| Svend the Cunning | |
|---|---|
| |
| Biographical information | |
| Died |
1003 |
| Political information | |
| Affiliations |
Templars |
| Real-world information | |
| Appears in | |
Svend the Cunning (died 1003) was a Viking and Grand Master of the Norwegian Rite of the Templar Order, as well as the Jarl of the Hveðrungr clan. At the end of the tenth century and the beginning of the eleventh, Svend and his clan of Templars hunted for the Conservatory with their search taking them to Vinland, making Svend one of the first Europeans to set foot in North America since the Sage Brendan of Clonfert.
Svend was a fierce warrior but also skilled in deception, knowing when his goals needed to be met with either brute strength or deceit - Svend earned the name 'Svend the Cunning'.
Biography[]
At an unknown point Svend joined the Templars before eventually becoming the Grand Master in Norway, inducting members of his clan along the way. At some point, Svend learned of the Conservatory's existence and dedicated his life to finding it with the belief it would grant him great power.
Svend, as a jarl, orchestrated the Viking's second invasion in England in 980 in order to locate the Key that would gain them entrance to the Conservatory. In 995, Svend would find the Key's location in an English church but it was taken during a raid prior. Using his Templar resources, Svend found the location of the clan that was involved in the raid and initiated an attack to retrieve it and wipe out the clan while they were at it. Unbenknownst to him, a sole survivor remained from the attack and swore vengeance on Svend's clan.
As the years passed by, Svend's search led him to Greenland where he remained for a couple of years - it was during this time he became aware of the sole survivor of the clan he destroyed, through the deaths of his allies in England. Unbothered about one lone Viking, Svend pressed on with his search for the Conservatory where he would discover of its location in Vinland, a land discovered by the Sage Brendan of Clonfert in between 530 and 537. Using the sailing routes used by the Sage, Svend orchestrated an expedition to Vinland with ships of over 200 men and women. Despite this, Svend would not be remembered as the first European to discover Vinland.
Svend would spend the next five years in Vinland, searching for the Conservatory. During this time, Ari and a member of the Hidden Ones, Livius, tracked him to Vinland and began weakening his operation by assassinating Templars and other members of his clan. He didn't care however, as finding the Conservatory was his main priority.
Eventually, in spring 1003, Svend would locate the Conservatory and use the Key he had recovered eight years prior to gain access to the Isu structure. Svend also tried to access another chamber within the Conservatory, believing he would find an Isu artifact that would grant him and the Templars the power to achieve their goal. However, he was unable to access the chamber before shortly being discovered by Ari, Livius and Hilda Ulfsdottir. Svend would be assassinated by Livius before he could see what was inside the chamber.