SKUTAGAARD NORTHMEN SAGA II

Northmen Berserkers

Resolved to reclaim Frostheart Island from the Lizardmen, a clan of Berserkers led by Wodan the Allseer and Skadi the Huntress eparted from the fjords.

After being overpowered by enemy hordes, the Northmen sought refuge in ancient ruins dedicated to a long-forgotten god. In their darkest hour, they performed a ritual to embrace the fearsome Curse of the Bear. Sacrificing a part of their souls, they became Skinchangers — tempests of claws, teeth, and raw fury.
Their unmatched ferocity was destined to be the stuff of legends, echoed in the tales sung by Skalds.

Berserker Skinchangers

When a berserker afflicted with the Curse of the Bear chooses to surrender to blind fury, his body takes on the form of a massive bipedal bear, combining the raw power and resiliance of the wild animal with the weapons skill and dexterity of the Northmen. The blows delivered by the formidable Skinchangers cleave through flesh and armor alike, sweeping away enemies in a wild frenzy of bearish roars and blood.
Bound by the curse, these berserkers are now brothers and sisters, and upon conquering Frostheart Island they will be the beginning of the first skinchanger clan, Bloodbjorn Clan of Frostheart.

Skadi Ulfhedinn – Demigoddess of the Hunt

"From icy fjords to wild forests, the heart of the hunt beats within me.” – Skadi Ulfhedinn

Whispers abound that the huntress Skadi is of divine descent, believed to be the reincarnation of an ancient Hunt Goddess. As prophesized, Skadi was birthed by the womb of a Frost Jotunn of Skutagaard's icy reaches. Seen frail and sick by the giants, she has been abandoned in infancy, discovered by the old Sage Wodan, who immediately discerned the signs of the prophecy in her starlit icy eyes and her pale, ethereal complexion.

Trained in the hunting arts, Skadi spent twenty years in the wilds as the prophecy foretold, seeking to harmonize with nature and unravel her celestial origins, although she remains in search of answers since most frost giants mysteriously left the land in masses to reach the peaks, now called Jotunn Pass.

Galdurbjorn – Skadi Companion

At the beginning of her journey, Ulfhedinn rescued a white bear cub from a pack of Snow Ogres. This cub grew to be her trusted hunting companion, now known as the fierce Galdurbjorn.

Cloaked in the pelt of a Snow Worg and wielding her enchanted bow, the nimble Skadi is fiercely determined to wrest Frostheart Island from the scaly grasp of the Frost Lizardmen and the colossal Linnorms that inhabit it.

Wodan the Allseer

"In unity we find strength; in vision, the path forward. Let Frostheart tremble as the Northmen march as one.” – Wodan the Allseer

Long before the modern age, in Skutagaard's untamed wilds, the Northmen were but warring tribes, their destiny unclear. Wodan, an enigmatic sage with a flowing white beard and hooded cloak, walked these lands with a singular vision: to unite these scattered kin against the looming threats of Trolls and Frost Jotunn. As tales tell, he brought unity where discord once reigned, transforming feuding clans into a formidable force.

Whispers among the Northmen suggest Wodan's age and origins to be shrouded in mystery. Some say he's ageless, perhaps not one, but many; others speak of a deity aiding in direst times.
However, when the chilling challenge of the Frostheart Lizardmen emerged, the Allseer's purpose became clear.

Accompanied by his ancient gnarled staff, the enigmatic Wodan emerged in every mead halls of the Fjords, seeking the most formidable Berserker warriors of the lands. His objective: journey to the cursed Frostheart Island and take it from the clutches of the great Frostheart Linnorm and its chilling Lizardmen, who had grown so numerous they could no longer be contained on the island.

Upon arriving at Frostheart, the Lizardmen proved even more numerous than anticipated, and they were lead by a new manace, Eldormr the offspring of the Great Linnorm of Frostheart. Faced with this overwhelming challenge, Wodan had to make a difficult decision: to subject his Northmen to the ancient Curse of the Bear that once loomed over the island or to fail. Through a ritual deep within the temple of the Ancient Bear in the depth of Frostheart, the Berserkers who accepted the beast's blood transformed into Skinchangers, the last hope to stand against the mighty pale Lizardmen.

Eldormr - the Fire Linnorm

"From the dark, to flame I yearn,
In frozen realms, as phoenix I return.
Offspring to the Linnorm King so grand,
To scorch and sear your Northern land!"  – Verse of Eldormr, the Fire Linnorm

Upon their arrival at Frostheart Island, the Northmen were greeted by Eldormr's declaration of his return, proclaiming his heritage as the offspring of the Great Linnorm of Skutagaard. Resurrected with newfound strength, this flaming dragon's revival was an unforeseen event, even to the wise old Wodan. Gunnar, the renowned Linnorm Slayer, had once celebrated victory over Eldormr by beheading him.

Yet, emboldened by the dark enchantments of the Dread Linnorm of Frostheart and carrying the formidable lineage of the Linnorm of Skutagaard, Eldormr was reborn, fiercer and more incendiary than before.

Facing both Eldormr's fiery wrath and the icy onslaught of the Lizardmen, Wodan had no choice but to seek refuge for his warriors within the enigmatic bear ruins deep within Frostheart. This ancient temple, built by a legendary clan of dwarves said to possess the ability to shapeshift into mighty bears, offered a glimmer of hope. To turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless war, many of the warriors chose to embrace their destiny as skinchangers.

Skylda Vingard – Northmen Pinup

As the Northmen teetered on the brink of defeat in Frostheart, a brilliant light pierced the sky. Descending from the clouds, Skylda—named by the Northmen for her aerial arrival—flared forth a divine radiance, halting Eldormr and his Lizardmen in their tracks. With a voice both powerful and ethereal, she commanded the Northmen to the ancient ruins, their last bastion. "In Frostheart's final battle, I shall return once more," she proclaimed, then vanished, leaving a promise of hope and an awe-struck army in her wake.