Young, Human, Male

In the northern reaches of Valendrel roam tribes of nomads. Their realm is one of tundra and reindeer, of ice and wolf. Technically, their lands may be claimed by this kingdom or that. A few tribal leaders may even give lip service of fealty to some distant king. But the reality is that the men of the North hold no loyalty save to clan and tribe. It is a reckless and foolish leader indeed who seeks to impose his will upon these northern men. And the effort is always futile. For, though the fueds that exist between tribes and clan are fierce and bloody, and encompasses many generations, no man of the North will tolerate an outsider to intrude on these sacred wars. As the saying goes, "My brother and me against my cousin, but all three of us against the outsider."

  You are the son of a minor chieftan of the Clan Krordor, one of the more influential Clans of the North. Theoretically, your Clan leader holds the title of Duke, and owes fealty to the King of Worlekin. In reality, the only duty your Clan leader fulfills is to protect traders from the Kingdom who trade steel for fur and ice jewels, and takes a cut of the profit for the protection he gives. On occasion, the King calls upon the 'Duke' to send troops for battle. Your Clan leader allows any young warrior who wishes, to answer these calls to arms. Quite a few young men choose to go for treasure and glory, and the tales that they bring from the south are repeated for years around tribal and clan fires.

   And so the call has come today. A messenger of the King of Worlekin stood by the side of your clan leader, as the clan leader held up his hand for silence. "The King of Worlekin has sent his man to us, seeking aid in arms. The King's man comes because he knows that there are no men who are as strong as we, as bold as we, as fearless as we. Any man who wishes to follow the king's man here---" your clan leader points at the king's messenger"---will be given steel armor and the promise of glory and treasure. Who wishes to go with this man, to show the King of Worlekin the measure of the men of the North?"

   This is your moment. You are now counted as a man among your people, a bold hunter and a fearless warrior. You lift your own sword above your head, bought by the hide of the fierce Ice Traken you had slain.

"I am John, of the tribe of Doe, and I seek to prove the honor of both my tribe and clan."

Others joined you, and soon a band of some twenty young warriors were ready to follow the king's messenger back to the lands of the south.

Preparations were made, provisions were gathered, and each of you were given a coat of mail as promised. It would take some getting used to, but the Men of the North were strong, and the burden of the coat's weight was very light, at least to the men of the North. (You stand six foot five, with ice blue eyes, pale skin and long blonde hair that you wove into two strands, as befitted a warrior of the North. Among your tribe and clan, you were considered slightly above average in your stature. You were, however, considered a master tracker and hunter among both your clan and tribe, and the men of the North have always been held in high regard to these talents).

Once you were equipped, the King's messenger (he called himself Garin) told you of your destination. You were bound for the village of Tarintha, far, far to the south. The village of Tarintha was besieged by...