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Vithinja: Difference between revisions
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Expanded tribal history, started on kingdom history
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From the other side of Levantia a group of gogauls lead by three brothers lead a small group of settlers to cross the ocean towards the Vithinjan isles. The legend goes that the three brothers traveled with a sizable fleet of settlers north of Levantia to find rich unsettled lands. When they found the first large island the first brother settled, stating he would build a great city there. His brothers both decided to continue on, searching for better lands. The remaining two brothers discovered another large island, this one with a large natural harbor. The second brother stated he would build a greater city than his older brother there. The youngest decided again to continue, leaving with only a small remaining group of settlers to find even richer lands. They ended up finding a huge island, even richer than the first two in everything one would need to build a civilization. He settled there, and within his lifetime, he had conquered both of his brothers and built himself a small nation of his own. | From the other side of Levantia a group of gogauls lead by three brothers lead a small group of settlers to cross the ocean towards the Vithinjan isles. The legend goes that the three brothers traveled with a sizable fleet of settlers north of Levantia to find rich unsettled lands. When they found the first large island the first brother settled, stating he would build a great city there. His brothers both decided to continue on, searching for better lands. The remaining two brothers discovered another large island, this one with a large natural harbor. The second brother stated he would build a greater city than his older brother there. The youngest decided again to continue, leaving with only a small remaining group of settlers to find even richer lands. They ended up finding a huge island, even richer than the first two in everything one would need to build a civilization. He settled there, and within his lifetime, he had conquered both of his brothers and built himself a small nation of his own. | ||
These two original groups of settlers are believed to have arrived in Vithinjan lands as early as 750, but it wasn't until 825 that these tribes made up large enough numbers to really start affecting the other tribes and nations in the region except for small raids. The few original settler tribes quickly expanded, spread then splintered into numerous smaller tribes. | These two original groups of settlers are believed to have arrived in Vithinjan lands as early as 750, but it wasn't until 825 that these tribes made up large enough numbers to really start affecting the other tribes and nations in the region except for small raids. The few original settler tribes quickly expanded, spread then splintered into numerous smaller tribes. Using their understanding of seafaring they traveled south in small warbands to find the wealth of the northern peoples of Ultmar. These tribes living in the harsher lands of Kiro-Borealis soon became dependant on these stolen resources brought home by their raiding, as they quickly outgrew the meager resources of their frozen homeland. Despite having substantially different pagan beliefs the nordgeaths and gogauls both sailed south to fight the more prosperous mainlanders. This unified warrior tradition started a process of religious and cultural intermingling that would help unify these very different peoples under a single national idea. | ||
This unity was far in the future however, as these two groups of tribes quickly came into a number of small conflicts spanning most of the 7th century between the early tribal alliances over the most prosperous lands of what is today eastern and southern Vithinja. These wars only really had two winners: The many tribes who would've been the target of these warriors if they were not busy with their infighting, as well as the most recent group of settlers in the region, those who would soon call themselves the protectors of christians in these far northern lands: Caergwynn. Only a few years before, in the 860's a few of the local northern tribes had converted to christiandom, before being conquered by a powerful boreal tribe. These invaders from beyond the continent barely lasted ten years before the Caeric knights made examples of them, with their arrival in Ultmar in the 870's before launching powerful counter-raids to weaken the boreal tribes ability to terrorize Ultmar. In these attempts they were able to subjugate many of the island tribes, making up a good third of all the northfolk. | |||
Although records are still quite uncertain of the exact time, somewhere between 860 and 880 it is believed that the first nordgeath raiders would find a peculiar friendship with a people far from their homes. While resting in the small village that would one day be named the city of Tdrassäl, on the island of Vonein, strange sails were spotted in the distance. Although they first prepared to fight, they soon realized the strange new arrivals looked more like themselves than the heavier arms of the soldiers of the southern empire. Seeing little wealth to steal and a hard fight to gain it, they chose instead to meet these strange southerners and find if their was value to be found through words. These men where often referred to as Corsairs, and they knew much of extorting wealth from those far to the south of the realm known as Ultmar by the southerners. This meeting would be the start of a strong bond developed through the trading between two people who very much understood each other. | |||
Unexpectedly the arrival of the powerful Caeric princedom and it's dominating navy actually improved things for the boreal tribes who escaped the subjugation of these northern templars, as the threat forced them to grow more capable in warfare as well as improve their navigation capabilities. As a new method of using the stars was discovered and spread they were now able to make longer journeys than ever before. This lead to the discovery of new unspoiled and poorly defended lands far further south than they ever dared travel before, the most enduring reaching as far as the Vandarch. With their improved war-making and new sources of plunder, the few bravest among the tribal chieftains become much more powerful, consolidating what was once hundreds of smaller tribes into the nine viking lords, as they were called by the southerners. All of these changes would finally be fully established in the first quarter of the 8th century, as two of the nine lords would leave their homes en-masse for new homes, taken from the peoples of Ultmar. The first of these found themselves in what is today northern Fiannria, and would hold their own almost until the millenium shift. The second left only ten years later, after hearing of the first ones success, finding their own corner of what is today western Faneria. They would hold out far longer, a small number of their descendants still making up a small minority within the modern Fanerian nation. | |||
A small tribe simply known by the name of their dynastic clan leader strong chieftain named Ruth, whose father had become the third of the nine viking lords in today's Ruthinja. He started his rule just before the millennium shift. Before his father had died in battle, leaving him to rule in his 22nd winter, he had watched as the peoples of the north went from hundreds of small tribes to only nine. He had also seen how the christians, despite being brutally murdered by his people only for attempting to spread their ideas, would continue traveling north to spread their beliefs. He did not strongly believe in the ideas they spread but he could see how the ideas were spreading through some tribes, especially through mothers and children. By the time he came to rule he would continue to watch as the southern missionaries slowly made more and more progress towards their religious mission. As he consolidated his leadership in his region over the first ten years of his rule, he could not ignore his fascination with this war of ideas. | |||
It was nothing but a curious interest though until the day he met with the viking lord to his east, and found that he had converted to the southern faith, in part to make an alliance with the Caeric knights of northern Ultmar. A plan was taking shape in the aging chieftain named Ruth. He would convert to the new faith and encourage the weaker tribes who had already converted to turn on their lords, allowing him to grow far more powerful than any of the other viking lords. They would inevitably all join together against him, as he would be too much of a threat. He would never be able to stand against them alone. But he would be part of christiandom, and he had seen how they defended their faithful. | |||
His plans did not all go to plan. After accepting his baptism what was suppose to be an simple overwhelming of the more christian celtic tribes turn into a bloody ten year long war. The powerful state he had planned to shape was severely weakened. At first it looked as if it would help avoid the great coalition from the other lords, but it only delayed it as his first few victories against his neighbors soon turned the rest against him. This was the moment where all would be tested. He reached out a hand to the northern knights of the holy cross, those who he once viewed as his greatest threat, the Caerics. He knew that he would have to kneel to the southern power, but he had come too far to see his great task unfinished. The deal was struck, he would accept their rule, but he would have the aid to defeat the remaining pagans. With the aid of the knights he was finally able to unite all but the most distant of the tribes, and his rule of the north was complete. All that remained was to ensure his rule was his alone. | |||
Ruth the first he was named. Only two year later he would be slain before seeing the last part of his great purpose fulfilled. He rebelled against the Caerics only a year after being named king of the lands then simply called Borealis. In the decisive battle against the princedoms knights, he and all but one of his sons would be slain, but his warriors would still claim victory. The last of his sons, Ragnar, would rename both himself and the kingdom he now ruled over after his father and oldest brother: The Realm of Ruth, Ruthinja. | |||
His fathers war against the Caerics had lead to his Excommunication, one that was immediately passed onto himself. He would spend most of his life consolidating the new kingdom and fighting in a series of civil wars. The end result was a kingdom that was only christian at the highest and lowest levels, where a christian king ruled pagan lords ruling over christian servants. The tribal system that had always existed in the region would maintain itself, only giving small concessions towards their ruler. The continuation of the raiding culture would ensure that every Ruth to rule over the tribes would find themselves excommunicated within the first years of their rule, severely harming the dynasties legitimacy among the people who made the unification possible. By the year 1050 the larger conflicts had at subsided, and it was clear that the north would be ruled as one realm, under one king. | |||
=== Kingdoms Era === | === Kingdoms Era === | ||
Ruthinja being a newly united kingdom quickly established a strong rivalry with the principality that enabled it's creation in Caergwynn. Over the next 50 years many wars were fought over control of the Vithinjan isles, changing the line of control over the prosperous territory. This would cause damage to the isles wealth and power that wouldn't be fully regained for 200 years. The many wars fought between the Ruthans and Caerics over these islands was the main external matters that the kingdom of Ruthinja would face as a unified force. When not fighting the caerics the many tribal chieftains in Ruthinja would go out and raid together with the free tribes of Nordska. Sometimes small internal conflicts would also flare up but the crown made sure to involve itself in these internal matters to help enforce stability. | |||
Overtime the feudal system would spread it's influence over most of the Vithinjan isles as well as south-eastern Ruthinja, mainly among the closes celtic regions to the Ruthinjan and Caeric bases of power. Outside of these regions the notherners maintained a more elective tribal order, with meetings of the various tribal rulers to decide their next course of actions. The fact that the king was never invited to these tribal meetings was a slight that lead to civil war more than once, yet some tribes would not bend to the crowns dominion.In the the kings of Ruthinja were never able to destroy these old tribal systems, mainly because the best warriors for his armies came from these lands as well as the economic boost from their raiding helping boost the wealth of the barren lands the crown ruled. The continued excommunication that these raids caused however were a severe problem for every new king. | |||
This turbulent state of the nation existed until the early 14th century, when the instability of the nation finally caused it to splinter. The differences in religion, culture and government finally tore the nation apart into a number of smaller nations fighting over what remained. In this period between the early 14th and late 15th century a lot of the Vithinjan isles were lost to the kingdom in Caergwynn, who was more than happy to encourage the current disarray. | This turbulent state of the nation existed until the early 14th century, when the instability of the nation finally caused it to splinter. The differences in religion, culture and government finally tore the nation apart into a number of smaller nations fighting over what remained. In this period between the early 14th and late 15th century a lot of the Vithinjan isles were lost to the kingdom in Caergwynn, who was more than happy to encourage the current disarray. | ||