Dark Fang

## Notes

A sadistic member of the Timekeepers of the Ice Cap; known also as the Master of the Black Ice Ort; responsible for the torture of Svern

**Dark Fang** was a male Polar Bear, or *Ursus maritimus*, and a Rouger to the Timekeepers of the Ice Cap. A monster of a bear with more than a touch of evil, Dark Fang was most distinguishable for the oddly long tooth which was both venomous and of a near-black texture, which his name was derived from. Dark Fang was responsible for the torture and permanent scarring of Svern, yet ironically was thrown to his death by this same victim in a battle to the death.

## Physical Description

Dark Fang was a heavily-built Polar Bear who's fur, though as white as any of his kind, was mottled with scars, at least across the snout. His eyes were of a red colouration, but the most distinguishable marking Dark Fang bore was the source of his name — a long tooth so oddly dark in texture it was nearly black.

## History

### Prior to the Book

Much of Dark Fang's early life is swathed in mystery, but he is best known to have had been born — or "gifted" in the eyes of some — with a single tooth that stood out among his fangs for not only its unusually long length, but also for its texture, which was one of near pitch black. This fang, in addition, was said by some to be armed with a poison that was as deadly as the venom of a frost viper. Dark Fang had at least one brother and when they came of age, both Dark Fang and his sibling eventually joined the Bears of the Ice Clock as Rougers.

Whilst his brother rose to the rank of Captain, Dark Fang rose even further to become the unofficially-proclaimed Rouger *of* Roguers — one of the most feared and sadistic of the Grand Patek's followers and an expert in torture techniques, even becoming known as the 'Master of the Black Ice Ort', as the Timekeepers' torture chambers was also known as. Dark Fang's time as a Roguer left his face a battlefield of scars, yet despite these skills, the large majority of Dark Fang's power lay in his dull though twisted mind, brute strength and ruthless power in combat and he was neither fast, not a skilled tracker and was barely adequate at best when it came to hunting.

Following the capture of himself and Nicco, the infiltrator Svern, leader of the rebel clique, was sentenced to torture at the paws of Dark Fang, who apparently forced the legendary rebel to watch and listen as he tortured other bears given to him for torment before finally turning his attention to Svern himself, burning off his ears and leaving him with deformed skin where his ears had once been. Shortly after this scarring however, Svern was able to escape, killing his guard in the process, leaving Dark Fang furious and disgraced in the eyes of his master, the Grand Patek.

### *The Den of Forever Frost*

In answer to news of growing rebellion to his rule building within the Northern Kingdoms, the Grand Patek dispatched Dark Fang to redeem himself of his past failings and venture south with the soul mission to discover and massacre the rebels, no matter what they were or where they hid.

The evil hunt eventually led Dark Fang to the Firth of Uthermere, where he picked up on the scent of an old victim and long nemesis — Svern, the same bear who's escape had left Dark Fang shamed — and pursued him. Despite the wild goose chase Svern had tried to led the Rouger on, Dark Fang somehow was able to track the once revolutionary leader, in spite of his mediocre skill set when it came to tracking, predict where his and Svern's paths would cross and successfully got ahead of Svern, lying in wait behind a stand of trees of birch.

Emerging from his hiding place as Svern entered his line of sight, as he prowled forwards, casting a shadow despite the little moonlight lit the world, Dark Fang permitted his lips to draw back from his jaws as he declared himself to have been awaiting Svern's arrival, only to recieved nothing but an evenly spoken reply in which Svern jeering taunted him for his failing to kill him when last they met, insulting his namesake feature in the process. Snarling wordlessly as he readied to charge, as the fiend and his foe fought, Dark Fang, dull in mind as well as in morality, continued only to deliver more than a dozen blows than never even struck Svern, let alone wounded him, thanks to the latter's dance-like way of fighting which left Dark Fang throwing useless blows, even when Svern was right before his snout, slipping in and out of the black-fanged Rouger's range of attack. Unable to comprehend why he was not already standing over a slain body, Dark Fang's bewilderment only fuelled his anger as he realised he was losing the advantage of strength to an enemy who had yet to throw even a punch at him and was taunting Dark Fang as they fought. Blind with wild rage that he, who thought himself as the inflictor of pain itself, was facing an opponent who was not even striking back, the first of the blood Dark Fang drew was by pure accident when a flailing paw slashed over Svern's face. Rising in gleeful triumph, unaware he was dooming himself in the process, Dark Fang was suddenly charged by Svern with such force that it unbalanced the red-eyed monster and sent him, now howling with gear, plummeting over the precipice that lay behind him and crashing to the floor of the ravine, leaving only a bloodied, mangled corpse, his infamous tooth shattered besides him.

### *The Keepers of the Keys*

The late Master of the Black Ice Ort was mentioned by his brother as he spoke Byornyk after they captured Svern, the Captain expressing his vengeful delight that he had at his mercy the bear responsible for Dark Fang's death, which the Captain desired to avenge.