Varn grew up in the village of Stjanfjord; his mother died when he was young, so his father was left to bring up the young Varn while trying to manage his few cattle and scrape a living on their farm on the outskirts of the village.
Unfortunately for his father, Varn had neither aptitude nor interest for farming, preferring to spend his time exploring. It was while doing this that he came to the attention of the wyrd woman Vorla; she began to teach him a little of the healing power of the land.
When Varn's father died of the Weeping Sickness, he was still only 15. The village elders offered to help him run the farm, but the young man instead gifted the lands and cattle to his neighbour, packed his few possessions, and headed out into the world.
While travelling, he unwittingly trespassed on the lands of a neighbouring Saxa warlord. Varn as captured, accused of being a spy and a cattle thief, and tortured by the warlord's cruel son Thorbjun. He cut off Varn's right hand, and was to execute him at first light the following day as an 'example'. At that time, the warlord had been approached by a reliquary who sought the man's permission to investigate an old barrow on his lands. When he learned of Varn's fate, he offered the chieftain any spoils he found in the barrow in exchange for the young man's life. Against the wishes of his bloodthirsty son, for whom a burning hatred of Varn remains even after all these years, the warlord agreed, and Varn was released into the old man's care. The man took him to friends, who nursed him back to health over the course of some months.
Bitter at his treatment, Varn vowed revenge, but the man who had rescued him counselled against it, at least until Varn had learned a little more of fighting so he might have a chance. And so, he began training, until, after several years, he had mastered the use of the blade with his left hand. By now, his lust for vengeance had cooled, and he pledged to repay both his saviour and the order for their kindness. He became a Guardian of the Arcane.
And he has remained as one for over 20 years. His skills in woodcraft have proved invaluable as many sites which the reliquary wish to visit are remote and inaccessible to all but the most determined. He acts as guide, advisor, teacher, confidant and bodyguard to whoever the order choose.
