Norland: How to become emperor? Norland guide, tips
Becoming the ruler of a new empire is the ultimate goal of playing Norland. This page will give you tips on how to unite provinces under you and challenge the church as an emperor.
Last update: 24 July 2024
Although Norland is a title designed to provide many hours of fun, there is still one overarching goal in the game that you can try to achieve. This goal is to unite the continent in the fight against the dominant church of the Loving Family. On this page of the guide, we describe how you can gain control, challenge the church, and ultimately "finish" Norland.
How to unite the provinces?
Like many games similar in genre, Norland is focused on long, evolving gameplay. The game doesn't require you to pursue imperialistic visions of conquest, and the "ultimate" goal of uniting the continent is only hinted at during gameplay.
The first condition to be crowned emperor is to unite at least 12 provinces of the continent under your control. To do this, it will be necessary to create and develop one of two types of states.
The first is the Alliance of Free Cities. It's a peaceful coalition of provinces based on friendly relations and mutual defense. Each member state has a fairly free right to self-determine its future, but membership forces them to make several concessions:
- Rulers are obliged to send troops to defend any of the member kingdoms if it is attacked;
- Kingdoms may not declare war or attack any of the other members;
- Minor members lose the ability to pursue an aggressive foreign policy (e.g. they cannot demand tribute from other states).
The leader of the alliance (marked with a wing symbol on the map) has additional obligations toward neighboring countries. The states cannot be taken over by force, and the most a leader can do is to force neutrality on his neighbors.
To join new countries in the alliance, it's necessary to enter into friendly relations with their rulers. So if you plan to build your power based on a meticulous foreign policy and peace deals, then the role of leader of the Alliance of Free Cities may be right for you.
An alternative way to build power is to create a Vassal kingdom. The Senior leads such a state (marked on the map with a crown symbol), while the rulers under his authority are called Vassals. The Senior is obliged to protect the Vassal states subordinate to him by sending troops in the event of a violation of the borders. In return, the vassal kingdoms are required to pay tribute and forfeit their ability to pursue their own foreign policy.
A vassal state is created through military intimidation and conquest. To force someone to submit, click on the capital of the target province, click the "Assign" button, and then select "Offer vassalage" from the "Politics" tab. The claim will be sent to the given country. The state will have 3 days to respond. If the ruler isn't afraid of your army, you will be forced to attack his city. Otherwise, the entire continent will consider you cowards, which will significantly lower your status. Also, keep in mind that forcibly taking over foreign countries can provoke the anger of the Loving Family (more information about religion in Norland can be found on this guide page).
The policy of a vassal state based on military domination may often prove to be much faster and more effective than the laborious doctrine of the Alliance of Free Cities. However, be careful not to overestimate your strength and get involved in a war you won't be able to win.
How to be crowned emperor?
You will have the chance to become emperor once you have successfully united 12 or more provinces, whether as the leader of free cities or a powerful senior. You will find the appropriate option in the ruler's actions menu.
Before taking this step, be sure to save your game. Becoming an emperor will be seen by the church as an act of aggression and a challenge that cannot be undone.
Inquisition troops will be sent against your kingdom to try to suppress your imperialist ambitions. The final battle with the forces of the Loving Family will decide whether the scenario ends with your victory or defeat.
However, the coronation as emperor will have its consequences beforehand. Challenging the church will impose a strong negative thought on your citizens, the fear of the church's wrath can very badly affect morale. However, certain groups of citizens are protected from these negative effects:
- Loyalists will remain loyal to the Ruler, resulting in less fear of religious war;
- Agnostics with their indifferent approach to faith are much less likely to experience the fear of the church's wrath;
- Nectar addcited will be too focused on their own needs, so the war won't make much of an impression on them.
You can also gain favor from religious fanatics. For this purpose, be sure to obtain the Matriarch's blessing before being crowned emperor. The faithful will then recognize you as a new prophet and will stand on your side of the conflict. We highly recommend doing this, as strained relations with the church could lead to a religious uprising that will engulf your country before the Inquisition forces even arrive.
You can find more about mechanics related to religion in Norland (blessing, fanatics, inquisition) on this page of our guide.