Group:  Vikings

Name: Erland Grímnirson

Age: 20

Occupation: A Skald, Younger son of the Earl/ Jarl

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Physical Description:
Erland stands a finger width over six feet tall and weighs just nigh of fourteen stone. Tall and broad of shoulder but narrow at the waist. Long curly hair falls to his shoulders... hair that was caressed by Freyja's tears (golden blonde). His face is chiseled with a strong jaw. Bright blue eyes that are keen and a window to his soul... exhibiting mirth, anger,mischief, or sorrow in equal measure. As a son of Jarl or Earl, Erland is finely dressed and wears a sky blue tunic with silver trappings and gray woolen pants. He carries two things at all times... the fine sword given to him by his father and the small harp given to him by his mentor Egill Skallagrímsson. Though a skald, Erland is trained in swordplay and carries himself as a warrior as well.

Personality:
Erland is like the gods themselves... capable of each and every emotion. Usually bright and friendly but Erland is capable of great rage and sorrow as well. Erland has always been full of emotion. Quick to anger... quick to laugh... and capable of lengthy bouts of darkness when he has suffered loss or defeat. As a skald, Erland has been trained in music, song, and poetry. With these gifts, he is not only able to render any and all emotions from those around him but he has learned to better restrain them within himself as well. This training and the resulting gifts have not gone unnoticed by his father. As a messenger and spokesman of his father, Erland will use his skald training to his advantage. Speaking words both bright and true with a measured well groomed voice.

Erland is very loyal and true to his word. Once an oath has been made, usually sealed with an offering to the gods, this oath will be kept even on to death. This loyalty is not just for his father the Jarl and his family but to all Erland holds dear. This loyalty, along with his gifts as a man with a skald's training, make him an ideal representative of his lord father.

Biography:
Erland is the younger son of the Jarl. As such he was raised well and was well cared for. His older brother was a gaint of a man and well on his way as a warrior when Erland was but a boy. That Erland could not match his brother in either strength or size, he became jealous of him. This caused great strife between them. His mother herself grew worried that this strife might one day lead to violence and sought a way to help prevent bloodshed.  At the urging of his mother, Erland was sent off to train with the great Skald Egill Skallagrímsson.

Egill saw at once the boy's potential... fine voice, keen mind, and whirlwind of emotions that needed reigning in. Erland was taught music. Using both harp and song to cull the emotions of his audience and to calm his own mind. Erland's greatest love is poetry where he often uses kennings to express his words. Egill knew the boy required an all rounded education. So Egill had him learn swordplay under the tutelage of Hammond Hammerhamd, a great bear of a man. For Egill knew any man needed more than songs and poems but at times only steel could speak where mere words failed. Erland enjoyed this almost as much as his skald training. As his voice responded to his music, his body grew with his training with the blade.

At eighteen winters Erland returned to his home. Now standing tall and fit. Hammond came with him fore Egill said his name meant "high protector". Though time and distance had done much to quell the animosity between the brothers, the tension was still there. It would seem the older brother was now jealous of the young man his brother had become... and all the attention he was now experiencing. Erland's father thought of ways to use both Erland's gifts and alleviate any tension betwixt the brothers. For there was plans to sail west and to discover new lands for trade or conquest. In the meantime something or rather someone had caught Erland's eye.

It was upon his return that Erland saw her... a young daughter of an allied Jarl. Lifa, Night's Sister, was small but outgoing. Her midnight hair and sparkling blue eyes were no doubt gifts from the gods themselves. Yet, at times she proved stubborn and at others totally disinterested in him altogether. This only made the young skald try harder. There are even rumors that the Lifa's father and his own may wish them wed. Only time will tell if Lifa... or the gods will approve of such a union.

Family: (if any)

Earl (?) Erland's Father
Mother (?)
Brother Rangvald
Sister Tyra