Halstein Varlund

Halstein Varlund is a cleric of Sarenrae who serves as the priest of Sarenrae in the town of Yana in the Grey Valley. Before becoming the town preist he served as a member of the Evershields, an elite branch of The Prime Battalions.

## **Description**

### **Appearance**

Halstein is a 5'11'' human man with short black hair and pale skin. He has light green eyes. His hair is often spiked and he keeps a well maintained goatee on his chin. He has a stab wound on his chest, two blade scars on his back and the symbol of Sarenrae branded into his left shoulder. Typically he wears vestements befitting a priest of Sarenrae, though he casually wears tunics coloured either green or deep red. He has a suit of chain mail armour that he wears in battle.

### **Personality**

Halstein is a very devout and serious man, known to very rarely smile. He is often regarded as silent and aloof by the people of Yana though the percieved aloofness is simply an effect of his time as a soldier. He remains kind and respectful towards his peers, though he often gives fellow Prime Battalions member Cato Sunheart the cold shoulder. He apparently has the ability to commune with Sarenrae much like Williner Farnell once did, through which she offers him guidance for his actions.

## **Biography**

### **Warrior of the Goddess**

Halstein grew up in Westruun in Tal'Dorei and was orphaned at the age of 10 during the Herd of Storms' occupation of the city during the invasion of the Chroma Conclave. He travelled with the refugees to Drynna and found work in the temple of Sarenrae there. He also began recieving formal combat training, desiring revenge and the ability to protect the other refugees. Over the next few years he grew into a promising young recruit for The Prime Battalions, often protecting his fellow refugees from raids made by The Ravagers.

At the age of 18, during the Echoes Crisis he and several other warriors fought in the battle to protect Whitestone from the forces of the Demogorgon and his hordes. Halstein distinguished himself during this fight, fighting through demons despite heavy wounds. This earned him a recruitment into the ranks of the Evershields, the almost mythical band of elite warriors of Sarenrae.

Halstein then served with the Evershields for several years, taking on threats that a regular warrior would be unable to defeat. At some unspecified point during this period, he met and befriended Music, a fellow devotee of Sarenrae. Eventually however, in 840 P.D. at age 35, Halstein retired from the Evershields, instead opting to become a devoted cleric of Sarenrae.

### **Grey Frontier**

In 843 P.D. Halstein recieved a message from Music asking if he would be willing to take her place as the priest of Sarenrae in the town of Yana in the Grey Valley as she was stepping up to become the town Arlessa following the death of the previous arl. Halstein accepted his friend's offer and travelled to Yana, arriving alongside several other new residents including Katie Shan and Shanna. Once he had arrived, he set up in the new temple to the Prime Deities and began communing with Sarenrae, asking her to bless each member of the town. When he asked her to bless Crieff Erhart, he recieved a vision of the red haired doctor in tears beneath a broken statue of the Goddess herself, his clothes bloodied. Sarenrae expressed feelings of regret alongside the vision, though she did not communicate directly with Halstein.

A month after his arrival, Halstein reported to Crieff as the doctor had asked that all Yana residents recieve a health checkup. He quickly and excitably relayed his vision to a stunned Crieff before remembering to introduce himself properly to the doctor. During his checkup, Crieff discovered the wounds Halstein had recieved at Whitestone as well as the brand of the symbol of Sarenrae he bore that denoted his membership to the Evershields. A combination of this discovery and what Halstein had told him about his visions caused Crieff a considerable amount of distress.

## **Relationships**

### **Music**

Halstein and Music are friendly with one another, united in their devotion to Sarenrae and her teachings. They also share a mutual respect as skilled warriors, though neither has a wish to investigate which of them is the better fighter.

### **Crieff**

Halstein is curious about Crieff, due to the visions granted to him by Sarenrae. Crieff had a slight fanboy moment upon discovering Halstein's membership of the Evershields. Halstein's reveal of his visions to Crieff traumatised the doctor severely and led to him wishing to avoid Halstein as much as possible.

### **Sarenrae**

Sarenrae clearly favours Halstein, communing directly with him when she deems it necessary, something she does with very few others, such as Wiliner Farnell and Pike Trickfoot. Halstein has sworn himself to Sarenrae, fighting as part of the Evershields in her name.

## **Equipment**

Halstein wields a vicious longsword with dark sapphires set into the grip. In combat he also wears a set of dark chain mail armour.