Moertus: Characters

Rotharn hails from the rugged land of Norlund and was born into one of the mountain tribes, the tribe's name was the Bearsmasher Clan, they took the title from the large number of Agressive bears that live in the area they call their home. They live in the snowy peak of mount Bearskull, nearby their nighbors, the Earthbreakers, live upon the metal rich mountain of Ironspire. The metals within Ironspire has been the source of great conflict between the two clans, with the Earthbreakers hoarding the metals for themselves and the Bearsmashers wanting to take it from them has fueld great animosity between the two tribes.

Rotharn's strength and fortitude were quickly recognised and was taught how to be a fighter to defend the clan. He quickly grew fond of the Greataxe and made it his weapon of choice, but knew that an axe could only reach so far, and there were many cowardly Earthbreakers who would rather hide behind rocks and throw things rather than fight man to man, so he also learned to use a bow.

He spent most of his adolesant life learning the ways of combat and how to survive in the harsh land that was his home. During this time there was a shaky truce between the Bearsmashers and the Earthbreakers, the two cheifs of the tribes, Cheif Shelma Bearsmasher Rotharn's mother, and cheif Markneth Earthbreaker had come to an agreement. The Earthbreakers would mine the ores and share it with the Bearsmashers and in exchange the Bearsmashers would cease their attacks on them as well as protect the Earthbreakers on their trips out of the mountains to sell what they had mined and crafted.

Rotharn, son of the cheif, was given the duty of being one of the guards during the trips out of the mountains. He had no love for the Earthbreakers but respected his cheif's decision, and from the Eartbreakers in the group the feeling was mutual. He spent enough time with the members of the Earthbreakers for a few of them to earn his respect, and Rotharn evidently had inspired respect in them as well for they taught him some of the finer aspects of metalworking the Earthbreakers possesed.

For a time this shaky peace held, and t had seemed that the two clans would finally stop their generations long conflict. Then Shelma died and Arkenth took her place as cheif, claiming he had bested her in a duel but noone else had witnessed. Rotharn was away when this happened and when he returned his mother had already been in the ground for months. He came home to conflict between the tribes, Arkenth had broken the truce between them by trying to take full control of the mines by force.

Rotharn mistrusted Arkenth from the start, a duel for a new cheif was supposed to be done in full view of the entire tribe and the fact that noone had witnessed it lead to suspicon. For a time Rotharn fought for his clan by the word of Arkenth. The fighting was long and hard, fueled by feeling of betrayl there were many loses on both sides.

Rotharn was part of the attack on one of the smaller mines, one of little importance but was supposed to be unguarded, but that was not the case. There were many guards and the fighting was hard and during the fighting Rotharn had come face to face with the same Earthbreaker who had taught him metalworking, Grenek was his name, it was then Rotharn turned away his axe, he was not going to kill someone he respected just because of the word of Arkenth. He simply walked away from the fighting. When he returned he was called a traitor and a coward for walking away from the fighting and Arkenth was furious that Rotharn had disobeyed him. When Arkenth commanded that Rotharn be cast out noone objected, and when Rotharn looked into the eyes eyes of those around him he saw that none objected, they weren't Rotharn's clan anymore, they were Arkenth's.

He left the mountain he had lived his whole life on that day, but he kept the name Bearsmasher, for that was what he was, in his mind he hadn't changed, it was his clan who had.

Since then he has been in the lands surrounding his home, using is strength to take what he wants and has yet to find anyone he felt worthy of his respect.