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.

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.

Character Location

Icewind Dale

Current Location

Icewind Dale

Species

Human

Ethnicity

Reghedmen

Year of Birth

1444 DR 41 Years old

Gender

Male

Eyes

Icy Blue

Hair

Platinum Blond

Aligned Organization

Tribe of the Elk

Other Affiliations

• Reghed Tribes