Hello and thank anyone in advance for reading this. I of course own nothing in the how to train your dragon franchise or books.
I think it will be best for me to start with background information on this alternative universe. This is my foundation, I plan on using the various seasons and films of the how to train your dragon franchise as the basis for the story and make changes depending on the AU canon. I will also hopefully fill in some of the gaps like the one between defenders of berk and race to the edge and might add the occasional arc between the episodes. While I will attempt to keep it connected, it might on occasion seem like one shots added together
I first wish to set out basic information about this AU to give more context, and to help people interpret what I'm visualising. A bit like how Tolkien made the Silmarillion to give background information for the lord of the rings. Now this is nothing compared to the detail that Tolkien wrote, but I hope it will give myself and readers a platform to begin the story. This chapter is going to seem like exposition and is not a story but information about the story.
I will mention in advance that if I ever contradict myself I wish to be informed, I also will mention in advance that I am not IT competent and that might cause problems. As for ratings this fanfic will be Mature, while I do not plan on writing explicit content (depends on how I feel about it later and it will not be strong if I do) some of the themes I wish to work into the story requires this rating.
In terms of writing I would appreciate constructive feedback/criticism on this to make sure I maintain my quality of writing, also because I tend to switch off and that will show in the story. On a side note I'm also hoping this will improve my literacy skills for college work.
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The Basic layout and history of the barbaric archipelago:
To begin with I shell start with the general layout and history of this alternative universe (AU). I do not believe I can describe the general location much better than around between Greenland and the north of Norway, there are useful maps online that can show the location better than I can. The archipelago is surrounded to the West, South and East by mountain ranges which erupt from the seas and to the North lie frigid waste lands holding little life. Towards the south east there is a small break in the mountains which Is the only viable sailing route. Because of these unnatural formations the archipelago is cut off with those few ships coming through having to pay a few to the dragon trappers who incidentally have their fort located close to this entrance (originally a watch tower/fortress).
The rest of the world is quite different from ours, I am currently not going to write about it until later in another story, like a sequel. All that is needed to be known to start with is that the history and also creation of the archipelago starts with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the First (HHH1) at 0. AH (after haddock) not the best, but it gives a workable time scale. HHH1 first came to Berk 40 years before the specified time scale, he and his people were Norse men, and they came in great numbers under his leadership to establish a new realm.
Now you might wonder how one man was able to convince hundreds to join him, and the answer to that is Wodensfang, he was a type of Dragonus giganticus, a Brown death to be more specific (look up brown dragon d&d then scale to around red death in size). All of the death dragons of various colours are the lords of the dragon world, they do as they wish and non-dare resist, they can be cruel gods of their territory or kind leaders. They are practically unassailable once they reach a certain age being intelligent, powerful and possessing magic of great power (their appearance mirrors the d&d dragons of the various colours specifically the green, red, blue, black, white and brown, Foreverwings are brown deaths and Bewilderbeasts are something else altogether and I shell describe later).
Now with Wodensfang, HHH1 was able to convince a large amount of people that he was a worthy leader and that they could become far more than if they stayed here. So, once they made it to the land that would become Berk, HHH1 set about building boundaries to his new domain and keep his people in and outsiders out. He raised the black mountains from the sea with his dragons' aid leaving a small gap of 1 mile to have at least one exit. The building of his empire took a mere 20 years and he had established his seat of power on Berk. The other islands of the archipelago were also colonised by his people. Natives were brutally put to the sword, without one escaping. The various dragon species that inhabited the archipelago, were mostly left because Wodensfang demanded their safety as his one price to his Friend, plus HHH1 had a soft spot for them. The rule of HHH1 was just one (ironically considering the path to get there), he created nigh indestructible tablets on each island, with a settlement (these are the precursors of the different Viking tribes) these were invaluable guidance and any tribe that strayed from these teachings always paid the price in the end (tablets in question I will describe in the story)
The archipelago functioned as one country for around 500 years after HHH1, Wodensfang had vanished soon after his death which meant the King of Berk had to rule with wisdom and manpower. Life would have been fairly simple if not for the strange dragon raids that occurred, it happened 5 years after the death of HHH1, an island (dragon island) appeared from nowhere overnight, shrouded in mist that no one could navigate or explore. The dragon raids in the early days were not very dangerous (compared to later) they would go to an island a mere 5-10 strong and make off with some food, not an outrageous amount and they avoided confrontation whenever possible. They also only raided around twice a year at this point. What was not known is that the new Queen of the archipelago would not be so content forever.
Around the 975-year mark, the empire began to experience real problems to its stability, for the first time, many islands wished for independence, becoming envious of Berks prosperity and growth and the reduced growth of their own settlements. At this time Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, the Second became king of Berk, the first man since the founder to bear the name of Hiccup, he had a lot to live up to. His first order of business was to renew ties to the other islands, he also was the first to send prisoners and criminals to Outcast island to reduce crime, thirdly he befriended his own dragon, a Black death called Furious, which had a similar affect to Wodensfang, in giving him great respect from the islands. However, this peaceful time did not last, for HHH2's son the man who became known as Grimbeard the Ghastly (p.s, I know in the books it's HHH2 that is Grimbeards son).
The Ghastly Viking lived up to his name and after the death of HHH2, broke his years of hard work (year around 1050 AH) to nothing in just 4. While peace returned after his death, it caused the empire to collapse, the various islands become the tribes of the barbaric archipelago (the Hairy Hooligans of berk, the bog burglars, the meatheads, the berserkers, the murderous tribe, dragon hunters etc). What's worse is that the dragon raids had become more frequent and in greater numbers, (still not enough to be a death sentence for the tribes but enough for their cultures to begin to be shaped by them. Furious vanished after HHH2's death.
The years did not improve for the tribes, by the point, the dragon raids were coming every month and were becoming bolder, causing more damage and coming in greater numbers. At 2800 the Outcast tribe was established which only worsened the deteriorating conditions of the other tribes (at this time advancement has pretty much halted and tradition involving dragon slaying has gripped the tribes). While the tribe of Berk is still the strongest, they have all but given up on becoming more and is in a state of slow decay. The king of Berk has been replaced by the chief in order to show that they are no greater than the other clans.
Year 2985, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third is born, and by the looks of things, the archipelago is going to need him.
Berk: compared to the franchise this Berk is the same shape but twice as large. I always disliked the portrayal of the Hairy Hooligan tribe as small and poor because if you look at the battle between the hooligans and the red death they have an impressive army and siege equipment, plus all the metal, it is not enough to make me dislike the fanfics but enough for me to want to change it in this AU. Berk has the main area (basically the village shown in the film, these are the houses of berk, (the lords, rich families) they include the Thorstons, Ingermans, Larsons, Oggleberts and a few others, they have large homes, and are quite wealthy. To each side of berk closer to sea level are two towns (technically one split down the middle bey the rich family area place and the Great Hall), on the edges of the right side is House Jorgenson the third richest house, and on the left side, House Hofferson the second most wealthy. The common people are more like the Vikings you know and love while the people of the houses are a little more like medieval lords (but don't worry they are still Vikings, especially when it comes to battle). There are other parts of the island with fishing villages and a small town the at the top of the island, in addition there is the forest and numerous farms (despite its location it has a certain degree of magic within the land itself which sustains crops), these are also a part of the hairy hooligan tribe and have their own halls to shelter in. House Haddock is the chiefs house and is the richest, unlike the other houses it consists solely of the chief and the heir. The great hall is far larger than in the film and has living quarters for the chief and family (think ancient great hall of rangers from Skyrim mixed with Berks hall and you can get an idea.
Houses of the Hooligan tribe:
Some of the larger, richer houses have branches which are situated around the main household of the head family, these hold the traits of the house and ensure there is always someone to take over as head of the house if any problems of secession occur, they are fiercely loyal to the min family.
House Haddock: always consists solely of the chief and the heir. They reside as stated within the great hall. Haddocks do not have noticeable traits aside from occasionally being gifted with incredible physical strength, or magical ability. Currently the head of the house and chief of Berk is Stoick the Vast Haddock. And his heir Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third.
House Jorgenson: the Jorgensons are in all honesty very similar to their portrayal in the franchise, they are the 'true Vikings of Berk', steeped in Berk's tradition, the head of the house is Spitelout Jorgenson, he has a wife known as Siv Jorgenson (in this AU Hiccup and Snotlout are cousins, however, there relation is via Siv as she is Stoick's sister) they have an elder son, Snotlout (of course) and a young daughter called Hildlout. The Jorgensons, put the needs of their clan before the people of Berk, which causes conflict on occasion, they have had attempts at taking power in the past but never succeeded. As for their home it is a large structure, reminiscent of a castle keep, with large stone walls, these were created with skills forgotten (magical skills), on the inside it is quite simple with red carpets lining the rooms and with the main hall being lined with a painting of each head Jorgenson. The Jorgenson traits generally include black hair, greater than average strength (for an archipelago human, which is important, as they are already near superhuman compared with ordinary humans, in terms of physical ability, magical capability, age in which they have around an extra 15 years added on to their 20s, and resistances to disease), and greater resistance to fire.
House Hofferson: the strongest house on berk, (as I have less to compare them to I am going to say they are more like a noble family from the medieval period with perhaps a dash of Lannister), they believe that they are inherently superior to the other houses and like the Jorgensons have tried supplanting the Haddocks in the past. Their reputation took a hit recently because of the fearless Finn Hofferson scandal (not sure what else to call it), bit they are one of the more impressive houses. The main household is a sort of like the golden hall of Edoras in lord of the rings (lotr) but a little larger and with no horse iconography (Viking designs instead).
Most noticeable trait the Hoffersons possess are there deep blue eyes, golden hair, and generally exemplary appearance. But more importantly they are blessed with other attributes that make their clan the strongest, such as strength to match the Jorgensons, intelligence to rival the Ingermans, toughness on par with Thorstons, and the ability to use magic (to a lesser extent than the Haddocks). Now while these traits might seem to make them a little too strong, they really only give them an advantage, they do not determine the fight (for example a Thorston can better a Hofferson if the one in question was careless). The head of house Hofferson is Lord Harald Hofferson, his wife is Ingrid Hofferson and he has four children. The oldest being Valdemar Hofferson who is heir to the house, Astrid Hofferson, and twin brother and sister Arne and Freydis Hofferson.
House Ingerman: they are scholars and are given the important task of teaching and tending to the archives under berk, they are a relatively new house in berk having arrived a mere 200 years ago and were originally part of the dragon hunter tribe and were heralded as the greatest hunters and leaders before House Grimborn took power. They were allowed to become a part of berk by chief Hamish Haddock the third and have been a valuable addition since. Ingerman traits include their high intelligence and stocky build. Another more recent odd trait of the Ingerman family is to have names starting will fish. The lord of this house is Fishguard Ingerman, his wife Fishveig Ingerman (second cousin of Fishguard) and his sole son Fishlegs Ingerman. Sadly, they are not able to have any more children due to birth complications.
House Thorston: honestly not much to say other then look at the twins and you get near to what the Thorstons are like, (though the twins do take it to the extreme) there most noticeable achievement is surviving for so long being around at the time of HHH1. But they make incredible warriors due to their toughness and pain tolerance. The lord of the Thorston house is Buffnut. His wife is signut and he has three children the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut and their younger brother Scuffnut. P.s they also have thick skulls.
House Larson: an off shot of house Jorgenson, they are the poorest family though still somewhat well off, again not much to say, they are like less aggressive Jorgensons. The head of this house is Brynhild Larson as her husband was killed recently in a dragon raid. She has a son, Gustav Larson, and is currently (just before the first movie) pregnant and due to have a second child soon.
House Ogglebert: well off house but are on the path to disappearing as the sole air of the house Alvin Ogglebert or more commonly known as Alvin the Treacherous was exiled, and all that remains of the once noble house is the ageing Algarick Ogglebert, who will not have an heir to replace him. The main traits of this clan are there cunning and strength.
Magic and its place in the story: now magic is going to play a role in my story, but I am going to keep it soft if possible. The ability for humans to use at all is very rare but add on to the fact that even simple spells require long verses to use makes it less viable as a defensive or offensive weapon. A magical focus can be made to significantly strengthen the magical abilities of the user (pendent, staff, ring, etc) and reduce the time to cast spells but creating them is difficult and it is not entirely known how it's done. I addition magic is like poison seen as a women's weapon and therefore has even less use than it could in any of the tribes. As magic is not so well known in this story I will attempt to avoid it becoming a solution to problems as much as possible. Call me out if anyone feels I am using magic to much, it should be used say for unlocking a chest, it should not be saving Snotlout from falling off hookfang.
Main Characters: the characters in this story might be a little OOC because of the different circumstances of the world they inhabit but I will endeavour to remain close to the franchise portrayal.
Hiccup Haddock: notmuch to say I will (hopefully) write him like his franchise counterpart might become a little OOC in race to the edge and how to train your dragon 2 because I wish him to have greater confidence, at least around the rest of the gang.
Astrid Hofferson: again, will be like her franchise counterpart, more aggressive when annoyed (though from seeing some of the things she does probably not) and perhaps a little more emotional when it's just her and Hiccup talking. She also has the Hofferson traits to an even greater extreme then normal (not intelligence, though she certainly is intelligent it is nothing impressive).
Snotlout Jorgenson: pretty much the same though crueller to Hiccup in the beginning and stays a dick for a little longer then the series portrays. Unlike most portrayals he is at least good with weapons like maces, axe, spear, and to some extent sword
Fishlegs Ingerman: same as franchise
Ruff and Tuff Thorston: same as franchise but a little crueller to Hiccup before he trains dragons.
Stoick the vast: same as franchise. I don't know what others think some portrayals of Stoick I believe are unfair, I agree he was a terrible father, but he does love Hiccup and he will not be thinking about replacing Hiccup as heir.
Gobber the Belch: same as franchise. While not a lord Gobber is respected enough to be a member of Berk's council, other members include the chief, heads of the berk houses and Gothi.
Secondary/minor characters:
Thuggory: like book, but probably going to be OOC
Silent Sven: ...silent
Camicazi: like with Thuggory like books but will inevitably become more OOC
Mulch and Bucket: same as franchise.
Gustav Larson: same as franchise but like Snotlout is a bit of a bully to Hiccup, won't necessarily see bullying however.
Spitelout Jorgenson: mostly within character. In this he is a sword master
Harold Hofferson: he is a wise man and good friend to Stoick, has a rocky relationship with Spitelout. He is supportive of his children and expects them to do everything to the best of their abilities. One of the few who secretly believes dragons should be dealt with differently and that berk will not last if changes are not made. Appearance would be a well-built man handsome, golden hair, deep blue eyes and a small beard.
Ingrid Hofferson: honestly not sure how to portray her, I imagined she speaks carefully and rarely raises her voice, but when she does you know about it. Perhaps a little like Lagatha from Vikings. She of course encourages Astrid to be who she wishes and one of the few people who believes Hiccup could become much more. The twins are too young at the present for me to focus on meaningful character traits, but they will be in future
Valdemar Hofferson: while he is one year older than Astrid (who he has an unhealthy obsession with) by the events of the first film. Unlike his father in almost every way, he is petulant, cruel and has an enormous sense of entitlement, his only real saving grace is his sword skill which is good, but not amazing. Not really sure how I would describe him other than a much younger Jamie Lannister (book) with blue eyes, he is of course dashing, very handsome, in stark contrast with his personality.
Fishguard Ingerman: a kindly man who watches over the berk archives, very clever like his son, he dislikes fighting, all forms but he will fight if it is required of him.
Hildlout Jorgenson: the smartest Jorgenson to appear in years, yet she lost a friend once in a dragon raid and is therefore hateful and bitter towards them. She is average in appearance and rather unremarkable, black hair, green eyes and no taller than Hiccup. she is skilled with a bow and even managed to shoot a few dragons during raids.
Now that I have set out the ground work I will work on the story, as stated I will be using the franchise as a guide, and will be using them to write up chapters, with some twists, or hopefully in the case of the Heather report, improvements. Villains like Dagur and Viggo will be mostly within character but I will not write about them here as it could spoil things. I made the archipelago humans better than others because ultimately some of the parts I find very funny like when tuff falls off a cliff or when Snotlout is set on fire are in real life incredibly dangerous situations and being much more resistant to damage sort of mitigates the danger to blunt trauma. Make no mistake though as characters could still die
I hope this information is helpful and gets people interested, and if nothing else (like my story turns out poor) some people will use a few ideas.
I would prefer receiving feedback on it before I begin but I will continue anyway