Thanks, everyone, for helping us off to a great start! Now it is time to take a closer look at the final two featured Realms, and the first of the Stretch Goal we have in store. 

Thanks again, everyone, for getting us off to a great start!

In this Development Diary, we're going to take a look at the final 2 Realms of the 12 that we have initially chosen to include in Defying Destiny. Finally, we'll also take a look at something you've been waiting for, the first Stretch Goal of the campaign.

Again, remember that all the artwork on the cards pictured in these updates are placeholders. But, I have interspersed some of the new artwork as well throughout this update.

Scotland

Put on your kilts, we are going to Caledonia! Today our first stop will be Scotland, one of the most requested new Realms to join the Europa Universalis: The Price of Power family.

Originally populated by Gaels and Picts, Scotland saw their lands ravaged by the Viking Invasions at the beginning of the second millennia, and the English invasions during the 13th and 14th centuries, leading to the Wars of Scottish Independence. This period of external influence would end with the reign of Robert II, founder of the House of Stuart.

In 1444, James II, one of Robert descendants, ruled over Scotland. He clashed with the powerful Black Earls of Douglas, and would personally murder the Earl of Douglas, leading to a period of Civil War where the Douglas family ended up stripped of their lands and in exile. From his exile, the Earl of Douglas plotted with the English king and the Lord of the Isles to overthrow James III, but due to the Wars of the Roses, this plot never came to fruition.

In another rebellion, that pitted Son Against Father, James III would get killed on the battlefield and overthrown by his own son, James IV, Scotland secured the acquisition the Orkney isles as a dowry for James III's marriage to Margaret, a Danish princess.  

The Conflicts with the English, the Auld Alliance with France, and the struggle between Catholics and Protestants dominated the first half of the 16th century. Scotland were defeated by England at the Battle of Flodden Field, where James IV died in combat along with most of the Scottish forces, and again at the Battle of Solway Moss, where the forces of his son, James V, who refused to break from the Catholic Church, were defeated, with the king dying soon after. With Mary, Queen of Scots, yet another renewal of hostilities with England began. Parliament approved the Reformed Confession of Faith in 1560, and Scotland thus adopted Protestantism against the will of their Catholic queen, who was eventually forced to abdicate in favor of her infant son, James VI.

In 1603, James VI inherited The English Crown, ruling both kingdoms in a Personal Union from then on. James moved to London, and tried to unify the two crowns, without success. Will Scotland under your guidance manage to be a dominant force in the union with England?

Norway

Last, but not least, although admittedly the little brother of the Kalmar Union: Norway is the final Realm (and of course our most anticipated, since we are a Norwegian publisher!) we visit in our Development Diary series about the initial 12 Realms we have included in Defying Destiny. 

Hugging the North Sea and Norwegian Sea from north to south, Norway is the home of some of the most famous navigators in medieval history. In 1444, the country's nobility still lies with a broken back after the Black Plague, and the Realm has been forced to look abroad for suitable candidates for the throne. Together with their bigger brothers, Denmark and Sweden, they form the Kalmar Union, all ruled by King Christopher of Bavaria at the outset, but with their own distinct laws and traditions.

Similar to Sweden, in the core game, Norway has several Events representing their attempts at breaking away from the Union, such as Viceroy Erik’s Murder, where Sweden and Norway might join forces against Denmark, or Knut Alvsson’s Rebellion, where Norway could take on Denmark on their own. But Norway could also stick with the protection of the union for longer.

As with other Realms in Defying Destiny, we then try to follow particular historical events and illustrious people that made their mark on Norwegian history, even if they were not ruled as an independent country.

First, let's have a look at Archbishop Olav’s Schemes, which tells the story of Christian II Oldenburg, the deposed and exiled King of Denmark (and prior to that, viceroy of Norway), arriving in Norway as part of the Archbishop's scheme to stop the Reformation and curb the power of the Danish monarchy in Norway, and the plots of Inger Ottesdotter Rømer, wife of the Chancellor and High Steward of Norway (made famous by a 19th century play by Ibsen), who orchestrated plots in both Norway and Sweden, promoting the spread of Protestantism in Norway and trying to put an impostor on the Swedish throne as well as making her own daughter queen in the process by marrying her to him.

As hinted at in the introduction, there are some Events that deal with close connection between Norway and the sea, such as Growth of Commerce, enabling Norway to Expand a Town or a Trade Node, or go exploring the new world, and Tordenskiold’s Audacity, an Age III Event, featuring the prowess of Peter Wessel Tordenskjold, the vice-admiral of the Dano-Norwegian Fleet who rose to fame for his daring feats while fighting Sweden in the Great Northern War in the early 18th century.

Norway's final Event of the game, of course, takes us to the liberal Constitution of 1814, which is still in effect today, and has been celebrated on 17th May, the National Day, every year since then. It was drafted during the vacuum of power that was created, for a short while, when Denmark was forced to hand Norway over to the Swedish King, as a consequence of the outcome of the Napoleonic Wars. It didn't give Norway its independence then, but the Swedish King had to accept the constitution as valid in Norway, ensuring Norway a parliament separate from the Swedish, and who's to say you cannot defy destiny?

What's Next?

With all 12 new Realms in place, what's next? Well, we have a whole bunch of new Ideas, Milestones, and Mission cards that we want to show you, and also some new Action Cards as well to reveal in the coming days.

Tomorrow, we will also go into more detail about all the contents of Defying Destiny. But first of all, we are hoping to add even more Realms of course! So, without further ado, here's the first Stretch Goal of the campaign:

Stretch Goal #1: Italian Realms Pack

The already funded Stretch goal of 225.000€ 
Thanks, everyone, for the next one!!