Entry class: Human population/culture
Origin: insufficient data
Population behavior: aggressive/colonizing
Primary Language: English
Secondary languages: Western variant of Old Norse, used primarily for ceremonial purposes, and possibly as a status marker by certain older and more conservative portions of the population
A modern population, Viking-like in its activities, customs, and, to an extent, its tools and weapons, has inhabited several islands off the coast of what was British Columbia (a Canadian province), notably Graham and Moresby islands in the Queen Charlotte chain, since shortly after the End of the World. Comprised initially, according to legend, by a nucleus population of time-traveling Viking men, this proto-population seems to have rapidly adapted to the chaotic circumstances that followed The End, quickly setting themselves up as lords of certain almost unpopulated isles, and proceeding to raid the surrounding territories with complete abandon, gradually expanding their populace through assimilation of modern peoples to their customs, way of life, and social order, as well as by the theft of women and children at a young age. As well, in the decade or so after The End, the remains of several communities in British Columbia and southern Alaska, those who both survived and chose not to evacuate, seem to have voluntarily surrendered sovereignty to said Vikings in order to avoid depredations and to take advantage of the economic and security umbrella offered by the relatively successful ‘primitive’ Viking settlements, in an era without power or modern industry.
Early on, these Vikings seem to have largely surrendered their native language in favor of the English of the majority population, and shown a willingness to use modern weaponry, though ammunition has subsequently been largely exhausted on the West Coast. From an original population of perhaps a hundred, there are now some thousands, making them a relatively successful society, though they lack political centralization. Their economy is supported by agriculture, as well as hunting, gathering, and raiding in the islands and coastal inlets of the Northwest. Their territory has expanded to include the (previously mostly depopulated) Vancouver Island, and to the Olympic Peninsula, the latter territory formerly claimed in theory by the Royal United States. Separate Earls apparently rule each of the above territories, as well as the more northerly islands, with substantial fighting occurring at intervals between them. Relationships with the lords of neighboring Bjorngard are generally poor, though significant trading volume occurs. The historical relationship between the two populations is, as yet, unclear.
The most respected and powerful leader among the Vikings is currently thought to be Earl Bjorn bloody-beard of Victoria-Thoravik, though his direct sway appears limited to Vancouver and the neighboring Gulf Islands. The Vikings currently patrol the coast and rivers of the Northwest with longship-style vessels constructed largely of Sitka Spruce and Western Redcedar. Weapons and tools include bows made of the Pacific Yew, swords, spears, shields and helms made through quasi-medieval blacksmithing techniques, as well as a few remaining AR-15 series rifles and other firearms and tools, whose possession is generally limited to chieftains and use to ceremonial purposes. Most remaining shotguns have apparently been converted to a sawed-off form, for unclear reasons. Earl Tex-DaMarcus ‘Longarm’ Eirichsson of Graham Island apparently possesses a 155mm self-propelled howitzer, and an underbarrel 40mm grenade launcher, the latter for personal use, but it is unclear whether either device is still functional or whether any ammunition for either remains.
Restricted Access
The origin of the Queen Charlotte Isles Vikings has been traced to a population of 142 humans kept in the custody of the US military on an installation in Montana in the late twenty-first century. According to a the remnants of a corrupted data dump from a Robot City data outlet, said population represents remains of a raiding fleet of 990 CE, blown west by a large storm into the waters surrounding Greenland, and there sucked, along with three damaged ships, through a large temporal-spatial disturbance into the year 2068. Survivors evidently perceived their transport as effected by a ‘mystical’ portal of coruscating red and gold with extradimensional traits, which they later identified as the eye of Odin. Finding themselves off the Canadian coast, the survivors apparently quickly realized something of the nature of their changed circumstances and, after a brief hesitation—evidently around eight minutes—commenced raiding along the maritime provinces, achieving some success before the Canadian coast guard eventually took them into custody.
The temporal disturbance’s cause remained uncertain—the Norsemen’s arrival seems to have coincided with large magnetic disturbances throughout the northern part of the Western Hemisphere, but this, too, remains unexplained—the Vikings were kept a secret by contemporary governments. The coastal carnage was successfully blamed on unruly cosplay teenagers; some social disorder occurred, and certain underage social groups were suppressed, but the incident quickly passed. However, Canadian researchers and military personnel proved unable to successfully manage their new research subjects, who allegedly broke all the snack machines in a Canadian government installation, and began stockpiling Pokemon figurines inside a particle accelerator, before being turned over to the custody of US forces, which move them to a US Airforce installation in the Mountain West in order to conduct further research into medieval life and warfare. As for the subjects’ fate, it was decided to teach them English and prepare for a place in modern society. As they were decided ‘too unreliable,’ ‘too shifty,’ ‘too murderous,’ and ‘too viking,’ for modern military service, the US Government prepared to distribute them to more appropriate positions elsewhere in society, positions began to be earmarked for them in several of the nation’s largest venture capital firms, banks, and New York-based non-bank financial institutions; others were evidently to be placed as bouncers, while a third category was marked for conversion to a form of experimental military cyborg (this last required the assent of the human, which was apparently given). It is unclear whether any of the conversions were attempted or completed, in part or in whole, though the conspicuously Viking names of the last two heads of Goldman Sachs indicates at least some Vikings may have been placed in the reorientation program.
Before the assimilation of most could take place, however, The End intervened, and, with the fabric of society crumbling, the Viking body seems to have reverted to its former ways with alacrity and efficiency. Much or all of the population seems immediately to have embarked on a raiding expedition toward the coast, after which nothing is known, until their settlement of Graham Island in the years after The End—of which the precise dating is unknown.
