The Udyrfrykte[1][2] (also spelled Uderfrykte[3][UOL 1] or Udefrykte)[4] is the name given to members of a bloodline of legendary trolls. Initially thought to be a unique individual,[3] there are now three known trolls that have been recorded in history under the name.[1][5][4]
Two of the known trolls with the name are believed to be the offspring of the Uderfrykte Matron, also known as the Horror of Dive Rock.[3] While her origins are unknown, it is said trolls were more impressive in ancient times,[6][7] and her ancient lineage has plagued the Nords for centuries.[8][3][UOL 1] Common traits between her offspring include glowing green eyes, brownish fur, and a preference for lairing in ice caves.[1][4]
HistoryEdit
The Udyrfrykte of SolstheimEdit
—An excerpt from Thirsk, a History
The first, and best known, Udyrfrykte to have been slain, once lived in the ice caves beneath the mead hall of Thirsk on the island of Solstheim. He was described by the locals as "a remorseless monster with a taste for human flesh".[8] According to legend, the ancient beast was first awoken from his long hibernation beneath the ice due to the noise and commotion made during the original construction of the mead hall, during the time of Hrothmund. The Udyrfrykte came to the newly completed mead hall and wreaked vengeance upon those who had shattered the peace of his long, cold sleep. He killed without warning or mercy, reducing the Thirsk Nords to half their number. A sorcerer known as Eldrid Ice-Light managed to drive the beast back to his lair beneath the frozen lake, and used his magicka to seal the entrance with a great wall of ice. It took the survivors two months to fix the damage done by the Udyrfrykte.[9][8]
The Udyrfrykte stayed sealed in his lair for a century or more, until he escaped in 3E 427 during the Bloodmoon Prophecy, when a pillar of fire emanated from Lake Fjalding. The fire melted the ice covering the entrance to the ice caves on the shore of the lake; the Udyrfrykte, still wanting vengeance, attacked the mead hall, slaying the warriors within and leaving few survivors.[8][9] Svenja Snow-Song survived the attack, and urged the Nerevarine to slay the monster. The Nerevarine killed the Udyrfrykte and took his heart as a trophy. Svenja then appointed the Nerevarine as the new chieftain of Thirsk.[10]
This Udyrfrykte had a unique appearance compared to common trolls. It had only two eyes, elongated teeth, and was overall more baboonish in build. It was also amazingly resiliant, as it was completely immune to the cold, electricity, poison, weapons lesser than silver quality, and remarkably for a troll, fire. In its battle with the Nerevarine, it wielded a severed Nord leg as a weapon.[1]
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Udyrfrykte (Bloodmoon)
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The Lair of the Udyrfrykte (Bloodmoon)
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The pillar of fire that freed the Udyrfrykte (Bloodmoon)
The Uderfrykte MatronEdit
—Agnar the Unwavering
Svenja married Agnar the Unwavering, the next chieftain, following the Nerevarine's departure. Haunted by memories of the Udyrfrykte's attack, she and Agnar set out to find the ancient Uderfrykte Matron, the mother of the Udyrfrykte. Unlike her offspring, the Matron moved from location to location, preventing her killing or capture. The couple tracked the monster from the remote highlands of Skyrim into the Jerall Mountains, where local legends credited the monster with the slaying of over a dozen people and cattle. They confronted the Matron on the Cyrodiil side of the border, near Dive Rock, the highest natural observation point in the Imperial Province. The monster devoured Svenja and killed Agnar.[3] The Hero of Kvatch stumbled upon their campsite in 3E 433, and managed to kill the monster.[5][11]
In appearance, the creature was described as "a giant, troll-like beast that seems to waver and shimmer in the cold", "like the feral form of winter itself".[3] It was completely immune to the cold, but extremely weak to fire.[5][3]
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Uderfrykte Matron (Oblivion)
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Dive Rock (Legends)
The Udefrykte of DawnstarEdit
—Cicero
Another Udefrykte lived in the enclosed ice caves beneath the settlement of Dawnstar in Skyrim. The monster broke through into the abandoned Dark Brotherhood sanctuary beneath the city.[12][13] It was slain by the Listener in 4E 201, and the ice caves were then resealed when the Dark Brotherhood reclaimed the sanctuary.[14]
In comparison to its sibling and mother killed centuries prior, this Udefrykte more closely resembled common trolls.[4]
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Udefrykte (Skyrim)
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The Dawnstar Sanctuary (Skyrim)
NotesEdit
See AlsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b c d The Udyrfrykte in Morrowind: Bloodmoon
- ^ Thirsk, A Revised History
- ^ a b c d e f g Agnar's Journal — Agnar the Unwavering
- ^ a b c d Udefrykte in Skyrim
- ^ a b c Uderfrykte Matron in Oblivion
- ^ The Serpent's dialogue in ESO
- ^ The Ancient One quest in Blades
- ^ a b c d Svenja Snow-Song's dialogue in Morrowind: Bloodmoon
- ^ a b Thirsk, a History -- Revised — Bereditte Jastal
- ^ The Mead Hall Massacre quest in Morrowind: Bloodmoon
- ^ The Horror of Dive Rock quest in Oblivion
- ^ Cicero's dialogue in Skyrim
- ^ Dawnstar Sanctuary in Skyrim
- ^ The Cure for Madness quest in Skyrim
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.
- ^ a b c Unused Throw Voice Word Wall in Skyrim