House of Varangia

## Background

***Famous Quotes of House Varangia***

"For we have fought in the *fractures*, the *embers* of the sands, and the vastness of the seas... The coin you offer me, cannot please.

We the ***Varangian Guard***, seek the lands of our dreams... Free from the servitude of Kings and Empire's lead."

-The Emperor's Guard

***The House Of Varangia***

House Varangia is a House of India comprised of elements of the Varangian Guard of the Byzantine Empire that accompanied the House of Solblod to their new homeland of **Novae Miklagard** (India). Considered to be one of the most effective fighting forces under the Byzantine Army & Navy, they now seek to settle the rich farmlands throughout the coast of **Novae Miklagard** and amass their wealth.

## History of the Varangians

**The Beginning of the Varangians**

Etched into the Runestone of Uppsala is the legend of **Horik Rosenvinge**, the first Varangian. Born as a simple farmer in Norway, he would lay the foundation of adventure for generations to come. The runestone he engraved posed this challenge for the future:

"*The lands you seek are not your own*

*For this is not your homeland.*

*Comb the lands beyond,*

and find the fields of the Aesir.

For Valhalla will come for those,

Who prepare Yggdrasil."

It is said that Horik, tired of his Liege, undertook a great pilgrimage to Uppsala in order to discover the fate the Aesir had in store for him. The priests of Uppsala gave him three challenges to prove his devotion to the Aesir, each trial testing his abilities to the fullest. The first trial consisted of the gathering of a special herb in the marshes around Uppsala. It is said that anyone who could overcome the dense and bitter taste of the Dragon Scale Root could tread even the roughest of seas. The second trial required the sap of a sacred tree burned by the strike of Odin's Hammer, obscured by the forests of the region. The final trial involved a great pyre to the Aesir, where the fire had to be maintained over a period of weeks to render the ingredients for the ritual potion. A combination of local herbs, spices and the special ingredients already gathered would be stirred into the fire, allowing Horik to communicate with the gods.

Not much is said about what Horik spoke about with the Aesir, but it's from this point forward that the **House of Varangia** began to spread its roots. Horik would journey across the land, searching for souls willing to accompany him for the promise of coin. A collection of adventurers and misfits, the wide range of people that journeyed with Horik allowed for a greater flexibility of roles and knowledge between various specialties. The longships created under his guidance were able to transport a greater number of goods across vast distances, and created the first steps of exploration with the Kyivian Rus.

As the amount of goods increased, Horik started to trade increasingly farther from his homeland in Norway. Raiding in England had limited his ability to create business with the local population, so he decided to take his wares eastward toward the lands of the Rus. Similar in culture to their Northern counterparts, Horik was able to assimilate a majority of the **House of Varangia** into the lands of Kyiv, creating multiple trading posts with the territory of the Rus. This would change with the rumors of a city of gold to the south.

**The Northern Frost**

Throughout the centuries, the Byzantine Empire engaged in numerous conflicts across the known world. Controlling vast swaths of land in the Mediterranean, the Byzantine Army was hard pressed to find professional soldiers to boost their own levies. For decades they had heard stories about the lands up north, filled with capable warriors forged by the iciest winters, but they would find a harsh example in Kyivian Rus.

Aided by the descendants of Varangia, the Kyivian Rus were able to push back the armies of Byzantium back to the Black Sea. The war chest that they had amassed through trade had a considerable impact on the war, creating powerful vassals that could bear great armies. However, this would become their undoing, as each of the factions within the Rus were unsatisfied with their current holdings. Piece by piece, the Byzantines bought off anyone they could for the promise of territory. As each vassal fell, Horik knew that his time in Kyiv was coming to an end. At the **Treaty of Kyiv**, the House of Varangia sold their trading outposts for a seat at the Emperor's side. Horik would not see The last Runestone in Kyiv

**The Guard of the Emperor**

(The section detailing the treaties between the Byzantines and the Rus, transferring ownership of the ***Varangian Guard*** to the Byzantines.)

- The Assimilation of the Varangians

- The Wars in Rus

-The Treaty of Kyiv

**The Tides of the Dune**

(The section detailing the service of the Guard in transporting the Grand Fleet from Alexandria to the town of Suez.)

- The Great Gathering of Alexandria

- The Struggle in the Desert

- The Seas Beyond

**The Promise**

(The section detailing the split of the ***Varangian Guard*** from their allies in the House of Solblod to pursue the fated lands of the Aesir.)

- The Trade of the Seas

- The Land of the Aesir

- The Future

Ragnar Rosenvinge

Ragnar Rosenvinge is the Third Heir of the Varangian Bloodline, son of Freya the Fearless. Born after the Tides of the Dunes and the conquest of Stromrlund, he is the culmination of years of Varangian struggle to find their place on the Indian subcontinent. For years he has worked under his mother to create stable trading posts across Novae Miklagard, eventually earning the title of Ragnar the Merchant. His ability to deal with complex problems has put him at the forefront of the Varangian Guard, unlike his other strategic counterparts.