Sven the Godslayer †

Warchief Sven Ragnarssen, The Godslayer

Warchief Sven Ragnarssen the Godslayer is the former leader of the mercenary and religious group Ysgard's Warriors. An old man not only by Aedrinarian by typical opinion, at the age of 78, Sven had seen a lifetime of adventure and fighting.
Even by the time of his death the warchief had earned the reputation as amongst Aedrinar's greatest ever duelests and individual warriors and his premiership was the only thing stopping the warrior's falling into complete disrepute. Even though many no longer hold the warriors in high regard, their admiration for Sven has never wavered. Abroad, Sven is regarded as one of the greatest heroes of The Commonwealth and Gazzarit for his role in defeating the elder god Ucothah and fighting in the Commonwealth War of Independence and 40 Year War.
Sven would die on the 8th Duskfall, 1052 3e in Pilgrim's Rest to the hands of Erika as part of Val's trial by combat alongside Underchief Steinar and Steinar's corrupt supporters. This death in battle granted the old and proud warrior an honourable death and entry to Valhalla. His death was honoured with a Death Cry by all gathered.

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Early Years and the Parental Problem's Possee

Born in 973 during the reign of High King Ivaar II, Sven's parents died when he was 16, prompting the young adult to leave his home in Sifsby and journey to Mount Valhalla to join Ysgard's Warriors. After his blooding as a young recruit, Sven and a handful of adventurers travelled to what was the Eldrian Empire colony of Cape County to take monster hunting contracts.
During this early mission, his group were ambushed by a band of Ogres pillaging the road between Carely and Devil's Bridge. Then known as Sven the Green for his youthfulness, Sven barely survived the attack and crawlled to the main road where he was found and saved by the earliest form of the adventuring party the Parental Problem's Possee. At the time the party contained the paladin Ulric, Sven's future father figure McPoyle, as well Eldra the Bard, Ovak the Righteous, and Arranis of Salian Isle, who would go onto become founding members of the Commonwealth.
Rescued by the group, the young Aedrinaran thanked them and offered to travel with them to Saunton if they assisted in defeating the Ogres who slaughtered his companions. The party agreed, and Sven was rescued by the group and travelled with them, forming a strong friendship with McPoyle the mighty. After Saunton, Sven departed the group but offered to share details of their brave deeds with another band of Ysgard's Warriors, led by the formidable Falur Dragontooth, who were harboured in Buchstable.
Sven would meet with the party again when Arranis was imprisoned for threatening a barkeep in the town of Bunnsburgh, where McPoyle ventured forth to defeat a hooked horror tormenting the Northern Shore, and was granted entry to the warriors. Sven then travelled with the party when they headed into the underdark to find and defeat Ucothah, fighting the Illithid's in Shuggilibh and helping them destroy the ancient god, and witnessed McPoyle sacrifice himself for the party.
With the elder god defeated and his close friend and mentor dead, Sven returned to Aedrinar with Falur Dragontooth, giving the Half-Orc barbarian a traditional Aedrinaran funeral and taking his warhammer and bear cloak with him. Sven's deeds earned him the epithet 'Godslayer.' The Godslayer, now a true warrior in the guild, returned with some member's of his order to fight at the Battle of Saunton against Azumon and the Eldrian forces. Sven continued to fight in the Commonwealth war of Independence, being regarded as a hero amongst the population of the newly fledged country for his naval command.

Rise in Rank

Sven's deeds in war and numerous foes and monster's vanquished had earned him a quick rise in the ranks of the warriors. Joining as a recruit when the guild was ran by the prestigious warlock Olaf Serpent-Eater, by the end of the Commonwealth War of Independence in 904 the young warrior had earned the middling rank of Heisir. Sven had formed a strong relationship with Falur Dragontooth, of the ancient House Dragontooth of the Eastern Isles, who had mentored him after the death of McPoyle and helped the future warchief rise through the ranks. When Olaf Serpent-Eater died in combat against a Red Dragon in the Crag, Falur was elected the new warcheif, and formed a Blood Party consisting of Sven, Val's future mentor Torvak, Magnar Rockarm, Esberg Firecaster, and Arviliel Parasin rode across the Terassic Ocean to fight the Dragon. In the combat, Only Falur, Torvak, and Sven survived, but did defeat the red menace of the Ice Rocks, earning Sven the new epithet of Slayer of Dragons as well as dragon bone and scale rewards.
With the outbreak of the 40 year war in 1002, Falur was visited by an old Ice Elf friend who convinced him to travel to the the holy land to aide the Knights of Gosca in their battles against Seldrinar Supremacy. Falur agreed and took some Ysgardian volunteers and promoted Sven to Underchief, and relied on him, Magnar Rockarm, and Ygridd Giant-Crusher to manage the order in his absence.
Falur would die in the Fall of Arcadia in 1007, and Sven was considered for the position of Warcheif alongside the other underchiefs. Ultimately, Magnar was appointed the new warchief. Sven reatained his role as Underchief, and in 1022 he led around 70 warriors to war after The Commonwealth was invaded. Sven earned his glories once again defending the Commonwealth and her allies at sea and on land. Leaving soldiers in Ceannastra and taking longships to harrass Seldrinar and Eldrian allied vessels in the Gulf of Marcia.
During the Battle of the Bay of Briars, a brutal naval confrontation between the Seldrinar Supremacy and Southaxe, Sven led his longship into the battle to assist the beleagured Southaxian navy. His intervention allowed the Southaxians to regroup, but in the process his longship, The Hammer of the Steppes, was set alight. Continuing to pilot his burning longship, he rammed it into 7 Seldrinar frigates and galleons, casuing them to explode from the flames reaching their gunpowder stores. After the battle, his ship was largely sunk and he narrowly made it into the Southaxian port of Deemouth.
Magnar Rockarm would die in 1028, and Sven returned to Pilgrim's Rest to find that the warriors, short on numbers, could not decide a leader. Sven settled arguments and fights between various factions within the order, and for his role as a diplomat and in recognition of his deeds, the fifty-five year old was made Warchief.

End of the War and Sickness

As Warchief, Sven could commit less of his time to fighting in the Commonwealth, and with the tides turning through Aedrinaran invasions into Tumbria and a Commonwealth resistance movement led by Queen Rhiannon, the Warchief focused on monsters and greater enemies preying on the war torn continent and within Aedrinar itself.
In the aftermath of the brutal conflict, Sven was honoured as a hero amongst the Commonwealth again and attended the formal coronation of Queen Rhiannon alongside his surviving friends of the Parental Problem's Possee, Eldra and Ovak. Sven, now 69, had faced many of Prima Terra's greatest threats, from malevolent hags to Eldrian Warlords, and had survived every encounter. Long past the usual age of 'retirement' by Aedrinaran standards, Sven tried to seek out any threat that could defeat him but vanquished them all.
The war had also seen many of the Warrior's best and brightest killed in battle. This left a gaping hole in recruitment, and as many would remark, "only the cowards survived." The guild's repute dwindled as Sven entered his first period of prolonged illness in 1042, leaving his underchiefs, including the newly appointed Steinar, to run the guild. The warriors began only accepting bounties instead of donations and their recruitment and training of young warriors under Elfrey the Godswitch bordered on cultish.
During 1042, Sven was still in the Commonwealth attending to the formal coronation of Queen Rhiannon and recovering in the monastery of the Light in Buchstable when Torvak was killed and Val placed on trial for the butterknife killings.
The warlock Val had been a member of warriors as a teenager when their mentor, Torvak Silveraxe, was killed with only a butterknife in hand after he, Val, and their group were ambushed by Skallen Syndicate alligned bandits in the Eastern Hold. Torvak's former friends, Elfrey the Godswitch and Underchief Steinar, never approved of Torvak recruiting the former thief to the warriors and when Val went on a revenge spree that included killing the wife of a skallen member they had the warlock accused of dishonourable conduct, theft, and fraud at trial.
Sven missed the trial as he was away in the Commonwealth at the time but learned of the facts months later. Upon eventually meeting the warlock, Val made it clear he did not approve of what was done and refered them by Silveraxe, the adopted name they claim Torvak gave them.
Sven attempted to negotiate with Wolf Clan cheiftains to stop the Vilderfolken embargo of their young joining the warriors, but could not find a solution. His periods of sickness would continue to get worse and the warrior was forced to remain bedridden for much of the past 8 years.

Dragon Clan attack and death

By late 1052, Sven was incredibly sick and his health was incredibly low. The rulership of the order had all but passed to his underchiefs, led by the corrupt Steinar. Sven was recieving news and updates from his shield guard Alric. From his guard, Sven learnt of the events occuring in the Western Hold regarding The White Will and other events surrounding adventuring party Doomed 2 Die.
The adventurers would arrive in Pilgrim's Rest with Fr. Tomos Siegfried and Erika after defeating Elfrey the Godswitch in Westwatch. The party sought 3 things. Firstly, to obtain the second half of the Stone of Queen Astrid. Secondly, to clear Val's name and 'honour' with the warriors, and lastly, for Shan to find the location of his daughter Eva who was last seen heading to Pilgrim's Rest impersonating some recuits of Ysgard's Warriors.

Steinar attempted to begin the proceedings of trial against Val and the party when Sven was alerted by his sheild guards to their arrival. The sickly Sven left his quarters to take charge of the trial. During the trial, the group were interupted by a wounded Organvor who informed the assembled warriors and Doomed 2 Die that members of The Dragon Clan had broken through the gates to the peak of Mount Valhalla. Sven gathered the adventuerers and travelled to the peak to face them.
The group determined that the Dragon Clan were likely searching for the trapped head of Mimir. In the battle, the group of Dragon clan, led by Eva, were forced to summon reinforcments led by The Piper who made short work of the party. The Dragon Clan did escape with the Eye of Vecna which they took from Mimir's head. Sven was wounded in the fight but got see the heroes and Erika fight.
Following the battle, Sven led the adventuers back to the hall to continue Val's trial so the party could find the second half of the Stone of Queen Astrid. Along the 10 minute walk back to the halls, the warchief probed Val on their thoughts about Erika and mentioned the Right of Claimance, the ancient Aedrinaran practice of claiming a fallen foe's titles and lands in the final blow of a fight, insuating that Val should claim trial by combat so Erika could kill him and claim the rite to lead the warriors.
In the upcoming fight, Sven fought hard and despite using his abilities to subtley aid the party, he did not hold back on Gallus, Shan, or Erika. Erika was encouraged by the party and the warchief to kill him and claim the right. Their support and Sven's approval saw Erika use her Surutur's might to stick a flaming spear into him, finally granting him entry to Valhalla. His death was greeted by a death cry of the Aedrinarans.

Legacy

Although his death is recent, his legacy is large and his deeds are recorded in multiple realms. His warhammer, previously belonging to McPoyle the mighty, will likely be placed with his statue in Pilgrim's Rest, whereas his spear has been claimed by Erika.

Morality & Philosophy

Sven has gone from being a young and optimisitic green young warrior to one of the greatest heroes and warriors of the world. In this Youth, Sven held an optimisitc and tight honour code, but decades of war and losing those he cared about have jaded the once iron willed hero as death comes closer with no hope of an honourable death yet to present itself. Sven has lapsed in his strong will given his sickness, and has been powerless at stopping the growing corruption and mismanaged of Ysgard's Warriors by his Underchiefs and select underlings.

Social

Contacts & Relations

• McPoyle the Mighty (991-992) (Deceased)
• Ulric (991) (Deceased)
• Eldra Shatteraxe (991-)
• Ovak the Righteous (991-1045) (Deceased)
• Torvak (907-1042) (Deceased)

Religious Views

Sven remained a devout follower of the Honoured Gods and earned his honourable death in combat to enter Valhalla. In his youth, he was known for zeal for the gods, especially Thor, Odin, and Sif, and longed to gain entry to the hall of valour. In his old age, he remains a devout follower but rumours are he openly worships Hel as he suspects he will die in his sleep and be sent to Helheim.

Status
Deceased
First Appearance
Session 101: Pilgrim's Rest

Species

Human

Honorary & Occupational Titles

Warchief of Ysgard's Warriors, Amongst the slayers of Ucothah, Slayer of Dragons, Hero of the Bay of Briars, Heir to the Gods, he who leads the unworthy into honour

Age

79

Date of Death

8th Dusfkall

Year of Death

1052

Circumstances of Death

Personal Combat

Place of Death

Pilgrim's Rest

Pronouns

He/Him

Sex

Male

Gender

Man

Presentation

Masculine

Eyes

Brown

Hair

Long white briad going down to his mid back with shaved sides.

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

White

Height

6"2

Aligned Organization

Ysgard's Warriors

Apperances: 3

• Session 101: Pilgrim's Rest
• Session 102: Fathers
• Session 103: Soul of the Warriors