Group: Viking/Norse

Name: Great Bear Grathnir

Age: 25

Occupation: Berserker

Sexuality: Heterosexual

Physical Description:



Grathnir is a mountain of a man, standing at six foot, four inches and weighing in at nearly two hundred forty pounds. His shaggy brown hair is kept at least out of his face as it falls to about his shoulders, and his eyes are hazel. Usually, he wears only a pair of thick trousers and arm bands, with no shirt to be worn. What keeps him warm during cold weather and partially serves as some form of protection in combat is the massive bear pelt. The head of the beast serves as a hood, while the rest flows down his body, the legs made to vaguely function like the sleeves of a cloak.

As it is common for a man of his ilk, Grathnir is positively covered in scars. From the top, he has a vertical scar that travels from his hairline, down across his left eye, and to his jawline. The eye is fine, as he claims the blow was a ‘glancing one’. He also has a nasty slashing scar horizontally across his throat, earned from when his younger brother tried to kill him in his sleep. His back is covered with old and faded scars from a whip, a lasting mark from his father. His arms and legs are positively covered with marks from where people have tried to slow him down while he is in a rage. Finally, Grathnir has a set of four large gash mark scars that run diagonally down his stomach, with a smaller fifth next to the four. He received those five scars from his encounter with the namesake Great Bear.

Having been taken in by a priest, Grathnir puts great weight on the meaning of runes, and has thus covered his body with tattoos of them. The Thurisaz Rune on his right cheek signifies and ‘empowers’ an intimidating presence because of the danger he brings. The Ansuz Rune on his forehead supposedly gives him great insight and wisdom. The massive Thurisaz Rune that overlaps the scars on his back, inspired by the Great Bear, fuels his rages. Sitting on either pectoral muscle, just above either nipple is an Uruz and Sowilo. It is implied an Nauthiz is written in his heart to represent Determination and Constitution in battle. Four Eihwaz Runes box in bear claw scar on his abdomen to represent an unrivaled strength to kill such a beast with his bare hands. Many Tiwaz Reversed and Eihwaz Runes run down the outer portion of both arms. The way they were written alternates between strength and war. A Nauthiz Rune sits on the back of either hand, to represent a grip like manacles so he is not disarmed. There is an Eihwaz Rune on each of his calves to make him steadfast, and Uruz Runes on the soles of feet to grant him speed.

I used this site to try to get these runes accurate. If someone has more historical experience/education than me when it comes to runes, I will edit them appropriately. http://www.sunnyway.com/runes/meanings.html

Personality:

Grathnir is loud and boisterous, but beneath all of the bravado is some intelligence. The berserker finds no joy in abuse or hurting others for sport, though he can not say what he does while he imbibes his herb and mushroom concoctions. He will in fact step in and put whoever feels it is right to do so in their place. Those under his care are treated well and with respect, and Grathnir is one to be aware of who is allied with who, hoping to avoid a more effective blade across his throat.

Biography:
Born to Kodzar Kodzarsson, a chieftain of a disorganized and violent clan named after his great grandfather, and Kodzar's third wife Freya, who died during her first childbirth. Grathnir's childhood was harsh, as he would always speak out against his father's rule of fear. Grathnir believed that though intimidation was a valid solution, it is not the only solution, and there are other ways to get what is desired. Grathnir's outspoken behavior led him to be a partial outcast and gained him a number of bloody backs because of his father’s short temper. Grathnir endured until he came of age and shortly after he had learned what plants and mushrooms were used to send him into a rage like the berserkers, such as henbane and fly agaric.  built the courage up to publicly denounce his father, calling him a coward. His father simply laughed him off, and exiled his son, saying that if he didn’t move fast, it would be a game to see who could hunt him down first.

And Grathnir ran, knowing it was no idle threat. He wandered once it felt he was far enough away, and decided to visit the Danes' holy place for Modi. Just getting into the forest where the location was at, Grathnir was attacked by a massive bear. The fight was grueling, but Grathnir won after he went into a berserker's frenzy that was of his own will. Once the bear lay dead, he threw his axe to the side, embedding itself deep within a tree. Running off of adrenaline and his frenzy, Grathnir ripped the bear's heart out and began to eat it before swaying and falling himself. Fortunately, another clan was making their annual pilgrimage to Modi's holy place, and witnessed Grathnir devour the heart. Unable to correct them, the clansmen believed that Grathnir had slain the bear with his bare hands before devouring the bear's heart whole.

Waking a few days later, he was wrapped within the pelt of the same bear he killed, in the home of one of the clan’s priest that found him. Those who came to him informed him that even their chieftain, their strongest warrior, could not pull his axe free from the tree. Disheartened by the fact, as it was a good axe, Grathnir stayed and recovered, learning of the meanings of runes and believing them to be a way to grow stronger himself. Once he was fully recovered, he had the priest cover him with the runes before he began to work for this new clan for the time being. His hard work was threefold: Part of it was to repay their kindness, another was to earn himself food and a place to stay, and the third portion was to have an axe forged for him. Eventually, after a year of repayment work, Grathnir earned himself an axe. He had the priest who had been teaching him show the smith the correct runes for Savagery, Bloodlust, and War to work into the head and haft, and once the massive weapon that had to be wielded in two hand was created, Grathnir named it Hrothjnir. With his axe in hand and the great bear on his back, Grathnir went home.

He ran into his brothers before he made it all the way back to Kodzar’s holding. Haljun and Graljjorn were out hunting and upon seeing their long lost younger brother, changed their target from boar to man. Grathnir slew them while their retinue fled, warning his family of his arrival. Balnir waited at the gates with the young Ordnir, but only Balnir was slain as Ordnir threw down his arms. Siylva did not stop her brother, but the disapproval on her face was enough to tell Grathnir she was not going to help him. The reason why became apparent. Kodzar was old and wheezing, a sickness having gotten into him. Grathnir did not even draw his axe, and simply strangled the old man to death, denying him a place in Valhalla.

He was celebrated by his clan for his actions, but during the third day of the celebrations, he was shown it did not mean much. Sneaky Chimil did not cut deep enough when he tried to slit his brother’s throat in his sleep, and none were quick to run to either of their aid. Siylva and Halmi patched up their surviving brother, and the next day, Grathnir left. Clanless as far as he was concerned, he wandered about, fighting wherever bandits were causing issues or a clan needed extra muscle against their rivals. It was not until The Thing did Grathnir find a new purpose. Jarl Grimnir had heard of Great Bear Grathnir, and subtly suggested that the berserker could potentially make a name for himself, one big enough to make his own clan, if he assisted Grimnir’s son Erland establish the same across the waves. While nothing was promised, Grathnir jumped on the opportunity, delaying his arrival to perform rites to Modi and collect plenty of henbane and Fly agaric.

Family:
Kodzar- Father: deceased, died at age 54 (Killed by Grathnir)
Freyja- Mother: deceased, died at age 20 (died during childbirth to Grathnir, her only child)
Haljun- Oldest Half-Brother: deceased, died at age 30 (died in combat against Grathnir)
Siylva- Oldest Half Sister: Alive, 32
Balnir- Second Oldest Half-Brother: Deceased, died at age 28 (Died in combat against Grathnir)
Graljhorn- Third Oldest Half Brother: Deceased, died at age 25 (Died in combat against Grathnir)
Chimil- Younger Half Brother: Deceased, died at age 23 (Died after attempting to assassinate Grathnir)
Ordnir- Youngest Half-Brother: Alive, 20
Halmi- Youngest Half-Sister: Alive, 18