Jarldom of Svjolheim

The founding of Svjolheim took place in 1672, upon the conquest of a Mauronian chiefdom- the last on Úlfsang. Pioneered by independent raiders who had grown rich in booty but lacked anywhere to settle down, they named the state Svjolheim, as they had been known as the Svjol. Shortly thereafter, their leader would be recognized as a Hersot (chieftain) by his contemporaries on the island, and Svjolheim became a major center for the slave trade in the northern seas. Primarily targeting the Mauronian population on the nearby island of Mauþu, where there was little Voðeren presence after the withdrawl of Frostreach from the island, they also dipped further south on occasion when looking for loot in the form of gold or silver. Still, the main industry of the Hersotain was slaving.

By the late 1700s, Svjolheim boasted a populous countryside, cheap labor in the form of slaves, as well as a burgeoning merchant class. These merchants, primarily slave traders, would dominate the economy of the state and encourage further expansion as a way to obtain more slaves. Svjolheim began expanding onto other islands and conquering other Hersots in order to expand their control over the slave trade and obtain new bases. However, Svjol intervention on the island of Ånf in 1806 led to the formation of a coalition of Ånfi Jarls and Hersots forming and defeating them in a long and drawn out war from 1808-1815, which resulted in Svjolheim losing control of their previously conquered lands.

The Svjol slave industry was dismantled by the victors, who sezied raiding posts and vast amounts of slaves, bankrupting most of the merchants. Svjolheim became impoverished overnight and much of the population fell into tenant farming. Only a small group of merchants survived the collapse, and they were those least invested in slavery. Svjolheim's defeat pushed them to look for other avenues of wealthmaking, and the nation slowly began to rise again. However, Svjolheim had many opponents to expansionism this time, as the Hersots that rose to replace the pre-Svjol dynasties looked on the nation with a markedly negative view. This meant that Svjoli expansion on Úlfsang was out of the question, and any advances in the east risked war with the Jarls of Ånf. Instead, Svjolheim's leaders looked west and south, seizing lands on the island of Vátngard and leading daring raids on commerce along the coast of mainland Telgren. With a reputation as fierce warriors once more established, Svjolheim cowed smaller realms into paying tribute, bringing wealth and slaves back into the nation.

By the 1900s, Svjolheim held a little more than half of Úlfsang under its control, a small portion of Vátngard, and disputed ownership over the Aors islands just off the coast of Úlfsang. Though by no means the strongest power in the Þaru Isles, they were certainly a powerful contender. With revenues beginning to dry up as the Þaru Wars kicked off in the 30s and Voðeren raiders began assaulting their own nations, Svjolheim would make their bid to unify Úlfsang under one nation. Enlisting the aid of his mother's kin in the Jarldom of Haðrånger, Svjolheim's Hersot, Åags, launched an expedition into the Hersotain of tbd, the last portion of northern Úlfsang not under their control. This small state was crushed in 1938, and the armies were then turned south to finish off the rest of the island- but the war was actually to occur on Vátngard, when the Hersotain of [tbd 2] entered a border conflict with Haðrånger. This war lasted from 1940-1944, and was on-and-off for another six after that, when hostlities ended and Svjolheim's forces returned to Úlfsang. Finishing off the remaining Hersotain took well into the 1950s, and the Hersot of Svjolheim was finally declared a Jarldom in 1958.

Although the Jarldom stood at peace until 1969, things soon turned sour. In 1970, the island of Ånf had finally been unified, and tensions over the Aors islands began to boil over. These islands had been claimed by the Ånfi as a part of 'Greater Ånf' for decades, but had been Svjoli territory since the 1800s, even if the population descended from settlers from Ånf. Likewise, in the west, the Konuger of Sørensland had defeated the Jarldom of tbd and marched on Haðrånger after boundary disputes occured. WIth Svjoli troops tied up on Vátngard, Ånf was free to invade, and did. In 1972 an allied army of troops from both Ånf and Sørensland landed on Svjolheim and routed the Svjoli forces, killing the Jarl and his eldest son in battle and leaving the throne to Erik Åagssoun Svjol, who wasn't even on the island. With Erik unable to challenge the conquerors, he was forced to forfiet his right to the throne and swear an oath to never return, though he was allowed to take with him a number of loyal retainers and Thains in lieu of their execution.