Eotwulf (ˈe͜o.twʊlf)
King of Deira
"I thought it was clever to turn him north and let him spend his ambition upon Deira. I should have beheaded him for treason instead."
Eotwulf was an ambitious Earl in the Kingdom of Bernicia early during the reign of Beornric the Shrewd, and was a cousin of the House of Klüpfuchs. When Beornric was informed that his cousin was currying favor and building support for a potential coup to take over Bernicia, the young king decided to confront his cousin and present a plan by which they could both benefit. Instead of continuing with his plans, which now that they were discovered could only result in a long and bloody civil war, Beornric and Bernicia would support Eotwulf in conquering the kingdom of Deira to the north. In this plan, Eotwulf would gain the power and prestige he desired, and Beornric would get rid of a group of nobles who he could not trust. If successful, Eotwulf and his followers would divest themselves of all their Bernician lands and titles, to be redistributed to people of Beornric's choosing. Oh, and if Eotwulf did not care for this plan, Beornric would charge his cousin with high treason and put his head on a pike. Eotwulf took the bargain.
The Invasion of Deira
Working together, Eotwulf and Beornric planned the invasion of their neighbor. Bernicia and Deira had long been uneasy about each other, and King Dòmhnall of Deira had troops all along the border to repel any direct attacks. Instead of attacking directly, Beornric hired Eyjamaður mercenaries to plague the Deiran coast, burning villages and towns, and drawing the Deiran forces away from the border. He also arranged for Dòmhnall to recieve reports that the raiders were also attacking Bernicia, and moved his own troops away from the border to support that lie. Once Deira had weakened their border position enough, Eotwulf and his supporters snuck over the border and rode hard for Dunwych, capital of Deira while a dozen coordinated raids created chaos all along the northern coast.
The Bernician plan worked flawlessly. Eotwulf was able to suprise the defenders at Dunwych, who never managed to even close the gates against the invaders. The battle for the capital was quick and bloody, and when it was over Dòmhnall was dead, and Eotwulf proclaimed himself the new king of Deira.
King Eotwulf
Of course, it wasn't quite that easy. Both the nobility and common folk of Deira were stunned by the sudden attack, but were more than willing to fight and drive out the Bernicians. But they had trouble coordinating their efforts. While planning the invasion, Beornric had identified those Deirans most capable of leading the counter attack, and as soon Eotwulf had crossed the border squads of Eiðbundinn moved out, infiltrating key locations and assassinating the potential Deiran leaders. When Eotwulf's troops met the Deirans, they were consistently able to take advantage of their internal chaos and won victory after victory. After only three years of fighting, Eotwulf had vanquished all of his major opponents, and it would be a generation before the Deirans would again be able to challenge him.
Even after crushing the resistance to his rule, Eotwulf ruled Deira with an iron fist. Any challenge to his authority was punished with lethal force, and he could find seeds of rebellion wherever he looked. He gave his supporters vast estates, and instructed them to be as harsh as possible in order to break the will of the populace. For sixteen years he stood with his boot on the neck of Deira.
Few were surprised when Eotwulf was killed. One night he began to vomit blood, and then to scream as spasms wracked his body. He had been given a dose of some terrible poison, one that practically turned him inside out before killing him. Nobody could explain how the poison was administered; everything Eotwulf ate or drank was tasted first, and only his family and most trusted servants had access to his private chambers. But it was clearly poison, and Eotwulf was definitely dead. Improptu celebrations were held when the people of Deira heard the news, and were rapidly crushed by the order of Eadric, son of Eotwulf who now claimed the throne. Eadric would prove to be as brutal and violent as his father, although not nearly as intelligent or effective.
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This article was originally written for Spooktober 2024. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
This article was originally written for Spooktober 2023. You can find all of my Spooktober Articles at Spooktober Central.
It definitely would have been better for Deira if he had just been executed for treason.
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