Jason the Brave

Jason the Brave as he was known before kingship then after the great War of Two he was made king by Solomon the Wise, and the helm of the high was crafted by both Jace True Silver as he was known then and Solomon. This was the middle and the glory days of his life but his youth and his elder days were almost equally great.

### Beginnings of a King

As a child Jason was born into the family of commoners in the year 492 AD, his father was a hunter and his mother was a nurse. So in his early teens he would go hunting with his father in the outskirts of Solitude mastering the bow and feeding the family. But when he was at the age of 17 his father died when they were hunting a boar. After this he had to support his family by himself which although he had partially done before the sudden loss of his father was overwhelming for him and so after the boar he stayed home for two months never leaving.

Then one day he left, he left to do what he had to do, to hunt and to feed his family. This was his life until when he came to be 20 his mother died of an illness that she had got from one of her patients. Then Jason left, left never to return in a long time. He made a name for himself in the south-lands and then went to see the world for himself.

### The South Ranger

The events that follow take place sometime around 515 AD

As his job he decided to become a bounty hunter, searching the land to bring justice to the unjust and to right what others had wronged. He first only took bounties from Solitude but it made him sick as he was constantly reminded of his parents and so he left, first to Gondolin to work, when he arrived he learnt of a man named Jace Bandits' Bane and saw him out, searching for him. Then one day when he stumbled across a group of bandits he drew his bow and loosed his arrows, hitting them and taking them out with precision but they were gaining on him for they could run faster than he could shoot and soon were upon him but just in the nick of time a man with a great sword charged in dismembering the bandits.

"Well done archer, you have felled many foe today." He said

"Well thank you and you too had done quite well, saving me just in time." Answered Jason.

"Well my name is Jace and it has been a great meeting you, but really I must be on my way." He said

"Wait, let me come with you and together we can right the wrongs of what has been done." Asked Jason

"Well come with if you may, and we shall let our names be known to all the scum that lurk here." Answered Jace

"And my name is Jason, now let go."

They were bounty hunters and partners from that day on, after that they cleared every bandit nest and fought every brigand together. This was what helped forge such great relations with the Mehari in the Green Vale and also why so many people came to the Empire's aid when they were in their last stand. This friendship between the two of them was so important that it was also what made them so famous in the south lands, two dauntless and brave men facing of against all the unjust that lurked in the lands. In fact if Jason had not made a name for himself he would have never met Solomon and became King Thalias.

A famous story was when he and Jace together faced of a hundred bandits that lay in an ambush to take them by surprise and here the story goes,

The sun was russet and gold, it was setting in the horizon and could be seen from the balconies and high walls of Gil-Taren. There in the great keep with its white halls and grand throne, the two of them stood before the Lord of the city Decor Rex. With them they had brought the head of the bandit chief that was tasked with them, another glorious feat done by them, for this was the twelfth this month and the lords in the region had became extremely impressed with their work. Decor being the lord that ruled the land and had heard from his barons of what the two men had done he tasked them with an almost impossible task and now they were back for their reward.

Two thousand Aurums for the man's head and they had received that fine payment, Jace would normally spend his money on resupplying as did Jason but with such a fund they could buy almost any thing, and so after a weeks' ride to Gondolin they bought a smithy and extra space to be turned into an armory. This would serve as the beginning of Beornseuld hall. They had taken a break from their work and decided to rest in an inn for the night and when they awoke in the morning they set out to find another bounty.

Seven hundred Aurums for Oris the Butcher. Now that was a fortune and a bounty worth collecting, the early morn of the next day, when the sky was blue and the birds chirped wondrous tunes did they set out. On the road they traveled and into the eaves of the forest that lay in front of them. The day was peaceful and it would be ideal for a hunt but they had to focus on the task at hand. Then after an hour or so when they had wandered through the woods enough did they see a sacked caravan and a wounded merchant bleeding near by. Quickly they had rushed over to help the man, only to discover the truth of the scene.

"Sir, what happened are you hurt?" Asked Jason,

"You fools! their in the woods quickly run!" He coughed up blood and just as he died the woods came to life and a hail of arrows came forth. But wasting no time the two had already taken cover behind the toppled wagon, Jace looked over the side and saw a great number of brigands approaching, there would be a fight and a tough one at the very least. Drawing his sword and reading himself, Jace prepared to charge and meet his foe. But Jason was already on the job loosing arrows that found their marks in the chests of those bandits.

Jace charged out swinging his sword from side to side taking down each one before they could deliver their strikes. He blocked them with his sword and then would proceed to swing low cutting their at their legs before striking at their necks then all of sudden the fighting stopped, Jason was out of arrows and Jace had felled the last bandit, they turned away to find a place to hold up but before they could do so shouts came from within the woods and then before they could get of the road another band of enemies came. Jace once more drew his sword and Jason his and together they charged their ranks, side to side they fought watching each other as they took on the heavy burden of the force they faced, each one of them falling to the superior swordsmanship of Jace and they could never lay a hand on any of them because Jason would always be quick to block their blows.

Then the dust had settled, unnumbered bodies lay on the ground, the two turned to look at each other. It was time for them to go, but before they left they buried the body of the merchant that had saved their lives and with him they left a sack of coin. Then they walked into the unknown after all someone had to claim that bounty.

They continued to live like this hunting bandits and for their meals. Making a name for themselves, Jace Bandit Bane and Jason True Shot. They were together until the day they were ambushed by brigands that separated them. As they made camp and cooked a rabbit that they had recently hunted Jason heard a rustle in the bushes, he edged for his bow as Jace's hand strayed towards his sword, but nothing happened and nothing came. They let their guard down and began to eat, then and arrow knocked Jason's plate out of his hand and twenty or so brigands came upon them. Drawing his sword Jace charged up as Jason loosed arrows at his foe, then from no where, or no where known to him Jason was hit with a club and knocked into the river.

When he woke he did not recognize where he was but there above him were three dwarves quarreling about what to do with him. Then came a bearded old man with a staff,

"I'll take it from here, go on now." He said. "I am Solomon and also the man that saved you from death."

His meeting with Solomon had taken place sometime around 519 AD

### Master and Disciple

It was three months in, the second of Leaf Fall. The mountains provided a beautiful view of green valleys bellow. They have have been in the highlands but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the view. It was early in the morn and the Jason enjoyed the peaceful sunrise more than anything, he did because it was the only time he could have some peace, read a book and have some peace. This was because everything after sunrise was ruined by the bickering of dwarves, not only that but the long days' training lead by Solomon had proved extremely tiring. By now Jason had learnt a great sum of dwarven lore taught to him by Solomon, not only that but he had become more adept with the sword, becoming an even more skilled fighter.

This was the day he was to learn about the heritage of the south, after all that was where he had hailed from. The ancient line of kings that was broken is a mystery that needed to be solved and with the feudal kingdoms of the south a ruler to unite the land was most needed. It was a privilege to be taught, especially for someone who was a commoner, even more so for those fished out of streams, but as the days passed the lore of man and the legends of yore became known to Jason. This was the year 521 AD and are supported by documents written by king Thalias himself.

Jason had always been a hunter, from his youth to now he had used a bow but the sword was something to master, and so Solomon taught him, and he had one expectation, to be the best. Constantly the dwarves arrogant as they were would challenge Jason and always he would beat them. The way of the sword had always been in the tradition of Southern families, the skill to use a sword and willingness to take up arms was in the blood of every south man as they had always defended their homes and what was rightfully theirs.

One day he had got word that a man by the name of Jace had faced of against a horde of Goblins and won, now he was leading troops to clear them out! After Jason had heard of this, he was eager to meet this Jace, seeing that he had always wanted to find out what his former partner had been up to in the time they were separated (it had already been two years) and would have liked to meet him again. However Jace was on the south side of the mountain and he was further northward and it would have been difficult to have met up with him. Their meeting was not confirmed or denied as different accounts by dwarves and their descendants differ.

In his time there he had learnt much about the nature of dwarves and their politics, nothing beyond the edges of the mountains concerns them unless it was headed for them next. The only foreign interactions they were interested in was trading for food and supplies as they could not grow enough food to supply their entire population. Other than that the search for Mithril and the fight with cave trolls and goblins were the only other concern of theirs. Mercenary soldiers could be hired and were occasionally seen fighting other than that little use of dwarven armies were utilized outside of the mountains.

Despite constantly being surrounded by forges and smithies Jason had never delved into the concept of smithing and metal work (unlike Jace his former partner) instead he had stuck to his books and tales of yore. Four years had passed and under the training of Solomon Jason had grown to be skilled with the blade, swift and deadly. Alas it was time for him to leave the mountain and seek out his own destiny and see the world. Not the one south but north, in the green vale and beyond the fair steppes, there he would go and he would not return until seven years had passed and his longing for home had grown too great.

It had been a long day, the skies was a golden colour and the son was setting, the silver light of the moon could almost be seen but the lands that lay beyond the mountain and into the north were still shrouded. A man stood there and stared into the distance, he was silent and embraced the great mountain view, but still he knew had had to leave, to go where he now gazed upon.

His journey to the north was not because of his hearts desire but because of Solomon's advice, as he had told him many seasons ago that he had to pass the trials in the north and suffer the frozen wastes from beyond, then when his heart had been frozen and made hard by the unrelenting force in the north he was to come back south, he was to return home so that his heart may melt and be borne anew, only then would he be a new man someone worthy of kingship. In the north no man knew who he was, no man had heard of his deeds, but all men would soon know the king in the south.

As Jason saddled his horse, and prepared to leave, Solomon approached him. He had with him a long sword wrapped in cloth, he looked up at Jason and handed it to him.

"This is yours now, a parting gift."

He unsheathed it and saw that it was made from Mithril and had a mountain arbor handle that was line with Valerian steel, it shone argent like the moon and was lighter than most blades of its size. It cut clean and would hit its targets true, a weapon to be renowned and one that would be known to all people north, east, south and west.