Halvar Gunnarson's page

“Come, sit, and listen. I will tell you of the humble beginnings of the great Halvar Gunnarson. Now you all know of Halvar and that he has been prophesized to unite the land. You may also have heard of his noble friend and ally, Tyr Olafson. Well, that’s me.” He smiles. “Let me tell you of Halvar’s past. To know Halvar, you have to understand and know his family. His bloodline is full of great warriors, shaman, and healers. You see, Halvar is truly blessed by the gods. Not only does he have celestial blood in his veins, he is bound to a celestial spirit that protects and strengthens him. This is his family’s secret magic and the source of his power.”

“The binding ritual is done within the first few years of life. Sometimes it takes; sometimes it does not. It was Gunnar that decided that the ritual be done on Halvar on the day of his birth. This had not been done before, but Gunnar had a powerful vision from his dreams: his son would become a Linorm King and unite the lands. Gunnar knew their family magic would be needed for Halvar to fulfill the legacy foretold in the vision. This would also protect Halvar from any who would seek to harm the boy, should his destiny be discovered. The ritual took, as Gunnar knew it would. Gunnarthen presented Halvar to Sveinn Blood Eagle. Sveinn saw the boy and listened to Gunnar talk of his vision. Sveinn believed there would be one to rise and unite the lands one day. Many came before him with this claim, but all had failed. But something happened when the great king looked into the baby’s eyes. He saw hope in Halvar. Sveinn gave his blessing this day and looked forward to the days ahead, and what would become of Halvar.

Even as a boy Halvar possessed great power. I became friends with him then, and have been by his side for all his trials and tribulations since. Now his first was not unlike what many of you may go through in a few years. Halvar proved to be of warrior spirit and as is tradition with our tribe, he was sent on a hunt. Many beasts dwell in the Stormspear Mountains, so young warriors were not sent deeper than the foothills on their first hunt. But Halvar was special and was tasked with a special hunt. The Stormspear Mountains are known to be home to the much feared Yeti. Some call them Abominable Snowmen, because they prey on those that explore the highest mountains. Halvar’s first hunt was for yeti. He accepted his task and journeyed into the mountain pass.

Gunnar was proud and gave the boy his sword. Though the blade had no magical properties it was a reprsentation of Halvars family line. He took the blade and told his father he would do him proud. Halvar spent days camping, hunting and living off the land in solitude. The mountains themselves, though full of terrifying creatures, were not abundant of food. Because of this Halvar would have to venture back down to the hills to hunt day to day. On the fourth day, Halvar killed a young boar, which would provide enough food for the next few days if he still had not succeeded in his ultimate task. As he hiked back up the mountain with his kill, he noticed he was being stalked. He kept an eye out but carried on with the cleaning and preparation of his meal as normal. As the smell of charred meat perfumed the mountainside, his stalker attacked. Halvar was prepared. He stood and drew his spear readying for the creature. He had trained and now would be the test not only for him, but also for the spirit empowering him. The Ogre charged in and impaled itself on Halvar's spear and swung wildly over his head. Halvar took advantage drawing his sword and cutting a deep gash into the muscular chest of the ogre. The beast roared out in pain and slumped to the ground calling out for mercy. Halvar knew he had bested the creature and learned that it was only attacking because it was hungry.

Halvar understood this. He treated the wounds of the beast and asked it to join him in his meal. Halvar was curious about this beast. The two rested and feasted together, learning of one another. Halvar, always looking to the future, asked the beast to take him to meet its tribe. After resting a day, the two unlikely companions set out to venture deeper into the mountains. A few hours later, they arrived at a cave. The ogre had Halvar wait outside as he went in to gather his tribe. All together their tribe numbered ten. There were only two other males; the rest were females and young. It seemed the males did the hunting. The ogre introduced Halvar around and told his people of the mercy and hospitality he was given. The tribe, though joyed to have one of their hunters return, were worried of their home now being known to man. Halvar, thinking as a leader at even such a young age, seized the situation and forged an alliance with the ogres.

Many days had passed now, and Gunnar started to fear the worst for his son. The morning of the sixth day had come. Gunnar determined to set out and find his son, dead or alive. Just as he was packing, he heard a commotion from outside. It started with screams. Gunnar took up his arms and ran out to see the cause of all this. He came upon Halvar, standing with the still wounded ogre, in the middle of the village. Halvar embraced his father and told him to lower his sword. He went on to explain that not only did he best the beast in battle but he also forged a relationship between their tribes. The ogres would act as watchers of the mountains and pass and provide protection to the north. They could also be called on for aid if needed. In return, the village needed only to safeguard the location of the cave and provide the ogres protection form would-be hunters if needed. Gunnar could not believe this, but he respected his son’s compact with the ogres. He spent the next few years training in the mountains with the dwarves. He learned to combat their ancient foes. He knew slaying the Linorm would not be enough. There would be resistance from many barbaric tribes of giants and orc so this training too would aid him. It was this day that Halvar’s legend began."