The Winter Lords (Barbarian)

Hafgrimr

The Velaug dwell far to the north, in the Holmgrad Mountains, and count the fierce frost giants as their ancestors. They live in stone houses upon the wind swept heights, or build villages in valleys or dales, and the great build castles of stone upon the high mountain ridges. The Velaug farm little, but hunt for the wild grains that grow in those cold bergs to make thick, dark bread. They herd animals, heavy-coated cattle from which they derive milk to consume and make cheese. But mostly they hunt; the tall spotted-red deer, the elk, yak, bear and giant moose. They are known as a fierce people who pay homage to the wolf, a beast they hold sacred. They have no King but many masters who command small bands. In time of need they can gather, but only if one of the shamans has raised the Wolf Head’s Banner.  

When the long winter began, the Winter Dark, the Velaug shook off the ever falling snow as if it were nothing new. Long winters in the Holmgrad were not uncommon. The grains still grew and fed the beasts and the Velaug hunted and warred as they always had, the world only a little darker.

Into this world of cold and dark winter came Hafgrimr to two hungers; his father, Grimolfr, and mother, Dargrun, both hunted the Comb Valleys and they dwelt in a small house built in a spring fed, dale. Once a year they gathered pelts and frozen meats and took to trade for goods, armor and weapons. Hafgrimr proved able at the trade, taking his first deer when he was very young. He lost a finger to a bear when 12, but took its coat and wore that for many years after.

In his 16^th year, the snows came in waves and lasted for many weeks. With them came the frost giants. Whether born of the snow, or the cause of it, none could say. It is always thus, when the snows falls thick the giants come, sounding their horns, leading sled-born chariots of iron, pulled by bears, yetis, or other monsters of the wild winter. They hunt and they slaughter.

Two came through the Comb Valleys even while Hafgrimr hunted yak in the high plains. One came even to their door, calling on Hafgrimr’s father to come forth and battle, sounding his horn, and promising him pelts aplenty if the Velaug slew him. He laughed and called jest, making fun. Grimolfr stood it for some time, but in the end took up sword and shield and flung his door wide. He attacked the giant and drove him back; the giant cut and wounded laughed all the louder as his own brother came behind Grimolfr and skewered him with his great boar spear. As his father died, Dargrun attacked with her own spear but was no match for the giants and she too died.

Hafgrimr never found his parents or the giants who slew them, though he spent many years hunting them. In the space of time he wandered far and wide, moving ever south, until he took passage as a raider and plundered the lands of the Inner Sea. After that he took up with a band who plundered the River Kingdoms. His wealth he gave away or spent on drink, food and women. He took up with Freyleif Winter Song when she promised to plunder the deeps of Aufstrag, for he saw this as the greatest of adventures.

He followed her lead for many months and even to the Wasting Way where the minions of Aufstrag fell upon them and hounded them night and day. One by one the company fell to the dark or fled back down the lonely causeway. In the end he fell to a winger beasts with massive tusks that lifted him from the Causeway and carted him to the high walls of the Aufstrag to its very roost.

Landing upon a ledge the beast made to devour him but Hafgrimr slew it with his long knife. He stood upon the ledge, in the wreck and ruin of the beast and looked down to the swamps far below. Carving off flanks of the creature he strapped them to his back and made to climb the tower.

As is known Aufstrag stood in the midst of the Gray Pools, many thousands of feet high, topped by a crown of iron branches; this monstrous edifice housed the dark god Unklar. With no easy way down Hafgrimr climbed up; the ruins that were the walls of the dark lord’s abode made for easy climbing and the barbarian found himself at home; and so he hunted. For long months he hunted. He lived in crevices and alcove, ate his kills, and hunted the dark. He plucked some from their windows and hurled them to the grounds below; some hebashed theirs heads in with hammer and fist; some he maimed and left to die;others he stole and carted to the heights of the walls and left them to freezeor fall. These monsters of the old world new fear like never before.

His name spread through Aufstrag like the shadow of fear and men cursed him and demons hunted him. Far and wide men spoke of the Velaug who terrorized the lords of terror. In the end however he fell, snared by some grim Captain of Hell in a trap of steel and wire. They waited in the last for a storm to come, that carried the winter of their master from the far north. They bled him with many evil and wicked wounds and into that grim maelstrom they let him lose, naked and alone.

Not long after horns sounded and a great growling of bears came to the Lords of Aufstrag so that the fled into behind their walls. Hafgrimr they never saw again. Tis said the Frost Giants came and took him and paid the chaos of his war by giving him back the tokens of his parents and set him to hunting the winter nights. Often men call on Hafgrimr when they need courage in battle or the hunt.