Lands of the Skanni

Skannia, the country of the Northmen. From their labyrinthine fjords they issue forth each year as the ice breaks, seeking trade, adventure, and plunder. But the inhabitants of the land are subject themselves to violent attacks, not only from their neighbors but from the orcish boar-riders who pour down from the mountains, along with the ogres, trolls, and giants who sometimes trouble the settlements below.

Geography

Skannia is a land of breathtakingly rugged beauty, dominated by vast mountain ranges broken up by fjords and valleys. The coastal fjords are a labyrinth seemingly designed by the gods themselves to thwart invaders. The interior lies thick with timber forests that gird the tall, glacier-locked mountains with their hidden lakes of unthinkable depth. The waters are cold as ice, the mountain peaks a frozen wasteland prone to sudden avalanches, the forests filled with wild beasts, feral men, and orcish tribes.

Fauna & Flora

Great antlered deer can be found in the mountain regions, and plenty of wolves and bears prowl the forests. Higher up in the mountains, among the weird valleys and landmasses formed by the glaciers, dwell white-furred apes and the dreaded ice worms.

Natural Resources

Timber is abundant here, and the woodlands and mountains yield many valuable pelts. The legendary dwarf holds in the mountains produce mineral wealth, with gold, silver, iron, and that most valuable of all metals, mithril. But the dwarf folk keep to themselves, only trading with men on rare occasions.

History

The history of the Skanni is rife with tales of ambitious chieftains and petty kings, tribal warfare, and momentary confederations of raiders that dissolve in the blink of an eye. The first great ruler whose life is celebrated by the skálds was Skjöldr, son of Humli, who ruled over the Danes and spread his influence throughout the straits of Kattegat and Skagerrak to the west and northward into the Varanghian Sea. From his hall on the great island of Sjælland, he was girt with power till the border-tribes all obeyed his rule and hardy seafarers that dwell by the whale-road gave him tribute.

Skjöld's successors formed the Skjölding dynasty, including the legendary Gram who battled with the giants and his grandson Frotho, who gained great treasure by slaying an ancient black dragon dwelling in a barrow on one of the many smaller islands in the Kattegat. The later descendants were not as great as their mythical progenitors, and ultimately the dynasty fell to internal strife.

After the Danish power began to wane, the dominance passed to the Yngling dynasty of Uppsala. Kings from this dynasty dominated the Skanni for many years, from the great warrior Egill Vendilkráka and his fierce son Óttarr and grandson Aðils. The dynasty endured until the disastrous reign of Ingjald Illråde (Ingjald Ill-Ruler), also known as Ingjald Braut (Ingjald the Wicked), whose greed and depravity brought the house of Ynvi down at last.

Ingjald met his end at the hands of Ivarr the Far-Reacher, a warrior from the relatively unknown province of Skåne. Faced with defeat, Ingjald committed suicide by burning himself and his daughter alive in his hall. Over the next two decades, Ivarr consolidated his kingdom and sent his ships out to exact tribute from kingdoms as far away as the Finns, the Lapps, the Frisians, and even the White Isle of Albion. His daughter is Auðr in djúpúðga (Auðr the Deep-Minded), whose love of Helgi Hvassi led to his murder at the hands of his brother Hrærekr Slöngvanbaugi (Rørik Slængeborræ or Hrœrekr Ringslinger), Auðr's husband and the King of Zealand. Helgi's murder was instigated by Ivarr himself, who promptly took advantage of the death of Helgi to attack and kill his brother, who was left without an ally. But Auðr had taken refuge among the Garðaríki, where she gained the love of their king, Ráðbarðr. Together they sailed to Zealand and forced Ivarr to flee. Ivarr returned to Uppsala to assemble a fleet to punish his daughter and her husband. But the ships were destroyed at sea and Ivarr lost. Thereafter the couple had a son, Harald, who has already been nicknamed War-tooth for his battle prowess.

Legends and Lore

The Giants of the Jötnar

Skannia is dominated by the Jötnar Mountains, a range of jagged, ice-capped peaks which stretch some 300 leagues from north to south. As their name implies, these imposing heights are home to a variety of ogres, trolls, and giants. Hill Giants tend to favor the lower slopes and foothills, often living in rough halls that are not unlike the halls of the Skanni themselves. The icy summits are the domain of the Frost Giants, who inhabit immense caverns of ice. Deep in the core of the mountains are the smoldering volcanic pits where Fire Giants labor over their forges.

There is constant battle between the Skanni and the giants who range down from their mountain lairs to wreak havoc on the settlements below.

The Legend of Ørvendil

Now Ørvendil, after controlling the [Jutland] province for three years, had devoted himself to piracy and reaped such superlative renown that Koller, the king of Norway, wishing to rival his eminent deeds and widespread reputation, judged it would suit him very well if he could transcend him in warfare and cast a shadow over the brilliance of this world-famed sea-rover. He cruised about, combing various parts of the seas, until he lit upon Ørvendil’s fleet. Each of the pirates had gained an island in the midst of the ocean and they had moored their ships on different sides.

Both gave and accepted their word of honour on this point and fell to battle. They were not deterred from assailing each other with their blades by the novelty of their meeting or the springtime charm of that spot, for they took no heed of these things. Ørvendil’s emotional fervour made him more eager to set upon his foe than to defend himself; consequently he disregarded the protection of his shield and laid both hands to his sword. This daring had its results. His rain of blows deprived Koller of his shield by cutting it to pieces; finally he carved off the other’s foot and made him fall lifeless. He honoured their agreement by giving him a majestic funeral, constructing an ornate tomb, and providing a ceremony of great magnificence. After this he hounded down and slew Koller’s sister Sæla, a warring amazon and accomplished pirate herself and skilled in the trade of fighting.

Three years were passed in gallant military enterprises, in which he marked the richest and choicest of the plunder for Rørik, to bring himself into closer intimacy with the king. On the strength of their friendship Ørvendil wooed and obtained Rørik’s daughter Gerutha for his bride, who bore him a son, Amleth.