Eor I of Great Skull

**Eor I of Great Skull**, personal name **Eor Kirne** (formerly **Eor Freeman**), was the second king of Great Skull, reigning from 238 AW until his death in 257 AW. Eor's reign was marked by a decline into instability as various local lords began clashing with each other for increased influence and power.

Born in bondage on a farm outside Kainiya, the capital of the Freehold bearing the same name, Eor was separated from his parents at birth. He spent his early life doing backbreaking work before his farm was taken over in 209 AW by a Human slave revolt which had started on a prison farm led by Gern Freeman. Eor particularly took a liking to one of his lieutenants, Catadar Freeman, and joined him as a fighter.

Gern's march on Kainiya failed, as he and his forces were defeated on the open battlefield. Catadar and Eor were among the survivors, with the former choosing to travel to Kyrn in disguise. Catadar ignited further slave revolts around Kyrn, while other surviving leaders did the same in other areas of the Freehold. By 210 AW, the Freehold of Kainiya had collapsed amidst a wave of slave revolts and the breakdown of their military.

Catadar became lord of Cnoc Kirne (Kyrn) and founded House Kirne, and in a series of political manoeuvres, managed to get himself crowned king of the new state of Great Skull in 211 AW. His reign was largely stable, with Eor acting as Catadar's foremost military advisor and lieutenant. Yet, by the late 230s, with Catadar nearing his dead, a problem of succession arose.

Catadar's manhood had been removed as punishment by his slavers, leaving him childless and heirless. Eor, on the other hand, had not been subjected to such punishment. In fact, he already had three children. Catadar, securing the line of succession and rewarding his most loyal ally, took Eor as his adoptive son, making him the heir of House Kirne. When Catadar died in 238 AW, Eor was crowned Eor I of Great Skull with some general apathy towards him.

Eor's reign began as a continuation of Catadar's policies of implementing a decentralised monarchy. However, this path that Catadar had laid out before him would spawn many problems. For one, a decentralised monarchy only works if people still respected the role of the monarch, which in Eor's case, wasn't often the case. His role in bringing down the Freehold was minor at best, and not many had heard of him before he took the crown.

Heading into the 240s, various lords began getting rebellious. Not to the point of openly revolting against the crown, yet taxes were underpaid, obligations were ignored, and a general disregard for the monarchy in Cnoc Kirne became rather common. As a result of this, Eor spent most of his reign bogged down fighting petty squabbles with his would-be vassals for control and legitimacy.

After nearly a decade and a half, Eor had navigated the troubles well enough for him to earn some respect with his vassals, especially as many of the original slave revolt's leaders began dying and being replaced with fresh blood. Eor, however, would soon follow, dying of old age in 257 AW. The crown passed to his eldest son, Eor II, marking the start of a period of increased instability.

## Relationships

* **Family**
	+ Eor II of Great Skull (son)
	+ Vidde I of Great Skull (son)
	+ Eoda I of Great Skull (daughter)
* **Allies**
	+ Catadar I of Great Skull