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Lore:Urfon Ice-Heart

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Warlord Urfon Ice-Heart
ON-npc-Urfon Ice-Heart.jpg
Warlord Urfon Ice-Heart
Race Reachman Gender Male
Born 2nd Era
Died 2E 582
Frostbreak Fortress
Reign 2E ?-
2E 582
Resided in Frostbreak Fortress, Wrothgar
The Reach
Appears in ESO
Urfon Ice-Heart

Warlord Urfon Ice-Heart was a Reachfolk leader of the Winterborn Clan and powerful Briarheart ice mage.[1][2] He lived during the Interregnum period, around 2E 582 and was the last of thirteen warlords who fought against Orcs for his ancestral homeland, Wrothgar.[3] He and his Winterborn were defeated during the siege of Frostbreak Fortress in 2E 582 by Kurog gro-Orsinium's forces and allies.[4]

HistoryEdit

2nd EraEdit

 
Frostbreak Fortress
 
Briar Heart Tree at Frostbreak Fortres

Thorough the sixth century of the Second Era, the Winterborn ruled the Wrothgar under the Longhouse Emperors,[5] but they were a prominent clan in Wrothgar dating back to the First Era.[6] These territories were taken over by Orcs but Reachfolk soon returned to reclaim their lands.[5]

 
Frostbreak Chalice

Urfon Ice-Heart was born during the Interregnum in Second Era as a member of the Winterborn. Little is known of his past but he eventually became a prominent figure among the Winterborn of Wrothgar, becoming known for legends surrounding his person. According to some of those stories Urfon has ice in his veins and posses the ability to freeze the blood of his foes with a mere flick of his wrist.[3] This legend was partially true as he and his fellow Winterborn displayed such ability.[7][2]

 
Victims of Urfon's powerful ice magic

Another legend about Urfon Ice-Heart is related to the artifact known as Frostbreak Chalice, a goblet emblazoned with the seal of the Frostbreak Fortress, that was believed to imbue anything that was poured into it with restorative powers. Chief Ghastzog, leader of the Marag Clan, who was stationed at the Frostbreak Fortress was the first one to believe in its powers, and generations of Orc chiefs continued this tradition, and a great legend grew up around the ancient cup. According to rumors, once Urfon took control over Frostbreak Fortress he had drunk from the Frostbreak Chalice with his favorite wine and said that the chalice had ruined the taste of the drink. And so because of this, the chalice was thrown out into the wilderness.[8] It was found by one of his soldiers, and hidden in one of the fortress's towers.[9] It was eventually recovered by the House of Orsimer Glories in the Second Orsinium city.[10]

He was last, and the most powerful[2] of the thirteen warlords that fought against Orsimer on the Wrothgar's soil and the leader of the Winterborn Reachmen as of 2E 582.[3][11] He was considered strong, ambitious, and extremely dangerous.[2] He was popular among his kin and his name was used as a battlecry.[12]

Ever since Urfon returned to Wrothgar attacks on Orc caravans increased in frequency.[2] He personally led an attack on a caravan transporting food and supplies for the Orc clans circa 2E 582. His forces ambushed the merchants, leaped out of the snow, stole the supplies and food, and defeated numerous Orcs using ice magic.[2][7] Although some of the traders were rescued by the intervention of the Vestige the supplies and food were stolen and then transported to Frostbreak Fortress.[13][14][15]

Urfon occasionally used the intel gathered by the Orsimer informants, who were providing him with information that helped him successfully raid and pillage caravans in exchange for money. One of such informants was Gulug, who worked under the pseudonym Vulture.[16][14]

 
Kurog gro-Orsinium wielding Urfon's blade

Over time the presence of the Winterborn increased. They were considered a serious threat to the Orcish settlements in Wrothgar.[5] Winterborn were making progress before the return of Kurog from his travels abroad. He rallied and organized the Orc clans to fight against the Reachfolk led by Urfon. Warlords subject to Urfon were being hunted down and killed in droves and the numbers of his warriors drastically reduced.[17] King Kurog gro-Orsinium, led an attack on the Frostbreak Fortress to deal with Warlord Ice-Heart directly. It was believed that without a strong leader, the Winterborn would cease to threaten the Second Orsinium.[5]

Urfon ordered Winterborn hagravens to continue to perfect the process of growing briar hearts and using them to create briar-heart warriors. Under his command, the numbers of Winterborn Briarhearts increased.[17]

King Kurog led the siege against the Winterborn Clan at Frostbreak Fortress for a week.[5][17] Their Orc militia bombarded the fortress with their siege weapons, all the while, the Urfon's flock of harpies swooped in and claimed various lives.[17] Deeper in the fort, the Winterborn were growing Briar Hearts to supply their warriors. King Kurog enlisted the help of an adventurer in their battle against the Winterborn. Both the warrior and the king traversed Frostbreak Fortress and infiltrated the inner sanctum. Eventually, they razed the harpy nests and sabotaged the briar heart production.[4][18]

During the siege, Urfon Ice-Heart was approached by the king and his ally. He mocked the Orc leader and claimed that Orcs would refuse to follow him and that he dishonored the sacrifices of his fallen people.[1] They fought and Kurog and his ally emerged victorious. Urfon was ultimately defeated and killed.[4][3]

LegacyEdit

As a result of Urfon's death, the Winterborn scattered and without a leader as the Orcs claimed victory.[4][3]

After Urfon's death, King Kurog claimed his sword as a trophy and wielded it as his own weapon. He hoped to convince the clan chiefs that he had slain the warlord and expressed the belief that it could make them accept him as the rightful king of all the Orsimer. This ultimately failed as numerous clans refused to bend the knee. The sword would soon after be gifted to the Vestige.[3]

NotesEdit

  • In the cut content of the Orsinium DLC of the ESO, Urfon worked together with another warlord, Mogbach Ice-Heart. His heart was described as an ice-heart rather than a briar heart. In this version of the story, Kurog takes the ice heart from inside of the warlord's chest as proof of victory rather than the blade. The exact nature of the frozen hearts is unknown but they shared the properties with seeds of Briar Heart Trees used to create Briarhearts.[UOL 1]

See AlsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Note: The following references are considered to be unofficial sources. They are included to round off this article and may not be authoritative or conclusive.

  1. ^ Events of For King and Glory cut content in ESO: Orsinium