Relnor the Coward

For those who knew him, ‘coward’ might not be the first Scop name that springs to mind. Loyal, Nationalist, Womaniser. These would seem more fitting. Hell, Relnor himself was brought into the way of courage for his acts, and always spoke his mind. But a coward he was. Well-hidden perhaps, but one nonetheless, driven by fears that had drilled and buried themselves in his mind and grew until he could no longer continue. But it was not a simple case of giving up, more one of giving in.

Relnor’s story requires a little background however. The banner hall of Leoding of which he came from before the formation of Sigehold was led by 3 brothers, who Relnor and his family had sworn fealty to for generations.

Our story begins when only 1 remained, and even as Relnor swore his loyalty to Sigehold. He retained in his heart the oath he made to the brothers 3 and that to his homeland of Skarsind at the time of the occupation. As long as he can fight he will stand beside his banner lord Osric and live to see a free Skarsind for his people.

It all seems pretty straight forward at first and no obvious sign of cowardice as of yet…Skip forward to his first ever Anvil and meeting with the Krampus. He was cursed seemingly for his admission of being new and the slippery slope began. The curse forced Relnor to believe that he was to die an unheroic death and that his spirit would never leave the labyrinth unless he could find a Krampus coin to return to the Krampus the following year.

Countless searching and investigation at first showed little signs of success. Goose whisper that made him believe he had died and his body had been taken over by an eternal didn’t help his thoughts of success. Relnor found little comfort from the crows of which he often found himself more in strife with than in collusion. Turning away from them instead to the mages of winter and their powers of continuing his ability to remain clinging to life. Here was power, here he felt more at home than at any speech from crows looking down on him, making him feel like a child with their words spoken with pretentious tones.

When he was under the influence of the winter mages he felt strong. It was this desire that would continue to play on him. For without the strength of the mages he was one step closer to being forever lost after death.

The cogs only started turning however as the year grew one and coins were being snapped up by other cursed Wintermarkers but not by him. He took solace with the mages and one day was assigned the Grim Legion to fight with his unit. He was in utter awe of their capabilities and what they could do; Troops brought back with incredible strength and the inability to die.

It was soon that he sought whispers in the dark. Questions on its legality, on his soul and of what it meant to be chosen by Kaela. Was this how he could trick the system?

His thoughts however left the dark place as Osric came rushing to him with hope of a coin. It just required him to persuade 3 children of his worth and why he should be allowed one. As with each coin the Krampus received more power they would wield.

“I don’t want to die and leave my friends to fight without me. I don’t want to die an old man in my bed alone and not on the battlefield. I want to die defending our homeland and do so with valor”

He spoke with truth in his heart, and was rewarded. But even then his mind raced, his own mortality digging into his mind and sowing a seed that would grow to the point of no return for him.

The world was changing and Relnor was losing his place in it all. Sigehold members were falling in battle at alarming rates and Skarsind he swore to defend was no longer his to do so. Relnor tried to do his best and settle down in their new home. To make oaths of staying and looking to find a family and make a place for himself. And yet he spent little time there going on campaign, the time he did spend was not seeking a family but seeking the pleasure house. The only other solace away from battle was with drink and his own demons within.

The news of the assault to take place at Crow’s Ridge reach him. An army sent to take down a man a hero, who all he wanted was to live in his home his last bastion of Skarsind. Thulebane, who had gained his Scop name from his heroic acts now being brought down by an army from the Empire he served and protected. Relnor had met the man and seen his people and believed in their plight, even going to far as presenting him with the flag of Leoding so he might still stand tall in the hall of the last throne room of Wintermark in Skarsind.

In Relnor’s eyes negotiations had been making progress, a solution was there to be had and the man had done no harm to anyone. Blood shed was not the answer and it started a dangerous road for the Empire and one that Relnor could not agree with. He wasn’t sure whether this was the Empire he believed in based on the sacrifices his people had made for so many years it seemed.

In the cover of darkness he left the hall to go and fight as one of them. Blackening his shield he joined the other members of Wintermark to hold back the tide. But the dams burst and Relnor fled as the walls fell to the enemy.

He didn’t get far though before his wounds started to take hold. ‘So it is to be as the curse foretold’ he thought to himself. His shield blackened to hide his treachery, his sword red with the blood of soldiers of the Empire, the final piece of Skarsind lost and with it himself and his Oath to protect the last Thane of Leoding now the Thane of Sigehold.

‘Give yourself to me Relnor. I have watched you from the day of your birth and now, now you can make the choice you always knew you would.’

Was it her? Was she speaking to me? He thought as the words echoed in his head. Was this just the thoughts of a dying man facing his end? No, he didn’t want to die. This was not how it was meant to be. He was meant to fall with his friends, with honour, not like this…not like this. Was all he could say out loud to the cold blood red dyed snow around him.

‘Then make the choice. Come with me, join the legion. Embrace us and forever live. Forever be strong. Forever endure. And stand by your friends whenever they summon you, you will be there to aid them and their children and their children’s children throughout the ages you can fight alongside them.’

The voice in his head. His vision hazy as the smoke from the fires of Crow’s ridge rose and the captives were being led away to face trial.

“I accept…Kaela. I accept my fate to join you, to forgo death and to be of the legion. Please I beg you do not let me die. Not like this...Not like the curse foretold.”

And so Relnor was accepted into the cold, dark embrace of Kaela. Led away to a Winter regio not to be seen or heard of. Unwittingly fulfilling the final part of the curse. He would never traverse the labyrinth and never die a hero…

His friends searched for him after he was not with the captives and did not attend his Thane’s wedding as best man.

It took little insight to know where he had been, but they did not shame him or take his name in vein, instead they sought his body to take him to a final resting place, to take him to the graves of their people. To bless him as they would any warrior to lay beside them.

But he could not be found and soon they had no choice but to turn back empty handed. Relnor the coward was not a name given by any Scop but by Kaela herself for his acts in life.

And there he stays waiting in her halls, waiting to be brought back to fight beside his Thane Osric. To not let a little thing like death keep him from his Thane’s side. And to never, never die a hero.