Valdr Varinsson

Vengeance and Retaliation

A jagged dagger or sword surrounded by an icy ring of runes.

To seek retribution for the wrongs upon him and his slain family.

During the Fifth Convergence, Valdr has a well toned body with moderate agility. The skin across his back and right shoulder are scarred from intense burns, as well as three claw marks across his back, starting at his right shoulder and finishing just above his left hip. After the Reformation, Valdr began to grow in terms of muscle and mass, matching that of his muscular predecessors.

Sand colored skin, with dark brown hair that ends at his shoulders, often braided traditionally.

During the Fifth Convergence, Valdr is unshaven, a rough goatee gracing his face. After the Reformation, Valdr began to grow it out, and by the time of the 50th annual celebration, Valdr is seen with a great beard, tied and braided with silver runed bands.

Has a badly healed scar on his left shoulder, from the serpentine binding rings used by the Valskarian Arena.

Ambidextrous, but often uses his right for his primary weapon.

Bonded to Hrothgar, the Primordial Spirit of Honor and Embodiment of Valor, Battlefield Compatriot of Hrothmund himself, giving him access to memories, abilities, and linkage to previous lords that others have never had.   The Blood of Hrothmund- a metaphysical ability to channel the God of Wars unparalleled might through his body, enhancing durability, strength and stamina. The longer it lasts, the stronger its effects become.

Valdr primarily wears tunics and robes matching his banners- bloody crimson, with dark pants and boots.   In the arena, he wore a heavy steel breastplate with lupine motifs emblazoned on the chest, bracers, and sabatons. His shoulders were covered with gray wolf fur to hide the serpentine binding ring during his latter fights.   On the battlefield, Valdr wears primarily brigandine across his body, affording him a maneuverability while not lacking protection, supplemented with riveted mail when needed.

Drake Bone axe; forged after slaying the Iron Mountain drake, a majority of the axe head is made of is made from the shoulder blade of the creature, riveted to a metal mounting and wooden handle and coated in resin, hardening its cutting edge and increasing its durability.   Eventually acquires Thorn, a legendary, Dragon-forged steel sword owned by the Fourth and previous Dominus, Argus Greeneye, before losing his axe. Later, he acquires Uroksvaal, the mythical Hookblade of Hrothmund.   Finally, after his ascension to godhood, Valdr made his own weapon- a New Vestige of Ascension- Biturreiði, the Burrowing Fang , a bearded ax, filled with the icy cold resentment and ire of his lifetime.

Born in the year 175 of the Fourth Era of Valskar, Valdr was born in the Old Ways, a soothsayer helping to ease his mothers pain a day before birth. During the Ritual that usually preceded the birthing, as all soothsayers do, they tried to determine his fate through burning bones and visions in smoke. What intrigued and terrified those who were present, were the results- the bones did not blacken, nor did they break, and the smoke held no visions of what he may do or who he'd become. Varin, Valdr's father, took this as a sign, and began researching their bloodline, tracing back their origins. Varin came close to discovering the truth, when Valdr was 11, but his attention was soon drawn elsewhere.   Valdr was found to have a keen sense for manipulating the flow of magic through his body with uncanny ease. His father discovered this when he demanded Valdr leave his study one day, after Valdr kept insisting that he come and help him and his mother with something. This was where the young boy then set alight the book that his father was reading out of anger. More shocked than infuriated, Varin immediately began training Valdr as a mage a few days later, his research into their bloodline slowing its progress.   Valdr went on to begin his study of magic, struggling to grasp concepts around most forms, except cryomancy, which he had a natural affinity towards. At the of ageof eleven, however, he lost his magical ability, due to his near-death experience involving a long thought extinct species- an Iron Mountain Drake.   The experience was a harrowing one for the boy, the creature's fire charring the entirety of his back, before it tried to carry the boy away in its talons, severing the boy's spine. Despite the incredible pain and inability to use his legs, the young Valdr somehow managed the strength to haul himself up the creature's body, clinging from cracked and misshapen scales, before he used a kn ife gifted to him by his mother, opening the creature's throat and severing a major artery, causing it to bleed out as it fell from the sky. The resulting fall back to earth left Valdr on the doorstep of death, his parents fearing the worst.   When Varin went to retrieve Valdr's body, he was stunned to find that a creature was protecting the seemingly lifeless corpse; a direwolf, marked with runes and patterns in its fur, unlike anything seen in Ragnias in this age. The world seemed to quake as it growled at his fathers approach, before slowly fading into the shadows of the forest. Varin quickly scooped up the boy, finding that he was still alive, but barely. To save his son, Varin rode hard to Valskar, and begged High King Ulfgar to grant him one request- allow him to call upon the Old Ways of Blood Magic and save his son. The Good King Ulfgar granted his request, and Varin worked tirelessly for a fortnight to save his son. And he did, saving both his son’s life and Valdr's ability to walk, but at a terrible cost to the boy.   The Young Valdr could no longer use magic, of any kind.   It was here that Valdr began to forge his own path. Despite the events, Valdr took to his new life without magic rather quickly, training from wandering travelers as they rode by and eventually joining the Valskarian Arena at fourteen, acting first as a laborer for the fighting pits, and learning to maintain arms and armor, before moving into those pits himself at the age of sixteen. Fighting tooth and nail for every victory, he made a name for himself, and he began training beneath a Valskarian Man-at-Arms, by the name of Sigurd the Branded, to hone himself further as a warrior. As his father became more and more lost in his position as court mage of Valskar, the young man began to further hone himself in the arena, defying his fathers orders to stay out of the highest level fights. This ultimately came to a head as he faced the Grand Champion of Valskar arena, Draven Half-hand.   Despite timing out the first round, and nearly being beaten the second, something stirred within Valdr, and a truly incredible event occurred. Despite the arena’s intended fixed outcome, where in Valdr was slated to lose spectacularly, Valdr suddenly went on the offensive, and broke free of the arenas restraints, invigorated by a surge of energy that seemed to burn within his own blood. As Draven Half-hand struggled to defend himself, Valdr struck a mighty blow across the grand champion's face, completely shattering his lower jaw with his bare hands and seemingly killing him. After the fight, and after the party thrown in his honor, Valdr met with a mysterious stranger who called themselves Olaf Longarm, who told him great change was coming, and he needed to be ready.   As the New Grand Champion of the Valskarian Arena, Valdr received titles and glory worthy of heroes of old, as well as being invited to the Hall of Kings. There, he met The Valskarian High King, Svargrim VIII and his son, Prince Harald Fairhair, as well as seeing his father for the first time in two years, now declared Arch-mage of Valskar.   It was in the Hall of Kings that Valdr caught wind of the rumors of rebellion; many peoples under the Valskarian banner did not like the current state of the empire, and wished to secede from it or bring the whole kingdom down. He also caught glimpses of what his father and King Svargrim were planning, using ancient rites to summon an entity that would bring an end to any chance of rebellion.   One night, while Valdr was preparing for his next match as Grand Champion, he received a message and invitation from Aelwyd, a childhood friend and scorned lover who he’d not seen since he left her to be a gladiator. She’s heard of his rise in the arena, and wished to speak with him about an opportunity.   When Valdr met with Aelwyd, she revealed she was one of a group of rebels, called the Children of Vaskjar, and introduced him to their leadership. Among them was the master at arms Sigurd, and Torvald Windrunner, the twin brother of Svargrim VIII. They revealed Svargrims plot and motives to Valdr- their world was dying, and with many seers prophesying a Great War and Svargrim was attempting to summon an old god to save them from calamity. That God was Deirdre, the famed conqueror-daughter of Hrothmund, and Goddess of Death.   After joining the Children, Valdr became instrumental in their advances, as his fateless nature became the thing that turned the tide of their campaigns. During this time, he also received more and more visits from the mysterious Olaf Longarm, who guided and trained the young man in the old ways of the Reavers, followers of Hrothmund, the God of War and Valor, as well as leading him on a pilgrimage to the Old Kingdom. Valdr would also rekindle the relationship between he and Aelwyd, whom he would eventually marry, and bear him his first child.   As their war came to a close, Svargrim made a last ditch effort to summon Deirdre and succeeded, but couldn’t rouse her to battle- she had long lost her warrior spirit. As the Children and Valdr closed in to dethrone Svargrim, he managed to break the goddess’ oaths of restraint, which kept her from fighting. Valdr would have to contend with the Goddes of Death in all her terrible might, and miraculously, he succeeded.   Forcing the Goddess of death into submission, he then made his way to Svargrim, who refused to surrender. Now a follower of the old ways, Valdr slew Svargrim, becoming a contender for High King by the laws of Hrothmund. As the Children of Vaskjar convened to raise up their new king, Torvalds claim of blood conflicted with Valdr’s claim of conquest. In an effort to settle the debate, the Children prayed for Hrothmunds guidance, and in surprise, the God of War appeared before them, in all his glory.   Hrothmund then reminded them of his ancient law; those who are strong must rule. Only through his ways could a true King be chosen. Thus, since Valdr had professed his strength as a warrior, he was chosen by the god as the High King of Valskar.   Then, the Fifth Convergence would begin.   At the beginning of the Fifth Convergence, Valdr was 21. At its conclusion, he was 28. During that span of time, he amassed the single greatest army in Ragniasi History and throughout the History of Creation, employing every living able-bodied man and woman to fight for Ragnias. During this time, Valdr achieved many things that had never happened before- he turned the tide at the Battle on the Straits, forcing Resurgence ships to crash into the coast of Ragnias during their initial invasion; He rallied the entrenched men at Blackwatch, who were sure they were defeated after being besieged by the Resirgence for seven months; And lastly, during his capture at the hands of the Resurgence, he declared that he was no longer mortal.   Amidst the chaos and war of the Fifth Convergence, Valdr remained steadfast in his defense and leadership of Ragnias, fighting not for his people, as other Lords typically did. Instead, he fought for his new family, which he fought for even more fiercely when He and Edric Ironhand were able to witness that Sigrun, Valdrs daughter, would survive their war and live to become the prophesied True Goddess of War, Mantling Hrothmund in the process. However, this timeline would not be one that they would experience.   During his imprisonment, Valdr suffered countless days, being brutally tortured and abused by his captors, who had also taken his surviving family- his wife, Aelwyd, and Sigrun- prisoner. During the last few hours of his suffering, The Resurgence meant to break him and after their seer, with the aid of the Sight, saw that this moment was a flashpoint of a timeline where they lost, deciding to murder his wife and daughter in front of him. Valdr's Rage was unparalleled, as his only care during the Convergence was his family, and he unleashed every misery he could upon those who wronged him. Shattering the chains that held him, he declared to creation that he was an embodiment of a universal concept, like an Aspect of War. And Valdr was made The God of Vengeance and Retaliation- before hunting all of the perpetrators down. In Valdrs anguish, he swore a blood oath to the God of War, promising his life and power in exchange for his family’s return to life. Hrothmund agreed, under the condition that Valdr must find and kill those who were responsible for his wife and daughters’ murder, before he granted the new god his wish. In his desperation, Valdr agreed, sealing the pact.   After Valdr, Edric, and Reyna had defeated the Five Rival Lords, they set their sights on the architect of Valdr’s suffering- Aelius, the Heir of the Fireborn. Valdrs campaign through Aelius’ realm was a display of strength and hatred, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Valamar’s time. Valdr only wished to see everything Aelius had built be reduced to ash and rubble. When the Trio finally breached Aelius’ last bastion, the arrogant bastard had the gall to laugh at Valdr with a blade at his throat. He knew of Valdrs Blood Oath to the God of War, and made mention of the last two perpetrators to Valdrs current fate, both of which, Aelius pointed out, were standing beside him.   When Valdr asked Edric of what he knew, his friend told him of a vision he’d had after they’d went forward in time and seen his daughter- the flashpoint that sent them spiraling down this timeline, could’ve been prevented, had Edric told Valdr of its nature.   Baffled and betrayed, Reyna admitted to also knowing of this vision- both of his closest allies keeping information that could’ve saved his family from him. Valdr could not contain his grief, but saved his true vengeance for Aelius alone. Valdr wanted Aelius to be punished eternally, so in an act unseen since the founding of the Pantheon of Ragnias, Valdr tore open a rift into a dimension throwing the Heir to the Fireborn into a timeless, misty void, before telling him the secret of Immortality and forcing its truth upon his mind- becoming one with time itself, allowing Aelius to live eternally, no matter what injury he sustained. Then, from the fog, a gaunt, deranged being came running and screaming at Aelius from the void, attacking him with tooth and nail until the Lord of Glass himself was brutally and violently ripped open, slowly regenerating. Valdr spat curses at Aelius and his attacker, sealing them both away, to let the son be cannibalized eternally by his own demented and starved father.   After Aelius had been dealt with and his blood had cooled, he reached out to Edric and Reyna, telling them of Aelius’ ultimate fate. Reyna suggested and pleaded for Valdr, with his newfound godly status, to reform the Realms into one whole. Initially, Valdr disagreed, but after Reyna pleaded her case, he reluctantly- with the help of Edric- sewed the fabric of Reality back together, uniting the Realms into one whole once more.   However, this was not the end for his story; after the Reformation, Valdr began to follow sorrows road after finding out that Edric Ironhand knew that his family would die and had told Reyna Stalsworth, Valdr's subsequent lover after Aelwyd and Sigrun perished, withholding the life-changing information from the newly crowned God of Vengeance. He vowed that he would have revenge and then set about to unmake them. 3 years after this vow, he’d found his opportunity, through the use of the completed Harmonic Forge. Valdr did fail in this endeavor however, as Edric was able to deactivate the Forge, before reactivating it for him to use against Valdr. Edric rewrote reality itself, making it seem as if Valdr had never existed. Later, however, it is revealed to Edric that one cannot simply unmake a God, Hrothmund even saying that Valdr would return.  

Mentored by his Father from 4 to 11, then received training in weaponry from 12 to 17 via travelers. 17 to 21, he learned to fight in the gladiatorial pits of Valskar. He then inherited the experience of his ancestors after acquiring Thorn, and later the experience of Hrothmund himself after claiming Uroksvaal.

Former Apprentice to Varric, Arch-Mage of Valskar

Slew an Iron Mountain Drake, Age 11 Became Grand Champion of the Valskarian Arena, Age 19 Ascended to the Jagged Iron Throne, becoming the Dominus of Ragnias, Age 21 Slew six Rival Lords in single combat, Age 25 Ascended to Godhood, becoming the God of Vengeance and Retaliation, Age 26 Reunited the Realms, Age 27

Lost his magical abilities

Starting as calculating, yet bold, he approached situations with caution to avoid unnecessary risk. As time went on, however, he evolved into a fast-paced, instinctive warrior mindset, which later heats up into sudden and uncontrollably violent bursts of anger and rage.

His main source of motivation is keeping his family alive, especially after his daughter is born.

An excellent swordsman and exceptionally adept at wielding Uroksvaal.

Valdr enjoys company that he approves of, tending to lighten up, enjoying the time spent and valuing it beyond compare, making his bond with whoever stronger and his reasoning for existence all the more reason to do so.

Valdr, when given a valid reasoning that aligns with his justification for fighting (i.e. his family benefits from), he will fight for a cause with all his heart, even willing to die sometimes for that cause. He is honorable to a fault, always keeping his word when given, and expects those he gives it to does the same to him.

Valdr is easily frustrated, often times by minuscule faults that aren't controllable. His instinctive reactions to almost every situation makes him incredibly unwieldy in situations where ones tongue is sharper than his own, often leading to fights or brawls. He is also incredibly overconfident in a fight, often pouring every bit of his energy to try and overwhelm and overpower his opponent quickly.

While not exceedingly religious, Valdr follows the outline of the Teachings of Hrothmund

Valdr has a tendency to slip into runic when cursing