With the growing host of Norsemen sworn to Þórólfr's banner and their hardened mercenary allies, the chieftain's southward conquests continued. Rögnvaldr of Tröndelag surrendered his holdings in October of 874. In June of the following year, the besieged Chief Heljarskinn of Rogaland died of an illness while trapped in his own hold. Succeeded by his six-year-old son Haraldr, the thanes of Rogaland quickly decided to give up their resistance.
On the shores of Rogaland, Þórólfr distributed the loot of the siege and finally parted ways with the Lithuanian mercenaries who had helped him build his power base in Western Norway. The Wolf of the West now held far more territory, and the allegiance of far more holds, than his purported liege. The time for his revenge, leading a true, Norse army, was near at hand.
Despite still being a vassal, I directly own seven provinces and fifteen holdings. That's more than twice as many as the Ynglings. There is already an independence faction against King Haraldr led by Chief Sæmundr of the Faeroe Islands, but I'll wait for my manpower to recover before I join it.
On September 7, 877, a second son, named Sveinn, was born to Þórólfr and Rikissa.
