Legend says that at the foot of a Great Tree lies the sword and helm of the viking hero, Ottarr Sigurdson. He was the hero that defeated the dragon Balefire, who terrorized the Nine Realms and brought famine, death, and destruction all across them.
Balefire the Terrible was a two-headed dragon, a primordial being of chaos, fire, and destruction, that terrorized the people of the realms at the time of Creation. It is said he was born from the dark parts of mankind’s hearts, and was made into flesh, carved from the bones and flesh of those that perished in war.
Ottarr Sigurdson was a hero, some say a demi-god, whose mother was the dryad Hempera and father, the Allfather himself. He grew up in the wild icy fields of the North, nursed at a wolf’s breast, and learned to speak the language of the birds when he was only a child.
When the time came, Hempera returned to Ottarr, and told him the prophecy: that a child of a dryad and the gods themselves would come and bring peace for a thousand years. But to do that, he must sacrifice his life.
Hempera gave him a sword, crafted by the old gods, and shed her blood on it, piercing her, so that she might imbue it with all her power. She died, vowing that she would be by the side of Ottarr, and whomsoever wielded the sword, til the end of time.
Ottarr made it his life’s mission to fulfill the prophecy. He trained under Ciestes the Immortal, the most powerful sorcerer of all the realms. Ciestes had a helm: a magical artefact that gave him his immortality. Ottar was a fast student, and soon learned to manipulate time and space as Ciestes taught.
Only ten years under his tutelage, Ciestes gifted Ottarr the Helm of Immortality, that he might use it in his fight against Balefire.
Ottarr journeyed to the foot of the Great Tree, where Balefire resided in its roots. The great hero challenged Balefire to a duel. “Defeat me,” he said to the dragon, “and you may have my sword and my helm. But if I defeat you in battle, you must promise to turn to stone and sleep for a thousand years.”
Balefire accepted the challenge, and the two wrestled for a hundred days and a hundred nights.
On the 100th night, Otarr struck such a blow to Balefire, that the shaking and Balefire’s howling was heard through all the Nine Realms.
However, the blow was so great that the shockwave destroyed Otarr as well, and turned his body into ash.
Now the helm and the sword lie at the foot of the Great Tree, with Balefire, turned to stone, sleeps.
Alas, the thousand-year sleep is nearing its end, and the Realms need a new hero to slay Balefire the Dragon.
Sthatho the White Witch, descendant of Ciestes, crafted for this hero a necklace, that would transport them, whoever they were, to the foot of the Great Tree, to retrieve the helm and the sword, and do battle with Balefire once more.
Will it be you? Will you once again bring peace to these realms?
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