Mirkwood
The Mirkwood was a forest south of Uppsala, Sweden. Lunsen is the modern remnant of this forest.
History[edit | edit source]
In 985, Styrbjörn the Strong led his army, which consisted of his men and the Jomsvikings led by Palnatoke, through the forest after their ships were stalled by a palisade. Commissioned by King Eric the Victorious, the Icelandic skald and Hidden One Thorvald Hjaltason led a small legion of warriors to stealthily attack Styrbjörn's forces. Following Thorvald, the renowned farmer and warrior Östen Jorundsson and his company placed snares and traps laced with deadly poison to lessen Styrbjörn's numbers.[1]
At night, while Styrbjörn's men treated their sick, Östen and his company attacked Styrbjörn's army quickly and retreated numerous times. However, their actions were soon noticed, prompting Styrbjörn to go aid his men.[1] Palnatoke followed him to secure his leader's safety but was attacked by Thorvald. The Hidden One managed to gain the upper hand and killed the Jomsviking leader, which he hoped would push the Jomsvikings to leave Styrbjörn. Thorvald soon came upon Styrbjörn fighting his company, killing them with ease. When Styrbjörn exclaimed that he would burn down the Mirkwood, Thorvald, Östen, and their remaining men decided to retreat.[2]
The next day, Styrbjörn led his army to Uppsala but was met by an invention of weaponized oxen, resulting in the deaths of several of his men and Styrbjörn himself being injured. Defeated, they retreated back to their camp in the Mirkwood. While Thyra Haraldsdottir, a sworn shieldmaiden and daughter of Harald Bluetooth, tended to Styrbjörn's wound, Gorm, the de facto leader of the Jomsvikings, pledged his loyalty to Styrbjörn due to the latter's perseverance and commitment. After Gorm's departure, Thyra and Styrbjörn spoke and proclaimed their love for each other. Marrying that night, they set up a ceremony, where Styrbjörn gifted his dagger in a stone mound as a token of their love.[3]
However, Thorvald, tasked by his Mentor Torgny to assassinate Styrbjörn and acquire the dagger, spied on the prince and the wedding ceremony and then took the dagger from the mound. While in the forest, he also found a piece of gold, which gave him the idea to scatter pieces of silver laced with poison to further weaken Styrbjörn's forces. With the dagger, he returned to his Mentor and King Eric to prepare for their next plan.[4]
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Fifteen
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Sixteen
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Nineteen
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Last Descendants – Fate of the Gods – Chapter Twenty-One