Spoiler: Background
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Torgrim Ulricsson was a fearsome warrior in his youth, ranging far to battle man and monster alike. The only son of Ulric Bloodaxe, Thane of Edrengard, young Torgrim was encouraged (if not outright pressured) by his father to become a warrior of great prowess and renown. As heir to a fractious realm ever seething with unrest, he'd been taught that the peace (such as it was) was kept only by steel, and the threat of steel, and young Torgrim took his father's words to heart.
He was just six and twenty when his father died under mysterious circumstances. News was late reaching him in the hinterlands, and upon his return to Edren's Hold he found most of his remaining family also dead, and a den of vipers waiting for him. He burned to avenge his kin and take the throne that was his birthright, but a youth spent campaigning with sworn and trusted men left him woefully unprepared for the intrigue and clandestine battles that awaited him. His only saving graces were that he learned fast, he understood the power of reputation, he knew when to use violence and to strike hard and fast when he did—and he sought advice from the only source he knew he could trust.
Torgrim was long convinced that divine favor had seen him through many a scrape that, by all rights, he should not have survived. With more sincerity than he'd ever managed in the heat of battle—not to mention more humility than he believed himself capable of—he made true obeisance to Odin, and begged the wisdom to help him in the challenges ahead, and rule his people rightly. It had apparently pleased the Allfather of Asgard to grant him such, for Torgrim found he no longer merely saw the hand of the gods in the happenstance of the world, but he could channel divine power directly. This direct favor alone won many allies to his cause, though it alienated much of the priesthood, who variously accused Torgrim of being a charlatan, or else wrung their hands and professed worry that so much temporal and spiritual power should be concentrated in such an entitled and bloodthirsty young man. "Let him forsake his worldly titles and live to honor the gods, as he should," they insisted. Torgrim of course refused, arguing that he had in truth been given his heavenly gifts so that he may prove a worthy liege-lord to his people in turn. Those priests who opposed him, power-hungry charlatans that they themselves were, led the opposition to Torgrim's rule almost to the bitter end.
It was more than ten years from his return to Edren's Hold to the day the last opposing clans gave up their claims of independence from Edrengard. Torgrim had made his share of mistakes, but strength, wit, determination, and divine providence had seen his people through to peace and unity at last. By then well into his middle years, Thane Torgrim had long since had his fill of bloodshed, and he finally had capable and loyal people around him to whom the safety of his realm could be entrusted. But though he could step back from personally leading his forces, his duties of rule—and of family, for he had married the day after peace was sworn—practically required his full attention. He never forgot his duties to the Allfather either, honoring the gods by leading with wisdom and strength, as he had promised, using Odin's gifts to enrich all.
In the decades since, Edrengard has prospered, and remained at peace with itself. Thane Torgrim Ulricsson had seen it safely through all crises and threats from outside, earning the name Torgrim the Farsighted; that this was done to erase some of the memory of his father's bloody rule, and to imply that his early mistakes were actually deliberate moves in a long game, is now mostly forgotten. Now well into his old age, and determined not to make the same mistakes as his father, Torgrim made sure his oldest son was truly ready to inherit the throne. Arnulf Torgrimsson has ruled in all but title for the past several years, and has done well—albeit with few challenges to test him, until now.
The recent phenomenon has caused unrest to boil once again in Edrengard, and no children were spared, including one of Torgrim's own grandchildren. The decision was reached by the Thane and his family that Torgrim would investigate the curse, accompanied by his youngest son Sigurd—whose newborn daughter is afflicted. In the event the worst should happen, Arnulf was crowned Thane shortly before Torgrim's departure, so that he could properly see Erengard through this time of crisis with the rest of his family's help.
Spoiler: Mechanics
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Definitely Human, probably Neutral Good, possibly Lawful Good.
Given his base class and background, Thorgrim can be a caster-focused or melee-focused character, depending on what the party has/needs/wants. I'd lean toward Cleric 5 / Divine Oracle 5 / Contemplative 6 in either case.
His cohort Sigurd will certainly be a warrior-type of some kind—maybe leaning toward Bard type classes to represent a Skald.
Re: High level one shot [3.5, seeking Players]
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