Ingbal the Terrible
| Ingbal the Terrible | |
|---|---|
 Enlargement a miniature of Ingbal, painted in 1410 in Angpern | |
| Reign | 1103 - 1134 |
| Successor | Henry of Sandsvaer |
| House | Hylia |
Ingbal I, also known as Ingbal the Terrible, was the ruler and founder of Sandsvaer during the Solstianan Greindrifa from 1003 to 1034. Her progeny, which ruled over Sandsvaer until 1154, was known as the Hylian Dynasty, after her estate near the town of Hylia.
Ingbal was directly responsible for the decline and fall of Valderik, from the engagements between their forces she earned the name "Terrible". Later in her life, she also secured the independence of Dramland and conquered the city of Raehr. Her husband, Svein Ironheart, was legendarily killed by King Cerdicus of Valderik, sparking her rivalry with that kingdom.
Early Life
Ingbal was born sometime between 964 and 966 to a family of landowners in modern Hjarnmark, directly west of Hylia. Her parents secured a marriage to a son of a prestigious family in Hylia, part of the Himmerling clan, which held most of the territory between Josmyrn and Hylia in fief for the Valderik kings of Connheim.
According to some sources, Ingbal was an extremely effective administrator who organized the construction of the Himmerling fortress at Hylia, greatly expanded their lands, and even managed their horse breeding. It is difficult to confirm any of these accounts, but it is evident that the Himmerlings were rapidly enriching themselves.
The growth of the Himmerling land and power drew the attention of the King, who suspected that this wealth came from withholding tribute. Svein, who became the most prominent figure in the Himmerling clan after his father suffered a stroke, was summoned to Connheim. At Connheim, Svein was betrayed and killed, supposedly in an epic duel with King Cerdicus, though the accounts are mostly legendary.
Rebellion and reign
Cerdicus crippled the Himmerlings by killing their most prominent dynast and the clan seemed poised to dissolve their lands to avoid further confrontation with Connheim.