WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:05.440
Once upon a time, in the
harsh and unforgiving land of Scandinavia, there

2
00:00:05.480 --> 00:00:11.400
lived a fierce and noble Viking warrior
named Eirik the Redbeard. Eric was known

3
00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:16.480
throughout the land for his towering stature, his fiery red beard that matched his

4
00:00:16.640 --> 00:00:22.120
fiery spirit, and his unwavering loyalty
to his people. Eric hailed from a

5
00:00:22.160 --> 00:00:28.079
small village nestled along the rugged coastline
named Valhlstad. It was a quaint village

6
00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:32.840
with wooden structures and thatched roofs and
the constant smell of the sea in the

7
00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:38.679
air. The people of Valhallstad were
hardy folk, accustomed to lives of hard

8
00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:44.880
work and discipline. Fishing, trading, and raiding when necessary were their life

9
00:00:44.920 --> 00:00:49.960
blood, and they protected their small
stretch of home along the coast with a

10
00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.479
fierce determination. From a young age, Eric had shown a penchant for adventure

11
00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.679
and a thirst for the glory of
battle. While the other young boys spent

12
00:00:59.719 --> 00:01:04.359
their playing games and getting into mischief, Eric devoted himself to developing his skills

13
00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:08.959
as a warrior. His father,
Olaf was pleased to see his son's dedication.

14
00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.920
Olaf was a respected warrior himself.
In his younger years, albeit somewhat

15
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:19.760
passed his prime. Now still,
he took Eric under his wing, determined

16
00:01:19.799 --> 00:01:23.879
to train him in the ways of
combat according to the Viking code of honor.

17
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:29.680
Father and son spent countless hours out
in the harsh elements of the rugged

18
00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:34.799
Scandinavian wilderness, training with sword and
axe. The ringing echoes of steel on

19
00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:41.200
steel resounded through the forests and along
the stony cliffs as Olaf taught Erik how

20
00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:45.519
to swing, parry, thrust,
and dodge. Through grime and sweat and

21
00:01:45.640 --> 00:01:49.120
even blood, Eric hardened both his
body and resolve. His skills as a

22
00:01:49.159 --> 00:01:55.239
warrior, even at a young age
were undeniable. Tales of his promise as

23
00:01:55.239 --> 00:02:00.120
a fighter spread quickly through Valhallstad and
the surrounding villages. By the time Eric

24
00:02:00.159 --> 00:02:05.439
reached the cusp of manhood, his
feats of strength and combat prowess were known

25
00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:08.840
far and wide. He had led
daring raids against distant villages and ships,

26
00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:14.680
sailing fearlessly into the unknown and returning
with glory and spoils for his people.

27
00:02:15.360 --> 00:02:19.080
He quickly earned fame not only for
his abilities as a warrior, but also

28
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:23.000
for his honor. He fought only
when necessary, never striking the first blow,

29
00:02:23.319 --> 00:02:28.159
and he made sure innocent villagers and
members of his own clan were protected

30
00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:34.360
against unnecessary brutality. For in the
Norse code of honor, glory and battle

31
00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:38.319
and protection of one's people went hand
in hand. True greatness meant possessing the

32
00:02:38.439 --> 00:02:45.639
judgment to know when restraint was required
instead of want and violence. Eric intuitively

33
00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:50.240
understood this code and earned the respect
of all who knew of his deeds.

34
00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.599
As a result, songs and sagas
were composed exalting the exploits of Eric the

35
00:02:54.639 --> 00:03:00.360
Red Beard, a name he earned
not just from the fiery red head hue

36
00:03:00.360 --> 00:03:04.919
of his full mane of hair and
beard, but also his spirited temperament.

37
00:03:05.879 --> 00:03:09.639
One year, after the close of
a trading season that left the village storehouses

38
00:03:09.719 --> 00:03:15.599
unusually bare, the people of Valhallstad
grew anxious about the coming winter. Food

39
00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:21.479
was scarce and they did not have
enough supplies stockpiled olaf, and the village

40
00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:25.680
chieftains knew that without ample provisions,
some might not last through the harsh winter

41
00:03:25.800 --> 00:03:30.639
months. It was then that rumors
began trickling in from across the sea of

42
00:03:30.680 --> 00:03:37.080
a marauding horde of Norse raiders sweeping
down the coast, leaving destruction in their

43
00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:40.800
wake. They were led by a
notorious warlord named Bjorn the blood Axe,

44
00:03:42.039 --> 00:03:46.520
who was said to show no mercy, annihilating entire villages and taking survivors as

45
00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:53.240
slaves. Several small villages had already
fallen to Bjorn's rampage during the last few

46
00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.840
moon cycles. Some who managed to
escape the destruction brought dire warnings and tales

47
00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:03.520
of woe. Valhallstad was still weeks
away from Bjorn's current position and in no

48
00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:09.759
immediate danger. The time to act
was before the threat arrived at their doorstep.

49
00:04:10.280 --> 00:04:14.360
Eric knew he needed to lead a
preemptive attack on Bijorn's forces before they

50
00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:18.920
could reach Valhallstad. He gathered a
band of his strongest and most trusted warriors,

51
00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:24.680
all of whom pledged themselves to his
command in facing this threat. His

52
00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:30.360
best friend and battle companion, Asmund, stood faithfully by his side, as

53
00:04:30.439 --> 00:04:35.160
did Eric's beautiful and fiery wife,
Ingrid, a formidable shield maiden warrior in

54
00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:40.600
her own right. With Eric in
the lead, they set sail to intercept

55
00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:45.639
Bjorn and his marauders, their sleek
long ships cutting through the steel gray waves

56
00:04:45.639 --> 00:04:50.319
with predatory speed through blinding rain and
raging storms, they raced down the coast,

57
00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:56.600
finally catching sight of Bjorn's motley fleet
of dragon headed ships camped halfway down

58
00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:00.920
the Scandinavian peninsula. Going against the
safe the advice of some of his comrades,

59
00:05:01.240 --> 00:05:05.319
Eric refused to wait for the cover
of night and ordered an immediate frontal

60
00:05:05.360 --> 00:05:11.480
assault. While Bjorn's men sat idle
on the rocky beach show no fear,

61
00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:16.279
Eric bellowed as battle cries rang out
from their long ships, his flaming red

62
00:05:16.319 --> 00:05:20.920
beard and hair seeming to catch fire
in the pale sun. As their ships

63
00:05:20.920 --> 00:05:27.000
shot through the surf straight toward shore. Arrows whistled overhead from both sides.

64
00:05:27.040 --> 00:05:30.399
As they crashed into land. With
Eric in the lead, axes, swords

65
00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:35.360
and shields held aloft, the hardened
warriors of Valhlstad met the first line of

66
00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:41.639
Bjorn's men in a frenzy of whirling
steel. The Vikings clashed in a chaotic

67
00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:46.680
dance of violence. From atop a
jutting cliff across the beach, the notorious

68
00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:51.319
figure of Bijorn himself looked on with
menacing glee, his wild braids whipping around

69
00:05:51.360 --> 00:05:56.279
his scarred face in the sea wind. He seemed to relish the battle Eric

70
00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.160
brought to his doorstep. As Eric
split the torso of his opponent with a

71
00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:03.800
mighty swing, his eyes locked with
Bjorn from across the crimson stained sands.

72
00:06:04.240 --> 00:06:09.720
In that instant, he knew this
raid was merely sport for the bloodthirsty warlord.

73
00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:15.079
The true purpose behind Bjorn's savage campaign
of destruction went deeper than senseless violence.

74
00:06:15.720 --> 00:06:20.759
Eric intended to uncover Biorn's real motivation
for the needless devastation of the peninsula,

75
00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:25.399
if it was the last thing he
did. For hours on end that

76
00:06:25.519 --> 00:06:30.240
faded into night, the two sides
battled relentlessly. Eric led the charge for

77
00:06:30.319 --> 00:06:34.040
his vastly outnumbered group of raiders.
Arrows perforated the sail of his ship while

78
00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:39.079
blood soaked the deck under his feet. The tide seemed to shift back and

79
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:43.920
forth, with Eric's band of warriors
lacking numbers but possessing the advantage of valor

80
00:06:43.959 --> 00:06:47.639
and honor. They managed to cut
down scores of Bjorn's men throughout the long

81
00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:51.759
hours of battle, Yet Biorn seemed
to have a never ending supply of wild

82
00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:56.959
eyed warriors. Some began to whisper
that he had made a dark pact with

83
00:06:57.040 --> 00:07:01.120
the goddess Hell herself, allowing him
to keep fighting even in death. Even

84
00:07:01.160 --> 00:07:06.839
the bravest of Eric's fighters eventually began
to tire against the endless onslaught. It

85
00:07:06.920 --> 00:07:11.720
was then Asmond fell in the sand
at Eric's side, pierced through the throat

86
00:07:11.720 --> 00:07:16.000
by a black fletched arrow. Eric
cradled his dying friend in his arms Asmond

87
00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:23.319
gurgling out his last heroic words.
Furious and heartbroken, Eric roared to the

88
00:07:23.360 --> 00:07:28.160
heavens and barged through the wall of
enemies separating him from Bjorn. His axe

89
00:07:28.240 --> 00:07:32.920
became a whirlwind, felling all in
his path. With unmatched savagery. Possessed

90
00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:39.360
by the rage and energy of twenty
men, Eric slowly battled his way across

91
00:07:39.399 --> 00:07:44.759
the crowded battlefield alone. He reached
the base of the towering cliff, where

92
00:07:44.800 --> 00:07:50.120
Bjorn observed the battle. Bijorn grinned
wildly at Eric's blood spattered approach, as

93
00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:56.319
if he admired this show of bravery
and rage. Leaping down to meet Eric,

94
00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:01.319
Bijorn drew his massive, double headed
axe, lethal and expertly balanced.

95
00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:03.680
Why do you attack without purpose,
savage? Tell me what you hope to

96
00:08:03.720 --> 00:08:07.959
gain from such destruction before I send
you to meet your maker this day,

97
00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:11.600
Eric shouted at the onset of their
duel. Bijorn merely laughed in response,

98
00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:18.199
his first strike narrowly missing Eric,
who deftly dodged the attack for what seemed

99
00:08:18.199 --> 00:08:22.759
an eternity. The two clashed atop
the cliff, overlooking carnage and death upon

100
00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:26.680
the beach. Eric soon saw why
Bjorn had earned his terrifying moniker. He

101
00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:31.440
attacked with animal fury, never tiring, his axe, splitting the air violently

102
00:08:31.519 --> 00:08:35.720
again and again. Eric managed to
block and evade, using every ounce of

103
00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:41.279
his skill, but Bjorn matched his
prowess and then some. His axe blade

104
00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:46.240
soon found Eric's shoulder, biting down
to the bone. In response, Eric

105
00:08:46.399 --> 00:08:52.840
savagely kicked his opponent back, stealing
himself against the searing pain. Blood poured

106
00:08:52.039 --> 00:08:58.519
freely from the grievous wound. As
Eric struggled to defend against Biorn's endless barrage

107
00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:01.559
of lethal strikes. The rest of
the world fell away for Eric as the

108
00:09:01.639 --> 00:09:09.360
jewel raged on every ounce of his
legendary focus and determination, set solely on

109
00:09:09.480 --> 00:09:15.120
surviving the next axe swing, the
next thrust of Bjorn's blade back and forth,

110
00:09:15.159 --> 00:09:18.320
they fought. As night fell,
Eric felt his strength rapidly fading as

111
00:09:18.360 --> 00:09:24.159
blood continued flowing from the gash in
his shoulder. He soon found himself driven

112
00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:28.039
to his knees at sword point,
beneath the light of the rising moon.

113
00:09:28.279 --> 00:09:33.519
Bjorn placed a gnarled boot atop Eric's
chest, savoring his victory with a rotten

114
00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:37.799
toothed grin Why. Eric gasped up
at Bjorn, Why must so many die?

115
00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.559
Bjorn threw back his tangled mane of
hair and laughed, I do not

116
00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:48.519
expect the likes of you to understand
glory, riches, slaves. These are

117
00:09:48.559 --> 00:09:52.000
but trifles to me. I see
chaos. For the sake of chaos.

118
00:09:52.440 --> 00:09:56.720
The weakness of you and your people
disgust me. I would watch this world

119
00:09:56.759 --> 00:10:00.559
burn, if only to purge it
of that weakness. Borne and raised his

120
00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:03.799
axe high, poised to end Eric's
life. Thinking of his beloved wife and

121
00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:09.919
his people awaiting his return, Eric
uttered a quick prayer, hoping his death

122
00:10:09.039 --> 00:10:15.960
might buy them some small chance of
survival or escape. Eric the Redbeard prepared

123
00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:20.679
to meet his glorious end in battle, facing the deranged warlord Bijorn the blood

124
00:10:20.679 --> 00:10:24.919
Axe atop that wind ravaged cliff,
but the blow intended to sever Eric's head

125
00:10:26.039 --> 00:10:31.159
never fell. Instead, Bijorn's eyes
went wide with shock as the sharpened tip

126
00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:35.399
of a sword burst from his chest, right where his heart beat. Gasping

127
00:10:35.480 --> 00:10:39.919
wetly, Bijorn toppled over, revealing
Ingrid standing defiantly behind him. Her round

128
00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:45.320
shield and sword stained Crimson with his
blood. During the duel, she had

129
00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:50.519
managed to flank Bjorn under the distraction
and chaos of battle, and drove her

130
00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:54.919
blade home through the minuscule chink in
the warlord's armor. Seeing their leader perish,

131
00:10:56.120 --> 00:11:01.399
Bijorn's surviving warriors reluctantly yielded. The
field remained standing, and without Biorn's

132
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.759
dark ferocity to drive them, they
fled north in search of easier quarry.

133
00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:11.919
Ingrid rushed to Eric's side, ripping
a strip of fabric from her skirt to

134
00:11:13.000 --> 00:11:18.279
bind his freely bleeding shoulder. Eric
smiled up at her lovingly. You always

135
00:11:18.279 --> 00:11:22.320
had a better head for strategy than
me, he joked through gritted teeth.

136
00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:28.320
She kissed his grimy forehead in response. As Ingrid tended Eric's grievous injury,

137
00:11:28.360 --> 00:11:35.120
the remaining warriors of Valhalstad emerged from
the battlefield less than half survived the night

138
00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:39.320
of carnage. They raised their weapons
and cheered Eric's name upon seeing Bijorn's corpse.

139
00:11:39.960 --> 00:11:46.200
Together, Eric and Ingrid led the
bone weary yet valorous fighters back toward

140
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.639
their waiting long ships. Behind them, the first hinges of pink touched the

141
00:11:50.679 --> 00:11:54.480
sky over the ocean horizon, illuminating
the beach landscape with the light of dawn.

142
00:11:56.320 --> 00:12:00.720
It was a quiet, battered group
that finally sailed back into home several

143
00:12:00.799 --> 00:12:05.559
days later. They had survived storms
and more skirmishes along the way. Of

144
00:12:05.639 --> 00:12:09.960
those who left, only twelve warriors
returned home, including Erik and his new

145
00:12:09.000 --> 00:12:13.559
bride. But word quickly spread up
and down the coast about Eric the Legend

146
00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:22.240
and how he defeated the warmonger Bjorn
blood Axe against impossible odds. Soon emissaries

147
00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:26.879
from villages far and wide came to
congratulate Rik and his people. Some came

148
00:12:26.919 --> 00:12:31.080
to thank him, claiming Bjorn would
surely have turned his attention their way were

149
00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:35.879
it not for Eric's heroic actions.
Others sought Erik's wisdom and alliance. Still

150
00:12:35.960 --> 00:12:41.159
more came probing for the secret to
his success, but Eric merely credited the

151
00:12:41.200 --> 00:12:46.759
bravery of his comrades in a healthy
dose of Fate's favor. In the months

152
00:12:46.799 --> 00:12:50.559
following Bjorn's defeat, Eric finally found
some peace. His battle wounds healed,

153
00:12:50.840 --> 00:12:56.600
He and Ingrid settled into their life
together as leaders of Valhalstadt. Following the

154
00:12:56.639 --> 00:13:01.679
example of his late father, Eric
governed his people with compassion and justice.

155
00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:05.559
He still led raids when needed to
keep their village fed and secure, but

156
00:13:05.679 --> 00:13:11.480
he became known more for his sound
judgment and ruling than simply his marshal prowess.

157
00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:15.679
Many sought Eric the Redbeard's council on
matters of politics, trade, and

158
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:20.240
village life during that period, and
he welcomed all with grace and humility.

159
00:13:20.759 --> 00:13:24.080
His fame had spread to the point
of legend by this time, yet he

160
00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:30.679
carried his renown lightly During those quiet
seasons of rebuilding wval Halstad. Children throughout

161
00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:35.240
Scandinavia grew up listening to tales of
the Viking raider with the flaming Red Beard,

162
00:13:35.519 --> 00:13:41.080
who defeated death itself in the form
of Bjorn blood Axe on that fateful

163
00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:46.399
night. When faced with hardship,
people reminded one another of Eric's resilience.

164
00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:52.080
He became a symbol of courage,
duty, perseverance and wisdom for his people.

165
00:13:52.759 --> 00:13:56.039
In time, word reached their village
of new Lands, spotted to the

166
00:13:56.039 --> 00:14:00.360
west, ripe for settlement and exploration. Eric saw this as a sign from

167
00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:03.159
Odin. Perhaps it was time to
seek out new opportunity and adventure for his

168
00:14:03.279 --> 00:14:07.559
tribe, just as his late father
did years ago when he founded Valhalstad.

169
00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:13.919
That spring, after cajoling Ingrid to
join him, despite her reluctance to leave

170
00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.279
their peaceful village life, Eric gathered
loyal warriors and settlers. Together, they

171
00:14:18.279 --> 00:14:24.000
piled into long ships packed with supplies, and set sail due west under Eric's

172
00:14:24.039 --> 00:14:28.120
guidance, deeper into the unknown northern
oceans. Adventure, glory, and perhaps

173
00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:33.159
a new home awaited them somewhere over
that endless horizon. And so continued the

174
00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:39.120
undying saga of Eric the Redbeard,
the Viking legend, Exiled by peace and

175
00:14:39.200 --> 00:14:43.200
driven by his unquenchable thirst for exploration
and valor. The end