Terminuz

 

History

Fourth Age

In 1135, Terminuz, a child with exciting heritage, was born in the town of Kehudale, at Haquasqu Bend in central Rikainuk. The child’s father was half Moss’ari and half Archaic. It’s half Rimzir and half Drakk Alfar’s mother of the Drevno Grotto at Peak Hrafni. Interestingly enough, his father’s mother had Ljost Alfar blood in her, and his mother’s father had Kobold and Dwarven blood in him.

At an early age, the strong-boned nugget with many lines showed an interest in crafting, as he drew items and objects and began carving or modelling what he imagined. As early as 1140, his designs began to raise eyebrows among the skilled crafters. His heritage unlocked numerous opportunities that would have remained inaccessible to a human.

In 1146, born close to Pinola Peak, he decided to visit his Ljost Alfar grandmother. Initially, the gate stopped him, but a concerned grandmother soon welcomed him. She had received information about his disappearance from home and was preparing to search for him. Thus, his stay also became an educational experience.

After staying there the entire summer, he set off towards home, but on the way back, he decided to visit Warmwood Grove in the central highlands. He turned north at the crossroads and trotted joyfully into Fautyr’s lands. Once more, the ancestral lines of the human lad opened gates that would have been otherwise closed.

When he returned home, his parents were quite surprised about the lad’s skills to open n-erectus realms, so they gave him free hands to travel and experience what his heart desired. His first trip would be to visit the Drakk Alfar Bonnil Grotto at Mt. Smapve, those in Peak Hrafnis Drevno Drotto, Mezagrish Grotto at Mt. Depol, and those in Kheldal Grotto at Bilzi Top.

In 1149 he visited two different Moss’Ari tribes, and in the spring of 1150 he went home and passed both apprentice and journeyman examinations as a crafter. Then he left again in the autumn and visited an archaic tribe at the northern border of Tulsa. He stayed with the archaic tribe until the spring of 1151, after which he left to visit another archaic tribe located at the border of Pokalu.

Then he travelled the border to Ilandi, passing through some villages and towns dominated by those of the common race and one ruled by mermerants. When he reached the shore, he travelled west through several settlements and forts governed by the Jomzaar and Rimzir. Finally, he reached the border to Tusla again and decided to venture into the foreign nation.

Walking across Tusla in 1153, he met Meanbone, a young pink-auraed prince of the Junnatu Weavers. Both were intrigued by each other’s capabilities, leading to the birth of a lifelong friendship. After staying there for a while, he learned about mana manipulation, astral travel, and advanced crafting techniques. Terminuz gained the rank of chief crafter in 1156.

Wanting to learn more, he then travelled to Pokalu, where he met the newborn Athil Ila at a market square. He detected something powerful in the baby’s orange aura. Then he travelled home and stayed there for a few years. He became a master crafter and journeyman mana manipulator in 1160.

Eager for more, he travelled east into Ilandi, where he met Muler Miza, a young merry man full of stories and tricks. Terminus spent a week in that town studying the youngster and wondered if this one would become a skjald, bard, or burn out. This was due to the immense energy he possessed.

Then he travelled onwards, met some Sproblins and visited their realm in Usai. At one of these tribes, he noticed another human whom the Sproblins called ‘Bladechimer’. They had believed him dead when he was found. But he somehow recovered, although he had no memories of his past. The only thing he knew was some exceptional bladeweaving. The technique was a mix of Mawmen brutality and Naldarian fluidity.

Training with this ‘Painbringer’ was challenging, but it was a valuable lesson in secret naldar follow-up styles. Then in 1161, he travelled north into Taulien, where he met Raul d’Bridge, a mermerant tournament duellist with a broad grin always on the ready. The lad, barely coming of age, was exceptionally skilled with both axe, sword, and shield.

Deciding to visit what had been a growing legend, even Meanbone had mentioned the ancient king of the reborn. Terminuz decided to go to Tornix in 1162. However, something disturbed his astral travel; too many silhouettes appeared to be focused elsewhere, prompting him to step out. After finding himself in Grebi, Terminuz quickly visited another infant named Kalmo.

With that Kobold-touched child in mind, thinking about his tapestry of origins, he set off to see if he could meet the renowned Zizu, a yellow-auraed hero who had been born in 480. It would be intriguing to meet this 682-year-old legend. He was welcomed with open arms, as Zisu easily read his pattern and saw the potential.

He stayed there for 4 years, sweating at the forges and studying at their library, and he became a lord crafter and master manipulator. But in 1166 he went home, and back there he became lord mana manipulator in 1271. Then he began to study bladeweaving, as he had noticed it being handy in many situations where magic was unfitting.

In 1199, after years of practicing bladeweaving, studying combat herbs, and learning runes, he visited an Arisen settlement, which many viewed as a daring move. He visited an Arisen settlement, viewed as a daring move by many. There, he willingly shared the knowledge gained from many origins. Some of them were far older than the Arisen, he guessed, despite a few being almost two millennia old. For this he received ‘Frostmourn’, a sword forged by two Ljost Alfar and two Dwarven lords at Mt. Ljostia.

There he learned about a powerful vampire, Havillalila Njorltaghur, said to have once bested Stoheican divines. Eager to learn its secrets, he visited her in the year 1200. It’s said she spared him due to his boldness just walking up and knocking at its gate. Others say it was because she, in him, recognised a descendant of the 2nd eight and merely honoured their blood and legacy.

Some also say it was because he carried Frostmourn, which Havillalila wanted to borrow to fight a lich. Instead, Terminus offered to join her in return for truename lore. Should he die by the lich’s hands, she could keep the blade. Laughing at the attunement prevention, which was cleverly spun by a worthy eighth descendant, she agreed, and they set out for the duel.

The lich had already absorbed several vampires, so it was very powerful, so the fight almost cost Havillalila her life. Then Terminuz jumped in and cut its helmet in two, breaking Frostmourn. The lich laughed and flung him aside. As the lich then focused on the vampire kill and the energetic boost to come, it was as if Terminus sensed a thin silvery energetic thread from a nearby chest to it.

He grabbed the broken tip of Frostmourn, released his stored runes, and surged towards the chest. The lich spun around to stop him, but Havillalila used her last energies to halt it. And Frostmourne’s tip sank deep into the lich’s hidden phylactery. Its source shattered; it shrieked. A horrific sound, as if a thousand souls screamed; the energies surged free – but paused at the dying vampire.

Although his vision was blurred by the energetic surge, Terminus knew he could not contain what sought him, especially from a vampire-saturated lich, and maybe Havillalila’s as well. So he released the last runes and threw himself at the dying vampire with the words, “feed, live, absorb.” She took the offer and embraced him deeply.

Thus, Havillalila survived, and the released lich energies surged through her and Terminuz, transforming the embrace into something different. Terminuz didn’t become a vampire but was bound to her and gained vast knowledge. As both lay exhausted, covered in lich dust and their blood, Havillalila grinned and said, “Truly no two fate seeds are alike; what an odd awakening yours was.”

He spent a year with Havillalila, eventually travelling with it to Mt. Vula, the sanctuary of all races and the crafters’ heaven. Two of its original makers reforged Frostmourne, and one of them was even pleased to see its mother again. After this event he went to the Junnatu Weavers once more, and in 1201 he became a member of their horde.

Terminuz became one of their horde’s main crafters, and in 1214 he began crafting two large battle axes for Bull Varg. A gift Meanbone handed over in 1215 to show how much they appreciated the raw melee strength of Bull Varg and his horde.

In 1251, Meanbone’s Hearth was stolen from deep within the Junnatu Caves. Terminuz became involved in the thieves’ hunt. This hunt was soon called off, as Meanbone figured out the purpose of the theft and appreciated the boldness of the move.

In the spring of 1277, Brucester contacted Terminuz. Occupied, they sent Atthil Ila to Pikleby in the Ivory Vale at Mealis. Both Setil’s and Bergons’s agents reported the meeting at The Prudent Mule, who informed both the High King and Lionel about the resurfacing of a small velvet pouch of some exceptional Kinoblin gemstones. Just as this was to unfold, the great invasion struck us all.

“One of the few, if not the only, who ever embraced, not a vampire.”

Skjald Sigurd

 

Organisation

Terminuz is an elite member of Junnatu Weavers.

“Not noble of birth but as mighty in power as their king.”

Skjald Ulrich

 

Special

He knows a gargantuan list of truenames which he utilises in his runes.

“A true rune lord among runic lords.”

Skjald Vinotis