View source for Lore:Jorunn the Skald-King (book)

{{Lore Book
|ON=1
|author=[[Lore:Books by Author#Helgreir Lute-Voice|Helgreir Lute-Voice]], Bard of Windhelm
|description=A biographical book on High King Jorunn of Skyrim
|textnote=This book was edited during an [[Online:Patch|ESO patch]]. For the original text, see [[Lore:Jorunn the Skald-King (old)|here]].
}}
Born in {{Year|2E 546}} to Queen {{Lore Link|Mabjaarn Flame-Hair}}, Prince {{Lore Link|Jorunn}} grew up knowing that his elder sister, {{Lore Link|Nurnhilde}}, was fated to take the throne. A singer of rare talent in a culture that reveres the power of the human voice, Jorunn studied at {{Lore Link|Skald's Retreat}} on the {{Lore Link|Isle of Gold}} outside {{Lore Link|Riften}}. There he learned all that could be taught by the most renowned bards of the {{Lore Link|Old Holds|Eastern Kingdom}}. He was dubbed the "Skald-Prince" of {{Lore Link|Skyrim}}.

Jorunn spent most of his youth in artistic and philosophical pursuits, cultivating a broad array of artists, artisans, and performers throughout Eastern Skyrim and beyond. He spent time in {{Lore Link|Mournhold}}, {{Lore Link|Stormhold}}, {{Lore Link|Sutch}}, {{Lore Link|Elinhir}}, and is even reputed to have visited {{Lore Link|Solitude}}, the capital of {{Lore Link|Western Skyrim}}, in disguise. Though he claimed to have no interest in politics or the business of rule, his natural leadership qualities made him the unofficial leader of the creative community wherever he found himself. Though he received little formal schooling in the arts of arms and warfare&mdash;as little as a prince of the {{Lore Link|Nord}}s could manage, anyway&mdash;traveling across {{Lore Link|Tamriel}} was always a dangerous activity. His travels taught him less orthodox ways of dealing with trouble.

Jorunn was in Riften when the [[Lore:Kamal (race)|Akaviri]] of [[Lore:Ada'Soom Dir-Kamal|Dir-Kamal]] assaulted the northeast coast of Skyrim in {{Year|2E 572}}. Jorunn and his closest comrades, the "Pack of Bards," fought their way up the coast to {{Lore Link|Windhelm}}, arriving just in time to see its gates breached by the {{Lore Link|Akaviri}}. Jorunn hurled himself into the fray, street-fighting being something he had experience with, but was unable to prevent the fall of the city and the slaying of Queen Mabjaarn and Nurnhilde, the "Brief Queen," who both went down fighting.

Wounded and devastated, Jorunn barely escaped the sack of Windhelm alive. Feeling for the first time the responsibility of his royal birth, he decided to appeal to the [[Lore:Greybeards|Greybeards]] for aid, and so made his way, stealthily but quickly, to {{Lore Link|High Hrothgar}}. For reasons that have not been divulged, the Greybeards decided to teach the Skald-Prince a [[Lore:Thu'um|thu'um]], one that summons a hero from [[Lore:Sovngarde|Sovngarde]] to fight for the Tongue who uses it. But in Jorunn's voice the thu'um became a royal call of valor, and the summoned hero was none other than [[Lore:Wulfharth|Wulfharth]] the Ash-King.

Together Wulfharth and Jorunn, now claiming the title Skald-King, rallied the Nords of Eastern Skyrim, mustering an army from {{Lore Link|the Rift}} and the outer regions of {{Lore Link|Eastmarch}}, then fortifying Riften. Dir-Kamal, moving south from Windhelm, found Riften defended by angry Nords inspired by the presence of Wulfharth and eager to fight. So Dir-Kamal bypassed Riften and marched on Mournhold, the Akaviri leader assuming that the Nords would be glad to see him go.

That choice was a fatal mistake. Jorunn and Wulfharth led their army in pursuit of the Akaviri force, and a Nord army entered {{Lore Link|Morrowind}} for the first time since the [[Lore:Battle of Red Mountain|Battle of Red Mountain]]. The Akaviri army was caught at {{Lore Link|Stonefalls}} between the Nords and a {{Lore Link|Dunmer}} legion led by [[Lore:Almalexia|Almalexia]], but the outcome of the great battle hung in the balance&mdash;until a surprise intervention from a phalanx of {{Lore Link|Argonian}} shellbacks, led by a trio of reptilian battlemages. The Akaviri line was broken and they were driven into the {{Lore Link|Inner Sea|sea}}, where they drowned by the thousands.

The Ash King, his purpose fulfilled, returned to Sovngarde. In Windhelm, three weeks later, Jorunn was crowned {{Lore Link|High King}} in the throne room of the {{Lore Link|Palace of Kings}}.
{{Book End}}