Eric Strongborn was the third son to
Ulthar III Strongborn and Alessa Greystout. Like his father and his uncle
Holgunn I Strongborn, he too was a Dragonborn. From a young age he was known for his long flowing golden hair.
Life in exile
At the age of 4, Eric's father was murdered by an assassin at court. His eldest brother
Aegon II Strongborn became king and launched the Assassin's War against the
Kingdom of Myrtana, leading to the downfall of the
Kingdom of Gotha. After the defeat at the
Battle of Longfields Myrtanian troops invaded the capital of
Gotha and slaughtered all the royal family they could find. Eric only survived, because the Seneschal of the Meeting Hall of Gotha, Sir Sebastian, led him away through a secret passage. For the following years Sebastian and Eric roamed the cities of men and the wilds. In the meantime, the experienced soldier trained his young ward and kept his heritage secret to him.
Return of the King
In the meantime the Kingdom of Gotha passed into the kingless years.
The Night's Watch looked towards the wild, and the Stormcloaks of Whiterun did not care for a restoration of the kingdom that led them so close to their doom. Therefore,
Holgunn I Strongborn, Jarl of Odessa, did not attempt to restore the kingdom. The Myrtanian advance was halted and peace returned to the Westfork. Then, in the year 1398, Sebastian and Eric reveal the survival of an heir of Ulthar to
Marcus Vardenfell, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Realizing the power that flows through the young prince's veins, he calls together a Moot with Jorikk Stormcloak and Holgunn Strongborn in Castle Black. Here they decide to restore the Kingdom of Gotha, but agree to respect the autonomous rights of all parties involved.
Led by the young prince, the combined forces of the Night's Watch, the Stormcloaks and Odessa drive the Myrtanians from Gothic lands. Eric takes his place as king in
Gotha.
Dragon King
When
Valthor invaded the
Westfork in 1403 and landed in the Watchlands, Eric could not stop him. He was however secretly contacted by emissaries from the Dragontail Mountains. Sages of the Draconians that lived there, had envisioned that he was the Flame of the East, destined to stop Valthor. Upon hearing this, Eric travelled to Aingherm, the ancestral tomb of the Strongborn family, located in
The Dauer Mountains. Here he discovered the secret of taking the Dragon Form, a skill his ancestor
Ulthar I Strongborn had also possessed. After learning this, he travelled towards the Dragontail Mountains to stop Valthor accessing the realm of
Auriel. A huge aerial battle commenced in which Dragon destroyed Dragon, but eventually Eric was unable to stop Valthor. After his defeat, he returned to Gotha and helped drive the remnants of Valthor's army from the Watchlands.
Death
Eric continues to function as king of Gotha and defender of the Realm, aiding the forces of the Westfork against the orc invaders and the Rifts. In 1412 however Fate strikes him. His long lost uncle
Rhaegar Strongborn, a wicked necromancer who has long wandered the Wilds, had heard of his ascension to the throne. Out of spite, he used his great magic powers of Illusion to infiltrate the Meeting Hall and assassinate Eric in the night. He is chased out of the realm and takes the Wayspire as his refuge. Here he is besieged by Marcus Vardenfell and his mages and eventually slain. As Eric had left no heirs of his own, the crown passes to his uncle Holgunn.
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