Eyvind

**Eyvind** is an important Hero character encountered in the first part of *The Banner Saga*.

## Story

Eyvind was the leader of the Valka and most powerful of their group, however he was prone to dangerously unstable behaviour since birth, something common among the male Valka and also present in his father. Juno secretly tried to find a way to heal his mind and fell in love with him. She was sentenced to death by other for trying to manipulate minds while Eyvind was spared. To ressurect her, he utilised the power of the Dark Sun that gave light to the underground home of the Dredge. This resulted in it falling to the ground, creating quakes, and releasing the Serpent as well as the Darkness. He carried her back to Ridgehorn, but fell unconscious there, later being found by Hakon's caravan.

## Background

#### Saga 1

Eyvind's relationship with the Valka Juno is clearly more than that of an apprentice. He also seems battle-capable in such a powerful way that many of the clansmen keep their distance. Conversely, he unselfishly uses his mending to heal the wounded and help around camp. Despite his nervous energy, Eyvind possesses a diplomatic demeanor and an unexpected confidence.

#### Saga 2

Eyvind is the apprentice to one of the Menders' inner council, Juno. He seems to have a variety of different quirks, least of which is an uneasy nervous energy that seems to influence everything he does. Despite this, it's hard not to feel a bit intimidated around the man, like he's holding back from... something.

#### Saga 3

Eventually revealed as one of the council's most powerful Valka, Eyvind and Juno have come a long way to undo the darkness. But as revelations about him are revealed, his innocence has come into question. The kind man desperately working to save lives and heal the world sometimes gives way to a dangerous and selfish anger.

## Active Ability: Mend

* Eyvind starts with Mend at Rank 3 (max), as his starting Hero Rank is 5.

Menders are able to quickly *Mend* on the field of battle, restoring the Armor of any ally anywhere on the battlefield. The amount of Armor restored is half of the Mender's current Willpower (WP) rounded down.

**Rank 1:** Armor restored is (WP+0)/2, rounded down.

**Rank 2:** Armor restored is (WP+1)/2, rounded down.

**Rank 3:** Armor restored is (WP+2)/2, rounded down.

## Active Ability: Arc Lightning

* Eyvind starts with Arc Lightning at Rank 3 (max), as his starting Hero Rank is 5.

Eyvind pulls lightning from the sky onto a target enemy within a range of 6 tiles doing direct Strength damage. After hitting the first target, the lightning arcs to any unit (enemy or ally) that is diagonal to the target, until it runs out of units to hit. Each time the lightning arcs to a new target the strength damage is increased by one point.

Be careful not to toast your allies!

**Rank 1:** first strike does 2 Strength damage

**Rank 2:** first strike does 3 Strength damage

**Rank 3:** first strike does 4 Strength damage

## Active Ability: Trollstones

* Eyvind gains Trollstones Ability when Promoted to Rank 6.

The mender pulls up stone shards out of the ground to block the path of enemies. The shards block movement, and the force of their rise deals 1 Strength damage to Units in all adjacent tiles. The stones have 10 Strength and last for 1 Round before sinking back into the earth.

**Rank 1:** Pull up 1 stone.

**Rank 2:** Pull up 2 stone.

**Rank 3:** Pull up 3 stone.

## Joining the Party

* Saga 1: Eyvind is first encountered in the end of Chapter 3 but actively joins the party in the end of Chapter 4. He stays until the end of the first game and continues into the second one.
* Saga 2: Eyvind starts off with the Skogr caravan in Chapter 8. He will undergo a visible change in his physical appearance after a particularly stressful feat performed along the way...
* Saga 3: Eyvind is present in Iver's party from Chapter 17.

## Possible Death or Departure

* Saga 1: Eyvind remains with the caravan until the end of the first game.
* Saga 2: Eyvind always leaves the Skogr caravan in the end of Chapter 12, heading on a 'special mission' with Juno and Iver.
* Saga 3: Iver can choose to kill Eyvind at the end of the game in Chapter 22.

## Playstyle

* Eyvind is not a front-line fighter, but a support unit and a ranged attacker.
* He comes already promoted to Rank 5, with 8 points to allocate between his Stats. **Do that immediately!**
* Eyvind's crucial stat is Willpower; maxing it to 12 is highly recommended. Similarly, items boosting (or regenerating) Willpower are a great choice.
* Arc Lightning completely bypasses Armor and can be used on any foe. However, its maximum potential is when enemies are diagonally-aligned for the arc to hit multiple targets doing tremendous damage to back-lying enemies. Always look for the opportunity to hit more than one enemy!
* Trollstones is an invaluable ability for zone-controlling, especially in tight boards and at Rank 3. He can lock-down multiple enemy units, while exposing them to ranged attacks from ally Archers.
* Destroying Trollstones fuels the Horn with one Willpower (per stone).
* Calculating restored Armor when casting Mend may be difficult, partly because the ability description in the Heroes tent is vague. The following table shows the Armor restored for all ranks of the ability, given the mender's Willpower when Mend is cast. It is advisable to draw any unneeded Willpower from the Horn, before casting Mend.

## Trivia

Eyvind's name is homage to Eyvind Earle, whose art inspired the graphical style of *The Banner Saga*.