Vayon

In Vayon’s veins flows the blood of the First Men. His long hair is soft and black, and his dark-grey eyes matched. His pale-skin is without blemish and his features are strong and sharp, and his chin scarcely bears any facial hair. Vayon’s build is lean and quick, but without much strength.

## Biography

Vayon was born to lowly clansmen in the Northern Mountains. They were good warriors, and good parents, but they didn’t spend much time with their child. Things were going well for the clans, and their population was booming. Because of this, they soon realised that they didn’t have enough huntsmen, nor enough fishermen to feed every mouth in the clan, so at only three years of age, Vayon was left in Winter Town, alongside his elder sister.

When Vayon’s sister was off stealing food, Vayon didn’t play with other children his age. Instead, he made friends with the dogs and cats, and the occasional bird. After all, the other children’s parents knew where Vayon came from, and they didn’t want their children associating with the abandoned child of clansmen.

As Vayon befriended the animals of the slums of Winter Town, he soon learned that he was different than the other children. He could bond with animals even beyond friendship. When no-one was looking, he could enter the mind of the birds high above the town, scurry around as a rat, and sometimes he could even bend cats to his will. But the best beast for him, Vayon found out, was his canine companion. After a long day in Winter Town, Vayon found himself seeing from the hound’s mind as he dreamt, and their bond only grew.

On the boy’s twelfth nameday, or thereabouts, Vayon waited for his sister to return, but she didn’t. By the end of the week, Vayon knew that it was just him, alone and fending for himself.

Thievery became easy with the control of his animals, though he didn’t enjoy it. Whenever he could, Vayon would put on small shows with his animals for the children of Winter Town, bringing in some spare coin. He much preferred using his own coin, rather than eating stolen food.

Years passed, and men began speaking more and more of the civil war in the North. Vayon personally knew many men who had gone one day and lost their lives in pointless skirmishes. Vayon didn’t want that, and fled from Winter Town on his sixteenth nameday, when he was legally an adult.

As he fled from his home, his hound and a bird of his with him, he met a companion who was travelling to the same destination as him; the Wall. His new companion, Beren, was a kinslayer and murderer, fleeing his own home. Vayon told his friend of his past, how he was an orphan and how he wanted to go to the wall to escape the civil war. The two bonded over their troubles, and were stronger because of them.

On the way to the wall, the pair often hunted together and sparred together, using a pair of stolen swords. Vayon was a natural, despite his lack of physical strength. He used his lean build to dart around Beren, ducking and dodging between his swings, though he could never match Beren with the bow. Vayon didn’t need to match him, using his dog to hunt whenever he needed, but he was sure to hide his ability from his new friend.

After a little more time on the road, the Wall was in sight. Vayon had successfully fled one war, but was diving head-first into another - one that wouldn’t be so easy to escape.

## Timeline -

282 AA - Vayon is born.

285 AA - Vayon is left in Winter Town with his elder sister.

289 AA - Vayon befriends various animals, and in doing so, develops his skinchanging abilities.

294 AA - Vayon’s sister dies, he learns how to fend for himself by stealing with his animals and putting on shows for extra coppers.

298 AA - Vayon leaves Winter Town to escape from the Northern civil war, meets Beren and begins sparring and hunting with him. They arrive at the wall.

## NPCs -

* Dart, small bird.
* Ash, hound.
* Marrow, wolf.
* Nightwing, hawk.