Friends leaving my liege - what to do?

[Bulba]

I kept fighting bandits, winning tournaments, executing criminals and herding cows for hundreds of days.

King Ragnar, at one point, invited me to join him as vassal. I did so when the invitation was just about to expire, because it said he'd be "upset" if I didn't do so.

I made we were at war with Vaegirs. I became good chums with Knuddar (who was Marshall when I joined), Bulba, Surdun and Harald in particular. At one point, Knuddar got captured, I became Marshall, and cleaned up the remaining fortifications, defeating Vaegirs.

I resigned Marshalship, and Turya got appointed. War with Swadia. Nearly done when Turya got mired in controversy, and I becamse Marshall. I cleaned up Suno, Haringoth Castle and Tevarin Castle, defeating Swadia. I resigned - but they appointed me again!

I got truckloads of rewards - but during Suno I got a chance to rebel. I don't know if I can get that chance back from my saved games, let's suppose I can't. It was going to Knuddar, and I was OK with that at that point. Also, I hadn't sent out my companions at that time, so thought I might not be ready yet.

Alfrun (Faarn's or Logarson's sister?) flirted with me for some time, but I decided to marry Surdun's sister Kaeteli.

The thing is, Surdun and Bulba went to Sarranids - then Surdun came to Khergits, then Harald joined Khergits. Then a LOT of lords went here and there, King Ragnar indicted some, some simply went, some folks from Vaegirs and Swadia joined (those idiots refused when I asked them, except Crahask, who's now with Sarranids I think).

One more thing is, I didn't always ask the forts I captured for myself, as I wanted my friends to get some of them.

I think the bug of my support to other lords coming back to me became really nasty. I asked some fiefs for my friends, but they'd sometimes come to me. This would have annoyed them with King Ragnar, I guess.

We are currently at peace and I'm still Marshall. I'm married, and Lezalit, Deshavi and Marnid have gone on missions earning me Right to Rule.

Sargoth and Tihr (which Harald and Surdun held) came to me because they left the kingdom. I have Veluca, Khudan - now Reyvadin - and truckloads of castles (Ismirala, Jelbegi, Rindyar, Haringoth, Slezkh ...).

I'm doing well, except my friends aren't with me. I don't even know who are the current subjects of Ragnar, so many indictions for treason and so many nobles leaving kingdoms -- all kingdoms! Funnily, I even have some lords with high relation who are "real" Khergits and Sarranids. I guess renown earns friends you've never met or something.

I want to know what each of these options would lead to:
1. Release from oath (I'll lose so many fiefs!)
(a) Then join a rebel?
(b) Then join another kingdom (say Khergits, as my friends are there)

2. Wait for war and another chance to rebel
(a) Do I remain Marshall? This'll make it "easier" to make more castles
(b) Resign and let someone else take charge initially to avoid controversy etc.? This will need me to find some who'll follow me in the new bunch of Nords some of whom aren't familiar with me.

 

[John25-]

Most of the treason/defection issues usually come from the fact that you took other factions' land. Lords then have to go elsewhere because their relation with king decreases if they own no fiefs

There is a way to be released from oath and still keep your fiefs if you talk to your liege, although it depends on the mod you're using (probably not available on Native, but definitely on Diplomacy: Screenshot). If you do this you will be the ruler of your own kingdom* but your former faction will declare war on you so you need to be strong enough for this. You are not allowed to help a rebel (claimant) if you already have your own kingdom, but you can join another faction if you ask its ruler for vassalage

It will be easier to lead the attack against castles and towns if you are the marshall as other lords will follow you instead of you following them, so this can be a good plan. But as you say it will be harder to take castles or towns on your own if there is nobody to follow you

*Then as a king/queen you can try to make your friends join and become your vassals

 

[Bulba]

Thanks. Unfortunately, not having the Mod. I spoke to the Ragnar - he noticed that I'd been building Right to Rule, and said he hopes I'll put a rest to rumours that I am the king.

I'd just finished destroying the Sea Raider lair for him (Rivacheg is his fief now). Apparently even Turya has left Nords now. I checked all "Jarl"s - a couple have left Calradia itself, and most are low-renown (300-500) while I'm 1400+. I think I'll resign Marshalship and hope a war breaks out (to take a fortification and be refused and rebel). But I guess with other Jarls being what they are, it'll be quite a while before Ragnar refuses a fief I ask for. What's more, with so many friends in other factions, I hope I don't lose them as I fight and win these new cities and castles.

 

[Bulba]

Actually the game's gotten pretty bad already. Even Knuddar's out of Nords.

Nords now have some more forts - apparently when Lord "makes the first move" and defects (without being indicted), he brings the forts with him, and if the King indicts, King keeps the fort. It is super-unfair that only other Lords get to take their fiefs with them if they "make the first move", not me!

Nords have too many forts and no one to defend them. Ragnar has pretty much no one else to make Marshall but me.

Now if I get this Diplomacy mod, would I be able to load Native saved games from it? I see that the Savedgames folder has separate subfolders for each mod, so this is hoping against hope.

I guess I'll just start the game afresh, and try to become king earlier. I thought in this particular attempt, let me make King Ragnar king of Calradia as a vassal / Marshall.

It might have really worked a lot better if my fief votes really go to the Lord I'm voting for. There are some fiefs I captured, asked not to be given the fief, and told Ragnar to give them to Bulba or Surdun, and Ragnar gave me (apparently because the nominations swap, and it worked like Bulba voted for me rather than the other way round). This would have soured Ragnar's relationship with other lords (including my chums) as they weren't getting enough fiefs.

 

[John25-]

Unfortunately saves games won't be compatible due to the differences between the mods. For example, there are more items in Diplomacy than in Native so if you load your saved game a window will pop up saying 'invalid number of items_kinds', etc. depending on what is wrong, and the game will crash and send you back to your desktop

You can download Diplomacy from the M&B repository:
https://www.mbrepository.com/file.php?id=1887

 

[Bulba]

Thanks, I'll try that.

I'm wondering if I'd want to drain out my own forts and win them (It worked with Suno - after Ragnar sacked Knuddar, he gave me Suno at last.) Currently Ragnar has all of 5 other Jarls. Or maybe I'll just start over again