Post by sverige on Oct 31, 2011 0:47:28 GMT
| [atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,500,true][atrb=style,border:2px solid #302427; background-image:URL('http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/ll219/aniskylupus/wapappbackground.png'); padding:5px] Berwald Oxenstierna from the fury of the Norsemen, O Lord, deliver us.  the basics Jag blev född förr än tuppen gol min moder blev död innan upp rann sol Name » Berwald Oxenstierna Nation » Sweden Aliases ↓ national nicknames Konungariket Sverige, Kingdom of Sweden, Svea Rike, Sweorice, Sueden, Svíþjóð personal nicknames Sve, Swe, Svi, Sviddy, Svidster, Ber Apparent Age » 25 Actual age » Older than dirt Gender » Male THE EXTERNAL Först skapte hon mig i nåler och sade jag skulle tråna Eye Color » Grey-blue Hair Color » Platinum Blond Height » 183 cm Weight » 68 kg Skin Tone » Pale Defining Features ↓ Svi has a large scar which runs from his ribs to his left outer thigh. The craggy shape resembles that of an axe; which means don't mention it if you ever notice it. Additional Features ↓ As a country from the Northernmost of Europe, he has incredibly pale skin and hair paler still, a shade away from platinum blond. His eyes are a mild green-grey, obscured by a pair of thinly rimmed glasses. He holds himself stoically upright and without so much of a hint of a slouch, a result of his days as a member of the Royal Guard (he'd always thought being a protector of his country as being absurdly ironic). His height is not to be underestimated; his proud bearings making him seem even taller than he already is, and not any less intimidating. He also has a thing for longcoats. THE INTERNAL Ingen dager synes än stjärnorna på himmelen de blänka. Personality ↓ Into the furthermost reaches of his memory, Berwald’s existed as kin to the frozen glaciers of the north. As time transversed south into warmth, so too did he thaw. Thawed, that is, until the rise of the Viking age. Curious, barbarian and with a neverending desire for vengence, Berwald explored the wide expanse of land East. He had no family save for Norge and Danmark, and his tolerence didn’t extend past his Scandiavian kin either. Cold, silent, and intimidating was borne from this era, as he pillaged lands for all they were worth. Past his Viking era, Berwald's thirst for violence and blood all but diminished, and though you could not call him a neutral pacifist like he will try to claim to be, Berwald is levelled off at a calm neutral chaotic. His relationships with his friends and family (and extended family) is often subject to change, yet he finds he cannot find any meaningful relationships with his own people – they are simply too short lived. Now, during the current era, he is satisfied with living a normal, if tedious life. In the mornings, Berwald is grouchy at best, seriously harboring murderous intent at worst. A cup of coffee helps, but he is never completely there in the unholy hours of the morning. Unfortunately, he has a quick temper (at all times), and loathes being teased. To him, humiliation is only the next step. Another remnant of his Viking era; where emasculation was unforgivable. Except a glare or a punch if you so attempt to. Likes ↓ |
[/ul] Lesser Known Facts ↓
• He has a horrid voice, but can play a multitude of folk instruments, in addition to the violin.
[/ul]Goals ↓
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THE PAST
Nu är eld uti var spis,
vi tackom nu så gärna.
vi tackom nu så gärna.
Sweden, read: svaeriye is an ancient nordic country whose prehistory goes back all the way to 12,000 BC with the Allerød warm period - where flint technology was used and hunters gathered in small tribes. From the eighth to eleventh centuries was Sweden's more eminent Viking Age. Whilst Danish vikings traveled West, the Swedish traveled mainly East and South to Finland and the Baltics.
Norse paganism, such of the Vikings, was predominant up till the late 11th century, when Celtic and Anglo-saxon influences waged conflict onto the lands. The people were forbidden to worship Æsir Gods and temples were torn down to be replaced with Christian churches. From 1050, Sweden had been converted to a Christian nation.
In the 14th century, the Black Plague hit Sweden and the population drastically dropped. During this period, Sweden was joined (albeit reluctantly) with Norway in the Kalmar Union under Denmark's rule. The Swedes opposed the centralization of the government in Copenhagen and tension between the two nations eventually escalated to a point where the Danish King Christian sought to drastic measures. He ordered a massacre of more than 80 prominent Swedish nobles, and this became known as the “Stockholmsk blodbad.” This gave rise to outrage within the scattered and leaderless civilians. A new resistance was formed with Gustav Vasa at its head, and subsequent war was coined the Swedish War of Liberation. Even after Sweden gained Independence, he has harbored bitter resentment towards his neighbour for many centuries.
During the 17th century Sweden emerged as a European great power. Before the emergence of the Swedish Empire, Sweden was an economically backward and scarcely populated country on the fringe of European civilization, with no significant power or reputation. Sweden rose to prominence on a continental scale during the tenure of king Gustavus Adolphus, seizing territories from Russia and Poland–Lithuania in multiple conflicts, including the Thirty Years' War. During this period, Sweden conquered approximately half of the Holy Roman states. It was Gustavus Adolphus’ domestic reforms that laid the foundation for the modern Swedish state.
Sweden reached his largest territorial extent under the rule of Charles X after the treaty of Roskilde in 1658. The Great Northern War caused his downfall; Europe contested against Swedish supremacy and succeeded. Forced to cede large areas of land in the Treaty of Nystad in 1721, Sweden also lost its place as an empire and as the dominant state on the Baltic Sea. With Sweden's lost influence, Russia emerged as an empire and became one of Europe's dominant nations. As the war finally ended in 1721, Sweden had lost an estimated 200,000 men, 150,000 of those from the area of present-day Sweden and 50,000 from the Finnish part of Sweden.
In interest of regaining dominance over the baltic sea's, Sweden allied himself against France (his original benefactor). Sweden's role in the Battle of Leipzig gave it the authority to force Denmark-Norway, an ally of France, to cede Norway to the King of Sweden on 14 January 1814 in exchange for northern German provinces, at the Treaty of Kiel. Norway was forced into a personal union with Sweden under the Swedish crown. This was not dissolved until 1905.
After the industrial revolution in 1917, Sweden became a democracy. During the two world wars, Sweden managed to stay neutral, despite overwhelming pressure from the third Reich. Modern Sweden is no longer history.
THE TRYOUT
Han vattnar sina fålar fem, allt för den ljusa stjärnan. Ingen dager synes än, stjärnorna på himmelen de blänka.
Sweden suddenly feels the urge to take the other by his shoulders and shake some sense into him, for his uncharacteristic pessimism and maybe for his certainty that the same fate waited his nation. But he resists, and instead fiddled with the smooth material of his jacket, suddenly reminded of the days when a saber was perpetually swathed inside the folds of his robes, back when he was the Swedish Empire and back when Europe was his (with Denmark delightfully seething at his influence). But the power it symbolized was gone and Scandinavia… still remained. A mere shadow of what it used to be and to be pushed around by stronger, more prominent powers.
Berwald hold’s Fredrick’s gaze, brows furrowing with irritation. “The Reich will respect my wishes for neutrality,” he grouses, diction surprisingly eloquent. “And…” his voice quietens, “perhaps there will be a swift allied victory...” He hates how uncertain his voice has become and how nervous he is at expressing his opinion on the matter.
It was, after all, exactly what he expressed for the media not to touch upon. Newspapers, especially the Aftonbladet, a paper with sizeable influence but notoriously opinionated, were pressed to keep all coverage pragmatic. His trade was open to all belligerents and the concessions he made to the Germans were considerable. Business as usual, they kept on calling it. But though they couldn't just, 'wait for the water to freeze and walk across,' he was well aware how vulnerable and ill equipped they were in comparison to the Reich. In military expenditure as well as his naval forces. A rise in Swedish militarism could be denoted as a sign that they were preparing to enter the war, and Berwald couldn't risk it. His gut feeling told him that invasion could only follow. Then, without meaning to, Berwald’s lips quirks into a sort of smile. "Norway won't take to invasion. They are too proud." And so am I, was left unsaid, but implied. At the end of the day, there's a lot that is left unsaid but understood between them.
After a moment's silence, Berwald tears his gaze away from the courtyard, satisfied that it's beauty and age is as of yet untouched by war. He walks to the set of double doors, clicking them shut with a soft thud before turning back. His expression was blank.
"I don't trust my people," he explains.
This was from a Densu RP. Svi was a little bit of a coward during WWII, but as a result, was saved from a lot of bloodshed his neighbouring countries went through. Pragmatic, imho.
OOC
Så tog jag till med harme hennes foster ur hennes barme
Name » Ophelia
Time Zone » GMT+10
Notes » Lyrics from a plethora of very unfitting Swedish folk songs. They're so quaint.
Time Zone » GMT+10
Notes » Lyrics from a plethora of very unfitting Swedish folk songs. They're so quaint.
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