While he was still a young lad growing up on the family farmstead, Haleth's father -- a former housecarl and chosen man of a local lord -- was killed in a duel over the sale of horses. As a teenager, Haleth maimed and wounded a local war captain in a duel over his sister's honor, and was forced to flee his homeland. Robbed by mountebanks and marooned, he was rescued by a whaling boat, and was later forced to join a rival lord's army as an armorer's apprentice (before stealing a blade and deserting, disguised as a herald). An allied duke's soldiers captured him and conscripted him to serve in combat during a great siege as part of a forlorn hope, the first into the breach of the besieged city's walls. He distinguished himself in several battles, earned the trust of the duke, and was sent on a mission as a spy in a foreign land, but became homesick and deserted once more, faking his own death. Now he roams foreign lands, earning his keep with his sword fighting ability and his wits, but never getting too tied down... one day, he wants to return home to reclaim his birthright.

Haleth's homeland is a distant chain of rainswept, temperate isles, known as Eylenda, or the Eylenda Isles, with its capital no more than a large and ancient mead-hall known as The Skerry. Home to seafarers, fishermen, simple farmers and ranchers of a unique breed of sturdy ponies (hesturinn), as well as expert swordsmiths and adventurers.

Haleth is tall, with a pale and ruddy complexion, grey eyes, and long dark brown hair braided on the side in traditional custom. He is light on his feet and prefers fighting with a sword and a free hand, whether armored or unarmored. His clothing is suited to whatever locale he happens to be in at the moment - as a sell sword frequently moving from one place to another, he has learned to blend in as much as possible.

Haleth specializes in swords, nearly to the exclusion of all other weapons (will fight with a dagger or spear before a warhammer or mace), and he prefers dual wielding if possible. He has put most of his training into his sword arm, and prefers fighting with agility rather than as a human shield wall. He has some experience at sneaking, disguise, and horseback riding. Although he worked as a blacksmith's apprentice, he never said he was any good at it. He is, however, able to negotiate a fair price for his own services or loot. He prefers to survive, and is not adverse to fighting dirty. He falls somewhere on the side of chaos, but with a sense of personal honor to friends and family.

LIKES: Wine, women, coin, common folk and keeping his head on his shoulders; adventure, fighting/brawling for the sake of it, glory in bardic tales, and travel. He admires and finds monks humorous and enjoys their company.

NEUTRAL: Common thieves, merchants, craftsmen, goodwives, courtesans, and city-folk in general. No special racial animosities or affinities.

DISLIKES: The haughty, the self-righteous, and the high-born; the tyrant as much as the brigand, as both prey upon the defenseless. Rigid discipline or authority, including organized armies or commanders, but knows dealing with lords and the masters of coin are at the heart of his profession. Special dislike for assassins -- views them as dishonorable cowards.