recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Vognir

**Vognir** is a Varl non-playable character (NPC) met in the first part of *The Banner Saga*.

## Recent Events

At the beginning of the events of *The Banner Saga*, Vognir is next in line for the Varl Kingship, kendr (heir) to King Jorundr. He is known for his courage and his prowess in the Wars against the Dredge. Vognir is known to confide in his old-time friend and kendr, Hakon, as well as in his trusted quartermaster, Mogr.

Vognir is met by Ubin in Strand, in the beginning of Chapter 1, where he lands with a Varl fleet escorting the human Prince Ludin, heir to King Meinolf, to the Varl capital of Grofheim, in order to forge a new human-Varl alliance. Vognir does not hold a good opinion of the arrogant young Prince but he is nonetheless tolerant of his tantrums and treats him courtly as befits his rank. Ubin caravans together with the Varl army, as both are headed to Grofheim, however fate abruptly ends Vognir's life in the village of Vedrfell.

#### Who Killed Vognir?

Vognir is found dead in a pool of his own blood, face down in the mud, apparently slain by a small company of Dredge near the borders of the village. The only possible eye-witness to the slaying is prince Ludin who is rescued by Hakon, Mogr and Gunnulf, just as a Dredge Brute knocks him out.

Mogr notices that Vognir was hit from behind and broods over the possibility of foul-play, implying that Ludin might have had a hand in this, as the sullen Prince seemed constantly annoyed by Vognir's (and later Hakon's) orders and calls. Nevertheless, no actual evidence comes to light, but the shadow of Vognir's death is cast upon the unsteady human-Varl alliance.

In a brief conversation much later in the game, in the third part of *The Banner Saga* (Chapter 21), Mogr and Hakon agree that Vognir was most likely killed by 'a random slag' (derogatory term used by the Varl for the Dredge) in a stroke of bad luck to which all people, even legendary warriors, are subject to.

## Trivia

* Vognir looks like the standard Factions Warmaster. However, an (apparently dumped) portrait of his could be found in early game files, depicting him as an older Varl with white-blonde hair.
* In the absence of concrete evidence for his death, many 'conspiracy theories' have been developed, involving: Ludin, Bersi, Juno and/or the Mender Council.
* Stoic have said that Vognir's sudden and unlikely death was mainly meant to introduce the players to the fact that nobody, even a mighty Varl warlord, is safe in the harsh world of *The Banner Saga*.
The Anvil

At the top of the world is a piece of ice that looks as though it has been thoroughly smashed by a god's hammer. It is more likely that there was once a land bridge connecting the Anvil to Dundr's Beard and that the shifting ice would crash against itself repeatedly, but this is a decidedly more mundane explanation.
Vez'nan

This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it!
*This article is a stub. You can help Banner Saga Wiki by expanding it.*

**Vez'nan** – Vez'nan is a mysterious god who belonged to an ancient subterranean race whose culture has been mostly forgotten. According the the Valka Zefr, Vez'nan may not actually be his name, though the framework for his history is based upon repeated patterns on the walls around his godstone. Though his attributes are mostly a mystery, what is known is that he became the most powerful of their gods by forsaking everything dear to him. Therefore it can be inferred that he is a god of control, power, and letting go.

Surrounding his sanctuary are three large perfectly round pools of water, each used for a different purpose. The uppermost pool was meant for reflecting on one's past deeds, the middle for asking for strength from the world, and the bottom for insight into one's future.

## Trivia

* Vez'nan is a reference to the final boss in the main campaign of the game Kingdom Rush.
Units

*This **disambiguation** page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link referred you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.*

For generic information on the Battle aspect of Units, proceed to:

* Unit
* Class

For playable units, proceed to:

* Factions Units
* Saga 1 Heroes
* Saga 2 Heroes

For enemy units, proceed to:

* Dredge
* Horseborn
* Kragsmen
* All Enemies in Saga 1 and 2
Warped Scourge

Attack
 Passive

**Warped Scourges** are twisted varieties of Dredge Scourges, corrupted by the Darkness. They wield a misshapen purple blade and are first encountered in the Underworld Caves in Chapter 10. These creatures are apparently feared and avoided also by regular Dredge.

## Abilities

#### Active Ability | Mind Devour

The Warped Scourge saps an amount equal to the difference in willpower between the scourge and the target, damaging  and stealing .
For example, if a **9**  Warped Scourge targeted a **4**  Hero, the hero would take **- 5**  and **- 5**  while the Scourge gained **+5** .
This ability is one of the most powerful available to warped enemies.

#### Passive Ability | Depraved

The Warped Dredge explodes upon death and disappears. The explosion causes one  damage to all adjacent enemies and leaves a surface of burned purple ashes equal to the unit's size, that does 1  damage to any unit walking over it.

## Tips & Trivia

* Mind Devour can be **catastrophic** when applied to low Willpower Heroes, as it deals more damage to them. There is only one way to do survive: kill the Warped Scourge as fast as possible!
* Warped Scourges and Warped Stoneguards are the only twisted units encountered in The Banner Saga 2.
Vetur Sea

The **Vetur Sea** is a location in *The Banner Saga*.

## About

The Winter Sea in the north strikes a precarious balance between frozen and traversible but fast moving ﬂows usually keep it from icing over completely. This, however, makes little difference when there is nothing across the sea to travel to, and no ports of note alone the east coast to travel between.
The Old Wood

A vast wood frequented by kings and important chieftains because of the excellent quality of the animals that could be found here. It was early on protected by the king of men so that permission must be granted to hunt here and no man would be allowed to cut down the ancient trees. Despite this, poaching is no uncommon activity here.
War

## General

A **War** occurs when your caravan encounters a large host of hostile Dredge. Wars play out like regular battles (skirmishes), with some important differences. In a War, you can choose how to approach the confrontation, something that directly affects the difficulty of the battle and the caravan's casualties. See the following section for details.

A War *always* leads to casualties in your caravan's population (Clansmen, Fighters and Varl) that depend on:

* The outcome of the War: Victory or Defeat.
* The way you choose to handle the War: aggressively, conservatively, defensively or retreat.
* The number of heroes that got knocked-out during the battle(s).

## War Options

Each War can be approached with a different overall strategy, taking into account the number of enemies and your combatants (Fighters and Varl), the condition of your heroes and the state of your caravan (morale, population and supplies). The way you approach a War directly affects the difficulty of the battle as well as the casualties of your caravan's population. Below follows a description of the available options.

1. **Charge!** — Your heroes will fall in the thick of a difficult battle. Caravan casualties will be kept low owing to your heroes' courage.
2. **Formations** — A battle of reasonable difficulty will take place, with normal casualties.
3. **Hold them off!** — This will lead to a very easy battle as your heroes take a defensive stance. However, as the Dredge are brought closer to the caravan, there will be considerable casualties.
4. **Retreat!** — No battle will take place as your heroes flee in the face of danger. The caravan's population will suffer severe casualties.
5. **Oversee!** — The battle is auto-resolved (you will not enter the battle screen) taking into account your directions and heroes' power as well as the enemy force. Caravan casualties are comparable to the second option ('2: Formations!').

## Second Phase

If you are victorious in defeating the first Dredge force, you will be given an option to either hunt down the remaining enemies or retreat before they regroup. The latter terminates the War, with a victorious outcome. Choosing to hunt them will lead to a second battle that, if won, will earn you more Renown, increase your caravan's morale, decrease the casualties and offer a chance of finding a random item as loot.

**Be Warned**! This second battle happens back-to-back, i.e. your units have the same stats and positions as they had at the end of the first battle (potentially injured), while a number of fresh enemy units spawn at random border-tiles of the map... Losing the second battle means a defeat in the War! You should only take-up these second waves if your units are in a good shape at the end of the first battle.
The Wandering Road

At the end of the first great war, the varl had more to contend with than mankind to the south. Above the Brattabreck Peaks the lands crawled with furious, war-minded dredge. The ﬁrst varl king, Einar, lead the entire varl race across the snowy fields of the Wandering Road, sweeping away dredge as they went, before forming the first varl kingdom at Einartoft.
The Banner Saga: Factions

**The Banner Saga: Factions** (or simply **Factions**) is the premiere multiplayer role-playing strategy game on PC and Mac. It brings the feeling of beloved tactical games to a high-definition era with gorgeous hand-animated artwork and a degree of depth unprecedented in the realm of free games. Fight, learn, and lead your clan of vikings to glory!

The turn-based multi-player combat component was released on Steam as a free standalone game, called *The Banner Saga: Factions*, prior to the release of the single-player game.  *Factions* became available to Kickstarter backers on February 18th 2013 and then to the rest of the public on February 25th. The game allows players to pick a team of six combatants, chosen from between 16 classes, and fight against other players online. The goal is to defeat all six of the enemy team units.

For more information about *Factions*, check the Getting Started Guide.

## Links

* The Banner Saga FAQ
* *The Banner Saga: Factions* on Steam
Wyrmscale Mountains

The land's longest range of mountains, it was observed, resembled something like the spine of an impossibly large wyrm, each of its numerous peaks just one of many invincible scales. This idea, of course, didn't come about until the first maps were drawn. Before that it was simply called the Far Mountain.

* Back to Map.
Tryggvi's Necklace

A necklace with matching full and half-moon symbols made of pearl. Tryggvi believes they align to give him luck.

## Stats

* Level: 1
* Price: free
* Effects: +10% chance to do Critical (double) Strength damage

## How to get it

Tryggvi starts wearing it, when you first encounter him in Skogr. Note that Tryggvi and his item were part of exclusive bonus content given to pre-orders and Kickstarter-campaign backers.

## Trivia

During the pre-order season, Tryggvi was marketed as the *"Insane Viking"* and his necklace design was inspired by the one worn by the Techno Viking, a popular internet meme during the time the game was developed.
Sigrholm

A city build on a spit of land jutting from within a lake, and a place of prestige to live, as expansion soon became impossible on the small island and ownership was passed down from generation to generation. The crystal clear lake water and beautiful surroundings made the land desirable to the point that a wall was eventually built to keep away jealous neighbors.

## The Banner Saga

Rook's Caravan arrives at Sigrholm near the end of The Banner Saga. The inhabitants of Sigrholm are openly hostile towards the Caravan and Juno does not show up as she has promised. The caravan leaves without finding Juno and makes their way towards Boersgard.

## Quotes

*"As Sigrholm approaches we fear the worst. The once calm lake surrounding it now looks like a bowl that has been flipped, proud homes sinking into muddy water. A side effect of the quake... What has the rest of the world become on the other side of those mountains?"* — Rook, *The Banner Saga*, Part One, Chapter 6.
The Banner Saga godstones

**The Godstones** are giant rocks engraved with ancient carvings on their flattened faces. Each one of them is dedicated to one of the (now dead) gods. However, it feels like the Godstones still maintain some of their namesake god's mysterious powers. Be sure to closely examine them and open yourself to their 'meaning' and, who knows, maybe the stone will bestow its god's favor upon you.

## Godstones List

Below follows a list of the Godstones that your caravans will encounter along their journeys, during the first part of *The Banner Saga*. They are listed in order of appearance, with a brief description. The first time you visit a Godstone, you will unlock the respective achievement.

## In-Game Screenshots

This is how the Godstones looked like when Rook's and Hakon's caravan visited them.

* Hridvaldyr
* Denglr
* Radormyr
* Marek
* Hadrborg
* Dundr
* Ingrid
* Bjorulf
* Stravhs

## Items found at the Godstones

Below follows a list of the items found at the Godstones, along with their descriptions and how they can be discovered. The combat bonuses given by these items are related to the 'aspect' of each god.
Petrie Clan Ring

The face of this ring clearly exhibits the power and strength of the clan who forged it.

## Stats

* Rank: 10
* Price: -
* Effects: +3 Strength; +3 Drawing Aggro; +3 Resist Strength damage; -2 Move
* Passive:
	+ Free Roam: Each point of Willpower spend on movement grants +2 Move instead of +1.

## How to get it

* This item is exclusive to the Legendary edition of the game.
Nautmot

This great field is home to varl who breed here giant pack animals called yox, prized for the ability to pull supply-laden carts and carry heavy loads without rest for long periods of time. Though yox are bred in many places, those from Nautmot are highly regarded and sell for unusually high prices.
Skyhorn

Above Grofheim the varl built Skyhorn, arguably the most valuable tower in the fight against the dredge, as it stands as a gateway between the civilized lands and the Steppes of Silence where the dredge were thought to have been pushed into for the final time during the Second Great War. Even now great numbers of varl are stationed here to hold back any possible incursions.
Tistel

**Tistel** is a location in *The Banner Saga*.

## About

Deep in the overgrown thickets, early explorers found odd patches of prickly plants; miserable, stinging and clawing barbs that left a rash and a fever. Generations later, a few eccentrics would discover the seasonal berries that grew upon the barbs that would eventually sell for a high price in certain markets.
Warleader

Min - Max

The **Warleader** is a promotion of the Warrior. Like the Warrior, his passive ability is Heavy Impact.

## Active Ability: Forge Ahead

The Warleader uses his experience in battle to issue commands to allies, moving a single ally next in line in initiative. As with any active ability, Forge Ahead terminates the Warleader's turn.

By re-positioning his allies' turn order, the Warleader can create new strategies such as giving Archers guerilla tactics, triggering abilities earlier than usual or sling-shotting a powerful ally to the back lines. His ability is unique in being neither offensive nor defensive, in a direct manner.

**Rank 1:** command an adjacent ally

**Rank 2:** command an ally up to 4 tiles away

**Rank 3:** command an ally at any range
Tool of Scyldings

A poorly designed jeweler's hammer makes for a brilliant, unexpected addition to a fighter's arsenal.

## Stats

* Rank: 9
* Price: 18 Renown
* Effects: +2 Break Talent Ranks; +30% chance of Critical damage; +1 Ranged-attack Distance

## How to get it

* In Chapter 13 at Bygglaerer's godstone, kick over the children's rocks.
* May randomly spawn at a Market.
The Banner Saga 2 godstones

The **Godstones** are giant rocks engraved with ancient carvings on their flattened faces. Each one of them is dedicated to one of the, now dead, gods. However, it feels like the Godstones still maintain some of their namesake god's power. Be sure to closely examine them and open yourself to their 'meaning' and, who knows, maybe the stone will bestow its god's favor upon you.

## Godstones List

Here are the Godstones encountered by the Skogr and Ravens caravans, in the second part of *The Banner Saga*, by order of appearance:

* Aselei
* Irynx
* Baldringr
* Vez'nan
* Geirraðr
* Bygglaerer
* Lauga

## Items found at the Godstones

Following the 'tradition' of the first game, there is usually an item to be found when visiting a Godstone. Below follows a list of the items found, along with their descriptions. The combat bonuses given by these items are usually related to the 'aspect' of each god.
Warmaster

Min - Max

The **Warmaster** is a promotion of the Warrior. Like the Warrior, his passive ability is Heavy Impact.

## Active Ability: Sundering Impact

The Warmaster hits even harder than an average Warrior, with no chance to miss. He can wreak havok with an additional +1 strength and +1 break damage to the target, plus bonuses to Heavy Impact.

Sundering Impact has a 100% chance-to-hit and does a minimum of 2 strength and 1 armor damage on its selected target. However, it is best used when carefully positioned to impact as many enemies around the target as possible in a single strike.

**Rank 1:** +1 break to Heavy Impact

**Rank 2:** +1 strength and +1 break to Heavy Impact

**Rank 3:** +1 strength and +2 break to Heavy Impact
The Left Foot

The left and right foot of Denglr's Bay are said to be where the god Denglr himself stood when he created the thriving trade city of Strand. Others suggest it's where he stood while taking less noble actions upon the land. They're now used to navigate the long coastal markets by merchants and visitors.
Guard Captain

*This **disambiguation** page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link referred you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.*

The Guard Captain class is identical to the Raider class, with one less movement in combat and an extra active ability.

Petrus is the only Guard Captain.
Slaughterer

**Slaughterer** is a promoted class stemming from the Spearman base-class, introduced in the second part of *The Banner Saga*.

* The active ability of Slaughterer is called **Pig Sticker**.
* One Hero belongs to this promoted class, Bak, while two more (Ludin and Tryggvi) gain the ability of this class at Rank 6.
* Enemy units, e.g. the Krags Pole Man, also have this active ability.
* Units of this class have **not** (yet) been introduced in Factions.

## Active Ability: Pig Sticker

The Slaughterer comes in low and attempts to skewer his target, attacking with a 20% chance to deal a Critical strike, which does double Strength damage.
Allies adjacent to the Slaughterer's target distract him/her, thus increasing the chance for Critical damage.
**Rank 1:** +10% critical chance per ally adjacent to target
**Rank 2:** +20% critical chance per ally adjacent to target
**Rank 3:** +30% critical chance per ally adjacent to target
Unlike Impale, Pig Sticker has the same range as the Spearman's regular attacks (two tiles)
so the Slaughterer has more opportunity to benefit from the adjacency bonus.
## Usage Tips

* Pig Sticker synergizes well with the Artery Strike Talent, as the Critical bonus-chances stack.

Furthermore, the right Items will push your Critical chance even further.
Warped Stonesinger

Attack
 Passive

Are any of these faen creatures untouched by the coming tide? Evidently not! Warped stonesingers form a crucial part of the twisted warriors' onslaught.

## Abilities

#### Active Ability | Umbrage

The stonesinger casts a spell that adds **+3**  and **-2**  to all friendly units.
Caster needs a round for the ability to take effect.

#### Active Ability | Rupture

A round after casting, all friendlies with less than **8**  explode, dealing armor-ignoring damage to adjacents.

#### Passive Ability | Warp

Randomly adds/subtracts one armor or strength for a few rounds from targets hit by the Stonesinger.
Leaves behind damaging ashes on death.

## Tips & Trivia

* When any stonesinger uses an active ability, their next turn is skipped. This makes for an excellent opportunity window.
* This unit's passive ability, Warp, can yield positive effects. With 1 strength and armor resistance, the bad stuff can be voided entirely.
* Don't be surprised when you find warped stonesingers with red drapes. They have no stat differences.
Tryggvi's Necklace (BS3)

A necklace with matching full and half-moon symbols made of pearl. Tryggvi believes they align to give him luck.

## Stats

* Rank: 8
* Price: -
* Effects: +20% chance of Critical damage; +3 ALL Talent Ranks

## How to get it

* In Chapter 18, you will be approached by Tryggvi. Hear him out 3 times and you will be given the item and a morale boost.
* As far as we can tell, you will still receive this "new" necklace even if you do not have his old one in your possession. If you do, it will be removed.
The Forgotten

A heirloom passed down from a tribal leader, lost in a skirmish that saw them eradicated.

## Stats

* Rank: 11
* Price: -
* Effects: +1 Willpower; +2 Break Talent Ranks; +1 Ranged-attack Distance ; +1 Move
* Passive:
	+ Light Step: Move through, but not stop on, allies.

## How to get it

* May be awarded for finishing the third wave of Battle 24 (Hanging On By A Thread) in Chapter 21.
Stravhs' Whetstone

A sharpening stone made from a silvery ore that will hone a blade beyond its usual limit.

## Stats

* Rank: 5
* Price: free
* Effects: +20% chance to do Critical (double) Strength damage

## How to get it

At Stravhs godstone climb to the top and then look for another piece. Whetstone will be given to you when you finish Silver Arrow.
Vena Doll

Keeping this cat in sight feels reassuring, and nimble enough to do it proud.

## Stats

* Rank: 12
* Price: 20
* Effects: Attacks never Deflect; +30% chance to Divert Armor attacks; +30% to Dodge Strength attacks
* Passive:
	+ Free Roam: Each point of Willpower spend on movement grants +2 Move instead of +1.

## How to get it

* May be awarded for finishing the second wave of Battle 22 (The War For The Wall) in Chapter 21.
* May randomly spawn at a Market.
The Banner Saga 2 races

This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it!
*This article is a stub. You can help Banner Saga Wiki by expanding it.*
The **races** populating the part of the world of *The Banner Saga 2* explored in the second installment of the game are three:

* Human,
* Varl,
* Dredge
* Horseborn

Adding variety to the world was always our plan, however after listening to our community we increased our plan. From an entire new race of Horseborn, powerful bears, creepy skulkers, new humans, new clans, and new bosses, you will get to experience a lot more in battle, encounters and while traveling the dangerous roads.

Evidence of the existence of a fourth race, the Horseborn, who are a cross-breed between humans and horses (or ponies) was revealed in early concept art. They resemble the Greek mythological creatures called Centaurs. Horseborn inhabit the southern regions of the world and are inferred to be generally shy of the other races and somehow related to the overall scarcity of domesticated horses.
Thrasher

The **Thrasher** is a promotion of the Raider. Like the Raider, his passive ability is Shield Wall.

## Active Ability: Bloody Flail

The Thrasher strikes multiple times, randomly hitting his opponent for 1 strength or 1 armor damage. On the last hit, Bloody Flail does damage equal to 1 plus 1 for each ally standing adjacent to him. This last hit will randomly damage strength, armor, or miss completely!

Bloody Flail does direct damage, making it useful even when the Thrasher is near death. For this reason it also does a great job of taking out wounded enemies who still have a lot of armor by bypassing it completely.

**Rank 1**: 4 strikes total (3-7 damage)

**Rank 2**: 5 strikes total (4-8 damage)

**Rank 3**: 6 strikes total (5-9 damage)
Wolves Maw

While wolves can be found throughout Lang Loom Forest, it was their tendency to congregate in the southern half that earned the forest its name and reputation. Every year hunters are paid to thin out the packs, discovering that the wolves migrate counterclockwise throughout the Maw over the course of the year, for reasons that nobody has yet adequately explained.
The Fork

When the varl were building Skrymirstead and fishing from the Silverstone there was a competition to see who could pull in the most fish. Most people know the legend of Skrymir standing at North Tongue and pulling a whale out of the bay using the Worldhook, but not many remember the varl who caught a whale's weight in Silverscale standing at the Fork.
The Red River

Some historians have speculated that the Red River was simply a counterpart to the Blue River, named by unimaginative explorers. Anyone who fought in the first great war could tell you that it's where the varl and mankind came to an impasse, neither side able to get a foothold, the river so full of corpses that it ran red.
Shiver Rock

To the north of Ridgehorn, two long mountains rise out of the Vast like icy spines. To their alarm, varl stationed in Ridgehorn would frequently see dredge appearing on the rocks, somehow emerging from below. Fortunately the dredge cannot swim, and while they are a reminder to remain vigilant, they pose no meaningful threat.
The Rotting Roots

At the south of Swartbog there are a series of rivers so spindly and intertwined that there's little point to naming them individually. The southernmost tangle of waterways is called the Rotting Roots, while the knot of rivers to the east make up the Stankhar Threads, all fed by the Gruin Sea, and all a murky death to the unprepared.
Unused Items

## Description

These items aren't probably in game, judging from their names (itm\_stubX.png) in game files. They were probably placeholders used during development. There are better looking versions of comb (Comb of the Loom Mother), statue (Statue of a Sightless Man) and ring (Tortoise Band) used in game. Ring and shirt can been seen in Relic reward on Kickstarter.
Sculptor's Tools

In the right hands, this obsidian chisel can shape stone as easily as clay.

## Stats

* Rank: 10
* Price: -
* Passive:
	+ +1 Armor Per Turn to Adjacent Allies. Unique to this item.

## How to get it

* Kivi joins the caravan after a battle with Warped enemies in  Strand's great hall in Chapter 17, alongside Alfrun. He comes equipped with this item.
* This item is (effectively) exclusive to the Kickstarter edition of the game.
Warrior

The **Warrior** is the 2-handed axe-wielding Varl base melee unit. He can be recruited from the Mead House. Since he is a starting unit, his stats are already at their peak when he is recruited.

## Passive Ability: Heavy Impact

The Warrior hits so hard that any enemies standing adjacent to his target on a strength attack take 1 strength damage from the shockwave.

Hitting a large target like a Varl or Dredge who takes up four tiles can potentially cause an impact across many more victims than hitting a single-square target such as a human.

## Promotions

After achieving 5 total kills, the Warrior is eligible for promotion to one of the following classes:
Warhawk

Min - Max

The **Warhawk** is a promotion of the Warrior. Like the Warrior, his passive ability is Heavy Impact.

## Active Ability: Tempest

The Warhawk uses his massive weight to sweep his weapon around himself, hitting multiple adjacent targets, friend or foe, for normal strength damage.

Tempest triggers the Warhawk's passive ability, Heavy Impact, which in turn can cause a chain reaction of destruction if used in close quarters. Keeping the Warhawk out of harm's way until late in the fight will maximize his effectiveness.

Tempest hits the selected enemy target plus additional units, friend or foe, moving in a clockwise fashion around the Warhawk. After clicking on the enemy target (and before ticking to confirm the action) the units to be hit are highlighted with the purple-filled tiles.

**Rank 1:** hits up to 2 targets

**Rank 2:** hits up to 3 targets

**Rank 3:** hits up to 4 targets
Training

The **Training Tent** is a building accessed when your caravan is in Camp. The main function of the Training Tent is to play sparring battles so as to better prepare for the real battles to come, as well as to gain kills for promotions.

In the second part of *The Banner Saga*, two more functions were added to the Training Tent

* Complete Training Scenarios, to earn Renown and get to know your Heroes
* Convert Clansmen into Fighters, to better protect your caravan in War.

## Sparring

The Training Tent allows you to test your Party against a team of clansmen of equal power. The enemy team will be randomly composed of Human and/or Varl units, never including one of your Heroes. Knock-outs during training fights will not injure your Heroes nor grant Renown, but they do let you test strategies in safety. In the second part of *The Banner Saga*, you can also collect Kills to promote your Heroes! Moreover, during the mock battle, the caravan trainer will give you hints about playing effectively, and has something to say about each ability. Make sure to test out new Heroes as they join the caravan! Click the "End Training" button, in the Escape Menu or in the south-east of the board, to stop the battle at any time.

## Training Scenarios

In the second part of *The Banner Saga*, Training Scenarios award you with Renown when successfully completed and are unlocked as you progress through the story and/or meet new Heroes. You have access to up to one Scenario at any given time; once you complete it, a new Scenario is unlocked, if you've progressed enough through the story. You can complete each scenario and get the Renown award only once, but you can take as many efforts as you like. In order to complete a scenario, you must fulfill a set of 1-4 predefined objectives, in no particular order. Killing all enemies does not necessarily complete a Scenario. Heroes knocked-out in a Scenario are not Injured.

## Convert Clansmen into Fighters

In the second part of *The Banner Saga*, the caravan trainer offers the option to convert some of your Clansmen into Fighters. This requires a few days, so your caravan must have enough Supplies. Fighters cannot Forage, like the Clansmen, and consume more Supplies. However, they are useful in Wars as they decrease the battle difficulty ('danger') and they limit Clansmen casualties thus granting more Renown.
The Banner Saga 2 characters

For a comprehensive list of all the characters, **Heroes** and **NPC**, encountered in the second part of *The Banner Saga*, please refer to the following pages:

* Saga 2 Heroes
* Saga 2 NPCs

## Characters Preview

Hover on any character to reveal his/her name, and follow link for more information.

* Aleo
* Alette
* Bak
* Bolverk
* Canary
* Dagr
* Derdriu
* Dytch
* Folka
* Gudmundr
* Iver
* King
* Nikels
* Oli
* Ro'Ech
* Rook
* Rugga
* Scathach
* Sparr
* Tryggvi
* Zefr

* Folka - This brawny shieldmaiden has impressed Bolverk, the Ravens’ leader, with her fighting prowess and ability to shape the mercenaries into a more cohesive unit. She tempers Bolverk’s raging offense with cautionary counsel and actually listens to other members of the Ravens - a new concept in their loose management.
* Oli - A Raven mercenary who excels at three things: drinking, swearing, and throwing axes.
* Nikels - Energetic and dedicated, Nikels is a naturally gifted mender willing to help any way he can. Under the tutelage of Valka Zefr, Nikels is learning more about the world on their travels than he ever did in the Tower of Manaharr.
* Canary - The largest tribe of horseborn - the only tribe seen by most humans in this age - is led by this slender, charismatic warrior. She is eager to learn what she can of humans, varl, dredge, and all the ways of the world as it currently stands. Though her actual name is Cainánóiridhe, humans and varl cannot even begin to pronounce it.
* Dagr - Not much is known about Governor Rugga’s bodyguard, including whether the man can even speak. He’s deadly with a blade and does what he’s told which is exactly what keeps him employed.
Yox

**Yox** is a species of animals in *The Banner Saga*.

## Background

Yoxen are woolly mammals who were created by the Loom-mother. Due to their thick hides and fur, they are able to survive in cold temperatures. Yoxen serve as domestic animals for both humans and varls due to their strength, helping in transportation of people and goods by pulling carts. The varls were also created through the melding of human and yox features in fire.

A special breed of the yox is called the "Nautmot Yox", which is bred exclusively in the great plains of Nautmot by the varls and is rare in human provinces. They are highly prized due to being superior than the other breeds.
Warped Borur

Borurs are large, mole-like creatures that dwelled deep within the ground before becoming warped by the Darkness.

## Abilities

 Attack
 Passive

#### Active Ability: Acid Spit

The Borur spews intensely corrosive phlegm at a target with all its might, striking a unit for **2**  + **2**  at range.
Deals additional ARM damage on target's next turn.

#### Active Ability: Maw

The Borur digs itself into the ground, temporarily removing itself from the board and skipping the target's turn,
dealing Corrode damage + **1** .

#### Passive Ability: Corrode

All of the units' attacks deal **2**  damage to targets.
Can move through allies and enemies, hidden in the ground as it moves.
Whenever a borur resurfaces, it deals **2**  to adjacent enemies.

## Tips & Trivia

* In the third part of the Banner Saga, where borurs are first encountered, only warped ones are. With a mass of tentacles covering its face, it's hard to tell what exactly they used to looked like.
Warrior's Beret

One can't help but think unconventionally when wearing this weathered green cap.

## Stats

* Rank: 14
* Price: -
* Effects: Attacks never Deflect; +50% chance of Critical damage; +2 Drawing Aggro; +2 ALL Talent Ranks
* Passive:
	+ Light Step: Move through, but not stop on, allies.

## How to get it

* May be awarded for finishing the second wave of Battle 24 (Hanging On By A Thread) in Chapter 21.
* May randomly spawn at a Market.
Serpent

The **Serpent** is a mysterious being of immense size.

## Recent Events

The Serpent is encountered in Chapters 4 and 5 of the first part of *The Banner Saga*. Its movement in the physical-world causes earthquakes that break mountains, empties lakes and destroys cities. Its first appearance is during the Dredge siege of the the Varl stronghold of Einartoft, where it strikes terror in the hearts of men, Varl and Dredge alike. Even Bellower, the Immortal Sundr, is disturbed and recoils before it. However, the Serpent does not show any open hostility and departs from that scene.

What little information about the Serpent is known is attributed to Juno, a mender of great mental powers, who communicates with it while in a dream-world. The Serpent recognizes her order by its ancient name, the Valka. It proclaims that it is part of a prophecy where it is supposed to destroy humanity during the end of the world; it seems frustrated that an unnamed "Darkness", spreading from the north and driving the Dredge southwards, might beat it to that goal. The Serpent ends the 'discussion' with an unsuccessful attempt to destroy Juno.

In *The Banner Saga 2* he tries to swallow Juno to regain his power taken from him by her resurrection, but is unsuccessful in devouring her. Eyvind stabs him with lightning hundreds of times to recover Juno. This results in him bleeding with his green acidic blood, poisoning and acidifying the water.

In The Banner Saga 3, it is revealed that the Serpent is a creation of the same god who made the Dredge, but unlike them it has no creative impulses or desire to be more than a weapon of his revenge against Loom-mother. It gestated within the Dark Sun that gave light to the underground habitat of the Dredge but was released as half-born when Eyvind utilised the power of the Dark Sun to ressurect Juno. The Darkness is an aspect of its power that it regains control of, giving it the ability to warp other forms of life into its army. It was born prematurely, however, and so can be slain.

## Trivia

A possible inspiration for the Serpent 'character' might be the dragon Níðhöggr, the great dragon who gnaws at the root of the world-tree in Norse mythology. Another likely candidate is Jormungandr, the World Serpent, an immense serpent said to be large enough to wrap itself around the world, who's awakening is supposed to herald the beginning of Ragnarok, the Twilight of the Gods.
Spearmaster

**Spearmaster** is a promoted class stemming from the Spearman base-class, introduced in the first part of *The Banner Saga*.

* The active ability of Spearmaster is called **Impale**.
* Two playable heroes belong to this promoted class: Ludin and Tryggvi.
* Impale is gained by Bak, the Slaughterer-class unit of the second game, when promoted to Rank 6.
* Units of this class have **not** (yet) been introduced in Factions.

## Active Ability: Impale

The Spearmaster skewers an adjacent enemy unit doing normal Strength damage (with 100% chance to hit) before *knocking it back* with a kick to release his spear. Impaled characters will **Bleed** (debuff) for one round, taking 1 Strength damage for each tile of movement. This can be especially deadly if bleeding characters are moved against their will.

* **Rank 1:** Bleed and Knock-back 1 tile
* **Rank 2:** Bleed and Knock-back 2 tiles
* **Rank 3:** Bleed and Knock-back 3 tiles

Notes:

* Knock-back by Impale will **not** push the target *through* other units, unlike Battering Ram or Mule Kick.
* Bleeding damage is **not** received for the tiles knocked-back by Impale's 'kick'.
* Interestingly, Impale is not a *direct* extension of the base-class' passive (Embolden, granting Willpower for kills), as is the case with other "master-class" promoted units (e.g. Raidmaster, Bowmaster, Shieldmaster, Warmaster).

## Playstyle

* Impale is an Armor-bypass damaging ability that can be used in conjunction with displacement abilities (e.g. Battering Ram, Malice or Mule Kick) to cause significant bleeding damage. This is useful against high Armor enemies like Dredge Stoneguard.
* Impale is extremely efficient against Dredge Slingers owing to their *Back Off* passive: After any attack they will (randomly) move three tiles away, thus taking 3 bleeding damage!
The Frozen Tombs

Off the coast of the Silverstone are a series of massive, evenly spaced glaciers, visible from Skrymirstead, which the varl king Skrymir fancied to shape as fitting tombs for himself and his peers. Not long into the carving of the first glacier, as problems started to become rampant, the varl realized what an enormous waste of time the entire endeavor would be and abandoned the project with half the face of Einar carved into the first glacier.
Wallpapers

## Official

* Godstone Hridvaldyr
* Strand

## Fan-made

NOTE: The wallpapers in this section are not fan art. All elements within each image were initially created by Arnie Jorgensen, and merely made into wallpaper format by fans. If you have made a unique wallpaper using official Banner Saga artwork, feel free to post it here. But if the artwork is original, please post it on the fan art page.

* The Banner Saga soundtrack album art (Guðmundr)
* Einartoft (Guðmundr)
* A travel scene which was cut from the game during development (Guðmundr)
* A map which was cut from the game during development (Guðmundr)

## Steam Profile

These are "The Banner Saga" wallpapers available for your Steam user-profile. To use them in your Steam profile, you must purchase them from the Steam Market, trade for them with Steam Friends, or acquire them when crafting a Steam Badge.
Siege Archer

The **Siege Archer** is a promotion of the Archer. Like the Archer, her passive ability is Puncture.

## Ability: Slag and Burn

The Siege Archer targets a tile (not a unit), occupied or not, in her normal attack range of 2-5 tiles. She slags the target-tile and its four adjacent ones and then fires a flaming arrow igniting the 5-tile area and causing an explosion. All units in the 5-tile area, enemies or allies, receive strength damage while the unit occupying the target-tile receives additional armor damage.

After the explosion, burning coals are randomly left on unoccupied tiles of the slagged area. When targeting an unoccupied tile, coals always appear on that central tile. Units who walk over the burning coals take 1 strength damage. The coals burn until the Siege Archer's next turn or until she's killed.

**Rank 1:** 1 armor damage (target unit), 1 strength damage (all units), leaves up to 2 coals

**Rank 2:** 2 armor damage (target unit), 1 strength damage (all units), leaves up to 3 coals

**Rank 3:** 3 armor damage (target unit), 1 strength damage (all units), leaves up to 4 coals
Wyrm's Tear Isle

A sizable chunk of land floating off the east coast, though many would prefer to use the word "oozing." The thick, muddy waters surrounding the isle were named not after sightings of great wyrms so much as the abundant nests of venomous water snakes that can be found here. At one time adventurous types would try to farm the snakes, milking them for valuable poisons, but the trend did not last long.

* Back to Map.
Skrymirstead

Skrymir, the third varl king, was known for his obsession with wiping out the dredge. He expanded past Grofheim, founding a city in his name that soon became abandoned when the frozen land that it was built upon began to crack and splinter. It now lies abandoned and in ruin, half sunken into the Silverstone.
The Horn

The **Horn** is a *greater* magical item that your team is by default equipped with during Battles. It can be seen as the ornate horn hanging at the top of your battle screen. The feat of killing/knocking out an enemy unit fills the horn with one charge, seen as a yellow star that lights up from left to right. To use the horn, click on the big star 'button' on the left near the bell of the horn. If it is already charged with at least one star, you should hear its deep sound and you active character will see his Willpower increased by 1 point.

## Notes

* Each character can use the Horn as many times as he likes during his active turn, before or after moving.
* A character's Willpower can not exceed his/her maximum Willpower.
* The Horn can hold up to five Willpower charges.
* In **Factions** (online PvP game), the number in the peddle hanging above the Horn represents the charges available in the opponent's horn.
* In **The Banner Saga** (single-player game), the face on the peddle hanging above the Horn represents your caravan's Morale, that affects the starting Willpower of your Heroes.

## Willpower Management

* From a strategic viewpoint, the Horn gives an incentive to kill enemy units, replenishing your heroes' Willpower. Those extra points might not seem really important, but they can make the difference between victory and defeat, especially in tight competitive **Factions** matches.
* In **Factions**, where each team has six units, the maximum horn capacity can never be exceeded. However, in the **Saga**, where the enemy team might have more than five units, you should be aware that if the Horn is already full extra kills will not further charge the Horn. To avoid this, make sure you draw Willpower from the Horn before killing any more enemies.

## Trivia

* The Horn is called a 'greater' magic item, in contrast to 'regular' magic items, i.e. the ones encountered in the **Saga**.
* According to the developers, in the future, there will be different Horns will have various 'benefits' that will be activated using similar charges.
Town Leader

While many villages and towns are governed by *chieftains*, others have far less clear leaders. Some may be temporary keepers of the peace, while others have managed to gather small forces under their rule in order to impose their will on their hamlets.

* The leader of an unnamed town near Skogr who finds himself at odds with two farmers, Hogun and Mogun.
The Stankhar Threads

At the south of Swartbog there are a series of rivers so spindly and intertwined that there's little point to naming them individually. The southernmost tangle of waterways is called the Rotting Roots, while the knot of rivers to the east make up the Stankhar Threads, all fed by the Gruin Sea, and all a murky death to the unprepared.
Tournament

Tournaments are separate ladder events that are held weekly, to distinguish the strongest competitive players of *The Banner Saga: Factions*.

Tournament run for five days, from Wednesday 18:00 GMT to Sunday 23:00 GMT, and then are off for two days. Tournament games are played with the Expert Mode (30-seconds timer, +2 Renown per match) activated by default. Only teams with a power level of 12 are currently eligible to enter the tournament, and a weekly fee of **20** Renown is required to register. Tournament matches are limited at 5 per day, but will accumulate over the week, up to 25 matches per tournament.

Tournaments use an Elo rating system, similar to Ranked matches. Victories and defeats in Tournament matches affect both your current-Tournament rating and your all-time rating. The player with the highest current-Tournament rating at the end of the week is the Champion. Rewards include +**200** Renown for first place, +**100** Renown for second place, and +**50** Renown for third place.

## List of Weekly Tournament Champions

**Release:** (see tables below; click on tabs to browse each year)

* 2019
* 2018
* 2017
* 2016
* 2015
* 2014
* 2013