King Nidgram
King of the Jotnar and Lord of Balengar Nidgram Krónaðrssen (a.k.a. Ironcrowned and Ironclad, Bane of the West, Eastking, Lord of the Dawn)
The eldest son of Krónaðr, the first Dawn King of the Jotnar, Nidgram was among the strongest, most powerful, and by far most cunning of his kin. After the death of Hrunir the Vain, he became the first king of the Jotnar to rule after the destruction of Mikilhuld. Nidgram ruled in Balengar, the fortress of night and shadow where he became the ferocious enemy of the fae and men who dwelled west of the river Adwine.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Nidgram was described often as clad in shadow, where he roamed he cast illusions over himself. This was made apparent by his varying size, his mysterious and otherworldly appearance did not give the impression of him as one of the Jotnar but instead as an unknown and fear-inducing figure of darkness. Nidgram's skin was permanently colored in a pale and sickly way through his love of silver, he hid this away beneath armor and fine clothes for it shamed and embarrassed him.
Identifying Characteristics
Through his shape-shifting, Nidgram often rendered himself in shadow, with only his piercing red eyes gazing forth from his figure. His eyes blazed often, making apparent his emotions and it was the red eyes of King Nidgram that brought low the gaze of his subjects.
Special abilities
Near mastery of Jotnar magic
Size manipulation
Shape Shifting
Delayed aging
Unnatural Strength
Size manipulation
Shape Shifting
Delayed aging
Unnatural Strength
Apparel & Accessories
Nidgram forged the Iron Crown, made from the molten crowns of all the pretenders he vanquished. The Iron Crown was topped by black spikes and sprinkled in gold. The crown would be lost after the Battle of Balengar, when it was lost by King Helstrir.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Nidgram, lord of giants, in shadow clad and wrapped in iron. The lord of the dreaded keep of Balengar. The first son of Krónaðr, the first of the Dögun kings, and builder of the great giant city of Mikilhuld. Nidgram was only a boy when the Nine Nights of Fire brought low the walls of Auldrnal, when the great moat of Ungerhaf spilled forth mighty waves that laid low all that remained. Nidgram remembered, forever in his mind, the warped screams of the monstrous Gehnil who brought terror to the giants. Nidgram remembered well the shaking steps of Táramaðurinn and the Kunkal as they destroyed his home. Yet Nidgram's heart did not thaw, only hardened for he remained cold of thought and unflinching in his designs to bring about another Dawn Age for his people. When Nidgram's uncle, King Hrunir the Vain went away, and the crown of the Jotnar was within grasp, Nidgram did not hesitate to do away with his kin and in a single night, orchestrated the Massacre of the Princes which saw much of the sons and daughters of Voldugr and Hrunir killed in cold blood by the new King of the Jotnar.
Whether he happened upon it, or whether he orchestrated its construction previously, Nidgram moved his residence to the great keep of Balengar, towering and dreaded, the owner matched the aura of this terrible place. By this time, the touch of silver had come to make Nidgram's skin turn to a sickly dark, a pale sheen shone when his skin was laid bare and he hid it away beneath hard metal always. No weakness could he show before his people and before his great captains, his eyes cast downward with eyes red as blood and reverence was bestowed on him by his fearful people. Cloaked in shadow, Nidgram stood tall, striding in black, he brought low the petty kings and pretenders who claimed his power. Along his throne atop the tower of Svatour, bands of gold and iron rings lay across his feet, taken from dead kings and dead queens, those wrent from power and cast to the depths of Balengar's dungeons, where sunlight ever abated them. The gold and iron, cast into a molten crown, sprinkled in gold, and topped with sharp pikes of iron atop the head of the unquestioned lord of all giants and bane of men.
Let none mistake it, King Nidgram was villain, thoroughly and truly, for he desired supremacy over all the races, and dominion over all the lands of the world. He found comfort in the simplicity of total rule, pride in the domination of others, and superiority over all. He sought power, the means to achieve his designs, he wielded dark magics, secrets of his people never shared, no better master of the giant magics could be found among mortals. Nidgram the tyrant reigned, yet he remained cunning for this was not the visage cast down on his own people. To the giants, he was Nidgram Ironcrowned, Nidgram Ironclad, Nidgram the Savior, and Nidgram Westbane, for he was the greatest defender of the giants ever known. Even the Dögun kings of old had not contended with enemies as strong as those to the west of the Adwine. Nidgram rallied his people, he inspired them with resolve to put down the western invaders and the insolent men who dwelled there. In his mind, he was the fourth of the Dögun, a king of the Dawn, the builder of a new Mikilhuld, a new dawn kingdom rising from the blood of the men and fae of the west.
The giant king delighted in bringing division and terror to the fae and men of the west, he made his presence known to them amidst their feast on the field of Búven, when he toppled the pillar raised by the Faen brother kings Sylren and Thallan. In a grizzly warning, the giant king also had the Huldra city of Tirmagall ransacked while their king was away, slaying many men, women, and children. When the armies of the Huldra, Mainar, and men rallied and marched east, Nidgram met them and smashed them at the field of the first battle. Nidgram left the crumbling armies of the west slink back across the Adwine to fall to infighting but to his surprise, this did not occur. The men of Tirmagall spread throughout the land and became the Géadine while the men of the Southlands came to be the Sureno and the Aeiota. For this was vile Nidgram's greatest error, for man would not buckle nor bend to the will of the giants ever again. The mighty nations of the Géadine, the Sureno, and the Aeiota would spawn heroes of their own to keep the giants at bay, to become the rulers of the world and masters of it. It was this chance after An Thiad Bhiar, to destroy the nations of men, that Nidgram never took and he would never again see man this weak.
Ages passed when Nidgram spied, atop his throne, five glowing gems more beautiful than any. Created by the Huldra prince Galerain, Nidgram envied these Laeomena greatly and in obtaining them, would bring any ounce of misery to the fae which always brought joy to Nidgram. King Nidgram, won his prize, by encasing one of his thegns in a deep cloak of disguise, the Laeomena were stolen and taken east. Instead of misery, the fae Elder King was brought to a truly maddening fury over the theft of the gems and rode east, alone, to seek a duel with the giant king. Before the captains and walls of Balengar, An Lonrach of the Huldra and Nidgram lord of shadow fought. Nidgram was taken back by the might of An Lonrach who fought like a god of old, with flaming anger burning in his gaze. The Faen king wounded Nidgram handily but the lord of the east would win the day, slamming the Fae king into the earth. With their first king dead by giant hand, the Huldra fae found their next king in his son Galerain.
The killing of their king would bring cries of war as Galerain and his five sons swore a terrible oath, an oath amidst the burning gifts of the giants to not only avenge the killing of their king and kinsman but for the return of all five of the Laeomena gems, lest death come to all the world. Nidgram readied himself for war in the east, he called all his thegns to him, who each brought hosts of giants and enslaved men to fight for them. When the mighty fae armies arrived in the east, where battle would come. Nidgram sent out his mightiest host, commanded by his thegn Hraust Miklihræglir, the Great and Terrible, and battle was fought at Vingaldin. Yet something strange happened, in the melee, battle ceased and a challenge was made by Miklihræglir, to any who would come before him and duel. Ancaron, the leader of men declined for he was fearful and yet a boy in his retinue by the name of Glanduil accepted. As Miklihræglir boasted and laughed, Glanduil readied his bow and shot six shots into the giant, one that caught his throat. Hraust Miklihræglir fell on the field and Glanduil became Meginil Gieachoir, Man of the Golden Horn, which was owned by the giant. From the line of Meginil would come a forged kingdom of men who united and posed a great threat to the Jotnar. Meginil's line produced many enemies of the giants and would one day lead to the downfall of the race of giants.
Yet victory for the west would come at a great cost, as they marched east and came upon the field of Rollagla, the Rolling Green, as they called it, Nidgram poured forth in ambush, a great host of draigs that scorched the land and killed many, Galerain's son Erefraim among them. At Talam Duganea, now remembered as the Land of Black Sands, the giants won a great victory and the west was thrown back. For a time, victory seemed total, but the fae rallied around Eaforn, eldest son of Galerain, who threw them back east in a mad fury for the deaths of so many and greatest of all, Erefraim his beloved brother. The armies of Eaforn slaughtered and ransacked many settlements of the giants along the Adwine, giant blood ran amidst the river and Faen fury barreled east one more. Nidgram and his trusted thegn Antaenir clashed against the Faen brothers Eaforn and Eregrin near the marshy bog of Genithin. There, the giants once more proved their valor and beat back the fae and men so greatly it seemed victory would come once again. However, to the rear, chants of war rung out, and behind the giant lines came the Sureno and the Aeiota, led by their war-ready kings and chiefs. With a shout of "Te Chulam! Te Bellam", To Arms! To War! The Sureno and Aeiota fell on the giants and won men the day.
Yet again, losses among the Westerners let discord run among their ranks. The advance of Eaforn was waning and soon, the hosts of fae splintered as some followed the passive defense of Eandris and Eraniel. Eaforn pressed on with the majority, settling in the lands ravaged by his war and founding the realm of Tiranghar. Yet with momentum halted, soon Nidgram himself strode from Balengar's gates with a massive host of warriors. The fury of Eaforn led him headlong into a trap and soon, the army of Eaforn was trapped amidst a ford in the land of the east. Picked off and without allies, the fae were decimated and the thegn Antaenir slew the eldest son of Galerain. The west was now in total disarray and the giants pressed their advantage well. Nidgram, the bane of the west, marched all the way to Tirmagall and after some time, put it to the torch. The city of Sylren was ransacked and King Galerain, in absolute grief, threw himself into the fighting, preferring to die in the city of his father, than live in shame.
Yet, the sons of Galerain defended their own lands well and the fae continued to dwell in the lands of Eandris, Eraniel, and Eregrin. From the line of Galerain, one would come to end the life of Nidgram. Among the fae of Eregrinel, Cerelian, son of Erefraim the slain prince of Talam Duganea, would come to the court of Balengar like his great-grandfather before him. In singing a great song, Cerelian, and Nidgram did battle. Nidgram the old, seeing his fate, cast down a curse on the Faen prince before him, he granted a vision of the future, a glimpse of the bloodshed the future would bring. In this curse he bound the prince to not be able to prevent what he'd seen, to forever be cursed with knowledge and prophecy. While he would be slain, Nidgram's final scheme would devastate the fae.
In the aftermath, the realm of Eregrinel would grow to become the greatest realm of the fae of all time, three kings from Eregrin's line would rule greatly but calamity would come to all the sons of Galerain who forgot their oath to retrieve the Laeomena gems. Tiranghar would fall, and refugees would come to Eregrinel, one among them being Isentin. The lone Laeomena, retrieved by Eregrin, came to the mind of Isentin, pride, greed, envy and all manner of evil entered his mind. In the dark of night, Isentin stole the Laeomena of Eregrin and slew the High King Foriael when he was discovered. The realms of the fae were plunged into civil war, between the sides of Isentin and Érenhel, the late king's son. The War of the Gem would decimate the fae and Cerelian would be unable to alter its course.
After the war, the fae would never be the same and slowly lost their power to the growing strength of men. To the giants, the death of Nidgram was felt, Nidgram's own son Jonsmur Oskgelmir would rule after him but abandoned Balengar for keeps to the west. The kings of the Jotnar would remain and so too would the power of the Jotnar for a time. Only after the death of the last king of the Jotnar, Thared called Eldingar, did the Jotnar finally fall from power. Eldingar had defied the will of the gods and so the giants were punished. The great hammerer, Sábanir, he who brings death, Rymr the lord of the skies ran rampant among the giants, reaping death and terror as they fled north, to the lands of frost and timber where they came to forget the power and might of the kings of old.
In his lifetime of seeking power and dominion, King Nidgram sowed the seeds of his people's downfall and the doom of all he held high. Yet among the giants, his name remains, a name of power, of domination and dominion still, yet a lesson was learned on the dangers of such power and the pursuit of it. The giants, exiled and forgotten, finally learned true humility, learned the error of seeking power over the world, and found the same humility and fear they once subjected the clans of men to during the Age of Fear so long ago.
Whether he happened upon it, or whether he orchestrated its construction previously, Nidgram moved his residence to the great keep of Balengar, towering and dreaded, the owner matched the aura of this terrible place. By this time, the touch of silver had come to make Nidgram's skin turn to a sickly dark, a pale sheen shone when his skin was laid bare and he hid it away beneath hard metal always. No weakness could he show before his people and before his great captains, his eyes cast downward with eyes red as blood and reverence was bestowed on him by his fearful people. Cloaked in shadow, Nidgram stood tall, striding in black, he brought low the petty kings and pretenders who claimed his power. Along his throne atop the tower of Svatour, bands of gold and iron rings lay across his feet, taken from dead kings and dead queens, those wrent from power and cast to the depths of Balengar's dungeons, where sunlight ever abated them. The gold and iron, cast into a molten crown, sprinkled in gold, and topped with sharp pikes of iron atop the head of the unquestioned lord of all giants and bane of men.
Let none mistake it, King Nidgram was villain, thoroughly and truly, for he desired supremacy over all the races, and dominion over all the lands of the world. He found comfort in the simplicity of total rule, pride in the domination of others, and superiority over all. He sought power, the means to achieve his designs, he wielded dark magics, secrets of his people never shared, no better master of the giant magics could be found among mortals. Nidgram the tyrant reigned, yet he remained cunning for this was not the visage cast down on his own people. To the giants, he was Nidgram Ironcrowned, Nidgram Ironclad, Nidgram the Savior, and Nidgram Westbane, for he was the greatest defender of the giants ever known. Even the Dögun kings of old had not contended with enemies as strong as those to the west of the Adwine. Nidgram rallied his people, he inspired them with resolve to put down the western invaders and the insolent men who dwelled there. In his mind, he was the fourth of the Dögun, a king of the Dawn, the builder of a new Mikilhuld, a new dawn kingdom rising from the blood of the men and fae of the west.
The giant king delighted in bringing division and terror to the fae and men of the west, he made his presence known to them amidst their feast on the field of Búven, when he toppled the pillar raised by the Faen brother kings Sylren and Thallan. In a grizzly warning, the giant king also had the Huldra city of Tirmagall ransacked while their king was away, slaying many men, women, and children. When the armies of the Huldra, Mainar, and men rallied and marched east, Nidgram met them and smashed them at the field of the first battle. Nidgram left the crumbling armies of the west slink back across the Adwine to fall to infighting but to his surprise, this did not occur. The men of Tirmagall spread throughout the land and became the Géadine while the men of the Southlands came to be the Sureno and the Aeiota. For this was vile Nidgram's greatest error, for man would not buckle nor bend to the will of the giants ever again. The mighty nations of the Géadine, the Sureno, and the Aeiota would spawn heroes of their own to keep the giants at bay, to become the rulers of the world and masters of it. It was this chance after An Thiad Bhiar, to destroy the nations of men, that Nidgram never took and he would never again see man this weak.
Ages passed when Nidgram spied, atop his throne, five glowing gems more beautiful than any. Created by the Huldra prince Galerain, Nidgram envied these Laeomena greatly and in obtaining them, would bring any ounce of misery to the fae which always brought joy to Nidgram. King Nidgram, won his prize, by encasing one of his thegns in a deep cloak of disguise, the Laeomena were stolen and taken east. Instead of misery, the fae Elder King was brought to a truly maddening fury over the theft of the gems and rode east, alone, to seek a duel with the giant king. Before the captains and walls of Balengar, An Lonrach of the Huldra and Nidgram lord of shadow fought. Nidgram was taken back by the might of An Lonrach who fought like a god of old, with flaming anger burning in his gaze. The Faen king wounded Nidgram handily but the lord of the east would win the day, slamming the Fae king into the earth. With their first king dead by giant hand, the Huldra fae found their next king in his son Galerain.
The killing of their king would bring cries of war as Galerain and his five sons swore a terrible oath, an oath amidst the burning gifts of the giants to not only avenge the killing of their king and kinsman but for the return of all five of the Laeomena gems, lest death come to all the world. Nidgram readied himself for war in the east, he called all his thegns to him, who each brought hosts of giants and enslaved men to fight for them. When the mighty fae armies arrived in the east, where battle would come. Nidgram sent out his mightiest host, commanded by his thegn Hraust Miklihræglir, the Great and Terrible, and battle was fought at Vingaldin. Yet something strange happened, in the melee, battle ceased and a challenge was made by Miklihræglir, to any who would come before him and duel. Ancaron, the leader of men declined for he was fearful and yet a boy in his retinue by the name of Glanduil accepted. As Miklihræglir boasted and laughed, Glanduil readied his bow and shot six shots into the giant, one that caught his throat. Hraust Miklihræglir fell on the field and Glanduil became Meginil Gieachoir, Man of the Golden Horn, which was owned by the giant. From the line of Meginil would come a forged kingdom of men who united and posed a great threat to the Jotnar. Meginil's line produced many enemies of the giants and would one day lead to the downfall of the race of giants.
Yet victory for the west would come at a great cost, as they marched east and came upon the field of Rollagla, the Rolling Green, as they called it, Nidgram poured forth in ambush, a great host of draigs that scorched the land and killed many, Galerain's son Erefraim among them. At Talam Duganea, now remembered as the Land of Black Sands, the giants won a great victory and the west was thrown back. For a time, victory seemed total, but the fae rallied around Eaforn, eldest son of Galerain, who threw them back east in a mad fury for the deaths of so many and greatest of all, Erefraim his beloved brother. The armies of Eaforn slaughtered and ransacked many settlements of the giants along the Adwine, giant blood ran amidst the river and Faen fury barreled east one more. Nidgram and his trusted thegn Antaenir clashed against the Faen brothers Eaforn and Eregrin near the marshy bog of Genithin. There, the giants once more proved their valor and beat back the fae and men so greatly it seemed victory would come once again. However, to the rear, chants of war rung out, and behind the giant lines came the Sureno and the Aeiota, led by their war-ready kings and chiefs. With a shout of "Te Chulam! Te Bellam", To Arms! To War! The Sureno and Aeiota fell on the giants and won men the day.
Yet again, losses among the Westerners let discord run among their ranks. The advance of Eaforn was waning and soon, the hosts of fae splintered as some followed the passive defense of Eandris and Eraniel. Eaforn pressed on with the majority, settling in the lands ravaged by his war and founding the realm of Tiranghar. Yet with momentum halted, soon Nidgram himself strode from Balengar's gates with a massive host of warriors. The fury of Eaforn led him headlong into a trap and soon, the army of Eaforn was trapped amidst a ford in the land of the east. Picked off and without allies, the fae were decimated and the thegn Antaenir slew the eldest son of Galerain. The west was now in total disarray and the giants pressed their advantage well. Nidgram, the bane of the west, marched all the way to Tirmagall and after some time, put it to the torch. The city of Sylren was ransacked and King Galerain, in absolute grief, threw himself into the fighting, preferring to die in the city of his father, than live in shame.
Yet, the sons of Galerain defended their own lands well and the fae continued to dwell in the lands of Eandris, Eraniel, and Eregrin. From the line of Galerain, one would come to end the life of Nidgram. Among the fae of Eregrinel, Cerelian, son of Erefraim the slain prince of Talam Duganea, would come to the court of Balengar like his great-grandfather before him. In singing a great song, Cerelian, and Nidgram did battle. Nidgram the old, seeing his fate, cast down a curse on the Faen prince before him, he granted a vision of the future, a glimpse of the bloodshed the future would bring. In this curse he bound the prince to not be able to prevent what he'd seen, to forever be cursed with knowledge and prophecy. While he would be slain, Nidgram's final scheme would devastate the fae.
In the aftermath, the realm of Eregrinel would grow to become the greatest realm of the fae of all time, three kings from Eregrin's line would rule greatly but calamity would come to all the sons of Galerain who forgot their oath to retrieve the Laeomena gems. Tiranghar would fall, and refugees would come to Eregrinel, one among them being Isentin. The lone Laeomena, retrieved by Eregrin, came to the mind of Isentin, pride, greed, envy and all manner of evil entered his mind. In the dark of night, Isentin stole the Laeomena of Eregrin and slew the High King Foriael when he was discovered. The realms of the fae were plunged into civil war, between the sides of Isentin and Érenhel, the late king's son. The War of the Gem would decimate the fae and Cerelian would be unable to alter its course.
After the war, the fae would never be the same and slowly lost their power to the growing strength of men. To the giants, the death of Nidgram was felt, Nidgram's own son Jonsmur Oskgelmir would rule after him but abandoned Balengar for keeps to the west. The kings of the Jotnar would remain and so too would the power of the Jotnar for a time. Only after the death of the last king of the Jotnar, Thared called Eldingar, did the Jotnar finally fall from power. Eldingar had defied the will of the gods and so the giants were punished. The great hammerer, Sábanir, he who brings death, Rymr the lord of the skies ran rampant among the giants, reaping death and terror as they fled north, to the lands of frost and timber where they came to forget the power and might of the kings of old.
In his lifetime of seeking power and dominion, King Nidgram sowed the seeds of his people's downfall and the doom of all he held high. Yet among the giants, his name remains, a name of power, of domination and dominion still, yet a lesson was learned on the dangers of such power and the pursuit of it. The giants, exiled and forgotten, finally learned true humility, learned the error of seeking power over the world, and found the same humility and fear they once subjected the clans of men to during the Age of Fear so long ago.
Personality Characteristics
Motivation
Dominate the western races and reforge the Dawn Kingdom
Virtues & Personality perks
Strong
Demanding
Shrewd
Calculated
Demanding
Shrewd
Calculated
Vices & Personality flaws
Cunning
Power-hungry
Arrogant
Deceptive
Vengeful
Remorseless
Power-hungry
Arrogant
Deceptive
Vengeful
Remorseless
Social
Family Ties
Son of King Krónaðr
Nephew of Voldugr and Hrunir
Elder brother of Triosa
Grandson of Aurelmir
Nephew of Voldugr and Hrunir
Elder brother of Triosa
Grandson of Aurelmir
Social Aptitude
Nidgram, in projecting such a powerful figure, kept hidden the part of him he most feared to be seen as. Nidgram's shame was simple, he did not wish to be a failure, he wished with every ounce of himself to live up to the glory of his father, of his uncles, and the glory envisioned for himself. He hid his pale skin, for he was shameful of it, he hid his sunken and lazing eye with crimson flame for he was ashamed of it. He lied and deceived many, first in trusting him to honor his word and secondly in believing what he thought of himself. Nidgram was deeply insecure, deeply mistrustful of the concept of love though he claimed to love his people. Mistrustful of vulnerability, for he dreaded showing a fragment of weakness. He never knew an ounce of love, he was only ever to be feared and so he was always out of reach, always at an arms distance and so fell into a cycle of loneliness that imprisoned him forever.
Hobbies & Pets
Nidgram rode the great Draig Basdūh, the dragon of his father.
Speech
Nidgram in speech was often longwinded, he displayed a thorough confidence in himself that often bordered on megalomania. The king believed himself the fulfiller of his father and uncles' mission, the mission of the Jotnar to avenge the first murder and dominate the world, in defiance of the gods. Nidgram's voice was a piercing shrill, he spoke and one could be forgiven for feeling a shiver come to them.
Current Location
Species
Life
10867 B.E
8439 B.E
2428 years old
Circumstances of Birth
Eldest child of the 1st Dawn King Krónaðr
Circumstances of Death
Killed in a duel against Cerelian Caricira
Birthplace
Mikilhuld, Modern Great Salia
Place of Death
Balengar, Modern Tuscia
Children
Eyes
Crimson (actually Brown)
Hair
Black, Long, Braided
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Pale
Height
Varies
Weight
Varies
Quotes & Catchphrases
"To the dirt oh invader! For all the Innrá (Fae) to witness and all the Westmen to know. No savior awaits them who will defy the will of the Jotnar and who defies the will of the King of all the world."-Spoken after the killing of King Sylren An Lonrach
(Mikilhuld, birthplace of Nidgram and seat of the Dawn Kings)
(Krónaðr, father of Nidgram and first of the Dögun)
(Sylren, first Huldra King, slain by Nidgram before Balengar's walls)
(Sylren, fallen before Nidgram)
(A Laeomena, one of the gems stolen by Nidgram and source of the Wars of the Galerainil)
(Tirmagall, the Land of Delight, the city of Sylren which was destroyed by Nidgram)
(Cerelian Caricira, son of Erefraim and the slayer of Nidgram)
Comments