|
Patience, brothers. Soon we will reveal the secrets of The Legend of Beowulf, Tombs of the Fallen, The All-Seeing Eye and The Forgotten Saga. This article has been identified as being out of date. Please update the article to reflect recent releases and then remove this template once done. |
|
Where are the paintings? This article is in need of more images and/or better quality pictures from official media in order to achieve a higher status. You can help the Assassin's Creed Wiki by uploading better images on this page. |
Eivor Varinsdottir (Runic: ᛅᛁᚢᛅᚱ; born 847), renowned as the Wolf-Kissed, was a Viking shieldmaiden and jarlskona from Norway who raided in what would later become England during the late 9th century. She was the human incarnation of the Isu Odin, the chief of the Æsir who was revered as a god in Germanic and Norse mythology.
Born to the nobles Rosta and Varin, who pledged allegiance to jarl Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson of the Raven Clan, Eivor was adopted into Styrbjorn's house following her parents' deaths during a raid on Heillboer by Kjotve the Cruel and the Wolf Clan. Raised alongside Styrbjorn's son Sigurd, Eivor spent much of her youth seeking to gain glory and eliminate Kjotve to avenge her parents.
As an adult, Eivor would frequently raid settlements affiliated with Kjotve while Sigurd sailed around Europe. Following her brother's return to Norway in 872, Eivor met the Hidden Ones Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham and was gifted a Hidden Blade, which she used in combat against her enemies. After killing Kjotve and taking his lands with assistance from the army of Guthorm the Wise, Eivor followed Sigurd to England after Styrbjorn ceded his kingdom to King Harald Fairhair, a decision opposed by many of the Raven Clan, including Eivor and Sigurd.
Eivor and her clan settled in Ledecestrescire, establishing the settlement of Ravensthorpe, and spent the next few years building her settlement and securing alliances with the various kingdoms within England. These alliances included the Great Summer Army, the Sons of Ragnar, and the Clan Hemmingsons. She also helped Hytham in ridding England of the Order of the Ancients with aid secretly provided by King Alfred of Wessex, indirectly leading to the formation of the Templar Order. During this time, Eivor slowly became aware of her nature as Odin's reincarnation by exploring visions of her past life with the help of Ravensthorpe's seeress Valka, and came to reject Odin's influence.
In 879, Eivor, now jarlskona of her clan, was invited to Dublin by Bárid mac Ímair, her maternal cousin. There, she helped Bárid secure his throne through an alliance with the recently-crowned Flann Sinna, High King of Ireland. She also fought against the Children of Danu, a druidic cult that sought to prevent the Norse and Christian faiths from replacing their own.
Some years later, Eivor participated in the second Viking siege of Paris alongside Sigfred's Elgring Clan, fighting Charles the Fat's reign of terror in order to prevent him from reaching and conquering England. In the process, she discovered a conspiracy led by the Bellatores Dei, a group of zealots which had the objective of exorcising Francia from paganism by using the mad king to fulfill their goals.
Eivor's further adventures in and around England saw her encountering the misthios Kassandra, whom she helped retrieve an Apple of Eden from Scotland's Isle of Skye; and the former Hidden One Roshan, who enlisted her aid to assassinate the Order of the Ancients member Makira. In the end, Eivor's actions ensured that the Order was completely eradicated from England, that all of its Pieces of Eden were kept out of the wrong hands, and that the Hidden Ones were able to establish a strong branch on the island.
By 889, an older Eivor decided to learn more about her past life and the Isu from Odin's memories and so left England after bidding farewell to her allies. Settling in Vinland in North America, the Viking spent her final years conversing with Odin and befriending the indigenous Kanien'kehá:ka people. In 2020, Eivor's remains were discovered by the Assassins, who used her genetic memories to find the location of the Yggdrasil Chamber so they could save the Earth from a potential disaster.
Biography[]
Early life[]
Childhood[]
Young Eivor with her parents
Eivor was born in 847,[1] dubbed a "plague year", to Rosta and Varin, two minor nobles from Norway. After being turned away from the homes of various fellow Norsefolk, Rosta's brother Ímar allowed the couple to stay at his residence, where Rosta gave birth to Eivor not long after. Eivor's birth was witnessed by her cousin, Ímar's son Bárid, whom she grew up with, until Ímar's family migrated to Dublin in Ireland some years later.[2]
Eivor's family went on to settle in Heillboer, a small settlement in northern Rygjafylke, within the territory controlled by Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson's clan. Eivor's family came to bond with Styrbjorn's, with Eivor befriending and growing up alongside Styrbjorn's son Sigurd. On one occasion, Eivor accidentally spilled ink on her father's throne, much to his anger. She also had fond memories of sitting around the hearth of their longhouse and listening to her mother's voice.[3]
At nine years of age, Eivor enjoyed the stacking of cairns, a skill taught to her by her mother. Her mother and father would often share stories with Eivor around cairns, and the curious child was all the eager to listen. On the day before jarl Strybjorn visited, Eivor's mother informed her that Sigurd would be accompanying him, to which Eivor responded nonchalantly. Sigurd had a habit of stealing her stones and calling her "troll-tooth", something that irked her.[4]
Eivor witnessing her parents' deaths
In 856,[5] Eivor attended a feast organized by her father to honor Styrbjorn and pledge allegiance to the jarl. Eivor presented Styrbjorn a gifted arm ring at her parents' behest, but halfway through the celebration, the settlement was raided by Kjotve of the Wolf Clan. Eivor watched as her father put down his axe at Kjotve's insistence that his family and clan would be spared if he gave his life willingly, leading to both his and Rosta's deaths.[6]
Kjotve immediately broke said promise and ordered his men to kill the rest of the village. Eivor, however, was rescued by Sigurd, who managed to clear the immediate village area on horseback before being separated from Eivor after a tumble caused by one of Kjotve's raiders. Finding herself in the middle of a frozen lake after a hard fall down a cliff, a stunned Eivor was accosted by a wolf that saw her as prey. As she crawled towards a fallen axe in the middle of the lake, the wolf attacked her, eventually biting down hard on her neck. This caused her to hallucinate a partial memory of Odin and cry out in pain, calling two ravens to distract the wolf, allowing her to slowly reach the axe and strike the wolf dead.[6]
This incident earned Eivor the nickname of "Wolf-Kissed",[7] and from then on, she began hearing the voice of Odin, her Isu incarnation, in her head, although she did not realize it.[4] In the years to come, she slowly stopped witnessing visions from his memories and eventually forgot about the voice in her mind.[8]
Adoption[]
Varin's apparent sacrifice led Eivor to resent him for his perceived weakness, something which was further influenced by the input of others. When she was alone on a cliff stacking stones to ease her mind, Sigurd tried his best to comfort her. He told her that she would be taken into Styrbjorn's household and raised by him, alongside himself. Eivor then cried into her new brother's shoulder as he led her down home.[4] Eivor went on to grow up alongside Sigurd, and, during this period, she befriended members of the neighbouring Clan Hemmingsons, led by jarl Hemming, Trygve, and Hemming's son Vili.[9]
Eivor and Sigurd later participated in a raid led by Rolf along the northern coast of Norway. This marked the first time Styrbjorn allowed the siblings to raid so far from home.[10] Around 867, Eivor accompanied Styrbjorn when he went to meet with Hjorr Halfsson in Avaldsnes. While the two jarls discussed the growing threat in the north that was King Harald Fairhair, Eivor became acquainted with Hjorr's younger son, Geirmund Hel-hide. They discussed philosophy and the realities of their lives, with Eivor imparting some words of wisdom on the younger boy.[11]
Raid on Rygjafylke[]
- Eivor: "I brought you a tribute. A skald. A storyteller."
- Styrbjorn: "She is more than that, and you know it. Look at the collar around her neck, Eivor. Look at her robes. Whatever this woman may be, she is prized. She will be missed. You have brought disaster on my house, daughter... You have brought death!"
- —Styrbjorn reprimanding Eivor for capturing Gull, 870.[src]-[m]
Eivor severing Roscoe's legs
In 870, Sigurd embarked on a raiding expedition across Europe and Asia, leaving his sister responsible for fending off Kjotve and his clan from their territories. During this time, Eivor, alongside her clan mates Dag Nithisson and Tora Auzoux witnessed Kjotve's raid on a settlement in Rygjafylke, on the edge of Styrbjorn's territory. Seeing this as an opportunity to endear her adopted clan to the village, Eivor rushed in to stave off the raiders, disregarding Dag's suggestions of a more measured approach.[12]
While fighting, Eivor confronted a raider named Roscoe, who taunted her with the death of her father, claiming he had perished a coward. In response, she cut his feet from under him and refused to kill him, depriving him of a warrior's death and entry to Valhalla at her hands. Leaving him bleeding and cursing, Eivor went to help Dag, who had been cornered by the raider Taras.[12]
After the end of the skirmish, Eivor went to speak with the village chief and claimed the land in the name of her adoptive father. Incensed and believing Styrbjorn to be no better than Kjotve, the elder attempted to attack her but was cut down before even managing a swing of his sword. Claiming the old man had died a warrior, Eivor demanded tribute from the remaining villagers while she and her companions helped gather the dead.[12]
Eivor presenting Gull to Styrbjorn in Stavanger
Returning to where she had left the bleeding raider, Eivor found only blood. While searching the area for him, she heard noise coming from within a building and proceeded to investigate it, only to be ambushed by a pale woman covered in tattoos and wearing a collar. Eivor easily fended off the woman, who identified herself as a slave and skald. The woman then revealed herself to be Gull, one of Kjotve's thralls, and claimed she was also a slave "to Sökkvabekkr, Sága and Idun's bounty", before calling Eivor the "Slayer of the Wolf" and begging to accompany her.[12]
Believing the woman mad but perceptive, the drengr decided to take her captive back to Stavanger, where her adoptive father held court, in order to present Gull as a gift to Styrbjorn. Upon their return, the praise and adulation Eivor expected from her adoptive father were nowhere to be seen, as Styrbjorn instead berated her for incurring Kjotve's wrath by capturing Gull.[12]
Ambush at Feiknstafir[]
Gull tempting Eivor with stories of a treasure
Sometime later, while training with Tora, Eivor vented her frustrations on her humiliation at Styrbjorn's hands. Upon hearing Eivor's desire to prove herself, Gull tempted her, claiming she could lead the warrior to bounties and treasures, the same ones she had granted Kjotve. Claiming that since, unlike him, Eivor had not tortured her, she would lead Eivor to the "Æsir's hoard". While Tora expressed her doubts, Eivor heeded the slave's words, to Tora's dismay. Eivor then asked Tora to keep her location and objectives a secret, while she followed Gull to the Feiknstafir mountains.[13]
Days later, upon the mountain ledges of Feiknstafir, the two women climbed under Gull's directions. In a particularly treacherous ledge, Gull nearly fell to her death but was saved at the last second by Eivor. Impressed by the warrior's act, Gull recognized her as a friend, and Eivor jokingly remarked that if the treasure trove proved to be real, she would marry Gull in celebration.[13]
Eivor backstabbed by Gull
Shortly thereafter, the pair arrived at a ruined temple dedicated to Heimdall. Once inside, Eivor recognized the place as having been looted long ago, and found Kjotve's men inside, led by Bjarke Broadside. Before Eivor could do anything, Gull screamed for them, revealing her intention of luring Eivor to the place as a "present" to Kjotve. Eivor managed to fend off most of the group's attacks, but was felled by the slave, who stabbed her with a knife in the back. On the ground bleeding, Eivor claimed to Bjarke that she would not be a prize and that, by the end of the day, any riches of Heimdall would be hers, on Styrbjorn's name. Laughing, Bjarke informed her that, at that very moment, the Wolf Clan was raiding Stavanger, meaning Eivor's adoptive father was likely already dead.[13]
Finding Heimdall's treasure[]
Eivor witnessed Bjarke beat Gull into submission and taunted him that Gull would not be able to lead the way to the treasure if she was dead. The thrall cried out when Bjarke grabbed her, claiming that"The King's desire lies at Himinbjörg, where Heimdall dwells". When Bjarke had enough of her rambling, he went to beat her again, before Eivor tackled him to the ground to rescue her.[14]
Eivor tackling Bjarke
Bjarke was dumbfounded that the Viking would protect the one who had betrayed her, but easily tossed her off. Towards the mouth of the cave, Eivor tumbled, gripping the ledge for her life. At that moment, the temple's foundations weakened, scaring Bjarke and his fellow Wolf Clan member Erland. While their attention was diverted by the sudden disruption, Eivor snuck up behind Bjarke and stabbed him through the back of the head with a sword.[14]
She then turned to fight the other warrior, but in her weakened state, he pushed her to the ground. Looking upon a painting of Himinbjörg on the wall, Eivor recalled Gull's rambling and kicked the wall, destroying the rotten wood. Behind it lay Heimdall's treasure, a mountain of gold coins and other riches, along on a pedestal on which rested an Apple of Eden.[14]
Eivor and Erland finding Heimdall's treasure
As Eivor reached for Apple, she was thrown to the ground again by Erland, claiming that the treasure belonged to Kjotve. Eivor remarked that Kjotve was nowhere to be seen and kicked her opponent off the treasure pile, sending him and the other thugs through the weakened floorboards to their deaths. At that moment, Gull grabbed the glowing artifact and stood up, no longer the cowering slave. Calling out to her, Gull's response to Eivor was, "That is not my name. And this is not my life.". She then tore off her slave collar to reveal a strange mass of dark veins on her neck.[14]
Eivor, still dazed and confused, had no idea what the other woman was talking about. She demanded that Gull handed over the treasure that rightfully belonged to her father but the slave refused to be owned by anyone, and Eivor was resigned to take it off her dead corpse and attacked. Gull then grasped the Apple with her hands and commanded the warrior to stop, and, subdued by its power, Eivor could not move. As the rest of the temple continued to crumble around them, Eivor pleaded Gull to release her from the stasis or else they would both die.[14]
Eivor trying to save Gull
Gull was unafraid to die, but accidentally dropped the Apple, cancelling its effects. Eivor, now free, realized the power the Apple held and wanted it for Styrbjorn. Gull warned Eivor that she did not understand that the world was not as it seemed as she scrambled to get back the Apple with the floor breaking apart behind her. Eivor held out her hand for the sphere, promising help, but Gull refused to let the Apple fall into Styrbjorn's hands.[14]
The slave, no longer mind-addled, then recalled what Bjarke had said about Eivor's village being under attack and asked her if she would abandon the man who had taken her in and raised her. With the ledge as weak as it was, any attempt to take the artifact would definitely kill them both. Gull thus gave Eivor the choice to either "Risk everything for glory, or save [her] people". Eivor ultimately chose the latter and left Gull to her fate.[14]
Back in Stavanger, she arrived too late to save her friend Tora but managed to avenge her death and protect her father. Styrbjorn was proud of Eivor for not letting him down again. As she fought against the warriors of the Wolf Clan, she called out to Dag to not let Tora's demise be in vain. When questioned where she had been until then, Eivor's answer was that she had chosen her settlement and family.[14]
Retaliation against the Wolf Clan[]
In 872, Kjotve attacked a village under Styrbjorn's protection. With her brother Sigurd still away on his voyages, Eivor was tasked with leading the counter-attack and driving their enemies back north. While Kjotve sacked another village, Eivor took a small band of warriors and launched a raid on his back lines, cutting down the warriors manning three watchtowers, allowing them to move unnoticed.[15]
The ransacked village
The Raven Clan warriors made their way through the village, battling the Wolf Clan's warriors,[16] before Eivor joined the main body of the war-band, asking a small group of Vikings to scale the rear face of the hill and draw fighters away from the front. They flanked the mead hall, defeated and killed Kjotve's youngest son, Hrolfr, and recovered a chest full of gold, though Eivor noticed that the scrolls it previously contained were missing.[17]
The group gave chase, following Kjotve's trail towards the summit of the mountains.[18] The small band of Vikings burst into an old hunting lodge and interrupted Kjotve's meeting with his other son, Gorm. Eivor battled Kjotve while one of her allies took on Gorm. Eventually, the Viking struck Gorm a heavy blow to the face, wounding him, just as Kjotve incapacitated Eivor with a slash across the torso. The Viking had no time to savor victory, as Kjotve immediately ran over to Gorm's aid and stabbed his opponent between the ribs. With both assailants wounded, Kjotve gloated over his win before ordering his son to grab the scrolls and flee the lodge. Although incensed at their defeat, Eivor advised her ally to wait for another chance to meet Kjotve and get their revenge.[19]
Hunt for Kjotve and leaving Norway[]
Eivor captured by Kjotve
Later that year, Eivor and her crew pursued Kjotve to the west of Rygjafylke, though they were captured by the enemy. While captured, Eivor and her crew members were scattered and hunted by Kjotve's men in Avaldsnes. Before leaving Eivor to be sold into slavery in Ireland, Kjotve taunted her and displayed the very axe that he had taken from her father to kill him sixteen years prior.[8]
However, Eivor managed to free herself and met Dag, who had also escaped and was confronting a group of enemy soldiers. After the two killed the warriors, Dag handed her the Raven Clan Shield from a fallen soldier and parted ways with Eivor, heading off to the beach to reclaim their longship, the Sea-Chariot, while Eivor headed towards Avaldsnes, where Kjotve departed from. Within the settlement's longhouse, one of Kjotve's men, Rikiwulf, was in the middle of interrogating Bragi, the skald of Eivor's crew. After a quick battle, Eivor defeated and killed Kjotve's follower, and freed her friend.[8]
Eivor recovering her father's axe
Recovering her father's axe, Eivor had a strange vision featuring a cloaked man with a grey beard, a monstrous wolf and a titanic tree on the horizon. Brought back to reality, she and the other Vikings then eliminated the remaining number of Kjotve's men to take back their longship. Having reclaimed their ship, Eivor and her crew set sail and returned home to Fornburg.[8]
Upon returning, Eivor was greeted by Sigurd's wife Randvi, who informed her of Styrbjorn's displeasure with her raid against Kjotve. Eivor also learned that his brother would be returning soon from his long-lasting journey. Eivor went to talk to Styrbjorn, though was told that he was in a meeting with a messenger.[8]
Wanting to make sense of her strange vision, Eivor visited the residence of the local seer Valka up in the mountains near Fornburg. Upon entering, Eivor greeted Valka and inquired about her mother Svala's wellbeing after discovering her staring out distantly. Eivor went on to confide in Valka about the visions she saw, to which Valka brewed an elixir for Eivor to drink for her to make sense of them.[20]
Eivor seeing the injured Sigurd in her vision
Within the dream induced by the elixir, Eivor saw Sigurd, standing next to the same wolf and cloaked man she had envisioned previously. Calling out to him, Eivor followed the silhouette as he moved further up the mountain, hearing the voices of Skuld and Urðr, two of the Nornir, along the way. Further up the path, Eivor spotted the wolf and caught sight of the Nornir weaving fate, eventually reaching a doorway guarded by the animal.[20]
Eivor entered the door and was soon confronted by a blizzard. Walking through it, Eivor heard her brother's scream, eventually reaching the edge of a cliff where she discovered that Sigurd had lost his right arm. Eivor reached out to Sigurd only for him to be yanked backward by an invisible force. She was then confronted by a gigantic Fenrir who emerged from the fog, hungry and ready to strike.[20]
Awakening from the dream, Valka explained to Eivor the events she had experienced. The volva deduced that what Eivor saw were prophetic visions of her future betrayal of her brother, which Eivor refused to believe, suggesting that fate can be altered. Having received Valka's words, Eivor left the house, conflicted over what she had learned.[20]
Eivor teaching Tove archery
Waiting for the end of Styrbjorn's meeting, Eivor explored Fornburg and greeted her clasmen. She taught archery to the tattooist Tove, who granted her a new tattoo design in exchange for an archery lesson, challenged the brewer Tekla in a drinking game and improved her flyting skills with the skald Alvis. Eivor then visited Svend, Tove's mentor, who made the tattoo given by Tove for Eivor. Talking to the blacksmith Gunnar, Eivor handed over her father's axe to be sharpened. As she learned that the blacksmith's wife left him, Eivor tried to comfort her friend.[7]
As Styrbjorn's meeting ended, Eivor met the king, who chastised her for her actions against Kjotve while she accused him of being too careful. Their argument was interrupted by a horn indicating the arrival of Sigurd.[7] Welcoming her brother at the dock, Sigurd introduced to her to his new friends: the Hidden Ones Basim Ibn Ishaq and Hytham, whom he had encountered in Constantinople. Joining their father, they decided to prepare a feast for Sigurd's return. During the feast, while Sigurd recounted his adventures, Eivor argued with Styrbjorn about his son's choice to bring wealth instead of defending Fornburg. She also talked with Randvi, who did nott know if the long separation from her husband had broken their relationship. Eivor interrogated Basim and Hytham about their country and why they followed Sigurd.[21]
Eivor being gifted the Hidden Blade
Meeting Sigurd, he revealed to Eivor that Basim and Hytham were members of a brotherhood executing their own justice. Eivor received from her brother one of their weapons, a Hidden Blade. Keen that the traditionally stealth-based weaponry should be visible to her enemies, Eivor wore the blade over her forearm, much to Hytham's disagreement. While the four of them made their way outside, Eivor asked more about the brotherhood, though Basim refused to reveal more.[21]
Arriving in a yard with training dummies, Basim taught Eivor the different techniques to assassinate with the Hidden Blade. After her practice, Basim and Hytham left, leaving Eivor and Sigurd alone. Eivor listened to her brother's ambitious plan to subjugate either England, Ireland, or Francia. He then suggested taking the fight straight to Kjotve's doorstep, to which Eivor agreed.[21]
Following her brief training with the Hidden Blade and her talk with Sigurd, Eivor went to sleep and dreamed about the prophecies told by Valka. After a restless sleep, she woke up, having been disturbed by a sound outside her hamlet. She went outside, finding one of Kjotve's spies running off. Eivor chased after the spy and killed him before he could escape. She then tracked down and killed his two associates.[22]
Eivor and Sigurd forming an alliance with Harald Fairhair
Returning to Fornburg, Eivor arrived at the harbor and found Sigurd arguing with their father about the need to attack Kjotve's Fortress. AFter Eivor informed them about Kjotve's spies, she and her allies boarded her longship and went to raid a Wolf Clan encampment in Nottfall. Before leaving, Styrbjorn pleaded with Eivor to not lead Sigurd into the same storm that followed her. After successfully pillaging Nottfall, jarl Harald Fairhair and his uncle Guthorm the Wise arrived, seeking an alliance with the Raven Clan to confront Kjotve at his stronghold. The noble gave command of his troops to Sigurd to lead the charge.[22]
Assault on Kjotve's Fortress[]
- Kjotve: "Heed the price of our war, Wolf-Kissed. The harvest of three dead generations. All their names, unknown. It all means nothing."
- Eivor: "No. My clan will not be forgotten."
- Kjotve: "I fought as I did, as hard as I did, to survive. For I know what awaits us in the end. Only darkness."
- —Kjotve to Eivor in his final moments, 872.[src]-[m]
Eivor traveled to Florli and met with her brother and Guthorm to plan the assault on Kjotve's fortress. After a strategy was devised, Eivor caught sight of Basim and Hytham, who had arrived to help. Confused to see them fighting a feud that was not theirs, Basim told Eivor of their conflict with an order that Kjotve belonged to. As he revealed that Hytham had been tasked to eliminate Kjotve, Eivor told him that he was her target, to which Hytham responded that it did not matter who killed Kjotve as long as the man was dead.[23]
Eivor and Kjotve facing off in a holmgang
After the Vikings' combined forces sailed to Agder, Eivor called out Kjotve for a holmgang. Accepting the challenge, Kjotve engaged Eivor in a duel while everyone around them watched, and soon gained the upper hand, tossing his opponent into a pit. At that moment, Hytham intervened and attempted to assassinate Kjotve, but he grabbed and threw him into a wall. After briefly expressing concern for the injured Hidden One, Eivor resumed her duel with Kjotve and eventually managed to kill her long-time rival.[23]
Finding herself in a strange void, Eivor was approached by the cloaked man holding an ornate spear, who revealed himself to be Odin. Kjotve then suddenly appeared, mocking his killer. As Odin used Gungnir to pierce the ground, Kjotve was incapacitated. As the warrior continued to downplay her, Eivor followed Odin's example, prompting tree roots to impale Kjotve's torso. While Kjotve said that he had only ever fought to survive, a crow flew from his mouth and dropped his silver medallion on Eivor's hands. The vision then faded and Eivor stood again on the field, with no time having passed.[23]
Eivor being mocked by Gorm inside the temple
Upon the fortress wall, Gorm Kjotvesson taunted the Raven Clan, refusing to surrender even after witnessing his father's death. After launching a full assault on the fortress, Eivor caught up with Gorm within Agder's temple. As Gorm set the temple aflame, Eivor managed to scale the walls and escape through the roof, only to see Gorm flee on horseback. Eivor proceeded to loot the fortress, meeting Sigurd afterwards, who told Guthorm to inform Harald of their victory. Guthorm replied that he had already done so, saying that Harald had ensured a place at his althing for the clan, to which Sigurd responded that they would attend.[23]
After the battle, Eivor met a group of young Norse children, including a girl named Kaija, who were conducting a roleplay and pretending to raid a village. Eivor joined the children, who named themselves the "Wolf Pack," with Eivor herself being named "Big Wolf." At the village, which was really a torn down building with dummies set up, Eivor helped loot the area and destroy the dummies before finding out that Kajia and her friends were children of Kjotve's Wolf Clan.[24]
Unification of Norway[]
- "Two days ago, we rid this land of Kjotve and his dogs. Yet today we do not celebrate. Today we cower under a cloud of fear. But it need not be like this. We are not the heel-trodden subjects of a boy-king! We are the Raven Clan. Our destiny is our own! [...] We cannot stay in Norway, not under Harald's boot, not without fueling more war. So we push forward. To newer lands."
- ―Sigurd announcing his intentions to leave Norway for good before the Raven Clan, 872.[src]-[m]
Later, Eivor arrived in Alrekstad to attend jarl Harald's meeting. As she explored the town, she met a woman, unsatisfied with her sex life, who asked for her aid. Eivor broke objects around the house to simulate a raid, which turned the woman's husband on and successfully helped the couple. In return, Eivor was granted access to a chest.[25]
Eivor and Basim in the tavern
The Viking then approached the settlement's longhouse, where Harald hosted the assembly of the Norse clans. In the town tavern, she met Sigurd and Basim. Seeing that Gorm and the Wolf Clan were in the tavern, Sigurd explained to her that Harald had made a truce permitting the clans to be there. As Gorm and his clanmates left the place, Sigurd tasked Basim to keep Eivor in the tavern while he would see their father.[26]
Asking about Hytham's wellbeing, Basim told Eivor that his apprentice would heal from his injury but would never fully recover. As Basim queried Eivor about Kjotve's medallion, she pulled it out and gave it to him. As a token of goodwill, Basim revealed to Eivor where Gorm was staying and gave her hints on how to enter his camp unseen. Walking with Basim, Eivor spotted the Wolf Clan encampment and infiltrated it. She found Gorm in a small longhouse and barged in, confronting her rival. After being provoked by him, Eivor punched Gorm in the face, before two of Harald's soldiers came in to stop the fighting due to Harald's truce.[26]
Led away by the soldiers, Eivor made her way back to the central longhouse, where she met back up with Sigurd as they sat and listened to Harald's speech about his plan to unify Norway. When the jarl asked who would join or oppose him, Eivor and Sigurd witnessed Hjorr Halfsson and his wife Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir surrender their territory to leave Norway altogether. They also saw Gorm's attempt to pledge his loyalty and accuse the Raven Clan of having poisoned his father. The jarl knew it was a lie as his uncle had witnessed Kjotve's death, and banished Gorm and his clan from Norway.[26]
Eivor and an angered Sigurd confronting Styrbjorn
Lastly, Styrbjorn bent the knee, giving his lands and titles to Harald to guarantee peace for his clan, angering both of his children. Sigurd argued with his father for denying his birthright to become jarl before storming off as Harald expressed his interest in Eivor and asked if she would join him. She declined by saying that her destiny was bound to Sigurd.[26]
Returning to Fornburg, Eivor saw that Harald had already claimed the town by hoisting his colors all over. She came across Hytham on her way to the longhouse and spoke to him, checking on his health. As she walked through Fornburg, Eivor witnessed her friends' discontent with Harald's rule.[27]
In the longhouse, Eivor joined Sigurd and the splintered group of the Raven Clan who opposed Harald. They planned to travel across the seas to settle in England and create a kingdom of their own. However, with no resources, they would have to start from scratch. Eivor and Sigurd pondered taking Styrbjorn's riches as fair compensation, but ultimately rejected the idea. With the plan set in motion, the crowd dispersed as everyone went to pack for the long journey ahead.[27]
Eivor promising Styrbjorn that she would be Sigurd's anchor
Eivor saw Valka and invited her along, although the latter declined, stating she needed to take care of her mother. Eivor then made her way to the docks where she met Sigurd and the departing clan members. At that moment, one of Harald's longships approached, holding Styrbjorn. He pleaded with his son to stay but Sigurd refused. Concluding that his son would not give up on his intentions, Styrbjorn commanded Eivor to be his better half before blessing their journey.[27]
Settlement in England[]
After three weeks at sea, in January of 873, Eivor and her clan arrived in the southern part of Britain. Eivor and Sigurd's longship went on ahead of the others, to clear the way leading into the land. Entering a river, the Viking crew passed by a monastery and baptism, to which all crewmembers had something to remark about Christianity. Sigurd revealed that the Sons of Ragnar would be present in the land and planned to meet and ally with them.[28]
They later came across a river chain blockade which Eivor removed after killing all the soldiers present in the outpost. The longship then pulled back around to collect her and continued on its way. Further ahead, they caught sight of an abandoned settlement which was previously owned by Halfdan Ragnarsson.[28]
Eivor, Sigurd, and Dag stepping foot on the foreign dock
The location had been overrun by Saxon bandits, though Eivor, Sigurd, and Dag made short work of them. Searching the encampment, the trio discovered two prisoners of the bandits: Yanli, a Chinese merchant, and Rowan, a Saxon stable hand. When Eivor freed them, the two revealed that they had been sent by Halfdan Ragnarsson to work with the Sons of Ragnar, but by the time they had arrived, the Ragnarssons were long gone. Once given the choice to stay with the Raven clan, the two accepted. A horn then sounded, heralding the arrival of the remaining longships led by Randvi. Eivor and her clan proceeded to unload all their gear and began to renovate the dilapidated longhouse.[29]
After being shown the clan's alliance map by Randvi and England's four kingdoms, Eivor named their settlement Ravensthorpe. Upon getting a map from Gunnar, she raided either Meldeburne in Grantebridgescire or Alcestre Monastery in Ledecestrescire to gather resources for the colony. Afterwards, she returned to the settlement and had a forge built for Gunnar.[30]
Eivor then returned to the longhouse to speak with Sigurd again. As she entered, she overheard a small group speaking with Randvi, describing the surrounding territories known as 'shires'. Sigurd then showed Eivor to a room, gifting it to her and leaving her to read some letters before leaving the longhouse to meet with Rowan and Basim at the stables. Sigurd and the Hidden One were to ride together before splitting up, Sigurd to meet the Sons of Ragnar in the Ledecestrescire while Basim would go to parts unknown. Sigurd left his sister in charge of Ravensthorpe during his absence, something Dag did not agree with.[30]
Eivor and Randvi next to the alliance map
As Eivor had been tasked by Sigurd to grow the settlement, she participated in raids to steal resources for the construction of buildings and shops.[31] Afterwards, she met Randvi at the alliance map, where she explained the need to make alliances in England to assure the future of the colony. She decided to pledge to Grantebridgescire to help the jarlskona Soma and her Great Summer Army. Randvi also suggested Eivor talk with Hytham after building a bureau, as his research could help the clan in bringing in new allies.[32]
When Eivor saw Hytham, he revealed that he and Basim were members of the Hidden Ones, a secret brotherhood fighting for humanity's freedom, mainly by oppossing the Order of the Ancients, which sought to control every aspect of society. Kjotve and Gorm were members of the Order, and many other members were scattered throughout England. As the Ancients festered in the cities of Jorvik, Lunden and Wincestre, Hytham asked Eivor to help him to set up a Hidden Ones bureau in Ravensthorpe to gather information on the order.[33]
Once the bureau was finished, Hytham was very impressed with Eivor and grateful that she had gifted the Hidden Ones this space to operate. He then advised her to first purge Lunden from the Order's control, claiming it would make it easier for Eivor to secure an alliance with the city. As a gift, Hytham offered to teach Eivor the Leap of Faith, a technique of the Hidden Ones to ease their movements and strengthen their resolution.[33]
Eivor looking down at Hytham after he performed a Leap of Faith
Walking up a steep hill, they both came to the edge, where Hytham showed Eivor how to perform the move by jumping off the edge and into a pile of hay below. Scared at first, Eivor drummed up the strength and leaped from the cliff. Exiting the pile of hay, she felt invigorated and thanked Hytham for his gift. Telling her it was a rite of initiation into the Hidden Ones, Eivor jokingly asked if Hytham was trying to induct her into the brotherhood. The Hidden One replied that he might try but that it was not the main reason he had come to England.[33]
Returning to the bureau, Hytham once again advised Eivor to purge the Order of the Ancients from their land, as it would benefit both the Hidden Ones and the Raven Clan. He also asked that she bring him the silver medallion of any Ancient she killed as proof of their death, and informed her of abandoned Hidden One bureaus scattered across the land, dating from the Roman era. Eivor agreed to investigate the bureaus if she came across any and recover the documents they contained, as Hytham believed they could greatly aid in his studies.[33]
As clues on her targets, Eivor received from Hytham notes about Hunta and Leofgifu, two Wardens of War. A letter from someone calling themselves the "Poor-Fellow Soldier of the Christ" gave the cryptonyms of three other Wardens of War in Lunden: the Leech, the Arrow and the Compass. A letter from Kjotve indicated that the Maegester of the Wardens of War, known as "the Keel", was a native of Rygjafylke like Eivor. Concerning the Wardens of Wealth, Eivor only knew that one of their members was located in the Grantebridgescire and another in the Lincolnscire.[34]
Forging alliances in England[]
Aiding Grantebridgescire[]
Eivor meeting Soma in Middeltun
After having pledged to Grantebridgescire on the alliance map, Eivor traveled to Duroliponte, northwest of Grantebridge, to join the Great Summer Army. She met one of its commanders, Magni, who informed her that Grantebridge had been overrun from within by Saxons. He also told her that Soma was with her army in Grantebridgescire's swamps in the northeast of the shire. Eivor traveled there and arrived in the town of Middeltun, finding Soma tending to her wounded troops. The jarlskona informed Eivor the ambush on Grantebridge was led by a Saxon member of the Order of the Ancients named Wigmund.[35]
Eivor lit Middletun's beacon and assisted Soma in locating her advisors Birna, Galinn, and Lif who were scattered around the marsh. The two found Lif captured by some Anglo-Saxon soldiers in a camp along with several other Danes. Eivor and Soma made short work of his captors, and once freed Lif returned to Soma's camp. Birna was found in the ruins of the villa of Emperor Gratian, since turned into a bandit camp. Thirdly, Galinn was found high up in an abandoned bog hamlet, where he was being chased through fog by a pack of wolves. After finding and rescuing all three of her advisors, Eivor returned to Soma's camp. The jarlskona promised her an alliance if they retook Grantebridge from Wigmund.[36]
Eivor regrouped with Soma's clan at the foot of Grantebridge's western fortifications. After Wigmund declined talks with Soma, Eivor destroyed one of Grantebridge's gates and began taking back the city. Claiming victory, Eivor and Soma traveled to the city's longhouse to search for Wigmund but the Saxon had fled before they arrived. After defeating Wigmund's elite soldiers, Eivor sounded the horn announcing Grantebridge's reapturec. As a token of gratitude, Soma gifted Eivor the light shield Blodwulf.[37]
Soma showing Eivor the secret passage
During the night, Eivor and Soma's clan celebrated their victory in the longhouse. Waking up to find her drunk clan asleep, Soma informed Eivor that an underground tunnel had been the entry point for Wigmund's ambush. She told her that only she and her advisors knew about the tunnel, so it must have been one of them that betrayed her. Soma tasked Eivor with uncovering who the traitor was by finding clues and interrogating Birna, Galinn and Lif.[37]
Eivor traveled to Earnningstone, a town west of Grantebridge supportive of Wigmund, to speak with Galinn. Eivor asked Galinn how he had come to join Soma's clan; his answer was a vision of Soma aiding him against various predators and how Soma had found him in ruins. Eivor then asked what he thought of Birna and Lif. Galinn told her that Birna was reckless, and Lif enthusiastic. Eivor, Galinn and his group then pillaged and burned down Earnningstone, decreasing Wigmund's influence.[38]
Afterwards, Eivor traveled to Walden, a town to the southeast of Grantebridgescire, to meet Lif. He planned to sneak into the town and assassinate a priest who supported Wigmund. Eivor asked him how he had joined Soma's clan, and he responded that had joined her as part of the Great Summer Army; Lif wanted to be jarl after Guthrum had left for Wessex, but Soma ended up becoming jarlskona instead. Eivor and Lif succeeded in eliminating the priest, and the former left to aid Birna next.[39]
Eivor questioning Birna
At Ravensburg, Eivor and Birna readied to decimate Wigmund's forces. Through conversation, Eivor learned that Birna was in love with Soma who did not feel the same. After Ravensburg was freed from Wigmund's influence, Eivor had Birna return to Grantebridge where she would later follow.[40]
Back at Grantebridge, Eivor and the three advisors interrogated an Anglo-Saxon captain on Wigmund's whereabouts. The soldier caved under threat of torture, revealing Wigmund was on the Isle of Ely. Before he could say another word, Galinn executed him, confusing the rest of the group. Inside the Grantebridge longhouse, Soma had Eivor identify the traitor within her midst. Conducting a thorough investigation, Eivor expressed her thoughts on each advisor.[41]
Traveling to Utbech and Meldeburne, Eivor gathered evidence. A witness had seen someone running from the outskirts of the city to the river, although their face was obscured by fog. A letter was also found, meant for Saxon forces, ordering them not to attack any ship painted yellow, the color of Galinn's ship. There were also footprints near the underground entrance, painted with a yellow mark. Returning to Grantebridge, Eivor told Soma who she thought the traitor was. After the jarlskona executed the traitor, Eivor and Soma planned their attack on the Isle of Ely. In a vision, Odin reflected on the fact that Soma tried to be a leader and a friend, as she was unburdened from the bonds she created. [41]
Eivor holding Wigmund's Order medallion
Near the Isle of Ely Monastery, Eivor and Soma's clan readied for the raid. Entering the monastery with Soma by her side, they heard Wigmund delivering a speech. After assassinating the Ancient, Eivor was transported into another vision. While Wigmund tried to escape, ordering his soldiers to kill her, Eivor continued her pursuit, cornering her target to the closed gates of Grantebridge. As Odin and Eivor declared that Wigmund had sacrificed his soldiers for his own safety, the Ancient declared that they were nothing compared to him. Eivor cursed her target and grabbed his medallion, turning him to mist.[42] In his possession, Eivor found a letter indicating "The Lyre", the Maegester of the Wardens of Wealth, regularly went to the market.[34]
With Wigmund assassinated and his guards now killed, Eivor and Soma returned to camp again where they found Soma's forces celebrating in victory. Later, Eivor and Soma watched as her clan resupplied the longship. Soma then awarded Eivor with an armband, pledging her clan to Ravensthorpe.[42] Eivor subsequently returned to Ravensthorpe, informing Randvi of the alliance she had secured with the Great Summer Army.[43]
Elsewhere in Ravensthorpe, Eivor helped build a stable and aviary for Rowan, where he took care of the horses of Ravensthorpe, as well as Eivor's companion Sýnin.[31] At some point, Eivor trained her mount at either Rowan's or another stable in England, and increased its endurance and health, as well as allowed it to swim.[3] Eivor also built a trading post for Yanli before making several deliveries on her behalf, bringing a stone slab, mead jar, a crate, and an anvil to a farmer, hermit, jewel maker, and blacksmith respectively.[44] Lastly, Eivor built the barracks for the settlement's jomsvikings as well as Eydis and Mundi. At the barracks, she hired her own jomsvikings to raid with her and collect silver by helping other raiders.[3] Building these areas, alongside the blacksmith and Hidden One bureau, boosted the settlement's status from encampment to colony.[31]
The Thousand Eyes[]
- "As you travel, you will meet many of my associates, clad in these same vestments. These are my people, my other Eyes. Seek them out for trade or contracts. Oblige them and you will earn a tidy sum. And I might even feel inclined to reward you myself."
- ―Reda telling Eivor to seek out his associates, 873.[src]-[m]
Eivor meeting Reda
Eivor later spoke to Randvi, who reported that a trader representing a larger guild had set up their tent inside their camp. She advised Eivor to ask him what his business was in Ravensthorpe. Checking on the tent, Eivor approached the man who introduced himself as a merchant of the Thousand Eyes. Eivor questioned if the child in the tent was with him, to which merchant introduced the "child" as the master of their organization and the richest merchant west of the Indus, Reda.[45]
Surprised when he called her by her name, Eivor asked Reda what she could do for him and him for her. Reda explained that if she brought him precious opals, then he could trade her wondrous items from all around the world. The shieldmaiden was gifted some opals for usage in Reda's shop. Eivor was then told of other merchants of the Thousand Eyes throughout the world that would grant her contracts for opals. Greeting the new members of their settlement, Eivor left them to finish setting up their tent.[45]
Throughout the next several years, Eivor completed several contracts for Reda, which rewarded her with opals and allowed her to purchase various goods.[45] When she completed her first ten contracts for the Thousand Eyes, Eivor returned to Reda and was gifted the Rune Shield by the young merchant.[46]
Alva's mission[]
In the summer of 873, Eivor sent one of her warriors, Alva, out on a raiding mission. After her successful raid, Alva returned to Ravensthorpe with goods and several barrels of ale and Eivor decided to celebrate the Viking's victory with a feast later that night. She also tasked Alva with a new mission to find the Londinium bureau, an old Hidden One bureau in Lunden, having herself been tasked with this mission by Basim.[47]
Turmoil in Ledecestrescire[]
- Randvi: "He traveled to a town called Repton to meet Ubba and Ivarr Ragnarsson. As I hear it, they are on the verge of exiling the current King of Mercia, with the hope of installing a king of their own."
- Eivor: "A bold endeavor. I should be there to help, however I can."
- —Eivor and Randvi discussing Sigurd's mission in Ledecestrescire, 873.[src]-[m]
As the months passed, Eivor learned from Randvi that Sigurd had gone to the Mercian town of Repton in Ledecestrescire to meet with Ivarr the Boneless and Ubba Ragnarsson, two sons of the late Ragnar Lothbrok. They planned to overthrow King Burgred of Mercia and install the thegn Ceolwulf a client-king loyal to them. Eivor pledged to Ledecestrescire on the alliance map and traveled via longship to Repton.[48]
Eivor meeting Ivarr Ragnarsson
After arriving at Repton's church, Eivor met a shirtless Ivarr, who was torturing and executing Saxon spies. On the way to Ubba's war tent, Ivarr explained to Eivor that Burgred and his thegn Leofrith continued to resist. Entering the tent, Eivor overheard an argument between Ubba and Tonna of Tonnastadir, a mercenary working for the Sons of Ragnar. As Ubba did not pay for what she wanted, Tonna left the tent. Joined by Sigurd and Ceolwulf, the group planned to attack Tamworth.[48]
On their way to Tamworth, the Vikings were accompanied by Ceolwulf's son, Ceolbert who was curious about the Norse culture. Arriving at the castle gates, the Sons of Ragnar tried to negotiate the surrender of the king, though Burgred refused even if Leofrith advised otherwise. Returning to the camp, Eivor spoke with Ceolbert, who was reluctant to kill his former friends, including Leofrith.[48]
Following the successful siege of Tamworth led by Eivor, Sigurd and the Sons of Ragnar, Eivor explored the abandoned keep and discovered that Burgred had escaped. She found a letter from Tonna, indicating she worked for both the Vikings and the Saxons. With this information, the shieldmaiden decided to meet the mercenary to learn about Burgred's location.[48]
Eivor and Sigurd questioning Tonna
Arriving at Tonna's warcamp, Eivor and Sigurd confronted the mercenary and, with a choice of violence or silver, discovered that Burgred had hired her to clean Ledecestre and Templebrough Fort from the Sons of Ragnar's presence. After informing the Ragnarssons, Eivor decided to investigate the two places; Sigurd and Ubba went to the fort while Ivarr went to Ledecestre.[49]
Joining Ivarr in Ledecestre, the two Vikings surveyed the city from atop an old Roman watchtower. Ivarr informed Eivor that Burgred's soldiers were all over the town and wagons were going in and out. As Ivarr had sent a scout to search the city's bathhouse and church, Eivor decided to head there herself. Beneath the church, she found a crypt where a stock of goods was hidden on Leofrith's orders to resume the war. Exploring the bathhouse, Eivor freed Ivarr's scout, who turned to be Ceolbert. Escaping the baths, Eivor and Ceolbert were forced to fight as Ivarr's men and Mercian soldiers brawled in the city. After defeating their enemies, Eivor argued with Ivarr for putting Ceolbert in danger, but the young man said it had been his idea. Eivor advised Ceolbert to stay in Repton until his father was rightfully crowned.[50]
Before leaving Ledecestre, Eivor explored the old Hidden One bureau beneath the city, the Ratae bureau. Finding the complex's main study, she collected a piece of an ancient Hidden One's armor set, as well as a page of a Codex for Hytham.[51]
Eivor bringing Æthelswith to Ubba
Arriving at Ubba and Sigurd's camp, Eivor found them interrogating a Saxon soldier and learned that Burgred's wife Æthelswith was holed up in the fort. Eivor and Sigurd infiltrated Templeborough and found Æthelswith with three of her servants. After the queen denied knowing her husband's whereabouts, she asked that her handmaidens be let go and the Vikings accepted. However, they quickly realized one of the servants was the real Æthelswith in disguise and Eivor proceeded to capture her and bring her back to camp. While Ubba took the queen to Tamworth to interrogate her, Eivor and Sigurd freed the Saxon soldiers who had helped them.[52]
Returning to Tamworth, Eivor interrogated Æthelswith about Burgred's location. Getting nowhere, Ivarr entered and threw human heads on the ground. Frightened, Æthelswith revealed Burgred's hiding place, an old crypt where the Alne and Arwy rivers joined. Informing Sigurd and the Ragnarssons, they tasked Eivor with capturing Burgred and bringing him to the bridge at Venonis.[53]
At Burgred's hideout, a crypt named Offchurch, Eivor confronted the king and defeated him in a duel. She then tied him up and, as agreed, brought him to Venonis, where the other Vikings awaited. On their way to Tamworth, the group was attacked by Mercian guards trying to free their king. The Vikings survived and arrived at the fortress. As Eivor forced Burgred to walk into the city, the king said that he had hired Zealots to hunt her.[53] After that, Ivarr invited Eivor to drink with him. At the tavern, Ivarr admitted that he might have been too harsh and that he considered Eivor a friend. He also claimed that Ubba had changed, being more preoccupied with establishing a kingdom than fighting to reach Valhalla.[54]
Eivor watching Burgred hand over his crown to Ceolwulf
Waking up the next morning with a hangover, Eivor made her way to the town's main hall where the witan met to crown Ceolwulf. At the ceremony, Eivor witnessed Burgred trying to abdicate on his terms before being slapped by Ceolwulf, who reminded him that he had no more power. Burgred handed over the crown and was eventually exiled alongside his wife to Rome. After the ceremony, a Viking warrior entered and warned about Leofrith's army marching on Repton. Sigurd stayed with the new king while Eivor and the Ragnarssons led the army to Repton to protect the city and save Ceolbert.[54]
Arriving at Repton, the Vikings ran into the city as the Mercians had already breached the main gate and were raiding the town. During the fight, Eivor saw Ceolbert dueling Leofrith and intervened, deciding to fight the thegn herself to save Ceolbert. After being defeated, Leofrith asked Eivor to kill him, feeling he no longer had a reason to live without Burgred as his king. At that moment, Eivor found herself back in the void, where Odin advised her to respect Leofrith's wish, even if Eivor felt that the thegn deserved to know his king had betrayed him. After deciding Leofrith's fate, Eivor met Ceolbert, congratulating him for his courage during the fight.[54]
Eivor receiving Ubba's armband
Returning to Repton with Ceolbert, Eivor met the Ragnarssons, Sigurd, and Ceolwulf, who had all just arrived. Ceowulf thanked Eivor for saving his son and decided to send Ceolbert to live in Ravensthorpe for his own protection. After bidding farewell to his sister, Sigurd left for Oxenafordscire to secure another alliance, while Ubba thanked Eivor for her aid and gifted her an armband to signify their clans' friendship.[54]
While exploring Ledecestrescire, Eivor stumbled across a man who was brewing a special sauce. The man was ruling out ingredients that did not suit the sauce, with only one ingredient on his list left to find: eel. After hunting and adding an eel to the pot, Eivor tested the sauce, causing her to gag. The man, unsatisfied with the ingredients in Ledecestrescire, decided to move to Worcester, where he believed he would be more successful.[55]
Attack on Ravensthorpe[]
- Warrior: "Have mercy, friend, and you may find an ally with us."
- Eivor: "Mercy is earned by the quickness of your tongue. Where do you come from and what is your quarrel with us?"
- Warrior: "We are settled... in East Anglia. Newly arrived... and hungry for silver."
- —Eivor interrogating the captive Viking warrior, 873.[src]-[m]
Returning to Ravensthorpe, Eivor reported to Randvi about their alliance with Ceolwulf and the Ragnarssons, while Randvi in turn informed her that Ceolbert had made it to Ravensthorpe safely.[56] Later, Eivor built many new buildings around the settlement, including a hunting hut for Petra and Wallace, which opened up trade opportunities for Eivor, allowing her to make animal-related deliveries in exchange for goods. Upon finishing the final delivery for Merton, Eivor was given the Magyar Hunting Bow. She also was notified of nine Legendary Animals, great beasts that lurked within both Norway and England. Similar to the deliveries, bringing back the heads of each beast would grant Eivor a reward.[31]
North of the Hidden One bureau, Eivor built a tattoo shop for Svend, which also functioned as a barber shop. Throughout her life, Eivor collected various tattoo schemes which she applied at the tattoo shop. At the docks, Eivor built a shipyard, where Gudrun and Gudmund would maintain Eivor's longship, the Sea-Chariot.[31]
Near Reda's tent, Eivor built a fishing hut for Merton and his grandson Arth, and behind the longhouse she constructed a museum for a newly-arrived settler named Octavian. Upon building the former, Eivor gained access to more trade opportunities similar to the Hunter's Hut, though this time involving fish instead of hunted animals. After completing the final delivery, Eivor was rewarded with the Swordfish great sword. The shieldmaiden also built a bakery for Tarben and a brewery for Tekla in order to satisfy the settlement's feast demands. With these new additions, Ravensthorpe's settlement status increased and the colony became known as a hamlet.[31]
Eivor giving a speech to her clan
To celebrate all of their recent accomplishments, Ravensthorpe's residents later decided to organize a feast in the longhouse. At Randvi's request, Eivor gave a speech to the clan, though she was interrupted several times by Dag, who was unhappy with her leadership of Ranvesthorpe and suspected that she was planning to take Sigurd's place as jarl. Eivor and Dag's argument was interrupted when Sunniva screamed that the settlement was under attack.[57]
Eivor ran out of the longhouse with the Raven Clan and defended Ravensthorpe from the invaders, defeating all enemy warriors except one, who was captured by Dag. Interrogating the Geatish soldier, she learned that the attackers were Viking raiders from East Anglia. After deciding the captured warrior's fate, Eivor and Randvi were left to clean up and plan their next steps.[58]
King Oswald of East Anglia[]
- "Oswald – you would not have been my first choice as king. Nor my second. I thought you weak, bendable, without resolve. But not all men are as they first appear. I came to see that Oswald's heart is amongst the largest I have ever known. He is sturdy, he has wisdom, he has courage. All qualities worthy of a man to be king. He is the king East Anglia deserves, and the king you need. To the good King Oswald!"
- ―Eivor giving a speech about Oswald at his wedding, 873.[src]-[m]
Speaking with Randvi, Eivor found out that the raiders from East Anglia were led by a man named Rued who sowed discord among Saxons and friendly Danes in the region. Informing her that the Sons of Ragnar had appointed Finnr as steward to find a suitable Saxon king to pacify East Anglia, Eivor pledged her allegiance to East Anglia and set sail to Northwic to meet Finnr.[59]
Eivor meeting Oswald
Entering the gloomy city, she found herself in the longhouse with a sleeping Finnr inside. Waking him up, Finnr explained their current situation with Rued's men. As the last king of East Anglia, Æthelstan, had been killed by Rued, Finnr chose the Saxon Oswald as his successor even if he was not fit for leadership. To unite the Danes and the Saxons, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivarr and Ubba's brother, planned to have his cousin Valdis marry Oswald. As Eivor wished to meet Oswald, Finnr explained that he was on his way to Elmenham.[59]
Just outside Northwic's gates, Eivor found Oswald amidst an argument between a Norse and Anglo-Saxon man after Rued's men raided the place. After Oswald de-escalated the situation, Eivor introduced herself and explained their shared conflict with Rued. While traveling to Elmenham, Oswald explained he did not have permission to marry Valdis, as her brothers Broder and Brothir were against him. Their conversation was interrupted as they spotted smoke on the horizon coming from Beteleah Farm.[59]
Thinking it could be the same men that had attacked Northwic, Eivor decided to investigate. After taking out Rued's men, Eivor returned to Oswald, who was still shaken from the situation they had just been in. The nobleman then invited Eivor to join him for dinner in Elmeham to help him gain his betrothed family's approval.[59]
Eivor getting into a confrontation with Broder
During the feast in Elmeham that night, Eivor heard Broder and Brothir ridicule Oswald over planning to marry their sister. When asked by Broder if she was there to back the thegn they disliked, Eivor answered that she would do anything for her clan's safety and proceeded to mock the two brothers. This instigated a fistfight between her and the two men. Finnr intervened and stopped the fight, leading to the brothers walking off. As Oswald worried that the brothers would never support him now, Eivor reassured him. Oswald promised that if they won, the Raven Clan would forever have an ally in East Anglia. Eivor nodded and found a pile of rugs in the longhouse's loft, settling in for the night.[59]
The next morning, Eivor spoke with Valdis, who told her to check on Oswald near the river. Finding Oswald sweeping hay on the dock, Eivor wanted to strengthen the future king, explaining Broder and Brothir's actions were an insult to his hospitality. Finnr approached Oswald, annoyed at the boy, but Eivor started flyting to lighten the situation, teaching Oswald about the art form and making him try some insults on Finnr.[60]
As Finnr mocked his fighting skills, Oswald challenged Finnr to a holmgang but quickly backed down after learning it was to the death. Eivor interjected, saying that Oswald should fight her and not Finnr, with Finnr playing along by setting up a square on an island off the shore where Eivor and Oswald were to spar. Not intending to kill Oswald, Eivor merely made him fight her, showing Finnr that the future king was not as weak as they thought he was.[60]
Finnr, Oswald and Eivor observing their spoils
Afterwards, the trio decided to raid Serpent's Landing, where several of Rued's men had set up camp. Aided by Eivor's longship crew, they successfully defeated the Danes and, while observing their spoils, Oswald picked out a shield as a symbol of commitment he would gift to Broder and Brothir. After telling Finnr to ship the spoils to Northwic, Eivor stayed behind, collecting an old cloak belonging to the long-dead Hidden One Vitus.[60]
Eivor later set sail back to Northwic and arrived at its docks, where she met up with Oswald and Valdis and overheard Broder's refusal of Oswald's gift. Brothir then arrived carrying the body of one of Rued's scouts, noting that more would follow. Eivor left to find other scouts outside of the city walls in order to interrogate them. She eventually found and captured a scout who, following some threats from Oswald and Eivor, revealed Rued's plan to attack Northwic from Dunwic.[61]
Oswald and Rued falling during their duel
Determined to prevent the assault, Eivor rode ahead to Dunwich, clearing the area of Rued's men and lighting the fortress' brazier before the arrival of Oswald, Finnr, Valdis and her brothers. The group then awaited Rued's arrival and confronted him at nightfall. To Eivor and everyone else's surprise, Oswald challenged Rued to a holmgang, intending to protect his kingdom from the invaders, but the duel ended with both men falling to their apparent deaths. When Eivor looked out from the cliff, she saw no sign of either Oswald or Rued and theorized they may still live.[61]
On the way back to Northwic, Eivor met a young boy looking for his cat, Nali, who had run away. After finding the cat, who seemed to take a liking to Eivor, she decided to adopt Nali and made him part of her longship's crew.[62]
In Northwic, as Finnr drank after Oswald's death, Eivor decided to assemble a fyrd to end Rued's clan once and for all, recruiting Anglo-Saxons and Danes who accepted that Oswald had died protecting the kingdom. Eivor and Finnr rode to Theotford to gain the support of the Reeve Wynnstan, only to find the city under attack by Rued's men. After fending off the assault, the reeve promised to join the fyrd if Eivor took back the village King's Bury from Rued's clan. Eivor reclaimed the village and looted its treasures before sounding the horn to signal her victory.[63]
Oswald and Valdis' wedding
Later, Eivor led the fyrd to raid Burgh Castle, where Rued's clan had taken refuge. During the battle, Eivor discovered that Rued and Oswald were still alive and the latter had been taken prisoner. After defeating Rued and his clan, Eivor freed Oswald.[64] Returning to Elmeham, Eivor attended Oswald and Valdis' wedding and the former's coronation. During the party, Eivor drunkenly shot targets with Brothir and played a drinking game against Broder. She also spoke one last time with Broder, who revealed his feelings for her and made sexual advances.[65]
At the end of the feast, Eivor received an arm ring from Valdis, securing East Anglia's alliance with the Raven Clan.[65] She subsequently returned to Ravensthorpe to deliver the news to Randvi, and was informed that Ceolbert had left for Sciropescire to become an ealdorman.[66]
The Way of the Beserker[]
Eivor meeting Bjorn and Njal
Sometime later, Eivor received a letter from her scout Norvid, revealing that the legendary berserkr Bjorn Bloodtooth had been spotted near Northwic. Traveling to East Anglia to offer Bjorn a place in Ravensthorpe, Eivor arrived at the cave where the berserkr had been sighted, seeing him surrounded by several corpses. Not wanting anything but revenge, Bjorn told Eivor about the Mercian lord who had killed his wife Alfhild, and sent her to help his adopted polar bear Njal catch fish.[67]
Following the bear out of the cave, Eivor aided in catching some fish for Njall. Suddenly, several Saxon soldiers came out of the bushes, thinking that Eivor was Bjorn, and initiated an attack. Hearing the commotion, Bjorn joined Eivor and helped her kill the Saxon soldiers. Once the fighting was over, Bjorn explained to Eivor how he and his wife had sought a peaceful life in England, but a Mercian lord who had learned of Bjorn's deeds challenged him in battle. The berserkr refused and, in retaliation, the lord hung Alfhild. Agreeing to help Bjorn fulfill his vengeance, Eivor was sent to pick some nightshade for the 'berserker brew'.[67]
After Eivor returned with the nightshade, Bjorn added it to the concoction he had prepared under the same tree his wife had once hung from. Eivor and Bjorn then swigged the potion, singing a battle-shant and entering a hallucinatory trance where Bjorn turned into a bear. Upon awakening from the trance, the pair rode to Beodoricsworth, where the Mercian lord and his men were hiding.[68]
Eivor and Bjorn laying Njal to rest
Eivor and Bjorn killed the lord's guards to lure him out, whereupon they fought and eliminated him, avenging Alfhild. As they prepared to leave the area, however, they found that Njal had been mortally wounded. Eivor left to collect some of the bear's favorite flowers at Bjorn's request while the berserkr brought his beloved companion to the gallows tree. There, Eivor and Bjorn built a funeral pyre and set it ablaze, laying Njal to rest. Afterwards, Bjorn accepted Eivor's invite to join the Raven Clan and became a skald aboard her longship.[69]
Issues around Ravensthorpe[]
- Eivor: "I know Svend believed in you, in your craft. So do you believe in him? Do you trust him?"
- Tove: "He was the most skilled artist I have ever known."
- Eivor: "And he chose you. You may step up or step down, whatever you decide. But know that he had faith in you."
- —Eivor comforting Tove after Svend's death, 873.[src]-[m]
When Eivor returned to Ravensthorpe, she witnessed an argument between Holger and Rowan, after the former had cut off the tail of Aelfgifu, a horse belonging to the latter, for a brush. At Randvi's suggestion, Eivor settled the dispute, although Dag took issue with what he perceived as Eivor undermining Sigurd's authority.[70]
Sometime during Eivor's time in the settlement, a young Knud approached the Viking, informing her that his friends Sylvi and Eira were in trouble. However, after following Knud and finding the two other children near an old farmhouse, Eivor realized that she had been lied to, and was persuaded to rescue a wolf trapped down in a well.[71]
The children naming Dwolfg
Attempting to find a way down, Eivor slew a nearby wild boar that had eaten the key to the house. Acquiring said key, Eivor entered the house and investigated the crime scene; the hunter that lived there had been killed by the boar. She eventually made it to the basement, where the wolf was locked in a cage. Eivor freed the wolf, who took a liking to her and was eventually named Dwolfg by Sylvi. Dwolg subsequently stayed in the settlement and even helped Eivor fight at certain points.[71]
Eivor later spoke with Randvi, who was bored of being trapped in her room and unsatisfied with her current life. Eivor offered to help by taking her to Grantebridge. After riding through the countryside, the pair arrived in Grantebridge, where they entered the longhouse and met with Magni, who informed them that Soma had left for Oxenfordscire. Eivor learned that while Soma was gone, a group of bandits had attacked Magni's merchants. Eivor offered to help, with Randvi volunteering to join her.[72]
Randvi confessing her feelings for Eivor
After dealing with the bandit camp and reporting back to Magni, the two participated in a drinking game against each other before bidding farewell to the Summer Army and traveling northward to Besuncen Tor, a tower that Sunniva had told Randvi about. After displaying slight jealousness towards Soma, Randvi climbed the tower. Eivor met her at the top, where Randvi revealed that she had developed feelings for the Viking. After a nap together, Eivor woke up and gained a pair of Huntsman Vambraces from underneath the tower before returning to Ravensthorpe, not revealing Randvi's secret to anybody.[72]
Around this time, Ravensthorpe's tattooist Svend passed away quietly in his sleep. Many members of the clan mourned him, though none as much as Tove, Svend's adopted daughter. Eivor saw Tove at Svend's grave and comforted her, encouraging Tove to take up Svend's job in the settlement.[73]
Eivor meeting Valka at the docks
One morning, Eivor saw a ship dock in Ravensthorpe's harbor and checked to see who it may be. She found it was her friend Valka from Norway, who had decided to settle in Ravensthorpe after her dying mother left Fornburg. As Valka asked Eivor about her visions, she answered that they came and went. Eivor helped Valka carry her belongings to the spot they had chosen for her and welcomed her home. Eivor built her a hut and collected the flowers needed for Valka's Elixir but decided to wait until she ventured into her visions at a later date.[74]
While in Ravensthorpe, Eivor also took time to construct new buildings, including a cartography shop for Olsen, and a cattle farm for Winfrith, Leofric, and Bertham. She also built a fowl farm for Bronson and Mayda, as well as a grain farm for Runa, Viggo, Knud, and Sylvi. Lastly, she built a house for Alvis and Holger behind the longhouse. The new additions changed Ravensthorpe's status from a hamlet to a borough.[31]
At some point, Eivor spoke to Octavian, the newly-settled citizen of Ravensthorpe, who requested that she find Roman artifacts for his museum. He also asked her to go to Lunden to find his rival Maximilian and take back his Roman legionnaire figurine, giving Eivor another reason to visit the city.[75]
City of Lunden[]
- Eivor: "A few sheets of vellum, notes between members of a secret society. The Order of the Ancients, they are called."
- Stowe: "Order of the Ancients. Doesn't sound any bells in my head. What's their purpose?"
- Eivor: "That would take some time to explain. But know this, that I'm here to kill them. In Lunden, it seems The Compass is the head. The Arrow and The Leech are his hands."
- —Eivor reporting her findings on the Order to Stowe and Erke, 873.[src]-[m]
Eivor meeting Stowe
Upon returning to Randvi, Eivor pledged her allegiance to Lunden in search of new allies while also aiding Hytham in taking down the Order of the Ancients. At Lunden's northern gates, she met Stowe, one of the city's two reeves who was occupied with trying to calm down a rallied crowd. Eivor asked Stowe about Tryggr, the governor of the city, though the conversation was interrupted by a Norse thug working for a man named Avgos.[76]
Eivor threw the thug aside before being approached by another, larger thug. Stowe kneed the thug in the groin and a brawl broke out, with Eivor and Stowe facing off against more thugs. After defeating them, Stowe complimented Eivor's fighting and led her to Tryggr. As they approached the Governor's Villa, Eivor and Stowe could smell blood in the air. Corpses were scattered throughout the courtyard and the two ran inside, where a saddened Erke Bodilsson stood next to a decapitated Tryggr.[76]
Eivor introduced herself to Erke, the other reeve of Lunden, before investigating the crime scene. She pieced together that three members of the Order of the Ancients—a Dane, a Wessex citizen, and a Frankish sailor—were responsible for Tryggr's murder, and soon learned their cryptonyms: "The Arrow", "The Leech", and "The Compass". She also found a seal which, with help from Erke, directed her to the Temple of Mithras. There, Eivor investigated a secret room containing letters to all three targets. She then returned to Erke and Stowe and reported her findings.[76]
Eivor eyeing her target, Avgos Spearhand
The trio decided to eliminate the Arrow and the Leech and wait for the Compass to show their face, as they were the presumed leader of the group. Stowe hunted down the Arrow, while Erke investigated the Leech. At the city's west market, Eivor met with Stowe, who informed her of a competition held by the Arrow's men, which required a coin for entry. Eivor snatched one of the coins and entered the competition at the Londinium Amphitheatre, where she took part in the Arrow's contest and later attended a rally with the Ancient at the forefront.[77]
Eivor assassinated the Arrow, whose name was revealed to be Avgos Spearhand, during the rally and, in her visions, was confronted by two apparitions of her target while Odin again stood by her side. Eventually, one of the Avgos apparitions was shot with a volley of arrows and vanished, allowing Eivor to pick up his Order medallion. She then awakened from her vision and escaped the amphitheater, heading to St. Paul's Cathedral to inform Stowe of her success.[77]
Next, Eivor joined Erke in taking down the mysterious Leech. She met the reeve at the docks of Lunden, where several dead bodies lay covered with a bloody sheet. In the middle of their conversation, a woman named Gyda arrived and informed Erke that her daughter Regna had gone missing two days prior. Upon seeing the bodies covered by the sheets, Gyda assumed one of them was her daughter's, but Erke told her it was not the case and promised to find Regna.[78]
Eivor taking Frideswith's medical book
Learning that Regna worked for a mysterious blacksmith and had last been seen wandering under the Lunden bridge, Eivor decided to investigate this lead. At nightfall, she saw a man arriving at the bridge to collect equipment and tailed him to the Bodilsburg Garrison. There, she interrogated the man, who turned out to be Regna's employer, and learned that the Leech was a nun named Frideswid, who abducted people to 'experiment' on them, resulting in their deaths.[78]
Eivor proceeded to assassinate Frideswid at the basilica she was using as her base of operations, before experiencing a vision in which she and Odin questioned the Leech's motives. Frideswid explained that her experiments were meant to improve humans and make them more like the 'Ancient Ones', and gave Eivor a book containing all her research before being dragged to the depths by her victims' spirits. Awakening from the vision, Eivor took the Leech's Order medallion and went to report to Erke before deciding what to do with Frideswid's book.[78]
With both the Arrow and the Leech dead, Eivor joined Stowe and Erke at St. Paul's Cathedral to discuss the Compass. After passing by an angry mob that had formed outside the church in response to the deaths of Avgos, Frideswid and Tryggr, Eivor saw Stowe and Erke sharing a moment, confirming they were secretly in a relationship. Eivor and the two reeves then devised a plan to eliminate the Compass, but their conversation was interrupted when the mob outside broke into the cathedral and set it on fire.[79]
Eivor facing off against Vicelin
Eivor climbed to the roof of the church and saw Lunden on fire, as well as the fleet of the Compass, which had surrounded the city. After helping Stowe and Erke escape the burning cathedral, the trio battled the Compass' soldiers as they made their way to the docks. Evio then boarded the Ancient's ship, discovering the Compass to be the Palatinus Vicelin, and engaged him in combat. Ultimately, the shieldmaiden emerged victorious and slew Vicelin before experiencing a vision of the Ancient sitting on a throne, with Tryggr's detached head next to him.[79]
After taunting his killer, claiming that the Order stretched farther than she could reach, Vicelin gave Eivor his medallion and the vision ended. The Vikng subsequently returned to the harbor and met with Stowe and Erke, who had successfully defeated Vicelin's soldiers, protecting Lunden. The two reeves resolved to rebuild and lead the city in Tryggr's place, and Erke presented Eivor with a silver ring, symbolizing their new alliance.[79]
At some point, Eivor visited the docks of Lunden, where she overheard a man and a woman talking about the Gyldan Sparrow, a merchant ship that had been sunk during Vicelin's attack. Eivor spoke with the woman, a merchant, and offered to recover the valuables lost in the wreckage. She returned with loot from two chests and a necklace found in a fish, before deciding to either give the necklace to the merchant or keep it.[80]
Eivor watching Kitt play her tagelharpa
Eivor later spoke to three members of a disbanded band called The Gleemen scattered throughout the city: Cynewulf, who was imprisoned in Crepelgate Fort after sleeping with a guard captain's wife; Kitt, who had gone into hiding near St. Paul's Cathedral because of her debts; and Ysane, who was outside the city gates, heartbroken after Cynewulf had slept with her muse. Thanks to Eivor's efforts to fix their problems, the three members reunited and played together once more in Lunden's town square.[81]
Eivor also acquired Octavian's artifact during her time in Lunden, eventually giving it back to its rightful owner.[82] Before leaving Lunden, Eivor decided to explore the Londinium bureau herself. Inside the bureau, she acquired the Hidden Ones' Mask and another page of The Magas Codex.[51] Eivor later returned to Ravensthorpe and reported to both Randvi and Hytham, the latter of whom told her that the Order of the Ancients was plaguing another city: Jorvik.[83]
Protecting Ásgarðr[]
- "I saw through Odin's eyes, just as you said. In every vision, I inhabited his form. Lived as he once lived. In his body, I was myself. But I was carried by his whims. His thoughts were as known to me as my own. We... were two, but we existed as one."
- ―Eivor telling Valka about her vision, 873.[src]-[m]
Eivor drinking Valka's concoction
After building a Seer's Hut for Valka, the two women sought to learn more about Eivor's visions. After gathering the requested materials for a special elixir, Eivor brought them to Valka, who brewed said elixir. She then poured it into a bowl and Eivor drank from it, being transported to a dream version of Ásgarðr, one of the Nine Realms, where she relived the life of Odin, then known as Havi.[84]
In her dreams, Eivor, as Havi, met with other figures from Norse mythology including Týr, Loki, Thor, and Freyja. Eventually, Havi successfully defeated a jötunn known only as "The Builder", and Eivor was transported back to the real world, where she spoke to Valka about her dreams. The seer told Eivor that her visions were unlike any she had encountered and claimed that she needed time to reflect on what Eivor had described to her.[84]
Chaos in Sciropescire[]
- Ivarr: "The bleeding pus pit claims only a dragon can defeat him. We'll soon put that to the test."
- Eivor: "It is peace we want, Ivarr. Not revenge. If you cannot accept that, return to Repton now."
- Ivarr: "You do not know Rhodri as I do, Eivor. You do not know what a slippery, lying shit he can be."
- —Eivor and Ivarr discussing Rhodri the Great, 873.[src]-[m]
In late 873, Eivor decided to go to Sciropescire – a shire that has been in a long war with Rhodri the Great – after learning from Randvi that Ceolbert had also traveled there. Arriving in Quatford, a town along the Afon Hafren River, she entered the longhouse, where she saw Ceolbert sparring with Ivarr. After the spar ended, Ceolbert greeted Eivor and informed her of the upcoming peace talks with King Rhodri. Ivarr chipped in, mentioning that they had captured Rhodri's brother, Gwriad ap Merfyn, planning to use him as a bargaining chip to get the King to accept their peace terms.[85]
Eivor attending the peace meeting in the church
Ceolbert then mentioned Sciropescire's new temporary ealdorman, Bishop Deorlaf, who had taken the position after the previous ealdorman, Merton, died in battle. Eivor made a remark on Rhodri, reminding Ceolbert to still respect the king. Ivarr, however, stated that they would not be treated well when they met him, as the two had some rivalry in the past. He pointed to the scar on his face, telling Eivor that Rhodri was responsible for it. After the conversation, the three set off to meet with Rhodri and his company at the town church.[85]
Inside the church, Eivor and her friends met Bishop Deorlaf, Rhodri, his wife Angharad, and his captain Ynyr ap Cadfarch. Ivarr immediately turned hostile towards the group. After the bickering, Rhodri pulled out his sword, but was stopped by his wife before Deorlaf separated the groups. Deorlaf approached Eivor, whom he had heard good things about, and asked her for help. He handed her a sum of silver to attempt to seek peace with everyone. Eivor went around the church, offering it to Rhodri, Angharad, Ivarr, Gwyriad ap Merfyn, and Ynyr ap Cadfarch, with all but Rhodri interested in taking the coin.[85]
Regardless of Eivor's choice, however, peace was not an option, as Ivarr rushed at Rhodri for mocking him. Eivor restrained her friend, who, unable to kill Rhodri himself, turned around and broke free, slitting Gwriad's throat instead. In retaliation, Rhodri's guards attacked Eivor, Ivarr, and Ceolbert, and after defending themselves, Eivor told Deorlaf to stay safe within the church. The others exited, where they continued fighting more Briton soldiers. After killing them, they returned to Deorlaf, who was angry at Ivarr for ending any hopes for peace. Eivor and her allies then discussed plans on how to weaken Rhodri and his Briton forces.[85]
Eivor meeting with the Saxon refugee
Eivor helped Deorlaf by heading off to destroy supply carts and free the bishop's imprisoned allies. She visited an Anglo-Saxon refugee camp outside of Quatford, where one of the Saxon refugees gave her intel on Briton soldiers who transported their supplies through Dhustone Quarry past the Hill Gate Remnants. Eivor went to the quarry, killing many Briton soldiers and freeing Deorlaf's friends, two thegns named Orlaf and Eadric. She also found letters to Ynyr from the quarry's warden, Cymen, who reported on the thegns, and destroyed the quarry's supply carts, hindering Rhodri's forces.[86]
Eivor helped damage Rhodri's army further by stealing cargo from Wenlocan Outpost. After assassinating more Britons and looting the chests they guarded, Eivor left the outpost, though not before freeing another one of Deorlaf's thegns, a man named Baeldaeg.[87]
After dealing with both the quarry and the outpost, Eivor, Ivarr and Ceolbert turned their attention to Wesberie and Rhodri's captain Ynyr. The trio decided to draw out Ynyr by setting several cottages on fire, after which they battled him and his soldiers, and Eivor managed to slay the captain, acquiring his personal spear in the process. She then regrouped with Ivarr and Ceolbert on the edge of the town, where the former insisted on killing Rhodri himself, but Eivor reminded Ivarr that they were attempting to secure a peace treaty, not take revenge.[88]
Eivor fishing with Ceolbert
When Ceolbert proposed going fishing to calm their minds, Eivor agreed and accompanied him to a nearby pond while a reluctant Ivarr followed closely behind. After catching three eels for a soup for Deorlaf, the trio met with the bishop, who was preparing for another meeting with Rhodri, this time insisting that Ivarr stay out of it. Angered, Ivarr stormed off while Ceolbert also took his leave, going to hunt a boar to gift to Rhodri. Left alone with Deorlaf, Eivor told him to set up a camp while they awaited Rhodri's arrival.[88]
After some time passed, the Britons arrived, though Rhodri himself was nowhere to be seen, with the peace talks being handled by Angharad instead. Eivor negotiated a deal with the noblewoman, allowing the Britons a few days to leave Caustow Castle and, in turn, they would end the war. She then went to give Ceolbert the good news, only to find that her friend was not at his tent. She asked around the camp for his whereabouts and eventually found a drunker warrior who, after sobering up, told her that Ceolbert had last been seen in a nearby cave.[88]
Approaching the cave, Eivor saw a pool of blood on the ground and Ceolbert's abandoned bow. Now worried for her friend's safety, she proceeded deeper into the cave and was attacked by a pack of wolves, but managed to fight them off. Eventually, Eivor found Ceolbert, sitting in a pool of his own blood and with a dagger sticking out of his abdomen. She helped her wounded friend up and brought him back to camp, where they were surrounded by concerned warriors.[88]
Eivor and Ivarr with the dying Ceolbert
As Ivarr arrived and saw the dying Ceolbert, the latter tried to speak with him, but passed away before he could do so. Ivarr yelled at the Norse warriors to bring him an axe so he could send Ceolbert to Valhalla, but Eivor told him it was too late and that they could only hope their friend was with his God now. She then showed Ivarr the dagger that had killed Ceolbert, and the latter recognized it to be of Brittonic origin, meaning Rhodri was behind their friend's death. Vowing revenge, Ivarr prepared to besiege Caustow Castle and a saddened Eivor reluctantly agreed before sending Ceolbert's body back to his father Ceolwulf.[88]
Assault on Caustow Castle[]
- Ivarr: "The things a man must do. The trials one must face, the friends you must betray. To achieve one's destiny. And become King Killer forever more."
- Eivor: "Traitor! Ceolbert was—"
- Ivarr: "Like a son to me! Yes, yes! So fight me, Wolf-Kissed! To a glorious death!"
- —Ivarr to Eivor, after revealing himself as Ceolbert's killer, 873.[src]-[m]
Eivor and Ivarr mounted their horses and made their way to Caustow Castle, where Rhodri and his men resided. Along the way, Ivarr told Eivor of his history with Rhodri and how he had received his facial scar, as well as the reason behind his thirst for revenge. Arriving at the castle, Eivor and Ivarr decided to set up camp nearby and await the arrival of their allies, including Orlaf, Eadric, and Baeldaeg, the prisoners that Eivor had rescued previously.[89]
Eivor and Ivarr confronting Rhodri
At nightfall, Eivor, Ivarr and their forces initiated their assault, marching up to the castle gates and confronting Rhodri, who stood atop the fortress wall. After a brief exchange between Ivarr and Rhodri, the Vikings attacked the castle, detonating an oil cart to destroy the front gates and allow them to breach the fortress. After a battle in the first courtyard, Eivor opened the second set of gates as the assault continued. She then released the drawbridge and killed more guards before she and Ivarr made their way to the throne room, where Rhodri sat.[89]
Eivor stood and watched as Ivarr attacked the king, who managed to set him on fire, only for the enraged Son of Ragnar to brush it off and knock Rhodri unconscious. Their assault complete, the two Vikings left Caustow Castle and traveled to Manstone Rock, where Ivarr planned to deal with Rhodri once and for all. Although Eivor believed that there had been enough bloodshed, she agreed to accompany Ivarr and carried the unconscious Rhodri on horseback to their destination.[89]
Upon arrival, Ivarr subjected Rhodri to the ritual of the blood eagle, ensuring his end was a painful one. A disturbed Eivor watched and conversed with Odin, who complimented Ivarr's ways, believing him to be a true Viking warrior, but Eivor disagreed, now seeing her friend for who he truly was: a bloodthirsty and reckless sadist. Once Ivarr was done torturing and killing Rhodri and hung his body on display, Eivor turned to leave, only for Ivarr to stop her in her tracks by revealing one final secret: that he was Ceolbert's true killer.[89]
Ivarr revealing himself as Ceolbert's killer
Angered, Eivor confronted her friend and questioned his actions, with Ivarr explaining that he desired a glorious death to be granted entry into Valhalla. He then challenged Eivor to a duel to the death, revealing that he had orchestrated the entire ordeal to get the Wolf-Kissed to fight him. Eivor accepted and the two Vikings fought ferociously, being nearly equally matched. At one point, Eivor was pushed by Ivarr off the cliff they were standing on, but their duel resumed. Shortly after, Ivarr pretended to be stunned to gain the upper hand, and taunted Eivor with the knowledge that her late father had not reached Valhalla.[89]
Eventually, after a grueling battle, Eivor emerged victorious and mortally wounded Ivarr. As the Son of Ragnar lay dying, he asked Eivor to give him his axe so he could reach Valhalla, and the shieldmaiden either complied or denied him his final wish by tossing away the axe. After Ivarr succumbed to his injuries, Eivor requested the nearby soldiers to take his body to Caustow Castle. She then met with Ubba Ragnarsson and Bishop Deorlaf to notify them about all the recent events. While Ubba mourned his brother and organized his funeral, Deorlaf revealed that Ceowulf had appointed him Sciropescire's permanent ealdorman and assured Eivor that she had a friend and ally in him.[89]
Rebellion in Oxenfordscire[]
- Fulke: "This quarrel with your brother is something to behold. Has it always been so heated?"
- Eivor: "All my life, we moved as one, as family, as kin. I have always known his mind, and he mine... until this day."
- Fulke: "Time makes idiots of us all."
- —Eivor and Fulke discussing the former's quarrel with Sigurd, 874.[src]-[m]
By 874, Eivor returned to Ravensthorpe and told Randvi of their alliance with Sciropescire, as well as Ceolbert's death.[90] Randvi in turn informed her of what was happening in Oxenfordscire: Sigurd and Basim had traveled to Buckingham to secure an alliance with a thegn named Geadric, who had ambitions of becoming the shire's ealdorman. Deciding to help her brother, Eivor pledged to Oxenfordscire on the alliance map and left for Buckingham.[91]
Eivor finding Sigurd and Basim hiding in the fishing hut
Upon arrival, Eivor saw that the town had been overrun with Saxon soldiers led by Lady Eadwyn, the wife of Oxenfordscire's late ealdorman Theodric. Looking for Sigurd and Basim, Eivor went to the alehouse and questioned the locals, gathering information on Eadwyn and the whereabouts of her brother. Eventually, she learned that a fight had broken out between Sigurd, Basim and Geadric and Eadwyn's forces, and that the former two had fled south. Investigating a fishing hut on the shore of the Great Ouse River, Eivor found her brother and Basim hiding inside and was greeted by them.[91]
Sigurd informed Eivor that Eadwyn sought to avenge her husband's death to the Summer Army and had turned to King Alfred of Wessex for aid, making it of utmost importance that they helped Geadric overthrow the noblewoman before she could secure an alliance with the king. The siblings and Basim then headed to Buckingham's longhouse to rescue the captive Geadric from Eadwyn's men and confronted the noblewoman, who fled after a brief exchange, leaving her guards to deal with the Vikings and Hidden One.[91]
After defeating the soldiers and freeing Geadric, Basim questioned him about a woman named Fulke, whom both he and Sigurd believed to be essential to their mission. Geadric directed them to a thegn named Holt, who had been accused of treason against Eadwyn and was about to be executed at the Leah Villa Garrison. Eivor, Sigurd and Basim consequently rode for the garrison and managed to save Holt, who was standing trial alongside three other thegns. In gratitude, Holt informed them that Fulke had been declared a heretic and was being held prisoner by Eadwyn's soldiers at Saint Albanes Abbey.[91]
Eivor meeting with Geadric upon her return to Buckingham
While Sigurd and Basim went to scout out the monastery, Eivor explored the garrison and found the Magister's Robes inside a chest. She then returned to Buckingham to update Geadric on the situation and learned that the thegn was raising a fyrd to assault Cyne Belle Castle, Eadwyn's stronghold. Eivor vowed to help Geadric succeed in his goal and was informed of possible ways to sabotage Eadwyn's forces in order to facilitate the sige.[91]
On the road between Buckingham and the Leah Villa Garrison, Eivor met a group of Saxon soldiers and helped them ambush one of Eadwyn's patrols. She also killed one of Eadwyn's flag bearers in Oxenforda to prevent the arrival of reinforcements, and traveled to the Thaerelea Ruins, where she rescued some of Geadric's fyrd from an assault by Eadwyn's forces. Later, she destroyed some of Eadwyn's supply carts and rescued more of Geadric's men who were being chased by enemy soldiers northwest of Saint Albanes Abbey. Finally, she infiltrated the abbey and assassinated another flagbearer, crippling Eadwyn's control over Oxenfordscire.[92]
Meeting Sigurd and Basim in the ruins of Linforda, Eivor devised a plan to infiltrate Saint Albanes Abbey with them in order to find and rescue Fulke. Approaching either stealthily or through a frontal assault, the trio managed to infiltrate the church and made their way downstairs, where they found Fulke's cell guarded by a single monk. After obtaining the key from him, Eivor unlocked Fulke's cell and freed her. Following a brief conversation, Fulke agreed to lead the trio to an artifact she had in her possession, the Saga Stone. Realizing this had been Sigurd and Basim's end goal all along, Eivor became furious that her brother was more interested in a relic than helping Geadric, but nonetheless agreed to accompany him.[93]
Eivor and her allies making their stand against Eadwyn's forces
Fulke led the group to Evinghou Tower, where the Saga Stone was being safeguarded by one of her acolytes, Brother Paul. Upon arrival, however, they found that the tower had been ransacked by Eadwyn's forces, who had killed Paul and stolen the Saga Stone. At that moment, Eadwyn arrived in the company of several soldiers, and Sigurd attempted to negotiate with her, promising peace in exchange for the artifact. When Eadwyn demanded Geadric's head, Sigurd pretended to accept, causing Eivor to reject the deal by killing one of the soldiers.[94]
While Eadwyn fled, Eivor and her allies fought and defeated her guards before the shieldmaiden got into a heated argument with her brother. Sigurd claimed that he had no intention of betraying Geadric and was trying to deceive Eadwyn, and blamed Eivor for ruining their only chance to acquire the Saga Stone without a fight. In turn, Eivor accused Sigurd of being too secretive with his intentions, but Basim interjected, claiming that Sigurd was Eivor's jarl and she should have trusted his judgment. After settling their differences aside, Sigurd and Basim left to scout out Cyne Belle Castle while Eivor spoke with Fulke, who told her to meet her at Eatun Barn.[94]
As Eivor arrived at the barn, she saw Fulke in a quarrel with a merchant who was supplying Eadwyn. Fulke had no silver to buy the oil jars transported by the merchant, leaving Eivor to handle the situation, either via payment, a story, or a fight to the death. Regardless, with the oil jars secured, Eivor and Fulke used them to prepare a trap for Eadwyn's reinforcements that were set to pass through the region. After eliminating the soldiers, Fulke briefly talked with Eivor about Sigurd's claims of being descended from the gods before the two women parted ways.[95]
Assault on Cyne Belle Castle[]
Geadric requesting Eivor to sabotage Cyne Belle's defenses
Eivor later met with Geadric at the Derelict Shrine of Camulus, where the latter tasked her to infiltrate Cyne Belle Castle and sabotage Eadwyn's springalds and oil cauldrons ahead of the siege. After doing so, Eivor returned to Geadric's camp and reunited with Sigurd, Basim and Fulke, who had also arrived.[96] Briefly speaking with her brother, Eivor learned that Sigurd had also experienced visions of the gods much like herself, though Sigurd walked away before he could explain them in more detail.[97]
Eivor and her allies subsequently laid siege to Cyne Belle, fighting through Eadwyn's forces until reaching the noblewoman herself. Eivor defeated Eadwyn and was left to choose her fate, between exile or leaving her in Geadric's care. Regardless, with Cyne Belle secured, Eivor, Sigurd, Basim and Fulke headed to the castle's monastery and found the Saga Stone. While her allies examined the artifact and attempted to decipher its script, Eivor briefly spoke with Odin and realized that the Stone was a broken fragment of a doorway she had seen in one of her visions.[97]
When Sigurd expressed familiarity with the strange script, Eivor showed concern for her brother but was interrupted by the announcement that King Alfred's forces had arrived in Oxenefordscire. Sigurd called for a parlay and met the king in his tent, accompanied by Eivor and Basim. To secure peace, Sigurd suggested a trade of men and Basim offered himself while a thegn named Wolfrich was chosen on Alfred's behalf. However, before the exchange ended, Fulke rushed into the tent to speak with Alfred, revealing her true allegiance in the process.[97]
Eivor witnessing her brother being taken by King Alfred
Aware of Sigurd's past life, Fulke convinced Alfred to take him prisoner instead, angering her former allies. Eivor drew her axe in protest, but Sigurd stopped her and agreed with the deal, leaving alongside Fulke. After the meeting, Eivor spoke with Basim outside the tent and the Hidden One decided to tail Fulke to see where she took Sigurd, promising Eivor that they would rescue her brother. After speaking one last time with Geadric, Eivor took her leave as well, returning to Ravensthorpe.[97]
At the longhouse, Eivor delivered the news of Sigurd's capture and their alliance with Geadric to Randvi, who in turn revealed that a letter from Fulke had arrived recently. Reading the letter, Eivor discovered Fulke to be a member of the Order of the Ancients known as "The Instrument" and that she had taken Sigurd in order to "unlock his mind". Eivor then decided to let Basim handle the search for Fulke and Sigurd, and instructed Randvi to let her know as soon as the Hidden One contacted them with news of his progress.[98]
Pursuing Fulke in Cent[]
Dag refusing to accompany Eivor to Cent
One day, Randvi told Eivor that a letter from Basim had arrived, revealing he had managed to track Fulke to Cent. After pledging to Cent on the alliance map, Eivor prepared to leave Ravensthorpe to meet with Basim, but stopped briefly to speak with Dag, who was angered that Eivor had neglected the settlement in his opinion and decided not to accompany her on this journey.[99]
At Saint Hadrian's Priory, Eivor saw Basim engaged in a conversation with a priest named Brother Hortbert. She stood and listened as the two argued over Christianity, including Christ, the sins of Adam and Eve, free will, and more. Another priest named Cedric joined the conversation and the two priests got carried away with each other. Basim then greeted Eivor and told about his lead on Fulke: an abbot named Cynebert who personally knew the Ancient.[99]
Following a brief conversation regarding the Hidden Ones and Hytham, who was taking after Basim according to Eivor, the pair went to meet Cynebert, who requested a favor in exchange for giving them Fulke's whereabouts. King Alfred had recently appointed a new ealdorman after the death of Cent's old ealdorman, Deogal, and the abbot wanted to learn who the new leader would be prior to the public knowing. Hoping Eivor would help him, Cynebert directed the Viking to the Tonbridge Monastery, where the king's emissary had stayed.[99]
Eivor questioning people at Tonbridge Monastery
Parting ways with Basim and Cynebert, Eivor went to the monastery and asked around for the emissary's whereabouts, to no avail. Eventually, she found a Saxon soldier within the local inn who told her that the emissary and a bard named Gowan had caused some ruckus before leaving together. Eivor soon found the bard drunk underneath a bridge. She brought him back to sobriety and received information that the emissary had gone to Dover Fortress. Eivor infiltrated the fortress and stole the emissary's letter, which revealed Alfred's chosen ealdorman to be a thegn named Tedmund.[99]
Eivor later traveled to Folcanstan and met with Basim and Cynebert, telling them about her findings. Cynebert reacted grievingly to the news, revealing that he hoped to earn the new ealdorman's favor but Tedmund rarely left Rouecistre Fortress, making it almost impossible to reach him. The trio then devised a plan where Eivor and Basim would kidnap Tedmund, so that Cynebert could pretend to rescue him and thus earn his gratitude.[100]
As Basim had heard a rumor that Tedmund had been seen in Beamasfield, the Hidden One and Eivor traveled there, with Basim recounting the story of "The Scorpion and the Frog" along the way. After kidnapping Tedmund, the pair carried him back to Cynebert, who had arrived with a group of soldiers. However, while "negotiating" the thegn's release, Eivor and Basim learned that they had not captured Tedmund, but rather a decoy named Shergar. Fearful for his life, Shergar led the two to a nearby camp of Danes which he had previously ordered to be taken over. However, they arrived too late and were forced to deal with the Saxon soldiers located there.[100]
Eivor and Basim discussing their pasts
After dispatching the soldiers, Eivor and Basim freed their prisoner, Runa Egilsdottir, who was the leader of the dead Vikings. Runa agreed to go gather her remaining forces for a siege of Rouecistre Fortress, and Eivor also sent a message to Geadric in Oxenfordscire requesting backup. That night, Eivor and Basim camped together and bonded as they discussed their pasts. The Viking recalled the loss of her parents and how Sigurd had become her only family after the tragedy, while Basim spoke about his son, who had been taken away long ago by a close friend.[100]
Assault on Rouecistre Fortress[]
- Fulke: "Sit, Eivor. Eat. And let me tell you the tale of a man who talks with gods."
- Eivor: "You mock me. I have killed for much less."
- Fulke: "Of course you have. Isn't that the way of this ugly world? We cull the sheep and thin the flock as we see fit, you and I."
- —Eivor and Fulke during their encounter at Saint Hadrian's Priory, 874.[src]-[m]
The following day, Eivor traveled to Rouecistre Blockade to break a naval chain that had been put up there, successfully pathing the way for Geadric and Runa's fleet to move through. She then met with Basim and Geadric to commence their assault of Rouecistre Fortress. After breaching the main entrance, Eivor and her allies helped clear the way for their ram, which broke through the gate after Eivor shot down the drawbridge. Eventually, Eivor made her way to the rooftop of a tower and found Tedmund, engaging him in a one-on-one fight.[5]
Eivor and Basim conducting their shadow play with Cynebert
Tedmund was soon defeated by the Viking and was subsequently brought down to Cynebert and his soldiers, who arrived at the fortress as the siege ended. To everyone's surprise, however, Tedmund passed away moments later, having secretly ingested poison to avoid capture. Although dismayed by the loss of any chance to win the future ealdorman's favor, Cynebert upheld his end of his deal with Eivor and Basim and told them to meet him at his abbey the next day for Fulke's whereabouts.[5]
When Eivor and Basim arrived at Saint Hadrian's Priory to meet Cynebert, they saw the abbot lying dead in a chair after preparing a feast for himself and Fulke. The Ancient then greeted Eivor and Basim and, after mocking their efforts to rescued Sigurd, took her leave, ordering her guards to deal the pair and bring their corpses to Canterbury. The Viking and Hidden One managed to escape the trap and subsequently rode for Canterbury, with Basim telling Eivor more about his past along the way. He recalled the circumstances surrounding his father's death and also his visits to Baghdad's House of Wisdom in his youth, during which he met the great astronomer al-Khwarizmi.[101]
Eivor searching for Fulke and Sigurd in the sanctum
As they entered the Canterbury Cathedral, Eivor and Basim discovered Fulke's sanctum and found her writings, though the Ancient herself was already long gone. Heading deeper into the sanctum, Eivor noticed the Saga Stone nearby and a closed box sitting atop a torture chair. As she opened the box, Eivor was shocked to discover Sigurd's severed right arm inside. Knowing her brother was running out of time, Eivor spoke to Basim, who had found a lead to Fulke's current location: the fortress of Portcestre. The pair planned to besiege it next and parted ways, with Basim heading to Suthsexe while Eivor returned to Ravensthorpe.[101]
Before leaving Canterbury, Eivor "spoke" with the "pig of prophecy" Matilda in the Dorobernia Theater. Eivor was doubtful of the animal's ability to speak and prophesy, but drinking from a nearby tub of questionable liquid brought her into a hallucinatory state where the pig conversed with her. Matilda told her of several prophecies involving Odin, Ragnarök, the Crusades, the Order of the Sacred Garter, and more. When the effects wore off, Eivor asked the pig's owner where he had found the creature, to which the man simply replied, "market."[102]
Dag's betrayal[]
- "Dag accused me of betrayal. He accused me of breaking my oath. And this, this is the answer I gave him! Now you will hear the truth unvarnished. None, none more than me wishes for Sigurd's safe return. You know this, you know this, all of you! And I will burn the fields and dredge the rivers of Wessex to find him! That... that is my oath! That is my oath."
- ―Eivor to Ravensthorpe's residents following Dag's death, 874.[src]-[m]
When Eivor returned home to report to Randvi, Dag got in her way, angered that it had been months since Sigurd's capture and their jarl had still not been rescued. Eivor dismissed him and spoke to Randvi, telling her of Sigurd's torture and that they needed to rescue him before it was too late.[103] Feeling stressed by all the recent events, Eivor then decided to rest in her bed, but was awoken in the middle of the night by Dag's shouting.[104]
Dag challenging Eivor to a holmgang
Heading outside the longhouse to confront Dag, Eivor was accused of pursuing personal glory at the expense of the settlement and seeking to take Sigurd's place as jarl. Eivor denied the accusations, but Dag then challenged her to a holmgang for leadership of the clan. Although the shieldmaiden had no intention to fight her friend, Dag refused to stand down and so the two engaged in combat while Ravensthorpe's residents formed a circle around them and watched.[104]
Eivor continued to try and reason with Dag throughout their fight, but the latter was too stubborn to listen. Fed up, Eivor offered him one last chance of exile, only for Dag to reject the offer by throwing axes at his former jarlskona, who blocked them with her shield. Eventually, Dag was mortally wounded and collapsed to the ground, using the last of his strength to try and grab his axe so he would be granted entry into Valhalla.[104]
At that moment, Odin appeared beside Eivor and insulted the fallen warrior, claiming that he did not belong in his hall, despite Eivor's attempts to argue that Dag had simply fought for what he believed in like everyone else. She was then left to decide her fallen friend's fate, either handing him the axe or tossing it away. Either way, Eivor proceeded to address the audience with a speech, vowing to find Sigurd and bring him home so he could take back his rightful place as jarl.[104]
Eivor sitting before Dag's grave
While the circle of people started to dissipate and retreated back to their homes, Randvi approached Eivor to console her. The following morning, Eivor buried Dag in a grave outside Ravensthorpe and reflected on their friendship and falling out before taking her leave.[104]
Red Hand of Jorvik[]
- Hjorr: "What are you doing here? You have not come all this way for the Yuletide."
- Eivor: "I have come to warn you, old warrior. About a rot in your city. Three figures, corrupt and dangerous. We should work together to bring them into the light and kill them before they come to power."
- —Eivor telling Hjorr and Ljufvina about the Order's presence in Jorvik, 874.[src]-[m]
After the events in Cent, Eivor spoke with Randvi and was advised to seek more allies before going after Fulke. Taking her advice, Eivor pledged to Jorvik, the next location on Hytham's agenda, both to eliminate more members of the Order and to gain additional allies. When she arrived at the city docks, she began asking around for the whereabouts of her friends Hjorr Halfsson and Ljufvina Bjarmarsdottir, who had settled in Jorvik after their departure from Norway.[105]
Eivor soon found a boy who advised her to speak with the dockmaster, Grigorii. Grigorii informed her that Hjorr and Ljufvina lived in a manor surrounded by flowers, though when she arrived there, Eivor found the place ransacked and no sign of her friends. After looking around for clues, she decided to follow a blood trail to a nearby tower, where she heard Ljufvina scream. Eivor rushed to aid her friend, who was startled and pulled out a dagger, though she quickly calmed down. After apologizing to Eivor, Ljufvina handed her a scroll from the "Poor-Fellow Soldier of Christ" and explained that strange men had started troubling her and Hjorr a few weeks prior.[105]
Eivor and Ljufvina meeting with Hjorr
Eivor assured Ljufvina that she had no intention of harming her or her husband, and the two women proceeded to stealthily make their way to the Royal Hall, where Hjorr awaited. Along the way, Ljufvina told Eivor about the state of Jorvik, which had come under pressure from a gang called the Red Hand. Upon meeting with Hjorr, he greeted Eivor and handed her a letter mentioning three cryptonyms: "The Needle", "The Firebrand", and "The Vault", all of whom were Order members. The trio then headed inside the Royal Hall, where Jorvik's ruling council was hosting a meeting.[105]
Eivor met King Ricsige of Northumbria, who did not appear to be on friendly terms with Hjorr, and was recognized by Faravid, war chief to Halfdan Ragnarsson, who introduced himself alongside Audun, the High Reeve of Jorvik. After discussing the issue of the Red Hand, whom Eivor suspected to be affiliated with the Order, Ricsige allowed the Viking to deal with the gang, though he requested that she do so out of the public eye. Eventually, all council members left and Eivor spoke with Ljufvina, who revealed that the Red Hand was targeting Christian texts.[105]
Eivor began her investigation of the Red Hand at Jorvik's Archives, though her search was interrupted by Audun and Abbess Ingeborg. After questioning the abbess, Eivor was given a lead which took her to the rectory to find a bishop that Ingeborg was suspicious of. She entered through the roof of a locked house, where she found a Saxon priest hiding from the Red Hand. Eivor asked the man where the bishop was and was led to his quarters. Inside, Eivor took note of a struggle that had taken place and saw the bishop burnt to death. She then noticed a letter underneath his corpse, which revealed this to be the work of the Firebrand.[106]
Eivor confronting Ingeborg
While in the house, Eivor and the priest heard the voices of Red Hand soldiers outside, ready to search for Eivor. The Viking escaped the rectory and headed towards the Minster, suspecting Ingeborg to know more information. When she arrived, Eivor climbed through a window and overheard Ingeborg speaking with a priest who had just witnessed the Red Hand destroy Christian texts. Angered for allowing it to happen, the priest scolded the abbess, though was choked and eventually thrown into a large fire to his death.[106]
Eivor jumped down and killed the abbess, only to realize it was a decoy. Eventually, Eivor found the real Ingeborg, assassinating her and confronting her in her visions. The Firebrand tried to justify her actions, claiming that controlling knowledge was the only way to ensure its true meaning was understood, and cryptically revealed that a member of Jorvik's council was affiliated with the Order. After obtaining her target's medallion, Eivor reported back to Ljufvina, who told her of disputes at the city docks.[106]
Using the intel from Ljufvina, Eivor investigated the Trade Depot and eavesdropped on two Norse men arguing. She then made her way downstairs and took out the guards before entering an unlocked room containing exotic rugs. Inferring that the Red Hand was attempting to accumulate wealth, Eivor left the depot and headed towards the Coppergate Market, where she spoke with various civilians attempting to use silver to lure out her target, the Needle. As Eivor spoke with the rug merchant, she was eavesdropped on by a little boy who told her to head to the statue near the east gate.[107]
Grigorii's final moments
After locating the statue and retrieving a hidden key, Eivor found the Red Hand's hideout leading to the sewers, where a secret workshop had been established. Eivor stole a key from one of the bandits and entered a room where she found Grigorii, the dockmaster. After confirming he was the Needle, Grigorii escaped as Eivor fought two guards and a rabid wolf. Leaving the sewers, Eivor chased down the dockmaster back to the market, where he had killed the rug merchant in front of an audience. Grigorii continued to speak with the civilians while being stalked by Eivor, who eventually assassinated him and took his Order medallion.[107]
With both the Firebrand and the Needle dead, Eivor returned to speak to Ljufvina at the Royal Hall. Hjorr interrupted their conversation to announce that the dockmaster had been killed, to which Eivor informed him of Grigorii's identity as the Needle. Afterwards, realizing the Vault must be one of Jorvik's four councilmen, Eivor and Ljufvina went to the Archives to search for a clue to his identity. The pair found Hjorr's desk moved from its original position, concealing the entrance to a room filled with stashes of poisoned wine. After expressing her disbelief in Hjorr being the Vault, Ljufvina told Eivor that there was still time before the Yuletide feast, which was when the Vault planned to strike.[108]
The two women subsequently rushed to the Jorvik Theatre, where Eivor spoke with each council member and told them about the wine to see their reaction and hopefully uncover the Vault's identity. As Eivor told Ljufvina of who she suspected to be the Vault, Audun suddenly addressed the audience with a speech, criticizing Jorvik's nobles for their indulgence and revealing his plans to establish a New World Order. The people who had drunk the wine then began succumbing to the poison and, in the resulting chaos, Audun, now revealed as the Vault, attempted to flee. However, Eivor chased after him and managed to assassinate him.[108]
Eivor speaking with the council before leaving Jorvik
In Eivor's visions, Audun tried to explain himself, claiming that the nobility was squandering resources and that only he could guide Jorvik toward a better future. Eivor retorted that Audun's power had been earned on the backs of honest people and, after Odin spoke his own mind on the matter, the Vault's spirit vanished, allowing Eivor to claim his medallion. She then returned to the Royal Hall to speak with the council one final time, where Ricsige thanked her for saving his city and bestowed her the title of Honorary High Reeve of Jorvik. After deciding what to do with Grigorii's stolen wealth, Eivor bid farewell to Hjorr and Ljufvina, who gifted her a token of their alliance.[108]
Before leaving Jorvik, Eivor explored the Hidden Ones' Eboracum bureau located underneath the city and found the Hidden Ones' Robes as well as a page of the Magas Codex.[51]
Helping Geirmund Hel-Hide[]
At a river close to Ravensthorpe, Eivor and her crew discovered the Hel-hides having a dispute with Krok Uxiblóð and his war-band. Eivor stopped their argument as Krok and Geirmund agreed to have a holmgang according to Norse law. After a short battle, Krok was killed. In response, Krok's men tried to kill Geirmund but the other Hel-hides and Eivor's warriors quickly defeated them. Eivor then invited the Hel-hides to Ravensthorpe, an invitation that the group accepted.[109]
At Ravensthorpe, Eivor and Geirmund caught up, as they had not seen each other in years, and Eivor mentioned that Geirmund's parents Hjorr and Ljufvina were now living in Jorvik. Geirmund then left to meet with Valka while Eivor continued to enjoy the festivities. Upon his return, she offered Geirmund a longship so that he could reunite with his parents in Jorvik.[110]
New ealdorman of Lincolnshire[]
- Odin: "Which of these sad puppets will dance best when you call upon them?"
- Eivor: "It's not for myself I must cast this stone, but for my clan. Who will serve us best in a time of true need?"
- Odin: "You can never be certain where you stand in another's heart. Choose only for yourself."
- —Odin advising Eivor as she cast her vote for the next ealdorman, 875.[src]-[m]
Eivor meeting Hunwald
By 875, Eivor's determination to find her brother and eliminate Fulke persisted. The shieldmaiden sought to gain more allies in preparation for her attack on Porcestre. After speaking with Randvi, she was notified of a Saxon boy at Ravensthorpe's docks and went to meet him. The Saxon identified himself as Hunwald, son of Lincolnscire's ealdorman Hundbeorht, and revealed that he had come to seek Eivor's aid, as the Order of the Ancients had been corrupting the shire, forcing Hunwald to go into exile. Eivor agreed to help in exchange for an alliance and was told to meet Hunwald in Botolphston.[111]
At Botolphston's town hall, Eivor saw Hunwald speaking with a thegn named Aelfgar, one of his father's closest allies. After sitting down, Eivor spoke with Hunwald, who introduced her to Aelfgar. The thegn doubted that Eivor could solve Hunwald's predicament but the young nobleman thought otherwise. At that moment, two drunken men approached the table, looking for a fight. After dealing with the men, Hunwald left to relieve himself. Suddenly, Eivor and Aelfgar heard Hunwald scream, rushing outside to see four soldiers surrounding the young nobleman. After killing the attackers, Eivor helped Hunwald up and the two left for Lincoln.[111]
As the two sailed to Lincoln, Hunwald tried to pinpoint who had been hunting him, considering both King Burgred and King Alfred as possibilities. He also mentioned his Dane ladylove Swanburrow, causing Eivor to tease him about it. After arriving in Lincoln, Eivor crept quietly to avoid the Mercian soldiers patrolling the streets, with Hunwald following closely behind. They eventually arrived at Hunwald's home, where they met his caretaker Raeganhere. Eivor questioned her about Hunwald's father, learning that Hundbeorht had been taken by Abbess Acha and her sisters after falling ill. She also learned about Bishop Herefrith, one of Hundbeorht's friends.[112]
Eivor and Hunwald meeting with Herefrith and Acha
Eivor and Hunwald subsequently made their way to the town hall, where they met Herefrith and Acha. The bishop and abbess revealed that Hundbeorht, fearing someone would attempt to kill him in his weakened state, had gone into hiding and no one knew his whereabouts, prompting Eivor to look into the matter.[112] She went to Acha's hospice, questioning many of the nuns there, and was eventually directed to an old Roman bathhouse south of Lincoln. There, Eivor eliminated the bandits who had occupied the ruins and made her way down into the Old Lincoln Sewers, which took her to Roaring Meg's Spring.[113]
Eivor investigated the aftermath of a fight that had occurred and concluded that Hundbeorht had been brought safely to Bolingbroc Castle. She subsequently infiltrated the castle and, after dealing with some guards, found an underground tunnel leading to Galwyna, one of Acha's healers, who watching over Hundbeorht's lifeless body. Learning the late ealdorman had planned everything, including the bandit attack, in order to keep his death secret, Eivor decided to inform Hunwald of his father's fate. Before leaving, she took Hundbeorht's brooch, which she gave to Hunwald as he received the news at Lincoln's town hall.[113]
While Hunwald started crying and Acha comforted him, Eivor asked Herefrith what would happen to Lincolnshire and the bishop told her a new ealdorman would be appointed by King Ceolwulf after a vote from the people of the shire in an event known as a shiremoot. Herefrith, who had served as the shire's de facto leader in Hundbeorht's absence, then announced his decision to candidate for the position, as did Hunwald and Aelfgar.[113]
Eivor and Hunwald drinking together and sharing stories
Eivor later went to find Hunwald and help him cope with the loss of his father. She approached Acha, who had attempted to comfort the boy but had been pushed away. The abbess mentioned a large tree up the road, where Hunwald was likely heading, and Eivor set off in that direction. She eventually arrived at the Ealdorman's Overlook, the tree where Hunwald was. Eivor approached her friend, who was drunk and depressed. The two drank together and shared stories as Eivor attempted to cheer up Hunwald.[114]
After mentioning Swanburrow, the two decided to go meet her, traveling to Grimsby, a fishing village in the northeast. Along the way, they were ambushed by Mercian soldiers but managed to defeat their assailants. In Grimsby, Hunwald introduced his lover to Eivor before deciding to get some rest and calm himself. Eivor briefly spoke with Swanburrow, warning her to be on her guard in case more Mercian soldiers attacked.[114]
Eivor also met with Aelfgar in Aelfgarstun to get to know the ealdorman candidate better. In gratitude for uncovering Hundbeorht's fate, Aelfgar gifted Eivor Hunbeorht's Bow, a light bow made from alder wood that had belonged to the late ealdorman.[115] The thegn, in an attempt to win Eivor's favor, then invited her to go hunting together. The two set off to find a bear that had been attacking Aelfgar's estate, with the thegn continuing to try and charm Eivor along the way.[116]
Eivor, Aelfgar and Grim observing the damages done to Aelfgarstun
Eventually, the pair arrived at a lake where they met a Dane named Grim, an acquaintance of Aelfgar. The three then went into the bear's lair nearby, though upon entering, were attacked by a pack of wolves instead. After killing the wolves and leaving the cave, the group found Aelfgarstun to be on fire, attacked by Mercian soldiers. They rushed back to the estate and defeated all the soldiers, whereupon Aelfgar thanked Eivor for her aid. However, it was not long before trouble struck again, as the bear returned. Eivor slew the beast, protecting Aelfgarstun, and made her way back to Lincoln.[116]
In Lincoln, Eivor met with Acha at the town market before agreeing to attend the shiremoot. Acha explained the rules of the vote to Eivor, and that it was up to her to cast a tie-breaker. The shieldmaiden spoke to various figures around the hall, including Ceolwulf's attendant, Lord Earconbert, Grim, and the three candidates, Hunwald, Aelfgar, and Herefrith, before making her way to the poll. Odin appeared once again beside her, advising her to make the choice that benefited her the most. After considering each candidate, Eivor cast her vote, and Acha announced Lincolnshire's new ealdorman.[117]
Midway through the announcement, Herefrith left angrily before returning with a group of soldiers. The bishop then revealed himself to be "The Crozier", a member of the Order of the Ancients, and ordered his men to slaughter everyone in attendance while he made his escape. Eivor and the others fought against the soldiers and managed to defeat them, though there were still many civilian casualties, including Ceolbert's attendant. After the battle, Eivor spoke with Hunwald, Acha, and Earconbert, all of whom were unharmed.[117]
Eivor with Herefrith in his final moments
Shortly after, Eivor and her allies prepared an attack on Anecastre, where Herefrith had taken refuge. The Viking arrived at a camp near Wynmere Lake, where a fyrd had been assembled to take down the bishop. Commencing the assault, Eivor followed the newly elected ealdorman, either Hunwald or Aelfgar, into the castle, where she helped ram down the first gate. She then destroyed the blockade before making her way to the drawbridge, which she shot down, though she was shortly after met by dead civilians hung from the archway, revealing the extent of Herefrith's insanity.[118]
Eventually, Eivor interrogated a monk who revealed Herefrith was hiding inside the chapel, and proceeded to infiltrate the church and assassinate the bishop. In his final moments, Herefrith admitted that he had faked his Christian beliefs to benefit the Order's goals, and regretted that his service to the Order had caused him to lose himself. After her allies defeated the last of Herefrith's soldiers, ending the assault, Eivor met with Lincolnscire's new ealdorman one last time to secure an alliance. She also agreed to let Swanburrow move to Ravensthorpe for her protection,[118] and returned home to deliver the news to Randvi.[119]
Love stories in Essexe[]
- Alfida: "Oh, he comes and goes. Sometimes drunk and beliturant, sometimes cursed and with eyes wet with recrimination."
- Eivor: "I'm sorry for that."
- Alfida: "Do not be! Birstan is a loving and attentive husband. And I expected no life of love and care so late in my summers. You gave that to us."
- —Eivor and Alfida talking about Eluric and Birstan, 875.[src]-[m]
Seeking more alliances, Eivor next pledged to Essexe, whose ealdorman had requested to meet her in secrecy. Eivor traveled to the Ealdorman's House in Colcestre, where she found three of Essexe's thegns conversing with each other, throwing insults at and belittling Birstan, the ealdorman. Eivor spoke with Wyatt, one of the thegns, as the other two, Aldrich and Eadred, watched. After asking for Birstan's whereabouts, the Viking was told that the ealdorman was not home and to speak with his wife Estrid.[120]
Eivor meeting Lady Estrid, Birstan's wife
Heading upstairs, Eivor interrupted a conversation between Estrid and another woman, Gisele, before being threatened by the former with a knife. Eivor assured her that she was friendly and was present at the request of Birstan before questioning where the ealdorman was. Estrid told the Viking that her husband had gone hunting in the Epinga Forest, prompting Eivor to head there in search of Birstan. Finding the ealdorman's camp abandoned, she looked around for clues and concluded that Birstan's hunting party had been attacked by a beast.[120]
Eventually, Eivor found Birstan standing over a dead bear, just as two more bears arrived and attacked the ealdorman and his soldiers. Eivor helped them slay the animals, whereupon she introduced herself to Birstan and the two rode back to Colcestre together. On the road, Birstan asked Eivor about the concept of love, revealing that he did not feel a connection with his wife Estrid and that he believed he had been a bad husband. Eivor listened, gaining information on both Birstan and King Alfred, who disapproved of the ealdorman's rule over the shire.[120]
When they arrived at Birstan's home, Eivor and the ealdorman were met with the displeased faces of the three thegns, who scolded Birstan about his recent issues, including the arrival of Alfred's men, the excessive spending on the preparations for the Lammas festival, and their farmers being forcefully taken away to fight in Alfred's wars. After the thegns left, Eivor and Birstan met with Estrid and the couple enlisted Eivor's help to break them up, revealing that their marriage had been arranged by Alfred's father Æthelwulf and could not be easily ended. The two had previously attempted a plan to fake Estrid's kidnapping by a Dane who would take her to Francia, but it had failed. After Eivor gave her own thoughts, Estrid suggested another attempt at the kidnapping; this would allow her to be free from Essexe and Birstan to reunite with his childhood love Alfida.[120]
Eivor speaking with Birstan's childhood lover Alfida
Eivor helped Birstan look for Alfida in the village of Maeldun. During her search, she found the Oaken Kite Shield inside one of the houses and claimed it for herself. Eventually, Eivor located Alfida's home, though Alfida herself was nowhere to be found. Inside the shed, she found a frightened Eluric, Alfida's younger brother, who told the Viking that his sister had been captured by Alfred's forces and was being held at the Brentwood Outpost. Eivor rushed to the outpost and managed to rescue Alfida before carrying her out of the stronghold and to the Lake House, where Eluric awaited.[121]
While the siblings embraced each other, relieved to be reunited, Eivor lit a pyre to signal Birstan. She then spoke with Alfida, learning that she had raised Eluric alone and that he was her only family left, and revealed the true purpose of her visit. Alfida, delighted that Birstan still remembered her after all these years, agreed to give their relationship another try and, once the ealdorman arrived, Eivor granted the couple some privacy and took her leave.[121]
Eivor also tended to Estrid, who planned to be "kidnapped" during the Lammas festival, which would have the civilians too drunk and groggy to notice. Eivor asked Estrid about the captain who would take her to Francia, a Norse named Rollo who was inside a brothel. Eivor entered the brothel and saw Rollo engaged in foreplay with a prostitute. She told the captain that she served Estrid and was there to collect him, but their conversation was interrupted when Alfred's soldiers barged into the brothel, looking for Rollo. Eivor helped him escape through a window, though they were confronted by more soldiers outside, forcing the two Vikings to defeat them. Afterwards, Rollo left to find his warrior camp, telling Eivor to meet him there.[122]
Eivor interrogating Lork
When Eivor arrived at the camp, she saw the bodies of two of Rollo's men and went to investigate Lork and Gerhild, two of Rollo's soldiers who were suspected of betrayal. Her search eventually revealed Gerhild to be the traitor and, after Rollo dealt with her, Odin briefly appeared next to Eivor, telling her that both Lork and Gerhild held grudges against their jarl but only one had the heart to betray him.[122]
Next, Rollo and Eivor decided to attack Port Walton, a military outpost where the former's remaining men were being held hostage. After infiltrating the fort and eliminating the Saxon soldiers, Eivor and Rollo freed the latter's clanmates. The shieldmaiden then informed Rollo that Estrid required his aid with another kidnapping scheme, and the Norse captain agreed to help.[122]
While exploring Colcestre, Eivor found the entrance to the abandoned Camulodunum bureau, from which she recovered the Hidden Ones' Hood and a page of the Magas Codex.[51] She then met with Rollo to plan their "kidnapping" of Estrid. During the Lammas festival, Eivor instructed Rollo and his crew to wait until nightfall while she "captured" Estrid. Rollo let his soldiers loose into the city as a distraction, allowing Eivor to take Estrid and put her on a horse before riding out of Colcestre, all the while the noblewoman played along with their scheme.[123]
Eivor celebrating with Rollo and Estrid
Upon arriving at Wulfaswic, Rollo told Eivor and Estrid that his crew needed to rest and wait for more favorable weather conditions to sail to Francia. He then decided to celebrate their successful scheme while Eivor went to look for Birstan.[123] She eventually found him hunting a wild boar alongside his dog Percy and decided to help, learning that Birstan planned to organize a feast in Alfida's honor. Eivor cautioned the ealdorman that, if their ruse was discovered, Alfred would strip him of his title, but Birstan assured her that he would be discreet.[124]
After hunting several boars, Eivor and Birstan returned to the latter's home in Colcestre, where Alfida had been waiting. Eluric arrived not long after, showing signs of discontent towards his supposed brother-in-law Birstan, and eventually deduced that Alfida was not his sister, but rather his mother, and that Birstan was his father.[124]
While both Eivor and Birstan were taken aback by this revelation, a furious Eluric ran away, telling Alfida he would never forgive her for hiding the truth from him. Birstan consoled a crying Alfida, but at that moment an Anglo-Saxon man came into the room, announcing that Estrid and Rollo had been discovered by Alfred's forces, who were preparing an attack.[124]
Eivor warning Rollo of Alfred's incoming soldiers
Eivor volunteered to handle the situation and, after Birstan promised her an alliance if she succeeded, the shieldmaiden rode for Wulfasic. She arrived before Alfred's men and tried to warn Rollo, but at that moment a volley of arrows flew from the bushes, nearly hitting Estrid, who was saved when Lork sacrificed himself for her. Eivor, Rollo and his remaining men then proceeded to fight the attacking Saxon soldiers and were ultimately victorious, protecting Estrid, who boarded Rollo's ship. After bidding farewell to her allies, Eivor watched the ship depart for Francia[124] and returned to Ravensthorpe to inform Randvi of their new alliance with Essexe.[125]
Sometime later, Eivor returned to Essexe to speak with both Alfida and Eluric. The former told her about her new life with Birstan, who was a loving and attentive husband, and thanked Eivor for bringing them back together, while the latter was encouraged by the Viking to forgive his parents and go back to them.[126][127]
Besieging Suthsexe[]
- "What will the skalds say when they speak of this day? They will say we unleashed such rampant slaughter that Odin himself stirred on his throne to watch! They will say that ravens blacked the sky to feast on Saxon dead! So raise your sword with me now, brothers and sisters. For today is the day we carve our names into legend!"
- ―Eivor to her allies prior to besieging Portcestre, 875.[src]-[m]
Eivor speaking with Basim and Guthrum
After gaining as many allies as possible, Eivor eventually met with Randvi in Ravensthorpe and pledged to Suthsexe with her mind focused solely on defeating Fulke and saving Sigurd. She traveled to Suthsexe, where she met with a group of her closest allies in Croindene including Basim, Broder, Brothir, Erke, Stowe, and Ljufvina. Eivor entered the longhouse and encountered the jarl Guthrum, the reaver of the south, who was unimpressed with the army Eivor had managed to gather.[128]
The shieldmaiden pointed out that not all of her allies had arrived yet and asked Basim about the others' whereabouts, to which he informed her that they were on their way. The Hidden One also notified Eivor and Guthrum of three of Fulke's scouts that had been spotted in the region. Eivor decided to deal with the scouts herself, growing impatient with Guthrum and his methods. Before leaving the longhouse, she overheard Broder, Brothir, and Ljufvina talking on the way out.[128]
Arriving at the hills south of Croindene, Eivor smelled the scent of blood in the air and saw that a pack of wolves had already taken care of one of the scouts for her. After dealing with the wolves, Eivor searched the river bank north of Crawleah, soon finding and assassinating another scout. Eivor's last target was near Cicestre Abbey on the road from Briggworth. After eliminating him, the shieldmaiden returned to Basim and Guthrum and shared a note she had found on one of the scouts mentioning a possible siege on Croindene by Fulke's forces.[128]
Eivor witnessing Fulke's forces retreating
Amidst a foul conversation, Eivor and Gurthrum were interrupted by a Norse warrior who announced that Saxon forces were closing in from the west. Eivor and the others fought the soldiers, pushing them back before Fulke's Champion arrived, blowing a horn to signal his soldiers to retreat. Overconfident in their victory, Brothir and Broder rushed at the champion despite Eivor's warning and, after a brief duel, the Saxon warrior injured Broder and impaled Brothir, killing him.[128]
Angered, Eivor engaged Fulke's Champion in battle, threatening to kill him. After defeating the champion, Eivor chose his fate before picking up Brothir's body and carrying him back to camp. Guthrum angrily blamed Eivor for Brothir's death, as well as many of his own men, before the argument was interrupted by the arrival of Ubba and Soma. No longer having any desire to conquer Portcestre, Guthrum took his leave after cautioning Eivor to be less reckless with her actions and plan her next steps carefully.[128]
Eivor took the jarl's advice and devised a plan of attack with Basim, Soma and Ubba. Together, they decided to set up a new camp to surprise the Saxons while awaiting the arrival of more allies, and Eivor sent Erke, Stowe and Ljufvina to scout out the camp site before her remaining allies dispersed. Walking around the camp, Eivor spoke with Ubba and Soma, as well as Broder, who decided to take his brother's body home for a proper burial.[128]
Eivor watching Stowe attempting to negotiate with the Saxon soldiers
Eivor later joined Erke, Stowe and Ljufvina at Forward Camp, a Saxon camp which they planned to conquer. Stowe volunteered to speak with the Saxon soldiers, who were Christian like himself, in an attempt to convince them to abandon the camp and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Eivor agreed with the plan and watched as Stowe spoke with the soldiers, successfully persuading a number of them to leave King Alfred and join Stowe and Erke in Lunden, where they would provide new economic opportunities. Intrigued by Stowe's offer, several soldiers left, making the fight against the remaining warriors easier.[129]
Eivor also met with Ubba outside Saint Lewinna's Church in Guildford and discussed ways to burn down Fulke's grain stores. Entering the town, either stealthily or through an upfront attack, the two used torches and flame arrows to destroy a total of six grain silos.[130]
Eivor then met with Basim, who informed her that the Briggworth garrison held many of Fulke's reinforcements. The Viking and Hidden One proceeded to cripple Fulke's forces by setting their boats aflame and eliminating two of the stronghold's commanders.[131] Lastly, Eivor met with Soma at Crawleah, where they planned to destroy Fulke's supplies. Eivor burned down the supply carts and buildings, either by charging in head-first or using Soma's archers to destroy them.[132]
Eivor rallying her allies ahead of the battle
After helping her allies destroy Fulke's food source, reinforcements and supplies, Eivor returned to Foward Camp and met with more friendly faces, including Hunwald, Bishop Deorlaf, and Birstan. She also spoke to Basim, Soma, Ubba, Ljufvina, Erke and Stowe, the last two of whom decided to return to Lunden as Stowe was feeling guilty for his role in the deaths of many Saxon soldiers. Afterwards, Eivor was warned by Soma that they had found a letter on a dead Saxon soldier revealing Fulke had called for reinforcements from Wincestre. Bishop Deorlaf rode out to meet the reinforcements and buy the others as much time as possible.[133]
Siege of Portcestre[]
While her allies prepared for battle, Eivor, accompanied by Soma and Ubba, approached Portcestre's walls and were met by Fulke, who taunted the Vikings and challenged Eivor to rescue her brother if she could. Afterwards, Eivor rallied her allies with a speech and they commenced their siege, using a ram brought by Birstan to breach Portcestre's outer gates. Once inside the fortress, Eivor led the attacking army as they fought through waves of Fulke's soldiers.[133]
Eivor destroyed one of two palisades before using a wheel to help lift a portcullis, allowing her allies to move further into the stronghold. She then broke down more palisade, while also destroying springalds and Saxon soldiers to clear the path for her allies. Eventually, she arrived at a locked keep door and looted a key from a dead soldier before entering through with Basim. Inside, the pair found more of Fulke's guards but easily dispatched them and discovered the torture chamber where Sigurd had been held.[133]
Eivor confronting Fulke in the catacombs
Looking out the balcony, Eivor saw Fulke crossing a bridge and heading towards Portcestre's monastery and followed her. After breaking into the church with Basim's help, the two saw an injured Sigurd lying on the ground while Fulke again taunted them before escaping through an underground passage. Eivor briefly checked on her wounded brother before Basim volunteered to stay with Sigurd, allowing the shieldmaiden to chase Fulke. Following her into the catacombs, Eivor found herself surrounded by darkness before her target revealed herself.[133]
Fulke offered to show Eivor "the truth" just like she had Sigurd, but the shieldmaiden claimed she had heard enough of the Ancient's "babble" and proceeded to attack her. Fulke continued to taunt Eivor throughout their fight, saying that it was a pity to kill someone "with such potential" and that Eivor was more like her brother than she realized. Eventually, however, the Ancient was significantly injured and decided to flee, using a smoke bomb to cover her escape.[133]
Eivor followed her outside, where her allies had emerged victorious and surrounded Fulke from all sides. Eivor insisted that she deal with the Ancient herself and fought her one final time as all her allies stood and watched. Despite Fulke making use of a giant cross as a weapon, she was eventually defeated and slain by Eivor. In the shieldmaiden's visions, Fulke claimed that she had already succeeded in her goal of awakening Sigurd's mind and that the latter was more than human. A furious Eivor prepared to attack her once more but was pulled back by Odin, who insisted that Fulke had "saved" her brother.[133]
Eivor and Odin watching the giant Sigurd apparition crush Fulke
At that moment, a giant, shackled Sigurd with ropes attached to his head appeared behind Fulke. The Ancient proceeded to pull a lever on the ground, controlling the ropes and pulling back Sigurd's head, causing his eyes to glow and his mind to open. The giant Sigurd broke from his shackles and reached down, grabbing Fulke and crushing her into dust before Odin commented that she had performed one of the greatest achievements of mankind. The giant Sigurd then reached to grab his sister, just as the vision ended and Eivor awakened back in the real world, where an injured Sigurd approached her slowly, with Basim following closely behind.[133]
Their conversation was interrupted by Ubba and Bishop Deorlaf, who informed Eivor that the Saxon reinforcements from Wincestre had arrived. While Basim took Sigurd back to Ravensthorpe, Eivor decided to stay and help her allies fight the Saxon soldiers. Following their victory, Eivor spoke with Ubba and Soma, thanking them for their assistance and bidding them farewell. She also spoke with Hunwald, Bishop Deorlaf, Ljufvina and Birstan before taking her leave and returning home.[133]
Sigurd's return[]
- Eivor: "I see only my brother and my truest friend, returned to where he is loved and cherished. Where he is meant to be."
- Sigurd: "You are kind, but your eyes are clouded by the past, a place I can no longer see. I fear our paths diverged long ago."
- —Eivor and Sigurd conversing near Dag's grave, 875.[src]-[m]
In Ravensthorpe, a celebration was held in honor of Sigurd's safe return, though the jarl himself seemed to be in a foul mood. As Eivor approached her brother, Sigurd accused his sister of seeking his throne and killing anyone who questioned her. Eivor denied the accusations and attempted to get Randvi to back her up, but this only angered Sigurd further and he lashed out at her, claiming he would not let Eivor hinder his destiny. Realizing that everyone at the party was now staring at him, Sigurd quickly excused himself and left the celebration.[134]
Eivor and Sigurd talking about Dag
After talking Randvi about Sigurd's change of character, Eivor decided to check on her brother. She found him sitting at Dag's grave, where the two engaged in a calmer conversation. Sigurd revealed that Fulke had helped him discover who he truly was – a god – and asked Eivor if she could see his new self, but the latter responded that she saw only her brother, back home among friends and family. Though appreciative of his sister's affection, Sigurd claimed that their relationship was part of a past he could no longer see, and asked Eivor to return to the party as he wished to be alone.[134]
The next morning, Eivor spoke with Randvi, reporting that most of Suthsexe had been "burned to the ground" during her quest to save Sigurd. She then left the longhouse and ran into Basim, asking him if he had noticed anything strange about Sigurd since his return. The Hidden One claimed that their jarl seemed more introspective and suggested that Sigurd could be among the "blessed."[135] Around this time, Ubba visited Ravensthorpe and spoke with Eivor about his late brother Ivarr.[136]
Adventures in Vinland[]
In late 875, Eivor spoke with Hytham, who had managed to track down Gorm Kjotvesson, who had taken his father's place in the Order of the Ancients and now served as the Maegester of the Wardens of War. When asked if Gorm was in England, Hytham revealed that the Maegester had sailed to Vinland, a far away land discovered centuries ago by Brendan of Clonfert which the Order had recently taken an interest in. Deciding to travel to Vinland herself, Eivor informed Randvi of her departure before meeting a woman named Nessa at Ravensthorpe's docks.[137]
Eivor arriving in Vinland
Nessa greeted Eivor and the two prepared to set sail for Vinland. Prior to their departure, Randvi arrived at the docks to grant Eivor a new set of clothes and suggested that she leave behind her gear in order to blend in with Vinland's natives and prevent her from being recognized by the Order. Eivor gave Nessa the command and the two left on her longship to the New World.[137]
After a three week-long journey, Eivor and Nessa arrived in Vinland. After alighting from Nessa's boat, Eivor approached a Norse woman named Hilde who was directing other travelers. Eivor introduced herself as "Jora of Jorvik" and asked Hilde where she was, to which the woman responded that they were in Nyhofn, an unmapped area. Before unpacking the ship, however, the two were interrupted by a dockhand who mentioned that a man named Olav had gone missing. Learning Olav was guiding workers to Gorm's camp for supply deliveries, Eivor offered to take Olav's place but was dismissed by Hilde.[137]
Eivor decided to search for Olav, eavesdropping on a conversation between the civilians Olga and Elspeth on the beach, two workers near an in-progress house, two guards near the gate, and Aud and Helgi at a makeshift tavern. Eivor began to investigate the settlement, eventually finding a set of footprints leading to higher ground. After following the footprints, Eivor arrived at a mountaintop, Tiotenontatierénhton, overlooking the Kanien'kehá:ka village of Karonhiakèn:iate'. She subsequently performed a Leap of Faith to descend from the cliff and went to speak with the village leaders Konwahawíhshon and Karonhiaktátie'.[138]
Eivor surprising Konwahawíhshon and Karonhiaktátie' with Sýnin
However, neither party knew the other's mother tongue, preventing vocal communication between the two. Just then, Sýnin perched on Eivor's arm, astounding the two tribal leaders. Konwahawíhshon then left and led Eivor to Olav, who had taken residence in the village, in a cave behind a waterfall. Eivor mentioned she was searching for Gorm, leading Olav to express his dislike of the man before explaining how and why he had escaped Gorm's settlement. Eivor followed Olav out of the waterfall as she gained more intel on Gorm, who had a Crystal Ball that was supposedly guiding him to "the door to Jotunheim."[138]
At that moment, Olav spotted smoke rising from the Steinnhus Camp, one of Gorm's establishments. Eivor decided to head there in the hopes of locating Gorm, though Olav advised her to first upgrade her equipment to stand a better chance against the Wolf Clan. He then suggested trading with the local villagers for better gear and gifted Eivor some leather and copper.[138] After trading the materials for a weapon, Eivor began her hunt for Gorm, traveling to the Steinnhus Camp.[139]
When Eivor was knocked unconscious for the first time during her hunt, she was found and taken back to Karonhiakèn:iate', where she awoke sometime later and was visited by Karonhiaktátie', who gave her berries to heal herself. Leaving the hut, Eivor resumed her search for Gorm and eventually succeeded in clearing Steinnhus Camp, where she found a note mentioning the Wolf Clan's other strongholds in the region: [Brúhamarr Outpost]], Hvallgrof Outpost, and Narfljot Camp. Eivor proceeded to investigate each of them, eliminating all the warriors she found there and acquiring more resources to trade for new gear in the process.[139]
Eivor standing before the mysterious door
Eventually, Eivor found Gorm at Narfljot Camp, where the latter was attempting to use the Crystal Ball to communicate with an unknown entity, whose only response was "In time, what once was, shall be again." Eivor watched Gorm becoming frustrated with the entity's refusal to speak with him, and assassinated him shortly after. In her visions, Gorm explained to Eivor that the purpose of his expedition to Vinland was to release a goddess trapped behind a mysterious door, and showed her the Crystal Ball, which began glowing in her presence.[139]
After Gorm passed away, being condemned to an eternity in Niflheim, Eivor claimed both his Order medallion and the Crystal Ball, which guided her towards the door Gorm had spoken of. Once there, Eivor received a cryptic message from an unknown voice through the Crystal Ball but decided it was not intended for her and left.[139] She subsequently traveled back to Karonhiakèn:iate', but not before defeating the legendary animal O Yan Do' Ne and obtaining its pelt.[3]
Eivor eventually arrived at the village, where she was greeted by Olav and informed him of Gorm's death. The pair then joined the villagers who had gathered around a bonfire, listening to Konwahawíhshon as she told a story. Eivor sat down and listened alongside the villagers before Karonhiaktátie' requested her to recite a story of her own. Eivor did so pleasingly, telling the villagers about the death of the Norse god Baldr and the request from Odin for all to mourn his son, as well as the betrayal of Loki, who was the only god that refused to shed a tear for Baldr.[140]
Eivor giving the Crystal Ball to Konwahawíhshon
After Eivor finished her story, she gave Gorm's Crystal Ball to Konwahawíhshon, claiming that she felt the artifact belonged there and trusting the villagers to keep it safe. She then headed back to Nyhofn, where she met with Hilde and revealed her true identity to her. At that moment, Olav arrived and, after informing Hilde of Gorm's death, embraced her, revealing to Eivor that they were siblings. Hilde then decided to sail to England and Eivor agreed to join her on the voyage back home after bidding farewell to Olav, who elected to remain in Vinland.[140]
At some point during her time in Vinland, Eivor aided a group known as the Toothbreakers. In Nyhofn, she helped a woman look for her missing brother Eirik who had gone hunting. Eivor found a deceased Eirik and carried his body back to his sister, who buried him.[141] In an abandoned camp known as Vithrloekr, Eivor helped fight against a group of bears captured by Gorm who had been harassing a man.[142]
Near the Okonhsà:ke viewpoint, the Viking aided a woman in retrieving her pet turkey Arne, who had fallen off a cliff.[143] When she returned to Nyhofn, Eivor saw all the Toothbreakers she had helped previously and agreed to join them in the hunt for a cougar.[144]
Eivor watching Sigurd settle the dispute
When Eivor finally returned to Ravensthorpe from her adventures in Vinland, she reported to both Randvi and Hytham.[145] After speaking with the former, she was asked to settle another dispute, this time between Gudrun and Holger, since Sigurd refused to leave his room. Eivor listened to both sides of the argument but before she could make a decision, Sigurd arrived, furious at having his authority defied. He subsequently lashed out at Holger, demanding he pay Gudrun thirty times the compensation he owed her, while Eivor either remained silent or commented on the harsh and unfair punishment. Either way, both she and Randvi were left disturbed by Sigurd's behavior.[146]
War in Eurviscire[]
In 876, Eivor sought to ally with Halfdan Ragnarsson, one of the Sons of Ragnar and Lord of Northumbria. Speaking with Randvi, she was told that Halfdan was embroiled in a war against the Picts in Eurviscire and had personally requested a meeting with Eivor. After pledging to Eurviscire on the alliance map, Eivor traveled to an abandoned Viking post at Anlaf's Lookout where she met Faravid, reminding him of their last encounter during the Yuletide massacre in Jorvik. Faravid then told Eivor that he and Halfdan had been separated, though before they could go look for him, they were attacked by enemy Picts. Eivor helped her allies dispatch the Picts before regrouping with Faravid.[147]
Eivor meeting Halfdan
Upon a nearby hill, more Picts arrived, though a horn was sounded nearby, distracting the soldiers as the mighty Halfdan appeared behind them, slaughtering the Picts alongside his men. The two parties met at the bottom of the hill, where Halfdan and Eivor introduced themselves to one another. Halfdan hinted that he wished to speak with Eivor in private and set off to Donecastre. The shieldmaiden then talked briefly with Faravid, who asked her about her first impressions of Halfdan before taking his leave as well.[147]
At Donecastre, Eivor took part in various activities, including a drinking game, Orlog, a fist-fight and dancing. She also met Moira, Halfdan's healer. Eivor soon found Halfdan, who was in the midst of an argument with King Ricsige. Following Ricsige's departure, Eivor approached Halfdan, just as Faravid arrived and expressed his jealousy of his jarl.[147]
After Faravid left to return to his forward camp, Eivor spoke with Halfdan on a balcony, where the latter reminisced about fighting alongside his brothers. He then showed Eivor a narwhal horn, which he had used as a mead filter, and explained that the reason for his sudden secrecy was that he suspected Faravid of attempting to poison him. At Halfdan's request, Eivor agreed to look into the matter and learn where Faravid's true allegiances lay.[147]
Eivor speaking with Faravid and Ulf
Eivor subsequently traveled to Alortun, an encampment along the Air River, where she found Faravid amidst an argument with one of his men, Ulf. After dismissing Ulf, Faravid told Eivor of his plans to raid Elmet Monastery, which had been overrun by Picts. Faravid asked the shieldmaiden about her intentions before leading her and his men into battle. On their way to the monastery, Faravid's group eliminated some Picts, though were eventually forced to retreat to a nearby cave known as Wiccan's Cave, which was being used as a shortcut for the Picts to cross the mountain.[148]
Faravid instructed Eivor to eliminate the Picts hiding inside while he left to find the back entrance and eliminate anyone who tried to flee. Eivor ventured through the cave, eliminating the Pictish warriors while also uncovering "The Crock and Dish of Rhygenydd the Cleric" and one of the Treasures of Britain. She eventually made it out of the cave, where Faravid's group had been spotted by nearby Picts. The enemy soldiers fled but Eivor and Faravid chased after them, arriving at Stenwege Camp.[148]
After a quick discussion, the two infiltrated the camp and Eivor found and incapacitated the Pictish chief Galan. She then brought Galan to Faravid, who quickly executed him before Eivor could attempt to question him. To celebrate their victory, Eivor and Faravid drank wine together, and the latter revealed his plans to attack Magnis Fortress and win the war against the Picts, without Halfdan's knowledge. He also handed Eivor a goblet taken from a fallen Pict as a gift for Halfdan, before the shieldmaiden left to report to the jarl.[148]
Halfdan asking Eivor to investigate Moira
Returning to Donecastre, Eivor found Halfdan drinking medicine provided by Moira. After offering him Faravid's gift, Eivor watched as Halfdan angrily chucked the goblet across the room, accusing Faravid of attempted poison. The jarl then asked if Eivor had gained any intel on Faravid, to which Odin appeared beside her, giving his opinion on the matter before disappearing. After answering Halfdan, Eivor warned him to be cautious of everything he was consuming, including Moira's brew.[149]
Eivor gained permission to investigate the healer and proceeded to do so, traveling to Moira's home to question her. The healer, however, had already left for Wyke. Eivor traveled to the village and found Moira in her home surrounded by a group of protesters. Eivor dealt with the mob and safely escorted Moira away into the woods, where she asked the healer about the brew. Concluding that it was harmless, Eivor went to look for Halfdan at the Temple of Brigantia.[149]
Arriving at the temple, Eivor found Halfdan with his dog Beonton and was told that the scout Olav had asked to meet Halfdan there, but was nowhere to be seen. After informing Eivor of traitors who wanted to steal his war spoils, Halfdan enlisted her help to look for his scout. She eventually found a mortally wounded Olav atop a column and brought him down, where the scout succumbed to his injuries shortly after.[149]
Eivor and Halfdan confronting Ulf
Beonton next led Eivor and Halfdan to the Petuaria Ruins, where they found Halfdan's stolen goods as well as a Book of Knowledge. As the two Vikings left the ruins, they were greeted by Ulf and his men, who revealed that they had taken Halfdan's tribute but claimed it was a gift from Faravid. When Halfdan informed them of Olav's death, Ulf admitted that he had killed the scout after mistaking him for a thief, and asked for Eivor's help to make their jarl see reason. In the end, however, Halfdan executed Ulf for his apparent betrayal and dismissed Eivor, telling her to continue her investigation into Faravid.[149]
Eivo found a drunk Faravid at a camp near Jorvik, which the latter revealed to be the first settlement established by him and Halfdan when they, alongside Ivarr and Ubba, had fought King Ælla of Northumbria. Faravid then challenged his friend to a horse race, which Eivor accepted and drank to make the conditions fair. The two proceeded to race to Jorvik, where Faravid hoped to gain the support of King Ricsige for his planned assault of Magnis Fortress. [150]
After Ricsige denied Eivor and Faravid's request for aid, since they did not have Halfdan's direct orders, the two turned to Eivor's friend Hjorr Halfsson for assistance. Eivor found Hjorr and his wife Ljufvina facing a group of protesters and lent her aid when the confrontation turned violent, helping her friends defeat the protesters. She then informed them of her plan to forge an order from Halfdan and the couple agreed to help.[150]
Eivor, Hjorr and Faravid giving the forged letter from Halfdan to Ricsige
After joining Ljufvina for a drink, Eivor met with Hjorr outside the Royal Hall, where he handed her the forged letter. Eivor, Faravid and Hjorr then presented the forgery to Ricsige, who accepted it and granted them use of his army for the assault on Magnis Fortress. Before leaving, however, Ricsige asked to speak with Eivor in private and questioned her loyalty and who she was fighting for. Suspicious, Eivor gave her answer before heading to Stenwege Camp to regroup with Faravid.[150]
Assault on Magnis Fortress[]
- Eivor: "He was a hero in tales he told himself. A Saxon who loved his homeland. You cannot begrudge him that."
- Halfdan: "Hmph. There is something in that. No more Saxon kings, Eivor. I am through playing the puppeteer. The fate of this shire rests on my shoulder alone."
- —Eivor and Halfdan, following Ricsige's death, 876.[src]-[m]
At the camp, Eivor prepared for the upcoming battle and spoke with Faravid, who told her that both Ricsige's reinforcements and Ljufvina's forces were on their way to Magnis Fortress. After meditating, Eivor marched to the fortress herself and regrouped with Faravid and Ljufvina, as well as Halfdan, who had learned about Faravid's plan and arrived with his own army. Tensions rose between Eivor, Faravid and Halfdan though they were quickly put down by Ljufvina, who reminded them of the battle they needed to focus on.[151]
Eivor conferring with Faravid and Ljufvina
Just then, the group noticed a Pict signaling a message, and Eivor and Halfdan approached the fort to see who had sent it. Atop the stone walls was Ricsige, who revealed that he had allied with the Picts, much to Halfdan's anger. The jarl proceeded to let out a war cry as Eivor and her allies moved in, engaging the Pictish warriors. During the battle, Eivor infiltrated the fortress and destroyed the gate reinforcement bar, allowing her allies to breach the stronghold.[151]
As the fighting raged on, Eivor breached the palisades and shot down the links holding up the drawbridge, allowing her allies to infiltrate the inner courtyard. After eliminating the last remaining Pictish soldiers, the Vikings claimed the fortress and Eivor spoke with Halfdan, advising him not to celebrate their victory just yet as Ricsige was still alive. Just then, the two heard more battle cries and saw that the Picts were attempting to reconquer their stronghold.[151]
Eivor and Halfdan with the dying Ricsige
Eivor defeated the Pictish chieftain, prompting the remaining enemy soldiers to retreat. She and Halfdan then spotted Ricsige fleeing north, and Eivor proceeded to chase the traitorous king through the heavy snow, eventually catching up to and assassinating him. With his dying breath, Ricsige begged Eivor to take him back to Jorvik so he could expire at home but the shieldmaiden refused, condemning him to an icy death. Moments later, Halfdan arrived and, after witnessing Ricsige's final moments, declared to Eivor that he would take Northumbria's crown himself.[151]
Alliance with King Halfdan[]
After making their alliance official, Eivor and Halfdan returned to Jorvik, where they further discussed how to prepare for the latter's coronation as King of Northumbria. Ahead of the ceremony, Eivor saw Faravid and Halfdan speaking outside the Royal Hall and seemingly making amends, and talked to her various allies, including Moira, Faravid, Hjorr and Ljufvina. Once the coronation began, Eivor shared a drink with Faravid and watched as Halfdan announced his alliance with the Raven Clan.[152]
Eivor and Halfdan standing over the defeated Faravid
However, Halfdan suddenly broke into a coughing fit and dropped the goblet he was drinking from. Detecting lead, Halfdan instantly accused Faravid of attempting to poison him. In response, Faravid drew his sword but Eivor stepped between the two old friends and incapacitated Faravid before helping Halfdan decide his fate. Either way, with his closest friend and advisor gone from Northumbria, Halfdan took his rightful place on the throne and gifted Eivor an arm band as a symbol of their alliance.[152]
Eivor subsequently returned to Ravensthorpe to report to Randvi,[153] though she would later go back to Jorvik to see how Halfdan had settled into his new position of king. When she arrived at the Royal Hall, she met Moira and was told that Halfdan had become a shadow of his former self since the loss of Faravid and his brothers, wallowing in paranoia and sadness.[154]
Traveling to Picheringa, Eivor saw a depressed Halfdan sitting on a bench and approached him, trying to convince him to return to Jorvik and his duties as king. Halfdan confronted Eivor over not telling him that she had killed his brother Ivarr, but agreed to accompany her back to Jorvik if she found Beonton, who had run off with his hammer. Eivor eventually found Beonton protecting the hammer from a pack of wolves and killed the animals before recovering the hammer and bringing it to Halfdan at Scarborough.[154]
Eivor returning Halfdan's hammer
As Halfdan recalled the hammer's origins, he told Eivor that it had been gifted to him by his father Ragnar at the age of fourteen. He then recounted his mother's death and how Ragnar had avenged her, before sadly remarking that his father's remains lay in a snake pit, to be forgotten by time. Eivor argued that Ragnar lived on through stories of his deeds and, after telling Halfdan about the circumstances of Ivarr's death, Beonton approached his master to cheer him up. Having regained his resolve, Halfdan thanked Eivor and asked her to light Scarborough's beacon as a final favor before returning to Jorvik.[154]
Treachery in Jotunheim[]
- Valka: "Come, settle your mind and tell me what you have seen."
- Eivor: "Strange things, Valka. I am learning much and seeing more than my mind can understand. [...] In Jotunheim, I sought and found a mead of incredible power. It promised a strange effect. To drink it would deliver me from death. Shield me from the destruction of Ragnarök. By this mead, I hoped to live beyond my own death, well into the future."
- —Eivor recounting the events of her visions of Odin, 876.[src]-[m]
Having had a long time to reflect on her visions of Odin in Ásgarðr, Eivor decided to return to Valka to continue exploring her dreams in the hopes of understanding their meaning. After acquiring the plants needed for Valka to brew another potion, Eivor drank the concoction and fell asleep, continuing to relive Odin's life, this time experiencing his journey to Jotunheim.[155]
In her visions, Eivor, as Havi, met various jötnar including Angrboda, Ægir, Hyrrokin, the Jotun king Suttungr and his daughter Gunlodr. Havi sought to steal Suttungr's magical mead, which would help the Æsir live beyond his fated death during Ragnarök, though this would cost him his eye.[156] After Havi made his sacrifice, Eivor awoke in Valka's hut and spoke to the seer about her dream.[155]
Eivor envisioning herself as Havi fighting Fenrir
Eivor felt a compulsion to go back to Ásgarðr, which she followed, drinking the Ásgarðr potion once again. After his adventures in Jotunheim, Havi met the dwarf Ivaldi who gifted him a forged cord called Gleipnir. Afterwards, Havi and Týr devised a plan to use the cord to imprison Loki's son Fenrir, who was fated to kill Havi during Ragnarök. The two Æsir were ultimately successful in their task, though it came at the cost of Týr's right arm.[157] Before the end of the saga, Havi received a vision of the future from the Nornir, explaining that he had successfully avoided his fate and would be reborn in another lifetime.[158]
Samhain in Glowecestrescire[]
- Gunnar: "Glowecestre gives their glut to otherworldly visitors. And, if you dress as one, you'll get that bounty yourself."
- Eivor: "Freely given? Hmph, I've only seen such a thing done at feasts."
- Gunnar: "Then we'll turn you into a beastie, and have you roam the hills braying for sweets and drinks."
- —Gunnar explaining his plan to have Eivor go trick-or-tricking dressed as Mari Lwyd, 876.[src]-[m]
Sometime later, Eivor noticed that Gunnar had disappeared from his forge and went to speak with Randvi, who informed her that Gunnar had traveled to Glowecestrescire in search of love and requested that Eivor join him there. Intrigued, the shieldmaiden pledged to Glowecestrescire on the alliance map and left for Glowecestre, arriving on 31 October 876, in the midst of the town's Samhain celebrations.[159]
Eivor meeting Gunnar and Brigid in Glowecestre
Eivor soon found Gunnar in the western part of Glowecestre and was introduced to his lover Brigid, a Welsh woman whose dialect proved challenging for Eivor to understand. Learning that Brigid's adoptive father Cynon was the ealdorman of Glowecestrescire, Eivor saw an opportunity to secure another alliance and asked to meet the man. Gunnar proceeded to lead Eivor to the town center while explaining the Samhain festivities to her.[159]
As Cynon was preoccupied with the Samhain preparations, Eivor and Gunnar decided to speak with the next ealdorman in line, Tewdwr. However, Tewdwr quickly took a dislike towards Eivor due to her pagan beliefs, prompting Gunnar to defuse the situation by offering his friend some apple cider. Just then, Cynon walked into the conversation and, after warning Tewdwr to behave himself, welcomed Eivor to Glowecestrescire. Following a short exchange, Tewdwr decided to leave to pray, to which Cynon requested that Eivor escort him, much to Tewdwr's abhorrence.[159]
Eivor walked Tewdwr to St. Kenhelm's Falls where she questioned him about the Christian method of praying. While watching Tewdwr pray, Eivor noticed a group of boars nearby, ready to attack. The Viking successfully defended Tewdwr from the animals, after which he thanked her and resumed his praying. Eivor tried to convince him to return to Glowecestre but Tewdwr insisted that he could look after himself and promised to tell Cynon that Eivor had saved his life. Seeing she could not change his mind, Eivor left Tewdwr to pray and went to find Gunnar.[159]
Eivor dressed as Mari Lwyd
After sharing a drink with her friend, Gunnar dressed Eivor as the spirit Mari Lwyd in preparation for Samhain, in which Eivor would go around and collect free treats from the locals. After gaining enough cakes, Eivor returned to Gunnar and Brigid, only to find the former in the midst of an argument with a local villager, Tamas Fletcher. Eivor intervened in the argument, which quickly escalated into a brawl that was broken up by a woman named Modron. After Modron dismissed Tamas, she was joined by her daughter Gwenydd, who helped her treat Gunnar's injuries sustained during the fight.[159]
Eivor left to find Tewdwr and arrived at the Samhain festival, where Tewdwr was conversing with a monk named Gwilim. Gwilim challenged Tewdwr to a drinking contest, which Eivor ended up joining, just as Cynon arrived to spectate. After Cynon and Gwilim left, Eivor and Tewdwr continued to drink together, and the latter apologized for his earlier attitude towards Eivor as the two discussed the possibility of an alliance. Eivor and Tewdwr continued to drink and enjoy themselves for the rest of the night, though as the morning came, Eivor awoke amidst a bloody crime scene, with Tewdwr nowhere to be seen.[159]
Eivor investigated the area and found a pouch belonging to Gwilim. As she left the house, Eivor was confronted by Cynon and his guards, who accused her of murdering Tewdwr. After the ealdorman departed, Eivor was left to defend herself from the soldiers before returning to Glowecestre. Sneaking around the town, Eivor soon found Modron and Gwenydd and asked for their help, explaining that Tewdwr had gone missing and she had been framed for his murder. Modron directed the Viking to a druid named Halewyn, who would only talk to spirits, before several soldiers arrived at the house, forcing Eivor to make her escape.[160]
Eivor investigating a Celtic Knot on Halewyn's home
The shieldmaiden traveled to the Druid's Cottage and spoke with Halewyn while wearing her Mari Lwyd disguise. The druid tasked her with burning nearby straw figures called wicker men and, once she had done so, Eivor talked with Halewyn again, answering his riddles correlating with objects around the house. This convinced Halewyn that Eivor was a genuine spirit and he agreed to answer her questions about the pouch she had found, confirming that it indeed belonged to Gwilim, who lived in "Cudd Lladron".[160]
Eivor regrouped with Modron at a nearby standing stone named Rollendritch and told her about Cudd Lladron, which Modron translated to Thieves' Warren, a bandit fort situated on a hill west of Rollendritch. Modron led Eivor to Thieves' Warren, whereupon they parted ways. The shieldmaiden infiltrated the fort and overheard Tewdwr conversing with a man named Feran, who spoke of a cultist group known as the Daughters of Nimue.[161]
Eivor eventually found Tewdwr in the company of Gwilim, who reacted to the Viking's arrival in fear. As a furious Eivor grabbed him by the throat and demanded answers, Gwilim explained that his group had been hired by Cynon to eliminate Tewdwr but decided to go against their orders and keep him hostage instead, having taken a liking to the man. Shocked by the revelation that Cynon desired his death, Tewdwr fainted, forcing Eivor to carry him to Modron, who promised to look after him.[161]
Eivor watching Gwenydd's magic tricks
Eivor subsequently returned to Glowecestre to seek revenge on Cynon and met with Brigid at the longhouse. During their conversation, Gwenydd arrived, wishing to show Brigid her magic tricks, and Eivor offered to stay with the girl and watch her tricks if she told her where Cynon was. After spending some time bonding with Gwenydd, it became apparent that the girl did not know where the ealdorman was, so Eivor decided to ask around town.[162]
Eventually, Eivor found a woman named Sarah in a badger mask who told her that Cynon was at St. Kenhelm's Church. Sarah then asked Eivor to make a delivery there, which she did, stealing a key from the package's recipient, Geva, in the process. Using the key, Eivor infiltrated the church and confronted Cynon. The ealdorman revealed that Modron was in on his scheme to kill Tewdwr and that Gwenydd was his daughter, before explaining his and Modron's plan to ensure a legacy for Gwenydd by having the Daughters of Nimue take control of Glowecestrescire.[162]
Learning Modron planned to sacrifice Tewdwr, Eivor rushed to save her friend after deciding Cynon's fate.[162] Navigating past various Briton and Saxon soldiers in Aelfwood, Eivor eventually entered the Ochre Caves, where she eliminated Modron's guards and confronted the healer just as she was about to kill Tewdwr. As Modron refused to stand down, Eivor fought and defeated her, then decided her fate following a brief conversation with Odin. Afterwards, Gwenydd arrived and Eivor explained all the recent events to a confused Tewdwr, who had just awoken, before they all left the cave.[163]
Eivor about to set the Wicker Man on fire
South of Aelfwood, Eivor found and explored her fifth Hidden One bureau, the Temple of Ceres bureau, from which she recovered the Hidden Ones' Leggings and a page of The Magas Codex.[51] She then went to Glowecestre to attend the burning of the Wicker Man, a ceremony symbolizing an offering to the Harvest King. There, she spoke one last time with Tewdwr to officially secure an alliance, as well as Gunnar and Brigid, who were eager to return to Ravensthorpe after the ceremony. Eivor personally set the Wicker Man aflame,[164] and later informed Randvi of their new alliance with Glowecestrescire.[165]
Dilemma in Snotinghamscire[]
- Hemming: "I need your wisdom, Eivor. Your discretion."
- Eivor: "You have it, of course."
- Hemming: "There will be an Althing soon, in which the nobles must name a new jarl. And I am torn. I would have my son follow in my steps, but he is reluctant. He follows his warrior's heart. Others will name Trygve. A fine man with a mind for leadership, but his lineage is tattered and he is less bold."
- —Hemming requesting Eivor's help with his dilemma, 876.[src]-[m]
During the winter of 876, Eivor spoke with Randvi about making an alliance with Snotinghamscire. Randvi told Eivor that she had been invited to the shire by her old friend Vili, whom she had not seen in a decade. Knowing that Vili's father Hemming would be a valuable ally, Eivor pledged her allegiance to Snotinghamscire and traveled to Snotingham to meet with Vili, Hemming, and their clan, the Clan Hemmingsons.[9]
Immediately upon arrival, Eivor saw Danes and Saxons living in peace, noting that the town was indeed ruled by Hemming. Eivor collected a tungsten ingot and set off to find her friends. During her travels, she was recognized by the villagers before eventually finding Hemming's advisor Trygve, who cheerfully greeted Eivor and told her that Vili and Hemming were at Ulkerthorpe Fort, fighting Picts. Not wishing to keep their friends waiting, Eivor and Trygve set sail to the fort upstream alongside other Viking warriors.[9]
Eivor and Hemming looking at Ulkerthorpe Fort
During the voyage, Eivor and Trygve's convoy was attacked by Picts. After defeating the Pict ambushers and arriving at the Tip of the Spear near Sherwood Forest, Eivor left Trygve and was greeted by other Norse soldiers before meeting Hemming jarl himself, who looked out towards Ulkerthorpe Fort. The two briefly caught up with each other before being joined by Vili, who spoke words of motivation.[9]
Following the conversation, Vili rallied up his men and spoke with Eivor, both friends delighted to be reunited. The two then marched up the hill towards Ulkerthorpe as Hemming rallied the men. After battling the Pictish warriors on the ground, Eivor climbed to the top of the fort's tallest tower and confronted the Pictish chief Gede. Eivor ultimately defeated Gede and lifted up his spear, signifying the end of the battle.[9]
After the siege, Eivor was met by Hemming, who congratulated her and revealed that he had been injured during the battle. The jarl then spoke of his recent dilemmas involving the future of Snotinghamscire. Knowing his remaining time on Earth to be short, Hemming needed to find a successor to lead the clan after his death, and struggled to make a decision between Vili and Trygve since they were both suited for the role, albeit for different reasons. Deducing it was Hemming, not Vili, who had summoned her to Snotinghamscire, Eivor agreed to help the jarl with his dilemma and went to meet with Vili.[9]
Eivor and Vili working together to save endangered villagers
While riding together, Eivor and Vili came across Stoneburgh on fire, where Trygve had been stationed. The two rushed to the town where they found Trygve outside, worried about the villagers trapped inside the burning buildings. Eivor and Vili worked together to save all the villagers. Following this heroic act, Trygve made note of Vili's future responsibility as jarl, which the latter quickly denied before retreating to Kinder Downfall. Eivor tried to intervene but was stopped by Trygve, who asked if Hemming had spoken to her.[166]
Following the conversation, Eivor set off after Vili, eventually finding him at Kinder Downfall. There, Eivor spoke with her friend and tried to console him, explaining that it was his duty to take upon his father's role. She also advised him to end on good terms with his father, something she had been unable to do with her own father. Just as she said that, a Norse warrior arrived and called for Vili, telling him that Hemming was dying. Vili rushed back to his father, with Eivor arriving shortly after.[166]
In Hemthorpe, Eivor and Vili met Hemming at his deathbed, and after expressing how proud he was of both of them, the jarl passed away. While Vili mourned his father's death, Trygve arrived and spoke with Eivor about organizing Hemming's funeral. Eivor sent a summons for her clan to attend the funeral while Trygve called on the shire's nobles. The shieldmaiden then traveled to Odin's Rest, which had a funeral pyre for the deceased jarl.[166]
Eivor, Sunniva, Trygve and Vili discussing the funeral
There, Eivor spoke with Trygve and Sunniva, who had arrived with gifts for Hemming. Vili eventually joined in on the conversation and the four discussed plans for the upcoming funeral. Vili brought up his funeral gift that he had planned to give to his father before his death. Vili then left, followed by Eivor, though not before she spoke with Sunniva about her issue on choosing Snotinghamscire's next jarl.[166]
At Hemthorpe's hall, Eivor found a distressed Trygve with an angry mob. The two spoke, with Trygve mentioning that the festivities were getting out of hand, to which Eivor volunteered to solve the various issues around town. She protected a Norse man being attacked by roosters, and helped a woman save her voda from a burning house, after which the two celebrated with a drink. She also found a man who had fainted on a rooftop and carried him down to safety.[167]
Later, Eivor found another mob outside a house, and upon asking, found out that the man inside the house was hiding. Eivor found a secret entrance to the house and spoke with the man, a Saxon who had drenched Hemming in holy water. Eivor led the man outside and got rid of the angry Norse mob before returning to Trygve, who thanked her for help.[167]
Eivor picking a design for the funeral shield
Eivor also met with Vili to help him pick a funeral gift. Vili received a Raven Clan shield from Sunniva, though Eivor mentioned that it needed its own touch to make it unique. Vili directed her to an exiled craftsman who could help while he himself went to look for his father's spear. Eivor traveled to Peak Cavern and met the hermit, who asked her to build a cairn to prove that she had a steady hand and heart. After doing so, Eivor picked a design for the funeral shield, which the hermit made, and returned with the shield to Hemthorpe.[168]
Eivor took Sunniva's advice and visited Hemming's seer to help decide who would be Snotinghamscire's next jarl. Eivor found the seer in her house and was led to The Sleeping Jotun, though not before taking two sheep with her. The seer instructed Eivor to climb the mountain, consume its waters, and meditate at its peak. Eivor did so and eventually meditated.[169]
Eivor awoke and turned around to see an apparition of Hemming, who told her that it was her responsibility to choose the next jarl, though she refuted, stating that it had always been his. The spirit then accused Eivor of trying to take Sigurd's spot as jarl, which she denied, and the two engaged in combat. Eivor eventually defeated draugr Hemming in battle before he walked to Odin, who had appeared in the skies. After Hemming went to Valhalla, Eivor awoke from her meditation and visited The Sleeping Jotun's viewpoint before heading down.[169]
Eivor witnessing the argument between Vili and Trygve
Back at Odin's Rest, Eivor spoke to Sunniva, who mentioned that Trygve had no intention to become jarl. Nearby, Eivor watched an argument between Vili and Trygve, the latter of whom wanted to end his life, deeming himself too unfit and fragile to rule. As she spectated, Odin appeared beside Eivor once more, telling her to claim the shire for herself. She refused, pointing out the pros and cons of both men as jarls. After eventually ending the argument, Eivor left and meditated.[170]
Eivor was woken up soon after by Sunniva, who told her that Vili had gone to chase down Picts. Eivor and Sunniva went after him, tracking him down to the Odin Mine Hideout. Sunniva left and Eivor went in alone, soon finding Vili battling the Picts. Eivor joined him and the two defeated the Picts before leaving the mine. Making their way to Odin's Hovel, the two old friends sat down and reminisced about their past. After a long conversation, the two rested before Vili went back to Hemthorpe, with Eivor following soon after.[170]
Eivor arrived at Hemming's funeral and met with her allies Hjorr and Halfdan, who had come to honor the late jarl. Eivor gave Vili her shield and proceeded to stand by him as he delivered a speech. If Trygve had not sacrificed himself, Eivor then chose the new jarl of Snotinghamscire and secured an alliance with the Clan Hemmingsons.[171] Afterwards, Eivor returned to Ravensthorpe and reported to Randvi.[172]
Wincestre and the King of Wessex[]
Eivor and Hytham discussing the letter from the Poor Fellow Soldier
By 877, Hytham received another letter from "the Poor Fellow Soldier of Christ," the same moniker that had been present in Jorvik and Lunden. Eivor met with Hytham and discussed the letter, which invited the former to a secret meeting in Wincestre. After speaking with Randvi for more insight on Wincestre, which was a city directly under King Alfred's rule and thus dangerous to Vikings, Eivor proceeded to Wincestre with caution.[173]
In Wincestre, Eivor found her final Hidden One bureau, the Venta Belgarum bureau. After looting Suttungr's Claw and the final page of The Magas Codex,[51] Eivor traveled to The Old Minster that was mentioned in the letter from the Poor Fellow Soldier. There, she met a "man in white", Sigebeald, and recited the Bible passage "When pride cometh, then cometh shame. But with the lowly cometh wisdom." as she had been instructed to do in the letter. However, Sigebeald felt he could not fully trust Eivor yet and asked her to retell the major events of Christ's story in order.[174]
After passing Sigebeald's test, Eivor was led to a room upstairs to meet her contact, who turned out to be King Alfred himself. At first surprised to see the king, Eivor recalled their brief encounter in Oxenefordscire three years prior, when Alfred had allowed Fulke to take Sigurd prisoner. After Eivor revealed that she had eliminated Fulke, the king congratulated her and revealed that he too was an enemy of the Order before handing her a letter signed by the Poor Fellow Soldier.[174]
Eivor receiving a warning from King Alfred
The letter provided the cryptonyms of three Order members operating in Wincestre: "The Gallows", "The Quill", and "The Seax". Alfred mentioned that the Seax was Bishop Ealhferth, who was supposedly dead, leaving only two targets to track down and eliminate. He then mentioned that his reeve Goodwin had been pursuing leads on the Ancients' identities until he went missing recently, asking Eivor to find him. Before the shieldmaiden departed, Alfred cautioned her to avoid causing trouble in his city.[174]
Eivor began her search at Goodwin's estate, which was surrounded by Saxon guards. She investigated the scene and found two letters from the Gallows and the Quill. Eivor then left Goodwin's home and traveled to the Wincestre Garrison, where she freed several prisoners and found Goodwin's research papers on the Order members. Eivor eventually found Goodwin himself and the two escaped the garrison, regrouping outside. The Viking handed the reeve his research papers and the two spoke about Selwyn, Goodwin's fellow reeve who was suspected of being the Gallows.[174]
Eivor consequently set off to assassinate Selwyn, who was at the town market overseeing a trial. Eivor watched as Selwyn sentenced a man named Hubert and his wife Leona to death for speaking against Bishop Ealhferth and thus King Alfred. After the executioner chopped off Hubert's head, Eivor made her move and assassinated Selwyn. In her visions, Eivor was joined by Odin once more. A tree with a noose lowered behind Selwyn, and after a tense confrontation, the Ancient was hung. Eivor retrieved Selwyn's Order medallion and awoke from her visions before fleeing from the guards who attacked her.[175]
Eivor discussing the Quill with Alfred and Goodwin
Eivor reported to Alfred and Goodwin at The Nun's Minster. After watching an exchange between Alfred and a young girl, the king mentioned that Eivor had caused chaos in Wincestre. The three then discussed the Quill, who had been reaching out to the children of the city. Eivor decided to speak with several children in the hopes they would lead her to her target, to which Goodwin advised her to try not to scare them. In response, Eivor, while looking at Alfred, stated that she could not promise anything as Norse people like herself were the "monsters" of bedtime stories told by Anglo-Saxon mothers to their children.[176]
After Alfred and Goodwin left, Eivor noticed the young girl who had been with the king moments before. After speaking with her, Eivor followed the girl to a nearby area with several other children. There, she found a boy being questioned by a guard. Eivor dealt with the guard and spoke with the boy, who had been stealing apples. Eivor questioned the boy about the Quill and was recommended to find Aelwyn and Wigbert. [176]
Nearby, Eivor found the two children setting fire to a haystack with two guards approaching them. The two kids ran off, with the guards following in pursuit. Eivor eventually found Aelwyn, who had escaped the guards. Eivor spoke with the girl and was later joined by Wigbert before two thugs approached the children, accusing them of thievery. Eivor defeated the thugs, who Aelwyn revealed to be the Quill's men. The two children then assured Eivor that they were not working for the Quill, and gave her a key before directing her to the sewers.[176]
Eivor and Odin confronting Hilda
While exploring the sewers, Eivor found several enslaved children and eventually found herself in a corridor with a singular table. As she approached the table, Eivor heard the voices of Aelwyn and the Quill, a woman named Hilda, behind her, and realized that she had been tricked. The shieldmaiden ultimately managed to escape the trap and eliminated Hilda and her guards. In her visions, Eivor was once again joined by Odin as she confronted her target, who was surrounded by the shadows of the children she had taken.[176]
Hilda tried to justify her actions, claiming that she had been 'saving' Wincestre's children by employing them as spies and thieves, but Eivor pointed out that in doing so she had robbed them of their innocence. Realizing the error of her ways, Hilda slit her throat with a quill and vanished, allowing Eivor to claim her Order medallion. The shieldmaiden then went to report to Goodwin, who was waiting for her at an alehouse.[176]
Eivor and Goodwin discussed their final target, Bishop Ealhferth, the Seax, who was believed to be dead. Unconvinced, Eivor decided to attend the bishop's funeral at Saint Peter's Church. After asking around, she found a man named Wemba who had recently lost his friend Leof. Eivor concluded that it was not the bishop's corpse at the funeral, but rather Leof's. Eivor then questioned Ealhferth's sister Harriet, eventually catching her off guard and gaining the truth out of her. After dealing with several guards summoned by Harriet, Eivor interrogated her and learned that Ealhferth had faked his death and planned to overthrow King Alfred.[177]
Eivor assassinating Ealhferth
Eivor traveled to Witan Hall, where Alfred was giving a speech. With Ealhferth hidden among the crowd, Eivor waited for her target to reveal himself and struck him down before he could assassinate Alfred. In her visions, Ealhferth expressed his contempt for both Danes, who had killed his mother, and Alfred and his God, whom he saw as weak, and warned Eivor that his death would not destroy the Order, but rather transform it into something worse. He then handed the Viking his medallion, along with a key, and walked into his grave.[177]
Awakening from her visions, Eivor briefly spoke with Alfred, who thanked her for saving his life, before the king retreated to the Old Minster for his protection. Just then, Harriet walked in and, seeing her brother's corpse, angrily accused Eivor of murdering Ealhferth. The Viking calmed her down and questioned her about her brother's key, to which Harriet told her to investigate Ealhferth's home. Arriving at the Bishop's Residence, Eivor used the key to unlock a secret passageway to the Temple of Mithras, where she found a letter from Fulke, which she pocketed for Hytham, as well as a decree from someone known as "The Father".[177]
Following this, Eivor went to the Old Minster to meet with Alfred and Goodwin, though as she entered she found herself surrounded by soldiers. Alfred then greeted Eivor and told her not to mistake necessity for friendship, revealing that he had used Eivor to purge the Order from Wincestre and that she was no longer welcome in the city. However, in accordance with his Christian beliefs, the king was willing to give Eivor a chance to "save her soul" by converting to Christianity.[177]
Eivor being offered a chance to convert to Christianity
As Goodwin presented Eivor with a silver cross and advised her to accept Alfred's offer, the shieldmaiden took the cross before taunting Alfred, telling him that his reign over Wessex would soon come to an end. In response, a disappointed Alfred told Goodwin that he had been wrong about Eivor and that the Viking was "beyond saving". After Alfred and Goodwin left the church, the soldiers attacked Eivor but she was able to defeat them and subsequently fled Wincestre, which was now on high alert.[177]
Back in Ravensthorpe, Eivor spoke with Randvi and updated her on the situation in Wincestre, mentioning that they were no longer welcomed in the city.[178]
Return to Norway[]
- "I do not speak of death, Eivor. I speak of life! Life and glory everlasting! I know I have been in a fog these last few weeks. I know I speak words you don't fully understand. But I only ask you trust me once more. On my final voyage. Back to Norway, to wish my father farewell, and achieve my destiny."
- ―Sigurd asking Eivor to accompany him to Norway and to Valhalla, 877.[src]-[m]
Later that year, Eivor spoke with Randvi, who mentioned that her presence was requested by Sigurd. Eivor met with her brother, who told her that he believed his time in Midgard was done and that he wished to reach Valhalla. He then asked Eivor to accompany him back to Norway to bid farewell to their father and find Sigurd's "final destiny." Eivor spoke with Randvi, who gave her a heads-up on Styrbjorn. Afterwards, Eivor found Sigurd at the docks and the two set sail for Norway.[179]
Confronting Styrbjorn[]
- Styrbjorn: "What happened to my son? What turmoil did he see that took his arm and darkened his mood?"
- Eivor: "He saw his father for what he truly was. A coward who faced his enemies with more honesty than he did his family."
- Styrbjorn: "I was a father to you, Eivor."
- Eivor: "I have no father."
- —Eivor and Styrbjorn arguing, 877.[src]-[m]
As Eivor's crew drew closer to the Norwegian shores, Eivor and Sigurd spoke of King Harald, as well as their father Styrbjorn's betrayal. The longship soon arrived in Alrekstad and the siblings disembarked before heading to the town tavern, where Styrbjorn was rumored to be staying. Along the way, they overheard a man and a woman talking about Styrbjorn, mentioning that he was a helpless, broken man who never left the tavern.[180]
Eivor and Sigurd looking upon a depressed Styrbjorn
Entering the tavern, Eivor and Sigurd found a depressed Styrbjorn, slumped over with mead at a table. Sigurd woke his father, who turned around in surprise and greeted them both. Sigurd did not return the same joy and angrily lashed at Styrbjorn for his failures as a father, a king, and a man. Styrbjron apologized to his children for not informing them of his plan to surrender his throne to Harald, but did not regret his decision, believing he had done what was best for his people. After Eivor expressed her own disapproval of her adoptive father's action, she and Sigurd left the tavern, bidding Styrbjorn farewell.[180]
On the docks, Sigurd told Eivor about his visions, mentioning a door in Hordafylke and the Saga Stone above it, Yggdrasil, and the Norse gods. Eivor spoke of her own visions, as well as Valka's prophecy and that a great betrayal was going to happen soon. The two then boarded their longship and resumed their voyage, during which Eivor spoke about the affairs in England and the conflict between Guthrum and King Alfred, only for Sigurd to express his lack of concern for "earthly" affairs. A blizzard appeared before the longship, but the crew managed to traverse through it and eventually arrived at their destination on the shores near Goinnhellir.[180]
Seeking Valhalla[]
Eivor acquiring Gungnir
Disembarking the longship, Sigurd instructed the crew to stay behind while he and Eivor proceeded to trot through the snowstorm, eventually reaching an icy lake next to a cave entrance. Eivor broke the ice blocking the cave and the two entered, finding a large door. While Sigurd inspected the door, Eivor briefly ventured off the main path and found Gungnir, the spear once wielded by Odin, embedded in another door. She decided to claim it for herself and instinctively slammed it on the ground, much like Odin had done in her visions.[181]
Returning to Sigurd, Eivor watched as her brother recited a passage in an unknown language to open the door. Behind it lay a large chamber, where the siblings stepped on an elevator-like platform. Sigurd activated the platform and the two were lowered. During their descent, Eivor spoke in awe of everything she was witnessing while Sigurd assured her that the shrine ahead of them was rightfully theirs and would take them to Valhalla. The two eventually arrived at the large, glowing tree that appeared in front of them: the Yggdrasil.[181]
The siblings crossed a long bridge leading to the colossal, mechanical tree, where Eivor made note of Valka's mother Svala hanging from one of the six branches. They eventually arrived at a pedestal, which Sigurd expressed familiarity with. He then walked to the center of the tree, where he was taken by one of the branches that attached to his back and lifted him up. Eivor looked at her brother, who was unconscious and suspended in the air next to Svala. Eivor herself soon found herself in the same situation as one of the branches attached onto her back and lifted her up, rendering her unconscious as well.[181]
Eivor battling Sigurd in the Valhalla simulation
Eivor awoke in a room reminiscent of her own in Ravensthorpe. She looked around before walking outside, where hundreds of Einherjar warriors stood feasting in what appeared to be Valhalla. Eivor approached a golden gate, where she found Sigurd, with both his arms, and Svala speaking with one another. Eventually, a battle horn sounded and the golden gate opened. Eivor and Sigurd rushed out into the golden fields, where several warriors fought one another. They both experienced great strength, and were able to kill any soldier in a single attack.[181]
After killing many enemy warriors, Eivor was called by her brother, who challenged her to a fight. A ring of warriors formed around the two and the siblings dueled one another, with Sigurd eventually going down in a couple of strikes. Eivor chopped off Sigurd's right arm and felt worried, though Sigurd assured her that he was not hurt and that his injury would soon heal. A battle horn sounded once more after the fight and everything faded to black.[181]
Eivor awoke once more in the room and walked out, hearing the same cheers and compliments as before. She again found Sigurd, whose arm had grown back, and after a quick exchange, the battle horn went off and the gate reopened. Eivor ran out to the field and fought more warriors before growing tired and finding Sigurd, who had again lost his right arm. Nearby, she spotted a warrior that appeared to be her father Varin, though she was not able to confirm this as the day reset once more.[181]
Sigurd introducing a simulation of Varin to Eivor
Awakening back in the room, Eivor sought to find her father, asking around the hall of the slain, though no one had seen him. She eventually found who she believed to be Varin, though the battle gates opened once more and the warrior ran out. Eivor followed closely behind but soon lost him in the field of warriors. Looking around, Eivor saw Sigurd, again having lost his right arm, and eventually caught sight of her father. She ran to the man, who turned around and revealed himself to be a regular warrior. Eivor was not disappointed for long as she was soon struck by a volley of arrows, one of which hit her left eye, the same eye Havi had lost in her visions.[181]
The battle horn sounded again and Eivor awoke in the room for the fourth time. This time, she was greeted by Sigurd, who introduced the 'true' Varin. However, Eivor, still believing that her father had died a coward and did not belong in Valhalla, threw a knife at Varin, who turned to dust. Realizing that nothing of what she was experiencing was real and that she had merely entered a simulation, Eivor began questioning its purpose. She followed Sigurd to the dining hall, where she spoke to Svala and expressed her feelings that none of them belonged there.[181]
Svala tried to convince Eivor to stay, showing her all of her friends and family sitting around a table and enjoying themselves. However, they all turned to dust once Eivor realized they were not real either, and the shieldmaiden voiced her desire to return to the real world, refusing to live inside a false reality. Svala understood her choice but elected to remain inside the simulation due to the immortality it granted. Eivor wished her well and left to find Sigurd so they could leave together. Reluctant at first, Sigurd eventually agreed to abandon the simulation after Eivor explained that it was better to experience true glory.[181]
Eivor encountering Odin
However, at that moment, Odin appeared beside Eivor and forbade her from leaving, causing Eivor to fall unconscious. When she awakened, she found herself in the same void from her visions, where Odin invited her to walk with him. As they walked, Odin showed Eivor holograms of her past adventures and accomplishments before bringing her to a familiar archway; the same one he had shown her at Cyne Belle Castle.[181]
When the god asked her to remain in the simulation, claiming he had guided her there, Eivor retorted that she had forged her own path while Odin was just a "fly, buzzing in [her] ear", and ordered him to stand aside. Angered, Odin slammed Gungnir into the ground, causing a blast of golden lightning to burst, which knocked Eivor backwards. The two engaged in combat, with Eivor holding nothing but her father's axe. The shieldmaiden was continuously brought down, with her opponent not taking any damage whatsoever.[181]
Soon, a shining gate similar to the ones in Ásgarðr appeared far away, with Sigurd standing at the base of a set of stairs. Eivor ran to him in an attempt to leave the simulation, though Odin pulled her back by controlling her axe. She continued to battle and run, each time being pulled back. Sigurd was joined by other allies, including Randvi, Gunnar, Valka, and more. Eivor eventually unequipped her axe and ran to the gate, where Odin chased after her and kicked her axe back at her. Eivor refused to pick it up and as Odin approached her, the shieldmaiden unleashed her Hidden Blade and swung at the god, knocking him backwards.[181]
Eivor approaching her parents, Varin and Rosta
Angered, Odin slammed Gungnir into the ground and knocked Eivor to the floor. Sigurd and Hytham ran out, with the latter helping bring Eivor to her feet. Eivor then saw her parents, Varin and Rosta, at the bottom of the staircase, and embraced them. Odin stood up and grabbed onto Eivor's hand one last time, making his final offer of wisdom, power, and glory and asking what more could Eivor possibly need. She simply replied "Everything else", causing Odin to be dragged away and vanish while Eivor joined her loved ones in walking out the gate and thus out of the simulation.[181]
Basim's betrayal[]
Eivor awoke back in the Yggdrasil chamber and looked around for Sigurd, finding him being held at knifepoint by Basim, who had followed the siblings. Basim cryptically claimed that Eivor was the person he had been looking for for a long time and challenged her to fight him before releasing Sigurd. After quickly checking on her brother, who was unharmed, Eivor confronted Basim, who stated that he sought revenge for his son and urged the Viking to look into "the wellspring of [her] memory." Not understanding what Basim was referring to, Eivor assumed that he had gone mad and reluctantly fought him.[181]
As Eivor and Basim dueled, the Hidden One used his stealth tools, including throwing knives and smoke bombs, to try and catch the Viking off-guard. He eventually managed to pin her to the ground and take a closer look at her neck, though the mark he was looking for was partially covered by Eivor's scars. After Eivor pushed Basim off, the two continued their fight as the platform they were standing on suddenly began to ascend. Upon reaching the top, Basim used a smoke bomb to vanish and made his way back towards Sigurd, intending to kill him for "choosing the wrong side."[181]
Basim pinning Eivor to the ground
Eivor tried to warn her brother while chasing after Basim, and managed to prevent the Hidden One's attack by throwing Sigurd's discarded axe at him. The two then resumed their duel, during which Sigurd made his way to the pedestal controlling Yggdrasil and instructed Eivor to stun Basim at the center of the machine. Once she had done so, Sigurd directed one of Yggdrasil's branches to latch onto Basim, lifting him into the air and trapping his consciousness inside the Grey.[181]
Though Basim had managed to stab Eivor in the abdomen with his Hidden Blade, the wound proved non-fatal and the shieldmaiden sat down with Sigurd for a talk. After reflecting on their adventures together and the many disagreements that arose between them during their time in England, Sigurd appointed Eivor as the Raven Clan's new jarlskona before deciding whether he would accompany his sister back to Ravensthorpe or stay in Norway to continue searching for his destiny. Either way, Eivor respected Sigurd's choice and the two left the Yggdrasil chamber.[181]
Before sailing to England, Eivor visited Styrbjorn one final time in Alrekstad to inform him of Sigurd's fate and bid her adoptive father farewell for good.[182] She also spoke to King Harald, dismissing his concerns that she had come to wage war against him. Instead, she asked him to look after Styrbjorn and make sure he was treated with respect and dignity during his final days, which Harald agreed to do.[183]
The Raven Clan celebrating their new leader
Eivor eventually returned home with her crew and was greeted by Tove. She soon approached the longhouse and sat on the jarl's chair, symbolizing her new leadership over the clan. As all of Ravensthorpe's residents gathered inside the longhouse to celebrate her safe return, Eivor vowed to be a good leader to them and asked only that they be honest with her in return. Bragi then began singing a skaldic verse, with Eivor and everyone else joining in.[184]
Pacifying England[]
Invasion of Hamtunshire[]
Eivor being warned by Valka
In 878, after some time as the new jarlskona of the Raven Clan, Eivor met with Randvi and pledged to Hamtunscire. Randvi told Eivor of King Alfred and his Saxon army, and that they were preparing for war. Guthrum and Ubba had gathered a large force and were planning to strike. Before Eivor left, she was stopped by Valka, who warned her that they would win the upcoming battle, but not the war. Eivor chose to go anyways, and the seer warned her to go with care.[185]
Eivor traveled southwest to Werham, where she met with her old ally Soma. Eivor previously noted the Norse and Saxon flags flying side by side. She asked of the peace, which Soma updated her friend on Guthrum, who was attempting to make peace with King Alfred. Knowing of Alfred's mischievous methods, Soma told Eivor to join Guthrum at the peace meeting. Eivor entered the church, where she found Guthrum arguing with Alfred and Goodwin. Guthrum was arguing for kingship as Eivor intervened, challenging the Saxons. The Saxon guards in the church left as Alfred made a remark on Ubba's death during the Battle of Cynwit. The two Vikings left the church in disbelief. Eivor recalled what had happened in Wincestre, and decided to command the warriors to burn the village to the ground.[185]
Eivor and Guthrum planning their next strike
After burning down the village and killing the Saxon soldiers, Eivor and Soma led their Danes out of the village and into Wishtman's Wood. Along their path, they encountered more Saxons and eliminated them. Vengeful, Eivor soon defeated the enemy Saxons and their reinforcements. The group eventually arrived at a set of Roman ruins in the woods, where Eivor and Guthrum devised a plan to attack the Hamtun Blockade, where Guthrum's men were being held hostage. Before y they left, Guthrum remarked Eivor's improvement since their first encounter in Portcestre. Eivor and Guthrum set off to the blockade, which they infiltrated and liberated. Afterwards, Guthrum complimented Eivor and left to the camp at Cippanhamm, their final target.[185]
Eivor readying her allies for battle
Eivor herself went to confirm Ubba's status at a camp along the River Avon underneath the Afon Blockade. She eventually found the camp and found Ubba propped up and pierced through his chest with two spears. Eivor honored her friend and read a nearby note, which was Alfred's orders to Lord Odda to attack Ubba's camp. Eivor left and reunited with Soma and Guthrum at the camp near Cippanham. Eivor confirmed Ubba's death and went to talk to all of her allies who had come to her call for aid. Among this group included Broder, Finnr, Erke, Stowe, Geadric, Bishop Deorlaf, Ljufvina, Hjorr, Hunwald, Eluric, Vili, and Tewdwr. After speaking with her allies, Eivor was ready for battle.[186]
Battle of Cippanhamm[]
At the Battle of Cippanhamm, the Eivor ran into Cippanhamm with her allies of the Great Heathen Army and beyond. As fighting and fire grew around her, Eivor entered the church of the village, in order to confront Alfred, though instead was greeted by Goodwin, who told her that Alfred had fled from battle. The two fought and Eivor eventually came out victorious. Eivor left the dead Goodwin and went outside, where he fought alongside Soma. Eivor watched as Soma continued to fight the enemy warriors, eventually being impaled by one. Soma eliminated her opponent and cheered, though was eventually killed from behind, angering Eivor. Eivor then went to help her other allies, including Guthrum, Deorlaf, and Tewdwr, who were at the village hall. Eivor helped Guthrum tie up a prisoner and then left for the Cippanhamm Garrison, where Border, Erke, and Stowe fought.[186]
Arriving at the garrison, Eivor helped opened the garrison's gates and helped secure it. She then went to found Ljufvina and Hjorr, and was told that one of the Saxon boys had been injured. Eivor looked for them and found a wounded Hunwald and carried him into a farmhouse, where he succumbed to his wounds. Eluric stayed behind as Eivor found her allies and helped them fight more Saxons. Eventually, Eivor and her allies defeated the Saxons, and gathered after the battle.[186]
Eivor honoring her deceased friends
Eivor went around and spoke with all of her friends. She talked to Broder, who was recovering from Brothir's death and continued to mourn for him. She spoke with Vili, who was still in the thrill of battle. Eivor then spoke with Erke, who made note of Stowe, who had been guilty of the blood at his hands. Eivor comforted the reeve and moved on to Eluric, who felt guilty over Hunwald's death. Eivor complimented the boy on his strength and then tended to Ljufvina, who was kneeled before the corpse of her husband. Surprised at Hjorr's death, Eivor comforted her at his corpse, which laid alongside that of Soma and Hunwald. She also spoke with Tewdwr, who was glad that both religions fought alongside each other and admitting that his views on the Norse paganism had changed. Eivor spoke with Geadric and Bishop Deorlaf as well, and spoke of Alfred, who had escaped.[186]
Eivor comforting Swanburrow after Hunwald's death
After tending to all of her allies, Eivor spoke with Guthrum and was ready to honor the deceased warriors, mainly Soma, Hunwald, and Hjorr. Eivor gave a speech to the crowd and afterwards, spoke to Guthrum, who hinted towards a spark of Christianity within him.[186] Before leaving, she found Geirmund and offered her condolences over his father's death. While he wanted to speak with Guthrum, she stopped the warrior and advised him that he needed to be wise and patient. While Geirmund began to wait, Eivor offered a place for him and his mother Ljufvina at Ravensthorpe before riding back to her settlement.[187] Afterwards, Eivor returned home and reported to Randvi, and also comforted Swanburrow over Hunwald's death.[188]
Gunnar's wedding[]
After returning home from Hamtumscire, Eivor spoke with Gunnar at his forge and convinced him to finally marry Brigid. Eivor gathered the residents of Ravensthorpe to a nearby clifftop, where a makeshift chapel was built for the ceremony. At the wedding, Eivor married the two and watched as they spoke their wedding vows before they kissed. The audience cheered and Eivor went to celebrate with the crowd, speaking with Hytham, Valka, and more. Eivor then went and found Randvi, who asked Eivor to walk with her. During their walk, the two reflected on the success of Eivor as Ravensthorpe's leader, as well as Randvi's hidden feelings for Eivor. After sharing a moment at a river, the two returned to the wedding.[189]
Purging the Order[]
During her adventures in England, Eivor aided Hytham in ridding England of the Order of the Ancients. Aside from Kjotve, Wigmund, Fulke, Gorm, and Herefrith, as well as the targets in Lunden, Jorvik, and Wincestre, Eivor also assassinated many members of the Order of the Ancients throughout various other areas of England, including Hunta in Ledecetre and Leofgifu in Utbech, both of whom she had gained intel on from Hytham when she first built the Hidden Ones bureau in Ravensthorpe. Gorm's death in England marked the end of the Wardens of War sect of the Order.[190]
Eivor confronting Cola in his final moments
Eivor had fought and defeated several Zealots of the Order during her travels which had been scattered throughout England. This included Eorforwine and Kendall in Grantebridgescire, Redwalda in Ledecestrescire, Cola and Osgar in Lincolnscire, Wuffa in East Anglia, Horsa and Cudberct in Oxenfordscire, Wealdmaer in Sciropescire, Woden in Cent, Heike in Essexe, Hrothgar in Suthsexe, Beorhtsige in Glowecestrescire, Callin in Eurviscire, and Bercthun in Hamtunscire. Heike, Woden, and Hrothgar all held artifacts known as Treasures of Britain which Eivor looted as well.[190]
Eivor recieved a hint from Leofgifu that led her to Saint Albanes Abbey and eventually to Oxenforda, where she assassinated a Warden of Wealth, a blacksmith named Patrick. In Lincoln, Eivor found and assassinated Havelok, who was apprentice to Eivor's old foe Herefrith. At the docks of Buckingham, a shipbuilder named Mucel was another target of Eivor, and was eventually killed while he was on a break from his job. Mucel's death led Eivor to a set of clues that brought her to the Forest Hideout in Theotford Forest of East Anglia. These four deaths, along with that of Wigmund and Herefrith, led Eivor to the Maegester of the Wardens of Wealth, Tatfrid, who she found and assassinated in Grantebridge.[190]
Killing Havelok or Bercthun led Eivor to Beneseck of Bath, a man who oversaw a graveyard at Brimclif Monastery. Eivor and her crew eventually raided the monastery, with Beneseck being one of the many casualties. Eivor also assassinated a woman named Heika in Colcestre, where she was selling poisonous fish. In Fearnhamme, Hamtumscire, Eivor found and killed Yohanes Loukas while he was walking through the streets of the town. Eivor finished off the Wardens of Faith branch by hunting down their Maegester, Sister Blaeswith. Eivor found and assassinated the nun in Canterbury.[190]
Eivor speaking with the last member of the Wardens of Law, Reeve Derby
In Glowecestre, Eivor eliminated Eanbhert, whom she had found off a clue from Hunta. The clue off of Eanbhert led the shieldmaiden to Quatford, where she assassinated another Ancient named Tata as he stood by the stables of the town. Tata's death gave Eivor a clue to her next target, which she followed to Ledecestre and Cweornric before arriving at Repton, where she located and assassinated her target, a woman named Gunilla. Eivor turned her attention the the last member of the Wardens of Law, the Maegester Reeve Derby. Eivor traveled northward to Picheringa and assassinated the leader of the Wardens of Law, ending their activities.[190]
After the Battle of Cippanhamm in 878, Eivor had assassinated all four leaders, as well as Fulke during the Siege of Portcestre, and soon reported to Hytham.[190] Hytham told Eivor that he had received a letter, one from the Poor Fellow-Soldier of Christ, the same mysterious title who has been helping Eivor since Lunden. The person requested to meet Eivor at Athelnay. Hytham suspected the identity of the Poor Fellow-Soldier to be Basim, and Eivor set off to confirm his identity. Eivor took and read the letter, which stated that Poor Fellow-Soldier would help him find and kill her last target-the Grand Maegester of the Order.[191]
Eivor traveled to Athelnay, where she found and spoke to one of the villagers, who told her to pass time as she waited for her mysterious friend. Eivor went to a nearby tree and napped, though was later awoken by a conversation between a woman and man, who happened to be none other than Alfred the Great himself.[192]
Alfred revealing himself as both the Poor Fellow-Soldier and the Order's Grand Maegester
Eivor went to the former king and spoke with him, surprised that he was tending cakes for the villagers. The two walked for a bit as Alfred explained that he had found peace in his new life. Eivor then asked who the Grand Maegester was, and Alfred handed her his Order medallion, revealing himself to be the Grand Maegester as well. Alfred told the surprised Eivor that he had inherited that title, and did not agree with their defiance of God. Alfred told Eivor that he and Goodwin planned to destroy the Order from within, and with help from Eivor, managed to do so successfully. Alfred also mentioned that he planned to form a new, Christian order for the "betterment of man." Alfred then left to tend to more cakes, though not before giving Eivor a key to his study.[192]
Eivor traveled back to Wincestre and made her way to The Old Minster, where she found Alfred's study on the second floor and unlocked it. Inside, Eivor read a multitude of papers, including a commentary that mentioned the Order's Father of Understanding, Mother of Wisdom, and Sacred Voice, and that Alfred's new order would only follow the one true Father of Understanding. She also read a letter from Alcuin of Eororwic to Charlemagne which explained the Isu, their artifacts, and the reborn Isu, which Alcuin wanted Charlemagne to eradicate. She lastly read a letter from Goodwin, whose men had followed Eivor and Sigurd home after the Assault on Tamworth Fortress with the Sons of Ragnar, and had found the Hidden One Hytham, who could be used to help eradicate the Order.[192]
Eivor speaking with Hytham of Alfred
Eivor then left the study and returned to Hytham to reveal the identity of the Poor Fellow-Soldier, as well as the Grand Maegester. Hytham, who knew that Eivor now had experience with the Hidden Ones' enemies, asked if Eivor had wanted to join their cause, though Eivor declined the offer, as she didn't like the idea of staying hidden in the shadows. After giving Hytham all of the Order medallions, including Alfred's, Eivor was taught several new abilities and was granted Thor's Cape in gratitude for helping the Hidden Ones.[190]
Eivor also turned in the six pages of The Magas Codex she had found throughout England, to which he had acceepted gleefully and remarked on the little history they had. Hytham mentioned that the merchant Reda had known more, so Eivor paid the child a visit. Reda mentioned that he had a piece of text from an Egyptian named Bayek, which was one of his rarest artifacts. Eivor read the letter, in which Bayek told his wife of a codex that had been passed around to the acolytes of various bureaus that had named her as one of the founders of the Hidden Ones. To protect her, Bayek advised her to destroy all pages of The Magas Codex. After reading the letter, Eivor left Reda's stand.[51]
The Hidden Codex[]
Raid and capture[]
Eivor and her ally jumping to the longship with Edward
In the late 9th century, Eivor led a raid on Readingum Abbey. Unbeknownst to the Abbey Eivor had disguised herself and an ally as Christians so as her men attacked from the nearby forest she and her ally slipped into the fortress on a cart, acting as if the Vikings were chasing them. The two infiltrated the abbey in the panic and made their way to the Copyist chamber were their price was, a young monk named Edward. She gave Edward the choice between going with her or losing his hands. He chose the former and Eivor dragged him out of the church before setting fire to it.[193]
As they made their way outside with the boy Edward questioned if they were going take any treasure, to which Eivor responded that they had surveilled the monastery for weeks and deemed Edward was the true treasure due to being the region's best copyist. Eivor fended off a couple guards on their way and the three of them made it to the wall overlooking the river. As a longship passed in the river beneath them, Edward questioned Eivor about what they would do to him if the ransom was not paid, to which she responded in jest that he could hazard a guess considering how much the monks wrote on Vikings. And the trio jumped into the boat.[193]
Back in Ravensthorpe[]
Bringing the captured monk back to the Ravensthorpe, Eivor gave the boy to Hytham who took Edward under his wing and put him to work in his bureau. A month passes and Edward escapes his captivity two times but is always recaptured by the hunter Niels. Needing to speak with her friend she makes an excuse that exotic wares had arrived that Hytham needed to help with so the two left Edward alone in the bureau. Having seen Hytham be impressed by Edward she reminds Hytham to not get too attached to Edward saying hes even more undisciplined than she was when Hytham offered her to join his Order. Hytham explained that Having skills whom are interesting for his order doesn't mean joining it. Eivor then asked about Niels and hytham acknowledged he too had impressive skills.[193]
Eivor vouching that Niels get Edward
Unbeknownst to the both of them had Edward escaped for a third time, this time making it out into the woods before Niels dragged him back to the settlement. Eivor and Hytham joined by Sigurd met up with niels at the edge of the settlement but before they could share a word Niels father Gunnar entered the scene, punching his son in the face and shouting on him leaving their farm unattended. Sigurd breaks up the fight and starts asking what they were going to do with Edward. Eivor wasnt very inspired when having captured Edward and Hytham budds in that he still could be useful, but Eivor objected and said he never obeyed anyone and that since Niels had captured him three times that he should get the say on the matter. Niels did not care for Edward, angering his father who once again swung at his son. Niels this time dodged his father blow and hit him in the leg, felling him to the ground. Niels then freed Edward and went on his way. Eivor asked Hytham if he still was interested in these young men with Hytham answering he was, more than ever.[193]
Eivor and Hytham sending Niels away
Later on in the day Hytham went over to Gunnars home and bought Niels from his abusive father, tasking him on a mission for his order. preparing to leave Hytham and Eivor joined Niels to the edge of Ravensthrope. Niels was still unsure on the mission Hytham was sening him on, to travel to Lunden and join Hythams ally in the Lunden bureau. Hytham reassured Niels and Eivor noted that Hytham once asked her to jump off a cliff and that she thought in that moment that he was mad, but that hytham asking her that was a important step for her saga. Niels thanked Eivor and looked back towards his home, waiting for a moment more but Eivor told Niels that his father wasnt going to come. In a hurry Edward arrived, wishing to join Niels. And so the Two went off away from Ravensthorpe.[193]
Niels' return[]
A few weeks later Niels returned to Ravensthorpe, sitting down with Hytham, Sigurd and Eivor in the longhouse for a drink. He explained all that had happened during his adventure, their travels through Pictish territories and the Loch Ness Temple hidden in the lake. Hytham's ally Adelaïde's death and the destruction of the Artifact and the vault it was held in. Hytham shocked asked if that was all of the story, if he had saved Adelaïde. Sigurd also perturbed commented on that he didnt save the artifact. Eivor stopped both the men and said that Niels saved himself, which was already a good thing. Niels continued to explain that when the vault started collapsing Edward dived into the water to save the codex, niels followed but couldn't save the codex but that he could save Edwards life. Hytham questioned where Edward then was which Niels answered with that he couldn't save his soul. And that his heart hadnt been changed from the journey.
Eivor offering Hytham mead
Niels handed over Adelaïde's hidden blade to Hytham which he said Niels deserved as a hidden one. But Niels stood his ground and said he hadnt changed to their side. Hytham that Niels could have a goal and a family with his group which Niels said he didnt need. Niels told hytham that the monks he had seen were not so different from the hidden ones, that they were always looking for a good time to kill. Hytham argued against saying that they had been fighting for the opressed for centuries. Niels stood up from the table and as he was walking out he told hytham that they should have already won and that in a thousand years his group would still be fighting the same war. Hytham was utterly shocked by Niels words and stood there in silence. Eivor then handed him a mug of mead, saying that to pass the bitter taste of truth mead works the best.[193]
Eivor's Explorations[]
Aside from occasional visits to Norway, Vinland, Ireland, Francia, and the Isle of Skye, Eivor spent the majority of her adult life in England.[3]
The Lost Drengir of Ragnar Lothbrok[]
Eivor standing in front of a defeated Nokkfylla
During Eivor's adventures, she also encountered the Lost Drengir of Ragnar Lothbrok, six elite Vikings that served the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. Northeast of Fornburg, Eivor met her first Lost Drengir, Erik Loyalskull, and challenged him in Hildesvini's Crag, in Rygjafylke, northeast of Fornburg. Eivor defeated the Viking and sent him to Valhalla. In East Anglia, northeast of Northwic, Eivor found and challenged Thor the Fish Monger, successfully defeating him as well. In Eurviscire, Eivor defeated Gotafrid Fairrobes south of the Cnuic Fhada Ruins, and Nokkfylla Shine-Eye at Brunton Turret along Hadrian's Wall. In Snotinghamscire, Eivor killed Skegjold Frenzy-Seeker in Thynghowe, and lastly, the shieldmaiden fought and killed Orwig Neverdeath north of Arlekstad in Hordafylke.[194]
After killing all of Ragnar's lieutenants, Eivor acquired a scroll recalling Ragnar Lothbrok's death. She then traveled to the location of his death, east of Jorvik, and found the snake pit in which the legendary Viking was killed. Eivor dropped down into the pit and killed the snakes, finding the cage that he had been held in. Eivor reimagined the scene, with Ragnar angry at King Aella, and the Ragnar's Drengir arriving too late to save him. Eivor then found a shiny glint in the soil. She bent down and brushed off the dirt to find Drengiligr, Ragnar's weapon forged from Damascus steel. Eivor took the seax and left.[194]
Legendary Animals[]
Aside from the regular animals she encountered throughout her life, Eivor also fought larger or more hostile variants of these animals, creatures only said to be myths. Most of these Legendary Animals were marked by Wallace in the Hunter's Hut in Ravensthorpe. Eivor's first animal was the Elk of Bloody Peaks, west of Fornburg in Rygjafylke. Upon defeating the massive elk, Eivor chopped off it's head as a trophy, and returned it to Wallace in exchange for a tattoo scheme.[3]
Eivor battling the Corpse Feeders
Throughout her adventures, Eivor fought many more Legendary Animals, such as the Black Shuck, an oversized black dog in East Anglia northeast of Sutton Hoo. Once again, Eivor defeated it and claimed it's head. In Sciropescire, Eivor battled the Beast of the Hills, a large grizzly bear in the sewers of the Uriconium Ruins. In Oxenfordscire, Eivor battled three dangerous wolves that made up The Corpse Feeders. In Lincolnscire, Eivor battled a massive, stripped wolf known as the Gemad-Wulf in the ruins of Caistor Lupus. In Suthsexe, Eivor battled Aelfred's Battle-Sow, a white bull said to belong to King Alfred himself. In Eurviscire, north of Snotingham, Eivor battled a legendary boar known as The Blood Swine, and in Hordafylke she fought the Bear of The Blue Waters, a large polar bear on the island of Bolrikbjorn. Eivor's last target were the Wildcats of the Weald, two deadly lynxes in Hamtunscire.[3]
Eivor received many gifts from Wallace for submitting the animal heads, including a variety of tattoo schemes and settlement decoration schemes, as well as Vordr's Bite and Petra's Arc. Eivor also battled four more unmarked animals, including O Yan Do' Ne in Vinland and two more on her later journeys to Ireland and Francia. In her visions as Havi, the All-Father battled Steinnbjorn, a massive bear in Jotunheim.[3]
The Daughters of Lerion[]
Eivor ready to battle Regan
Near and in East Anglia, Eivor fought and the defeated three daughters of the late wealthy ealdorman Lerion, who had been executed over a decade earlier. After battling Regan, Goneril, and Cordelia in Walsham Crag, Spalda Fens, and Berkelow Bog. respectively, Eivor retrieved each piece of Thor's Set that they held as well as a strange bone dagger they all held. She used the daggers as keys in Lerion's Estate to access and gain Thor's Helmet, completing the gear set. With the four armor pieces, as well as the cape that she had received from Hytham previously, Eivor was able to lift and collect the mythical hammer Mjölnir in Norway, where it had landed between Goinnhellir and the Ulvannos Iron Mine.[195]
Finding Excalibur[]
Eivor ready to pull out Excalibur
Throughout her life, Eivor also explored eight caves much like Wiccan's Cave she had explored in Eurviscire. Each contained an artifact known as a Treasure of Britain. Eivor also collected three more Treasures of Britain from the Zealots Heike, Woden, and Hrothgar. With eleven of these tablets in possession, Eivor traveled to Myrddin's Cave, which led to the Isu Barracks underneath Stonehenge, Eivor put in the eleven artifacts, with another already in place for her, to unlock the chamber. Upon entering, Eivor found and pulled out a Sword of Eden known as Excalibur.[3] Eivor's acquisition of Excalibur also caught the attention of a mysterious faction known as the Women of the Mist.[196]
Meeting Azar[]
Eivor meeting Azar, with Hytham
Circa 878, Eivor met a Persian trader at the docks named Azar who requested to meet with Hytham. She soon aided Azar and cleared a nearby blockade to start her trade with Ravensthorpe. Eivor then learned of an invitation sent by her cousin Bárid mac Ímair, who had become the king of Dublin without her knowing.[197]
River Raids[]
Eivor introduced to Vagn
Circa 870s, Eivor found Sunniva with a stranger at the docks of Ravensthorpe. She spoke with the two, and Sunniva introduced the man as Vagn, who had a crew of Jomsvikings and was looking to join Ravensthorpe. Eivor requested nothing but hard work and loyalty, though Vagn offered something more-knowledge on the unmapped rivers of England. Raidng such rivers would provide more resources for the settlement. Eivor built a River Raid Dock, then spoke to Vagn again, who had approved of the dock. Sunniva left and Eivor met with Vagn to prepare to sail the new rivers.[198]
The two boarded Vagn's longship with his Jomsviking crew. They then set sail and arrived in River Exe. As they sailed, Vagn spoke to Eivor about the river, saying that it had once been a smuggling route for Roman traders. They then arrived at and raided Keats Farm and killed the enemy Saxons before looting their goods, including a big ration chest which granted rations for Eivor and the raiders. Eivor returned to the longship and continued sailing as Vagn warned her to stay alert of stronger forces farther into the river.[198]
Eivor raiding a small camp
Eivor then raided a military outpost, where she looted a foreign cargo chest filled with foreign supplies before returning to Vagn. Eivor commented on Vagn's lack of participation in the raid, to which he responded that he no longer raided and was more of a captain. Eivor then raided another monastery and looted another chest before returning home to Ravensthorpe. At home, Vagn, who mentioned Eydis' reputation and wanted to build a seperate Jomsviking Hall for his own Jomsvikings to avoid bothering Eydis. Eivor soon built the Jomsviking Hall for Vagn and his crew, which attracted several more Jomsvikings throughout the years.[198]
The next time Eivor spoke with Vagn, she was told of a set of lost armor belonging to Saint George. Vagn told her of legends of the saint's legacy scattered throughout England, though his scouts had recently uncovered hints of the armor set and made a map for Eivor for both River Exe and River Severn.[199]
Eivor eventually explored both rivers, finding the saint's Tower Shield and Cape in River Exe,[200], and his Bracers and Trousers in River Severn.[201] In both rivers, Eivor found two clues leading to more pieces of Saint George's armor at Escanceaster Monastery in River Exe and Northern Monastery in River Severn. These clues pointed to a third river, River Dee, which Vagn marked on Eivor's map.[202]
Eivor standing off against the Champion of River Dee
In River Dee, Eivor raided multiple more monasteries and military camps, eventually coming across Saint George's Armor and Great Helm.[203] With only one piece of the armor left, Eivor sailed to Deva Victrix, where she battled and defeated the River Champion there and claimed Saint George's Holy Sword for herself. Upon returning to Vagn, the Jomsviking congratulated her on finding the full set, and hinted towards future legends being found.[204]
Travels in Caledonia[]
Fighting the Picts[]
Later the same year beyond Hadrian's Wall, Eivor led a group of her clansmen within Caledonia to combat the invading Picts. Within a battle between her group and a group of Picts, Eivor was aided by both Hytham and his new apprentice, Niamh of Argyll. After the battle, she welcomed Hytham with a hug and noticed Niamh's presence. As Hytham explained Niamh being a new initiate, she quickly accompanied them back to her war camp. Within the camp, Eivor was told of Niamh's recent work and then stated to Niamh of her work to live in peace with all people, in contrast to other Vikings. However, she had to talk with Hytham about recent events within England as they left Niamh with Eivor's warriors.[205]
Losing Excalibur[]
Within Eivor's private tent, Eivor discussed about the ongoing Order influence and their recent partnership with the Descendants of the Round Table, but noted she had to answer the call to Ireland first. Eivor unsheathed Excalibur within her tent as both soon left the tent to find Niamh, who unknowingly was hidden behind Eivor's bed.[205] After a brief moment, she and Hytham soon found a quiet Niamh walking by. Stopping Niamh, Eivor and Hytham talked with her about the nunnery as Niamh tried to leave the conversation. However, she noticed something strange within Niamh's sheath and asked Niamh whose sword she held. With no response, Eivor drew Hytham's sword and accused Niamh of stealing Excalibur for the Order. Eivor engaged Niamh in a heavy fight while Niamh explained she needed it for her people in Avalon before running away. Eivor soon sent her men to track down Niamh, but to no avail. At this moment, Eivor lost ownership of Excalibur.[206]
Wrath of the Druids[]
Traveling to Ireland[]
Circa 879, Eivor once again met with Azar as she agreed to go meet her cousin. Soon, she and Azar set sail and arrived in Dublin.[207]
Helping Bárid[]
Eivor reuniting with her cousin, Bárid
At Dublin's docks, Eivor met with Bárid as they embraced each other and talked about their pasts. However, she soon came into a physical confrontation with Bárid's son, Sichfrith, who was disrespectful of his father's choices. Afterwards, she accompanied Bárid to her uncle's grave but were ambushed by Norse warriors, who worked under a thief named Thorstein. Realizing the problem, Eivor promised to find and deal with Thorstein personally.[2] The next day, she spoke with Sichfrith about any info about the thief. Soon, her trail led to investigate Dubgaill Landing and she soon apprehended him in a cave underneath the camp. She brought him to Bárid, who exiled him in order to show "Christian" mercy, garnering favor from Flann Sinna.[208]
Eivor, Barid and Ciara the night before the coronation
To help Bárid with a gift for Flann's coronation as High King of Ireland, Eivor helped Azar retake Rathdown after ridding the smugglers within the ringfort. However, needing to supply and rebuild, she raided Lambay Abbey, acquired all the supplies, and rebuilt the settlement. She later met with Azar in Dublin and traded the furs from Rathdown for spices, a gift for Flann from Bárid.[209] As Eivor and Bárid readied themselves, Bárid noted that Flann's poetess Ciara ingen Medba was supposed to meet them. Soon, she found and saved Ciara from drunk Northmen as they soon rejoined Bárid to travel to the Hill of Tara for Flann's coronation.[210]
Expanding Flann Sinna's rule[]
While at Tara, Eivor and Bárid were warned of a priest being absent and from their investigation, they found a blood trail. Leading them to Annagh Doo, they found that bandits were hired to kill Flann, killing them in response. Back at Tara, Eivor and other attendees watched Flann be crowned by the Abbot Eogan mac Cartaigh at the Lia Fáil.[210] Traveling to Durrow, she and Bárid met with Flann to initiate an alliance, yet the High King noted that during the coronation, thieves from Dublin stole the coveted Book of Kells. Offering to help, Eivor vowed to return the book and traveled to Inchroe to find it.[211]
Eivor confronting Thorstein
However, Eivor infiltrated the bandit stronghold and found Thorstein again but no book. She was soon informed that the book was sold to a cult conducting their business at Boyne Tombs. Traveling there, she scoured the tomb and retrieved the book from the druid warriors. Heading back to Durrow, she met with both Flann and Eogan and gave him the book, much to the abbot's irritation. Nevertheless, Eivor and Bárid gained some trust from the High King.[211] Soon, she met with Ciara in King's Land and was informed of royal demands sent to Flann by kings of Meath. Thus, she offered to resolve the demands and garnered support from the kings of the county for the High King.[212]
Taking hold of Connacht[]
Arriving in Knockfree, Eivor met with Flann before their discussion for their next step of the conquest in Connacht.[213] Devising to break inside Cashelore, she offered to be a spy and break the gates open from the inside. Sleuthing to the interior of the fortress, she opened the gates as Flann and his forces flooded the ringfort. Within moments, they all overran the fortress. Soon, Eivor celebrate with Flann, Bárid, and Ciara for their success.[214] However, tensions arose once Eivor found Bárid accused of poisoning Flann's soldiers. Along with Ciara, she looked for the truth and a cure for the poisoned soldiers.[215]
Fighting the Children of Danu[]
Following Ciara to Asfinn, Eivor met with druidic priestess Deirdre Na Linni as they discussed the Children of Danu being responsible for the poison and as well as its cure. Swiftly, she followed clues about a member called "The Wren" around Connacht. Investigating Port Auley and Lough Gara, she found out that The Wren was a poetess named Niamh, who was hidden at Rathcroghan. Infiltrating the guarded settlement, Eivor found Niamh and assassinated her. Claiming Niamh's amber shard, she returned to Deirdre and Ciara as the priestess created the cure. As Ciara left to deliver it, Eivor found a clue about another member, "The Cursed," being responsible for the poison.[215]
Eivor seeing the púca
Before leaving Asfinn, Eivor was tasked by Deirdre to find and kill the rest of the Children of Danu around Ireland and return their amber shards.[216] She traveled to Tuam to find any clues about The Cursed and found an underground cave beneath the village. Within the cave, she found clues of The Cursed's upcoming ritual. After meeting with Ciara, both went to Carnagan, a common ritual site. Arriving there, they found tracks of a púca and followed its trail. However, they were soon attacked by it before managing to fight it off.[217]
The Cursed defeated
Following the tracks, Eivor and Ciara arrived at Lackanscaul, where they hear The Cursed performing her ritual. Attacking the High Druid and her acolytes, Eivor and Ciara defeated and killed them, but not before The Cursed revealed Ciara's former ties to the cult. Reconvening at Lough Glendallon, she and Ciara discussed about the poetess' past and how Flann may not be her ally in the end.[217]
Taking hold of Ulster[]
Afterwards, Eivor found herself back Cashelore and discussed with her allies about their next steps. While Bárid met with the kings of Aileach, Eivor aided Flann's cause by resolving royal demands from the kings of Ulster.[218] Meeting with Flann at Clogher, she was informed no word was heard from Bárid and that she needed to infiltrate the village with little to no bloodshed. Needing a King's Pass, Eivor traveled to Donegal and stole a pass from one of the Vikings there. Venturing to Aileach, she found herself in a throne room, meeting with Kings Niall Glúndub and Domnall mac Áeda and seeing a seemingly drunk Bárid.[219]
Eivor and Barid holding the kings prisoner
From their conversation, Eivor saw Bárid faking his drunk state and secretly informed her that the kings imprisoned people within their ringfort. Under a guise of Donegal Dane, she left the room and went to free the prisoners. Soon, she joined her cousin to interrogate the kings, who revealed that Abbot Eogan forced to hold the prisoners there and that he was mounting a force against Flann. While Bárid kept the kings in custody, Eivor rushed back to Clogher to assure Flann left.[219]
Eogan's betrayal[]
Eivor mourning Barid
Eivor arrived to see Flann leave but the High King refused the intel due to his bias against the Vikings. After Bárid arrived, Eivor and her allies were soon swarmed by Eogan's men. Fighting off the onslaught, they managed to hold the abbot's men but lost many soldiers in the process. After the ambush, Eivor soon found Bárid dying from his injuries. She prepared him for Valhalla as he made her promise to help Sichfrith earn Flann's support. Soon, she and her allies found themselves in Dublin, paying respects to Bárid's grave. In the process, she and Flann agreed to support and aid Sichfrith's ascent and reign as King of Dublin.[220]
Vengeance for Bárid[]
In 881, Eivor assisted and calmed down Sichfrith's rage towards the abbot as Azar informed Armagh's forces halted his weapon delivery. Promising to remedy the situation, she was informed of the Children of Danu being responsible and the situation caused by a member called "The Seed".[221] Following Azar's clue, she investigated Movilla Abbey and soon was on the track of another Child of Danu, "The Deer". After finding and assassinating the druid in disguise,[216] she discovered the Seed's identity and location at Dunseverick. At the fortress, she found and assassinated Bécc, only to discover that Eogan was actually the leader of the druid cult.[221]
Eivor and Flann confronting Eogan
By 882, while meeting Flann and Sichfrith, Eivor and her allies devised of their plans to storm Armagh while informing them of Abbot Eogan's true allegiance. After their war conference, she and her forces sieged Armagh and soon she and Flann made their way into the settlement's church. There, they confronted the Abbot Eogan as they revealed their knowledge of his true ties. Nevertheless, she and Flann attacked and killed Eogan, whose last words were to confuse Flann of Ciara's true intentions. With the Ollamh Druid dead, Eivor and her allies won the day and avenged Bárid.[222]
Ciara's last stance[]
Ciara activating the Lia Fáil
Eivor joined a meeting between Flann and the kings of Ireland at Durrow, which led to a decision to exile or convert the druids to Christianity. She soon checked on Ciara, who was bereft at the choice and left Durrow immediately. Being dosed, Eivor woke up to Flann as both felt the ground shake. Looking in the distance, they saw the Lia Fáil activated and went to investigate. Arriving at Tara, they found Ciara using the stone's power to control all the surrounding soldiers. With no choice, Eivor and Flann had to kill the soldiers to survive. Yet, she witnessed Flann being controlled by Ciara's power and thus wounded him.[223]
Eivor and Sichfrith at Barid's grave
Quickly, Eivor fought with Ciara, angered at Flann and her for going against the goal of protecting her people. After a lengthy fight, she beat Ciara and made her see that the Children of Danu's wish came true from her abuse of power. While Ciara realized the damage she wrought, Eivor convinced her to destroy the Lia Fáil, which she did by whispering a sentence to the artifact, with Ciara disappearing after the events transpired. After the stone was destroyed, time passed as Eivor met with Flann at Bárid's grave. There, she and Flann agreed to a friendship and his promise to advise and guide Sichfrith. Leaving Flann, she met with Sichfrith and wished him well as she completed her main objective for Bárid.[223]
Eradicating the Children of Danu[]
Eivor confronting the vision of Balor
Through her travels in Ireland, Eivor also hunted down and assassinated every other member of the Children of Danu as she collected their amber shards.[216] Back at Asfinn, she supplied the shards to Deirdre, who gave her a concoction to face Balor. After she drank Deirdre's mixture, it sent Eivor on a hallucinogenic vision where she fought and defeated a manifestation of Balor for possession of his spear. Eventually, as Eivor grasped the spear with both hands and pulled it from his back, the vision ended when she found that she had miraculously extracted the previously stuck Gae Bolg from the monolith infront of her. Afterwards, she met with Deirdre, who thanked her for eliminating the Children of Danu and wished her farewell.[224]
Aiding Azar[]
While in Ireland, Eivor also assisted by clearing any unwanted presence in ransacked ringforts and re-establishing them as trade posts. After refurbishing all the ringforts, she rebuilt up Dublin as a major trade city.[225] With Dublin being internationally renowned for its trade, Eivor met with Azar, who had mentioned her past to her, especially being betrayed by her former partner, Konstantinos. She was soon informed of his arrival and promised to bring him to Azar. Finding Konstantinos, she restrained him and brought him to Azar's shop. There, Eivor left him to Azar, who dealt with him slowly and painfully.[226]
Meeting Hildiran[]
Eivor speaking with Hildiran
Circa 883, a meteor seemed to land near Ravensthorpe. Eivor went to investigate the crash site and encountered Hildiran, who was also inspecting it, the impact from the meteor seemed to have revealed a hidden Door behind the rocks. Unbeknownst to the Jarlskona the woman had in reality used a device to bring forth the illusion of a meteor landing while herself had dug open the cliff wall. She convinced Eivor to let her stay and eivor helped set up a house and training area for the older woman. Hildiran promised to teach her the art of Hugrheim, a form of battle meditation named for the eponymous mental realm where warriors knowledgeable of the technique could train. Eivor wasn't convinced by her words but after the old woman won a brief fight with her, she became interested in learning her tricks. Hildiran proceeded to show her Freya's medallion, activating the Isu device and making both Eivor and Hildiran to enter a simulated space in their minds. After the two fought again, they were brought back to the normal world. Hildiran quickly told to the amazed Eivor that only after the medallion with the energy created in battle, she would be able to open the door to the temple.[227]
Eivor then travelled to each one of the Shrines of the Valkyrie scattered throughout England and completed various series of meditation challenges[227], eventually filling the amulet and bringing it back to Hildiran, who had spent much of her time clearing away the rubble from the door. After finally opening the gate, the women entered a small isu vauöt. Inside were three large archways carved into the walls, gateways to nowhere that impossibly contained cold fog spilling over stalactites and stalagmites, rubble covered in still-living vines, and a falling river of fire. The chamber was flooded in ankle-deep water save for a single stone path to the center, where the compass hidden millenia ago rested on a small plinth.[228]
The inside of Freyja's Cave
Hildiran quickly spotted in and told Eivor to grab it. As the Viking stepped forward, the medallion and the Eye interacted with each other. The Eye's outer shell glowed white and spinned as it briefly hovered and projected glyphs, before the amulet's light deactivated it, settling it back in its spot. The old woman then demanded to Eivor give her the device, Eivor put the medallion back into her satchel and gave Hildiran Odin's eye.[228]
The Siege of Paris[]
A call to Francia[]
Pierre coaxing Eivor to join them
Later in 886, as Ravensthorpe was celebrating Sigrblot, Eivor was entreated by Toka Sinricsdottir and her advisor, Frankish rebel Pierre, to support Toka's uncle Sigfred, jarl of Clan Elgring, in besieging the Frankish city of Paris.[229] Traveling with Toka and Pierre, she arrived in Francia to meet Sigfred in Melun.[230] Upon arrival, she traveled through southern Melunois and arrived in Melun, only to hear that Sigred was outside the settlement.[231]
Eivor meeting with Sigfred
At the Burial Mounds, Eivor and Toka met with Sigfred and talked about his late brother Sinric and their fight against King Charles. Afterwards, they traveled back to Melun's longhouse and began to talk further. However, their festivities were soon cut short by an ambush of Frankish soldiers led by Bishop Engelwin. While the bishop left his troops to attack, Eivor, Sigfred, and Toka fought and killed the intruders. Instantly, Sigfred left while Eivor was told that Engelwin was behind Sinric's death. She soon considered the option of finding a truce with King Charles before doing a siege.[231]
Hunting Engelwin[]
Engelwin's death
Eivor followed Sigfred and found him in an underground passage as they go towards Paris' slums. There, she asked Sigfred to help to meet Charles as they see Count Odo of France and Brother Gozlin addressing the public. Promising Sigfred to find Engelwin, she ventured within Paris and followed any clues she could find. Eventually, she found his location to be at Sainte-Geneviève Church. Inside, she attained the Bellatores Robe and found herself below the church. There, Eivor saw her target and managed to assassinate him, ending his plans.[232]
Eivor meeting Charles the Fat
Upon retrieving a crest from Engelwin's effects, Eivor searched through Engelwin's secret quarters and found information about Charles' current whereabouts. At the Boatmen Baths Tavern, she figured out Charles was in a secret room beneath the tavern. Finding a way inside, she talked with Charles about Engelwin's death and wanting peace instead of war. However, she was assigned a task to find and rescue Queen Richardis. Eivor later reconvened with Sigfred and Toka at Melun where she later saw Elgring Clan's scouts' mutilated bodies. Talking with Toka and Pierre, she was informed that Richardis was last seen in Evreux, but was told she was alone due to Frankish attack on their warriors.[233]
Saving the Queen[]
Arriving in Evreux, Eivor caught wind of a church service led by Euphrasia, also known as "Little Mother." However, due to the nun's sermon, Eivor detected that the nun knew more about Richardis' current location. Although the nun left, she investigated the town and spoke to parishioners, only to learn of Aquila's deliverances.[234] Eivor also traveled to Little Mother's House on the words of a soldier and found out that Little Mother belonged to the same group that Engelwin was part of and that she kidnapped the Queen.[235]
Richardis and Eivor over Euphrasia's corpse
Eivor learned about Euphrasia's chambers within the crypt of Aquila. Maneuvering her way within the crypt, she infiltrated the deliverance ceremony where Euphrasia prepared to kill the queen. Luckily, Eivor assassinated Little Mother and rescued the queen from sudden death. Escaping together, Eivor was led by Richardis elsewhere away from Charles.[235] Upon their journey, they arrived in Lisieux as she was informed that Engelwin and Euphrasia were part of a group of religious zealots called the Bellatores Dei. There, Eivor met Bernard, Charles' illegitimate son, and was told Charles' son must be kept away from his father and his dark presence.[236]
Eivor and Richardis meeting with Charles
After leaving Bernard safely, Eivor and Richardis traveled to Charles' camp and met with King Charles. However, their meeting went sour as Bernard was not in attendance. Thus, Eivor was betrayed as Charles left both her and his wife to be attacked by his soldiers. Fortunately, she fought and killed the soldiers and saved Richardis once again. Realizing Charles' behavior, Eivor knew Sigfred and saw Richardis leave to find Bernard and hide in the slums. After the queen left, she went to meet with Sigfred and plan the upcoming siege.[236]
A parley with Count Odo[]
Eivor sneaking up on Odo
Eivor met with Toka and Sigfred as she convinced Sigfred to talk with Count Odo before they enact a siege. Riding to Pontem Esera, she stealthily infiltrated the military base and attained information of his current location in Paris at the Manoir des Fleurs Rouges. Arriving at the manor, she met with Théodrate of Troyes and noted that she needed a writ to enter. Finding a way inside the manor, Eivor tried to find Odo and soon cautiously entered and spied on a conversation between Odo, Gozlin, and nobles. After the nobles and Gozlin left, Odo invited Eivor to come forth and talk. However, talks turned sour as Odo remained adamant to not giving up his birthright.[237]
Preparing for the siege[]
Thus, Eivor returned to Sigfred as they continued to prepare for the siege. However, she sought for peace and wanted to talk with Charles once more.[237] Preparing their forces, Eivor and Sigfred moved his warriors and catapults into Defender's Rest, facing towards the Île de la Cité.[238] Meeting with Toka's former lover and smuggler, Nolwenn, Eivor set up explosives under the Wooden Bridge's weak points.[239] Once more, she soon investigated and found King Charles again and talked about a peace, only to be met with a condition of bringing Bernard to him.[240]
Eivor meditating
Back at Sigfred's camp, Eivor meditated before meeting with Toka and revealed her plans to be warrior, not killers. However, she was met with a slight opposition from an incoming Sigfred. Nevertheless, the next day came as Eivor joined her allies on their attack on Paris.[241]
Besieging Paris[]
Eivor and Sigfred looking upon the broken gate
After Toka blew down the Wooden Bridge, Eivor and Sigfred met both Gozlin and Ebels at the entrance gate of the Île de la Cité. Sigfred and Gozlin left their respective allies to fight, where she defeated and killed Ebels.[241] Moving forward, she and her allies pushed forward, only to be ambushed by Odo's soldiers. Retreating momentarily, Eivor signaled catapults to aim their attack to break down gates of Saint-Étienne. Within the area's church, Eivor found Gozlin and seemingly killed him within the church. However, after she reconvened with Toka and Sigfred, Eivor noticed that Sigfred started to kill innocents as he waged the war towards Odo's palace.[242]
Eivor declaring a truce
Eivor and Toka spoke about Sigfred's bloodlust as Eivor realized that Count Odo may call for surrender if she asked.[242] Finding her way inside Odo's palace, she met with Walter du Sens, who was drunk and revealed of Odo's wife Théodrate's fatal injuries. Entering Théodrate's room, Eivor asked her of Odo's current location, which happened to be his locked sanctum. With a key, she entered the sanctum and met with Count Odo. Trying to find a truce, she soon fought against a relentless Odo and defeated him in combat. Honest, Eivor spared him and asked for a truce again. Yet, Eivor and Odo saw Charles call for a truce outside with Sigfred. Eivor soon released Odo on the promise of keeping his word for a truce. Soon, Eivor was a witness to Sigfred claiming treasures and land from Charles in exchange for peace. Afterwards, she and her allies left Paris and traveled back to Melun.[243]
Showdown with Sigfred[]
Sigfred challenging Eivor
At Melun, Eivor celebrated with the townsfolk but noticed Sigfred's attitude about the victory. Confronting him, she and Sigfred debated over the next step in life as he questioned whether Valhalla existed. While he wanted to renege on the truce, Eivor opposed his ideas as he stormed off. Back at the Burial Mounds, she followed Sigfred as he challenged her to fight and kill him. Realizing the turmoil inside him, Eivor decided Sigfred's fate as he ultimately left the leadership of the clan to Toka. She soon met with Toka and discussed the change in leadership and a new future for her clan. Within moments, Eivor was informed by Pierre that Odo called for her about Richardis' safety.[244]
Rescuing Richardis[]
In 887, Eivor met Count Odo at his vineyard in Epernay as they discussed his plans to rebel against King Charles. However, they soon talked about the recent silence from his men guarding Queen Richardis and Bernard. She soon confirmed to check on Richardis and ventured towards Amiens. Arriving at Slaughtered Calf Tavern, she found dead soldiers and found that Bernard made it to a nearby church to hide. Finding Bernard, she found out that Richardis was taken by a monster to the Villa of Amiens for a trial of fire.[245]
Eivor confronting Gozlin
Breaking into the villa's grounds, Eivor went to free a bonded Richardis but was confronted by an alive Gozlin, who survived his initial wounds. Rain poured as she fought against Gozlin and his forces and defeated them. Luckily, she watched as the rain put the fire out and Richardis was free from her bondage. Confronting Gozlin, she learned that he and her past targets all belonged to Bellatores Dei before finally killing him. Going to find and fight Charles, Eivor was stopped temporarily by Richardis, who asked her to spare him. Thus, she left to confront King Charles within the villa.[245]
Within the villa, Eivor found a locked doorway and searched the premises, eventually finding the keys to unlock it. In the sub-basement of the villa, she caught sight of Charles talking to his inner demons about his feelings for Richardis. Yet, the atmosphere changed once she was noticed and Charles challenged her to a fight. Within moments, she decided the king's fate there while she left to meet with her allies.[246]
Victory in Francia[]
Eivor, Odo and Toka toasting to peace
Back at Melun, Eivor informed Toka and Odo of resolving the situation with King Charles as they all drank for the future. After Odo left, Eivor talked with Toka about fulfilling her mission as well as mentoring Toka to be the new jarlskona. She left Francia and ventured back home to Ravensthorpe.[247] Back home, Eivor informed Randvi about new allyship with Toka and King Charles no longer being a problem. She soon rested after her long journey in Frankia.[248]
Unlocking Odin's Vault[]
Some time after her adventures in Paris, Eivor was once again approached by Hildiran. This time, Hildiran handed over the Eye they had previously found, instructing Eivor to travel to the coast of East Anglia and follow the song the Eye emitted. Eivor initially thought this was a jest, but Hildiran assured her she would understand in due time. Following the strange humming emanating from the Eye of Odin, Eivor uncovered an ancient Isu structure under Dunwic. She attempted to use the amulet as she had with Freya's temple, but the door did not budge. Hildiran then appeared, informing Eivor that her training was not yet complete. The amulet needed more hugr energy, and Eivor could gather this energy at newly revealed shrines.[249]
Eivor set out to train at three new shrines, successfully charging the amulet. She then returned to the temple, unsure of what would happen beyond the gate. As she stepped in and glanced around the room, she was struck on the head from behind, knocking her out cold.[250]
Waking up some time later, she witnessed Hildiran donning the armor at the center of the vault. Eivor stood up and questioned why Hildiran was doing this, to which Hildiran replied with a single word: "vengeance". Hildiran's eyes started to glow bright red, and at the same time, the amulet in Eivor's satchel began to glow as well. Hildiran was controlling the amulet without being in contact with it. The room started to shake, fire emerged from the rock walls, and Hildiran floated from the floor as Eivor was once again unwillingly transported into Hugrheim.[250]
Surrounded by fire and brimstone, Eivor found herself in armor from Francia, facing Hildiran, who wielded an axe and shield. They clashed, with Eivor struggling to understand Hildiran's ramblings. Eivor defeated her and was transported to an icy arena, where she had to shoot duplicates of Hildiran with a bow. After listening to her ramblings and defeating her again, Eivor was sent to a vegetation-filled ruin, where she had to sneak and attack Hildiran without being spotted. With the final flick of her hidden blade, she was transported back to the vault, where Hildiran lay before her. The old woman explained that they had fought both in the mind and in the real world. She revealed that her family had hunted Odin for generations in revenge for what he did to their ancestor Hildr, but after this fight, she no longer believed Eivor to be Odin, recognizing Eivor as much wiser. In her defeat, she pledged her loyalty to Eivor, destroying the beacon that had led them both to this place before walking away.[250]
They both traveled back to Ravensthorpe, where Eivor learned more about Hildiran and Hildr, and was even gifted a armor set made by Hildiran.[249]
River Raiding Round Two[]
Circa 886, Eivor spoke with Vagn once more, asking if he had any more legends for her to chase. Vagn handed her a note about "The Legend of Lugh," an Irish figure whose remains rest along another river, River Berbha, a river in Ireland. Eivor went sailed to River Berbha with Bragi and her Jomsviking crew. Upon raiding Wicker Grove, Eivor found a clue about the legendary Lugh, as well as a note that gave more info on Lugh.[251]
While in River Berbha, Eivor also recovered two pieces of the armor set, Lugh's Helmet and Disguise.[252] Upon returning home, Eivor reported to Vagn of the clue she had found at Wicker Grove, and was directed to River Erriff.[251] Eivor sailed to River Eriff and made her way to Glennacally Fortress, which had been occupied by several Irish druids apart of the Children of Danu. Eivor battled and defeated Lugh's Spear Champion and claimed Lugh's Spear for herself.[253]
Eivor returned to Vagn and handed her a piece of a map she collected from the Spear Champion's corpse. Vagn examined it and directed her to River Rhine, a river in Francia. In River Rhine, Eivor eventually raided Ferrières, a Frankish town southeast of Wulfram Settlement. Eivor defeated several Captains before finding the River Champion himself, Ulfberht's Sword Champion. Eivor defeated the warrior and collected the Ulfberht Sword.[254]
When Eivor returned to Vagn, she spoke of success in River Rhine. Vagn warned her that the rives she had previously raided had grown aware of her and raised their defense levels, including the addition of various River Champions hunting her down. Having already defeated three River Champions, Eivor set off to eliminate the others, though not before being handed a note from Vagn, written from one of the River Champions threatening her.[255]
In River Severn, Eivor found and defeated England's Champion of the Faith. Upon defeating the champion ad her two body guards at Northern Monastery, Eivor claimed Rollo's Lost Dane Axe, a Dane Axe belonging to her friend Rollo.[256] In River Berbha, Eivor sought two druid siblings that held the title of Ireland's Champions of the Faith. After defeating them at Festering Valley, she claimed the Celtic Crusher.[257] Lastly, Eivor battled Francia's Champion of the Faith in Ferrières on the Rhine, and in doing so recieved Sir Gareth's Holy Sword, completing her collection of River Champion artifacts.[258]
A Fated Encounter[]
Meeting Edyt[]
Eivor speaking with Edyt and Valka
Circa 888, after Ravensthorpe became a hamlet, the settlement attracted many new faces including Edyt, a Scottish-Norse from a Pict island near Scotland called the Isle of Skye. Friends with Valka, Edyt met Eivor outside of the Seer's Hut. Edyt mentioned that her people were in danger, with Valka following up, stating that they were being "plagued by nightmares," and feared that it may spread to Ravensthorpe. Eivor left to investigate, but not before Valka warned that Randvi was involved, and that the two would have to clash before parting ways forever. Disbelieving this, Eivor and Edyt traveled to the Isle of Skye.[259]
Working with Kassandra[]
The two climbed Brother's Point, where Edyt told Eivor to investigate Kiltaraglen before leaving to tend to her hut.[259] Eivor left the cliff and traveled to Kiltaraglen, where many of the villagers appeared to be cursed, experiencing nightmares involving some kind of eagle. One woman, who appeared to be on her wedding day, described a braided warrior as being the cause of the nightmares. She directed Eivor to the Cursed Church. At the cemetary of the church, Eivor found several dead corpses near a kneeling figure. Eivor yelled Randvi's name, though the woman stood up and revealed herself to be someone else, a Greek misthios named Kassandra. Kassandra picked up a battleaxe and the two engaged in battle, both making use of a variety of weapons, including the Hero's Sword on Kassandra's end.[260]
The two warriors displaying their Hidden Blades
The two eventually stopped in a stalemate when both warriors extended their Hidden Blades at each others' heads. Kassandra revealed her background and intentions, that she sought an Apple of Eden, an Isu artifact like the one Eivor found in Vinland, in order to end the curse on the island. Kassandra advised that they worked together, to which Eivor agreed.[260]
The two investigated the church and Eivor managed to destroy a cursed symbol, releasing some of the fog that was causing the curse. The two exited out a cave, where they were ambushed by cursed civilians that were going crazy due to the nightmares and lack of sleep. After defeating the ambushers, who seemed to be angry particularly at Kassandra, Eivor began to question her teammate. Kassandra then left for Tobhta, where the two met once more.[260] Eivor then followed the warrior to Fairy Glen, where she solved a standing stone. The puzzle allowed her to picture and draw out a map of the Isle of Skye, with an "X" marking the Cave of Gold.[261]
The two rode to the Cave of Gold, and along the way spoke of both their pet companions, Sýnin and Kassandra's eagle Ikaros. Inside the cave, the two found a hidden sanctum surrounded by rocks. Kassandra told Eivor to stand in the middle of the sanctum, which unveiled a wall of rocks. Before they could pass, however, they were ambushed by more corrupted villagers, one of which spoke Kassandra's native tongue. After the battle, Eivor took note of this and confronted Kassandra about it, who revealed that her arrival on the island may had caused the curse to rise. Eivor argued with the misthios before dismissing her, much to Kassandra's anger. Eivor decided to deal with the curse herself by finding five shards to put on the Vault pedestal.[261]
Secrets of the Isle of Skye[]
Eivor overlooking Fairy Pools
Eivor then went to find the five shards needed for the pedestal. In Hungladder, Eivor found a shrine containing the shard underneath the settlement in a tunnel. At the Brother's Cave, Eivor defended herself from three snakes, only to find the shard was missing from it's shrine. Eivor used a note to track the shard to the abandoned village of Inverarish, where she found the dead body in one of the houses. Nearby, in a bear-infested woods, Eivor recovered the shard from another dead ody, who appeared to be the brother of the previous corpse. Eivor also acquired a shard at Fairy Pools from a strange woman who had taken it from it's pedestal for a human sacrafice. At Dun Ardtreck, Eivor found a shard underwater, and in the Excavation Site, Eivor found her final shard behind a breakable wall.[262]
At the Cave of Gold, Eivor inserted all five shards into the pedestal, which opened a nearby door. Eivor walked through the light-emitting door and found another, larger gate, surrounded by more crazed civilians. Eivor slaughtered the civilians and stepped towards the door, unaware of another cursed civilian who had thrown a spear at her. The spear was intercepted by an arrow launched from Kassandra's bow. Kassandra fired another arrow, killing the attacker. More civilians attacked, and Kassandra joined Eivor.[263]
Eivor trying to contain the Apple
The two successfully defended themselves and ventured into the cave, where illusions of artifacts from the Greek world began to appear, including pottery, Spartan and Athenian weaponry, masks of a group caled the Cult of Kosmos, and Chara, a wooden toy eagle that had been a gift to Kassandra from her friend Phoibe. Eivor turned her attention to the Apple of Eden, the Isu artifact that was powering the illusions. Eivor grabbed the spherical artifact, which caused a burst of energy to surge through her. Eivor screamed in agony as Kassandra ran in and grabbed the artifact as well, successfully releasing the Appe's energy and breaking the curse.[263]
Eivor and Kassandra at a wedding
After Kassandra collected the Apple of Eden, the two agreed to meet up one last time back in Kiltaraglen, where the two had drinks and celebrated their success. They attended a wedding, the same wedding of the bride Eivor had met earlier, in fact. The two had a drinking contest against each other, flyted, brawled against the bride's ex-lover, and more. Kassandra also taught Eivor the Greek word "maláka". At the end of the night, Eivor found Edyt, who revealed to be the bride's cousin. The Viking soon parted ways with her friend Kassandra and left to England the next morning.[264]
Dawn of Ragnarök[]
After receiving new visions from Odin following her visions of Ásgarðr and Jötunheimr, Eivor decided to rest and reflect on them. She approached a large tree on the east side of Ravensthrope, where she noticed the tree had been overrun with mistletoe. She sat down and rested, causing her to be transported to the dream state once again. As Havi, Eivor witnessed a time where the All-Father had lost his son, Baldr, and sought to reclaim him from the mad tyrant Surtr. Havi was joined by his ex-lover Frigg and the two ran into Eitri, the capital of Svartálfaheimr. However, both Havi and Frigg were defeated by Surtr and his muspels, with the latter being killed by Surtr's wife Sinmara.[265]
Eivor immediately awoke after the vision, and went to tell Valka, who could help her make sense of the dream. Eivor reached and pulled a mistletoe from her neck, which she brought to Valka. After a conversation about the mythology behind Baldr and Frigg, Valka gave Eivor a potion and told her to go behind the hut, where the seer performed a ritual on Eivor. A ring of fire surrounded Eivor, who stood between four bunches of mistletoe. The shieldmaiden was then transported back to Svartalfheim.[265]
Invading Svartálfaheimr[]
Eivor envisioning herself as Havi fighting the Isu scientist Calder
In Svartálfaheimr, Havi sought to reclaim his son by attempting to take Surtr's daughter Eysa. After learning about an Isu artifact called the Salakar, Havi, with aid from Eysa and the Sons of Ivaldi, attempted to trade a hugr-filled Salakar with his son Baldr, battling foes such as Calder, Malvigr, and Glod, as well as Sinmara herself. However, Havi was too late, and witnessed the death of his son before Eivor was transported out of the vision.[266]
Eivor awoke in Valka's hut. She made her way to a fireplace to reflect on the vision, where she was joined by Gunnar, Tove, and Holger, who told her tales relating to Svartálfaheimr.[267] When she returned to Valka, the seer explained to her that in order to return to Svartálfaheimr and continue through with viewing her visions, she must overcome her own fear.[268] Southeast of the settlement, Eivor met with Valka at night, where Valka gave her a potion to drink before she proceeded to bind her friend. Eivor's vision began to blur as wolves appeared. After pulling off the ropes tying her, Eivor fought off the imaginary wolves, including the same wolf that had bitten her the day she lost her parents to Kjotve. After overcoming her fear, Eivor fell unconscious and returned to her visions as Havi,[269] reliving the moment he fought and defeated the Muspel warlord Surtr.[270]
Meeting the Cuckoo[]
Sometime in the 880s, Eivor stumbled across an interrogation ongoing at the docks of Ravensthorpe. Two fellow clanmates were attempting to gain information out of a Saxon prisoner, though they had no success. Eivor questioned the two warriors, who told her that the prisoner and his friends had raided the settlement and ran off with some of their gear. Eivor threatened the warrior, which successfully made him speak. He told Eivor of Sir Edward, the self-proclaimed Earl of Westerna, who resided at Ravensburg.[271]
Eivor preparing to fight the Saxon mercenaries
Eivor left the captive to the Raven Clan members and went to the rendezvous point in Grantebridgescire. She inspected a nearby longship with the Raven Clan flag, and concluded that the raiders had attempted to raid as members of the clan and pin the blame on the Raven Clan. Nearby, Eivor found and collected a clan outfit still in fine condition. She examined surrounding corpses, which had been impaled by a Hidden Blade. Eivor remarked on the familiarity of the wounds. Behind her, three Saxon mercenaries approached, blaming her for the slaughter. After realizing she was a real Viking, the Saxons prepared to battle her. Just as they drew their weapons, a smoke bomb was thrown at their feet by an unknown individual, blinding them and causing them to cough. The individual attacked the Saxons and brought their lives to an end via a Hidden Blade.[271]
A woman named Roshan revealed herself, apart of the same brotherhood Basim and Hytham were in. Eivor spoke to the Hidden One, who introduced herself and stated that she aimed to defeat Al-Si'la, the woman behind Sir Edward's schemes and a member of the same Order of the Ancients that Eivor had defeated in England. The two walked up the hill as Roshan asked about Eivor's Hidden Blade, which had belonged to Sigurd and before him, the Hidden One Ammon. Roshan questioned Sigurd's identity and whether or not he had been apart of the Hidden Ones, though Eivor began to question Roshan on hers, to which she replied that she had took it back after a break. The two discussed Sir Edward's motivations before arriving at Ravensburg.[271]
Eivor and Roshan discussing their plans on killing their targets
Near the outpost, the two climbed a watchtower, where Eivor called for Sýnin to scout out Ravensburg using Eagle Vision. The two discussed their plan, sending in Eivor silently to find the Earl and kill him in public to cause a commotion, which would draw out Al-Si'la to be assassinated by Roshan. The two went through with the plan, with Eivor donning the Raven Clan outfit she had got earlier. Disguised, Eivor entered Ravensburg and eventually made her way to the Earl, who was giving a speech to a group of Saxons.[271]
Eivor speaking to Al-Si'la
Eivor successfully killed the Earl with her axe and pushed her body into the crowd, shocking the Saxons and causing them to flee. Nearby Al-Si'la left her home and pretended to play captive, though her fake guise had done nothing to prevent her death to the hands of Roshan. The two returned to the watchtower, where Roshan gifted the Mentor of Alamut Set to Eivor as thanks for helping her before taking her leave to Jerusalem.[271]
Later life and death[]
Last goodbyes[]
During her later years, Eivor acquired the Jarl of the Raven Clan Set, set of armor and robes that which had replaced her normal Raven Clan Set attire.[272]
Eivor contemplating her future
Around 889, after years as her clan's jarlskona, Eivor had decided it was time to move on. Having ignored her past memories of Odin for too long, Eivor decided to embrace them and try to learn more about the second side of herself. She chose to do it far away from her people since they would not understand, and set off to bid her friends and allies farewell.[273]
Eivor speaking with Hytham
Eivor met with Hytham at some point to say her final goodbyes to the Young Eagle. The two sat down to speak about the love they shared to others, Eivor's to her people and Hytham's to his creed. Despite his wishes and her admiration to his cause, she could not join him with the Hidden Ones. She told him how her focus was elsewhere and that her mind was too divided. Their thoughtful conversation was interrupted by Hytham's new recruits, including Yanli, Rowan, Eluric, and Tove, who arrived for their scheduled training. Eivor bid her farewell to Hytham and left the bureau.[272]
At one point, Eivor travelled to Norwich to meet with her old ally and new king of East Anglia, Guthrum, who had now baptized and renamed Athelstan. Eivor noted how he was more soft and kind than when they had met in Portcestre, and Athelstan explained how he had come to an agreement with Alfred, him taking control of East Anglia and Alfred gaining West Mercia. He added that the two of them were discussing the fates of East Mercia and Northumbria, not knowing Eivor had before declined the offer to rule said lands. Athelstan asked Eivor to let God into her heart and be baptized, as he saw this new arrangement with Alfred to help keep all Danes and Norse of England safe. Eivor, however, declined Athelstan's offer, telling him she intended to leave England and to travel to far off lands. Athelstan saw this a worthy adventure for Eivor and invited her into his longhouse to share stories and drinks a final time.[274]
Eivor's final meeting with King Alfred
Around the same time, Eivor was summoned by King Alfred, who had left the swamplands to resume his duty as King of Wessex. The jarlskona traveled to Wincestre and stepped into courtyard of The Old Minster, where she drew the attention of the king's guards, though Alfred promptly calmed them and welcomed her in to discuss the near completion of a treaty with Athelstan. As she was one of the greatest lords of England, he offered Eivor the option of becoming the lord of all lands northeast of her settlement. Knowing the offer to be too good to be true, Eivor asked what she had to do in exchange, to which Alfred requested for her to convert to Christianity and joining the newly founded Templar Order. Eivor felt honored by the proposal but humbly declined, returning him the silver cross had been offered to her many years ago and telling him about the long journey she would soon set out on. Understanding her wish, Alfred wished her well on her journey and Eivor left their meeting.[275]
In the winter of that year, Eivor travelled one last time for three weeks back to Norway to say goodbye to the king of Norway, Harald Fairhair. She was joined by Sigurd, who took his sister to Alrekstad, showing her how much had changed in the years since her last visit in Norway. Entering the longhouse, the two were greeted by King Fairhair, who was huddled around a large war map. Eivor joked that not much had changed since she last visited, but Harald said the land on the map, Iceland, was not intended to be conquered, but rather aided by him. Harald was to support his friend Ingólfr Arnarson through the cold winters by sending supplies and men to aid their struggle, and Harald requested that Eivor and Sigurd lead this expedition to Iceland. Despite Sigurd's pleads to have one last adventure, Eivor declined, explaining that her trip to Norway being to say goodbye to her friends, as she intended to leave England and travel further west past Iceland. That night, she spent time with Sigurd and Harald sharing stories of their mutual distant pasts while drinking mead and eating roasted whale.[276]
Having returned to Ravensthorpe, she told the rest of her clan of her plans to leave. After sharing a personal goodbye with Randvi she began to pack a boat in the middle of the night bear the docks of the settlement, intending to leave without notice. Before leaving, however, she was confronted by Valka, who still did not understand why Eivor was leaving. Eivor tried to explain that she originally thought there were only two ways to confront her memories, to accept or deny them, but she had found a third way of learning from them and needed to do it far away from home. Valka understood and thanked Eivor for the trust she put in her and they shared one last hug. Eivor then walked onto her rowboat and started rowing her way to Lunden, where a crew took her to Vinland by the week's end.[277]
Learning from Odin and death[]
Eivor spent the last years of her life in Vinland, discarding her gear and Hidden Blade and wearing simple brown robes. She spent her time learning from her past memories as Odin, about the Great Catastrophe and what had caused it.[278] After her death, Eivor was ultimately buried in a grave by the Kanien'kehá:ka in Tsoka'we'kowáhne, the area which eventually became modern-day Concord in Massachusetts, United States.[279]
Legacy[]
In 2020, the Assassins Layla Hassan, Shaun Hastings and Rebecca Crane found Eivor's grave near Concord after receiving a message with its coordinates, which urged them to find the "Wolf-Kissed" and save the planet from an upcoming disaster. Digging up Eivor's remains, Layla extracted a sample of her DNA and used it to relive the Viking's genetic memories in her Portable Animus HR-8.5. Due to the high level of Isu DNA belonging to Odin embedded in Eivor's remains, the Animus would sometimes represent Eivor as a male based on Odin's real appearance.[279]
Basim visiting Eivor's grave
Eivor's memories led the Assassins to the Yggdrasil Chamber, where Layla entered the Grey and met the preserved consciousness of Basim. After helping Layla save the planet and tricking her into freeing him, Basim became an uneasy ally of the modern-day Assassins and used Layla's Animus to explore Eivor's memories, hoping to learn the whereabouts of his children. After a prolonged time in the Animus, Eivor appeared to Basim sitting by the campfire as a Bleeding Effect-induced hallucination, where she smiled and nodded at him; a gesture Basim returned.[279]
In the end, Eivor's memories did not contain the answers Basim had hoped, though by observing the late Viking, Basim concluded that her connection with Odin was different from his own connection with Loki. He thus seemingly forgave her, understanding that Eivor did not turn out like her past self and that he had been mistaken to try and exact revenge on her for Odin's transgressions. Shortly after leaving the Animus, Basim experienced another Bleeding Effect-induced hallucination, this time of both Eivor and Odin discussing the Great Catastrophe.[278]
In late November 2022, a visage of Eivor was seen by and communicated with Joey, a Sage of Vejovis. Her appearance was only a trick of the mind, due to Joey suffering from the Bleeding Effect.[47]
Personality and traits[]
Eivor was a devoted and confident Viking clan leader, who was not afraid of dying to protect her people. Despite her deep love for her clan, she was a lone wolf. Indeed, driven by her dream to prove her courage, she preferred to take on all tasks and risks herself. On top of being a fierce warrior, Eivor was cunning and was a great strategist, as shown by her alliances with other territorial leaders.[280] Considered stubbornly independent,[281] she also claimed to not be fond of surprises.[207]
While typically ruthless on the battlefield, Eivor possessed a gentler side, which she displayed in her interactions with her allies and especially children, always treating them with kindness. She also had a poetic side, speaking with eloquence and often describing events in a manner that resembled skaldic verse.[3] Although Eivor held Hytham and by extension the Hidden Ones in high regard, she kindly declined to join them if it meant keeping her victories and glory quiet, something which went against her culture's nature.[190]
Eivor embracing a vision of her father Varin, finally forgiving him after having resented him for years
Eivor was initially a firm believer in all aspects of Norse culture, resenting her father Varin for many years after his "cowardly" sacrifice.[4][7] Throughout her adventures in England, however, Eivor's beliefs slowly changed and she learned to value her clan more than her pursuit of glory. During her time in the Valhalla simulation, Eivor quickly became disillusioned with the idea of living in a false reality, and rejected the influence of her Isu self, Odin, who wished to remain inside the simulation to achieve immortality. Even after Odin tempted her with the promise of wisdom, glory and power, Eivor rejected him, choosing to be with her loved ones instead.[181]
As Odin's rebirth, Eivor seemed to possess some fragments of her past life's persona and memories, such as their shared fear of wolves,[88][269] and how she immediately recognized Odin's spear Gungnir when she discovered it within Goinnhellir.[181] In her later years, Eivor realized she could never fully escape Odin's influence, no matter how hard she tried suppressing it, and thus decided to learn from him instead while still retaining her own personality.[273]
Skills and equipment[]
Growing up alongside Sigurd, Eivor learned to fight as a drengr and became Sigurd's berserkr.[1] By her twenties, she was capable of wielding a variety of weapons including swords, bows, spears, bearded and Dane axes, war hammers and flails. Her usual armor set was the Raven Clan armor and she could also use both light and heavy shields.[3] Using her combat prowess, she could easily overwhelm multiple opponents at once.[12]
Eivor could also effectively dual wield, and was strong enough to carry two heavy weapons at once, including the unconventional choice of two shields. She had sharp reflexes and could dodge, parry, and block incoming attacks. Eivor was also extremely skilled in hand-to-hand combat, and could easily break the necks of Goliath-sized enemies with a chokehold.[3]
Eivor fighting with a flail and light shield
Usually keen for up front confrontations, Eivor was also highly adept at stealth and was able to silently assassinate her targets in addition to taking advantage of hiding spots like haystacks to remain undetected by her enemies. After gaining the Hidden Blade, Eivor was taught how to use it by Basim and quickly mastered it. Eivor was also able to emulate the Hidden Ones' ability to hide in plain sight.[3] High-diving was another of Eivor's skills, and under Hytham's tutelage she learned how to perform the Leap of Faith.[33]
Over the years, Eivor's skills in the art of assassination improved. She became adequent enough at subterfuge that during her time in Francia, she could successfully emulate a Frankish accent and come up with backstories on the spot. Doing so granted her access to places where a heathen Dane would be barred from.[243]
A native speaker of Old Norse, Eivor eventually became fluent in Old English due to her time in Britain and later Old French from her time in Francia.[282]
A skilled freerunner, Eivor was able to scale tall buildings such as Saint Peter's Church as well as natural elements with relative ease. She also proved to be a strong swimmer whilst searching underwater ruins and was capable of holding her breath for a relatively long period of time. A heavy drinker, Eivor could hold her liquor and would occasionally participate in drinking competitions.[3]
Eivor shared a symbiotic relationship with her raven Sýnin, which aided her in reconnaissance thanks to her Eagle Vision. Unlike later generations who possessed the skill, her Eagle Vision was far more literal in the sense that activating the ability allowed her to see through Sýnin's eyes. Eivor also possessed the ability known as 'Odin's Sight' which was more akin to later iterations of Eagle Vision, allowing her to release a brief pulse that would locate and tag nearby enemies and points or objects of interest, even through walls and floorboards. Eivor could also tame wolves so that they would fight alongside her.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
.jpg){kind=link}
Early concept art by Even Amundsen
Eivor is the main protagonist of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, the twelfth main installment of the Assassin's Creed series. First revealed in the reveal stream as male, according to Ubisoft, their gender is customizable,[283] a feature carried over from Valhalla's immediate predecessor, Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (2018). However, lead writer Darby McDevitt affirmed that both genders were considered canon in a way that made logical sense,[284] clarifying later that the recommended playthrough method was selecting the option "Let the Animus Decide" when prompted.[285] This choice would result in female Eivor being present for the majority of the game except when playing the mythical Isu arcs, in which male Eivor is the playable character. Conversely, the comic book Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Song of Glory,[286] and tie-in novel Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga,[287] featured Eivor as female exclusively.
Eivor's appearance, including clothing, hair, and war paint, is customizable.[288] Eivor's male voice is provided by Magnus Bruun,[289] who also voices Varin and Odin, while the female voice actor is Cecilie Stenspil, who also voices Rosta.[290] The voice of young Eivor was provided by Idun Mealor Olsen, who also voices Asta, Kaija, and Ratatosk in Valhalla.[291]
The many concept artists behind Eivor's design, drew upon many pop culture references. Yelim Kim recalled that former-Creative Director Ashraf Ismail gave her the idea of using the tank fight scene from the 1995 anime film Ghost in the Shell as inspiration and comparing Eivor to the film's protagonist, Major Motoko Kusanagi, as both of them fight fiercely for their allies even if the consequences are self-destructive.[281]
In Assassin's Creed: Mirage, Eivor's outfit can be obtained from Ubisoft Connect for free as an outfit for Basim to wear in-game; it was added with the 1.0.8 update. The outfit is based on the Raven Clan Set; with the exception of the cloak, the outfit uses the appearance of the armor set pieces in their default Fine rarity appearance; meanwhile, the cloak has the hood based on the Superior tier version, while the wolf fur is based on its Mythical tier coloration. The outfit also omits the cape as well.
Etymology[]
The name Eivor, Eivør or Øyvor is a female given name derived from either proto-Norse auja, believed to mean 'good luck', or *warjaʀ, meaning 'defender'. It may also come from the combination of Old Norse words ey- or øy- (meaning 'island') and -varr (meaning 'careful').[292] When he tweeted how the name is meant to be pronounced, Valhalla's then-Creative Director Ashraf Ismail transcribed it phonetically as "Ay-vor".[293] Her name written in promotional materials uses the Younger Futhark set of runes, which had fewer, simpler characters and was used in the 9th century in place of the older Elder Futhark's longer alphabet.
Varinsdottir means "Varin's daughter" (Varins + dottir). In Scandinavia, surnames were still used together with primary patronyms—the father's name and an affix denoting relationship—which were used by all social classes. This meant that most families until modern times did not have surnames. Scandinavian patronyms were generally derived from the father's given name with the addition of a suffix meaning 'son' or 'daughter'. Patronyms and matronyms are still in use in some countries, most notably Iceland.
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Song of Glory (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Geirmund's Saga
- Assassin's Creed: Rebellion – The Ravens' Wound
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla webcomic
- Discovery Tour: Viking Age
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Sword of the White Horse
- Assassin's Creed: Escape Room Puzzle Book
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Hidden Codex
- The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)
- Assassin's Creed Roleplaying Game (non-canon)