[hider=Jarldom of Havnigardr][center][b]Realm Name:[/b] The Jarldom of Havnigardr

[b]Realm Master:[/b] 

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Jorleif Havnigardson

Jarl of Havnigardr - The Merchant King
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[h3]"[i]Steel and blood might conquer the wealth of the world, but trade and skill creates wealth into the world.[/i]"[/h3]
 

[b]Master's Biography:[/b] 

The Jarl of Havnigardr, Jorleif Havnigardrson, is both the symbolic and de-facto leader of the Jarldom of Havnifardr. The man, not in his late 40's, is an impressive man with his height a head taller than most Magnar-born men, long brown hair and strong hands. Most people would assume that Jarl Jorleif was a feared warrior-chief who slew his enemies with an animalistic ferocity. They are wrong, as Jarl Jorleif have never been a man of the axe, even though he's been forced to wield it on several occations; instead he is a man of the anvil, the sea and of the never-ending cycle of a merchant's life. He spent his childhood and early adulthood both in the blacksmith's workshop and out on sea, travelling far and near conducting trade both with his own wares and others. 

As the traditions of Havnigardr demands, the heir to the Throne is decided by the various merchant families in Havnigardr. The royal election is quite simple, really; the son of the previous Jarl with the largest amount of wealth, is elected the new Jarl. Two factors play into who becomes the new Jarl; diligence and actual hard work put into the making and gathering of the wealth, and the merchant families' definition of what wealth is. This gives the various, powerful merchant families even more power in deciding who becomes their new leader. The current Jarl, Jarl Jorleif Havnigardson, is kind in character, and unlike his comperable rulers of Magnar prefers to solve troubles with words rather than the axe.

Though when that fails, one will learn to fear him and his axe.

[b]Realm History:[/b] 

On the eastern shores of Magnar, tucked neatly away in the largest bay along the coast, lies the realm of Havnigardr. The story of Havnigardr goes far back to the very start of History itself, all the way back to the Greatfather and one of his sons; Brynjar Havni. Brynjar was the second youngest of the Greatfather's sons, and thus one of the least cared for; he was neither the oldest and strongest, nor the youngest and most loved, turning Brynjar into one labouring hard for his father's acceptance. 

The legend goes that no matter what Brynjar did to impress his father, he was never given that fatherly acknowledgement that a son needs from his father. He hunted animals, smithed the finest weapons, crafted the finest pieces of jewerly and found the strangest of excotic wares, but nothing gave him the attention he craved. This lack of attention only helped to fuel the anger that burned within him, reaching its climax after the Greatfather left and the great strife between the Six Sons began; the so-called Blood War. 

Brynjar was banished to the eastern shores of Magnar, setting up his own little jarldom centered around the skills his father didn't apprieciate in him; craftmansship and trade. He named his realm Havnigardr after the many harbours constructed in his centre of the realm, Fartstad. Here wares and peoples from all over Magnar, and sometimes the outside world would travel to buy and sell wares, slaves and sometimes just a little bit of information or the comfort of fair women. 

Havnigardr was the first to encounter the Thalasans, the first to trade with them and the first to fall victim to their armies. While many Havnigardians fled north alongside their Magnarian brethren, some remained to continue what could be a lucrative business with what they saw as their new Thalasanian overlords and others simply remained to watch after their family's property. Once the Thalasans were driven off Magnar and the Havnigardians returned, they found a better-developed realm than before, yet somewhat alien to them. Over time however, this new culture intertvined with their own culture to give birth to what is today known as Havnigardr. 

Today Havnigardr is renowned. Not for their fine weapons, armour or ships, that's the speciality of Seohli and Steindahl. Havnigardr is instead known for their highly-skilled artisans, tool-smiths and charismatic traders; sometimes even skilled sailors come from Havnigardr, skilled in navigation, seamanship and the arts of diplomacy, personalized in Jarl Jorleif. This is why they witness their coming exodus from their native homeland with a heavy sadness, but also with oppertunistic eyes as they may now sell their wares to other peoples across the seas. 

[b]Realm Seat:[/b] 

Fartstad

[b]Realm Boundaries/Location:[/b] 

Havnigardr's realm stretched across the eastern coast of Magnar, east from the river running beside Greathearth and just north across the next river, known as Langelv. Havnigardr might be one, if not the highest populated realm in Magnar, though that is partly due to Havnigardr's long border. 

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