Magnus's page

About Magnus

History:

My life began with death. The mother I never knew failed to survive my birth. Perhaps it was a blessing for her because no life is worth living as a thrall. I was born to a small clan deep in the Grungir Forest. Ours is an ancient one only spoken in tales...An accursed one that survived since the Age of Destiny only to serve our powerful patron – The Father of All Linnorms. Like demons, we raided for him, we brought him treasure, we brought him food in the form of men and beasts. And we do so out of fear and hid under his shadow. Although only few have laid eyes on him and lived, only our people knew the truth of the Father of All Linnorms known as Fafnheir .

Fafnheir was once a dwarven warrior with an arm so powerful he can fell beasts and dragons. He slew the elder Linnorm said to be from the First World to fulfill an ancient prophecy that he would be King of our lands. But it came at a price – to take the place of the elder Linnorm in spirit and flesh. It is said the blood of Fafnheir’s progeny flow through our veins. We all share the same red-hair, and with the strength in our arms, we were the creators of Glima – the folk wrestling of the Northmen.

At fourteen winters, I went on my first raid. During battle, a blow to my head placed me between the living and the dead. My blood father and clan retreated and abandoned me to fate, but I somehow survived. I was nursed back to life as a prisoner. However, fortune favored me when the Jarl Thorin took me in and raised me as his own. In the years to come, I grew to manhood and became one with my newfound clan. This clan of intelligent men saw the sun and no longer did I fear. No longer was I a thrall to darkness.

It wasn’t until the Linnorm Clan returned to destroy what I’ve grown to love...This time, in greater strength and ferocity. Battle was fierce that day. And when the crimson mist cleared from my eyes, little was left in the wake of destruction. My adopted father was among the dead and my blood father was slain by my own hands in a Glima duel. Now patricide runs in my blood. At that moment, I was only Magni, son of no man.

Bereft of kin, I trudged west to Trollheim. There, word reached my ear that the Prince of a powerful and wealthy land of the south was recruiting Northmen at Karlsgard to serve as his elite guards. We were promised riches beyond our dreams and no longer our people need to raid to survive.

So I traveled west on the river to Karlsgard only to learn that they took our finest warriors, and I was unproven. But Hope shone my way once more when I caught wind of the Pathfinder's Society. So I was told to prove my worth to the Ten and the Society with all its influence will put word in my favor. I signed myself as a deckhand aboard a merchant ship in exchange for passage south.

Absalom, City at the Center of the World, and my first taste of civilization. I was like a beast sniffing new grounds, new sights, new scents, but like a leopard, I adapted. I stood at the gates of the Grand Lodge among other would-be Pathfinders. My strength and skills were noted to be of value, and after many trials, I ended up on the good side of the axe in the Grand Lodge. - Chronicles of Magnus "Fist of the Linnorm" (translated in Taldane)

Appearance:

Magnus, whom men called The Linnorm, is a typical Ulfen warrior in stature, larger-than-life, massively built with fists like sledgehammers, but handsome in a cold nordic way. His mane of red hair is bound in a single braid, the hardness of his thin lips not soften by his moustache and beard. His steel-grey eyes are penetrating and keen, reflecting an intelligence that betrays the brutish demeanor of his kind.

His prized physical assets are his weapons - powerful arms, thick wrists, and hands with an iron vise-like grip. His arms are strewn with runic tattoos; most prominent is a serpentine linnorm encircling his right bicep.

Young Magnus @ 16 years old

Personality:

With the exuberance of Hulk Hogan and the coldness of Steve Austin, Magnus is a man of great melancholies and great mirth. He lives for the thrill of the fight, constantly challenging himself by seeking opponents (humanoids and non-humanoids) stronger than himself, which he finds ample opportunity as a Pathfinder. Men are not enough. He takes pride in defeating creatures such as frost giants, linnorms, and white dragons with his bare hands.

Pathfinders who traveled with him tend to remember a big-hearted, likeable lug with a crushing handshake; someone quick to anger, but quick to forgive.

Ever-working to improve on his fighting style, Magnus is a bit more disciplined than his raucous brethren, but still knows how to have a good time. "Train hard and play hard" is his creed. His clan was the ancient progenitors of Glima, now interpreted as a form of folk wrestling. Its true combative form is only known by him and his clan. While his clansmen fade and exist in tales, Magnus is the only known member to ever leave. Thus, as a blooded of the mythical Linnorm Clan, he has high expectations of himself to be the best Glimukongur among the Northmen. His life goal is to win the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.

In between Society missions and serving as a Longaxe to Taldan nobility, Magnus spends his time brawling at the Crimson Coins in Absalom, training and conditioning in the mountains of his homeland, and enlisting the maritime services of his longship, the Nephalannia.

Presently, as a semi-retired Seeker and Ruby Phoenix Champion, Magnus resides in Tymon where he revels in the glory of the arena and the company of Varisian women.

Although Magnus has no desire to rule as a Linnorm King, the feat of slaying an Ice Linnorm is on his bucket list, as well as marrying a valkyrie shieldmaiden.

Update: On a mission to Irrisen, Magnus's managed to accomplish the near impossible feat of defeating an Ice Linnorm in single combat with his bare hands as his three companion bore witness to the event: Viscount, Hellknight Signifier Antonius (Andrew Watson), Torgar the Dwarven Cleric of Erastil (Phil McElf) and Rothgar the Dragon Disciple (Jacob Savage).

Upon encountering the linnorm at the precipice of a frozen waterfall, Magnus's companions honored his wish to face the creature alone by teleporting away, but not before getting struck by its breath weapon. Antonius created an "arena" out of a wall of force to prevent any interference and escape by the two combatants. With only a heroism and air walk spell to aid him in the battle of his life, Magnus rushed the creature on foot, evaded its reach and delivered a single linnorm uppercut. The creature responded in kind as it tore into him with fang and claws. Shaking off the venom that coursed through his veins, Magnus summoned his deepest reserve of rage and unleashed a barrage of strikes that fell the creature. Resisting the death curse, Magnus severed the head of the linnorm and took it for a trophy wall mount.

Combat:

Magnus excels as a stand-up striker and a grappler who employs a simple overpower “ground and pound” methodology that resembles an unorthodox variant of MMA. There is very little grace to his Linnorm style (a variant of Dragon style); only predatory instincts, strength harnessed through primal fury, and unpredictable storm-like ferocity. In his clan, training involves “no-holds barred” sparring against Ice trolls, wrestling polar bears, and conditioning one’s hands by digging through freezing packed ice.

With the might of Fafnheir and the ferocity of the Linnorm, Magnus’s single unarmed strike can rival the power of any two-handed weapon. Magnus is chronicled as among the top hardest hitters in the Society. His fellow Pathfinders assigned with him on missions have all bear witness to his one-shot and one round knockouts. Magnus's renown feats include single-handedly slaying an advanced Glabrezu demon during the seige of the Diamond City, a Shemhazian demon on the moon, and an Ice Linnorm in Irrisen.

Magnus’s trademark move is a clawhold he calls “The Linnorm Claw.” He has been known to apply it to his opponent’s face, throat, crotch or floating rib to incapacitate them with bone-crushing agony.