Asgeir Dragonrender
This article is about the lore figure. For the statue object, see Asgeir Dragonrender (statue). Asgeir Dragonrender
- Race
- Vision, Norn
- Rank
- Legendary
- Location
- Asgeir's Legacy
(Bjora Marches)
| Image(s) |
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Asgeir without his helm. |
“Asgeir Dragonrender. Battle Master, Favored of the Spirits of the Wild, Builder of Hoelbrak. May his legend live forever.
Asgeir Dragonrender was the grandfather of Knut Whitebear. He is renowned for severing one of the Elder Dragon Jormag's fangs from its maw, earning the name Dragonrender, and for leading the norn south to found Hoelbrak during the norn exodus.
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
Asgeir was a norn hero who lived during the rise of the Elder Dragon Jormag and their push south into the Far Shiverpeaks after 1165 AE. When the norn were on the brink of annihilation by the Elder Dragon, Asgeir was given the aid of the Spirits of the Wild to fight them. In addition, he had a powerful jotun scroll with him as well; the scroll has been lost since, though believed to be somewhere in the Shiverpeaks.[1][2]
Asgeir slew the greatest of Jormag's champions, Frostfang, with a single blow and proceeded to battle Jormag directly.[3] Tales describe how Asgeir gathered a hunting party and headed north to confront Jormag although the stories do not say whether this happened before or after the slaying of Frostfang; however, what is known is that Asgeir was the only one to return many weeks later and refused to tell anyone what had happened to the rest of the hunting party.[4] Though Asgeir had failed to kill Jormag during his hunt, he had rent one of its teeth from its maw as a trophy and proof that the Ice Dragon can be harmed, being the first to do so.[5] This act earned him the name Dragonrender.
During the battle with Jormag, Asgeir's bravery began to falter after witnessing the demise of Owl and his fellow norn, and it was then that he was struck with a vision. Stories say that the four Great Spirits of the Wild called Bear, Raven, Snow Leopard, and Wolf revealed themselves over the field of battle and spoke to him of a sanctuary in the Southern Shiverpeaks. Asgeir rallied all norn still alive and told them of his vision. He spoke of the Spirits giving all norn shelter, telling them that their fight against Jormag would come another day.[6]
With the guidance of the four Great Spirits, Asgeir led the norn south through blinding snow and around deep chasms while the Spirits of Ox, Eagle, and Wolverine stayed behind to distract and battle Jormag.[7] Unbeknownst to his fellow norn, however, Asgeir had written and left behind a personal journal with his thoughts on the battle against Jormag and what had actually transpired during it.[8]
In the southern valleys, Asgeir established Hoelbrak which he named after the lowlands there, carved new shrines to honor many of the surviving and lost Spirits of the Wild who had aided the norn, and placed the Fang of the Serpent in the Great Lodge.[5] During Hoelbrak's creation, an iceberg was threatening to crush the new settlement, so Asgeir sent Hrothbeir to break it, creating Lake Mourn.[9] Asgeir had changed since his confrontation with Jormag although details of this change are not elaborated on either in tales or eyewitness accounts.[4] Elder Ulf suggests that Asgeir died to Jormag, though left it ambiguous as to how.[10]
Legacy[edit]
Asgeir left behind a family and a legacy as one of the greatest norn heroes to have ever lived. His grandson, Knut Whitebear, would continue to keep Hoelbrak a safe haven for all norn. Eir Stegalkin would honor Asgeir by carving a statue in his honor, placing it in Stonewright's Steading. Asgeir's legend inspired generations of norn, including Eir and her son Braham, to attempt to damage the Fang of the Serpent. According to a prophecy, the one who can damage the fang will be destined to lead the norn north to reclaim their fallen homelands and end the threat of Jormag once and for all.[11][12]
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During the campaign against the Sons of Svanir in 1332 AE, the Vigil made a shocking discovery within the frigid, mountainous confines of Asgeir's Legacy: a personal journal of Asgeir Dragonrender himself. In the journal's pages, Asgeir revealed that the Spirits of the Wild had helped him slay Frostfang. He had also had a private conversation with Jormag after rending the Elder Dragon's fang, and Jormag had explained how its violent actions had only been a form of self defense. Jormag had come to view Asgeir as a worthy warrior and had realized how much he cared for the norn, so the Ice Dragon let him leave alive with a choice: Asgeir could return with more warriors and watch them all die as the dragon continued defending itself, or he could use the severed fang to convince the norn to move south and live in peace with Jormag promising not to follow them as it had come to view them as a race worthy of being preserved. Realizing that the norn would stand no chance against the Elder Dragon even with the enchantments of the jotun scroll and the blessings of the Spirits of the Wild, Asgeir had lied that the Spirits, not Jormag, had instructed him to lead the norn to a southern sanctuary. Despite believing that the lie had been necessary, Asgeir had nevertheless felt deep down that he had given up when victory may have been within his reach and that uncertainty was a burden he would carry for the rest of his life.[8] |
Location[edit]
Combat abilities[edit]
- Effects
Gallery[edit]
A statue of Asgeir.
.jpg)
Notes[edit]
- Using the Raven Lens special action prompt near the spot where Asgeir's journal is found in Asgeir's Legacy after the Storms of Winter meta event, it is possible to summon a vision of Asgeir which shows him leaving the journal behind, hooking up the Fang of the Serpent and dragging the fang south.
Trivia[edit]
- Asgeir is likely referring to the old Norse name, Ásgeirr, derived from the roots áss meaning 'god' and geirr meaning 'spear'. It is also a current Icelandic and Norwegian name, and the name 'Oscar' is derived from the same bases.
- Asgeir has earned many names during the course of his life, including Dragonrender, Battle Master, Favored of the Spirits of the Wild, and Builder of Hoelbrak.[13]
- At an unknown time after the release of Whisper in the Dark, the model of Asgeir's memory was updated with the Dragonrender Helm, and his armor dye changed from red to orange-brown. The change was not listed in the patch notes.
See also[edit]
- Associated items
References[edit]
- ^ Frozen Out
- Braham: This is similar to the scroll Aesgir[sic] used in his great victory, so now I test the bow on the tooth in the Great Hall.
- ^ Talon Bladedancer
- ^ Frostfang III: Tooth of Frostfang
- ^ a b Veteran Relief Crew Scout
- ^ a b Thyrie Bylund
- ^ Skaald Stjarna
- ^ A Spirit of Legend
- ^ a b A Burden
- ^ Ottar
- ^ Journey to Bitterfrost Frontier
- Elder Ulf: I didn't want to say it too loudly, but the tooth... It's really something we use to keep the young from getting themselves killed trying to hunt Jormag.
- <Character name>: You don't believe the stories?
- Elder Ulf: Some do, some don't. Asgeir rent it from Jormag's mouth, it is true, but if he could do that and still be killed by the dragon... what good would scratching this tooth do?
- ^ Andil Mjelde
- ^ Beigarth the Smith
- ^ Asgeir Dragonrender (statue)
