King Knut
King Knut Haarthassen,, Einmanbjorn
A legendary warrior and ruler from Einmanfjell, Knut Einmanbjorn is a disputed high king of the sixth Aedrinaran kingdom in the dark ages and prominent figure of the Great Interregnum period of the second age. Knut continues to be celebrated in the western hold and Einmanfjell regions, recieving less recognition in the rest of Aedrinar outsid of his role for killing High King Ebbe.
Much of Knut's deeds and victories have been lost to history of exageratted by over a thousand years of oral retelling and idol worship. Knut's skill in war and prominence as a warrior has made him a 'saintly' figure to many Aedrinarans, who visit his idol in Knut's Landing to earn good luck and the king's blessing for upcoming conflicts.
House Einmanbjorn
The Einmanbjorns are the former hosue of King Knut and previous Jarls of Einmanfjell from the Age of 1000 clans until the death of Knuts heirs in the late third age. The house's symbol was a Light blue field with a longship on fire and their words prior to Knut's reign as king were "Boldness in the face of death" with their words changing to "Heirs of the true king" following Knut's death.Mental characteristics
Personal history
Early Life
Not much is known about Knut's early life outside of being born in 2226, 2e, during the reign of High King Ivar I, the Warthunder. Knut was born to King Ivar's daughter, Dreka, and the Jarl of Einmanfjell, Haartha Korrssen of clan Einmanbjorn. This high birth and the boy being the only of his parent's children to surive beyond the age of four made him well recorded amongst contemporary annals. Oral legend says Knut could swing an axe by 4 years old, and had mastered the blade by 5. By the boy's sixth birthday, at least another child had been born to Haartha and Dreka, so Knut was allowed more free-reign. Disputed records say a nine-year old Knut competed at the birthday tournament of King Ivar I and beat all other contentors, including the future King Ebbe.Dragon Uprisings
With the election of Ebbe, Jarl of Kriegerholm, to the role of High King in a highly disputed moot in which Ebbe is accused of the most cowardly and dishonourable actions in Aedrinaran culture; bribery - Einmanfjell found itself alligning with the house of Ivar Warthunder on Drekenheim. Dreka, Knut's mother, was the sister to Drekenheim's new jarl, Leif Ivarrsen Warthunder, so Einmanfjell became a key ally in the turbulent Dragon Uprisings of the 2230s and 40s. During the uprisings, Knut was given his first ship, the Fist of Thor, and used it to allegedly raid Kriegerholm singlehandidly and run off with the crown jewels. Peace would eventually be stricken between Einmanfjell and King Ebbe in an uneasy treaty between the two families. Knut was angered by this peace and sailed away with three other longships, The Iron Born, Dawnwalker, and Sun's Kiss.War with Ebbe
In 2261, King Ebbe betrayed the peace between him and Einmanfjell. Ebbe raided the ancestral castle of Halfreign, sacking it and killing Jarl Haartha and the rest of Knut's clan. Knut was away reaiding up the Sargon river to the far east of the continent. The house mage magically messaged the young warrior, warning him of his family's death. Knut looted treasure and weapons from the Sargonic valley and sailed for months back to his home. Along the way, Knut raided the Serpent Isles and recruited a Tortle warband and additional ships from pirate and mercanary groups. Knut landed in Einmanfjell in spring of 2262 and quickly reconquered his home island. The remaining warriors on the island rallied around Knut as their new Jarl and launched an invasion of the Isle of Aedrinar. Knut would land on the Knutsvjar peninsular, named in his honour many decades later, and founded a keep at what is now Knut's Landing. The new Jarl declared his blood feud with Ebbe and his house and swore vengeance for the betrayal of his family. For the next year, Knut marched through the western and southern holds, sacking or allying various clans and houses along the way. In 2263, Knut sacked Kriegerholm again, killing Ebbe in one-to-one combat. Knut invoked the slayer's right and claimed the title of high king and continued his march through the south. By the end of Ebbe's reign, The Northern Hold, Eastern Hold, and Eastern Islands were already in open revolt and de facto independent. Knut struggled to unite these regions upon Ebbe's death, and left them to their own devices whilst still claiming the title of 'high king'. Sudurejya also rejected Knut's claim, leaving Knut's realm as the western hold, southern hold, and Einmanfjell. Historians dispute why Knut did not further his conquests beyond his limited holdings, but he would go on to found Odinsthrone around the ruins of Riverholm, and united his holdings around his new keep. A town would spread from Knut's Keep and serve as his capital for the duration of his life.Later Reign and Death
Knut would rule as King of South and West for the remainder of his life. Various legends tell of Knut's later battles and conquests, from the bold claims of founding a settlement in Sargon, to colonising the glacial Thunderbreaker islands near the Dwarven Mounts, to the slightly more believable of deafeating the Wolf Clans and Kingdom of Jotun. It is claimed that Knut never lost a battle or combat, and when he reached his elder years and saught entry to Valhalla, his blessing turned to a curse for no beast or man in Aedrinar could best him. Knut decided to journey to the distant north, a rumoured land of ice and wilderness populated by the darkest and most bizzare of creatures. He was accomponied by the Fist of Thor. Only one would return, Storri the Skald, who wrote Knut's chronicles and epics - he was found on a canoe by the Raven Clan deep within the north Terrasic. He claimed Knut and all his crew were defeated by the Rostungur of the great north - a beastial people being descibed as 'sabre-toothed amphibians.
Species
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Jarl of Einmanfjell
Thane of Knut's Landing
High King of Aedrinar
| Reign | 2262 |
| 2285-2299 | |
| Predecessor | Jarl Haartha Einmanbjorn |
| Successor | Aske Knutsdottir Einmanbjorn |
| Reign | 2263 |
| 2285-2299 | |
| Predecessor | Position Established |
| Sucessor | Aske Knutsdottir Einmanbjorn |
| Reign | 2263 |
| 2285-2299 | |
| Predecessor | High King Ebbe |
| Sucessor | King Olaf III Kingmaker |
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Date of Birth
2226, 2e
Date of Death
between 2285-2299, 2e
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Sex
Male
Gender
Man
Presentation
Masculine
Founded Settlements
Comments