Royal Portrait of High King Hiccup of the United Norse Kingdom and Queen Elsa I of the Kingdom of Arendelle note
Of State
, by Red Star, is a crossover fanfic between How to Train Your Dragon and Frozen.
In their time, political marriages are a fact of life. Elsa's heart is thawed and expanding; Hiccup's is broken and receding. Theirs is a shared life of dragons, talking snowmen, parchment, ink, flames, ice, steel, and blood. Through all this, love may yet be found.
Acting as a Continuation of How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Frozen, the fanfic deals with the aftermath of Drago's defeat on Berk. The ensuing battle with the rest of Drago's army escalated into a war that saw the Viking tribes uniting into a kingdom with Hiccup as their king. But tragedy continues to strike as Astrid dies and Hiccup is forced to carry the burden of leading alone.
Meanwhile, in Arendelle, Elsa's world is turned upside down when she learns of the Vikings' return. Fearful for her loved ones, Elsa scrambles to ready Arendelle for the first war it has seen in centuries.
Sadly, the story has not been updated since July 2019 and is presumably abandoned.
Of State provides examples of:
- Abdicate the Throne: Elsa is asked to step down from power by the Emrysian Order, since their laws forbid monarchs to possess magic.
- All There in the Manual: The author has created a forum on Fanfiction.com where he either defines the terminology used in the story or talks about the world that the story takes place in. His work on Deviantart also has additional notes adding to the lore.
- The Alliance: The United Norse Kingdom, which consists of every Viking tribe from the Barbaric Archipelago and Mathantir. The tribes were united against the threat of the Northern Alliance.
- Alternate History: In order to explain things like Arendelle existing around the same time as Vikings, the author made the setting into an alternate Europe called Europa.
- One difference has the Vikings rule over Scotland for generations following the events of Brave, which explains their Scottish accents. Furthermore, the Vikings never actually died out. Rather, they fled to the Barbaric Archipelago.
- The Huns are still around, despite being from ancient Asia.
- Gunpowder was never discovered, explaining the lack of firearms.
- The Abrahamic religions (i.e. Christianity, Judaism, Islam) do not exist in this setting.
- Also, presumably due to the absence of Burn the Witch! religions like Christianity, magic isn't as widely vilified as it was in our world.
- Answer Cut: After learning that the Vikings have returned, Elsa wonders what sort of monster would start a new war. The POV immediately switches to the Vikings' king, Hiccup, as he flys through the air on Toothless.
- Arranged Marriage: Though it has not happened yet (Hiccup and Elsa haven't even heard of each other at this point), the reader knows that eventually Hiccup and Elsa will be married for political reasons.
- Assassin Outclassin': When Grimmel attempts to kill Hiccup and Toothless, Hiccup manages to turn the tables on him by using Speed Stinger venom to paralyze him.
- Asshole Victim: Dalibor Bludvist, Drago's son, who imprisoned a slave girl in his room and used her as a Sex Slave. No one sheds any tears when he dies.
- Awakening the Sleeping Giant: The Northern Alliance's invasion of the Barbaric Archipelago caused the numerous Viking tribes to unite into a powerful kingdom.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Hiccup's Siegebreakers, which border on Cool, but Inefficient. Siegebreakers are basically cannons using Zippleback gas as a gunpowder substitute. They were designed to be used when dragons weren’t available and are a game-changer in a world where gunpowder was never discovered. Unfortunately, they suffer from several major drawbacks. First off, they are very costly to produce. The amount of metal used to create just six alone was equivalent to that of several hundred axes, swords, and shields. In addition, they are extremely heavy, requiring a total of eight dragons to move both the cannons and their ammunition. The fact that dragons are even needed for transporting the weapons defeats their purpose of being used for when dragons are unavailable. And with eight dragons, one might as well not have the Siegebreakers at all. This is even acknowledged in-universe, with many characters preferring the comparatively Boring, but Practical method of having dragons smash through enemy fortification.
- Body Horror: The burnt corpses found on the remains of Northern Alliance ships in Chapter 3.
- Boring Insult: When Grimmel attempts to intimidate Hiccup, he responds by calling Grimmel “boring”.
- Bullying a Dragon: Despite knowing that Hiccup is responsible for Drago’s death and commands a dragon army, some of the Northern Alliance’s soldiers still mock him when they get captured.
- Chekhov's Gun: The nation of Avalon is briefly mentioned in early chapters. Later, Elsa receives a letter from the Emrysian Order asking her to Abdicate the Throne, since their laws forbid magic-users from holding political office. At the same time, Hiccup learns from Heather that several Avalonian ships have been spotted sailing near Mathantir.
- The Cameo: Ragnar the Rock is mentioned to be amongst the warlords that Hiccup has decapitated in Chapter 12.
- Canon Immigrant: Bertha, Camicazi, and the Bog Burglar tribe from the book series are part of Hiccup's new Viking kingdom.
- Continuity Nod:
- One of the United Norse Kingdom's colonies is on an island called "Itchy Armpit".
- Hiccup references Drago and Dagur as an example of why the dragons should be kept a secret.
- There are also several references to the Riders of Berk and Race to the Edge TV series.
- Hiccup occasionally reminisces about the Dragon Riders' adventures at Dragon's Edge.
- Heather is introduced as part of the Berserker Tribe and Dagur is mentioned to be one of Hiccup's generals.
- Alvin the Stubborn is also one of Hiccup's generals and uses Thornado (Stoick's former dragon) as his steed.
- Day in the Limelight: Chapter 3 focuses on Snotlout for the HTTYD portion of the story. The chapter shows him and his army invading the port city of Radvo in hopes of rescuing the Vikings taken there as slaves and getting revenge on Drago Bludvist's family.
- Darker and Edgier: This story is much darker than either of the canon source material. Characters are shown to frequently swear, deaths are common and described in great detail, Hiccup is shown going through the five stages of grief, and the entire premise of the story is centered around war.
- Dead Fic: Last updated July 31, 2019, and to add further insult to injury, the above-advertised couple, Hiccup and Elsa, have yet to meet face-to-face let alone learn each other's name.
- Dead Person Conversation: In Chapter 5, Hiccup has a dream where he’s talking with his deceased father, Stoick.
- Death by Adaptation:
- Astrid dies in the first chapter.
- In canon, Drago’s fate was always left ambiguous. Here, Drago is confirmed to have been knocked unconscious and drowned when his Bewilderbeast fled underwater. His body eventually washed up on one of Berk's shores.
- The events of Brave are revealed to have played out very differently here than in the film. According to Moira, after being transformed into a bear, Queen Elinor was killed by her husband when he found her in the Queen's bedroom.
- Deliberate Values Dissonance:
- The Vikings have a Pay Evil unto Evil system for dealing with feuds. During their invasion of Radvo, Snotlout has part of the city burned down, raids numerous homes, and take the city's leaders hostage. Snotlout admits that it's simply part of their tradition.
- Also, Elsa is shown to have no problem with Uttland's attitude towards dragons. Given that dragons are still seen as Always Chaotic Evil by most of Europa, this is justified.
- Desecrating the Dead: After Drago's corpse washes up on Berk's shores, the Vikings didn't hesitate to desecrate it.
- Downer Beginning: Astrid's death and funeral both happen during the first chapter.
- Dramatic Irony: During their meeting to discuss a war with the Vikings, Arendelle's military leaders explain to Elsa that the cities located on the coast are located on high ground, giving them an advantage on terrain. The "Dramatic Irony" part is that readers know that the Vikings have dragons, which can fly, rendering any geographical advantages pointless.
- Needs more context.** Elsa is confused by the Vikings' sheer hatred towards Drago, believing that there was nothing he could’ve done that would provoke such a violent response.
- The Dreaded: For centuries, Vikings were this to Europa due to their brutal raids. Even the possibility of a Viking invasion is enough to send Elsa and most of Arendelle's ruling council into a panic.
- Dude, Not Funny!: Gobber gave Hiccup’s artillery shells the nickname “Astrid’s Folly”, much to Hiccup’s barely-restrained anger.
- During the War: Hiccup's portion of the story focuses on the late stages of the war between the United Norse Kingdom and the Northern Alliance.
- Enemy Mine: The main reason the Vikings were able to unite was due to their shared hatred of the Northern Alliance.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- Flaunting Your Fleets: The UNK’s fleet stationed around Berk. It’s nicknamed “the forest” due to the sheer amount of masts from the numerous ships and the only way to travel around is by using planks to connect the ships together.
- Foregone Conclusion: The audience knows that eventually Hiccup and Elsa will become part of an Arranged Marriage. It's both All There in the Manual and the summary outright confirms it.
- The Ghost:
- Viggo Grimborn is one of the warlords ruling over what remains of the Northern Alliance. He's the general Hiccup is most devoted to defeating and was the main antagonist for the Race to the Edge TV series. Despite this, he has yet to make a proper appearance in the story.
- Dagur is mentioned to be the one leading the UNK's fleet and has set up a blockade around Mathantir.
- Good Versus Good: This is what the war is in the big picture. The Northern Alliance originated from Uttland, which is a province of Arendelle.
- Happy Ending Override: For How to Train Your Dragon 2. Despite defeating Drago, becoming chief of Berk, and having Toothless become the new alpha of the dragons, the Vikings still faced war against the remnants of Drago’s army. Astrid and countless others were killed in the ensuing conflict and Hiccup has to deal with the stress of both leading a nation and coping with the losses of his loved ones.
- A Hero to His Hometown: To the people of Radvo, Drago is basically a Folk Hero, and his family gets treated like royalty. Even after being told of Drago's crimes, the citizens of Radvo refuse to believe them and insist that Drago was a liberator.
- Holding Back the Phlebotinum: Since Hiccup wants to keep the Vikings' trained dragons a secret from other nations, Snotlout is unable to use any dragons for his assault on Radvo, a merchant city technically under Arendelle's rule.
- Hordes from the East: Elsa believes the Vikings to be this trope. Ironically averted by the Huns, who, despite usually being the poster child for this trope, are part of the Northern Alliance's army stationed in Mathantir.
- Info Dump: In Mathantir, Moira delivers one to Hiccup by telling him the entire history of Castle Dunbroch.
- Kirk Summation: Hiccup delivers one to Grimmel, where he points out that for all the dragons he's killed, Grimmel knows nothing about them and that his entire career is All for Nothing now that dragons can be tamed.
- Let's Split Up, Gang!: During the UNK’s campaign in Mathantir, Hiccup decides to split up his forces and attack all the clans’ castles at once.
- Let's You and Him Fight: The story is building up to this, with Arendelle's army being mobilized to help Uttland defeat the Vikings.
- Locked Out of the Loop: No one in Arendelle is aware that the Vikings have tamed dragons.
- Mythology Gag:
- Snotlout being Hiccup’s cousin is a clear reference to the original HTTYD books.
- Camicazi and Bertha the Big Boobied were characters featured in the book series.
- Several of the tribes that joined the UNK are from the book series, including the Meatheads, the Lava Louts, and the Bog Burglars.
- Viggo Grimborn, the main antagonist of the Race to the Edge TV series, is revealed to be one of the Northern Alliance's leaders.
- When Grimmel ambushes Toothless and introduces himself to Hiccup, the scene mirrors what happened in the movie.
- After Grimmel tranquilizes "Toothless", it turns out that it was Fishlegs in disguise, exactly as it happened in the movie.
- Named by the Adaptation: Drago’s army is referred to as the Northern Alliance.
- No Woman's Land: The port city of Radvo. All the important positions are held by men, women are more or less treated as cattle, and no one bats an eye at crimes like rape.
- Offscreen Moment of Awesome: The end of Chapter 9 shows Hiccup's army starting their siege of Castle MacIntosh. The next chapter shows the aftermath of the battle, with Vikings looting enemy corpses and cleaning blood from the castle's walls.
- Overnight Conquest:
- The Vikings' occupation of Radvo. Snotlout and his army sail into Radvo's ports and take over the entire city in less than a day. This is somewhat justified since Radvo is a small coastal city consisting of mostly fishermen and merchants who weren't expecting an attack.
- Hiccup’s campaign in Mathantir. All the castles are taken in a matter of days, the Viking/dragon armies steamroll most of the Northern Alliance’s forces, and it’s estimated that the UNK will have full control of the island in only a few months.
- Patchwork Fic: This fanfic features characters from both the original HTTYD book series, the films, and the TV show.
- Pet the Dog: When the Vikings start looting the Bludvist family's mansion, Snotlout decides to be generous with a servant girl and tells her that she's free to leave and keep her stuff.
- Poor Communication Kills: The potential war between Arendelle and the UNK could easily be defused had Arendelle bothered to send messengers to the Vikings asking about their intentions.
- Protagonist-Centered Morality: See Deliberate Values Dissonance above. Despite warring against the Northern Alliance for their Rape, Pillage, and Burn of the Barbaric Archipelago, the United Norse Kingdom's army engages in similar behavior when they attack the city of Radvo.
- Shown Their Work: The "Northern Alliance" name used for Drago's army is based on a blog post written by one of the visual development artists for How to Train Your Dragon 2.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: After Hiccup's Kirk Summation, Grimmel counters with his own "The Reason You Suck" Speech, detailing how Hiccup is nothing without his dragon. Hiccup interrupts him by splashing some Speed Stinger venom onto his face, instantly paralyzing his entire body.
- Sick Episode: Chapter 9, which is appropriately titled “Fever”, features Elsa getting a cold after Anna’s birthday party.
- Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: The Northern Alliance frequently takes the people they conquered as slaves and sell them in Uttland.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Viggo Grimborn (from Race to the Edge) is still alive and allied with Drago after the events of the TV series. He's currently the Northern Alliance general that Hiccup is most focused on defeating.
- Switching P.O.V.: The point-of-view has shifted between Elsa, Hiccup, Anna, Snotlout, and Kristoff.
- Taxidermy Terror: Drago Bludvist's home is filled with dragon skulls and skeletons. Snotlout is disgusted by this and plans to give the bones a proper Burial at Sea.
- This Cannot Be!: A common reaction from Drago's followers when they are informed of his death.
- Time Skip: The fanfic takes place few months after How To Train Your Dragon 2 and some time after Frozen.
- Took a Level in Badass: The Vikings from the Barbaric Archipelago as a whole. By the time of the story, they've gone from a couple of separated tribes to a dragon-riding kingdom.
- Two Lines, No Waiting: The fanfic alternates between telling two different stories:
- Plot A is a dramatic Dark/War Fic focusing on Hiccup as he establishes the United Norse Kingdom and defeats the remnants of the Northern Alliance. The storyline also focuses on Hiccup's inner struggles caused by the deaths of Astrid and his father. As of the recent update, he's currently in Mathantir, dealing with the last remaining Northern Alliance holdouts.
- Plot B is a comparatively lighthearted Slice of Life which focuses on the day-to-day lives of Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff as Arendelle prepares for a possible war.
- Villain with Good Publicity: To Uttland and Arendelle, Drago is seen as your typical Farm Boy-turned-The Hero who fights to avenge his family and defeat the Always Chaotic Evil dragons.
- Voluntary Vassal: Uttland is this for Arendelle, though it's mostly in-name. For example, Uttland practices slavery, despite slavery being outlawed in Arendelle.
- War Fic: The entire plot is centered around a bloody war between the United Norse Kingdom and the Northern Alliance, with Arendelle getting caught in the crossfire.
- We ARE Struggling Together: This gets deconstructed by the Vikings of Manthantir, whose constant warring with one another left them weakened. That, combined with a deadly plague, made them easy pickings for Drago during his war campaign.
- We Have Become Complacent: It's mentioned that Elsa and Anna's parents cut funding for Arendelle's military years ago and the kingdom hasn't fought a war in decades.
- What Measure Is a Mook?: At the end of Chapter 1, Hiccup has the Northern Alliance’s officers he’s captured placed on ships before setting those ships on fire. The remains of those ships are later found off the coast of Alvsted, with the burnt corpses of the officers onboard. Elsa is horrified and is worried about how to tell the dead sailors' families.
- The World Is Not Ready: Because of people like Drago, Hiccup decides to keep the UNK’s dragons a secret until the kingdom has fully stabilized.
- Wrong Assumption: Elsa believes that the Vikings are the typical Rape, Pillage, and Burn marauders that her ancestors had to deal with.
