Three members chose the stage names Kvest (Karl Fredrik Lind), Bøddel (Bengt Olsson) and Gestalt (Håvar Wormdahl), playing the only live show for Horde.

The band was originally formed under the name Vitality in 1996 by four Lind siblings: vocalist Sven-Erik Lind, guitarist-keyboardist Karl Fredrik Lind, drummer Glenn-David Lind, and bassist Bjarne Peder Lind.

Originally adopting a Viking image, Drottnar is currently known for their peculiar thematics and live shows where they use military uniforms reminiscent of the Soviet style.

"Drottnar" is the plural (sing. "Drottinn", Norwegian "Drott") of an Icelandic word for "master", "ruler" or "king".