Eric the Victorious
Eric the Victorious (Old Norse: Eirik inn sigrsàeli; Swedish: Erik Segersäli; c. 945 – c. 995) was the king of Sweden from roughly 970 to his death. Through his advisor Torgny the Lawspeaker, Eric was allied with the Hidden Ones.
History[edit | edit source]
In 975, Eric's older brother and co-ruler Olof died, and his rule was contested by his nephew, Styrbjörn the Strong, who made a promise to build an army to defeat his uncle.[1]
In 985, Eric convened his war council upon hearing news about his nephew sailing to fight him for the throne. While discussing the plans, he was interrupted by Torgny the Lawspeaker and the skald Thorvald Hjaltason. When Torgny called for a private meeting, Eric dismissed his council while he talked about the Templars using Styrbjörn as a means to expand their reach. After Thorvald explained his plan for a small legion to attack and delay Styrbjörn's march covertly, Eric agreed and had Torgny help him convince the council of their plans.[1]
As Styrbjörn neared closer, Thorvald and Torgny informed the king of the successful events that had transpired in the Mirkwood. Not wanting to know their methods, Eric gave the Hidden Ones his permission to enact their plan. Before Thorvald left, Torgny tasked him to assassinate Styrbjörn and retrieve the dagger he held. Upon Thorvald's return, he and Torngy went to meet with Eric, but were stopped by the king's pet bear, Astrid. After calling Astrid off, Eric heard about Styrbjörn still being alive and Thorvald's acquisition of the dagger. With it, they all planned to boost the army's morale in a ceremony where the dagger was to be used as a gift to Odin.[2]
To secure Eric's safety, Thorvald convinced him to have someone else face off against Styrbjörn. When Thorvald brought the renowned farmer and warrior Östen Jorundsson to the king, Eric offered the man the opportunity to be his champion, to which Östen agreed.[2] The next day, Eric stood beside Astrid and Östen while his army fought against Styrbjörn and the Jomsvikings. He soon watched Styrbjörn being challenged by Östen and, after their duel, he witnessed his nephew succumb to his injuries.[3]
While his army defeated Styrbjörn's remaining forces, Eric had Styrbjörn's wife Thyra bound and brought to him. The king was then informed by Thorvald that his marshal had tried to kill Östen beforehand to benefit Styrbjörn, and that he had not acted alone. While Thorvald swore to find the other traitors within Eric's inner circle, the king thanked Östen and gifted Thyra as his thrall. Afterwards, he left with Torgny to settle matters with the council now that the battle was over.[3]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Ten
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Twenty-One
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Twenty-Two