From Then to Now...
A history of Tarinfell
A long time ago Tarinfell was a vast and harsh land with many different kingdoms of many different kinds of people. There were the mighty Dragons of the Flight, The wise Elves of Dolen’Taure, The brave Lycanthropes of Ulfur Halda, The industrious humans of Wakefield and the swift Mer of The Shoal. These lands were plagued by a terrible darkness, one that turned good people into brutes, made brother turn against brother, it was a sickness that bore into the very soul.
This darkness was only cured by four legendary heroes, named ‘The Masters’. These four people rose up against the Darkness, and repelled it deep into the depths of the earth. They were celebrated for a time, but just as quickly as they came, they disappeared, dispersing among the people of Tarinfell, and after a time, people were not even sure if they ever existed. Years passed, time flowed forever onward, Tarinfell prospered, and lived in relative peace despite the high tensions among the different kingdoms in the land.
In the year 1251 an ambitious young human by the name of Yngvarr Eriksson was crowned King of Wakefield. He began a reign of Justice and great prosperity for his people. He was a beloved hero among the humans of Wakefield and a feared and merciless ruler to the other kingdoms of Tarinfell. The only human ruler to ever win a war with The Great Alpha Erik Ragnhild of Ulfr Halda, and the only person to outwit The Mad Queen Azmiedel Eylwindir of Dolen’Taure. Wakefield was becoming a massive hub for not just humans but for others who wished to live a more modern and industrious life.
When all seemed to be going so well for the Kingdom of Wakefield and for their ruler, betrayal came in the form of King Yngvarr emptying the Kingdom’s coffers, and riding off into the night, never to be seen again… Or so they thought. Wakefield was left penniless and for years it was abused by the other kingdoms, despite other human rulers trying their hardest to restore Wakefield to its former glory. For many years the people of Wakefield suffered great poverty, famine, raiding, and pillaging. Things carried on as such for nearly twenty years, but one day after things felt hopeless for so long… the whispers began.
Rumors began to circulate that Yngvarr had returned to Tarinfell, the reception of these rumors were mixed. On one hand people felt as if their salvation had finally arrived, and on the other hand King Yngvarr had left Wakefield in such a terrible state upon his departure, some feared that he had returned to do further damage. Soon rumors became reality when an older King Yngvarr rode into Wakefield, accompanied by his son and a massive army upon their backs. It became clear what he had spent the city’s riches on. The current human king was displaced easily enough and with the help of King Yngvarr’s foreign army, once more King Yngvarr sat on the throne of the great hall of Wakefield. From there…. He got to work.
He had not stolen all that money, and left his kingdom only to come back and conquer it, he returned to Tarinfell with a dream. A dream to unite Tarinfell under one ruler, with one voice, and he alone would be that voice. King Yngvarr began his second reign with a systematic conquering of all the kingdoms in Tarinfell. It was small at first, kept quiet, but as the years went on it became a full scale invasion of all the kingdoms. It was soon carried on by King Yngvarr’s son King Yngvarr Eriksson II until all of Tarinfell was conquered and Wakefield placed at the head of it all as its capital. Under the rule of Yngvarr’s son there were many insurgencies to be quelled, blood was spilled, uprisings were squashed and people were banished to the Wilds. This carried on into the rule of King Yngvarr Eriksson III but eventually, there was peace among the people. Though those who still remained alive after the fall of their kingdoms would never forget what was taken from them…..
In the early 19th Century, strange boats began to show up on the shores of Tarinfell, and within, strangely dressed humans, all amazed at what they saw there on this strange island between The U.K, Iceland, and Norway that had seemed to have gone completely undiscovered until now. They found magical creatures, flora and fauna like they had never seen in any place in the world, and people that still lived their lives as if it were the 11th century. These strangely dressed humans began to share with the people of Tarinfell the wonders and advancements of the outside world. Tarinfell began a period of Enlightenment and began to rapidly push forward to a more modern lifestyle, much to the displeasure of some of the citizens of Tarinfell. The King during this period, King Yngvarr Erikson XII , sent forth to the outside world an expedition of dwarves.These dwarves learned all they could and came back to build and engineer the modern things they found in this outside world. They would continue on these missions and soon grew to include other races, becoming known as the Wakefield Advancement Guild.
Today in 2022, Tarinfell still remains a sovereign country, one of Yngvarr’s descendants has just been crowned King Yngvarr Eriksson XVI, a boy of only 18 years. Wakefield still stands as a massive trading port, the capital of all of Tarinfell, and open and welcoming to everyone from all walks of life no matter who or what you are. Most of those who were unhappy with the modern changes that fell upon their land retreated to the wilds where they can live a life free and unburdened by technology and modern advancements. Despite the exodus of traditionalists from the city, there were some who remained in the city and still refused the advancements of the modern ages, leaving some architecture of different times still standing within the city. All over the wilds one can see the old stone and wood buildings of another time, and the ruins of the Kingdoms that fell during the age of King Yngvarr I’s conquest…..