In the harsh and cold Mountains,
North of Ratheus, where the day is weak,
and the night is gelid,
The Alaric people made their home.

A tribe of herders and hunters,
slow to anger but slower still to lull,
the Alarican Clansmen carved life
from the flesh of the mountains.
Proud and strong where they,
with many songs sung of their
trials and deeds.

King Norath led the Alarican Clan
and his tales are great.
Nortath who faced the alabaster remorhaz Draakki,
and fed its heartsblood to his tribe.
Lord Norath who defeated and killed the fell dire bear Bjørnic
and wore its pelt,
Great Norath who defeated the ogre lord King Urlack,
the last king of the Alaric people.
The Alarican Lord led his people on their nomadic path.
Strong and just was he, beloved by the clansmen.

Norath took a Queen Hilde,
a terrible warrior woman of quick wit
and frightful beauty.
Hilde aided the great King,
for no king’s rule is strong
when he rules alone.

Hilde bore Norath a male heir,
the Prince Kael of the Alarican Tribe.
Kael grew strong like his father
and cunning like his mother.
Kael the prodigy, excelled at the Great Hunt every solstice,
besting the other whelps in combat
and slaying the largest mammoths.
Norath was pleased that his son would lead the Alarican.

Kael grew and learned, ever ready
to lead the tribe. Norath taught him
the ways of strength and leadership,
Hilde taught him of nature and royalty.
And there was peace in the north.

Twenty long winters after Kael came,
a darkness descended on the Ratheus mountains.
A force of black hearted men lead by
Rorrick of Craidridge sought their lands.
Vicious and cruel was the man
with the blood of the white wyrm,
wielding a fell greataxe,
Rorrick wanted the new lands of Craigridge
to be watered with the blood of women and children.

When Craigridge came to the Alaric,
battle dawned readily.
Like a wave they came, washing
aside Alarican Calvary with
viciousness unseen.

Great King Norath faced Rorrick the White
like his foes of old.
But the youthful power of the King
had faded. His sword was heavy in his hand
and his shield splintered under the assault.
Norath slowed the Dragonman before being struck.
And his crown was taken.

Kael led the berserkers
against the forces of Craigridge,
but at his mother’s wise warning,
Kael ordered the retreat of the Alaric people.
Many clansmen fell to allow the women and children
to escape the slaughterous delight of Rorrick.

Kael crept back onto the charnel
field, to find his fallen Father King.
Among the corpses and broken land,
Kael, son or Norath, found King Norath
of the Alaric barbarians.
Norath, who lay broken and dying,
through bloody teeth he told Kael
of the glories past of Alaric, and
promise of the exaltation to come.
Alas, the great King drew
his last mighty breath and
gave his final order. The Alaric must
be taken south to recover and Rorrick
must be ended.

At the death of Norath, Kael the Prince
bellowed his anguished cry.
Startled by the raw scream,
Craigridge clansmen rushed to Kael.
But his fury was too terrible for the
brutal butcherers of his people and
their bodies and their future tales
were crushed beneath Kael’s hammer.

Kael returned to the fleeing tribe
and his blood soaked visage rallied them.
Hilde and Kael lead the Alarican people
far south to the land of Vallimore.
Weak was the spirit of the refugee northsmen,
but strong was their hope, bolstered
by tales of their past glory,
and steadfast they held.

The land they chose was the fiefdom of Lord Corwall.
Corwall, Lord of court and leisure,
was threatened by the mighty Alaric warriors.
Corwall’s threats to the Alaric were scoffed at.
Corwall pleaded to Queen Daenara Leonis
to send enough troops to face the northmen,
but the Queen feared their might.

Corwall sent his bodyguard to capture Kael,
but one can not capture the icy river.
Kael met them, captured them with
his hunter cunning. The knights
pled for their lives. Kael was merciful
and allowed them to live. He bound them and
dragged them to the castle of Corwall.
Kael granted Lord Corwall an audience.

Corwall ordered the Alaric people
off his land forever.
Kael told of their suffering and pain, but
Corwall was unmoved to pity.
Kael told of the greatest of the Alarican home
and their desire to return in time.
Corwall denied them respite. Through villainous teeth
Corwall said he would order his men to go finish
what Rorrick started.
To stop this order, Kael ripped Corwall’s tongue
from it’s roots.

When the youthful Queen heard of this,
she laughed. But her noble court
were terrified by Kael’s strength.
The Queen sent for Kael and Kael
responded readily, gifting her with Corwall’s tongue.
The Queen pleaded with Kael, to avoid
the loss of her men in a terrible war.

An agreement was reached, Kael
would join the weak Dark Legion of Vallimore
to appease the lords. The Alaric people
would have a home for this time.
Queen Hilde, the wise and fair, would lead
the Alaric people while Kael fought for Vallimore’s glory.