Kingdom of Suðya (ˈkɪŋdəm əv ˈsʏðˌja)
"The Kingdom of Suðya is founded on blood, terror, and a bargain with a strange, harsh god."
The Kingdom of Suðya rules the island of Löngeyja in the Ynys Archipelago. Once, it controlled most of the northern Eileanan an Iar, but its influence has waned due to internal fracturing and power struggles. It was founded over four hundred years ago, when raiders from the Eyjaskeggjaheim drove out the native Albannach people and claimed the island for their own.
Blood and Terror
The Eyjamaður have long raided south from the Norður Islands to the Ynys Archipelago. The island of Löngeyja was a frequent target of their attacks, due its location in the northern Eileanan an Iar. The raiders took on the status of legendary monsters in the eyes of the Albannach population of the island, and stories abounded of their brutality and bloodthirsty nature.
About four hundred and fifty years ago, some of the raiders chose to settle permanently on Löngeyja. They were outcasts and exiles from their homeland, wanted for crimes that have since been lost to time. Their leader was Vésteinn Brimvargr, one of the most notorious raiders of his age, and he had decided that he would become the king of these southern lands. He and his raiders landed upon the shores intent on cowing all they met into obedience, and slaughtering anyone who showed any resistance to this plan.
Not everything went exactly according to plan, however. While Vésteinn Brimvargr and his raiders were experienced and deadly fighters, they were outnumbered many times over by the local population. They soon learned that while surprised villagers might flee from raiders, holding the land was another matter altogether. In order to establish the kingdom he craved, Vésteinn Brimvargr was going to need more support than he had brought with him.
A Deal with the Devil
Vésteinn Brimvargr had a treasure to his name that few knew of. He was in possession of one of the Aurelian Coins, the strange currency that could purchase the ineffable. It is not widely known which of the coins he had acquired (although it may be recorded in the Codex Pontis), for he did not spend the coin himself. Instead, it is said that he traded the coin to a being known as the Shining One, also called Grianfhear by the local people. In the south of Löngeyja, there is a circle of Standing Stones where the Shining One holds a strange court, attended by strange shadowy bears that the Eyjamaður name the Skuggabjörn. One night when the Shining One was present, Vésteinn Brimvargr entered the circle and struck a bargain with the god, offering the Coin for the support of the Skuggabjörn in his battles for the island. The Shining One agreed to the deal, and took the coin. He also marked Brimvargr with a black bear upon his chest - this bear later became the emblem of the kingdom he would found.
In the battles that followed, Vésteinn Brimvargr was unstoppable. The armies he faced were ravaged by shadowy beasts before they ever reached the field, and soon none dared stand against him. He established his capital at Stjórnavágr, and invited all of his kin who could stand him to come and claim land on the island. Those Albannach who did not flee Löngeyja entirely became the serfs of these newcomers, and Vésteinn Brimvargr crowned himself the first King of Suðya.
A Raider's Haven
With the establishment of Suðya, the Eyjamaður raiders had a new base from which to launch their attacks. In the centuries that followed the founding of the Kingdom, raids upon Ynys increased dramatically. Suðya raiders conquered the entire Eileanan an Iar, and many of the other islands in the region as well. Two hundred years ago, they nearly conquered all of Deira, and were only driven back by an alliance between Deira, Bernicia, and Vannin.
Since that high-water mark, Suðya has decreased in importance and power. The lords of Löngeyja have begun to fight amongst themselves, and three civil wars have torn the kingdom apart over the last two centuries, with the most recent ending only seven years ago, leaving Queen Ragnhildr Vésteinsdóttir Brimskelda upon the throne in Stjórnavágr. She is a direct descendent of Vésteinn Brimvargr, and many claim that she renewed his bargain in order to gain the throne, although what payment she gave is unknown. She also had the support of the notorious Jarl Gunnar Bloodaxe of the Reginnsþjóð, whose fleet is still ravaging the coastal settlements of Ynys and can often be found in the ports of Löngeyja. So far, Ragnhildr has proven and effective leader, who has paired brutal punishments and skilled negotiations to bring peace to Löngeyja for the time being.
Maps
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Suðya
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
I definitely wouldn't want to make an enemy of these guys. The battles after the deal were made sound horrifying, but also like they would be really cool to watch on a big screen.
Explore Etrea | March of 31 Tales
That would be very cool. Skuggabjörn can shift their size like shadows, and move much faster than people expect.