Eir Stegalkin
Eir Stegalkin
“If you are bold enough, your legend will live forever.
Eir Stegalkin, daughter of Einar Cliffstrider and mother of Braham Eirsson, is a norn ranger, tactician, artist, and visionary who travels the world with her dire wolf companion, Garm. Her totem is Wolf, and when she takes on her wolf form, her fur is red like her hair. Being the leader of Destiny's Edge, Eir is well known and respected. However, the breaking of the company and her lack of heroic deeds since then garnered negative opinions from some of her people until the guild's reunion.
Eir's tactics rely on understanding the mind of her enemy and taking advantage of their weakness through provocation and encouragement. She is also a renowned sculptor of wood and stone, communing with the Spirits of the Wild to guide and shape her artistry.
Biography[edit]
Early years[edit]
Much of Eir's earlier history is unknown. What is known is that her father Einar Cliffstrider died to an Icebrood attack when she was young, and ever since she vowed to destroy Jormag, the other Elder Dragons and their hordes. Years later, she fell in love with a norn named Borje the Sun Chaser and had a child with him whom they named Braham in 1309 AE. Knowing that Eir's legend was not yet finished, Borje offered to take care of Braham alone so that Eir could fulfill that awaiting legend-something not uncommon amongst norn.[1]
Edge of Destiny[edit]
In the following years, Eir made a home for herself in the outskirts of Hoelbrak where she carved statues for a living while searching for a method to combat the Elder Dragons and their minions, knowing that brute strength alone would not suffice. This method came to her in the form of the asura Snaff and his apprentice Zojja who commissioned her to carve two giant stone busts for a new type of golem power suits. When Eir saw these power suits, she formulated a plan to use them against the Dragonspawn, one of Jormag's strongest champions that had harried Hoelbrak for years.
The three went to work and confronted the Dragonspawn, but failed to kill it. Its outraged onslaught on Hoelbrak left Knut Whitebear no choice but to banish Eir from the large homestead until she could find "real warriors" to kill the Dragonspawn. Eir, accompanied by Snaff and Zojja, left for Lion's Arch where they recruited the Edge of Steel-an infamous arena prisoner team consisting of the charr Rytlock Brimstone, human Logan Thackeray, and sylvari Caithe-after besting them in a three on three fight. With more numbers and improved golems, the newly formed Destiny's Edge assaulted the Dragonspawn and proved victorious.
With Eir convinced they were not yet ready to take on an Elder Dragon, Destiny's Edge traveled the Tyrian continent fighting dragon minions and dragon champions, felling Morgus Lethe and the Destroyer of Life over the course of a year. Emboldened by her success, Eir decided to try to break the Fang of the Serpent during a celebration in Hoelbrak to show that she might be the destined hero to lead the norn against Jormag. However, she failed even denting the fang after many tries with different methods.
Although frustrated by her failure to break the fang, Eir soon found other battles to occupy her as the guild soon got word from Grand Duchess Faolain via Caithe that Glint, an ancient dragon who had helped Tyria over two hundred years ago, was a dragon champion of an Elder Dragon not yet risen. Deciding to stop this threat despite initial misgivings by some members, Destiny's Edge marched towards the Crystal Desert and eventually found their way into the well concealed lair. After a brief battle with Glint, Destiny's Edge realized they were severely outmatched but pressed on with Eir showing her defiance against the dragon as the sole guild member capable of withstanding Glint's assaults. Glint, however, surprised Eir by revealing that she wanted to stop the Elder Dragons as much as they did. The dragon managed to convince Destiny's Edge that she was not the threat they should face now and that her former master, Kralkatorrik, was soon to awake.
After persuading Glint to join their side and receiving the Dragonsblood Spear from her, Destiny's Edge prepared for the fight against Kralkatorrik. However, as the Elder Dragon awoke and created his army of Branded, he flew south and sent his army to attack Ebonhawke on the way, and Logan was warned via telepathy that Queen Jennah was endangered. Eager to leave, Logan argued with Rytlock and managed to slip through a hole-in-your-pocket portal invention of Snaff's when Eir had told him to do what was right, intending for him to stay. Though short one man and warned by Glint that they only stood a chance against Kralkatorrik if they all worked together, Eir decided to keep to their original plan, altering little to account for Logan's absence.
The guild failed in the end. Kralkatorrik killed Glint personally, and the Branded killed Snaff, before the Elder Dragon flew off. Destiny's Edge broke apart soon after, each member going their own separate way. Eir stopped fighting the Elder Dragons, blaming herself for Snaff's death, and earning ire from the norn youth for giving up.
Personal story[edit]
Eir Stegalkin helped Knut Whitebear organise the Great Hunt of 1325 AE, where she took notice of a participating norn hunter who would defeat Issormir, the final challenge, and become known as the Slayer of Issormir. She watched this individual as they grew in fame, and acted as a mentor for them as they continued to grow their legend with personal victories and by helping the inhabitants of the Shivepeaks. Occasionally, Eir would seek their aid with the Sons of Svanir cult that loomed over Hoelbrak.
When the Dredge began attacking targets in Snowden Drifts, she summoned the Slayer to settle the dispute between the three representatives of The Orders of Tyria who could not agree on a course of action. Once it was deciphered that the Dredge intended to attack the Durmand Priory, the Slayer was invited to join one of the three Orders to defend the order's headquarters. After a successful defense of the Priory, the actions of their chosen order would take them abroad, beyond the reaches of the Shiverpeaks.
Eir and the Slayer of Issormir next met in Lion's Arch, where Caithe had called a meeting and, unbeknownst to Eir, had invited all members of Destiny's Edge. Zojja was angry at Eir, considering her directly responsible for Snaff's death. While Eir accepted the accusations reluctantly, Logan Thackeray and Rytlock Brimstone argued over their differences and the human sword, Sohothin, that Rytlock wields. The meeting ended soon after, and Caithe's plan to reunite Destiny's Edge failed. However, it gave Eir an idea to help Logan and Rytlock reconcile, as she ventured into the Ascalonian Catacombs in search of Magdaer, Sohothin's twin sword. While she was able to find and rescue the sword from the clutches of King Adelbern's ghost with Rytlock and some adventurer's help, the sword was broken. She took the sword to a blacksmith in Hoelbrak who could be able to repair it, as Rytlock voiced his anger at having risked his life for a sword that Eir intended to gift to Logan in hopes of easing the tension between the human and the charr. The sword has not been seen since, it is unknown if the blacksmith was able to repair it. The gesture ultimately did not ease the tension between Logan and Rytlock.
In Twilight Arbor, Grand Duchess Faolain used an illusion of Eir and other members of Destiny's Edge in order to break Caithe's spirit and have her former lover join the Nightmare Court although the scheme was ultimately foiled. Meanwhile, Eir tried to make amends with Zojja by assisting her and the Commander in protecting Snaff's legacy in Sorrow's Embrace, but retreated when Zojja told her off.
Disheartened by her failures to reunite her guild members, Eir headed north to fight the Icebrood until death would claim her. While there, she ran into the kodan of Honor of the Waves, where she met the Honor's Claw and assisted him—alongside Caithe and the Pact Commander—in attempting to retake the Sanctuary from the Sons of Svanir and the Icebrood who were led by Kodan's Bane, Huntsman of Jormag. During this journey, the Honor's Claw fell into despair at the corruption and death of Honor's Voice, but the heroes were ultimately successful in ending the rampage of Kodan's Bane shortly after. Eir's experiences in the sanctuary made her realize that she needed to keep fighting, regardless of the losses she had suffered, and that she could not give up hope of defeating the Elder Dragons—with or without a fully reunited Destiny's Edge.
However, with help from the Pact Commander, Destiny's Edge began mending their broken relationships slowly but surely. Alongside Logan, Rytlock, and Caithe, Eir accompanied the Commander and the Pact in the final assault against the Elder Dragon Zhaitan in the Ruined City of Arah, the heart of the dragon's domain in Orr. They were joined at the last minute by Zojja, thus completing Destiny's Edge's reunion. Aboard the Glory of Tyria, Destiny's Edge felled the Elder Dragon of Death and Shadow once and for all, and returned to Fort Trinity to celebrate the victory and make plans for the future.
Living World Season 1[edit]
The Molten Alliance, consisting of dredge and the Flame Legion, rose after Zhaitan's demise and began raiding charr and norn settlements in 1326 AE. Eir and Gram visited Knut Whitebear's loft where the matter was discussed. Eir reunited with her son Braham for the first time in years and saw him asking for the Wolfborn to aid Cragstead which the Molten Alliance was harassing. However, Knut denied any help due to the limited number of Wolfborn being busy elsewhere. The Pact Commander arrived in time to witness the brief exchange between the norn before the frustrated Braham stormed off, leading Eir to admit to those present that Braham was her son.
Braham and the Commander saved who they could at Cragstead and returned to inform Knut and Eir about what they had witnessed. Braham disagreed with Knut and Eir's decision to not get involved, which had led to many people from Cragstead being captured. He dismissed Eir's attempts to reach out to him, believing her to not care for others' well-being. After Braham's departure, Eir agreed with Knut that Braham had Bear's backbone and Raven's wit, but she also worried that he had inherited Wolf's heart as well. She later learned that Braham, the charr Rox and the Commander had assisted the Vigil in liberating charr and norn prisoners from molten weapons facilities.
A toxic hallucination of Eir appeared to the Commander in one of the Nightmare Chambers during the raid on the Tower of Nightmares which the Toxic Alliance had cultivated in Kessex Hills.
Living World Season 2[edit]
The Pact Commander's investigations led to the discovery that the mad sylvari Scarlet Briar's assault on Lion's Arch, which had involved the Molten Alliance among many other cooperating groups, had redirected the flow of ley lines underneath the city to the Heart of Maguuma to awaken Mordremoth, the Elder Dragon of Plant and Mind. Months later, Mordrem minions appeared in various locations in Central Tyria and sought magic for their master. The Commander had their companions meet with people who were close to the leaders of five notable Tyrian nations in order to convince the leaders to attend a summit at the Grove where the growing threat of Mordremoth would be discussed.
The Commander and Braham met with Eir and Garm in her lodge in 1327 AE and tried to convince her to persuade Knut Whitebear to attend the summit as the norn representative. Eir was skeptical about Knut's involvement, however, as the Sons of Svanir had grown in strength and posed too big a threat for Knut to ignore. In order to sway Knut's mind, the Commander swore to disrupt Svanir operations in Frostgorge Sound by raiding the Barrowstead from the south with the Vigil. Braham, Eir and Garm supported the idea and made their way there from the other side.
The raid was successful, and the Vigil dealt a severe blow to the Sons of Svanir. While fighting alongside Eir, Braham had come to see his mother in a new light and began understanding why she had left him with his father Borje to forge her legend. While the Commander traveled to the Black Citadel next to see if Rox had made progress with convincing charr leadership to attend the summit, Braham, Eir and Garm headed back to Hoelbrak to celebrate their victory and bond with a feast.
After the leaders had agreed to fund the Pact's campaign against Mordremoth, Eir and Garm traveled to Camp Resolve in the Silverwastes where the Pact and Destiny's Edge were making preparations to take the fight to the Elder Dragon's territory. Braham and Eir bonded for the brief moments they had together, trying to make up for lost time.
When questioned by the Commander, Eir finally explained her reasons for leaving Braham with Borje and how her battles against the Sons of Svanir and the Elder Dragons had taken so much of her time that she had never managed to visit Braham in his childhood. She also learned about the emergence of one of Glint's Eggs and told the Commander what legends she knew about "Gleam", another presumed offspring of Glint. The Mordrem assaulted the camp sometime later, but casualties were minimals thanks to the Commander who managed to signal aerial bombardment of the area to cull the invading dragon minions.
The Pact began preparing faster as a result and launched their fleet in a preemptive strike at Mordremoth and its minions before the Elder Dragon had a chance to amass a new army. All of Destiny's Edge except for the missing Caithe and Rytlock accompanied Marshal Trahearne on the assault to the Heart of Maguuma aboard the Glory of Tyria while the Pact Commander's party was chasing after Caithe who had taken Glint's Egg from them elsewhere.
Heart of Thorns[edit]
Unbeknownst to all aboard the Pact fleet, Mordremoth was already strong enough to extend its mental manipulation to the outskirts of Verdant Brink where its voice affected many sylvari who succumbed to the Elder Dragon's call. The combined assault of extending Mordrem vines and many sylvari turning against their fellow Pact members led to the destruction of the Pact fleet in 1328 AE.
Eir, Logan, Zojja, and Trahearne went missing following the crash. Eir was separated from Garm and was captured by the Mordrem Guard although she and the other heroes managed to fight against their captors during transportation to allow other captured Pact members a chance to flee to safety. Following the battle, the Mordrem separated their prisoners into smaller groups and locked Eir up in a cage along with Grand Duchess Faolain of the Nightmare Court.
Eir and Faolain were located by Rytlock and freed by the Pact Commander but were ambushed by a pair of Mordrem vinetooths lurking in the canopy. While fleeing from the vinetooths, Faolain tripped, and Eir offered to help her up. Faolain noticed the stalking vinetooth above, however, and decided to use a thorn to stab Eir in the waist with hopes that the vinetooth would attack the injured norn first. Eir retaliated, however, by pulling out the thorn and throwing it at Faolain, piercing the Grand Duchess's back before the sylvari was taken by one of the vinetooths.
Eir realized her injuries were fatal in her weakened state and realized from the looks on her companions' faces that another Vinetooth had landed behind her. She gave one last reassuring, sad look at Braham before being pierced by the vinetooth's sharp tail. Although the Commander's party was successful in killing the vinetooth, they were too late to save Eir who succumbed to her injuries. Eir's body was looked after by the mourning Braham following the battle with the vinetooth, and Braham would take on her bow and avenge her death by helping defeat both Faolain and Mordremoth despite Mordremoth attempting to break the norn's spirit by manifesting a blighted mental projection of Eir during the final battle in the Dream of Dreams.
Living World Season 3[edit]
After Mordremoth's death, Braham set up a memorial for Eir in Hoelbrak in 1329 AE before leaving north to fight the Icebrood. Many of Eir's friends attended the memorial reminiscing her deeds, including Rytlock and Braham's charr friend Rox who brought Garm back with her after rescuing him from the jungle. The Pact Commander held a speech in Eir's honor, and many friends of the fallen norn hero joined in with cheers and toasts, making sure that Eir's legend would live on in the tales of the skaalds forever.
Eir's shadow loomed over both Braham and the Commander, however. When Braham learned that the Commander and Rytlock had decided to disband Destiny's Edge and founded a new guild, Dragon's Watch, he blamed the Commander for both indirectly causing Eir's death because of detours in the jungle but also for tarnishing her legacy with the old guild's disbandment. Braham left the Commander on bad terms and formed his own version of Destiny's Edge in honor of his mother's memory as he decided to take the fight to Jormag with like-minded norn.
A manifestation of self-doubt representing Eir appeared to the Commander during the Shining Blade initiation trials. The vision of Eir voiced the Commander's guilt out loud, blaming the Commander for letting her die, abandoning Destiny's Edge and forsaking the Pact and Braham when they had needed the Commander the most.
Path of Fire[edit]
After dying in the rogue god Balthazar's ambush in 1330 AE, the Pact Commander's soul appeared in the Domain of the Lost where all spirits which experience sudden, violent deaths end up in. While recovering their name and remembering their purpose to be properly judged, the Commander was subjected to fragmented visions of past deeds, during which Eir's memory was briefly visible.
Living World Season 4[edit]
After the Pact Commander's party had cleared Sun's Refuge of the spiders infesting it in 1331 AE, a Mist rift opened outside one of the entrances, bringing forth Branded which attempted to invade the refuge in their search for the dragon Aurene. After the first wave had been defeated, the ghost of Eir emerged out of the rift alongside the ghost of Snaff, shooting the Branded. Braham stopped fighting briefly as he stared at his mother, but she told him to keep fighting. Eir and Snaff helped Braham and the Commander defeat the Branded Riftstalker and then headed into the cave with a message for Aurene.
On the way in, Braham tried to talk to his mother, but Eir told him to let her go and move on with his life. She then told Aurene that she and Snaff had come with a message from Glint: it was time for Aurene to defeat Kralkatorrik and take his place as an Elder Dragon. Upon having a premonition of multiple futures that showed her perishing in the fight against Kralkatorrik no matter what she did, however, Aurene became scared and fled. The dragon's outburst caused the ghosts of both Eir and Snaff to disappear back into the Mists in the aftermath.
Locations[edit]
Story involvement[edit]
Personal story[edit]
- Chapter 1: Forging a Legend
- The Great Hunt
- Defeat Our Ancient Foes path
- Protect the Spirits path
- Guard the Mists path
- Chapter 2: Everyone Makes Mistakes
- Blacked Out path
- Revenge path
- Lost an Heirloom path
- Chapter 3: Death from Below
- Chapter 4: Order Neophyte
- Chapter 6: The Battle of Claw Island
- Chapter 8: Victory or Death
Living World Season 1[edit]
- Living World Season 1 (historical)
Living World Season 2[edit]
- Episode 3: The Dragon's Reach: Part 1
- Episode 5: Echoes of the Past
- Episode 6: Tangled Paths
- Episode 8: Point of No Return
Heart of Thorns story[edit]
- Act I
Living World Season 3[edit]
- Episode 6: One Path Ends
- Shining Blade Secrets (as a phantasm)
Path of Fire story[edit]
- Act III
- The Departing (as a memory)
Living World Season 4[edit]
- Episode 4: A Star to Guide Us
- Legacy (as Eir)
End of Dragons story[edit]
- Chapter 16: What Lies Beneath
- Deep Trouble (as a hallucination)
Combat abilities[edit]
- Effects
- Skills
-
Shoot - Shoot your foe from long range. The farther the arrow flies, the more damage it does. -
Barrage - Barrage the target area with a hail of arrows that cripple. -
Crippling Shot - Fire an arrow that cripples your target. If you are flanking or behind your target or your target is defiant, immobilize them. Your pet's next three attacks inflict bleeding. -
Hail of Arrows - Fire a spread of five poison arrows. Poison lasts longer if you are flanking or behind the target or if you strike a defiant foe. -
Hunter's Shot - Fire an arrow that grants you stealth when it hits an enemy. Your pet gains swiftness. -
Point-Blank Shot - Push back your foe with a point-blank shot. The closer they are, the farther it pushes them back. -
Poison Arrow - Fires an arrow that poisons the target. -
Rapid Fire - Fire multiple arrows at your foe. -
Wolf Form - Adds the 
Wolf Form effect, a permanent version of Become the Wolf (The Championship Fight only)
Rending Swipe - Slash at your target, bleeding them twice.
- Rending Slash - Slash at your target, bleeding them four times.
-
Blood Frenzy - Slash repeatedly at foe, stealing life. -
Snarl - Let out a snarl, striking fear into your foes. -
Howl - Howl wildly, giving allies fury and regeneration. -
Leap - Leap onto foe, knocking them down.
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- Skills (Story mode of Ascalonian Catacombs)
-
Flaming Arrow - Fire an arrow that burns your foe. -
Concussion Shot - Daze your foe with an arrow. Stun them if you hit from behind or from the side or if your foe is defiant.
Dialogue[edit]
- If player is norn
- Slayer! I didn't expect to see you. I'm busy right now.
I'll leave you to it.
- If player is not norn
- Hail, stranger. This statue is proving quite a challenge. I have to focus.
- Sorry.
Quotes[edit]
- The journey continues. You have my attention.
- I wish you clear skies.
- It's good to see you here.
- The road is long. I wish you well.
- May the Spirits of the Wild watch over you.
Gallery[edit]
- Concept Art
Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.
Concept art by Kekai Kotaki.
Concept art by Jamie Ro.
Destiny's Edge fight against Destroyers.
Eir and Rytlock Brimstone cover concept art by Jamie Ro.
Concept art by Ruan Jia.
Concept art
- Screenshots
Eir, Logan Thackeray, and Zojja accompany the Pact to the Heart of Maguuma.
Trahearne, Eir, Zojja and Logan aboard The Glory of Tyria.
Eir, Logan and Zojja during the Pact fleet's crash.
Eir stabbed by Faolain.
Ghost of Eir.
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- Miscellaneous
Valentine's Day Card from 2014 featuring Eir.
Character render. Outfit by Donald Phan, body and face by Aaron Coberly, hair by Hai Phan.
Notes[edit]
- Eir's Advice is a trophy needed for the Bolt I: The Experimental Sword legendary weapon collection.
Trivia[edit]
- Eir is voiced by Jocelyn Blue.
- She wears wolf armor.
- Eir's name comes from the Nordic mythic figure, Eir, who is a valkyrie or goddess in Norse mythology. The name means "mercy."
- The music tracks "Eir's Solitude" and "Eir's Memorial" are named after Eir.
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See also[edit]
- Associated items
References[edit]
- ^ Braham's Story
- ^ Comment by Matthew Medina, Reddit.com
- ^ Behind the Voice: Jocelyn Blue, YouTube.com
