Mount and Blade warband

So almost a month and no post... well that is again Diablo 3's fault... I've been grinding through inferno and farming some gold, although I’m in a bit of a cba with that over the last few days so i've got into mount and blade warband after reading the thread on DakkaDakka forums from the start... eventually (last Thursday) I weakened and bought it and got it for the weekend just passed... and i'm loving it.

Really I should have done the tutorials but I’m stubborn and after 6-7restarts due to losing my army, or being captured, or screwing up stats I’ve got the hang of the game and have been rolling around its world now.

Starting off I went for an ex veteran's son (The character gen is great fun, and adds different stats depending on what options are chosen).

I began my life in the game after the small intro (get jumped, fight guy off help merchant, get merchants brother back for him, revolt with merchants vs. corrupt guards) hunting bandits with my character (I picked a different faction randomly but left their lands to go to the nord ones as I prefer them it seems), developed the men up and got some companions and continued living the merc / trader life (AKa rolling through lands killing bandits taking their gear and selling it while also buying and selling items from towns to other towns on my routes).

I've engaged in a fair few tourneys favouring the Nord ones as they aren't horse or archery focused meaning I get swords and not crappy lances or bows to use... winning the events I’ve got myself into feasts and began courting some ladies while building the army into a 35 man force of upgraded troops.

and last night that all changed for me when I got finally to re-see the lady I had planned to court (The others are just for fun, I’m not going to marry them) asked her father about it and he wasn't keen saying I needed to be part of the realm. 

A quick trip to the king later and i was now a nord, although he still wasn't keen, but after giving him 7 of my Huscarl's (Expensive and top tier men... the expensive tasted bastard!) after he asked me to train him some he let me begin courting his daughter (I will kill him for this and take my men back if possible).

Also one of the nord castles was under siege and due to intense fighting both sides were badly mauled. So I stepped in broke the now enemy garrison while the others all scrapped around it and took it for myself requesting the king let me have it... he did of course which is lucky for him as I was going to keep it. 

I did my good deeds though by jumping into the fights after the danger was passed and helping out the lords to get some good favour from them, so 2 bird’s one stone for me and it got my army exp with little danger.

Now I’m in charge of it and in good graces with some of the other lords, so with the army put in protection at the castle I’ve began re-levelling more nord soldiers to become my new force. 

And all that is from the weekend and Monday night. 

Great game and I'd recommend it to those who like to carve their own story out in a huge world.