Chapter 1 - Oh, Orm?
The Væni dynasty traces their origins to one Orm of Færeyjar. A bastard born to unknown parents, nothing is known of his life prior to adulthood. He most likely spent his teen years acting as a bodyguard or mercenary, because by the time he came of age he commanded the respect of many of the fighting men of the islands. He was wrathful and arrogant, with a pronounced and legendary sexual appetite. Despite his wrath and impulsivity in his personal life, on the battlefield he was said to have been a cautious and disciplined leader, able to keep his men under control and favoring a slow and steady approach to victory over daring deeds of heroism.
After coming of age, Orm's first order of business was to acquire a wife, if for no other reason than to reduce the number of boots thrown at his head by farmers angered by his seduction (successful or not) of their daughter, wife, or son. Fortunately, a trading expedition from Halland, on the southern tip of the Scandinavian penninsula, had recently arrived on Orm's islands. Accompanying them was a truly stunning woman named Drífa Firdi with whom Orm was immediately smitten. This would not have been noteworthy, it was rare for a trading expedition to arrive where Orm wasn't immediately smitten with at least half the people accompanying them, but Orm assured his friends that this time was different. It was also different from the last time he had told them it was different. And the time before that one.
Orm strode down to the docks, and immediately told Chieftain Arni, the man leading the expedition, that Orm was willing to part with many of the goods Arni sought if he gave Orm Drífa's hand in marriage. Arni, after verifying that this both was not a joke and that Orm had actual authority, took eager advantage of this hormone-addled boy's impulsivity. So Arni got his wool and Orm got his wife, so Drífa Firdi became Chieftess Drífa of Færeyjar.
The happy couple spent a romantic honeymoon in scenic Ireland.
Four significant prisoners were taken in Orm's raid on Ulster, along with many slaves. Two were ransomed back, but their companions were sacrificed. At the impromptu Blót, held in the ruins of a monastery which had been abandoned at the first sight of Orm's ships, Orm was consecrated to the Thunderer, pledging on the blood of the victims that he would lead his people to prosperity and crush their foes just as Thor crushes the Jötnar.
Though it paled in comparison to the spoils of some of the bigger armies, Orm's first raid nevertheless returned with quite a lot of wealth for their tiny islands. With the wealth obtained from his adventures in Ireland, Orm commissioned the construction of war camps in his domain, to raise and train more troops for larger, more lucrative raids in the future.
Not used to the mundanity of marriage, Orm sought to add a bit of passion into his relationship with Drífa.
Orm also decided to spend some of his gold on attracting more and better champions, as his retinue was rather lackluster.
After days of thought on how to win Drífa's heart (or at least her loins), Orm settled on hiring a tailor to weave her the finest dress, one suitable to the wife of a norse chief. Unfortunately she was less than impressed with the outcome, and seemed to interpret it as a commentary on her current clothing.
An adventurer named Þorbjörn, a berserker with a poetic side, was the first to answer Orm's call. Already far superior to any of Orm's current champions Orm eagerly hired him.
Orm also made Þorbjörn his marshal, as his current one left something to be desired.
On November 20th, 868, Drífa awoke Orm with the wonderful news that she was pregnant with her first child which was also, to Orm's knowledge, his first child as well.
A second champion arrived, a man name Skarphéðinn. A competent man both in the heat of battle and in logistics, Skarphéðinn was also hired by Orm.
Orm's plans to ignite true passion with his wife succeeded. While hardly monogamous, Orm and Drífa's intimate life was now just as passionate as his trysts, perhaps more so. They discussed many exciting positions to try once she was no longer with child; though many of these would later turn out to be more work than they were worth, or else anatomically-impossible.
The third of the champions which would be hired by Orm arrived finally. Guðröðr, an intimidating man with an equally-intimidating moustache, was a callous, vengeful man who could hold a grudge, but could hold an axe just as well and so he was hired.
Áslaug, Orm's first daughter, was born on June 28th, 869. Born with a full head of firey red hair like her father and a face like her mother's, Áslaug's birth was an auspicious occasion, and many offerings were made to Frigg for her health.
With the birth of his daughter, Orm began to grow ambitious and think about his legacy. Noting the weakness of the nearby Chieftain Einarr of Hjaltland, Orm rallied his troops to begin a conquest of all of the Isles.
Orm's invasion of Hjaltland was successful, with Orm's champion Skarphéðinn becoming a Berserker.
Einarr had fled after the battle with Orm and hidden behind his fort's walls. After many months of siege Orm's troops were finally able to enter and captured Einarr. With the disgraced chieftain at his mercy, Orm demanded all of his holdings. With little choice, Einarr accepted.
Orm's conquest of Hjaltland was commemerated with the erection of a runestone at the heart of the largest village which stands to this day.
Orm deployed his marshal, Þorbjörn, to his new lands to pacify them, and additionally to oversee the construction of gathering halls to help centralize and reinforce Orm's control over Hjaltland.
Orm eyed the Orkneyjar to the south of Hjaltland to complete his conquests, but knew that they were at risk of invasion by the Christian king of Alba, Causantín II the Impaler. Between this king's larger armies and reputation for creative methods of execution Orm decided to avoid his wrath until he could build up a larger army.
Orm's conquest of Hjaltland left his coffers bare and so a second raiding party was organized. Ireland had been stripped bare in the past few years by other raiders and so Orm's men descended upon Deheubarth, Gwent, and Cornwall.
During his raids, Orm recieved word that Drífa was pregnant. The news worried him, as in order for the timeline to make sense she would have had to concieve only in the final days before he left on his raid. With doubt in his heart, Orm set his agents to ensuring that the child was indeed Orm's.
Word came shortly from Orm's spymaster, a woman named Freyja, that there was no reason to think that Drífa had been anything less than completely faithful to Orm. Though Orm was relieved, this did create a rift between him and Drífa.
As Orm arrived home from his raid he was greeted by Drífa holding the newest addition to their family: a second daughter named Guðrún.
With the gold obtained from the south, Orm hired a woman named Sif Kven as an antiquarian, and asked her to help him find a smith to create him a higher-quality spear than the one he had been using previously.
With the remaining gold Orm held a large ceremony where he was crowned as Jarl of The Norðreyjar. The Orkneyjar remained beyond Orm's grasp for now, but with this legitimacy Orm hoped he would have an easier time with its conquest in the future.
One day, while checking on the progress of his new weapon, Orm was struck with the beauty of Ragnhildr, the smith which his antiquarian had hired, and the two took some time to test how well his current "spear" fit in a "sheath" she happened to have in the back of her shop. Orm soon took heras a concubine, in order to make their relationship legitimate in people's eyes.
Ragnhildr soon became pregnant from Orm's repeated visitations.
Orm's first daughter, Áslaug, was growing fast, and began to reveal that she had a charming personality. Orm had his wife teach her in the ways of diplomacy and ettiquite.
Word reached Orm that a war had broken out on Iceland, between the Christians in the west and the Pagans in the East. Sensing opportunity, Orm decided to come to the aid of his fellow Pagan, Garðar of Austrland. Not by officially joining the war, but by declaring his own war on the leader of the island's Christians, Chieftess Auðr the Deep-Minded, for her holdings in Reykjavík.
Shortly after Orm arrived on the shores of Iceland another ship arrived. Drífa was once again pregnant. Orm thanked the gods that his family was beginning to take shape, and also began to grow yet more ambitious. After all, it was going to take a lot of land to support a large family, and Orm began to dream bigger.
On January 10th, 873, Ragnhildr gave birth to Orm's first son, whom he named Sverker.
The spear which Ragnhildr had been making for Orm when they met was completed at last. Orm eagerly took it. It was a beautiful piece of work and he could not wait to try it in action.
Drífa gave birth to another daughter. She and Orm decided to name this child after Drífa.
Auðr came to relieve the seige of Reykjavík, but arrived too late. Orm's forces already completely held the territory and were prepared. The battle was heated, and started dead-even, with Auðr having the strength in numbers but Orm holding the advantage.
After days of fighting throughout the area surrounding Reykjavík, a lucky arrow shot by one of Orm's champions slew Auðr, sending her men fleeing. The remainder who stayed were slaughtered in turn, and Auðr's sons who had been promised lands elsewhere in her domain quickly made peace with Orm, leaving the eldest son, who had previously been intended to inherit Reykjavík, at Orm's mercy.
With Chieftess Auðr's death, Iceland was in complete political decay, and ripe for Orm's picking. He began moving troops to his new holdings in Reykjavík in preparation for a more complete conquest of the island.
Orm began his conquest with Suðrland. He easily crushed the troops found there.
As Orm's men set in for a seige, a messenger arrived that Drífa was once again pregnant, safely ensconced at Reykjavík.
Orm's men had taken three noteworthy prisoners during the battle. While the lesser prisoners were enslaved or killed, Orm had need of champions and so he took these three men into his court to serve. Arnbjörn was a deceitful and greedy man, but had an uncanny skill with money. Óttar was a callous man, but skilled at leading troops, especially in disadvantageous terrain. And Ingólfr was a brave though wrathful man, and the only truly-skilled fighter from among the three.
Auðr's son Öysteinn attempted to rally his troops to a second attempt to relieve Skálaholt but after less than 50 men showed up to help him Öysteinn surrendered to Orm.
With southwest Iceland under Orm's control he decided to shift his focus to acquiring loot and consolidating his holdings.
Óttar was appointed as Chancellor and Arnbjörn as Steward.
The state of the world
