Free Folk of the Western Heartlands

[Hrothgar]

((A thread for IC RP set in the wild areas of the game map focused on those characters that reject civilization and its norms and aspire to be "free" of civilized society's rules.))

Vudor Thunderclap sits pondering on a rock near a massive bog in the High Moors. He forms a satisfied gaze as he peers across the seemingly endless High Moors and their shrouding mists, even hiding many features of terrain in the mid-day sun. He still does not know how exactly his parents died in battle, but his imagination dreams of a "furious death" in conflict against the Black Orc. He believes the engagement practically exterminated his tribe of Thunderclap barbarian, yet at the same time gloriously raised their raging and freed souls to Talos' side as a divine nod to their frenzied death. Vudor then recalls what he has always guessed to be his father and mother's final prayer. A prayer proudly spoken before they charged into doomed battle with angry and frenzied warcries of "THUNDERCLAP!"

Lo there do I see my mother and my father; Lo there do I see my sisters and my brothers; Lo there do I see the line of Thunderclap, back to the beginning storm. Lo, they do call me, they bid me take my place among them, in Talos' realm of Fury, where only the free may live forever.

He then imagines a lightning strike and thunderous boom ominously over his armed parents and the Thunderclap tribe as the barbarian tribe formation charged into the general melee with the Black Orcs, the bolt of light and its corresponding thunder as Talos' blessing for their rageful charge against their hated opponent. Although his parents were taken from him in life, Vudor believes he will join his parents again soon, but not yet. He reflects, soon coming to final conclusion. Talos must first deem his fury worthy of eternal freedom. The high privilege of a free soul at Talos' side, permanently liberating it, will be no easy feat. Many deaths and lives lived, especially of the city folk and other "civilized" and oppressed people, lack adequate fury and freedom, in which case neither will be what follows for them, Vudor thinks. Vudor then rejects that this will be his life.

As he day dreams, he hears a stir in the waters of the bog immediately next to the rock he sits on, the ripples of the otherwise still waters out of place in the moors he views as most beautiful when left entirely undisturbed and untamed. He notices then a what appears to be a head of a black humanoid pop out of the green waters as well as grunting Orc speech, then another, then another. Vudor takes it to be his hated, yet respected, Black Orc enemy, they have stalked his scent, even in the bog, he thinks. Whether today is the time he graduates to Fury's realm or not he infers is not for him to decide, but that freeing his rage to unleash against an Orc opponent will be his best chance. He stands and shrieks the battle cry of his lost tribe "THUNDERCLAP!" and an untamed rage overcomes Vudor as he clangs his axe and shield together with pure anger.

Then, as he would envision his parents and ancestors before him, he charges at what seems to be the stalking orcs, or what may just turn out to be some floating logs, with a rageful fury in his face, his arms and legs, and his very soul. Imagined or not, Vudor hears thunder crack and a lightning flash overhead, a real or delusioned blessing from Talos, which only grows his frenzy. Vudor proceeds into battle, seeing either victory or the freeing of his soul to be the outcome. A primal grin consumes his face as he readies to thrust his axe in his first strike. "Vudor is fury, Vudor is free...Vudor is Thunderclap" he repeats to himself as he puts the entire weight of his barbaric strength into the slashing of his axe.

[Hrothgar]

Vudor may have been seen in recent days approaching what he thought to be out of place fancily dressed city folk in the High Moors and sometimes joining them on their adventures as what he would term to himself "a spiritual and warrior guide through the free lands." He also has been said to be looking for assistance for an important task: helping to reconstruct his mud and dung hut and makeshift shrine to Talos in the moors after according to him "sum Hobgublin scum knucked down while me hunted swamp rats for meats." He also may tell folks that run into him on the way to the Serpent Hills that seek his guide services that he will never go to that temple with that stone eyes queen lady again without a bigger axe as last time he did he charged into battle with her and the next thing he knows he is a warrior statue, albeit one with a glorious raging battle pose he figures.

If some see Vudor in recent days, he seems to be watching ants build their tiny structures in the mud of the moors to try to get better ideas for rebuilding his mud and dung hut next time. He would comment to himself that ants are more brilliant builders than any foolish city architect in any fancy city school or guild.

((PM me or post here for RP on this!))