The circumstance which led up to this moment were unsatisfactory. The young Berhednar lay beside his fire. He had been hunting the woodlands of Drixagh when Helerians from Anglia had come from a neighboring town. The local baron had converted to Unionism and thus a reverend had been summoned to assist the spread over the lieges. Now back to the Berhednar. He was not voluntarily laying beside his fire mind you, the Helerians, three to be precise, had him pinned down. Two at each side, with a third holding a horse shoe against the burning embers. They spat at him, insulted him for his heritage, for what he was, a Northerner. The Helerian at the fire rises and steps over the young man, only in his twenties. A sinister grin on his face as he begins to speak.
"By the Will of the Imperial Spirit, I have been tasked to free you of your heretical ways and show you the path to Unionism. May this be a reminder for you, savage, that your Old Gods are a false idol and that the Imperial Spirit is the one true protector."
The Berhednar, a man by the name of Baldur, squirmed as the red hot shoe was brought close to his face. Baldur had always been a large man. Standing at an impressive six foot six, and layered with muscles he was a sight to see. That mattered not to the Helerians when they ambushed him as he cooked his hunt, two rabbits, one fox, and one squirrel. The food had been thrown off the fire, wolves stood waiting for the group to leave to advance upon an easy hunt. There Baldur lay, tears forming as the heat burned at his eyes.
The Helerian pressed the hot steel against the forehead of the Berhednar. Baldur let out an outcry, screaming and writhing in the snow as the two other Helerians ridiculed him, pushing his body into the cold earth. The one with the shoe was not fast. This was not an easy process. He carved the burning steel into Baldur's temple. In a matter of moment he was finished. The Helerians laughed and laughed, holding down Baldur as he was subject to immense pain. The smell of burning flesh mixed with birch wood scent of the fire.
The Helerian cast the shoe aside, turning away from his peers. A large blade cut through the scene into the shoulder of the Helerian as he fell into the snow, red staining the near perfect white of the snow. The other two release their hold on Baldur, who is shouting out incoherent jabber, steam rising from his forehead. The first is cut in the mid section, his internals spilling into the snow. The second attempts to punch the new figure, only to be met with a shoulder check and the blade drawing up, cutting at his chest. The Helerian falls to the ground as the Zweihander is brought down into his back.
At the same moment, Baldur throws himself into the snow, pressing his face into it as he screams out in agony. The figure kneels beside the man, placing a hand on Baldur's shoulder. Quivering, he pulls his face from the snow, looking at his savior with tears in his eyes. The Eye of Unionism branded on his forehead.
The savior is found out by Baldur to be an aspiring graduate of the School of Feer-Drakken, having recently returned from Magnaar. A barely into his twenties Einarr Norrvakt. Einarr brings Baldur with him to see an Old God's priestess, one capable in magic to heal Baldur's wound. While the process was able to fade the scarring, the Eye of Unionism continued to remain prominent on his head. Einarr sees potential in the Skagger, both being similar in build and stature, with Baldur being slightly bulkier. He offers him a place as a keeper over the Ashen Hills, lands which were once forested, now burned to fertile farmland within the Norrvakt Duchy. So begins the longtime service of Baldur Fenross to Einarr and the House Norrvakt.
"By the Will of the Imperial Spirit, I have been tasked to free you of your heretical ways and show you the path to Unionism. May this be a reminder for you, savage, that your Old Gods are a false idol and that the Imperial Spirit is the one true protector."
The Berhednar, a man by the name of Baldur, squirmed as the red hot shoe was brought close to his face. Baldur had always been a large man. Standing at an impressive six foot six, and layered with muscles he was a sight to see. That mattered not to the Helerians when they ambushed him as he cooked his hunt, two rabbits, one fox, and one squirrel. The food had been thrown off the fire, wolves stood waiting for the group to leave to advance upon an easy hunt. There Baldur lay, tears forming as the heat burned at his eyes.
The Helerian pressed the hot steel against the forehead of the Berhednar. Baldur let out an outcry, screaming and writhing in the snow as the two other Helerians ridiculed him, pushing his body into the cold earth. The one with the shoe was not fast. This was not an easy process. He carved the burning steel into Baldur's temple. In a matter of moment he was finished. The Helerians laughed and laughed, holding down Baldur as he was subject to immense pain. The smell of burning flesh mixed with birch wood scent of the fire.
The Helerian cast the shoe aside, turning away from his peers. A large blade cut through the scene into the shoulder of the Helerian as he fell into the snow, red staining the near perfect white of the snow. The other two release their hold on Baldur, who is shouting out incoherent jabber, steam rising from his forehead. The first is cut in the mid section, his internals spilling into the snow. The second attempts to punch the new figure, only to be met with a shoulder check and the blade drawing up, cutting at his chest. The Helerian falls to the ground as the Zweihander is brought down into his back.
At the same moment, Baldur throws himself into the snow, pressing his face into it as he screams out in agony. The figure kneels beside the man, placing a hand on Baldur's shoulder. Quivering, he pulls his face from the snow, looking at his savior with tears in his eyes. The Eye of Unionism branded on his forehead.
The savior is found out by Baldur to be an aspiring graduate of the School of Feer-Drakken, having recently returned from Magnaar. A barely into his twenties Einarr Norrvakt. Einarr brings Baldur with him to see an Old God's priestess, one capable in magic to heal Baldur's wound. While the process was able to fade the scarring, the Eye of Unionism continued to remain prominent on his head. Einarr sees potential in the Skagger, both being similar in build and stature, with Baldur being slightly bulkier. He offers him a place as a keeper over the Ashen Hills, lands which were once forested, now burned to fertile farmland within the Norrvakt Duchy. So begins the longtime service of Baldur Fenross to Einarr and the House Norrvakt.
