Note: History will probably change as people edit the open page. The empire was founded by Erik the Red. See intro above and portal page for detail. They soon found that, after the Little Ice Age and the fall of Harald Hardrada, they were all that survived of the Vikings. They continued their ancestor's legacy by sacking Britain in vengeance, ultimately capturing London and killing the king and his family. Soon, the siege continued into Europe, reaching as far as the Black Sea. All that remained free of the Svalbardic invasion was Italy and the colleges of Oxford, who had been spared by the invaders to educate the troops. The Vatican rallied up a force to remove the Svalbardics from Europe, and Pope Lucas II led the Svalbard-Italian War. After the capture and execution of Thor IV, king of