The Chronicles of Sviþjod
Karl I 'the Just' (c. 746-792)
King of Sviþjod (783-795)
King of Noreger (789-795)
King of Nordrriki (792-795)
While in most folklore that comes out of the Empire of Midgard, the existance of King Karl I is almost entirely rumored, based only on the runestones erected during the reign of Ivar 'the Brute', historical legacies of the first King of the Norse show that Karl was born a simple peasant man in the land of
Vermaland, located west of the modern capital of
Håtuna. In December 768, Karl Holming overthrew the pre-existing Chief of Vermaland, Haukr Vanso. After seizing power, legacies tell us that Karl recieved a vision from the all-father that he was intended to unite the great Norse peoples, and to create an empire that would last the test of time. The 23 year old Chief of Vermaland soon launched his wars of expansion -- expanding into the Chiefdom of Jarnberaland by the time he was 30.
His wars soon brought him into conflict with the Jarldom of Sviþjod. In 774, Ragnarr Hairy-Breeches inherited the Jarldom from his father, Sigurdr. In 779, the two chiefdoms -- Karl's Vermaland, and Ragnarr's Svithjod, entered into battle over whom would be the dominant Norse tribe in Svithjod. Whilst this was going on, the meddlesome Danes were pushing up from their island homes, attempting to annex great swaths of territory -- by the time of Karl's seizure of Svithjod from the Munso clan, Danmark controlled as far north as Austergautland, with their sights on Dal and Sodermanland. In 783, beset by Danish terror, Karl was named King of Svithjod by acclaim, granting the man the kingdom he had so willfully desired.
Rallying the Norse around him against the Danish invaders, he soon expanded outwards, consuming Denmark and the North by late 792. Following his victories there, he set his eyes on an even greater prize -- Britain. Sailing off for what is now Jorvik in 794, he landed on the shores there in early 795. However, while his invasion was going well, his Gout got the best of him, and he was granted his place in Valhalla in 795 -- after he was slain in combat by the Chief of Mann, Broichan Ce. Broichan would later succumb to cancer in 801 CE.
Karl the Just was succeeded in 795 by his second eldest son, and fourth child, Ivar the Brute. Karl's legacy amongst the people of Midgard is well-acclaimed; he is the father of Norsemen... but even then, he is not the one acclaimed for creating the great Empire of Midgard -- that honor belongs to his son, Ivar.
Ivar I 'the Brute' (c. 786-839)
Ivar was the first Emperor of Scandinavia, and the first Fylkir -- the great unifier of the Germanic faith, and a true son of Odin. Rembered fondly for his great talents as a general, steward, intriguer and disciple of the Gods, he served his empire faithfully and true. His reign was largely noted with the final conquest of Danmark beneath the might of the Kingdom of Svithjod, the proclamation of the Empire of Scandinavia, and the expansion of their realm over the Anglo-Saxons of Britannia.
In the later stages of his reign, the Aztecs of the Western Continent invaded Europe, first invading Mauretania, but soon expanding their realm to include Aquitaine. By the death of Ivar I, the Aztec realm spanned much of the Christian Mediterranean -- from Bordeaux to Rome, the Aztecs brutalized the White Christ's followers with impunity -- but to safeguard the empire, Ivar I and his descendants continued to expand.
He was succeded as Fylkir and Emperor in 839 by his eldest son, and second child, Karl I. He is often remembered with mixed feelings -- he was a fantastic leader and the first unifier of the Norse peoples, but at the same time -- he is remembered for his harsh punishments, and general lack of apathy towards his vassals -- he was not opposed to using methods of torture, mutilation and execution to get his point across -- during his reign, many people perished in the most cruel of ways -- including infected botched castrations, blood eagles, burnings at stake, or snake pits.
Karl 'the Sword of Frey' (c. 814-872)
Karl was remembered fondly through his time as Emperor as a man of great concern for his nation's well-being. Despite being a military man at heart, he was firmly dedicated to ensuring that the Norse peoples were safe-guarded against disease and suffering. Bringing into the world five children, he presided over Scandinavia during the ravages of the Black Death.
The Black Death arrived into Europe at an time where the Aztecs continued to run free, clashing with the Carolingian Empire and the resplendent Byzantine Empire. Death soon followed -- of Karl's five children, his eldest bastard, Sorkver the Sword of the Thunderer (b. 830, d. 869) perished in the ravages of the Plague from his capital in Lancaster -- located firmly in the realm of Angland. His eldest daughter, Holmfrid, also perished to the disease.
During his reign, and during the Great Plague of the East, the Emperor invested thousands of ducats into the establishment of the Uppland Hospital -- the oldest and most advanced continuous medical facility in Europe, which remains open to this day, and services thousands of people daily.
His youngest child, Jarl Hjalmar the Pious of Jylland and Deheubarth, died of Great Pox in 905, at the age of 56, giving him a lengthful life -- long enough for a Jarl.
His third son, however, was Ivar II 'Bluetooth', and would succeed him upon his death in 872. Ivar II's reign would mark the start of an interesting sort of affair -- the pursuit of immortality amongst the sons of the Holming dynasty, whom were terrified of what the Black Death represented to their empire...
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783 - 795: Karl I 'the Just'
795 - 839: Ivar I 'the Brute'
839 - 872: Karl II 'the Sword of Frey'
872: Ivar II 'Bluetooth'
872 - 903: Ragnarr 'the Immortal'
903 - ???: Ivar III 'the Holy'