For centuries, a fire swept through Europe. It raged on and on, putting nations and kingdoms at its mercy, and that fire came from the North. Due to a series of socio-political triggers, the Vikings emerged from their northern homes in Scandinavia and swept all across the realms of Europe - south, east, west, and north. Mastering the navigation of the oceans and dominating the riverways, these vicious Northmen embarked upon their swift longships and introduced an entirely new chapter of Europe's history. Merciless in war and cunning in trade, they found their place in faraway nations. From Ireland, Iceland, Scotland, and Greenland, down to the Iberian Peninsula and into France, North Africa, and the distant lands in the east, the Northmen left their mark.