Thorvald Olafson, the third son of Olaf Haraldsson a Norse warlord. He was born in the year of 979 in a small village north of Trondlheim. His two older brothers Tyrin and Tristen trained in warfare and prepared for the day in which they would be jarls while Thorvald, being the third son was destined to be a farmer and herdsman.

By the age of 14 he was well known for carefully bred stock that yielded more weight and cows that birthed healthier calves. Bored with farming and herd tending, he sought work on a fisher's vessel. At sixteen, he served as a helmsman on one of King Olaf Tryggvesson's vessels.

At the age of twenty he was at the service of Jarl Erik Hakonsson as helmsman of the longship "Iron Beard". His skill at the helm became known throughout the northern seas. It was in this year that his father and oldest brother were killed by men in service to King Olaf Tryggvesson after being accused of treason and conspiracy. Norway was in internal strife as the kingdom was being split up between powerful jarls and lords.

He learned that Jarl Erik Hakonsson, Forkbeard the Dane, the King Olaf the Lap-King, Jarl Sigvald of Jomsburg and Jarl Tristen Olafsson , his brother, were uniting to overthrow the King of Norway.

A plan was set forth to entice Tryggvesson to sail the pride of his fleet the "Long Serpent" to the Gota River and show it off to the Jarl of Vaster Gotland. Near the chalk cliffs of Rugen, Sigvald pretended to serve Tryggvesson only to position the king between the opposing fleets.

It is here they called it the Battle of Svold. The great longship "Iron Beard" of which Thorvald helmed cut off the fleeing Norse king's "Long Serpent" and engaged in heavy battle. It was Thorvald who struck the Norse King sending him over the side into the blood filled sea. Heavily laden with chain mail, he drowned while trying to rid himself of the weight.

Thorvald was called the hero of Svold. His brother Tristen was made Jarl over Trondlheim while he kept in service to the Jarl Hakonsson for two more years. Under service to Forkbeard the Dane , he met Doom Solig in 1002 while raiding the English coast.

That same year, he pledged his sword to Doom Solig the King of the Nordic Region after Doom saved his life. He was made commander of the fleet. It was a promotion that sat ill with Doom's brother Tusk.

When Vinter Solig was burned in the raid of 1003, the wedge between Thorvald and Tusk deepened as accusations that Nicor the Elder, Doom's other brother was in error of his duties causing for the attack to begin undetected. Thorvald was put in place of the King's Guard the next year.

Spending the next several years serving the king to the best of his abilities in various raids and wars, his reputation grew strong.

In 1013 he was made Stallari of Vinter Solig when Doom's cousin Caia was injured in battle and could no longer fulfill the rigorous duty.

In 1014 at the intense battle of Clontarf, Thorvald nearly met his fate. His skill as a warrior was severely tested and his confidence was destroyed. With the help of three unlikely people, he recovered some. Meagan, the King's youngest daughter, Valgorgeria the lady of Hammarskjold and Father Padraig all helped him in the healing process.

In the process he fell in love with Valgorgeria though she belonged to Erik the Stallari of Svarberg.