Henning Hreioarsgeroir

Appearance
An overall small man, Henning Hreioarsgeroir, the minstrel of Gorm, stands no further than 5'4" off the ground, and seems to be caught in a state somewhere between dourness and mischievousness despite his relatively young 26 years on Atheria. He doesn't have much in the way of brawn, and the many hours spent locked inside damp rooms during wintertime, acting scribe for the Nemanoor and Jarl of Gorm, certainly haven't done wonders for his physical health. He carries himself and his pack humbly, almost like a peasant with a sack of grain slung over his shoulder, steadily marching toward the market. You'd not think him special were it not for his companions and armor, yet he has wise eyes that reveal knowledge beyond the courtroom.

He dresses largely in wool, the favored fabric of the colder northern nations, but brandishes a set of studded leather armor beneath an ever-dwindling repertoire of wool ponchos, those traditionally worn by Elhamstrian scholars. Attached to his neatly organized scholar's pack is a strange, square holster that houses his masterfully crafted lyre which never seems to go out of tune, though it is most commonly found in the hands of Henning who absent-mindedly plucks the strings throughout the long days on the road. Even moreso when the famous Pickles, his partner in chime, is nearby with his signature lute. As of recently, with the days growing colder as fall approaches, he has taken to wearing a hoodless cloak.

While his scholarly days are largely over, Henning is finding it hard to adjust to the rough life on the road. He attempts shaving every once in a while, only to give up due to the dullness of his letter-opener. His face gaunt, he is continually baffled by the appetite of both Alexander and Sigvald as they gulp down dry meat ration after dry meat ration. He is beginning to take more to this life, realizing he likely will not be back in the comforts of a patron's establishment for a long time.

Background
Henning, much like Berwyn Weiland, is an undercover spy for the Eternal Kingdom of Elhamster, operating under orders from the Grand Mistress Nessa Elham. He has spent a little over ten years in the Ralfir Kingdom.

The Forged Story
Henning was lucky enough to avoid most of the war raging across the western reaches of Elhamster, what would later become the Ralfir Kingdom. In an act of desperation, his parents sent him off to the court of the monarch king Julian, where he was sheltered and cared for until his teenage years.

Already as a young boy, Henning took an interest in music and the scholarly life of the court. He was trained in instrumental play, rhetoric, and tradition, with the intent of transforming him into a eunuch skald. However, once it became apparent he had a talent for magic, he grew in the ranks of the court and was instead educated in scripture and arcane arts, though under strict surveillance. Being of no particular repute, Henning was traditionally not even meant to be practicing magicks or scribing at all, as those were subjects restricted to the nobility. He had seen books held by the courtiers before, and often marveled at the inky glyphs; being able to understand them filled a void in his mind as he became obsessed with lore of the world.

Customarily, only women of Elhamster are allowed to pursue the eldritch and arcane to become wizards, which embarrassed Henning when he tried to socialize with his peers at the court. Magic, being innately effeminate, was something to be ashamed of as a boy, and Henning was reminded of this daily. He took to the life of a skald during his pubescent years, conveying news of the war and teaching tradition to children, which earned him some fame among the aristocratic families. As tensions settled with the west, now known as Ralfir (or Radulfrarikir in Elhamstrian, roughly meaning "realm of the treacherous bloodied wolf"), Henning was soon recruited to act as an ambassador.

The Ralfir Kingdom turned out to be not so very different from his old home in the court. The winters were cold and dark, the houses were improperly insulated, the parchment often too thin. It didn't take long before he simply fell back into the routine of scribing and performing at local taverns, though they called him "minstrel" here, the Nellenial word for "skald", and he didn't relay news so much as sing songs or regale childish tales. They also said his work wasn't "scribing" anymore, it was "magistering", as scribes were weak and Elhamstrian in nature. Regardless of name, the duties were the same in the grand scheme of things, and Henning took to liking his newer and more liberated life.

Then one day, jarl Garrold of Gorm asks him to ride south, to the township of Moldova. There, a strange woman hands him a delicately crafted urn containing the ashes of an Elhamster hero. He is escorted back to Gorm, whereupon the Nemanoor informs him that a Henning has to deliver these ashes to the Temple of Strength, and the jarl has already assembled a band of skilled mercenaries...

Traits
Personality:
 * Can be overly judgemental and suspicious of new people and experiences.
 * If there is a diplomatic approach to a problem, it is oftentimes the best approach.

Ideals:
 * Change: We must help bring about the changes the gods are constantly working in the world.

Flaws
 * Puts too much and too little trust in political agencies. Those he trust can do no wrong, and those of differing opinion are suspicious.

Quotes

 * "So I heard the craziest thing about dwarves, Alexander..."

Notable Achievements

 * Conquered the Temple of Strength.
 * Owns the Tome of the Sun, a mysterious book detailing the Old Faith of Elhamster known as Korpibeswyr.

Other Facts

 * Has the staff of Omodan, the previous archwizard of Seminster.
 * Has a beautiful lyre of Elhamstrian craftsmanship gifted to him by his teacher at the royal court.
 * Can play drums, horn, and lyre, though seldom at the same time.
 * Has a raven companion named Estriváldis