Krev, the last surviving Viking, washed ashore on the island kingdom of Wuling after his homeland was destroyed by the forces of evil. He warned King Yuan-Tao that the sins of Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride had grown powerful and would threaten other lands. Krev convinced the King to let him train the people of Wuling in debate and combat so they could defend themselves through diplomacy or war. The King agreed and the Wuling Vikings were formed, strengthening the kingdom and carrying on their traditions to the present day in Taoyuan city.

1. The Origins

2. Once upon a time, on the northwest side of the island Formosa,
a proud peaceful Wuling Kingdom existed. The people farmed,
fished, and manufactured goods for trade. They welcomed
everyone from all walks of life to mingle and share. They also
hold a strong interest in learning how things work in nature,
training many scientists in the process. The Wulings lived in
harmony with one another, unaware of the dangers beyond
their lands and seashores.

3. Then one day, a short, bulky Viking crashed onto the shores,
hands firmly locked onto a piece of broken bluish wood. The
Wuling people, true to their nature, tended to the Viking
stranger. They have never seen one, but willingly provided him
food and shelter. When the Viking woke up, he spoke some
basic Wuling tongue, but his words were limited at best. “I am
Krev, the last of my Vikings tribe,” said the man with his sturdy
axe. The Wulings asked where his home was so that they can
send him on his way home.

4. “I have no home,” said the formidable stranger, “the place I
called home was destroyed by the elements of evil, beyond
repair of any kind.” The Wuling King Yuan-Tao asked, “what
elements of evil?”
“Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, and Pride,” replied
Krev. The king’s eyes widened, as he heard of the tales his
ancestors once talked about, “sins used to be just acts of evil, but
in time, their evils accumulated to the point that they shall become
monsters that haunt men across the world”.

5. Yuan-Tao stood up and slowly spoke, “my fellow friend Krev, I
have heard of them but not in such a big scale of destruction,
what should we do to prevent them from coming?”
Krev played with the sides of his axe for a moment, looked into
the Yuan-Tao’s eyes, and uttered decidedly, “You can’t. They
will come.” The king’s counsel began to chatter uneasily.

6. Krev was not done, “If the King is willing, I can train your
people to become not just traders and scientists, but men and
women who can fight with more than swords and fists. They
will learn how to debate and negotiate to build a stronger
kingdom.”

7. King Yuan-Tao was confused, “Are you saying that my people don’t
know how to argue?” “No, King Yuan-Tao, I am saying that they have
grown complacent under an all-too-harmonious system that brings
them the needs of daily life. The dangers of those Elements is not so
much about them, but the words and thoughts that transcend from
them into the ears of your neighboring kingdoms. We must be
prepared for battles in diplomacy and war if we are to survive through
the ages.”

8. The King’s counsels began to object, “My dear Lord, surely you
can’t risk listening to this stranger who came from nowhere? He
is asking us to become hostile with our neighbors!” The chatter
grew louder and louder, until Krev lowered the end of his axe
onto the floor. The room went dark and bursts of electricity
filled the room with crackling sound of authority and
composure. After a while, the room returned to normal.

9. “My dear King, what you saw in your counsel, was Sloth’s
doing. It sought to keep the status quo so that those who are
afraid of changes won’t have to deal with it. The truth is, dear
counsel, if you truly love your kingdom, you would not have
hesitated to try making changes with your open-minded King.”

10. The counsel’s heads bowed in shame as Krev continued,
“King Yuan-Tao of the Wuling Kingdom, will you give your
kingdom a chance to reach the next level?” King Yuan-Tao’s
voice bellowed as mightily as Krev’s axe, “I will do anything
to give the kingdom a chance to become better! King or not
King!”

11. Krev wearily nodded
and said, “So it should be.”

12. And with that, the Wuling Vikings was formed and trained. They
were not born-warriors or diplomats. They came from all walks
of life, with strengths in math, science, history, and language.
The people who came through the training and ritual, carried its
motto, “We debate to build nations. How about you?” With that they
spread across the Wuling Kingdom, teaching men and women
how to debate, discuss, and make solutions to problems in their
areas.

14. The Wuling Kingdom grew stronger
and stood the test of time.

15. While King Yuan-Tao and Vikings Krev are long gone, the
Wuling Vikings continue to be a tradition in current Taoyuan
city, carrying their own basic elements –
curiosity, selflessness, team spirit, honesty, and improvisation
– to combat elements of evil in peace and in war.

16. This is the story
of the Wuling Vikings.

17. They debate to build nations.
How about you?

18. Join us now
to become worthy
game-changers
of tomorrow!