The **Century of Broken Crowns** was a period of internal strife and civil war in [[Skadyrik]]. The Century began in 784 VL when the last Vidarrning king Njal was killed by Sigvaldi, the thane of [[Aftanngrein]], over an insult to his honour. Njal had no heirs. Sigvaldi claimed the closest descent from [[Vidarr Jarlsson Oversaenur|Vidarr]] and therefore the throne, but Herjolfr, thane of [[Kjopvik]], pressed a competing claim and gathered his army. With Herjolfr's army marching on [[Soranger]], Sigvaldi had himself crowned before an Alltyne could meet to discuss the inheritance. The nature of King Njal's death and the impropriety shown by Sigvaldi disgusted the realm, and others began rallying against him, including the commanders of _his own army_ in Aftanngrein. When his personal guard failed to intimidate Soranger's citizens to fight for him, Sigvaldi defiantly leapt from the battlements to his death in front of the army from Kjopvik. Herjolfr then tried to assume the throne, but with multiple armies having marched to Soranger, fighting broke out both within and without the city. Wars between the thanes and cities continued for the next century. No king or queen reigned longer than 5 years or enjoyed the fealty of the entire realm. Cities were burned to the ground, and the entire Vidarrning line was extinguished as each of its scions pressed their claim and was defeated. Eventually, Tryggve Arnorsson, a commoner, claimed to have been chosen by Taron to end the conflict. He amassed support within Soranger and managed to recruit the army of [[Burkeyhavn]], which had stayed mostly neutral during the wars. Tryggve was able to defeat the depleted armies of the kingdom's thanes one by one and bring them under his command. In 899 VL, Tryggve besieged and captured [[Ingeskai]], the last city to surrender to him. As Century of Broken Crowns came to an end, Tryggve promulgated the _Rikislov_ ("Law of the Kingdom") which fundamentally altered the political structure of the realm and its administration. The *Rikislov* abolished the title of thane, and allowed the king to appoint a clan to rule over a city and its environs. The clan would have major jurisdiction over the city and its citizens. By naming the clans after the cities they ruled, the law made it clear that noble ruling status was an extension of the king's authority, rather than something earned by birthright or deed. The _Rikislov_ prescribed non-interference with local issues, but outlined the circumstances under which the king could overrule the noble clan or even remove them and appoint another in their place. With the divisions of power thus outlined in writing for the first time, the Alltyne crowned Tryggve as the first king of a united Skadyrik in over one hundred years. Tryggve then appointed a set of noble clans for the realm's cities, prioritising factions that had contributed to peace and restraint rather than prolonging the war – even appointing some from forces that had opposed him. Although the Century of Broken Crowns was not the last kinstrife or civil war in Skadyrik's history, it resulted in the most significant changes to the kingdom's administrative organisation.