Eyvind Odinsson

Eyvind was born with the name "Eyvind Ragnarsson" and grew up on a small farm with his father. His father was a renowned warrior, and taught Eyvind how to fight until he was old enough to go raiding.

Fighting was Eyvind's favorite pastime, and by the time he was 15 years old, he became a raider. He was already one of the most skilled warriors in his raiding party, and he was a large young man too, standing as tall as all of his older shield-brothers.

Eyvind was also a good sailor. He often helped build longships and helped crew them when he was off raiding. Eyvind was always the first on the beach when the longships landed and fought with the strength of a bear.

Eyvind was always a very short-tempered, hot-headed, and proud man. Many said the color of his hair matched the fire in his heart. He hewed many foe-men in his life, and won many holmgangs. He was a blade forged in the heat of battle, and nothing could stand in his way when he got angry.

One day, when Eyvind was 20 years old, he decided that he would leave the village he called home to become a Berserkir. He wanted to find a way to enhance and channel his blind rage. And one day, 3 years later, after sailing far and wide, he came across a Berserkir tribe living in the frozen fields of the farthest North reaches of Norway. But this was no ordinary Berserkir tribe. They were all wearing polar bear pelts instead of brown bear pelts.

When Eyvind approached the village, he saw that all of them had massive scars covering their bodies. Many of them were missing an eye. As all of the Berserkir stood, watching him walk up to the village elder, he felt a strange sensation. A revitalizing aura that surrounded him like a father hugging his son. He felt like he could fight for hours on end. He felt like a beast, a warrior with unmatched skill, ferocity, and courage.

Eyvind asked the village elder if he could become one of them. The village elder replied: "Anyone with the heart of a true warrior, one who shows no fear, has a taste for blood, who proves to be skillful in battle, and shows discipline, may join us. We have a ritual to find out who has the heart of a true warrior."

"What is the ritual?" Eyvind asked. The village elder replied "You must best a polar bear in single combat." Eyvind looked at the village elder like he was insane. But the village elder only smirked and said "You should get to training."

Over the next few months, Eyvind trained as hard as he could for the upcoming fight. The fight would be unlike anything he had ever done before, but he believed he could do it. One day, he walked up to the village elder. The elder gazed into Eyvind's eyes and said "You are ready."

The entire village sailed with Eyvind to a nearby ice cap, on which they spotted a polar bear about a week ago. Once the longship touched ground, they made their way to where they saw it. As luck would have it, it was still there. Eyvind's fellow tribesmen all surrounded the polar bear, from a safe distance. They watched as Eyvind eyed the bear, moving closer with each step. Eyvind was a very large man. He was at least a foot taller than most of his fellow Berserkir, who were already larger than most men.

However, the polar bear dwarfed him. It made him look like a child. Eyvind cared not. He moved closer, until the bear stood up on it's hind legs and let out a roar that shook the earth. Eyvind lunged as the bear was stood up, plunging his sword into the bear's abdomen. The sword penetrated deep, but not deep enough to do major damage. The bear then took a swipe at Eyvind, tearing through flesh. As Eyvind lay there, bleeding out, his thoughts were of Valhalla. And then he thought of home. He wanted to see his home one last time.

Eyvind suddenly jumped to his feet and charged towards the bear, letting out a battle cry that culminated all of his strength, courage, and ferocity. As the bear stood up on it's hind legs once more, Eyvind tackled it with enough force to send it toppling over. He quickly whipped out his axes and begun savagely chopping at its neck and ribs until blood pooled at his feet, and the bear stopped breathing.

However, in all his rage, he himself suddenly took a few long steps away from the bear, falling into the blood-stained snow. As he bled out onto the ice, his last thoughts were of Valhalla, and home. The home he would never get to see again. But he was happy that Valhalla awaited him.

Or so he thought. When he awoke, he was being held firmly in the clutches of a Valkyrie. All of his wounds were gone. He knew that he was dead. Then, the Valkyrie dropped him in the middle of a circle of 5 standing stones, each with a hook and chain around them like a necklace. He knew this wasn't Valhalla.

"Is this Odin's punishment for dying there? It couldn't possibly be... I killed the bear!" Eyvind thought. All Eyvind knew was that this wasn't Valhalla. And he had to redeem himself and reach it no matter the cost.

The next months, couple years even, were spent in the vast forests and wilderness of Valheim. He was blissfully unaware of the mighty towns that had sprung up during his time in Valheim. One day, he found himself back on the mainland and found a group called "The Allfather's Sons". They welcomed him with open arms, and begun the initiation ritual.

He and a few of his Brothers had to fight a mighty beast, the likes of which Eyvind had never seen before. Once the initiation was complete, he realized his true purpose in Valheim. To serve Odin. Odin brought Eyvind here so that he could carry out His will. And Odin wouldn't let Eyvind go until his work was done.

One day, almost everyone disappeared. One of them was Volundur, the leader of The Allfather's Sons, and Eyvind's closest companion. He watched, from a distance, as Volundur was carried to Valhalla by Odin himself. For once, Eyvind cried. For five years after that, Eyvind wandered the vast wilderness of Valheim, watching as the cities crumbled to dust. Every waking moment was filled with questions. "Why me? Why can't I go to Valhalla and feast with my Brothers and Sisters?"

Then, one day, the Valkyries began to bring new arrivals to Valheim once more. Eyvind was not present at this time, still wandering the vast wilderness of the 10th Realm. 30 years had passed eventually, and Eyvind grew to be 61 years old. One day while stopping in a small hamlet, he heard rumors that towns had begun to sprung up on the mainland once more.

On that day, Eyvind changed his surname to "Odinsson" and made his way back to the mainland. Eyvind's fight was not over yet...