Gunnar the Wolf

Gunnar the Wolf is a male human NPC in the Om campaign.

Gunnar is the Prince of Balbanos, the son of the first king of the united Thunnish tribes. In 465 he traveled to Waymere to discuss an alliance between the new nation and Gildorn. After agreeing to an alliance suffered an assassination attempt and betrayal of the Gildornians, and was only saved by Opal and a group of elves led by Korroticus.

## History

Gunnar's father, Harkin Halfspear managed to unite the Thunnish tribes into a united kingdom in 450. Gunnar came of age during this conflict proving himself a powerful and brave warrior in his own right. At some point he met the shield maiden Astrid and a mutual attraction blossomed into something more and they became lovers. Both knew that Gunnar, the son of the king, could not marry a random shield maiden though, so they knew their love would not end in marriage and children.

## Diplomatic Mission to Waymere

In 465, King Harkan sent Gunnar to Waymere to negotiate an alliance between Balbanos and Gildorn. His entourage included Frelik (an adviser and war brother to King Harkin), Gerin (a skilled shaman), Meegosh (Gunnar's nephew), and the famed brothers Ornvald (a legendary hunter) and Sigvald (a famed warrior). Rounding out the group was Astrid, a highly capable shield maiden.

Gunnar almost immediately became the target of assassination attempts as several factions from the Orleseans to the elven tribes would have reasons to not see an alliance between the two powers. Gunnar survived all the attempts, refusing to change his security precautions and almost daring others to try further attempts on his life.

In spite of the challenges, the mission was a success and an alliance was agreed upon and simply needed to be signed by Gunnar and Duke Marcus Cornelius Agrippa. Before the signing another assassination attempt was made, and Atticus Brock asked the Fate Fighters to investigate.

The Fate Fighters met with Gunnar in the Red Axe Inn on the 5th of the Twins, 465. Gunnar strongly denied needing any protection, however during the meeting Meegosh began to suffer from poisoning after tasting Gunnar's food.

Jasper Conroy used his magic to save Meegosh, and convinced Gunnar to hire the Fate Fighters to find the culprits. Opal remained with Gunnar's entourage to purify any food that came their way and the rest of the Fate Fighters departed to investigate.

### Ambush

Gunnar and his entourage decided to go hunting outside of Waymere, allowing Opal to accompany him if he wished. The elf agreed, coming along and seeking to ensure Gunnar did not die on the hunt. While hunting the party was ambushed by two dozen Wild Runners, led by Tugadumness himself.

The battle that followed was the stuff of legend with Thunnish warriors striking down foes left and right while Opal turned into a tiger and mauled the elvish attackers. Gunnar himself dueled with Tugadumness, besting the elf in battle. However before Gunnar was able to strike the Wild Runner leader down, the elf lashed out with an Irda blade, wounding him.

The wound from the blade was not deep, but it was quickly determined that it had introduced a curse to Gunnar and continued to strike at him every time the warrior exerted himself and slowly drained away his life force even when at rest. If not addressed it could turn fatal very quickly, and neither Gerin nor Opal were able to cure him.

The party's horses had been slain in the conflict, but since time was of paramount importance the group split up. Opal again took the form of a tiger and allowed Gunnar and Astrid to ride on his back at top speed while Frelik used a magical item that allowed him to turn into a wolf and keep up. Ornvald, Sigvald and Gerin would make their way back to Waymere on foot.

### Betrayed

On the road to Waymere, Gunnar, Opal, Astrid and Frelik encountered a full regiment of Gildornian soldiers heading south. After a brief discussion with Captain Harrigan, they were granted an audience with the commander, Colonel Babbington.

The colonel offered his hospitality, but Astrid and Frellik demanded that Gunnar be taken to cleric immediately. The Prince was shown to the healer's wagon and examined by Brother Gabriel. The cleric offered to place Gunnar into a stasis until a cure could be found, but the Prince refused to be insensate at anyone's mercy and declined. Gabriel then apologized and cast a spell to disappear from the wagon. At that exact moment, the Gildornian soldiers began to nail the door to the wagon shut and set it on fire in an effort to assassinate Gunnar and his party.

Enraged, Gunnar and Astrid smashed open the door and fought their way out of the cart. Frelik, drinking a potion he’d found in the cart, grew to enormous size and began bellowing to the troops about the stain on their honor they were allowing by following such orders.

Opal cast a spell to cause a small localized ice storm which slowed the advancing troops enough for Astrid, Opal and Gunnar (stripped to his loincloth and fighting with nothing more than sword and shield) to punch through the forces and flee into the woods. They were chased by footmen and advancing cavalry however.

Gunnar climbed onto Opal’s back, as the elf was still in tiger form, and fled while Astrid engaged the troops to try to hold them off. Meanwhile Frelik, over 12 feet tall now, shoved the burning wagon into the column of troops still on the road and began smashing the soldiers attacking him.

As the Gildornian cavalry began to outpace Opal a sudden hail of arrows struck down the nearest horsemen. A group of archers led by Korroticus called to Gunnar and Opal and led them to a trio of saddled griffons, which they were able to use to escape to Dralthanor.

Gunnar's last view of Astrid saw a large pile of dead enemies at her feet as she continued to fight the Gildornians that surrounded her on all sides. Of Frelik he saw a path of destruction as the still enormous warrior wreaked havoc, but he too was wounded and starting to succumb to the sheer mass of soldiers and horses hacking at him, and one or two had even climbed upon him and were hacking away at his head and torso.

### In Dralthanor

The elves of the Dralthanor Tribe agreed to treat Gunnar, and their healers advised that the cure could be reversed but that it was a slow and laborious process. Gunnar swore vengeance on the Gildornians for their betrayal and the deaths of his friends and lover and Opal suggested a possible alliance with the elves, who also had little love for the Gildornians, against the two. Gunnar stated that his father would have final say on such a thing, but that the proposed alliance had his full support.

Gunnar spent several weeks in Dralthanor recovering, highly frustrated at the forced inactivity of the healing regimen, but also acknowledging that he could not allow he and his father's political enemies to see him in a weakened state.

Finally, in mid Twins of the year 465, Gunnar insisted he was ready to leave, refusing to listen to any further advise to rest from the elven healers attending him. He sent a message to Opal stating that he would be honored to travel with him back to Balbanos to report matters to his uncle. Opal's response requested for Gunnar to meet him and the other Fate Fighters in Silvercliff.

## Journey Home

When Gunnar arrived in Silvercliff he found that the Fate Fighters were gone, with the exception of Wu Xen. Wu explained that Opal and the others were trapped on the Astral Plane, but that he'd arranged for one of his men, Higgs, to accompany Gunnar back to Balbanos.

Wu also informed Gunnar of the plotting of The Triad, including that Lapubelle was responsible for forging the orders that prompted Colonel Babbington to attack him and his entourage. Wu urged Gunnar to convince his father to join a fledgling alliance that Wu was attempting to create to meet the coming forces of The Triad. Gunnar was reluctant, stating that he did not know if he would ever trust the Gildornians again, but agreed to take his words and a letter Wu had prepared to his father.

Gunnar accompanied Wu and Elias Young to Stonewatch Abbey, where he subsequently departed for Balbanos with Higgs, Penelope Strong and Margot, the latter two of which had their own mission at the Midway Inn and would split off with them at that location.