Arkson was my second Warband character. I usually decide very spontaneously which way to go.
Here is a "short" story of his development.
He always tried to please the Lords, knowing or at least hoping that he once would be king. So he did lots of missions for the Lords, making friends, all by foot, being kind of a Nord-veteranarcher himself with some skills in polearms. He also wandered from feast to feast, first courting swadian Lady Johana which made Count Stamar angry, but he was soon able to make his position clear to him in a duel. Poor Count Stamar had to court someone else.
But soon Arkson got tired of Lady Johana and started to court swadian Lady Tibal. Surprise, surprise, she already had an admirer and of course, Count Stamar. So the next duel was set up with Count Stamar beaten again. This is when he made his first enemy. (Altough he felt pity for him
)
His new Lord-friends convinced him to swear allegiance to King Ragnar, so he did. Jarl Turya's daughter Lady Aesa stole his heart, so for several months he received letters from 3 different Ladies begging for his attendance but Jarl Turya was the first one to allow him to see his daughter officially.
Jarl Arkson assisted bravely in wars against Swadia, so he was soon granted Kelredan Castle and Chide (I wonder if those were Count Stamar's fiefs
) and he was allowed to marry Lady Aesa. Supporting his new family, he intrigued against Jarl Devlian, who he made his second enemy. Secretly, he sent off his loyal companions to spread his right to rule. And then, when Swadia only had a few towns and castles left, he saw his chance to become king himself. He bowed before King Ragnar and quit his allegiance, King Ragnar was quite sad to lose such a brave vassal but he let him go.
With his well trained troop of 80 Nord-huscarls he conquered and defended Praven against the angry surviving swadian horde. The new King Arkson, assisted by his fellow Lords Artimenner, Lezalit and Jeremus conquered the rest of Swadia except for Uxhal, no longer by foot but on a war horse, when pathetic Lord Harleus asked for truce. Soon more and more Lords joined his cause, and a few months later Swadia was history. He again tried to make friends everywhere and really, there was a long period of peace in west Calradia. Only as he convinced Lord Aedin (including Tihr) and several other Nord Lords to join the new Kingdom, his old friend King Ragnar finally declared war. Except for Wercheg, Dhirim and two castles, Nords were soon conquered and forced to ask for truce.
King Arkson is a very honorable man, always refusing gifts from villages and he even did not take most Lords as prisoners until Jarl Gerlad who was (like many others) freed instead of imprisoned started to hate him for "playing with him". This event let King Arkson overthink his attitude, and prisoners were made, regardless of their standings.
Again, a long time of peace and feast settled in the Kingdom of Midgard until Sarranids (who Arkson never encountered before) and Khergits declared war nearly simultaneously. King Arkson was confident he could expand his realm even further, but fighting at two fronts soon let the overconfident King Arkson act more defensively. No truce was in sight, because the other kings feared Kingdom of Midgard to become "too powerful". As the Vaegirs joined the war versus King Arkson, he had to defend Sargoth, Rindyar Castle and Sungetzche Castle nearly simultaneosly. Rindyar Castle was lost to the Khergits but the other armies were smited just in time. Thanks to a counterattack Ismirala Castle was taken from the Vaegirs and defended.
Now, still no peace is in sight although King Arkson is confident, that at least Sultan Hakim will sign a treaty soon. But war between Rhodoks and Nords has ended not long ago, and King Arkson fears other aggressors feeling threatened by his legitimate right to rule.
War still goes on.
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This is mainly a STR warbow + poleaxe fighterchar, I'm also playing a female thrown and 1h char who just joined Rhodoks, but I don't know how to continue with her yet.
Having no real ranged attacks is really a complete new experience for me, I usually had bow or crossbowskills.
I've also created a horse archer starting in Khergit lands, with who I want to have 8 companions and every single one of them a horse archer, but I haven't played him further yet.
