John II from the Free Kingdom
John II was king of the Free Kingdom during the Conflict for the Grain. His country was hit even harder by the Three Year Drought than the Empire, so he decided to make conquests against Magnus VIII. The conflict ended with the defeat of the Free Kingdom, a century-old non-aggression pact, and a tribute imposed on the empire's territories. John II thus he represents a monarch whose decision was based on necessity, but whose failure for a long time limited the military possibilities of his kingdom.
King of the drought-stricken land
John II ruled the Free Kingdom at a time when the Three Year Drought hit the entire region hard. His country was suffering from food shortages even more severely than the empire, and internal pressure on the royal power was growing rapidly. The conquests against the empire were thus not only a manifestation of ambition, but also a desperate attempt to obtain resources at a time when one's own crops were failing.
Conflict over grain
John II he took advantage of the time when the empire also had to deal with the effects of the drought and began military pressure on its southeastern regions. He probably counted on the fact that Magnus VIII. he won't have the strength to react quickly enough. However, the Empire still had a full army and, thanks to supply measures, was able to handle the crisis better than the surrounding states. John's strategy therefore met with stronger resistance than he had expected.
Centennial Pact
In 1310, the conflict ended in peace, which was disadvantageous for the Free Kingdom. John II he had to accept a century-old non-aggression pact and commit to tribute for war-affected areas. With this, the Free Kingdom for a long time gave up the possibility of openly threatening the Empire. John II thus he remains in history as a ruler who tried to take advantage of the crisis, but instead of profit he brought his country long restrictions.