Third Kingdom of Aedrinar

Founded in the late first age, the Third Kingdom of Aedrinar was the third united kingdom of the Aedrinarans and the first kingdom of the Aedrinarans to last longer than a century. Formed at the end of the Age of a 1000 clans, the third kingdom ushered in a period of unity and propserity, including the foundiing and expansion of the nation's great cities, the codification of the modern Aedrinaran political structure, and the expansion of its realm into the continent and Asrinheim for the first time.
Much of what is known about the Third Kingdom is recorded only in family chronicles, sagas, eddas, and popular legend. Despite its near three century reign, many of its acheivements have been eclipsed or lost in the 3000 years since the kingdom fell. The Third Kingdom ushered in some of Aedrinar's most popular and famous monarchs including Ragnar I The Great, High King Haarold I Seasnake, Ingrid I Wintershield, and Olaf I Redhands.
Also known as the Halgafjarian kingdom for the ancient Halgafjar's political domination in the kingdom's foundation and later its collapse, the ancient city of Halgafjar would become lost a century after the kingdom's fall. The modern city, founded in the ancient Halganir Hold, the supposed home county of Ancient Halgafjar, would take its name from the legendary city.
The Third Kingdom would become internationally influential for its role in allying with the Sun Elves and ultimately joining the alliance at the Battle of Adar, defeating the Dark Lord Soulthek for the first time. Although considered one of the Aedrinaran people's greatest acheivements, the loss of life in the First Soulthek War would destablise the kingdom and ultimately lead to its downfall under two successivly weak kings, Rollo I and Rollo II The Weak.

History

Age of 1000 Clans

Prior to the kingdom's foundation, the Aedrinaran people had spent the last 1000 years dissunited into 'a thousand feuding clans' of mainly nomadic people groups, starting in the year 1721, 2e, upon the death of Queen Astrid I Dragontamer. This period was marked by clan warfare and no large scale settlement outside of bastions, such as Skyholm, and the three Ancient Cities of Aedrinar: Lastlight, Winterharbour, and Halgafjar which were the only true cities of the Aedrinaran people. Even then, Lastlight and Winterharbour were significantly smaller and less impressive, consisting of wooden walled, tightly packed huts with a central fortification and jarlshall.
By the end of the age, more and more clan were settling in permanant locations as the weather in the region warmed and permafrost gave way to fertile lands in the summer and spring. This was largely benefited upon in Sudurejya and what is now the Southern Hold of Aedrinar. This saw the foundation of Magnusberg, the predacessor to modern Kriegerholm, and the growth and development of Halgafjar.
With a burgeoning army, food supplies, and navy, Ancient Halgafjar became the great city state of the southern hold. Conquering much of the modern Halganir Hold on the Cape of Halga, the city became the largest and densest populated city outside of the ancient cities in Asrinheim and Jotun.

Ragnar the Great

It was in this prosperous city state that a man named Ragnar Ognissen was born. Outside of his birth father, not much is known about Ragnar's early life outside of bardic interpreations of his story. In his late teens and early 20s, he would go to war against the Wolf Clan and Wyvern Clans, defeating them both. At the age of 23 he would become Thane of Halgafjar. It is unclear as to whether his deeds in war earned him the election as Jarl, or whether he claimed it from the previous Jarl. The surviving translations and copy's of Ragnar's Saga state the following:

"Through his warrior deeds and heart of Odin Ragnar son of Ognir elected Jarl of Halgafjar Upon Hel's night in the 3497 year of the Gods"¹

A year later, Ragnar pilgramaged to the ancient lands of the Raven Clan to commune at the First Shrine of Odin on Hoggormur, where the common story holds he had a 'divine revelation' to unite the Aedrinaran people. Ragnar would not long after militarize his city and begin a conquest of the Aedrinaran islands.
Rallying the houses, clans, and armies of Halgafjar's land including the Wolf Clan and House Dragontooth the Jarl would march on his enemies in the Southern Hold. Magnusberg was conquered, and the ruling Magefyres allowed to remain in control of the key port city in exchange for supporting his war with battle mage. His expansion and victory against The Boar Clan, the predacessors of House Fairhair, cemented his control of the south.
Ragnar would claim the east from the various clans gathered there, including the unlanded House Stormbarer and the Goat Clan. The Western Hold was divded between the warring Krakenjarls and the Seal Clan alongside their smaller clan allies, making conquest easy. The north took longer, with an inbittered campaign against northern clans and houses, the most prominent being the Stormskynn of Skyholm and House Winter-Shield. Ragnar won key victories at Foxfjord and Snowcap Peak, bringing the northern clans into his hold. Within the space of a year, Ragnar had united the entire Island of Aedrinar and crowned himself 'King' of the Aedrinarans, despite some of his more fanatical supporters supporting his appointment as High King Ragnar refused, stating he would not take the title of 'high' king till all Aedrinarans were united under him.
Ragnar sent out a proclamation to the reamining clans and houses, demanding they submit to his rule as King of the Aedrinarans or face his conquest. Some agreed, such as the Blackfoots of the Northern Isles, the Raven Clan, Ravenskyn of Drekenheim, and House Kirkguard of Orsturkirk. Others, such as the clans of Sudureyja and Einmanfjell, refused.
In his final invasions, Ragnar would easily conquer Einmanfjell in 2 days and then waged a massive invasion of Sudurejya. He defeated the Last Sudurejyan king, Ulf Redhands, in a battle west of Lastlight, folding the last Aedrinaran island into his realm. He was proclaimed as High King at a celebration feast 4 days later in Halgafjar by the gathered clan and house heads in 2760, 2e, at the age of only 26.
Ragnar continued to unite his realm, building roads, expanding trade networks, and taking 'court' over disputes amongst his subjects. He welcomed in prominent vassals, forming a council in Halgfajar consisting of advisors and emissaries. The Aedrinarans were united under peace, and despite outbreaks of small rebellion and inter-feuding, Ragnar was quick to put them down. Halgafjar became a larger city and a government and diplomatic centre.
Through fostered trade and cooperation, the kingdom flourised and grew more united. Ragnar would have a long reign where most of the 'legends' of his dragonslaying, monster hunting, and peacemaking come from. He would die in 2803 at the hands of his son, Laufir Ragnarssen, at the age of 67 in ritual honourable killing. He would be succeeded by his Steward, Ulfgir Stormskyn, the descendant of Astrid I Dragontamer and the capital breifly moved away from Halgafjar.

Ragnar's Successors

Ulfgir II would have a successful but unremarkable reign by Aedrinaran standards. Known as the 'historian king' to contemporaries, his codification and memorialization of deeds from the first and second kingdoms as well as the interregnum periods of the Great Division and Age of a Thousand Clans alongside his foundation of a bardic college in Skyholm presevered ancient myth and lore for modern aedrinarans.
Ulfgir died battling a polar bear in his private gardens in 2822, 1a, and the moot was hotly contested between Ragnar the Great's Grandson, the thrice named Ragnar Ragnarssen Ragnar, and Ulfgir's daughter Astrid the Sky Wanderer. Across the three week mook, Ragnar would eventually win the hotly contested arguments. Two days later, he married Astrid with the two finding each other's rage and passsion 'attractive' uniting the two houses and mitigating a potential civil war.
Ragnar IIs rule was again remarkable but saw the capital return to Halgafjar, but had wide-spread infrastructure improvements and developments across the realm. New shipyards, docks, roads, and bridges were commissioned with taxation and the War Academy, a basillica to Sif and warrior training camp, was constructed in his home city. Ragnar would also grant his support and additional fleets to Haarold Seasnake of Orsturkirk to invade Vanaheim.

Haarold I Seasnake

Ragnar would pass away in a skirmish with brigands when a wayward javelin caught him in the face in 2839. In respect for his deeds in expanding the kingdom and his impressive taming of Vanaheim, Haarold Seasnake, a humble Thane, was elected High King. After a year of administration and reorganizing his fortress of Valkyrie as the capital, Haarold saught to end any potential elven retalliation for his conquest of the island.
From 2840-2844 Haarold would conquer The Correlites and Kastaland, as well as invading Iminiyas and the southern fringes of the island of Asrinheim using the Aedrinaran armies. Known as the Seasnake's Conquest, the war was ended by a treaty in Thevensyne between the invaded Elven Great houses and the Third Kingdom. The eastern islands were folded into the Aedrinaran kingdom, and the invaded portions of Asrinheim proper would pay tribute and vassalage to the kingdom in exchange for Haarold leaving their lands.
This expansion of the kingdom and the warrior's impressive conquest of the formidable Ice Elves earnt him the title "Tamer of Asrinheim." Using advanced Vaniri shipbuilding techniques, Haarold would commision a grand shipyard in Lastlight. He would then begin expeditions to the rest of the world. Between the years 2847 and 2867, there would be 9 Grand Raids of distant lands (listed below)

1. Western Voyage: Haarold's fleet sailed west and found the mythical Westerlands, where he came across a lost city of the Dwarves and took a bracer of a dead god upon burning their city
2. Northern Voyage: Haarold found the great frozen north and defated the Walrus King and took his tusks as daggers.
3. Southern Voyage: The fleet allegedly sailed the lost continent of Giton and conquered its northern most islands, granting the territory to his best captains and warriors
4. Serpent Voyage: Haarold pillaged the tortle islands (modern serpent isles) as well as Sun Elf and Southlander trading posts there and on the southlands coast.
5. Small Ombosuan Voyage: A voyage to the continent of Ombosu along its northern coast, the Seasnake is claimed to have taken the Lands of the Great River Civilization. A modern theory states his attacks were on the kingdom of Agyison, connecting him with the first age Agysian myth of "The Sea Peoples" that led to the mass civilization collapse in the first age.
6. Grand Ombosuan voyage: Haarold sailed around the eastern and southern coasts of Ombosu, founding a small settlement in its far south.
7. Second Southern Voyage: A return visit to the continnent of Giton that saw more gold taken.
8. Great Eastern Voyage: From his holdings in Giton, Haarold sailed to the eastern continent of Zhoson and supposidly attacked the realm of the Jungle Cats. A port settlement named Neuwold was built here before Haarold returned home.
9. Final Voyage: A legendary attack on the Kernow and Gwenyddian lands. It is claimed his housed the most treasure the king had ever gathered. Haarold would die returning to Valkyrie in a storm in the Vaniri Sea, only a few hours from his home.

Due to Haarold being (allegedly) away on so many raids far from home for more than a year at a time, he would leave a regency council in power at Valkyrie. Alternating across the decades, by his death his the Wintershields had managed to amass incredibly political power from their roles as chancellors and masters of the boat.

Sun Elf Alliance

Haarold's death at sea in 2867 saw the moot elect his most compentant regency council member, Ingrid Wintershield. The first Winterharbour monarch, Ingrid had spend the duration of Harold's reign gathering political capital and reaping the benefits of his raids and wars. Using this, Winterharbour began to modernize and would rival Halgafjar by the end of her reign. Ingrid is best remembered for sailing to the continent and allying with the Western Sun Elf Empire.
Ingrid was followed by the first High King from Lastlight, Olaf I Redhands in 2892. Olaf would honour Ingrid's alliances and follow her example in modernizing Lastlight, modelling it again after Halgafjar. Olaf would answer the envoys asking for military aid in the Soulthek War, as the Dark Lord ramapged throughout the southlands. Olaf would die in battle, either holding back Soulthek's army somewhere in the Holy Land, or in defence of Helion itself.

Later Halgafjarian Period

Olaf's glorious death in battle saw a moot organized back in Aedrinar. Ragnar III was elected in 2923. A member of the House of Ragnar, Ragnar III continued to honour the alliance forged between Ingrid Wintershield and the Sun Elves. Despite the Sun Elf empire quickly collapsing under Soulthek's invasion, and many Aedrinarans hestitant to fight for a distant power, Ragnar supposidly called a grand feast at his capital of all the major houses and clans and inspired them with tales of Odin's battle against the Forgotten Gods. Surviving Dragontooth Chronicles in the Eagle Library of Orsturkirk claim the following excerpt:

"Efur looked upon the king as he did speak to the many houses gathered and admired his words, for he could say what Efur did think but could not voice. That the war in the far-lands were a war against the darkness and the beast. So when King Ragnar called upon the tale of the Long Night in Asrinheim, when Odin did ride his horde to save Frigga and her houses, he inspired all gathered there. That the Aedrinarans would again be like the Host of Odin, riding to save the world from evil."

Ragnar III continued to send small support to the elven empire, and gathered his major forces and upped weapon and ship production. A grand armada and army was sent to the remaining Sun Elf colonies in the modern Eldrian Heartlands. Aedrinaran legend states how many warriors gave their lives to hold back the armies, to allow the grand alliance at Adar to assemble in time. Ragnar was present at the Battle of Adar and his chronicles and popular Aedrinaran myth holds how he was instrumental in the alliance victory at the battle.
The loss of life at Adar is estimated at around 40% of the Aedrinaran army. This was likely around 3/4 of a million people. Many great houses and clans were likely lost in this, with houses such as the Magefyres and Kirkguards being lost from the historical record in the aftermath of the conflict. This had a knock-on economic downturn for the kingdom that Ragnar III did his best to hold back until his death in 19, 2a.
The latter Halgafjarian rulers would oversee the collapse the kingdom entirely. Ragnar's nephew, Rollo I, would become High King at the moot which barely met a qurum to elect a new monarch. Rollo I would be flustered by the pressures of the realm. The economy continued to slowly collapse, and internal tensions flared as the world tempreture continued to drop in the early 2nd age. The tributary regions of Asrinheim stopped their payments to the kingdom, furthering its economic downturn.
Rollo would launch 3 failed invasions of Asrinheim to reassert control. THe first barely left Halgafjar's harbour when a storm sunk its flagships. The second saw him turned back after landing near Rockhelm, losing more of his army and an entire 8 waggons of supplies. These two failed attempts saw more clans and houses pull away from the kingdom. His third attempt, in 29 would see his death at the hands of the Gildaron army near Iminiyas.
Rollo's son, Rollo II the Weak, became king. Rollo was faced with internal rebellion as more regions broke away from the kingdom. Rollo would attempt to appease the rebel contingents by confederating the kingdom into more independent regions. This only saw more rebellion and less fealty occur. His attempts at diplomacy failed, Rollo II tried to invade his neighbours in prolonged warfare. From 36-47, 2a, Rollo II tried to retake his rebellious subjects but was faced with constant attack, few allies, and dwindling supplies.
Rollo managed to gain control of the eastern and southen reaches of the Aedrinaran island itself as well as parts of Northern Drekenehim. iIn 47, 2a, Rollo II would be critically injured trying to retake the Wintershield lands. His wounds saw him retire from combat as he focused on rebuilding his holdings and holding back raiders from the 'rebel' regions of the country. His death in 56, 2a saw only three people attend the moot, effectively dissolving the kingdom. His son, Rollo, attempted to rule the nation as a rump state but died at the hands of the Wolf Clan in 59 and is not considered an official high king by anyone, merely a Jarl.

Notes

¹: The Ancient Aedrinarans used a solar calendar starting with the assencion of the Honoured Gods in 3125, ma. The year 3497 YG is around 2757, 1a in the standard Rexian calendar.

Territories

The Third Kingdom of Aedrinar would control almost the entirity of the human dominated Aedrinaran islands. They also spread breifly into Asrinheim under the rulership of High Kings Ragnar II and Haarold I Seasnake. It would hold onto most of these territories until the kingdom fell, excluding parts of southern Asrinheim which rebelled during the reign of Rollo I. Other significant portions of the elven kingdom, including Iminiyas, Thevensyne, and Glasindel, would pay homage and tribute to the kingdom until the reign of Rollo II.
List of controlled territories:

• Morgenjya
• Frossinturn
• Hoggormur
• Aedrinar
• Drekenheim
• Sudureyja
• Einmanfjell
• Gudshard
• Orrsturejya
• Vanaheim (From 2835 onwards)
• Kastaland (From 2843 onwards)
• The Correlites (From 2844 Onwards)
• Gildaron League (Tribute)
• Glasindel (Tribute)

Alleged control

During the reign of Haarold I Seansnake and his legendary treasure and raiding fleets, the Third Kingdom supposidly spread its control through minor holdings and ports to four other continents. Although no evidence outside of bias sagas and eddas exist, they are listed below:

• Suthrenhelm, Southern Ombosu
• Herogaurd Islands, Mythical continent of Giton
• Diamondhelm, Glistening Isles
• Neuwold, Zhansi Jungle, Zhoson

2760, 1a - 56 2a

Alternative Names

Halgafjarian Kingdom

Demonym

Aedrinaran

Government System

Monarchy, Elective

Economic System

Palace economy

Notable Members

• High King Haarold I Seasnake