Flash Forward History.
The Commonwealth of Birkagardr.
1005 HSF/ 715 CE.
The Allsharja(1) Tharkell Olufson, who had just been elected to that office the previous year, had sent ambassadors to the Uruemo Atar(2) in Cenabum, seeking endorsement by the High Father to invade the the great island of Isalandan(3) across the Great Western Ocean.
The island was inhabited by people from Iweriu(4) and Noregr(5). In that time, members of the Dexdag(6) sect, derived from the ancient heretical Taratouta movement(7), have settled on the island, and converted a great many of the people there.
Tharkell wishes for the High Father to grant his proposed expedition of conquest with the Seal of Tiwaz(8), which would grant him his cause legitimacy. Isalandan would become his fiefdom from the Bitunemeton(9). The Commonwealth already has controls Gotlandan mainland(10), Aldeigjuborga(11), Haithabyr (12), and even as far west as Bealfeirsde(13), Caith(14) and Orkneyjar(15).
The Allsharja Tharkell needed to limited to defend his mainland territories from the Svearic confederation, and to do that, he needed to reduce the number of Aettr(16) in Scandza whom the Svearic may recruit to topple the Commonwealth's supremacy in the region. Islandan was considered ideal to persuade the Aettr chieftains that better land could be gained elsewhere, for free without challenging the Birkagardr commonwealth. So Tharkell awaited the return of his emissaries from the court of the Uruemo Atar with hopeful news.
(1) All-Chieftain roughly translated. He is the equivalent of a Doge.
(2) The Uruemo Atar (Gaulish) Supreme Father, similar to the pope.
(3) Iceland.
(4) Ireland.
(5) Norway.
(6) Gaulish*Dexs" correct or true and "Dag" kind. Non-orthodox religious sect.
(7) And earlier incarnation which I intend to introduce to the mainstream dating of the ATL.
(8) The equivalent of a Papal Bull.
(9) Gaulish for "World Temple". The Church.
(10) South-eastern Sweden in TTL.
(11) Staraya Ladoga.
(12) Hedeby.
(13) Belfast.
(14) Caithness.
(15) Orkneys
(16) Plural Norse term for clans.