Of Blood and Bonds

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Of Blood and Bonds was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan in 2020 through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.

Description

Eivor returned to the Royal Hall in Jorvik to meet with Halfdan Ragnarsson.

Dialogue

After King Ricsige's death, Eivor returned to the Royal Hall. Inside, she approached the throne expecting Halfdan, only to find it empty. She yelled out to the hall.

• Eivor: Halfdan is not here. Where is he?

Eivor found and spoke with Moira.

• Eivor: Moira. Is Halfdan about?
• Moira: Eivor, welcome. Halfdan has stepped outside with Faravid. They shouldn't be far.

Passing through the adjacent chamber, she overheard some men celebrating.

• Norse Man: Go on, steady your balls! And ask her to shake arses with ya!
• Anglo-Saxon Man: B-but I've n-never d-danced with anyone before...

Eivor went outside and located Halfdan speaking with Faravid.

• Faravid: Ricsige. I struggle to be surprised.
• Halfdan: I was caught off guard, but I shouldn't have been. A fog set in, and I couldn't see the forest before me. Old friend. Long ago, we stormed this sea-of-wagons under winter's blanket... you've stood at my side for many long years.
• Faravid: Proudly, brother. Come. Let's share the balm of all torment, the soothing liquid of chaos.

Eivor spoke with Faravid and Halfdan, with his dog, Beonton, waiting alongide his owner.

• Eivor: The ceremony hastens to start, let's not to keep the crowd waiting.
• Halfdan: Eivor. Yes, let us go. To inscribe our names in history.

As they walked, Eivor could speak with Halfdan some more.

• Halfan: No more pulling strings. This throne and its burdens are mine.

Before the coronation, Eivor could have spoken with Moira again.

• Eivor: Moira. How are things in Wyke?
• Moira: I get by. There will always be those who dislike me. But how I handle their ire is up to me... so yes, things are mostly well.

Eivor could have spoken with Hjorr and Ljufvina.

• Eivor: Enjoying the festivities?
• Hjorr: Wolf-Kissed, yes. Happy to be here.
• Ljufvina: The crowning of a new king, it's not something I've seen this close!

Eivor speaking to Faravid

Eivor could have also talked with Faravid.

• Eivor: Save some mead for the rest of us, Faravid.
• Faravid: Ah! I have to thank you, Eivor! For your counsel, for your blade. All this would not be possible but for you.

If Eivor picked up the ornate goblet that Halfdan threw away, she had the option to give it to Faravid.

• Eivor: You mean more to your king than you know. Take this goblet.
• Faravid: No, you keep it. Gifting him a goblet from the spoils of war was a ritual between Halfdan and I. This one should be yours.

• Eivor: I have a new brother, much like Halfdan. Not by blood, but through the battles we've fought, hand in hand. Through him I have learned that battle bonds run deeper than blades can cut. I will never forget that lesson.
• Faravid: The words of a poet. Now let us drown ourselves in mead. For friendship.

Eivor spoke with Halfdan, seated on his throne.

• Halfdan: Have you had enough fun? My crowning must come soon.

I've had enough drinkI am not done feasting

• Eivor: I'll save some for later. Let's make a king of you.

• Eivor: It's early, Halfdan. We have more barrels to drain and merriment to make.

Halfdan laughed.

• Halfdan: Of course, of course. Return when you've had your fill.

Eivor left and continued feasting and conversing before returning to Halfdan.
(repeats dialogue)

Halfdan and Eivor exchanging words of praise

A brief moment passed and the coronation started.

• Halfdan: To Eivor and the Raven Clan of Mercia, our newest ally, in blood and glory!

Eivor nodded.

• Eivor: To Halfdan King, I lift my horn and raise my brow to speak this praise... Crown spire, stout oak of Valkyries, spinner of battle wisdom... long may you live and rule. Skal!

Halfdan coughing after drinking from the goblet

• Halfdan: (coughing fit)

Halfdan dropped his goblet and Eivor picked it up.

• Eivor: Moira. What is this metal? It's soft, like Roman pipes.
• Moira: Ah! That's lead. A toxic metal.
• Eivor: Was it lead that drove the Romans mad? Can metal do this to a man?
• Moira: O, God in heaven, yes. The Romans knew this well. And my poor mother, she... she drank from cups like these for so long, she—

Faravid accused as the culprit, being the one who gifted the goblet

Faravid looked caught off-guard.

• Halfdan: You! All these years, you gifted me poison! You gifted me madness!
• Faravid: Old friend, please. Your sickness has clouded your judgment.
• Halfdan: This sickness was no accident. I trusted you.

Faravid drew his sword.

• Eivor: Sheath your weapon, Faravid.
• Faravid: Eivor, make this man see sense. He is old, sick, and his mind is unclear—
• Halfdan: Horseshit! You want me dead, you lying shit hog! I was a fool to not see it.

You are insane, HalfdanStand down or fight me, Faravid

• Eivor: Halfdan, stop! This is a man of honor.
• Halfdan: You stand beside this... this traitor?
• Eivor: I do. Let truth guide us here, not madness.

Angered, Halfdan threw his war hammer Orthstirr, shocking the crowd.

• Halfdan: I am Halfdan Ragnarsson, Wolf of War, Lord of Jorvik, ruler of men. I am king!

Faravid shook his head and sheathed his sword.

• Faravid: Not my king. I will not bow to a man who accuses me of treason.

Faravid tossed his silver arm ring signifying his alliance with Halfdan into the nearby fire.

• Halfdan: In days yet to come, men will sing the praises of Halfdan. And scorn the life of Faravid the betrayer!
• Faravid: You are the hero of a coward's tale. A man who hid behind his best men and claimed their victories for his own!
• Halfdan: You are banished! Out! Never again set foot in my lands!

Faravid walked out as Halfdan sat back down.

• Eivor: Thank you, king. I—

Halfdan interrupted with fatigue in his voice.

• Halfdan: No more. Leave me.

Halfdan slumped his head in melancholy as he waved Eivor away.

Eivor walked out of the royal hall and saw Faravid off, along with an escort of guards.

• Faravid: You are fearfully quiet, Eivor.
• Eivor: One should never break a silence without reason.

Faravid looked around at Jorvik one last time as they walked. Crowds gathered and jeered as he marched towards his exile.

• Faravid: I fear for Northumbria now that Halfdan is king. Many may suffer if his madness goes unchecked.
• Eivor: And who is to blame for his madness, Faravid?
• Faravid: I should demand an apology for that. But there is no need. Soon I shall be long gone. Far away across the whale-road, where the fates guide me.

They reached the western gate of Jorvik, where a horse awaited Faravid.

• Faravid: End of the road. Goodbye, Eivor.

They shook hands and Eivor smiled. Before Faravid could leave, Eivor asked him one last time.

• Eivor: Did you know? About the goblets, the lead? Now's the time for truth.

Faravid did not answer directly, only frowned at Eivor's doubt.

• Faravid: I hope one day we may raise our spears together, old friend.

Faravid mounted his horse and rode off into the horizon. Eivor reflected on his parting words.

• Eivor: We hope for many things in this life, yet we earn so few of them.

Eivor standing before Faravid

• Eivor: Treason must never go unpunished.
• Faravid: After all we did together, after all we won.

Halfdan walked forward and released his weapon as Eivor responded.

• Eivor: If any of my clan committed such a betrayal, I would rip his flesh from his bones.

Eivor asking Faravid to stand down

Eivor fought against Faravid as Halfdan watched.

• Faravid: You're not the warrior you used to be, old friend.
• Halfdan: Traitor! Kill him! Feed him to the wolves!

Halfway into the battle, Faravid pleaded with Eivor.

• Faravid: Look at him, Eivor. Is this how a leader should behave? Halfdan! Come to your senses!

A defeated Faravid brought before Halfdan

Eivor defeated Faravid and restrained him, setting him on his knees before Halfdan.

• Faravid: The end of our road.

Halfdan looked down at Faravid and drew his hammer, demanding a fight

• Halfdan: Stand, you treasonous bastard. Stand and fight me!

Faravid refused. He looked away in sadness.

Faravid giving his last words

• Faravid: Old friend, do you remember the days we raced our horses across the length of this land? You were always faster, you always won. Because I let you win, my "jarl." So I will let you win one last time. We will meet once more. In the corpse hall.

Faravid closed his eyes and tipped his head down. Halfdan, dismayed at his choice, let out a wail and brought Orthstirr down on Faravid's skull, ending his life.

Halfdan after executing Faravid

• Halfdan: Argh!

Halfdan dropped Orthstirr and wept as he shook his head.

• Halfdan: (weeping)

As time passed, Faravid's body was removed from the hall and the attendees left the coronation. Eivor went to talk with Halfdan.

• Eivor: Halfdan. It's time I go.
• Halfdan: Hm?
• Eivor: I'm leaving for Mercia. Going home.

Halfdan proposing an alliance with Eivor's clan

Halfdan stood and took out a silver arm ring, symbol of alliance between Viking clans.

• Halfdan: Then go with this. A sign of friendship. A bond between our clans and a symbol of the pain and suffering it took to win the peace.

Halfdan sat back down. Eivor turned to leave before stopping herself.

• Eivor: I hope we were right about him.

Eivor then walked away from Halfdan, leaving him alone in his royal hall. Halfdan slumped his head in despair.

• Eivor: Now, it seems the wind calls me back to Randvi. Best tell her the good news.

Outcome

Halfdan was crowned king but had a coughing fit and dropped his drink. The goblet was made of lead and signs pointed to Faravid. Eivor decided on who was right between Faravid and Halfdan, but obtained an alliance with Halfdan, nonetheless.

Behind the scenes

It is never explicitly stated whether Faravid betrayed Halfdan or not, but there are some hints during the storyline towards a betrayal, namely, Halfdan's scout being killed by friendly fire, Faravid quickly killing the Pict leader before he could answer Eivor's interrogation, and Faravid refusing the goblet Eivor offered him after Halfdan threw it away. Furthermore, if Faravid's side was chosen, he does not answer Eivor's question on if he knew the cup was made of lead, where an innocent person would simply deny knowing about it.

While the closing scene is significantly different based on choosing to fight or stand up for Faravid, the substantive outcome is not affected, either here or in Eivor's next call for allies at Holy Day. Eivor's alliance with Halfdan stands and she is "welcome in [his] hall" as of the conclusion of Lost Glory, and Hjorr and Ljufvina's presence at the battle of Chippenham appears to stand in for both the city of Jorvik and the shire as a whole.

Oddly, Eivor's tone of voice during the first line of dialogue at Halfdan's empty throne is raised with concern and some anger. This is rather out of place considering the ongoing celebration.

Gallery

• 
  Eivor finding Faravid and Halfdan outside the Royal Hall
• 
  Eivor and Moira investigating the goblet, revealed to be made of lead
• 
  Halfdan left alone on his throne

References

• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla