Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson’s Hogback

Origin
As King of the Northern Irish Isles in the 12th-13th centuries, Rǫgnvaldr Guðrøðarson faced off many oppositional forces to maintain power. He married some of his children away to local rivals for truce, while others he fought in battle for dominance. Involving his brother-in-law of John de Courcy brought the attention of the English. Rognvaldr agreed to protect English interests within his territories while the English would help defend the kingdom against foreign threats. The agreement stood for 15 years until the Norwegians began to encroach upon Orkney and Caithness, forcing Rognvaldr to cut ties and pay tribute to his new rulers.

Rognvaldr briefly left Ireland and secured protection under Pope Honorius III, by which point he had shifted back to English loyalty. He tried to appease his brother Óláfr with the areas of Lewis and Harris, but Rǫgnvaldr turned him to the Scots went he tried forcing more land. Óláfr eventually was released and raised an army to attack Rǫgnvaldr and his allies, in which Rǫgnvaldr was slain in their final battle.

Hogbacks were curved Norse stone markers that acted as precursors to gravestones.

Effects
Antes up arbitration skills for entering beneficial alliances. Most deals around protection of the user, in exchange for a more helpful relationship for the other side. Causes a tendency to switch allegiance at the first signs of difficulty or better opportunities, even returning to previous allies. Displays the coat of arm or insignia of the group with the greatest benefit or actionable threat to the user.