Jomsvikings

This article is about the Atlantican military and religious order commonly known as the Jomsvikings. For the Unicarion army, see Jomsvikings (Unicario).

Most Holy and Chivalric Order of the Knights and Vikings of Jomsborg
Active	782-present
Country	Template:Country data Atlantica
Allegiance	Template:Country data Atlantica Others
Type	Suevian pagan military order Mercenary force (former)
Garrison/HQ	Jomsborg
Patron	Tyr
Engagements	Atlantican Crusades Atlantican Civil Wars

The Most Holy and Chivalric Order of the Knights and Vikings of Jomsborg, more commonly known as the Jomsvikings, are an Atlantican and Suevian pagan religious, military, and chivalric order, historically dedicated to the protection of Atlantican and other Seuvian pagan lands from religious, mainly Christian invaders and during the Viking Age also a group of mercenaries, pirates, and brigands. Although firmly Suevian pagan and ultimately loyal to the Atlantican state, effectively functioning, along with the Great Heathen Army, as a key part of the Atlantican military during the Viking Age (particularly as a Navy, albeit only until the Republican Revolution), defending in key wars such as the Atlantican Crusades and the Atlantican invasion of Swanhaven. The Jomsvikings' are mentioned in accounts by figures of the time (both subjects of states who were both friends and foes of the Jomsvikings), the <> Chronicle, and most prominently the Jómsvíkinga sagas, Atlantican Sagas specifically detailing the activities of the historical Jomsvikings during the Viking Age and the Crusades.

First created in 782 by Hofgoði Gulbrand Herleifrsson of Stórkostlegborg to defend against Christian invaders in the Atlantican Crusade and Teutonic invaders in the <Saxon Wars>, and to aid the Suevian pagan and <Saxon> independence rebels in the ultimately successful <Widukind rebellion>, the Jomsvikings, based in their stronghold of Jomsborg in the Atlantican Mountains in Fjallfrón, were among both the most prominent of religious and chivalric orders in the Viking Age (and the sole Suevian pagan military order, generally considered to be the most prominent military and chivalric order before the Crusades) and the wealthiest, enriching itself during raids on Christian monasteries (justified by the Jomsvikings as defence and expansion of Suevian paganism against Christian invaders of Suevian pagan lands) and functioning as a semi-mercenary force, hired by numerous groups, including Christians, in intra-religious wars, though ultimately loyal to Suevian paganism and Atlantica, the Jomsvikings participated in numerous conflicts throughout Aurelian history not realted to Suevian pagan and generally Atlantican defence against Christian invaders (with it being largely credited for the Suevian pagan victories against Christian invaders), including the Atlantican invasion of Swanhaven.

Historically a semi-sovereign order but one with ultimate loyalties to the Atlantican state (as the “defender and state of all Suevian pagans”, the key Atlantican justification of its sovereignty, and what the Atlantican state is based on), the Jomsvikings also sustained and defended key Atlantican trading infrastructure during Atlantica's period as a merchant republic, guarding Atlantican trading posts (all fortified, largely thanks to the Jomsvikings) and more importantly defending Atlantican trading vessels in an era of armed trading and ruthless, bloody competition between merchant republics, built countless strongholds and castles throughout Atlantica. The Jomsvikings also enriched themselves via creating various banks in the areas where Atlantican trade posts were nearby (Suevian pagans were exempt from traditional Christian bans on interest, as usury, although ironically modern-day Atlantican Suevian pagans ban interest as usury itself, giving rise to Atlantican banking), functioning as a band of brigands, often robbing those on trade routes dominated by rival trading republics, piracy against Atlantican trading competitors on the open seas, and above all functioning as mercenaries, willing to sell themselves in a conflict to the highest bidder, with the exception of wars involving Atlantica or otherwise Suevian pagan nations against those of other religions.

Although initially the Jomsvikings adopted a policy of firm lack of involvement in internal Atlantican politics, beyond maintaining that Suevian paganism would remain the official religion of all Atlantica; accounts of the Republican Revolution by citizens describe the Jomsvikings sitting idly as the common Atlantican people revolt against the monarchy. However, in modern times, the Jomsvikings became a staunchly conservative, traditionalist, and monarchist institution, staging numerous coups during Post-Fajdesian Rule aiming to prevent the Radicals and Socialists, both then staunchly republican, radical, leftist, and (in the 1880s) socialist. These specifically led to the Atlantican Civil Wars of the late 1910s and early 1920s, in which the Jomsvikings and other members of the military sought to remove the installation of democratically-elected radical republican and later socialist governments. Following the victories of socialist forces in these Civil Wars, however, the new governments sought to curb the power of the Jomsvikings, integrating its military elements into the Atlantican Armed Forces (although all guards of Atlantican leaders are required, by constitutional law, to be ordained members of the Jomsvikings) and restructuring the remaining Jomsvikings themselves, still a semi-sovereign order, a purely religious and chivalric order. The modern-day Jomsvikings are still a strong institution however, serving as the prime religious order within Atlantican Suevian paganism, functioning as the most prestigious title within Atlantica, and, in what is today its main centre of activity, serving as an international charity that provides relief to victims of war, epidemics, and natural disasters, assisting the ill, homeless, children, elderly, and refugees across the world; and providing free emergency medical care in various countries, all without any distinctions of ethnicity, culture, political stances, or religion.