Harold

Harold was raised in the fiery mountains of Salt Rock in Albion. Raised by his grandfather and never knowing his parents, he spent most of his days helping gather firewood and delivering it to the local smelters. Most days, short of a few wolf attacks, the village enjoyed peace. But all that changed when talk of war between the lands reached his small mountain village. This all became a reality just weeks later when a lord from Brandwell arrived with a few thousand troops recruiting any man or woman willing to defend the boarders of Albion and to collect resources from the mines of Salt Rock. After only a few days of military occupation the army left, heading east to Kingsbridge, leaving most of Salt Rock in disarray by taking all the supplies able-bodied men and women from the village. The Lord of Brandwell set a decree that the armies of Albion will be coming back for more resources and for more recruits. Although there are leagues of land between the borders of Albion and the Nords, Harold’s grandfather feared for the only family he had left. They packed up what they could and moved further north in hopes that the Nords would never go through the Great North Mountains. The trip was a dangerous one not only for the packs of wolves they could encounter but for passing armies that may see Harold and grandfather as deserters. Harold was almost of the age to train for war and if word of Gorm also joining the war was true then they would take Harold at an even earlier age. The trip from Salt Rock to Kraken Point took its toll on Harold’s grandfather and in the coming months he grew ill. In a desperate scheme to help his grandfather, he went off to seek a cure at Maynard Reach. He had heard of a young wizard by the name of Piode may have a potion to save his grandfather’s life. Upon enter the gates of Maynard Reach, Harold could see dozens of troops training in the courtyard -- some even as young as him. Harold walked up to a guard near the center tower of the reach when there was a loud call of the battle horns. A general on horseback pushed through Harold rallying the all the troops into the court yard. The general blew a whistle and all the troops got in formation as an eerie silence fell over them. “The Nords have passed their own borders and are on their way to Fairly! Scouts have reported that their numbers are well beyond our numbers at Fairly and Kingsbridge! We have also finally got word from Gorm! There will be no alliance between us and they have declared war on us as well!” The crowd of soldiers became restless and grumbled between themselves but were quickly silenced when the General blew his whistle again. “Be at ease!!! Although we will have war on two fronts please know that Gorm and the Nords also do not have an alliance and are at war as well! We can and will use this to our advantage!! We head out at once….” The generals voice faded out of Harold’s mind as he quickly tried to move into the shadows near the keep but there was no place to hide with the sun so high in the sky. In his panic, scurrying to the keeps doors, he felt a hot steel hand grab is tunic, quickly spinning him backwards. “My name is General Stephen and I will be training you for the next few months! Get over to the barracks, ask the quarter master for training gear, and fall in with the rest of the young recruits -- and with haste boy!”