 About Hrothgar IsfiskerMale Human Cleric 2 of Fharlanghn
XP: 1000 Init: +1
AC 17, touch 11, flat-footed 16; (+1 Dex, +4 armor, +2 shield); Armour Check Penalty -2
Speed: 30' (6 squares)
Spells prepared (CL 2; DC 12 + spell level): 1st - Bless, Command, Endure elements, Longstrider (D)
Turn undead 5/day - turning check 1d20+4, damage 2d6+4
Abilities: Str 14, Dex 13, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 15, Cha 14
Clothing: explorer's outfit (8 lbs.); Weapons: mwk morningstar (6 lbs.), dagger (1 lbs), sling w/10 bullets (5 lbs); Armour: chain shirt (25 lbs.), heavy darkwood shield (5 lbs)
Background: The Isfisker clan lives in some of the most inhospitable lands of all of Thirgard, as their ancestral lands lie in the trackless borderlands between Fjaldak and Wytelund. Here they eke out a meager existence growing beets, turnips and onions in the thin soil, fishing for cod and pollock in the freezing ocean and hunting elusive seals and reindeer. Occasionally, the Isfisker lands would be visited by the men who serve as intermediaries between the nearby Wytelund frost giants and the realms of men - hard-faced rangers seeking volunteer help at some task, usually in finding an item or tracking down someone who had offended the giant leaders. Most Isfiskers, being poor, desperate and of a violent disposition, would clamor to be part of such a posse, and, in return for their services, the giants and their agents would reward their servants with food, gear and an occasional magical trinket. Young Hrothgar initially idolised the Wytelund rangers, but never got picked to accompany them on their quests. Already raised on fanciful stories told by the clan elders, this enforced passivity fanned his burning desire to escape the impoverished hovels and bleak prospects of his clan and experience the wonders of the outside world, one way or another. His chance to leave came with the ascendancy of the draconic Ice Queen and the downfall of the Wytelund frost giant overlords. The giant leaders are dead or in exile, taking their most loyal human minions with them, and the income the Isfisker clan derived from them has dried up, leaving them poorer than ever. Thus, many Isfiskers, uncertain of the intentions of of the glacier's new masters, are leaving their tribal lands in search of a better life. Hrothgar, finally able to travel, has made the most of his opportunity; he has walked all the way to the great city of Northwind, and, as he has come to see his travels and adventures as homages to Fharlanghn in themselves, has no intention of slowing down. Family: Hrothgar's mother Magda is a small, lithe woman in her late 50ies that some suspect has more than a little elven blood in her veins - not a compliment in this insular, isolated region. She never discusses this, and if anyone is tactless enough to bring it up, they get savagely beaten by her husband Halvard. A huge, slow-moving man whose gentle nature belies a sudden, violent temper, he rarely speaks and never raises his voice. Halvard lost his father and all his brothers at sea and swore that none of his children would have to ply the waves for a living, turning his back on the sea that provides so many other Fjaldaksmen with their living. Instead opting to grow beets and raise sheep, he is providing Magda with the wool she needs to weave clothes and bedding. Hrothgar is the runt of the litter; he has three older brothers and an older sister. His two oldest brothers, Sten and Little Halvard, both in their mid-thirties, have their father's flaws, but none of his virtues. Massive, sullen men with evil tempers and a strong craving for Ak-brewed spirits, they lack the patience to be good farmers or the keenness of capable hunters. Instead, they perform odd tasks that require little more than raw physical strength or toughness. The third brother, the pudgy and gregarious Ulf, walks with a limp after being trampled by a ram as a small child. Recently, he met a woman from Areviek at a trade fair and promptly moved to her ancestral lands. He then scandalised his familiy by becoming a bondsman for a local noble - no self-respecting Fjaldaksman willingly serves such a soft people, and his name is no longer mentioned at the family table. Always an able animal trainer, he currently breeds and raises fine horses for his lord and is perfectly content with being far, far away from his homelands. Hrothgar's youngest sibling, his freckle-faced, redheaded sister Vigdis, is an active and resourceful young woman. A tomboy throughout her youth, she was, to everybody's astonishment, recruited to travel with the Wytelund rangers, and met with such success there that she has become one of them, reportedly even meeting with the legendary giant overlord Trond Örnskugge. However, her adventures have changed her; though she still smiles easily and retains her infectious laugh, her pranks have evolved from amusing annoyances to becoming potentially lethal, and she has a cold glint in her eye that was not there some years ago. Her comings and goings have become erratic - she is often gone for months at a time, and refuses to discuss what she's been up to while gone. Hrothgar misses his sister and youngest brother, but is quite happy to be away from his older siblings' booze-fuelled rages. He would like to send his parents some money to alleviate their poverty, but is uncertain about how to keep it from getting intercepted and stolen by his brothers. In time, he might think of a way - until then, he keeps saving his funds. Quirks: Giants played an important, if often indirect and distant, part in the Isfisker society, where they are seen as powerful creatures worthy of respect and emulation. As a result, Hrothgar, as well as many of his clansmen, often use terms culled from the Giant language when using superlatives or when using terms denoting deference or high regard. Though he worships Fharlanghn, Hrothgar also engages in a limited form of ancestor worship - essentially, he implores the shades of his ancestors to argue on his behalf to the Perpetual Traveller while saying his morning prayers. Hrothgar likes to take trophies off especially memorable foes. His morningstar is an orc-forged weapon that originally belonged to a goblin leader; in addition, he carries some bear teeth, an ogre's huge spoon and a worn necklace taken off a zombie in a memento pouch. |
