Norson
Norson is a half-frost-giant half-elven devoted evoker played by Randi. Norson (the elven word for giant; the emphasis is on the second syllable) was the product of rape and for this reason was shunned from the elven community. His hatred and anger toward the elves who mistreated him throughout his childhood has grown into a burning passion to destroy the elven nation.
Notes
- Born in a small village in Thalorian.
- Exiled at birth.
- Grew up as a janitor at an elven academy.
- Learned magic after fleeing the academy and seeking out Gwerion.
- Moved to Phalendia after ending apprenticeship under Gwerion.
- Created a spy network called Vel'xunyrr Cress.
- Wields a large keen frost greatsword of returning +2 named Orod Megil (mountain sword in Elvish) that he throws at distant enemies. Orod Megil weighs 18 lbs.
- Directly responsible for The Blaze of Thalorian's Seat
Norson's name in Elvish: 
Backstory
Norson is a half-elf half-frost giant, a child of uncommon circumstances. His father, Gurnurok, lead a barbaric tribe of frost giants that lived in the mountains on the edge of the elven kingdom of Thalorian. Gurnurok was short for his kind, which only made him more angry and savage than the rest. He was teased and bullied when he was young, creating a deep desire to prove himself. Upon coming of age, he savagely killed the chieftain of the tribe and took over as its new leader. Gurnurok raided many settlements in his time – mostly human ones – and fought numerous battles. One of the last raids he planned was on a secluded elven village on the borders of the elven nation.
The village was small; only a hundred elves or so lived in it and the surrounding forest. Norson's mother, Erúvë Elen, was the healer of the village. She was a peaceful elf who had a motherly presence to her. During the frost giant raid on the elven village, she was out in the forest gathering herbs and encountered Gurnurok, who brutally raped her. Being the sole healer in the village, there were none to tend her wounds immediately, and as a result she suffer irreversible harm. She survived the encounter and was impregnated by Norson's father. The size of the baby she carried caused her great pain throughout the pregnancy. Luhton, the local wizard, worked his magic to reduce Erúvë's suffering. He caused her body to grow to help her accommodate the large baby inside her. Although his magic helped ease her pain, Erúvë died during childbirth.
A week after the frost giant raid, an elven brigade tracked down the giant clan and ambushed them, killing everyone, including Norson's father Gurnurok. After Norson was born, the wizard Luhton took him in and gave him his name – Norson – meaning "giant" in Elvish. After months of turmoil and argument, the village council voted to banish Norson to the hills, for none in the village wanted such a reminder of that dreadful night to walk among them. The sentence was surely a death sentence for someone so young. Luhton took pity on Norson and secretly sent him to colleagues of his at a far off wizard academy. There, he reasoned, he could grow into elven culture away from the prejudice or the villagers.
His new caretakers showed great interest at first, but after the years passed and Norson grew, he was no longer the interesting specimen he used to be. The wizards at the academy treated him with a mild distain, forcing the young giant to do the work of a common servant; cleaning, cooking, and running errands. He was not allowed to learn magic, for he was at an elven academy where only elves were taught the arts. Norson expressed interest in learning, but the wizards of the academy refused. When Norson learned to read and write Elvish, Luhton and he exchanged letters. He learned of the unfortunate circumstances of his birth and the death of his father, the chieftain of the frost giant tribe. Luhton omitted the part about the angry villagers and the council's vote for his death, feeling that the information was unnecessary and would only cause him harm. Over the years, Luhton and Norson corresponded through letters, and although they were fairly infrequent, Norson always looked forward to them.
One day in the wizard academy, sometime after Norson's 17th birthday, Luhton became the subject of conversation for his work in uncovering some ancient scrolls. During his cleaning duties, Norson eavesdropped on a few wizards who were talking on the subject. The conversation slowly drifted to Norson himself; the wizards discussed his arrival at the academy and Norson heard the wizards comment on the vote at the village, agreeing that such a child would only have caused more pain in the elven village. Norson also heard the wizards discuss how Luhton sent Norson to their academy, for the wizard felt only pity for the giant.
Norson felt betrayed by Luhton, the wizard he had almost come to consider his new father. He was hurt and depressed and felt an outcast in the academy; in all of elven society. He resolved to leave the academy. Having spent his life growing up around magic, he desired to learn the arts for himself. He knew of no wizard who would teach him until he heard the wizards at the academy speak of an elf who had recently been given the name Gwerion. He was a powerful war wizard who served the king himself. Gwerion was reportedly exiled from the kingdom for using unethical magic in battle with enemies of the elven nation.
Knowing only the wizard's new name and that he was reportedly living in the mountains to the north, Norson left the academy early one morning and traveled north through elven country. He was not mistreated in his travels but neither was he welcomed due to his half-breed nature. He spent his nights sleeping in the stables for the rooms in the inn were intended for elven-sized occupants. He reached the northern edge of the elven nation and learned from some local townspeople that Gwerion was living in a tower in a valley in the mountains. The warmage welcomed no visitors and turned back all who approached his home.
With little to lose and an unquenchable desire to learn magic that had only been strengthened in his travels, Norson located the tower of the war wizard. Gwerion refused him entrance, but Norson was not to be dissuaded; he sat before the door to the tower, only moving to relieve himself and only consuming the water and rations he had with him, for solid week. Gwerion was both impressed and curious about the dedication possessed by this half-giant and agreed to teach him the wizarding arts.
Norson was a quick learner, but there was a vast amount of material to cover. An elven wizard could easily spend a century learning magic. Norson dedicated his entire life to his studies; he learned combat magic, he practiced with sword and armor, he fought against constructs summoned by Gwerion. He neglected the tradition fields of magic – divination and conjuration, for example – to follow in the footsteps of his mentor. Gwerion was a war wizard and taught Norson what he knew best; the school of evocation.
A decade passed as Norson learned the arts of war from Gwerion. He mastered magic that could topple buildings and dispatch foes. He was skilled with the greatsword and the large suit of breastplate that had been crafted specifically for him. Shortly before his 25th birthday, Norson traveled to the elven village where he had been born. He avoided the villagers, feeling no particular desire to see any of them, including Luhton, and traveled into the nearby mountains. After a few days of searching, Norson located the grave of his father. The valley was small, containing only a scattering of rusted armor and the bones of the dead frost giants. Brush had overgrown everything and Norson spent many hours uncovering the final resting places of his kin. He paid his respects to the grave of his father and left.
Norson completed his training under Gwerion the day of his 27th birthday. He left the tower one week after graduation, and, after stocking supplies in the local village, set out to find his destiny.
