Norris Owinson

Norris Owinson (a.k.a. Orcthrower)

Mental characteristics

Personal history

Start of the Journey

Norris was born in the same village as Fabrin Mullholl, a fact which influenced much of his life. Born only a year apart Norris and Fabrin grew to be close friends and though Norris was the older and bigger of the two he almost invariably followed Fabrin's lead. Following the chaos of the start of the Days of the One, Fabrin left the village and though Norris didn't have much interest in the wider world he decided to go with Farbin as his protector,
The pair wandered all over Dalthion and then Mocar as Fabrin searched for a way to reconnect the outer planes. They settled for while in Lakewatch which allowed Norris to finally undergo some formal training in weapons. He showed quite a knack for wielding an axe with his massive frame and he became a regular attraction at the arena.

Meeting the Competition

Although he suffered from seasickness Norris even followed Fabrin when he set out across the sea to Kaara. It was there that Norris met Debrae and her companions. This first meeting set the tone for the decade long competition between the two groups, with both sides ready to tear the other apart. Only Norris seemed willing to consider the idea that they could work together, and his talk of cooperation fell on deaf ears. Things even escalated far enough that Norris was forced to engage Debrae in combat to stop her from killing Fabrin.
Despite Norris' best efforts subsequent meetings between Fabrin and Debrae's followers all too often descended into violence. Norris frequently found himself having to use his own prowess in battle to break up the fights, and try to minimise the injuries.

Dueling Debrae
Norris completely overwhelmed Saint Debrae in their first fight. In order to avoid hurting her too badly Norris ended up repeatedly parrying her attacks before picking her up and throwing her some yards away. Debrae kept healing herself and charging in over and over again, but every time Norris just blocked her blows and hurled her away. Eventually Debrae exhausted her magic and was forced to admit defeat. Norris didn't win himself any friends among Debrae's companions, but it did at least inspire her to rely less on her magic.

Earning A Name

Between these unpleasant encounters Norris found that he was almost accidentally making a name for himself in mercenary circles. While most people were paying attention to Fabrin and his powers, those with an eye out for new recruits were quick to notice the impressive warrior Norris had become. At Fabrin's behest Norris accepted some of the job offers that came in, always trying to make sure as much credit as possible went Fabrin's way.
It was while on such a job helping to defend the town of Irtelon that Norris earned his second name. A group of orcs led by Warlord Jargth had managed to breach the defences of the besieged town and Norris was sent to try to stem the tide. A blast of magic from Fabrin cleared many of the orcs and Norris was left with the Warlord to deal with. Jargth was a powerful warrior and his armour of thick iron plates seemed almost impervious to damage. Norris' axe shattered when it struck this armour, so he resorted to simply picking up the Warlord and throwing him off the wall. The sight of the Warlord falling to his death caused the orc horde to retreat (so they could get on with the important business of deciding who would take over) and the town was saved. Tales of feat grew in the telling and within a month there were dozens claiming they had seen Norris hurl Jargth at least 20 yards.
When Fabrin and Debrae came to the conclusion that they couldn't breach the barrier without each other's help Norris was used as the intermediary between the two groups. For almost 4 months Norris went back and forth between the two as they slowly worked out how they could work together. While no diplomat, Norris became key to keeping the peace between the often at odds members of each retinue, mostly by physically pulling people apart if they got into a fight. Fabrin and Debrae were not exempted from Norris' efforts, and both frequently sported a few extra bruises after Norris felt obliged to explain teamwork to them again.

Returning Home

One Last Warning
Before leaving Fabrin gave Norris one final warning about the nobles in Bellcross. Heading this warning proved wise as the nobles had no interest in celebrating live heroes. It's much cheaper and safer to celebrate a group that gave their lives to save the world.

After Debrae's sacrifice broke the barrier sealing off the material plane and Fabrin had disappeared, most of the survivors of their groups made their way back to Bellcross to report their success. Norris was the sole exception, deciding to forgo the rewards and acclaim for their accomplishment. His attempts to persuade the others that it was a bad idea fell on deaf ears.

Norris kept a low profile, donating his more recognisable equiplment to an arena of Etal, before getting passage on a ship back to Dalthion. After two decades of travel and fighting Norris returned to his village and the quiet life he had long thought he wanted. But twenty years is a long time to be away. The village hadn't changed but Norris certainly had. Barely able to recognise the people and with little interest in gossip and customs that now seemed at best old-fashioned he found himself with too much time to think about his missing friend. And so after barely 3 months he left again for Lakewatch.
Norris remained in Lakewatch for the rest of his life, competing in the arena and helping train new warriors. In the end he succumbed to a heart attack while engaged in a friendly wrestling match.

Accomplishments & Achievements

While not as fanous as hic close friend, it is unlikely Fabrin would have succeded without Norris' efforts. During their journey to end the Days of the One Norris managed to:

• Slay Warlord Jargth by throwing him off a castle wall.
• Retrieve the axe Urkenmar.
• Win an arm wrestle with a giant.
• Keep Fabrin and Debrae from killing each other.

Remember, kill undead monster first, then each other. Otherwise you might end up working together forever.

— Norris to Debrae and Fabrin

Species

Human

Life

3091 3153 62 years old

Sex

Male

Eyes

Light Brown

Hair

Brown, Shoulder length, held back by a leather circlet

Skin Tone/Pigmentation

Tanned

Height

6’4’’

Belief/Deity

Etal

Related Myths

• Days of the One

Related Historical Events

• 3106
  Days of the One

Guilt

When he left home Norris was convinced that he could defend Fabrin with nothing more than his fists. After all, no-one in the village could match him for size or strength. He was disabused of this notion within a month, nearly losing his right arm in a fight with bandits. Fortunately Fabrin was able to save the arm but it came at a cost. Fabrin had to embrace his long suppressed power and Norris never forgave himself for that.
The guilt drove Norris to always stand up for his friend no matter how cruel or petty Fabrin's actions became. Norris managed to convince himself that none of it could be Fabrin's fault, that it was all down to the influence of the dark power within him. And since Norris knew this power had only been embraced to save his arm, he always felt responsible.

After Death

After Norris death the Etalians released a statement confirming that Norris had survived the quest to breach the barrier, as had a number of others. This news and the revelation that several notable figures had eliminated the other survivors sent shockwaves through the leadership of some countries in Kaara and nearly broke the recently reformed Alliance.