Reik Rurik was a Germanic reik (chieftain) during the 1st century AD. In 9 AD, he sided with Gernot Redbeard in backing the "war party" in attendance at the folkmoot of Germanic tribes held in response to the Roman Empire's demand for tribute from the Germanic peoples. However, he did not trust the other Germanic tribes enough to form an anti-Roman alliance, only to be infuriated when the Romans had Rurik's sons taken as hostages to ensure his compliance with their rule. Rurik went on to scout the Roman army ahead of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, and he killed several Roman soldiers in the ensuing battle.