Varin

Varin of StoneHeart in 1063AD

*"...in my nightmares I cannot escape. I cannot slay those I have already slain. They haunt my every step, shadow my every word. For when I look back at a life of war, what did I really gain but dead brothers and dead enemies."*

- Varin, Hersir of the VIII Legion reflecting on the Vampiric Wars

**Varin** of StoneHeart is the Hersir of the VIII Legion of Clan Kormak and protégé of Beast Kharne.

## Early Life

Born in 1017AD in StoneHeart, which is south of Dagger Post. As with most people on Reirgaror, they are taught how to fight from a very early age but Varin took to it better than his peers. Varins life was largely inconsequential until early 1034AD when he was attacked by a large group of boys who were unhappy with how Varin was besting them in the mandatory training drills. Varin was able to fight off 8 of the 12 boys but still they defeated him and while they were kicking him on the ground they suddenly stopped when a large man intervened. This man was Beast Kharne, Hersir of the VIII Legion of Clan Kormak. The young boys all ran at the sight of this great warrior, only Varin remained where he was. Beast Kharne saw the potential in Varin and offered him a place by his side. They spent the next 6 years training until the events of 1040AD.

## The Arkney Rebellion

In early 1040AD, Arkney rebels from the Empire of Gerardo and seeks to expand their territory into Eddington. As this begins, Bjorn of Horks Keep was making his way from Arkney to Eddington. Having been caught between two sides of this new war Bjorns fate is unknown. In response, Commander Beast Kharne sends Varin to find Bjorn as a final test of Varins true protentional.

Varin arrives in Arkney a week later and finds the conditions to be horrific. The city has been lost to disrepair and the people look malnourished and weak. After a week of war, the Arkney forces have yet to cross the Red Islands and are bogged down by several castra in their path as well as their numbers are dwindling quickly, they need a new injection of forces quickly. Due to this, Arkney took to recruiting mercenaries by promising them anything they find. This gives Varin his chance to join the Arkney army under the pretence of being a mercenary and get onto the Red Islands to find evidence of Bjorn or where he might have gone.

To ensure no one knows who he is, Varin covers up all the clan markings on his armour but he is still the best equipped mercenary by far which garners him too much attention.

When Varin saw the castrum he would be assaulting he knew that this ship of 150 men had no chance against this fort. These unskilled boys and selfish mercenaries barely were a pathetic excuse for an army. The ship landed out of the range of the castra catapults and met up with the remaining forces left after several failed attempts at assaulting the castrum.

The first day Varin was kept at camp much to the dismay of his fellow soldiers and the Arkney soldiers failed again to breach the castrum. The second day, the general in charge (who was a former Centurion) decided to send the remainder of his forces at the fort. Varin notices that a few of the conscripts are following him but not too closely. These young boys noticed the Clan markings on Varins armour in the brief moment the covering slipped. Knowing that Varin is clearly the most competent warrior here despite his young age kept these boys close as almost everyone thought that they were being sent to their death.

The first wave is hit hard by the catapults within the castrum but they make it to the walls. Once they are rained upon by arrows they are forced to retreat and regroup despite having lost so much just to reach the walls. It is at this moment that Varin takes charge. He couldn't stand idly by and watch these people killed due to incompetence. He calls out the weak points on the wall that could allow for men to climb up if given enough time. He convinces the men to return to the camp and prepare for a midnight attack. It's at this time that the general confronts Varin and orders him arrested but nobody moves, Varin pushes him aside and continues with his plan.

At midnight the attack begins. Varin and 10 of their best men are to get as close as they can without being seen while archers get into range. Once Varin begins to climb the wall, he needs to get up as fast as he can to protect those climbing behind him and then open the gate together before they can get swarmed by the imperial soldiers within the castrum. Varin climbs fast and quickly kills the sentries atop the wall; as the remaining men climb up behind him a long blast from a horn is heard from the castrum indicating they know they're there now. Coincidentally enough, this horn is also the signal for the archers to begin their attack. Varin and his men fight to the gate losing only 1 man. The gate needs 4 men to open, leaving only Varin and 5 men to defend them. In the minute it took to open the gate, all 5 men were killed and Varin defended the men opening the gate by himself until the Arkney men came swarming through the now open gate. it wasn't long until the imperial soldiers surrendered and castrum was taken.

The next morning, the remaining Arkney forces and Varin set sail again to meet up with their other forces to begin the attack on Eddington. All the men who fought with Varin swore to not reveal who he really is when they reach the main Arkney forces.