Aethelwulf

Aethelwulf, who became known as Ylgrim Stormspear after his death, is the legendary god-hero of mankind, who led the race of Men to Verrin in the fourth and fifth ages. He is the founder and first king of the Kingdom of Fyfeldor, and after his victory against the Giants in the War of Shattered Shields, it is said that he ascended to godhood. The truth of this is unknown, and worship of Ylgrim as a deity is mostly confined to Fyfeldor. Aethelwulf is known to have been incredibly proficient with The Gift, as he was able to conjure storms and use telekinetic blasts to smite his foes. By his 20th year, his power surpassed even the old Raven wizards of Hruntir. Such was his talent that he gained the title 'Stormspear'. It is thought that this was how he inspired so many to follow him and fight for him.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Nothing is known of Aethelwulf's original homeland, Theodr, although some sources say that he was a feared and respected war leader there before coming to Verrin. According to legend, Aethelwulf was the first to depart from his ship when the human fleet landed at Earenan. Initially only small settlements were built, until Aethelwulf sent a ship back to Theodr to inform the others of his success at finding a new continent. Ships then began to arrive in droves, and a city was founded- Kynestol. Many of the original structures were built from the wood of the boats that were used to reach Verrin. The longhouse Medeselda still stands today. Before long, Aethelwulf found that Men were not alone in Verrin. Giants, Dwarves and Elves were wary of mankind, but not overtly hostile. Eventually, languages were shared and trade was established. As more and more Men arrived from Theodr, they had no choice but to expand across central Verrin. This angered the Giants, especially the emperor Bacchún. However, Bacchún died of old age before his words could be heeded. After his death, the Mirrormount Dominion almost completely dissolved, leaving petty kingdoms vying for power. With the Giants in disarray, Aethelwulf had free reign to expand his territory. He was declared King of the newly founded Kingdom of Fyfeldor, to the outrage of the Giant kings. Taking advantage of the newfound power vacuum, several warlike Giant lords raised warbands in an attempt to reclaim the lands now occupied by mankind. Their first raid resulted in hundreds of deaths and an entire village burned to the ground. Aethelwulf, outraged, ordered retaliation attacks against the Giants. In their vengeful rage, Aethelwulf’s raiding parties attacked indiscriminately and ended up sacking villages belonging to the Kingdom of Ascenhal, one of the largest Giant kingdoms, which resulted in a full-scale war. Most of the finer details of this war have been lost, although it is known that Aethelwulf suffered some initial defeats as Ascenhal was joined by the Mirrormount Dominion and several others. In a pitched battle outside the human city of Dracwynne, Aethelwulf led his forces personally and made use of his Gift, to the terror and confusion of the Giants facing him. It is said that he stepped forward, out of the shield wall and threw his spear into the ground between the two armies. Stormclouds began to swirl around it until lightning rained down upon the Giants. Bravely, the Giant kings led a charge through the maelstrom but they were unable to break the shieldwall and were all killed, with the exception of Vathlauss, Bacchún's son and the brash young king of Mirrormount. Aethelwulf led his army deep into Thurún territory, securing huge swaths of land for his kingdom. However, Vathlauss, tempered by pain and resolve, used his royal bloodline to seize the thrones of Ascenhal and The Gap after the deaths in battle of their kings. Thus he united thousands of Giants to his cause, almost matching the strength and size of his father's great Empire. Using tactics hitherto foreign to the Thurún, Vathlauss ambushed Aethelwulf’s party and many were killed. Only Aethelwulf and his retinue escaped with their lives. Over the years, Aethelwulf and Vathlauss fought one another, with neither gaining the upper hand. Some kingdoms of men, such as Thunor, Raine, Galdor and Galere remained neutral, as did the dwarves and several Giant kingdoms. The Battle of Westerhill marked a significant defeat for Aethelwulf, which allowed Vathlauss's army to ravage much of Fyfeldor before being driven back. Finally having gained the upper hand, before the walls of Bernitoft, Aethelwulf used the Gift to break down the famed obsidian gates and the city was taken by the combined forces of Fyfeldor, the Feón and dwarven mercenaries. With his capital in human hands, Vathlauss’ army routed and his ambitions were crushed for the time being. A lasting peace was made, and Vathlauss reluctantly agreed to pay tribute to Aethelwulf. Aethelwulf married the noblewoman Aethela, and they had many children, some of whom bore the Gift. His firstborn son Aethelward became king after his death, thus founding the Stormspear Dynasty. The last years of Aethelwulf’s reign were peaceful and he died of old age, at the age of 87.

”Across the plains, Giants came, demanding that tribute be paid. The time had come to draw the line, the time had come for swords to shine! At Ilverth’s gate the armies met, Steel would soon shine bloody wet! A kingdom’s fate in Aethel’s hands, victory or death for his warband!”

Religions