Gunnar son of Brock, of the tribe of TorbjØrn

(As reprinted from the former Google Group.)

BACKSTORY:
Gunnar son of Brock, of the tribe of TorbjØrn. Gunnar hails from a northern village. In the remote wilds, life is hard. Gunnars was no exception. As a child he learned the hard lesson that power is survival. A few of the other children and Gunnar were gathering wood. This day they were in a section of the woods not often frequented. Well after gathering wood, they were returning to the village when they were attacked. Unknowingly they stumbled into the territory of a dire badger. Which are very aggressive in protecting there territory. It attacked the group. The others fought valiantly. Using wood that had been gathered as clubs. Gunnar that day had been entrusted with the axe. Which he put to good use. They over came the dire badger. But lost two of their four. But if it were not for Gunnar with the axe, surely the day would have been lost. He learned that the axe (weapon) was power. And that power equaled survival. To this day he wears a claw from the badger as a reminder of that.
At the age of seventeen Gunnar went through the tribal right of passage into manhood. He was given a spear, and a knife. These two items alone. Then sent into the forest. His mission to kill a boar then bring it back to the village. Or don't come back. Gunnar was gone for several days before returning. With the biggest boar ever brought back to the village. He wears one of this boars tusks as keep sake of his right of passage.
At eighteen Gunnar left his village to seek his own path. Shortly after this he learned another important lesson. That power was not only physical items such as weapons and money. But friendships and social connections are power too. During his journeys he encountered a group of halflings being bullied then attacked by an ogre. Gunnar immediately came to the halflings assistance. Together they defeated the ogre. They pal'ed around for a couple days then went their seperate ways. Months later in a tavern Gunnar found himself in argument with several orcs over a game of chance. They were preparing to mess Gunnar up. When out of the nowhere, the halflings came. Together they overcame the orcs. He then proceeded to drink till dawn with his halfling friends. This cemented the idea that sometimes friendship is as powerful as a blade.
Gunnar is boisterous and brash. Not afraid of danger, but not foolhardy either. He values power. Its what he wants more than anything. Except at the loss of his friends. Whom he is quick to defend. He is an uncivilized brute, that can be savage and vicious. But he a good person at heart. That acts proper to women and children. On the other hand his enemies should and do fear him. For he is like a force of nature. A furious storm to be reckoned with.