High King Arngrim Odinskyn
High King Arngrim Odinskyn
An ancient and legendary High King of Aedrinar, High King Arngrim is considered the mortal heir to Odins' realm and in accepted kingly chronology is the second high king of the Aedrinarans. Believed to be a bastard son, cousin, brother, or nephew of Odin, in common myth Arngrim was left the 'mortal realms' of Odin as their ruler. A berserker and warrior, Arngrim has many fables associated with them, but the truth of their character and their reign is lost to time.
This legendary high king is associated with the quest for Tyrfing, the legendary blade of Tyr lost in their fight with the beasts of the forgotten gods. Arngrim is also associated with several grissly, but honourable, deaths. One such account states they jumped into the mouth of Jormagandur, harming it from the inside so Thor could bind it - others state they wrestled a sea serpent and both died suffocating each other.
In chronicles, Arngrim is believed to have had 14 sons by his wife Eyfri. Despite these tall tales, Arngrim is mentioned only in myth and more obscure legends to the modern Aedrinaran - who prefers to talk of the far more detailed deeds of later kings and heroes. This has made Arngrim, despite their early status as a monarch, a lesser rememebered and revered king.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Origins
Whilst most monarchs, heroes, and nobles of Aedrinar have well documented and traceable lineages, especially those originating from great houses, the monarchs of the First Kingdom are infamously hard to trace and originate. Thousands of years of myths, the loss of primary sources, and the drift of oral history have led to several contradictoary and unclear origins for Arngrim Odinskyn.
Arngrim was, in some way, part of the House of Odin. Depending on the teller, they are the bastard son, nephew, cousin, or brother of the God. Some legitamist tellings also state Arngrim was the true-born son of Odin by their first wife, meaning their heirs could trace direct lineage to Odin. All that can be determined as true, however, is that Arngrim came from the 'city' of Aesirgrad, a lost and ancient city that was home to Odin and believed to be somewhere in the northern isles, most likely Hoggurmur.
Arngrim, if they truly existed, was likely a berserker in Odin's host regardless of their relation to the god. This would have meant they were directly involved in the war with the Forgotten Gods, and were probably one of the warriors left to guard the rainbow bridge from the cultists whilst Odin and his allies defeated the gods in their home plane for good. It is possible that Arngrim was infact a senior leader of this army, one of the great generals of his time, and as he was of the same tribe as Odin that is why he was granted the kingship of the Aedrinarans.
Reign
Regardless of how they got there, Arngrim is believed to have been declared high king by 3125, ma - around the time of the ascension of the honoured gods is theorized to have occured.
The first kingdom was a decentralized and poorly connected realm with few true settlements, no roads or major infastructure, and ever decreasing ties between the disparate Aedrinaran peoples made the kingdom impossible to govern as a modern nation would be. Piecing together various folktales and myths, Arngrim likely toured his kingdom with an escort of warriors during the warmer months, battling monsters and brigands whilst collecting tributes from the tribes he came across.
During winter, Arngrim likely stayed at the ancestral home of Aesirgrad. Wintering in settlements or keeps is a long held Aedrinaran tradition, and the Vildervolken still abandon their nomadic ways of life during the harshness of winter and secure their resources.
Tyrfing Cycle
Arngrim appears as a major character in the Tyrfing Cycle - a mythological saga originting from Southern Aedrinar. Tyrfing, was supposedly the blade of Tyr that they weilded during their war with the Forgotten Gods. Lost whilst battling the beasts, it was found by a sailor named Svalfram. Svalfram would capture two derro, Durin and Valin, and forced them to further enchant and improve the already powerful blade.
Tyrfing was now supposidely capable of shining a bright light when drawn, being able to cut through any material, and even capable of killing gods. Svalfram formed a petty kingdom, cutting down great warriors and leaders to forge their realm. In some versions, when Odin came to investigate the growth of Svalfram's kingdom the petty king struck at the god, who turned into a raven and fled.
Arngrim would either travel to Svalfram's realm as part of a tour or were sent by Odin to end defeat the warrior. Other versions say the Derro pleaded for aid from the Aedrinaran king to rescue their captured smiths and defeat the warrior. In their eventual duel, Tyrging would cleave through Arngrim's sheild and get stuck in the ground. This allowed Arngrim to chop off Svalfram's hand, claim the sword, and kill him.
The derro were returned to their people, and Svalfram's people disperesed or joined up with Arngrim's court. Svalfram's daughter, Eyfri, would marry the high king, impressed by his deeds. The sword became a symbol of Arngrim's power. It was later lost during the Second Kingdom.
Later Reign and Deaths
After this myth, Arngier would continue to rule and appear in various tales as a mediator or warrior. Arngrim is also associated with a myth about a dispute between the Stonecrows and the Reindeer Clan, where the High King was brought in to stop the Reindeer Clan raiding Stonecrow hillfarms. The Reindeer clan would outwit the king, at one point using elk hides to make a 'fake river' the forced the king to delay his pursuit. Eventually, Arngier would defeat Chief Bjar in single combat using Tyrfing, and the clan gave 1001 hides and bones as tribute - divided between the king and Stonecrows.
Arngier is also alleged to have had 14 sons with Eyfri, and would bequeath unique gifts to all of them in his will. Arngrim's death is theorized to have occured in 3162. ma, giving him a 37 year reign. Arngrim's deaths are associated with various heroic, but painful, deeds. In one such tale Arngrim would leap into the mouth of Jormagandur, allowing Thor to defeat the world serpent but causing the king to die. All manner of monsters are listed as the cause of death for the berserker king, but none is definitively known.
Arngrim's death would see the kingdom given to his eldest son, Yorvik, whilst Tyrfing went to his youngest son Angaynir. His son, Svald, was given his cloak of warmness, Bjolti his herds, Jornir his ships, and Klod his salt. It is unknown if Arngrim was interned in a barrow or cremated. If the former, the barrow is likely lost somewhere in the northern isles with some of his few treasures, and crown, hidden within. If the latter, a runestone of his deeds should be standing somewhere near the lost city of Aesigrad.
Personality Characteristics
Representation & Legacy
Arngrim is remembered mostly through obscure myths and to those trying to memorize all the high kings of Aedrinar. The true effects of their 37 year reign is long lost to time. Although their deeds are heroic, fireside tales and depictions of Arngier are long in the past. During the Great Division and Second Kingdom of Aedrinar periods he was likely far more remembered and revered.
The Beared Obelisk on Morgenjya, an old, weatherworn and twisted blackstone pillar with faded runs and the faint carving of a beared man with a sword is believed to be an ancient depiction of Arngrim, at least according to the folk history of the nearby Raven Clan. Another beleived depiction is beleived to exist within the Derro ruins of Drekenheim. Excavation notes by Halfdan of Orsturkirk dating from late second age talk of a bronze statue depicting an Aedrinaran king flanked by two dwarves and weilding a 'shimmering' sword. Later analysis of this description beleive this is a monument to Arngier, perhaps erected as thanks for his liberating of derro smiths.
Social
Family Ties
- Eyfri Svalframsdottir: Wife
- High King Yorvik I
- (m) Unknown
- High King Ulfgir I
- Sigurd
- (m) Jord of the Fjord
- Klod: - Given Salt
- (m) Freya Kingseyes
- Thorfinn Kingseyes
- Helga Kingseyes
- Svald: - given cloak of warmness
- (m) Nurgya
- Norvar
- Sved
- Isk
- Faroe
- Lyfrik
- (m) Frejya the Fair
- Sveltir
- (m) Unknown
- Grimsvold
- Grimska
- Orvar
- Bjalti: Son - Given herds
- (m)Erikyja White-eyes
- Karlma
- Jarlfrejs
- Bjorna
- Torbjold
- (m) Ennge Wintershield
- Thornmjar
- Jornir: Given Ships
- Arvik
- Gonbur
- Mimvor
- Angaynir: - Given Tyrfking
| High King of Aedrinar | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 3125, ma |
| 3162, ma | |
| Predecessor | Odin |
| Successor | High King Yorvik I |
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