Odhinsauga

*The Odhinn’s Eye clan is the most powerful and feared among the vikingar clans. It’s famous for its brave warriors and great strategists, clad in shining armors and armed with magnificent weapons. They’re able to overwhelm any enemy thanks to their superior numbers and the perfect coordination of the warriors behind the shield wall. The Odhinn’s Eyes consider themselves superior to the other Clans and hope to, one day, unify all the people of Midgardr under their banners, creating a kingdom based on law and innovation.*

## ***Sacred Origins***

*The Odhinn’s Eye is the largest and most powerful clan in the lands of the North. Although they’re relatives of the same family that rule the Jutlund, they always tried to demonstrate that they’re from a sacred bloodline, descendants of St.Odhinn himself. Although all the Odhinn’s Eyes believe this theory – and don’t appreciate jokes about it – it’s not hard to find those who consider it just a way to intimidate the other clans. The clan appeared out of the blue and rose to power quickly, annexing all the nearby clans with strength and guile, destroying all resistance by any mean necessary. In less than half a century, what started as a simple one-family clan has reach across the entire region of Norrvegr, becoming a true royal household.*

## ***The Kingdom of the Fjords***

The kingdom of the Odhinn’s Eye encompass primarily the coast of **Norrvegr**, but the coastal villages of **Svitjod** are within its sphere of influence. From his lavish hall in the capital city of **Heill Hofn**, the King governs villages and outposts thanks to a host of trusted Jarls, who receive the authority to rule freely on their territories in exchange for absolute loyalty and subordination to the crown. During the expansion of the Odhinn’s Eye, many opposing clans were replaced by these Jarls and their families. This division of power is the source of many quarrels and instabilities between the Jarls. Usually the royal family doesn’t intervene, leaving their vassals to figure it out between them. Only if the King or his advisers suspect that one of these squabbles might endanger the stability of the kingdom the army intervene to drown the dissidents in their own blood.

## ***Seafarers, Conquerors and Merchants***

The Odhinn’s Eyes are famous across the Northern lands as great shipbuilders and even greater sailors; these skills allowed them to explore far away lands and return heavy with loot. Their raids are nothing short of legendary. This also allowed the clan to forge important commercial relationships with merchants from far away lands and it’s very common, in the largest villages of the clan, to find exotic market stalls, full of strange a marvelous items. The clan include a large number of farmers and ranchers that, usually, prefer to live in the smaller and quieter inland communities.

## ***The King of Flame***

The current ruler, King Asbjørn the Red, is one the most ambitious and ferocious rulers the Odhinn’s Eye ever had. Under his iron fisted rule the clan’s influence has grown steadily, it took control of many other villages in the region, expanded its borders and bringing many minor clans under the crown. In spite of all his power, the King is the center of a great cultural schism within the clan: about six months after he took the throne, Asbjørn the Red returned, despite the terrible weather, from a raid in the West, in the land of Dornig. His loot wasn’t of precious metals, but of flesh and blood, a Dornig wife. Nobody – except Asbjørn’s most faithful retainers – really knowns what happened in thos far away lands and nobody knows how the King’s ship was able to return despite the fury of the sea. What is known is that the King married Sknaht (Brannagh), daughter of a powerful ruler of Dornig and priestess of the fire god of those lands. If the marriage was part of a political alliance, or if it was even properly celebrated, is the favored rumor of the commoners. What is known is that Asbjørn has embraced this cult of Flame more and more, eschewing the customs of the ancient gods. Confronted with the warnings and curses of sages and priests, the King stated – time and again – that he doesn’t consider this “change” of faith problematic: he consider the Flame as a manifestation of the sacred power of Odhinn, from whom he descends. Moreover, in the villages of the Odhinn’s Eye there’s the absolute freedom of religion, at least so far. Every day the god of the Flame gains new acolytes. It’s hard to understand if these conversions are the result of real faith or just a way to curry the favor of this violent and powerful monarch. Many at court think that the King’s most trusted wore the badge of the Flame for purely political reasons. The public opinion is very divided even in regard of the King’s companion, Sknaht priestess of the Flame: some worship her as a Saint, others think she is a curse made flesh. In spite of these different opinion everybody is in awe of the Queen, the rumors of her great mystic powers are more than substantiated.

## ***The Long Winter***

The Odhinn’s Eye clan doesn’t give much credit at the rumors about the impeding End of All Things, after all, no one has heard of the Great Horn being found. Despite the fear and the worries of wise men and women, the King thinks that the harsher weather is just a random event and he doesn’t want to change his plans because of it. This doesn’t mean that the Long Winter isn’t causing problems to the clan, but the King’s loyalists fake optimism while everybody can see that the weather is leaving its mark on the economy of the kingdom. The harvests are poor, the cattle get sick or die of frostbite and, worst of all, the terrible state of the sea delay raids and trade missions. So far the clan has been able to survive on the resources accumulated during the years of plenty, but they are going to be depleted soon.