Tribe of the Elk
Many miles north of Ten-Towns, across the trackless tundra to the northernmost edge of land in all the Realms, the frosts of winter had already hardened the ground in a white-tipped glaze . There were no mountains or trees to block the cold bite of the relentless eastern wind, carrying the frosty air from Reghed Glacier. The great bergs of the Sea of Moving Ice drifted slowly past, the wind howling off of their high-riding tips in a grim reminder of the coming season. And yet, the nomadic tribes who summered there with the reindeer had not journeyed with the herd's migration southwest along the coast to the more hospitable sea on the south side of the peninsula. The unwavering flatness of the horizon was broken in one small corner by a solitary encampment, the largest gathering of barbarians this far north in more than a century.
Jarund Elkhart
King of the Elk Tribe King Jarund Elkhardt is a towering barbarian whose deeply tanned skin and mane of auburn hair bespeak a life utterly removed from the comforts of civilization. Anyone who speaks with the terse ruler, however, learns that Jarund is no savage. At forty-two winters, he is the oldest king among all the barbarian tribes and has led the Elk Tribe for over half his life. Jarund has seen other kings rise and fall, has made war with his friends and peace with his enemies, and has led tribesmen he knew as babes to their deaths in battle. Always he has kept the survival of the Elk Tribe foremost in his efforts, and the strain of his long years of rule is written on his face. Some members of the Elk Tribe refer to their king as Jarund the Elder, though never in his presence. The epithet is an allusion to the king's late son, Jarund Twice-Born, who was killed three years ago in a hunt when he tried to bring down a cave bear. His spear struck true, but the creature tore open the young man's chest in its death throes, leaving Jarund without an heir. The king never speaks of his son and shows no favor to any other warriors of the tribe to mark a possible successor. But as old as he is, Jarund cannot ignore the matter of succession for long, and many warriors have already started posturing against one another in the event that the tribe invokes the rite of combat to determine a new king after Jarund passes. Many of the tribesfolk speculate that the leader's reluctance to name a successor - and the obvious favor he shows to Froya Harmoot - indicate that he hopes to sire another heir. Some of the women whisper that Froya is already with child - much to the consternation of Jarund's wife, Wynneth. Whatever the future holds, Jarund is a potent force for the time being, and he rules his tribe with a sure hand. He is gravely concerned about the early coming of winter, in terms of surviving the harsh season and what it might portend about the greater entities at work in Icewind Dale. In such matters, Jarund seeks the counsel of Mjenir, the Elks' shaman; the king greatly respects his understanding of the workings of gods and spirits. The fact that both men have lost their sons serves to strengthen the bond between them. Jarund's attitude toward the people of Ten-Towns is a mix of disinterest and disdain. He refers to citydwellers as "tamed men" and does not see much value in dealing with them. In Jarund's mind, the people's refusal to live with the land, and instead hide from it behind walls, is the source of their troubles. Although he knows the coming winter will test his tribe sorely, Jarund believes that the barbarians' strengths - their courage, fortitude, and knowledge of the land - will enable them to endure. Jarund's age and experience make him a cautious leader. Because he does not long for glory as the younger warriors do, he is more apt to adopt a defensive position in battle and negotiation, opting to endure an enemy's assault and wait to see what develops rather than extend himself in an attempt to achieve a quick resolution. Jarund commits to action only if he believes that a failure to do so would place his tribe at greater risk than would holding back. When he acts, it is with all the strength and fury one would expect of a barbarian war leader.Mjenir Tormhaalt
Shaman of the Elk Tribe Mjenir Tormhaalt is the shaman of the Elk Tribe, and perhaps its most influential member after King Jarund. Though nearly as old as Jarund, Mjenir looks ten years younger, for he has not carried the burden of rule nor endured the hardships of battle. He has icy blue eyes and platinum blond hair, which hangs in long braids across his shoulders. Apprenticed at a young age to the tribe's previous shaman, Mjenir has a deep understanding of the ways of the tundra - the flow of the land, the rhythm of the weather, the delicate interplay between herd animals and predators. This knowledge alone would make Mjenir an invaluable member of the tribe, but even more important, he has a connection to the spirit realm. It is common knowledge among the tribesfolk that Mjenir can speak with animals, and some believe that he can read omens in the clouds. In truth, Mjenir's command of nature spirits is tenuous at best, and anything more than rudimentary divinations is beyond him. Still, he enjoys the authority he has gained from the tribe members' beliefs and does nothing to dissuade them. To the contrary, Mjenir occasionally takes great pains to consult his oracles conspicuously before recommending a course of action to the tribe, such as when and where to find the best hunting. More often than not, his counsel stems not from any mystical revelation but from his deep study of natural lore. Nevertheless, the tribe enjoys the spectacle and praises Mjenir's gift when his advice bears fruit. Mjenir had a son, Olaf, the sole offspring of his short marriage to a now long-dead wife. Olaf did not have his father's gift for speaking with spirits or his curiosity about the world around him, instead training as one of the tribe's warriors. Perhaps as a result of losing his mother at a young age and growing up with a father who seemed more interested in conversing with birds and squirrels, Olaf was more quiet and reserved than the other warriors. When a girl named Hedrun began to manifest strange abilities and was shunned by the rest of the tribe, Olaf was drawn to the young woman, not just for her beauty but for the loneliness they both endured. Mjenir had mistrusted Hedrun's abilities from the start, not least of all because they were greater than his own. Though the girl apparently had no control over her gifts, Mjenir saw her as a potential threat to his position of importance in the tribe. When he belatedly realized how fascinated Olaf was with the young woman, it heightened Mjenir's fear that Hedrun would steal away everything that belonged to him. He forbade Olaf from seeing the girl, which naturally had the effect of driving his son straight into Hedrun's arms. Tragically, jealous Auril would allow Hedrun no mortal love, and her power froze Olaf to death at Hedrun's touch. When Mjenir learned of Olaf's death, he brought his son's body before King Jarund as proof of the danger that Hedrun posed to the tribe. Though he could easily have demanded her life in payment for Olaf's, Mjenir feared that he would be haunted by the vengeful spirit of one so great. Instead, he demanded that she be banished from the tribe, believing that the girl would meet her end in the jaws of a wild beast. Now that the winter storms have come unseasonably soon, and the hunters have returned with tales of a witch wandering the tundra, driving beasts and snow before her, Mjenir realizes that his decision to banish Hedrun might have been a mistake. He has not shared his suspicion of the Ice Witch's true identity with anyone else, lest he be seen as having brought her vengeance down upon the Elk Tribe. Similarly, he opposed Hengar Aesnvaard's suggestion to find aid in Ten-Towns because he fears repercussions if outsiders discover the witch's identity and the source of her grievance. Instead, he urges Jarund to placate the gods with sacrifices and keep the tribe on the move to stay ahead of the witch's attacks. In his heart, though, Mjenir knows he cannot outrun winter's fury, and he seeks a way to counter the witch's threat without admitting his culpability to the rest of his tribe. Perhaps he can put a friend or a foe in the witch's way - someone who might stand a chance of destroying her.Warriors of the Elk Tribe
Hengar Aesnvaard:
As a young man, Hengar Aesnvaard grew up hearing tales of Wulfgar Dragons bane, the Elk king who slew the dragon Icingdeath and, along with the other famed Companions, saved Ten-Towns from the army of Akar Kessell at the Battle of Icewind Dale. To hear his fellow tribe members tell it, Wulfgar's glorious victories validated the Reghed way of life. The king's loyalty to the tribes, his trust in his own strength to win through adversity, and the restless wanderings of his late career all spoke to the virtues that Hengar had been taught since he was a boy. Hengar took a different lesson from the tales. Where others spoke of Wulfgar's loyalty in rejecting a life with the dwarves to return to his rightful place among his people, Hengar saw a sense of duty. Where they spoke of Wulfgar's reliance on his own might, Hengar saw the hero's reliance on his friends. And where some pointed to the famed king's journeys as a rejection of the sentimentality of citydwellers, who foolishly die rather than leave their precious homes, Hengar saw the searching of a man who no longer felt at home among his people. Now a seasoned warrior of the Elk Tribe, Hengar still has a habit of seeing things differently from his fellows. He has never understood the aloofness between the Reghed tribes and the people of Ten-Towns when there is so much each could offer the other. But on the few times when he broached the subject, he was harshly rebuked by his peers, so now Hengar mostly keeps his thoughts to himself. Recently, with the sightings of the Ice Witch, Hengar has had new reason to speak his mind. When the warriors spoke of the witch's apparent invincibility and Mjenir offered no advice other than to flee, Hengar decided it was time to seek the aid of the people of Ten-Towns. With King Jarund's blessing, he traveled to Bryn Shander in search of a wizard or someone else knowledgeable in the ways of magic who might be able to tell him how the Elk Tribe can fight this new menace.
Soren Arnsfirth
Hedrun's father is one of the older warriors in the Elk Tribe, notable for his skyblue eyes and his quiet demeanor. A simple man with no insight into the workings of spirits or the mysteries of gods and magic, Soren was confused and frightened by the strange abilities his daughter began to manifest as she grew. He felt helpless as he watched the tribe turn its back on her, not knowing how to comfort his daughter or even relate to her. Soren sought Mjenir's counsel on many occasions, but always came away frustrated by the shaman's insistence on treating Hedrun as a threat to be managed rather than as a loved one to be helped. Although Soren lacks the courage to speak out against the shaman, he resents Mjenir for turning his back on Hedrun and banishing her from the tribe. His hesitancy stems also from the possibility that Mjenir might have been right to cast the girl out, and as a grieving father himself, Soren can understand Mjenir's bitterness over the loss of his son. With the recent sightings of the Ice Witch, Soren has begun to think that Hedrun might have survived her banishment. His conjecture has no basis other than his hope that his daughter yet lives, so he has told no one of his thoughts. He has voiced support for Mjenir's policy of avoiding encounters with the witch, since Soren does not want to see his daughter killed even if she has become a monster.Если вы хотите что то добавить или присоединится к команде редакторов - пишите комментарии
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