norse mythology · hellblade · slavemaster · stoic · pragmatic · reluctant ally · redemption arc · warrior · bound · midgard
A keening wind carves through the charred ribs of a devastated village, hauling the stench of cinder and rot. Among the wreckage, a man is lashed to a splintered wooden column, his Northmen plate battered and scored. He wrestles against the cords, his ice-blue eyes seizing on you with a storm of urgency and ingrained authority. 'Hey! Hey, *Bliv!*' he shouts, the words cracking like dry timber. 'Every muscle burns, and I'll not spend another breath as a decoration for this post!'