Hroarmungund The Winter King

## Hroarmungund

The Winter King wields Jornsong, a Relic of Jornhelm. He is also accompanied by his Wyrding partner, the Ice Lion Vassylha.

## Basic Information

### Known Languages

Istunga, Talan, Loquian, Kha-Zak, Wildspeech

## Family

### Child(ren)

Zezug, Orzohk, Azhai

Horarmungund is the king of Jotunhall, ruler of the Jotunn people and son of Jornhelm, God of Courage and Ice. Hroarmungund is one of the most powerful warriors in all Veiltouria, and migrated to Forestsedge from The Northwyld in a great exodus of his people when King Bill High-Hill offered his people land in exchange for their aid. Now, Hroarmungund seeks to bring peace to Forestsedge and guide his people to a better future.

## History

Hroarmungund was born in the cold ice sheets, further north than even the The Northwyld. A child of Jornhelm, Hroarmungund was made from the magic of the Erraté, forged from the raw power of the Ice God. After creating his son, Jornhelm left him in the wild for ten years, hoping to see him learn the true nature of survival, and the north.

Hroarmungund did just that. Thriving in the windswept, frigid climate, he learned the ways of the many beasts that clung to life in the frozen wastes. For ten years, the infant Hroarmungund survived on his own. Eventually, a group of Jotunn warriors stumbled upon the boy, and mistook him for some kind of feral animal. The child attacked the warriors, who in the skirmish realized what he was. The Jotunn war band, after witnessing the boys ferocity and cunning, saw in him something special, the power of Jornhelm himself. Taking him in, they taught him their ways, and the young Hroarmungund learned all that he could from them. In time, the boy grew and merged his knowledge of beast and Jotunn. He fast rose through the ranks of the clan that adopted him, until he eventually took command and sought to unite more Jotunns.

### Uniting The Jotunns

Where in the past the Jotunn people had found themselves living and fighting as separate, scattered tribes, Hroarmungund had a vision of a united people. He spent the next one hundred years challenging and defeating the many clan leaders, bringing the Jotunn clans under his one united banner. A grueling ordeal, Hroarmungund would not shed any Jotunn blood needlessly. His time in the wilds had taught him a respect for the pack, for ones own kin. In Hroarmungund's eyes, all Jotunns were of one pack, one tribe. He just had to unite them.
After spending over a century battling and proving his worth to the many clan leaders, Hroarmungund had one last clan to conquer. The Fyrwyrders, a mountainous clan of Skald's, was known for their great magical power. Hroarmungund made the long journey up to their mountaintop citadel, in the hopes of negotiating peacefully. Leaving his army at the base of the mountain, he made the trek alone. When he arrived at the Fyrwyrders citadel, he was greeted by their clan leader and chief Skald, a woman named Vetrarblum.

Offering him the gift of hearth and fire, Vetrarblum and Hroarmungund sat and discussed his intentions, and his hope for his people. As the pair spoke, long into the night, about philosophy and the world around them, Hroarmungund for the first time wanted something else in his life other than uniting his people. He wanted the love of this Skald across from him. Despite his years spent as a leader and a warrior, Hroarmungund was not the most socially nuanced individual, something Vetrarblum noted with a smile. Taking his hand in hers, she reassured him she felt the same as he did, that she to had found a kindred spirit.

### Becoming The Winter King

When Hroarmungund returned to his people at the base of the mountain, he returned not only with the Skalds in tow, but with all clans united under him. And he returned with a bride. To make his coronation official, the Skalds performed a ritual so Hroarmungund could communicate with his father, to see if the path he walked was the right one. At the center of the large web of runes carved into the ice upon which he stood, Hroarmungund waited. As the magic swirled around him, he braces himself. He had not seen his father in two hundred years. He did not know if he would approve of the man he had become, but in truth Hroarmungund cared little. His dedication was to his people, not his God.

As the ritual concluded, Hroarmungund found himself in Valheim itself, realm of Jornhelm. Expecting to be confronted by an almighty deity, Hroarmungund instead found himself face to face with a wizened bison, its fur greying with age. The bison spoke to Hroarmungund of many things, but it spoke most of all for the pride it felt in how Hroarmungund had grown. Knowing now he was speaking to his father, the Jotunn king asked what was next for his people, and Jornhelm showed him a vision. A vision of land free of the curse that plagued The Northwyld, where Jotunns were accepted and honored.

Hroarmungund shed a single tear of joy as he saw his fathers vision, and asked what he must do to achieve it. Jornhelm simply smiled, saying all he need do is be himself. Knowing their time was at end, Hroarmungund bowed, before his father bestowed a gift upon him. The bisons form shifted into a weapon, the great hammer and Relic Jornsong. Jornhelm's voice echoed across all of Valheim, every Gods and mortals soul who dwelled their hearing the words, as the God anointed his son The Winter King.

Returning to his home realm, Hroarmungund stood before his assembled people proud and invigorated. Claiming the title of The Winter King, he spoke of forming a true nation of Jotunns, that could stand next to any nation of the south as their equal. Impassioned, his people roared their support of the future The Winter King envisioned for them. All Jotunns pledged themselves to his vision, of a stronger, unified people. This saw the Jotunns emerge as a powerhouse in the north, and their need for space and land soon become a logistical problem for the growing Jotunn nation. Hroarmungund thus led his people further south, into The Northwyld, in search of better territories and resources.

### The Winter Kings War

Sending envoys out to the Forts of The Northwyld, Hroarmungund hoped to negotiate land for his people, and was willing to make whatever concessions he needed to get it. He hoped that the Jotunns could embrace The Northwyld and its people as their new home and allies. Instead, they were met with hostility and war. The human and Loxodon forces at Fort Hub and Fort Mugin challenged the Jotunn forces and attempted to prevent their entry into Veiltouria. Dismayed, Hroarmungund initially refused their challenge to war. But when more and more of his people were killed in their sleep by human or Loxodon assassins, he knew he would have to take up arms, to defend his people.

Sending advanced warning to the Forts themselves, Hroarmungund gave them the chance to flee. Once his forces crossed into The Northwyld, they would claim the land they needed. He hoped no one would be there when they did. His amassed army then crossed through the pass between The White Spire Mountains. The united human and Loxodon forces had familiarity with the terrain, having established themselves on the high ground, as well as laying many ambushes. But they were not prepared for the ferocity and sheer force of might Hroarmungund's army possessed.

The many war beasts of the Jotunn forces tore through the enemies defensive lines, their thunderous charge leaving thousands dead in their wake. The Jotunns pushed on, caring little to finish off their foes. They were here for hope, not death. The united human and Loxodon forces were forced to retreat, and in turn abandoned Fort Mugin to the Jotunn horde. Mugin was always considered a lesser Fort, with a weak populace and struggling infrastructure. Those who lived there were taken in by Fort Hub, or left to Fort Shuck. Seeing their enemies routed, the Jotunns descended further south, claiming the abandoned Fort Mugin for themselves.

### A New Age

Having settled the formerly human occupied Fort, the Jotunns began trying to cultivate the land. For decades they toiled, but over time it became clear that they would not be able to turn this into the paradise they envisioned, the paradise Hroarmungund was shown. But their people were happy, for The Northwyld was safer than the ice sheets and they had walls and rooves. The Jotunn population grew, as they settled into their more tranquil lives, and for a time the people were happy.

Hroarmungund himself found he was to be a father. After many years together, Vetrarblum was with child. The Skalds told her she would have triplets, three boys who would stake their claim to the world. Hroarmungund was overjoyed, and looked forward to a life of peace. He thought perhaps this land was not what he had seen, but it was good enough. He, and his people, could survive here. But his joy would not last.

Since conquering Fort Mugin, sentiments towards the Jotunns had only degraded. Hated and feared by the humans of their neighboring Forts, a conspiracy slowly grew to assassinate The Winter King. The Greenseer, a prophet and guiding figure to the council of Fort Hub, proposes an alliance with Obstinath, to hire enough of his Dragon children to destroy the Jotunns. The council eagerly agreed, for their shame at being defeated still burned strong.

### Dragonfire

On the night that would come to be known as The Scouring, Hroarmungund and his elite warriors were forced to leave Mugin, as rumors of a White Dragon attacking their hunters in the nearby forests had caused an uproar. Many warriors had requested the honor of killing the Dragon, though in truth Hroarmungund himself wanted the honor. His sons were due to be born at any moment, and he wished to honor them with Dragonblood. Taking his best warriors, The Winter King began the Dragon Hunt.

That night, after the King and his warriors had left, Vetrarblum woke in agony, her water breaking shortly after. As the pain of childbirth set in, a horror descended on the Jotunn people on silent wings. Winds like a storm tore through the Fort, as the first explosive torrent of flame shattered buildings and scorched the earth. A dozen Red Dragons circled Mugin like a living inferno, their fire devastating the Jotunn people. Soon the Fort was being abandoned, the people fleeing its walls, though Vetrarblum had been isolated by the flames and trapped. Screaming in fear and pain, the first of her children drew breath, just as the last Dragon arrived to the burning Fort. One of the eldest sons of Obstinath, the ancient Red Dragon known as Raptorignis, He Who Burns The World, slowly alighted onto the ash fields that were once Fort Mugin. Thousands of Jotunn bodies smoldered, while thousands more fled into the ice wastes. The Dragon surveyed its work and snarled in contentment.

Hroarmungund and his warriors returned that morning, to a city of death and ash. No sign of any life could be found, and the refugees who had escaped made it clear none could have survived the inferno. As Hroarmungund scoured the crowds, looking for any sign of his wife, a part of him knew she would not be there. Running to their abode, or what remained of it, he could only swallow his grief at the sight he found. Within the shattered structure that he once call home, was a shield of ice, surrounding three crying babies. And just outside the shield, was the charred remains of Vetrarblum, who had used every second she had to protect her children.

Taking up his sons, Hroarmungund took a moment to let himself grieve. Then he carried on, to lead his people, and to honor his wives sacrifice. This would not be their end, not as long as The Winter King drew breath.

### The Princes of Winter

For the next twenty years, the Jotunns scrounged their living as best they could on the fringes of The Northwyld. Avoiding contact with other peoples as much they could, they grew hardier and stronger still, having to survive any way they could. It was in this environment Hroarmungund's three sons grew up.

Ever their fathers pride and joy, they were nonetheless trained rigorously by their father, to live in a world that could turn on them at any moment. The three brothers became exceptional warriors and leaders and the bond between them, forged in Dragonfire and blood, was unbreakable.

The three princes are:

#### Zezug, Prince of Wolves

Born last of the three brothers, Zezug is the most outspoken and positive of the kings children. A fierce warrior, Zezug felt a kinship with the Skoldwolf packs from an early age. Running off into the wilds amidst the pack, Zezug is both the youngest Jotunn to perform a Wyrd, but also the only Jotunn to be Wyrded to multiple animals at once, his pack consisting of four Skoldwolves.

Considered to be the free spirit of the triplets, Zezug inherited his fathers compassion and love for his people. In battle he uses his speed and skill to overwhelm his foes, while his wolf brethren attack from the flanks.

#### Orzohk, Prince of Rage

Born first out of the three brothers, Orzohk is a behemoth of a man. The brashest and most headstrong of the brothers, Orzohk lives for battle, having been born in blood and conflict. Raised on tales of his fathers glory, Orzohk strives to prove himself worthy of his fathers legacy.

Generally considered to be the most ferocious of the brothers, Orzohk inherited his fathers courage and ferocity. He wields two great axes on the field of battle, hewing through enemy lines in a berserker rage.

#### Azhai, Prince of Ice

Quiet and reserved, Azhai takes more after his mother than either of his brothers, in tune with the world of magic around him. The blood of Skalds runs through his veins, and his power has grown to be unmatched amongst the Jotunn mages. Introspective and calculating, Azhai is the most clinical of his siblings and often serves to keep them in check.

Most often referred to as the smartest of the siblings, Azhai inherited his fathers keen mind and strong will. He wields his magic through a Skald staff and cleavers, a whirling dervish of blades and ice.

### Leaving the Northwyld

Over time, the Jotunn people grew weary of hiding. A proud people, their years spent on the outskirts of society being shunned and ridiculed, eventually grew to take a toll. Worse still was the constant mockery of Raptorignis, who lay slumbering in the ruins of what was once Mugin. Hroarmungund forced his people, particularly his sons, from taking the bait. He knew that to attack Raptorignis was to attack Obstinath himself, and his people were not strong enough to face The Pale Rider.

As hope amongst the Jotunns dwindled, a warrior returned bearing news of a proposed alliance, with a King of the south. Hearing this words, Hroarmungund's mind flashed back to his vision, and he knew this was it. His chance to lead his people to a better future. To their home.

### The Guardian Alliance

Hroarmungund led his people on the long journey south, crossing hostile lands and dangerous terrain to get there. Skirmishes against Holy City forces grew ever more frequent as the Jotunns approached the Umbil River, and Hroarmungund feared that they might never make the journey whole. In their hour of need, however, hope was found.

Appearing one night in the Jotunn camp, King Bill himself strode amongst the struggling people, and met with Hroarmungund. He spoke of The Guardian Alliance, and his vision of a united Forestsedge, in both prosperity and security. Bill offered the Jotunns vast swathes of land to call their own, and the recognition of their people as both allies and nations, in exchange for their aid. Hroarmungund readily accepted, though questioned how they were to ensure his people survived the journey. Bill simply smiled, and said to meet on the Umbil riverbank at dawn.

Once morning came, the Jotunns were overjoyed at the sight before them. A fleet of Highlands ships, and The Deliverance sailed at their head under the command of Captain Jaeger Flamefeather. Boarding the vessels, Hroarmungund embraced his sons. They had done it. They had found their home.

### Jotunhall

After some weeks spent travelling and ironing out terms, the Jotunns received the land promised to them. The coldest region of Forestsedge, it bordered the Sons Sea and was largely unsettled, the chilly grassland and coastal tundra proving tough for the southerners to survive in. To the Jotunns, it was paradise. The Skalds set about forming icy halls and fortresses, while Hroarmungund himself forged from his fathers magic is own great citadel, Ulfamunurr.

The Jotunns spent months cultivating their land, settling their herds and building their homes. Aided by the full might of the Guardians and their resources, Jotunhall was finished faster than any could have dreamed. The Jotunns had found their home. Hroarmungund took his place as a member of The Guardian Council, and committed wholeheartedly to protecting this land that had given he and his people so much.

### Heimdallax

During this time of settlement and growth, the Jotunns unearthed the Brass Dragon Heimdallax. Trapped in frozen combat against an enemy Dragon, Heimdallax was thawed out and immediately attacked his enemy, defeating it before passing out. The brass dragon was then brought to Hroarmungund's hall, where he was healed with magic and flame.

When he awoke, the dragon and The Winter King spoke of many things, the two finding themselves aligned in philosophy and temperament. Fearing retribution from his father Obstinath, Heimdallax proposed an alliance with Hroarmungund, a place to call home in exchange for his aid and knowledge. Hroarmungund made it known that all were welcome in Jotunhall, and if Heimdallax wanted to fight, that was his choice, but he need not haver to shed blood to join the Jotunn people.

Since that day, Heimdallax has become one of Hroarmungund's chief advisors and closest allies, aiding him in his quest to further strengthen his people and their new found home.

## Recent Events

In recent times, Hroarmungund sent forces to break the deadlock in The War of The Horns, sacking Devilsarm after Emperor Amon Mordai and Canis Absalom broke into the city and raised the gates. Hroarmungund himself flew out to meet Obstinath on the field of battle after the Dragon nearly slew King Bill, though he and the other Council members were unable to vanquish the dragon.