Stetsed

## I. Introduction

Stetsed is a traveller, originating from the Northern parts of Scandinavia born to a small family of 3. And could never dream that he would one day become on the most powerful warriors in the area and become the emperor of an Empire.. The German Empire. However this journey was not without great losses, and great triumphs.

## II. Growing up

He grew up in a simple life, helping his parents maintain the little livestock they had to be able to survive in the harsh weather, but for him the cold felt like home. He was taught German by his Mother and Swedish by his father. He was taught hunting by his Father while his mother who was a medic taught him how to heal even severe wounds.

He enjoyed his life and always enjoyed going around and hunting, his favorite time of year was in the early spring when the snow would shine from the sun reflecting off it. When he was hunting nothing else was in his mind, all he could think about was his position and that of his pray. By hunting he was able to provide the family with more meat then they had from the Father especially after an injury he had when Stetsed was 12 which caused Stetsed to become the main hunter.

## III. Tragedy at 16

When Stetsed was 16, something would happen which would change his entire life.When he was out collecting the eggs from the chicken coup, he noticed three men he had never recognized approaching the house. So he took out his bow and arrow and observed, they knocked on the door but nobody answered as the other family members where out at the lake doing fishing. He took his bow and aimed it at the largest man’s head and let it rip with all his power and it hit him just below in the sholder in his arm and you could hear a ear piercing scream.

The men immediatley took out there swords and looked around trying to find Stetsed, who had olready fled into the dense trees giving him an advantage. He sees the men frantically looking around. Stetsed decided to leave the Area for now as he knew he couldn’t take on all three of the men at this time even though one was hurt. So he went to the only other place he could, the cave which he spent a lot of time in.
Stetsed decided to sleep inside of the cave, when he woke up he saw the sun rising through the cave enterance.

He decided to head back to his house but what he saw would be ingrained in his memory for all time. He saw his family’s body’s on a pile before the front door, the rest of the house seemingly being looted. He tried to wake them up, he shook them so hard trying to wake them up be he realised that they had died.He was so mad at himself, if he had been there he could have helped them defend the house.

He had assumed that they would have stayed at the fishing hole longer so the men would have gone away but they had seemingly come back after they heard the screech from the men. And those men had killed them and looted the house. While holding his mother he vowed that if he ever found the people who did this he wouldn’t kill them, he would torture them until they begged for it. But he knew that due to them taking the animals which where there it wasn’t sustainable to keep living there as there weren’t enough sources of food as the fishing hole wouldn’t provide for everything he needed.

## IV. Travel down South pt. 1

2 weeks after Stetsed left his home he arrived in a moderatly sized village in southern Finland, it was bigger than Stetsed had ever seen as he was used to the only small village which was next to there house where he would go sell the left over meat he would buy. He had some of his remaining meat on him which he sold to one of the vendors for some of the local currency.

He next went over to the Bar as he was still infuriated by what had happened to his mother and knew that he needed to have a moment to calm down. He sat down and ordered a Beer, when a man approached him and sat down. The man had a hood which obscured most of his face but stetsed could clearly see he had quiet some armour on from under his cloak.

The man asked Stetsed what he was doing here, Stetsed decided to explain what had happened. The man seemed to be confused and slightly angered by the news. He explained that in that area there where only two gangs which would attempt such a blatant attack during day, and only one which had three men. He told Stetsed to follow him, as he needed to show him something.

Stetsed knew that there was something off about this man but decided to follow him anyway quickly finishing his beer. The man leads Stetsed down an alley and into a small house, with the walls being lined with all sorts of weaponry from crummy swords to masterfully crafted blades.

## V. Training by Sword Master

The man explained that he was a Sword Master, and that he knew he would have to train Stetsed so that he could take revenge as right now he could not do that. Stetsed was insulted and said he could handel himself and that he severly injured one of the men.

The man looked at Stetsed with a sly laugh and said, “Well if you think you can do it, then try to fight me. Grab one of the swords which you like and try to strike me”. Stetsed grabs one of the swords which was similar to his fathers and with a swift lunge tries to attack the man. But as if the man was the wind himself he dashed out of the way and quickly knocked the sword out of his hand.

“I do have to admit, I am slightly dissapointed in that. I expected more.” Stetsed was shocked by what had happened, the few times he had fought his father or people in the village he was able to easily defeat them. But he understood that he hadn’t ever fought somebody who was skilled in combat.

Over the next 3 weeks he would be trained by the Sword Master in all arts of combat, and would steadily but rapidly improve in skill. After 3 weeks the Master said that he thought it was time for Stetsed to continu his journey, as he had tought him everything he knew. Stetsed agreed and grabbed his stuff and continued on his journey.

Before leaving the door Stetsed asked one final question, you said you knew what gang it was, but you refuse to tell me who. He said he wouldn’t tell me who as he had a plan for them, and not to worry they would die slowly and very painfully. Stetsed wanted to protest but knew from the past few weeks there was no point so he decided to start moving.

## VI. Travel down south pt. 2

For the next 3 years Stetsed would slowly move south, where the weather kept getting warmer. And every town he found he would try to find another combat trainer and would learn as much as he could, eventually though he became good enough where there where no challengers. Stetsed realised how much he had improved since that first day with the Master.

Stetsed became a master in combat, being able to defeat even the toughest opponents from any city. But he kept training and kept moving down south to find somewhere he could finally call home again, after all that had happened up north. The travel was slow and sometimes tiring but he continued moving only stopping for rest, food and training.

Eventually ending up in the later to become German Empire, where he setup a small semi-permanent camp to call home while he hunted for food which he cooked over the small flame to avoid detection. There was a small town near his camp which the locals called “Helsingberg” from the interactions which he had with the they where a very proud people. And another one which was called “Berlin” with the same type of culture.

## VII. Deciding to challenge the king

It’s a cold winter morning in the North of what would later become the German Empire. The Area is completley quiet except a few cows and sheep who are graising the grass, the sun is slowly coming over the horizon. Then suddenly from the top of the trees an arrow comes flying out, hitting one of the cows who was graising on grass in the head killing it instantly after a loud cry. Immediatley all of the other animals run away and it becomes quiete again. We see Stetsed coming from the tree, covered in armour and brandishing a sword with a bow and arrow on his back.

We see Stetsed start to take the meat from the cow and putting it into his backpack while he slowly takes the rest of it till there is only really a carcus left. We see some birds circling above the carcus waiting to be able to take whatever scraps are left. Once Stetsed has taken seemingly every piece of meat he can we see him slowly lumbering back into the trees out of sight. We see that he has made a small camp covered on all sides with trees and see him unloading the meat into a cooker while he sits staring at the flames.

He seems to be talking to himself, that he can’t always live like this. He had recently acquired a book from one of the traders in Helsingberg detailing the history of the city and it’s traditions which he got for trading away some cooked meat he had acquired.

The book confirmed what he had olready suspected, Helsingberg and it’s sister city of Berlin are both cities of honor and respect which give you power. And there was an old Legend that whoever slays the king in a duel of Death may take his place and rule till his own. Stetsed stared into the flames and knew what this ment, if he was able to defeat the current king in combat he would become the king himself and rule both cities and finally have real power.

Stetsed was an experienced fighter, over the years he had been trained by the best fighters he could find in every city he passed and everytime he became better and better up to a point where there where no more fighters he could fight who could best him in sword combat. He knew that he could most likley defeat the current king, and then he would have real power for the first time.

## VII. Challening the King

Stetsed prepared his gear and decided to have a full meal as he would need all the energy he could get. Once he was ready he got out of his camp and started heading over to Helsingberg. It was not a long journey to the town and he knew the path due to him sometimes going there to trade the meat he would collect for other materials. Once he arrived he got some weird stares, it wasn’t really normal to be wearing full combat gear while normally walking in the city. Once he arrived at the hall gate’s he asked the guards to speak to the king.

They where unsure of what to do but let him in and he saw the king sitting on his chair having his lunch while having his advisors give him his daily briefing. The king asked Stetsed what he was doing here, and Stetsed spoke “I Stetsed, Challenge you to a Duel of Death for the leadership of the town.”. The king just laughed and Stetsed got confused. “So you think you can actually win, I assume you know about the tradition from the books but I don’t think you know about the recent history” the king said.

“I have fought many travellers such as yourself, I have lost count. And every one of them have lost against me, so I implore you to reconsider whoever you are” he continued. Stetsed stayed silent for a little bit, he didn’t know if this was true but he knew that this was his chanch so he said “I shall not reconsider, do you accept the challenge” to which the king smerked and said he did.

He exited the hall with the king behind him and they walked out towards the square where the news had gotten quickly that there was a challenger for the seat. Stetsed got onto the platform and brandished his sword, with the king going to the opposite side with his armour and sword which seemed to have a lot of marks of use as if he had fought and army by himself and decided not to get it repaired.

## VIII. Defeating the King

One of the advisors came up and gave them the rules, “Today, one of you shall die. Whoever is alive in the end shall become the new king of Helsingberg and our sister city in Berlin.” Once he said that he took out a bell and got off the platform, and after a countdown of five seconds he struck it and the king came charging in. Stetsed however was completley calm and entered a sense of determination, all his training had come up to this moment.

Stetsed opened his eyes and immediatley ducked out of the way of the kings blow and dragged his sword over the kings left arm which connected causing some minor bleeding. The king returned with a direct hit on his chest armour which blew the wind out of Stetsed. He had clearly underestimated his opponent, but also gained respect for him as he was a king not only a rich arogant prat but a fighter who would not cower away from a fight.

Next Stetsed and the King both trade blows which cause minor damage and they both block them with there armour but then the king makes a fatal mistake. Stetsed sees that one of the hinges on his front helmet got popped off, which allows stetsed to with one swift blow knock of his helmet which shocks the king but he immediatley returns a very heavy blow to Stetseds helmet but it survives. Stetsed then with one final stroke with all his force killing the king who hit the floor with a loud thump.

## IX. Proclaiming the German Empire

The crowd was shocked, clearly this king had survived so many battles they forgot that he was still only a mortal and could lose. But then the crowd erupted in cheers, the advisor came up and announced “The duel of Death has a new winner, our new king is Stetsed!!!”. And then oriented himself towards Stetsed and bowed down and said “Welcome King”.

Stetsed faved his hand which made everybody go quiet, “For far to long I have seen both this town and our sister town of Berlin develop at a slow pace. We shall no longer be two seperate cities, we shall unite under one name. The GERMAN EMPIRE!!!”. The crowd cheered and Stetsed looked at all of them and realised he finally knew where he belonged, the new Emperor of the German Empire had his place to live and grow.