Frostbiter

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The sword frostbiter is a weapon of legend. As such it is steeped in the lore of the heroes who carried it.

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When Njalgrim walked the earth, the Trygvaar tribe acknowledged Njalgrim’s line as a great ally of their tribe, though more out of awe than love. One Hrothwulf was such a Trygvaar who swore service and loyalty to Njalgrim and was his companion. Njalgrim’s death was the result of betrayal by Hrothwulf. He had seen the power of Njalgrim’s sword, Frostbiter, and coveted the sword. In his final adventure, Njalgrim took his party out to avenge the predations of the giant Bergelmir. Njalgrim tracked the giant and finally came upon him at Loki’s Pass in the high hills. Njalgrim confronted the giant and he and his companions fought the giant. The battle was most desperate and several good men fell that day to Bergelmir’s spear. When the giant fell dead, only Njalgrim, Hrothwulf, and Hrothwulf’s brother, Vilhjelm remained on their feet. As Njalgrim went about attempting to revive those who were not slain, Hrothwulf stabbed Njalgrim in the back and followed up with a few more blows. Njalgrim tried to defend himself, but to no avail.

Hrothwulf returned and won leadership among the Trygvaar and argued against friendship with the settled people of Gundviir and the Halskorrik tribe. The Trygvaar abandoned their alliance and returened to raiding their neighbors and it is said that Hrothwulf grew rich, though there are no accounts that he ever discovered the full use of sword, Frostbiter. Greedy for its power in the next life, Hrothwulf was buried with Frostbiter.

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Aethelwulf is mentioned in some other saga’s and there are references to a song of Aethelwulf, though that tale is unknown today. Most of what we know of him is pieced together from other stories and what seems to be a short summary of his own saga. Aethelwulf discovered that the druid of his tribe was no servant of Erik, but worshiped Kriesha instead. This revelation divided the tribe, for the winter druid had been popular, had helped many people, and healed many sick. Aethelwulf was zealous for Erik and accepted no excuses on the ice priestess’ behalf. Though she was now in hiding from the other druids, she lurked near the tribe hoping to recover her position in the tribe by defeating Aethelwulf. Aided by an augury from the gifted sage Osmund, Aethelwulf, a cunning tracker, took to the woods, his second home, and began a game fo cat and mouse with the winter druid which lasted the whole winter. Several times they encountered one another in stalemate before Aethelwulf proved victorious. Throughout the rest of his life, Aethelwulf hunted those devoted to Kriesha.

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When Hoguns began settling Gundviir between the court at Veikanger and the Hjarring River, the Trygvaar found it easier to raid their neighbors than to hunt the open lands for game. The Rjurik who settled abandoned the practice of the raid and took up trade instead. The Trygvaar retained their nomadic ways and and became more aggressive raiders. Varrig lead many of the Halskorrik tribe into settled life and was acknowledged by the King of the Hoguns in exchange for responsibility to defend the Gundholm hills against Trygvaar and goblins who lived beyond. Settlement meant that Varrig’s people had to stay at their houses and tend their animals and farms. Varrig and his few karls took up these significant duties alone. No matter which village the Trygvaar attempted to raid, Varrig rushed to their defense and thwarted the raiders. Karls from every village begand joining Varrig a month at a time in service. In three climactic battles, Varrig defeated the Trygvaar and at a hill known to the elves as “Bree,” he defeated the Trygvaar chief in single combat. The Trygvaar abandoned aggressive raiding and remained quieter for some time.

Varrig believed that the best defense for Gudviir would be to build a defensive point west in Valkheim. The King of the Hoguns was dubious of such a plan and wanted to avoid antagonizing his nomadic subjects. Varrig convinced the king to give him a chance. Varrig organized a group of volunteers to settle in Valkheim and met with the leaders of the Halskarrik, Jarnkaspel, and Aegilsgaard tribed. He promised that the town he proposed would not be the start of full settlement of the province as Gundviir and Djaalfund were settled. Rather, he argued, to present a permanent trade post and fort to fend off goblins and other dangers. He won the support of the nomadic tribes and settled opposite the best route east into Gundviir. After the settlement survived its second winter, the King of the Hoguns made Varrig the Jarl of Valkheim. His settlement, now known as Varrik, is still visited by nomadic Rjurik for trade and its defenses are also well known.

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Karena was a diplomat and skald who later took on the mantle of her ancestor Aethelwulf. She served in the court of the King of the Hoguns as well as in the musters of her brother, the Jarl of Valkheim. When the Jarl’s party was attacked by winter druids and their followers, Karena rallied the stunned guards, exorted them to victory and personally defeated the lead druid. The Jarl gave her the ancestoral weapon, Frostbiter, and she toured not only her brother’s province, but all of Hogunmark preaching the history of the Rjurik and their long connection with the summer druids of Reynir and Erik. Often times she was called upon to defend herself with Frostbiter against attacks by the winter druids, who were disappointed to find how little effect their spells had on Karena. Just as she rallied the guards attacked by servants of frostfell, so did she rally the nation to Erik and restore ground lost to a generation of evangelism by the winter druids in a time of crisis.

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Frostbiter is a longsword crafted in the style of the Hogun craftsmen of the settlement era. It is a little longer than longswords crafted today and may have been an early version of the claymore.
Nonlegacy Game Statistics: +1 longsword, value 2315 gp
Omen: When Frostbiter is held, it gives off the sound of a crackling fire.

Penalty table 4-2

5th +5 bonus to Survival checks
6th Snowsight
7th +2 longsword
8th Winter's Embrace
9th See Invisibility
10th
11th Resistance to Cold 5
12th Cunning
13th +2 Longsword, Flaming
14th Obscurity
15th Resistance to Cold 10
16th +3 Longsword, Flaming
17th +6 enhancement to Charisma
18th
19th Ethereal Jaunt
20th +5 Longsword, Flaming