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Played by: Jacob Beardsley /xbelthazarx@gmail.com
Name: Belthazar Nightriver
Gender: Male
Age: 18
Race: Ulven
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Purple
Character Website:
Occupation: warrior/drifter
Known Skills: Toughness and two handed weapons
Birthplace: a small village on the on the eastern side of the Hacklefur Mountains
Appearance: What do you look like?
Notable Traits:
Relationships:
Rumors: If they gossip about you, what do they say?

Bio:

Belthazar lived most of his life under the watchful eye of his father. His village is located on the eastern side of the The Great Wolf’s Hackles about a days journey from Daven’s Reach. His mother died in child birth. With no memory of her Belthazar’s only known family is his father.

Even at an early age in life Belthazar was a handful. If he wasn’t pranking innocent villagers, he was in other trouble. Fed up with the lack of discipline, Beltharzar’s father started teaching him the ways of combat. This managed to calm the rowdy Belthazar.

His father became a leader of a hunting pack while Belthazar was about 16. Since then Belthazar was a well respected member of the village. Although Belthazar wasn’t the greatest hunter, he joined his father occasionally on small hunts.

At the age of 18 Belthazar started working as a blacksmith, he wasn’t bad at it either. Even though it wasn’t hunting his father was happy to see his son grow up and find a useful skill, but the peaceful life of Belthazar’s would not last long.

One day his father went out with his hunting party and wasn’t heard from for quite some time. Belthazar knew something was wrong but no one else seemed to notice. After a week or so passed by there was still no news what happened to his father. By this time he was getting worried and feared for his father’s life.

A couple more days passed and still nothing, but out of nowhere the familiar look of his father’s armor came into view, except it wasn’t his father wearing it. A band of Mordok had ambushed Belthazar’s father and came back to the village wearing the hunting parties armor. The Mordok wasted no time slaughtering members of the village indiscriminately, suddenly the bands leader appeared around a corner and was now face to face with Belthazar. Outraged at the sight of the Mordok murderer wearing his father’s armor and wielding the sword that Belthazar forged as a gift to his father, blindly rushed the attacker. Belthazar managed to catch the leader off guard. As the attacker fell to the ground Belthazar grabbed the sword and with a growling cry he drove the blade deep into the Mordok’s head.

The battle didn’t last very long, but after it was all said and done Belthazar just couldn’t bear living in the village that reminds him so much of his father. So after the fires were out and the dead burned, Belthazar travels to Daven’s Reach to start a new life.

In Daven’s Reach Belthazar ran into a nervous human merchant named Helgen, she happened to come across Belthazar just out side of Daven’s Reach. After a long day of traveling he must have looked worn out and run down because she took him in and offered him a job.

She was not very big and not very good at combat so she offered Belthazar a job as her body guard and friend. Since then he has traveled with her and protected her where ever her work leads

RETIREMENT STORY – EPILOGUE OF A TIRED SOUL

After being recruited by William and the New army of Vandregon during the fateful battle to destroy the Lich, Belthazar Nightriver cast off his clan’s name and became known as Belthazar of Vandregon. From that moment he dedicated his life to serving and living up to the ideals of William and Rogar Shadowfang. Belthazar served ad fought in many battles alongside
his fellow soldiers, but his rebellious nature started to get the better of him.
Belthazar had difficulty following the rules. Before joining the Vandregon he had been living free and doing as he pleased whether it was honorable or not. Often, he would hold up caravans for their alcohol and proceed to drink it all that same day. Now being forced to abide by rules and regulations didn’t go over so well at times. Balthazar would get into fights and or
destroy property. This usually belonged to which ever tavern was closest to wherever Belthazar’s company was posted.
Belthazar was soon in debt to the army, who had been paying for his escapades. To pay off his debt Beltazar was forced into an apprenticeship of a black smith. Belthazar took to this trade and began to really enjoy it. He started making friends outside of the army and started taking his own commissions. Unfortunately, come pay day he would often forget to pay his
debt and would go to the taverns instead.
Belthazar made his name in what was known as Daven’s Reach at the time. Often making tools and goods for the town’s folk as well as weapons for the army. When not in a tavern or at the forge Belthazar would join in patrols and expeditions. During one of Balthazar’s tavern crawls he met a young looking male Syndar who treated him to a night of drinking. It turns out this Syndar owned one of the local taverns and had taken a fancy towards Belthazar. This cycle of repeat nights of free drinks and tall tales
soon led to the two courting.
This became the new normal for Belthazar, Respected blacksmith, Loyal soldier, Rebellious lover. Belthazar continued to be a smith and eventually paid off his debt to the army and promptly retired from his service. He still makes weapons and armor at a discount for the army.
When the fall of Daven’s Reach happened, he joined the Campaign to retake the city. He resettled in the now Daven’s Hold, continuing his trade alongside his lover. Belthazar finally found what he had been wanting. A Loving family, Friends who could fight, “almost,” as good as he could, and all the free booze an Ulven could drink.

Played by: Marie Maschmeier
Name: Lucia Coinin
Gender: Female
Age: 20
Race: Ulven
Hair: Red
Eyes: Vibrant royal blue
Occupation: Daughter of Gaia
Known Skills: Arcane Magic
Birthplace: Unknown
Appearance: Red hair
Notable Traits: Commonly wears tribal tattoos around her eyes
Bio:
Born under the light of the full moon, Lucia’s bright blue eyes and vibrant red hair have marked her as one of Luna’s Chosen all her life. Her mother, Brigh, is an infamous warrior, best known for defending her family, even while carrying Lucia in her belly. Some say Brigh’s fighting spirit caught the attention of Luna, who graced her daughter with a rare blessing. Her father, Cliste, is one of few existing Ulven merchants.
Due to the nature of her father’s profession, Lucia’s family was known to most as one of the Pack-less, constantly moving from place to place. However, the family recently joined the Silverhowl Pack and the Watchwolves of Luna. The Silverhowl’s position at the fore-front of Human, Syndar & Ulven relations on Mardrun made them an excellent choice for Cliste and his family. If he can accomplish his goal to establish trade & commerce between the 3 people, some say he will become a new breed of Ulven Hero. Cliste’s position has also afforded his family many luxuries, despite their Pack-less state. It is why the family most-often dresses much more regally than the other Ulven.
Lucia has always had an innate, and quite potent, magical ability. But due to her lack of a stable Pack, she was never formally trained. As a child, Lucia regularly tested these natural abilities. However, her attempts most-often backfired, causing trouble and almost always incurring her parents’ wrath. Since joining the Watchwolves of Luna, she has finally begun to train as a true Daughter of Gaia. Many say her great power and strong connection to Luna make her the most likely Heiress to the Priestess mantle of the Silverhowl pack.
At first glance, Lucia appears to be a normal Ulven magic user; quiet, observant, intelligent and most importantly, controlled. However, her true Ulven nature sits just below this placid surface. She can become a most ferocious creature and her temper is almost famous. In the most common stories told about her, she’s unusually quick to anger and seldom forgets those who she feels have insulted her.

Relationships: –
Rumors: –

Played by: Jane Halpern

Name: Bite
Gender: Female
Age: 15 in LH, 28 outside.
Race: Ulven
Occupation: Scout in training for Crow’s Landing
Known Skills: Archery (developing).
Birthplace: A sacked Ulven village, pack unknown, outside Crows’ Landing.
Notable Traits: Short. Very, very, short. In fact, quite possibly the Littlest Ulven.

Bio: Bite was raised from infancy by humans who discovered her amongst the remains of her sacked village and took pity on her–her name derives from the first action she took when picked up. Although she is curious about other Ulven and her own racial heritage (she does not know which pack or even which clan her parents belonged to), Bite is culturally human. She does not know who was responsible for the slaughter of her birth family, but does not share other Ulven’s broad-spectrum distrust of humankind–she credits humans with having saved her from certain death and considers the members of Crow’s Landing her family.

“I’ve heard say that the Gods favor the children. Hmmph. If that’s true, that damned dog will outlast us all.”Urlijk

Played by: Jess
Character Website: Coming

Race: Ulven
Gender: Female
Age: Exact uncertain… Early 20’s.
Hair: Umber
Eyes: Brown
Birthplace: Rushthaw.

Class: Rogue
Occupation: Professional Irritant
Known Skills: Games. Namely “Lets disable the metal things.”
Appearance: Tall, tends to wear the leathers and weave cloth of humans.
Notable Traits: Claws, crooked filed teeth (fangs) and a predilection for stowing random items in her hair.
Hates ‘unnatural’ (overly bright) light enough to actually ‘yell’ at people for using it. Irrepressibly energetic & inquisitive.
Bio: Born in Rushthaw

Relationships:
Issandra (sp?) – Human Fortune Teller & Urlijk’s newest bestest friend.
Fennel – Human Thief & Urlijk’s ‘mentor’, her first bestest friend. Missing?

Rumors:
~ Name yourself friend and that slow pup will do anything you say.
~ If I’d born a child like that. I wouldn’t come looking for it either.

Played by: Diana Vertein
Name: Dria Northwind
Gender: Female
Race: Ulven
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Birthplace: Beothunk Clan
Relationships: Azra Steelfang – Traveling Companion

My name is Dria Northwind, I come from the far North and East, from the Beothunk Clan. My Clan was untouched from these new settlers from across the great sea. I may be the last from my Clan, so please, let me tell you the tale of my people as I have come to know it; we were a small group who only wished to preserve our heritage and honor The Great Wolf. And at first we did just that, originally from the south, farming on the plains. But long ago, in the time even before that of my grandfather, these beast came from the west; they had always been out there, bothering us in small bands, but never gathered together to attack like they had then. They were fierce warriors and chased us out of our land. In generations since, we have continuously migrated away from these aggressive and hostile people you call Mordok. Our history has always been one of movement, being displaced from time to time, pushed to the far corner of this land, by tribes of bloodthirsty Mordok.
For we, like all those in The Pack, only wished to live close to nature, hunting only for food and skins for clothing. We lived in harmony with the earth; we knew which plant to use for food and medicine. But the force of these Mordok made us take stand. Members of our clan rallied us to take action and fight not run. These were our lands, from Gaia and The Great Wolf, belonging not to these crazed savages. So rally we did; we trained, and became skillful warriors and then we to shared in this history of violent warfare.
The First of our stands was not to long ago when I was still saw as a child, yet being that young did not hinder me, I picked up my fathers hunting bow and a small hatchet and fought along side my fellow people. I remember the fear I felt when I first saw the Mordok up close; they are ugly things with flesh from their kills hanging on their bodies, their clothes muddy, bloody, and torn. They care only about blood and war, their leaders even wear the bones of their victims around their necks.
After the fight I was told that I was to young, that I must wait before I make my mark on our world. I argued back; I had fought and held my own, and I would fight again. And so I did just that, and I started proving myself to them; we held thanks to The Great Wolf for our victories.
We were beginning to reclaim our land, many of our warriors shot bows as tall as they, made of slender cane, or wield axes and hammers even more fierce then those of the Mordok. I soon showed promise and was given a battle axe to replace my father’s hatchet and bow. We learned to show up suddenly, seemingly out of no where, to attack. We would retreat or escape the same way. We were learning. I was learning. I made a name for myself, being so small yet fighting with such strength and vigor. And soon after we began our fight back to our homeland, I fell in love.
He was not a fighter; he understood our need to fight, my need to fight, but he wished there was no need. He was truly one with nature and His ears will ring with his name… I am sorry it pains me to think of him even now.

It seemed the harder we fought, the harder they fought; the more we killed, the more that came. And sadly after years of us holding our own, they came with to great of numbers and crushed us. I’m not sure how many, if any survived, but my lover did not; he gave his life, fighting off so many at once, so that I could escape into the night. I ran throughout the night and all the next day. I just kept running till I ran into more Clans and heard these rumors of new people and new hope.
So I head to these lands now for a new start, to meet with these new people, anyone who is against those damned beast I will gladly call friend. Maybe together we will finally be rid of these cursed creatures…

Played by: Dale Kraemer
Name: Moarte DarkSky
Gender: Male
Age: 19 years
Race: Ulven
Hair: brown
Eyes:: blue
Occupation: Hunter
Known Skills: archery, throwing
Birthplace: outskirts of Clan Grimward territory
Appearance: Tall, Skinny, brown hair, and blue eyes
Notable Traits: scar across one of my eyes

Bio: I was a part of a pack Graytide in Clan Grimward; they believed that all Humans and Syndar should leave Mardrun, whether it means killing them or just driving them back to the sea. I didn’t like the genocidal methods they were using so I spoke up and was banished. So, now I find myself on the side of the humans and syndar, but I still don’t like them.

The reason I chose speak up against the pack was because one day we went to look for supplies, found a caravan of humans and syndar. My pack slaughtered everyone, even non-combatants, and burned the wagons. I witnessed a pack member, Yeliw Graytide, take his sword and cut a human child’s head off. The child must have been only 10, and had already lost his parents. Even though this child picked up a sword, he didn’t look like a threat at all. After witnessing the child’s murder at the hands of a pack member I decided enough was enough.

That night around the pack’s campfire I stood up and spoke against the packs way of dealing with the outsider colonist. The others did not agree with my point of view they gave me my sword and the scar across my eye and told me to not return or they would take my life. I took my sword and, decided to make my way to the closest ulven colony I could find that wouldn’t use terrible methods to remove the Humans and Syndar. I decided that I would head northwest toward clan Ironmound who had not taken a side in the war in the hopes that they would welcome me into their clan.

Player: Mischelle Maas
Character: Fritha Stormjarl
Race: Ulven
Class: Cleric
Skills: Archery, Divine Magic, Witch Magic, Shield Proficiency
Notable Traits: Fritha has deep blue eyes and normally braids her hair. Having an affinity for water, she commonly wears light blue and sky blue colors.

Fritha’s childhood was that of many of the Ulven children in her village. She was born to two loving parents and grew up on a farm and when she was old enough to walk, her chores began. Anything from helping her mother with cooking and some of the house chores to helping her father move firewood or repair fences, Fritha grew up alongside her parents as a farmer. Fritha took a close fondness to some of the animals, including a favored goat and some chickens she named. She was always running out to feed them and make sure they were accounted for, sometimes numerous times a day.

As she grew older, Fritha’s mother began teaching her the ways of the Ulven and began her lessons in becoming a Daughter of Gaia. Her parents also blessed her with two younger brothers. The small village they lived in was near the coast on the western edge of Stormjarl territory. Coming from Pack Stormjarl, Fritha’s village was one of many villages that made up the enormous central pack of Clan Stormjarl. Each village reported to a representative to the Clanleader himself, and tradesmen and Daughters in training could travel to the massive settlement that was home to the Clanleader and his family. In exchange for an easier life and protection, Fritha’s immediate family would fulfill their duty by farming and teaching the local Ulven children about the ways of the Ulven and specifically would work with some of the young girls to begin them for their journey to become Daughters of Gaia. Fritha’s mother was very traditional in the scope of her duties to her family and her Pack and with her father coming from a line of wealthy landowners in Clan Stormjarl, she had a bit of a “proper” background if one could be expected from the Ulven. She firmly believed that the Daughters of Gaia held a revered post within Ulven society and were meant for better tasks than some of the day to day struggles and left most of the dirty work on the farm to her husband. It was no surprise then that she was a bit at odds with her mother when Fritha would roll up her sleeves, hike up her skirt, and jump in the muck and mud with her father to help with the farm and with the animals. She was not afraid of hard work or of getting dirty. Fritha’s mother was not either, but every attempt at persuading Fritha to return to more pressing duties such as the faith of the Daughters and of their sacred rituals was met with resistance. It also did not amuse her mother when Fritha would disappear for hours with her father and her brothers, going on mini adventures and learning how to fight with a sword. The family farm also had a lake nearby that fed into a river and Fritha would spend hours swimming and enjoying the cool and clear waters.

Fritha eventually learned to love gardening, tending to plants and herbs and trading the extra vegetables and crops to the other villagers. This is how she met Thrand, a local farm boy whose father was also a wealthy landowner. Thrand sometimes came to the village with his family to trade goods and visit the shops. Hungry, Thrand once picked a yellow flower and presented it to Fritha in exchange for a turnip and although the flower held little value, the amusement was enough to hand over the turnip to the hungry boy. They talked for a short and become friends and over time would play and visit each other periodically when Thrand made a visit to the village but they lived too far apart to become close friends. Fritha became a friend to a number of the other pups in the village, holding her own in scuffles between them and standing up for the younger ones. Several times some of the young Ulven would pick a fight with one of the smaller pups and Fritha would step in on their behalf. One time, a bully of an ulven child told Fritha he would knock her head so hard her fangs wouldn’t grow in if she got in his way. Fritha tried to ask the bully to stop and attempted to be diplomatic about it; quite a feat for someone that one but a byproduct of her initial training as a Daughter. The bully refused. When diplomacy failed, Fritha resorted to force. Instead of backing down, Fritha tackled him and beat him up and caused the bully to cry, ending his small reign of terror on the younger pups.

Fritha became well known throughout the village and continued her studies as a Daughter. Her progression would expand her powers of the divine and her affinity to tap into the other school of magic came to her quickly. Her mother was proud with her progress and continued to teach her. Even as she grew older, Fritha still kept rolling her sleeves up and helped her father on the farm and knew how to care for the animals. Fritha even became quite skilled with a sword when her father began to teach her in earnest how to fight, teaching her some of the basics of combat and how to hold and use one of the wooden shields he had made. They would spar and practice after their chores were finished and her father would call her his “little shield maiden” much to the dismay of her mother.

Then the messenger hawks came… strangers from a distant land had arrived on the coast in Clan Nightriver territory. The rumors said they looked like Ulven but they either had the eyes and fangs of Ulven pups but were full grown or pointed ears and colored skin. Fighting had broken out as these strangers, these outsiders, came into conflict with the Clan Nightriver Ulven in the area. They fought with skill in ranks of metal armor and used weapons never before seen by the Ulven. A call went out for help from the Clan; either to fight or to assist in the warriors who would repel these invaders. A number of people from the village volunteered and as part of her testing to become a Daughter, Fritha volunteered to go and use her magic to help. A handful of other helpers and her childhood friend Thrand all packed up their belongings and traveled east across the Yurnai River and into Nightriver territory. For months they helped gather supplies, heal the wounded, and assist where they could. The number of wounded and dead Ulven was staggering; the ability for these strangers to fight was unlike anything the Ulven had ever seen before. Fritha truly understood her role during this time as she was tending to the wounds of the fallen and to the spiritual needs of the Ulven around her. Several times Fritha would help a fallen warrior too mangled to save but not yet on his journey by sending him off to meet the Great Wolf with an honorable prayer and a merciful dagger between the ribs. In these gruesome days Fritha discovered two things. One, was that she now knew that her role as a Daughter may sometimes be unpleasant and that she was willing to do what was necessary for her people. And two, this is when she genuinely took an interest in Thrand. He had learned the healing arts and worked alongside her to help the wounded and they started to get to know one another.

After the truce was called and Clan Nightriver allowed the outsiders to stay, the volunteers returned home. Fritha returned to her duties and Thrand to his. They continued to meet and grow closer over the year, Thrand eventually asking if Fritha would someday become her mate. He would surprise her randomly with small yellow flowers, a thing that had become special between them. Thrand learned more about healing arts from her and Fritha expanded her skillset to that of archery and hunting under the guidance of Thrand.

One day, Fritha’s world was flipped upside down when Thrand came to see her. He had packed all his belongings into a pack and loaded some supplies onto a small hunter’s travois. Thrand was leaving; he had been selected as an honor pledge to serve Pack Longfang far to the Northeast and he had came to say goodbye. He was departing in the morning with a handful of other Clan Stormjarl honor pledges to serve, permanently, another pack. Fritha was heartbroken and tried to talk to her parents if there was anything she could do. Fritha had come of age and was becoming a strong young woman, her power growing as a Daughter of Gaia, and she had enjoyed the thought of becoming a mate to Thrand and then working on their own farm. Her mother and father both told her that her life was hers and her choices were hers and they would support her no matter what. Reassuring a decision she had technically already made, she hurriedly gathered her belongings. She spent the night talking to her parents, knowing that she would not see them for a long time. They were proud of their daughter; her mother gathered food and her father gave her a leather pack to help her along her journey. Her brothers also respected her decision, jealous that she was about to start a life of adventure and be with the legendary warriors of Pack Longfang. In the morning, Fritha embraced her parents one last time and then made one last stop at the animal barn. She said goodbye to the old goat she had befriended for years and some of the other animals and then ran into the village to find Thrand.

Although he meekly protested, Thrand was happy to see her and glad she was coming with. Fritha had told him that she had chosen to go with to study under the Witches at the Onsallas Village, but he knew that was only part of the reason. They traveled the long journey to Pack Longfang’s outpost across all of Mardrun. It was lonely and foreboding but the two of them did it together and solidified their bond and became mates.

Upon arriving to the village, Fritha immediately began working under the tutelage of Rill of the Water Eyes. She too had an affinity to water and used it in her rituals and meditation. The harsh change from a simple farming village to that of a warrior outpost on the fringe of known territory was quite a shock to Fritha, but she quickly learned the ways of the Pack and knew how to support the warriors. The looming threat of not earning her place amongst the Pack and being sent home or traded off kept her skills sharp and her mind at the tasks at hand. She developed her fighting skills over the years and solidified her grasp on both forms of magic. Maturing quickly in this rough environment, Fritha has worked closely with Thrand to make sure that the Outpost is well supplied and that the Warriors have what they need and her role keeps her very busy. Pack Longfang warriors can eat a lot of food and making sure they are fed hearty meals to stay strong is quite the task. Many of the warriors respect her as both a Daughter of Gaia and as the matriarch of the outpost, differing to her judgment and making she that she has what she needs to assist Thrand in his duties.

Although she is proud to wear her fanged flag and called herself a member of Pack Longfang, Fritha often finds herself missing her previous home and her blood family. Life is difficult in the swamp and Fritha can often be found just outside the outer fence of the outpost, tending to a garden… a glimmer of life and hope in the blackness of the swamp.

Player: Ryan Jopp
Character: Thrand Stormjarl
Race: Ulven
Class: Rogue
Skills: Archery, Healing, Two Handed Weapons. Former quartermaster of Pack Longfang.
Notable Traits: Thrand is fairly superstitious and studies the Runes. He often marks himself with blue face paint after praying to Gaia and paying respect to the Great Wolf before going out on a hunt or scouting.

Background: Thrand grew up on the western fringe of Clan Stormjarl in a small hamlet near the ocean. His father, a veteran warrior loyal to the local Chieftan, received a reward of land for many years of service. Thrand’s father, Borkgren Stormjarl, traded in his weapons and armor for farming implements and settled down. Life was good as Borkgren and his mate, Gunnhilder, managed their farm and raised a family. Although Borkgren lived simply, he had amassed a small wealth over his years and invested it in the farm. As the years passed, his farm flourished, expanded, and more and more farmhands were brought in to assist with the hunting and farming.

Thrand was born into a family of 4 other siblings and had a rather normal Ulven child life. He helped with the farm, learned all of the farmhands names and assisted his father. Wise in his years, he respected and looked up to his father even if he was a man of few words. Thrand’s mother watched him grow much as a bear does her cubs, quietly and nearby, but ferociously aggressive if anything threatened her children. On the western fringe of Mardrun, the farmlands were less likely to be struck by Mordok raids, so most time and energy was spent maintaining the farm. Borkgren had a good reputation and traded with a number of nearby farms, which allowed Thrand to see a lot of trade goods and get an early grip on the practice of commerce and trade.

Because of their proximity to the coast, Thrand often ventured to a nearby fishing village. He had a fascination with the beautifully created boats and how they worked. His frequent visits made him noticeable by a ship’s captain and some of his crew. Gifts of bread and cheeses would be brought by Thrand and exchanged for tours on the ship and lessons in fishing.

Two venerable Ulven took a keen interest in Thrand. The first being the Captain, Halldor Stormjarl and his brother Raynar Stormjarl. Halldor served as the captain of a Chieftan’s longship and knew the call of the ocean and the winds that would carry the sails of their ship like a second language. Ranar Stormjarl was a veteran fighter and fought alongside Thrand’s father in numerous expeditions.

Halldor was a mysterious and superstitious man, learning long ago to trust the runes and the portents on the wind. His faith in the runes proved useful over the years, successfully sailing his ship and surviving some terrible storms along the way. Thrand eagerly learned to open his eyes to these portents and try to learn from them. Halldor used to tell Thrand that our life is one part destiny and one part free will. Halldor would explain that it is like hunting. A hunter may flush a bird from a thicket and know that it is about to fly. The precise moment is not known, but that it will happen is assured. When the bird flushes and soars into the sky, the hunter must anticipate the direction, speed, and distance of the bird in order to strike it with an arrow. The portents, if read correctly, may tell us of the hidden bird and the flush, perhaps even the direction of the bird in flight, but it is the hunter’s choice to act on it or not. Thrand, in his early years, would be confused by statements like this and it just added to the ominous presence of the Longship’s captain. Halldor also had extensive knowledge on the healing arts, using supplies to stave off sickness of his crew and in helping injured warriors rescued from battle and mordok raids.

Raynar was the more grounded of the two brothers. He was the leader of the elite warriors that would be assigned to Chieftan’s longship. Raynar trusted his brother Halldor and his men always landed safely and respected the portents even if he did not practice them. Thrand was a farmer and a hunter, but all Ulven learn how to fight. Thrand was able to learn from a veteran like Raynar in the basics of handling a sword, axe, and sax daggers. Being a quick learner, Thrand took his teaching seriously and as he grew older, he wondered why his father never taught him how to fight, especially since Borkgren was just as skilled and veteran as Raynar.

The village was home to numerous families and with Borkgren’s farm settlement getting larger, Thrand came into contact with a number of people and friends. A young Ulven girl, Fritha, lived in the village and Thrand knew of her. They talked and had several friends, but they didn’t know each other very well.

Twelve years ago, everything changed when the colonists arrived. War broke out between Ulven and outsider and a call was raised to assist in the fight. Clan Stormjarl sent healers and Daughters to help, not entirely wanting to commit to the fight. Thrand and a number of his fellow villagers, including Fritha, volunteered to help and moved east to the front lines of the fighting. They worked alongside one another patching up wounded, gathering supplies, and scouting out the woodlands. It was at this time that Thrand began to take a genuine interest in Fritha, and he made his intent known. They acknowledged one another but were too busy helping with the wounded and supplies of the war.

The truce was finally written and the fighting stopped. Thrand and Fritha returned to their village and continued their lives. They became close over the year as friends and then eventually as mates, but Thrand’s duty to the farm and Fritha’s duty to the Daughters of Gaia in the area kept them very busy. Fritha taught Thrand more about the healing arts and Thrand in return taught Fritha how to hunt, shoot bow, and how to navigate the woods. They made it a bit of a game, learning from each other.

Thrand received a summons to his father’s longhouse at the farm. His father coldly and calmly told him that Thrand had been selected as part of Clan Stormjarl’s honor-bound pledge to send warriors to Pack Longfang near the Dirge Swamp. He was to leave immediately the next morning with a caravan of supplies that would be traveling northeast. Thrand’s current life was over and he hated the pledge and he argued with his father that he would stand idly by and watch his son be sent off. His father respected the honor of Pack Longfang and told Thrand to do the same. Furious, Thrand packed his belongings and went to say goodbye to Halldor, Raynar, and Fritha.

Halldor presented Thrand with a gift of rune dice, so that he may continue to read the portents. He also reminded Thrand that he was now leaving to serve a pack whose sole leader is the most powerful Runeseer on Mardrun. He would be able to study runes closer than any Ulven before. Raynar sent Thrand off with a final sparring lesson and then gifted him with a pineed wood axe, one that had been used by Raynar over the years in his expeditions. It was a fine weapon and Thrand had trained with it many times over the years. Both of the brothers bid Thrand farewell and promised that they would meet again someday.

Fritha, on the other hand, had a different reaction… instead of being sad with Thrand’s departure, she packed up her belongings and met Thrand the next morning, refusing to let him leave without her. She said that she had chosen to leave with him to study under the Witches of the Onsallas Village, but Thrand knew that she left mainly because of him. They would venture out into this new part of their lives together as friends and as mates.

Thrand arrived at the outpost and immediately took to being a Longfang Hunter. Skilled at archery and navigating the woods, Thrand’s place among them was assured quickly. After several years of hunting Mordok in the swamp and of sending messages and gathering supplies, Thrand was promoted to Quartermaster of the Outpost. He is now in charge of some of the training, resource management, and maintenance of the outpost. He and Fritha are still mates and they regularly will gather their hunting supplies and bows and go off into the swamp to hunt and track mordok. This role is well suited to him and he has done well as the Outpost’s Quartermaster, but he dearly misses his home in Stormjarl territory. He knows that his father will be very old by now and he has not heard anything from Halldor or Raynar. He misses that simple life in the farms, woods, and coastline of Clan Stormjarl.

Many times Thrand will sit and watch the horizon, lost in his thoughts and casting his rune dice, reading the portents that are revealed to him.