Valhalla

Nation: Valhalla Population: 100.2 million Establishment: 400 BGB - GB reestablished 234 AGB Capital: StoneHall Religion: Ostman Government: Constitutional Monarchy Leader: Grand Earl Lydianna The Hatchet (Ruling since 674)
The Valhallans are one of the few civilizations to survive the Great Break. The far north nations fared best, and Valhalla not only remained, but is responsible for a chunk of what little history we have of before the Great Break.
The Kingdom of Vanaheim collapsed into chaos sometime around 520 BGB. For a hundred and twenty years 8 kingdoms emerged; Jaggerun, Oldengard, Stonegard, Stormhold, Arkshire, Lonehold, Haven, and Nohelshiana. The nations formed various partnerships over the court of time, except for Lonehold and Adlengard, who fought a war from around 460 BGB to 420. That war fostered deep resentment between the two kingdoms.
In 410, the Penrich the Forgotten, youngest son of the Stoneguard royal family, overthrows his family, murdering two brothers, and his parents. he takes control of the Stormhold tribe at only 21 years old, and leads them to conquer the rest of the nations. At 31, in 400, he names the new kingdom Valhalla after their mythology. He rules for three years before dying. It is unclear, but some historians believe it was syphilis.
Around 23 BGB Logana Targath, also known as Logana the Terrible, takes control of the kingdom. She rules with an iron fist and threatens the weakened Kingdom of Concord. In 6 BGB, she invades. They make significant pushes. The war itself is interrupted by and ends with the Greak Break. It is assumed Logana Targath died in the Great Break.
Valhalla was hit hard, as was everywhere else, but withstood it more than most. Still, the Kingdom of Nohelshiana vanished. Historians have studied it for some time, and there are many stories and legends, but the leading theory is that they were the one Kingdom ruined too much by the Great Break, and disbanded. (There is evidence of Nohelshiana descendants in nearby kingdoms)
During the Age of Chaos, the remnants of the Kingdoms began to rebuild. Stonehold becomes Hammerstone. They actually successfully did so over time, and quicker than most. By 100, the Seven Kingdoms had each re-established a foothold over their regions. They ruled separately though, sparing and battling here and there. The Great Break was not enough to quell Arkshire and Lonehold’s feud, as they would fight in several minor wars from 115-200.
215 began the Era of Merciless Tyrants. Five of the seven Kingdoms, Hammerstone, Lonehold, Arkshire, Oldengard, and Jaggerun were all run by Jarls who were viewed as powerful tyrants. Each had a strong foothold over their kingdoms, and each were seen in different ways as monsters.
From 215-235 210,000 people will die unnatural deaths, more than any war before it combined. Jarls were in some way, shape, or form responsible for 67% of those deaths.
In 228, Jarl Harald Lordor rises to power in Haven. He launches a campaign against Arkshire. Over the next several years he wages war against each of the 5 Kingdoms. One by one they fall to his armies, which grow with each kingdom he conquers. The final two, Jaggerun and Lonehold attempt to ally against him, but it’s too late. Two of the Merciless Jarls are killed in battles, one by Lorder himself. Three of them, he excuses after the war is over. All five heads are kept on pedestals in Stonegard where he establishes his new kingdom. Lorder becomes known as Lorder the Great, who once again unifies the country. He is seen as a great liberator, ridding the land of the Five Merciless Tyrants. He calls the newly unified kingdom New Valhalla.
In 276, war erupts between New Valhalla and Linktukoto. It is not a long war, and Linktukoto loses significant land before surrendering.
In 330, Jarl Erik Lorder the Tall, is poisoned and killed. This ends the Lorder line, and by tradition gives the throne to Lognor Arden nephew of the former queen. It isn’t long before Arden is suspected of having poisoned his cousin. A trial is held, and Arden is found guilty. Historians often write that it was ironic that they seemed to view his greatest crime as the fact he secretly murdered him as opposed to challenging him outright.
From 330-400, weak Jarls rule and the individual kingdoms rise in power. The Central government weakens.
In 402, Helga Torare becomes Grand Jarl and takes steps to reunify the country. She re-labels New Valhalla as Valhalla, claiming the country never left, and uses that as her slogan in order to bring the Kingdoms back. She is mostly successful, although the Kingdoms had established some power that they will never give back.
In 463 Agatha Tor, explorer, claims to have come across a kingdom of people living in the mountains. She describes them as animal like and says they are building in strength. No place is ever discovered, and it is considered legend. Some stories believe it to be the lost Nohelshiana Kingdom.
In 523 Civil War breaks out when Jaggerun, Lonehold, and Oldengard threaten to secede over Arkshire and Stormhold’s use of slaves. Grand Jarl Laden Gunn refuses to let them leave. Laden Gunn is killed in the Siege of Thor Valley in 530. His daughter Kaylan Gunn takes over. The war lasts three more years until she makes an agreement to end slavery over the next decade in order to make peace. An agreement is made, and the war is ended in 533. 750,000 lives were lost over the war.
In 542, The Second Civil War happens when Stormhold and Arkshire attempt to secede over the removal of their slaves.Kaylan Gunn leads forces to overthrow the Jarls. Once both kingdoms fall, she ends slavery for good in Valhalla.
In 550 Kaylan Gunn passes away at only 48, mostly believed due to injuries sustained in wars that took their toll. She is remembered as Kaylan the Valhallan, and viewed as the soul who finally unified Valhalla for good. While there would be petty squabbles, the country has stayed unified ever since.
In 677, Valhalla is attacked by a people much similar to those described by Agatha Tor. They earn the name “Wraths.” They are primitive seeming and extremely brutal.They come from the White Shore area, and overtake Oldengard. The Valhallans call them the Wraths. They wipe several towns off the map. Valhalla, led by Grand Jarl Lydianna, fight back against the powerful horde. The Valhallans make their stand in the Pass of Torin. The Wraths are defeated, but before they could be hunted down and finished off, they vanish as mysteriously as they appeared.

Type

Alliance, Generic