Kai

“By Odin’s missing eye, who the Hel are you stranger?” Erik managed, still gasping.

“I am Kai Miklagardson, retired, of the Varangian Guard”

Background

This is rather refreshing to say; after all my complaints at how difficult certain characters are to write, Kai was a real pleasure and probably the most fun I have had in creating a new character for the Vinland stories.

When I originally wrote Erik, he had a completely different personality, however I soon realised this was unsuitable for how I envisaged Erik's development as a character. I liked the personality traits, however, and created another character that could embody these, the end result of that rewrite was Kai.

So many stories about the Vikings portray the warriors when they are in the full bloom of their youth, but what happens when these warriors reach old age? Not all of them die in battle, many of them certainly retire peacefully to a farm somewhere and live out their years telling stories of their former glory.

This was to be the fate of Kai, coming back to his home in Scandinavia – however for one reason or another he found himself in Erik’s hall as Leif was speaking to Bjarni about his new discovery.

Kai, realising he is not at all cut out for the life of a farmer quickly offers his services and is hired by Erik, and assigned to become Leif’s bodyguard for the first exploratory voyage to the new world.

Traits

Kai was a member of the highly renowned Varangian Guard, a unit of elite Viking mercenaries who served as the personal guard of the Byzantine Emperor, which at the time was the largest empire in the world. The Emperors mistrusted the native soldiers under their command so much that they came to rely on the Varangians for protection, knowing that once paid, the Viking warriors were honour bound to defend the throne to their death.

However this was a renowned unit, the best of the best from the Viking warrior culture, so those who had survived into old age would be allowed a graceful retirement and from there would fade from memory.

Thus Kai enters the scene, a well seasoned warrior, very wise even for his years. He has seen much in his time as a soldier, fighting in strange and exotic locations, against cultures completely alien to most Vikings. He has developed a sense of world weariness about him which leads him to act without a care for, or with proper respect for, others, part of a sense of entitlement that he believes is befitting for elders. He has no wish for death, but neither does he fear it. He has lived honourably and well and has now been given a final chance to die with axe in hand and find his place in Valhalla.

Kai holds dearly to his reputation as a legendary warrior, as part of a unit famous around the world for their bravery and he is keen to uphold that myth about his society. He is one of the few men willing and able to stand against Erik in one of his fits of anger, and does so on a number of occasions thereby becoming one of the few men Erik will respond to for guidance and control.

Having pledged himself to Erik and his family, Kai becomes one of their most loyal supporters, using his influence to guide the family and never to cause harm to them. To their enemies however, his Dane Axe is a whirlwind of death and destruction. He maybe old, but he possesses a natural cunning which makes him a very dangerous opponent, and despite his advanced years remains as strong and unbending as steel.

Loves and hates

Kai holds tradition and battle prowess in high esteem, coming to befriend and eventually mentor the berserker Berend. It is unclear what Kai dislikes, as he keeps his emotions under stern control, only showing his true face to those he really likes and trusts. 

(Image courtesy of Nina Hviid)