Eardstapa

'''"All the joy has died! I would see you smile one more time, my friends." - Final words attributed to Eardstapa'''

General Information
Eardstapa was a warrior who lived in Asgardia during the reign of King Dreorighleor and Queen Modcearig. With his Lord and Lady, he fought giants from his late teenage years until his forties. For his friendship, Eardstapa was gifted with land of his own, and men.

As time went by, Modcearig banished him for an alleged act of treachery, disbanding his men in the process. The nature of this act is little known, but one historian whose name is not mentioned states that failure to properly aid Modcearig in battle against giants was to blame.

In any case, Eardstapa left as was asked of him, and was not seen again for many long years. In the same account, it is stated that Eardstapa returned home when he was told of an invasion of giants and trolls by sand spirits in the Ogadia. Indeed, upon his return to his old holdings, he found his former people under attack by an army of wicked things, and charged them head-on.

In the battle, Eardstapa was wounded by a single blow from the monster Grendel, and his sword broke beneath him. One of Eardstapa's men, a warrior named Beowulf, took up his former lord's broken weapon and thrust it into Grendel's thigh, wounding him. Grendel ran away and back to his swamp, trailing blood behind him, while Beowulf sent a messenger to tell King Modcearig of Eardstapa's death. Modcearig and Dreorighleor wept over the dying body of their old friend, who pleaded with his last words to see their smiles.

His former masters gave him a hero's burial, and many accounts surviving from those who saw this event claim that a man robed in white stood before his boat just before it sank, wreathing his body in light. His former holdings became called "Eardstapa's End", and on the anniversary of his death, a man robed in white can be seen over the seas.

Quotes
"Events always go as they must!" -Eardstapa, on his exile