[@pandapolio]

1) It's the perfect amount of backstory, I love it, though I do have one problem though it is a bit nit picky, The Varangian Guard doesn't exist yet, instead of being a VG you can be a Mercenary who worked under the byzantine's if you want, it's practically the same thing but with a name change.

2) Post-Charlemagne, the year this takes place in is 793 AD, where a viking raid burned the church of Lindisfarne and started the viking age.
The people we play as are those vikings 

Also you mentioned a count in your backstory, I thought it would be cool if instead of the count who ruined Harek's raid, it would be King Richeard of Northumbria, a Sadistic Anglo-Saxon King with a love of snake pits, instead of him being dead he would still be alive and well, this way you could have a cool revenge plot. though this is your choice, you can keep it the same if you want.