stellan shone too brightly, ultimately destroying them?
Jarl Lukas of Sjaelland was the big loser at the Battle of Skane in 878. A vassal of Jarl Stellan, he quickly became his marshal. He had two sons, Ali (881) and Tosti (886). Jealous of his son, the now King Stellan, he challenged him to a duel in early 894. This duel, which he lost, led to the stripping of his titles and his expulsion from the kingdom, but perhaps also to his salvation. Indeed, this banishment allowed him to avoid the smallpox epidemic that decimated Roskilde at the end of the year. Lukas of House Papian is now a mercenary leader on the Norwegian roads, and he believes he will soon lead a Viking adventure to the British Isles.
Jarl Coveredin continued his quest for religious enlightenment. He had two more daughters, Grima (878) and Unnr (894). Without a male heir in sight, Coveredin was worried, especially since his neighbor, Jarl Dag of Upplond, had defeated him at Bodin in 891 and annexed his richest lands. Thus, he embarked on a pilgrimage to Tromsø in the hope of finding a brighter future for his family.
Still as stubborn as ever, Judike Giacomino attempted a third religious war against the Aghlabids and their sultan, Muhammad. The latter, ever unforgiving, defeated him at Tabarqa (878) and Djerba (879) before capturing him at Kairwan in 880, only to release him again a week later. Five years later, in 885, he tried his luck again, this time declaring war on Sultan Abanoub, where his French mercenaries enabled him to wrest victory and the city of Tripoli from the Muslims. Reinvigorated, he attempted to attack Sultan Muhammad for the fourth time in his life. He was defeated once more, this time at the battles of Satfura (890) and Masal-Kharaz (892). Freed once more, Giacomino married the 16-year-old Ippolita of the Meloni family in Cagliari in 894. However, for the past few months, Giacomino has been suffering from an unknown illness, and if he were to disappear, the House of Santori would die out.
Luck seemed to have finally turned for Sultan Fara of Dian. In addition to several strategic victories at Tamasna (881), Agdada (882), Tinmallal (885) and Tasgimut (886), Fara had defeated the formidable Ali of the Idrisid dynasty in a duel in 884, solidifying his position as a powerful figure in North Africa. Father of no fewer than four sons, his fortunes seemed to run out when his third son, Antoninos, died of cancer at the age of four in 887. His neighbor, Sultan John II Waffles, declared war on him and overthrew him in Fez in 991, turning him into a vagrant. His three wives died in captivity in the dungeons of Tahart. To this day, he is a guest at the court of Sheikh Akbar of Mulyua, earning a living as a scribe alongside his two remaining sons, Aghaton and Dawlat.
Sultan John II intended to live a peaceful life with his three wives. However, when his favorite, the beautiful Tfit, was abducted, tortured, and killed by pirates in 888, he declared war on the world and became a conqueror. He won nearly six wars between 888 and 895, defeating Fara of Dian at Fez, and torturing his wives after his defeat to humiliate him. However, Sultan John II is in poor health, and his only heir, the young Abd, is only three years old. The future looks very uncertain for House Waffles.
Jarl Jack of Holland died of a sudden illness in 884 while raiding the area around Lille in northern France. Having no heir, he is remembered for his numerous orgies with other men and also as the one who single-handedly brought down the great kingdom of Lotharingia. His former territory remains in chaos nearly ten years after his death.
Daimyo Bea Vie, for her part, continued to consolidate her dynasty. Although affected by the death of her husband Motoyasu, she continued to prepare her son Motomichi for the future.
Lan Mandragoran continued his mercenary career in Modern-day Mongolia. After a few uneventful years during which he had a son, Hermann (880), he was handsomely paid to assist Chief Arasen of Urtogold against the ongoing aggressions of his neighbors, which were still occurring in 895. Should he succeed, he would obtain a fiefdom in the region.
Chief Glennallen continued to expand his territory into Eurasia. Between 878 and 883, he amassed no fewer than twelve victories against his neighbors without a single defeat. Still known for his numerous illegitimate children (historians have counted at least a dozen), he decided to legitimize one of them in the absence of a male heir. Thus, the young Baybars (881), nicknamed "the bastard," was raised for a long time as his successor. However, in the cold of December 894, the patriarch of the Archideld family was surprised to finally receive a legitimate son, the young Gunduz. This situation proved worrisome for the future, as wars of legitimacy were frequent in the region.
Strategos Predrag defeated Duke Mutimir of Raska after seven years of conflict in 886, thus recovering the Tourma of Dioclea for the Empire. However, misfortune continued to plague him. His two wives, Helene and Barbara, both died of consumption in 888 and 891, respectively. After a long pilgrimage to Alexandria, he married Lady Maria of House Krateros in the hope of finally having a male heir, but she too succumbed to consumption. Accused of incest with his daughter Leontia, Predrag found himself increasingly isolated politically in his own country.
Driven from his homeland in 878 after his defeat at the hands of Chief Audr at Hofn, the former leader of Austrland Furious departed for Constantinople to gather former Varangian warriors in order to reconquer a territory for his dynasty. He launched an assault on northern Ireland in 892, where he was defeated at Dulyn by Chief Congalach of Oriel. Having fled with the spoils of his raids on the Irish region, rumors suggest that he recently conspired with a pirate from the Isle of Man to purchase territory for his young heir, Skuli (879).
After surviving a war of annexation in 880, Chief Jubka, known as "the Handsome," was captured at a banquet by the Kirill of Korosten. After his family paid his ransom, he took his revenge a few years later by conquering the territory of the man who had held him captive for several months, reclaiming Raseiniai and Siauliai in the process. His son, Vainius (878), is said to be as handsome as his father.
Count Alessandro protected his interests by aligning himself with the Duke of Provence, the Dauphin Adelchis, for whom he served as a spymaster. In 890, he thwarted an assassination attempt by disarming a sword-wielding assailant with his bare hands, killing him instantly. Alessandro died, however, in 893 at the age of 46 after a bad fall during a diplomatic visit to Spoleto. His son Azzo succeeded him. He had married the young Constance of Forcalquier in 889, following a marriage arranged by his father, and they had a son, Burgondo (891). After his father's death, he became steward to the Dauphin Adelchis, where he revealed his greed, but also his cowardice.
After a few years of peace, the great leader Matthias Xavier suffered the misfortune of seeing his eldest son, Lev, die of consumption at the age of 11 in 892. Shortly after this, the Khazar threat grew, and he and his neighbors founded the Rus' Confederation to fight against the invaders from the east. However, Matthias Xavier never saw their horsemen; he died, crushed by his own horses in 894. His sons, Voyslav (878) and Ingvar (886), inherited Minsk and Poltosk. The elder, Voyslav, married Gratislava of the House of Krivichi, and they had a son, Kirill, in 893.
Finally, the great chieftain Cam of Moray spent the rest of his life repelling the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok. After a successful reconquest of Southland in 889, he tragically died of a heart attack on the return journey. His daughter, Tuathflaith, quickly fell victim to a coup and was forced to abdicate by her own marshal, the fearsome Gilla-Crist. Her son, the three-year-old Tressach (892), was placed on the throne by the local bishop, the ambitious Ostromir. However, he was born of a patrilineal marriage and bore the name Ailpin, not GoldenGun. The end may have come for this dynasty.
After fleeing Barcelona for Montpellier, Meta II was raised by a French priest named Matthew until he came of age. In 887, he married Adelaide of the House of Robertian. Together, they had a daughter, Constança (890), and a son, Meta III (893).
After assisting his king, Carloman, in hunting pirates in Corsica in 890, Meta II attempted to reconquer Barcelona, but he was defeated at Issoudun in 891. Later, in 894, he fought with other guests at King Carloman's betrothal and was imprisoned for three months. Upon his release, he was stripped of his titles, which were given to the young Meta III, barely a year old, who was raised by his uncle Frederick, the second son of Meta I. Meta II and his wife were banished from the kingdom and lived in Lerida, not far from the border, hoping to one day see their son again.
RE: SSL x CK3 Chapter 3 : "At the crossroads of History" - roquefort - 2026-03-19
ALIX I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU... THE KARLINGS WILL PAY
RE: SSL x CK3 Chapter 3 : "At the crossroads of History" - Lpapi - 2026-03-19
Getting ready to invade the british isles you say?
Can't believe I lost a duel but it seems to have worked out ok
RE: SSL x CK3 Chapter 3 : "At the crossroads of History" - Zoone16 - 2026-03-19
Count Alessandro of Lombardy was an absolute Chad.
- Tortured his enemies
- Got captured, tortured for a year. Escaped his captor by killing him.
- Had 3 children (1 son, 2 daughters)
- Disarmed and killed a sword-armed assailant with his bare hands.
RIP Legend!
RE: SSL x CK3 Chapter 3 : "At the crossroads of History" - Pyro182 - 2026-03-19
(2026-03-19, 02:53 PM)Lpapi Wrote: Getting ready to invade the british isles you say?
Can't believe I lost a duel but it seems to have worked out ok
Just stay on the British side of those Isles, Ireland is closed to invaders